Page 8 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE October, 1989
JUST JOCKS
NCAA says goodbye to Slush Sisters finish season on top
another season
by K.D. Mahnal
The North Coast Athletic Association's Sunday Softball League drove home another season as an organized league.
"The year turned out okay and I had really good time being commissioner," said Bob Johnson of the NCAA's seventh successful campaign.
Keys walked away with the championship, with a 15-0 record. Paul Y., Keys player and manager, was excited about winning the Tom McComsey Championship award. He said they were "lucky enough to have good players and just lucky to win it. It was a lot of fun."
The championship trophy is a memorial to McComsey, one of the leagues' founders, who died of AIDS.
Second place turned into a battle between A Man's World and Club Body Center/Leather Stallion Saloon, both ending the season with 10-5 records.
A Man's World claimed second in the tie-breaker by defeating Club Body three times in the regular season and losing twice.
Individual records were almost a sweep for Bob Cherry of A Man's World, who won the RBI crown with 37, the Home Run title with 15, and was selected as the league's Most Valuable Player.
"I don't feel very competitive," said Cherry. "I'm in a gay league and have the advantage of having played in other leagues."
Ironically, Cherry lost his bid for a sweep in the final week of the season, as George B. of Keys battled from behind to claim the Batting Average title, with .675, edging out Cherry by two points.
Special memorial trophies also were awarded as lasting tributes to former league members, whose contributions were vital to the league's initial success,
and have since died.
The Doug McNamar Sportsman of the Year award went to Cheryl Anthony of Over The Rainbow for exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season. Dick F. of Club Body/Leather Stallion was awarded the Dan Harwood Outstanding Service trophy for selfless contributions to the NCAA's overall suc-
cess.
Each of the six teams also selected one rookie of the year and three all-stars. Winning Rookie of the Year honors were: John Werner (Over the Rainbow), Debi L. (Keys), Tom B. (Memoirs), John Woodruff (Club Body/Leather Stallion), Mark V. (Numbers) and Dennis P. (A Man's World).
The All-Stars selected represented Cleveland in the Midwest Invitational Softball Tournament held in Detroit over the Labor Day weekend.
In two days of grueling softball, the NCAA All-Stars competed in seven games and captured third place in a field of ten teams. Cleveland's All-Stars were:
by K.D. Mahnal
The North Coast Bowling Association's Summer "No Tap" League has rolled to its conclusion. The Thursday night league had 10 teams, with four keglers per team.
Slush Sisters claimed the summer bowling crown by 3 1/2 games over their nearest challenger, Summer Four-Play. Slush Sisters not only led the league for most of the season, but also took top honors in both the league for most of the season, but also took top honors in both the team categories; High Handicap Game with a 971 pin total and High Handicap Series (3 game total) with 2,671 pins. The four members of the Championship team are: David B., Norm H., Brian M.. and Rocky A.
Rounding out the top four in High Handicap Game honors are: Just Us and Cleavers; tied at 965 pins, Big Boys 940 pins, and Summer Four-Play with a 923 pin total. Handicap statistics are determined on a weekly basis, depending on which two teams bowl each other and the total averages of each team. The team with the lower average automatically gets 100 per cent of the pin difference added
to their score, before the games are bowled. The remaining top NCBA performers in High Handicap Series are: Friends of Dorothy 2,584 total pins, Just Us 2,558 pins, and Big Boys with a 2,557 pin count.
Claiming individual records in High Scratch Game were: Paul Y. (Just Us) with a 300 pin perfect game, Ted H. (Summer Four-Play) at 298, Bill G. (Cleavers) 280, and Bob L. (Just Us) and Brian Widmer (Cleavers), tied with 278 pin games. Scratch statistics are actual pins knocked down, without a handicap added. Tops in the High Scratch Series (3-game total) were: Paul Y. 762, Bob L. 752, Bill Harrison (Old Goose & Ganders) 729, and Ed P. (Summer FourPlay) 723.
Best individual season averages were posted by Bob L. 227.3, Paul Y. 226.7, Harrison 220.1 and Ted H. with a 214 average. Top women bowlers were Bev Kerr with a 183.4 average and Carol T. posting a 133.4 average. Both of the women are members of the Friends of Toto team.
Send all sports inquires and scores to: The Chronicle, K.D.Mahnal, P.O. Box 556, Edgewater Branch, Lakewood, OH 44107.
Over The Rainbow, Anthony (coach), Getting into leather
Jeff R. and Werner (alternate); Numbers, Marty V., Jessie B. and Tim S. (alternate); Memoirs, Tom B., Jeff G. and Ron R. (alternate); Club Body/Leather Stallion, Curt Gage, Aaron H. and Dick F. (alternate); and Keys, Ken Leckler (coach), Paul Y. (manager) and Paul M.
New league officials were elected at the NCAA banquet. Officers for next season will be Al Taylor, commissioner; Anthony, vice president; Mike A., recording secretary; Nick N., correspondence secretary; and Dick F., treasurer.
Taylor already has established a major objective for 1990. We want "to go back to the original spirit of the league, to get as many people from the community involved," he said. ▼
DEBRA L. DUNKLE, A.C.S.W.,L.I.S.W.
CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER
ANDREW PETER BEEBE, Ph.D.
PSYCHOLOGIST
AND ASSOCIATES
a lesbian and gay psychotherapy practice
12429 Cedar Road, Suite 23 Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44106
R
1
1
216/229-2100
NEAL B. LARSON
Realtor
Residential & Commercial Realty Service Throughout Greater Cleveland
Realty One
Office: 216 779 6440
Leather Rick on black tie events and
so on
I watched him walk along Detroit and 112th, a massive mixture of leather, gleaming boots and tattoos. Let's face it, he turned me on, and I kept staring. I said to a friend, who also was staring, “I think he is going into the Tomahawk.”
"Why, how can you tell that?" My friend was wary and apprehensive. "Do you think he is gay? He may be a biker.”
He did go into the Tomahawk. My curiosity aroused, I bid adieu to my friend and entered the bar. I found a seat next to him. He proved a very easy person to talk to. Once things warmed up, I said I wanted to do a story on him, and he proved obliging as he slowly worked his way through his first beer of the evening.
"Leather Rick" was his selfproclaimed I.D. At first we discussed the fact that bikers and leather masters are hard to tell apart.
Then he found a subject close to his heart. He went on to explain about his video performances.
"My first video was 'Everything But the Kitchen Sink.' It was very successful and grossed $150,000. Pretty good for a first video," he said. He said he has made about 40 videos so far.
Sure enough, later, Leather Rick showed me a back issue of Drummerand, where his first video was written up. Apparently, it was considered a pretty good first effort. It was called "realistic" and "authentic."
Leather Rick told he had been president (that's the term, he assured me) of the Akron-based Skulls before he moved to Cleveland. He liked Cleveland; he really did. His other favorite bars here are Legends and, of course, the Leather Stallion, a bar he has gone to for years.
With so much experience across the nation, Cleveland was certainly lucky to acquire this nationally known leather master. I know a little about the coast-tocoast leather scene, but whatever I brought up, Leather Rick knew much more. He was even aware of the mostly
heterosexual New York-based Euigenspiel Society. Like me, he had met the publisher of SM Express at a Euigenspiel meeting and knew many other masters.
Leather Rick did not want me to do an article solely on his great knowledge of the S&M scene or his outstanding merits as a video performer. He had warmed up to this interview and was anxious to inform readers of the Chronicle of his carefully considered opinions.
"Why is it the case" he asked, "that there has been discrimination even in the gay world against the leather scene?" He considers this extremely unfair. He seemed bitter, saying, “The drag queen is accepted. Gays accept that!"
Rick then turned to me and emphasized his words. "How much money do you think that type has? Poor, right? Yet, the drag queen is accepted. Do you realize just how much money it takes to buy a leather outfit? At least $1,000."
Leather Rick thought he had made his point. "Since it costs at least $1,000 to wear a proper leather outfit, you can be sure that members of a leather club are all upper-class people. They hold good jobs. Many of them are, of course, anonymous club members since they can not afford to jeopardize their community. standing." He then mumbled about wardens, police officers and prison guards, but refused to clarify the matter further. It was time to wind up the interview, but Leather Rick had one more question. "How come Cleveland does not have a gay black tie and tuxedo crowd?"
I tried to explain that Cleveland didn't have the same kind of gay rights lawyers that you find in New York, but Leather Rick, covered with florid tattoos visible to everyone, was insistent on this point. "A black tie and tuxedo crowd, that's what Cleveland really needs now! It interests me."
He seemed to see this as a personal challenge. He raised his glass in salute to the idea. "If such a group forms, I want to know. I might want to join them!".
COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE
Medical and Psychological Care for Lesbians and Gays Evening and Weekend Appointments Available
26250 Euclid Ave., Suite 625, Euclid, OH 44132
STEPHEN ALTIC, D.O.
Family Medicine 289-5800
DOUGLAS J. MOORE, Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist 663-0245
DR. MOORE ALSO LOCATED AT:
5706 TURNEY RD., SUITE 205, GARFIELD HTS...