Old Age Softball

You read my "Summer Hummers" post, and you know that I have played some softball in my day. The truth is that I used to play quite a bit of softball starting back in elementary school. I played both fast pitch and slow pitch growing up in WF. I played for a softball team while we lived in Dallas and Bo was a baby. I played for team when we moved to Vernon. Then my softball days stopped other than a few family friendly games now and then. It is one of those games that I love, but it hard on me now.

During those early softball years, I played with some pretty serious girls – some I wondered about their sexual preferences, but never asked. They were just rough, tough girls, and lots of fun. Last Tuesday Jesse and I went to see the movie "What Happens in Vegas." It was not very good, unless you like watching Ashton Crutcher and Cameron Diaz scantily clad and being mean to each other throughout the movie. But there was one line in the movie that made me bark out loud with laughter. The scene was in a bar in Vegas where the two sidekicks were fighting and being rude to each other. The guy sidekick introduced the girl sidekick with "This is my lesbian sister – tell them about your softball team." It was just such a perfect line. It also reminded me of last summer while in RR. We were out dancing at the Mother Lode when a group of girls came in. They were all beautiful. They were part of a softball team in RR for a tournament. Some of the softball team struck up a conversation with Lindz. My sister was watching all of this and said, "Hmm, I wonder what team she plays for?" Lindz was horrified.

So last night Toby and I went to one of Jesse’s coed softball games. She had games at 7 and 8 PM. Ashley came to watch too. As we settled down in the stands for the first game, Jesse came running up to say that they were short one girl and needed another player. Ashley was a real sport and went to play softball when she is not a softball person. I was very proud of her for playing, but I was as nervous as a mother hen. She did great, but could not stay for the second game. Ashley loaned me her tennis shoes and I played the second game. It was great fun. Once again, the guys on the team were not expecting anything from me other than a body to fulfill the numbers on the team. When I got up to bat, I hit the ball into the outfield and got on base. They were thrilled. Of course, it was my best hit of the evening – I am so out of practice.

I played hind-catcher. As the game went on, the next team was arriving for their game. It was a team that many of our church young people play for. Not only did a crowd of Jesse’s age friends, show up, but their parents as well. They all got a big kick out of watching me playing hind-catcher. At one point, I was mouthing off to the batter, as any good hind-catcher should do, when I heard my preacher behind me. He was teasing me, telling me to keep my head in the game, but I was thinking, "Great! The preacher catches me talkin’ trash to the batter." Our team came from behind to win the game. Everyone told me how "cute" I was as hind-catcher. Toby said, "You are going to be so stiff tomorrow." I reminded him that my grandfather was pitching for the sr. citizen team at the age of 71. Toby replied with, "Yes, but he was playing with people his own age."