6/16/2012
It’s 10:59. Just got home. Yesterday was my last day at work. We celebrated. At one point, roughly 20 hours ago I suppose, I was momentarily not allowed entrance in a club because I looked like an astronaut according to the man with the velvet rope. In his defense, he did not know I am the King of All Jewish Baseball, and I was dressed like a fool. I went from work (East Harlem), to our 8-and-under travel banquet dinner at Larry’s house (West Village), to Max’s (Lower East Side), so I borrowed a shirt from Max. The shirt was paisley and too small, but who cared, I was free!
We went to a Depeche Mode party. The shirt was smaller than I had originally thought, and now was fully unbuttoned, and I was dancing, alone. By the time we arrive to LeBron I believe it was called, the shirt looked like a doily stuck to my back. I was essentially naked, and the man with the rope was simply not willing to let a someone like myself into a place otherwise reserved for more put-together men and women. I handled the deal like a gentleman, I am royalty, after all, and was ultimately permitted entry. Fast forward roughly 5 hours to me, dehydrated and somewhat off balance, running sprints in the park near my house. It may have been a bad idea. My left leg hurts now, my left hip and quad. I think if I can manage it today, it will get stronger and feel fine.
I have a game in the morning. The A’. The legendary Zorrilla. I am not sure how the team is doing so far, wins and losses wise. They have played 3 games I believe. But this will be my first regular season game with them. I’ve missed the others because of work.
Shlomo is pitching for us. Shlomo is on the WBC team too. I repeat, Shlo is on the WBC team. Shlomo aka Shlomo Slow-Mo-SHo-SHo-Joe-Joe-Jack-in-the-Hat-Jemmy-Ono-Kinoko Lipitz is the Ace of the Israeli National Team (And of the A’s). Straight off the beaches of Tel Aviv, Shlo was the second Israeli ever to play college baseball in the US (he played at University of California San Diego), he played for the Netanya Tigers in the Israel Baseball League where we met, and has in general been plowing through hitters for a good long while now. I coached him in last year’s European Championships, and he did some amazing things. I probably as a baseball coach should not admit to letting him have done this, but Shlo threw 214 pitches in 13 scoreless innings against the British National team in the championship game[s] last summer. We had to beat the British team twice in a day to advance. The Shlobot blanked them in the first game, 7-0, and asked to start the second game. And we let him. He threw 4 more shutout innings in the second game when they scored a run and we took him out. We ultimately lost the second game of the day, 2-5, and the British advanced to the next round.
Besides being a stealth pitching machine, Shlogurt also happens to live about 5 minutes from me in Brooklyn and manages a large music venue in the city and in general maintains an appearance of a drunken magician. We’ve been training together Tuesdays and Thursdays in Mcarren park in Williamsburg. We usually meet around 9:30 and finish around 11:30 and then we ride Shlo’s electric scooter to the bagel store. Between my gold collection, and his appearance, we are known around town as the Baseball Banditos, or we would like to think so at least. We can get the bandit mobile almost up to 15 miles per hour with the two of us on there with our gear bags. Tomorrow, Banditos ride! For now, must get good rest, but not before I to my exercises for my leg…