Game 23: Immanuel CMA won 8-3
Game 24: Immanuel CMA lost 20-14
2008 Season Record: 12-12
Well, it had been over a week since we last played, and I was worried that we might be a little rusty. Of course, the layoff was also a welcome respite given the way our last evening of ball went. We were a little short in numbers for the night - under 13 guys for the first time all season - but not short of heart.
We hit the ball well all evening, which was a welcome change to recent games, where we hit well in one game, and struggle at the plate in the second. We had a number of line drives up the middle that were caught by the opposing teams pitcher, a feat that few in this league will make repeatedly. Mech Bic repeatedly shifted their outfield to cut off some of our line drives, and they had the speed to make it back deep when needed. It was actually kind of impressive to watch. So when we found the holes in the outfield, it made things even sweeter on our hits, because they were few and far between.
I was impressed with the way we fought back in the second game. We spotted them an 11-2 lead in the first two innings, and fought back the whole way for the rest of the game. I really can't ask for much more. Softball's one of those games where you can't expect to hold a team scoreless for innings at a time, you just have to try to win each inning. After those first couple of innings, we did exactly that.
We had some guys playing a little out of position last night due to some of our absences, but everyone performed admirably all night. I'll take a 3-1 record against Mech BIC, especially given their dominance over us the last few seasons.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
And back to reality
Well, in true Pirates fashion, the Bucco's managed to ride the wave of entusiasm and excitement for exactly...0 games. Joba Chamberlain put on a display last night, holding the home team to 5 hits (after a season high 19 a night earlier).
For those of you who might feel it necessary to interject with sarcasm over my previous post (not mentioning any names) inferring that the Pirates victory yesterday was over a mediocre, middle of the pack team, well...okay, so that was the case. But for those of us who have toiled, nay, languished for 15 years of sub-.500 misery, we take pride in every victory by our beloved, beleagured, boys in black and gold (and occassionally, grey, and on home Friday's, red, and white on Sundays in summer months where the date is divisible by 2,3 or 7).
However, I do wish to thank said sarcastic-comment-leaver for pointing out the fact that the Yankees are indeed a middle of the pack team. You did leave out "over-paid, over-hyped pima donna's" but I'm certain you meant that as well.
For those of you who might feel it necessary to interject with sarcasm over my previous post (not mentioning any names) inferring that the Pirates victory yesterday was over a mediocre, middle of the pack team, well...okay, so that was the case. But for those of us who have toiled, nay, languished for 15 years of sub-.500 misery, we take pride in every victory by our beloved, beleagured, boys in black and gold (and occassionally, grey, and on home Friday's, red, and white on Sundays in summer months where the date is divisible by 2,3 or 7).
However, I do wish to thank said sarcastic-comment-leaver for pointing out the fact that the Yankees are indeed a middle of the pack team. You did leave out "over-paid, over-hyped pima donna's" but I'm certain you meant that as well.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The Pirates Win the Pennant...well, it sure seemed like it!
Those of us who live in the Pittsburgh sports abyss caused by the black hole of all things Pittsburgh - Comcast Harrisburg - were greeted last night to the news that the Pirates had beaten, nay, pummeled baseball's holy of holies, the New York Yankees by a score of 12-5. Of course, out here in Harrisburg, the news reports were more slanted to the fact that the Yankees lost than the fact the Pirates won, but we take what we can get out here in the void.
What impressed me the most (after the fact of course) were the reports that PNC Park bucked a trend for the Yankees faithful, by filling up with more Pirates fans than Yankees fans. All I heard all day out here was how the Yankees fans have such a strong road following, and how they tend to outnumber the home team's fans, yada, yada, yada. Well, just goes to show you, us Pittsburgh fans are no bandwagon, flavor of the month types. We stick with our teams through thick and thin.
Every city claims to have the best fans in the world...with the possible exception of Philly, where even the players don't always like playing there. But you would be hard pressed to find a more faithful, loyal fanbase than those who root for the black and gold.
What impressed me the most (after the fact of course) were the reports that PNC Park bucked a trend for the Yankees faithful, by filling up with more Pirates fans than Yankees fans. All I heard all day out here was how the Yankees fans have such a strong road following, and how they tend to outnumber the home team's fans, yada, yada, yada. Well, just goes to show you, us Pittsburgh fans are no bandwagon, flavor of the month types. We stick with our teams through thick and thin.
Every city claims to have the best fans in the world...with the possible exception of Philly, where even the players don't always like playing there. But you would be hard pressed to find a more faithful, loyal fanbase than those who root for the black and gold.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Stop the Insanity! Bring on Fantasy Football!
For those of you who know me, this next statement may come as a shock to you all. I’m a stats geek (waits for the shock…or is that laughter…to subside). Yes, it’s true, I admit it. I get into the numbers behind the scenes. If you can put a percentage or some other quantifying value to something, I’ll try to figure it out. This often makes me somewhat near-sighted in things that I’m doing (such as coaching softball), but also serves me well in other areas, such as Fantasy Football.
I started playing Fantasy Football almost 9 years ago, and since then, I’ve done pretty well. I play in two primary leagues – one with a group of guys here in Mechanicsburg, and another with a group of guys from back home in McKeesport. In the last 4 years, I’ve won the McKeesport league once and the Mechanicsburg league once. I’ve come in 2nd in the McKeesport league twice and the Mechancisburg league once. I’ve never finished worst than 3rd in the McKeesport league, and never finished worse than 5th in the Mechanicsburg league. I’ve also entered random online leagues, where I usually end up in the top 3rd of the ‘league’ I am placed into. I’m not bragging here…well, at least not too much…but I point this out for a reason. A lot of my success in these leagues has to do with luck, I will admit. But a lot of it also has to do with the fact that I pay attention to the details and the stats – how a player is doing from week to week, how a player has performed historically against a certain team, etc.
Another area that I’ve been somewhat successful in is making shrewd trades with other teams during the season. I’m not afraid to give up a good player to get a player in return that has a high ceiling. I’m not afraid to turn down what looks like a good trade on paper because I know the player I’d be getting faces a tougher stretch than what I’d be giving up.
So, given the fact that I appear to know what I’m doing, I’m dumbfounded as to the ridiculous nature of some of the recent trade offers I’ve been getting. One of my leagues is a Keeper League, and I will not bore you with the details of what this means or how it plays out. But here are the details of my current conundrum. I have Randy Moss and Reggie Wayne currently on my team, and I can only keep one of them. According to most 2008 forecasting services, these two are the #1 and #2 projected receivers in the league. I obviously have to part ways with one of them, but I’m not opposed to trading one of them for Fair Market Value.
And that is where things get interesting. I think I’ve proven that I know a thing or two about fantasy football, yet there are some who think I’m either naïve, or just an extremely generous guy (which I do try to be). In the last two weeks, I’ve been offered 9th, 11th, and 12th round draft picks in three different trade offers for Randy Moss. Keep in mind this is not all three for Moss. It was three individual deals - 9th for Moss, 11th for Moss, 12th for Moss. This left scratching my head. Moss is, or would be, a first round pick in this particular league. I'm going to work under the assumption that my fellow team owners feel that I'm just an extremely generous guy who would be willing to just give up a player and ask for nothing in return. While this may be the case in the real world, in the fantasy football realm, I do expect a fair return on the deal. Is that so wrong?
If I wanted to give up my best players for nothing in return and be left with no draft picks to back-fill their positions, I'd apply to be the general manager of the Pirates!
I started playing Fantasy Football almost 9 years ago, and since then, I’ve done pretty well. I play in two primary leagues – one with a group of guys here in Mechanicsburg, and another with a group of guys from back home in McKeesport. In the last 4 years, I’ve won the McKeesport league once and the Mechanicsburg league once. I’ve come in 2nd in the McKeesport league twice and the Mechancisburg league once. I’ve never finished worst than 3rd in the McKeesport league, and never finished worse than 5th in the Mechanicsburg league. I’ve also entered random online leagues, where I usually end up in the top 3rd of the ‘league’ I am placed into. I’m not bragging here…well, at least not too much…but I point this out for a reason. A lot of my success in these leagues has to do with luck, I will admit. But a lot of it also has to do with the fact that I pay attention to the details and the stats – how a player is doing from week to week, how a player has performed historically against a certain team, etc.
Another area that I’ve been somewhat successful in is making shrewd trades with other teams during the season. I’m not afraid to give up a good player to get a player in return that has a high ceiling. I’m not afraid to turn down what looks like a good trade on paper because I know the player I’d be getting faces a tougher stretch than what I’d be giving up.
So, given the fact that I appear to know what I’m doing, I’m dumbfounded as to the ridiculous nature of some of the recent trade offers I’ve been getting. One of my leagues is a Keeper League, and I will not bore you with the details of what this means or how it plays out. But here are the details of my current conundrum. I have Randy Moss and Reggie Wayne currently on my team, and I can only keep one of them. According to most 2008 forecasting services, these two are the #1 and #2 projected receivers in the league. I obviously have to part ways with one of them, but I’m not opposed to trading one of them for Fair Market Value.
And that is where things get interesting. I think I’ve proven that I know a thing or two about fantasy football, yet there are some who think I’m either naïve, or just an extremely generous guy (which I do try to be). In the last two weeks, I’ve been offered 9th, 11th, and 12th round draft picks in three different trade offers for Randy Moss. Keep in mind this is not all three for Moss. It was three individual deals - 9th for Moss, 11th for Moss, 12th for Moss. This left scratching my head. Moss is, or would be, a first round pick in this particular league. I'm going to work under the assumption that my fellow team owners feel that I'm just an extremely generous guy who would be willing to just give up a player and ask for nothing in return. While this may be the case in the real world, in the fantasy football realm, I do expect a fair return on the deal. Is that so wrong?
If I wanted to give up my best players for nothing in return and be left with no draft picks to back-fill their positions, I'd apply to be the general manager of the Pirates!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Shame on Me!
If anyone has ever managed a group of people, be it professionally or recreationally (is that even a word?), you know that there is always an added level of pressure (usually self-imposed) on you. This is one of the most unattractive truths to “being in charge.” I’m sure that the 4 or 5 of you who have been reading my random rants on the softball season so far have quickly figured out that I tend to take my role as team coach/manager way too seriously from time to time. Actually, I do that a lot in life in general. I know how I would act or react in a certain situation, and I expect those around me to share those reactions. So when they don’t, I tend to become, well, less than objective in how I see things. It is a personality trait that I am trying to change, and I can usually look back and see things in a different light after some time has passed. That timeframe may be a day or a week, or a month, but I do eventually see things for how they really are.
The one thing that I’ve learned over this season is that I’m a terrible coach. And I say this in all sincerity. I’m not the world’s best encourager when it comes to coaching a team. When mistakes are made, I want to fix the problem. I don’t stop to consider the effort that was made. I’m a technician of the game. I focus on the details and become incapable of seeing the big picture when it’s happening. I have spent a lot of time focusing on our errors or our inability to hit, that I’ve missed a lot of good things that have been happening.
Tuesday night was a prime example. We lost both games, which was deflating after last week’s huge wins. I couldn’t get past that. Shame on me for that, because it kept me from enjoying watching Brian pitch his best game of the season, or watching Dan have his best defensive game of the year in the outfield. The infield made some great catches on a few hot liners, and turned a few double plays, which are rare in softball. It kept me from noticing some of our guys stretching singles into doubles, or taking the extra base on a lazy throw from the other team.
I think the reason the miscues frustrate me so much is because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the guys on our team are capable of great things. I guess I tend to forget that they’re coming out to have some fun, to get away from the house for a while and hang out with the guys. I tend to forget that the goal is not for them to live up to my expectations, or my desires, but to live up to their own expectations of themselves. And the truth is I’m not giving them the chance to do that. Again, shame on me.
The guys on the Immanuel Church Softball Team are among the best in this league, and they are definitely the best group of guys I’ve had the pleasure of playing with. I don’t say that nearly enough. So lest you read my musings and feel that these guys are just your run-of-the-mill, over-the-hill wannabe softball players, you have not met the real Immanuel Church Softball Team. I’m just now realizing that I haven’t allowed myself to meet them either.
I just hope it’s not too late to have a meet-and-greet.
The one thing that I’ve learned over this season is that I’m a terrible coach. And I say this in all sincerity. I’m not the world’s best encourager when it comes to coaching a team. When mistakes are made, I want to fix the problem. I don’t stop to consider the effort that was made. I’m a technician of the game. I focus on the details and become incapable of seeing the big picture when it’s happening. I have spent a lot of time focusing on our errors or our inability to hit, that I’ve missed a lot of good things that have been happening.
Tuesday night was a prime example. We lost both games, which was deflating after last week’s huge wins. I couldn’t get past that. Shame on me for that, because it kept me from enjoying watching Brian pitch his best game of the season, or watching Dan have his best defensive game of the year in the outfield. The infield made some great catches on a few hot liners, and turned a few double plays, which are rare in softball. It kept me from noticing some of our guys stretching singles into doubles, or taking the extra base on a lazy throw from the other team.
I think the reason the miscues frustrate me so much is because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the guys on our team are capable of great things. I guess I tend to forget that they’re coming out to have some fun, to get away from the house for a while and hang out with the guys. I tend to forget that the goal is not for them to live up to my expectations, or my desires, but to live up to their own expectations of themselves. And the truth is I’m not giving them the chance to do that. Again, shame on me.
The guys on the Immanuel Church Softball Team are among the best in this league, and they are definitely the best group of guys I’ve had the pleasure of playing with. I don’t say that nearly enough. So lest you read my musings and feel that these guys are just your run-of-the-mill, over-the-hill wannabe softball players, you have not met the real Immanuel Church Softball Team. I’m just now realizing that I haven’t allowed myself to meet them either.
I just hope it’s not too late to have a meet-and-greet.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Straight from the X-Files
Game 21: Immanuel Church lost 10 - 4
Game 22: Immanuel Church lost 11 - 6
2008 Season Record: 11-11
Game 22: Immanuel Church lost 11 - 6
2008 Season Record: 11-11
Watching last night’s games, I came up with two possible explanations for our performance…
1) Every member of the Immanuel Church Softball Team was somehow abducted by aliens and replaced by exact clones – clones that can’t play softball
2) WS Red put a Pennsylvania Dutch Hex on us for ruining their undefeated season
Either way, I’m considering calling out Mulder and Scully to investigate.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Lightning Strikes Twice
I've been a delinquent blogger lately. Sorry. We've been inundated with family over the last week, which made it a bit difficult to sneak away to the office. So, here's the catch-up report...
Game 18: Immanuel CMA won 20-10
(the second half of the double-header was called due to the weather)
Game 19: Immanuel CMA won 17-7
Game 20: Immanuel CMA lost 10-2
2008 Season record: 11-9
Now, the whole lightening striking twice thing. Tuesday night (game 18) was stormy all around us, but not at the field where we were playing. Which is a good thing when you consider that we were holding 34" lightning rods every time someone stepped up to hit. But there was something definitely in the air that night because we broke out for 20 runs in 4 innings. Well, really, it was pretty much two innings - 10 in the 2nd, and 9 in the 4th.
Same lightning in a bottle on Thursday night (though it was a beautiful night for softball - no storms anywhere to be found). We busted out for 17 runs in 4 innings, 11 in the 3rd alone. Yes, our bats did finally go to bed in the second game, but I cannot complain at all.
What makes this sweeter is that we were able to shake some significant monkeys off our backs this week. We beat the top two teams in our division this week, one of whom was previously undefeated so far this year. Against these two teams, we were a combined 2-10 over the last couple of seasons, so it felt good to get the runs in bunches, and to play the defense to make the scores stand up.
Can we keep this up the entire second half? Only time will tell. But it was a fun week, not only because we won (which certainly helped, don't get me wrong), but because we are finally starting to play like the team I know we are, and we're starting to click with each other. I think the second half of the season is going to be spectacular.
If you haven't done so yet, I really encourage you to come out and join our wonderful fans for a game sometime. We may not always win, but our fans always do!
Game 18: Immanuel CMA won 20-10
(the second half of the double-header was called due to the weather)
Game 19: Immanuel CMA won 17-7
Game 20: Immanuel CMA lost 10-2
2008 Season record: 11-9
Now, the whole lightening striking twice thing. Tuesday night (game 18) was stormy all around us, but not at the field where we were playing. Which is a good thing when you consider that we were holding 34" lightning rods every time someone stepped up to hit. But there was something definitely in the air that night because we broke out for 20 runs in 4 innings. Well, really, it was pretty much two innings - 10 in the 2nd, and 9 in the 4th.
Same lightning in a bottle on Thursday night (though it was a beautiful night for softball - no storms anywhere to be found). We busted out for 17 runs in 4 innings, 11 in the 3rd alone. Yes, our bats did finally go to bed in the second game, but I cannot complain at all.
What makes this sweeter is that we were able to shake some significant monkeys off our backs this week. We beat the top two teams in our division this week, one of whom was previously undefeated so far this year. Against these two teams, we were a combined 2-10 over the last couple of seasons, so it felt good to get the runs in bunches, and to play the defense to make the scores stand up.
Can we keep this up the entire second half? Only time will tell. But it was a fun week, not only because we won (which certainly helped, don't get me wrong), but because we are finally starting to play like the team I know we are, and we're starting to click with each other. I think the second half of the season is going to be spectacular.
If you haven't done so yet, I really encourage you to come out and join our wonderful fans for a game sometime. We may not always win, but our fans always do!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Like Deja Vu all over again
Game 16: Immanuel CMA won 10 -2
Game 17: Immanuel CMA lost 13-12
2008 record: 9-8
Let me begin by saying that tonight, we played 7 excellent innings. The problem was they were the first three innings of the first game, and innings 3, 4, 5 and 6 in game 2. This has been our problem all year. Only twice have we played more than a games worth of strong softball, and both times, we swept the doubleheader. Perhaps there is a correlation...
These are the nights that, if I were a weaker man, might cause me to drink. So let's try a little thing I like to call "on the other hand." Bear with me, as I might get a bit verbose.
We scored 10 runs in the first 4 innings of the first game. We hit the ball well, ran the bases well, and generally played strong all-around ball. On the other hand, we needed only 1 more run to end the game early, and we couldn't muster a single run in the last three innings of the first game.
After giving up 8 unearned runs in the beginning of game 2 (I'm not kidding - every one of their first 8 runs was a direct result of an error on our part), we came back with 12 unanswered runs of our own, 4 in the top of the 7th. On the other hand, we gave up 5 runs - 3 directly attributed to more errors - in the bottom of the 7th to lose by 1.
We held the other team scoreless for 9 of 14 innings. On the other hand, we couldn't maintain any momentum to make it count when we needed it.
Anita tells me I should give up focusing on winning and just have fun. While the advice is certainly sound, I am one of those uber-competitive people that finds winning to be fun. I freely acknowledge that I am not the word's best loser - and despite what some of you may think, I am much better at it now that I used to be. However, out of my deepest love and respect for my wife, I will try to focus more on having fun.
Of course, that means that the rest of the team has to focus more on winning. :)
All venting aside, we have now played everyone in our division, and while our record is not where I'd like it to be, we have proven that we belong with the other teams up here. We are over .500 at the halfway point for the first time in at least 4 years.
So, some thoughts heading into the second half...
Game 17: Immanuel CMA lost 13-12
2008 record: 9-8
Let me begin by saying that tonight, we played 7 excellent innings. The problem was they were the first three innings of the first game, and innings 3, 4, 5 and 6 in game 2. This has been our problem all year. Only twice have we played more than a games worth of strong softball, and both times, we swept the doubleheader. Perhaps there is a correlation...
These are the nights that, if I were a weaker man, might cause me to drink. So let's try a little thing I like to call "on the other hand." Bear with me, as I might get a bit verbose.
We scored 10 runs in the first 4 innings of the first game. We hit the ball well, ran the bases well, and generally played strong all-around ball. On the other hand, we needed only 1 more run to end the game early, and we couldn't muster a single run in the last three innings of the first game.
After giving up 8 unearned runs in the beginning of game 2 (I'm not kidding - every one of their first 8 runs was a direct result of an error on our part), we came back with 12 unanswered runs of our own, 4 in the top of the 7th. On the other hand, we gave up 5 runs - 3 directly attributed to more errors - in the bottom of the 7th to lose by 1.
We held the other team scoreless for 9 of 14 innings. On the other hand, we couldn't maintain any momentum to make it count when we needed it.
Anita tells me I should give up focusing on winning and just have fun. While the advice is certainly sound, I am one of those uber-competitive people that finds winning to be fun. I freely acknowledge that I am not the word's best loser - and despite what some of you may think, I am much better at it now that I used to be. However, out of my deepest love and respect for my wife, I will try to focus more on having fun.
Of course, that means that the rest of the team has to focus more on winning. :)
All venting aside, we have now played everyone in our division, and while our record is not where I'd like it to be, we have proven that we belong with the other teams up here. We are over .500 at the halfway point for the first time in at least 4 years.
So, some thoughts heading into the second half...
- Let's stay focused - play every inning of every game 100% committed to supporting the team.
- Back each other up - not just on the field but through encouragement and positive attitudes.
- Teamwork wins games - no one's going to win the game on their own. There are 9 other guys on the field at all times, and together, we succeed. Individual effort with no regard to individual recognition is the best form or teamwork there is.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Love ya Pens!
In case you have yet to figure this out, I'm for all things Pittsburgh. Steelers, Pirates, Penguins, Panthers - I cheer for them all, win or lose. As the Stanley Cup came to a close tonight, and the Pens found themselves literally inches away from tying things up, I found myself taking small solace in the fact that the Mighty Pens are one of the youngest teams in the NHL and are well on their way for league domination for years to come. Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Fleury, Whitney - all these guys are under 24 years of age. So while the Red Wings are popping the cork on their 4th Cup in 11 years, we may have watched the passing of the torch in these finals.
As anyone who has ever played a sport where there is a playoff involved, every team but one loses their last game of the season. It was disheartening, to be certain, but the 2008 Finals were by far the most exciting hockey games (well, Game 5 was at least) in a long time, and will certainly set the standard for years to come.
So keep cheering them on, Pittsburgh fans, the Pens deserve it.
Then when your done, head over to PNC Park and let's give the Buccos a lift as well!
Love ya Black & Gold!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Flirting with Mendoza
Game 14: Immanuel CMA lost 14-0
Game 15: Immanuel CMA won 9-7
2008 Season: 8-7
For those of you who are not baseball aficionados, when a person is hitting at or below .200, he is said to be 'flirting with the Mendoza Line.' Fondly, or not, named after Mario Mendoza, who has a career .215 batting average, and actually batted .198 as a full time starter in 1979, this is a reference you never want to hear associated with softball, individually or as a team.
So, why do I bring this up? Not only did we fail to score a run in our first game on Monday night, but we barely got over the Mendoza Line as a team, batting a paltry 4 for 19 (.210 for those of you who were not on your high school Math team). I don't even know where to begin with this. This is the first time I've been on a team that's been shut out in a softball game. Exactly how bad was it? in the 19 at bats, 8 balls left the infield, 4 of which were outs. I think I speak for all the guys on the Immanuel Team when I say...
Game 15: Immanuel CMA won 9-7
2008 Season: 8-7
For those of you who are not baseball aficionados, when a person is hitting at or below .200, he is said to be 'flirting with the Mendoza Line.' Fondly, or not, named after Mario Mendoza, who has a career .215 batting average, and actually batted .198 as a full time starter in 1979, this is a reference you never want to hear associated with softball, individually or as a team.
So, why do I bring this up? Not only did we fail to score a run in our first game on Monday night, but we barely got over the Mendoza Line as a team, batting a paltry 4 for 19 (.210 for those of you who were not on your high school Math team). I don't even know where to begin with this. This is the first time I've been on a team that's been shut out in a softball game. Exactly how bad was it? in the 19 at bats, 8 balls left the infield, 4 of which were outs. I think I speak for all the guys on the Immanuel Team when I say...
Fortunately, we found our hearts and actually played some good ball in game 2, responding with a team average of .538, and winning a well played game against one of the tougher teams in our league. I was left scratching my head as to how we can raise our team average over 300 points between two games, but I've given up trying to explain our team this year. When we're good, we're close to great. When we're bad, we are scary bad.
All that said, we're still on the upside of .500 halfway through the season. I'll take it, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want more.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Team MPD (Multiple Personality Disorder)
Game 12: Immanuel Church won 20-16
Game 13: Immanuel Church lost 8-7
Well, it was yet another identity crisis type of night. We came out in the first couple of innings in the first game, guns blazing, scoring 14 runs in the first 3 innings of the game. Our worthy opponents only had 8 guys, so this was a vast improvement over our last foray against an undermanned team (5 total runs between two games). Then the wheels came off, and by the top of the 7th, we were down 16-14. I mustered all my ferociousness, and had a mini-tirade on our bench. The guys came back with a great effort…to keep from laughing out loud at me. But something worked, because we scored 6 runs in the last inning to pull out the victory.
Game two, we fell asleep again, and struggled to keep the ball out of the air. Our defense, which is usually a strength for us, left for the weekend a little early, and I watched helplessly as guys on our team bobbled routine plays, threw balls away, and generally made the Bad News Bears look like all-stars. And it was across the board – I think the only one who didn’t make an error in the game was the catcher. Couple that with a questionable called third strike in the last inning, and we found ourselves on the wrong side of an 8-7 outcome.
I don’t like losing, which I realize will shock those of you who know me. But I hate losing games that we should be winning, games where we beat ourselves rather than lose to the other team. There are few things more frustrating to me than our patented self-implosion routine.
So, on the season we are 7-6. We should be 10-3. In the past, we’ve always been a better second half team. Hopefully we can repeat that again this year.
Game 13: Immanuel Church lost 8-7
Well, it was yet another identity crisis type of night. We came out in the first couple of innings in the first game, guns blazing, scoring 14 runs in the first 3 innings of the game. Our worthy opponents only had 8 guys, so this was a vast improvement over our last foray against an undermanned team (5 total runs between two games). Then the wheels came off, and by the top of the 7th, we were down 16-14. I mustered all my ferociousness, and had a mini-tirade on our bench. The guys came back with a great effort…to keep from laughing out loud at me. But something worked, because we scored 6 runs in the last inning to pull out the victory.
Game two, we fell asleep again, and struggled to keep the ball out of the air. Our defense, which is usually a strength for us, left for the weekend a little early, and I watched helplessly as guys on our team bobbled routine plays, threw balls away, and generally made the Bad News Bears look like all-stars. And it was across the board – I think the only one who didn’t make an error in the game was the catcher. Couple that with a questionable called third strike in the last inning, and we found ourselves on the wrong side of an 8-7 outcome.
I don’t like losing, which I realize will shock those of you who know me. But I hate losing games that we should be winning, games where we beat ourselves rather than lose to the other team. There are few things more frustrating to me than our patented self-implosion routine.
So, on the season we are 7-6. We should be 10-3. In the past, we’ve always been a better second half team. Hopefully we can repeat that again this year.
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