'THE GUYS WHO SAVED ME'
Senior softball player in Hickory says softball saved him after wife's death
Ron Merritt Sr. (right) talks to a teammate as he coaches first base at the Unifour Senior Games softball tournament on April 25 in Hickory.
Ron Merritt Jr. tracks down a ground ball at the Unifour Senior Games softball tournament on April 25.
Ron Merritt sr. and Ron Merritt Jr. celebrate winning the age 50 championship at the Unifour senior Games softball tournament on April 25.
Ron Merritt Sr. won't hesitate to tell you how he managed to survive the death of his wife of 60 years last fall.
"Some of these guys, these are the guys who saved me when I was really down mentally," Merritt Sr. said. "I get teary-eyed thinking about it. These guys saved me because I was really down."
Merritt's wife had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and even before she died, his friends and teammates from his senior softball league, whom he competed with in Hickory for the senior games, were there to support him.
"Even when she had ALS, just helping with stuff," said his son, Ron Merritt Jr. "Building ramps, just being there, going out, doing stuff socially. It was hard to get out of the house, especially the last year or so. … Especially, after she passed, to be able to get out and have something to do every day because sitting in the house isn't good for you."
Merritt Sr., a Charlotte resident, said, in some ways, he feels like he is honoring her memory by continuing to play.
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"She told me, 'Do not sit in this house,'" Merritt Sr. said. "'Go out and be yourself. Get out of here.' There will never be another woman like her for me."
Like father, like son
Merritt Sr. is 83 and Merritt Jr. is 54. They play senior softball together. They play in different age groups, so they don't often share the field, but they did on April 25 at a North Carolina Senior Games qualifying event in Hickory.
Merritt Jr. said senior softball is not the first time they have been on the field together, but it's the first opportunity in decades.
"I grew up playing baseball with him being the coach," he said. "After college, I traveled the country following a career. I've been back in Charlotte for 23 years and he moved down from New York. … We don't get to play together too much because the leagues are normally separated, but something like this, where it's just pickup fun, yeah, we both get out there."
More than medals
Merritt Sr. wasn't able to jump into the senior softball scene immediately after moving to Charlotte because of his career. When he was 66, though, he started playing and excelled. In 2017, 2018 and 2019, his team won the North Carolina state championship and played in the national senior games.
For both father and son, the game is about much more than what happens on the field.
"When you look back, some of the best friends you had when you were younger were from team sports," Merritt Jr. said. "This is a really good social, cultural thing where guys get to still compete in divisions and levels and age groups and skill levels where they can compete and the friendships are just great. …
"I don't know who is a Democrat or a Republican. I don't know who is white collar or blue collar or who is rich or who is poor, we're just playing ball. It's a great thing, especially for older people who need friends."
Forever young
Both men say that softball is instrumental for maintaining their health as they continue to age.
"I have a group of friends who golf and a group of friends who play softball, and they're separated, it's just night and day," Merritt Jr. said. "Going on a golf course and walking around, that's very different than these guys who are running, sprinting and diving. It's use-it-or-lose-it. These guys who are continuing to use these muscles, it's everything."
Merritt Jr. said he's not in the use-it-or-lose-it phase yet, but getting out and moving is still important for him.
"I spend 60 hours a week behind a desk," he said. "I've got to get out."
Merritt Sr. said it helps mentally and socially as well.
"Softball is to me a team game," Merritt Sr. said. "We have a group of guys from Huntersville that have practice Friday and Monday. We don't need practice, but we get there to hit some balls and it's the camaraderie."
Merritt Sr. and Jr. both qualified for the state championship tournament on April 25 in Hickory. Merritt Jr. played for the age 50 champion Hurricanes and Merritt Sr. helped the team out coaching and hitting.
Jason Koon is the sports editor for the Hickory Record and can be reached at jason.koon@lee.net.
