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.
That means making some tough choices. Because the first game of the playoffs will be single elimination, Herbert will need to winnow a team of 24 down to a starting line-up of ten. And it seems like some players aren’t taking any chances with their position.
“Ian’s been doing such a great job with the team,” Dustin Weaver said. “I wanted to show him that I appreciated him.” When pressed about the timing of the gift, which comes just days before Herbert finalizes the lineup, Weaver blinked twice, pulled on the sleeve of his sweater, and said “I didn’t even realize we made the play … offs. Huh.”
Coronado sisters Tracey and Kris also told reporters that the timing of their gift (the William Sonoma 19-knife block set, retail value $1,499.99) was purely coincidental. “We haven’t seen Ian on the field in a while and just wanted to remind him that we’re around and able to swing a bat,” Tracey said at a press conference.
Some players are refusing to take part in what they describe as “childish antics.”
“There are some players who feel like they have to suck up to coach Herbert,” said shortstop Clinton Yates. “But I know that a coach as great as Ian will have no trouble figuring out that I should be playing as much as possible.”
For his part, Herbert is trying to remain above the fray. “Obviously, the championship roster will be based solely on talent and attendance,” Herbert said. “Though, come to think of it, I could use a new watch.”
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