AWA could still hit, and offensively the team was better than ever. As a team we batted .483, one of our best marks ever, and a number of players had career years at the plate. The team was solid throughout the lineup, and on any given night we were a threat to put up big numbers. But on defense the team struggled. Outfielders seemed just a step slow running down balls hit into the gaps. Infielders were making way too many errors. And nobody was happy with the pitching. Often we played and acted like grumpy old men. Tempers were short and the usual dugout patter was replaced by incessant sniping.

We could still hit with the best of them, but even in a sport dominated by hitting, it's pitching and defense that wins games, and AWA wasn't making the plays necessary for the team to come out on top. No matter how much we all enjoyed coming out to play each week, winning definitely makes the beer taste better. And in 1990 the beer was a little flat.

The team had gone through this process of self-examination before. But the past dealt with issues of attitude. This time we were dealing with the fact that much of the team was simply getting old, and injuries were becoming far too commonplace. For Earl Yagi, the many injuries endured over the years finally caught up with him. AWA's finest pitcher retired after 16 seasons with 152 career victories.

Keeping injuries to a minimum, it seemed to all come together again in 1991. The veteran AWA's were hitting and fielding like youngsters -- well, kind of elderly youngsters -- and the team began to win by the same lopsided scores that a year before only came in defeat. The team cruised to a 7-3 record in the league's spring season, which was good enough to earn a spot in the playoffs.

The playoff opener was no picnic, however, as AWA faced New Image Painting and their league-best 9-1 record. AWA's hopes for another championship run were quickly dashed by the younger and more athletic New Image team, who blistered AWA by a 17-7 count.

The team continued to play well through the summer season, posting another 7-3 slate to make the playoffs again. But in a repeat of the team's spring playoff failure, AWA was washed away 18-7 by eventual league champ Off Base.

While we were competing well for the most part, we just could not match up against some of these younger -- and clearly better -- teams when things were on the line. But despite our limitations, the guys enjoyed a successful campaign, finishing up with a record of 22-18.

The loss of shortstop Bruce Christie to injuries the last two seasons had a profound effect on the team's defense. But in 1992 Bruce reported to duty fit and ready to play, and while playing perhaps his best softball ever in an AWA uniform, the team's defensive sparkplug led the guys to an 8-2 spring record and first place in the division.

The first round of the playoffs had been a difficult hurdle for AWA the last few years, but led by their healthy shortstop, AWA came through this time to win it all. Opening against the Swingin' Sacks on a muggy July evening, AWA slugged their way to a 14-4 win, putting the team in the championship final against Dogs on the Run.

With a league record of 9-1, the Dogs were regarded as the favorite to win it all. But their one loss, an early 14-10 decision, came against AWA. That win had given us confidenxe coming in, but this was exactly the type of team that had crushed our guys both times in '91, so we were very aware of what we were up against. Looking for redemption as well as a championship, the Dogs blew out to an early 6-0 lead. But on this night nobody on AWA gave up, despite some bad baserunning mistakes and bungled opportunities. The game was loud and emotional, and there was as much fighting among the guys in the AWA dugout as there was out on the field. But in a thrilling example of never-say-die, AWA rallied to snag an electrifying 13-10 win.

Who was getting too old?

But the 1992 season was to be a roller coaster of the worst kind, and what followed was a full-speed plummet to the very bottom. As is customary for a league champion, we were moved up a level for the summer season, and the team responded with a staggering 0-10 record. Overall, the team lost 16 of the last 17 games of 1992, including the final 12 in a row. Eight of those losses were by the dreaded ten-run rule. Even our sole victory during that stretch, a 13-12 tournament win over the Shamrocks, was a game we almost gave away and easily could have lost.

No one on the team could fathom what was happening, as this plunge was occurring so utterly. By season's end the glitter of the spring championship was all but forgotten. At the completion of the 1992 season, in which finished with an overall record of 12-20, we were all in shock.

The team's descent continued into the 1993 season, as the team opened the year with five straight losses, extending the losing streak to 17 games. The win that finally broke the string, a laborious 18-17 decision over Original Crabhouse, was so numbing that the team didn't celebrate the outcome. This wasn't a win, it was a game we didn't lose, having blown a 10-run lead. The team had become so accustomed to things going wrong, that when we didn't finally blow the game, it somehow seemed unbelievable.

The AWA Enterprises softball team had forgotten what it was like to win, or even compete, with any level of consistency, and the joy of playing had completely dissipated. The good-natured jabbing in the dugout was replaced by harsh criticism. Post-game laughter was replaced by weary expressions and snide remarks. For many, playing AWA softball had become a chore. Few players hung out to share a beer anymore, and some of the most die-hard AWA veterans contemplated retirement from the team.