Gazette 13, Express 6
Photos coming soon.
As he mulls over the playoff roster, gifts continue to pile up in front of coach Ian Herbert’s house.
Washington, D.C. | It started with a plate of cookies left on his seat late Tuesday night. “Thanks for all your work coach,” read the note taped to the plate with a “You’re a Star” sticker.
The next day, there were three plates of brownies, two balloon bouquets and a cyan Snuggie.
And on Friday? Four Omaha steaks, a gift certificate to DC Coast (unconfirmed reports suggest that the price listed was close to $50), and a new set of Shun knives.
“It’s so bad I had to drive to work Friday,” coach Ian Herbert said in an exclusive interview with 20- Minutemen. “I couldn’t get all this stuff home otherwise.”
Such are the challenges for a manager who must, for the first time, prepare his team for the Metropolitan Media Softball League playoffs, which will take place on July 11, two weeks after Saturday’s regular-season finale against Gazette.
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Washington, D.C. | This is probably my last column for the 20-Minutemen. I didn’t accomplish what I set out to, and barring some kind of miracle, I probably won’t this Saturday — I haven’t gotten the ball even close to the outfield, never mind over a hypothetical fence.
This season, I discovered what people who play sports regularly have probably known for years — a lot of things have to go right for a batter to even get on first base. I used to think that if you hit the ball, well, then you’d get a hit. But I learned quickly there are a lot of people in the field trying to stop that from happening.
Instead, I’ve come to appreciate the thrill of small steps. Getting halfway to first before someone threw the ball to the baseman seemed like a big accomplishment a couple of games ago. Smacking the ball hard enough to (barely) get on base took a season of figuring out how to hold the bat and swing with my whole body. And when I finally did it, I was as proud of myself as I would have been had I hit a game-winning grand slam.
Maybe next year will be the year I hit a home run (or at least a double). In the meantime, I’m on to my next project — becoming a genuine baseball fan, complete with an encyclopedic knowledge of my team’s roster and its various ups and downs. Now that I understand the understand the rules, how hard can it be?
NPC 9, Express 5
Click picture to see this round of photos.
More Do’s and Don’ts!
Does anyone read individual game stats?
Express’ rookies looked a little sloppy last week.
Arlington, Va. | Just a month ago, the 20-Minutemen were flying high. Coming off a dominant performance against the Associated Press, Express players were talking about finally finding their bats and hitting their stride. There was talk of a late playoff run.
Week after week, the players prepared for the upcoming games only to be disappointed by holiday vacations or mother nature.
Now, it seems all the Minutemen can find is the gloves of the other team. The drastic breakdown has left Express all but eliminated from the playoff hunt with two weeks left in the regular season.
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Las Vegas, Nev. | A photo sent to Express by an unknown source suggests that 20-Minutemen coach Ian Herbert did not, as previously stated, spend his time in Las Vegas “catching up on book-club reading.”
National Press Club coach Jonathan Salant, who recently called Express his “nominee for most improved team of 2009 so far,” now calls it “the league’s most debauched. I have no worries that we’ll smother this gang of dissolutes on Saturday with our moral superiority.”
Coach Sean Sedam of the Gazette is similarly unintimidated. “It’s hard to fear a coach with exposed chest hair,” he said.
The photo caused disappointment and confusion among team members.
“Who’s the guy in the glasses?” asked Aimee Goodwin. “And where is Ian?”
Clinton Yates suggested that teammates watch Weird Al Yankovic’s “White and Nerdy” video.
Unlike some of her teammates, Amanda Erickson was not enjoying poolside pina coladas and Celine Dion’s award-winning Vegas show this weekend.
Rockville, Md. | It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
The 20-Minutemen suffered three crushing defeats in a steamy tripleheader Saturday at Veirs Mill fields, losing to Examiner 16-6, NBC-4 13-0 and CNN 8-5.
Hampered by the absence of manager/pitcher Ian Herbert and roving outfielder/top hitter Scott McCarthy — who were enjoying a weekend “mancation” and hourly pirate shows at the Treasure Island hotel in Las Vegas — the Minutemen struggled at times to make their offensive mark against three strong opponents.
But despite some unfortunate moments — errant throws, balls through legs, a catch by a CNN outfielder that seemed to surprise even her — the Minutemen still maintained their good spirits even when missed throws to first base repeatedly went through an annoyingly large hole in the fence.
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Examiner 16, Express 6
NBC 13, Express 0
CNN 8, Express 5
Click picture to see this round of photos.
Individual game stats to come … maybe.
Washington, D.C. | Can a team divided truly stand together?
Just in case they can’t, the 20-Minutemen are moving to the Washington Post headquarters, where they’ll share a building with softball content partner WhoRunsGov.com. Rachel Kaufman, who works in the WaPo Styles section, will similarly be united with the team by virtue of location.
We’re going to be following this move carefully. Check the sidebar for a new link to move info, and click Photos for pictures of the construction progress. These will be updated weekly.
Were Weaver’s guns a factor in the decision? Team officials won’t say.
Arlington, Va. | With manager Ian Herbert leaving town for the weekend, Dustin Weaver has been tapped to run the team, adding to speculation that he may be given the reins when Herbert retires from media softball at the end of the season. But the move has also been criticized as an attempt to bypass the proper coach search process mandated by league rules.
Weaver was named interim manager in an e-mail to the team on Wednesday. “Dustin has graciously offered to take over managerial duties for the weekend, and he will be holding pitching tryouts before the first game to try to give Andy some relief,” Herbert casually mentioned in the e-mail, obtained by 20Minutemen.org on Thursday.
Herbert, who could not be reached for comment, is reportedly spending the weekend in Las Vegas. Sources knowledgeable with his thought process said he picked Weaver because of his seniority at Express and the respect he demands from his teammates. But critics note that Andrea Bonior, Clinton Yates and Christopher Porter, who have similar qualifications, were not offered the job. Scott McCarthy will also be in Las Vegas this weekend and was not considered for the job.
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