Finished up softball tonight.
Had a lot of fun.
We lost the first game, one in which I was more than content to not play in. It was pretty ugly.
I walked, scored a run, and struck out in the second game, which we won 11-6.
The fall season can't get here soon enough.
Here are the final numbers:
BA: .308 (4-13) OBP: .438 (7-16) 1B: 4 BB: 3 K: 3 RBI: 3
I wasn't in much for softball this week. We had something like 4 extra men, and with only one game I volunteered to come out early.
We got our asses handed to us 17-4 and I went 0-1. Not much else to say.
We finish up the season with a doubleheader next week.
Here's the numbers:
BA: .333 (4-12) OBP: .429 (6-14) 1B: 4 BB: 2 K: 2 RBI: 3
Softball picked up again this week after taking a week off for the holiday.
The Slackers lost 22-3.
I played third base for the first three innings, but played in left for the fourth. I didn't do much defensively, except for a little thing that saved my ankle. An extremely hard hit grounder was rocketed right at me. I didn't have the time to get my glove down, just enough to set my feet and start to... Thank goodness I got my feet set, as the ball would have hit me square in my right ankle. As it was, I felt the ball brush my jeans as it went between the wickets.
I may love my Slackers (our team's name) but I really don't want a nice, huge welt (or worse) on my ankle. Yay for self-preservation!
Anyway, I had two at-bats. Worked the first one to a 3-2 count then lined one to the shortstop, who nabbed me at first by a couple of strides.
The second at bat I took strike one and then swung at the next one, hitting it to about the same place. I beat out the throw to first this time but was thrown out at second for the final out of the game.
Here's my updated numbers:
BA: .363 (4-11) OBP: .461 (6-13) 1B: 4 BB: 2 K: 2 RBI: 3
Next weeks a doubleheader, with games at 8:30 and 9:30, our only 9:30 game this season.
Tonight I got sent back to earth.
Due to having just enough guys, I was in for all of both games.
First game didn't do much, 2 K's and a groundout.
Second game, well, that one's a story.
We let in three runs in the top half of the inning, but put it together in the top half to bat around and get seven across the plate. I did my part late in the lineup by getting a two-out walk with the bases juiced, waling in two runs. Remember, in co-ed a man gets to go to second on a walk and, with two outs, the woman batting behind him can take first automatically if she chooses. She did.
After a pitching change, my brother came up to the plate and hit me and whoever was on third in.
My next AB I grounded into a fielder's choice and advanced to second on a single by the next batter before an inning-ending grounder.
There was about 5 minutes left on the clock and we were up 11-3. All of us are thinking "just get three outs." We'd already sat the other team down
Uh, yea, well that didn't happen. They mounted a furious comeback and ended their half of the inning up 12-11.
I was leading off the bottom half. I hit a fly to right-center that dropped in for a single. The batter after me grounded out and I was forced out at second on a grounder my brother hit.
That turned into a good thing.
My brother ended up scoring from first on a hit by the next batter, something he wouldn't have done if he'd had my slow ass in front of him, for the tying run. The next hitter hit a deep fly that dropped, practically allowing the winning run to walk in from second.
We won it 13-12! What a game!
I decided to do my stats for the season:
BA: .333 (3-9) OBP: .455 (5-11) 1B: 3 BB: 2 K: 2 RBI: 3
Nothing spectacular, but it's better than I've done in the past.
We're off next week for Memorial Day, then we've got three more weeks in the season.
Well, softball picked back up on Monday after a week got rained out.
We lost both games by fairly wide margins, but I think I had an OK night.
I came in about halfway through the first game but never got an at bat. There was a throw to me that I "let pass by me" because I "knew it would bounce off the fence and go to the catcher."
Hey, it sounds good, right?
Anyway, I started the second game and was put in the leadoff spot. As I said, "Y'all got too much faith in me." We were batting first so I started out at the plate. I hit a grounder towards the second basemen that I should have been out on, but the first sacker had her foot on the orange base instead of the white one, meaning I was safe.
In slow pitch, there's the normal white base and an orange one right next to it in foul territory. It's set up that way to avoid having collisions on close plays like that, as the first basemen takes the white bag as the baserunner runs for the orange one.
That's the first call I've ever seen argued in my years playing softball, and I can understand why as I was sure I was out.
I got moved up to second by the next batter but was tagged out as the front end of a double play ball hit right at the third basemen.
An inning or two later, I got another at bat, being told that after the AB they'd take me out for someone else. Since I don't really care about how much playing time I get as long as I get some, I was happy.
I hit the ball to about the same place as the first time, but not as hard. This time I legitimately beat out the throw. Again I was moved up to second by the next hitter. The next batter I took off running to third. I swear the guy we had in as first base coach was telling me to go at first and then said something to the tune of "NO, NO, STOP!"
It was too late for that. I rounded third, figuring as hard as I was running I would have been halfway home before I could have slowed down my momentum enough anyway. The throw was in time to the catcher, but the catcher dropped it, allowing me to cross the plate safely for a run.
It's about the time I used the backstop to stop myself that I realized just how out of shape I was. I walked over to the bleachers and just laid down for a few minutes to catch my breath.
Thank goodness I didn't have to go back into the field.
Wonder if they'll have me bat leadoff next week...
So I finally remembered to write about softball this week.
I really didn't do that much.
We won the first game, but I can't remember the score. It was a game where it looked like we were going to get clobbered then we wound up batting around and then some one inning, giving us the lead.
After that inning I got put in at third base and got some action, though not the kind I'd prefer. Fighting the setting sun right in my face, it wasn't a friendly place to be playing. The other team had folks on first and second. Their batter hit a grounder and the 2B threw it to me.
I didn't see it coming and the ball hit me squarely in the chest. Before you ask, I'm fine.
Thankfully I redeemed myself a little by grabbing the ball once it hit the ground on one knee and touching the bag with my other hand to get the force. Embarrassing, but I got the out. Had another throw to me later that I saw coming but didn't get a glove on.
Second game was interesting. I got put in the field on a temporary basis after one of our teammates had a ball one-hop her in the mouth. Her boyfriend (I think he is anyway) helped her get cleaned up and stuff so the ump let us put in someone to fill in while that was getting taken care of. I was in the field for about two at bats then came out.
Don't worry, she'll be fine.
Last inning of this game I get put in to hit. Two outs with us down pretty big. I worked the count to 3-2 then got pretty solid contact on one, but I got too much air under it.
It was really solid contact. I mean, I've gotten hits out of much weaker-hit balls. I remember one where the ball never got more than a couple feet away from home plate that I somehow beat out.
Fun times.
One game next week against the other church team in our league.
After repeated delays, we finally got to kick off the softball season yesterday evening.
They stuck me in right field, which I wasn't upset about since nothing got hit towards me all game. The way the sun was right in my eyes it's not like I would have seen it coming anyway.
I got two plate appearances. I could see while I was on deck that the pitcher for the other team was shaking off some rust so I was patient at the plate. I watched strike one go by and then managed to resist as the next four all either hit the plate or fell short, sending me to second (in co-ed, men get to go to second on a walk to discourage walking them to get to women, as the lineups alternate between the sexes) and bringing in a run.
The second appearance I worked the count full and hit a hard grounder to the first basemen, who flipped the ball to the pitcher and got me by a step.
So I went 0-1 with a BB and an RBI. I'm not upset.
Next week we've got a doubleheader, which'll be nice.
Now if I can just remember to look up what the ASA strike zone is.
It's over.
We played a doubleheader last night. The first game was just ugly. We were slotted against a team that really does belong in a more competitive league. They were doing everything right and we just couldn't stop them. They made all the plays in the field and were hitting the gaps like Paris Hilton hits the bottle. We lost that one 23-3.
The second game was interesting. Since we were the visiting team, we got to bat first. The top half of the first inning lasted 20 minutes, we batted around the order TWICE, and scored 14 runs. It wasn't that we were hitting the ball really well, but that their fielding sucked. It seemed like just about every ball was dropped or a throw sailed. Just to give you an idea, the same person (who was by they way playing hopped up on vicodin because of an injured foot) was responsible for both the second and third out that inning.
No way they're gonna catch up, right?
Think again.
The bottom half came, and our fielding got a little sloppy. They put up five.
When we came to bat again, they did MUCH better on defense, only allowing two runs, bringing our total up to sixteen.
And then there was the bottom half of that inning. The umpire tightened up the strike zone a bit and our pitcher was struggling with locating it.
All I'll say about the strike zones is that this is rec league softball, not MLB. If it's close, call it a strike.
Our games are timed at 50 minutes. A new inning can't start once time has expired unless the score's tied. In that situation, teams get to start a runner at second to begin the inning.
When time expired on our game, the score was 16-14 with two outs and runners on first and second.
The guy hits one into shallow left. The runner from second got in easily and the tying run headed for the plate, knowing that it would take a near perfect throw to get them out.
We got a perfect throw and the third out to win the game 16-15.
Even if that play had ended up being total disaster at the plate, there's no way that the winning run would have come in. He pulled up coming into third with a bad hammy. Hate to see that happen.
Wow that was nuts.
If there's anything at all I've kicked myself about during this round of softball it's been how I've been impatient at the plate.
Monday night, that changed.
I walked both plate appearances.
Heck, I only swung once. Shouldn't have though, that pitch was inside on me.
Oh well.
Since it's a co-ed league, I got two free trips to second. The lineups in co-ed leagues are guy-girl-guy-girl and they give the guy second as a way to discourage walking guys intentionally. With two outs, the girl that's next can take first automatically if she wants.
Anyways, the first time I was on I ended up being the second out. I got to third safely, I just didn't stop in time and ended up two or three steps into foul territory. The 3B got me when I went "Oh, shit!" and was scrambling back.
We've got a make-up game on Sunday and then a doubleheader on Monday to close out the season.
That's right, we won tonight.
We had two really close games. We won the first one 5-4 and lost the second one 7-6.
I had one plate appearance, but I don't want to talk about it.
There was a moment of confusion in the second game. We had runners on first and second and one out. The batter popped up towards third, triggering the infield fly rule. Since the ball wasn't caught, the runners both ran to the next base, and the ball was thrown to third and the runner called out.
End of inning, right?
Wrong.
The runner was never tagged, which I can vouch for since I was in the third base coaches box. Normally, it would have been a force out, but since an infield fly rule was called it wasn't a force play like the ump seemed to think.
One of our players talked it over with the ump, who admitted that we were right. We had runners on second and third with two outs. I'm a little fuzzy on what happened after that, but I do remember us bringing both of those runners in.
Yes... my wonderful softball league didn't rain out for once.
After a bye week and a rain-out, we finally got playing again, losing 12-9. It was a really good game, one we were in until the end (which is rare for us) We may be 0-for-forever, but we're having fun.
As far as myself, I got another fielders choice.
AB: 4
BA: .250
OBP: .250
K: 1
BB: 0
1B: 1
RBI: 0
These numbers are starting to look depressing... I'm really tempted to stop with them...
Oh... and next week... guess what...
ANOTHER BYE WEEK!!!
Seriously, are we ever going to get to play two weeks in a row?
This week wasn't good for me... 1 AB and I struck out swinging on a full count. Here's my numbers on the season now.
BA: .333
OBP: .667
K: 1
BB: 0
1B: 1
RBI: 0
So I called the rain line and it said we would be playing tonight. We'd had some rain this morning so I wasn't sure.
Then I got to the fields... and nobody was there.
Really, thanks, because you know I wanted to drive across town for no reason.
Just. Fucking. Lovely.
I was DH the entire game and went 1 for 2 with an infield single and a fielders choice.
I'm even gonna keep track of my numbers for the year
BA: .500
OBP: 1.000
RBI: 0
1B: 1
I'll add any more categories when I get them... but I'm honestly too slow to turn a double or triple and I don't have the power to hit one out the park. Heck, my hit went about 9 inches.
All in all, I can't complain.
I finally made a softball practice today.
This is the third week of 'em, but I had two very important hockey games to go to, so cut me some slack.
Felt good to be out there, running around and stuff, but if I know myself at all it won't feel so good tomorrow morning.
And we have a game tomorrow too!!!
Tons of fun.
Tuesday morning I'll likely be stiffer than a pedophile at a teenie bopper concert.
A cleaner version crossposted to Through our eyes
Last night during my softball game I was playing third.
I made a pretty good stop on a grounder hit my way and threw it to second.
There was one problem with that... nobody was on base, so the play was at first.
Oops.
Technorati tags: softball, stupidity
Crossposted to Through our eyes
...everybody wants to be your new best friend.
A gal on my softball team found out that I have them and asked if I had any free ones.
Since I bought two tickets, I told her something to the extent of "program your number in my cell and I'll call ya tomorrow."
Before you ask, she's married.
And her husband could easily kick my ass.
Technorati tags: NFL, Houston Texans, Texans, season tickets, new best friend
...Not that I'd know why.
Nah, that wet stuff falling from the sky couldn't have anything to do with it...
Technorati tags: rain, softball
Crossposted to Through our eyes
I've been wearing a t-shirt for a certain blog that gets linkage here under my softball shirt the past couple of weeks.
Now I can't decide if I wanna wear it or not.
In the past two weeks I'm 1-3 with a run scored.
Which sounds good until you look at the other stats.
I've also got an error (A F***ING POP-UP that kicked off the heel of my glove... I'd call it an error.) and two K's... at least one with RISP.
Not too good of numbers. Esp. considering I didn't strike out once last season in three games before Rita blew through and cancelled everything.
The one hit I got was with nobody on to start an inning and traveled roughly two feet, getting just enough of the ball to slam it down into the dirt in fair territory that I probably only beat out because the catcher would have had to throw it above me to get it to first base in time.
So, what do y'all think? Should it stay or should it go? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
Crossposted to Through our eyes