Riding the Pine.

Makes the 3:00 am wake up call worth it. 

Some of my fondest memories from playing baseball were not experienced on the field or up to bat, they were sitting on the bench joking around with my teammates. Maybe I did not contribute towards a victory in the traditional sense with an inside the park home run or a triple ripped down the line, but I loosened up the guy who did those things with a couple of fart jokes. A little silliness helped create a relaxed atmosphere and took some of the pressure off, indirectly leading to better results. These same feeling came back to me while my team bombed during our clubs annual Manny Nunez Memorial  Challenge event at Castaic Lake, September 16, 2012.  

The only keeper of the day. I may be smiling but I'm crying on the inside. 

In an event that showcased 9 different Southern California bass clubs and a total of 50 teams, the Castaic Bass Club came out on top with an impressive 28.21 pound three team limit produced by Mike M., Tony F., Lenden R., George R., Roger L., and Kevin J. Even though the two fish we caught did not contribute towards our clubs total weight, my teammate Mike I. and I helped out in other ways, by signing people in, recording weights at the weigh in, organizing the BBQ and just trying to have a good attitude, which can be difficult when sleep deprived.    

Castaic Bass Club 2012

My partner and I might have been riding the pine while our teammates won us the trophy, but it still felt good to get the win. Just because you are on the bench doesn't mean you have to pout, grab your rally cap and cheer on your peers or help warm up the closing pitcher.  These kind of contributions might not show up on the stat sheet, but they helped pave the way for victory. Not everybody gets to be Barry Bonds, but that doesn't mean the people at BALCO didn't get to enjoy his home runs.  

Skyman out. 

Our Clubs Trophy.