- Joined
- Mar 7, 2021
- Messages
- 103
- Reaction score
- 111
- Points
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- Age
- 75
1965 Owensville, Indiana
Strange but true! This play of mine is not one you will ever see if you live where baseball is played with close cropped grass or Astro Turf.
This went into the dark pages without one comment at Daily Snopes!
Not one of my fav web sites BTW!
My thread was 'Off-the-wall sports plays seen or done'. I put it in Sports, but the manager moved it to Amusement Bark. The owner of that big site is a tad odd.
Since it was moved I thought it was deleted. More than a month later I found it. It was fairly well accepted and had several interesting posts. I quickly said sorry for being late, and thanked the folks replying. They had entered some wild ones!
I was upfront with all who had replied nicely and I wrote this is my reason for starting that thread; My Colt League baseball play so off-the-wall at age 16!
Picture this; A night time game behind the old school with about 100 folks watching. On topic and do interact with me if you can guess the "paranormal" smack down of this small town's long forgotten all sports story. All answers will get my reply PDQ!
We had never beat Vendall the "best" Fort Branch, Indiana team being played. We always won over EMGE the other team from the same neighboring town. It was the 6th inning and we led 7 to 6 with two outs. The tying run was on 2nd base. I played first base and prepared to defend against their left handed batter and first baseman now walking up to home plate.
The first pitch was low and he slammed an in bound low liner parallel to the foul line. I moved left to try a catch with my big red Taiwan made first baseman glove. I missed by a foot!
And now my weird baseball play anomaly begins....
I turned left over the foul line! I threw down my glove! I pulled out my floppy billfold from my rear hip pocket! I threw off my cap! I headed into right field as fast as I could run! I yelled at the fully capable right fielder, "Danny! I've got it!" Danny was charging the ball and stopped well short in amazement. He stayed put allowing me the still rolling ball which I grabbed with my right hand!
Time out for this note; Our school's custodian mowed the grass all cut around 4-5" with his International Cub tractor. This friction on the ball gave me a chance to catch up to it. But I did not think about that factor. I was mad at myself for missing the ball!
I turned around and yelled loudly, "Jerry!" Our catcher already knew the baseball was coming his way. My eyes were blurry with wind tears from my adrenalin enhanced run. I reared back and threw to home plate around 180-200 feet in a try to nullify the tying run.
The ball was not cut off by Darrell our smart second baseman. It flew shoulder high all the way dead centered into Jerry's unmoving glove placed chest high. He turned to meet the runner. The runner didn't slide hoping a collision would dislodge the ball. A huge dust cloud arose as I watched with clearing eyes. Jerry jumped up holding the ball up high. Floyd our umpire yelled, "You're out!" Also with a high swing of his arm.
As I returned to pick up my dis-guarded items our second baseman Darrell said, " That's three away. Let's go in!" Car horns were honking and there were a lot of smiles in the dugout. I got many pats on my back for that irregular play.
Over time figuring this out I came up with this reason for my anomaly or off-the-wall stunt. It was sparked by being scorned and spiked by their first baseman. Before the many games we played I would speak to him. He would never return the gesture. He got on base a lot, and I really noticed his habit of spiking my ankle with steel spikes. Other players seldom hit my ankle.
I never will forget the look on his face as he walked in from second base. He threw his batting helmet at the dugout fence. We won 9 to 6 after my base hit into Center Field and Gary's two run homer! I hope he remembers that anomaly of revenge to this day. I don't remember his name, but I sure remember that play!!
MK IV Class of 66 OHS
Strange but true! This play of mine is not one you will ever see if you live where baseball is played with close cropped grass or Astro Turf.
This went into the dark pages without one comment at Daily Snopes!
Not one of my fav web sites BTW!
My thread was 'Off-the-wall sports plays seen or done'. I put it in Sports, but the manager moved it to Amusement Bark. The owner of that big site is a tad odd.
Since it was moved I thought it was deleted. More than a month later I found it. It was fairly well accepted and had several interesting posts. I quickly said sorry for being late, and thanked the folks replying. They had entered some wild ones!
I was upfront with all who had replied nicely and I wrote this is my reason for starting that thread; My Colt League baseball play so off-the-wall at age 16!
Picture this; A night time game behind the old school with about 100 folks watching. On topic and do interact with me if you can guess the "paranormal" smack down of this small town's long forgotten all sports story. All answers will get my reply PDQ!
We had never beat Vendall the "best" Fort Branch, Indiana team being played. We always won over EMGE the other team from the same neighboring town. It was the 6th inning and we led 7 to 6 with two outs. The tying run was on 2nd base. I played first base and prepared to defend against their left handed batter and first baseman now walking up to home plate.
The first pitch was low and he slammed an in bound low liner parallel to the foul line. I moved left to try a catch with my big red Taiwan made first baseman glove. I missed by a foot!
And now my weird baseball play anomaly begins....
I turned left over the foul line! I threw down my glove! I pulled out my floppy billfold from my rear hip pocket! I threw off my cap! I headed into right field as fast as I could run! I yelled at the fully capable right fielder, "Danny! I've got it!" Danny was charging the ball and stopped well short in amazement. He stayed put allowing me the still rolling ball which I grabbed with my right hand!
Time out for this note; Our school's custodian mowed the grass all cut around 4-5" with his International Cub tractor. This friction on the ball gave me a chance to catch up to it. But I did not think about that factor. I was mad at myself for missing the ball!
I turned around and yelled loudly, "Jerry!" Our catcher already knew the baseball was coming his way. My eyes were blurry with wind tears from my adrenalin enhanced run. I reared back and threw to home plate around 180-200 feet in a try to nullify the tying run.
The ball was not cut off by Darrell our smart second baseman. It flew shoulder high all the way dead centered into Jerry's unmoving glove placed chest high. He turned to meet the runner. The runner didn't slide hoping a collision would dislodge the ball. A huge dust cloud arose as I watched with clearing eyes. Jerry jumped up holding the ball up high. Floyd our umpire yelled, "You're out!" Also with a high swing of his arm.
As I returned to pick up my dis-guarded items our second baseman Darrell said, " That's three away. Let's go in!" Car horns were honking and there were a lot of smiles in the dugout. I got many pats on my back for that irregular play.
Over time figuring this out I came up with this reason for my anomaly or off-the-wall stunt. It was sparked by being scorned and spiked by their first baseman. Before the many games we played I would speak to him. He would never return the gesture. He got on base a lot, and I really noticed his habit of spiking my ankle with steel spikes. Other players seldom hit my ankle.
I never will forget the look on his face as he walked in from second base. He threw his batting helmet at the dugout fence. We won 9 to 6 after my base hit into Center Field and Gary's two run homer! I hope he remembers that anomaly of revenge to this day. I don't remember his name, but I sure remember that play!!
MK IV Class of 66 OHS
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