Seasons in the Sun

[eggwards]

So in Dallas, yesterday was not Pride. We here in Dallas have to wait until September to be prideful. It made me wish i could have gone down to Houston to see some of the parade. there really was only one thing stopping us, and that was softball.

So we finally reached the end of season tournament this past weekend. I learned to enjoy playing a little bit more when I lightened up and stopped worrying about the mistakes I was making. It's not like the team was filled with a lineup of all-stars, just guys who wanted to get out there and play.

It became clearer as the season went by that many other teams were taking the whole thing way to seriously and they were recruiting players that were too good for the league, and practicing five days a week. If they wanted to beat us, fine and if they were really needing to pile on the score, well that's their problem.

I dealt with some of this attitude a couple of weeks ago when there was a voluntary extra tournament. Our team wasn't going to play, and so another team was looking for a few extra players to fill in. what seemed like a friendly thing turned into a lot of frustration as Chris (f__k) and I, along with John went to what was supposed to be a team practice, but turned out to be a skills assessment to see if we were "useable". Folks, I really don't catch everything, and I can't run, so defensively, I'm a mess. I knew this, and no other coach had to tell me this.

So I'm on the bench for the first three games of the tournament. Chris and John are playing, but since the team never practiced together, you can tell it's not all gelling together. They lose all three, and we have one more game to be eliminated, and it's the next day. Sunday comes and more of the original team doesn't show, so I get to play - which I was fine with. I did my best, but when another person showed up for the game, back to the bench I went for the last inning. Let's don't forget that I did have some good hits that game.

Still, i come from a losing team. We won one game all season, and that team didn't even show for the end of season tournament. The tournament is designed to help the top teams from the regular season, and in the end, two teams are chosen to represent Dallas in the Gay World Series in Ft. Lauderdale. Needless to say, BCD (Bears, Cubs and Daddies) are not your champion team for 2006.

Still, we came really close to winning our first game on Saturday...like 20 seconds shy. Softball games in our league are timed and the game ends with the final out of the inning after the 55 minute clock has run down. well, we didn't slow down enough, and they got another chance to bat, and it they took us down. I'm not sure if that was our worst-feeling loss or not, but it really sort of capped the feelings for the season.

Still, we had one more game. Dropping into the loser's bracket gave us the early game on Sunday with one of those teams that was way to concerned with winning rather than being good sports. We got smoked...not super obnoxiously, but certainly by enough to make the last inning into a farce where we started slowing down so we might not have to go bat again.

My fun was actually getting to a ball that was heading down towards third, and thinking, "I'm going to get this guy running from second to third. This is my big moment in the game!" of course he barreled into me, and I like the newbie I am, I held the ball in my right hand, not my glove, which he jammed back into my wrist, and the ball flew out towards the dugout and like charlie Brown I had gone from being a hero to a goat.

This was when the score was already 15-2.

I'm not sure what hurt more at the time, my wounded ego, or my jammed up hand. Still, as the other players asked my status, I just waived it off, and kept playing. Later though, I found that I jammed my hand pretty good, and it's been sore ever since. I couldn't do much of anything with it yesterday, and today it's improved, but I'm still having trouble gripping and turning things without pain. as Mikel (soonercubntx) figured out last night over dinner, I wrecked the hand that writes, types and yes, jerks it.

At the end of the game, I still was hoping that we could keep much of this team together and play again next year. Now I'm going to be hard on myself, and want to improve, but even by these last few games, I was getting to a point where it was more about the try and not the win. i wish everyone else could have felt that. It changed for me to being frustrated by the whole situation, and whether or not I could contribute to the fact that I would get out there and do what I could (namely, hit consistently), and let the rest roll off of me.

Still, my big wins this season were a double play, and actually making it to home plate - once.

Some of the guys will probably not play again next year, others may look for a team with better skills. I just want a team that's willing to take me on and teach me more, as well as be a good group of men and women. I'd hate to play for a good team that I didn't get along with.

Of course, I really want to go and make that tag correctly, holding on to the ball, and my wrist and making that out that i should have had this year.

Comments

[aadroma.livejournal.com]

Oh my God, that story just sounds painful as hell -- I hope your jerking hand feels better, hun. ^_- (HUG)

I thought Houston had their Pride later too??

[eggwards.livejournal.com]

The hand is doing better, but I haven't had time to test it on the cock, lately. That's a real shame, too, as I'm really horny!

Houston's Pride was last weekend as well, on Saturday Night, which is smart because it's too damned hot to have it during the day. It's usually about an hour and a half longer than it should be, too!