Photos for the Off Season

Here's a few photos I snapped with my Holga at a game back in July. I can't remember the particulars of that game, but I remember that it was shortly followed by a burrito the size of my head and two Miller Highlifes for which I paid $1 each (Thanks Alex).

Greg Ondeck
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Colleen Batting
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Colleen Batting2
Originally uploaded by scottsnelling.

Sam Sums It Up

Linda and I spent Sunday in Blowing Rock, N.C., a town with the crack-smokingest name I have ever heard. It was the first game I've missed this season, and naturally it was a big one. After all, Steven wore a belt. Also, I received this e-mail from Sam, which made me giggle like the Pillsbury dough boy. (I mean, church softball on Sunday? Isn't that against the Bible?)--Joel

It sounds like you guys had a great time. Awesome. Softball was pretty fun, even though we did not get a great turnout. Basically they took batting practice for an hour before a church group from 5th and Baltic came over and challenged us to a game. There were two really friendly guys, one of whom was an amazing shortstop with a great arm. Unfortunately this guy alone could not off-set the baditude displayed by a 10 year old with an amazing haircut or the 5 or so other kids under 15 who were not totally coordinated. We ended up beating them 15-2 or 4 in 7 innings. Ben and Jesse and maybe Dan Check homered, Jeff got tagged out by a 13 yr old girl and then hit his head on the ground and had to come out for a couple of innings. He got back in there though. All in all, a pretty awesome end to the season.

Around the Horn: Jim

This is Jim's last season in the Buttermilk Softball league. We'll all miss him quite a lot.

What position do you like to play?

Shortstop is definitely the most fun, but given that I'm 35, six foot four, and unable to bend down and touch my toes with any grace, I am generally not allowed to play shortstop. But, due to a strange "1-2" no one wanted to play shortstop for the Jeans this past week and I put on the glove and made a play or two. In fact, I think I got through without an error -- which is definitely not true for the other spots I played -- centerfield, first, third -- positions more logically associated to players with the aforementioned shortcomings. I was especially good versus 10 year olds.

And, really, if pressed, I would have to say that my favorite player of all time is Robin Yount, Hall of Fame shortstop from the Milwaukee Brewers.

Your softball role model:

Robin Yount, Hall of Fame shortstop from the Milwaukee Brewers. My gateway to a life in radio was listening to the Brewers' staticky night games on a transistor radio 700 miles west on a hill in Rapid City, South Dakota. They went to the world series when I was 12.

Thing you like most about Buttermilk Softball:

I've always liked how Brent looks kind of like Robin Yount.

Thing you like least about Buttermilk Softball:

Interference from other sports.

What do you do in the off-season?

Sadly, it's all off-season from here on out as Heather, Jasper, Millie and I are all moving out of New York and heading back to Minnesota. There may be other softball games and other softball leagues, but there's only one Buttermilk Softball.

Complete this sentence: The highlight of my Buttermilk Softball career was when ...

... everything was as perfect as perfect could be. There was a Sunday earlier in the summer when it was sunny but not hot, my new young family was cheering me on from their shady spot under a tree, my friends were all there and happy -- it was a beatiful moment and I could have played inning after inning.