Softball Sunday

Opening day in my gay softball league was not a good one. Frustrating to be exact.

My team, NITRO, lost twice. The team we have to beat to advance to the World Series, DC Disturbance (I like to call them the Disturbed) came back from an 8-0 deficit and a 12-5 deficit to beat us 14-13. We then lost to my old team, the DC Metz, 15-9.

The Disturbed do it to us every time. Seems like we get out to a big lead only to let them back in the game when our butts pucker up late in the game. The same thing happend in our Word Series qualifier a couple of years ago. But that may have been fate -- the Disturbed went on to win the B Division of the World Series that year in San Diego.

Not a good start for a team I consider one of the best I've played on. The World Series is in Phoenix this year, but if we don't come together soon, I'll be making plans for something else to do that first week of October.

Softball season closes in

I actually, for a fleeting moment or two, thought about cutting down on my softball this season. I usually play in 2-3 leagues every season, which runs spring through fall. But because of my work schedule, I figured I'd go ahead and play. My schedule used to screw me up every year because I worked early on Sundays, and our league play was always on Sunday afternoon. But now I don't have to worry about that.

I coach my work team, and we play on Saturday mornings in Montgomery County, Md. (That's us above after winning the Metropolitan Media Softball League tournament last July -- www.mediasoftball.net). Playing in the MMSL was never a problem because I'm always off on Saturday. But the team that I'm really competitive with is the team I play for on Sundays, NITRO. We're a part of the Chesapeake and Potomac Softball League (www.capsoftball.org), which is a part of NAGAAA (North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance -- www.nagaaasoftball.org).

We had our preseason meeting Friday and it really went well. We decided to keep the name NITRO. (Some people thought we should change because they thought it was bad luck. Whatever.) We lost a couple of players, but we're also gaining a couple really good players, one from Boston and one from our own league who played last season for the Metz. We also voted to play in tournaments in Philadelphia (Memorial Day weekend, and we can drive!) and Chicago (pre-July 4 weekend. I can't wait!) The World Series this year is in Phoenix and has been moved to October because of the heat (the Series is usually scheduled in August). CAPS league play begins in May. Practice begins in March.

That's me in the photo at left at the 2003 World Series, which was held in Washington, D.C.