The fans love the long ball. It's something I just have to accept.
Sunshine Saloon was up 8-0 in the top of the sixth last night. Sir Guy was pitching brilliantly. Granted, the 4 Speeds do not have a murderers' row - no one will confuse them with the Bronx Bombers of '27, or even Boomer's Bangers, the team to beat in our league. But still, he had a shutout going.
We had played just enough defense behind him to keep the 4 Speeds off the board. Someone said they stranded the bases loaded four times all told. And I had saved the infielders a couple of times on low throws to first - not quite in the dirt, but still with my shoulders that need surgery and my slow to bend 58 year old body, not bad.
And then in the top of the sixth, up steps Reggie with a runner on first, and bang! he hits it over the right center fence. The crowd erupted, all two of our fans. I was in the hole, so I was right there. You would have thought there were dozens of fans. It was like World War Two had ended. Ticker tape. Times Square at New Year's. It was LOUD.
Mark then triples into the gap and I came up and hit a beautiful laced line drive over the shortstop to get him home. I could hear the crowd yawn. Reggie says "nice swing!" That's all I got, and I was thankful for that.
But I am not bitter. So what if the women love the long ball. My girl appreciates the line drive. And she knows baseball too.
OK maybe I am a just a little jealous. But I will probably never hear that cheer, unless something extraordinary happens, and if it does, you better go to church or your other place of worship, because the end of the world really is coming.
In the mean time, our second shutout in two weeks, this one ending 16-0. We are officially on a roll. It is coming together for this team, and we have some momentum and confidence going into the stretch run. We are technically not out of the race for first, and have a realistic chance of ending third and even second it we can put it together after our bye week next week.
Mark had a Mark game, 3-4 with a double and a triple. Larry and Bill and Mongo and Tom (cough cough do I hear camped under it in the first?) stayed hot with three hits each, and Reg drove in four with the homer and a triple. Bob's found his stroke and he had two solid hits, and his two with Steve's two provided evidence yet again that if the bottom of the order hits, we win. Tim drove in two with a double and a single. And Heffe had two run scoring singles, and that laced line drive over the SS was a thing of beauty.
Too bad our bye comes now - but it remains our task to keep the momentum up over the next two weeks for our next game. We might even be tied for second by then :)
Until then, dream of that home run over the fence and the crowd going wild. Except Reg and Mark - you can just remember.
Sunshine Saloon was up 8-0 in the top of the sixth last night. Sir Guy was pitching brilliantly. Granted, the 4 Speeds do not have a murderers' row - no one will confuse them with the Bronx Bombers of '27, or even Boomer's Bangers, the team to beat in our league. But still, he had a shutout going.
We had played just enough defense behind him to keep the 4 Speeds off the board. Someone said they stranded the bases loaded four times all told. And I had saved the infielders a couple of times on low throws to first - not quite in the dirt, but still with my shoulders that need surgery and my slow to bend 58 year old body, not bad.
And then in the top of the sixth, up steps Reggie with a runner on first, and bang! he hits it over the right center fence. The crowd erupted, all two of our fans. I was in the hole, so I was right there. You would have thought there were dozens of fans. It was like World War Two had ended. Ticker tape. Times Square at New Year's. It was LOUD.
Mark then triples into the gap and I came up and hit a beautiful laced line drive over the shortstop to get him home. I could hear the crowd yawn. Reggie says "nice swing!" That's all I got, and I was thankful for that.
But I am not bitter. So what if the women love the long ball. My girl appreciates the line drive. And she knows baseball too.
OK maybe I am a just a little jealous. But I will probably never hear that cheer, unless something extraordinary happens, and if it does, you better go to church or your other place of worship, because the end of the world really is coming.
In the mean time, our second shutout in two weeks, this one ending 16-0. We are officially on a roll. It is coming together for this team, and we have some momentum and confidence going into the stretch run. We are technically not out of the race for first, and have a realistic chance of ending third and even second it we can put it together after our bye week next week.
Mark had a Mark game, 3-4 with a double and a triple. Larry and Bill and Mongo and Tom (cough cough do I hear camped under it in the first?) stayed hot with three hits each, and Reg drove in four with the homer and a triple. Bob's found his stroke and he had two solid hits, and his two with Steve's two provided evidence yet again that if the bottom of the order hits, we win. Tim drove in two with a double and a single. And Heffe had two run scoring singles, and that laced line drive over the SS was a thing of beauty.
Too bad our bye comes now - but it remains our task to keep the momentum up over the next two weeks for our next game. We might even be tied for second by then :)
Until then, dream of that home run over the fence and the crowd going wild. Except Reg and Mark - you can just remember.
Even when the crowd yawned, I could hear crickets in the background. I'll state two things, it took a couple at bats before Sting got it over the fence. But you are a hitting machine, don't forget that, you won the batting title by the slimmest of margin on the RED team. Real slim, like a slip of the pencil slim.LOL.But I don't dwell on those things. Really.LOL MONGO
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