Fall League Week 2

So much in the last week... Let's see...

Last weekend was another great one in Kirksville. New levels of trust and always a lot of fun. We went to see The Descent. It was filmed to make you feel the claustrophobia of the characters in the movie. I'd recommend it.

Monday night was week 2 of the fall softball league. Now that was an interesting night. We lost the first game 11-9, but played some great defense and the bats were rattling. I hit a sharp grounder to the shortstop. As I was almost to first, I got whacked in the face. The shortstop is a great player who played for us during the summer league. He threw the ball hard and it glanced off the first baseman's glove and hit me in the left jaw. I tripped over first and had a skinned up right leg in addition to the huge lump on my face. I continued in the game, though, and still had a good night.

The second game was more interesting. We played against some other former teammates who put a second team related to our church in the league. They aren't very good and we expected to win, but it was fun seeing how we matched up in certain ways. They started out 3-0, but we soon tied it up and then ran away with the game. The odd part was the behavior of a couple of our former teammates. I pitch for my team. As the pitcher, I tend to pay a lot of attention to what goes on during the game. I keep track of outs, who tends to hit where, and sometimes even the score. There was one out and the batter up made the second out of the inning. My coach, playing third base called it three outs. I knew it wasn't, but both teams started to switch spots and I walked over to first base with the ball and hollered to the umpire that I was making the third out since the runner vacated the base. My coach felt bad for calling it three outs and offered to retake the field. As a player, not a coach or umpire, I have no control over these things, but I play by the rules and expect that from everyone else. Our former assistant coach made some derogatory comments and said to let my play stand. He even called my actions un-Christian, which was greatly offensive. I just did my job while I'm on the field and made the out since the other players hadn't been paying attention. I don't control the game and if my coach and he agreed, I'd have retaken the mound and continued pitching. It wasn't my call, but I played by the rules of the game. I thought that was the end of the conversation about that inning. Apparently, the old assistant coach's wife had words to say to me later. My coach had called out to her to watch for interfering as she tends to play aggressively at first base even when there is no play. She's been run over a couple of times in games because she is dangerous and can get in the way. My coach was looking out for his son at first base when she interfered. He was just offering a warning. She apparently thought I had made the comment and said that she wouldn't count this game as a win since it was tainted by the earlier play. I mouthed back that she may want to read up on the rules of the game and my coach then stood up and told everyone on both teams to cut out the mouthing back and forth. She had even previously made comments about them throwing the ball to my face, too, as did their pitcher. It was just too much. After the game, she couldn't even come out and shake hands with the team.

After the game, I approached our coach and pulled him aside to let him know what offended me. I told him that it doesn't offend me if they want to make stupid comments about me playing by the rules and my knowledge of them. They can sound as childish as they like. It's when they start calling the fact that I play by the rules un-Christian that it offends me. It also offends me when they make comments about personal injury. I'm one player on a team. I'm not the umpire. I'm not even a coach. Yet, the other team was acting as if I controlled the game. Turns out my coach was quite offended and taken back, too, by this behavior so he told me he'd talk to them and get things in order. I gained respect for our coach and lost a lot for the former teammates. Strange behavior indeed.

I spent Tuesday working from 9AM-11PM. That was a long day, but it afforded me time to relax and heal from the night before.

I have my girls this weekend. We've been having fun and will hit the Iowa State Fair tomorrow. Joan Jett and the Black Hearts are going to be in concert at the fair so that will be fun to see.

Monday night makes week 3 for the league. We are 1-3 so I hope we start picking up and winning.