Giving cred and sharing a moment in time

I would like to credit Alicia Hollinger and Jordan Hollinger for the following slice of the past. With the new Google Drive, I came across this Google document below. The Hollingers organized the many games, events, and battles outlined below. Try one or all with your friends. Remember old clothes!

The Party Line laced up their bootstraps and entertained the masses for a night in August 2008. Though it is hotly debated as to the greatest day in Party Line History, Takahisa Kiyone's going away party on that August night topped the list for me, with greatest moment being the game "Run, Run, blind Man."

The scene was dark as the sun set, the headlights shown through the trees to light up the field adjacent to Wormie's truck and Abraham's burial site. The water balloons were flying as Takahisa, blind-folded, charged his way through the battle zone searching for the coke bottle, all for the good of his team.

EVENTS by Jordan and Alicia Hollinger
"Juicy Egg in the Face"
- Each team will send one member to the table. A carton of eggs, containing both hard boiled and raw eggs, will be set out and the two members from opposing teams will pick one egg (the first egg they touch has to be used). The opposing members (one from team Monkey and the other from team Penguin) will then smash the egg on each other's heads. If a raw egg is smashed on the opposing team, then that team gets a point. This cycle will continue until everyone on each team has gone. The team with the most raw eggs smashed on the opposing team's heads (the team that gets their rival team messiest), wins.


"Yummy Tummy"
-16 secret dishes will be placed on the table. One member from each team will start the game by sitting down at the table and choosing a numbered dish. The dish will be revealed (by mamasan) and each member will have to eat what is on the plate with their hands behind their backs. The member that eats the food on their plate the fastest, wins a point for their team. This cycle continues until all the dishes are gone (meaning that some members of the team may have to go more than once). The player with the most points once the dishes are gone, wins the game.

BONUS ROUND: Mamasan decided she wanted to make everyone her famous American mochi balls. Each member of both teams will have to eat a mochi ball. The team that finishes their mochi balls first, gets an extra point.


"Boom Boom goes the Water Balloon"
-Each team will pick one member to sit in the shaving chair. The rest of the team will rotate and try to shave a straight line on a shaving creamed water balloon that is placed on the seated member's head. If the balloon pops, the next member will put shaving cream on another balloon and try to shave a straight line. The team that shaves the most balloons without popping (and thus drenching their team member) in 2 minutes, wins.


"Run, Run, Blind Man"
-One of the teams will pick a member to be blindfolded. The rest of the team will be notified as to where a 2 liter of coke is placed on the playing field. The team will then attempt to tell the blindfolded person where to walk to get to the bottle. Meanwhile, the opposing team will be allowed to distract the blindfolded person by shouting other directions, singing, yodeling, and throwing massive amounts of water balloons. Once the blindfolded person gets to the bottle, they can take off the blindfold and run back to their team. The team must then drink the whole bottle. This event will be timed, and then the whole event will be repeated by the opposite team. The team with the fastest time, wins.


"Happy Flying Marshmallows"
-Each team will choose a thrower. The thrower will be stationed at the table of chocolate syrup marshmallows. The thrower will try and throw the marshmallow into a team member's mouth from a distance. If the member does not catch the marshmallow in their mouth, they must move to the back of the line and let the next team member try to catch a marshmallow. The team members will cycle through for 2 minutes. (Judge Bob will need to keep track of both teams' marshmallow scores.) The team with the most marshmallows caught in the mouth after the 2 minutes, wins.


After this event, the winner of the American game show will be announced. Then, the teams will clean up a bit inside, while Judge Bob puts together the bonfire. Marshmallows will still be prevalent, so these may be used as well.

Recounting the 9th

As you know or do not know, I play for the Lexington Knights in the Las Americas baseball league. I also grew up playing for many baseball teams over the years. Baseball is a great game because the game isn't over until you get that third out in the 9th. And oh, how hard it can be to get that third out.

We played Mineros last night and pulled off one of the best comeback rallies I have ever been a part of or witnessed in baseball. The Mineros had beaten us twice already this year and we were headed for a third straight loss to them. Their pitcher kept our bats quiet for the entire game and we trailed 6-1 going into the bottom of the 9th.

And then the fun for us began.

I led off the bottom of the 9th. I was fortunate to square up a ball and drive it to deep left center to get one of those Adam Dunn home runs that "don't matter because the game is already decided" home runs. This only made the score 6-2.

However, Brian followed with a base hit up the middle and then Bryce hit a ground rule double to left center. We all thought it was a home run because it appeared to us that the ball tipped off of the center fielder's glove and over the fence for a home run Jose Canseco style. Regardless, we now had runners at second and third, still down 6-2 but nobody were out.

Mineros decided to change pitchers. Their ace had gone 8 plus innings and until the 9th, we caught nothing but bad breaks against him at the plate.

Our next batter, Taylor forced a walk after taking several close pitches that just missed being strikes. His walk loaded the bases with no one out.

Adam came up and was called out on strikes on a pitch down and in. One out, still down 6-2.

With Mineros getting their first out and breathing a slight sigh of relief, Clinton came to the plate. He fouled off some pitches before lacing a line drive into center field. The ball actually tipped off the short stops glove and would have surely been a double play to end the game if it was caught. But the catch was not made and we were still alive. Clinton's hit was nominated for the Pontiac Clutch performance of the year. His RBI single plated Brian and we now trailed 6-3 with one out.

Brendan came to the plate with the bases still loaded. He popped a ball up to the first baseman for the second out and we were down to our final out.

Duke took his turn to bat and promptly hit a fly ball to right field that dropped in front of the right fielder for an RBI single. This made the score 6-4 with still two outs.

Jordan came to the plate with the weight of the game hanging in the balance on or above his shoulders. For every boy or girl who has played baseball/softball or any gamer that has played MLB the Show, this is the situation you dream of: being down a run or two, bases loaded, two outs, bottom of the 9th, and you are up to bat to make yourself a hero or a someone less than 1 and greater than negative one.

Jordan opted for the hero. He quickly got down in the count 1 ball and two strikes. The next pitch barely missed on the outside corner. From the vantage point of us, our loyal fans, and the opposing pitcher who was walking off the field because he thought it was strike three, it was 'kiss the baby' and 'warm up the bus Shorty' because this game was over. The rally would have been dead on a called third strike.

But this was not the script. The umpire called the ball a 'ball' and Jordan "Cookies" was still alive.

The next pitch will go down as one of my favorite baseball memories and is also the Dairy Queen/Sonic play of the game.

"Knights still trail by 2 with Jordan digging back in to the batter box. His brand new Locker Room bat had just come out of the wrapper three hours prior. Count is 2 and 2 and two outs. The pitcher sights the sign from the catcher, checks the runner at third and delivers his pitch plate ward. Jordan swings hits a high drive! Left field! Does it have the distance? It does!!! Home run for Jordan and the Knights have won this game 8 to 6! What a game! The Knights rallied for 7 runs in the bottom of the 9th on 6 hits as 9 men bat to pull off one of the biggest comebacks in Knights history."

And so it goes, Knights win, Knights win.

Come see us Wednesday, September 5th against the Hagyards or see the Knights take a run at the #1 team in the land against the Eagles on Sunday Sept 9th. Both games start at 7 PM and are played at Coolivan Park located at the intersection of 5th and Jefferson.