We played a doubleheader today. Or, we would have if we hadn't been thwarted by a near-flash flood that finally brought the end of the heat wave...in Kalamazoo. The weather in Chicago is still hot and humid as ever.
The "managers" (if you only knew how ridiculous the whole thing was) got together before the game and decided that since it was so hot and it was a long backstop (editorial note: boo hoo), we'd play only two steals per inning and runners couldn't advance on wild pitches.
Makes sense, right? Except, no. Here are the reasons that drive me almost insane. For one thing, either we're playing a game or we're not. And since I got up at 5:30 this morning to drive to good old Western Michigan, I really hope it wasn't just for practice. But most important, this would never, ever, not in a million years, be done to a guys' game. And though I, for one, like softball better anyway (don't tell anyone that though), the mission of our team/organization is to "bring the national pastime to the other half of the nation", which I really respect. But if we're going to do that, then it needs to be the same game. Not a watered-down, beer-league rules to suit the weak little girls who aren't going to make it through the heat.
And I made that comment, and a few of my teammates damn near took my head off. At which point I proceeded to play the best game at shortstop I've ever played. In your face!
2 comments:
So who won?
Does the phrase "separate but equal" come to mind? This kind of thing makes me nuts, too (maybe where you got the inclination). Either we're going to hold ourselves to the real standards, where we can absolutely compete AND win, or we're going to hedge our bets and make the whole thing not only annoying but ultimately detrimental - and not worth the time of any true athlete or feminist!
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