This week's game was better but not quite there. The Homers lost 34 to 30 to the *cough* Maulers, which drops our record to 2 wins and 5 losses. The game started out really well as we almost pulled the mercy rule on them in the top of the second, but they later mercy-ruled us for the last few innings of the game until we scored about ten in the top of the seventh. Starting for the Homers were "Sick Man of the 90s" Raul at pitcher, Mark at catcher, Mike Wilhelm - all cheer and welcome the newest member of our team - at first, Debbie at second, Richard at short, Lela at third, Don in left, Alex in left-center, Jerri in right-center, and Jeff in right. Showing up later were Mary, Joe, Nik, Mrs. Nik, Beth, and Bill.
Scoring thirty runs means that there were lots of highlights, so many that I can't even come close to remembering them all. Mark has gotten his offensive groove down; he had something like 4 hits off solid line drives. Alex got a home run off the center fielder's glove. Did anyone else live up to the team name? Raul did hit a beautiful smash in the last inning right off their second baseman Donna's calf, leaving a big bruise about the size of ... of ... of ... of a softball; actually, the bruise was even bigger than that. Almost as spectacular was Richard's throw from short to first that was about 15 feet up the baseline and 10 feet off the ground.
Well, let's turn our attention to matters which are bound to succeed. First of all, the annual team barbeque will be held in Las Vegas on Saturday, June 29. Junior's sister owns a condo somewhere just north of Vegas but doesn't live there. She has generously offered (to her knowledge?) to let us stay there that weekend, but we all have to bring your own sleeping bags. Raul and a few others will be heading out on the Friday night before that. Others will probably choose to leave Saturday morning. If you're going to make it, tell Raul so that he can give you directions to the Bash of the Trashed, the Homers vs. the Desert Storm '91.
Secondly, some of us are going to go see the Dodgers play the Phillies on Tuesday, July 23. That's Cap Night, in which everyone who attends gets a free Dodger hat. We are going to buy tickets through the ERC, and since this one should be a somewhat hot ticket, Raul's going to line up the night before they go on sale (Monday, June 17) to ensure a spot. So, if you and your friends and family would like to go to this in lieu of or in addition to the Vegas trip, tell Richard or Raul by 9:00 a.m., June 17.
In preparation for the Dodger game, the Homers will practice the wave during our next home game. Expect near the end of the third inning so that it won't steal the thunder of the fifth-inning stretch. Don't forget to shout oooooOOOOOOoooooo to highlight the Doppler effect. The next game is Wednesday, June 19, against the Space Punks, and - what do you know? - we're the home team. The game is on field H3, which is the dreaded field we played on two weeks ago at the southwest corner of the Rose Bowl. This time if their pitcher pitches the ball directly into the sun from the batter's view, our pitchers had better be smart enough to do the same.