Softball at 53

I know you can hardly wait to once again read about my softball exploits but alas it's not going to happen. We're not having a team this year. Too many guys have hit that period of life where family and other commitments make it hard to commit to playing full time. It just wasn't felt that we had enough to consistently field a team. I guess I could make some calls and play in the Over 50's League, but I don't really want to. I like playing with younger guys and especially this group of guys. So I will take the year off, play more golf, play a lot with my granddaughter and go to the gym a little more (ok, probably not that last one, but I sure need to). Maybe we'll have a team next year, maybe I'll play in the over 50's league, maybe this is it.

Softball at 52 - Another Season Done

Well I kind of fell down on my job of posting each
week about the season and now it's over. Maybe the fact that I went into a big slump and we didn't play quite as well over the last 4 weeks could have something to do with me not writings as much. Did we really only go 3 and 3 in our last 6 games? I can remember two of the loses but not the 3rd. We finished 11 - 7. Should have been better but we always had a good time whether we won or lost. I finished the year 24 - 47 plus 8 walks. Don't know how many runs or rbi's I had, Coach Rhodes was supposed to be keeping a scorebook this year but that didn't last past the first couple of games. Probably led the team in both, but we'll never know so I can say whatever I want. Enjoyed this year alot better than the last few, it helps when you play better. But even more than playing better, this was a good group of guys to hang out and play ball with.

Each year I get asked if I'm going to play again next year. I usually answer with something about never retiring or until nobody will let me play. Sometimes I think when I'm 60 would be a good time to quit. But now I'm thinking, I've already got to play with one of my best friend's sons, wonder if I can make it long enough to play with Paxton, the son of one of my favorite couples (Ted & Allison).

That seems like a pretty good goal. See ya next season.

Softball at 52 Week 9

Doubleheader tonight - 95 degrees - just the way I like it. Actually that's true, I wish all our games were double headers and I like softball when it's hot, the hotter the better. Not sure why, I don't like the heat for anything else.

I started not to write about tonight's games even tho we won both. Started to just give the scores and move on.

First game was close until we gave up 9 one inning. combination of a few errors and them hitting well. This was the team that drilled us earlier in the season. But we came back and scored 12 in the top of the 6th or 7th to win 17-13 (I think they had 13). I was 0-3 with a walk. I did have 2 rbi's and scored a run. Actually hit a couple of balls decently but right at the shortstop.

Second game the score was closer than the game was. We won 10 - 7. You would have thought we were back playing ASA the way the strike zone was. they had at least 2 (maybe 3) take called third strikes on horribly high pitches. I had a weak groundball to third, a line drive to third and a bloop single. 1 - 3. So for the night I was 1 - 6.

17 - 31 for the season.

Next week is another double header I think.

Softball at 52 - Week 7 - 8

we've only played twice over the last two weeks but they've been good games.

Week 6 - lead changed every half inning for the first 4 innings until we went ahead for good and held on for a 12-10 win. Josh made a great diving catch in right center. For some reason our outfielders decided this was a good game to try and throw people out at first, did not work out very well. I went 3 - 4. Can anyone stop me? I don't think so! Actually it would be pretty easy, move outfielders in 10 - 15 feet, move everyone to the left side of the field and I wouldn't get another hit the rest of the season.

Week 7 - What a great baseball game. One of the best defensive games I've ever seen. They came out and hit everything hard in the first inning scoring 3, we came back and scored 2. score stayed that way until the bottom of the sixth when we scored to tie the game. In between was a game of diving catches, great stops and cannon arms. Both teams had chances to blow the game open but were stopped by one clutch defensive play after another. Our outfielders threw out at least 5 baserunners. Game went 9 innings, they won 7 - 3 finally breaking thru with 4 runs.

I went 1 - 1. Only played the first 3 innings. I've been sick this week and am still not quite right. Dianna didn't want me to play at all and actually I wasn't planning to if we had enough there, but once I got to the ballpark, couldn't resist playing. So I compromised and told the coach I didn't want to play the whole game so he could sub someone in at first. Wish I hadn't done that, it would have been a fun game to play.

Season total - 16 for 25 with 4 walks.

Softball at 52 - Week 6

Another week with only one game, hate this kind of schedule.
Tuesday's game - This game reminded of last year. Started out slow, not hitting, make a comeback, look like we're going to take control, wheels fall off, almost come back again but fall short. That's a good synopsis of last season and our game this week. Lost 16 - 12. Came back from being 5 or 6 down, then gave up 8 runs late, came back with 4 runs in our last at bat with 2 out.

I'm still hitting. 2 for 2 with a walk. That put's me at 12 - 20 for the season, with 4 walks.
Fielding - I've apparently forgotten what my glove is for.

Softball at 52 - Week 4 - 6

I've fallen a little behind in posting about softball. Not much been going on, just one game a week scheduled for these last 3 weeks.

Week 4 - we got rained out.

Week 5 - Low scoring decently played game, just not much hitting. We won 7 - 5 I think. I went 0 - 2, couple of weak balls.

Week 6 - Pretty good game for the most part, we fell apart at the end and lost 14 - 12. Gave up 6 runs in the top of the 7th. Lots of throws in the dirt at first, you'd think I'd scoop at least one of them. My least favorite field, ball doesn't hop just kind of hits and scoots. Another 0 - 2 night, walked twice, line drive to 3rd, Squibber fielder's choice.

Softball at 52 - Week 3

Up and down week. First game was an exciting back and forth game. The other team hit a two run homer in the top of the last inning to go up by two. We came back in the bottom half and won on an infield single by the youngest member of our team Jason Justice. Good win, third of our four wins decided in the last inning.

Second game not good, missing a couple of key players, we were very flat. Didn't hit very well and played poorly defensively. We got smoked 19 - 6.

I'm still hitting well, not as solid and hard as the first two games but enough to get on base. Thru the first 5 games I've gotten on base 11 times in 15 ab's so I can't complain. Not sure I got on base 11 times all of last season.

My base running luck continued. Was going from 1st to 3rd on a single to left that the outfielder had misplayed. I realized that I was going to have to slide. So a couple of thoughts came to mind as I headed into third. One was that I hate this field, it's hard as a rock, like playing on concrete and two that if I slid it was going to hurt. At best I was going to have a big strawberry and at worst I'm 52 I just might break something (like a hip) and I was probably going to be out anyway. So I just kind of tippy toed around the guy at third as he tagged me. I was out so I was starting for the dugout but noticed the umpire was still looking at us so i stepped back on the bag and he called me safe (said he missed the tag). Bad call, I was easily out.

Softball at 52 - Week 2

Only one game this week, Monday night. Not much to say about this one, one of those games that's fun for about 2 innings then ready to get it over with and go home. We won 19 - 3. Chilly, damp night, felt old and stiff, hurt to run. Went 1 for 2 with a walk.

Softball at 52 - Week 1

I think I'll try to post about our church league softball team each week. Probably depends on how well I play whether I follow thru with the idea, but so far so good. And since this is my blog, it's mainly gonna be how I played (never have been much of a team player).

Game 1 - Positive reinforcement from new team coach Justin Rhodes before game starts - "This is going to be ugly, we're gonna get drilled". We jump out to 8 - 0 lead in the first. We're thinking maybe we shouldn't have dropped down a league. We're up something like 16 - 5, thinking games over. Then we remember why we dropped a league, next thing you know it's 18 - 16, last inning wondering how we're gonna lose this one. they score. 18 - 17 1 out, runners at first and second, hard shot up the middle, Thorhill on his knees force out at second, finds someway to throw ball around guy coming from first, Double Play to end the game. We Win 18 - 17.

How I did:
1st ab - took a strike, foul tip, third strike whiff, missed by a foot. Thinking maybe it is time to quit.
2nd ab - Drilled a line drive to LC off shortstop glove for a double. First extra basehit in years.
3rd ab - Drilled another line drive down 3rd base line for a double. Team seems to find it funny that I've had to run hard on two ab's. Best ball I've hit in 3 or 4 years.
4th ab - Pitcher intentionally walks the guy in front of me to load the bases, move everyone way to the left. I'm thinking you're gonna be sorry you did that, but he isn't, easy fly to left center.

Played alright at first.

Game 2 - We're feelin good after the first win, new guys smash the ball. Team we're playing doesn't look like much. Wrong, good fielding good hitting team. We score 3 in first. lead the whole way in low scoring softball game. Leading 8 - 3, same late inning problems that we always seem to have, go into bottom of 7th up 9 - 7. Score 9 - 8, Runners 1st and 2nd, two outs, line drive to left, runner from second heading for home, relay from third to home, OUT! We Win 9 -8. Two games that we would have lost last year.

How I did:

1st ab - bloop single to left.
2nd ab - line drive single to left, runner scoring, throw goes home so I head for second , oops pitcher cuts off throw I'm dead, second baseman misses throw, I end up at third. teammates passing out from laughing hysterically.
3rd ab - another bloop single to left (I'll take it)

Played poorly at first. pop up between home first, miss it, would have probably bounced foul but hit my foot in fair territory, bobbled throw in seventh to allow run number 8 to get on base. guessed right on batter trying to go to right, moved over couple of steps when caleb pitched the ball, missed one hopper reflexes just a little to slow.

Good start to season 2 - 0.

Softball 2010

Softball season starts this week, it will be my 103rd season of playing. I'm ready, went back to gym in December and have worked out semi-regularly since then. I think I'm back to about as strong as I was in Jr. High. Plus we've had one practice, well not a real practice, a practice game (so a total of three swings). A weak grounder to shortstop (which I didn't run out, hey it's practice) with the new bat I bought from Justin, a solid line drive with my old real man's bat and a decently hit ground ball to the shortstop (which I did run out, hey it's practice), so I'd say I'm in mid-season form. Looking forward to another fun year.

Gym Time

Each summer after ever increasingly poorer softball seasons, I think I need to start working out again if I want to keep playing for a few more years. But that's about as far as it gets, thinking about it. Well, I joined a gym last week but i've been sick so tonight was the first night I've worked out. I didn't really need to join a gym, I've got everything I need at home. I've got an olympic barbell set with over 300lbs, an excellent heavy-duty weight bench with the attachments I need and an adjustable dumbbell set that goes from 10 - 50 lbs. Aside from the fact that you really can't get to them in my garage right now because of all junk, I also own a magical chair and wand. The chair somehow teleports me from the front door to it's warm comforting embrace and the magic wand makes pretty pictures appear that keep me mesmerized for hours. So to thwart this evil sorcery, I've joined a gym and will go there straight from work (pretty brilliant plan, huh).

Wasn't expecting much from tonight's workout, it was mainly to gauge where I'm at. It was not a pretty sight, I'm going to have to workout for a month just to get ready to workout. So maybe I won't be as strong as I was when I was in my thirties or even early forties but I would like to be stronger than a fifth grade girl. Maybe I can score some steroids, I don't think they test for that in church league softball.

Baseball 2009

With the 2009 baseball season finally coming to a close this past week (Congratulation's Yankees), I thought I'd do a baseball post of likes and dislikes.

First, as much as I love baseball, it's just wrong that the World Series last into November.

My Nine Favorite Players:
1. Mickey Mantle
2. Lou Brock
3. Bob Gibson
4. Barry Bonds
5. John Smoltz
6. Ted Simmons (Travesty that's he's not in the Hall of Fame)
7. Shawon Dunston
8. John Kruk
9. George Brett

I still Hate the DH.

5 Hitters that I loved to Watch:
1. Jack Clark
2. Dick Allen (Used a 44 oz bat, now that's a bat.)
3. Ron Gant
4. Gary Sheffield
5. Bo Jackson

First real baseball memory - 67 World Series - St. Louis beats Red Sox in Seven. Gibson pitches 3 complete games giving up only 3 total runs.

Favorite Broadcasters:
1. Jack Buck - Simply the greatest baseball announcer ever. Was and always will the voice of baseball to me.
2. Skip Caray - grumpy, sarcastic, cynical - loved Skip
3. Joe Morgan - Lot's of people dislike Joe Morgan as an announcer, I like him, think he does a good job. But then Johnny Miller is also my favorite Golf announcer.

Least Favorite Broadcasters:
1. Vin Scully - Never understood the love of Scully, I find him irritating.
2. Harry Caray - One word - Buffoon
3. Joe Buck - As great as his dad was, he's as bad.

There's nothing quite like the feeling of hitting a baseball with a wooden bat, I feel sorry for people who've only known aluminum.

Favorite Baseball Movies:
1. Bull Durham
2. Field of Dreams
3. The Sandlot
4. Bad News Bears
5. Major League

Favorite Teams:
1. Atlanta Braves - WTBS, Ted Turner & Whitey Herzog made the Braves my favorite team. Started watching the Braves in the mid 70's when we got cable, they were horrible (anyone remember Dale Murphy as a catcher) but you could watch almost every game. Became my favorite team in 1981 (more about that below). I wonder if they'll remain my favorite team since they aren't on all the time anymore. I miss Ted Turner.
2. St. Louis Cardinals - I grew up a Cardinal's fan and they were my favorite team until 1981 when they traded Ted Simmons. Hated them after that. Eventually I got over my feelings of betrayal and the slow process of healing began.

Least Favorite Teams:
1. Chicago Cubs - Part of this could be the natural dislike for the cubs from being a Cardinal fan. But I think it's mainly because of the "Lovable Loser", Billy Goat Curse image.
2. Boston Red Sox - I don't like the Green Monster either, come on build a real ball park.

Favorite Baseball Quotes:
People ask me what I do in the winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.
—Rogers Hornsby
Baseball is a ballet without music. Drama without words. A carnival without kewpie dolls.
—Ernie Harwell
Let's Play Two
— Ernie Banks