Your baseball playing days growing up?

[ElTiburon026]

No, Greg is Mo's cousin.

[cartman00000001]

Got a couple of interesting stories

Pony League. I was 14 playing LF and was the team's closer. We were the only team in the league with a closer. I LOVED it. We were in the tournament championship (double elimination) and we already lost 1 game. The team we were playing had no losses, and were the home team.
Game 1, tied (don't remember the score) winning run on third, with 2 out. They bring me in. The runner at third had a BIG lead. Being a lefty, I spun and fired to third. I would have had him, but the throw was too high. The umpire says "nice move pitch" to me. I go into the stretch again. I looked at third, and the guy has the same big lead. I said to myself "that SOB didn't learn". I fired to third again....spot on!!! Picked his @ss off third. Game goes into extra innings. I pitched 2.2 of scoreless ball, we score 4 in the extra frames, and we win. My coach game me the HARDEST high-five I've ever had in my life!!

Game 2: Before the game, I was horsing around with 2 girls, ran backward, turned around to run and BAM!!!... I ran into a telephone pole, knocked unconscious. I played the game, went 0-3, but we still won. I barely remember the game. After the game, I went to the hospital and was diagnosed with a concussion. I still have my gold medal.

Second story. 2004 I was in a fast pitch softball league. Against this team I went 3-4 with 2 HR's and a triple. I saw a girl on a chair on the RF line and I was like "oooh...she cute!!" She was the girlfriend of 1 of the opposing players, but I was still checking her out. Come to find out, it's now my current GF, and she remembers me torching her ex's team with my display of power!!

[BINGLEBOP]

Awesome... so chicks do dig the long ball.

[gosensgo101]

No, Greg is Mo's cousin.

Actually, Mo is Greg's cousin. Jeez.

[cartman00000001]

Awesome... so chicks do dig the long ball.

you bet they do!!!

[Pavelb1]

My story is short. I was on the JV high school team and we were playing the varsity team. Our coach was pitching for the Varsity. After sitting me on my ass with the first curveball I had ever seen, I beat out a DP after a sharp grounder to SS.

I was always stealing so i took off first chance I got, while running i saw an infield grounder had been hit. I don't know what exactly happened next cause I had my head down, but I took a sharp turn around second and looking up I saw our coach, the pitcher *walking* to the baseball which was at a dead stop about 10 feet in front of him. He had his back to me, he was walking to the ball and i had a ton of momentum from rounding second so I took off for third.

Well, it wouldn't be a story if i was out....I took third off our coachs lack of hustle. The varsity team ribbed him a bit about it too.

[JeepGuy63]

I once got a concussion in practice While blocking the plate on a play at home. This was back before we were required to wear the one piece helmut/cage. I tossed my mask aside to take the throw and was hit helmet to head. What a collision and while I was knocked flat on my ass, I held onto the ball.

I was yelled at for stealing bases. On this one team that was so bad that I had joined mid-way through the season, I singled and in an attempt to show what I could do, swiped second without even drawing a throw. Of course, I was stranded on second because no one else could hit the damn ball. When the inning was over, I came back to the dugout to get my glove and the manager and coaches start yelling at me, saying "They didn't care how I did it elsewhere but here we wait for the steal sign". Of course, next time up, I did it again.

On this same team, the manager's son batted behind me. The guy was a real tool. I get a single and they put on a sign for a sacrifice. The pitcher goes into his motion and I take off. I'm sliding into second and the guy squares to bunt and pops the ball right up to the third baseman. Of course, I'm a dead duck. Next time up, they call for the same thing and once again, the guy pops the ball straight up and another double play. This time I'm yelling about asking guys to bunt who don't know how to. At 17, I was tired of taking **** from crappy players and managers who didn't know a thing about baseball. When they said stupid stuff, I was more than happy to point it out for them. For the few games I played with this team before quitting, they didn't seem to know what to do with me or where to play me. They stuck me in right until they saw how much field I could cover before moving me to left. After robbing the best player in the league of a home run and gunning another guy down after trying to get an extra base, they moved me to shortstop.They just didn't know what to do with me, where to play me or where in the order for me to bat. I was ninth in the order my first game and batted once, hitting a double off the "unhittable" pitcher, then they sat me. I only played 5 games but I moved down the order each time - I wanted to lead off so I could get more at bats but that didn't seem to register with these guys.

They lost all 8 games of the first half (before I got there) as well as the 5 games I played. I suggested that maybe they needed a change at manager because there were people sitting on the bench that were better than some of the guys that were playing the whole game. The manager gave this speech about stepping down before we actually took a vote - all the guys on the bench wanted a change because they knew they'd at least get to play while the starters wanted the manager to stay. We were outnumbered so I quit shortly after.

[cartman00000001]

Ignoring coaches? Yelling at teammates? Is this Manny Ramirez?

[JeepGuy63]

Ignoring coaches? Yelling at teammates? Is this Manny Ramirez?

It wasn't so much ignoring them in this case, no one told me ... not until after the fact. How I was supposed to know they had signs if no one tells me. Everywhere else I played, I had always had a green light to steal. Two pitches in and I knew with the pitchers high leg kick and the catcher's arm, they wouldn't get me and I was right ... twice.

When your 0-8 team can't score runs because they can't hit, you do what you can to get some runs ... I was doing just that. A little dinky single, I score from second.

Oh yeah, I was an intense player. I liked to win and I did everything in my power to do just that and I wanted to play with guys who wanted to win, too. Unfortunately, I played with people who didn't always want to.

I was coached by more father's with kids on the team who weren't very good or weren't as good as other guys sitting on the bench. I was coached by guys who were more interested in lighting up their joints than baseball. I was coached by guys who knew nothing about baseball. I think I had a right to be pissed, especially when it was my parent's money that was paying for me to play.

[cartman00000001]

Can't say I agree with you, but it's not important that I do.

[RedsoxRockies]

I once got a concussion in practice While blocking the plate on a play at home. This was back before we were required to wear the one piece helmut/cage. I tossed my mask aside to take the throw and was hit helmet to head. What a collision and while I was knocked flat on my ass, I held onto the ball.

I was yelled at for stealing bases. On this one team that was so bad that I had joined mid-way through the season, I singled and in an attempt to show what I could do, swiped second without even drawing a throw. Of course, I was stranded on second because no one else could hit the damn ball. When the inning was over, I came back to the dugout to get my glove and the manager and coaches start yelling at me, saying "They didn't care how I did it elsewhere but here we wait for the steal sign". Of course, next time up, I did it again.

On this same team, the manager's son batted behind me. The guy was a real tool. I get a single and they put on a sign for a sacrifice. The pitcher goes into his motion and I take off. I'm sliding into second and the guy squares to bunt and pops the ball right up to the third baseman. Of course, I'm a dead duck. Next time up, they call for the same thing and once again, the guy pops the ball straight up and another double play. This time I'm yelling about asking guys to bunt who don't know how to. At 17, I was tired of taking **** from crappy players and managers who didn't know a thing about baseball. When they said stupid stuff, I was more than happy to point it out for them. For the few games I played with this team before quitting, they didn't seem to know what to do with me or where to play me. They stuck me in right until they saw how much field I could cover before moving me to left. After robbing the best player in the league of a home run and gunning another guy down after trying to get an extra base, they moved me to shortstop.They just didn't know what to do with me, where to play me or where in the order for me to bat. I was ninth in the order my first game and batted once, hitting a double off the "unhittable" pitcher, then they sat me. I only played 5 games but I moved down the order each time - I wanted to lead off so I could get more at bats but that didn't seem to register with these guys.

They lost all 8 games of the first half (before I got there) as well as the 5 games I played. I suggested that maybe they needed a change at manager because there were people sitting on the bench that were better than some of the guys that were playing the whole game. The manager gave this speech about stepping down before we actually took a vote - all the guys on the bench wanted a change because they knew they'd at least get to play while the starters wanted the manager to stay. We were outnumbered so I quit shortly after.

You seem to appreciate yourself to much

[Arctic Blast]

I kind of find it sad that the 'winning is the only thing' adage seems to have definitely taken hold.

[JeepGuy63]

I kind of find it sad that the 'winning is the only thing' adage seems to have definitely taken hold.

You don't like to win?

[Arctic Blast]

You don't like to win?

Of course I like to win! However, that's not all it's about for me.

I guess I need a little more information...I mean, if the league you were in was supposed to be oriented towards more high level play, okay, I can see your issue. However, if it's just a standard league...well...you kind of have to expect not everyone is taking it as seriously as if it's the majors.

[JeepGuy63]

Of course I like to win! However, that's not all it's about for me.

I guess I need a little more information...I mean, if the league you were in was supposed to be oriented towards more high level play, okay, I can see your issue. However, if it's just a standard league...well...you kind of have to expect not everyone is taking it as seriously as if it's the majors.

This wasn't exactly co-ed softball or a beer drinking league so I guess I'm not sure what a "standard league" is. It was for high school players and was watched by high school coaches.

On a team that didn't win a game, I guess it wasn't about winning but if you're not going to give your best, why even play?