Right before I stepped to the plate for my final at-bat of my team’s season opener in kickball on Wednesday, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

It was the umpire assigned to officiate our game.

“Look, I don’t want to put any additional pressure on you right now, but look at your team.”

He pointed in the direction of my teammates. Moments before, I guess they all took a knee like Tim Tebow before a game. It might have been four years late, but my team — “Free Kicks” — was definitely “Tebowing.”

“Thanks, guys,” I yelled over. “I need all the prayers I can get.”

Pressure, though? What pressure?

  • There were two outs in the bottom of the seventh.
  • My team, down 5-2, staged a rally and the tying run was on third.
  • I worked the count full (3-2) and already fouled off one kick, so as the rules state, my next kick has to be in fair territory or it’s an out. Plus, if the ball clipped the strike zone and I let it go, I’d be punched out on strikes — and the game would be over.

Oh. That pressure.

The opposing pitcher rolled the yellow sphere in my direction and it took a hop just as it was about to cross the plate. Earlier in the game I saw another pitch bounce and I let it go — but that one was ruled a strike, so I had a decision to make. Let it go and leave it to the umpire’s discretion or pound it into the outfield. I let it go.

A few seconds passed before the umpire called “Ball” and I took my base. While I stood on first, the pitcher looked over at me and said, “Really? I put that one right down the middle for you. How did you take that?” I smirked and said, “I guess I have a good eye” — but deep down I know I should have whaled it. I was 2 for 2 with a single, RBI double and two runs scored before that, so I had the “hot foot.”

Oh well.

Two plays later I scored the winning run.

We should have lost, but the breaks went our way.

On the ensuing play, the pitcher and third baseman collided trying to make a play on a pop-up. The ball dropped and I got to second. Then the next kick should have been caught as well, but the second baseman botched it and I kept motoring around the bases until I touched home.

We celebrated like we won the World Series and made plans to meet up at a local bar to continue the festivities.

Throughout the entire night, everything felt normal. The camaraderie was there and nothing felt forced. I attribute it to the fact that we were a team full of free agents (hence ‘Free Kicks’) and most of us weren’t from New Orleans to begin with.

All in all, it was a great debut.

Tyler Tracker: 2 for 2, 3 R, 1 1B, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB.