Bucky’s Random Thought #426: It’s Church League Softball [Listen-In]

The other day on the BnB Show, Laine and I got on the topic of church league softball. Believe it or not, it can get very intense. Too intense. Enter Pastor Dave to sum it all up in just six simple words.

Lainie's youngest son had just played as a "sub" on a church league softball team. She mentioned how shocked he was that it was such a cutthroat environment. He told her that he would have never known that it was a church group if someone had not had told him ahead of time.

That's when I remembered the one year I played for my church growing up in the Quad Cities. There were no umpires. Each team had to pitch to their own batters, and they had two pitches to get a hit. If not, you went back to the bench. The calls at the bases were supposed to be done in good faith, but that was not always the case.

This one game had a close call, and everyone got all worked up like a bunch of dogs fighting over the last bone. Enter Pastor Dave with what I thought was a brilliant idea.

"We'll give you that one," her offered in his calm nature. "We'll take the next close call."

The fire and brimstone cooled, and the game went on without incident for a few innings. Then the next close call took place. Pastor Dave reminded everyone of our deal, and that we would get that call in our favor.

That's when the second baseman lost his mind. "Mr. Clinging To Youth" got right up in Pastor Dave's face, and boy did he let him have it. He let everyone know that he felt Pastor Dave was blind. Off his rocker. A complete idiot to even think that play was even that close. All the while Pastor Dave just stared blankly back at him.

After a 30-second demonstration of his colorful vocabulary, he finally stopped his tirade.  That's when Pastor Dave flashed his best 'Sunday Pulpit' smile and summed the situation up as only he would do.

"God bless you and your energy."

And with that, he turned and was ready for the next pitch.

Six words never rang so true. After all, it was just church league softball.