Softball: The Circle Game
Dear People,
I know what you're thinking; You're thinking that only a certified lunatic would bother trying to organize a game this week, what with the recent streak of rain outs, the continuing forecast of contemptible intermittent storms, and of course most importantly, the fact that throughout the British Commonwealth, this upcoming weekend marks Boxer Day (the most poignant of the vital pugilistic holidays).
Just to be clear, I understand that trying to organize a game for this particular week could be a fool's errand, and I simply wasn't going to do it. But then I happened to read what I wrote exactly eight years ago today, and while I'm obviously not going to quote myself verbatim, I would gently suggest you look at the eerily familiar confluence of events that conspired against us back then, in that icy, hopeless despair of Winter '02. . .
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The truth is that I was very hesitant to organize a game this week because the harsh reality is that more storms are probably on their way, and having briefly majored in the Geology of Soil, Loam and Related Clays, I am well aware that it may take a miracle of contemporary drainage to sufficiently dry out our homeland before Sunday morning. But then I started thinking about the annoying risks of extended torpor, and how it is likely that many of you would suffer from a frightful spike in triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein blood levels if you went another week without aerobic release. Once again, my brain has ached with Hebraic guilt and debilitating strategic abulia. And so naturally, in this solemn week before the 2004th anniversary of his birth (give or take a decade), I have asked myself that most eternal of all recreational queries; What would the Lordmeister do?
Well, I'm certainly no expert, but I think it's fairly obvious that Jesus would not want us to grow needlessly stout and wan if there were any chance at all that we could feasibly play a game. Indeed, it was Saul (Paul) who later told Peter (Peter) that when the Lord accepted 70 additional disciples to join the original 12 apostles, his greatest hope was that the extra man-power could finally form a decent Samarian soccer league (At that time, only Jericho and Livermore had teams, and truth be told, the Romans thought both were pitiful).
The point is that even if the rains return and Codornices sinks ever deeper into the utterly pointless ecology of a filth-laden urban suck-swamp, the mudless biochemical sheathing of our beloved Kleeberger will most likely be available as a backup. And therefore, there will probably be a game this Sunday at 11AM, IF I get enough commits by this Friday morning….
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I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that the thematic patterns of life's rich pageant are almost spooky in the stark manifestation of their ceaseless recurrence. Who wouldn't?! But the real point is that we did indeed play at Kleeberger that grey and drizzly week, and it turned out to be one of the finest games in the history of this community. So sure, it's eight years later and perhaps we're all a bit older, fatter and dumber as well as more craven, risk-adverse and lily-livered, but I still have faith in our stoic communal resolve. And therefore there will be a game at either Codornices or Kleeberger this Sunday at 11, IF I get enough commits by this Friday morning*…Raymond
12/24/10
Softball: Faith in the Sun, so Yellow and Huge….
Dear People,
There will hopefully be a game at Codorncises or Kleeberger this Sunday at 11, and as of now, there are still seven slots left. You are therefore welcome to invite any of the timorous non-community people you know who have always expressed a genuine but bashful interest in the conceptual underpinnings of aerobic release.
You will need to check email that morning around 10, and remember that even if Codornices is flooded, there is still a decent chance we'll be able to play at the Kleeberger Astroturf Field.* Just to be clear, I won't expect you to play if it's icy, drizzly or otherwise miserable, but I am counting on some reasonable stout resolve if it's only cold and dreary. Remember, when you dismiss the plight of the organizer on days of climatological ambiguity, it's the American people who take the hit.
Courage….Raymond 845-7552
*Kleeberger Field is now officially called Maxwell Field (This change was made in 2002, and after an extended period of emotively turbulent resistance, I've decided to accept the new name beginning January 1st). In any case, it is located on Piedmont Avenue, on the East side of campus, across from Hass Business School, right between the Memorial Stadium and the Greek Theatre. There is a parking lot there, but they may ticket on Sundays, so it's probably safer to park five minutes away on either Bancroft or Durant.
12/26/10
Softball: Sunday 8:50AM: Assumption of Risk/Kleeberger it is!....
Dear People,
Chris Fure and I will seize the field by 10:30, but if any of you who committed can join us ASAP in order to give us moral and logistical support against potential softball-hating, soccer-playing interlopers, please do. No matter what destiny has in store, we will converge at Kleeberger's magnificent Astroturf diamonds at 11, and if on the small chance we can't play due to hostile players, resumed rain or an infestation of feral scorpions, we will huddle to discuss other options. That would include a retreat to Codornices (somewhat muddy and officially closed, but arguably playable) or the Crepevine (not particularly aerobic, but surprisingly delicious omelets).
The sun blazes as I type!/Wear your long skivvies!!/Courage!!!....Ray
PS (x 5):
i-As of this moment, we need two more for a complete 20-person roster. It's now gorgeous outside and time is of the essence; Stop dicking around and tell me you're playing!...
ii-Kleeberger is officially called Maxwell Field. It is located on Piedmont Avenue, on the East side of campus, across from Hass Business School, right between the Memorial Stadium and the Greek Theatre. The adjacent parking lot is closed down, but there is plenty of free parking on both Bancroft and Durant.
iii-Chris' cell is 225-8585.
iv-I'm pretty sure you shouldn't wear metal cleats.
v-Did I mention we really need two more players?....