[EDITOR'S NOTE: I asked Justin Duchscherer to periodically check in with Athletics Nation this season when I met him during spring training. He agreed and I know it isn't easy and takes some time for him to do it, so I want to say that I really appreciate this story. My goal has always been to bring ANers as close to the A's as possible and this is about as close as you can be without actually being in the clubhouse. This story happened on Saturday. So enjoy! - Blez]
Here's a funny clubhouse story for ya...Hopefully you'll be able to envision this the way that it actually happened because looking back it was hilarious.
Today I strolled into the clubhouse in a bit of a bad mood because I'm on the DL and haven't been able to contribute anything to the team. I did my usual treatment routine...ice, heat, ultrasound, muscle stimulation, massage, more ice etc.
When I was finished I went to my locker and sat down. I was feeling kind of down as the rest of the team was getting ready for the game. We had the new 60" plasma TV tuned into women's college track and field. All the guys were gathered around and I believe the event was the 1600 meter run. The race had already begun and one girl in particular really got us laughing. It was about half way through the race and she was really starting to look worn out. Every step she took the grimace on her face looked worse and worse. She looked like she was gonna pass out and no one thought she would finish the race at all.
Then a tall blonde from the middle of the pack who at one point didn't seem like she had a shot all of a sudden looked like Carl Lewis on a double shot of espresso. ( that means she was running fast...fyi) She caught up and took a pretty good lead and all of the guys were going nuts like it was the Kentucky Derby. Then w/ 1/2 a lap left the girl we thought would be drinking gatorade on the sidelines started to make a comeback. ( she was diggin deep...real deep) Her face at this point started to really distort as if she were in labor. Of course this made us all laugh hysterically.
The funny part is she started to catch up to the tall blonde girl. As the race was coming to the end everyone was cheering and laughing because the blonde girl started to slow down as if no one was in sight. All of a sudden " grimmace face" passed her and won the race!!! The locker room erupted as if we had just won the World Series! Then a few minutes later the girl who won the race was doing a post race interview and all the guys were saying how hot she was...her face was so distorted while racing that you would have never known! Anyway, it gave us all pretty good laugh during that 10 min. and got rid of my bad mood in the process.