Robbie Thomas
The Strange 4th of July Baseball Game
Firstly, I wish to express that what has happened in Kerrville, Texas, and some of the surrounding communities is awful. Lots of people died, and quite a few people are missing; it’s quite a horrible situation. Hopefully, things can improve, but I also wonder if the cuts to NOAA and the National Weather Service contributed to this disaster. I saw a video of a lady inside her house with about 2 feet of flood water. Also in the house were two teenage girls and her bedridden father, with the water close to his bed. The lady holding the camera is stating that the house smells like sewage and that the water looks dirty. I cannot find that video for some reason now.
Anyway, let’s dig into the strange 4th of July game. This game broke two records for my viewing pleasure. This 4th of July game between UPSBL’s Westside Wolly Mammoths and the Utica Unicorns was quite strange. There were five hit-by-pitches and seven stolen bases overall for both teams. I think there was a time when both catchers didn’t seem to give a rat’s ass. Both teams did a double play with great precision. Otherwise, the defense on both teams was poor at times. I saw some outfield pop-ups where the fielders didn’t catch the ball. Some players were smiling frequently during the game, while others appeared unengaged. I saw a lack of hustle from some of the players on both sides.
There was an inside-the-park home run; it’s the second time I’ve seen that. The first was the game in Toledo. We had a long fifth inning where the Utica Unicorns scored two runs, and when the Mammoths went up to bat, they scored eight runs. That was the longest fifth inning I have ever witnessed. The guy and I were asking each other when this fifth inning would end. The game started at 7:05 pm, and by the end of the fifth inning, the time was 9:15 pm. The rest of the match went uneventfully, and they ended the game in the eighth inning. Mammoths won 11-8, but a Utica player named Thomas Collins got the Player of the Game. Notably, Thomas Collins’ entrance song was Ms. Jackson by Outkast.
After that was over, we got to see the fireworks. This game was packed, and also my daiquiri was watery and disappointing. Next time, I hope to get a better daiquiri, but it was a particularly hot day. There were long lines, and Olga’s also had a stand there. I wanted to get something from there, but the line was too long.
RIP Michael Madsen and also the folks who lost their lives during the Texas Flooding