I have vowed to start posting again so stop back tomorrow too.

Sunday we had a 10:00 game (baseball, of course) against our arch-rivals (in the sense that we have not beaten them since my first season in this league, 1998) the Raptors. Two weeks ago we played the Nationals and led early but lost 10-5. I got three hits.

That same Sunday the Raptors beat the Bulldogs (last season's regular season champs; the Raptors, as usual, won the post season tournament) 21-0. In six innings, as it turns out. In an e-mail I had previously learned that the Raptors had had many practices, they were practiced out, or something. We had one practice, four weeks ago and that's about it. I hadn't been to the batting cage in those two weeks between games (we always schedule around Mother's Day).

I feared the worst.

We played three scoreless innings. I played them in centerfield and struck out looking at a late breaking curve ball in the first.

Top of the fourth, Ian, who's been pitching for us, gets on, then I get hit with a pitch (fastball, sideribs) and am on first when Elvis (our shortstop) hits one high and deep: homerun. I somewhat injure myself (left ankle) rounding third (running out someone else's homerun, how bad does that suck?) and wind up in the dugout for the rest of the game, except for batting and baserunning.

But, we're up 3-0 and over the next three innings we build our lead to 6-1. In the eighth the Raptors score big. Jim Engle, batting seventh or eighth, cuz they're so fucking loaded, hits a three run homer after a run was already in and they cut it to 6-5.

They'll have the top of their order leading off the bottom of the ninth, we need to get more runs (at least one). I don't remember the details but Jeff (played the whole game at second, usually a pitcher) started us with a hit and got to third as part of a bases loaded two out situation.

Passed ball! Very close backstop. Jeff's the oldest (and probably slowest) guy on our team. He takes off. The catcher jumped on the ball, only about ten feet or so from the plate, double clutched on the pick-up and threw it home (Pitcher covering). Pitcher applies tag but bobbles ball as he does so. Safe! We lead 7-5.

Dave (manager) decides to send Ian out for the ninth and his chance at a complete game win. He falls just short as their catcher gets a two out hit to left that (barely) scores the tying run from second. we get the third out. we go down 1-2-3 in the tenth. They score the winning run in the bottom of the tenth with Elvis now pitching and Ian (with a very spent arm) at short. I can't go into the details, it's still too painful. We lose, 8-7.

Fuck!