Still Undefeated! (4/30)

The True Foes played the Geekballers last night at Murray Bergtraum field. That's the one with fake grass where high-school teams play for as long as they want even when we have a permit saying the field is ours at 6 p.m. So we had a late start (6:30 p.m) which is pretty normal for that field. The rent-a-cops that watch the gate must have been jealous that we got to play ball on such a beautiful night while they had to work, because they were enforcing every single petty rule, like shooing us up into the bleachers instead of letting us stretch and warm up on the strip of concrete.

By the time things finally got started, the Foes had amassed quite a large cheering section of Criterionites plus family members, which was awesome. We were also overjoyed to welcome Kim (who had just flown in from California!) back to her role as our Take-No-Prisoners manager. We were up to bat first and off to a very strong start. It was a high-scoring night, but we took an early lead and held it for most of the game. In the end the ump called it a 15-15 tie, but only because it was getting too dark to play and we only had five minutes left on our permit. Boy, oh boy, was that lucky for the other team—because we were just one inning away from trouncing them for good!

There's nothing dishonorable in a tie, but honestly in this case the score does NOT indicate that the teams were evenly matched. I'd say the other team was definitely more Geek and less Baller. An appropriately geeky comparison: If it had been a role-playing game and not a real game, the True Foes would have five points for hitting powers, 5.5 points for field quickness, and a full six points for team spirit. The Geekballers would probably be rated about four points across the board. But the dice didn't cooperate—they rolled high and just got lucky.

That's not to say it wasn't fun! David Phillips and Sarah Finklea played their first game of the season, and we were very glad to have them with us. Our regular group of ringers (Glen, Brian, Softball Dave, Lipson) came out and rang, and Abbey and Issa brought the skillz as always. Laviola showed us that his first game was not a fluke—he really is quite good, and Cleo debuted with a great hit and a very impressive catch in right-center field.
Other exciting catches included Brian's over-the-shoulder move, and Willy catching two fly balls one after the other deep in right field. Jason battled the strong winds and a particularly long mound-to-plate stretch and pitched a great game. He also caught a fast line drive aimed right at his chest.

Forgive the lack of technical details, such as which inning was crucial and when exactly the runs were scored. There were also a ton of fabulous plays, hits, and steals I know I'm leaving out. Two beers on an empty stomach and a mind-numbing ride on the A train would blur even the worthiest of softball moments. A huge thank-you to everyone who came out to play and cheer! Thanks also to Johanna and Issa for hauling the equipment in their car afterwards.

It was a great game overall—I mean, win or lose, when you play ball on a beautiful spring night, and you can see the moon big and pale under the Williamsburg Bridge, and then you go and drink beer and tell dirty jokes with your teammates, you really can't complain. I don't think life gets much better than that, actually.

We can live with a tie, for now. But if we ever play them again, they're gonna get served.

GTF