Fear the Crab

My fourth year of participation in the AUW charity softball tournament saw better success than last year, as the UH System Darksiders won its third championship in four years. If I had to peg one reason for the turnaround, it was the effort of our outfielders taking away the opposing teams’ big hitters.
Continued ~

Two weeks ago The Office participated in the annual AUW Softball Tournament. Normally I’m jazzed to report about this event, but I needed some time to get over this year’s poor performance. Unlike the last two years, we were eliminated in two games thanks to some shoddy defense, and while our bats were “okay” we couldn’t stop the other teams from scoring.

Continued ~

One year after the events in this post, the UH Systems Darksiders took the field once again for the AUW softball tournament.  Almost the same rules as last year, with three-inning games, 10-run mercy rule, and 20-minute time limit.  This year, all teams were required to field a minimum of two women.  Some of us believe our team was responsible for this rule change, since last year we only had one woman, and she didn’t play all the games.

Maile came with me this year.  I think she’s my good luck charm.  At the stadium, we found a sticker on her jacket, with a number the same as on my team shirt.  We don’t know where she picked it up from as it was on her back, but we thought it was a strange and rather interesting coincidence.

Played against HCC in our first game. We won after three innings by a small margin, perhaps no more than a couple of runs.

Played against UH Manoa in the second.  This was another game won after three innings, but the we had to play from behind and rally in our last at-bat.  I was particularly lucky in this one; at bat, with two outs and runners on first and third, I lined to the third baseman.  I figured I was done, but the ball squirted out of his glove, I reached on an error, and the winning run scored.

Played against WCC in our third game.  This was a brutal game that lasted the full twenty minutes.  Thankfully we were ahead by a few runs at that point, but this game was another lucky break since we were on the field trying to stop their contact hitters.

Single!

Our three straight wins put us in the championship game.  Unlike last year, we would only need to beat the opposing team once to secure the victory.

Our opponent from the loser’s bracket was our first match-up, HCC.  They did what we did last year; fought their way through to earn a spot in the last game.  They definitely were looking for the upset, but did they have the legs?

We lost the first game on a controversial call.  Bottom of the third, down by one, two outs, bases loaded, I was up to bat.  I hit a weak grounder to the shortstop, and out of the corner of my eye I could see that the fielder wanted to get the force at second, but the baseman wasn’t there.  I hoped that delay would ensure that I beat out the throw.  It did!  My foot fell on the base, followed by the ball in the glove.

Unfortunately, the umpire didn’t see it that way.  I think he was just trying to make things interesting.  Besides, I had made a few mistakes whilst playing first (couldn’t stop some errant throws on the force-outs), and I think those undoubtedly put us in that position in the first place, so there was no reason to argue the call.  We had one more game.

Our team woke up in the second game.  We gave up four runs in the top of the first and only managed to score one during our at-bat.  However, in the second, our defense made no mistakes, and our bats came alive to score nine.  That’s how it would end after three as we held on and got the last remaining outs to secure the win.

Final game

As a team, we’re now back-to-back champions.  I heard through the grapevine that a lot of teams this year were pretty sore about losing to us, and had stepped up their practices to keep pace.  Now that we’ve won our second tournament, I’m pretty certain all the other teams will be gunning for us.

Or they’ll change the rules again.

Champions

I plan to join a fast-pitch softball league this fall.  I have never played fastpitch softball, only slow pitch where it’s a more leisurely underhand toss.  Oh sure, I played baseball, but I was never really good at that.  Come to think of it, I was never really good at the slow-pitch league, either.  Ah well.

I had always intended to play in a softball league, but the only question was which one.  I asked my dad for references to the leagues he used to play in, which were all of the slow-pitch variety.  The league usually played on weekday evenings, which would be perfect for my schedule.  I already had the equipment and the experience so I would be able to fit right in without requiring any training (except, of course, for bettering my swing).

My co-worker at The Office said his team is continually looking for players, but the league is fast-pitch.  Joining that league would mean that, while I might be familiar with the concepts, I would be starting from scratch and adjust to the different dimensions of the diamond, the speed of the pitch, and the change to the bat swing.

Fast-pitch softball requires a lighter bat, so that you can bring it around quicker.  This means that a batter relies on speed to make contact with the ball, since reaction time is significantly reduced.  The fact that the pitcher stands quite close to home means even less time to register the ball.  Essentially I have to become a slap-hitter, someone who just gets the ball into play and hope my speed and short base paths win me an infield single.

Slow-pitch softball is pretty much the opposite.  A batter relies on power to try and get the ball into the outfield.  With enough time to judge the ball’s trajectory, the only question remaining is how good the hand-eye coordination is and how powerful the bat is brought to contact.  In such games, sometimes a heavier bat can help, because the extra weight can translate into an increase of kinetic energy once contact is made.

The one thing that solidified my decision to join the fast-pitch league was the probability of seeing some playing time.  The slow-pitch team my dad used to play for is pretty much established; the current players have solidified their positions and as a result newcomers have to be really good in order to earn starter status.  My dad told me he got a position as a pitcher, because there weren’t too many at the time.  Even then, he didn’t really play much when he was in the league, usually brought in towards the end with the starter got tired.  Some days, he had a beer in the first inning because he knew he wasn’t going to be playing.

My dad really joined the league for the social gathering, and that’s primarily the reason I am looking for a league to play in as well.  I just would like a bit more activity under my belt than just the rear-end reheating of leveled sitting surfaces.

Anyway, I decided that I needed to get a new bat, so I got a very light Easton-brand fastpitch bat.  I also purchased some all-important protection.

This league begins play in early August, which is only a week away; I hope I am ready by then.

* * *

EDIT:  Major sadness!  Turns out that I am required to be a resident of the area in order to play.  The league does allow exemptions, but to qualify for an exemption I have to be of a certain age, which I am not.  Aw, man.

For anyone here with even a passing interest in professional sports, the impetus to choose a franchise to root for can sometimes involve complex mathematical calculations. Hawai`i is not the only state without a professional team, but unlike states on the continent, neighboring teams aren’t a simple stone’s throw away.

I think many people here do follow certain teams based on proximity. California can be considered the “closest” neighbor, and by consequence a number of professional teams in that state have been “adopted” by Hawai`i locals. I know a telephone book’s worth of people who cheer for the NFL’s Oakland Raiders, and an equal number for the San Francisco 49ers. The Los Angeles Lakers in basketball is always a popular choice.

Baseball seems to have a more widespread audience here. I’m not sure if it’s a result of the long history of little league baseball in Hawai`i, with its tradition of borrowing professional names like Cubs, Reds, and Pirates. It seems likely that you might have some kids who would turn to the professional teams for inspiration. However, I played little league, and I didn’t find myself cheering for my team’s professional counterparts.

I’m sure popular culture goes a long way in attracting the fair-weather fans. I’ve seen many Yankees and Red Sox hats being flaunted about. Basketball jerseys from the Spurs, Suns, Cavaliers, and Heat are worn both on and off the court. Football apparel from the Eagles and Patriots seem quite popular.

I haven’t mentioned the possibility that people who move to Hawai`i from other states bring their favorite teams with them. The sheer number of transplants from military assignments alone is enough to bring a diversity of die-hard fans, and it is only added to by the amount of people who come to the islands for their own personal reasons.

I was asked why I chose the teams that I follow, and with one exception, my choices were made by video games:

~ Tampa Bay Buccaneers: I’ve liked this football team since they wore the creamsicle colors and were the laughing stock of the league. For those two reasons, I chose them when I started to play Tecmo Super Bowl III, because I liked whooping ass against the stronger teams. The Bucs have since strengthened my commitment with a Super Bowl win.

~ Detroit Red Wings: There aren’t a lot of hockey fans in the islands, and I won’t go into the many theories as to why this is so. Despite the lack of media coverage here, I’ve liked the Red Wings because of their long history as one of the Original Six. Their logo and simple color scheme of red and white is probably the cleanest and most recognizable in the sporting world. My appreciation for them was solidified in part by NHL 2K, where it became VERY easy to distinguish the many players on the ice. I’m quite happy that they’ve just won their 11th Stanley Cup.

~ Seattle Mariners: The only team I cheer for NOT decided by video games. I started to follow the Mariners from my college days at Puget Sound in Tacoma, and Seattle was the state favorite. I entered into the mix with players like Ken Griffey Jr, Randy Johnson, and the iconic Jay Buhner. I had long hair at the time, and it was always a joke that I would attend one of the games on “Buhner Buzz-Cut” days to get it all shaved off.

Represent!

Played softball on Friday. It was a mostly-informal tournament between some of the UH campuses and the Aloha United Way. 3-innings, slow pitch, 20-minute games or 10-run mercy rule. Your own teammate pitches to you. I played on the “Systems” team which included administrative, professional, and technical staff. Schedule of events were as follows:

* First game against the Aloha United Way team. We won that game thanks to the 10-run mercy rule.

* After about twenty minutes of rest, played against UH Manoa B (there were two Manoa teams). We lost that one because of the 20 minute rule and couldn’t score enough runs in time. That put us in the loser’s bracket.

* In loser’s bracket, an hour later, we played AUW again. Also again, we won by mercy rule.

* Another long wait until our next game against UH West Oahu. Won game after 20-minute rule.

* Not too much of a wait this time, and our opponent became Windward Community College. Won game by mercy rule.

* Suddenly we had to play another game, this time against the team that beat us, UH Manoa B. This time we won by 20-minute time out.

* Now, thanks to winning, we were in the championship and had to face unbeaten Kapiolani Community College. Another consecutive game without rest, and this time there would be no mercy rule nor a 20-minute game. It’s the championship and we would have to grind it out until three innings. I don’t know how long the game was, but we ended up winning with a final score of 21-3.

* Because we were from the loser’s bracket, in order to be considered the champion we had to play KCC again. Another consecutive game, our fourth in a row, and like before there would be no mercy and no time, just straight 3 innings. By this point, we were exhausted, and our batting slowed considerably. However, thanks to some great defense we managed to pull off the win by a score of 7-4.

Actually, defense was the basic key towards our success, but that knowledge came after a series of harsh lessons. After the first game, we got a bit complacent and any time someone got a hit, they’d jog around the field. That came back to harm us because we didn’t score as often as we could have, and learned a painful lesson about the 20-minute rule. When the other team scored ahead of us, we ran out of time to catch up and ended with a loss.

Later, as I was scouting the other teams, I noticed that some teams would field an extra infielder or outfielder. We only had the 4 basic infielders and 4 outfielders, plus 1 catcher. I brought this up to our “manager” (who was basically one of the VPs who volunteered), and he found out from the officials that we could field up to 10 players, so it was legal.

Finally that brings me to defense. We played in a baseball stadium, with the fence 325 feet from home. However, the bases were set at softball field dimensions of 60 feet. This meant that if a ball was hit past the outfielders, the batter would be rounding third by the time the ball was reached. Our players understood that it was better to keep any hits in front, even if it meant a single or double. This allowed us to keep the other team from scoring big runs.

Still, we had some skilled players. Most of us had previous experience in baseball or softball, so it wasn’t difficult to communicate effectively during play. It’s a lot easier when all you have to do is shout “Two!” to a shortstop and he knows that he should throw to second base.

This is why I say defense was key. Sure, our batters could knock some home runs (see rule about keeping ball in front; other team didn’t do that), and we started running hard to get extra bases, but it was our defense that enabled us to win by mercy rule or keep the other team from scoring. Our team had multiple double-plays (the only other team to turn a double play had just one), and we were the only team to tag someone out at home.

So we won the championship and was rewarded with UH football and volleyball tickets. I scored me some volleyball tickets for November, so I plan to attend as I have never been to one.

Last night the University of Hawaii Foundation called me, at 2045 as I was lying in bed. Normally I don’t expect calls from organizations at that hour, especially on a Sunday evening, but I didn’t feel intruded upon nor was I offended once I learned the nature of the call. After listening to the introductory spiel and want for information (I told them to look me up in the directory, but I don’t think the girl caught the hint that I was now staff), the UHF hit me up for $500.00.

Ew. No. Uh-uh. $500.00 is a big hit on my paycheck after all the taxes and other deductions, plus expenses coming up for household maintenance and it’s right before the big holiday season. I politely explained that I do not have $500 to spare, to which the girl responded with a request for $100.

Another no, since I was already put off by the five bennies. At this point I was starting to lose patience, so I asked if there was an online donation form or somesuch where I could at least consider an amount that I’ve determined myself. The girl told me that they can send me a donation card, but they’ll need a “minimum amount” to write on the card, and if I wanted to donate more then I could always donate more.

Of course, had they offered me that at the very beginning, when I was a lot more patient and pleasant and all-around in a good mood, I might have told them to send the card and mark it for something like $25.00. Trying to get people with a high amount from the get-go seems to be a surefire way to set someone on the wrong track.

On Saturday I went to softball practice. The women’s softball coach was gracious enough to let us borrow some bats and softballs. Only 4 other people showed up, though, so we just had batting practice. This lasted for a good hour, and right from the start I could tell just how out of shape I was (and still am). I also broke a couple of dime-sized blisters on my left hand, thanks to not wearing batting gloves and swinging a leather-wrapped bat with rapid frequency.

I’m going to use my bicycle gloves for Tuesday’s practice and Friday’s game. It’s not the same, but it’ll do for now. If I ever get into a regular league, then I will invest in new equipment.

I did manage to hit one over the fence, though, so that was a minor moment. Of course, the softball stadium fence is 200 feet away, so that’s not saying much.

My brother was back in town, and our house was as it was before my mom’s accident. However, everyone was how they were today. I was busy with fish-related things, but there were other people in the house, and many were from my old karate dojo. In fact, we were having a tournament of sorts, where we would compete against each other.

I remember noticing a man and a young girl, his daughter, who were newcomers, black belts, and I knew, or was told, that my brother and I would be competing against them.

I came to the realization that I had not been practicing karate since 1987, and I was nowhere near being in perfect physical condition. I made this publicly known, and I guess I was spared the humiliation of being trounced by some dude and his daughter.

My brother, however, accepted the challenge. He had not been practicing karate for a longer time than me, and it showed during the competition. Maile was there, and I remember her commenting after my bro tried a particular move, “Oh no, that move was a fake!” This was because she knew what moves my brother knew, I guess.

Finally, it got so bad that my brother performed a ninja disappearing act, and we were all wondering where he went. I knew that he was in our bathroom, with the door locked, and I told no one. So everyone went home, and my bro came out, and the first thing he said was, ‘Notice my new colors?” and his belt was back to white.

My dad mentioned something about how we now knew there were too many competitions. I mentioned that our dojo was interested more in form than physical contact, and asked my brother if he even knew what purpose each maneuver was for. He replied no, but he was also on his laptop doing something for an online game. However, he was being honest, and it made me think that perhaps that was the reason he lost, because he was just going through the motions. I asked him to show me a move we learned in our dojo, and I would tell him what its intent was for, since I was aware of these things.

Thank goodness I woke up at that point. Very disturbing dream and I don’t know if I want to try to analyze this one.

IRL, my brother is not a coward, and we both know what our dojo taught, and the purpose of blocking and striking moves. And most importantly, there were never any competitions between members, because as I said, the dojo stressed form and physical fitness over actual combat. That isn’t to say that if you went in with an attitude of non-learning that you’d still get by, you just wouldn’t be getting everything that was offered.

I was watching an american football game, but it was unknown what the teams were. I was watching it as though I was a roaming camera, zooming in and out of the action, panning overhead, capturing the many angles. I watched a touchdown play happen and then the holding call to bring it back.

Funny, today is the first exhibition game for professional american football.

I also dreamt that I discovered my pygmy corys required a temperature of 3 degrees F in order to survive. It was because they were arctic fish.

Now, I know that to be false, because pygmy corys are tropical. Still, when I woke up I checked online and thankfully my dream was wrong.