Excuses
Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 4:14 am
Most nights, I can be found at the local softball park with a headset tuned to XM Radio. I supervise at a 4-plex. My job requires solving problems that arise, but mostly to insure that everybody has a good time.
I started the night tuned to the Padres-Rays game. If anybody has listened to Rays broadcasters on radio, they know the Rays have never lost a game. The umpires, the weather, and bad luck all conspire to make sure the Rays don't win every game.
It's amusing, really.
Whenever a close call goes against their Rays, they will rail about how the umpire missed the call. Then, a few moments later, after seeing a replay, meekly admit that the umpire had made the correct call.
As I was listening to the Rays getting hosed once again, three angry softball players approached me. "We just lost a game because of your frickin' (yeah, right) umpire!" I asked them to tell me about it. They whaled that his strike zone was out of whack and that they couldn't adjust. This is slo-pitch softball. I have to use all patience in complaints over strikes/balls.
I explained that it was the same for the other team as well and how strike/balls don't usually win or lose a slo-pitch game.I asked them what the final score was. They were slow to answer, one of them admitted the score was 19-9. I smiled and told them to come back next week, ready to hit.
Boston-Colorado. Rockies broadcasters were riding the U-Haul. Jimenez was off to a great start, again. His pitches were reaching 100 mph and he was staked to an early 4-0 lead.
The wheels came off. Jimenez was rocked by the bottom of the Red Sox order.
Sidebar- Does it seem to you, too, that most great pitchers get hit by bottom of the order guys when they do get hit?
Even at 100 mph, Rockies broadcaster blamed the flu that he had shaken a day before. Jimenez was Jimenez, until he wasn't Jimenez, then, he was the flu-ridden Jimenez. C'mon man, he s entitled to a bad game.
This one will be short.
Yankees- Diamondbacks.
Dontrelle Willis walking hitters.
Because he is excited to face the Yankees.
How about, because he is Dontrelle Willis?
On the way home. XM has audio of the MLB channel.
They can't speak highly enough of Stephen Strasburg. If anybody knows how to ride the hype, it is the fellas at MLB.
When the main guy mentions that Strasburg gave up nine hits, Harold Reynolds explains that the Royals are a GREAT offensive ballclub.
Here was my reaction in the car-
I've had enough of excuses!
The Rays lose on their own merits.
Slo-pitch is not about the strike zone.
Ubaldo Jimenez is human.
Dontrelle Willis is wild.
Let Strasburg be human.
Since I can't beat them, I'll join them for a moment. Here are some excuses.
I'd have made the major leagues, but scouts couldn't see my heart.
I'd be leading the NFBC, but somebody took Ubaldo, Hamilton, and Cano right before I was going to take them.
I was only four numbers away from winning the lotto.
It wasn't my fault I took Sizemore. I e-mailed him, he told me he was going to have a great year!
I only had four, no wait, three, no wait two, yeah, two drinks, officer.
If the 352 players ahead of me in the NFBC hadn't entered, I'd be winning!
Kipling once said that we have 40 million reasons for failure, but not a single excuse.
Kipling never listened to MLB games.
[ June 24, 2010, 10:17 AM: Message edited by: DOUGHBOYS ]
I started the night tuned to the Padres-Rays game. If anybody has listened to Rays broadcasters on radio, they know the Rays have never lost a game. The umpires, the weather, and bad luck all conspire to make sure the Rays don't win every game.
It's amusing, really.
Whenever a close call goes against their Rays, they will rail about how the umpire missed the call. Then, a few moments later, after seeing a replay, meekly admit that the umpire had made the correct call.
As I was listening to the Rays getting hosed once again, three angry softball players approached me. "We just lost a game because of your frickin' (yeah, right) umpire!" I asked them to tell me about it. They whaled that his strike zone was out of whack and that they couldn't adjust. This is slo-pitch softball. I have to use all patience in complaints over strikes/balls.
I explained that it was the same for the other team as well and how strike/balls don't usually win or lose a slo-pitch game.I asked them what the final score was. They were slow to answer, one of them admitted the score was 19-9. I smiled and told them to come back next week, ready to hit.
Boston-Colorado. Rockies broadcasters were riding the U-Haul. Jimenez was off to a great start, again. His pitches were reaching 100 mph and he was staked to an early 4-0 lead.
The wheels came off. Jimenez was rocked by the bottom of the Red Sox order.
Sidebar- Does it seem to you, too, that most great pitchers get hit by bottom of the order guys when they do get hit?
Even at 100 mph, Rockies broadcaster blamed the flu that he had shaken a day before. Jimenez was Jimenez, until he wasn't Jimenez, then, he was the flu-ridden Jimenez. C'mon man, he s entitled to a bad game.
This one will be short.
Yankees- Diamondbacks.
Dontrelle Willis walking hitters.
Because he is excited to face the Yankees.
How about, because he is Dontrelle Willis?
On the way home. XM has audio of the MLB channel.
They can't speak highly enough of Stephen Strasburg. If anybody knows how to ride the hype, it is the fellas at MLB.
When the main guy mentions that Strasburg gave up nine hits, Harold Reynolds explains that the Royals are a GREAT offensive ballclub.
Here was my reaction in the car-
I've had enough of excuses!
The Rays lose on their own merits.
Slo-pitch is not about the strike zone.
Ubaldo Jimenez is human.
Dontrelle Willis is wild.
Let Strasburg be human.
Since I can't beat them, I'll join them for a moment. Here are some excuses.
I'd have made the major leagues, but scouts couldn't see my heart.
I'd be leading the NFBC, but somebody took Ubaldo, Hamilton, and Cano right before I was going to take them.
I was only four numbers away from winning the lotto.
It wasn't my fault I took Sizemore. I e-mailed him, he told me he was going to have a great year!
I only had four, no wait, three, no wait two, yeah, two drinks, officer.
If the 352 players ahead of me in the NFBC hadn't entered, I'd be winning!
Kipling once said that we have 40 million reasons for failure, but not a single excuse.
Kipling never listened to MLB games.
[ June 24, 2010, 10:17 AM: Message edited by: DOUGHBOYS ]
on right now into the pool.