We make the playoffs at 3-3 and find ourselves among the low seeds scheduled to face a top seed -a team called National Pastime that features the Yankee logo but with a P in lieu of the Y.
Your faithful correspondent warms up and is feeling very good entering the game.
Somewhere in the back of my mind lurks the John Locke character from LOST! warning Jack that he is supposed to stay on the island as if he has a destiny slated specifically for him. As we go 3 up and 3 down in the first inning , I stride to the mound wondering if our team has a destiny today or perhaps are merely an obstacle in the destiny of National Pastime.
We get two outs but with a runner on third they loft a routine fly ball to left field that drops in safely. I have to admit some disappointment as the ball looked like an easy or routine play from my vantage point but a run scores giving them the lead. In our previous game against the Tuscson Toros we had some difficulties if left as well with a fly ball dropping and a throw that found its way into the third base dugout allowing two runs and giving the Toros a lead. In the next two innings we have two more fly balls to left that drop in and soon the National Pastime leads 3-0. The baseball gods have given up on us as they know the rigid rules of the game. They are a humorless lot and show no mercy on teams not making plays.
Charlie Zunda leads off the 4th with a single and advances to second on a fielders choice. the National Pastime has a nice pick off play with a runner on second and employ it again and have Charlie caught off second. Realizing his circumstance, Charlie races to third and the pick off to second goes into goes into center field. Charlie scores on a ground ball and we are back in the game at 3-1.
But in the 5th they get two solid hits and with two out and runners on second and third their hitter lines a clean single to right scoring 2 more and giving them a 5-1 lead. The rest of the game was quiet as they did not have a baserunner thereafter but we did not get a runner to second . In a way it reminded me of the Game 2 in the 1996 World Series when Atlanta's Greg Maddox shutout the Yankees 4-0. I took my son to his first ( and only) World Series game that night but it was devoid of suspense. The Yankees got one or two runners to second and trailed 4-0 early and soon the game was over without any drama or excitement. And so it was with our game. We never mounted a threat and trailing early put more pressure on the hitters.
At the playoff level if you have a weakness it will manifest itself. Teams that make all the plays throw strikes and keep hitting the ball have a much better chance to fulfill their destiny.
If you take the field with less than championship level players then you should expect the destiny to be somewhat less than championship level. The National Pastime went on to win the championship by pitching, defense, and hitting . They were the better team today and deserved to win.
So we trudge off the field with disappointment and the realization that to win the championship we need to be better. In this way , we are fueled with a determination to improve and with a lot of work next year maybe we will be good enough to win the championship- we are not that far away -and when you are good enough winning is your destiny because you have earned it.
Your faithful correspondent warms up and is feeling very good entering the game.
Somewhere in the back of my mind lurks the John Locke character from LOST! warning Jack that he is supposed to stay on the island as if he has a destiny slated specifically for him. As we go 3 up and 3 down in the first inning , I stride to the mound wondering if our team has a destiny today or perhaps are merely an obstacle in the destiny of National Pastime.
We get two outs but with a runner on third they loft a routine fly ball to left field that drops in safely. I have to admit some disappointment as the ball looked like an easy or routine play from my vantage point but a run scores giving them the lead. In our previous game against the Tuscson Toros we had some difficulties if left as well with a fly ball dropping and a throw that found its way into the third base dugout allowing two runs and giving the Toros a lead. In the next two innings we have two more fly balls to left that drop in and soon the National Pastime leads 3-0. The baseball gods have given up on us as they know the rigid rules of the game. They are a humorless lot and show no mercy on teams not making plays.
Charlie Zunda leads off the 4th with a single and advances to second on a fielders choice. the National Pastime has a nice pick off play with a runner on second and employ it again and have Charlie caught off second. Realizing his circumstance, Charlie races to third and the pick off to second goes into goes into center field. Charlie scores on a ground ball and we are back in the game at 3-1.
But in the 5th they get two solid hits and with two out and runners on second and third their hitter lines a clean single to right scoring 2 more and giving them a 5-1 lead. The rest of the game was quiet as they did not have a baserunner thereafter but we did not get a runner to second . In a way it reminded me of the Game 2 in the 1996 World Series when Atlanta's Greg Maddox shutout the Yankees 4-0. I took my son to his first ( and only) World Series game that night but it was devoid of suspense. The Yankees got one or two runners to second and trailed 4-0 early and soon the game was over without any drama or excitement. And so it was with our game. We never mounted a threat and trailing early put more pressure on the hitters.
At the playoff level if you have a weakness it will manifest itself. Teams that make all the plays throw strikes and keep hitting the ball have a much better chance to fulfill their destiny.
If you take the field with less than championship level players then you should expect the destiny to be somewhat less than championship level. The National Pastime went on to win the championship by pitching, defense, and hitting . They were the better team today and deserved to win.
So we trudge off the field with disappointment and the realization that to win the championship we need to be better. In this way , we are fueled with a determination to improve and with a lot of work next year maybe we will be good enough to win the championship- we are not that far away -and when you are good enough winning is your destiny because you have earned it.
