Near the North Shore pool in St. Petersburg sits a manicured plot of grass and dirt with dugouts on each side surrounded by a wire-mesh fence where on alternate days play the Half Century Softball Club and the better-known Kids and Cubs. The Kids and Cubs are players 75 years old and up. The less-renowned Half Century Club (of which I'm a member) is for softball lifers between the age of 49 and 74.

Begun in 1933, the Half Century is reputed to be the oldest geezer-to-be league in the country. It's also a club of scratch-your-eyes-out, take-no-prisoners competitors. The four teams play three mornings a week from November through April. Not only are the score and standings kept, but game-by-game batting averages. If you suck, everyone knows it.

Hal Olver, Larry McCurdy and Darwin Shiflett do not suck. They are, in fact, amazing. They make all the plays in the field with a rare ease and get the key hit when it matters. They are automatons. They are paragons. And they've all been elected to the Senior Softball Hall of Fame.

Here are their vital statistics.

Larry "Pops" McCurdy, 74, shortstop

Stats: Bats right handed. All-time Half Century league leader in hits (2,514) and runs scored (1,884). Lifetime .468 average. Pitchers have yet to figure out his weakness because he hasn't any. Great range at shortstop: If the ball is up the middle and there's a runner on first, a double play is almost automatic.

Bio: Grew up in farm country in Milford, MI. Didn't play Little League because his parents both worked and he couldn't get a ride to the practices in town. Married the girl next door and went to work making carburetors for Ford. Retired to Florida and became one of the greatest shortstops to ever play the game of softball, playing on travel All Star teams that won 17 national tournaments.

Why he continues to play: "I love the competition. If I go a week without playing ball, I just feel Iost."

Hal Olver, 78, pitcher

Stats: Made 2,502 hits in 5,335 at bats for a .468 average in the Half Century League play — putting him 12 hits behind McCurdy for the hit king lead. Once lightning fast on the bases, he was slowed a bit by a case of Rocky Mountain Spotty fever, but he's still a very tough out.

On the mound, he's a marvel. Brings it like someone 30 years younger, snagging hot shots up the middle like a snake snatching a bug. Should have moved from Half Century to the Kids and Kubs four years ago, but continues to star in the junior league.

Bio: Born June 6, 1932, Lansing, Michigan. Outstanding in baseball, football and track, but didn't play in high school because of poor grades. After graduating in 1950, enlisted in the Air Force two days after the Korean War broke out, starred in baseball on his base in Japan, and after returning home graduated from Ferris College in Grand Rapids, MI. Worked for the General Accounting Office in D.C. Retired to St. Pete and began playing in the Half Century League in 1987 at age 54. Played on All Star travel softball teams that won 25 world championships, and in 1995 finished third in the Good Life Games in San Antonio where he ran the 100 meters in 13.43 seconds.

Why he continues to play: "The challenge is to keep up with the younger guys. And I'm diabetic, so I need the exercise."

Darwin Shiflett, 72, outfielder (the kid)

Stats: Perhaps the best of the thousands of players ever to perform in the Half Century league, he just keeps getting better: 2,102 hits in 3,712 at bats for an otherworldly .562 average, and this year he's hitting over .600. Usually laces line drives into the outfield. No one has figured out a defensive alignment to stop him. Playing right center field, he's graceful and fast — and when balls are hit to him, we say they're going to "Death Valley."

Bio: All-conference for Cocoa High School, freshman ball at the University of Florida. Partied more than studied, left and went to Brevard Junior College and then to Florida State, where he played varsity ball. Was headed for the pros in D ball with the Sanford Giants in 1962 when he was given a choice: pro ball or marriage. "The love of my life was more important than the game," he says. Went to work as an accountant, and is about to celebrate wedding anniversary number 49.

Why he continues to play: Because he needs his competitive juices to flow, and he enjoys the camaraderie with teammates. Most important, he needs to feel he's as talented as when he was younger. "From the time I was a kid, baseball came easy to me. And playing well has a big role in my maintaining my self-esteem." Looks like he'll be able to maintain it for a while: Though Shiflett is more than 400 hits behind Olver and McCurdy, the latter has no doubts that before he's done, Shiflett will surpass them. "He's that good a hitter," says McCurdy.

This article appears in Mar 10-16, 2011.