Back on Third Street

So……. Here we are and nothing much has changed. Some construction out on Business 83, but there’s always construction on Bus 83. It’s just a little further down the road or a little closer. Lots of folks are still missing but we’re right back into the swing of things. Pickle Ball, woodcarving, crafts for Kat and the ladies, grocery shopping at the HEB (Harold E Butts) and a spot on Third St.

Thanksgiving has come and gone and we had the big potluck. The park is gradually filling up but it won’t be till after Christmas that its really full. A few people show up every day and I see familiar faces at lunch or ice cream and some of my Pickle Ball buds are showing up.

My knees feel good enough this year to try softball and I have. So far so good! But this is Senior softball with a capital S. That makes it at least on par with wheelchair basketball. I think? I’m not trying to ‘knock it’ because it has been a load of fun. I learned right away that in this league ‘effort’ or sometimes even a lack of it, count. Too much effort can lead to discomfort or even injury. Not the desired result here. You won’t see too many of us ‘running it out’, making a Kamikaze headfirst slide or climbing the fence to make that ‘Grandstand’ catch. Here its more “good try”, take another swing at it, hold up here, or take your time and don’t hurt anything”. Pinch runners are common, everybody plays and bats, there are rules to prevent sliding and contact with each other and the ground, and underhand throws from the outfield are acceptable. Which all goes to make it ‘my kind of ball’.
We play in McAllen about 10 miles away at a very nice facility. It’s an open league but I’d have to say it’s 90 percent Winter Texans and I’m probably in the middle to younger age group. There are three divisions in Texas Senior League, competitive, recreational and leisure. Until January we’re just scrimmaging and kind of sorting things out. I think I started in ‘recreational’ but last week I got moved (traded) to another team. My new team needed some pitching, which I do. There is a small premium on being able to get the ball 45’ from the pitchers mound across the plate. Anyway I asked my old teammates if they got cash and draft picks for my trade? They said “yeah! Sure! We got a dollar, two ninety eight and a guy on crutches”. This leads me to wonder if I got traded because of my pitching ability or speed from home to first base? It was the case that the first base coach put away his stop watch when I was running and got out his calendar. But I’m having fun and will let you know how it turns out in January if the knees hold out.