A Single Southern Guy in America

September 23, 2004

Everybody Was Kickball Ballin'

Speaking of being teased, lately...

I play Kickball. You can find me near second base, a beer a few yards behind me.

We still have not won a game and due to an unfortunate circumstance where we had to forfeit a game (too many people were hungover in Fayetteville after the Hogs-Longhorns game). Because of the way wins and losses are rated for the season standings, our standing right now is a -1.5. I could go into all the reasons why we as a team suck so bad, but that could make a novel. I mean when you field about six different people each game, it's a little hard to get a good team groove going on.

So last Sunday, we had the last game of the day at 7 o'clock. That meant as darkness fell, we played under the lights baby. That's right, just like a big time sports club, our field had lights. By the end of the game, we felt our groove coming to us at last. We had scored and were fielding better than a John Deere tractor in a Kansas wheat field. With beer in hand, I even spent a few innings coaching third base (and coached a run in to home on a sacrifice fly). Since both of our teams agreed that we needed the practice and there was no one else waiting on the field, we decided right then and there to have an impromptu scrimmage. Girls against guys--girls were skins. Okay, not really, we counted off ones and twos.

We played till almost ten o'clock under the lights and the beer gods smiled upon us when a late arrival brought a cooler full of beers with him. As a team we learned something that night. We could play with the competition. With the removed pressure of having to score and only having six innings, our players performed well. I even moved over to shortstop to get a little experience there (unlike my dating life where I seem to be the ULTIMATE shortstop...).

My play of the game while running was my bad @ss scissor kick like slide into the second which made the second baseman miss the throw and I got to jump up and run on to third. The slide left a nasty scrape on my right arm, but I've never been one to shy from taking one for the team. The point is we started coming together as a team and realizing that maybe as a team we can be ballers.

This Sunday. we play the league founder's team. They're one of the best and I'm sure like every other team, their players will trot out with cleats and sticky gloves and the like. I'll stick with my Mikes and Aunt Jemima syrup thank you. In any event, we may be primed to pull of an upset and move our rating back into a positive column. It's bound to happen at some point, and if it doesn't, it's no worry. We still have more fun than any other team out there. And except for the one all-girl team, we have the best male-female ratio of any team in the league.

Now, I know many of you may remain skeptical about the whole notion of adults playing kickball. Heck, I was too when I was first approached about playing for a team. I'm in now. And I can't turn back. I'm hooked better than a foot-long catfish on a trotline. Now, before you go off thinking this must be some backwards Little Rock thing, take a look at this report from CNN Headline News that covers just the D.C. area Kickball league.

My name is Adam, and I play Kickball.

~Also, the competition is still open for the I'll put on the back of the jersey. The leading four are:

99 Problems

The Don

Quixote

La Mancha

Make up one you think can knock one of those out or vote for your favorite in the comments.

Posted by Adam H at September 23, 2004 11:14 PM ~ Link Cosmos | Trackbacks (1)
Velociworld linked with Kickball?

Comments

I almost went to that game. Yeah I did.

Posted by: Melissa at September 24, 2004 01:42 AM

Are you really playing for the kickball or the beer and camaraderie?

Posted by: Queen Goddess at September 24, 2004 08:52 AM

And you make fun of me for volleyball classes? Hmmm....

Posted by: KR at September 24, 2004 10:04 AM

Oh Adam....my long lost love! You haven't changed a bit!

Posted by: Shelley at September 24, 2004 12:34 PM

Let's see if I can play catch up here...

Melissa--sure you did, you've got another opportuntiy this Sunday, Reservoir Park, 6 p.m. Bring beer, but remember to buy it on Saturday.

QG--Uhmmm, yes. All of the above. Actually it started with xamaraderie and beer, but then my competitive streak showed up.

KR--I have been wondering how long it would take you to come back at me with that line. See the difference is I don't take lessons--I just bring the game. Heh.

Shelley--My long lost Shelley--where the and how the heck have you been?

Posted by: Adam at September 24, 2004 02:38 PM

I did. I was going to go there with Toby Chu.

Posted by: Melissa at September 24, 2004 03:06 PM

Holy smokes Melissa! I didn't know you knew Toby! Toby rocks! She's one heckuva a catcher too!

Posted by: Adam at September 24, 2004 03:17 PM

You doubt my know all be all powers, do you?

Posted by: Melissa at September 24, 2004 04:30 PM

AHH, AHH, AHH, AHH. Your Jedi powers will not work on me Melissa Skywalker.

Posted by: Adam at September 24, 2004 04:32 PM

The Force is strong in that one.

Posted by: Melissa at September 24, 2004 06:49 PM

Grownups play Kickball? No shit? I wanna play!

Posted by: Velociman at September 25, 2004 06:58 PM