Is it having to take a big exam that you haven't studied for? How about finding yourself walking naked down a busy street? Or maybe it's being buried alive?
For a manager of a CDMSBL team, the most dreaded of nightmares is the one that comes in the daylight hours, where, despite your best efforts, you find yourself without enough players to fill out a line-up.
That was the situation confronted by my good friend Jim Porter of the Whiz Kids on Tuesday at New Scotland. But with the words of our white-bearded Moses-like commissioner still fresh in our ears ("Thou shalt not forfeit!"), Jim and I still made sure that the show did go on.
We schemed, finagled, and cajoled, but in the end we had a game. It wasn't the game we would have hoped for, but no one got (badly) hurt, no one had to pay a forfeiture penalty, and all of us had some fun on a perfect day for baseball.
And what's wrong with that? Many of the senior Cougars have known and liked (and played for) the Whiz Kids for years. And everyone on the Whiz Kids who missed had a legitimate excuse. This was easy. There was no way we were going to let this game get away.
So why did I call it a tie on the subject bar? Simply because under the circumstances, both teams played at about the same level. And while it will go into the books as a Cougars win, no one who was there would deny it was really a tie game.
Special thanks to the Grays' Jeff Singer who was a Whiz Kid for a day, and to Gray Cougars players Jim Turner, Dave Plew, Harold Jenkins, and Keith Martens who happily consented to fill out the Kids' outfield when they weren't at bat or on base.
As for highlights, I know I would be tempting fate if I didn't mention that Read Shepherd was three for four with a double for the Gray Cougars. And Grays rookie Keith Martens, playing in his first CDMSBL game, had a single and turned the pivot on a nifty 6-4-3 double play.
For the Whiz Kids, Ed Draves and Jim Porter were two for four, and each had a double. And kudos to Mr. McDonald, who despite literally being unable to walk, still walked three times.
And special commendation must go to umpire John Kalinsky, who could have pulled the plug on this one, but consented to let us all have some fun. I can only hope that he had some fun, too. The entire 55+ division owes John a debt of gratitude for allowing us to get this game in.
Thanks to Jim Porter and our friends on the Whiz Kids for another good game.
Frank Mgr., Columbia-Greene Gray Cougars
-- Edited by Frank Montagano on Wednesday 20th of May 2009 03:17:59 PM
-- Edited by Frank Montagano on Wednesday 20th of May 2009 03:19:41 PM
This game doesn't happen if not for the great sportsmanship of Frank Montagano and the rest of the Cougars. This is what it's all about at ANY level of play. It reminded me of playing ball as a youngster, and if didn't have enough players, you had to call your field, or else you would be called out for hitting into an unoccupied area. Besides the players mentioned by Frank, I would like to thank Charlie, who was to try out for the Cougars, but was kind enough to fill in for the Whiz. He fits right in at the 55 division-he pulled a hamstring! I would like to add that Ed Klopfer had 2 booming doubles for the WhizKids. Back to Frank and the Cougars, they were truly the winners! Here's to friends! Jim Porter-Manager-WhizKids
