Sports: not just for watching anymore

[El_Josharino]

Oh boy did we play some exciting baseball today. In game 1, my team jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but they battled back a run or 2 at a time and finally tied it in the 7th inning (due to daylight restrictions and us still shaking off the winter lbs, yet a lasting desire to play a doubleheader, we play 2 7-inning games each Sunday. When they days get longer, we'll probably do 2 nines.), and then won it in the 8th. The second game was similar, although it was a back and forth battle the whole way, and my team tied it up in the 7th, to go into extra innings once again. After no score in the 8th, we put 2 on the board in the 9th for the lead. In the bottom of the 9th we got into a jam, with runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out, but after an infield fly and groundout to the pitcher, we held on. I had a 1-4 day at the plate with a K and a couple groundouts, plus 2 walks, a stolen base, and 2 runs scored. It could and should have been better, I missed a couple of really meaty pitches, but kept my OBP at .500 anyway, plus I played pretty solid defense at first, short, and third. Man, this summer is going to be so good.

[kyle]

Man, this summer is going to be so good.

Agreed.

[El_Josharino]

My team lost both games today. It was a bummer, but they sure were good games. Had a rough day at the plate, 0-3, 2 walks, 3 SB. I was swinging the bat really awfully. Logged a few innings at catcher, short, and first and did alright. At catcher I recovered a passed ball in time to get a runner trying to score.
I need to start taking it easy on Saturdays...

[dumbfish]

I want Josh on my fantasy team.

[El_Josharino]

I probably won't give you a lot of power numbers, but my average will end up being decent, and my OBP will be really solid. I'll swipe the shit out of some bases, though.

[Ignatius]

You'll also give him a good reason to watch the games, appreciate the performance and how you make watching fun, bringin good stuff to the table outside of 5 stats. This is the best thing about fantasy sports.

[dumbfish]

Josh being catcher-eligible just puts it over the top.

[El_Josharino]

Holy shit, this is hilarious. Apparently dude who runs the bar that we all hang out at is starting up some sort of fantasy baseball league based on our Sunday afternoon pickup games. This is great.

[El_Josharino]

In other news, I joined this silly company softball team because I don't really have anything better to do on Tuesday nights and figured why not take a little extra BP.

[El_Josharino]

Well that was ridiculous. At least it's coed so there are babes there.
At one point some worm-burnin' grounder came my way at first, and took a funny hop and hit me in the chest. I picked it up and stepped on first for the out, but for some reason everyone was concerned for my well being. People kept asking if I was okay and I was like, "Is that a serious question? It's a softball."

[kyle]

My season went pretty well. My fifth division team got first place, but my first division team failed to win the tournament that decides who wins the division. Got to the semis and were knocked out. Oh well.

Still partied.

[El_Josharino]

Some good baseball today, although it was real hot outside and turnout wasn't great. We had enough dudes for the first game, but the 2nd game was a little thin, and we ended up calling it after 5 innings. I managed to eek out a 3 for 4 with 3 walks and a steal day. 2 of the hits were a little weak, one of them was a fucking sweet 3 RBI single into the right center gap off of league knuckleballer Ernie Stripes (on the topic of great baseball names, even though this isn't his real name...). I got gunned down trying to stretch it into 2 thanks to an impressive play by their cutoff man and unimpressive baserunning by myself.

[El_Josharino]

PS: Kyle, that photo is outstanding.

[dumbfish]

PROTIP: Milkshakes are a poor pre-volleyball energy beverage.

[alex]

Have you considered the possibility that the problem might be the volleyball, rather than the milkshakes?

(We played volleyball all the damn time in PE lessons in secondary school, and in all those years I never did figure out how to hit that stupid ball without hurting my hand, so I'm still a little bitter, sorry.)

[El_Josharino]

Great day of baseball today. There were some folks in the park who were in town for the CWS that got into the mix and had a grand time playing some sandlot-style ball. I went 2-5, crushed a double to right field, a few RBIs had my first (I think, maybe second) caught stealing of the year. Both hits were on curveballs from pitchers whose curveballs I have trouble with, so that was nice. Made a little defensive snafu at short, fielded a grounder and threw to second to get a double play, but alas, I did not realize that there wasn't actually a runner on first. The second basemen didn't turn it around quick enough to get the batter at first either... whoops...

[El_Josharino]

In case anyone is bored and has 6 minutes to kill, we made this video at our last pickup baseball game of 2010: http://vimeo.com/16602219
It features the following:
-Candid interviews, one of which features myself!
-Inside jokes contained within the background noise!
-Some dudes singing the Star Spangled Banner!
-A completely by-chance flyover during aforementioned singing, causing all involved to, as the kids say, "lose our shit."

[El_Josharino]

Solid day of ball today. I was 3-5 with a walk. I had a nice in-game rivalry going with local knuckleballer Ernie Stripes. First he walked me, and later in the inning I stole home off of him thanks to the 3rd baseman playing waaaay off the bag against a lefty batter. Then he struck me out to even the score. Then I reached out and blooped a low/outside knuckleball off the end of the bat into right field for a hit, but later got picked off after taunting him with a huge leadoff at third. My last at bat against him I lined another knuckler into center and drove in 2 runs. Much smack talk in the mix, natch, and many high fives after the game.

[Thermofusion]

local knuckleballer Ernie Stripes.

Ernie Stripes? More like local knuckleballer and future Hall-of-Famer

[El_Josharino]

I think I hit a baseball like 350 feet today in our Sunday game. I dunno for sure. It was 300 easily. Our fireballer Max usually has my number, but today I was right fucking on his fastball and turned one around a good long way into right-center. Would have been sweet if our outfield had a fence.

[El_Josharino]

And since I swing a wood bat that shit sounded so fucking sweet.

[El_Josharino]

Wood bat, no tape, no batting gloves. Old school as shit.

[kyle]

Worked last night until 2am, got to sleep around 4am, woke up at 8am, played our second to last game of the season at 9am (won!), at breakfast at 11am, went to sleep until 3pm, back at work!

Long days are long. Sports are always fun.