“This game was built to break your heart.”
I believe it. I’ve had my baseball heart broken on more than one occasion.
But I also know the opposite to be true: this game is about great triumphs too!
At last November's Fantasy Camp, our Team Los Angeles was on a straight course towards heartbreak.
We were dubbed “The Cohens” because we had old man Ray behind the plate with his gunslinger sons, Phil on the mound and Rob at shortstop.
On paper, we were the team to beat but, after 5 days of baseball in the sun, on the scoreboard, we were 0-6.
It was a heartbreaking tale of hard line drives hit right into gloves and hard ground balls that couldn’t find a hole.
Watching from above and spilling their beers as they guffawed in laughter, the baseball gods were against us.
Going into the playoffs, we were deservedly in last place, and seeded to play second place Team Brooklyn.
Phil Cohen took the mound, threw his warm-up pitches, and as the first batter strode to the plate, we were nearly out of hope.
After three innings it was 0-0 and it felt like we were holding on by our fingernails.
That’s when it happened. It was as if you could hear the rusty groan of the weathervane as the wind shifted subtly.
The belly-laughing gods above now had a new idea in mind.
A series of bloops, bleeders, and Texas leaguers all found holes and with runners on the bases, a couple of gappers put 3 on the scoreboard.
Brooklyn made their comeback attempt in the bottom half of the inning, but we put another 3 on the board and Phil cruised to a 6-2 victory.
Just like that we were in the championship game against Team Vero. But now, instead of the 48 year-old gunslinger, Phil, it was yours truly on the mound.
Like a dependable old warhorse, I kept them scoreless through four. In the top of the 5th, we scored 4. Team Vero came back with 3 in the bottom half.
As we came to bat in the 6th, I could swear I heard overconfident bluster coming from the opposing dugout: “Ok, fellas, we’ve given them their moment in the sun, but now it’s time to shut them down and win this thing.”
But it was not to be. The baseball gods were on our side now.
We scored 3 in the 6th and 2 more in the 7th while this old warhorse held them scoreless earning a triumphant 9-3 championship victory against the no-longer-undefeated Team Vero.
Triumph on the heels of heartbreak – what could be more ‘baseball’ than that?
Will that be your story this year at Fantasy Camp?
I can’t wait to find out together!
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