Softball observation

Funny story here.

I play softball for my church.
A little background... I played men's slow-pitch softball competitively from 1991-1998; every year for either or both my church and the Baptist Student Union in college.
For both teams (except my first year) I was one of the guys that was counted on to get the hits. Due to my size, and weak throwing arm, I usually played first base.
At bat for the Baptist Student Union, I failed to get a hit three times in four years. That is a batting average of well over .900.
Most years, I led the team in RBI (Runs Batted In) and hits.

I say all of that, not to brag, but to give background as it makes the story even funnier.

I took time off from softball up until 2008. Then, I joined my church team. Being a team-player, I told the coach I was willing to play any position he needed, and bat anywhere in the lineup he needed.

So the coach put me in at catcher, and let me bat dead last. I played catcher for the first time since 1991. And I enjoyed it. My first year back, I hit nearly .400 - and last year got my batting average to over .700 - all from the last position in the lineup.

Now the team thinks I am a perpetual catcher. And they expect nothing from my bat as I'm always dead-last in the batting lineup!

My little secret is the fact that the four best hitters on the team are batting right behind me.

So last week we have a scrimmage practice with the other team from our church (yes, it's a big church with two men's softball teams). As will happen from time to time, we did not have many players show up. So the new coach put me in at first base. The irony here is that the coach is the pitcher and liked having me as his catcher as I would remember what players tendencies were - what pitch locations they got hits off of and such.

First play of the game, with me standing at first base - where none of my team-mates were used to seeing me play - is a ground ball to our shortstop.

He snags the ball, sets, and fires the ball to me at first base.

The throw is wide to my left.

I step off the bag, catch the ball, and tag the runner out in one motion.

The cheers from my team-mates were uplifting. Of course, inside, I was happy to have made what was a routine play for me.

But I'll let the guys keep on thinking it was something spectacular.

:)

Oh - and I was 4-for-5 at the plate. :)