It's A Hit!

Things happen to me. They always have. Maybe I put myself into situations where such 'things' can happen. Regardless if I deserve it or not, I am a target for mayhem. Becky has learned not only to cope with this simple truth, but to find humor in it. I remember a specific time in our young marriage when I had just suffered a broken finger in a baseball playoff game. Just one of those 'things'. There was not a snicker or a laugh from my wife. In fact, she actually asked if I was OK and genuinely cared. She helped me clean the blood off my split ring finger and every night she would wrap my broken pinkie. Those were the days. Fast forward to the future, actually about two weeks ago. A baseball game being played on a warm night. Yours truly steps to the plate. The sun is low in the sky, just over the horizon in the left-center gap. The pitcher for the other team is bringing gas around the mid 80's. The first pitch from the righty comes in and I take a mighty cut at it. Big whiffer. Now if that curveball had been the fastball that I had been sitting on... Anyways, I step out of the batters box to reevaluate my gameplan. Based on where the sun is currently at, it is almost impossible to differentiate between a fastball and a curveball. I step back in after deciding to sit on a curve. The pitcher winds-up, I squint my eyes and coil my body. The ball is released high and inside. I keep my weight back and wait for it to break. And wait.... and wai... Two things go wrong. One, it is not a curveball. Two, By the time that I recognize that it is not a curve I have waited too long...

And yes, it hurt! The ball hits me solidly on the arm, as evident by the pic taken a couple days later. By my calculations, the ball hit me at 4'3''. The ball then travels about 10'10" off my arm reaching its appex at about 15'1" (calculation based off time of ascension and descension average vs time on screen then off) It is a scary moment. My wrist instantly curls and locks up from a nerve being hit. My fingertips go numb and the rest of my arm feels like it is on fire. Eventually everything goes back to normal, I take my base, and the game continues. We win. But... listen to that video again. You hear the thud of the ball, the umpire yells deadball. The catcher and umpire walk over to see if I am ok. The crowd reacts... but listen to that last voice. That is my lovely bride... (Oh great)... Ah, the love! ;o)