I gained a little more respect for ballplayers today. When I originally heard that local wards were organizing coed softball games, I didn't pay much attention because I have minimal athletic skills (to put it kindly). Then my neighbor Jessica told me that the rules require a girl to bat every other time, and there were so few females on our ward's team last week that she had to bat multiple times each inning. She made it sound like our team needed women. Any women. Even uncoordinated women who haven't played since junior high (i.e. me). So this morning Phillip and I donned tennis shoes and baseball hats, then sallied forth to ye baseball diamond.
Today's game actually went better than I expected. I learned it's ten times easier to catch a softball with a glove than without (who knew?), and I managed to not strike out any of the TEN ZILLION (OK, more like twelve) times I went up to bat. Jessica is out of town this week, so Lisa Larsen and I took turns batting between the male players. Once I crossed home plate just in time to pick up a bat and face off with the pitcher again. Exhausting but fun.
Of course, I don't want to keep all these good times to myself. So all you female readers (and any males who feel so inclined), PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE come join us next Saturday. No skills or experience needed - Lisa and I hadn't played in fifteen years (that's each, not total).
Incidentally, I forgot to have Phillip snap a picture of me at bat (perhaps next week), but here are a few shots of the best-looking player on our team:
5 comments:
Just wondering, is the spectator in the top photo falling asleep or checking to see if his shoe is untied? Just wondering. Mom S.
I'd guess he's checking his deodorant.
Incidentally, there were actually many supportive family members watching our game. They just chose to sit in the shade off to the right rather than baking in the bleachers. :)
I'm so curious...what is the rationale behind requiring women to bat every other time, particularly given that so few women seem interested in playing?
Like it or not, guys tend to be better than girls at sports (speaking generally, not universally :). Consequently, I think the officials require girls to bat often so teams with lots of male players don't have an advantage.
Incidentally, they also place cones in the outfield a good distance from the bases, and when a female player comes to bat the outfielders must stay beyond those cones until she hits the ball. Presumably, that's so I don't have to suffer the humiliation of watching them approach within inches of baseline when I'm at bat.
Not that I ever hit out of the infield, anyway.
Nancy, Kim mentioned several supportive family members watching the game. Is she trying to tell you something?
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