It's all about the bats and the balls

Just another humid, muggy Tuesday night in August, another night for playing baseball. And we did, continuing the slide into the playoffs, some sliding faster than others. Pretty much the usual sequence of events. Two matches, four teams, two succeeding, two succeeding less. The latter still successful, they just didn’t garner any points for their effort, even if the attempt was valiant. Evening performed to its intended purpose with nothing really unexpected. Apologies to those who may have been the recipient of the unexpected, the ones that may have left with an additional bruise or two. Perhaps, hardly unexpected with the nature of our game, wildlessly hitting balls and throwing them recklessly about. With intention, of course. Not really with wild abandon, but more of a domestic kind. Not much more to say. Winding down the season, everything moving as expected, a mild case of the Augustinian writer’s block encroaching, but not yet taking full control of my verbiage.

Perhaps time to drone on with some meaningless drivel. Okay, more droning. Okay, more meaningless drivel. A quick review of some basic baseball terms to help fill out the space, the void created by multiple non-firing neurons, all not going off at the same time. SINGLE. For those not really wishing to make a full commitment to the game, only willing to take it so far, trying to avoid the possibility of a long-term relationship. You have at least made it to first and are safe for the time-being, that is until another member of the team forces you further into the relationship, with little concern for you fear of taking things too far. DOUBLE. Safe again, but different position, a little more unprotected. Still not fully committed, but willing to meet it halfway. A prime position in the middle of the base structure, showing transparency and a willingness to further communicate. Once again, you may be forced to move further towards scoring by your other teammates, those who are only interested in pushing you further, forcing you to vacate your current space, so that they may take it over, pick up the pieces and continue the relationship.

TRIPLE. Definitely showing a willingness to go all the way. The only thing probably stopping you from going all the way at this point, are members of the opposing team, the ‘in-laws’ of this gambit, those not able to welcome you fully into this new relationship, those doing their utmost to keep you from scoring, from concluding the entire affair. Ignore them, try to move on. You’ll need help from others. HOME RUN. Have thrown your fear of commitment completely to the wind and have dove headlong into this relationship. Have done a full 360 and ended up where you started, touching all the bases, successfully avoiding the ‘in-laws’ and have scored with little foreplay. You have found yourself capable and are now ready to search out other adventures to conquer, such as scoring multiple times, while also exercising your right to prevent the other team from scoring, to keep all the enjoyment of the conquest to yourself, a joy only to be shared with the other members of your team, who are always elated to see you take the relationship to its conclusion. STRIKEOUT. Now you’re just avoiding commitment entirely and not having much fun at all. Taking all the mystery out of the equation, not willing to make things add up. To be fair, not completely your fault, as there can be extenuating circumstances, like a third party, like the pitcher. Kind of a ‘it’s not me, it’s you’ type of thing.

POPOUT. Similar to above, except the opposing team comes into play and refuses you the chance to even commit. Took things too high too fast, best to try and keep it down. GROUNDOUT. Well, that was unexpected. Same result, coerced into an inability to play the field. MORALE. Never be afraid to make a commitment, even though the result may be you being committed. Whack the ball about a bit. You never know where it might take you. Just try and remember what Meat Loaf was attempting to tell you.