July 3rd, 1996
I'll never forget the moment.
We were playing a softball game at Renaldo Park.
The Lions versus Fox's Den.
It was a huge game as we were 1-2 in the standings, and we honestly didn't care for each other. The games were always hotly contested.
It kinda' wasn't that night.
Renaldo hit a couple of long home runs, and we were up big. I had also had a few hits...my patented single over the second baseman's head.
When I arrived at the plate in the 4th inning, I noticed that the centerfielder had moved in to try and take that single away.
I never hit a ball further.
It went straight over the centerfielder's head and I blazed my way around the bases. When I reached second, I caught a glimpse of the centerfielder and he was still trying to get the ball.
"I hit a homer!" I thought to myself.
As I passed the shortstop, I felt a pain in my left lower leg. I looked to the shortstop. I thought he had kicked me. He was a long ways away.
"What did you throw?" I asked, as I started hobbling.
"What?" He asked.
I tried to take another step, and it wasn't there. Something was seriously wrong!
I fell into third and my coach was waiting for me.
"Stay on the bag!" He said.
I was near tears.
"I tore a tendon!" I was rolling around.
Thankfully, it was a school teacher who'd been trained in first-aid.
"It's just strained," J.C. said. "It's intact."
Long story short, they rolled me to the bench, put me on ice, and gave me beer.
When the game ended, I tried to stand.
No go.
Somehow I made it to my parent's home.
"Dad, I'm hurt," I said. "I need to go to the hospital."
"Bah! The Yankees are on. Get Kathy to take you."
He didn't take me!
I had torn the tendon. It was separated at the top and bottom. I had surgery on the 4th of July and didn't put that foot on the floor again until October.
I bring all of this up because I saw the scar yesterday and immediately thought about July 3rd.
I hate that day!
Didn't even get a homer out of it...
...and my team voted Renaldo as the Polly-O String Cheese player of the game.
Bastards!
We were playing a softball game at Renaldo Park.
The Lions versus Fox's Den.
It was a huge game as we were 1-2 in the standings, and we honestly didn't care for each other. The games were always hotly contested.
It kinda' wasn't that night.
Renaldo hit a couple of long home runs, and we were up big. I had also had a few hits...my patented single over the second baseman's head.
When I arrived at the plate in the 4th inning, I noticed that the centerfielder had moved in to try and take that single away.
I never hit a ball further.
It went straight over the centerfielder's head and I blazed my way around the bases. When I reached second, I caught a glimpse of the centerfielder and he was still trying to get the ball.
"I hit a homer!" I thought to myself.
As I passed the shortstop, I felt a pain in my left lower leg. I looked to the shortstop. I thought he had kicked me. He was a long ways away.
"What did you throw?" I asked, as I started hobbling.
"What?" He asked.
I tried to take another step, and it wasn't there. Something was seriously wrong!
I fell into third and my coach was waiting for me.
"Stay on the bag!" He said.
I was near tears.
"I tore a tendon!" I was rolling around.
Thankfully, it was a school teacher who'd been trained in first-aid.
"It's just strained," J.C. said. "It's intact."
Long story short, they rolled me to the bench, put me on ice, and gave me beer.
When the game ended, I tried to stand.
No go.
Somehow I made it to my parent's home.
"Dad, I'm hurt," I said. "I need to go to the hospital."
"Bah! The Yankees are on. Get Kathy to take you."
He didn't take me!
I had torn the tendon. It was separated at the top and bottom. I had surgery on the 4th of July and didn't put that foot on the floor again until October.
I bring all of this up because I saw the scar yesterday and immediately thought about July 3rd.
I hate that day!
Didn't even get a homer out of it...
...and my team voted Renaldo as the Polly-O String Cheese player of the game.
Bastards!
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