As Good A Time As Any

I play baseball in a 30-and-over league.  We're competitive and serious but not hypercompetitive, and we can laugh at our failures.  There was this one game I remember, a couple years ago, we were losing by five or six runs pretty late in the game.  The other team was unpleasant - mildly at first, to each other: pitcher barking at the shortstop over an error, shortstop barking at the center fielder for throwing a little off-base, the whole bench barking at a batter for striking out - that sort of thing.  Low-grade, but chronic.  In the seventh inning, we put two runners on.  Then we scored a run.  Then a second run.  Like a dam breaking, several players on the other team ratcheted up their barking at teammates.  You could see it in their faces, hear it in their voices: fear, and a total loss of focus on actual baseball.  Their defense completely collapsed, we plated another five or six runs and went on to win.  It was a really satisfying win, partly because it's nice to win, partly because it's nice to come from behind and win, and - I will not hide from this - it's nice to come back and beat a team of jerks in a game they thought they had in the bag.

I have been thinking about that game the past few days.

I wonder if they play baseball in Ukraine.