The temperature plummeted the closer I got to GGP. It was a balmy 84 degrees in the East Bay, and by the time I found parking it was 63 degrees. Not uncomfortable, but we didn't see the sun for the entire game either. We were also cramped in right field, as the Olde Tyme game had started at the same time that we did. While staffing right field to protect my team from my questionable fielding, I had the chance to watch the other game, and GOOD GOD, are there a lot of dropped balls. I would say an average of 10 chances for every 3 outs recorded.
Nick W started for the homers and Sean for the visitors. Sean would remain for the majority of the game, eating the deficit like a good pitcher should. For once, I was on the team doing the spanking, rather than getting spanked. It's been a while.
Nick pitched well and even remained for an inning after he thought that he would, since the last one "went so fast." Usually that is the death knell of the pitcher, but he sailed his way through and handed the ball off to Satch. I was excited to throw again, after getting the chance just the week before in the double header. The best thing I can say is that my curve ball is back! Being able to add that back into my arsenal has been great, and honestly, it works better as a big loopy bait pitch than anything that you might see from a competent pitcher.
Sean battled his way through the game but was unable to get the outs he needed when he needed them. We were hammering the hole between 3rd and SS all game, and Django made some fine plays to stop the balls from reaching the outfield, but not enough to get the outs. There were also the usual selection of dinks and kicks that extended innings where there should have been outs. Erasto came in to mop up and we fared better than we have in the past.
With a plethora of players playing, 11-11 at one point, the game was a fairly relaxing affair, and no one seemed to be overextending themselves. The score got a little out of hand by the middle third though, with our lead being extended to a generous 9-2. We even started conceding outs on close plays rather than see the inning extended, a cap tip to Mitch who hustles all the time and probably got screwed at least once. Don showed up early (2nd inning) and was able to play most of the game. Then people started to leave, and the batting order got messed up again, like last week.
Into the 9th inning, the score 12-4. Nothing doing.
Final score, 12-4, Homers.
Highlights
* Thanks to all that played
* Django did his best against a barrage of plays at SS
* I love having Mitch play SS, since we get so many short pop flies that he is basically also an outfielder
* Thanks to Greg, Don, Gaspar and one other for catching
* The addition of Jose and new Amigo to our game was nice, and they both were ripping the ball and making plays
* Greg in particular did a great job of blocking the ball
* Jack, frustrated by his lack of hits, tattooed a ball that was destined to splinter my shin. Reflexively, I put my glove down to try and deflect it and somehow caught the ball in an awkward backhand. Apologies for the outs, it was all reflex, not skill.
* Erasto with another great day at the plate, but we finally tagged him for some runs in his two-inning stint
* The great when is it an "automatic home run" debate rages on. I hit one off Sean that I thought was a no-doubter, and I began to trot hoping that would be signal that I was opening the play for debate. When I got to first, I made the twirly gesture to further cement my stance. No one else seemed to buy what I was selling, and I so I ended up with a RBI single, perhaps the longest in history. Looking at the map, I think I have a good case for believing it should be counted.
I know that Jack was playing me at about 390 in left field, and I split the difference between left and center. The ball one-hopped to the berm where the hill starts, which you can see in the picture about 15 feet beyond the landing. Maybe not a herculean blast, but certainly for a fat slow hobbled guy, an argument could be made.
We also have to include Sean's hit, which was prodigious, and brought about the argument of why his hit wasn't also considered a no doubter? Well, this is about where it landed, which is easy to remember, because of where it landed in relation to where the left fielder was from the other game. If we start down the road of short porches and park variation, where does it end?
What I found in my searches is that the average distance from home plate to the left-center field wall in MLB parks is approximately 371 feet. So I got 10 feet on that, roughly.
So that is something.
So where does this leave us?
Can we ever find a field on the regular that has a fence e.g., Crocker Amazon?
Do we institute the cone system like Stoner tried to implement 15 years ago and was roundly rejected?
The call from Sean was that I have to state immediately after the hit that I believe it to be a home run and then it goes to committee, I guess? I thought my trot was enough, but I guess next time I will try for a Oh yeah, that baby is GONE and hope I win the argument.
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