Least Valuable...my thumb!

Who's got the MVP and the LVP?  ME!

So, two posts ago I was all about my glasses saving me in my softball games...and it rang true throughout last week.  I played softball Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday...  I was on fire.  Last game of the week on Thursday, I take a liner off my right thumb (of my throwing hand).  I stayed out there, still made plays...watching my thumb change colors and swell larger.  Between innings I was submersed in the beer cooler.  My thumb that is, beer was the last thing I wanted in that moment!  I ended up getting out twice after the thumb incident, but again...least of my concerns.

I went home and showed Deb...her face said it all.  My thumb was bruised, swollen and apparently bent.  Not good.  I showered and medicated myself, why Deb called the nurses line.  Long conversation short, I ended up in the ER (Urgent Care facility) at midnight.  After going through Xrays and doctor's inspection (which my cries of pain when the doctor was pulling on my finger caused Deb to laugh), I found out it wasn't broken.  I bruised my ligament, which is causing all the pain, reduced range of motion, and more.

So as my eyeglasses reign as MVP, my thumb has taken the opposite approach.  This week I'm sitting out, but hope to be back next week.  I'll keep you all updated...

Another 2nd Place Finish...Eyeglasses for MVP!

It's been a few weeks since it was really "news," as if you can really call it "news" anyways!  While the Pearland Little League was dominating in Williamsport, PA in the Little League World Series, the Chuggers were climbing the ranks in our softball league.  Well we ended up in 2nd place...similar to the Pearland LL team that ended up 2nd in the country.  (Their's was a much bigger accomplishment, of course!)

It was another successful season for me...I've been playing with these guys for a few seasons now and posted my best numbers to date.  And you know what made all the difference down the stretch?  My glasses!!

My stats...0.730 batting average, 7 homeruns, 24 RBI's, 7 doubles, 4 triples...with 22 runs scored.  The last two weeks of the season I sported my glasses and did the most damage.  I went 12 for 13 with 3 homeruns, all 4 of my triples, and 10 RBI's...enough to win the team batting title, too!  Plus I played a more solid third base.

Who would have thought GLASSES would make a difference?!?  I guess I thought my vision was better than it really was.  I vote for my eyeglasses as MVP...

New season opens on September 23rd.  Due to Pearland's restructuring of softball we are moving from recreational to competetive league.  I'm going to need my glasses that much more! 

Silver Medal Finish in Softball...

If only we could have played the game we may have won the whole thing! It's complicated how it went down, but we ended up winning the "Runner Up" trophy in Pearland's Recreational Softball League.

It was complicated and rehearsed. The team "Troublemakers" were a bunch of ______ (you fill in blank, and make sure it's bad!). See they have ringers on their team that come in and tear up recreational softball. We are D league, that's basically the league where we go out and drink beer...oh and then play softball! These tools are just that, tools! So by them forfeiting the game we tied for the season. And with the tie, the team with the more runs scored for the year won. They THOUGHT that the 15 runs they gave us (the forfeit score is in the books as 15-0) were enough to pull a victory, but they miscalculated. In the end, they won, and "theoretically" they should be forced to move up leagues. HAHAHA, they have been changing their name, coaches, etc etc., anything to not move up. Bunch of scared little girls... Anyways, we had a good time last night anyways, watched some other games and kicked back with some beer...

And for all the statistician's out there, or anyone that cares, I closed the season 8 for 8 (plus a walk). For the season I batted 0.606. Now that was good for fourth WORST on the team! The season had an extended slump in the middle that killed my average (And there were hard hit balls in there, just couldn't find gaps). Between the first 4 and last 4 games, I batted 0.889. The middle 4 games I batted an anemic 0.267.

Had an awesome time...now a few weeks off...then back to the field in June for the summer season!

An expensive softball game...

Last Thursday night (4/10) was one of the more expensive softball games in my beer league career! We have beer fines, like I've touched on in previous blog posts...I think. To summarize, you get fined for things like grounding out, pop outs to the infield, strikeouts, double plays, ending innings, ending games, etc etc.

Anyways, I had done well the first two weeks, taking a 0.818 average into week 3... First time this year we swept the night, and are sitting at 4-2 on the year...not a bad start. However, my 1 for 8 night changed my line for the year. Now batting a solid 0.500...50% success is good, but not the $12 in fines I accrued over the night. Check out the line below...ouch! Better luck this week!!

Week #3 Fine Totals (2 games):

Missed Game: Ryan, Michael, Jaime
Last Outs: Dennis, Terence
Double Play: Terence
Pop Outs: Andrew-2, Terence, Dennis
Ground-outs: Jason-3, Terence, Andy, Sheldon, Andrew, Dennis, Jon
Inning Last Outs: Terence-4, Jon-2, Andrew

Softball's back!! Lucky number 81?

With softball starting last week, and every Thursday through the Fall, it's a sign baseball's about to begin! Woohoo!! I opted for my old football number, 81. I thought everyone would go for 25 (my old baseball number) but no one did. So I'm out there with 81...heck, with a number like that, I look like the guy who is a major league scrub! Ha!

Anyways, I am playing with the same team as last year in Pearland, the Chuggers. Last season we were the Beer-A-Mids, but it's the same team, just went back to the original team name. Yes, there's a lot of beer at the games! And on occasion beer pong between them... Deb came to the game last night and was finally able to introduce herself. It had become a running joke that she didn't exist because she never was able to come to games. It was odd how things worked out, but last night she (and Roma) came out to support me!

With my first at bat, I was going to impress my wife...oh yeah! That's the thought, but when you pop up to the pitcher...it's one of those "you tried" moments. I had 3 hits to follow, but the best part was when I was running home, I hear "don't slide!" Yup, that's Deb not wanting to see me hurt myself! She was enjoying talking with the other wives about my injury-prone ways.

To sum it up so far, we are 2-2...our two wins were awesome, 22-3 and 18-0. The loss last week was a nail biter as we were up by 3 going into the bottom half of the last inning only to have some juiced up fool hit a grand slam. Last night we played against the d-bag team...a team of college players and softball fanatics. They are team that peppers the field with the ball, hitting it exactly where they want. This is rec softball, they win all the time because they are playing against some aging professionals (sure, that's what I am). Anyways, not to whine, but we lost...18-1. First inning was awful...13 runs for them countered by our 3 up, 3 down! Second inning we all decided to bat lefty, I led off with a hit, an infield dribbler to short...I sprinted to first and beat it out... Overall I'm hitting well this season, going 9 for 11, which I'm happy with.

Funny thing...9 for 11 is an 0.818 average...but it's really 0.8181818181...lucky number 81, eh?

Bridal Shower, Softball Tournament & Fantasy Football Draft

What a busy Saturday it was chalked up to be! Debbie is out of town in St Louis this weekend taking care of all sorts of wedding stuff...hair trial, trying her dress on (as it came in!), and her bridal shower. With her gone, I'm usually given time to relax, clean, watch some movies...not do all that much...however, this weekend was different. I had a softball tournament on Saturday, immediately followed by my fantasy football draft.

Well, the rain came on Friday...and it rained a lot here in Pearland. Turns out our softball tournament was cancelled. I found out when I was pulling into the Independence Park parking lot and it was nearly empty. I pulled out the blackberry and read my email...cancelled! Had I only checked my email when I woke up...I would have known! Oh well, I traded it in for the gym...not as fun, but exercise.

Then came the draft. I haven't done fantasy football in a few years and this was my first time doing a live draft. I typically have done them online. I got in with all the Nasa folks who take it pretty serious...most of them. I had the third overall pick and went with Peyton Manning. Apparently they all don't take the QB so early...whatever, I don't know. I was happy overall with my team. But then again, you never know how someone is going to perform...some will play above their expectations and vice versa. We'll see.

Anyways, Saturday was Debbie's bridal shower in St Louis! All I know is, she had a great time. I'll have to leave any postings regarding the shower to her as I wasn't there.

Less than 7 weeks to go for us!

Beer A Mids Season 1 Coming to an End

This Thursday is the last week of my first season playing with the Beer-A-Mids. It's been a lot of fun so far, and playing close to home (in Pearland) is a much better than when I was out nearly in Katy! We have two more games to go but I don't know how the playoff picture is looking. Heck I can't recall our record!

Last week I had a good week, hitting my second homerun of the season. Oddly enough it would have been an out had they not called the previous homerun hit by our team a double! In our league only one homer is allowed per game, per team. Had they had the call correct, I would have been the third out of the inning...my three RBI's wouldn't have been there, and the next three runs later in the inning wouldn't have counted. The other team argued it later, but really...if they really were trying to be honest, they should have said the first one really WAS a homer!

All in all, it's been great thus far...

The funniest part of my stats is that I'm batting a robust 0.567 and that falls BELOW the team's average! I find that quite funny! This week I'm going to see what I can do about raising my average...singles, doubles, gap shots...anything! I'll keep you all posted!