Random Rants

Sorry if this post is a little jumpy and poorly written. There is so much going on in this world….I can’t really nail down a topic, with so many things going on in my head. So I’ll touch on them all.

Chinese way of doing things

So I was in a meeting at work yesterday, and as we were finishing up, someone made a comment about food quality. The topic was somewhere along the line of Chinese hamburger “with cardboard in it.” From there they mentioned how the Chinese took care of the top health official.

For those of you that don’t know, they executed him due to his performance.

The next statement was, “Makes you think about what to do with Bush.”

What? Not the greatest President by far, but C’mon.

Immaturity PT 3

In the latest installment of what seems to be a weekly topic, we’ll discuss another Immature Grown up moment.

So we’re playing softball Friday night in the league playoffs. We lost the first game, and the team we seem to face every year lost their first game as well. This set up a game that meant early elimination from the playoffs between 2 teams that are usually duking it out at the end of the playoffs.

Our game got a late start, but we came out on fire once the game started. We were up 10 or so runs going into the fifth inning. I think we gave up about 5, but still had the lead.

Well it’s now getting pretty dark outside, and borderline unplayable. I believe ASA rules state:
A. A game called by the umpire shall be regulation if five or more complete innings have been played, or if the team second at bat has scored more runs in four or more innings than the other team has scored in five or more innings. The umpire is empowered to call a game at any time because of darkness, rain, fire, panic or other causes which place the patrons or players in peril.
B. Games that are not considered regulation play (games called prior to five complete innings) shall be resumed at the exact point where they were stopped.

So we played our 5 innings. The opposing team comes out and says, “Hey, it’s getting dark. We’ll finish the game tomorrow. "

Our coach correctly declines and states that we played 5 innings so the game is technically official and complete.

The opposing team says that rule only applies in regular season.

Our coach again says we’re not coming back in the morning, so it’s now or never. The opposing team wants to try and finish out now instead of calling the game on account of darkness.

Since we were visiting team, we start the 6th inning and got a few runs. By the time we switch sides in the middle of the 6th, it’s hard to see the pitch. It’s hard to play and it’s dangerous.

We did get 2 outs somehow, but now the other team is just ripping the ball and we don’t know where it’s going. While this is all going on both teams are jawing at each other. Our shortstop, my uncle, calls timeout and reprimands both teams for their poor attitude and sportsmanship. The other dugout keeps jawing at him.

Well, the umpire has been silent this entire time. As an officiall, he knows we should have been done after 5 innings. Our coach is our catcher and talked to the ump during the entire 6th inning. He basically told him the game should have been called.

I guess the ump said he knew that, but was feeling pressure from the commissioner. The commissioner happened to be the pitcher on the other team. The ump also added that “I’m just trying to pay my way through college.”

So anyhow, we got the 2 outs and the other team is hitting shots all over. After a couple near misses and a dangerous situation getting worse, we walked off the field.

As soon as the outfielders hit the infield, all heck almost broke loose. Our coach and their coach had to be separated. Other players started screaming at each other.

We called our pastor out and an elder from their church. Our pastor negotiated a 8 am restart to the game on the next day. The other team liked that, but we did not agree.

Then the coaches started up again. I helped get our coach off the field. I got back to the field, as we continued to explain our forfeit, when someone on the other squad dropped a “God DaM*”

One of our guys took exception and wanted to go after the curser.

I got our guy off the field.

When I came back the 3rd time, things had pretty much died down. I started going around to the other team apologizing, but also stating that it should have never happened.

Things were over for the most part, but several other conversations took place. They centered on coming back the next day. Someone on our side suggested coming back in the morning to finish off where we left off. The other team didn’t want to do that. They wanted to come back and start over. Obviously, we weren’t going to do that.

Then they said they “Technically we shouldn’t play since you forfeit.” Almost like they were making us a deal.

I replied “Technically it was over after 5.”

I was pretty much done after that conversation. But as I was leaving, they caught up with a few more of our guys and tried to get us to play. The 3 of us who remained said no, and explained that our Christian witness was awful and we didn’t deserve to go on. We also hinted that as they were part of the scrum, they should consider forfeiting as well.

One of their guys thought that might be a good idea, but he and their coach again tried to get us to come back and start anew.

We didn’t agree.

Anyhow, I was told that a few of their guys didn’t like how things went down and they refused to come out and play the next day. Two of the top 3 teams were out of the tourney.

My friends, that is immaturity at it’s finest. Grown men between the ages of 20 and 45 acting like children.

The sad thing is, a year ago on that day, our family lost my 5 month old nephew to SIDS. Last year, we played with him and the family on our hearts.

I even gave a pre-game speech prior to the game (nearly in tears) about how last year we played as if softball was meaningless. We played knowing that there were more important things in life and knowing there was a family in mourning.

I don’t know if I could feel the fireworks that were going to happen 5 innings later, but nothing I said registered with anyone on the team.

We played and acted like little children.

Meanwhile, my brother and his family were mourning the 1 year anniversary of Landon’s passing.

Grown men acting immature.

Sad. Embarrassing.

Champions

But there are some softball champions at the church. The women’s team swept through their tournament and brought home the trophy. They only lost 1 game all year.

I know I’m biased, but the play of the tournament had to of gone to my wife. In a close play at home, she dove head first to beat the tag.

I thought I was watching Pete Rose.

The crowd roared. I nearly fell over, and people are still talking about it.

Life

Life is weird and complex.

On the same day, one friend’s son is having major surgery to have cancer removed from his liver.

Meanwhile, another friend and his wife welcomed their firstborn son into the world.

Wow. It makes your head spin.