Team GR

Last night was the first game of the Fall/Winter season for the Giant Robot softball team. A bunch of our players are also on another team's roster, so the lineup is going to fluctuate from week to week. For this matchup, we had a sampling of old-schoolers like Hap and KC (above, awarded the game ball after going 3 for 3 in his comeback game) as well as a fairly new player (Brian) complementing holdovers from last season: Eric, Bill, Chi, Jason, Greg, Sada, and BK.

And then there was me. Coming off a horrific 1-11 season, I sat out when Eloise was born and saw the team claim a division championship and go deep into the city tournament without me. Would my return to the mound mark a return to the old ways?

Nah, I struck out 4 or 5 and walked 1. Went 2 for 3. Had a great time playing with the guys. I am sore as hell, but can't wait for the next game. Thank you, L.A. Parks & Rec.

What's weird is that I have never played team sports at any level of school. I like skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, and running. But there's something about GR softball...

When the idea was hatched by Eric and his cousin Michael, we formed a team around the mag, stores, friends, and relatives. I couldn't hit and had to learn how to pitch. For a long time, I really sucked and even now I don't consider myself a great player. But maybe there's something to learning something new at an older age. And maybe there's a sort of competition, friendship, or kick that you don't get in front of a computer screen. Or maybe it's being the Asian equivalent of the Fat Albert gang beating up a bunch of ex-jocks and frat guys.