The New Guy

I had my first softball game last night where I am the "new guy" on the team.

Normally, I like to play for two teams but one of my teams from last year disbanded so I hooked up with this one through my brother-in-law. Team T2 we're called. I'm not sure what it means. I don't really care either.

Of course, since I'm a know-it-all about baseball, I feel the guy running the team isn't terribly baseball savvy. He's a nice guy and will listen but he doesn't appear tuned into the little things so I find myself biting my tongue about positioning and lineups and such. I don't know if I can keep it up forever but I'm going to try. Its a bit tough being the "new guy" but I certainly don't want to be "bossy guy" or "whiny guy" or "dickhead guy" or whatever. So I'll keep my mouth shut. I hope.

Anyway, I was dismayed upon arrival that I was batting 9th. Usually I'd bat second or third or perhaps 6th on a real high-level tournament team. But I understand these guys have been together a while so I will have to earn their respect and a better batting position by my play. They don't know me yet or what I'm capable of, so I'll just have to make them notice me. That's my plan, anyway.

Evidently, I'm pretty cocky when it comes to softball. For the most part, the game comes easy to me and I am confident enough in my abilities not to be too nervous even when I'm trying to impress new teammates. Having said that, I've had no practices yet this spring and only went to the batting cages once where I hit the ball pretty crappy.

I quickly learned my new team hits pretty well, so I was actually able to get up in the first inning. I was concerned I hadn't found my stroke yet but liked how their pitcher tossed the ball and felt I could hit him well. I swung at the second pitch and smacked a hard one hopper right back at him. Tournament teams frown on "shooting the pitcher" and would usually retaliate by hitting a few back at your pitcher so I would never intentionally do that, but my swing was a bit anxious. And this ain't no tournament team. Nobody even noticed. In any event, he bobbled it so I was cruising as quickly as my once-fast 40-year-old legs would allow me to try to reach first. That never happened. I caught my toe in the kitty-litter like sand on the baseline and fell! I fucking fell face first half way to first base. Great!

I have no idea how I pulled that one off, but I think my cleat might have been coming apart as upon inspection later it was split. Guess who will be shopping for sporting goods soon?

Anyway, they are really a bunch of nice guys who were sincerely concerned that I was okay. I was except for my sprained ego. I also got a couple "nice hustles". Oh brother! That's all I need; sympathy encouragement. I thanked them but I was peeved at myself inside. Fucktard!

When it was our turn to go into the field I trotted out to my new position: right field. Yeah, the position where most teams try to hide a shitty player. Naturally, I was slightly miffed about that too but kept my mouth shut. I aimed to show them the best right fielder that league has ever known.

So the other team proceeds to get a few dinky hits and the third batter hits a short pop my way. As I ran in I peeked at the first baseman to see if he had it and when it looked like he might not, I called him off. "Mine, mine, mine." Good player that he was, he peeled off so I could cruise in and make the catch. Except, I missed the ball. I fucking missed the ball completely! Was it the wind? The uneven ground? Do I suck all of a sudden? I don't know, but a run scored and I felt like total shit.

"Good try! Good hustle." Terrific! Double rat-farts!

Now I know they're all thinking "who's the retard in right?" I should have just given them the name Corky or something, except I think he'd play better than I had so far.

Things progress and my next time up I hit a triple to right, then later a double to left center, then a double to right center and finally another triple to right. I think I drove in like 7 runs and scored 4. I even made a catch on the next ball hit to me. Later I moved to left and made a nice catch on a liner at the foul line. Things had to get better, didn't they?

We all hit well and won something like 34-3. This is a team that has a chance to do good things in this league. As long as Corky doesn't make another appearance.

I think I redeemed myself and will be allowed back.