Now I have gone and done it. I publicized the blog to the Walnut Creakers. And they like it. I play on another related team. We have a quaint little league on Thursday mornings called the MDSSL (Mount Diablo Senior Softball League). The Creakers have an entry in it called Walnut Creek Blue. Suddenly everyone wants to see their name in the lights, and want equal time. I think there is a reality show here: Old Guys Run for Glory.
So this is for you Mikey and Don and everyone else. No holds barred, you may someday regret it.
And, you should pass the hat, perhaps your name will be featured more prominently.
Today's was a good game to start with, however. I had no book, so it will have to come from my somewhat faulty memory. We played possibly the most complete game we have had in the three years I have been on the team. We thumped the Concord Red team solidly, 22-4 (or 5). We played great defense, and got some great hits and rallies when we needed them to take control of the game from the first inning.
A little background on the league: It is dominated by a team from Antioch called East County, and there are two teams from Concord, named Red and Blue, and then us. Today we played in Concord, against Concord Red. Now I have to figure out how to say it delicately...Concord Red has some, shall we say player attitude challenges. Let me just say this: Their pitcher/SS has a GOLD GLOVE; I mean a real glove, painted gold. Who does this?
On to the game but first, I have to say I have a reputation on this team for showing up at the last moment before game time. OK not a reputation, facts are facts. Normally not a problem if a guy does this, but I lead off, so this is a constant source of abuse and joy on my team, especially when we are on the road like today.
Well today I got there not only before game time but in time to take batting practice with the rest of the clowns (Seniors always have BP before the game - takes a while for those old bones to get moving). And then it was game time - but no, first we had to have a conference to discuss courtesy runner rules for ten minutes. Cause Seniors love to talk. I think some of the players were already ready for lunch, but then we still had a game to play.
I started with a base hit and then Tom O came up. He blasted one dead down the right field line, over the head of the opposing coach Tom T. I was standing on first, ready to tag up if Tom caught it; I clearly saw that it was fair by at least five and maybe ten feet. The umpire, who is of course from our team, called it fair, but so did the Red catcher (he is new and probably will be ex-communicated); it was a no doubter. But Red couldn't, wouldn't let it go and it was in their heads after we scored a couple runs in the first inning. Tom T is also their lead-off hitter. He hit one into a tree on the other line, a nice shot but that tree is almost all in foul territory and it hit on the outside part of the tree. There had to be bitterness about that one too. And so it went.
We kept adding runs and between them Scott S. and Don C. had the Red hitters mostly popping up and hitting hard grounders. This is where our defense came to play today. Ray M., made a great backhanded stop on a hot shot down the third base line and turned it into a 5-11-3 double play. And Mikey C. snared a one hop smash to get an out in another inning. Finally Tom O, who owned the first inning homer that set the tone, made a fine running catch coming in on a flare in the ninth to rob one of the Red power hitters. He was playing extremely deep, and his catch put the exclamation point on the victory.
Power came from an unlikely source. John H blasted one over the left center fielder's head, and had a single and a double. He came up his last time up needing only the triple to get a cycle. I take full responsibility for him not getting it, cause I told him that's all he needed. He flew out but had an awesome day at the plate. And Murray H hit a laser that found its way into the RC gap, and he loped all the way home with his long strides; he needed oxygen when he got to the dugout.
If we played like this every week, we wouldn't lose many games. But - believe this if you dare - we are human, and have our good games and our bad. I hope this one starts a trend.
So this is for you Mikey and Don and everyone else. No holds barred, you may someday regret it.
And, you should pass the hat, perhaps your name will be featured more prominently.
Today's was a good game to start with, however. I had no book, so it will have to come from my somewhat faulty memory. We played possibly the most complete game we have had in the three years I have been on the team. We thumped the Concord Red team solidly, 22-4 (or 5). We played great defense, and got some great hits and rallies when we needed them to take control of the game from the first inning.
A little background on the league: It is dominated by a team from Antioch called East County, and there are two teams from Concord, named Red and Blue, and then us. Today we played in Concord, against Concord Red. Now I have to figure out how to say it delicately...Concord Red has some, shall we say player attitude challenges. Let me just say this: Their pitcher/SS has a GOLD GLOVE; I mean a real glove, painted gold. Who does this?
On to the game but first, I have to say I have a reputation on this team for showing up at the last moment before game time. OK not a reputation, facts are facts. Normally not a problem if a guy does this, but I lead off, so this is a constant source of abuse and joy on my team, especially when we are on the road like today.
Well today I got there not only before game time but in time to take batting practice with the rest of the clowns (Seniors always have BP before the game - takes a while for those old bones to get moving). And then it was game time - but no, first we had to have a conference to discuss courtesy runner rules for ten minutes. Cause Seniors love to talk. I think some of the players were already ready for lunch, but then we still had a game to play.
I started with a base hit and then Tom O came up. He blasted one dead down the right field line, over the head of the opposing coach Tom T. I was standing on first, ready to tag up if Tom caught it; I clearly saw that it was fair by at least five and maybe ten feet. The umpire, who is of course from our team, called it fair, but so did the Red catcher (he is new and probably will be ex-communicated); it was a no doubter. But Red couldn't, wouldn't let it go and it was in their heads after we scored a couple runs in the first inning. Tom T is also their lead-off hitter. He hit one into a tree on the other line, a nice shot but that tree is almost all in foul territory and it hit on the outside part of the tree. There had to be bitterness about that one too. And so it went.
We kept adding runs and between them Scott S. and Don C. had the Red hitters mostly popping up and hitting hard grounders. This is where our defense came to play today. Ray M., made a great backhanded stop on a hot shot down the third base line and turned it into a 5-11-3 double play. And Mikey C. snared a one hop smash to get an out in another inning. Finally Tom O, who owned the first inning homer that set the tone, made a fine running catch coming in on a flare in the ninth to rob one of the Red power hitters. He was playing extremely deep, and his catch put the exclamation point on the victory.
Power came from an unlikely source. John H blasted one over the left center fielder's head, and had a single and a double. He came up his last time up needing only the triple to get a cycle. I take full responsibility for him not getting it, cause I told him that's all he needed. He flew out but had an awesome day at the plate. And Murray H hit a laser that found its way into the RC gap, and he loped all the way home with his long strides; he needed oxygen when he got to the dugout.
If we played like this every week, we wouldn't lose many games. But - believe this if you dare - we are human, and have our good games and our bad. I hope this one starts a trend.
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