Tuesday, August 06, 2013
Current "One Strike Away" Routine
You stand up and clap for the last strike of a win even in the living room, right? It's an evolving thing with me, and the latest version is:
Slowly start to rise off couch. Keep arms straight at sides, begin turning palms out. Bring extended arms slowly up like a snow-angel. As the hands meet high above head for the first clap, bring both hands quickly back down to front of body while clapping. We're now in clap mode. The only rule from here on out is that if you find yourself in a specific rhythmic clap, in other words if you're playing a song with your claps, you must revert to "random" clapping by the time the pitch is thrown. I don't know why this is, maybe it's just to show that the pitch is what matters, not the clapping. It's not about you! How can you play a song and pay attention to the pitch at the same time? It has to be a random, devil-may-care kind of clap.
I also make sure Kim, if she doesn't prefer to stand, gets at least one foot in contact with the floor.
Should the pitch not end the game, the whole routine doesn't need to be done again. Just the clapping part. You can rest your hands for a second or two after the non-winning pitch, but get back to clapping soon, and be sure to randomize before that pitch is thrown.
Some folks do different routines depending on the importance of the game. I admit, if it's 10-3, I might not be so dramatic with the arms to start it out. I do almost like a fast-forwarded version of it and get right to the in-front-of-body clapping. If it's a huge win, the big slow arm sweep is preferred, with the initial turning outward of the palms done one at a time.
And of course, for Yankee games, the stand-'n'-clap can begin when we're one OUT away, not one strike.
The worst is when you do the stand-'n'-clap and then your team ends up losing. And the only thing worse than that is when it happens at a game you're in the stands for. Happened to me at least twice, once this year against the Orioles (though the crowd decided to stand after the second out that night, very odd), and once at the big Joy of Sox gathering against Oakland a few years ago.
Then there's my dad's version, where he says "everybody up," and encourages all bipeds to stand, and all marine life to put themselves in a vertical position.
Anyway, I've tried to cut back on superstitions lately. You tell me if this counts.
Slowly start to rise off couch. Keep arms straight at sides, begin turning palms out. Bring extended arms slowly up like a snow-angel. As the hands meet high above head for the first clap, bring both hands quickly back down to front of body while clapping. We're now in clap mode. The only rule from here on out is that if you find yourself in a specific rhythmic clap, in other words if you're playing a song with your claps, you must revert to "random" clapping by the time the pitch is thrown. I don't know why this is, maybe it's just to show that the pitch is what matters, not the clapping. It's not about you! How can you play a song and pay attention to the pitch at the same time? It has to be a random, devil-may-care kind of clap.
I also make sure Kim, if she doesn't prefer to stand, gets at least one foot in contact with the floor.
Should the pitch not end the game, the whole routine doesn't need to be done again. Just the clapping part. You can rest your hands for a second or two after the non-winning pitch, but get back to clapping soon, and be sure to randomize before that pitch is thrown.
Some folks do different routines depending on the importance of the game. I admit, if it's 10-3, I might not be so dramatic with the arms to start it out. I do almost like a fast-forwarded version of it and get right to the in-front-of-body clapping. If it's a huge win, the big slow arm sweep is preferred, with the initial turning outward of the palms done one at a time.
And of course, for Yankee games, the stand-'n'-clap can begin when we're one OUT away, not one strike.
The worst is when you do the stand-'n'-clap and then your team ends up losing. And the only thing worse than that is when it happens at a game you're in the stands for. Happened to me at least twice, once this year against the Orioles (though the crowd decided to stand after the second out that night, very odd), and once at the big Joy of Sox gathering against Oakland a few years ago.
Then there's my dad's version, where he says "everybody up," and encourages all bipeds to stand, and all marine life to put themselves in a vertical position.
Anyway, I've tried to cut back on superstitions lately. You tell me if this counts.
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