We all thought that Chopper was a damn good, if unorthodox hitter.
Greg had a nice thought going in the dugout after the Chop's second home run. What if Chopper had a son? Poor boy, he would have grown up with a tomahawk swing just like daddy's and probably could hit a gapper at the age of three. Then one day he goes to his first T-ball practice. He comes home crying.
Chopper: "What is it son?"
Mini Chop, sobbing: "Coach said I swing all wrong...sob sob...he made me sit on the side practicing swinging level, and then I came back to the tee and I missed the ball every time...sob sob..."
Chopper: "Did you hit it when you swung our way?"
Mini Chop, suddenly glowing: "I hit it over the fence every time, just like you showed me!"
Chopper: "Well damn, son, I will just have to ask Mommy to talk to Coach."
It was a fine night to be a Conehead. We hit on all cylinders, and we fielded almost entirely cleanly. Gene made a great shoestring catch in the first that set the tone defensively. Later Sting made a great running catch (and nearly had another almost identical), and Chuck started our obligatory 6-4-3 double play.
The game was marked though by a series of Big Hits. The first was in the second inning, after we pushed 3-3 in the first. Joe came up and put a shot down the line past the left fielder for a two run homer. He was just a blur as he rounded the bases. In fact it seemed like it was Markley running, he was so fast. Oh, it was Markley? No wonder. Thanks for clearing that up.
In the third, your humble reporter came up with one out and the bases loaded. They were loaded because Ol' G wouldn't walk, and got a 30 foot dribbler hit to load 'em up. When I came up our Sunday teammate Randy got busy orchestrating the defensive alignment. mostly the Old Scouts ignored him. He forgot that I can hit line drives to the left center gap on occasion and that is exactly what I did, clearing the bases with a double. It made it 8-3 and it was 10-3 by the end of that rally and we were off and running.
The next inning it looked like we were going to waste an assuredly intentional walk to Joe and a single by Gerry, when Sting came up and planted a bomb over left center, and you know he loves nothing better than running one of those out. Big two out three run homer.
But the night belonged to Chopper. After the Scouts closed it to 13-9 with a six run rally in the fourth, he led off the fifth with a solo shot. You know, he told me a couple of weeks ago he has been working on pulling the ball. Tonight came the payoff. That first one was crushed to the left center gap, and even though there was no goosing we all knew he could take his time around the bases, even if he didn't.
The next inning was the signature shot though. He came up with the bases loaded and one out and blasted another one to the same spot, although the tape measure may have proved it be hit further. This time he was in full on charging mode and I had to hustle to get home ahead of the Goose. Before the inning was over it was 25-9.
The Old Scouts rallied in the seventh but we all know they weren't coming back from a fifteen run deficit. Joe pretty much had most of their hitters in the palm of his hand, and even though their good ones got a few runs in, it was way too little and too far past Chopper's at bats to make a difference. Final score: Coneheads 25, Old Scouts 16.
And don't worry Chop - even if you didn't have that son, there are plenty of opportunities for a man to coach little league - they take all kinds of volunteers. Just don't let the other coaches see you swing before they hire you.
Milestones:
Heffe 140 2b (#1)
Larry 300 g (#4)
Gerry 200 g (#8)
Chopper 100 rbi (#19)
Chopper 10 sf (#19)
Greg had a nice thought going in the dugout after the Chop's second home run. What if Chopper had a son? Poor boy, he would have grown up with a tomahawk swing just like daddy's and probably could hit a gapper at the age of three. Then one day he goes to his first T-ball practice. He comes home crying.
Chopper: "What is it son?"
Mini Chop, sobbing: "Coach said I swing all wrong...sob sob...he made me sit on the side practicing swinging level, and then I came back to the tee and I missed the ball every time...sob sob..."
Chopper: "Did you hit it when you swung our way?"
Mini Chop, suddenly glowing: "I hit it over the fence every time, just like you showed me!"
Chopper: "Well damn, son, I will just have to ask Mommy to talk to Coach."
It was a fine night to be a Conehead. We hit on all cylinders, and we fielded almost entirely cleanly. Gene made a great shoestring catch in the first that set the tone defensively. Later Sting made a great running catch (and nearly had another almost identical), and Chuck started our obligatory 6-4-3 double play.
The game was marked though by a series of Big Hits. The first was in the second inning, after we pushed 3-3 in the first. Joe came up and put a shot down the line past the left fielder for a two run homer. He was just a blur as he rounded the bases. In fact it seemed like it was Markley running, he was so fast. Oh, it was Markley? No wonder. Thanks for clearing that up.
In the third, your humble reporter came up with one out and the bases loaded. They were loaded because Ol' G wouldn't walk, and got a 30 foot dribbler hit to load 'em up. When I came up our Sunday teammate Randy got busy orchestrating the defensive alignment. mostly the Old Scouts ignored him. He forgot that I can hit line drives to the left center gap on occasion and that is exactly what I did, clearing the bases with a double. It made it 8-3 and it was 10-3 by the end of that rally and we were off and running.
The next inning it looked like we were going to waste an assuredly intentional walk to Joe and a single by Gerry, when Sting came up and planted a bomb over left center, and you know he loves nothing better than running one of those out. Big two out three run homer.
But the night belonged to Chopper. After the Scouts closed it to 13-9 with a six run rally in the fourth, he led off the fifth with a solo shot. You know, he told me a couple of weeks ago he has been working on pulling the ball. Tonight came the payoff. That first one was crushed to the left center gap, and even though there was no goosing we all knew he could take his time around the bases, even if he didn't.
The next inning was the signature shot though. He came up with the bases loaded and one out and blasted another one to the same spot, although the tape measure may have proved it be hit further. This time he was in full on charging mode and I had to hustle to get home ahead of the Goose. Before the inning was over it was 25-9.
The Old Scouts rallied in the seventh but we all know they weren't coming back from a fifteen run deficit. Joe pretty much had most of their hitters in the palm of his hand, and even though their good ones got a few runs in, it was way too little and too far past Chopper's at bats to make a difference. Final score: Coneheads 25, Old Scouts 16.
And don't worry Chop - even if you didn't have that son, there are plenty of opportunities for a man to coach little league - they take all kinds of volunteers. Just don't let the other coaches see you swing before they hire you.
Milestones:
Heffe 140 2b (#1)
Larry 300 g (#4)
Gerry 200 g (#8)
Chopper 100 rbi (#19)
Chopper 10 sf (#19)
ElHeffe, that was funny.
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