Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Afternoon Game - it's getting warm - Game #4


The undefeated CAC team at 3-0 was facing "The Stingers" led by Lee "Stinger" Stange and Rick Aguilera. Aggie is a rookie Pro Staff and from the very beginning I can tell he is a great guy and having a good time out there being a pro staffer - an excellent addition to the 2011 Fantasy Camp. The Stingers scored one in the first and also leaving the bases loaded for a quick 1-0 lead.

I ended up catching this game (Video) beginning in the 2nd inning.

I have never caught in a baseball game in my life (maybe an inning in little league) but since I am left handed they don't have any catcher's mitts around so never an option. I brought a left handed mitt (courtesy of my catcher from last year's camp) so I was ready to do it if the time arose. Well today is the day. It was warm approaching 80 degrees so I needed to stay hydrated. The first inning I caught was a breeze - maybe 8 pitches - that was a nice inning - I told the umpire I had never done it before (you should have seen the look on his face). We tied up the game 1-1 in the top of the third and they came back in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead again at 2-1. Fast forward to the top of the sixth, I am the leadoff hitter. I have started camp 1 for 7, 2 K's and we were down a run - we have quality hitters on this team but in this game we were in a funk. A "Jamie Moyer"-esque lefty was on the mound. He quickly got two strikes on me (I swung through two pitches) and in figuring out what I was doing wrong moved up in the batter's box. The next pitched I laced into the centerfield gap (remember we play four outfielders) and was able to glide in for the stand up double. I was able to reach third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly to tie the game. We scratched out two more runs to make it a 4-2 game. We hold them in the bottom of the sixth and we get nothing in the top of the inning so we get to the bottom of the 7th where things get interesting. They get a walk and error to get guys at first and third - the Jamie Moyer-esque pitcher is at the plate and decides to go deep to the right center field with a shot - one run in and then this play happens:

The rightfielder was backing up the right center fielder (RCF) and the RF throws the ball to the RCF who throws the ball to the 2nd basemen who throws the ball into the infield where nobody was (we will call this person "the grass") - the pitcher who is doing the right thing was going to back up the catcher but he forgot he is at fantasy camp. The catcher, yours truly, instructs the pitcher that he is now the cut off man. The runner (who started at first base) is now trying to figure out if he can make it to home....well he decides to make a run for a it (he is not a little man either....) The pitcher (who is now the 4th cutoff man) picks up the ball throws it to me and at the same time the runner slides at home and he is out (only the 2nd out).

If you are scoring at home -- 10-9-4-grass-1-2

Whoa Nellie! I was extremely happy he didn't roll my ankle with this mini collision - but he was nice and slid (albeit he was short of home base by about 3 feet) - I had to field the ball a few feet up the line from the bag. We ended up striking out the next batter to finish out the game and again a one run victory. These are getting too stressful! CAC is now 4-0.

Stats: 1 for 3, 2B, 2 K's

Cumulative: 2 for 8, .250

We have a session at Kangaroo Court this evening - my wallet could get lighter.

PB

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