Day # 3
Well, Day number 3 came around and it came early. One of the member’s of our team “Fletch” has his car here so he drove us over early to the PDC in the morning. This way we could get in and warm up, get stretched and then spend some time with Victor in the cages before we got going for the day. As a team who wants to win, we would be foolish to not take part in getting personalized hitting instruction from the guy who is in charge of instruction for the entire Red Sox minor league system!!
So we get over to the park and I went in to warm up on one of the bikes, and then got stretched out by the trainers. Now I stretch pretty good on my own, but my quads were really tight and so were my hamstrings, I just wanted to get a good warm up done, and WOW, no amount of stretching I could ever do on my own could match that stretching routine by them. The trainers know exactly what needs to be done to stretch you out just right.
So After that got done, we went over to the cages to work with Victor. Everyone, the entire team, got to hit, we used a tee because it gave victor the ability to watch our swings much better. My problem was mostly not turning in with my hands.
So we got done with that, and then it was time to go out and stretch and get going with the games.
We started out the day on field 5, which was fine from my point of view as an outfielder, since it meant the sun was to our backs and not in our eyes. I started out the game on the bench for the first couple innings and then went in in the 4th inning to right field.
The game started off rough, the other team picked up 2 runs early to take a 2-0 lead, but we rallied back and got a some runs, and went ahead after some awesome baserunning and hits by the guys on my team, and then on a rocket of a drive to right center by me. It was caught by the center fielder but with less than 2 outs it drove in the much needed run.
We then lost the lead when I was out in center and somehow missed a catch I totally should have had. While no runs scored on that, it should have been out #2, and then the next batter grounded out to 2nd so we should have been out of the inning, but we weren’t and they ended up scoring 2 runs to take back the lead, 4-3.
We have some great hitters on our team, and we then managed to get another 3 runs that game to beat Gedman’s Bombers 6-4. They were 2-0 after the first day of games, so we handed them their first loss.
Back to the clubhouse for fajitas, and Dwight Evans time. He was there just like Jim Rice and Frank Viola, and I was fortunate to get 2 cards, the mini-helmet and the bat signed by him, no photo but he is a really really nice guy who talked to everyone. he was also kind enough to sing “Happy Birthday” to one of the campers who had cake and cookies for everyone.
Then we headed out for the afternoon game.
We played Treul’s Trolls over on field #4.
Victor pitched to us, and Oil Can pitched to his team. Joe is almost in blissful happiness since he has been the catcher for both Bill Lee and Oil Can Boyd, a thrill that beats many other thrills. It has however put him behind the dish for a total of 28 innings so far, so his legs are feeling it, but things are going well.
This game was a big one for us, Victor slightly adjusted his pitching to us by throwing a little faster and straight instead of the slightly slower pitches with arc to them like the day before.
We played good defense in the first inning and held the trolls to 0 runs. We started off hot with the bats with 3 runs in the 1st inning to set the tone of the game from our side.
We held the trolls scoreless til the 3rd inning when they put up 3 on us to tie the game. We didn’t score in the 2nd or 3rd innings ourselves, but then after holding them scoreless again in the 4th we opened up the game with a 4 run inning by some great hits by our team. We are really clicking at the plate and as a team as a whole. Our double plays are running about 75% success when we have the chance for them, along with some great play by our centerfielder, and third baseman as well who has napped a few hot shots down the line to take away extra bases, or even any base sometimes.
We actually held the trolls scoreless the rest of the game, but managed to add 4 more runs in the 5th, and then we hit the slaughter rule 6 run per inning limit in the 6th inning.
While we won the game 17-3, we did lose a couple of guys. Kenny is having some groin troubles, and then Fletch went out when he was on the receiving end of a hard slide into 2nd while trying to make a double play. His ankle was hit and he went down hard. he rattled off a whole bunch of stuff to explain what it was, but I have no memory of exactly what it was, but basically he thinks he ripped something and possibly dislocated it and then it popped back into place. he is an ER Doctor back ome, so he knew what he was talking about so I just nodded and “mmmhmmm’d” as if I knew exactly what it was, while I don’t really know, I just know he hurt his ankle and may or may not be playing tomorrow.
As it stands now, we have the best record in camp. 3 wins, 0 losses and 1 tie. It ties us with Lee’s Lefties who are also in our division at 3-0-1.
Game over, headed back to the clubhouse for a nice ice bath, hot shower and then changed to go over to City of Palms park for the Home Run Derby context, and a BBQ. The contest was great and Joe Yastremski(no relation) was the winner against Chasse in the final round. Then it got COLD for the BBQ so everyone kinda ate quickly and then we headed back to the hotel.
I came upstairs and after an unfortunate problem with some icy-hot I ended up taking a nice hot shower and followed it up with a nice hhot bath to help the muscles.
Joe then went downstairs and saw some of the players and the coaches in the bar. I am told of some interesting stories about the Can holding court. Including a 20 minute tutorial on how to get laid, and how if you were consistently drunk by the 6th inning or had smoked some weed, you should be in the hall of fame. Or so I hear anyway, I have no way to truly verify any of this information.
great day and tomorrow looks promising too. I am having an awesome time and wish I could do this every year.