The largest gay sports league in San Diego, the America’s Finest City Softball League (AFCSL), is inviting the community to come out and take part in the 2004 softball season that kicks off this Sunday, March 7. Over the years the AFCSL has grown to become one of the most prominent leagues in the country, having hosted the gay softball world series in 1997, and the league was recently awarded the opportunity to host the 2005 series next August.

“This spring marks our 24th season,” Martin Cherrier, marketing director for the league told the Gay & Lesbian Times. “As always, we are very excited to bring the highest level of softball to the San Diego gay community. With [close to] 40 teams, the AFCSL is one of the country’s largest softball leagues. We encourage anyone interested in checking out the hot men and women of our league to come up to Poway and enjoy the intense competition. The fields are only a short drive from Hillcrest. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday morning.”

This year there are 38 teams in the league with 23 competing in the coed Open Division and 15 teams competing in the Women’s Division. Joining the league as sponsors this year are Patti’s Front Office – Mission Valley’s only gay bar – and the Metropolitan Community Church. Returning sponsors include Powerhouse Gym, ROK, Flicks, Ono Sushi, Viejas, Brians’ American Eatery, Extasis, Interactive Male, Rod Barry Live.com, Hillcrest Pharmacy, Six Degrees, RedEnvelope.com, Bacchus House, Redwing Bar and Grill, The Center, the Gay & Lesbian Times, Hamburger Mary’s, with two teams, and Bourbon Street and Moby Dick’s, with three teams each.

League play gets started at 8:30 a.m. with games continuing through until 2:30 in the afternoon. The fields are located in Mira Mesa at Hourglass Park and in Poway at the Poway Sportsplex, which features a full service snack bar. For more information about the league or for directions to the fields visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com and click on this story for a link to the league site.