How You Doin'?

Fresh off last week's obliteration, we took the field against another team that looked pretty good. How good? They are the first team I have seen using a lady pitcher...and I could see why.

We were home and I sat out the first two innings. I was glad to...the wind was playing with the ball making outfield an adventure and there was no infield action to speak of. We gave up 4 and 2 runs. Meanwhile, bottom of the first, Eric flew out to deep right, Becky popped out, I singled, took third on a bobbled ball in the outfield, and scored our first run of the night.

My first action at short was nice. Two soft grounders that I charged pretty hard and made bullet throws to get the runners.

The bottom part of our line-up got rolling and we scored 7 runs in the third to take an 8-6 lead. But we would not be able to hold it.

By the time I caught a short fly we had given up a couple. Then there was a play I SHOULD have made an in the past would have...little flare over the pitchers mound. I thought JJ had a bead on it, got a late start, called him off so we would not collide....and had it bounce off the end of my glove. Tough chance but one that, when I was a REAL athlete, I would have made. Oh, well, did make one other catch that inning.

My next time up I got under it a bit and flew out to the warning track. That was interesting...I normally don't have that kind of power any more. It was also a mistake on my part. They were shading my beloved right-center alley and I went to left-center. Oh, well, it was an excellent pitch and I gave it a ride.

Next time up I went back to right and got it over their heads, ending up with a triple. My final time up I weakly singled.

It was a fun game but ultimately we could not come back and lost something like 18-13. Most importantly it was a fun team to play against and we had a great time. Overall I thought I played really well. Must be less of a perfectionist that I have been because I did not really give a lot of thought to the misplayed pop-up.

Normally that would be all but Phil needed help on his men's' league team. As a general rule I try to avoid back to back games as I am not in shape to play 2-1/2 hours...but since I sat out 4 of 6 innings I was okay with it.

Initially they had me in the outfield but then their normal center fielder showed up so they moved me to catcher. Yuck...I hate that.

We gave up a couple runs in the first and then scored a couple. In the second they looked to have a good rally going. With one out they had runners on 1st and 2nd when a guy made a pretty routine fly to left...which the normally reliable Phil just...dropped. Very atypical. Since their runners were waiting to tag, a fortuitous bounce meant the guy on third did not advance as our other outfielder pounced on it and rocketed the ball back in...and he caught the runner off second. So as we tagged that guy out, the guy on third broke for home. A quick relay, slightly offline, and I blocked the plate and tagged him out. Close play but we got him. And he got me. Tore my knee up pretty good.

And, as so often happens in baseball, the guy who makes the defensive play then comes up to bat. I went right into my right-center power alley, over their guys head, and walked into third with a triple. I scored, so I felt pretty good about that.

My next time up we had runners at the corners, one out. This time they were playing deep so I tried to under swing and just pop it over the second baseman's head but I topped it and grounded to him. Fortunately I got to the base quick enough to avoid being doubled up and we scored one but I knew it was a poor swing.

My next trip up (not much defensive action as a catcher...) I got caught up in watching them and swung from my heels, flying out to the warning track in right center. Hmm. I have not had home run power in 15 years and not had warning track power in 10. What is up with that?

Anyway, they started to mount a comeback. They had scored a couple runs, had a guy on first, no outs, and one of their better hitters was up. He was fooled by a pitch and hit a little pop about 8 feet up the first base line. I knew I could not catch it but did not want it to go foul because I did not want him to get another shot at it. I came out of the crouch pretty fast and jumped on it about 6" fair. They thought it was foul so they weren't moving. I started running towards the guy standing on first planning to tag him and step on the bag when it occurred to me I actually don't know the rule...if I tag him but he is on the base, even though it was a force...would he be out? So I threw it to second, they stepped on the bag, back to first...meanwhile, the batter was standing there arguing with the ump that it was foul.

It was a stupid argument. My footprints were plainly visible where I had jumped to a stop to keep the ball from going foul, and I was a good 6" inside the base paths.

Well, that double play killed their rally and we ran away with the game. I did manage to double my next time up so on the night I went 2-4, scored twice, drove in 1, and made a couple pretty spectacular plays.

It was nice because I was a bit intimidated going in...I have only ever played one other men's' league GAME and that was as a pick-up player last year. I just usually don't like them as much because that is where you find softball guy...drunk, obnoxious, taking it as seriously as a Major League Baseball game even though he is pot-bellied, probably drunk, and less talent than a single a short season guy...

So I had lots of fun, played really well and look forward to next week, because they asked me back...