Baseball rocks!

Two days ago we learned that our baseball team had been having a great year. We won both games of a double header, which gave us a record of 14-7. We are usually around .500. At that point we thought we might be in the A-side playoffs (top 6 teams), a first for us. Last year we were the 7th place team and ended up winning the B-side.

When we showed up to play our last game of the season we learned that if we won and a different team lost that night we would actually be second in the league. If we both won we would be tied for 2nd but get 3rd due to tiebreakers. We were playing the worst team in the league. (Read record of 0-22) The first time we played them we beat them 26-0. They had 5 base runners all night and only 1 reached 3rd.

We won...but so did the other team.

Our first playoff game was last night against Bolarama. Which is funny cause their sponsor Bolarama collapsed and closed down 4 years ago but they kept the name. We beat them rather soundly. We outscored them in every inning and allowed fewer runs every inning until we shut them down completely the last few. The first place team won their game and so they have a bye into the final round. On Monday we play the winner of the 2nd vs. 5th game. I don’t know who finally won but the last update was that the 2nd place team was having a horrible game and was down 23 to 3 in the 4th inning. A seemingly insurmountable lead.

If the Thumpers did end up winning that game them on Monday we will play them at the same diamond that we beat them on twice this year. Winner goes to the best of 3 finals against Waste of Days (first place). I feel that we have a great chance.

This year we have proved that we can beat any team in the league. Not because we have the best players but because we have a team that is largely unchanged over the last 3 years and we all know exactly where everyone will be playing and how to cover each other. We have all stepped up our game and are each individually making the plays that we have too. Errors are no longer a result of bad play are horrible decisions. The mistakes we make are simply a result of the fact that this is not a professional league and in some cases the professionals would have difficulties with those plays.

We have been turning double plays, making diving catches, picking off runners that are stealing, throwing runners out at the plate who are trying to score from 3rd on fly balls to the outfield, and hitting so consistently that we are forcing the other team to make the big play just to get a simple out.

Now don’t fall off your chair, but I have even got a few infield singles because I beat the throw. I have also started turning singles into doubles and scoring from 1st or 2nd when I used to only be able to advance to 3rd. I even had a home run a few games ago by sliding under a tag. In reality the catcher missed the ball but even if he had caught it I would have been safe by a few feet.

On a final note this league has some weird team names. Most of them are sort of dirty too.

Waste of days
Beer nymphs
Cocks and balls
Dirty bastards
Bottle rockets
Sexy bitches
Bolarama (I told you why this was sort of weird)
Drunken farts
Beer barons

If it weren’t for the Thumpers I would feel out of place playing on a team named the Grizzlies. It isn’t weird or dirty. What is our problem?