Wednesday, July 30, 2008

The moment it all went to hell! Game 9

You can check the post for Game 4 when we first played Variety Pak. It says that they were a nice group of people and we were going to feel bad when we beat them in the rematch. The "we are going to beat them" part was correct but "feel bad" part was wrong wrong wrong. It felt great to beat them! It felt great to see Chris pitching so well with only a couple of walks and several strikouts. It felt great to see Tyler get an unassisted double play. It felt great to see Mimma get two RBI. It felt great to see Big Zima hit a stand-up triple. It felt great to see Lillian slam the door by making a solid play on a foul ball to end the game. Welcome to hell Variety Pak. But you're still nice people.

GO THE TEAM!!!

Sunday, July 27, 2008

The Infield Fly Rule

"An infield fly is a fair fly ball, NOT including a line drive or attempted bunt which can be caught by an infielder, pitcher or catcher with ordinary effort when first and second OR first, second and third base are occupied with less than 2 out. There is judgment by the umpire what ordinary effort is."

But if your glove looks shaky because the ball is so high that it probably went by the Milky Way on it's way down and it looks like you are not giving enough of an effort, even if the ball touches your glove on the way down....the infield fly rule will not be called.

But don't worry, when you botch a catch and the shortstop is there to back you up, you end up with an unassisted double out at second.

Unassisted double play you say? How can that be? This is how it can be. *Shortstop Lou fielded the ball that rolled off the tip of my glove, and threw it to Tyler who gave chase to the guy running from second to third. Scared, the guy ran back to second. But NO! Not possible! There is someone coming from first to second! What now?! Tag 'em. Both. The girl coming from first to second doesn't know what to do when someone is already there--she can't go back, the batter is at first, but she can't go forward because someone is still there...life must go on, 2 outs at second.

And just like that, we held them all game. Up by three in the first inning--and not one more run to show for it. There were some good catches, some good stops, and a lot of teamwork. The The Team really stepped it up. AND we got runs. Walks and Runs, hits and catches, plays like a real team.

The Team 7 - Variety Pak 3 (this might not be the actual final score)

*It has come to my attention that the botched catch + the 2 outs at second may not have happened at the same time, but, whatever, it SOUNDS good, right?

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Getting to know THE TEAM - One last guy 18

Sandy said that I should have been the first to answer these questions. She was probably right. I never heard back from Roberto. So we will all have to imagine what his answers may have been.

So...

Ladies and Gentleman RICK

Q: How did you end up on THE TEAM?

A: I used to work with Chris when he was a teenager with a grill festooned with orthodonture. I am ten years older than him so he used to ask for my advice. Now he is an educated gentleman with a job and is engaged to a lovely woman. I ask him for advice now.

Q: What positions have you played this season? Do you have a favorite?

I have played LF, CF, SS, 1B and 3B. My favorite is softball. I just want to play!!!

Q: Is there a special reason you chose 18 for your jersey number?

A: The 1 is for January, the month my son was born. The 8 is for August, the month my daughter was born. 18!

Q: Did you play sports in school? What teams were you on and what school did you play for?

A: I played football at Reseda High School and Pierce College.

Q: Besides your outstanding softball ability, what other talents do you have?

A: I spent most of the '90s playing in bands. I can still lay some bass tracks if there is a need. I can also improvise dialogue with the sound turned down on the TV.

Q: Can I have $50?

A: YOU CAN HAVE $5,000!!! By the way, you guys are a bunch of banditos when it came time to answer this question.

Monday, July 21, 2008

The moment it all went to hell! Game 8

This game went to hell fast and often. It was a lot like game 5 without the deadly odor in the dugout. It seems like we went out there as a team and each took turns making errors. I'm not keeping score but I think Liz did not have any errors. We made some plays we blew some plays and got stomped out. Maeve's Minions had a pretty good pitcher. He had an odd spin on the ball and that kept our runs on the tiny side. I think I hate those guys.

GO THE TEAM!!!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Getting to Know THE TEAM - 99 Chris

Ladies and Gentlemen The Crippler

Q: How did you end up on THE TEAM?

A: Jenny, Tyler and I talked about getting a softball team together back in 1988. Obviously, Jenny remembered about it at some point last year, and put it into action. I've known Jenny and Tyler since 1996, when we all started at Woodbury University together.

Q: What positions have you played so far this season? Do you have a favorite?

A: I have played starting pitcher, middle pitcher, relief pitcher and closing pitcher. I also posed for a picture, which some people pronounce like pitcher. There was 1 inning last season where I got to play 3rd. I don't mind playing pitcher, I just wish I was more consistent and was able to pitch a no-hitter.

Q: Is there a special reason you chose 99 for your jersey number?

A: Kareena and I were both born on the 9th of our respective months. I knew Kareena would pick 9 for her jersey, so I went with 99. The first 9 is mine, the second 9 is hers. Isn't that cute.

Q: Did you play sports in school? What teams were you on and what school did you play for?

A: I did one year of wrestling in 7th grade at Chaminade Middle School in Chatsworth, where I got my ass kicked repeatedly. I played sports all the time with my brother Andrew and neighbor friend Craig while growing up. I was on a softball team with my brother's company years ago, and played on a team with Jenny a few years ago.

Q: Besides your outstanding softball ability, what other talents do you have?

A: I did stand-up comedy for a bit, which is how I met Lou. I still think of myself as a creative and funny person, but I'm focusing more on writing at the moment. I have way too much knowledge about '90s alternative rock music and pro wrestling. I also make kickass pancakes.

Q: Can I have $50?

A: As long as you are not spending it on cigarettes.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Getting to know THE TEAM - 64 Joey

Ladies and Gentlemen Joey

Q: How did you end up on THE TEAM?

A: I am the manager's brother, so that was a big part of it. When she was gathering people to play she asked me and I said I'd play, and that was that.

Q: What positions have you played so far this season? Do you have a favorite?

A: I have played 1st, 3rd, shortstop, and I believe Left field and left/center (thought we may have only had 9 players in that game, so it might have been regular center). I don't have a favorite. I'm trying to get better at all of these positions (especially the outfield) so that we can put other players where they want to be played.

Q: Is there a special reason you chose 64 for your jersey number?

A: There's no special reason why I chose 64. If you pressed me, I'd say that I chose 64, it's because it was a base 2 number that I had been dealing with when I needed to choose a number.

Q: Did you play sports in school? What teams were you on and what school did you play for?

A: In elementry school, I played tee-ball, pitch-tee, and regular pitch baseball (I stopped in 6th grade, when I felt significantly outclassed). In middle school, I played tennis where I was praised for my excellent backhand, which I guess was a textbook style backhand. In high school, I ran track and field for one semester (best finish: 4th place in the 800m. I only ran it once; my usual events were the 100m and 200m, which I never did better than 6th). I did some training for cross country, but decided not to do it since I had skipped most of the practices and thought my schedule that year would be more difficult.

Q: Besides your outstanding softball ability, what other talents do you have?

A: I'm not sure if I'd call my other skills talent. I'm good at problem solving and video games, neither of which help me on the field. Otherwise, I guess you could say I'm a fast learner, which I think helps me with new sports. But I could be way off on that one.

Q: Can I have $50?

A: Only if you're buying The Team ice cream cakes.

Monday, July 14, 2008

The moment it all went to hell - Game 7

Oh it went hell alright... but not for THE TEAM!!! The Amritsar All Stars picked up right were they left off from when we played them the first time. In that game they put together a nice rally in the last inning. They were just hitting easy line drives and bringing in runs one at a time. They did the same thing in the first inning. Nothing huge, just easy line drives and a fistful of runs by the time the inning was over. Then THE DAVE brought THE HELL with a grand slam. By the last inning it was 6-6 when Joey (The Big Zima) came through in the clutch and drove in the winning run. Maybe I am getting carried away, but that may have been one of the greatest games in the history of all sports. Well... maybe... I don't know.

GO THE TEAM!!!

The Moment It All Went to AWESOME - Game 7

Dave's grand slam!!!!!!

'Nuff said.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Getting to Know THE TEAM - 47 Tyler

Ladies and Gentlemen Tyler

Q: How did you end up on THE TEAM?

A: I went to College with Chris and Jenny. We were at a Dodger game last year and we started talking about forming a softball game. I wanted to call it The Jenny Smith Frosh-Soph All-Stars of Burbank (JSFSASoB for short), but that got overturned at the 11th hour. I thought it would be funny to make the sports office have to use a really long and unwieldy name. I realized a little too late that I had a prior commitment on Sundays during the Winter, so that's why wasn't able to play much because 90% of our games started at 6pm.

Q: What positions have you played so far this season? Do you have a favorite?

A: Outfield and Third. I feel most comfortable in the Outfield because I played that a lot in little league.

Q: Is there a special reason you chose 47 for your jersey number?

A: Um, actually, I have no idea. I looked at the numbers I sent Rick and I don't fully understand my logic in picking my second and third choices. I wanted #13 and didn't get it, so I should have gone with #17 because I was always either #13 or #17 when I played soccer. I guess I wasn't really thinking. But #47 is cool, I guess.

Q: Did you play sports in school? What teams were you on and what school did you play for?

A: I played little league for a while and I played soccer up through Hike School. I ran Cross-Country (we CRUSHED Crepsi every year in preseason) and Track in High School.

Q: Besides your outstanding softball ability, what other talents do you have?

A: My thumbs are double-jointed and, according to Yahoo!, I am a Fantasy Sports All-Star.

Q: Can I have $50?

A: Um, I think you still owe me fifty from that time we did that thing, so, let's just call it even.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Getting to Know THE TEAM - 28 Terrence

Ladies and Gentlemen Terrence

Q: How did you end up on THE TEAM?

A: I know Jenny Smith from a previous job. She didn't like me at first, but over time I won her over. We've been good friends ever since.

Q: What positions have you played so far this season? Do you have a favorite?

A: I have played Shortstop and Third Base. Shortstop is probably my favorite.

Q: Is there a special reason you chose 28 for your jersey number?

A: 28 is a very lucky number for me. Every child born to my family in the United States, and who survived, was born on the 28th of the Month.

Q: Did you play sports in school? What teams were you on and what school did you play for?

A: I played basketball for my high school team but I was never very good and sat on the bench most of the time. I actually got a lot better after high school. Go figure.

Q: Besides your outstanding softball ability, what other talents do you have?

A: I can train cats. I've taught my cat to sit on command as well as to pee in the toilet. My friends also rely on me to research the heck out of everything. So if you want to know what the best TV to buy is or who the best retail stock broker is, I can probably tell you.

Q: Can I have $50?

A: No.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Getting to Know THE TEAM - 13 Sandy

We are out of numerical sequence. Oh well. I thought Sandy was shy but I guess something went weird with the e-mail. Anyway...

Ladies and Gentlemen, Sandy

Q: How did you end up on THE TEAM?

A: Because Jenny Smith asked and she is good peeps so I figured any team she'd be putting together would also be with fun and good peeps.

Q: What positions have you played so far this season? Do you have a favorite?

A: I've played RF, LF, Rover, Catcher, and 2nd. I like playing infield better than outfield because the balls come straight at you and I can catch those better than the ones that come at you from up high. My depth perception sucks so I always stand too short and they go over my head. My favorite would be 2nd but I want to keep playing outfield because I swear I'll catch one of the outfield hits before this season is over!

Q: Is there a special reason you chose 13 for your jersey number?

A: Actually, I originally wanted 28 because that is the last age I remember being. But then I heard somewhere that sports numbers are typically ones that you can hold up on 2 hands. I didn't know if this was true for softball but I chose 13 just to be safe and because some people consider it lucky and I need all the luck I can get.

Q: Did you play sports in school? What teams were you on and what school did you play for?

A: Yes, well I've always been to schools that make sports part of the daily class schedule. I think my all-time favorite was trampoline jumping (well, it was supposed to be gymnastics but when I did it, I was pretty much just jumping). I was in track-and-field when I was in junior high at the American School of Kuwait. In high school at Cebu International School (Philippines) I played volleyball, basketball, and swam. I was also in an equestrian school.

Q: Besides your outstanding softball ability, what other talents do you have?

A: I've been doing martial arts since I was 12. I like banging on taiko drums. I pretend I can play the piano (but that backfired on me when I was conned into playing the most retarded version of 'Here Comes the Bride' for an actual wedding procession).

Q: Can I have $50?

A: Only if I can drink it with you.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Getting to Know THE TEAM - 21 Carrie

Ladies and Gentlemen Carrie

Q: How did you end up on THE TEAM?

A: I'm a future Smith, so not asking me would be a total familial faux pax.

Q: What positions have you played so far this season? Do you have a favorite?

A: I mostly play second base, but then after that one practice when I showed that I could catch balls in the outfield I played out there a bit. I also play 1st base sometimes when Jenny's missing. I like second because it's not as high-profile as the likes of 3rd and short stop but there is still some action.

Q: Is there a special reason you chose 21 for your jersey number?

A: Like everyone else, the 21st is my birthdate. But, as coincidences run in families, my sister AND my grandma were also born on 21sts. The 21st of July is on a Monday, if it was a Sunday we could have all celebrated together by winning the game!

Q: Did you play sports in school? What teams were you on and what school did you play for?

A: So, when I was little my mom tried to get me into everything possible, so I played floor hockey (as the only girl!) and ice skated a little and played softball. I played softball for 7 years but stopped before high school. In high school, I didn't have time for sports. Instead, I was in Marching Band which, in the Midwest, is right up there with Football. Marching band took a lot of stamina, air, and general thinking. I got that "adrenaline rush" that is usually associated with sports competitions, so I consider it a sport.

Q: Besides your outstanding softball ability, what other talents do you have?

A: I am a musician. I play piano, trumpet and trombone. During the "school year" I play with the LA Valley College community band who is ALWAYS taking new members and really isn't amazingly good but sounds good to non-musicians. It's fun to play in a band again. I also am a keen Lego builder, my Lego collection has been building since 1984 and counting.

Q: Can I have $50?

A: Hmm, ask number 64.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Getting to Know THE TEAM - 12 Lillian

Ladies and Gentlemen Lillian

Q: How did you end up on THE TEAM?

A: Sandy wouldn't stop telling me how much fun it was last season, so I just HAD to join in on the fun.

Q: What positions have you played so far this season? Do you have a favorite?

A: I've played Right field, Left field, and Second base. Don't like Right field, cause you'll be bored/asleep for like 90% of the game and then someone will hit it toward you, and you'll be totally unprepared. I like Second Base the best because you get to be in on the action.

Q: Is there a special reason you chose 12 for your jersey number?

A: I just wanted to be right before Sandy who is #13.

Q: Did you play sports in school? What teams were you on and what school did you play for?

A: In high school, I was most valuable bench warmer on varsity basketball at North Hollywood High School. I lost my voice a lot cause I spent all the games cheering for my teammates.

Q: Besides your outstanding softball ability, what other talents do you have?

A: I like to think that I can make other people laugh, but I don't know if they're just faking it.

Q: Can I have $50

A: I'll tell you what, I'll give you my debit card. But it's worth -$150 dollars right now, so you'll have to bring it up to +$50. And then you can give it back to me.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Getting to Know THE TEAM - 11 Dave

Ladies and Gentlemen Dave

Q: How did you end up on THE TEAM?

A: My Brother, player and designated blogger extraordinaire, Rick, is good friends with the Crippler..

Q: What positions have you played so far this season? Do you have a favorite?

A: This season, I played CF, 1B, and threw batting practice for theA-Team. Oddly, I really enjoyed pitching.

Q: Is there a special reason you chose 11 for your jersey number?

A: I wore 11 in Little League and being born in November, it seemed to fit. Besides double digit, repeating numbers (i.e. 11, 22, 33,) are powerful good!

Q: Did you play sports in school? What teams were you on and what school did you play for?

A: I played Football and ran Track and Cross Country for Crespi. - GoCelts!

Q: Besides your outstanding softball ability, what other talents do you have?

A: I am mediocre guitarist and have an uncanny ability to spend money.

Q: Can I have $50?

A: On the condition that we drink it together!

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Getting to know THE TEAM - 10 Liz

Ladies and Gentlemen, Liz

Q: How did you end up on THE TEAM?

A: Terrence invited me to join.

Q: What positions have you played so far this season? Do you have a favorite?

A: Catcher, second base, rover, and right field. I like playing catcher.

Q: Is there a special reason you chose 10 for your jersey number?

A: It's my birthday month.

Q: Did you play sports in school? What teams were you on and what school did you play for?

A: Tennis for 2.5 years in high school. I played for the Taft High School girls' tennis team.

Q: Besides your outstanding softball ability, what other talents do you have?

A: I can cook some things decently :)

Q: Can I have $50?

A: Of course! (Do you mind if I borrow $100 from you first?)

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Getting to Know THE TEAM - 9 Kareena

Ladies and Gentlemen Kareena

Q: How did you end up on THE TEAM?

A: Through Chris :) We met at a Christmas Party 2.5 years ago and started dating happily from then. Now we're engaged! And he was recruiting for the softball team with Jenny. Plus I thought it would be fun to play games and get exercise.

Q: What positions have you played so far this season? Do you have a favorite?

A: I've played right field and was always right (ha ha) in the first season. This summer season I've played 1st, 2nd, Catcher and Outfield. I like playing the position when I do well. It was awesome playing 1st and being part of a double play with Terrance. Other than that probably catcher because it's low pressure and you get a lot of "action" catching and throwing.

Q: Is there a special reason you chose 9 for your jersey number?

A: I was born April 9 and 9 has always been my favorite number :)

Q: Did you play sports in school? What teams were you on and what school did you play for?

A: I love playing sports and games in general. My first loves were tag and capture the flag. Played baseball little league and basketball as a kid. Then high school played soccer, touch rugby, ran cross country and played badminton. I went to school at International American schools in Asia so I played for their teams there. Then in college I didn't do as many sports. But I did participate in the Malibu Nautica Triathlon a few years ago, as part of a relay team doing the 1/2 mile swim in the ocean :) I like being active :)

Q: Besides your outstanding softball ability, what other talents do you have?

A: I think i'm a good writer and I'm artistic, love painting and such. Plus I learn stuff pretty quick. I can beat Chris at Scrabble and word games. And I can move my ears without touching them with my hands :)

Q: Can I have $50?

A: Sure. I'll give you a $50 bill only if you give me a $100 bill. One for one - fair trade :)