End of a Season

Yesterday was our last baseball game of the season. There’s a post season tournament and we’ll play in two weeks, but I don’t think we’ll get beyond the first game.

I was looking forward to the last game, and also relieved the season is over as health has been an issue. Both arms, and one leg, have bothered me this year. I thought with less running I’d do better, but I’m starting to wonder if that’s the case.

We had the early game, and it was hot. No shade in the dugout and I was a long three hours. With 11, I ended up at second for the game, which was fine with me. I didn’t get any hits to me, but I chased some in the outfield for relays and managed to get a throw for a double play, but couldn’t turn it in time. The guy was fast and I was slow turning and pulling the ball out of my glove. I was glad I wasn’t at short for most of the game as they guy there bobbled a couple, but made 3 plays, including a tight one that I couldn’t have gotten there quickly.

We played a team that I mostly like, but they have a catcher who is a bit of a dirty player, and who I played with a few years back. I wouldn’t want to play with him again, for a few reasons. One is how he blocked the plate, without the ball, stepping into the path of a runner and almost causing a collision yesterday. He also dove into first, coming inside the line to try and take out the first baseman. The first out of the 9th had me at short when we changed pitchers. The second baseman got a grounder (finally) and I was running over. The toss was too early, and I reached down to grab it, slowing, and when I came up, the runner was sliding. I jumped, and he hit my feet, flipping me over onto the ground. I was fine, but my knees knocked together, which hurt. It was a hard collision, and unnecessary. Just crappy play.

At the plate I was 1-5, with 2 ks. One was a great “fool me” pitch, the second was a bad swing. I popped up twice, once from each side of the plate and had a weak bouncing grounder along the first base line. I chased it down, and the pitcher fell to his knees to pick it up and I managed to beat it out.

That was the middle of a sore knee. I ended up getting to run for a few people, including going first to home across a couple batters, only to immediately head back to first to run again. Another time, with a runner on third, I dreaded stealing. I let two pitches go (one ball, one foul) and then took off on the next. It was a hit and I’d have had to hustle, but I was definitely sore this morning from the running.

A good ending to the season with a nice win. Now looking forward to 2 weeks off, and then I think I’ll try to throw regularly over the winter and heal/strengthen the arms.