6/3/18 Camp Swampy

Hard to say about this game.  It was a nail biter that went down to the wire, and for that, I guess it was a good game.  But somehow it was marred through the entire thing with a certain vibe that just didn't sit right.  Not sure how exactly to describe it, but there are days when things just feel off.  A big part of the problem was that the league game beforehand went wayyyyy over their time limit, and we didn't start until about 3:40.  Which was great for me, since I was late getting to the yard, and so I strolled in figuring it to be the middle innings, and was greeted by the top of the first.

We had 17 at its high point, but we lost quite a few over the course of the game, and by the end, I think we were down to about 13.  Mitch started for the visitors, and he was grinding it out over the course of a long game, and he was getting worked over the coals by his defense and by the home team.  He kept at it, but you could tell he was not happy.

Mike N. started for the homers, and the visitors took their share of hacks and scored some runs, in what would ultimately be a back and forth kind of game.  He only went 2 innings though, as he has been suffering through some arm issues, and Satch took over for the 3rd.  I freely admit to being a little gun-shy after my last outing, when I got shellacked for more runs than I really care to think about.  I honestly thought that it was kind of over for me, and the worm had turned.  But it turns out that it had just been a really bad outing.  I felt so much better on the mound this week, balanced, able to spot the fastball, the change up had a nice move to it.  The wind was blowing out, and a bit at an angle at about 15mph, so the fastball had some tail to it if you threw it right.  I ended up most of the way for the homers, in an agreed-upon shortened game, and Liam came in to slam the door on the visitors, which he did admirably.

John Carey was out to play, and apparently out to break the base running snafu record as well.  Twice he was caught out, trying stretch hits into extra bases and pickled right back into the dugout.  Good job kid!

It was also a game of extra base hit, there was a lot of gappers the right center, and the runs built up, and then the other team would roar back with their own set.  Speaking of hits, in the middle innings, Abe took a ball right off the left elbow, in his self-admitted wobbly attempt to get out of the way of a pitch that was heading for his head.  It was a tense couple of minutes, as Abe was obviously in quite a bit of pain, but he took his base and played it out, and then after the third out, packed up his stuff and went home.  He reported later that he had iced it like a madman, but that it was still pretty stiff past a certain point, when he tried to straighten it.

A pall had fallen over the game after that, no one wants to see a player get hurt, and the general frustrations of the game that had been building to that point, all seemed to culminate in that crappy injury.  John Carey took over pitching after Mitch, and scared the hell out of John McG's middle schooler, Aiden, who was really hoping that John was not going to come at him at 100%.  He never got the chance to find out, as Greg came into pitch by the time his turn came up, and he got a hit!

The score was all tied up at 11s when we entered the last inning (which I think may have been the 7th or 8th in real life).  Bases loaded, I came to the plate, and Greg and I conversed, pitcher to hitter.  It think the conversation went like this:

Greg- "Let's get this over with quick."
Satch-"I'll do my best."

First pitch. I swung, hit a fly ball to center, run scored, game over.  Frighteningly, Greg and I were walking off the field, only to see that Mike N. was also taking his time, and had just barely beaten the throw home, so the run almost didn't score and we almost had to try again.  I have not often wanted a game to end, but this was one of those times when it was a pleasure to be there and a pleasure to leave.

To paraphrase Key and Peele: "[the game] was real.  And it was good.  But it wasn't real good...."

Final 12-11, homers.

Highlights:

* Glad that everyone made it out alive

* Liam and Aiden both did great, they are full-scale MBCers now, Liam pitched well in the final inning, and had some loud hits, Aiden played great defense and also had some hits

* The field was like concrete, and we saw a few third hops that almost took off someone's head.

* Bob called a third strike on me that apparently everyone thought was a strike except me.  Asshole.

* We had a huge group of Mexican leaguers that dwindled to the hard core enthusiasts by the end of the game, reinforced with another 24-pack of Modelo that helped in their cause.  They also were really helpful and decent about the numerous foul balls that we kept lining straight at their group

* James helped me get my first triple in a while, by planting himself on a line drive I hit, and then inexplicably watching it sail over his head.

* Mitch hit a line drive single over my head that sizzled

* John Carey on the other hand, hit a line drive right at me, I managed to get my glove hand up enough to almost catch it, but took it off 50% glove/50% fat part of my hand.  It was sore, but real happy that it wasn't at my face or sternum.

* I hit Bob with a change-up that he could have rolled a smoke and still had time to move out of the way

*  Extra base hits all around, up and down the line up

* Loren's slump appears to be at an end

* Thanks to Bob, John, Mike for catching

* We did a good job of holding on to the ball , rather than the tee-ball throw-around that seems to be making a comeback.

*  Glad Abe seems to be alright, he sent me this picture and I think we all are a little confused as to how there can be three stitch marks.  Just lucky, I guess....

S. Paige