F. U. N. When my daughter was little, like 2, maybe 3 or so, and just beginning to learn to spell, she'd say, "Daddy, can we go have some F-U-N" now? Usually in reference to going somewhere and doing something involving places like The Great Escape or something, but now for us old ballers well, a baseball field is almost always involved if it's a place of our own choosing... And on an absolutely picture perfect Friday evening at Kuhn field in Cook Park, it was all about the F-U-N baby!
Firstly, hats off to Rob Carollo and his guys as Rob is without question the coolest of all 35 General Managers... Sorry Mick, he's got ya!
This was a classic CDMSBL game as the home plate ump even told me that this was the best game he has done this year... Sheesh, I know I talk a LOT while playing, but the guy was talking to me when I was at bat and while pitches were in the air ~ very cool ump!
As I've been relieved of bookkeeping duties (willingly) by my teammates and don't have the book in front of me (hopefully never will again), I'm just going off memory... But basically, the Padres led the entire game as Josh Whipple was pitching a fine game, their middle hitters were all getting solid hits, and basically everything was going their way. Heck, our best player (Gary Bosko) even went down with a badly pulled groin and we were down...
But then it happened ~ some more Highlander magic baby!!!
In the bottom of the 6th and Padres up 5-3 (I think, mighta been 6-4), the bottom of the Highlanders order came through and set the table... Dan Tarullo started it with a clean single, Mikey "The Gunslinger" Heath followed with another gapper to the left center fence (his second of the game), there was a wild pitch, John Corrigan hit a Sac Fly, Bret Sentiwany walked ~ and then the big hit was delivered by Bill "The Thrill" Hamel! He smoked one over the left fielders head and plated the tying run while getting himself to 2nd and the go-ahead runner to 3rd with only one out...
Tommy Smith (field boss) called a TO and changed pitchers to pitch to guess who? Uh yeah, me!! And so all the while as dark is starting to fall quickly, we are each strategizing on how to play it... Even though I was 2 for 3 (also ROE) including a gapper earlier, it seemed like a no brainer really... And well, the first pitch was a nice fastball on the outside corner and yep, I laid down a nice cool squeeze down the first base and the go ahead run scored easily to put us up for the first time at 6-5 (unless it was 7-6) in the bottom of the 6th and darkness breathing down our necks... Jack then popped out and stranded the runner on third... Sorry Jack!
So then yeah, we hustled out to beat the dark and give the Padres their chance... Jeremy Barnes finished off his CG Win with a fairly easy 1-2-3 inning ending it with a K of all-star Petey Stevens! That's 2 in a row for our ace as he's just a danged stud, simple as that... I feel good when he takes the hill...
FUN, FUN, FUN! Of course a lot more fun for us since we won, but wow, the Padres have a solid ball club and it was a well played game by both sides with the Padres prolly more deserving of the w, but we just happened to pull this one out... Nevermind I am not even sure if the final score was 7-6 or 6-5, I do know that we had 1 more then they did and both sides were respectful, competitive, and FUN!
I am rooting for the Padres to start whooping up on some other 35 teams as they are a really solid team and I find it hard to believe they are off to such a rough start... They're gonna turn it around soon I think... The 35's are a SUPER competitive division and all I can tell ya is that the Highlanders are having some fun baby! Playing loose, free, and easy with a cool bunch of guys... I don't care who you are, now that's "F-U-N"!
This is why I LOVE the CDMSBL... And I really needed to be reminded of that... Thank you Baseball World/Gods...
-- Edited by Marcus Aurelius on Saturday 18th of May 2013 06:55:38 AM
-- Edited by Marcus Aurelius on Saturday 18th of May 2013 07:13:51 AM
