Cougars: Stranger Danger

As kids we were taught not to play with strangers.

And where can you typically find a stranger? A park, of course.

But not all people unknown are necessarily dangerous. So let’s delineate the difference between good and bad strangers.

New Cougar jerseys?

Good Strangers: Any person or persons new to the Cougars. Beset with injuries the team has had more strangers than familiars on our roster. After Tuesday, no longer strangers to the green scene are Gieselman, Ivey and Tevonian.

Bad Strangers: Any person or persons trying to overtake and beat the Cougars at a park. Especially those teams with a name that sounds like an abduction.

Team He Gone was our opponent on Tuesday night.

This team, even with only one win this season, was potentially dangerous. They are bigger, stronger and younger than the Cougars and certainly did not have good intentions.

We all know not to accept sweets from a stranger but Team he Gone offered up cookie pitching and we feasted at the plate all night.

Ah, the kindness of strangers.

Boomgaarden and Fortier each scored in the first inning on raps by Martin and McDonnell. In the fourth, Gieselman and Melchiorre ran home on hits by Radtke and Boom. In our last two at-bats, Danielsen, Melchiorre and Rads had tallies on smashes by Ivey, Philthy and Fortier.

With the Wilmette Police Station as the backdrop to Howard Park, we knew we had a safe haven if we were in danger. We were happy the police were not at the game because our defense was downright larcenous. Our fingerprints were all over the ball and we only let up one run.

The Cougars avoided any danger and snatched a 7-1 triumph.

Flannery’s backyard is also a safe haven for a victory celebration. In fact, it is a Cougar sanctuary. Surrounded by botanical goodness for the soul, we ingested gastronomical goodness for the gut.

You are probably wondering where all the kids were while the dads played and partied. Well, we let them play at the park by themselves all night.

At the rate the Cougars are dropping, these four, no strangers to danger, may be on the playoff roster next week.