Slipsees

She stepped in the circle, brushed her toe across the rubber strip and eyed the batter. The focus was intense, the wind up was big and the pitch was…Strike One! She filled in the slight hole left by her dragging toe, stepped back on the rubber and prepared to throw the next pitch…Strike Two! The crowd held their breath, the coach yelled encouragement and the dugout chanted…and the pitch…. “SLIPSEES!”

She walked in the door at home with an unidentifiable look on her face. “Dad, I did it today.” “Did what?” He asked. “I called SLIPSEES!” Her dad looked at her and his jaw dropped to the floor. “You did WHAT?”

She played it off well and continued to explain that she threw the pitch and called “SLIPSEES” before it crossed the plate. “Who was the umpire?” He asked. She explained that is was the high school softball coach, who would happen to be watching her for future reference. “I can’t BELIEVE you did that…” he said.

Okay, so we couldn’t hold it anymore. We both broke into hysterical laughter! We had got him. Let me explain…

When our daughter was young, she had NO interest in playing tee-ball, coach pitch or little league. She simply didn’t want to play because she was too embarrassed to stand in the batter’s box. When she was in 10 years old, one of the coaches talked her into playing because they were short players. So few in numbers, that the 9-10 year olds had to play up a level for the Major Girls, 11-12 year olds.

She decided to play and our bashful little girl wanted toPITCH! What? She doesn’t want to stand in the batter’s box, but she wants to stand in the circle? Go figure. She worked with an older high school pitcher to learn some of the basics and ended up doing pretty well.

Every once in a while, she would throw a pitch that sailed over the batter’s head. She would get VERYembarrassed. After the first time that happened, dad told her on the way home…”You know, if you throw a pitch like that and you know it’s going to sail, if you call SLIPSEES before it crosses the plate it’s a do-over.” “Really,” she said. He went on to convince her that was the rule and she bought it, she was only 10 years old. She never took advantage of the rule, there was always that doubt.

She continued to play and the next year started with a pitching coach and travel ball. One day, the rare occurrence of dad not being able to come to a game provided the opportunity she needed. By now she had figured out dad was full of “wally.” This is the day she came home and told him she used theSLIPSEES card.

She really had him going. She told him how upset she was that she didn’t get a do-over. She told him how she embarrassed herself in front of the high school coach….He was feeling pretty bad. I think we laughed for an hour once we had him.

The pitching continues, she is ending her senior year and has been the starting pitcher on the varsity team the last three seasons. There has though been a time or two she wishes she could have calledSLIPSEES! That batter at the beginning of the story…well, Strike three, and the final out!

P.S. The above is a true story from many years ago!