I still got it... just now it hurts.

[Boota]

Myself and several other guys in our 30's just played a real, honest to goodness baseball game with a team of teenagers, 14 -19. The old men actually won. I'll be 38 in August, but I feel pretty good. A little soreness, but I'm not sure whether that's age or just using muscles I haven't used like that in a while. Probably a little of both.

It started out as a challenge from a bunch of these kids who thought they knew everything about baseball. No one had come to play, but a lot of us are coaches, so we had gear in our cars. We got out on a regualtion size adult field and went nuts. The fun part was that there were nine of us and we switched positions every inning. I pitched for the first time in my life in a game situation. Didn't do all that bad. A strikeout in four pitches, one walk, and then a guy hit into a double play.

My best play was a leaping catch at the 340 sign in center and then throwing out the runner at the plate. Hurt like a sonofabitch, but I made the throw. LOL.

The very best part... there was only one home run and I hit it off the worst braggart of a pitcher on their whole team. A three run shot over the left-center fence. Home run trots feel awkward in heavy workboots.

Final score: Old Fucks - 7, Wise Ass Punks - 4

GO OLD FUCKS!

 

[glynndah]

A for the "old fuck" from the good little witch.

 

[marifree]

Love it when we beat the kids at something. GO OLD FUCKS!
The Bengay is on isle 9…

 

[tickledkitty]

Old fucks of the world unite!

 

[Edward Teach]

GO OLD FUCKS!

Good job Boota!

It's surprising sometimes what you can do and how long you can continue doing it as long as you don't believe the "conventional wisdom."

I know a guy over 60 who pitches in an adult, under 30, class A baseball league. The league is probably equivalent to American Legion, pretty good ball.
He tells me that the only thing that really causes him problems is running the bases.

 

[Salvor-Hardon]

Gimme an F
Gimme a U
Gimme a C
Gimme a K

GOOOOOO OLD FUCKS!

 

[Belegon]

thanks for sticking up for us old retired folks, buddy... always fun to take 'em by surprise, ain't it?

 

[jomar]

Way to go! (Hope you can use your arm tomorrow.)

 

[rgraham666]

Age and treachery will beat youth and beauty every time.

 

[TitianaPeaks]

Hail the Old Fucks!!!! Proof that age is good for a man, like wine!!!!!

 

[Boota]

Well, I turned out okay. No soreness the next day, other than a bruise on the bottom of my left foot. Probably a combination of playing baseball in boots and jumping up and down off the back of a truck all day. I'm apparently not as old as I thought I was. LOL.

Bel, it was a blast putting these young smart asses in their place! Especially the loudmouth pitcher. He didn't say another word to me after I sent his prized curveball into the woods. He had decent speed. I'd guess mid to high 80's on the fastball, high 70's-low 80's on the breaking stuff. Right before I hit it out he taunted me at the plate. He goes, "I won't even try to sneak it by. Here's a curve."

I hit a line drive dead center, but it went over in left center. As I rounded second base I said, "What do you think of my curve?"

 

[Belegon]

Well, I turned out okay. No soreness the next day, other than a bruise on the bottom of my left foot. Probably a combination of playing baseball in boots and jumping up and down off the back of a truck all day. I'm apparently not as old as I thought I was. LOL.

Bel, it was a blast putting these young smart asses in their place! Especially the loudmouth pitcher. He didn't say another word to me after I sent his prized curveball into the woods. He had decent speed. I'd guess mid to high 80's on the fastball, high 70's-low 80's on the breaking stuff. Right before I hit it out he taunted me at the plate. He goes, "I won't even try to sneak it by. Here's a curve."

I hit a line drive dead center, but it went over in left center. As I rounded second base I said, "What do you think of my curve?"

I'd have laughed in his face and dared him to throw the fastball... but I'd have done it with a purpose. If I could hit the breaking stuff, I would have been playing much longer.

I have always been able to crush a fastball...and how fast it was coming only helped me hit it farther. Breaking stuff? Of course, if I know it's coming.... and it wasn't really the curveball that got me. Truth be told, I can hit a curveball...

It's the %&$#^$%@(*&% slider!!!!

I've slowed down a lot, I know...I sure wouldn't want to try and catch nine tomorrow and the arm that was my greatest asset tires faster and gets sore easier. But I can still hit.

And apparently so can you!

 

[Boota]

I never really had a problem with breaking stuff. As a catcher I got a lot of looks at different pitches and judging them by rotation and delivery just came easy to me. (Of course, I'd prefer fastballs all day. LOL.) Also from being a catcher, I was used to getting hit by the ball. When I step into a batters box the most you'll get me to move on an inside pitch is to turn my head if it's at my face. Let the helmet take it. I got the reputation quickly that if you threw at me, you hit me. With all the pitchers in the league knowing that I was willing to take the hit I got pitched to a little more often than some of the other hitters I knew. They were scared to jam me up, especially with runners on.

I hadn't hit a baseball in fifteen years when I started coaching youth league back in 2002. My brother remembered how good I was at hitting and brought me on board his team as a hitting coach, specifically. I took one of the struggling kids to a batting cage to work with him on an individual basis and I decided to get in the cage to SHOW him what I meant. The whole time I was thinking, "Don't fucking strikeout! Don't fucking strikeout!" LOL. I went 20 for 20 off the machine and breathed a sigh of relief. And that kid becamse our best hitter starting with the next game.

 

[Belegon]

I took one of the struggling kids to a batting cage to work with him on an individual basis and I decided to get in the cage to SHOW him what I meant. The whole time I was thinking, "Don't fucking strikeout! Don't fucking strikeout!" LOL. I went 20 for 20 off the machine and breathed a sigh of relief. And that kid becamse our best hitter starting with the next game.

Yes, I definitely agree that the kids reacted to teaching with much more enthusiasm after they saw me get in a cage. Kids are good for a writer... they remind you to show, not tell

The fact that I was also a catcher still never gave me the ability to hit a slider. It's like I could see the damn thing every time, passing a couple inches below my bat or ticking just off the end of the bat and turning into a weak ground ball to the right side.

...and I agree about catching taking away your fear of the ball. I always figured getting on base was getting on base. To this day I snap an oath under my breath every time I see a guy make a mad dance out of the box on an inside pitch with bases loaded...

"That's a frickin' RBI you bleeping bleepity bleep bleep millionaire wimp!"