Opening Day

Yesterday was opening day for Legends baseball. The manager from our Ponce De Leon team last year started up his own league, and I decided to make the jump. It’s essentially the same rules, only the ages are slightly younger: 28 to play, 32 to pitch. I started off the season a bit slow, going 0-fer at the plate, though I made solid contact my first two times, only to line lazily right at the left-fielder my first at-bat, and ground sharply into a fielder’s choice my second (if there hadn’t been a guy on first, I definitely would have had a base hit). I got lazy with my swing later in the game, popping up twice on sliders I should have driven the opposite way. Instead, I tried to yank them and hit them straight up. I made a couple of plays at shortstop, including a relay throw on a double that caught a runner rounding third base too far, and we won the game 11-3.
Today is Opening Day for the Nationals, so I’ll be leaving work early and heading down for the game. We get free (cheap-o) hats today, and the kids will be wearing their Nats jerseys along with Dad. It’s supposed to be a beautiful day for baseball: high 70s and sunny, unlike yesterday when it was in the low 50s and cloudy. John Patterson faces off against Dontrelle Willis, which theoretically should be a good pitchers’ duel. It’ll be Evan’s first game (so we’ll take plenty of pictures), and Ellie is an old pro and is looking forward to the peanuts and “Dippin’ Dots” ice cream and lemonade. I’m just looking forward to a day at the ballpark with my family.