Piraci baseball is back!
This weekend, we traveled two and a half hours to Osielsko for a doubleheader under the Polish First League banner.
In game one, I started at first base and hit sixth in the lineup.
During my first at bat, I faced Pawel, who has played with our team a couple times this season. To my surprise, the lefty was throwing noticeably harder than normal.
I had a decent at bat, fouling off a couple fastballs, laying off pitches out of the zone, and running up the pitch count. Unfortunately, I chased an elevated fastball on a full count and struck out. It was a borderline strike, but I felt like it was too close not to swing, and simply missed.
In my second at bat, I got jammed but still got enough of the ball to drive it into left field for a single.
The next inning, I got my first real action in the field.
With bases loaded, and an overzealous runner at first base, we attempted a pickoff. For some crazy reason, he never attempted to come back to the bag. Instead, he hesitated and took off toward second base.
Then, with no explanation, the runner at third base ran home. I threw the ball to our catcher, Witek, who ran him back to third before tossing it to Taku, who applied the tag. Thanks to their lapse in baserunning awareness, we were able to get the third out in a bases loaded jam.
The next time I went to the plate, I only saw one pitch. Although I was on time and got a good piece of the ball, I was under it too much and skied a pop fly to center field.
For my fourth and final at bat of the game, I hit a ball to shortstop and grounded into a fielder’s choice.
My last action of the game came in the bottom of the seventh when I caught a pop fly. A ball was hit behind me, so I turned my shoulders, ran back a little and caught the ball.
After a hard-fought extra inning battle, we won the game 9-7.
We had our usual 30-minute break and then began the second game of the doubleheader.
I started at first base and hit seventh in the lineup.
In my first at bat, I nearly hit a homerun, completely barreling a ball into left center for an RBI double that tied the game 1-1. Personally, this was my favorite play of the day. Between crushing the ball and getting a game-tying RBI, it was an incredibly satisfying feeling.
Another thing I must note were the peculiar dimensions of the field. Left and right field were fairly deep, but in center, it was a different story. Due to the kid’s field being directly behind it, this part of the field was much shallower, which was unique.
I believe if I would have hit the ball to dead center instead of left center, there would have been a chance for it to go over the fence, but alas, it was my best hit of the day and a big moment for our team.
Sadly, my second at bat was not quite as good. I battled the entire at bat, but ultimately grounded out to shortstop.
Back in the field, I had a nice defensive play during the fourth inning.
Following a “swinging bunt” that rolled only a couple feet, I received a throw from one of my teammates that was difficult to handle. Unfortunately for me, the throw went toward the direction of the runner, which put me in an undesirable position as a first baseman.
With my chest squared up toward home plate to receive the throw, I kept my body still, and reached very far with my arm directly into the base path. This was certainly not easy, because the very real potential of colliding with the runner briefly crossed my mind.
Somehow, I was able to stretch, catch the ball, and avoid being trampled, though I did not come out completely unscathed. As the guy ran by, he unintentionally caught me in the ribs with his arm, slightly knocking the breath out of me. While it certainly didn’t feel great, it could have easily been much worse.
Fortunately, through the midst of all that, I was able to remain calm, stand in the line of fire, and get the out.
Not long after, while our team was hitting, a few kids came up to Masa, Taku, and I to ask for autographs. Although I would bet they primarily did it for Taku, it was still an incredibly neat and fulfilling experience.
A few batters later, I walked up to the plate for my third at bat of the game.
Perhaps rejuvenated and confident after signing autographs for the kids, I hit a hard groundball between third and short for a two-run single and then took second base with good, aggressive baserunning.
After a couple more innings, we had another wave of kids asking for autographs. However, since it was in between innings and I had to go back to first base, I told them that I would gladly sign after the half inning concluded.
When I sat back on the bench, a little boy came up and asked me to sign his baseball. He was very kind and respectful, even bringing out his phone to Google Translate a question for me.
The little boy asked, “Do you like Poland?”
I smiled, surprised he made an effort to conversate with me.
I told him, “Yes, I do. It’s very different, but everyone is nice, and I like it here.”
I explained further, pointing to my jersey, saying, “Wladyslawowo is by the beach, by the sea, so it is a very cool place.”
Obviously, I never expected any sort of fanfare in my entire life, let alone in Poland, but it was incredibly humbling and rewarding to have those types of interactions with the local youth watching our games.
In my fourth and final at bat of the day, I hit a line drive to the third baseman that was nearly caught but dropped. He proceeded to tag the base and throw it to second, converting a double play. As much as I would love to claim it as a hit, it was a fielder’s choice.
Back in the field for the final inning, I played very well defensively.
The first batter hit a groundball to Kiryl at shortstop, so I prepared for a wild throw.
Just as I anticipated, Kiryl threw the ball hard and spiked it into the dirt a few feet to my right. Instinctively, I came off the bag, stretched nearly as far as I could, backhanded the ball, and quickly shuffled back to the bag before the runner got there.
My teammates, especially Taku, were very appreciative of my efforts, and it was great to feel the love immediately afterward.
A couple batters later, we had another overly ambitious runner at first base who was getting way too far off the bag.
I knew we’d have a great a chance to pick him off, so before Taku threw the next pitch, I gave him a nod, and luckily, he understood what I wanted. Taku proceeded to pick off and throw a perfect dime. On the other end, I caught the ball, quickly applied the tag, and got the runner out to end the game. It was great teamwork.
We won by a score of 9-3 and swept Osielsko.
Here are some thoughts on the day.
Deby Osielsko was a formidable foe and exceeded my expectations as a team. They had three guys who played for the Polish national team at one point, and although some seemed to be slightly rusty, you could tell they were decent.
Nevertheless, they were a team that performed incredibly well in Polish Ekstraliga just a few years ago, so it was great that we were able to earn two victories on their field.
As for our team, I think we played well. We were able to hit the ball effectively and capitalize on the other team’s mistakes, scoring nine runs in both games. Defensively, there were a couple miscues, but I felt like we did a decent job overall. With important games coming up, we will have to make sure we continue to sharpen all facets of our game.
In regard to my own performance, I was decent the first game, but should have been more impactful.
On the other hand, I think I performed very well in the second game. I was able to get a couple hits, add a few RBIs, and make key plays in the field. Although it could have been better, I was very pleased with my performance.
As happy as I was to play well and get two wins, I found equal, if not more fulfillment by interacting with the local kids and signing autographs.
Of course, I am not delusional and understand that I am nowhere near worthy or hold enough value for someone to want my autograph. I will say, however, I was extremely honored and humbled those kids would even consider asking for mine. It was a great experience and one that I will never forget.
Total stats for the day: 3/8, two singles, one double, three RBIs, and one strikeout.
This upcoming weekend, we play Falcons Lodz in the Baltic League Elimination Round.
Let the playoffs commence!
I think that is very cool!
It is good to hear you so upbeat! I’m sure those local kids were thinking what a nice young man from America you were for taking time to talk to them and sign autographs! Your dad and your uncle Kevin use to practice signing their own share of autographs. They always carried a pen and something to get autographs on when we went to see pro games and college games.