A+ PERSON; A- SEASON

We hadn't played the first game yet and already my 2007 softball season was off to a bad start. My nephew Adam was managing the team now instead of me (I quietly stepped aside since over half the players were his friends...and his age!)and he sent me his proposed starting lineup for my feedback.

Well, my feedback was that I HATED his proposed starting lineup. I was not the lead off batter as I'd always been...I was listed 11th. I was not an outfielder as I'd always been...I was the extra hitter. And, on closer analysis, I wasn't even that. There was another person's name next to mine. Apparently, He was the 11th batter and extra hitter and I merely his substitute. Talk about receiving a message. Though I'd played quite well last year I was now nothing but an afterthought, a substitute for the least important player on the team.. After all, we'd added a few guys, all of them much younger and, sight unseen, certainly better than me. Why should I be a starter at all, particularly, I guess, at my age?

Game time arrived, however, and we were missing a guy so I did get to play. And did well. And the next game someone else was missing so I played again, this time batting lead off and scoring 3 runs.

And that's how the rest of the season went. Someone was always missing, I kept playing and kept playing well. And one of the new guys didn't get a single hit till the season was almost over and another played like he'd never much played the game before (actually, he hadn't!). Still others seemed to disappear whenever the game was tough or pick key moments to do incredibly foolish things. And I kept playing and doing the best I could. And by season's end my stats were as good as anyone's on the team.

Imagine that!

Still, as the playoffs approached, I wondered how I'd fit in. If everyone finally came down (as often happens with the playoffs) perhaps I'd be pushed aside. It was a sad thought and so I didn't look forward to the playoffs with my usual enthusiasm.

At the field, I was chatting with a couple of the players. One told me that they had rated all the players on the team, using 2 criteria. The first was whether a player performed up to his potential. The second ranked the value of the contribution the player actually made to the team. With a smile he asked if I'd like to know how I was rated. Of course!!

I received an A PLUS for playing to my full potential. I got an A Minus for how well I actually played. The two guys who were, apparently, my usurpers at season's start?
A D for both.

And so I was in the starting lineup for our playoff games. Was it because a few players were missing or because I simply deserved it? Unfortunately, the team REALLY sucked and we lost two in a row. I was the only player on base 4 times over the pair of games and the only player to score 2 runs. Nothing spectaculor but good enough to feel pleased as I certainly didn't suck.

And I really felt nice about my A+, A- ranking. Till it occurred to me that they think I played up to my full potential? They think A- is the best I could do? Actually, I could have done better.