Koufax Bounced It
A very forgettable opening day here in Yankee land. Sort of shows what it is going to be like when the big 3 really do retire.
That's depressing.
What was worse, however was watching the Dodgers opening day pitch.
Freaking Magic Johnson stood at the mound with the ball in his hand and after trying to dribble it, Mattingly (Donnie Baseball - my favorite Yankee ever) came bounding out of the dugout wearing that stupid Dodger uniform.
Donnie raised his left hand calling for a reliever and Sandy Koufax made his first Dodger Stadium appearance in a lot of years.
It was kinda' cool, honestly.
Until Koufax wound up and threw the pitch.
He bounced it.
Something got caught in my throat at the sight of the bouncing ball.
Sandy Koufax can't throw a ball sixty feet.
And I don't know why it hit me like a ton of bricks. Koufax is an old man now. He shouldn't be able to hit the glove, but there's a certain element to all of it.
Koufax's body isn't supposed to break down.
The kids were shooting hoops the other day. I popped out the door, tying my sneakers. I knew it would get Sam fired up.
"Pig!" He yelled out.
(He wasn't dissing me - he wanted to play the game).
I called for the ball. I missed my first two and then hit my third.
"I'm ready and you're done," I said.
Sam was out first. Jake's friend went out second. Jake went out third. It left just me and Matt shooting for the W.
I thought of the fact that they were laughing at my shooting motion.
"But it goes in!" Sam said to Jake's friend.
I hit three in a row and Matt matched me.
Koufax is broken down.
Jeter is breaking down.
I've felt broken for over a year.
I drilled a twenty-two footer for my 4th in a row. The kids who were out of the game laughed. I held my hand out in the follow-through motion.
Matt smiled, shaking his head.
"Good game," I said as I tossed him the ball.
He clanked it off the front rim.
I went in the house as they called for me to play again.
"Unbelievable," I heard Matt mutter.
Judging by Koufax...that isn't gonna' happen too many more times.
Time waits for no one.
That's depressing.
What was worse, however was watching the Dodgers opening day pitch.
Freaking Magic Johnson stood at the mound with the ball in his hand and after trying to dribble it, Mattingly (Donnie Baseball - my favorite Yankee ever) came bounding out of the dugout wearing that stupid Dodger uniform.
Donnie raised his left hand calling for a reliever and Sandy Koufax made his first Dodger Stadium appearance in a lot of years.
It was kinda' cool, honestly.
Until Koufax wound up and threw the pitch.
He bounced it.
Something got caught in my throat at the sight of the bouncing ball.
Sandy Koufax can't throw a ball sixty feet.
And I don't know why it hit me like a ton of bricks. Koufax is an old man now. He shouldn't be able to hit the glove, but there's a certain element to all of it.
Koufax's body isn't supposed to break down.
The kids were shooting hoops the other day. I popped out the door, tying my sneakers. I knew it would get Sam fired up.
"Pig!" He yelled out.
(He wasn't dissing me - he wanted to play the game).
I called for the ball. I missed my first two and then hit my third.
"I'm ready and you're done," I said.
Sam was out first. Jake's friend went out second. Jake went out third. It left just me and Matt shooting for the W.
I thought of the fact that they were laughing at my shooting motion.
"But it goes in!" Sam said to Jake's friend.
I hit three in a row and Matt matched me.
Koufax is broken down.
Jeter is breaking down.
I've felt broken for over a year.
I drilled a twenty-two footer for my 4th in a row. The kids who were out of the game laughed. I held my hand out in the follow-through motion.
Matt smiled, shaking his head.
"Good game," I said as I tossed him the ball.
He clanked it off the front rim.
I went in the house as they called for me to play again.
"Unbelievable," I heard Matt mutter.
Judging by Koufax...that isn't gonna' happen too many more times.
Time waits for no one.
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