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May 15, 2008, 10:17 pm
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World's longest strikeout



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On Tuesday, I set a world record.

My Pink Sox softball team took on some random team from St. Paul. I don't know the names of any of our opponents, because they're all from St. Paul and they're all new to me -- it's not important.

What is important is what I did. That's the point of this online group, Amateur Athletes -- tell about your antics on the field or court, in the pool, or wherever else you play sports.

So, this week, I was hitting bad. I'll admit it. My excuse is that we had a week off because of last week's rainstorm and I got out of sync. Shoulda gone to the batting cages in between games. I think I went 2-for-6.

I pitched a good game, winning something like 13-9.

One brute of a player -- about 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds -- really ticked me off. He whacked one of the hardest singles I've ever had hit off me to left field in his first at-bat. His second time up, I threw him a knuckleball way up and way away and he tomahawked it a million miles. Home run.

I don't get mad about that stuff. What happened in the brute's third and fourth plate appearances is what made me mad.

Knowing he was a crazy-good hitter, I intentionally walked him. He and both teams erupted into taunts of "Nobody intentionally walks in softball!" and the like. I thought it was funny, but truly, it was the smart thing to do -- put a lumberingly slow runner on base. He ended up scoring.

Big deal.

But I couldn't believe that my team didn't agree with the idea to pass on giving up a home run. That irked me.

The brute was intentionally walked in his next plate appearance. I didn't even turn around when he hollered, "Are you going to let me bat this time?" trying to sound like Goliath squawking down at David. Don't even care what he says, I told myself. But he bothered me with his disrespect and flat-out babyish behavior.

We turned a double play.

The next inning, they walked our best power hitter, just to be smart alecs. Very cute. Grrrrr ...

An inning after that, I chalked up my second strikeout of the doubleheader. Both K's were the kind you can only get in softball -- you'd never strike out like this in baseball. I struck out on foul balls both times.

The second K included two hard-hit balls down the third-base line.

After the first pitch passed by me, I was chided again -- this time for taking a strike. I drove the next pitch foul, only a foot from being a fair ball in left field.

I could hear a teammate saying, "See you just gotta get him angry. Insult him some more, and he'll hit a home run."

I almost did. By this time, I was really angry inside, wanting only to hit the ball as hard as I could to unleash my inner demon.

On the third pitch of the at-bat, I stepped toward the pitcher and turned on the ball, skying it about 300 feet to the base of the left-field fence. As I got halfway to second base, the ump had called me out. A foul ball by a fraction of an inch. 

Hitting the ball that hard made me feel better. The strikeout didn't. That is the story of how I achieved a world record for the longest strikeout.

Oh well. I have another game tomorrow, for which I should be ready. So maybe luck will be on my side then.

Join the online group Amateur Athletes and blog about your exploits in rec and other nonprofessional leagues. Click on the Groups button above and then subscribe to the groups of your choosing.


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