The mound can be the loneliest place in the world
TheTalkingWalnut
Posts: 444
in Sports Talk
A couple of years ago I started a thread asking about our own personal stats, which ranged from one opposite field LL homer (me) to various high school and college and American Legion type feats.
In a similar but different vein, I can tell you about the flip side of that: extreme embarrassment on the sports field.
I worked at Domino's through college and the boss put up a team in Slow Pitch City League #5. He pitched, of course, and I remember watching him walk in about 10 runs. He was the boss, and a bit of a jerk, and I had mixed emotions watching him melt down out there on the hill.
Fast forward about 20 years and I found myself friends with a Minister in a different city. She drafted me onto her (City Church League) squad and when the manager asked if I could pitch I said "sure".
I thought the batters would just swing away, but apparently this was a harder core Church League than I'd thought and batter after batter stood bored at the plate as I walked the bases full, then a run in, then another couple runs in, then another handful in. I was pleading with her, God, the manager, ANYBODY to come get me but nobody heard my pleas and finally, somehow, it was over.
I am a Sawx fan and I hate the Yankees. But even at its worst I can still summon up a little bit of sympathy for any pitcher, even a Phil Hughes, who is standing out there, in front of thousands of people, giving it his all and wondering what the F is going on?
Does anybody else know what I'm talking about? Or is it just me?
In a similar but different vein, I can tell you about the flip side of that: extreme embarrassment on the sports field.
I worked at Domino's through college and the boss put up a team in Slow Pitch City League #5. He pitched, of course, and I remember watching him walk in about 10 runs. He was the boss, and a bit of a jerk, and I had mixed emotions watching him melt down out there on the hill.
Fast forward about 20 years and I found myself friends with a Minister in a different city. She drafted me onto her (City Church League) squad and when the manager asked if I could pitch I said "sure".
I thought the batters would just swing away, but apparently this was a harder core Church League than I'd thought and batter after batter stood bored at the plate as I walked the bases full, then a run in, then another couple runs in, then another handful in. I was pleading with her, God, the manager, ANYBODY to come get me but nobody heard my pleas and finally, somehow, it was over.
I am a Sawx fan and I hate the Yankees. But even at its worst I can still summon up a little bit of sympathy for any pitcher, even a Phil Hughes, who is standing out there, in front of thousands of people, giving it his all and wondering what the F is going on?
Does anybody else know what I'm talking about? Or is it just me?
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