long hot softball day

a double header scheduled for 10am... eight people showed up for the game, perhaps leftover results of last week's dysfunctional mess that resulted in our first loss of the season... we won both today, mostly on my pitching and decent defense (infield errors allowed two runs in the first game and a couple of walks and an error allowed two runs in the second game)... our hitting could have been a lot better... i think we scored 6 in the first game and 12 or 14 in the second game... we gave two two runs each game, all on errors... i hit well, getting on base almost every at bat, and pitched very well, so personally i have good ego satisfaction but it is very disappointing that the team supposedly wanting to be competitive and go back to the world series is in disarray...

one player who has not come to a practice in months, did not go to the world series with us, and is extremely passive aggressive and negative on and off the field, simply did not show up without notifying anyone... that left us needing to pick up a player from another team just to be able to put nine on the field... if either team hit well, we probably would not have won... another very moody player apparently missed a ride... four others were out of town...

on a hopefully positive note, i (and some other friends who also play on our sunday afternoon team) talked jackson into signing up to play for this season... she was going to take this season off to devote more time to church activities and spending more time in her relationship, but unfortunately her relationship is either pausing or over (sigh, i will not write much out of respect for her privacy, but bottomless painful sadness fills the air these days) so she agreed staying busy with fun and friends (she loves softball) would be a good idea... not hopefully the coaches will put her in the game and not just sit her on the bench like they sometimes have done in the past...

i personally will be very unhappy with decisions that put the unenthusiastic disruptive players who don't show up for practices or games in ahead of her even if they potentially have more speed and skill... the game is mostly about spirit and those that don't have it really bring everybody down.. like last week when we game a game away, literally... and it's time i make that known (again, but louder this time) to both coaches...

then i was picked up by another team for a 1pm game and helped them to a big win, playing catcher and getting several hits... so i had a great day personally and was part of three wins, which is fun... on a more concerning note, perhaps while playing catcher and using leg muscles differently, i have an inflammation of the knee ligaments that will hopefully pass quickly... i haven't experienced this since the early days of running long distances as a teenager... healing thoughts...

jackson came by after church to watch the third game and after that she decided to sign up for this season and we hung out with our coaches team for a bit before heading home to take care of happiness and rest a bit before our afternoon game (scheduled for 6:30)... it started raining and we found out that game was cancelled and i could see jackson was struggling with emotions over her relationship (which seems to be a break-up as she {and i and everyone who knows them both} was unfriended on facebook today and if that is not a signal of it's over, well, facebook provides a new way of hurting others and dashing hopes and dreams)...