The Camp meeting is led every morning by Ken Sanders who runs the camp for the pros. Every meeting starts with him handing out fines of $1 or $5 (a major). Over the last couple of days folks have been fined for dress code violations, tardiness, not acting like a major leaguer (forgetting to wear a batting helmet, etc). Well today Ken started out the meeting by calling out “MAIO”. Oh no!. My coach, Lou Merloni explained the situation for me being called on the carpet (see video). You really cannot hear it over the laughter by Ken fined me $5 from yesterday game 1.
After the meeting we do our Camp stretch. Well today it must have been 40 degrees (25with wind chill). Needless to say we stretched rather quickly. We went to our assigned fields. Today we played at the Complex on Field 3 against Lee’s Lefties coached by Bill “Spaceman” Lee. Let me tell you there were a bunch of lefties on that team. This team is tied for first place in their division with no loses. Also, this was my first face to face with Brent my buddy who is doing the camp with me – great guy – and really appreciated his encouragement throughout the last 6 months. Anyway the game did not go as we would have liked it.
We played them close for a couple of innings and then had the dreaded 5 out inning when they scored 5 runs. I might have been the cause for one of those extra outs when a pop up came to me at second, lost it in the sun, really, picked it up as it came down except that it hit the palm of my glove (basket catch – wussy) and fell to the ground for an error. Did not make up for that with my hitting going 0-fer with a strike out and a called third strike looking strike out. More on that in a sec. The highlight of the game for me later in the game on an ESPN Top 10 plays of the week, a great catch on a line drive over my head which I caught (put my glove straight up in the air and jumped as high as I could) and doubled up the runner at second for an inning ending double play. Given some of the pictures you have seen so far, you must be wondering how I was able to get off the ground, but I did.
The last at bat, Brent was catching for the other team.
First pitch was low and outside. Second pitch was high and tight. After I called him a d**k the count all of sudden turned to his favor going 3-2. After the first two pitches and the name calling, he started to tell me the pitches which I believed given he is an honest guy. But when we got to the 3-2 pitch and he said curve ball, I couldn’t believe it until I saw that sucker coming right at my face and break down over the plate for a called third strike looking to end the game. 
Final score 8-1 which dropped our record to 4-2 tied for second place. We have a chance to be in the final if we win the afternoon game and Friday morning’s game. See the blog for the afternoon activity.
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