Friday, August 24, 2007

I sent the following email to a few right-wing websites I found on the net (I used a made up name/email) :

Hello

Im into softball and I want to start up a team to play in the west midland leagues but I want it to be a proper English team. I think Im going to call the team The Bears or The Wolverines or after some other mighty hunter in the Nordic forests.

Ive got some mates who are up for it but theres not enough of us so Im gonna have to advertise. But i dont' want any forigners. I only want white English men and women. But how do I go about this without getting into trouble from the usual gang? I'd be grateful if you could give me some advice about how to go about forming a proper English team.

Ive got another problem to. I got this mate Gareth and hes the best softball player I know. But the problem is hes a Taff. Would it be OK to let him play even though he was born on the wrong side of Offas Dyke.

That brings me to my next question. Theres some gay teams in the league and dont laugh but theyre very good. It would be bloody embarassing to lose to them. Do you know any boys and girls who are good at softball who could play for us or coach us a bit?

Keep up the good work

Tom

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I got a couple of replies. Sadly the BNP and UKIP didn't bother. I was going to trawl the web looking for more places to send it to, but I found right-wing sites so weird and dispiriting I soon gave up:

Dear Comrade
Much as would like to help our knowledge of the game is slight so we have little advice to give. Good luck with your project.
14 Words BPP

Hi,

thank you for your e-mail and for trying to keep England for the English! Try advertising in whiter sections of your area and put emphasis on ENGLISH. May go as far as to say English heritage softball. List your phone # and when you get a call, ask the person what his heritage is....if he is non-white/english then tell him you will call him back and of course never call back. As to letting in a Welsh player join you, I see no problem with that. White is Right. Also, I honestly dont have any English contacts.
Axl

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Development Sessions (Monday August 13)

Several male Wolves attended the penultimate development session of the season this Monday. Kim and other coaches ran the twenty or so attendees through basic warm ups, throwing/catching techniques, ground ball fielding, and culminating in a four innings match when the teams were split. Close game too with the team featuring Blasey (who scored a booming home run) and Matt emerging victorious by one run. The last session is next Monday and maybe in the absence of any more league games this season, a larger Wolves contingent might turn up - especially as we might have a friendly against the Dev squad in a couple of weeks.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Low Point/High Point - Superball 2007

Low Point - Not being with the Wolves but Manjiv said if I upset her I'd be kicked out and sure enough it didn't take long. We spotted Manjiv in her orange top easily on arrival. I said that I liked her new hair cut and was misunderstood, it really wasn't a sarcastic comment!

High Point - Hitting a Home Run on two strikes in the first innings of the final with two people on bases. It added to the score and the Devil Strays heads went down for a bit after that. Maybe I should try hitting a home run for the Wolves one day!

I also won this GLSML Champions bottle opener which I'll bring to every game. I'm sure it will mean I get the respect I deserve.... or more likely if it will be useful opening bottles of beer :-)

Superball 2007

Yesterday the Loan Wolves shrugged off defeat in the league and headed out to Barnes Bridge for the Superball 2007 tournament. We had a large contingent of blokes, but were short of women players - only Tigger and Faustina made it. Luckily, Matt's networking among the development squad had recruited five more women for the day.
We were in the 'D' competition, but still outclassed by some of our opposition. Paul had decided to play for the Mob, the eventual winners of the tournament, but the rest of us stayed loyal to the Wolves.
It promised to be a long, hot day. I had packed as much kit as I could comfortably carry - softball gear, food, sunblock and mosquito repellent, folding chair, picnic blanket, food, and a five litre water bottle. Which was empty by the end of our day spent running around in the sun.
Our first game was against the Finsbury Royals. And we aced it, 22-1. After this promising start, we sadly found ourselves unable to get the better of the opposition for the rest of the day. The Mob, a Div 3 side before they dropped out of the league (they're only playing tournaments this year), were tought opponents, though playing them did give us a chance to sledge Paul. We let the Dev Strays post a high score against us, and both Meteors teams also got the better of us. Though we were ahead against Mets 2 till the last inning, when they overturned our lead. For a while it looked as if the "rollback" rule meant that the score at the end of the previous innings stood and we'd won, but on consultation with another umpire, the blue awarded them the win. Only fair, really.
It was a tiring day, and it was good to have a large squad. Everyone got one game off, and we fielded a 6 / 6 line-up with designated extra hitters. Everyone got a share of the action, with varied field placings. I most enjoyed the base-running, and managed to get to base switch-hitting in the last game. Annoyed myself by getting out when I rightly judged that I could dodge a tag so ran, then the fielder threw it to the Third Baseman who got me out as I ran in. Also nearly caught a rocketing line drive at Second, but narrowly missed and got smacked on the shoulder instead. One of several fresh bruises this morning.
we played continually from ten in the morning till after six, with one break for a late lunch. We tucked into our packed lunches and shared snacks. There were sun-dried tomatoes, olives, hummus and wholemeal pitta, and similarly refined treats. I attempted to redress the class balance with my black pudding slices and Mr Kipling cherry bakewells. It was as hot a day as predicted - my wine gums had melted.
The final "play-off" vs the Finsbury (*not* Jersey) Royals again ended in a loss for us, sadly. We then headed to the Ship, where we continued the Wolves' proud tradition of staying in the pub longer than anyone else.
[From my LJ]

Friday, August 10, 2007

Low Point/High Point (Wolves vs Tornadoes)

Low point: a fumble in the outfield during their first innings. Never hitting anything beyond first (besides when I was walked).

High point: got on base and got round every innings. Also threw twice to Paul on 3rd from the outfield for outs.

It was a strangely uneventful experience in the outfield this week. Nothing was really hit out there apart from a couple of screamers.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Loan Wolves 25 - 32 Tornadoes

This was the decider, effectively, for which of the two teams would be relegated. We had mustered support for our big game, with the whole side present, plus David who played for us last year and Olivia's colleague Will. My mate Iain had turned up too, which was really good of him, to watch his first softball match and take some photos. Looking forward to seeing the results of his foray into sports photography, mate. Sorry he didn't get to see a better game, though he did say it had been really exciting.
The opposition started well, but we soon clawed back the lead, and at the end of the fifth innings we were ahead by two. At this point it was getting dark, and we expected light would be called. But it wasn't. And so the last innings began. In increasingly dark and murky conditions, the Tornadoes, largely by looking for walks, made 12 runs. In even darker conditions, we could only make five. By now it was nine o'clock and well and truly dark. So ended our season. We trudged off with our supporters to drown our sorrows.
I think it is mathematically possible that we could still be in a play-off against the Tornadoes, but only if they lose both of their games in hand, one of which is against triBold who've lost every match so far, often by default for not fielding a team.
Still, there are a couple of tournaments to look forward to (first one's on Saturday). Let's see if we can get something out of those.

[X-posted from my LJ]

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

The one that got away

write-up of last night's game in my LJ (because I'm too lazy to cut 'n paste).

In other news, I picked up a copy of the Simpsons softball episode on VHS this morning from a charity shop. Anyone not seen it and wants to, let me know and I'll lend it you.

Low Point - High Point for Barracudas versus Wolves

Low Point : Batting into foul ball territory twice to be miserably struck out

High Point. : Getting some strikeouts and making a throw to first plus watching those wonderful catches in the outfield from Gareth and Kevin

Loan Wolves 16 - Barracudas 17

It was a very exciting game last night at Clapham Common. Some excellent batting from our big hitters and heroic catching from Kevin and Gareth. Plenty of enthusiastic support from Ben and his Dad and Matthew and Alex with Peter keeping score. Paul of course was in his element - with his base coaching - a great trooper as usual.

It was a great shame we couldnt quite make the win - really touch and go at the finish. We have come along way since last season.