Good Luck, Goodbye

Saying goodbye is difficult.

When Steve Van Zandt left the E Street Band in 1984, Bruce Springsteen is said to have penned the song Bobby Jean as a farewell. 

That song has always been a favorite of mine since I attended that epic Soldier Field concert in August of 1985.  The song blends nostalgic happiness with the sad realization of life's transitions.

In Bruce's case, he would be without his main man Little Steven and Bobby Jean was his way to deal with the loss.

In our case, we have said good-bye to three teammates over the years.  Bookstaber, Oxer, and Trout have all had to take long-term hiatuses from Tuesday nights with the Cougars.  The demands of jobs and kids had to take priority.

It certainly does not mean we need to lose contact in our electronic era.  Sure, we can send an email, make a call or like a picture on Facebook.  But the best way to maintain that human touch and the ties that bind (ok, I’m done with Bruce’s song catalog), is to spend time with those people who have made a positive impact on our lives.

So I did just that…

This past autumn, I headed out to Silicon Valley to see Stabber.

Then, at the peak of the Polar Vortex, I was with down south in Jupiter with JOx.

Interestingly, I could not catch up with Trouter even though Kenilworth is a mere three blocks away.  The man is constantly on the move.  Doting husband, father of two overscheduled kids, CEO of thriving business … what an exhausting schedule.

Well, like Miami Steve rejoining the band, after three years of Trouterless Tuesdays, Glenn rejoined us at Howard Park this week.

Being the busy guy he is, Trouter did not have time to pose for a pic.  So, I had him photobomb my selfie while launching a bomb at the plate. 

Trouter’s seamless return makes me realize that all of our bonds are unbroken even with time and space separating us. 

Muscle memory works for friendships – just like on the ball field.

Well, except when those muscles don’t cooperate on the ball field.  The Cougars have been decimated with injuries.  Melchiorre and Hoglund are hoping to come back from the DL soon, and your Captain Cougar suffered a season ending hip rip.  You’ll see me in therapy for the next few months, though without competition in my life my therapy will likely be more of the mental variety rather than physical.

I will have to stick with my reporting and blogging.  Here is the action as relayed to me from cub reporter Steve Ots for game one and as viewed from the sidelines during game two Tuesday night.

We lost to Chicken Shack 10-3 in the first half of our doubleheader and beat Slaughter House 8-4 in the nightcap.

In the first game, Shack came out with six quick runs in the first inning, followed by two runs in each of the next two innings.  For the Cougars, Fortier scored twice and Boomgaarden once on RBI hits by Martin, Lipsey, and Danielsen. 

In the second game, Slaughter House took a 4-0 lead by the third inning.  In our fourth inning, we batted around the lineup and got dizzy circling the bases like the diamond was a Spirograph.  Boomgaarten, Fortier, Danielsen, Lipsey, Bobis, McDonnell, Flannery, Kirchberg and Ivey (subbing with the wonderfully green name) all rapped hits in the eight run inning.

After the two games, it was time for the third game.  The postgame!  The Green Team headed over to the Fortier Fortress.   We did not let our injuries stop us from competitive quaffing.   All of our families and friends feasted on delectable dishes.  

                                                                                                       

As I drank till I got my fill, I realized I don't want to sit around thinking about it, but I probably will. So as time slips away, the Cougar blog leaves you with nothing but boring stories of glory days.