Baseball and Engines

Baseball is like engines...no, not really. I just thought that was a funny way to start the post.

I've called a few games so far now, and I have noticed a few things I don't remember from before.

1. Coaches whine a lot. Maybe they whined as much 15 years ago as they do today, and I just blocked it out. But the whining is definitely bad. That will obviously take some getting used to again.

2. The plays are a lot closer than you're used to seeing on TV. Most of this has to do with the fact that younger, less experienced players rarely field the ball cleanly all the time, rarely throw it where they're supposed to throw it, and...generally rarely do things the way they're supposed to be done. This leads to a lot of situations where you end up with a bang-bang play that really had no business being a bang-bang play.

3. I'm enjoying calling again. I'm still (re-)learning, and I've made a few mistakes, but it's nice being back out on the field. Although, I DON'T like doing 500-600 squats over the course of four hours, as I did in the last two games yesterday. My partner wanted to take the first of our three games behind the plate, and I was fine with that. I actually had figured on doing the 1st and 3rd games, but since he wanted to do the 1st game, I figured I'd be in the field for two and that's always good. But he is a new guy, in his first year calling baseball, and so he wanted more work on the bases because he's not used to those mechanics yet. So I let him work there for the 2nd and 3rd.

It's supposed to rain today, but if the weather holds up, I'm scheduled to do 4 prep games at the Moore Youth Baseball preseason tourney. I hope I get those games in. Of course, if I don't, I might try to get a little time finishing the tear-down of the new engine.

"New engine??"

Yes...my last update on the Mustang from late last March mentioned the coolant-from-the-flywheel-bolt-holes issue. Well, I cracked into the engine and sure enough, coolant had leaked into the Number 5 cylinder (that's driver's side, front to you non-gearheads), had combined with gasoline and engine oil, and had turned itself into something that looked like someone had vomited into the engine. Anyway, I'll provide more on that story later tonight or tomorrow.