OK: I’m still not in touch with my emotions on this: my daughter, at her second at bat during yesterday, during the Spring 2006 San Francisco Youth Baseball League (SFYBL) Coed Baseball All-Star game (the only girl selected by her team mates city-wide), the plate umpire called a conference with the other umpires to decide on the new torrent of rain coming down.
It is fitting that the All-Star game should be rained out, considering the unbelievable amount of continuous rain we had this Spring – over 100 days of hard, constant rain – cloud formations never before visible in our skies this time of year.
The game did start about 40 minutes late – the Visiting Team designated coach didn’t show up in time, so, after a significant delay, the coach from the team tied for second winningest in the league stepped up and coached the team.
No one should fault the coach who didn’t show up (though s/he could have called – maybe they did…): the city was hosting both a music festival in Golden Gate Park and our annual Bay to Breakers cross-city 7 mile race was still going strong – both, just down the street from our game – when the All-Stars and coaches and families were gathering at West Sunset Playground Field #3: getting through or around the closed off roads – crossing the backed up traffic due to the man-made conditions – made it a challenge to even the most seasoned San Francisco driver (- they even closed off the Pacific Ocean passage, known ad the Great Highway where the race officially ends.)
I am clearly digressing – but it is to say that were it not for the delay in game what happened in the last at bat might not have happened at all…
The only girl selected by her team (let’s just qualify this for the same of fairness: the only one who was selected; who was available to play as scheduled; didn’t run into the same logistical constraints or who/’s family decided showed up: we will never know. But, since there seems to be only a hand-full of girls playing in the Coed division – in contrast to the 40+ girls playing in the All Girls division), and we have seen all of them in action, it is probably that at least one of the other girls simply didn’t make it…) was respectfully representative of her gender; her City’s openness; her leagues 1st place team; her team mate – all boys: and, simply, a Baseball Player…
Her first at bat was as distinguished as possible. The West Sunset Playground, where our main character plays, houses two “distinct” teams: Red and Blue are the designations. Historically, Blue has meant Established, Strong, Instinctual; Red has meant Newly-formed; Developmental and Formative. This season, the Red team is holding its own.
As it turns out, the first pitcher she faced was clearly the best pitcher in the entire SFYBL from the same West Sunset division of the SFYBL, but from the Blue Team – as described above. He had control, power; balance and creativity as his pitches went exactly where he intended them to go. It was fitting that the only girl on the All-Star team (realize that it is the team mates who pick the players for this esteemed event), who is also a pitcher, who also pitched and pitched well, during the All-Star game was facing him.
She was called out on the last pitch as it clipped the outer front corner of the plate – simply unhitable and something no batter should chase for certain reprimand from one’s coach would ensue. One of her former coaches, father of the pitcher debatably equal to the Blue co-team member on the mound, standing in plain view of the interaction, contended that her at bat was as sound and legitimate – as logically attended to – as anyone could have had against such a strong pitching opponent.
Anyway, she did get the opportunity to pitch during the All-Star game which was awesome to watch: she shut down three out of four batters with confidence and finesse.
