I knew the Reachers' season was officially under way when I overheard Fred Wertz, who was gazing out at the Greenwich Greys tattooing the ball in the game before ours, quote Kierkegaard on the human condition.
But there was no angst among the Reachers tonight. Despite trailing by five runs by the bottom of the third, we remained existentially upbeat, egged on by bench coach Lary Griener (on injured reserve) and a desire to win one for the missing GM, Robert "Solid" Gold, who is on a scouting trip northwards.
We rallied for four runs in that frame, capped by Jim Pezzuto's majestic three-run blast over the left-field fence, and never looked back. In the fourth, we scored two to take the lead over Mac II, with Fred Wertz poking a double off the fence to drive in Jason Roif, who had himself doubled en route to a three-for-three night. Kevin Dawkins (2 for 3) then sliced a line drive to right to bring Fred home. Bob Bearnot, who would later make a key catch of a liner to right with nobody out and two men on, followed with a single.
We blew it open in the bottom of the sixth with five more runs. Jason scored all the way from first, I believe, on a double I hit to center, making him a triple threat tonight despite having played 27 holes of golf earlier. Jimmy hit a two-run double, and Kevin and Rick Bohm (2 for 4) also delivered big hits in the inning.
Mike Flaherty hit some quintessential big-guy scorchers right-at-'em tonight before giving up and blooping a single in the fifth; he also had fans in the left fields (me and Fred) oohing as he turned a couple of DPs at short with footwork a la Ozzie. Ed Lopez, who was nursing sore quads and did not expect to play tonight (and did not play tonight if his wife is reading this) would have been on base twice had he actually played and also would also have made some nice grabs at first base, but it's all in my head and I must be mixing him up with someone else.
Pete Linkowski played a stellar third despite some achy legs of his own due to a full-court basketball game with some lads a third his age. Mike twisted a knee, but played through it with nary a grimace, and I aggravated a plantar fasciitis injury rounding third with the first run in the third. So, we truly won one for the Gimper tonight, though who was gimpiest remains a question for, well, perhaps Kierkegaard. Or perhaps Woody Allen talking about Kierkegaard:
"I remember my reaction to a typically luminous observation of Kierkegaard's: 'Such a relation which relates itself to its own self (that is to say, a self) must either have constituted itself or have been constituted by another.' The concept brought tears to my eyes. My word, I thought, how clever! (I'm a man who has trouble writing two meaningful sentences on "My Day at the Zoo.") True, the passage was totally incomprehensible to me, but what of it as long as Kierkegaard was having fun?"
And so, what of it, I ask you, as long as we are having fun?
Next game is against said angst-producing Greenwich Greys, who hit for the limit of four HRs tonight. It's next Monday at 9 again. I know Mike Flaherty and Lary Griener are in; other regulars, please comment below on you availability ASAP.