I was late making it out, and by the time I got there,, the game was already in full swing. Johnny was pitching for the homers, and they were making him regret that decision. Or that is what it looked like from my perspective. The homers were populated with some old timers, including Tony Rojas, who made it back after a long stint on the DL. Good to see him!
Sean, the southpaw samurai was dealing for the visitors, and though he lacked the top end of the mph on his fast ball, he was getting the outs he needed to. In deference to my lateness and for the love of the game (worst baseball movie ever) I stepped up to the plate, both figuratively and literally, knocked a grounder up the middle, took second on a pass ball, took third, and scored on Richie Garcia's ball to the right side of the infield. That's how you scrap a run, and win the trust of your teammates.
We went back and forth for a few innings, Sean bowed out to Brian Phelps, who looked good, but was suffering from some residual knee pain. Mike Lattig then took over to throw the late innings. Satch took the bump from the capable hands of Johnny in the 6th or so, and threw the rest of the game. A few bad hops and then some long drives, and the visitors were riding us like a carousel, but we persevered, and at least tried to keep it close.
The score by that point was some where in the neighborhood of 14-8, which is insurmountable to anyone except a MBC'r. As fate would have it, this game was also Jacob Brisken's last before he returned to Boston for school and Dennis had pleaded with us to let him pitch and Jacob catch. It's tough to watch an old man beg, so we agreed and out Dennis went, after confirming that Jacob was wearing a cup this time (he took one in the beans a few weeks ago. Apparently they don't teach that lesson in college these days).
Satch was the first person up to face Dennis, and what does he do, hits me in the arm! What the hell? And then he tells me he was going to put it in my ear! Of all the nerve! Big man when he's got his hulk of a kid behind me.
So then I got a hit, and then the next guy got a hit, and Dennis is bitching to his kid about how he isn't calling strikes, and we are all trying to tell Dennis that you have to throw strikes for them to be called. All this time, there was one person who was not happy with the decision, Mitch, who stood out in left field watching victory be bled away from him. Amazingly, we tie up the game, and with the bases loaded, Tony on 3rd, and the win in our hands....Greg hits a short fly to left, and Mitch does what he does best, which is catch the ball. Extra innings. Legit.
Duane bunts the first pitch he sees, and takes second, and then Mitch steps up, fouls off a few, and then lunges for a knuckleball, drives it to center. Of course it rolls past the center fielder, and Mitch moonwalks home for a 2 run homerun. Fitting. All the wind goes out of our sails, and we lose 16-14.
Highlights:
* Not the weather, it was foggy and gross
* The outfield got mowed, did Adam make a call?
* I respect Duane's bunt. That's baseball.
* Knuckleball was working!
* Sean brought blueberries, which were exquisite.
* Did anyone get Jacob a going away present? Shit.
* Paul had some nice catches in right
* Bad hops in the infield
* The dirtbag, Nick and his brother Jay came out again, had some frustration at the plate
* Someone hit one real far, maybe even two someone's
* Liam and Aiden each had some good knocks
* John Mcg was the unfortunate recipient of the best curveball I have thrown in 2011
* I liked Dennis' admonition of Jacob on a pitch that was two feet outside, " Jacob, you gotta call that!" Jacob's response, " I thought I did."
* There were two double plays turned by the visitors!
Cop Field, 3pm.
S. Paige
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