For a while there it looked like we might not play at all. Thunderstorms had been threatening all afternoon, and we were waiting well past six o'clock with so sign of the ump. But the dark clouds departed after a quick, light shower, and the ump finally strolled onto the field, acting like we should have the red carpet rolled out for him.
"The ump is the most important person in the game," he half-jokingly reminded the catchers on both teams. "It's your job to take a bullet for the president!"
Despite the lateness, the lame jokes, and the stiflingly muggy weather, it was still good to play a real game! For the first few innings the two teams were head to head: no runs were scored until the third, when Gimme grabbed two and the Foes (the home team) one-upped them and took the lead. The next two innings turned up only a couple of more runs, and then all hell broke loose in the sixth. Gimme got their ducks on the pond, and somehow they just kept bringing them home. As their score climbed and our energy waned, there was nothing to do but come out swinging and root for a rally. Unfortunately we just couldn't hustle any more runs, and wound up with a depressing score of 13-4 at the end of the night.
But that's not to say we didn't have our awesome moments! How about Jason back on the pitcher's mound, for one thing! He threw strike after strike, fearlessly facing one batter after another, even though his nose isn't all the way healed yet. Gimme Shelter's pitcher was this big guy, and a lefty, and the first two times he was up at bat he walked to first. I figured that was part of J's strategy, since this guy looked like he could really whale the tar outta the ball--and boy was I right! His third at-bat he blasted that softball in a vicious line drive about ten feet right of second base. Fortunately our unflinching rover, Sarah Finklea, put herself right in front of the blazing fireball and turned a hit with home run potential into a mere single. That's what I'm talkin' about!
Other notable plays include two amazing grabs by Alex Laviola as shortstop! One was a lateral dive and catch, the other was more of a dive into the dirt, a catch, a fast pivot while still on the ground, and an accurate pass over to Willy on first for a double play! Right on! Willy and Jason also made their share of outs catching infield flies, and Glenn Baken rested a pulled hamstring while covering the unpredictable third baseline. Abbey did her usual excellent job at second base, despite some untoward crowding during key plays, and our outfielders, Softball Dave, David Phillips, and Casey, did their utmost to keep any big hits from getting by them.
Speaking of big hits, nice triple to start us off, Softball Dave! Nice big fat home run, David! And nice rips Jason and Willy!
Alas, the hits and the saves we made just didn't add up to a win for us this time. It wasn't an ideal conclusion to our "lost game" from last week, but at least we got to play! There will come a day when we no longer have to schlep heavy equipment bags through unattractive neighborhoods. A day when nobody's looking at their watch or calling the commissioner, wondering where the hell our umpire is. A day when sweat and dirt don't form a disgusting film that coats all of our exposed skin. A day when we don't have to listen to other team's obnoxious managers argue petty points and waste our daylight. But that will be one sad effing day my friends, because on that day we won't be meeting up with old friends and playing our hearts out for the gutsiest team in the league.
You've gotta take the bad with the good sometimes, and if suffering a couple of humiliating losses is the price we have to pay for the awesomeness of being a True Foe, then we'll gladly pay it!
Have a fantastic 4th of July weekend, stay safe, and get ready to start a revolution on the 14th when we're set to play Gimme Shelter one more time! We'll storm the gates and liberate ourselves from this nasty little losing streak!
GTF
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
True Foes vs. Mayhem, 6/23/2010
Thank goodness the third and last of our 9pm games is behind us--we just can't catch a break at that East River field! Last week's late game wound up being a three-inning scrimmage against 'The Explorers', because the ump didn't show up until 9:30 and it was too late to start. That one really hurt, because we were playing great and it was a nice night for it.
Last night was incredibly hot and muggy. Fireflies hovered in the air, boats drifted down the river, and clouds of dust from the infield dispersed slowly like a gritty fog. We were all sweating like steam pipes, but we had a good feeling about this game. It was ours to win. And there's no doubt we would have, if we'd had a seventh inning!
Don't tell Jason's doctor, but we had an "all hands on deck" situation and he and his nose played left field. Willy pitched tirelessly, and kept a level head even when the ump's version of the strike zone shifted faster than the end of a wormhole. And of course Mayhem's infamous pitcher Irwin was there, grunting and whipping the softball in with impressive speed, if not accuracy.
The True Foes were off to a strong start in the first inning when Alex Laviola hit a home run with ducks on the pond! Our defense was in top form as well: Shortstop Brian secured an impressive number of outs, Willy made some essential plays, and we were all glad that Abbey came back from "the northland" to play second, where she caught two infield fly balls! Along with Jason, Alex, Ryan Hullings, and Casey covered the outfield and did a fantastic job bringing the ball in quickly whenever it reached them.
Softball Dave made his usual solid plays at third. Ben was back on first, which meant plenty of disappointed Mayhem runners, and Tyson was our starting second baseman.
Yes, our defense was strong last night, but we could have done better in the hitting department. As much as I like to make fun of his mannerisms, Irwin's a pretty good pitcher. Not to say we didn't get our share of good hits! SBD was a consistent base hitter, Hullings had a fabulous double, and (forgive me for not recalling all the worthy rips!) due to some super swings on our end and plenty of errors on Mayhem's part, we had a decent night at the plate. But to be honest, we didn't live up to our potential.
So it's the top of the seventh. The last inning. We're dirty. We're tired. We have to pee. Mayhem has just taken a one-run lead in the sixth. Willy's on the mound. He's warmed up. He's poised to hurl softbombs, and we're all ready to bag three outs in a row and then rally hard. The first batter steps up to the plate. And... the lights go out.
They shut the damn lights off just after ten o'clock! And then the ump calls it a ballgame!
That wasn't a ballgame, it was an incomplete! What total crap. The parks department gives us one hour of light? Come on, man. And Mayhem's all cheering and squealing and jumping up and down as if they actually won. Pfff. Enjoy your hollow victory, you lucky S.O.B.s. We were on the cusp of one of our trademark rallies, and then we were robbed.
Yeah, well, Mayhem had better hope and pray the commish is feeling lazy, because if we ever get to finish that game we'll turn their smiles into grimaces of pain, and their victory dances into spasms of anguish!
I was enjoying a bottle of beer the other night, and it had a proverb on the label: "Anger is energy. Use it, then let it go." So let's hold on to our completely justified anger just long enough to kick some ass next time! On Monday we're playing at 6pm at Barry 01 against Gimme Shelter. So stay away from any FIFA-related bar brawls over the weekend and prepare for a fury-fueled comeback game!
GTF
Last night was incredibly hot and muggy. Fireflies hovered in the air, boats drifted down the river, and clouds of dust from the infield dispersed slowly like a gritty fog. We were all sweating like steam pipes, but we had a good feeling about this game. It was ours to win. And there's no doubt we would have, if we'd had a seventh inning!
Don't tell Jason's doctor, but we had an "all hands on deck" situation and he and his nose played left field. Willy pitched tirelessly, and kept a level head even when the ump's version of the strike zone shifted faster than the end of a wormhole. And of course Mayhem's infamous pitcher Irwin was there, grunting and whipping the softball in with impressive speed, if not accuracy.
The True Foes were off to a strong start in the first inning when Alex Laviola hit a home run with ducks on the pond! Our defense was in top form as well: Shortstop Brian secured an impressive number of outs, Willy made some essential plays, and we were all glad that Abbey came back from "the northland" to play second, where she caught two infield fly balls! Along with Jason, Alex, Ryan Hullings, and Casey covered the outfield and did a fantastic job bringing the ball in quickly whenever it reached them.
Softball Dave made his usual solid plays at third. Ben was back on first, which meant plenty of disappointed Mayhem runners, and Tyson was our starting second baseman.
Yes, our defense was strong last night, but we could have done better in the hitting department. As much as I like to make fun of his mannerisms, Irwin's a pretty good pitcher. Not to say we didn't get our share of good hits! SBD was a consistent base hitter, Hullings had a fabulous double, and (forgive me for not recalling all the worthy rips!) due to some super swings on our end and plenty of errors on Mayhem's part, we had a decent night at the plate. But to be honest, we didn't live up to our potential.
So it's the top of the seventh. The last inning. We're dirty. We're tired. We have to pee. Mayhem has just taken a one-run lead in the sixth. Willy's on the mound. He's warmed up. He's poised to hurl softbombs, and we're all ready to bag three outs in a row and then rally hard. The first batter steps up to the plate. And... the lights go out.
They shut the damn lights off just after ten o'clock! And then the ump calls it a ballgame!
That wasn't a ballgame, it was an incomplete! What total crap. The parks department gives us one hour of light? Come on, man. And Mayhem's all cheering and squealing and jumping up and down as if they actually won. Pfff. Enjoy your hollow victory, you lucky S.O.B.s. We were on the cusp of one of our trademark rallies, and then we were robbed.
Yeah, well, Mayhem had better hope and pray the commish is feeling lazy, because if we ever get to finish that game we'll turn their smiles into grimaces of pain, and their victory dances into spasms of anguish!
I was enjoying a bottle of beer the other night, and it had a proverb on the label: "Anger is energy. Use it, then let it go." So let's hold on to our completely justified anger just long enough to kick some ass next time! On Monday we're playing at 6pm at Barry 01 against Gimme Shelter. So stay away from any FIFA-related bar brawls over the weekend and prepare for a fury-fueled comeback game!
GTF
Friday, June 11, 2010
True Foes vs. The Hit Show, 6/10/2010
After a no-show ump and a friendly scrimmage with El Destructo last week, The True Foes were ready for some real action on the field. Even the dark, dirty, distressing kind.
It was dark because our 9pm game started about a half an hour late due to the field being a mud pit. Someone found an orange traffic cone and converted it into a landscaping tool to try and fill in the biggest puddles. It helped a little, but the infield was still plenty boggy, and the outfield was slick.
The first inning set the tone for the rest of the game: it took forever, there were painful errors, and The Hit Show scored more runs than we did. And yes, on their t-shirts they made the 'S' in 'show' cover both words, though why you'd want to call your own team 'the shit show' is beyond me. Also in the first inning, to our great shock and dismay, one of the painful errors was Jason taking a softball between the eyes! Fortunately his nose bone is strong, and it got bloody but not broken. It was also fortunate that Susan, Brett, and Heather were in the bleachers, meaning there were plenty of pain-dulling substances on hand.
The Hit Show did show us some hits, but we can't deny that we straight-up gave them plenty of runs. Alas, there was no shortage of ball mismanagement on our end. But that's not to say we didn't get on the board ourselves! Our score was in the double digits by the end of the night, and that's not too shabby. If their pitcher had been able to get the ball over the plate more often we probably could've scored even more: man, did he have a wild arm! It was like watching a five-year-old play Duck Hunt: he moved too fast, and he was all over the place.
David Phillips got beaned at his first at-bat (how's your foot?), but stuck it out and hit a fantastic double later in the evening. We welcomed Shortstop Brian back and appreciated his nifty catches and fabulous triple! Speaking of nifty catches: nice one, Tyson! Hearty thanks also to our outfield (Casey, Alex Laviola, and DP) who had to try and spot a muddy softball amidst the dazzling stadium lights, but always brought it in swiftly.
Abbey had a solid hit and shared second-base duty with Julie, who brought heaps of team spirit and also a 'plus one' for our cheering section. Softball Dave hit well and made some good plays at third, and Willy made plenty of outs at first base, which was conveniently located at the end of a slip-and-slide mud strip.
We played hard, we played through the pain, and though we didn't always play well we stuck it out until the end--which was after 11pm! In contrast to last week's absentee official, we had a great ump last night who really went the distance: when the parks department guys showed up and tried to kick us out, he talked them into letting him lock up so we could finish. Right on!
By the time our defeat was a done deal, we felt like we'd been through a war. And Jason really looked the part: he had a bandage on one wrist, a splint on his nose, he was spitting up blood, and covered in mud from the waist down. We really could have used some post-game drinks, but it was super late, and showers and sheets trumped alcohol.
One more huge thank-you to our cheering section: it would have been a much sorrier event without friendly voices hooting and hollering on the sidelines!
Losing's a bummer, but we have a chance to do-over! Next week Thursday: same time, same place, we play 'The Explorers.' They'd better be ready to explore profound depths of disappointment and dismay, because The True Foes are poised for a stellar comeback!
GTF
It was dark because our 9pm game started about a half an hour late due to the field being a mud pit. Someone found an orange traffic cone and converted it into a landscaping tool to try and fill in the biggest puddles. It helped a little, but the infield was still plenty boggy, and the outfield was slick.
The first inning set the tone for the rest of the game: it took forever, there were painful errors, and The Hit Show scored more runs than we did. And yes, on their t-shirts they made the 'S' in 'show' cover both words, though why you'd want to call your own team 'the shit show' is beyond me. Also in the first inning, to our great shock and dismay, one of the painful errors was Jason taking a softball between the eyes! Fortunately his nose bone is strong, and it got bloody but not broken. It was also fortunate that Susan, Brett, and Heather were in the bleachers, meaning there were plenty of pain-dulling substances on hand.
The Hit Show did show us some hits, but we can't deny that we straight-up gave them plenty of runs. Alas, there was no shortage of ball mismanagement on our end. But that's not to say we didn't get on the board ourselves! Our score was in the double digits by the end of the night, and that's not too shabby. If their pitcher had been able to get the ball over the plate more often we probably could've scored even more: man, did he have a wild arm! It was like watching a five-year-old play Duck Hunt: he moved too fast, and he was all over the place.
David Phillips got beaned at his first at-bat (how's your foot?), but stuck it out and hit a fantastic double later in the evening. We welcomed Shortstop Brian back and appreciated his nifty catches and fabulous triple! Speaking of nifty catches: nice one, Tyson! Hearty thanks also to our outfield (Casey, Alex Laviola, and DP) who had to try and spot a muddy softball amidst the dazzling stadium lights, but always brought it in swiftly.
Abbey had a solid hit and shared second-base duty with Julie, who brought heaps of team spirit and also a 'plus one' for our cheering section. Softball Dave hit well and made some good plays at third, and Willy made plenty of outs at first base, which was conveniently located at the end of a slip-and-slide mud strip.
We played hard, we played through the pain, and though we didn't always play well we stuck it out until the end--which was after 11pm! In contrast to last week's absentee official, we had a great ump last night who really went the distance: when the parks department guys showed up and tried to kick us out, he talked them into letting him lock up so we could finish. Right on!
By the time our defeat was a done deal, we felt like we'd been through a war. And Jason really looked the part: he had a bandage on one wrist, a splint on his nose, he was spitting up blood, and covered in mud from the waist down. We really could have used some post-game drinks, but it was super late, and showers and sheets trumped alcohol.
One more huge thank-you to our cheering section: it would have been a much sorrier event without friendly voices hooting and hollering on the sidelines!
Losing's a bummer, but we have a chance to do-over! Next week Thursday: same time, same place, we play 'The Explorers.' They'd better be ready to explore profound depths of disappointment and dismay, because The True Foes are poised for a stellar comeback!
GTF
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