Sunday, July 11, 2004
Woohoo!
So, my Virginia softball team just won the Championship. It was pretty awesome. We've never done that before. In fact, the only other time we made the playoffs, we weren't able to field a team, which was kind of frustrating. It was pretty sweet to win, but for the preceding three-four days, I felt like a yo-yo. Let me explain:
- The top two teams in our division make the playoffs. We had been fighting for second the whole season.
- We fall into third place.
- I'm informed by the first place team, which ends up going 20-0, that they were placed in the wrong division, and as such may get bumped up when the playoffs start. This might mean that two additional teams (2nd and 3rd) will make the playoffs.
- We play the second place team in a doubleheader, needing a sweep to make the playoffs. We split against them, meaning that we finish tied for third.
- I call the league office, who informs us that they will be bumping up the first place team, but will not be taking two additional teams from our division, and therefore our season is over.
- On the Wednesday before the playoffs (which are on a Saturday), at 2:30 pm, I get a call from the league office, informing me that a team from a lower division did drop out, and therefore they will be taking an additional team from our division. If we can get a team together, we can play, but I have to let them know by 4pm.
- I frantically call the players on the roster to see if they can make it. In the playoffs, the monitor the roster like hawks, to make sure that teams don't bring in non-rostered "ringers" just for the playoffs. About seven of our typical players say they can make it. A couple don't respond immediately, including Justin, who is in a meeting until 4.
- At 4pm, we find Justin, and he says he can play.
- I call the league office and tell them we're in, even though we only have about 8 players committed.
- I look at the roster and realize that Justin's not on it.
- I tell Justin that he can't play, and he's very understanding about it. However, that leaves us with only about seven people committed. A couple people say they can play after 3pm, but since our first game is at 9:50 AM, that doesn't help very much, especially since it's a double-elimination tournament.
- On Thursday and Friday, a couple people finally call me back and say they can make it, giving us enough (10 players) for the first couple of games. However, a couple of them will have to leave early, but I figure I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
- I go to Modell's on Friday, looking for softballs. We need new ones, and have run out. They don't have the kind I need.
- I leave work on Friday, and bring my copy of the roster, just in case. I get a ride to a different softball game that evening with Justin, so I bring my copy of the roster into his car, as well as a lot of other stuff.
- After the softball game on Friday, I move my stuff into Sam's car and we head home. As I'm going to sleep, I realize that I don't have the roster, but I figure it's no big deal.
- I wake up in the middle of the night, realizing that the playoff rules might specify that I have to have my copy of the roster.
- I basically don't sleep the second half of the night, and wake up early. I check the rules on the web, and it says that I am responsible for bringing my copy of the roster.
- I get in my car at 8:30 (for a 9:50 game in Virginia), intending to head to work, where I assume I've leave the roster.
- In my car, I can't find my badge to get me into my office. I head back into the house.
- I look in my pants that I wore Friday night, trying to find my badge. It's not there.
- I go back to my car and scour it, searching for the badge. It's in between the seat and the armrest.
- I head to work at 8:45. I run up to my office. The roster is nowhere to be found.
- I conclude that the roster must be in Justin's car. I give him a call. Not surprisingly, he doesn't answer, and I figure he's asleep.
- I haul ass to Justin's house, and look in his car. The roster's there.
- I bang on his door for a minute or two, and he finally answers. I've clearly woken him up. I explain the situation and he gives me his car keys. I get the roster, thank him profusely, and get back in my car. It's now 9:00.
- On the way, I decide I have enough time to stop at the Sports Authority in Virginia, in an attempt to find softballs.
- I get to Sports Authority and run in. They don't have the right kind of softballs. I run back out.
- I speed to the field. I get there with 5 minutes to spare. Remember, the tournament is double-elimination.
- We start the game. Everyone's there but Doug. We start the game with 9 guys, but our opponents have 8 guys, so we're in good shape.
- A league official comes around to check that all of our players are legal. He has his own copy of our roster, and says I didn't need to bring my own. Dammit.
- Doug shows up in the bottom of the first inning. No one shows up for their team, and we go on to win 32-13. (It's not that impressive - with 8 guys, it's really tough to play.)
- Charlie says he can stay for the whole day. That's one less person I have to worry about leaving early.
- We wait for an hour to play. It's pretty hot out.
- We win the second game 18-3. We just clobber the other team.
- We go to lunch, since we have two hours to wait before the next game. I find a Modell's, which finally has the right kind of softball. 12 balls cost 68 bucks. Yikes!
- We play our third game. It's really tight. We go into the 7th tied 2-2. This is incredibly low-scoring for softball. We win in the bottom of the 7th, 3-2.
- We now have to wait for another two hours. One guy has to leave, but we get a replacement for him.
- We play out last game of the day at 6:30. We win 13-9, as with two outs, Doug hits a triple in the bottom of the 6th to break a 9-9 tie.
- We plan to continue the tournament Sunday, having played 4 softballs games over a 10 hour period.
- We all show up Sunday, and it turns out that we're facing the team we had just beaten on Saturday night. Remember, it's double-elimination. They've lost once (to us), and we haven't lost at all. So, if we win, it's over. If we lose, we play again to determine the champs.
- We play as poorly as we have the whole tournament. We don't hit very well, and screw up a couple of plays in the field. We go into the bottom of 5th down by 5. I assume we're likely to lose, but I'm ready to win the next one.
- Doug hits yet another triple, driving in two. We score four in the inning, finishing it down by one.
- We enter the bottom of the 7th down by one run. The last two batters in our order get on, Chang with a single, and Mike H. with a walk. Karl flies out, so we have runners on 1st and 3rd with one out.
- Doug hits a triple, scoring Chang and Mike H. from first. We win.
- We win! Did I say that already? Everyone played some great softball. Justin comes to the last game to cheer us on, even though he isn't allowed to play, good sport that he is. If I were him, I would call me bad names.
- I finish the tourney 13 for 17, having played some pretty solid ball. Really, though, it was a great set of team victories. I'm proud of everyone. We won 5 games in a row! It was a lot of fun, and it's nice to win. If you're nice to me, I'll let you see our trophy sometime.
- The top two teams in our division make the playoffs. We had been fighting for second the whole season.
- We fall into third place.
- I'm informed by the first place team, which ends up going 20-0, that they were placed in the wrong division, and as such may get bumped up when the playoffs start. This might mean that two additional teams (2nd and 3rd) will make the playoffs.
- We play the second place team in a doubleheader, needing a sweep to make the playoffs. We split against them, meaning that we finish tied for third.
- I call the league office, who informs us that they will be bumping up the first place team, but will not be taking two additional teams from our division, and therefore our season is over.
- On the Wednesday before the playoffs (which are on a Saturday), at 2:30 pm, I get a call from the league office, informing me that a team from a lower division did drop out, and therefore they will be taking an additional team from our division. If we can get a team together, we can play, but I have to let them know by 4pm.
- I frantically call the players on the roster to see if they can make it. In the playoffs, the monitor the roster like hawks, to make sure that teams don't bring in non-rostered "ringers" just for the playoffs. About seven of our typical players say they can make it. A couple don't respond immediately, including Justin, who is in a meeting until 4.
- At 4pm, we find Justin, and he says he can play.
- I call the league office and tell them we're in, even though we only have about 8 players committed.
- I look at the roster and realize that Justin's not on it.
- I tell Justin that he can't play, and he's very understanding about it. However, that leaves us with only about seven people committed. A couple people say they can play after 3pm, but since our first game is at 9:50 AM, that doesn't help very much, especially since it's a double-elimination tournament.
- On Thursday and Friday, a couple people finally call me back and say they can make it, giving us enough (10 players) for the first couple of games. However, a couple of them will have to leave early, but I figure I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
- I go to Modell's on Friday, looking for softballs. We need new ones, and have run out. They don't have the kind I need.
- I leave work on Friday, and bring my copy of the roster, just in case. I get a ride to a different softball game that evening with Justin, so I bring my copy of the roster into his car, as well as a lot of other stuff.
- After the softball game on Friday, I move my stuff into Sam's car and we head home. As I'm going to sleep, I realize that I don't have the roster, but I figure it's no big deal.
- I wake up in the middle of the night, realizing that the playoff rules might specify that I have to have my copy of the roster.
- I basically don't sleep the second half of the night, and wake up early. I check the rules on the web, and it says that I am responsible for bringing my copy of the roster.
- I get in my car at 8:30 (for a 9:50 game in Virginia), intending to head to work, where I assume I've leave the roster.
- In my car, I can't find my badge to get me into my office. I head back into the house.
- I look in my pants that I wore Friday night, trying to find my badge. It's not there.
- I go back to my car and scour it, searching for the badge. It's in between the seat and the armrest.
- I head to work at 8:45. I run up to my office. The roster is nowhere to be found.
- I conclude that the roster must be in Justin's car. I give him a call. Not surprisingly, he doesn't answer, and I figure he's asleep.
- I haul ass to Justin's house, and look in his car. The roster's there.
- I bang on his door for a minute or two, and he finally answers. I've clearly woken him up. I explain the situation and he gives me his car keys. I get the roster, thank him profusely, and get back in my car. It's now 9:00.
- On the way, I decide I have enough time to stop at the Sports Authority in Virginia, in an attempt to find softballs.
- I get to Sports Authority and run in. They don't have the right kind of softballs. I run back out.
- I speed to the field. I get there with 5 minutes to spare. Remember, the tournament is double-elimination.
- We start the game. Everyone's there but Doug. We start the game with 9 guys, but our opponents have 8 guys, so we're in good shape.
- A league official comes around to check that all of our players are legal. He has his own copy of our roster, and says I didn't need to bring my own. Dammit.
- Doug shows up in the bottom of the first inning. No one shows up for their team, and we go on to win 32-13. (It's not that impressive - with 8 guys, it's really tough to play.)
- Charlie says he can stay for the whole day. That's one less person I have to worry about leaving early.
- We wait for an hour to play. It's pretty hot out.
- We win the second game 18-3. We just clobber the other team.
- We go to lunch, since we have two hours to wait before the next game. I find a Modell's, which finally has the right kind of softball. 12 balls cost 68 bucks. Yikes!
- We play our third game. It's really tight. We go into the 7th tied 2-2. This is incredibly low-scoring for softball. We win in the bottom of the 7th, 3-2.
- We now have to wait for another two hours. One guy has to leave, but we get a replacement for him.
- We play out last game of the day at 6:30. We win 13-9, as with two outs, Doug hits a triple in the bottom of the 6th to break a 9-9 tie.
- We plan to continue the tournament Sunday, having played 4 softballs games over a 10 hour period.
- We all show up Sunday, and it turns out that we're facing the team we had just beaten on Saturday night. Remember, it's double-elimination. They've lost once (to us), and we haven't lost at all. So, if we win, it's over. If we lose, we play again to determine the champs.
- We play as poorly as we have the whole tournament. We don't hit very well, and screw up a couple of plays in the field. We go into the bottom of 5th down by 5. I assume we're likely to lose, but I'm ready to win the next one.
- Doug hits yet another triple, driving in two. We score four in the inning, finishing it down by one.
- We enter the bottom of the 7th down by one run. The last two batters in our order get on, Chang with a single, and Mike H. with a walk. Karl flies out, so we have runners on 1st and 3rd with one out.
- Doug hits a triple, scoring Chang and Mike H. from first. We win.
- We win! Did I say that already? Everyone played some great softball. Justin comes to the last game to cheer us on, even though he isn't allowed to play, good sport that he is. If I were him, I would call me bad names.
- I finish the tourney 13 for 17, having played some pretty solid ball. Really, though, it was a great set of team victories. I'm proud of everyone. We won 5 games in a row! It was a lot of fun, and it's nice to win. If you're nice to me, I'll let you see our trophy sometime.
Comments:
In case you haven't already seen enough pictures of Dan looking silly, check out "Las Vegas 2004" in my online photo album. And don't worry, there will be more soon (as soon as I get the pictures from his camera).
Next time, please try to be more thorough in your descriptions of such major life events. I think I speak for all of us reading that we would much prefer the unabbridged retelling of the story, not this short, 5 second explanation you tried to offer up...
Is your trophy as big as the Wanamaker trophy (given to the winner of the PGA Championship - google it)? If not, I'm going to be disappointed.
I also checked out those pictures of Dan...good stuff. I'm going to check that website out some more. Perhaps this elusive "Lauren" person really does exist...
Is your trophy as big as the Wanamaker trophy (given to the winner of the PGA Championship - google it)? If not, I'm going to be disappointed.
I also checked out those pictures of Dan...good stuff. I'm going to check that website out some more. Perhaps this elusive "Lauren" person really does exist...
# posted by 
: July 13, 2004 at 4:04 PM
: July 13, 2004 at 4:04 PM
WTF? Holy moly, my girlfriend and my fraternity brothers... just blogging away like animals! all without my knowledge! BTW, why do I have to log in now to make comments? I haven't had to do that with old archive comments I made. - Mystery Man
# posted by : July 14, 2004 at 5:30 AM
: July 14, 2004 at 5:30 AM
Hmmm...I hadn't realized that the comment system was so annoying, Mystery Man. I have to be logged in to post, so I never knew that you had to log in to make a comment. That is kind of stupid. Well, I'll leave it up to you, dear readers - go back to the old comment system, or stick with this one?
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