It's 11:30 here in "Fantasyland" and I will give you all a break and be a little briefer since the alarm goes off at 5:30 and my eyes are drooping and my hamstrings are still a bit sore but much better.
I was so excited about today's games, but when I awoke I wanted to go back to sleep and should have taken the day off! Back was cranky; thighs were cramped and sore; and my shoulder was stiff from Tuesday. My room mate also had that "I may go on the DL look." But Art and I both said "the heck with this. A little pain everyone has here and we have to be tough jocks and not show any weakness to our teams."
So we moaned and groaned as we got dressed and took the 6:30 van over to the complex. I went right to the batting cages and hit for about 20 minutes and next to me, Butch Hobson's boys were whacking away at his pitching as he was not a happy camper about going 0 for 2 in games Tuesday. Butch is a real serious guy about this stuff and he let his team know it. I have "Oil Can Boyd" as my coach and the only thing he is ever not happy about is paying for his own drinks at the bar. Our manager Ralph Troell and "Can" are actually great people who have fun at this and want us to as well. Sure, they want to win, but as I have told all these Red Sox wannabes, "Ain't no one gettin' a Bosox contract this week so relax."
I went over to the Magic Castle (the trainer's room) and they iced me up and put some mysterious goop on my shoulder and stretched me out. At several points I screamed out loud and shouted out things like, "Is this the Spanish Inquisition and is Torquemada working on me to get me to admit that I am some kind of heretic? But after 15 minutes or so, I felt great. I would have converted if he asked me to! Boy, these guys are good.
Team meeting is brief with fines handed out, dirty jokes, the weather report, and reports from each coach about their Tuesday games. kudos were given out to those who pitched or hit or fielded well and a few who just showed up after a long night at the bar, with Bill Lee being singled out as usual.
Well, we then went out and got clobbered 2X. For those of you who know the Little League "ten run rule", well here we have a "six run rule." For those of you who don't know this little embarrassment rule, ask someone else, cause I ain't gonna tell you! Let's just say very poor defense, lousy pitching and not enought timely hitting made this our "Longest Day."
First game I walked twice, grounded out and was hit in the rib cage by Bill Lee's team's pitcher. I think his name was Pedro Martinez and boy could he throw. In the 80s with good movement.
In my first at bat he drilled me and he and the catcher and ump asked if I was fine. I said I was okay and had some padding there. Later when I took off my uniform, I saw a black and blue mark the size of Rhode Island and was it ever sore. I guess I hadn't noticed or felt it during the day.
During game one "Spaceman" spent more time yaking with us, discussing his "three drinks on the bar at once theory of life" and, of course, more on his marital foibles than with his own guys.Great sense of humor and he also gave us guys some tips along the way.
Food and Dwight Evans were the highlights of the day in looking back at "Woeful Wednesday."
"Dewey" Evans, probably the Sox All Time great right fielder and super hitter, was there to autograph stuff and he was a complete contrast to Jim "I gotta be outta here in 1/2 hour" Rice.
Cordial and accomodating he took pix with everyone and signed lots of stuff. In the 80s he had more home runs and extra base hits than anyone else in the AL. Cool dude and the guys loved him.
Fajitas, brownies were good chow, but yesterday I passed on the roasted pork and no they don't do kosher meals. You only get :45 minutes for lunch so get autographs, get iced, eat and hit the field for stretching at 1 before the afternoon game.
So I faced down "Oil Can Boy" in game two and promptly whacked a single off Can into left and later on scored our first run. Felt good and got down the line pretty good for an old guy and later on beat a throw to first in a subsequent at bat. Ricky Henderson, eat your heart out! I guess I owe Can a round or four of drinks at the bar and will gladly pay that debt off.
Still we got hammered with weak "D". I must admit yours truly fielded like a "Gold Glover" at first and in the outfield on the chances I had. We are competitive in every game but then our fielders mess up routine stuff. I will say that both Lee's team and Bob Montgomery's boys had some big dudes who could rip the ball and who did! We don't have any big dudes at all. Maybe that's a draft thing.
Got back to the locker room and hustled to change and go to the big stadium to watch the home run derby (one thumper from each team), have barbeque and beer. I did not even need ice on my "hammies" and skipped the trainer's room for the first time this week. Yes!
It was cold and breezy today and not the best weather for us rank amatuers to excel in (as if we don't have enough issues playing this game). Warm and sunny the rest of the week according to one of the local tv weather people, but she seemed to have the IQ of a baseball and I am sorry if I insulted all you baseballs out there.
Believe it or not the guy who won the home run derby was named Joe Yastremski. No, he is not related to the Great Number 8 Hall of Famer as he spells his name with a "z" not an "s" after the "a." He does have an Uncle Carl who gets razzed all the time and Joe is a great guy with a great swing. I am so jealous of these 30 year old dudes who can do it all.
Oh well, at least there was lots of beer at the barbeque, and so I did not feel so bad knocking down a few Bud Lights, getting a foto holding the 2007 Sox trophy and being part of Oil Can's Hot Stove Corner near the beer cooler as he told stories about run ins with umps, loaded baseballs and famous four letter verbal battles he had with players, coaches and umpires. Hilarious stuff. But I gotta tell you, no one is nicer, more friendlier and helpful with tips if you ask than Dennis (his real name) Boyd.
Crap, it's almost 1 am and that alarm will ring real soon. Today (Thursday) will bring two more games, BUT probably the thing I will most look forward to most ( a few more hits notwithstanding) is the cigar bar party I signed up for tomorrow. You had your choice of another BBQ and wiffle ball game or cigars. After having played 6 games in three days, do I give a S--T about wiffle ball v. some aromatic "sticks", more beer/after dinner drinks and good baseball talk? And I am told the "staff" at the Reserve Cigar (or Cigah if you are from Beantown) is very pleasant on the eyes. Thank you Lord for bringing about this day!
Have a great Thursday and keep saying to out loud, "Give Hal some good hits and big D at camp."
Best to all,
#60.
I am having so much fun reading this and living the young life through you. It reminds me of the days I was a baseball mom. Keep enjoying your week and come home with more stories, but stay healthy.
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