I had lunch with Joe yesterday, to discuss some other softball business about a team called the Coneheads. Some of you may know that name. I bring this up because I mentioned to his StinkEyeness how impressive it is that we had a shutout in Sunday's game (15-0 over St. Matt's, whose new uniforms say "Holy Sox"). I don't care the level of the opponent, it is still slow pitch softball, and it's easy to hit the ball, and most every lousy team scores a run.
But not Sunday.
So I says, Joe, I think that this is only the third time (since I have been on JFT) that we have had a shutout. It's pretty rare, and this being the third time, it's pretty impressive. I looked it up in my records of course. There was this:
Championship game 8/2/2009 JFT 12 Rocco's 0
And there was one that must have been in 2006 where we had a 5 inning no-hitter. I don't have the scores from that year, as I was a fill in.
Well, Joe says (I am paraphrasing), oh no big deal, we used to do it all the time. Just ask Gerry, he is the keeper of the official records on this team. As he is. So I guess I am all wrong, just another day at the office. Ho hum.
Ho hum as we batted around in each of the first two innings. Ho hum as in highlighted by Chopper clearing the bases with a double to the fence in the first. More ho-hum: Chopper actually took a bases loaded walk for an RBI in the second. So did Hazel, who had a perfect day 1-1 with two walks including an RBI one. Gerry did the opposite of a sort: 2-2 with a walk.
However, this game belonged to the newest JFT player. Randy went 2-3, but the MVP came from two plays in the field at 3B. The memory has faded on one, I think it was a line drive he dove for and caught, but there may have been a throw involved. The one that sticks to the mind like a permanent magic marker image came on a shot late in the game. There was a runner at first. The ball was smashed down the line, and then took a 90 degree bad hop straight up. Somehow our hero got a glove in it and it continued its path up in the air, and toward foul territory. Most of us are lost at that point, can't find it, and are simply proud to have knocked it down. That would have been enough. Randy quickly not only located it, but grabbed it and fired it to second, where Greg was waiting, stretched out. Greg helped make it a great play on both ends as he snagged a short hop completely stretched out. One of those I wish we had this stuff on film so we could put it on YouTube moments.
The rest was ho-hum except for a little comic relief at the end. After Gene dared a hitter to hit it over his head, and he did, St. Holy Sox had a leadoff triple to try to break up the shutout. If we allowed one run we could bat again. Greg and Ol' G and I had joked about it on way out to the infield; because that was the order we would bat in the bottom of the fifth, and any of us could 'accidently' cost us a run to get more hitting. So of course with no outs and the guy on third the next ball is a smash right at Ol' G. He could have done so many things to get his up. Missed it, thrown it away, fail to hold the runner. But no, G is the consummate pro; he looked him back, fired to first, and we had the first of the three outs we needed to get Joe his shut out. Even if it was his 73rd in the last ten years.
Well boys this Sunday is the real deal. Undefeated Advanced Construction comes to town. To play us. You all know what is at stake, but I'll tell you anyway: The edge on playoff seeding vis a vis who ends up in first place. But it is more than that. It is to make a statement that we are to be dealt with for whoever has notions of getting Cotton this year. Joe says everyone will be there Sunday, so everyone bring your hitting shoes.
But not Sunday.
So I says, Joe, I think that this is only the third time (since I have been on JFT) that we have had a shutout. It's pretty rare, and this being the third time, it's pretty impressive. I looked it up in my records of course. There was this:
Championship game 8/2/2009 JFT 12 Rocco's 0
And there was one that must have been in 2006 where we had a 5 inning no-hitter. I don't have the scores from that year, as I was a fill in.
Well, Joe says (I am paraphrasing), oh no big deal, we used to do it all the time. Just ask Gerry, he is the keeper of the official records on this team. As he is. So I guess I am all wrong, just another day at the office. Ho hum.
Ho hum as we batted around in each of the first two innings. Ho hum as in highlighted by Chopper clearing the bases with a double to the fence in the first. More ho-hum: Chopper actually took a bases loaded walk for an RBI in the second. So did Hazel, who had a perfect day 1-1 with two walks including an RBI one. Gerry did the opposite of a sort: 2-2 with a walk.
However, this game belonged to the newest JFT player. Randy went 2-3, but the MVP came from two plays in the field at 3B. The memory has faded on one, I think it was a line drive he dove for and caught, but there may have been a throw involved. The one that sticks to the mind like a permanent magic marker image came on a shot late in the game. There was a runner at first. The ball was smashed down the line, and then took a 90 degree bad hop straight up. Somehow our hero got a glove in it and it continued its path up in the air, and toward foul territory. Most of us are lost at that point, can't find it, and are simply proud to have knocked it down. That would have been enough. Randy quickly not only located it, but grabbed it and fired it to second, where Greg was waiting, stretched out. Greg helped make it a great play on both ends as he snagged a short hop completely stretched out. One of those I wish we had this stuff on film so we could put it on YouTube moments.
The rest was ho-hum except for a little comic relief at the end. After Gene dared a hitter to hit it over his head, and he did, St. Holy Sox had a leadoff triple to try to break up the shutout. If we allowed one run we could bat again. Greg and Ol' G and I had joked about it on way out to the infield; because that was the order we would bat in the bottom of the fifth, and any of us could 'accidently' cost us a run to get more hitting. So of course with no outs and the guy on third the next ball is a smash right at Ol' G. He could have done so many things to get his up. Missed it, thrown it away, fail to hold the runner. But no, G is the consummate pro; he looked him back, fired to first, and we had the first of the three outs we needed to get Joe his shut out. Even if it was his 73rd in the last ten years.
Well boys this Sunday is the real deal. Undefeated Advanced Construction comes to town. To play us. You all know what is at stake, but I'll tell you anyway: The edge on playoff seeding vis a vis who ends up in first place. But it is more than that. It is to make a statement that we are to be dealt with for whoever has notions of getting Cotton this year. Joe says everyone will be there Sunday, so everyone bring your hitting shoes.
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