On This Eve
When the field is perfect, and you’re pretty sure all the teams are showing up. When the hotdogs and the hamburgers are bought, the coolers are full of soda, and Howards is out of wiffleballs. When the bats are taped, handles gripped, and you can’t sleep because you keep thinking about the smell of the dew on the grass when you’re taking your warmup tosses from third to first. And the dirt on the basepad is perfect. You can’t sleep because, in your daydream of tomorrow your cleats feel sharp, the ball feels perfectly formed into the palm of your throwing hand, the sleeves on your shirt are cut to the exact specification of your best.
On this Eve, as the 14th annual Wackfest lingers, you can’t sleep because this is two pure days of nothing but bat and ball. You can’t sleep because this is the only time in the year you get to play three games in one day, in anything. You can’t sleep because three games means three chances for a game winning double into the rightfield gap. You can’t sleep because your thinking about three chances for a tie game all-out, balls-to-the-wall, parallel-to-the-earth, bone busting full speed diving catch to save three runs in the top of the last. You can’t sleep because this is three chances for a walkoff. This is three chances for the people to leave saying, “you just had to be there.”
On this Eve, whether you’re defending a title or chasing your first wiffleball championship, you can’t sleep because this is your big leagues. This is your show. This is your Braggin’ Rights game. Four on four. A white ball and a yellow bat. No gloves. No managers. No season tickets. No jersey sales. No umpires. Just the love of the game.
Your walkoff is one pitch away.
WACKFEST 2008
THE DAVID UNTERREINER BLOG
Givin you the PULSE on sports I care about
WHO IS THIS GUY?
- David Unterreiner
- David is a former sports writer for the Southeast Missourian and a current sports writer for the Durango Herald in Durango, Colorado. He is a University of Missouri alum and avid follower of Mizzou and St. Louis pro sports. Contact him at dunterreiner@semosportsweb.com
4 comments:
Spoken like the true Grandaddy of Wackfest that you are. It's nice to know that you have not forgotten what it is like. You would be very proud of your little brother and the job he does in putting it all together.
I was very offended at your planned "wackfest", but then I realized you were talking about wiffleball.
What a tradition that has been carried on at the home of Steve and Debbie Unterreiner. I have been a part of all but two or three tournaments and have truly enjoyed the atmosphere and competition. Of all my years, this year truly was a special one. It was actually the 10th year, but who's counting? John ran the tournament beautifully and the top teams were very evenly matched. Good games, good food, good people. 363 days until the 11th annual Wackfest.
The truth, actually, is that the wiffleball tournament has been going on for 14 years, although it was not technically named Wakfest until four years later.
So, you're right. Technically, this is the 10th annual Wackfest. BUT, considering that I'm the "true Grandaddy" of the whole thing (although just as much credit goes to Paul and Mark Unterreiner, as well as Andy Arnzen when it comes to the founding of Wackfest) I have decided that, since the first four years were certainly the real deal, and probably some of the most heated and intense tournaments thus far, they should be grouped under the Wackfest name.
So there you have it. The 14th Annual Wackfest has concluded. Congrats to all.
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