After a rainout last Sunday and then a curious scheduling conflict yesterday wherein three teams showed up to play the rescheduled game and we all decided just to play an informal scrimmage, the Red Lox 2 and Emanuel Emeralds teams finally had their official match-up today.

 

In our play today, we were able to explore and answer a fundamental question of causality:  What happens when each fielding play you make is approached enthusiastically and attentively?  When your pitcher throws inning after inning of beauiful high-arc pitches?  When the batting order perfoms consistently, generating 19 hits?  We got our answer:  You WIN, 12-6!

 

As one player commented shortly after the last out:  "So THIS is what it feels like!"

 

The game was filled with satisfying elements.  Here are a few that stuck in my mind:

 

 - Pitcher Joel Horowitz deserves kudos for a performance just as described above.  When faced with a consistent barrage of pitches from the stratosphere, the Emanuel batters faltered.

 

 - Fielders Joe Pato, Joel Solomon and Scott Wolk teamed up to get the ball in and make a spectacular put-out that robbed the batter of a triple.

 

 - Joel Solomon refused to stop crushing the ball.  After some sizling foul long balls, Joel got his windage right and nailed a long homer, followed innings later by a triple and another triple.

 

 - Fielding in both the infield and outfield was consistent and solid -- and periodically spectacular.  The small number of mistakes made did not result in overly dire consequences.

 

 - On the basepaths, several players demonstrated markedly higher running speeds than I'd observed in the past -- clearly we've been getting into shape as the season has progressed! 

 

 - Your illustrious coach selflessly demonstrated two baserunning techniques *not* to emulate.  While at 3rd, waiting to run home on a long fly-out, I apparently took a lead and failed to step back and tag the base prior to running home.  Even though I know the rule full well, it apparently didn't register that the ball had been caught.  Compounding the problem, coaches' calls to "GO BACK!" weren't registering either.  The moral for me: being attentive and "there" for as large a percentage of the time as possible is a good thing!

 

There are three games remaining  in the season.  Next Sunday's game is an away game for us, to be played just outside of Belmont Center.  We play the last two games the following Sunday, June 7, at our home field as a double-header: 8am and 10am.  Regardless of whether we participate in this year's playoffs, it is likely we will get as much post-season play as we would like; many teams are looking forward arranging additional games in parallel with the playoffs.

 

See you on the field in Belmont!