VIEW MORE PHOTOS | Hotlanta Softball League End of Season Party @ Heretic
It’s final swing taken, its hunky king (and queen) crowned and its Big Peach played out, the Hotlanta Softball League celebrated the close of its spring season on Saturday with a party, trophies and plenty of awards.
The event at the Heretic also toasted the gay league’s teams heading to post-season tournaments later this month. Eight men’s teams — Venom GATF, Sluggers, Atlanta HitMob, Atlanta Hardline Packers, Atlanta Packers, Rampage, Pink Cadets and Heat — head to the Gay Softball World Series in Chicago and two women’s teams — Gamma and Gamma Lite – will represent HSL at the ASANA Softball World Series in Philadelphia.
The league’s games ended last month with the Commissioner’s Cup, a one-day tournament to settle which teams would fill the league’s remaining slot in the post-season tournaments. The season ended like it started, opening with the Atlanta HitMob’s Warm Up Tourney in March. A week later, the crush of Sundays at the ballpark got under way and lasted all summer.
Mixed into on-the-field play were plenty of off-the-field hijinks: The hunky Wet Demons busting some beer, the Pink Cadets hosting drag softball in Piedmont Park, the Titans toasting their balls and then playing with them, some Extra Inning fun, a Big Peach tournament and its popular underwear contest, crowning a league daddy, ah, king, and sashing its (drag) queen.
But the fun isn’t quite over: the Pink Cadets host a Cookout and Jell-O Shot Beer Bust on Saturday and the Atlanta Packers follow up with one of their own on Sunday. The league’s Fall Ball season opens on Sept. 25.
