The Agony and the Agony By Oscar McPhee

The American Journal of Sporting Opinion
28 May 2008
Vol. 37, Pg. 3,006-5,012

"The Agony and the Agony"
by Oscar McPhee

After going down 22-2 to the Knuckleheads last Monday, I vowed to not let my team get down on themselves enough to let it happen again. and they didn't; they discovered a whole different agonizing way to lose, 9-8 on a controversial play at the plate.

The game started just like every game against the Knuckleheads; we were down 5-0 after one inning. I reminded them how we worked the count and strung singles together last game, and we clawed back to 5-4. Our fielding woes returned in the 4th inning, getting us down 9-4 before I made some fielding changes that stabilized us. It was down to two outs in the 7th (last inning in middle school softball), score 9-7, Rafael on second.

I put in Treavis to pinch-run, and new team sensation Timmy is at the plate. Timmy hits a grounder off the mitt of the short stop and Treavis easily scores; I swear he's faster than my whole high school track team, and he's in the 7th grade. They try to get Timmy but he keeps chugging along. At third, it goes by the third baseman - Timmy is headed home! Maybe in retrospect he should have held, but right then, I knew it'd be close enough to take the chance. Throw comes in and the tag goes on at the same time Timmy crosses the plate (from my perspective). Called out by the ump. Game over.

Yea, I yelled a little, but it is just a game, and the kids have to learn to accept defeat even if they think it's unfair. I lined them up, we shook hands, and I said that at least now we know that we can beat the Knuckleheads.

Monday should be interesting.