Get 'Em By The Tale

It's tough to write about a loss.  Most people just cover up the bad stuff and only put their best selves out there.  This happens on Facebook all the time.  When we look at our news feed, our friends are all sparkly and shiny without a failure in sight.

Not here at the Cougar blog.  We double down on the damage while philosophizing about resilience and redemption. 

We write tales about our tough games and Captain Cougar usually references an unfortunate personal story from his past to somehow tie into the present loss.

High school GPA of 1.9?  Sure, put that out there.  Rejected by over 30 employers?  Yep, show ‘em the letters.  Fail out of college twice?  Must be shared.  How about getting arrested?  Naturally, let it all out!  Give a girl the wrong phone number?  Yes, that too.  Three-game losing streak? Write it down!  Lose to Shack by 10 runs?  Of course, that must also be shared with video and pictures to boot!

It was a steamy night at Howard Park and we played our biggest and longest rival, Chicken Shack.

Shack stepped to the dish in the top of the first and plated a run for an early lead.  The Shackers scored two more in the second and we held them scoreless in the third and fourth.

Over the first four innings we only notched three hits by Rads, Boom, and Fort with only Boom crossing the plate for a score.

The fifth was big for the red team with five runs.  Shack up 8-1.

We held them scoreless in the sixth highlighted by a, Bobis to Danielsen to Li’l Rads double play (Video 36:47).

Shack scored three more in the seventh to make it 11.  Let’s note that it should have only been two runs because the replay shows that the ump missed a call at the plate (Video 43:25).  Shack hit the ball to Joker in right field and he fired it to Fort who gunned it to Rads at home plate.  Before the runner’s foot touched the plate, Rads made the tag but the ump missed the call.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Boom and Fort ripped hits but we did not score.

Shack got the Cougars by the tail 11-1.

So where’s the other unfortunate story and tie-in to the game ending with the tale of resilience and redemption? 

Perhaps posting my low ACT scores from 1986?  How about the time I got caught joyriding a Corvette at age 15?  Or the other time I got arrested only it really wasn’t me and I found out about it 10 years later?  How about the time in 1995 I slept in my work office under my desk for a few weeks because I was trying to save money?

Let’s save those tales for another time because we are doubling down and have a rematch against Shack next week when we are planning to let our play on the field be our redemption.

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Game Video

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Game Pictures

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As always, thanks to Charley for the action shots.

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Postgame Pictures

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We walked from Howard Park to Park Avenue.  Michele and Toby gave us a grand tour of their wonderful home but my jaw was dropped in awe and I forgot to take some shots.  They fed our bellies full with more Shack and snacks and drink!