“Pizza Joe” adds the toppings in Junkies victory
Photo: Micelli's restaurant in Universal City
By Bill Tarrant
“Pizza Joe” Micelli had three outfield assists amid a flurry of acrobatic catches as the Softball Junkies galloped to an 11-4 win over the Mustangs in last Thursday's LA Senior Softball League action under the lights in the Valley.
"Joe was key to the game,” Mustangs manager and pitcher Ron Smeltzer said. “I think he threw a runner out at second three times and he had six catches.”
Yes, he did. Micelli also had a pair of hits to top off his game. Bob Berguson stayed hot with another three hits and Steve Miller also had two.
Micelli, whose family has run LA’s oldest Italian restaurant for over 75 years, said he practices throwing out runners at second.
“I don’t have an outfield arm. I have an infield arm. I love charging the ball, picking it up and throwing it in.”
And he certainly gets to the ball quickly as one of the fastest runners in the league at the age of 69. “It’s like throwing a ball to a dog; I just love to run.”
Sometimes he leaps into the air, making a signature bicycle pedaling move in the air, as he tracks down a ball. (He says he's completely unaware of that).
What’s remarkable about Micelli's softball story is that he never played team sports before joining the league a decade ago. He was initially rated a lowly 5 based solely on his speed. Now he’s in several leagues, including on a senior tournament team, and playing up to a half-dozen games weekly as an 8-rated player.
“Softball changed my life. I just have so much fun. The people you play with come from all kinds of professions and trades. I once played on a team that had four guys who were on episodes of Seinfeld.”
Micelli’s father handed him the keys to the Universal City Micelli’s (there were four at one time) in 1980 at the age of 24. He had been well trained. “I got my first paycheck at 5, peeling carrots in the restaurant. I got a penny a carrot and my mother gave me a check for 50 cents. I got a dart gun with that, shot it around the kitchen.”
He’s worked as a cook, bartender, host, and still gets up at 4 a.m. to buy the produce for the family's restaurants.
Micelli, single with a 32-year-old daughter, says he plans to sell the Universal restaurant next year and retire, allowing this late bloomer to play even more of a game that has become such a big part of his life.
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