Pigpen's "elderly zone"

My final thoughts on...

Men's Senior Baseball League World Series

32nd annual

held in Phoenix during the month of October/2019

When I was a young man, fifty some years ago, I thought I was invincible. Like most "young men"  who play the game of baseball -- oozing with confidence, ready for the next catch, the next throw...the next home run.

I remember being in a particular zone back then when I'd make every play and actually hit for an average.

Now at the age of 74 and a little over eight months from being three-quarters of a century old, I've slowed down a bit, but in my mind I'm still that little boy, with black, wavy hair chasing a baseball, where ever its hit.

Something happened to me this week at the Men's Senior Baseball League World Series. Something that hasn't happened to me for a very, very long time.  I was in my zone again -- call it my elderly zone now -- after all I forgot my phone three times last week on the way to the ball park.

In my first week of competition with the Texans, I found myself sitting on the pine in the title game of the 70-and-over championship. I ended up with one inning on the field of play and a token at bat -- with my family watching for goodness sakes. I had full intention of banging the ball down the third base line and letting out all my frustrations. Instead I hit a one-hopper back to the pitcher.

The very next day I searched for a little confidence -- after all I was starting my second week in the 73-and-over division -- a very competitive division for maybe 10 of the 12 teams, which requires an extra deep breath or two every time you take the field of play.

To make matters worse, the manager of the Arizona Scorpions advises that we are in trouble. We will start Game 1 of 5 with just nine players. Needless to say, by Game 5 we are 1-3 and still have to face a team called Team Cambria, a national firm who recruits players from all over the country...and takes no prisoners. In seven games, leading into today's championship game at Fitch Park in Mesa, Cambria is averaging a shade under 23 runs a game. The players look like they are in their 50s, most of them are big and strong...and will bat around in every inning if given the chance.

Luckily, we had 11 players show up for the final game for us and, of course, it is just a warmup game for Cambria on there way to the championship final.

Yes, I was a little upset as I took my position at third base. Suddenly a breeze passed me by and I watched a little dirt devil scurry out to left field. My confidence had come back big time. I looked to Cambria's coach in the third base coaching box and said, very uncharacteristic on my part, mind you: "You hit to me 27 times and you're gonna lose."

Of course, they didn't. They hit to all corners of the outfield 80 percent of the time and won going away, 29-8. We did score eight runs on them, the most at the world series, mind you.

At any rate, the other 20 percent of the balls were hit to me at third. I caught them all, including three line drives. I had one throwing error to first, but we won't go there. I was in a zone, an "elderly zone" and I was having the time of my life, while getting beat up badly at the same time.

As luck would have it, I dove one too many times. Late in the 7th inning, I popped a hammy and had to be helped off the field. I was finally done after 13 games in 14 days, although I was well rested due to the fact I was used sparingly and played in just six of eight games during the first week.

I actually felt young again, even though I left the field with an upper hammy problem and another injury in the quad of my front leg I'd hurt from catching behind the plate (can you believe that!) in a previous game during the tournament. That's another story.

But for the better part of three hours, I was in my zone again. Back at third base again. Yes, I no longer have the arm to play week end and week out at the position. I had three steroid shots in the neck, during the three months leading up to the senior world series.

Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I can't wait till next year.

Pigpen

Note: Team Cambria, from Minneapolis, won the title today at Fitch Park in Mesa as expected. The defending champions, the Sacramento Solons, came closer than all of the other teams did this week.  Team Cambria  13  Sacramento Solons  12