The heavily favored scribes who compete in the Artists & Writers annual charity softball game find themselves in the midst of a two-game losing streak after dropping Saturday’s contest 14-9 to the Artists at historic Herrick Field in East Hampton. It raised $200,000 for East End charities.
Artists manager Leif Hope says, “It wasn’t bad fielding that did them in, it was just that they did not hit. I expected in the eighth and ninth innings the Writers would change the pattern, but they went down in order.”
[Full Disclosure: Media Ink made a token appearance for the Writers for one inning, but the biggest action came shortly after arrival. The jersey had the right last name on the back, looking good, a navy blue, with kind of a fancy collar for softball and a few buttons on the front that were a little unusual. Imagine my surprise that the jersey should have gone to Ray Kelly, the former NYPD top cop who was serving as one of the umpires for the game. Media Ink and the former Commish, who was wearing the Writers jersey, did a soccer-style shirt exchange at the pitchers mound seconds before the game began.]
The Writers had to weather charges of “ringer” when they again started former Yankees slugger Jim Leyritz.
Ken Auletta, of the New Yorker, one of two coaches for the Writers, pointed out that Leyritz qualified as a writer due to his memoir, “Catching Heat,” which was a hit three years ago.
Leyritz smashed a homer into the tennis court beyond left field and added a double, making him one of the most productive hitters in the game — still, it wasn’t enough to carry the team.
The Artists produced a power hitter of their own, Richard Sullivan, an illustrator and designer, who also smashed a home run and was named the game MVP.
As the Artists came from behind to take the lead, talk on the Writers bench naturally turned to their latest literary efforts.
Pulitzer Prize winner Carl Bernstein, the starting catcher who struck out swinging in his last at bat, said his next book, “The Washington Star,” is a memoir about his first five years in journalism at the defunct daily. It is due out from Henry Holt within weeks.
Starting rover and Steve Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson, said his next book, “The Innovators,” is ready to hit next month from Simon & Schuster.
He conceded at this point in his softball career, “I hope they don’t hit it to me.” Isaacson ducked out after a few innings to deliver a talk at The Guild Hall, but returned in time for the after party at Race Lane Restaurant.
Peter J. Schwartz, who joined with NYU President John Sexton and Thomas Oliphant to write, “Baseball as a Road to God,” admitted that he recently left journalism to join a hedge fund. He still qualifies as a writer since the book was being raffled off as a prize for fans.
Michael Gaston, from HBO’s “Leftovers,” admitted he was as surprised as anyone when he made a catch on the warning track for the Artists, robbing a potential homer.
There was more than a little grumbling that Bill Clinton, who showed up to much fanfare last year, did not make a return appearance — especially since Hillary Clinton was drawing a massive out-the-door crowd for an East Hampton book-signing for “Hard Choices” a few hours after the game started.
When he was still Arkansas governor, Clinton famously served as an umpire.
“Today” co-host Matt Lauer also failed to make a return visit, disappointing organizers.
Alec Baldwin, usually a mainstay for the Artists, boycotted this year’s event despite some press reports in Newsday that he was on the scene.
He’s been taking a drubbing in the press recently and was said to be a little publicity shy.