Softball on Sundays

One of my favorite things I've become involved with in the last few months is softball. I've been playing and coaching in a co-ed beer league in the city for the last seven years, but the games are 55 minutes and not nearly as competitive as I would have liked. When I was invited to play on this men's team that plays out in the Perry Hall area, I at first balked. "I don't really know anyone too well," I thought to myself, as well as, "I'm just too busy to take on anything else."

I'm sure glad I talked myself into it, though. The games are fast, competitive, and a good workout. We have to be at the fields at 8am every Sunday morning, and we play two games, ending at around 11:30 or noon every day. I've somehow carved out the position of pitcher for every game. I'm pretty good at it, and just developed a spin ball to go along with my, well, non-spin ball. I've also been hitting the ball well lately. I've gotten a lot stronger in the last year or eighteen months, and it's translated into hitting the ball harder and farther than ever before while playing softball. That doesn't stop the fact that hitting a softball is still a really frustrating exercise, though; today, I popped out to SS, as well as hit into a double-play, balancing out the three shots I hit in between.

Playing in the 95-degree heat was something else, though. I went through two Gatorades and nearly a gallon of water, and still felt pretty weak through much of it. But, damn, it sure was fun. I haven't ever had this much fun playing softball, in fact. Plus I'm making new friends and learning more about the area; today was my first visit to Gunpowder, in fact.