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MikeWaters · 05-26-2011, 07:31 PM

Have joined a city league softball team. I don't know anyone on the team--it's a neighborhood thing. I knew we were signed up for the very lowest level.

So I had some trepidation in showing up, given my inexperience playing. I played intramural softball once, and it was not organized well, and I did not play well either (especially batting).

I was especially worried that I might embarrass myself batting. We took to the field and each person took a turn batting while the rest of us fielded. I was one of the last to bat. I had bought some batting gloves, and I wondering if I should be a total d-bag and put them on or whether just get up there and bat bare-handed. Screw 'em. I'm going to wear my gloves, I don't care if I look like a pretentious d-bag with no skills.

I guess I have gotten stronger with age, because I was beating the hell out of the ball compared to the other guys. Middle-aged suburban guys--soft in the middle, most of them. I'm a pretty active guy. But I was surprised. After about 20 swings at the plate, I noticed I was breathing pretty heavy. I'm not a Will Clark smooth-swing type. I'm a samurai maximum-effort chopper, so I guess it was kind of like the effort of swinging an axe 20 times as hard as you can.

We had one guy on our team, that struggled to hit the ball past the pitcher. He was so weak, he might as well have been swinging a wet noodle.

Anyway, it's fun, and its reminding me of my little league days. I'm relearning my lost love of the great American pastime. I think. And yes, I'll be wearing my d-bag batting gloves!

05-26-2011, 07:31 PM	#1
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,365	Softball Have joined a city league softball team. I don't know anyone on the team--it's a neighborhood thing. I knew we were signed up for the very lowest level. So I had some trepidation in showing up, given my inexperience playing. I played intramural softball once, and it was not organized well, and I did not play well either (especially batting). I was especially worried that I might embarrass myself batting. We took to the field and each person took a turn batting while the rest of us fielded. I was one of the last to bat. I had bought some batting gloves, and I wondering if I should be a total d-bag and put them on or whether just get up there and bat bare-handed. Screw 'em. I'm going to wear my gloves, I don't care if I look like a pretentious d-bag with no skills. I guess I have gotten stronger with age, because I was beating the hell out of the ball compared to the other guys. Middle-aged suburban guys--soft in the middle, most of them. I'm a pretty active guy. But I was surprised. After about 20 swings at the plate, I noticed I was breathing pretty heavy. I'm not a Will Clark smooth-swing type. I'm a samurai maximum-effort chopper, so I guess it was kind of like the effort of swinging an axe 20 times as hard as you can. We had one guy on our team, that struggled to hit the ball past the pitcher. He was so weak, he might as well have been swinging a wet noodle. Anyway, it's fun, and its reminding me of my little league days. I'm relearning my lost love of the great American pastime. I think. And yes, I'll be wearing my d-bag batting gloves!