Two players down

Friday May 4th
Had a look at the scorebook, ouch, I batted .250 and Dan only got one at bat. I’ll concede he had a right to be annoyed. Jerry’s e-mails didn’t cease, we reckon that T-Bolts (our next opponents) will run away with the league, and that Sloggers, T-Bolts, ABS and ourselves are likely to be fighting out relegation. He did suggest that it maybe best for the girls not to swing the bat for the next two months. Ha ha Jerry.

Oh and in other matters Labour won the election, lost in my seat, despite my voting at 7.02am yesterday morning, I was the third to vote, Milly ensured she went before me.

Sunday May 5th
Championship Football Final Day
13.06: Arrive at the Rising Sun in Gloucester Road, and glanced at the screen, ‘great they are showing Brighton vs Ipswich (two other pubs hadn’t been), oh crap we are already one nil down!’
13.08: Sat down at the back of the pub, audience consists of student and girlfriend, he is from Sussex. Shake hands and Adam Virgo puts in parried save, 1-1.
13.09 – 15.01: The most stomach churning, gut wrenching time I have had to endure since well, last May I guess. Competing with a rampant Ipswich attack, an equally desperate Crewe and Gillingham, the fluctuations tore into the Seagull nation’s collective nerves. At half time we were safe, my fellow Albion pub dweller was complaining that there was no tension, Crewe were losing, so were Gillingham, Rob’s (he of the original 1995 line up and watching the match at the ground) text summed up the mood,

‘Very nervy! So far so good…Need 4 goals to go against us.”

Well one by one they bloody well did, on the third Crewe took the lead and Rob sent a one word text ‘bugger’ it meant that for the last ten minutes if we conceded we were relegated. Mind you Ipswich helped by playing four up front, in the end we could and should have won by four goals to one. Well, that’s what relief does for you, makes you exaggerate events as Rob’s final text amply illustrated;
“Get in!! Need new pants now!!”

And so will Carolyn Hecker, because she is pregnant, husband Barry (another 1995 original) and Carolyn came round to the house to announce the good news. We really have to get round to doing this ourselves, pretty soon please.
Then to training, after two and a bit hours, with the girls going under a performance appraisal from Debs, I came to the conclusion during batting practice that Jerry may have a point about our girls. Though, in a move reminiscent of one of those formulaic sports movies, Andrew, who I have got to describing in an affectionate way, the Quite Odd American, brings his girlfriend up to watch him, she gets roped into practice and not only can throw but also bat extremely well. It certainly shrunk Andrew’s ego!

Monday 7th May
Team management e-mails between Debs and myself Deb seems to think that Hayley B is getting a bit of attitude about her importance to the team, not wanting to play outfield because it is boring. Boring? She clearly forgot the last match then, when the outfield was busier than the M25 at rush hour. Thankfully Debs is going to do some evaluation charts on the girls’ performances, and they call me a ‘softball nerd’? I don’t want to nag Hayley, and I think that she will turn out alright.

Group e-mail to all team captain’s arrived from Piers pleading for umpiring help throughout the summer, from what I learn he’s still in Northamptonshire so why the hell is he still having to do all this chasing around? Surely, the others can pull their weight?

Tuesday 8th May
Got home earlier than expected tonight and having left my mobile phone received an urgent SOS to pitch for Real Flyers a 3rd Div team. Got there with seconds to spare, and thoroughly enjoyed the pressure free atmosphere. Went 5 for 5, all doubles and really just used the occasion to practice placing the ball where it would be equally effective in Div 2. Pitched ten times better too, quite depressed when I saw how good their girls were, even more so when I learnt that for most of them this was their first game. Highlight of the game was when the opposition centre outfielder was running to take a fly ball, stopped, slid landed on his bum, instinctively stuck his glove up to protect his face and caught the ball. The other 99 times he would have got hit in the face, so savour the moment. Sarah from the first team looks like she has stepped into help out and I forwarded all the contact information she needed.

Wednesday 9th May
After the usual 40 minute drive across three miles of Bristol and headlong dash to the pitch, spent the next 90 minutes staring into a low sun trying to determine strikes and balls, as Ge Wizz faced off with the Guppy Spotters. Gareth, he of league team fame, pitched a beauty, mainly using the sun, and his nine strong team beat a woefully out of sorts opposition.

The first team had a shut out against another favoured team, the Pitchforkers. So Ginge has yet to give up a run off his pitching in two whole matches, which is exceptional in baseball, let alone nothing short of sensational in softball Alas, any joy was understandably tempered by the news that Piers’ mum passed away last night. Having myself lost both parents you like to think you know what he is going through and have the words to help. But, everyone’s grief is individual and they will handle it in their own way. Started to make arrangements with Dunny about going up to the funeral, but again work may get in the way It was Piers’ birthday today too.