Left Field

Back to baseball yesterday. An early game, which I like, and the calf was feeling OK. It hurt, but moved well as volleyball Thursday, so I was thinking I could play.

I started at first, switching with a guy, 2 innings at a time. I don't like that, but that's the reality of me being injured and unable to play other spots as well as the other guy injured and not able to really play elsewhere. I had a couple plays and couldn't get to a few badly thrown balls. All in all, a pedestrian four innings for me. Three double plays, all of which occurred on my 4 innings off.

I didn't bat at first, trying to keep the lineup short and not wanting to run. However we got up after 3, 5-1 and on route to a 13-4 win in 8 innings. I came in during the 4th to bat, against an old teammate and friend. He threw me a nice curve away. Outside to me, but called a strike. We were joking with each other and I drew a line on the plate. He threw a fast one down that got by me. I was thinking away again and couldn't catch up.

The pitcher moves slow, and with a guy on 2nd, he pauses a lot in his windup. I tried not to get set, but also when I saw him look to 2nd, I glanced down. I could see the catch set up away. I was thinking another outside curve. He threw it and I half swung, trying not to hurt the elbow. I caught a nice on and drove a deep fly to left that dropped. I jogged to first, and turned, almost ready to go to 2nd. I might have made it, but didn't press. I stopped and got a runner.

The guy joked that I hadn't hit one to left in years. He's right. It probably has been 7 or 8 years since I've hit one there from the left side of the plate. The half swing helped and I might try that again. My next at bat was a good hard swing at a fast ball on the outside half, but I was anxious. I actually hit it with the end of the bat and grounded out to third.

Still a good, fun day. Hot, though I wish I'd have the chance to play a bit more in the field. Might need to change teams next year.