A sudden strong memory, and other subjects...

[alexpgp]

Back during junior high school, I spent quite a number of summer afternoons at a playground located a couple of blocks from school, at 34th Avenue between 77th and 78th Streets in Jackson Heights, Queens. The name of the game was softball, and I was perennially among the last third of players selected during the process of choosing up sides. While I could hit the ball pretty well, my fielding left much to be desired, so I would usually find myself playing right field (Peter, Paul, and Mary recorded a song on playing right field, by the way) or behind the plate, as catcher.

What came to mind today was an incident that happened while I was playing catcher. An opposing batter hit the ball a fair distance, requiring the outfield to give chase to the ball. By the time the ball was thrown in to the shortstop, the batter had rounded third base and was heading toward home plate.

I caught the shortstop's throw with time to spare, had taken a couple of steps down the third base line, and was reaching out to tag the runner out when he did something that took me completely by surprise. He tried to bowl me over.

Despite my surprise—and despite the fact that the runner and I were of comparable size—something in my posture "rooted" me to the ground, and the result was that the runner pretty much bounced off me and fell on his butt... and he was out!

That was perhaps the only time my teammates (who were my classmates during the school year) said anything favorable about my fielding. I remember that it felt good.

* * *In other news, the job due today was duly submitted, and even more new work arrived. On the morale front, an "attaboy" from and end client was relayed to me about my work.

I also got through all but the last part of the first week's video units for "The Future of Storytelling" course mentioned in a previous post. The course asks a number of interesting questions that will give me food for thought, methinks.

Cheers...

Comments

[adoptedwriter.livejournal.com]

I love a good baseball/ softball story. Every kid should be lucky enough to be a team hero once. Glad that moment happened for you. AW

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

In retrospect, what I think was curious about this incident was that it—like the ball falling into the glove of the hero in the PP&M song—was spontaneous.

Years later, when I particpated on a softball team in the Publisher's League in New York, my confidence had improved to the point where I "claimed" the third-baseman's position and did a very creditable job there.

Thanks for the comment.

Cheers...