25 and a half a step slower...
...is a tough pill to swallow for me. I was back at it playing softball again tonight in our first regular season game of the Summer Men's League at Red Bug Park here in town. To say I was rusty, would be an understatement. I went 2 for 4 with an RBI and had some "almost web gems" at first base. Here comes the half a second slower part. Three plays at first base tonight I had a chance to make a spectacular play.
Play #1 - 1st inning - I'm playing first, and there is a right-handed hitter up. This guy was the other teams best hitter, so I'm expecting him to pull the ball. Well, as soon as I saw him rear back to swing, I could tell he was looking to go opposite field. So I got in my ready position and sure enough he smoked one right down the first base line. I thought I could just shuffle over a tad and be in good position ( in hind sight I should have laid out for it but oh well) the ball tailed from me a bit so I stuck out my foot. The ball slammed off of the top of my left foot and trickled behind me a little bit. I immediately ran after it but the guy was safe at first. Then I took another step and sonuvamutherbear here came the pain train. It hurt, its still hurts, and I'll probably have a nice bruise there tomorrow and some black and blue toes.
Play #2 - 5th inning - Again I'm at first. Ground ball to our shortstop, and he makes a good play on it. The ball is about to skip so I do like any other first baseman would do and put my glove on the ground first so I can "sweep up" and catch it on the hop. Well, I misjudged the hop and that sonuvamutherbear hit off my right wrist. Again here comes the pain train...still hurts as of now...but I play on. All I can hear in my head is my old coach, "Suck it up and play!"
Play #3 - 7th inning - I'm playing you-know-where and the same hitter from Play #1 is up for the other team. Again he smokes one even harder down the firstbase line, so this time I lay out to try and catch, but all I get is the tip of my glove on it and the darn thing nearly spun me sideways. Still knock it down though so all he got was a single. And of course landed on my bad knee so I'm sure thats gonna feel really good in the morning. But oh well.
There they are...three "Almost Web Gems"...now, if you'll excuse me I am going to look for a bathtub full of ice....TRAINER!!!! :-)
Catch ya on tha flipside, Mr. Bass!!!
Jeffy G
Play #1 - 1st inning - I'm playing first, and there is a right-handed hitter up. This guy was the other teams best hitter, so I'm expecting him to pull the ball. Well, as soon as I saw him rear back to swing, I could tell he was looking to go opposite field. So I got in my ready position and sure enough he smoked one right down the first base line. I thought I could just shuffle over a tad and be in good position ( in hind sight I should have laid out for it but oh well) the ball tailed from me a bit so I stuck out my foot. The ball slammed off of the top of my left foot and trickled behind me a little bit. I immediately ran after it but the guy was safe at first. Then I took another step and sonuvamutherbear here came the pain train. It hurt, its still hurts, and I'll probably have a nice bruise there tomorrow and some black and blue toes.
Play #2 - 5th inning - Again I'm at first. Ground ball to our shortstop, and he makes a good play on it. The ball is about to skip so I do like any other first baseman would do and put my glove on the ground first so I can "sweep up" and catch it on the hop. Well, I misjudged the hop and that sonuvamutherbear hit off my right wrist. Again here comes the pain train...still hurts as of now...but I play on. All I can hear in my head is my old coach, "Suck it up and play!"
Play #3 - 7th inning - I'm playing you-know-where and the same hitter from Play #1 is up for the other team. Again he smokes one even harder down the firstbase line, so this time I lay out to try and catch, but all I get is the tip of my glove on it and the darn thing nearly spun me sideways. Still knock it down though so all he got was a single. And of course landed on my bad knee so I'm sure thats gonna feel really good in the morning. But oh well.
There they are...three "Almost Web Gems"...now, if you'll excuse me I am going to look for a bathtub full of ice....TRAINER!!!! :-)
Catch ya on tha flipside, Mr. Bass!!!
Jeffy G