First games in Switzerland

Hey All,

Reporting from the land of rain ~ thus far. Each day passes with a morning of warming sunshine and ends with a drizzling rain. However, I (John) managed to get one game in on Saturday and Emily played both of hers.

John: In the first game as head playing coach, we won 13-6 against the Zurich Barracudas! However, it got off to an inauspicious start. In my first at-bat, I got hit in the elbow and headed to first base on a 2-2 count. The umpires, after some argument by the Zurich coaches (which there is a LOT of arguing in Swiss baseball), decided that instead I was out! This infuriated our team and I told both umpires I would purchase them a rule book after the game. Funny, but a strikeout. Without going into too much detail, I was 1-5 for a "homerun" that was only a double because it was a short fence (thus, an automatic double). Not a great start at the plate, but considering the elbow hurt all game and time to shake the rust off a bit, a huge win for the Flyers!

Emily: Needless to say, she's dominating already! The Flyers' softball team won 19-1 and 18-3. Emily started both games at shortstop and went 3-4 on the day with 5 walks. She also pitched 2 innings and struck out batters after giving up a "shot" in the first batter she faced. I think she was more amazed at the fact that every girl pulled out post-game snacks of carrots, vegetables, and other healthy items instead of the typical American chips, hot dogs, and candy bars! 

All in all, great wins that we celebrated by going out with players from both teams last night. Today, we did some laundry and decided to stay in most of the day. I (John) can't walk very easily (my knees managed to make it through all 9 innings, but I'm sore), and Emily seems to be a bit sore as well, so we've stayed in most of the day and watched as the day turned from bright to gloomy. 

We are posting some pictures of the city, of the tram we take around most of Basel, and some of my game and the down pour of rain that occurred right after the first one. 

We miss all of our family and friends terribly, but are so excited to explore more of Switzerland and Europe. We are planning a trip to either Interlaken or Lucerne next Friday for a brief one night stay at either place in Switzerland. Also, Emily and I are preparing a three hour lesson on BASEBALL for a school on Tuesday. Should be interesting, as we must teach the most basic of things (what is a ball, a strike, the goals of the offense and the defense). Should be a blast!

Much love from Suisse country.

Love you all! 

'Til next time...