It was a rainy day...wait, no it wasn't!

It was an unusual night for baseball. It wasn’t raining. And there was a permeating sunshine stretching across the field. Perfect night as long as you didn’t need to look out in right field. The glaring sun basically took that field out of your scope of vision. Teams seemed to suffer through the games adequately, no one really suffering any athletic-related injuries, even after having to stay off the field for more than a week. Somewhat of an amazing feat considering any injury devoid of any sort of athleticism can still be classified as an athletic-related injury, a classification that might encompass us all, making the odds somewhat stacked against nothing going horribly awry. Not that we don’t try. Few mishaps on the field which may have resulted in injury but, with our well rested physiques, no permanent damage was sustained. At least on the surface, in any event. Some may wake up more sore than they were yesterday but all were able to walk off the field under their own steam. If you do happen to wake up with some pain and stiffness, the usual applies. Medicate heavily and try to stay well lubricated.

As I said, a few mishaps on the field and some entailing confusion but, for us, probably a normal state. Perhaps a few pointers to help you out, allay some confusion and avoid further mishaps. Keep all you bases covered. If you can’t keep them fully undercover, at least try and make sure you know where they are. For the fielders, it is helpful in making the field less of an obstacle course, keeping the stationary base from leaping out at you and tripping you up. Helps to keep you on your feet and off your ass. For the runner, it helps in aiding you with information on where to stop. If you don’t feel something soft and squishy and white under your feet, you might not have run far enough. if you can look ahead and behind and, in both cases, see a base the same size and equidistant from you, you probably are best not to stop running or, based on the position of the ball, you might want to quickly retrace your steps. Sixty feet to each base, no more, no less. Less and you may be out. More, you probably should just head to the next base. Quickly. Wee bit of confusion still seems to emanate from that source of all evil, the infield fly rule. Won’t go into detail, as that never seems to work but essentially, if it happens, the batter is out and the runners can advance, but at their own risk. Previous paragraph about knowing where the bases are located applies. If you need more details, google can be your best friend. The confusion you save may be your own.

Know where you’re throwing and always take your time making the throw, especially if you are unsure. A ball thrown short of its target is bound to have some repercussions, a ball thrown over its target more so. In some cases, being short can be more advantageous (not something some of us hear every day). Missed throws are contagious and one missed ball can frantically multiply into more, so best to take ample time after a missed throw to calculate your next one. And, after a few, sometimes it is better to be safe than sorry, just give up and hold onto the ball. As for the recipients of the throw, try to keep your eye on it and put you glove in its trajectory. Catch more that way and, the way we catch sometimes, we could all use the extra help. There will be times (every game) where you will have to use your body to stop the ball, even if accidentally, but it can have repercussions and is best avoided. Not always possible, but best avoided. Do as you will but some errant balls should come with a surgeon general’s warning. Nine times out of ten, if you keep your eye on the ball it will end up in your glove. What you do with it after that, is totally up to you.

Could come up with an endless number of recommendations, suggestions or even preventative tips, but it is usually all for nought. Most have to learn for themselves and, those that do not, are still susceptible to accidents on the field, be it a badly thrown ball or a line drive in your general direction. Hell, sometimes you even have to watch out for the well thrown balls as well. All said, life can be a risk. May as well have fun while you’re talking them. Basically could describe our league to a tee.