Escaped Wage Slave: Family Baseball*

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Family Baseball*

FAMILY BASEBALL

For several years someone, bless them, organized the Peg Ryan Picnic outside the city in the Forest Preserves. Peg Ryan or Ma Ryan, of course, was the mother of my grandmother and her twin sisters.

Out of these Irish Warrior Queens were the Sheehy, the Leen, the McMahan, LaFlamboy, several strains of Ryan, the Stoll, the McNamara; cluster of relationships to have a day in the woods. Summer nights were long and if the full pig is half way roasted, or the 30 gal of peanut oil ready for the deep fried turkey, everything had to start real early. It was a long, hardworking get together fun. And our community cleaned up the place well before leaving.

Does anyone even remember what a picnic is; attended by 100’s of people from all around. A committee was formed months before for Food Preparations, Serving and Cleaning duties, whose is to going to get the Moon Walk blow up jumpy thing. Plastic toilets to reserve, all the necessities had to be accounted for and be there without fail. Most money was put up by a few and the picnic itself had to generate some revenue. Fundraising gambit I loved best was chipping a marshmallow with a 7 iron – closest to the 30 yd pin, 50/50 stake. As the sun was going down and thousands of shots were taken, (wet, soggy dollar bill were collected for each), the boys would argue over micro measurement from ‘mello to pin. An argument I didn’t count on was whether the ‘mellow had to be intact. I lost the argument, I wanted it intact.

Just beware the next time you run a Marshmallow golf game. Set the rules first.

Egg toss. Three Legged Races. Sack Races. Jarts = LOOK OUT!!!! – Horseshoe Tournament. Dunk Tank. I got even one time. Grudge over. Very unusual for an Irishman. The Dunk Tank as therapy? Who knew?

Someone called for the pickup softball game – clip board in hand, meet at the oak tree at noon. When the 18 or so players show up, we looked around and the two obvious captains were chosen. Then came the ChickenClaws ceremony. ChickenClaws was when CaptainA from 8ft away chucks the bat to CaptainB in such a way that B would catch it flat in their hand somewhere along the length of the bat, barrel down. CaptainA would approach and put their hand, handily, on top of B, then A, then B, up to the knob on the bat. Strategically, you didn’t want ChickenClaws. ChickenClaws was the concede to hold the bat by the knob while the other kicks it out of your fingers. The kicker was 80%, as I reckon. The winner got first draft pick and winded down to awkward, gangly, gawky, geeky, nerdy, uncoordinated teenager (she’s blood, dude) but everyone played and everyone was there to have a good time together.

It was short game. Everyone split up for 20 min or so, playing catch, knocking the ball around. 16 inch softball is big. In this environment you want the semi-squishy variety. Pick your favorite bat you’re ready to play. Let’s Play Two, Ernie!

Our leadoff hitter, Packy Harrigan, top of the first, first batter of the game, first pitch of the game lines a rope single to leftfield, handled cleanly by the athletic left fielder, Daniher, he throws back into the pitcher, his brother Tim. Playing showboat occurs a bit between Tim and the first basemen, Chickee O’Hare, acting like Harrigan was going to get “picked off”. Even before the second pitch of the game, Tim rifles it over to Chickee, Harrigan dives back …. right into Chickee's knee. Cheekbone, orbital bone, eye cavity, Harrigan was ugly. He was messed up… ‘member we are out in the woods. No cell phones.

We once worked together and trusted each other.

Game over.

Memory, not fact

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Beisball 2020*

https://escapedwageslave.blogspot.com/2020/02/beisball.html

Opening Day*

https://escapedwageslave.blogspot.com/2019/04/opening-day.html

Pitchers and Catchers*

https://escapedwageslave.blogspot.com/2019/02/pitchers-and-catchers.html

Home Run Around*

https://escapedwageslave.blogspot.com/2010/11/post-election-notes-i-awoke-this.html