Dazzling crowd low priority in celebrity softball

NEW YORK -- Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers has probably played in every Taco Bell Legends and Celebrity Softball Game since its inception, citing mostly fun and camaraderie as the reasons why he comes back every year.

Once he's in the game, however, the motivation shifts to simply making sure he doesn't hurt himself. It's the mantra of just about everyone out there. Well, that, and don't embarrass yourself.

"You just don't want to be the goat," Fingers said. "You don't want to be the guy that dropped the ball playing first base with the winning run on third. You're going to want to try to do well."

And stay out of danger.

"Those balls are hard and they come at you pretty quick," Fingers said. "A lot of these guys that haven't played ball before are in for a rude awakening if they have something hit at them."

As for the pressure to perform, Fingers said there isn't much of that.

"If people are expecting dazzling things," he said, "I haven't dazzled anyone for a while."