APRIL 23, 2004 --

Summer weather made a brief advance visit to New York City, April 22, permitting the Broadway Show League to have a day's preseason in Central Park. The league website, located at -- www.broadwayshowleague.com--posted a letter from Commissioner Carlos Martinez April 23, indicating that while weather was permitting, the permits themselves went through some altering, after the 11:30 A.M. and 1:30 P.M. games were played. LPR left the Hecksher softball fields after the 1:30 game between The Boy from Oz and Rent. Oz won going away 25-12.

There is a 3:30 division as well, consisting of unions, organizations and associations. Commissioner Martinez's letter points to "inconvenience" affecting the 3:30 games, having to with a Mayor's Office directive that prompted private schools to apply for a greater number of field permits, in the fight against inactive and overweight children. LPR readers are encouraged to click the league's website for the commissioner's letter as well as for information about the league, the team schedules this season, and other information about the league, extending to information about the Broadway community.

To adapt to the mayor's directive, the league will start its games 45 minutes earlier in May. Thus, the Boy from Oz will open its season against the powerful Producers (League champs, 2001 and 2002) at 12:45 P.M. instead of 1:30 P.M. The 11:30 games will start at 10:45 A.M. in May, and the 3:30 P.M. games will start, in May, at 2:45 P.M.

The Commissioner's letter acknowledges: "Our only oversight was not looking at the fine print once the [league] permits went through." Commissioner Martinez went on to take "full responsibility" and "apologize." LPR believes this response by the Commissioner is laudable, but beside the point, the Dayton Seaside property tax experience having instructed LPR that there is precious little to do against a determined bureaucracy (other than to go to court zealously).

League play continues through July 22, followed by the playoffs.

The photos of some of the April 22 preseason games show: the view of the fields approaching from the Sheep Meadow, the Field No. 1 third base foul line (and world's tallest foul pole beyond). The player at bat is Patrick Wilson, the talented actor-singer-softball player, who is on the Oz nine. Commissioner Martinez, Oz first baseman, is seen heading to third. Jarrod Emick, who plays Greg, in Oz, is seen heading home. Mr. Emick hit a ball that might, in Fenway Park, have cleared the Green Monster (it was a home run here, as well). Safe at home, in a cloud of Heckscher Field 2 dust, is a member of the De La Guarda nine, in an 11:30 game against Fiddler on the Roof.