My new boss Ross, who I suspect is a potential softball slut, liked to hear me bring in the scores on the mornings after. "19-2", "19-1", "24-3", "23-8", "14-3", "23-0", and Monday "21-4" (my other teams are doing as well as the Coneheads).
After three weeks of dominating wins he asked, "Aren't you bored?" And the thing is NO, I am not at all bored.
Lefty is another story, but that will wait for another day.
However, it does give me pause as a writer. It's a challenge. I mean, how many times can I say Chuck made a great play in the hole and nailed an idiot trying to go to third when he didn't have to run?
I have to dig a little deeper, and effuse, and enthuse, and elucidate. And alliterate. And finally pontificate.
On...what makes us a great team? And here is what I came up with:
It's ego without selfishness. We have some characters - some love to talk, some never listen, some love to stink us (OK one). You have to have a little ego, a little swagger, to succeed in any sport, especially baseball, because whether it is when you come up to bat and there are two outs and no one on, or if you are pitching to some young guy stronger and faster than you who could take your head off with a line drive, or chasing down a ball in the gap, you have to have that knowledge that you will prevail. And then in the handshake line those young guys are shaking their heads as much as they shake your hand, it's like a chorus of "how did that just happen?" when we whip them.
Case in point and the highlight of Monday's game. Greg has been scuffling, for him, in the batter's box. Which for him means over .500 instead of .650 or .700. Well, he comes up in the fourth after Chuck had knocked in one and then he and Sting and D loaded the bases, and the Knight just wills the ball into the left center gap, and doesn't stop running until he is getting high fives in the dugout for a salami. We were already ahead comfortably 8-1 (comfortable for everyone except Joe of course), but that shot made the statement to the Speed Goats, "you just don't have a chance against this team."
The beauty of this game and this team is not knowing who it is going to be next week that has your back or gives us the highlight reel - we seem to be very good at sharing that. Some of us do it by hitting gap homers, and some by getting consistent soft liners to keep the line moving, but it is all about what can I do to contribute. And that is what makes us a great team.
There is the data - Chuck had a monster game, 4-4 with two doubles and three RBIs as a leadoff hitter, Heffe with the four paints, Gerry three of the same and a walk, Randy with such a bomb triple (that gave us the lead we never gave up in the second) that I scored from first (five RBIs total to lead the team), Sting a similar blast. And of course we turned a couple of double plays, I would put our infield up against anyone's, whether it's Randy or Greg or Ol' hurt G or D or even me to go with Chuck.
Who will it be this Monday?
4-0 at the half way point. Not half bad, Heads. Next victim, WMD. Let's show them what destruction is.
Milestones:
NONE!!! See, ego without selfishness
After three weeks of dominating wins he asked, "Aren't you bored?" And the thing is NO, I am not at all bored.
Lefty is another story, but that will wait for another day.
However, it does give me pause as a writer. It's a challenge. I mean, how many times can I say Chuck made a great play in the hole and nailed an idiot trying to go to third when he didn't have to run?
I have to dig a little deeper, and effuse, and enthuse, and elucidate. And alliterate. And finally pontificate.
On...what makes us a great team? And here is what I came up with:
It's ego without selfishness. We have some characters - some love to talk, some never listen, some love to stink us (OK one). You have to have a little ego, a little swagger, to succeed in any sport, especially baseball, because whether it is when you come up to bat and there are two outs and no one on, or if you are pitching to some young guy stronger and faster than you who could take your head off with a line drive, or chasing down a ball in the gap, you have to have that knowledge that you will prevail. And then in the handshake line those young guys are shaking their heads as much as they shake your hand, it's like a chorus of "how did that just happen?" when we whip them.
Case in point and the highlight of Monday's game. Greg has been scuffling, for him, in the batter's box. Which for him means over .500 instead of .650 or .700. Well, he comes up in the fourth after Chuck had knocked in one and then he and Sting and D loaded the bases, and the Knight just wills the ball into the left center gap, and doesn't stop running until he is getting high fives in the dugout for a salami. We were already ahead comfortably 8-1 (comfortable for everyone except Joe of course), but that shot made the statement to the Speed Goats, "you just don't have a chance against this team."
The beauty of this game and this team is not knowing who it is going to be next week that has your back or gives us the highlight reel - we seem to be very good at sharing that. Some of us do it by hitting gap homers, and some by getting consistent soft liners to keep the line moving, but it is all about what can I do to contribute. And that is what makes us a great team.
There is the data - Chuck had a monster game, 4-4 with two doubles and three RBIs as a leadoff hitter, Heffe with the four paints, Gerry three of the same and a walk, Randy with such a bomb triple (that gave us the lead we never gave up in the second) that I scored from first (five RBIs total to lead the team), Sting a similar blast. And of course we turned a couple of double plays, I would put our infield up against anyone's, whether it's Randy or Greg or Ol' hurt G or D or even me to go with Chuck.
Who will it be this Monday?
4-0 at the half way point. Not half bad, Heads. Next victim, WMD. Let's show them what destruction is.
Milestones:
NONE!!! See, ego without selfishness
How true about ego. When I'm healthy, I want the ball to come my way because I'm going to catch it. MONGO
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