Jim Mora would be proud
Aug. 27th, 2008 11:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
penfield"If you had fun, you won."
- Miss Anderson, my elementary school physical education teacher.
Softball Game: August 7, 2008
WON 15-8; record 8-3
After somehow being cancelled upon four times in the past two weeks, we finally fielded a team. And it was just in the nick of time: the regular season ends today, and it remains to be seen whether we have qualified for the playoffs.
The House Softball League uses a labrynthian formula to calculate the teams' standings, including wins and losses, strength of schedule, second-order strength of schedule, schedule of schedule, strength of strength, astrological phenomena and good-old-fashioned guestimating.
As of August 15, when the leaderboard was publicly frozen, my team was on the playoff "bubble." Bubbles are usually fun -- bubble baths, bubble gum, the "bubble boy" episode of Seinfeld -- but this bubble is sort of aggrivating. What's with all the suspense?
If we do somehow manage to sneak in to the playoff tournament at the bottom of somebody's bracket, we'll play a series of single-elimination games in mid-September on real fields with real umpires and real stakes. The quaint notion of "we're just out there to have a good time," which was never particularly sincere in the first place, is pretty much disregarded when there are two-dollar trophies involved.
The playoffs also featured called balls-and-strikes, which constitutes a bit of a wrinkle for the typical softball player but entirely upends the slo-pitch softball player's life. As a pitcher, I feel like I'm pretty good at putting the ball over the plate where the batter can hit it without serving up nothing but meatballs. But once there's a guy back there evaluating my work, I come a bit mentally unglued. My previous two playoff appearances were not particularly resume-worthy, as they involved numerous bases-on-balls and at least one mildly tense exchange with the home plate ump. (You'd think he'd never been asked before whether he's got the other team's dick in his eye.)
I'm hopeful that we'll get in a few exhibition games before the playoff so that I can not only hone my craft, but also remember the joy that comes from playing for the fun of it. Damn you, Miss Anderson, you were right.
My statistics:
AB#1: Lineout to right-center
AB#2: Hot ground ball past the second baseman for a single, two RBI
AB#3: Line drive to right center for a single, RBI
AB#4: Chopper to third, fielder's choice
2-for-4, 2 RBI
7 IP, 15 runs
Season-to-date
20 for 37 (.541), 15 runs, 10 RBI, 3 HR
49 IP, 112 runs (20.57 RA/9, 16.00 RA/7)
- Miss Anderson, my elementary school physical education teacher.
Softball Game: August 7, 2008
WON 15-8; record 8-3
After somehow being cancelled upon four times in the past two weeks, we finally fielded a team. And it was just in the nick of time: the regular season ends today, and it remains to be seen whether we have qualified for the playoffs.
The House Softball League uses a labrynthian formula to calculate the teams' standings, including wins and losses, strength of schedule, second-order strength of schedule, schedule of schedule, strength of strength, astrological phenomena and good-old-fashioned guestimating.
As of August 15, when the leaderboard was publicly frozen, my team was on the playoff "bubble." Bubbles are usually fun -- bubble baths, bubble gum, the "bubble boy" episode of Seinfeld -- but this bubble is sort of aggrivating. What's with all the suspense?
If we do somehow manage to sneak in to the playoff tournament at the bottom of somebody's bracket, we'll play a series of single-elimination games in mid-September on real fields with real umpires and real stakes. The quaint notion of "we're just out there to have a good time," which was never particularly sincere in the first place, is pretty much disregarded when there are two-dollar trophies involved.
The playoffs also featured called balls-and-strikes, which constitutes a bit of a wrinkle for the typical softball player but entirely upends the slo-pitch softball player's life. As a pitcher, I feel like I'm pretty good at putting the ball over the plate where the batter can hit it without serving up nothing but meatballs. But once there's a guy back there evaluating my work, I come a bit mentally unglued. My previous two playoff appearances were not particularly resume-worthy, as they involved numerous bases-on-balls and at least one mildly tense exchange with the home plate ump. (You'd think he'd never been asked before whether he's got the other team's dick in his eye.)
I'm hopeful that we'll get in a few exhibition games before the playoff so that I can not only hone my craft, but also remember the joy that comes from playing for the fun of it. Damn you, Miss Anderson, you were right.
My statistics:
AB#1: Lineout to right-center
AB#2: Hot ground ball past the second baseman for a single, two RBI
AB#3: Line drive to right center for a single, RBI
AB#4: Chopper to third, fielder's choice
2-for-4, 2 RBI
7 IP, 15 runs
Season-to-date
20 for 37 (.541), 15 runs, 10 RBI, 3 HR
49 IP, 112 runs (20.57 RA/9, 16.00 RA/7)
