A Study in Contrasts

I play slow-pitch softball on Monday nights... it's not the same as playing fastpitch, and I still miss fastpitch, but I still really enjoy my team and the games. There are 5 or 6 teams in our league, which is the non-competitive league. Last night we had a double-header, and it was definitely a study in opposites! The first game we played a team that is new. This is their first year playing as a team and, if I had to guess, for many it's the first time they've played... period. Josh says it's like watching the jr. high girl's PE class... it's not pretty. Our team is pretty good this year, not the best, but certainly not the worst in our league. So, needless to say, our first game was a beating. From the beginning we instated the "Walking Rule" (there is NO walking, I don't care if you have to take four steps to get to the ball in order to hit it), but even that wasn't enough. By the end of the game we stopped putting runs on the scoreboard (we stopped at 22 to 0), the other team was snipping at each other, and we were doing our darndest to foul out, hit slow grounders, and make stupid running mistakes. What really capped off the game, however, was when I happened to look into left field while we were batting... the left fielder spent AT LEAST TWO INNINGS ON HER CELL PHONE! I don't know if she was talking on it, texting, or playing a video game, but she sure as heck wasn't trying to catch a pop fly! I was amazed... even if you are losing, come on! There was not much pleasure in winning that game.

On the other hand, our second game of the night was against the best team in the league... this team has no business playing in the non-competitive league. They are a very good team, young, and HUGE... We're talking Thangar the Cavewoman plays on this team, with all of her sisters... they walk onto the field swinging their clubs and I feel like I'm tiny... and I'm definitely not. And, to top it all off, they're really good. They hit it to the gap (usually the one over the outfielders' heads) and they catch everything within 15 feet. So we weren't exactly looking forward to this game. Lucky for us, Thangar and her sisters must have been out celebrating the 4th, because their team was short several giants. This being said, they were still an awesome team. But we played our hearts out, had some really good hits and played some great defense. As good as it can be against a team who can place where they hit the ball like nobody's business... one batter came up once and cranked it down the right field line. So we all swing right to cover her... next time it goes right down the left field line. I'm insanely jealous. We kept it close, and actually staged a pretty good comeback in the 7th; the game ended 6 to 8. That game was much, much more fun and rewarding then the first game, even if we lost. I'm a competitive person, but I'd rather lose a hard-fought game, than win a blowout. That being said... it wouldn't break my heart if Thangar and her sisters didn't play next year... :)