RRBS Softball Game Log
Game #9

August 21, 2007

Players: Kaitlyn Christopher, Nikki Connoly, Kambria Current, Matt DiStasi, Jessica Hooker, Mike Jennings, Andy Lang, Jon Stropes, Jamie Tate, Matt Thompson

So the final game was upon us and the realization that the season was going to be over had set in.  This would have been more depressing to most of the team if not for two things.  One, we still hadn’t won a game yet.  Two, half the team had started getting busier in their personal lives.

School was a big factor for a few members of our squad.  We’d already lost Ally half a season ago when she moved back to Bloomington, but now Jamie was beginning to start teaching again, Kaitlyn had started her classes up for the fall and Kambria had already begun the moving process back down to Evansville to start school.  Needless to say they were all a bit distracted and for most, softball was the last thing on their minds.

Then there was Stropes, who’s wedding in the Islands was quickly approaching, and it had finally dawned on him that he needed to start making preparations for his trip.  Well, it was that or his fiancé had finally let him know he needed to get his ass in gear.

Fantasy Football was also now a factor as Stropes, Staz, Andy and Myself all played in multiple leagues, and had begun preparing for the season.  You wouldn’t think it was that time consuming, but the fact was that our drafts all took place the week before, and there is a lot of studying that goes on.  Yes, when you ready about fantasy football on paper like this, it does come off sounding quite gay, but if you haven’t played before, I highly recommend it.

Fantasy football played another factor in the game that night too.  As I said, our Really Really Big Show Fantasy Football draft had taken place the Sunday before out last game.  I was scheduled to have another football draft that same day in a league created by one of my co-workers, but because everyone else in the RRBS could make it on Sunday, I agreed on the date.  I knew time would probably be an issue in being able to make both drafts, but I figured my friends might give me a little leeway, I mean, In the two leagues I run, I’m very accommodating. 

Turns out, I was wrong.  My first draft was running way over on time, and I was going to be very late.  I wrote to Andy, Stropes and Stacy telling them that I wasn’t going to be able to be there in time, but if they could call me before each of my picks, I could tell them whom I wanted.  They didn’t seem to like this theory, so instead they picked my team for me.  I wasn’t happy.

In fact, this unhappiness lasted well into the week, and I was still fuming about it on softball game day.  Getting Pittsburgh Steelers Tight End Heath Miller in the fourth round while everyone else is drafting quarterbacks and running backs will do that to you.  So I was full of mixed emotions when the time came to start packing my game bag.  I was pissed at half of my team, and sad that I was going to miss the rest of the squad.  Unfortunately, it was the guys I was pissed at that I was still going to be seeing on a regular basis.

Trying as best I could to keep my emotions in check, I sent out a massive text message to everyone informing them that I was going to buy bringing a big cooler full of beer to an early practice, and they were all welcomed to join me.  I also told them that if they didn’t, I would still be there, getting drunk.  It didn’t take long for all of them to write me back saying they would indeed be there for our final practice.

As I drove to the practice field for the last time, I was somewhat comforted in knowing that the team we were facing was the same team we’d faced back in week three after our fourth of July break.  That was the team we should have beaten, but we had been rusty.  That wasn’t the case this time; in fact, we were now a well-oiled machine.  We’d played some good ball in our goofy hats the week before, and now we were ready to cap our magical season with our first win.

When I got to the field, Mike and Nikki were already there warming up.  Mike too had brought some brews, and was already drinking, which meant I had some catching up to do.  I popped a beer and began drinking as Stropes pulled up.  As the only guy from the famous fantasy football draft-gate scandal who had apologized to me, I welcomed him with open arms and a cold Coors Light.  He graciously accepted and we made our way over for some batting practice.

Jamie, Staz, Kambria, Katilyn and Andy also made it out to the practice field.  We still had an hour or so before our game, but because it was a late start and the nights had begun coming earlier, we didn’t mind.  Most everyone took part in our final drink together.  Even Katilyn had a beer, which was rare at practice.  Kambria was the only one who declined the offer, which was probably a good thing, she was 19 and I wasn’t looking forward to being brought up on chargers of contributing to a minor.

When it was time to go, everyone packed up their bags and began to leave.  I took my time though, as I wanted to take it all in.  It had been a great summer, and this crappy practice field had been a big part of it.  Kaitlyn was the only one who stuck around a bit to ask me if I needed help packing the cooler, my bag, and my two bats into my car.  I thought that was a nice gesture until I started thinking that she was really only concerned about the cooler full of beer.

We got to the fields as I listened to the theme from “The Natural” and “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey.  These damn songs had to work once, right?  Kaitlyn and I walked in together talking about how we were sad it was all over, but it was going to be the night we won our first game.  We could feel it.

Well, we were able to feel it until we walked up to the field and everyone was sitting there with the worst body language I have ever seen.  Nobody looked excited to be there.  I think a few of them actually even mentioned that they had about a million different things to do that night.  This wasn’t good.  Of all people, Andy seemed to be in the worst mood.  He had absolutely no interest in playing this game, or really even talking to anyone in the dugout.

In other bad news, we only had nine players accounted for.  Jessie was a no-call/no-show.  None of us were able to get a hold of her, even though I had talked to her earlier in the day and she said she was going to come when her husband got off work.  That wasn’t good.  Fortunately the team we were playing was also down a girl.  Unfortunately for us, their team looked like they wanted to play.

After talking to Mike before the game, we had decided it would be best if all of us went back to our natural positions, which meant that I was going to be pitching again.  With my arm well rested (it had been about three weeks since I’d even thrown a ball) and my mind filled with the warmness that only a few beers can bring, I accepted the challenge.

I was all excited to take the mound until I discovered we were up to bat first.  So instead of leading my team onto the field, I hastily made out a batting order, and Andy walked up to the plate.

In atypical fashion, Andy hit a ball to the outfield that was caught, and he got our first out.  That wasn’t a good sign.  This was followed by two more quick outs, and just like that, I was thrust into my pitching role.

As lackluster as our batting was, our fielding was even worse.  Balls went flying right by Andy at short.  They knocked a few balls into the soft spot of our outfield (where Jessie was supposed to be) and even Stropes missed a couple catches at first.  I on the other had been brilliant.  I was throwing them right across the plate every time, and felt as if I could pitch all night.  And with the way things were going, it looked like that’s what I was in store for.

Finally we got a few stops thanks to some great plays by Kambria, and some much needed fielding from Mike, and we were up to bat again.  Already down by eight runs, we made a small dent in their lead, but nothing too exciting.  In fact, our slight dent turned out to be one run.  This was in no part to my horrible night at the plate.  As brilliant as I was pitching, I was just as bad batting.  I don’t think I even came close to the ball with any one of my swings.  It was like I’d never swung a bat before.  I think I even heard laughing coming from the crowd… not that this was anything new to us, but it was still awful.  All I could do was laugh at how bad it was. 

When we got back into the field, everyone’s spirit had just about faded completely.  Only Kaitlyn and I seemed to be enjoying ourselves.  Even Stropes, Mike and Kambria who were normally our biggest supporters, couldn’t find the energy to have fun.  But that wasn’t going to matter this inning; Kaitlyn and I had it under control.

The inning started off with the batter popping a ball straight up in the air only to have it come down into Kaitlyn’s outstretched glove.  She had finally done it; she’d finally caught a fly ball.  This got the team going a bit, not quite as much as what was about to happen.  Later that inning, with two outs and runners on first and second, the batter hit the ball way out to Mike in center.  He fielded it cleanly and launched it back toward the plate.  I went down to cover home as the runner rounded third and did the same.  Mikes ball went flying toward me and I got it just in time to tag out the runner and end the inning.  After all this time, that play had finally worked.  It was one of the happiest moments of my softball career (which was now 10 weeks long).   That happiness ended quickly as we were up to bat again, and quickly ended any momentum we might have gained.

After only three innings it looked as though the mercy rule was going to take affect, and at no time did that name seem more fitting.  With as miserable as everyone seemed, the end of the game couldn’t have come soon enough.  As the game was coming to a close though, a familiar site came trotting up to the dugout.  It was Jessie dressed in her softball gear.  With tears in her eyes, she walked in and apologized for being so late.  It turns out her husband had no-called/no-showed at home, and had left her with her kids.  It was only when he came home an hour late did she grab her stuff and take off.

She had arrived just in time to go out to bad in our final inning. As our lead off hitter, she was going to set the tone for our last hurrah.  Well, in a movie this little moment would have brought the team back to life, she would have gotten a hit, and we would have rallied for our first victory. 

This was not a movie.  No, instead she walked out, struck out, came back, and was followed by two more pop outs.  The game was over, our season was over, and this was about the most anticlimactic finale we could have had. 

When the season began I imagined out final game ending with a lot of hugs, some tears and maybe the team carrying me off the field on their shoulders.  It couldn’t have been further from what really happened.  We said some quick goodbyes; most everyone walked off to their cars, and went back to their daily lives.

It made me a little sad that it all came to an end this way.  I’d really begun to enjoy these Tuesdays with everyone, and softball had become the highlight of my summer.  I’d met new people in Jamie, Mike and Ally (and all of our many subs), I’d found I have some skills at pitching, and the RRBS had found another way to bond.  On the other hand, my streak of having never won a game at anything continued.

But like most things in life, the destination is never quite as fun as the journey… unless of course you’re going to Disney World or something.  And in this case, that was no different.  The 10 weeks spent playing ball with these guys had been some of the best.  It was like the movie “The Sandlot” only better, Well, and there was no dog, and no happy ending.

So to everyone that read these Game Logs and shared in our journey, I want to say thanks.  Hopefully they brought you even a fraction of the joy that I found playing softball.  As for my teammates, I have no idea if you’ll ever want to play with us again, but if you do, we’ve got a spot in field waiting for you. 

Thanks for the Great summer,
Matt “Fancy Dan” Thompson