Friday, May 16, 2014

Bruins & Softball


Before I get into the recap of my softball week, I have a few words to say regarding the Boston Bruins.

The Bruins, as you know if you follow hockey, were eliminated in seven games by the Montreal Canadiens. More power to Montreal. They won, the B's lost. But the way some Bruins fans are talking makes me wonder just what series they were watching.

I've seen folks on Facebook cursing them out for "not wanting it" and "not playing hard enough". I'll grant you that a couple of guys had a bad series (Brad Marchand would probably top the list; maybe Bartkowski for inopportune penalties) but I rarely saw a lack of desire on the ice.* The amount of pressure the B's put on Montreal, as compared to what Montreal put on the B's, was ridiculously weighted toward Boston. Barring power plays, I'm willing to bet a favorite body part that the large majority of play was in the Montreal end. And did anybody count the posts and crossbars hit by the B's? I'll guess it was 9 and 4 respectively; maybe a lot more. Give the B's anything near a fair share of goals from those posts and the series was over in 5 with them winning handily.


This series was largely decided by snakebite (and some opportunistic passing from the Canadiens resulting in breakaways on a couple of odd shifts and releases from the penalty box.) It was not decided on a lack of desire, IMVHO. If you're a Bruins fan who thinks it was, I think you're deluding yourself for some strange masochistic reasons I don't even want to know. And one other thing - P. K. Subban is a beast. I'll take him on my team any day of the week. I hope his brother (whom the Bruins have drafted) is as good as he is.

* I didn't see the first period of game seven. I was playing ball myself at the time. Maybe that was a stinker.

OK, on to softball.

Fens league

Syndicate - 15  BOMBERS - 12
Hawks - 17  BOMBERS - 9

M Street

HARP & BARD - 15  Cranberry Cafe - 1

Sunday

No games yet



If Frankenmask can take one more year of beatings, so can I


Let's get the obvious out of the way first: I'm old. In softball years, I'm about... let's see... if one year equals seven for a dog, then what does one year equal for a Suldog? Divide by five, carry the two... I think it works out to "older than the dirt I'm squatting in when I get behind the plate."

(The field in the Fens league is artificial turf, so I know for a fact it's true on that field.)

Anyway, showing the wisdom that has accrued to me via living on this earth for 57 years, I signed up for THREE fast-pitch softball leagues this season. I have the possibility, every week, of playing catcher in 7 games. As the young kids say these days, #stfuoldkneesorIwillgetnewones

I did three nights in a row this past week. I think I'm getting in shape, but I won't know until my legs stop aching. We won only one of those games, so that doesn't help my aches and pains.

The Sunday league starts this weekend and I may be catching both ends of the doubleheader; we'll see. I hope so. And I hope I go about 7 for 9. I need much more happy.

Soon, with more batter stuff.

7 comments:

Pearl said...

I am in awe of your math skills, Sul. :-)

Pearl

joeh said...

Some people always think that if you lose you didn't want it enough.

My HS football coach used that a lot. I used to think, "Yeah coach, but I think that 240 pound goon without a neck on the other side of the line wants it at least as much as I do!"

Fecking macho bull crap!

(not necessarily your) Uncle Skip said...

Well, they don't call them the Tools of Ignorance for no reason.

Yeah, but what do THEY know?

messymimi said...

Good luck, and i hope your knees cooperate!

Buck said...

In re: the B's. I feel your pain. Really, I DO.

Craig said...

Well, when you think of yer Broons, you can just think of the previous series; they didn't lack for much in that one. . .

And I am in awe of your softball longevity. It's not unusual for 50-something guys to play slowpitch, but I'm sure my reflexes left the building long ago. . .

Daryl said...

sports yada yada .. i hope your legs stop aching and you get your wins .. xo