I got to sub in for the Embassy Tavern softall team last night in a double-header double-asskicking, batting tenth and playing catcher. (Check out the band schedule at their website. They’ve got music booked every night of the week but Sunday now. [If you generously characterize my caterwauling at Wednesday karaoke as music.])
I batted the weakest 3-4 you’ll ever see. The first pitch I saw was a ball that would’ve landed a few inches in front of the plate, but I chopped at it and hit a soft grounder to the firstbaseman, who picked up the ball a second after I ran past him to reach safely. The second pitch I saw a half-hour later was slapped under the first baseman’s glove and the second baseman couldn’t field it cleanly so I reached safely again on my second infield single. I took a pitch in my third plate appearance then lined softly in front of the right fielder for another single. In my fourth and final PA, I wanted to continue the incremental increase in distance I was hitting the ball and put a hard swing on a 3-2 pitch, but took my eyes off the ball and struck out. Shameful, man. I scored at least one run in there.
Defensively, I caught all two or three pop-ups to my zone and had two plays at the plate. Blue said the runner slid under the tag on the first one, but I got a quick tag on the runner for the second play. The first play shouldn’t have even happened, but I foolishly threw down to 2nd with runners on first and third to try to get a basestealer. The runner on 3rd stole home after the throw. The shortstop’s throw back to me was perfect, just didn’t make the play.
Had a ton of fun playing, though. Unfortunately, one of our players dislocated his shoulder sliding safely in to second. His pinch-runner scored and his shoulder was re-located at the hospital and he’ll be fine, so that worked out about as well as it could’ve.