I was told that Monday was a doubleheader for the ages to blog about. The Coneheads came back not once but twice in a statement doubleheader - especially the first game against last year's runner up The Cream and Clear. They could have had first place - all they had to do was beat us by 20 runs, or just beat us and hope we fell flat in the second game. Which we threatened to do.
But it was not to be as we swept the games to end up undefeated, 8-0. And in the process we eliminated the second opponent, Team Confusion, to boot. So to speak.
I was a little distracted. I had a radio to listen to the Cardinals-Giants Game 7 of the NLCS. Those that know me know I am a die hard Cardinals fan. This was a dream series for me - my boyhood team against the local favorite, and yes I like the Giants too. I got my wish, that it would go seven. Someone had to lose and it turned out to be my Cardinals. Yes, they won it all last year. Yes, they have won more World Championships than any other National League team, including five in my lifetime. But they also have lost several in that time when they were up 3-1 in the series - the 1968 and 1985 World Series, the 1996 and now the 2012 NLCS. So I was in agony as the Giants were pummeling the Cardinals 9-0. And when I couldn't listen any more with headphones and a radio, the other team had a boombox blaring in the dugout when I went over to play first base.
So yes, I was a little distracted, and then after I didn't know exactly what to write about. But today, on my commute, something happened, and it brought it all back from my subconscious. I was on the the freeway, and suddenly, in front of me was a CalTrans truck. And here is what I saw on the bumper:
In case you can't see it, it says, "Slow for the CONE ZONE".
And that is what our opponents are forced to do. They might be faster than us. They might even have some power. They are younger than us. But they must wilt in the power of the Cone Zone. They are forced there as if Rod Serling.himself showed them to the door of the Cone Zone. They go in and they come out just beaten down. It happens. Over and over.
The Cream and Clear and Team Confusion thought they had us. In the first game, thanks to a ball that Sting hit to almost Clayton (it was into the trees in deepest right field - a three run homer) we had a smallish Conehead rally (only seven runs) to go up 8-5 in the third. The Cream rose to the top to take a lead of 10-9 going into the sixth, which the ump said would be our last inning. We had two outs and one on, down to our last breath - and proceeded to get eight straight batters on base. Their pitcher helped us out with two of them on walks - but that is just a testament to our ability as veterans that we will take a walk and let someone else be the hero - and they usually reward us by stepping up. In this case it was Chuck who got the two run single that gave us a lead. And then Lefty started his evening's late inning heroics with a blast into the middle gap that cleared the bases and gave us the cushion that took the wind out of the Clear sails. Final 17-10, as we shut them down without even so much as a whimper in the last of the sixth.
In the nightcap we kind of relaxed, knowing we had clinched first place. All we had left to do was to get that undefeated season, our second in the last three falls (Giants fans - sound familiar?). We weren't hitting at all, except for a huge blast by Randy leading off the third. Through five innings we had all of seven hits, and had just been through the lineup twice.
Larry and then D were dealing too, and it was like a baseball pitcher's duel, whoever heard of a 2-2 tied in softball through five innings? It seemed like whoever broke through first was going to run away with it, and sure enough it was Team Confusion, who piled seven runs on to start the sixth.But this is the Coneheads, and we just are not phased.We cracked eight hits in nine batters in the bottom of the sixth to keep the opponent within reach, trailing by one going into the seventh.
An aside - to that moment Lefty was having quite a game. His first time up, he had a flashback to the golf tee...his swing would have given him a great drive on a 500 foot hole. Perfect form, except that it was the wrong sport and he swung under the lobbed softball. Steeerike Three! Next time up, he got two strikes on him and decided he better not repeat that performance. Instead he is a hard ball grounder right to the second baseman, and the only thing that kept him out of a double play was a bad relay throw. We caught a break - because of that throw a run scored and Lefty had an RBI. That is the one that tied it 2-2. And his third time up - he made the only out in that six run sixth in between nine hits.
So the stage was set. We held Confusion to one run in the top of the seventh as Larry came back in and kept them from a big inning. Down two, last of the seventh. Gene and Chuck did what needed to get done - they got on to set up the tying runs with Sting up. He hit yet another gapper, tying it up and he stood at third as the winning run. The only question was who would be the final hero. All we needed was a medium deep fly ball, and Reg would score.
Well what would you do if you were Team Confusion? I'm sure the fact that Lefty was 0-3 with a K had nothing to do with it, but they proceeded to intentionally walk D and Greg to get to him with force plays set up everywhere. Talk about your chance for redemption. He could have just tried to blast the ball to make sure Sting scored, but instead he hit a beautiful line drive hit to RC and it was over.
Undefeated - it's hard to do even in softball. There are so many things that can align on a given night to keep you from winning, no matter how overmatched the other team might be in some cases. We can enjoy that all we want, until - now. Because the ultimate goal is Cotton, and for this we need four more wins. The second season is just starting tomorrow night, and don't you think that Cream and Clear and the rest would just love to knock us off? You better believe it. Eternal vigilance is called for. We won't have our big weapon Joe, with or without the Stink Eye, he's busy striving for salvation in the Holy Land. Larry has held these teams without many runs too though, and as long as we get him a few, one Conehead inning a game, and keep at it, we can get Cotton. Again. Should be fun.
See you there. May you have many Conehead hits in your future. Then you will know, you have stepped into the...wait for it...the Cone Zone.
Milestones:
(Game 1)
Chuck 550 rbi (#2)
Lefty 20 2b (#22)
Markley 150 ab (#23)
(Game 2)
Chuck 1450 ab (#1)
Larry 1100 ab (#5)
D 30 bb (#14)
But it was not to be as we swept the games to end up undefeated, 8-0. And in the process we eliminated the second opponent, Team Confusion, to boot. So to speak.
I was a little distracted. I had a radio to listen to the Cardinals-Giants Game 7 of the NLCS. Those that know me know I am a die hard Cardinals fan. This was a dream series for me - my boyhood team against the local favorite, and yes I like the Giants too. I got my wish, that it would go seven. Someone had to lose and it turned out to be my Cardinals. Yes, they won it all last year. Yes, they have won more World Championships than any other National League team, including five in my lifetime. But they also have lost several in that time when they were up 3-1 in the series - the 1968 and 1985 World Series, the 1996 and now the 2012 NLCS. So I was in agony as the Giants were pummeling the Cardinals 9-0. And when I couldn't listen any more with headphones and a radio, the other team had a boombox blaring in the dugout when I went over to play first base.
So yes, I was a little distracted, and then after I didn't know exactly what to write about. But today, on my commute, something happened, and it brought it all back from my subconscious. I was on the the freeway, and suddenly, in front of me was a CalTrans truck. And here is what I saw on the bumper:
In case you can't see it, it says, "Slow for the CONE ZONE".
And that is what our opponents are forced to do. They might be faster than us. They might even have some power. They are younger than us. But they must wilt in the power of the Cone Zone. They are forced there as if Rod Serling.himself showed them to the door of the Cone Zone. They go in and they come out just beaten down. It happens. Over and over.
The Cream and Clear and Team Confusion thought they had us. In the first game, thanks to a ball that Sting hit to almost Clayton (it was into the trees in deepest right field - a three run homer) we had a smallish Conehead rally (only seven runs) to go up 8-5 in the third. The Cream rose to the top to take a lead of 10-9 going into the sixth, which the ump said would be our last inning. We had two outs and one on, down to our last breath - and proceeded to get eight straight batters on base. Their pitcher helped us out with two of them on walks - but that is just a testament to our ability as veterans that we will take a walk and let someone else be the hero - and they usually reward us by stepping up. In this case it was Chuck who got the two run single that gave us a lead. And then Lefty started his evening's late inning heroics with a blast into the middle gap that cleared the bases and gave us the cushion that took the wind out of the Clear sails. Final 17-10, as we shut them down without even so much as a whimper in the last of the sixth.
In the nightcap we kind of relaxed, knowing we had clinched first place. All we had left to do was to get that undefeated season, our second in the last three falls (Giants fans - sound familiar?). We weren't hitting at all, except for a huge blast by Randy leading off the third. Through five innings we had all of seven hits, and had just been through the lineup twice.
Larry and then D were dealing too, and it was like a baseball pitcher's duel, whoever heard of a 2-2 tied in softball through five innings? It seemed like whoever broke through first was going to run away with it, and sure enough it was Team Confusion, who piled seven runs on to start the sixth.But this is the Coneheads, and we just are not phased.We cracked eight hits in nine batters in the bottom of the sixth to keep the opponent within reach, trailing by one going into the seventh.
An aside - to that moment Lefty was having quite a game. His first time up, he had a flashback to the golf tee...his swing would have given him a great drive on a 500 foot hole. Perfect form, except that it was the wrong sport and he swung under the lobbed softball. Steeerike Three! Next time up, he got two strikes on him and decided he better not repeat that performance. Instead he is a hard ball grounder right to the second baseman, and the only thing that kept him out of a double play was a bad relay throw. We caught a break - because of that throw a run scored and Lefty had an RBI. That is the one that tied it 2-2. And his third time up - he made the only out in that six run sixth in between nine hits.
So the stage was set. We held Confusion to one run in the top of the seventh as Larry came back in and kept them from a big inning. Down two, last of the seventh. Gene and Chuck did what needed to get done - they got on to set up the tying runs with Sting up. He hit yet another gapper, tying it up and he stood at third as the winning run. The only question was who would be the final hero. All we needed was a medium deep fly ball, and Reg would score.
Well what would you do if you were Team Confusion? I'm sure the fact that Lefty was 0-3 with a K had nothing to do with it, but they proceeded to intentionally walk D and Greg to get to him with force plays set up everywhere. Talk about your chance for redemption. He could have just tried to blast the ball to make sure Sting scored, but instead he hit a beautiful line drive hit to RC and it was over.
Undefeated - it's hard to do even in softball. There are so many things that can align on a given night to keep you from winning, no matter how overmatched the other team might be in some cases. We can enjoy that all we want, until - now. Because the ultimate goal is Cotton, and for this we need four more wins. The second season is just starting tomorrow night, and don't you think that Cream and Clear and the rest would just love to knock us off? You better believe it. Eternal vigilance is called for. We won't have our big weapon Joe, with or without the Stink Eye, he's busy striving for salvation in the Holy Land. Larry has held these teams without many runs too though, and as long as we get him a few, one Conehead inning a game, and keep at it, we can get Cotton. Again. Should be fun.
See you there. May you have many Conehead hits in your future. Then you will know, you have stepped into the...wait for it...the Cone Zone.
Milestones:
(Game 1)
Chuck 550 rbi (#2)
Lefty 20 2b (#22)
Markley 150 ab (#23)
(Game 2)
Chuck 1450 ab (#1)
Larry 1100 ab (#5)
D 30 bb (#14)
No comments:
Post a Comment