Robert Moravec, Sun City Resident is known for many accomplishments. He is #3 on the Sun City 16-inch softball team, Agents. He is an avid Chicago Bears, White Sox, and Blackhawk fan. He collects sports memorabilia. He is Neighborhood 3 Block Captain for the Neighborhood Watch program. He is a twenty-year member of the Crystal Lake Lions Club where he has served as a president and currently the used eyeglasses chairman.
Moravec states, “I have in the last three years collected over 20,000 pair to be distributed in needy countries.”
Moravec is not retired from his position as a Property Association Manager although he has lived in the retirement community for 5 years.
Moravec said, “I am thinking about it. I’ll be ready in 4 years.”
But Moravec’s softball team did not know that he was a poet. He shared a talent that surprised his teammates at the end of this softball season with a salute to Eakin Field:
Ode to Eakin Field
The view from my position out in left field this evening is pretty amazing.
There’s a timeout on the field. The shadows are creeping near second base.
I take a moment to soak it all in, the sights and the sounds.
Though I’m just in my fourth season in Sun City Softball,
I sense it is an absolute privilege to be playing here and still lacing ‘em up.
Eakin Field.
I continue to be in awe by this quaint ballpark.
Manicured outfield grass and a no bad hop infield. Roger Bossard would be proud.
Bunting on the outfield fence and an electronic scoreboard with balls and strikes.
Always a supportive crowd in the stands and golf cart spectators down the left field line.
An unforgiving mat at home plate and the coaches frank critique of missing the cutoff man.
A Del Webb treasure, our very own field of dreams,
Eakin Field
Eakin is unlike any field that you ever played on.
Two first bases, two homes plates, a “commitment” line.
And what’s with that white line in the outfield holding me back?
Though it’s a 16” yellow softball I covet my oversized Wilson mit with every line drive catch.
Eakin Field
Every player in our softball league defies that this is a kid’s game.
You can see it in the eyes. We love this game and have for a long, long time.
Cal Ripken was right, “You can be a kid for as long as you want when you play baseball’.
The Hurricanes bench and fans erupt as another run scores on a blooper single.
A glance over my shoulder and a check of the scoreboard
Shows our five-run lead is now down to two.
Eakin Field.
This is the first poem that Moravec had written. Moravec said, “I’ve been working on it all summer long. At the end of the year, we had a party and I shared it with our new manager, Rich Pearl.”
Pears said, “This is good.”
He took the steps to share the Moravec’s work beyond the teammates.
