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As we know, Larry often has to make NPL baseball moves while in the middle of a softball game on a Wednesday evening. O is a dedicated NPL team owner, who always calls in, even if it means being on the cell phone while playing a softball game at the same time. This sometimes causes unusual situations. Here is one story that was reported by a North Park League fan who was attending O’s softball game.
The story picks up with Big O going to bat for the “Roadhouse” softball team, after completing his cell phone call for round 2 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]of the Wednesday NPL fantasy baseball transactions……. But keep in mind….. Larry also needs to do a round 3.
>>>> With a 3-1 count on Larry Ott, right-hander Juan Cardenas of Franklin Park tied up the lefty slugger with a pitch in on the hands to go full on the count. A cool breeze now kicked up, blowing straight in from center field, right in the face of the big power hitter as a slight mist had also started coming down on this gray overcast evening in the North Hills.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
This caused Ott to go to the pine tar as he stared out at the veteran Cardenas. After being busted inside on the last pitch, the crafty Ott,[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] a longtime warrior of North Hills softball battles was looking for something on the outside part of the plate. And that’s just where Cardenas placed it. Like a good hitter will do, Ott hit the ball where it was pitched and drove a rocket down the left field line. The only question was fair or foul? The ball came down hard about 10 feet short of the fence and right on the chalk line. It hit so hard that it caused a puff of white dust to flash up from the ground, making it an easy fair ball call for 3rd base umpire Julio Ruiz, who frantically waived and pointed to fair territory. The big man can still call on a burst of speed when he needs it and Ott was thinking three bases right out of the batter’s box. Left fielder Elian Franco, the pride of Wexford, was shading Ott towards centerfield due to his reputation as a dead pull hitter, so Franco had a long run towards the left field line. And once he got to the ball which one hopped on the base of the fence, Franco, who has a cannon of an arm made a good play on the ball, grabbing it in his bare hand and wheeling to throw all in one motion.
Ott at this point was steaming towards 2nd base and took a glance at 3rd base coach Luis Diaz. OH NO!!! Diaz was giving Ott the STOPHow to buy [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] sign. But Ott would have none of it. As he rounded 2nd he turned on the jets and put it into another gear. Franco had now unleashed a bullet that 3rd baseman Chico Gonzalez was poised to catch and tag.
As Ott started into his patented head first slide…..
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
… he noticed Gonzalez’s glove moving towards the outfield side of the bag. Ott deftly dove about three feet to the inside and stretched[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] his right arm back and to the right to avoid the touch. He got a hold on the base and held on as his body slid into foul territory a split second before the swipe tag of Gonzalez was applied.
All eyes were now on 3rd base umpire Enrique Martinez Jr, a native of West View. His arms went into the safe signal while bellowing out…. SAFE! SAFE! And then punctuating his call by pointing to Ott’s fingers, now barely clinging to the bag.
Larry Ott asked Martinez Jr. for time, slowly rose to his feet, sheepishly looking at 3rd base coach Luis Diaz whose stop sign he had ignored.[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Diaz did not admonish Ott, instead he gave him the obligatory pat on the butt. Ott was now breathing hard, out of breath. Yeah, triples will do that to you.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
The mist had now turned into a hard damp drizzle as Ott stood alone at 3rd base. From across the infield there was a high pitched ringing sound coming from the 1st base dugout. Big O’s cell phone was ringing. It was time for Larry’s selection in the 3rd round of fantasy baseball.
The story picks up with Big O going to bat for the “Roadhouse” softball team, after completing his cell phone call for round 2 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]of the Wednesday NPL fantasy baseball transactions……. But keep in mind….. Larry also needs to do a round 3.
>>>> With a 3-1 count on Larry Ott, right-hander Juan Cardenas of Franklin Park tied up the lefty slugger with a pitch in on the hands to go full on the count. A cool breeze now kicked up, blowing straight in from center field, right in the face of the big power hitter as a slight mist had also started coming down on this gray overcast evening in the North Hills.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
This caused Ott to go to the pine tar as he stared out at the veteran Cardenas. After being busted inside on the last pitch, the crafty Ott,[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] a longtime warrior of North Hills softball battles was looking for something on the outside part of the plate. And that’s just where Cardenas placed it. Like a good hitter will do, Ott hit the ball where it was pitched and drove a rocket down the left field line. The only question was fair or foul? The ball came down hard about 10 feet short of the fence and right on the chalk line. It hit so hard that it caused a puff of white dust to flash up from the ground, making it an easy fair ball call for 3rd base umpire Julio Ruiz, who frantically waived and pointed to fair territory. The big man can still call on a burst of speed when he needs it and Ott was thinking three bases right out of the batter’s box. Left fielder Elian Franco, the pride of Wexford, was shading Ott towards centerfield due to his reputation as a dead pull hitter, so Franco had a long run towards the left field line. And once he got to the ball which one hopped on the base of the fence, Franco, who has a cannon of an arm made a good play on the ball, grabbing it in his bare hand and wheeling to throw all in one motion.
Ott at this point was steaming towards 2nd base and took a glance at 3rd base coach Luis Diaz. OH NO!!! Diaz was giving Ott the STOPHow to buy [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] sign. But Ott would have none of it. As he rounded 2nd he turned on the jets and put it into another gear. Franco had now unleashed a bullet that 3rd baseman Chico Gonzalez was poised to catch and tag.
As Ott started into his patented head first slide…..
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
… he noticed Gonzalez’s glove moving towards the outfield side of the bag. Ott deftly dove about three feet to the inside and stretched[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] his right arm back and to the right to avoid the touch. He got a hold on the base and held on as his body slid into foul territory a split second before the swipe tag of Gonzalez was applied.
All eyes were now on 3rd base umpire Enrique Martinez Jr, a native of West View. His arms went into the safe signal while bellowing out…. SAFE! SAFE! And then punctuating his call by pointing to Ott’s fingers, now barely clinging to the bag.
Larry Ott asked Martinez Jr. for time, slowly rose to his feet, sheepishly looking at 3rd base coach Luis Diaz whose stop sign he had ignored.[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Diaz did not admonish Ott, instead he gave him the obligatory pat on the butt. Ott was now breathing hard, out of breath. Yeah, triples will do that to you.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
The mist had now turned into a hard damp drizzle as Ott stood alone at 3rd base. From across the infield there was a high pitched ringing sound coming from the 1st base dugout. Big O’s cell phone was ringing. It was time for Larry’s selection in the 3rd round of fantasy baseball.
