The Nationals' Home Opener 2016 - Adam's First Start
It seemed as though yesterday would be the perfect day for the Conleys to get our season underway. Skies were blue. The crowd was big. We were early. And Amelia's fever broke just in time to head to the field. We even got an almost full night's rest - the three of us - for the first time in several days.
Things were looking up, while we looked down. Daddy was scheduled to take the mound for the third game of the year, and for the Nationals first game at home. We enjoyed a lengthy opening presentation, complete with fighter planes, Budweiser horses, and a stunning Star Spangled Banner.
We were so excited to watch Dad's Opening Day and couldn't stop smiling!
Or clapping!!
"Go Daddy," we screamed!
Adam's 2016 debut was one for the story books.
And maybe one day I'll find humor in the story, but while it was happening, I just wanted to, well, I wanted to punch something. And say bad things. Which by the way, yesterday I discovered a newfound respect for Adam while he's on the mound. Neither of us cuss. It's something that the Lord immediately changed when we became Christians, and it was actually pretty easy to do - praise God. But yesterday, with my emotions running wild and my nerves getting the best of me, I realized just how hard it is (probably) to keep your composure on the mound in front of 40,000 people when things aren't going your way - and when I can barely even do it from my seat! If anything good came out of yesterday, it was that realization about my husband. He does have such poise and composure on the mound. And though I wish it would've gone differently, I am grateful for that new piece of respect I have for him. Because any man in their testosterone-filled right mind would've likely wanted to punch something or say something even harder and worse than what I could've. Goodness.
Adam pitched one inning yesterday in his debut. He did struggle initially to find his rhythm and mentioned that his delivery didn't feel it's usual. And though he'd never admit it, I'm taking a wild-I'm-His-Wife-Guess that he probably felt like his head was going to explode out there too. The three of us have been fighting some sort of gross sickness the past few days that we're all hoping to recover from soon. In any case, he threw a ton of balls, walked two guys, and gave up a triple with the bases loaded. But toward the end of the inning, he started finding his groove and ended up striking out two before returning to the dugout. I was excited to see the inning come to a close, but was eager to see how the second would go, especially after he, himself, struck out in his first at-bat.
But then: THE CONLEY CURSE returned with a vengeance. OH FOR THE LOVE!!! Seriously?! Seriously?! I wish it weren't true. But of course, without missing a beat from last year and the year before...and the year before...and the year before...Adam's start was ruined by none other than The Rain. I think it deserves proper noun status by now. I just can't even.
Like, really?
I am so sick of you, Rain.
And can't you tell? Don't you ever get tired of picking on us? It's not funny anymore!
The game was delayed after 1.5 innings for eighty-five minutes. Adam tried talking his way back into going back out there once the weather cleared, but it's always been the Marlins policy not to let him return after he's sat for more than half hour. And they didn't budge this time either. This, I know, made him the most angry. He could overcome the first inning just fine. He wasn't worried about that whatsoever. But the rain. Oh, he was not happy with his inability to control it.
And so, his day was done after just 31 pitches. Not ideal. He's been on a funky schedule ever since the end of Spring Training, much like some of the other starters. Some of them haven't started in a game for over 10 days, and so getting the first one of the season under their belt is something to be desired. So, because of the rain-shortened start, Adam's schedule might be tinkered with over the next few days. It's a possibility that he'll throw out of the bullpen on Sunday in order to get another inning in, or he might even treat yesterday as a glorified bullpen session and start again on Monday in New York against the Mets (instead of his regularly scheduled start on Wednesday). We've not heard which scenario is most likely, but when we know, we'll update as soon as possible!
For now, his line:
1IP, 2H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 2K
But hey, Happy Opening Day/2016 Debut (whatever it's called) to you, Adam. Hahahaha ;)
And cheers to you, my dear friend, Rain. You really know how to dampen (literally) the mood.
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