Softball in Ireland is small time stuff and the bragging rights for league or cup wins may seem petty to the newcomer or the outsider.  While most of the population have never seen or heard of the game, those who have and who have played know that it is no small achievement to take a league title, no matter what division.

9 or 10 Premier Titles???

The list of honours achieved by Marlay over the years makes for impressive reading in this context.  We truly can’t remember exactly how many we’ve won.  The best estimate we can get is 9 Premier titles (or equivalent) although some still argue it’s 10!  4 or 5 cups?  Lots of Dublin Blitzes (very hard fought).  We’re well into the double figures for the Flyers Blitz thanks to a recent streak from the current Martyrs, but only one IOST (or the Galway Blitz to the oldies).  With a handful of Triple I wins and the undefeated girls team, the M&Ms, it makes an impressive list.  The reasons for the clubs achievements are many and varied and difficult to grasp, but for the most part, it was not because we had the best players.  We didn’t.  We had some real quality players but man for man and woman for woman, you’d put your money on the Odd Sox some years or Dodder or Batpak on other years.  The thing is; Marlay had a winning habit.

During the purple period there was a collective hunger for tighter defence, for more runs, to make it uncomfortable for the opposing team at all times.  To make them doubt.  Or defence rarely let us down, but our bats often did.  But with rock solid D you’re never more than a small rally from getting another notch for the W column.  On the good days this resulted in emphatic victories.  We had bad days too, when the well ran dry, when we couldn’t buy a hit.  We lost those games but as someone said at the time; we weren’t beaten, we just lost.

Singular Focus

The atmosphere on the sideline was something to experience.  It started off by being at the field first and in numbers signalling to the opposing team that we’re gonna be ready for the off.  This wasn’t conscious; it’s just something I observed; it happened without effort or discussion.  Warming up listening to our partaking in political debates or philosophical insights maybe sharpened the minds without us knowing; brain training before the computer game.  Then the game:

Austin observed a lowering of the temperature in the vicinity.  Sounds crazy but he had a point.  Such was the singular focus throughout the team that very few words were necessary to communicate.  I’m sure I saw two team members having a full blown telepathic conversation on a few occasions.  Sometimes the signals went awry though.  We weren’t sure what Jim was doing standing at SS with his hand down his trousers, but he insisted that it meant the double play up the middle was off and that Drew should take the out at 1st.  (We got the out at 1st).

Standy Upper

The atmosphere loosened up when we got to the pub though as each play was dissected multiple times and plays from 4 or 6 or 8 years previous were dredged up for comparison.  A pint or two was followed by a ‘standy upper’, then a ‘standy upper with coat on’ and a ‘standy upper with coat on and hand on the door.’

That was a winning way, maybe not for everyone; but it worked for that team.

- A Martyr