Not the first game of the 2026 campaign, but the first game that I got a chance to play in. By all reckoning, the last week was just as amazing, warm, sunny, summer in the middle of winter. Walnut Creek has been covered in gray fog for the last two months, and it was a real treat to go somewhere where I could see and feel the sun.
We numbered 23 along with a guest appearance from Marcy and her lil' slugger. Sean started for the homers, and it was worrisome in the 1st inning how meekly we went down. I started for the visitors and felt good after a layoff, and who could feel bad pitching in the warm sun, with a strong team of good people behind me. Unfortunately, I got in to trouble immediately, and was lucky to escape the inning with only one run, having had the bases loaded. Phew.
From there, the tide seemed to shift, our team started getting on base more and their team started missing more chances. One thing I know that the homers did well was double plays, starting with my my first at bat, I think they totaled at least 3, maybe more. We visitors also had the unfortunate reputation of being the absolute worst on the base-paths, with again, me leading the charge, I got hung up at 2nd base on a comebacker to Sean that I strayed way too far off and he did the right thing and came for me. I tried my best to pull a "dead possum-sneak attack" but to no avail. I still got a great first gear, but second gear isn't there anymore. Dave was also victim of a a deadly pickoff maneuver at 2nd base courtesy of Sean.
Speaking of, Sean pitched the whole game which is awesome. However, our bats woke up somewhere around the 4th inning and we started scoring runs, courtesy of hitters such as Mike N, Gabe, Gaspar, New Guy Alec (who also played a great SS), Mitch, Anna, Adam. The real boot on the throat was a mental mistake that cost the homers what would have been the easiest double play in the history of the game, I was on first and JT at bat with a ground ball to the SS. If you don't know anything about our game, JT and I are two of the inaugural members of the "single to right, thrown out at first" club.
I bowed out after 6, having faced and vanquished Lynch, Sean, and Alejandro in order, who had all lit me up earlier in the game. Gabe came in for two innings, and threw fire, including to his fiend who had come out for the first time. The homers started to mount a comeback in the last inning but it was a case of too little too late and Dave slammed the door and the game was ours.
Final: 7-3, visitors
Highlights:
* Thank you to everyone that showed up to make it a damn fine game
* More audience in attendance than most games, always nice to play for the crowd
* Great to see Tony out, relatively pain free and playing
* I keep getting burned by the grounder down the third base line
* Kenball had some nice hits
* A couple of near fatalities on foul balls to the crowd
* Sean sweat through his shirt real early, and then it was sunny enough that it had time to dry!
* The double plays of the homers!
* Mike N played a line drive to 2nd that conveniently fell out of his glove with a man on first. You can't prove anything.
* JT with the long surfer flow hair style was not on my MBC bingo card
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