Play Ball: UCSF Team Pathology Take the Field

In addition to providing high-quality patient care, performing cutting-edge research and educating students and residents in anatomic pathology, athletic members of the UCSF Pathology Department recently teamed up to field the department’s first-ever competitive softball team in the San Francisco Municipal Softball League.

Spearheaded by histotechnologist Yuri Murphy and physician assistant Rosendo Medina, the active roster includes physician assistants, residents, pathology technicians and attending pathologists. The team has already rallied the energy and support of the entire department. 



Spring training began at the beginning of May, with weekly practices at the nearby Golden Gate Park on Wednesday evenings. A few campus-wide bake sales helped with the purchase of equipment and jerseys. Attractive UCSF Pathology softball T-shirts are still on sale.


Although the speed at which the members of the Pathology Department can turn two for the double play may lag behind their ability to process and diagnose stat specimens, the team exhibited some real, raw baseball talent in an early win against SF Toyota in a scrimmage game. 



The team’s strengths include the quick bats of Yuri Murphy and Kuang Jen, the strong throwing arm of Ashley Puskar, and the accurate slow pitching arcs of Rosendo Medina and Gillian Genrich, not to mention an unparalleled, exquisitely sharp collective mental acuity.

As Yogi Berra said, “Baseball is 90 percent mental and the other half is physical.” 



The team strongly encourages members of the UCSF community to come cheer them on. Summer league opening day was July 19. The team has games on the next three Fridays, Sept. 6, 13 and 20 at Chestnut and Buchanan streets. For schedule information, visit http://www.sfsoftball.com/schedules/?seasonid=142&div2id=&teamid=2897. Added bonuses: Unlike the SF Giants, tickets to Pathology softball games won’t ever be sold out. And the field is much closer, more personal and fan friendly than the A’s O.co Coliseum.

Flickr photos: http://www.flickr.com/people/ucsf-team-pathology/.