The first batch of Catfish trading cards!

For a printable pdf, email your captain.

even more fish photos

the sky was bright and cheerful as we took the field vs the STFs...
more feeyosch photos here

more on last night

 

Catfish,

I don't know how it slipped my mind for the first email, but I also am compelled to mention Nathan's heretofore unknown cheering abilities, which really were on display last night under the lights. Definitely an asset to the team, and we expect big doings from this guy next season, in terms of hooting and hollering at the Hood blimp while climbing up the fence, doing cartwheels off the field etc. This guy makes Lowenthal and Costello look mellow!

Your captain,

Judy

 

 

 

Catfish 13!!! ... STFs 50

 

Dear Catfish,

 

Last night's loss in the first round of the playoffs was difficult to absorb, but I want to focus on the Good Times. And we certainly had a grand old time last night against the Snappy Threaded Foes, who overall seemed a happy and friendly team, if a bit too focused on thwacking the ball as hard as humanly possible.

 

We scored 13 whole runs, woo-hoo! Co-cap Lowie mixed things up in the lineup, putting Lemony G at first base, where it was her time to shine! We held them to zero runs in the 2nd inning! And who could forget Nathan's Grand Slam in the bottom of the 3rd? No one!!!

 

We were definitely hurting for the lack of Costello, who sacrificed his right write for The Kids this Saturday in the Easter Seals game vs Harvard (a story for another time). And poor Alyssa at 3rd base took a nasty "THOCK" of a hit in the shin. They were really hitting the balls fast and furiously, and the astroturf wasn't helping.

 

The brutal inning in which they scored 18 runs and left Evan spitting angry fire, I'm sure we shall never forget. Esp. not me, as I was the unfortunate pitcher on the mound. Consultation with Lowenthal and Costello eventually worked it out and we got that last elusive out for the inning. We then went on to score 4 more runs, just to show them we aint no bozo the clowns, before letting them invoke the slaughter rule, since it was after 10pm by then.

 

Now there have been complaints that these STFs had no women on their team, and this not against the rules? Yes and no. Yes, they had no women; no, it's not against the rules. The only rule we're held to is that our team be at least 80% MIT affiliated players. Their pitcher, #34, let it slip to Erika that they don't really come from any one department at MIT, "they started in IS, but now it's sorta all over." This to me sounds a bit suspicous. It could well be that they're just a bunch of hooligans who know some people who work at MIT, and so they get to make themselves feel really macho and powerful by waiting (as always) for their perfect pitch and then smashing the softball as hard as they can, not even heeding whether they leave a huge lump on someone's shin, or taking years off people's lives by raising their blood pressure in terror. Never fear, Catfish, your humble captain and co-captain will be looking into this matter further and bringing it up with the Commish.

 

In closing, I think the saddest part of all was that after the game, it was too late to even go have a beer and commiserate. May that never happen again!

 

Your capn,

Judy

 

PS: The fun might not even be over yet. There is some small chance that the STFs will have to forfeit their next game, which is Wednesday against Miracle, which would make the game open to us to play if we wanted. More on that later--I should know by the end of the day today...

 

More Fish Photos

These and other (somewhat scandalous!) photos available here, thanks to emily and her merry band of photographers

Shadowmasks 33, Catfish 6

Hi Catfish,

In some sense, it's true that we lost last night to the Shadowmasks. Yes they did score 33 runs, and we only scored 6. However: Those 6 runs gave us so much joy, so much wonder at the simple fact of being alive on a lovely summer afternoon, they're worth at least 6 apiece of a silly old Shadowmask run. So, on a deeper level, we scored THIRTY-SIX runs!!

See?

Then there was that beautiful rainbow that appeared at the end of the game, and all those little leprechauns who came sliding down it, giggling and throwing money at us so that we could go to the Muddy and buy pitchers and pizza! !!!

Remember?

And in between these magickal happenings, we played some excellent softball.

Marc got a TRIPLE in the 2nd inning as well as scoring a precious run, and is still beaming with pride. Evan got 2 homeruns this time, stealing that honor from Mickus. We held them to NO runs, not even their paltry, less valuable runs, in the top of the 2nd inning, ending it with a smooth double play. Erin caught a foul pop-up, keeping her wits about her with grace and aplomb (and I don't think she even dropped the f-bomb this time--just kiddin, eh). Rob and Kate C both got doubles, I think.

Even our dark moments displayed our true grit and determination. When Jose twisted his ankle while scoring off of one of Evan's homeruns, he didn't sit down and start crying like a baby. He hopped around the bases on one foot, all the way to home. Mickus also took a fly ball in the face and got a bump on his nose, and had to sit out for the rest of one inning, but he didn't cry either, and was back in the outfield ASAP.

As always I'm sure I'm forgetting some of the best moments, and I encourage you all to share them on our bloggy blog.

Despite finishing the season 1 and 9, don't forget, Fish, we have in fact made it to the playoffs! Our next game is Monday, the 13th, at 8:00 pm (note the later time), on astroturf field 1, against the Snappy Threaded Foes. If we win, we'll also play Wednesday. The Snappy Threaded Foes play in KFC1, against the Sultans of Swat (I think we've played them in past years) and a couple other unfamiliar teams. They look pretty good, with a +35 run differential. Our differential is something like
-52, which is a much bigger number than theirs, so, in a sense, we've already got them beat. Right?

Ok, enough blah blah. Happy weekends and get ready for the big P L A Y O F Fs!

Your captain,

Judy

In honor of our last regular season game of 2007

Sandy Koufax: "Pitching is the art of instilling fear."

Ty Cobb: "When I played ball, I didn't play for fun. . . . It's no pink tea,
and mollycoddles had better stay out. It's a contest and everything that
implies, a struggle for supremacy, a survival of the fittest."

Yogi Berra: "Slump? I ain't in no slump. I just ain't hitting."

Ted Williams: "There's only one way to become a hitter. Go up to the plate
and get mad. Get mad at yourself and mad at the pitcher."

Satchel Paige: "Just take the ball and throw it where you want to. Throw
strikes. Home plate don't move."

Yogi Berra: "I never blame myself when I'm not hitting. I just blame the
bat, and if it keeps up, I change bats. After all, if I know it isn't my
fault that I'm not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?"

Yogi Berra: "Ninety percent of this game is mental, and the other half is
physical."

Papi: "It doesn't matter if we we're down 3-0. You've just got to keep the
faith. The game is not over until the last out."

Catfish continue their losing streak in grand and unprecedented fashion!

Dearest Catfish,

Another bitterly disappointing loss last night to the WBs: 6 - 27.

Nevertheless, as always, there were highlights: Katie H's glorious hit way out into left-center field, a definite double, and possibly a triple - the base coach told her to try for the third - it looked like the outfield was slowing down - then BLAM, they throw her out at third. Still, a beautiful smash, something for all Fish to aspire to, and they can’t take that away from Katie or the rest of us Fish.

There was also Kate C's snappy catch of the line drive, in the bottom of the sixth. She hasn't quite learned yet that the real ace pitchers always toss the ball and then cringe out of the way as quickly as possible! Am I right? So, thank goodness for that, and for her tough pitching and fielding.

José homered in the 2nd or 3rd inning, and that was wonderful. We did have some great hits out there. But it seemed like what we're not doing, and what we might have to start doing, is trying to score from 2nd or 3rd, no matter what. Even if 2/3 of the team thinks the play is over and the ball is momentarily dead, that doesn't mean that a runner on third shouldn't make an easy trot for home! Who cares that there aren't any strikes or balls? It's legal to tag up and run home even if half the other team is picking their collective nose, so, let's do it!!! In some circles this is known as pulling a Shadowmask, but it seems like the WBs have made the practice their own.

The WBs also seem to have acquired a designated big crybaby: when visiting 'Fish Liz caught a foul tip, many assumed the batter was out. At that, the big baby's face crumpled up into a dark and stormy cloud, he threw his bat as hard as he could on the ground, and began stomping back to the bench. ("Somebody just pooped his pants real bad!!" I said to Karie, on the sidelines.) Fish looked on in amused disbelief. "No, no, that's just a foul tip, it has to go over the catcher's head for it to be an out!!" Hmf. Well. OK. Baby stomped back to the plate, got himself a double, and has probably stopped pouting by now. I know I'm not the only one who thinks he should've been out just for being such a big baby.

I’m sure I’m missing many wonderful Fish highlights; please feel free to post to the blog your own recollections. And I apologize, Fish, if I sound bitter! I’m sure it’s unbecoming of a captain. We can be thankful, infinitely grateful, that we do have one win under our belts. It’s been a rough season, with a lot of overly serious base-running and nit-picking from the other teams, it seems to me. I am truly proud of all you Fish, and I KNOW that can and will win our next and final game.

Your humble capn,

Judy

some inspiring words

Catfish:

Inspiring words from P. Nersesian, channeling Churchill, for our imminent game vs. WhyBunts:

---

Let us remember Churchill:

We shall fight on the seas and oceans,
we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air...

whatever the cost may be,
we shall fight on the beaches,
we shall fight on the landing grounds,
we shall fight in the fields and in the streets,
we shall fight in the hills;
we shall never surrender

See you on Field 1. Let's do this thing.

some pix from the capn's crapp'n camera

my pix available here

More photos!

Hey 'Fish,

I have uploaded my photos. Check them out here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/karieandrob/sets/72157601027676073/

Au revoir, Deyotch!

Re: Akamites 21, Catfish 8

Without the intervention of Marc's face, I would have almost certainly been held to a single. Had I been allowed to go all the way around the bases, Marc would have deserved three-fourths of the credit. --Mitch

Akamites 21, Catfish 8 (and where the 8th run came from)

Hello friends. I just wanted to note that Robert Lublin hit an impressive home run yesterday, in the bottom of the 7th, and that (as Judy indicated) Ebi made some great hi-res photos which are available for viewing, on the blog.
Till next week, Co-co-cap'n Erin

Dear Catfish,

I'm sorry my face got in the way of our rally last evening. My impression was that Mitch would have otherwise had himself a three-run homer, so that should also get noted (he made some noteworthy and desperately appreciated catches in the field as well). It looks like I have a sloppy hicky on my chin today. Not a balanced trade-off for my insufficiently fancy footwork between second and third yesterday, but rest assured, the bruise on my heart from destroying catfish hopes remains acute.

Marc

hooray for catchers

Deeyotch at the plate

deeyotch has a real unusual stance, huh?

Photos!

Hello all, Ebi here! Below is the link to the photos I took, as promised:

Catfish game, 25 July

I missed some awesome shots, like the in-the-air catch, but as I get used to my camera and the . . . "speed" . . . of play, I'm sure I won't miss any more moments like that.

cheers, (e)

PS: Give the page awhile to load, there are 27 photos on the one page.

Akamites 21, Catfish 8

Dear Catfish,

Another difficult loss against the Akamites last night. They were leading by something like 9 to 1 in the early innings, but somehow, it didn't seem all that bad. On paper it didn't look so good, but our spirits were high. Karie had started off so well with a solid hit landing her on 1st base. We didn't manage to bring her home--yet we were confident that we would prevail. And gradually as their runs built up in proportion to ours, things looked less rosy, perhaps; but still we had it in us to try for a rallying 6th and 7th inning. Unfortunately, this wasn't to be, as co-cap Lowenthal took a drive off a bounce to the choppers. It's a good thing he iced it right away, or his pretty face coulda had some damage done to it. At any rate, he was out (which many of us didn't realize) at the moment the ball hit him, and so his triumphant dash across home plate didn't count, and neither did the other two who had followed him. I believe that was the 6th inning, so we still had one more chance, and Evan (please correct me if I'm misremembering) I think, did manage to score in the bottom of the 7th, but that was all we could muster.

All in all it was a somewhat disappointing send-off for Jeremy Dee-yotch, but he did make it memorable for us by goofing around in the outfield and missing some fly balls on purpose, and even popping out a couple times, just to get a laugh. Either that, or, good riddance, dee-yotch! i guess you ain't all that after all! No, but seriously, we will miss the Deeyotch and always remember him fondly. And let it be known he did have at least 1 great catch in the outfield and also a solid hit or two. Erin, while running the bases, had a bit of a scuffle with the Akamites pitcher, who was refusing to move his large bulk out of her path. She scolded him resoundingly with some cuss words that frightened him, but I believe they made up in the end. I once again glowered internally at that one Akamite person who always wears an entirely white outfit, and stands there bored at the plate while I toss my best pitches by him. Southpaw closer Costello did a fine job utterly confusing one of their monster-batters, a leftie who kept smashing things way out into right field (the domain of our newliest acquired Catfish, Katie Helke, who remained strong and unintimidated)--Costello had this guy crying for his mommy. It was a touching sight.

And I have to mention that Cecere and Doetsch turned yet another very fine double play, in one of those brutal innings where I was pitching, and pitching, and pitching. Nicely done, Fish.

Those are all the notable moments that I can bring to mind at the moment. Anyone else, please share your reveries / pix (many were taken last night, by myself til camera crapped out, by Ebi, now our team photographer, and of course lemony's camera, which was passed through many hands), at our impenetrable blog: http://impenetrableblogoffish.blogspot.com/

Next Wednesday, we'll play the Whybunts (I think). Keep the Faith, Fish.

Judy

someone's last game...

jeremy's last game approacheth!

Kentucky Fried Playoffs, August 13, 8pm!

As it turns out, there will be KF playoffs again this year! We will play the Snappy Threaded Foes at 8:00 pm on Monday, August 13. (And this year, we'll be an actual team, not a cobbled together team-monster combining ourselves and the Whybunts.)

A warrior dad
grapples and dives, scowls and flares
but lo, he moves not

pix from July 11 game vs. Whybunts [WHICH WE WON!!]

These and other exuberant pix (courtesy Lemony Gutheinz) can be seen here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/81663587@N00/sets/72157600169912642/

re double-header vs shadowmasks

My apologies for the tardiness. Final scores:

26–3
14–19

Both Shadowmask wins. Not pretty. What we got here is basically a team that should be in another league than Kentucky-Fried, but also a team that can't give up the sensation of being big fish in a little pond. The usual male genital problems. All of which would have been okay, except I personally took their bogus cheer [just: "Catfish"--capn batty] at the end as an insult: these people lack all the minimal courtesies. They will be the last team we play this season. Their tushies were apparently whupped last week by the Akamites (who we came painfully close to beating last time; I did not realize we had one extra game with Akamites: my money is on us for that one), and looking over our second game last night makes it quite clear to me that we have it in us to still beat them at the end of this season. I think it might take some getting together and knocking a ball around and getting our minds as razor-sharp and limber as our bodies, etc. But the fact is that we were also playing short of some of our regulars last night: Cecere was absent, Jeremy had to leave early, and Evan saw rain at 4:30 and pooped his pants so violently that he did a "takesy-backsy" and transformed into a no-show at the final hour (sorry Evan, but I'm assuming you knew that one would be coming), and we still played a good game save for that one unfortunate inning.

I've mentioned this opposing team male genitalia pride thing more often than I probably should, I suppose, but I mention it again because our rally at the end last night (which actually had those gigglers on their concerned toes and no longer taking anything for granted) was once again a matter of the ladies coming to the fore and reminding everyone why a bi-gendered team is not just a happy team, but a winning team. Because on the whole, and not to get on the bad side of our captain, I wouldn't call our playing last night stupendous by any means. I've seen us do better, and these days, I expect us to do better than what that first game demonstrated. We looked and played like timidfish. There were highlights as always: Dan's unflappable ability to make the ball do whatever he wants it to and drive in one homer after another; two double-plays (one between Costello and myself, and another to which I shall return in a moment); Judy making a nice catch as pitcher (and indeed, pitching in general was quite "on point" with both Kate and Judy). Good catches by Costello, Mickus, etc. But I'd like to focus on when things finally started working. Second game, bottom of the third. We did not go gentle into that good night.

We had started strong: 7 to their 2 after the first inning. We then failed to score, and maybe because five innings pushes our 4th back to a 2nd, SMs got 12 runs off us bottom of the 2nd. (It is that 2nd bottom that won the game for them; nothing else.) We come back with another two runs, bringing us to 9 against their 14. They start scoring again, enjoying themselves (some of them had been batting lefty "for practice"). They've gotten 5 and only have 1 out. We had talked Jeremy into staying for the second half of the inning (he had to leave; we cajoled, etc.) Why did we do this when he had to leave? Why not let him meet his obligations? Do Catfish obligations come before all others? Jeremy answers all these questions quite abruptly from his first-base region: a double-play: out at first, and gets it to Kate at third where she finishes the job. Inning over, Jeremy departs, his job done, and we move into the 4th. We fail to score, though. Bottom of the 4th: is all lost? Jose (the most disgruntled I've ever seen him, I do believe) says no: 4 batters, with three of them flies to left field where Jose disposes of them with such ease that the shadowmasked cats vomit up their canaries. 0 runs for them. In other words, Jose singlehandedly trounced that inning for them. Top of the 5th and final. My details could be scrambled, but woman-power kicks in and Diane is at bat. A solid hit that takes her to first. Mickus up: probably subsequently disappointed in his first non-homer, but he whacks it good nonetheless. A single? Hold the horses: Diane displays guts both long and convoluted, and proceeds to practically steal third, sowing confusion in the field. While she has drawn their attention down to that corner (where they fail to get her in time), Mickus (never one to turn down a quick sprint to a base) takes second. Erin up. Perhaps a tad under the radar, this tidbit: one of our most consistent first-base hitters. To demonstrate: she takes first. Mickus, taking any hit a good enough reason to run anywhere, aims for third. Problem is, Diane's thinking this one through this time and deems an attempt for home not advisable. Result is some confusion, with everyone's crosshairs getting scrambled. But as always, Mickus may take a lickus, but he is always going to keep on tickus. Meaning that only his personalized scurrying feet could have pulled him or anyone else out of that between-base predicament. Bases loaded. And who do you want at bat when bases are loaded? Karie at the plate. Delivering what, to my eyes, may have been her finest hit to date. It may only get her to first. And it may only push Erin to second. But it also pushes in two runs easy as pie. No outs. JC: whacks a mole. Erin runs like the wind, comes to third; seems ready to settle down for a long winter's nap. Except I'm yelling (in my first ever attempt at third-base coaching) for her to take home. Hesitation: I had parted my hair behind, but she already had bangs. A hairy scenario. Save that she now runs not just like the wind, but like violent wind and makes it by a hair. Score! Result from her move: JC on second; Karie on third. I advise Karie that she isn't obligated to run. (No outs.) She nods like I'm tardy on the uptake. Emily then bats a beaut. Gets her comfortably to first. So comfortably, in fact, that not only have the S&Ms been increasingly focused on their "M," but she brings in two more runs. This is all sweetness, and what we need to remember for the last three games.

As the Captain said, we need to visualize that butt-kicking next week against the Akamites. The fact that we have it in us to win these next three games is so crystally-clear and apparent to me that my visualization and belief levels can't get any higher. I know everyone else feels the same.

Your Co-Captain,
Mr. Co-Captain

last night's double-header vs. Shadowmasks

Welp,

It pains me to report that we we lost both games to the Shadowmasks last night. As always, we played stupendously well. Mickus had 3 homeruns, I think! And just about everyone got on base--erin, alyssa, emily, costello, marc, denner, doetsch, jose, kate, karie, and even myself. Game 2 we really gave them the what-for--but not quite enough. Our fielding was strong, as well (great catches by Mickus, and Marcus, and Karie, and others I'm probably forgetting), and, if I do say so myself, I think Kate's and my pitching was top-shelf. We would've struck a lot of them out, if our league had such things as strikes.

The actual scores I don't recall, and Co-Cap. Marco has the Official Clipboard, so perhaps he can fill us all in on some of the details.

Next week we'll play those Akamites again. Let's start visualizing the butt-kicking good and early to ready ourselves.

It's early, I know, and perhaps it's a tad overboard...

... but I've got this prime spot in the Muddy that allows you to see both tv screens and get a pitcher from the bar without leaving your seat. C'mon guys, help me out. We could do this in shifts, just leave a comment as to when you'll be around today to at least allow me to go downstairs and y'know.

And hey, if you're from India and you can't read my plea, I'll write in Hindi for you: दम्मित, जुस्त गेट तो थे मुद्द्य ऎंड ग्रब अ सात!

CATFISH WIN A GAME!!!

This just in from Co-captain Marc-o:


"Well Captain, this is your co-captain with a summary recap and status report as to last evening's game against the Whybunts. I believe the team did you proud, and I'm going to give you the reasons why.


"Short story is: we won. A close game, but everyone's cool was kept, and we came through.

"It was a lean team last night: lean enough that Evan's late arrival had raised some concern as to whether we were going to make the requisite 10 players. But when I say 'lean,' I also mean that it was a lean mean fighting machine of a team. I have to confess, I had felt concern when starting: sun had come out, storm no longer a threat, but result was an unpleasant combo of heat and humidity that didn't bode well with the 5 gatorades we had left to us (either we actually went through 19 of them last game, or someone was pilfering within the Press; let's assume the former). JC had soaked an impressive spread eagle through his T, and we hadn't even started playing yet.


"Dehydration was on my worried mind.


"But the playing was honed down, effective, and fierce (some noteworthy catches in the field: Evan stands out in my mind for those first couple of innings). We were away, so we batted first. Solid playing that gave us a run. Whybunts tied it up. Inning 2: we score 4 more, things are starting to look snazzy. Whybunts get another 2 though and out lead is only 5-3. A solid professional third inning had both teams holding each other at what they had. Then came the 4th (the dreaded 4th, given our history). We knock in two runs. Two outs.


"Alyssa does what she does and gets to first. JC proves that 'Superstar' isn't always a misnomer and we now got a man and woman on first and second. Emily comes up to plate, lemony-fresher than usual, and trades in her trademark axe-chopper for a strong swing that loads up the bases (keep an eye on this lady's batting hereon: we can expect some good moments from her second half of the season). Cecere is up at bat. In case I forgot to mention it, bases loaded, two outs, and fielders pooping their pants in every direction. I've got a mind to poop my own pants, as I know this play could decide Cecere's future, his character being what it is. Is it going to be the hit he's looking for, or is he going to be chopping his hand off as self- punishment after the game? Do I remind him that he has a child who is going to be needing tuition money one day, or would that translate as pressure?


"Needless worries: punishment is forestalled. The hit is not only solid and cecere, but some people would call it a graNd slam home run.


"We finish our round freakin' 11 to 3. I had told myself I wouldn't do it, but there we were,

moving into the bottom of the 4th, and I'm feeling guilty. We want a solid win, not a massacre. It is the Whybunts, after all, not the Shadowmasks. I don't want to humiliate them.


"And there you go, once again. Our 4th inning curse. The Y-Bs respond by scoring 7. We go into the 5th with only a 1 point lead, 11 to 10.


"The y-bs proceed to keep us from getting anywhere. Bottom of the 5th: they have a man on first and third (I think I may have errored somewhere in there, one of our only ones of the game), and pitcherman does a line drive batters only dream of and only astroturf makes fully possible. They all come in and we go into the 6th behind, 11 to 13.


"And it is here that we can really start officially calling last evening 'ladies night'; for it was the ladies that ultimately decided this game for us. They had aready performed throughout, as they always do: consistent base hits, Kate's pitching consistently on the eye (and her fielding always on target; combo plays to JC all the way to the end), and Diane making not 1 but 2 outs as catcher on pop flies this game. But it was in the 6th that 'reliability' and 'consistency' (the last things in the world to sneeze at) kicked it up a notch into plays that demonstrated what it is all about. We score another 2, tying up the game at the top of the 6th: 13 - 13.


"Can we hold them is the question of the day. Alyssa answers the question in Short Field: a high and mighty hit of which she makes short work. No sooner had eyes withdrawn back into sockets, a second hit gets slammed, and she makes a running catch that has even the Why Bunts talking and will have them remembering. Official MVP of the eve. Another out and we're up.
I'm up. I'd rather start a fight than end it, as you know. So nothing is yet churning in belly-land. I know I hit it, but can't quite remember how I ended up at second. (Overthrow? Better hit than I can remember?). Jose up: bring me home, Jose; end the torment. He tries.


"Out. Mitch up; the Mitcharoony, I mentally plead. Do the Mitch. He comes close. Too close for pleasure. Out. Diane is up. Calm, cool, collected. A cucumber, as always. Here things get blurry for me. Evan had been base coaching me, but the coaching had been going along the lines of 'do what you think.' I don't always thing too well out there. But I knew this: if she hits it, I should probably run. She hits it; I do so. I'm about to settle into third and see what exactly happened out there, except I notice some advice being thrown my way to take home. The hit had obviously been more than the YBs had known what to do with. Diane holds it up at 1st, but I'm running, in the right direction no less, but crippled by a disadvantage that I'd unfortunately introduced into the equation: I had delayed. I see macho man at home screaming for the ball, a side eye cocked at me. Do I comb my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach? Should I be wearing White Flannel trousers and doing the etc.? Luckily, I'm unable to actually think and keep running because it is what I started to do.


"I'm home. Macho deflated. As Mae West put it: Macho, but not mucho.


"Diane has driven the run in.


"Bottom of the 7th: 14-13. Can we hold them? They get a man on second who should have gone nowhere. (My fault? Is there fault? I can't remember.) Ick. Can we hold them? Mitch says yes, I believe. A slammer that goes nowhere. Another one (who gets that one? It's all a haze). Final play: Kate grabs it, to JC, third out, man on second never got the chance to go anywhere. We've won.


"Problem is, YB captain has her own peculiar way of keeping score: 'Cumulative' she calls it, ticking runs off in a long stream. Says we're tied 14-14. It takes a good 5 minutes, but I go over the preceding 4 innings with her and her objecting macho (nice fellow, of course). She now says 4th had us tied at 11/11 (despite my checking with her as soon as that inning had ended and her telling me 11-10).


"We had actually corrected their account in the 5th as their getting 3 runs, not the 2 they had thought. I don't even mention the fact that she had yelled out to her team that they needed 2 runs just a few plays earlier. Could get ugly, but it doesn't. YBs good sports (even if captain a bit 'off'). Our victory is accepted. (NB, though: keep careful track of score for our next game with them: the same exact thing happened in a game with them last year: they contested score, claiming a tie, not a victory on our part; we took their word for it and went into extra inning, and they ended up winning. Now that I've seen her method of keeping score, we cannot allow that to happen again.)


"Things happened at the Muddy afterwards. We became a leaner crew at 6; penne pasta had replaced the wings, we got some pizza, I demonstrated the marketing meeting I needed to prepare, and I believe many pictures were taken."

Welcome to the Impenetrable Blog of Fish!

Hello Catfishes.

Feel free to use this blog to discuss past and future games, share batting/fielding strategies, upload pix, and what-not! All I ask is that you refrain from libelous slander. And, please, keep it clean, Fishes.

And as always, hold your fish-heads up high.