The Three-Man Lift, A Tarp Slide, and A Couple of Games.

Pic from Le Soleil. A Quebec paper.


Hello everyone. I miss and love you all so very much. Thank you for the comments and for the support you guys give me. It makes living over a thousand miles away not seem so far. Mom and Dad, thanks for the birthday call...I got choked up a lil when we were talking about my 3yr old video. Ian, I am sending some things to sacrifice for Alex's return...I couldn't find the Zelda 8-bit but I hope a copy of Ghost's N Goblins or Pro Wrestling will suffice. Alex, I love you and I wish I could have been home to see you. Steph, I am so happy to hear that AZ is going well. I miss and think about you everyday. Tell the P's hi for me. Tiff, thanks for the Bday wish and Im glad you found the site. To everyone else, je t'aime.

I have to let you know first off that I was a part of a horrible trick that is played on to rookies. It was hilarious and awful at the same time. Hilarious for everyone else, awful for me and two other rooks.

If someone asks you to be a part of the "Three-Man Lift", you would be wise to politely refuse the offer. Before our game on Saturday, we were all sitting in the dugout watching puddles form all over the field. So we were talking and playing grab ass in the dugout, the usual. And then I heard of the guys start talking about when the Three-Man lift was going to be.

"When is Eddy going to do it?" Asked some.

Eduardo Lantigua (1B, OF) is one big fellow. He has played professional baseball for over 15 years and I can tell you as soon as you look at him, you know this guy can knocked the absolute poo out of the ball.

"Well...we need three people for him to lift." Answered other.
"He did it last year...just barely. He had 575 lbs up in the air!" Chimed in another vet.

People were making bets to see if Eddy could pull off the Three-Man feat again this year.

So here is what I thought was going to happen...

This was going to be in the clubhouse in a cleared off area. There was going to be two towels tied together on the ground, three guys were going to laydown on the towels. Eddy was going to then stand over the guys on the ground and grab both ends of the towels and try to pick up all the weight. People were going to make bets saying that he could or could not get the weight off the ground for a 5 second count.

Do you think I was a part of the chosen three....?

(sighing) Yes.

"Ok Tony, Toro, and Allen will be the guys on the ground."
I immediately said.
"Just wait a fucking second....something doesn't seem right. He is going to pick all of us up? And why us three?"
I was going through the status of the other two guys.
And yep...all rookies.

"We are all rookies. Something fucked up is going on." I answered.
"Dude...chill the fuck out, I will take your place if you want me to." Answered Josh.

I mean if they were pulling a practical joke.....everyone was fucking in on it. Even when I wasn't paying attention...the guys were placing bets and talking about last year's lift. Eddy is huge and I was thinking that this big sob might actually try to lift us. I gotta hand it to the guys.

So about after an hour of climactic banter, the game was called due to rain and the Three-Man Lift was going to happen.
So everyone was all in good spirits for this event and for the added day off I might add.

So all of us were in the clubhouse, people were laughing with excitment, placing bets, and Eddy was getting warmed up. He put athletic tab around his head like rambo and was doing pushups to warm himself up.

I was thinking...
"Well...this seems pretty serious."

Over three hundred dollars were in a pot. I then took Josh, my roomate and good buddy, aside.

"Hey, is something fucked up going to happen?"
"Dude...no. Don't worry. Just when he starts to pull up, put all your weight to the ground. I have a hundred bucks that says he can't do it."
"....Alright."

The two towels were tied together and we were placed on the ground. I was on one of the ends and then Eddy stood over us.

In a rough Hispanic accent,
"You guys gotta get closer...(He adjusts our arms to make us hugging)It's for the balance."

I started to laugh nervously.
Phones and cameras started coming out to record this mess.

So Eddy let out a huge scream and grabbed both ends of the towels.
"ARE YOU READY???!!!! HERE WE GO!!!!"

At that moment, an avalanche of shit hit all of our bodies.
Some of the guys, without us seeing, had mixed just the nastiest shit in a bucket. I couldn't really tell you what exactly...I had bananas, toothpaste, and some type of juice in my hair as evidence.

I've never seen guys laugh so hard.

I got up immediately and screamed.
"I FUCKING KNEW IT!"

I ran to the shower and hosed off. I, along with the other two guys, took in all in good fun and we all had a good laugh.

So after I got done showering, Josh came over to me.

"Man.......I'm so sorry. I just couldn't tell you. The guys knew I might let it out to you but I just couldn't do it."
"Oh man...It's alright. It's actually pretty damn funny." I said with a smirk.

Laplante, our Coach, after drying his eyes, came in and said,
"Who wants to do a tarp slide?"

I have to share another story with you now to let you know about me and tarp slides. I love them and will not pass up an opportunity to do one.
For those of you who do not know what a tarp slide is, it is when a game is called due to rain, the grounds crew pull out the tarp onto the field and players run full speed and dive on the tarp, sliding a good amount of ways. I will now tell you that I did a naked tarp slide in Nevada, Mo one summer. It was also family weekend.

"We'll do it!" Josh and I said.
Now Gagne was supposed to have started for Saturday's game and so there were a good 3000+ in the stands. So Josh and I came out of the tunnel and started heading into the outfield. I was clothed this time. Shorts and an underarmour shirt. So when we started bolting from right field towards the infield, the crowd went absolutely nuts. We dove and just cruised a good 90 feet. We were all applauded and I gave a little bow. The pic was in today's paper, front page of the sports section. I kept a copy to bring home. It was a day of shenanigans I guess you could say.

So today, Sunday July 5th, we were slotted to play a double header against the Brockton Rox out of Boston. I was penciled to start Left Field the first game. Again...I really don't like writing about the games to much. Sorry. I will tell you that it is a beautiful sight to play in a stadium that is packed. It is not the depressing, empty Hammons Field during a regular season MSU game. The placed was rockin and people wanted to see their Capitales victorious. I started off the 3rd inning with a hit and later barreled around third for the first run of the game. It is envigorating rounding third to screaming fans. We won the first game 5-3.
Gagne started Game 2 and I'm sorry to say we didn't have the same outcome. I started LF again to a little more jam packed park. We got down early in the second game and couldn't make it back. We lost 5-1.

Well that is that and I hope you enjoyed the story. I love you guys with all of my heart and I miss you too. Write me if you got any Q's. Be well.