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Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Itchy Red 27, Scratchy Gray 23
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Big Red Machine rolls on Maroon, 31-17
It goes like this: Don't give yourself the curse of the first against the Big Red Machine (and take a 5-0 lead). It will only wake us up.
After three innings, we trailed 8-2. We helped Maroon out by hitting into two double plays, on nice plays by the Maroon defense. Apparently Steve Alvarez can't deal with the pressure of a 0-0 game in the top of the first with the lead run on third with one out. He hit into one of them then. All he did the rest of the game was single, homer, triple, and homer with five RBIs. I was sure he was going to pull up lame at second base on his last blast over the right center fielder's head - he only needed the double for the cycle.
They started mowing down the weeds in the field across the street at about the point we were down 8-2. A dust cloud rose. It had a definite Red tinge to it. We kept inching closer and closer to Maroon as our offense woke up and so did our D. Bob Muegge started inducing popups and ground outs out of the Maroon bats. The score went to 5-10, then 10-12, and finally we tied it at the end of the sixth, 15-15. After that Maroon had no chance as we poured on five more in the seventh and eighth, and six in the 9th. They hit a couple of line drives right at our infielders when they tried in desperation to come back in the bottom of the ninth from a by now 31-17 deficit, but they went straight into Bill Dewlaney's and Howard Davis' gloves, and that's how it goes when you have the curse.
The Red team hit .710 AS A TEAM. There were big hits all along the way. Mel Burman followed Brian Black's umpteenth double (Brian has never had a single in Senior ball, he just doesn't stop) with a two run single to bring us within striking distance at 8-5 in the fourth. George Sayatavich did his road runner imitation with one out in the fifth. You can't shackle Geo when he is running the bases...BEEP BEEP. He had to cause controversy by just nipping the inside of the third base bag as he rounded when the errant throw came in from the outfield. But he won't stop, can't stop.
Alvarez got his first four bagger to lead off the sixth. But the biggest hit of the game came later that inning, when Howard Davis stepped up to a two out two on situation. They call him the 'little guy', but he hits big at the right time. He hit a laser line drive that froze the left center fielder, and then was over his head, and Howard rounded the bases to give us our first and not last lead of the game. The next inning Alvarez got a two run triple to ensure a five run inning (when he subsequently scored on Black's single). In the eighth it was more of the same, as back to back triples by Bob Eddy and Davis highlighted another five run outburst. Bob twice was down 0-2 and took low pitches into the gaps. I'm afraid I put the dagger in their heart with my lead off solo shot in the ninth. A lefty who hits the opposite way loves Field 4, you get it spinning into foul territory down the left field line and it just rolls and rolls and rolls, with nothing stopping it from reaching Field 5 down the way. Later that inning, after yet another Alvarez HR, Muegge provided the comic relief by taking a backward K. He was already thinking about how he was going to get Maroon out in the bottom of the 9th, so he could get to his lunch up at the golf clubhouse. And so he did.
Five hits from Kravin (triple and HR), four and a walk from Black (three extra base hits) and Eddy (triple), four from Alvarez (triple and two HRs), Davis (triple and HR), Sayatovich (double and HR), and Burman (double). Everyone got into the act, Herb Moessing had a clutch two run, two out single to close out the eighth.
Defense was led by Muegge keeping the bats in check. Mike Fragoso saved our bacon with
a huge play in the hole in to finish off the bottom of the fifth with bases loaded. Mike also started a 6-4-3 double play in the third.
We were missing Bruce Baily who showed up to cheer us on after having cataract surgery recently. We sang a round of "Won't you come home Bruce Baily?" to celebrate the win - now Bruce can find his way home!
After three innings, we trailed 8-2. We helped Maroon out by hitting into two double plays, on nice plays by the Maroon defense. Apparently Steve Alvarez can't deal with the pressure of a 0-0 game in the top of the first with the lead run on third with one out. He hit into one of them then. All he did the rest of the game was single, homer, triple, and homer with five RBIs. I was sure he was going to pull up lame at second base on his last blast over the right center fielder's head - he only needed the double for the cycle.
They started mowing down the weeds in the field across the street at about the point we were down 8-2. A dust cloud rose. It had a definite Red tinge to it. We kept inching closer and closer to Maroon as our offense woke up and so did our D. Bob Muegge started inducing popups and ground outs out of the Maroon bats. The score went to 5-10, then 10-12, and finally we tied it at the end of the sixth, 15-15. After that Maroon had no chance as we poured on five more in the seventh and eighth, and six in the 9th. They hit a couple of line drives right at our infielders when they tried in desperation to come back in the bottom of the ninth from a by now 31-17 deficit, but they went straight into Bill Dewlaney's and Howard Davis' gloves, and that's how it goes when you have the curse.
The Red team hit .710 AS A TEAM. There were big hits all along the way. Mel Burman followed Brian Black's umpteenth double (Brian has never had a single in Senior ball, he just doesn't stop) with a two run single to bring us within striking distance at 8-5 in the fourth. George Sayatavich did his road runner imitation with one out in the fifth. You can't shackle Geo when he is running the bases...BEEP BEEP. He had to cause controversy by just nipping the inside of the third base bag as he rounded when the errant throw came in from the outfield. But he won't stop, can't stop.
Alvarez got his first four bagger to lead off the sixth. But the biggest hit of the game came later that inning, when Howard Davis stepped up to a two out two on situation. They call him the 'little guy', but he hits big at the right time. He hit a laser line drive that froze the left center fielder, and then was over his head, and Howard rounded the bases to give us our first and not last lead of the game. The next inning Alvarez got a two run triple to ensure a five run inning (when he subsequently scored on Black's single). In the eighth it was more of the same, as back to back triples by Bob Eddy and Davis highlighted another five run outburst. Bob twice was down 0-2 and took low pitches into the gaps. I'm afraid I put the dagger in their heart with my lead off solo shot in the ninth. A lefty who hits the opposite way loves Field 4, you get it spinning into foul territory down the left field line and it just rolls and rolls and rolls, with nothing stopping it from reaching Field 5 down the way. Later that inning, after yet another Alvarez HR, Muegge provided the comic relief by taking a backward K. He was already thinking about how he was going to get Maroon out in the bottom of the 9th, so he could get to his lunch up at the golf clubhouse. And so he did.
Five hits from Kravin (triple and HR), four and a walk from Black (three extra base hits) and Eddy (triple), four from Alvarez (triple and two HRs), Davis (triple and HR), Sayatovich (double and HR), and Burman (double). Everyone got into the act, Herb Moessing had a clutch two run, two out single to close out the eighth.
Defense was led by Muegge keeping the bats in check. Mike Fragoso saved our bacon with
a huge play in the hole in to finish off the bottom of the fifth with bases loaded. Mike also started a 6-4-3 double play in the third.
We were missing Bruce Baily who showed up to cheer us on after having cataract surgery recently. We sang a round of "Won't you come home Bruce Baily?" to celebrate the win - now Bruce can find his way home!
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Bombs Away
In the midst of a cross between a sandstorm and a gale yesterday, a Senior softball game broke out between East County and the Walnut Creek Blues. The winds had us singing the blues in the end when we went down after battling into comeback after comeback in a marathon, 40-31.
The East County team is relentless. They had the audacity to show up with only nine players in our back yard, which meant they only had their good hitters and each of them batted about 100 times.
It will sound like an excuse, but it seemed like every time we were in the field the wind would just start howling, and gusting, and blowing dust in our eyes. Poor John Banker and Ken Hensley on the right side. They would camp under a ball and a sudden gust would throw the ball away from them. Time after time.When we would come up, the winds would stop, the sun would shine, waitresses would serve East County Mai Tais and Pina Coladas on the field - who did these guys know?
Still we battled. We scored eighteen of a possible twenty runs in the first four innings, and held a narrow 18-15 lead. Big hits included a two run 1st inning HR by Ray Maradiaga, a two run triple by Mike Carlo, a clutch two out single by Don Clay to finish the scoring in the third, and six straight hits to start off the 4th by John Banker, Jeff Kravin, Tom Occhiogrosso, Maradiaga, Rusty Druba, and Bill Decarsky, and five scored before there were two outs.
Then we made the fatal flaw: we went two innings without scoring. EC kept pouring it on, although luckily they failed to score in the 6th. But at seventh inning stretch time, it looked bleak, we were down 25-18. And yet we dug deep to come roaring back, with especially big hits from John Kirtley (a two run double in the LC gap) followed by a smooth opposite field twister by Mike Guerrero for the last two runs.
And in the eighth, we held the heart of their lineup to one run, and answered with five thanks to seven singles in eight batters rapid fire. We actually held a lead going into the ninth 30-26.
But the EC power turned on again, and they poured on fourteen runs in the unlimited 9th. It took the wind out of our sails, and put it in their batted balls as they flew in all directions. There was nothing we could do, and could only muster one run in the bottom of the ninth to fall 40-31.
We had our heroes: Maradiaga had an awesome day with five straight hits including the home run and a double. Carlo had four hits for RBIs including the triple. EC didn't get Kirtley out, although one fly ball would have to be scored an error if we had a real scorekeeper. But since this is Senior Ball we will say he went 5-for-5 too. And Clay who says he can't hit, went 3 for 4 with a walk. He put one ball so deep in the 5-6 hole that even the vaunted Lee Namanny couldn't corral it. Guerrero and Druba and Decarsky also went 4-for-5. Everyone had at least two hits.
Next time, we will have a seance at Clay's house before the game, and conjure up the magic we can. Two can play at this game.
The East County team is relentless. They had the audacity to show up with only nine players in our back yard, which meant they only had their good hitters and each of them batted about 100 times.
It will sound like an excuse, but it seemed like every time we were in the field the wind would just start howling, and gusting, and blowing dust in our eyes. Poor John Banker and Ken Hensley on the right side. They would camp under a ball and a sudden gust would throw the ball away from them. Time after time.When we would come up, the winds would stop, the sun would shine, waitresses would serve East County Mai Tais and Pina Coladas on the field - who did these guys know?
Still we battled. We scored eighteen of a possible twenty runs in the first four innings, and held a narrow 18-15 lead. Big hits included a two run 1st inning HR by Ray Maradiaga, a two run triple by Mike Carlo, a clutch two out single by Don Clay to finish the scoring in the third, and six straight hits to start off the 4th by John Banker, Jeff Kravin, Tom Occhiogrosso, Maradiaga, Rusty Druba, and Bill Decarsky, and five scored before there were two outs.
Then we made the fatal flaw: we went two innings without scoring. EC kept pouring it on, although luckily they failed to score in the 6th. But at seventh inning stretch time, it looked bleak, we were down 25-18. And yet we dug deep to come roaring back, with especially big hits from John Kirtley (a two run double in the LC gap) followed by a smooth opposite field twister by Mike Guerrero for the last two runs.
And in the eighth, we held the heart of their lineup to one run, and answered with five thanks to seven singles in eight batters rapid fire. We actually held a lead going into the ninth 30-26.
But the EC power turned on again, and they poured on fourteen runs in the unlimited 9th. It took the wind out of our sails, and put it in their batted balls as they flew in all directions. There was nothing we could do, and could only muster one run in the bottom of the ninth to fall 40-31.
We had our heroes: Maradiaga had an awesome day with five straight hits including the home run and a double. Carlo had four hits for RBIs including the triple. EC didn't get Kirtley out, although one fly ball would have to be scored an error if we had a real scorekeeper. But since this is Senior Ball we will say he went 5-for-5 too. And Clay who says he can't hit, went 3 for 4 with a walk. He put one ball so deep in the 5-6 hole that even the vaunted Lee Namanny couldn't corral it. Guerrero and Druba and Decarsky also went 4-for-5. Everyone had at least two hits.
Next time, we will have a seance at Clay's house before the game, and conjure up the magic we can. Two can play at this game.
Friday, May 18, 2012
You've Been Served
Sometimes you have just one of those nights where the bizarre and the strange meet. Something happens, and then everything is a little off kilter the rest of the night. Strange and wonderful things can happen, or they can go into the toilet. You often don't know until it is all over.
Tuesday started out normal enough. A routine win in my morning Senior game, in all ways except that it had some import in the Creaker standings, where we were tied for first with the other team.
Then I came home and I got a call for a phone interview - right then. Usually you get some warning. I asked that she call back, and this saved the day for me. I was able to do a little preparation. It went well but the day was off schedule from then on.
I work part time as a process server to get a few bucks to support my softball habit. You know, the guy who shows up at the door of some scofflaw, and hands them papers, and gets to say "You've been served." It's just like in the movies, but not.
I had some new serves in the direction of the Tuesday night's game, which was in Pleasanton, in the next town Livermore. I had decided that I might have time to get them served on the way, or after the game. So I printed them out, and planned a route on the computer, and put the addresses in my phone's navigator.
Of course by the time I did all this I was rushing around like a chicken with its head cut off. I then grabbed up my computer and the score book, and took out a smoke and ran out to the car, which was parked in the garage. I carefully checked all the doors and locked the door from the house to the garage manually. And then as soon as I heard the door shut, I realized - I had left my man-purse in the house. It had in it - keys to the house (I had the car keys in my pocket), wallet, phone, money clip (with credit cards), cigarettes, glasses (in case I had trouble with my contacts). In other words, everything I needed to function in society.
The amazing part is that I still had everything I needed to play the game, since as a true softball slut, my gear lives in the car at all times. I was in uniform and I had the scorebook - bonus. Luckily I had plenty of gas, or I couldn't have gone...imagine the humiliation of having to wait around for hours for my roommate to get home with nothing to entertain me but a PC with a dying battery, knowing I am missing the game.
There was no choice but to go.
The game was against a relatively new arch-rival, the Big Kahunas. We don't like them. They don't like us. You know how sometimes there is just a player on the opposition that you just don't like? Well they had two, or more. Their onfield antics furthered their reputation as complete a-holes too, the other teams don't like them either. Arguing, complaining about our hitters going up the middle, threatening fighting at the slightest provocation, just jerks. We were really looking forward to beating them, we owed them from a couple of close losses. I looked it up - twice last fall by one run. Last Spring 17-2. The playoffs a couple years ago by one run. I'm not bitter (much); just really want to put them in their place.
First thing when I got to the parking lot, of course, I borrowed twenty bucks from a teammate so I could run to 7-11 to get smokes. You never know when you are going to need a rally smoke, no matter how un-PC it is, and I wasn't about to get caught without smokes.
Finally we get to the field and our guys arrive and the Kahunas have like 5 or 6 players. There don't seem to be any others coming, either, although I overheard one of them say they were expecting 8, the minimum number to not forfeit. We were prepared to play them with eight and were looking forward to make them run all over the field chasing our bombs and smashes. So I didn't even mind when we saw the coach running from field to field trying to get the last players they needed in order to play, even if they were illegal. But they just couldn't come up with an 8th guy. Derek from my team wanted to give them someone from our team just so we could play and beat them. While I appreciated the sentiment, there could be nothing worse than rejecting a free win, and then getting somehow beaten by them with the help of one of our own. And who is the lucky sap who has to play with them? So in a half-hearted voice I said to the ump, "that would be illegal anyway right?" to which he agreed.
So we took the forfeit. A win is a win. We then had the field for batting practice, and then after I took some swings I remembered I could be taking care of the serves, since I was free early. I told my teammates I would meet them at the bar we go to, to celebrate the win. Sir Guy said he would call me to confirm that they were going, and I cheerily replied, "uh, no need, no phone."
Of course no phone, no addresses in the navigator. But I had my computer. All I had to do was go to a Starbucks to get connected, and figure out where to go. I decided to drive to Livermore first, to save on my laptop battery, which is in need of replacing, and only gets about twenty minutes without a plugin.
Now you can go anywhere and just look for Starbucks and it magically appears. I mean you could be in Shandong province in China, or the northern Sahara or Timbuktu - there is a Starbucks. But I get to Livermore and go to every shopping mall on the way into downtown - do I see the green awning? nooooooooo. I was driven to desperation, doing what no self-respecting man does - I asked someone at a gas station. He looked at me funny, as though I were from another planet, but told me anyway. How convenient, it was in the neighborhood of the serves.
The first was uneventful. The lady was expecting it, said she had been warned. But I get to the second address (and it wasn't easily marked either), and go up to the front door. There is a screen door, but the main door is open and I can hear a TV on. Good signs, someone is home! I ring. No answer. Ring. No answer. RING.
Now I realize that I can see into the hallway from the door, and beyond that the master bedroom. I see a whale of a man stirring in the bed. He seems like he is getting up. But then rolls over. Let me tell you, the last thing I wanted to do was peer into a door and see a guy scratching himself in his underwear. RING. RING. Finally he rolls over again, and stumbles out to the door. "Are you ___ ___ ___?" I ask. "Yes." YOU'VE BEEN SERVED. He wanted to know what it is about. Well, I wasn't about to go over the details with a guy standing there in his shorts. "It's a legal case, call your lawyer," I yelled, practically over my shoulder as I sped away. SUCCESS!
Now I can finally go get my post-forfeit beer. I'm feeling pretty good. I get to the bar and are my teammates waiting there with my beer poured ready for quaffing? NO, of course not. Who knows if they are going to show up? And it is freezing. I wait a few minutes, and decide, with my remaining $8 I have enough to go buy a burger at In N Out across the street. The drive through line is crowded at this time of night. So I give up the Giants game on the car radio and go inside. When I am waiting for my food, I turn and standing there is a woman I co-managed my daughter's Bobby Sox team with a million years ago. I knew her from Oakland. What a huge coincidence, she is miles from home, and I haven't seen her for about ten years, but nothing takes me by surprise tonight. We updated each other on our kids and their adventures. Now my kids have not been a picnic to raise. But when she told me how her kid had run off with a guy she didn't like, and made her a grandma without the sanction of holy matrimony, and then the cute couple had stolen first her car, and then her dead husband's car, well I just had to thank my lucky stars. Always look on the bright side of life, as Monty Python sang.
I turn again and now I see there are two guys I have played with and against in line to get a burger. The strange coincidences just kept coming. I didn't know they knew each other, and it seems they have been best friends since high school in San Leandro. I sat with them and ate my burger.
At that point, I should have stopped tempting fate, and gone home but I really wanted that beer now, so I went back across the street and lo and behold my teammates were there. I had that beer finally. You know I am not very smart, and I just had to tempt fate one more time after knocking one back and get on the freeway with no money, no ID, no driver's license...but miraculously nothing bizarre was added to the night's events.
Just another day on the fields.
Milestone:
Derek 50 g (#22) (you get a game credit for showing up at a forfeit)
Tuesday started out normal enough. A routine win in my morning Senior game, in all ways except that it had some import in the Creaker standings, where we were tied for first with the other team.
Then I came home and I got a call for a phone interview - right then. Usually you get some warning. I asked that she call back, and this saved the day for me. I was able to do a little preparation. It went well but the day was off schedule from then on.
I work part time as a process server to get a few bucks to support my softball habit. You know, the guy who shows up at the door of some scofflaw, and hands them papers, and gets to say "You've been served." It's just like in the movies, but not.
I had some new serves in the direction of the Tuesday night's game, which was in Pleasanton, in the next town Livermore. I had decided that I might have time to get them served on the way, or after the game. So I printed them out, and planned a route on the computer, and put the addresses in my phone's navigator.
Of course by the time I did all this I was rushing around like a chicken with its head cut off. I then grabbed up my computer and the score book, and took out a smoke and ran out to the car, which was parked in the garage. I carefully checked all the doors and locked the door from the house to the garage manually. And then as soon as I heard the door shut, I realized - I had left my man-purse in the house. It had in it - keys to the house (I had the car keys in my pocket), wallet, phone, money clip (with credit cards), cigarettes, glasses (in case I had trouble with my contacts). In other words, everything I needed to function in society.
The amazing part is that I still had everything I needed to play the game, since as a true softball slut, my gear lives in the car at all times. I was in uniform and I had the scorebook - bonus. Luckily I had plenty of gas, or I couldn't have gone...imagine the humiliation of having to wait around for hours for my roommate to get home with nothing to entertain me but a PC with a dying battery, knowing I am missing the game.
There was no choice but to go.
The game was against a relatively new arch-rival, the Big Kahunas. We don't like them. They don't like us. You know how sometimes there is just a player on the opposition that you just don't like? Well they had two, or more. Their onfield antics furthered their reputation as complete a-holes too, the other teams don't like them either. Arguing, complaining about our hitters going up the middle, threatening fighting at the slightest provocation, just jerks. We were really looking forward to beating them, we owed them from a couple of close losses. I looked it up - twice last fall by one run. Last Spring 17-2. The playoffs a couple years ago by one run. I'm not bitter (much); just really want to put them in their place.
First thing when I got to the parking lot, of course, I borrowed twenty bucks from a teammate so I could run to 7-11 to get smokes. You never know when you are going to need a rally smoke, no matter how un-PC it is, and I wasn't about to get caught without smokes.
Finally we get to the field and our guys arrive and the Kahunas have like 5 or 6 players. There don't seem to be any others coming, either, although I overheard one of them say they were expecting 8, the minimum number to not forfeit. We were prepared to play them with eight and were looking forward to make them run all over the field chasing our bombs and smashes. So I didn't even mind when we saw the coach running from field to field trying to get the last players they needed in order to play, even if they were illegal. But they just couldn't come up with an 8th guy. Derek from my team wanted to give them someone from our team just so we could play and beat them. While I appreciated the sentiment, there could be nothing worse than rejecting a free win, and then getting somehow beaten by them with the help of one of our own. And who is the lucky sap who has to play with them? So in a half-hearted voice I said to the ump, "that would be illegal anyway right?" to which he agreed.
So we took the forfeit. A win is a win. We then had the field for batting practice, and then after I took some swings I remembered I could be taking care of the serves, since I was free early. I told my teammates I would meet them at the bar we go to, to celebrate the win. Sir Guy said he would call me to confirm that they were going, and I cheerily replied, "uh, no need, no phone."
Of course no phone, no addresses in the navigator. But I had my computer. All I had to do was go to a Starbucks to get connected, and figure out where to go. I decided to drive to Livermore first, to save on my laptop battery, which is in need of replacing, and only gets about twenty minutes without a plugin.
Now you can go anywhere and just look for Starbucks and it magically appears. I mean you could be in Shandong province in China, or the northern Sahara or Timbuktu - there is a Starbucks. But I get to Livermore and go to every shopping mall on the way into downtown - do I see the green awning? nooooooooo. I was driven to desperation, doing what no self-respecting man does - I asked someone at a gas station. He looked at me funny, as though I were from another planet, but told me anyway. How convenient, it was in the neighborhood of the serves.
The first was uneventful. The lady was expecting it, said she had been warned. But I get to the second address (and it wasn't easily marked either), and go up to the front door. There is a screen door, but the main door is open and I can hear a TV on. Good signs, someone is home! I ring. No answer. Ring. No answer. RING.
Now I realize that I can see into the hallway from the door, and beyond that the master bedroom. I see a whale of a man stirring in the bed. He seems like he is getting up. But then rolls over. Let me tell you, the last thing I wanted to do was peer into a door and see a guy scratching himself in his underwear. RING. RING. Finally he rolls over again, and stumbles out to the door. "Are you ___ ___ ___?" I ask. "Yes." YOU'VE BEEN SERVED. He wanted to know what it is about. Well, I wasn't about to go over the details with a guy standing there in his shorts. "It's a legal case, call your lawyer," I yelled, practically over my shoulder as I sped away. SUCCESS!
Now I can finally go get my post-forfeit beer. I'm feeling pretty good. I get to the bar and are my teammates waiting there with my beer poured ready for quaffing? NO, of course not. Who knows if they are going to show up? And it is freezing. I wait a few minutes, and decide, with my remaining $8 I have enough to go buy a burger at In N Out across the street. The drive through line is crowded at this time of night. So I give up the Giants game on the car radio and go inside. When I am waiting for my food, I turn and standing there is a woman I co-managed my daughter's Bobby Sox team with a million years ago. I knew her from Oakland. What a huge coincidence, she is miles from home, and I haven't seen her for about ten years, but nothing takes me by surprise tonight. We updated each other on our kids and their adventures. Now my kids have not been a picnic to raise. But when she told me how her kid had run off with a guy she didn't like, and made her a grandma without the sanction of holy matrimony, and then the cute couple had stolen first her car, and then her dead husband's car, well I just had to thank my lucky stars. Always look on the bright side of life, as Monty Python sang.
I turn again and now I see there are two guys I have played with and against in line to get a burger. The strange coincidences just kept coming. I didn't know they knew each other, and it seems they have been best friends since high school in San Leandro. I sat with them and ate my burger.
At that point, I should have stopped tempting fate, and gone home but I really wanted that beer now, so I went back across the street and lo and behold my teammates were there. I had that beer finally. You know I am not very smart, and I just had to tempt fate one more time after knocking one back and get on the freeway with no money, no ID, no driver's license...but miraculously nothing bizarre was added to the night's events.
Just another day on the fields.
Milestone:
Derek 50 g (#22) (you get a game credit for showing up at a forfeit)
Dark Side of the Moon
During Sunday's JFT game against the Polar Bears, if Derek hits a ball so hard that it appears to blot out the sun...don't fear.
There is an annular eclipse of the sun that will peek at 6:37 Sunday, approximately two thirds of the way through our game.
Just go straight to church, synagogue, or wherever your superstitions take you. After the game, of course.
There is an annular eclipse of the sun that will peek at 6:37 Sunday, approximately two thirds of the way through our game.
Just go straight to church, synagogue, or wherever your superstitions take you. After the game, of course.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Battle of Biblical Proportions
A little known fact is that there is an 11th commandment. It goes like this: God gave us gloves; now use them.
Red discovered that we could use our gloves to get outs today and the result was a relatively low scoring victory over Gold 21-14. There were nice plays all over the field; by Howard Davis, Bob Eddy, Bob Muegge, Bill Dewlaney and Herb Moessing on the infield, and great catches by Geo Sayatavich and Steve Alvarez in the outfield, and even a basket catch by 'Willie Mays' Kravin in shallow right field.
It was a tight game between two pretty evenly matched teams for the first seven innings. If Gold scored 4 as in the first, we scored 5. They were shut down in the second; so were we. In the third 3 and 4, and so on.
The game turned on some big hits, and while Red got them, Gold could not. Trailing 14-12 in the bottom of the 8th, Bruce Baily singled and Sayatavich walked. Up strode last week's hero Moessing. The outfield came in to try to cut down the odds of the tying runs advancing, and our hero promptly planted it over Tom Occhiogrosso's head in left center for a double, and Geo did not stop running from first until he crossed with the tying run. After a hit and an out, the lead run scored on a would be double play ball that Hank McDermott beat out. With two outs we loaded the bases again and the capper was Mel Burman coming through in the clutch with a two run single to get our 5. In the bottom of the 8th, similarly Davis came through for a two run hit with runners in scoring position.
In the mean time, Baily shut down a pretty good hitting Gold team and held them scoreless in the eighth. Muegge came in to get his own save in the ninth with no further runs.
Next week I will tell you the 12th commandment.
Red discovered that we could use our gloves to get outs today and the result was a relatively low scoring victory over Gold 21-14. There were nice plays all over the field; by Howard Davis, Bob Eddy, Bob Muegge, Bill Dewlaney and Herb Moessing on the infield, and great catches by Geo Sayatavich and Steve Alvarez in the outfield, and even a basket catch by 'Willie Mays' Kravin in shallow right field.
It was a tight game between two pretty evenly matched teams for the first seven innings. If Gold scored 4 as in the first, we scored 5. They were shut down in the second; so were we. In the third 3 and 4, and so on.
The game turned on some big hits, and while Red got them, Gold could not. Trailing 14-12 in the bottom of the 8th, Bruce Baily singled and Sayatavich walked. Up strode last week's hero Moessing. The outfield came in to try to cut down the odds of the tying runs advancing, and our hero promptly planted it over Tom Occhiogrosso's head in left center for a double, and Geo did not stop running from first until he crossed with the tying run. After a hit and an out, the lead run scored on a would be double play ball that Hank McDermott beat out. With two outs we loaded the bases again and the capper was Mel Burman coming through in the clutch with a two run single to get our 5. In the bottom of the 8th, similarly Davis came through for a two run hit with runners in scoring position.
In the mean time, Baily shut down a pretty good hitting Gold team and held them scoreless in the eighth. Muegge came in to get his own save in the ninth with no further runs.
Next week I will tell you the 12th commandment.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Chopped Slammers
A macho guy like me should never admit this but I watch cooking shows now and then. Yes, I am a closet Food Network fan. It's time I came out and this is my public admission.
One of the shows I like is called Chopped. It's a show where chefs compete before a panel of foodie judges, and after every course of a 3 course meal, one of them gets 'chopped', i.e. gets eliminated for the next course, until there is just one standing.
Well, the Slammers now know what it means to get "Chopped" softball style, because our own Chopper took it upon himself to render them into little pieces. Chopper had two triples, a single, and drove in 6 runs, and made the catch of the day on a popup at catcher, showing catlike reflexes, as we slaughter ruled yet another opponent, 20-5.
He wasn't alone, there were a few sous chefs that added ingredients for success. Chuck set the table beautifully, and had a patented line drive down the right field line for a triple as well among his three hits, two of which lead off innings. Gerry was (of course) a perfect 3 for 3 and took a walk to kick start our first real rally in the second. Big D was cranky after taking a backward K his first time up, and having some tough no strike calls against him when he was on the mound - but still managed to get 3 RBIs on 3 hits. Hazel had the tough assignment of hitting for Joe, and got a clutch 2 run single that closed the scoring in our 9 run 4th that put the game away. And of course the Heffinator dinked and dunked four hits, including a patented 'surgeon' line drive on the left field line, and then taught a course to the rest of the team in how to slide into second as he stretched it into a double. It was a perfect hook slide. So perfect that the SS cut off the ball and there was no play made. I heard he got out of the hospital already.
The highlights on defense (besides Chopper's catch) were two runners thrown out at home. One was on a gapper between Lefty and Hazel, and the guy wanted a round tripper real bad. But the throw came in from afar - (I think) Lefty to Randy to D to Chopper, the old 9-4-1-2 putout, routine for a team like us. Then there was another one that came from somewhere in the outfield to Joe when he was on the mound. The runner was trapped half way from third to home, and Joe played it just right by running at him. This time we learned our lesson from our botched pickle a couple of weeks ago - everyone converged to back each other up, and even when Gerry missed the initial tag (he got him with his glove but in a senior moment forgot the ball was in his right hand), there was Chuck or someone to put the final tag on the victim. Chopped and Pickled!
A couple more victims that we should beat easily before our show down with Advanced Construction in June. Should be more fun.
One of the shows I like is called Chopped. It's a show where chefs compete before a panel of foodie judges, and after every course of a 3 course meal, one of them gets 'chopped', i.e. gets eliminated for the next course, until there is just one standing.
Well, the Slammers now know what it means to get "Chopped" softball style, because our own Chopper took it upon himself to render them into little pieces. Chopper had two triples, a single, and drove in 6 runs, and made the catch of the day on a popup at catcher, showing catlike reflexes, as we slaughter ruled yet another opponent, 20-5.
He wasn't alone, there were a few sous chefs that added ingredients for success. Chuck set the table beautifully, and had a patented line drive down the right field line for a triple as well among his three hits, two of which lead off innings. Gerry was (of course) a perfect 3 for 3 and took a walk to kick start our first real rally in the second. Big D was cranky after taking a backward K his first time up, and having some tough no strike calls against him when he was on the mound - but still managed to get 3 RBIs on 3 hits. Hazel had the tough assignment of hitting for Joe, and got a clutch 2 run single that closed the scoring in our 9 run 4th that put the game away. And of course the Heffinator dinked and dunked four hits, including a patented 'surgeon' line drive on the left field line, and then taught a course to the rest of the team in how to slide into second as he stretched it into a double. It was a perfect hook slide. So perfect that the SS cut off the ball and there was no play made. I heard he got out of the hospital already.
The highlights on defense (besides Chopper's catch) were two runners thrown out at home. One was on a gapper between Lefty and Hazel, and the guy wanted a round tripper real bad. But the throw came in from afar - (I think) Lefty to Randy to D to Chopper, the old 9-4-1-2 putout, routine for a team like us. Then there was another one that came from somewhere in the outfield to Joe when he was on the mound. The runner was trapped half way from third to home, and Joe played it just right by running at him. This time we learned our lesson from our botched pickle a couple of weeks ago - everyone converged to back each other up, and even when Gerry missed the initial tag (he got him with his glove but in a senior moment forgot the ball was in his right hand), there was Chuck or someone to put the final tag on the victim. Chopped and Pickled!
A couple more victims that we should beat easily before our show down with Advanced Construction in June. Should be more fun.
Blame it on...Carlo
Mikey C, really, you go to visit the folks in Arizona and you can't drive all night to make the MDSSL 9:30 game? Instead you show up in street clothes in the 5th inning? You had to spend the night in a motel half way? Man, you look 35 so you better just start acting 35. No matter that you are over 50 like the rest of us.
And Tom O, you have been carrying us for weeks with your bat and glove...what right do you have to go on vacation??? We have the entire month of December off for that.
I blame you two. Because otherwise I would have to look within, and at my teammates who struggled mightily but fell short against Concord Red Thursday. And we wouldn't want that.
As you can gather, Walnut Creek Blue went down in ignominious defeat Thursday to Concord Red by the score of 24-17. We took an early lead (7-1) through two innings, but Red came roaring back with 9 runs in the 3rd and 4th, and even though we closed to 16-15 after the sixth, it seemed like Red had the momentum after the middle innings. They put us away with an 8 run top of the ninth open inning, and to put the icing on the cake or nail in the coffin (pick your cliched metaphor), turned a double play on the second batter of our ninth to clear up any notions of a last minute comeback.
Ken H and the guy who bats at the top of the lineup led WC Blue with five hits apiece. Donnie C placed the ball extremely well this game - line drives and shots through the 5-6 hole - he couldn't quite pull off being so self-deprecating this time since he was 3 for 4 with a walk. Brian B was 4 for 5, and Bill D hit a couple of long shots for an RBI double and triple for 6 of our first 9 runs, and scored 3 runs.
But in the end Mr. Gold Glove came back in to pitch the 9th, and got his own save by shutting us down. I must note he lived up to his Gilded Mitt when he turned that DP on the shot by Murray H in the 9th.
And Tom O, you have been carrying us for weeks with your bat and glove...what right do you have to go on vacation??? We have the entire month of December off for that.
I blame you two. Because otherwise I would have to look within, and at my teammates who struggled mightily but fell short against Concord Red Thursday. And we wouldn't want that.
As you can gather, Walnut Creek Blue went down in ignominious defeat Thursday to Concord Red by the score of 24-17. We took an early lead (7-1) through two innings, but Red came roaring back with 9 runs in the 3rd and 4th, and even though we closed to 16-15 after the sixth, it seemed like Red had the momentum after the middle innings. They put us away with an 8 run top of the ninth open inning, and to put the icing on the cake or nail in the coffin (pick your cliched metaphor), turned a double play on the second batter of our ninth to clear up any notions of a last minute comeback.
Ken H and the guy who bats at the top of the lineup led WC Blue with five hits apiece. Donnie C placed the ball extremely well this game - line drives and shots through the 5-6 hole - he couldn't quite pull off being so self-deprecating this time since he was 3 for 4 with a walk. Brian B was 4 for 5, and Bill D hit a couple of long shots for an RBI double and triple for 6 of our first 9 runs, and scored 3 runs.
But in the end Mr. Gold Glove came back in to pitch the 9th, and got his own save by shutting us down. I must note he lived up to his Gilded Mitt when he turned that DP on the shot by Murray H in the 9th.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
4 Speed Post Script
I'm not going to take credit after the tribute I posted for the 4 Speed team in Pleasanton.
I'm just going to say this: After my team lost in our game tonight we heard a commotion on the next field. The 4 Speed, the team that never wins, was tied after the regulation 7 innings in their game. They were playing the Oaks, who were the second best team in the league as recently as last year.
In Pleasanton they give you one extra inning to settle a tie. They start each batter with a 1-1 count to speed it up. The 4 Speed came up and got a bunch of hits and the Oaks, who had to be pressing, made a couple of errors, and suddenly they were up 4 runs going into the last of the last.
God bless them, they didn't exactly know how to play with a lead, and the 4 Speed gave the Oaks a couple of extra outs in the bottom of the 8th. They looked like they were going to give it up. As it came to the wire, the Oaks had bases loaded, the tying run on second, and the winning run on first. A guy I have played with and against for years named Tom was up, a very good lefty power hitter. He tried to put a single into left field to just tie it up, and instead hit a grounder right to the shortstop. He scooped it up, and got the force at third and the celebration was ON.
Divine intervention?
Good Karma?
I lied, I am taking credit...I think it was my tribute. Have one on me.
I'm just going to say this: After my team lost in our game tonight we heard a commotion on the next field. The 4 Speed, the team that never wins, was tied after the regulation 7 innings in their game. They were playing the Oaks, who were the second best team in the league as recently as last year.
In Pleasanton they give you one extra inning to settle a tie. They start each batter with a 1-1 count to speed it up. The 4 Speed came up and got a bunch of hits and the Oaks, who had to be pressing, made a couple of errors, and suddenly they were up 4 runs going into the last of the last.
God bless them, they didn't exactly know how to play with a lead, and the 4 Speed gave the Oaks a couple of extra outs in the bottom of the 8th. They looked like they were going to give it up. As it came to the wire, the Oaks had bases loaded, the tying run on second, and the winning run on first. A guy I have played with and against for years named Tom was up, a very good lefty power hitter. He tried to put a single into left field to just tie it up, and instead hit a grounder right to the shortstop. He scooped it up, and got the force at third and the celebration was ON.
Divine intervention?
Good Karma?
I lied, I am taking credit...I think it was my tribute. Have one on me.
To the Lava Cave!
Bats, Lava, Lava Tube, Bats in your Belfry, Curt Blefary. Fried Green Lava.
Lava Stream, Stream of Consciousness. Unconscious.
It's Derek's story, I am just borrowing it. Apparently on the field Monday night our hero was in another game and when he came to bat suddenly out of the sky fell two black blobs onto the infield. First thoughts were of the headline "Terrorists attack Pleasanton softball fields." Then he realized that was ridiculous. It turned out the two blobs were two bats (yes the animals not the kind we swing) that had collided midair and dropped dead right in front of home plate. It must be to amazing to inspire such awe in not only your teammates and the opposition but in these creatures that they lose the one thing they have for protection, their sonar... I hope they walked our hero Big D after that sign.
But back to last night's game. Unconscious is when RB connects. He is so used to it, he just starts jogging out beyond the fence to retrieve the missile. "You hit it, you get it." The opposition and umps say it almost sneeringly. Green is the Lava. RB hit two home runs to start and finish the scoring in our one big inning, the third, which settled things as we plated 12 to go up 15-1 on the way to the 21-4 rout.
The team called Green Lava has not solved their pitching crisis in the last month since we last faced them. The way I have been hitting on this team, I just decided I might as well take the free passes - I even got an RBI on a bases juiced walk! We only took 8 walks this time, down from 12 in the season opener.
Mostly it was humdrum but there were a couple of highlights besides batting around for the 12 run third. I loved the at bat Cage had in it. The left fielder played him shallow and Nick's eyes got real big, and he smashed it to the fence. There is no feeling in softball better than to come up with something open that you see, and then hitting it exactly where and how you want.
And on defense, poor Mario earned for himself return trips to the hot corner by making a couple of really nice stops on tough shots. He let the third one go (which no one could have had) to try to convince the coach his play was a fluke, but the coach sees right through that. Have fun Mario!
Everyone had an RBI and everyone scored a run to make it an egalitarian win outside the two RB blasts.
The next two weeks are the pivotal point of the season. The evil Big Kahunas are first, and they were tossed aside by Blue Dots last night. We owe them for all past injustices, score-wise and attitude-wise, so it's time to step up against them and then on them. After that the rematch with the Blue Dots but I'll get to that next week.
Oh, and Sir Guy had one K, and Rams had a chance to try third base too!
Milestones:
Heffe 90 bb (#1)
Coop 80 bb (#2)
Jason 250 ab (#17)
Lava Stream, Stream of Consciousness. Unconscious.
It's Derek's story, I am just borrowing it. Apparently on the field Monday night our hero was in another game and when he came to bat suddenly out of the sky fell two black blobs onto the infield. First thoughts were of the headline "Terrorists attack Pleasanton softball fields." Then he realized that was ridiculous. It turned out the two blobs were two bats (yes the animals not the kind we swing) that had collided midair and dropped dead right in front of home plate. It must be to amazing to inspire such awe in not only your teammates and the opposition but in these creatures that they lose the one thing they have for protection, their sonar... I hope they walked our hero Big D after that sign.
But back to last night's game. Unconscious is when RB connects. He is so used to it, he just starts jogging out beyond the fence to retrieve the missile. "You hit it, you get it." The opposition and umps say it almost sneeringly. Green is the Lava. RB hit two home runs to start and finish the scoring in our one big inning, the third, which settled things as we plated 12 to go up 15-1 on the way to the 21-4 rout.
The team called Green Lava has not solved their pitching crisis in the last month since we last faced them. The way I have been hitting on this team, I just decided I might as well take the free passes - I even got an RBI on a bases juiced walk! We only took 8 walks this time, down from 12 in the season opener.
Mostly it was humdrum but there were a couple of highlights besides batting around for the 12 run third. I loved the at bat Cage had in it. The left fielder played him shallow and Nick's eyes got real big, and he smashed it to the fence. There is no feeling in softball better than to come up with something open that you see, and then hitting it exactly where and how you want.
And on defense, poor Mario earned for himself return trips to the hot corner by making a couple of really nice stops on tough shots. He let the third one go (which no one could have had) to try to convince the coach his play was a fluke, but the coach sees right through that. Have fun Mario!
Everyone had an RBI and everyone scored a run to make it an egalitarian win outside the two RB blasts.
The next two weeks are the pivotal point of the season. The evil Big Kahunas are first, and they were tossed aside by Blue Dots last night. We owe them for all past injustices, score-wise and attitude-wise, so it's time to step up against them and then on them. After that the rematch with the Blue Dots but I'll get to that next week.
Oh, and Sir Guy had one K, and Rams had a chance to try third base too!
Milestones:
Heffe 90 bb (#1)
Coop 80 bb (#2)
Jason 250 ab (#17)
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Just happy to be here
In the one game I did not cover last week, my Wednesday night 'Legends' team (this is what they call over 50 in Pleasanton) Sunshine Saloon won a won a rather workmanlike game 14-7 over a team called the 4 Speed.
This is not the story. We always beat them. Usually we play down to their level and it is close. This one, not so much.
The story is that everyone always beats them. I looked it up. Not all the years are archived on the Pleasanton website that tracks the standings, but most are. The 4 Speed team has been in the league at least since 2000. Their record in the years tracked: 16 wins and 158 losses. That is an average of about 1-10 every season. I know that the years not tracked include the last 4 seasons, and if they won 2 games over that time, I would be surprised. Their 'big' season, they went 4-8.
And they are happy every single game. Their attitude is, we are just here to have some fun, have a beer and some pizza and then go home. They never argue with the opponent or the umpires; they never get on each other for missing ball after ball and hitting into double play after double play.
There's no way I could do it. I don't have to win every game, but it would be good if I did. I hate to lose, and if I lost every single time and there was no hope of coming in anywhere above last place, well, just bring the straight-jacket for Heffe.
I admire those guys. I am sure I have far more flaws.
Just don't ask me to be on their team.
This is not the story. We always beat them. Usually we play down to their level and it is close. This one, not so much.
The story is that everyone always beats them. I looked it up. Not all the years are archived on the Pleasanton website that tracks the standings, but most are. The 4 Speed team has been in the league at least since 2000. Their record in the years tracked: 16 wins and 158 losses. That is an average of about 1-10 every season. I know that the years not tracked include the last 4 seasons, and if they won 2 games over that time, I would be surprised. Their 'big' season, they went 4-8.
And they are happy every single game. Their attitude is, we are just here to have some fun, have a beer and some pizza and then go home. They never argue with the opponent or the umpires; they never get on each other for missing ball after ball and hitting into double play after double play.
There's no way I could do it. I don't have to win every game, but it would be good if I did. I hate to lose, and if I lost every single time and there was no hope of coming in anywhere above last place, well, just bring the straight-jacket for Heffe.
I admire those guys. I am sure I have far more flaws.
Just don't ask me to be on their team.
Moessing with the Third Base Bag: Red over Blue on a Walkoff 19-18
The headline was already
written: Break up the Red. But not because of our prodigious hitting.
This time, I was going to follow with when is the trade deadline, we
need to make a deal. Because we had scored all of 4 runs in the first
four innings, and trailed 15-4. It was hot. We couldn't catch anything.
We had left our bats on field 4 last week. Blue was making play after
play on balls that went through holes last week.
As it turned out, we had Blue right where we wanted them. We came up in the bottom of the 4th and batted around to tie it. It started with a Bob Muegge hit, and then 11 of the next 12 Red hitters got hits and we didn't stop until the game was tied.
It wasn't easy after that. Blue's left side (and Gary Tryhorn up the middle as usual) kept taking hits away from us. Dan Rainwater came in and held us scoreless for three innings. A pitchers' duel broke out. They made a great throw to stop our one scoring chance in the 8th after they had taken a three run lead.
But Bruce Baily and then Muegge, when he came back in to pitch, kept Blue close. We started the ninth needing three to tie, four to win. We got a clutch two run hit from Howard Davis to put the tying run on second with no outs. Bill Dewlaney gave himself up and walked to get the game winner on first. Baily moved everyone up and tied it with a clutch single. After an out up came Herb Moessing. Herb is a ground-ball-through-the-infield kind of hitter, but all he needed was a fly ball to win it. Instead he stayed within himself and put if off the third base bag and it was another winner for Red.
It was another true team win. I was the only 4 for 4 (3 doubles), but Steve Alvarez, Pete D'Alonzo, Muegge, Davis, and Baily had 3 apiece, and Alvarez, Davis, and Baily 3 RBIs. Alvarez displayed his usual power with a triple, double and a single. He was robbed his first time up by the Blue right center fielder deep in the gap: if he hadn't made that catch, I would be talking about Steve's cycle.
I guess Coach Hank will keep everyone off the waiver wire for another week.
As it turned out, we had Blue right where we wanted them. We came up in the bottom of the 4th and batted around to tie it. It started with a Bob Muegge hit, and then 11 of the next 12 Red hitters got hits and we didn't stop until the game was tied.
It wasn't easy after that. Blue's left side (and Gary Tryhorn up the middle as usual) kept taking hits away from us. Dan Rainwater came in and held us scoreless for three innings. A pitchers' duel broke out. They made a great throw to stop our one scoring chance in the 8th after they had taken a three run lead.
But Bruce Baily and then Muegge, when he came back in to pitch, kept Blue close. We started the ninth needing three to tie, four to win. We got a clutch two run hit from Howard Davis to put the tying run on second with no outs. Bill Dewlaney gave himself up and walked to get the game winner on first. Baily moved everyone up and tied it with a clutch single. After an out up came Herb Moessing. Herb is a ground-ball-through-the-infield kind of hitter, but all he needed was a fly ball to win it. Instead he stayed within himself and put if off the third base bag and it was another winner for Red.
It was another true team win. I was the only 4 for 4 (3 doubles), but Steve Alvarez, Pete D'Alonzo, Muegge, Davis, and Baily had 3 apiece, and Alvarez, Davis, and Baily 3 RBIs. Alvarez displayed his usual power with a triple, double and a single. He was robbed his first time up by the Blue right center fielder deep in the gap: if he hadn't made that catch, I would be talking about Steve's cycle.
I guess Coach Hank will keep everyone off the waiver wire for another week.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Bulletin Board Material
I am such a softball slut that tonight I took in another team's game. The Conehead left fielder is coming back from shoulder surgery, and tonight was going to be his first game back. The Coneheads' league doesn't start up until later than other leagues; since he was playing for another team just a few minutes from my house, I thought I might as well go hang out.
What I didn't know is that Greg plays part-time on a team comprised of players from two of the Coneheads' archrivals in the Orinda league. I had mixed feelings watching them lose. On the one hand there are a couple players I like on those teams; on the other hand, well you know the other hand. I hope they continue losing through August.
One of the players plays with us on Sundays now. And another of them played one season with the Coneheads in our fall league a couple of years ago. We nicknamed him Buddha. You can guess why. Scott is very strong, a great hitter, and we had fun with him that one season. But if you looked at him you would understand why he got that name.
Buddha has a lot of respect for the Coneheads, and a lot of bad memories from us beating them every time we played them for about ten years. His team, Cal Bronco, has beefed up the last two years. They actually won the regular season last season, beating us twice in the regular season. But we had the last laugh; it was us against them in the playoff championship game, and in one of the best championship games in years, we prevailed 24-22, and walked off with the Cotton.
Well, tonight, I talked to the Buddha for quite a while after their game over a beer. He is a great guy. It was funny, because while I was talking to him, I kept hearing snippets of the conversation a little bit away between the other players. I kept hearing 'Coneheads' and 'frustrate'. Apparently the Coneheads are a great source of frustration to the rest of the league; even though we haven't won that league every year by a long shot, we probably have more than anyone else over the last dozen years; they just don't know how to beat us consistently. We always come back.
But my conversation was with the Buddha. And here is what he said. He said, we did not retire him once in 3 games last year; he was 16 for 16 against us. And he intends to continue that throughout the upcoming season.
Well the gauntlet has been thrown. I may become a Buddhist, or consult with the Dalai Lama. Burn incense. Meditate. We will get it done. We will get you out. Mark it down. And, as I said tonight, just keep in mind who was the last team standing last year. I'll take that over 16 for 16 anytime and I know you would too.
What I didn't know is that Greg plays part-time on a team comprised of players from two of the Coneheads' archrivals in the Orinda league. I had mixed feelings watching them lose. On the one hand there are a couple players I like on those teams; on the other hand, well you know the other hand. I hope they continue losing through August.
One of the players plays with us on Sundays now. And another of them played one season with the Coneheads in our fall league a couple of years ago. We nicknamed him Buddha. You can guess why. Scott is very strong, a great hitter, and we had fun with him that one season. But if you looked at him you would understand why he got that name.
Buddha has a lot of respect for the Coneheads, and a lot of bad memories from us beating them every time we played them for about ten years. His team, Cal Bronco, has beefed up the last two years. They actually won the regular season last season, beating us twice in the regular season. But we had the last laugh; it was us against them in the playoff championship game, and in one of the best championship games in years, we prevailed 24-22, and walked off with the Cotton.
Well, tonight, I talked to the Buddha for quite a while after their game over a beer. He is a great guy. It was funny, because while I was talking to him, I kept hearing snippets of the conversation a little bit away between the other players. I kept hearing 'Coneheads' and 'frustrate'. Apparently the Coneheads are a great source of frustration to the rest of the league; even though we haven't won that league every year by a long shot, we probably have more than anyone else over the last dozen years; they just don't know how to beat us consistently. We always come back.
But my conversation was with the Buddha. And here is what he said. He said, we did not retire him once in 3 games last year; he was 16 for 16 against us. And he intends to continue that throughout the upcoming season.
Well the gauntlet has been thrown. I may become a Buddhist, or consult with the Dalai Lama. Burn incense. Meditate. We will get it done. We will get you out. Mark it down. And, as I said tonight, just keep in mind who was the last team standing last year. I'll take that over 16 for 16 anytime and I know you would too.
Nothing to Say
I had nothing to say. Some of you might find that hard to believe. But it was true. It was such a ho-hum game, low key and unsurprising...but then I was saved by seeing Randy tonight, and he woke up my pen.
Sunday, game day for JFT, was a beautiful day. I napped. Twice. Then I went to the game.
And then I napped some more. Some time in there we scored 16 runs, and won in a slaughter-rule-shortened game 16-1.
This year they combined all the over 40 teams into one huge division. Before this, there were 'competitive' and 'recreation' divisions. Sunday's opponent, Who's on First, was in the lower division. They showed up Sunday two players short of the 11 we are allowed on defense (because we are old). And some players who are old even by our standards. This did not bode well.
Warning: The rest of this will be very un-PC. Those with sensitivities, which I know do not exist on this team, please look away.
In addition, they had one female. Now I didn't even want to get into that. But since I have nothing, I gotta say it. The defensive highlight of the game - it was a flare, a blooper, a Texas Leaguer, hit into right field. Our right fielder Jeff is nursing a bad hamstring. He didn't get it, but he fired to second. To throw out the girl, who was on first and got caught in no-man's land (get it?....groan...sorry, just couldn't help it).
Later, there was a bases loaded grounder to Randy at third. He fired home to Chopper who did a little dance and then didn't try to get the double play at first. Who hit it? You guess it. I didn't hear this, but when interviewed on Sports Center, Chopper was quoted as saying he didn't want to throw out a girl. Or throw at a girl. Something like that. It did get him a look from Coach Stink Eye.
There were some offensive highlights. Reg hit a bomb for a triple. As the second batter of the game for us. But Chuck came home on it, got brain lock and stepped on the plate, flashing back to Little League. Yer out. So Reg didn't get the game winning RBI, but did shortly score the one that put us ahead to stay, as he went 3-3.
Gerry also went 3-3 and had an absolutely beautiful slice down the right field line for a two run double, part of a 4 RBI game for him. Greg of course also was 3-3, with 3 RBIs of his own. And Hazel got three also in one official at bat - he had a two run single and a sac fly. He could retire with a 1.000 season, and set a record for RBIs per AB, but I bet he wants to play some more.
We got to watch the Pretty in Pinky's get their lunch handed to them by Advanced Construction on the other field. This tightened up the three (or maybe four) team race; it means that all we have to do is win out to end up in first. Which we knew anyway. But AC is now the only undefeated team. It starts next Sunday.
Sunday, game day for JFT, was a beautiful day. I napped. Twice. Then I went to the game.
And then I napped some more. Some time in there we scored 16 runs, and won in a slaughter-rule-shortened game 16-1.
This year they combined all the over 40 teams into one huge division. Before this, there were 'competitive' and 'recreation' divisions. Sunday's opponent, Who's on First, was in the lower division. They showed up Sunday two players short of the 11 we are allowed on defense (because we are old). And some players who are old even by our standards. This did not bode well.
Warning: The rest of this will be very un-PC. Those with sensitivities, which I know do not exist on this team, please look away.
In addition, they had one female. Now I didn't even want to get into that. But since I have nothing, I gotta say it. The defensive highlight of the game - it was a flare, a blooper, a Texas Leaguer, hit into right field. Our right fielder Jeff is nursing a bad hamstring. He didn't get it, but he fired to second. To throw out the girl, who was on first and got caught in no-man's land (get it?....groan...sorry, just couldn't help it).
Later, there was a bases loaded grounder to Randy at third. He fired home to Chopper who did a little dance and then didn't try to get the double play at first. Who hit it? You guess it. I didn't hear this, but when interviewed on Sports Center, Chopper was quoted as saying he didn't want to throw out a girl. Or throw at a girl. Something like that. It did get him a look from Coach Stink Eye.
There were some offensive highlights. Reg hit a bomb for a triple. As the second batter of the game for us. But Chuck came home on it, got brain lock and stepped on the plate, flashing back to Little League. Yer out. So Reg didn't get the game winning RBI, but did shortly score the one that put us ahead to stay, as he went 3-3.
Gerry also went 3-3 and had an absolutely beautiful slice down the right field line for a two run double, part of a 4 RBI game for him. Greg of course also was 3-3, with 3 RBIs of his own. And Hazel got three also in one official at bat - he had a two run single and a sac fly. He could retire with a 1.000 season, and set a record for RBIs per AB, but I bet he wants to play some more.
We got to watch the Pretty in Pinky's get their lunch handed to them by Advanced Construction on the other field. This tightened up the three (or maybe four) team race; it means that all we have to do is win out to end up in first. Which we knew anyway. But AC is now the only undefeated team. It starts next Sunday.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
The Agony of Defeat
Sometimes it happens. You score 9 runs in the first, and subconsciously you coast the rest of the game. You don't mean to, but it happens. So after the 9-2 lead after the first, Transdyn never added on enough to make BASBHAT think they had no chance. It was surprising the way we had hit in just about every inning until last night, but we then went 3 innings without scoring. They crept back to 9-6, then 11-9, 12-11, and by the bottom of the seventh it seemed the walk off hit was inevitable, as Transdyn finished with a 15-14 loss.
The top of the first is what we will focus on, because I am all about the good play and not the failures. Ten straight hits to open the game. The Load, in his first AB of the season, hits a towering shot for a two run homer to right center. Mario, as usual complaining about his back pain, crushed one for 3 runs to right. The two of them knocked in 7 or our 14 runs.
There were some breaks that went the wrong way. Cage's scorcher down the line less than an inch foul. RB hit a ball that I swear cleared the trees beyond right field, and it was so far out that the ump just couldn't tell where it was. After the game he admitted to one of our players he missed that one. A number of times their outfielders ran to try and catch a gapper, and stuck out their glove at the last second. Every time it hit and stuck. You have to give them credit; they made the plays. We say they were lucky; if we had done it we would have said great skill!
The highlights on defense were Woody gunning a runner down at second base that dared to test his arm, and Gabe in a rare return to second base playing a tough popup in shallow right like an outfielder, into an out. Both key plays.
Still a 3-1 start is pretty good, and next time we will have the hammer when we play them. The one good thing about this game was that I doubt they had any doctored bats, there is no bad blood. But there is still time to develop that.
Milestones:
Load 200 h (#11)
D 100 h (#19)
D 150 ab (#22)
The top of the first is what we will focus on, because I am all about the good play and not the failures. Ten straight hits to open the game. The Load, in his first AB of the season, hits a towering shot for a two run homer to right center. Mario, as usual complaining about his back pain, crushed one for 3 runs to right. The two of them knocked in 7 or our 14 runs.
There were some breaks that went the wrong way. Cage's scorcher down the line less than an inch foul. RB hit a ball that I swear cleared the trees beyond right field, and it was so far out that the ump just couldn't tell where it was. After the game he admitted to one of our players he missed that one. A number of times their outfielders ran to try and catch a gapper, and stuck out their glove at the last second. Every time it hit and stuck. You have to give them credit; they made the plays. We say they were lucky; if we had done it we would have said great skill!
The highlights on defense were Woody gunning a runner down at second base that dared to test his arm, and Gabe in a rare return to second base playing a tough popup in shallow right like an outfielder, into an out. Both key plays.
Still a 3-1 start is pretty good, and next time we will have the hammer when we play them. The one good thing about this game was that I doubt they had any doctored bats, there is no bad blood. But there is still time to develop that.
Milestones:
Load 200 h (#11)
D 100 h (#19)
D 150 ab (#22)
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
The Longest Day
I know some of you are old enough to have fought in WWII. Or at least in Korea. Vietnam?
But we all saw the movie the Longest Day, with John Wayne, Henry Fonda, et al. It's about D-Day, of course. Well, today the game between Red and Royal was No D Day. We outslugged them but they just wouldn't go away, although ultimately we outscored them 40-33. Does anyone know the record for runs by both teams in a Creaker game?
Red scored 5 runs in 7 of 9 innings. Royal kept us from gloating about it, as in three of those innings, being down by more than 5, they answered with 7.
Red did get a little lucky - a few Texas Leaguers fell in for us. A few ground balls just squeaked through the infield. Royal missed a couple they would say they should have had. But that all evened out as Royal had a few of each too. We just stayed a little hotter throughout the game, and never trailed in the whole game; the last tie score was 5-5 after the first.
There were so many hitting stars for Red today, I might as well just list the whole lineup. Everyone scored at least one run and all but one drove at least one in. Everyone had at least two hits. But our John Wayne was Steve Alvarez. He simply went yard for a grand slam his first time up as the fourth batter of the game, and hit a two run homer in the third, as the race was on. He had a total of 9 RBIs, and he made a couple of nice catches in left center too. Brian Black wasn't far behind Steve - he had five hits, including 3 doubles and a home run of his own. Poor Brian though - all the runners were gone off the bases when he was up thanks to Steve, so he just had one RBI.
A summary of the rest includes 5 hits from Kravin, Black, Dewlaney, and Sayatovich. Four RBIs from Fragoso, D'Alonzo, Baily, and Sayatovich.
As the visiting team, Red never had less than a 4 run lead going into the bottom half after the fourth inning. Royal never gave in, and kept storming back. I thought the game might be suspended for darkness before we were through. The teams on Field 3 were done at least a half hour before us. Guys were crying for their lunch. The geese were already getting ready to fly south again.
In the bottom of the 9th, we really thought Royal would fold as they should have been flushed. At least three times they were down to their last strike. By the time we finally put them away, we were getting very nervous. They had no quit in them, and you have to respect that. But Bob Muegge finally coaxed a pop up to end the game. Everyone will enjoy their nap this afternoon.
But we all saw the movie the Longest Day, with John Wayne, Henry Fonda, et al. It's about D-Day, of course. Well, today the game between Red and Royal was No D Day. We outslugged them but they just wouldn't go away, although ultimately we outscored them 40-33. Does anyone know the record for runs by both teams in a Creaker game?
Red scored 5 runs in 7 of 9 innings. Royal kept us from gloating about it, as in three of those innings, being down by more than 5, they answered with 7.
Red did get a little lucky - a few Texas Leaguers fell in for us. A few ground balls just squeaked through the infield. Royal missed a couple they would say they should have had. But that all evened out as Royal had a few of each too. We just stayed a little hotter throughout the game, and never trailed in the whole game; the last tie score was 5-5 after the first.
There were so many hitting stars for Red today, I might as well just list the whole lineup. Everyone scored at least one run and all but one drove at least one in. Everyone had at least two hits. But our John Wayne was Steve Alvarez. He simply went yard for a grand slam his first time up as the fourth batter of the game, and hit a two run homer in the third, as the race was on. He had a total of 9 RBIs, and he made a couple of nice catches in left center too. Brian Black wasn't far behind Steve - he had five hits, including 3 doubles and a home run of his own. Poor Brian though - all the runners were gone off the bases when he was up thanks to Steve, so he just had one RBI.
A summary of the rest includes 5 hits from Kravin, Black, Dewlaney, and Sayatovich. Four RBIs from Fragoso, D'Alonzo, Baily, and Sayatovich.
As the visiting team, Red never had less than a 4 run lead going into the bottom half after the fourth inning. Royal never gave in, and kept storming back. I thought the game might be suspended for darkness before we were through. The teams on Field 3 were done at least a half hour before us. Guys were crying for their lunch. The geese were already getting ready to fly south again.
In the bottom of the 9th, we really thought Royal would fold as they should have been flushed. At least three times they were down to their last strike. By the time we finally put them away, we were getting very nervous. They had no quit in them, and you have to respect that. But Bob Muegge finally coaxed a pop up to end the game. Everyone will enjoy their nap this afternoon.
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