Cougars: Nighttime Sonshine

Throw. Catch. Hit. Run.

Who taught you? Who passed down their knowledge?

Mom, dad, relative, friend?

Why? Why did they teach you?

Was it because you were going to the big leagues?

No.

It was the competitive spirit. It was the enthusiastic sportsmanship. It was the communal experience.

At the park. In the backyard. On the sidelines.

Wisdom is shared so the youth can capably enter the adult playing field.

Life, work and play.

We teach and watch. They learn and perform.

We blink. They grow.

Then it happens.

They become us.

As I wipe my teary eye, let me tell you that Jimmy Lipsey made his debut with the Cougars last night.

While the cold and blustery night hardened our skin, father and son on the field together warmed our hearts.

After ten years, we have our first Cougar kid on the diamond.

It was a spectacular night for a doubleheader.

Let’s get right to the highlight of the night. Jimmy’s first hit!

With Peter coaching first base, Jimmy came to the plate and with a 2-1 count, he crushed the Clincher to center field for a base hit. The crowd went crazy.

What a wonderful moment when Peter got to congratulate his boy at first base (and then reminded him not to get picked off)!

The love of the game is passed from generation to generation.

Of course the lovely Lipsey ladies were out there rooting for their fantastic fellas!

__________________

Doubleheader Recap

__________________

Oh, so you want to hear about the games, do you?

Well, we lost the first game and won the second.

It would also be accurate to say we almost won the first game and almost lost the second.

Cougars vs Tappers

In the opener, we played the our beloved rival the Tappers.

We scored three in the top of the first with hits by Boom, Rads, Joker, Bobi and Li'l Rads.

They got us for four in the bottom of the second.

In the fourth, Martini, with his wily baserunning, scored to tie it with pokes by JD and Joker.

In the sixth, our defense was offensive and they scored six.

We pushed one across in the last inning with Rads scoring but we did not seal the deal.

Tappers win 10-5.

Cougars vs Valley Lodge

In the nightcap, we played Valley Lodge.

Before we get to offense, let's talk about defense. Flannery continued his stellar play by stabbing a ball at second and quickly flipping it backhanded to Li'l Rads for a crucial inning ending out. Strong Coffey, in his first game of the season, was in midseason form catching frozen ropes and firing lasers to first.

On offense, we came out again big with hits by Boom, Rads, Martini, Joker, and JD and Baby Kale scoring four in the first.

Our opponent got one in the second.

We tallied three more in the third with Boom, Rads, Martin, Joker and JD getting on base.

They scratched out three runs in the fifth inning.

We matched it with three in the sixth with hits by Martin, JD, Bobi and Li'l Rads.

In the seventh, Philthy led off with a slashed single and forced out by a Pastor Ted infield rocket. Coffey and Flandog both singled to score a sliding Teddy.

Heading to the bottom of the last inning, we were up 11-5. That familiar feeling of failure from the opener was hovering over the Cougars.

Valley Lodge scored three quick runs and had men on first and second with the tying run at the plate with only one out. We had to stop the pain. No way we were giving this one away.

It was time for the wheel play. The wheel play? Yes, the wheel play. Legal but not often used. Let's review the league rule.

Pick-off Rule: It is legal for a base runner to advance one base on a pick-off attempt by pitcher or catcher provided that the base runner is advancing to is unoccupied. Home plate is always considered to be unoccupied. The pitcher must release the ball to the base the runner starts at on the pick-off attempt in order for this rule to be in effect. Only the runner that is being played on is allowed to advance the one base.

Basically, with runners on first and second, if we make a pick-off play on the runner at first base, he can't advance because the base he is advancing to is occupied. The runner on second base can't advance because a play was not made on him.

So with one out, the Cougars throw to pick-off the runner at first base and the ball gets away. The runners then sprint around the bases and each advance past the next base. Because they have advanced to the next base, they are automatically out. We tag each base out of an abundance of caution and have executed the one of the oddest double plays in the history of Howard Park.

Game over. Cougars win 11-8.

But wait! It has happened before. To us!

In June of 2008, we were caught on a final inning wheel play against Chicken Shack, then known as the Hitmen.

Because I was on a business trip, our man Bobi recapped the action for the blog ( http://bit.ly/2oZsyPy ).

I lead off the top of the 5th with the pressure to score to keep the game going. I hit a hard grounder to the 2B side of SS, no play, so I am on first. Marc gets a hit to LF and we've got first and second nobody out.

What happens next will go down in Dead Cougars history.

Marc takes his lead at first and the pitcher for the Hitmen tries to pick Marc off. He throws the ball away. Danielsen, who's coaching first, starts waving his arms, Marc breaks for 2nd and I break for 3rd. As I'm standing on 3rd the Hitmen tag out Marc, throw to 3rd and tag me out, double play. Basically I can't advance because they didn't make a play on me and Marc can't advance because 2B wasn't open, so we're both out. We end up getting a third out and the game was over. Unf'ingbelieve-able.

After the game we talked with the Santa Claus ump and clearly we made a rookie mistake.

You missed a hell of a game. I can't wait until next Tuesday.

__________________

Jeff's words from ten years ago fit perfectly today.

You missed a hell of a game. I can't wait until next Tuesday.

__________________

Game Video

__________________

Game 1: Cougars vs Tappers