By ROBERT LINNEHAN
Old versus young. Two generations clashing together in the spotlight. A former pitching star from Cherokee High School and George Mason University going up against a colleague that hasn’t played baseball in 25 years…what could go wrong?
Well, as Big Daddy Graham of 610 WIP predicted, Randy Nemeroff, 53, could have a heart attack when he sees that first 90-mile per hour fastball winging into the batters box from Chris Murray, 29.
Two Oak Mortgage loan officers are helping families in need with a baseball challenge on a rather large stage this week, as Murray and Nemeroff will settle an old score on the Camden Riversharks field on Wednesday, July 27, after the night’s game.
The Riversharks will be hosting the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs at 7:05 p.m.
Nemeroff will settle into the batters box at Riversharks field and have three at-bats to hit a pitch from Murray past a designated line. The winner will be showered with praise and bragging rights. The loser will be forced to wear a Tinkerbell costume into work the next day, a fate far worse than death.
This was never intended to be on such a grand stage. The two colleagues were just talking about taking a few friendly swings after work, Nemeroff said. Nemeroff had casually mentioned that he never knew what it was like to sit in the batters box with a pitcher throwing 90 miles per hour, and Murray was all too happy to oblige.
But word spread, as it tends to do, quickly through the loan mortgage office and soon the pair had 100 eager coworkers asking if they could come and watch the historic battle. The combatants were going to do it one day after work, but were rained out.
“I sent a flyer down to the Camden Riversharks that night and asked them to host the event, I got an e-mail and they said they wanted to host the event. I thought, lets make this a fund-raiser,” Nemeroff said. “What started as a major joke is now a major event.”
For each $11 ticket sold at the game, $5 will be donated to an outreach program hosted by the Burlington Camden County Board of Realtors. The outreach program supports needy family in the two counties, Nemeroff said.
Nemeroff, who said he was an all-star in his “peanut” baseball league in South Philly when he was 6, said he’s been training with a buddy on his old Philadelphia stomping grounds for the clash.
“The nice thing about this is we’ll be raising money for charity,” he said. “But as far as what’s going to happen in the field, Chris will be looking backwards as the ball sails over his head and will be dressing up as Tinkerbell the next day.”
Murray — who overheard this phone interview — said Nemeroff has no clue what he’s getting himself into. The former Cherokee High School pitching star and four-year varsity pitcher for George Mason University said he plans to keep Nemeroff off balance with his fastball and slider.
It’s all for charity though, Murray said, and it’s been a trip to see where this has gotten too in the last month.
“He has no idea. He’s a crazy 53-year-old and he doesn’t know what he’s doing,” Murray said. “He’ll realize it the next day when he’s dressing up as Tinkerbell.”
Murray even has his personal catcher, Bob Angradi, set to call pitches.
To see this epic clash go to www.riversharks.com and click on the fundraising logo on the right of the screen and then enter the code OAK. Click on buy and choose your seats to see the game, the fund-raiser, and to help support some families in need.
