| | Published November 20th, 2013
| Lamorinda Weekly Writers on the Field
Bassett Tabbed for Big Games
| |  | | Conrad Bassett at work as the back judge last Saturday when Miramonte defeated Tennyson in the first round of the NCS championships.
Photo Jim Cottingham
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Lamorinda Weekly's own Conrad Bassett, sports and real estate writer, was recently selected to officiate both a Northern California Regional Championship football game, likely to be played in Sacramento, and a State Championship game at the Stub Hub Center in Carson mid-December. Only 10 officials from northern California are chosen each year to fly south for the championships. L.Borrowman
Desert Stormed
From left: Tri-Valley Giants Alvaro Alvarez, Edward Cooley and Nick Marnell prior to an Oct. 30 MSBL World Series game at Papago Park in Phoenix. Photo Roger Lara
 Besides covering the fire beat for the Lamorinda Weekly, I play in the Tri-Valley Mens' Senior Baseball League during the regular season, April to September. From that league Don de Cordova, one of the commissioners, recruits, organizes and manages teams he enters into a national tournament in Arizona: the MSBL World Series. This year de Cordova invited me for the first time. I was the Lamorinda addition to the roster of the 60+ Tri-Valley Giants, Central Division.
Baseball teams travel to Phoenix for this event from all over the country. The tournament games are scattered throughout the Major League Baseball spring training complexes in the Phoenix area, and each team plays one game at a major league stadium. Our games were scheduled the week of Oct. 28.
After an opening game victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, we lost our next five contests. We were defeated in a couple of very close games, against Portland and Orange County; and we lost not so close games to teams from Hollywood, San Antonio and Alberta, Canada. San Antonio finished in first place in our division.
Despite our won-lost record, the tournament provided every one of us a sublime moment or two. On offense, we were led by David "Doc" Currie, who had at least one hit in each game. The defensive star was centerfielder Edward "E" Cooley, who made a spectacular, back to the diamond, over the shoulder catch of a long fly against Alberta. My personal highlight was rapping a hard base hit in our major league stadium game - at Maryvale Baseball Park, spring home of the Milwaukee Brewers.
But the best gauge of our experience: Every Tri-Valley Giant said he looked forward to the opportunity to return to Phoenix next fall. N.Marnell
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA