Yours truly took himself out of the game Sunday at the end of the first inning with neck and shoulder pain due to cumulative trauma over the course of the season. BGR played for the 48+ Athletics of the Tri-Valley Men’s Senior Baseball League.
“With two games left in the season over the next four weeks, it was time to hang them up and start to heal,” noted the Athletics’ gifted first baseman and outfielder. “Besides, I can’t wait to watch the Steelers beat the crap out of the Raiders on Sunday, 9/12, so I’d have blown off the last game anyways.”
A hard-hitting line drive artist, BGR ended the 2004 campaign having played in 20 of the A’s 22 scheduled games. His batting average was as high as .350 mid-season but pain and stiffness reduced his effectiveness as his final numbers showed him hitting a “hard” .288 with an onbase percentage of .419.
“What a putz,” one team mate was overheard to say. “His shoulder is sore because he throws like a girl. BGR can’t even toss the ball to the infielders during warmups between innings. He can’t even throw from first to third without the ball rolling the last 10 feet. Good riddance”