FTLComm - Tisdale - May 23, 2000

Now what better thing to be doing on a Victoria Day then going to a ball game. Monday, later afternoon this was the scene as Tisdale's Bantams (fourteen and fifteen year olds) took on Codette. The scene seemed almost out of a movie because of its astonishing beauty. The picture above shows the field as it is seen from the outfield looking East toward the Harvest Valley Pool terminal almost two miles away. The fathers holding up the fence on the right as a monster storm sweeps past us well to the South. Perfect temperature and wind conditions for baseball as the sun edged down the Northwestern sky.

Coach/manager and Mayor Rollie Zimmer has been here at this point many times before as the sign proclaims him as the winning provincial coach of 1992. This year's team has good pitching and looked a bit rusty in the field and Rollie cheerily suggested that the batters had gone for lunch as it seemed their minds and concentration were not in this game. Actually, he may have been right but at the same time Codette's slight pitcher was throwing heat and the Tisdale batters were expecting much slower pitches from such a small guy.

But, Codette was having their problems in the defense as well with their catcher missing this pop up and a few problems with keeping their infield tight. But this is baseball a game of percentages and opportunities. Miss this one get the next, wait a minute and the tide will turn in your favour.

Below an infield drive gets this runner on first, a sacrifice bunt took him to second, a fly got him to third and a strikeout left him on base to end the inning.

In this picture a swing in a miss about to happen as the ball is caught in the image half way between the batter and the right had side of the image. His swing was just a bit low. Baseball is a remarkable bit of movement as the batter actually makes up his mind to swing before the ball is thrown based on the position of the pitcher's beginning of the delivery and though every one tells the batter to keep their eye on the ball, there isn't much to see as the whole event takes a fraction of a second and the contact or lack of it, is determined by the pre-pitch movement of the pitcher.

Tisdale's pitcher was throwing well but the Codette batters were connecting even if it was mostly for infield drives and bunts. In this play the second baseman had picked off a line drive to him tagged the second base for the out and was executing the throw to first in this picture. Nice play, Tisdale's infield showed moments of clean play with positive throws and excellent positioning. But this is baseball, and the fans enjoyed the game, no they are tangled in the web of the game, baseball wraps up the spectator in a comfortable gentle excitement. Controlled predictable movement and these fans were being rewarded with a well played game in ideal conditions. The sort of stuff dreams are made of.