Game report: July 30, 2008

"Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are." - John Wooden

And so we end our season this week. Perhaps not quite on the note we wanted, but it's the ending that was given to us. We went through many changes this year. Cal had to bow out due to a surgery. Amy had to bow out because she got a job out of state. There were a few weeks where we did not know if we would have enough people to play. (Likewise, if there would be enough people left behind to work at Russ' proper.) But we made it. And we did it in style.

I'll interrupt the inspirational speech to bring you a rundown of what happened in our last game:

First inning: It all started off so well. We shut the other team out well in the top of the first. When it was our turn up to bat, Nate and Kyle each got runs, ending the inning 0-2.
Second inning: Dan and Carleen both made some very impressive catches, shutting the other team out. In return, the other team shut us out very quickly.
Third inning: Mike got another great catch. However, we dropped a lot of balls. (Perhaps I should put that in bold: we dropped a lot of balls that inning.) The other team scored three runs. Dan caught a ball, then Mike, ending our very ugly inning. We strike out at bat, leaving inning behind, 3-2.
Fourth inning: This is exactly what I wrote in my little black book: "They get one run. :( Then 2 more. Dan tagged an out. Then 1 more [run]. THEY: Jump from 3 to 7." When it was our turn at bat, Kyle scored us another run. We were able to get the bases loaded, but were shut out from making a glorious comeback that round. We left the inning, 4-7.
Fifth inning: They got two runs. We did not get any points, but John got a great hit, bringing him to second and Mike to third. It didn't pay off, but it looked great and got everyone really excited. What didn't look great is everybody diving to catch balls they couldn't have caught anyways, as if they were in an action movie! The theatrics, they were high tonight.
Sixth inning: Butler manages to tag one of the other players right before he hit home plate. It was an amazing play to watch. But, then, of course, they get more runs. It doesn't matter how many more they get at this point. It's hot, everyone's tired, some are sick, everyone knows that the chances of coming back from 3-12 is very rare. The Bad News Bears would have to pull off the greatest upset in this inning in order for us to win.

And... we start to! With the bases loaded, Dan gets a great hit, bringing Nate, Carleen and Becki all home. Dan then manages to get himself home, too. We get four runs, bringing us to to a more respectable 7-12.
Seventh inning: Having escaped mercy rules, we play the seventh inning. They get four more runs. The exact word I used to describe the feeling in my notebook was "UGH." Indeed, Charlie Brown, "UGH" is the best sentiment to describe that inning. We did not score anything in our round, but did manage to agitate the other team when Mike was between bases, ran back to second, was maybe tagged on time and was declared safe, and the other team was visibly upset at it.
THEN...: The team retreated to the grass, expecting that we'd have to play another game at 9. But then we noticed that two umps, a player with the next team to play on the field, Jason and John were all huddled together. What are Jason and John doing there? some of us wondered, more than one aloud. We soon learned that there was much confusion over the post-storm bracket that had been worked up. Was it broken? Did they mess it up? Was it double elimination or single? Do we play next week? Tonight? Everyone was confused, and we were asked to hang back and sit tight while the officials figured everything out.

Later, the umpires emerged with Kyle, Dan and Jason, who had been talking everything out. It turns out that the way the bracket now worked, the people who were in the winner's bracket (Who would be us, Russ') could not lose a game at all if we wanted to stay in the tournament. If you were in the loser's bracket, you could lose a game. But not the winner's. Not at all. And since we had, that was it for us in the tournament. And for the season.

So we said our bittersweet farewells, Kyle previewed the fall league, and we were reminded of the pool party at the Johnson's house next week Wednesday. (Time to be announced.)

THE BLOG IS NOT YET DONE FOR THE YEAR!!! Chuck has a surprise in the works for you all, which will be posted on the blog hopefully in the next week or two. I'm sure the coaches have some parting words, and if this fall league works out, this blog will be alive and kicking for that as well, I'm sure.

Next time you see Coach Kyle or Coach Nate, give them a great big hug and a firm handshake. Managing a softball team is not a easy job. It takes time, hard work and dedication. In spite of tonight, overall, we had an absolutely amazing year. Look at our record:

• May 7: vs. Siemens (W, 17-10)
• May 14, vs. Aqua-Tec (W, 8-5)
• May 21, vs. Sharkee's Bar & Grill (W, 20-16)
• May 28, vs. Brenner Oil (L, 8-3)
• June 4, vs. Huntington Bank (W, 12-8)
• June 11, vs. Westenbroek (W, 8-2)
• June 18, vs. Borculo Blast (W, 11-1)
• June 25, vs. Dykhuis Farms (W, 15-4)
• July 9, vs Animals (W, 15-7)
• July 23, vs. Dykhuis Farms (W, 7-5) T
• July 30, vs. Sharkees (L, 7-16) T

THAT IS PRETTY GOOD, if I can say so myself. Those are a lot of wins. And by some pretty large margins, too. Everyone, especially the coaches, have had a good year that they can be very proud of.

See you next week at the pool party!
Sincerely,
Chuck.