Status: Softball Summer '07 Season

As of today,* our X-Games ministry softball team is at 5 wins, 3 losses: we are apparently tied for second place in our league. (We don't really seem to have a team name other than "FAPC", which I have to say doesn't readily lend itself to team chants. Speaking of which, as a mostly-childless-singles group, we are at a disadvantage compared with certain of our adversaries in the Presbyterian softball league, who bring small children to cheer and jeer for them. Rev. Rock sometimes brings his kids to an early game, but they are too well-behaved to do the requisite razzing for us.)

We had a great turnout for the game against First Chinese Presbyterian Church - enough for two full teams! - and some amazing plays. In fact, after the first inning, whenever First Chinese got up to bat, we managed to cut them off before they got any points, so we didn't have to play a full set of innings before they were forced to cede the victory to us. But Jim really stole the show with a spectacular catch that ended in a well-executed roll. Unfortunately this feat was not recorded for posterity except in our team's collective little gray cells (I was in the outfield at the time sans camera).

During our various pre-game warm-ups and early part of the game, Jonathan C. pitched.



Southpaw Kent experimented with a right-handed swing:


Post-swing, still looks like good form:


Jonathan P. is not Canadian, but you would never know it today. He claimed that it was Canada Day.



Rev. Rock, who even though he is technically "our age" (20s/30s) is actually a real grown-up, has demonstrated additional pastoral skills on theballfield. I guess they really do teach them useful stuff at seminary!


Although I took video clips of just about everyone at bat, it was tricky to get the full swing. (Especially when batters stepped back because the pitch wasn't perfect.) To make matters worse, often the faces were washed out by the bright sun. Grrrr! Some came out well, so I'll upload them when I can. [7/24/07 Update: I have not been able to upload any of the "at-bat" video clips, despite repeated efforts. The QuickTime files can be played on a computer, but YouTube cannot process them for some unknown technical reason. Double grrrr.]

10/11/07 Update: See if this works (Jacki at bat):


Steve Duncan hits a home run:

Here you can get a brief glimpse of Jonathan P. rounding second base.



After the game, both teams greeted eachother with the traditional cry of "Good game!" Then we gathered in a circle, and First Chinese led us in a short prayer. You would think this would be a part of every game, in a Presbyterian softball league, but I think they're the only team that's done it.

To celebrate our victory in a more secular manner, seven of us went to a dive bar on the Upper West Side called - appropriately enough - Dive Bar. It's not really a dive if it has scrumptious nachos, though.

It was a lovely evening for a walk down Amsterdam:



* [8/12/07 Update: After the last game of the season, we are at 8 wins, 5 losses. We won our final game, something like 14-7, against the toughest team in the league -- a team that trounced us last time!]

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Post Script 8/12/07:

Triumphant team "Gang Green" after the last game: