The Pain...The Pain

You know I'm not a big sports guy. Sports are fun as long as they are just that...Fun. When it gets serious, I don't like it. Although I'm the one who usually get too serious with it, so that's why I don't play. Plus the fact I'm not built for it. My legs are misaligned. My arms are slightly "double jointed". In these later years my knees are not swell every time I walk around Wal-Mart.

This past Tuesday there was to be a softball game at the church's college property for the men after work. I thought it'll be fun. Why not? I actually had forgotten about playing at lunch time, but I talked to my wife on the phone and she encouraged me to go even so much to tell to buy me a new glove. I did and I went.

All was well in Mudville. I am very self conscious about my sports prowess or lack there of, but I got on base the second time I batted. I didn't do too bad playing first base. Yeah, I missed catching some balls, but then again who didn't. But then the fun part began. On one particular at bat, I got on first due to an error of one of the outfielders. Great. The next batter hit the ball directly to the short stop. Yes, a made to order double play ball. In microseconds, it flashed through my brain an instance from my youth.

It was also in a double play ball and I raised my hands as I slid to interfere with the short stop's view of first. He threw the ball any way and hit my hand. Ow. Who ever was umpiring, declared both were out since I intentionally interfered with the play. Yeah, right. My hand throbbed for some time afterwards. No, I won't do that again, and no, I'm not sliding in. Knees hurt too bad. He'll just have to throw around me.

Back to the present. I saw the short stop, a former marine who served in Desert Storm. Very strong man. Eagle scout type of a guy. Captain America. (no it wasn't Steve Rogers) He tagged the base and cocked his arm about ten feet away. Thought, "NO HE DIDN'T JUST…" That's last thing I remember lying on my back. No. I hadn't slid which he expected me to do, and hit me directly in the head with the softball.

I'm not a guy to make a big deal at getting hurt because let me tell you I've seen 'em. Cause if I was, I'd be making a big deal all the time. But it took just a bit for me to get up. My first words were, "I think I need to go set down. Wait, what am I saying? I'm out any way." Well, this time they let the guy stay on first base since I wasn't out of the base line. Taking one for the team I was. I played the rest of the evening with a HUGE knot on my head. I went home and put ice on my head.

I got such a head ache. I tried to go to work the next day, but came home early and went the doctor who said talk a pill and put ice on it. (Wow. Thaaanks.) I called in sick the next day to rest.

Shoulda stayed home and played MVP baseball.