Stalled

There are just some things that are beyond explanation. We’ve all experienced them, circumstances so bizarre that if you hadn’t seen it with your own eyes you would have sworn it never happened.

For whatever reason I seem to have been designated as the official eye witness to the strange and unusual. In the past my family has accused me of making things up because there is no way what I described could possibly have happened. Tonight was a prime example of what I’m talking about.

It was the final game of the San Diego series. The Diamondbacks had won the first two games and were going for a series sweep against the NL West leading Padres. Ok, that’s not the weird part. Ok well that is weird and no I didn’t make that part up but it isn’t the weird part I was talking about. That was an unrelated weird part that people don’t believe.

The other weird part, the part I was really talking about, happened in the middle of the other weird but unrelated part. Now that I say that I’m starting to understand why people think I may be making this up, but I’m not.

Nothing in the pre-game would have suggested there was anything strange about to occur. The Diamondbacks Legends were milling around the concourse mingling with the fans posing for photos and having a good time.

As the game went on it likewise seemed like any other game. The Padres led early and the Diamondbacks offense seemed non-existent. Finally the fifth inning came and it was time for the Legends race to begin.

The public address announcer signaled the race to begin and the Legends emerged from the Padres bullpen. Luis Gonzalez and Matt Williams were in front with Randy Johnson close behind and then there was, no one.

I did a take then a double take. As the Legends ran towards home plate my eyes went from front to back and I counted and recounted the Legends. Nope, Mark Grace was not there.

I quickly began surveying the stands trying to find the lost Legend but he was no where to be seen. Everyone in Chase Field began wondering where in the world was Mark Grace.

An intrepid cameraman finally found Grace, in a Chase Field men’s room in one of the stalls. So while the other Legends were running on the field, Grace was doing a little running of his own.

This has to be a first, a Legend losing a race while in the bathroom. All I can think of to say is that obviously Grace has stalled and the streak goes to 0-33.