First Games in France

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We played our first games of the season on Sunday. It was against the Cergy Teddy-Bears. For real, their team name was the Teddy Bears. We played at their stadium in Cergy, which is a town just outside of Paris.

I pitched the first game, winning 6-3.

The second game we won 23-2.

It is clear that this is probably the weakest team we will face all season.

In the second game Eric Quebecois pitched, as well as Artur, one of the 15 year olds on our team. They both pitched well, I thought, only one walk between the two of them which is good. The game got boring toward the end because the other team was walking so many of our batters. I walked 3 times out of 5 at-bats in the second game.

After our second game we stopped off at McDonald’s for a drink and a bite to eat. I was not hungry, don’t like McD’s that much, but when I tried to order just a beer I was told that I had to order some food item with my beer. I guess this is to keep from McD’s becoming a bar scene, which makes sense. Twist my arm, why don’t you: I was forced to buy a cheeseburger and a vanilla shake.

I really enjoy the tradition of eating out or grabbing a drink after a baseball game. It is a great opportunity to de-stress, to be with your teammates on a different level from when you are playing with them in a game, to just be with each other as normal people and not in competition.

It makes me think of the Pabst Blue Ribbon beers for a buck after work at Magnolia Grill where I worked last year. So good to relax for a few moments after many hours of running around the restaurant, delivering orders, making sure there are enough forks on table 62, getting a wine glass for table 12, filling more ramkins with butter…..then to be finished with it all and just relaxing. Just talking, being, breathing. And people-watching the last few guests who are still lingering in the restaurant (and looking at the faces of the waiters still working, how bad they want to get off work).

It reminds me also of when I was younger, stopping for dinner after the game. When it was just me and my dad (and my brother, sometimes), we’d stop off at Subway. I remember the guy at the Subway out near Catsburg, the park where we played when I was ten, knew exactly what I wanted each time I came in. (footlong subway club, cheese, white bread, lettuce/tomato/mayo). Or sometimes we would stop at taco bell, that was the other favorite (before that Del Taco, until Del Taco closed). I remember going to Italian Pizzeria Restaurant in Willowdale shopping center as a team after games, too. So good!

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Photos

Field near Gaillard Castle
I forget the name of this stadium; after our game we went to watch another game in which two of Flo's friends were playing.

Cyrile and Christophe
Cyrile and Christophe; Pres and Vice Pres of the Louviers Wallabies, a Regionale 1 team not far from where I live.

Gaillard Castle
The Ruins left over from Gaillard Castle. Up above the castle, behind the frame, is where the athletic park and baseball fields are.

Eric Quebecois
What is on his head??

Comments

[mary and lori]

what is on his head??? beer at mcdonalds sounds like a good idea. i love reading of your adventures...keep em coming. xoxo