True Foes vs. Halcyon Asset Management, 7/9/09

So the plan last night was to "bring the love back." We'd been getting pretty tense and stressed out before and during our last few games, and we felt it was important to take a deep breath, drink some beers, and chill the heck out before the next one.

Since we had a 9pm game at the East River Fields, East Village resident Softball Dave was kind enough to host us on his AMAZING back patio (I should have taken a picture!) and we enjoyed beers, pizza, and non-softball-related conversation for a good hour and a half before game time. I remember Jason saying, "I think we should all drink as much as possible," and wondering how that would turn out.

Well, it turned out to be a great idea! There was definitely less tension overall, and though we didn't even warm up for the game really, we were off to a great start! True Foes were the 'visiting' team, so we were up to bat first and Shortstop Brian quickly got us on the board. Then Halcyon was up, and they scored too. Even Steven.

Our fielding was definitely stronger than last time. Not watertight--there were a few errors here and there--but overall we made better plays and shut them down on more than one occasion. David had confidently declared before the game, "Their Halcyon days are over!" Oh, how I wish that were true. Unfortunately they got three runs in one inning and we never quite caught up to them after that.

Now, these guys were not a fun team to play against. They were super intense. The kind of guys who shout things like: "Keep the aggression!!"

It's 9pm on a beautiful summer night down by the river, and half the people present are slightly drunk. Is it really necessary to 'keep the aggression'? Oh, and their first baseman was driving me nuts the way he'd cheer for his own pitcher. After every pitch, he'd bellow something like: "Nice pitch! NICE PITCH!!"

It's not like there was really that much at stake--the only people besides us who were watching were random people walking by with their dogs. The exception to the Halcyon vein-popping attitude was their lone female player, who basically only put down her cell phone long enough to strike out. And she wasn't the only one! There were a lot of strikeouts on both sides last night, which I attribute to starting with a 1-1 count. It kind of throws everything off. But it did keep the game moving, and it was all over by 10pm: we lost 8-4. Not bad!

We were trailing 8-1 at the top of the sixth, and then Jason made an Inspirational Speech about relaxing, taking it easy, and getting some f--king runs already. Laviola added "No heroes!" and then proceeded to eat turf diving for a foul ball. But the speech worked, because right after that we scored more runs! Shortstop Brian, David Phillips, and Softball Dave all had great hits! We definitely had more opportunities to score throughout the game--there were True Foes on bases--but the aforementioned penchant for striking out meant that we couldn't live up to our scoring potential.

Willy was on first base, and there were plenty of great plays there--plus he went deep and made an exciting catch in almost-right-field. Glenn and Laviola were dependable as always in the outfield, and Softball Dave made a great catch too while he covered third, and Shortstop Brian stopped their hits short whenever possible. I don't like tooting my own horn, but I have to say it felt pretty good to finally catch a foul ball, and I hope to make a habit of it! Jason not only encouraged us to drink and relax, he also pitched great (there was a no-swing strikeout, and plenty of the regular kind!) and played through the pain when he got a nasty leg cramp.

Thank-yous and props are also due Michael on second, Mabs and Tyson as our rovers, David Phillips over in right field, Caroline for cheering, and Abbey for keeping score (always harder than it looks!). The game was over by 10pm, and after the requisite "good game" hand slaps with the snarky Halcyons we stayed on the field and practiced until they shut the lights off at 10:30.

Holy cow, did you see the moon last night? It was huge and orange, hovering over Brooklyn. Really amazing. Ironically, during batting practice we were hitting and fielding like champs--which means that we're on the right track with this whole "take it easy" idea! Next game, let's just pretend we're having some batting practice--no pressure--and I think we'll really shine! And if we need to take a little nip from a bottle now and then to facilitate the necessary relaxation, then so be it.

I don't even remember the name of the bar we ended up at, but it was on Avenue C at around tenth street I think. We had plenty of space to push some tables together and create a True Foes section, which was a welcome change from the crowds in the Dumbo bars. I've gotta say, the way we stick together and wring every last drop of pleasure from the night is truly wonderful. I'd rather lose with the True Foes than win with any other team--no contest! What good is winning if you have to hang out with a bunch of douchebags all night?

It was technically Friday morning when yours truly took off, and some of the Foes who stayed in the bar looked like they had the potential to really make a night of it. Any stories, Jason? Alex? Don't hold out on us, man!

Our next game is less than a week away: Wednesday, July 15, at 6pm vs. "ANTIBIOTIX". And yes, we're back in the navy yard again. Please come out to play or cheer, and (win or lose) good times will be had by all!

GTF