0 for 4...It's time to bunt!

So I (Al) am in a softball league with some teachers from CNG. We are a ragtag bunch of ruffians who make fun of the other team and each other. It is a great time. We are Colombians, Americans, Canadians, men, and women. Our skill levels are various. Some are great and some need help. I am no Joe DiMaggio. I played little league in elementary and middle school, but that was it. However, I have some skills. So I play first base and bat fourth or fifth in the line-up. Our first game we played was brilliant. We won in four innings 16-3 with the mercy rule. I played decently with some great hits and infielding. But this story is not about our first game. This story is about the second one.

This game was this past Saturday. Our opponents were dressed to the nines in full uniforms with last names on the back and and matching shoes. We had matching hats, well 10 out of 12 were matching. Anyway, we are at bat first, I am fourth in the line-up and we have bases loaded. I am thinking that I want to clear the bases. So I am going to swing for the fence. Needless to say, I struck out. No one strikes out in softball. But I do. As a matter of fact, I am the only one who strikes out in the first inning. We go through our entire lineup and back to me. It is now two outs and I am back up to the plate in the first inning. Now I am nervous. I just keep telling myself, "Just don't strike out; don't strike out." Instead I pop-up to the pitcher. I am 0 for 2 and gave the first and third out of the inning.

The next inning comes up and I am back up to bat. Now I think, "Don't strike out and don't pop-up. Just a nice smooth hit." And hit it I do. I hit it straight to second base. The woman snags it in a reflex and I get the third out again. 0 for 3! Next inning: "Don't strike out, don't pop-up, and don't hit to second." So I hit to the outfield. It was a nice rope, yet their outfielder makes a nice grab- 0 for 4! 0 for 4 in softball! So one of my teammates says to bunt next time. They are expecting a big hit so why not bunt. So I do.

It was a beautiful bunt. The fast catcher and the fast pitcher couldn't get it. I made it to first and they overthrew the ball, and I turn to second. I get to second and look back to see that they don't even have the ball yet, so I take off for third. They overthrow third and home I head. I had an infield homerun on a bunt. 1 for 5 and a homerun. My team is screaming and the infield players are cursing each other. The umpire comes to congratulate me. He shakes my hand and says he has never seen anything like that. Then he says, "That is strike one...bunts are not allowed in this league."

Strike one? I couldn't believe it. When my team heard, they busted a gut laughing. No one knew the rule until that happened. So I did all that running for a strike. The count is 0 and 1. I called time to get my breath. Both teams enjoyed a laugh, and I was still 0 for 4. Needless to say, I hit a double on that at bat. I could have had a triple, but I was already winded. I ended the game 3 for seven and we won 16-3 again.

I t is fun to play with your friends and colleagues. It is fun to be humbled in a game like that when you have friends to laugh at you. We always have a good time playing. It is always a good time to play with friends. Just next time- DON'T BUNT!