Season's Over

 

It was right around 4:30 when the final out had been recorded.

The Hudson Valley Renegades finished a win against the Asheville Tourists to bring their record to 73-58.

With that, the regular season came to an end.

In some ways, there were goodbyes to say as some of the crew working today won't be back for the playoffs. Even then, the playoffs are fleeting, as much as we'll try to enjoy every second of them.

The Renegades will host three playoff games if they make it to the championship. I'm scheduled to work two of the three.

If not, then my last scheduled game is this Tuesday night when the Gades host the Greensboro Grasshoppers in Game 1 of the Division Championship

A weekend like this can be looser because it's the end. Guards get let down and personalities get silly. Alternatively, things can be tight and that leads to tension.

In our case, it was the former.

We had fun.

Even with a rain delay on Saturday, we passed the time by laughing.

It's baseball. It's supposed to be fun.

A gaggle of us gathered in the parking lot after the game to blow off some steam and celebrate the completion of the regular season.

To that end, we told stories, reflected, and laughed. We acknowledged mistakes and triumphs. 

We talked about how it could have been better and what we could do to improve it.

We guessed about the future.

I'm not quite ready for the full requiem just yet. I'll wait until it's all over before I fully assess what I thought of everything.

That, honestly, includes what I think of myself as a public address announcer as I complete my third season.

For tonight, it's best to not overthink things and turn my attention towards football and other commitments this week.

Too many holes remain but I'm hopeful they will soon work themselves out. Settling into the grind of the fall would be the best thing.

In fact, the chill in the air lately speaks of that. It will warm back up later in the week but for now, it's a chilly night. I threw a sweater on to write this post.

And I should add a few more things as I wrap up.

I'm thrilled that the Steelers won though I'm not thrilled with the offensive inefficiency. Though, frankly, I'm not surprised.

I did not hear much of Tom Brady's debut on FOX today. I heard and saw some awkward stuff but I don't think it would be fair for me to judge him. I've read a lot of negative stuff and I'll wait to read reviews from people I respect.

But most importantly, I have not been waiting all day for Sunday night.