Anyone feel like bragging?

[UCbcm]

Senior year (HS) basketball team MVP. At 5'7, my coolest non-award accomplishment was being able to throw down a couple dunks, mostly off alley-oops.

Ended up not playing in college, but played in a summer league against a bunch of D1-D3 players, and my team, which had zero college players, beat the best team in the league on a 3/4 court buzzer beater. I threw an alley-oop to one of my teammates off a bad outlet pass as I was falling out of bounds. Teammate caught it and tomahawked it. Entire place went nuts.

 

[Spaceman213J]

The one year I played little league I was one of the youngest players in the league. I usually played 2nd base or left field. I didn't feel well, but still showed up for the game. I was on the bench and started feeling better, so I asked the coach if I can play catch with my dad, and he said sure, but stay just behind the dugout.
In the 3rd inning, we had a 4-2 lead with one out. Then out pitcher just completely lost it. He walked the bases loaded. My coach came out and asked if I wanted to try pitching, and I was a nervous kid so I said 'no'. Our pitcher then walked the the tying run in. My coached poked his head around the corner and said if Scotty walked the next batter I was going in. 4 pitchers later, I pitched for the first time. I just remember I was scared to death. My 1st pitch was a strike but it bounced off the catcher's mitt. I covered home and we got the runner there for the 2nd out. I struck out the batter and went on to strikeout the last 9 batters and we came back and won.

This is more funny, but one time at an open gym I threw a over the shoulder, bullet no-look pass. I heard a loud smack, because my teammate wasn't expecting it at all. I slowly turn around to see Chuck Aleksinas rubbing his eye and nose. I felt so bad, but he was cool. He told me it was a great pass and he should have been ready for it.

 

[Pawsox]

1. Started a game for Bristol Red Sox vs the West Haven Yankees at beautiful Quigley Stadium, jk, in 77'. First pitch of game, homer to Damaso Garcia. Second pitch, double by Domingo Ramos. Third pitch, homer to Mike Heath. Fouth pitch, ball one, followed by fifth pitch that Jerry Narron hit about 400 feet over the right field fence. Five pitches, four runs and 3 homers. At least all of the guys who tattoed me made it to the big leagues.

My manager, J.K. Kennedy walks to the mound and asked me if I actually warmed up before the game. I said I did and he just turned around and walked back to the dugout. Pitched the rest of the game and we ended up winning 5 to 4.

2. Gave up a homerun to Dale Murphy that went over the light tower in left field at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket. Longest ball I have ever seen hit, it was beautiful.

You always remember the screwups in life in much greater detail than the victories.

 

[August_West]

After school Pickup coed tackle football game. 8th grade. 7 on 7. Everyone took a Quaalude before the game and was making out inside of the first 10 plays. my partner was the best looking girl on the opposing team.

was better than a superbowl trophy.

 

[Huskybass]

I won the Junior Olympics State Championship in Track and Field when I was 15 or 16. I went on to do the 4x100 relay, long jump, triple jump and high jump and scored the most points on the team as a Senior in high school. I won the conference meet in the triple jump and think I came in second in the long jump. Got to UConn, walked onto the track team and quickly figured out that I would never be better than mediocre at best (probably worse than that) at the college level. Joined a fraternity, drank lots of beer and had moderate success with some good looking co-eds.

Once made 20 free throws in a row, and 29 out of 30. Played pickup behind the jungle against Earl Kelley,. lost 11-7 but loved every second of playing against a guy that good. Played 2 on 2 against John Bagley and Mouse McFadden at a charity event that Manute Bol had organized in Cape Cod. Those guys absolutely demolished us and Bagley was hitting threes over me like I wasn't even there.

 

[freescooter]

A neighbor of mine was running the local little league and needed umpires. He said they paid 20 bucks a game. I was just out of college snd waiting for my first job to start so I agreed to do it and was pretty good. I got “selected” to do the championship game. ( Actually I think I was the only one not on vacation). Well played game. 2 out in the sixth there is a runner on third who tries to score on a passed ball but the catcher made a perfect throw and the pitcher made the tag. I call the kid out. Kid’s mother runs onto the field and starts arguing. She followed me all the way to my car, then walked beside the car as I tried to drive out of the lot. Phew! Next day I stop at the local Stop & Shop to pick up a few things. The mother is shopping. She leaves her cart and starts AGAIN. We are near the meat Dept. She picks up a kielbasa and starts hitting me with it. All the while insisting her kid was safe. I grabbed the meat and didn’t hit her with it. That was my proudest moment.

 

[Samoo]

I once drank many spanish coffees at Hubers with Jerome Kersey

 

[Samoo]

After school Pickup coed tackle football game. 8th grade. 7 on 7. Everyone took a Quaalude before the game and was making out inside of the first 10 plays. my partner was the best looking girl on the opposing team.

was better than a superbowl trophy.

714

 

[August_West]

You always remember the screwups in life in much greater detail than the victories.

Definitely. I was on some very successful youth/HS hockey teams. Was a goalie. My most vivid memory 40 years later is letting in a goal on an icing. Other team iced the puck, I came out about 10 feet off and above/ crease to stop it and feed to a defenseman because I thought it was going on net. Defenseman skating back said "let it go" and I did. It went in the net. But that was my bad because it was my job to know where the goal line is regardless.

I never forget the laughter coming from the stands and the opposing bench. It still haunts me.

 

[August_West]

714

Rorer or Lemmon?

 

[Samoo]

Rorer or Lemmon?

You think I remember??????

 

[Chin Diesel]

Not trying to brag but almost busted a vein in my forehead pushing this across the finish line.

 

[Mister P]

Made to the Class M state finals and lost.

Rod Foster dropped 30 on us.

 

[UCTitleTown]

I'm a much better coach than I was a player. I've coached teams to a number of championships. I guess I make up for my athletic limitations through the success of my players.

 

[Waquoit]

4 on 4 touch football game, 1970. three of my best friends, including a Trinity offensive lineman and his girl friend, and I defeated 4 guys from Trinity's football team, including the starting middle linebacker. I threw the winning pass to Holly. The next week they played us again, and we won again. Passing game only.

My late best buddy had a good one, he had a pick off of Steve Young in HS. "How did that happen, I didn't even know you got real PT?"

"Well, Greenwich was running up the score and coach got pissed so he put me in at free safety. I had no clue so I just stood there, Steve overthrew and hit me between the numbers."

 

[storrsroars]

Intramural soccer at UConn, championship game. League was 5 on 5 plus goalies. I was goalie. Nets were not as wide as regulation, but goalies couldn't use hands. Scoreless game, but we're up 1-0 on penalty kicks, when their best player takes the last kick to tie. Goes up in corner to my right. I guess correctly and get my head in front to block, but force of ball knocked other side of my head into post. My next recollection is being several feet off the ground as teammates had picked me up and were tossing me in air to celebrate the win. Spent night in infirmary with a concussion.

On the flip side, during one of our trade shows in Chicago we were staying at the Hilton and I was asked if I wanted to play some pickup hoops with the sales and ops guys at the gym. I passed. Turns out they played against another pickup team that featured MJ. They never let me live that down.

 

[storrsroars]

Not trying to brag but almost busted a vein in my forehead pushing this across the finish line.


View attachment 68181

When I had the coffeeshop, one time a customer left a present that was easily the size of a large pork tenderloin. I tweeted the photo, but our followers didn't see the humor in it.

 

[superjohn]

Intramural soccer at UConn, championship game. League was 5 on 5 plus goalies. I was goalie. Nets were not as wide as regulation, but goalies couldn't use hands. Scoreless game, but we're up 1-0 on penalty kicks, when their best player takes the last kick to tie. Goes up in corner to my right. I guess correctly and get my head in front to block, but force of ball knock other side of my head in post. My next recollection is being several feet off the ground has teammates has picked me up and were tossing me in air to celebrate the win. Spent night in infirmary with a concussion.

On the flip side, during one of our trade shows in Chicago we were staying at the Hilton and I was asked if I wanted to play some pickup hoops with the sales and ops guys at the gym. I passed. Turns out they played against another pickup team that featured MJ. They never let me live that down.

East Bank Club?

 

[selles]

1. Started a game for Bristol Red Sox vs the West Haven Yankees at beautiful Quigley Stadium, jk, in 77'. First pitch of game, homer to Damaso Garcia. Second pitch, double by Domingo Ramos. Third pitch, homer to Mike Heath. Fouth pitch, ball one, followed by fifth pitch that Jerry Narron hit about 400 feet over the right field fence. Five pitches, four runs and 3 homers. At least all of the guys who tattoed me made it to the big leagues.

My manager, J.K. Kennedy walks to the mound and asked me if I actually warmed up before the game. I said I did and he just turned around and walked back to the dugout. Pitched the rest of the game and we ended up winning 5 to 4.

2. Gave up a homerun to Dale Murphy that went over the light tower in left field at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket. Longest ball I have ever seen hit, it was beautiful.

You always remember the screwups in life in much greater detail than the victories.

You need your own thread, I want to hear some more stories!

 

[storrsroars]

East Bank Club?

Couldn't tell you as I didn't go and it was almost 30 years ago. But it was within easy walking distance of the Hilton.

 

[UConn Esq]

I've hit 5 hole-in-ones. Two of which were at PGA major tournament host courses (Baltusrol & Bethpage Black).

 

[ClifSpliffy]

lots of names, places, and other various and sundry meaningless stuff, but, as an average scoring baller, my fav is still the time i put up 52 in a league game, written up in the local paper. separately, i did get paid for two seasons in a meat packers league in kali while in beagle school (think of those clint eastwood bar boxing for cash situations in the central valley towns), ruff. good thing i was mostly paid to sit around and look pretty, cuz playing always hurt. always, and knocked any thoughts right out of my head to go to the phillipines for a hoops sabbatical.
folks can get ornery when u stand in the way of their livelihood.
on the losing side, pitched a no-hitter until a bottom 9th hr in a whiffle ball game. arm fell off next day, so i made a note-to-self to not pitch whiffle ball again.

 

[uconndennis]

Ripped a double off Chris Drury when he was pitching JV baseball for FFLD Prep and I was a terrible JV player for West Haven

 

[tjhusky]

Church league basketball, 5’ 8”, not quick but long arms and can defend. In late 70’s played against Rich Semo who was 2xCT all state HS player from BPT central. I played 1/2 the game. My teammate covering him was getting torched. I subbed in and decided the only way to stop Semo was to not let him get the ball. I kept between him and the ball the entire time I was in. I was a real pest and he was not happy. I kept him scoreless while I was in. (Sorry Rich if you are out there).

 

[Hoophound]

I’ve done some pretty cool things playing basketball and tennis at various levels/ages. Still, my favorite feat was hitting 6 three pointers in the last two minutes of a summer league game. We pressed and completely overwhelmed the opponent. We were down 15 with 1:50 to go. Our pg was a D1 player. He kept setting me up for open 3’s in transition and I couldn’t miss. Only finished with 28 points, but the last 18 came in one minute and fifty seconds. I was getting heckled up until then because, in a half court offense, I wasn’t getting clean looks. It was so rewarding to beat those bastards that way that the memory eclipses anything from games that really counted for something.