Dear Fish, Fans, and Friends,
It was a chilly evening last night on Briggs field 8 last night for the Fishes’ season opener against the Straw Dogs. Fish did their very best and fought their fishy little tushes off. This year we welcome to our roster rookie Andrea “The Heroic” Herbst, and she proved to be a fine addition to the team indeed, fending off many flies in the outfield. We were also blessed by the Abbate Triple Threat: John the Battler, Matt the Baffler, and Arthur the Arthurian Legend Abbate, pictured below coaching first base in the crucial final inning when Fish attempted a courageous rally.
All fishes played their hearts out and left their guts on the field: Levi the Larvitar (pictured below leaping into the air for a fly ball); Chris “The Big Easy” Eyer (playing his last game as an MITP’er, pictured below warming up his batting chops), John the Tslammin Tsunami Tsai, who contributed to that inning 7 rally by getting the Big Eazy on base who would later score; Nathaniel “Na-Slam-Well” Rippin Trippe; Richard “Richie Rich” Wladkowski; the aforementioned Abbate Trifecta; and the aforementioned Andrea the Heroic. I speak truth when I say that some amazing catches were made and beautiful line drives and soaring smashes were hit.
I think all Fish agree that the complexity of the game itself is not really reflected by the final score. We started off with a strong 3 innings, and though things admittedly went downhill from there, we did hold them to ZERO runs in the bottom of the 5th, a feat for which we feel immense pride.
A final note: We are deeply saddened that many of our Fish are starting the season on the DL: Erin “The H Bomb” Hasley (who nevertheless came to cheer us on and a raise a glass at the muddy), Liz the Agressor Agresta (with bicep trouble), Jamie the J’amiable Emerson (wrist), and Katie “HellKat” Helke (wonky quad). In fact we’ve heard HellKat’s Catfish days may be at an end, owing to the wonkiness of that pesky quad. To her we tip our caps and wiggle our tails and thank her for her many years of Fishy service. We hope all Fish with these pesky physical troubles will take good care of themselves and rest up well.
Please join us next Wednesday, June 5, on field 2 (astroturf) when we will face our pals the Whybunts. We love them, but next week we will BEAT THEM INTO THE GROUND!!!! !
Yours in softball,
Judy (Capn Batty)
