UPSET, PIRATES gear, and Why I Quit the Game

"This sucks."

In my life, I lost many baseball games. Some by wide margins, and others by one or two runs; in every game, I fought for every inch, or at least I think I did...? I hope I did o_O (Watch how someone from my past calls me out on one of them here). You come across games where 9 out of 10 times you would win that particular game, and this was one of those times.

You would have liked me out there. I figured out how to swing the bat, when I discovered how to properly hold the baseball bat. I decked out in PIRATES gear for this one...do you know what the back of my jersey said? Hmm?

SUPERBAD...SUPERBAD! I was #36 SUPERBAD!

First pitch, I hit the ball, and...it was beautiful. First thing, you couldn't see it. The ball actually left the yard, alright! It LEFT THE YARD! I was such a beautiful thing, because I swung the bat, and the ball hit the bat, and there it was all alone in the air and it's still going up! My teammates and I went o_O because they never saw it before, and I never saw it before going in the direction it did with such height and velocity in my life! I turned to my teammates and asked them, "Do you see this? Do you see the ball going?" Then they said, "RUN YOU SILLY FOOL!" I turned to look, and I paused and said "Wait, hold on, because it may be a mirage! You can never tell..."

It wasn't a mirage because it LEFT THE YARD! So I took off running, and I stepped on each base, and I crossed the home baseline just as they threw the ball into the infield ^_^ So, I felt pretty good; I got to be Andrew McCutchen for an at-bat.

I could go on about my defensive impressions of McCutchen in the outfield, but I can't help knowing I could have done better. The team deserves so much better than our current 0-4 record indicates, and there were many opportunities we had to close it out. According to my teammates, I don't take losses too well; that is only because I wasn't allowed to take defeat easy growing up.

My Dad was the "self-appointed" assistant coach in my first and last two years of t-ball, although I assumed that was the story. If we won, then it was by a team effort. If we lost, then I would get the top 15 reasons why I lost the game for the team. Baseball became homework, and whatever my Dad thought he saw on the television became gospel (when each batter has individual batting stances, studying can be confusing)! There wasn't a right or wrong way to play baseball: You had to play it his way, or get it. My Dad taught me two pitches: The fastball and the bean-ball. He couldn't throw a fastball, but I learned to catch out of preservation, and Dad only threw strikes. In games, I was taught to be scared of the ball, the situation, and the guy in the glasses watching from the stands. Not only because I might fail, but also of the possibility I might succeed, and the "practices" would intensify.

It was years before I could enjoy baseball again, and the Strike of '94 didn't help things. When I returned to the game, the opportunity to play at a competitive level, which you foster in your teenage and college years, dissipated into sub-standard play. Personally, my relationship with my Dad reached a level now where we work together in his company, and most nights we leave work in good shape...most of the time o_O (That was a joke; we are alive) ^_^ Now I collect personalized jerseys and dress up for city leagues and social outings. If I could hit like a major leaguer more often, instead of just dress up like a major leaguer, I could contribute to my current team. In the meantime, I can only think of one thing...

"Man, this sucks."

0 and Three

Yea, I'm not feeling too good today. Instead of ROYALS gear, I should wear something else (Phil looks through collection). I'm going to wear PIRATES gear next Tuesday! No...

Well, obviously, I'm disappointed. There aren't enough players to field a team, but your opponents want to play anyway. I'm reluctant to get my batting gloves on, but my teammate Navid looks at me and says we must step up our game. I look back, and say "Yes". So we play...

Mind you, we lost but only by one run (?). Would it make a difference with a full team? It's possible, but six people were battling for each other tonight. Tough plays, running hard, and not giving up. We played against a team with more players, more fielders, and more offensive capabilities, and in response we played with everything we had. I couldn't be prouder.

Had we won, I think my blog would sing a different tune, perhaps throw in a couple of upbeat pictures, add a smiley face, and a video of me doing a Flair Flop in front of my Dad and shouting, "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

I don't think I would enjoy the victory though, because it would be more a surprise than a certainty. It's difficult to explain, but I think when you encounter situations like this the excuses fall away, the blame falls away, and the "boo-snap" falls away, too. Dennis Miller said it best: The crucible can be the easiest place to be.

I am proud of my team.

The Drawbacks to Throwbacks

I finished watching the highlights from Saturday night's interleague Major League Baseball match-up between the hometown American League Boston Red Sox, and the visiting National League team from Chicago, the Cubs.

Dressed in similar uniforms from 1918, the white-capped, knee-high red stocking Bosox entered the top half of the eighth inning needing only six outs against the pinstriped Cubs to close another Red Sox victory. Similar to 1918, however, the curse of blown leads and untimely errors which would plague them in big games and throughout their postseason history for the next 86 years would also make a special appearance.


If I know Craig, who is one of the pastors from the church in Oakville I attend and a diehard Cubs fan, he will be dancing, laughing out loud, or rolling on the floor laughing. Another friend I know, whose name is Ana and loves the Red Sox, would throw her shoe through the television screen as Jed Lowrie and then Jason Varitek error to contribute to the Cubs' eight run rally in the eighth inning. The inning began with the Red Sox leading 3-1...


In watching the comedy of errors that would become the legacy or saga of both the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs played out in a miniature, nine-inning game, I remember how unfair the game of baseball can be. Breaks can occur during an inning, a game, a season, or even for decades. "Throwbacks" give us an opportunity to reflect on the past, never to forget how far we come, and remember where we are going. In spite of all the changes to the ballpark, to Boston, to people, and to society as a whole, baseball is still a game that mirrors life, where nothing is certain or guaranteed...like a 3-1 win.

ITAI: Japanese word for "Phil busted his ankle!"

Before and after I play a game of baseball, or in this case "slo-pitch", I shower. It rained all afternoon, and there wasn't time to shower before my game. I figured I would get enough of a shower during, and I did.

What do you do when you are losing by a giant score, and the other team continues to hit homeruns and take extra bases? I play in a social league during the spring here in Mississauga, so when teams run up the score it can be difficult to take. In my life, I experienced the event on both sides, and while you should always try your best and compete there comes a time when you should dial it down. The defense to that would be if you gave an inch, the opponent will take the lead! That happened to a friend of mine last year, when he sat on the bench in the last inning and watched what once was a safe 25-run lead evaporate in less than a half hour of mistake-filled baseball. The competitor inside me would run on the field, against my coach's wishes, and like Luongo coming in for Brodeur shut the door, kill the rally, and end the game! My friend felt the same way, except when he told me that story he was smiling...?

All you can do is your best, no matter which side you are on. I changed my batting stance to mimic Jose Bautista: Bat over my head, left heel up, arms up, looking straight at the ball. For once, I made contact; at all three plate appearances, as a matter of fact. Finally, there were no holes in my swing, yet in my first two at-bats I came over the top of the ball. Perhaps it was the rain, or my eagerness, but I hit sharp grounders each time. Nevertheless, I ran hard - too hard, and beat out each throw. Finishing 3-or-3 with one run scored is good, but the satisfaction of doing exceedingly better what you thought you could, in spite of the difficult situation, is better. INSERT GRATUITOUS JOSE BAUTISTA HIGHLIGHT HERE:

I came home after the game, and my Mom's first question was if we won the game. Later, after I dried off and tossed my dirty white baseball pants in the washing machine with detergent and a cup's worth of Oxy Clean, I said we did not. I echo the refrain of most of my teammates when I say it would be nice to win, and while it is NEVER alright to lose you can learn just as much if not more about character and pride in performance. I also learned who is super competitive on my team, and who not to approach after a game when they are miles ahead of everyone else on the walkway back to the parking lot o_O I don't want to name any names, but it is good to have people to care just a little bit more so to keep things in perspective; at least are getting better.

Then there are those that are a little miffed at the scoreline: If Don Cherry was there, he would be appalled, too. I had the opportunity to coach a summer league team last year, and I warned my team against running up scores because somehow "the Karma of the Game" returns the favour in kind. If it was another sport like hockey, football, or basketball I would take exception, but there is little you can do aside from doing your best to mitigate individual achievement. Their team hit the ball well all game; you shrug it off, and move on. Most importantly, it's a social league: If it was the end of the world, I might care a little bit more about what was happening on the field. I'm going to work tomorrow with a swollen ankle, a runny nose, and possible pneumonia, and I will forget everything the day before took place. What remains with you is the character and willpower you require each and every day. Right, Jose Bautista? ^_^

Oh, by the way, I took a ball off my right ankle. It is quite swollen, and all attempts to keep it elevated and refrain from walking around on it failed o_O

If you wish to help with my swollen ankle, send money and various forms of PayPal credit to use on shop.mlb.com to my email address so I can purchase much needed personalized, authentic Major League Baseball gear. I must finish collecting ROYALS and PIRATES gear, and start acquiring ANGELS and ATHLETICS paraphernalia. Thanks! ^_^

Five Things I Learned After Playing My First Game in Nine Months

1. ATHLETICS gear is not happening: My team's colours, according to the roster list, are green and white (I guess). I am the only one who cares about colours on our team because I'm wearing green knee high socks, a green longsleeve shirt, and an ATHLETICS hat. I see blue jeans, black, plaid, and a Blue Jays cosplayer! His name is Jim; he's a good guy ^_^
2. My body doesn't heal as fast as I would like: I took a ball off the shin during...pre-game. I know, I know, but a few generations from now I can tell my grandsons and granddaughters about the time I won the 20XX World Series by catching a fly ball off my shin bone.
3. My intensity is also on winter vacation: Give me until the summer before I undergo anything close to an adrenaline rush...in pre-game.
4. I'm tired: Really tired.
5. Chocolate Milk after a workout/game is better than any numbered Gatorade bottle Usain Bolt, Dwight Howard, or Peyton Manning/George St. Pierre could sell: Yea, I said it! What are you going to do about THAT? Nothing I hope...
   

FINALLY BASEBALL TIME!

My parents were on vacation the week before, so I had to put my nose to the grindstone and keep the business from flying away in red ink and the wind!

I joined a spring league so I can get in shape for the summer! It is the MSSC: The Mississauga Sport & Social Club. There are supposed to be eight teams, but there weren't enough players, so in the dispersal draft one of the seven remaining teams (?) acquired me as a free agent. Cool! I get to use fancy baseball lingo!

Hooray for Rule 5! Whatever THAT is!

One catch though: The team colour is GREEN, but since I don't have enough GREEN baseball gear I said I would wear BLACK since our first game is against a team wearing LIGHT BLUE. It's ONE game, so I doubt it will cause a problem. I see lots of leagues in the city with people wearing jeans, and different colours. I will try to make an effort to get GREEN stuff by the end of the season in mid-June. There is nothing in the rules to suggest there is a penalty for wearing a different colour, plus I found out we play TOMORROW. While I'm not into making excuses, my defense will be I didn't have enough time to get stuff together. Besides, if it is GREEN, then I suppose I should wear...

ATHLETICS gear (not too much though; I'm saving for ANGELS gear!)

Maybe I'll have evidence of my efforts posted soon (pictures perhaps?) Hmm, I may need to return to Facebook for that?

Never Give Up, and Wear a Baseball Cap!

Check out the unbelievable post game wrap up of the May 2nd battle between the visiting Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the hometown Boston Red Sox from Fenway Park on MLB.com!

One of the most inspiring events of the season took place in the bottom of the fifth inning as Bosox second baseman Dustin Pedroia engaged with Angels' ace pitcher and American League Cy Young favourite Jered Weaver in a suspenseful 13-pitch duel that tipped the balance of the game towards the Red Sox, who trailed 2-1 before the epic at-bat.
"That's what he does," Weaver said. "He's a great hitter. He didn't win the MVP a few years ago for nothing. He's a bulldog." -Angels pitcher Jered Weaver on Dustin Pedroia

There was a buildup that led to Pedroia's heroic stand: Weaver's pitch count was already above ninety when Pedroia stepped into the batter's box. With six wins in the bag before the game, one would assume Weaver had decisions as well as pitch count well in hand before suffering his first loss of the season. Actually, his last two starts were complete game victories at Arlington against the Texas Rangers on the 20th of April (119 pitches, 80 strikes, 8 strikeouts, 0 walks), and then at home against the Oakland Athletics on the 25th (114/78/10/1). All those pitches in the previous two starts added with the Pedroia battle perhaps took their toll. By the way, Jered Weaver pitched over six innings (118/77/6/1).

You can also point the finger at the Angels' offensive production. While their record after this game is 16-13, fans and critics look at players such as newcomer Vernon Wells (BA .172) among others for not producing. He did hit a two-run homerun in the game, but when you know your team has problems when nineteen baserunners are left on base!

If the Angels want to save Jered Weaver for a postseason run, the offense must start swinging the bats and Weaver must start saving some of his pitches.

If the Red Sox keep this going, everyone should do like Niles Crane and wear a baseball cap...! What?

Stats provided by Major League Baseball. For more on this game, click this link here!