The last two weeks have produced a dichotomy - crisp hard timely hitting and fielding in Walnut Creek to a depth in Orinda that this team has not known in my 16 years with the Coneheads.
It started with leap - Randy went high to snare a line drive from the opening hitter in the first game of our double header a week ago Sunday. It set the tone in important game against the Polar Bears. They came into the game in second place. Granted we were already in the drivers' seat - a game and a half ahead with two weeks left. But lose that game and suddenly the pressure is on for the two remaining games against a good Big Feet team and a desperate Advance Construction team.
Instead starting with the Leap, we dominated the Bears. Although we started slow, we opened it up with a six run fifth featuring a two run double by Gerry and Bruce's follow up two run triple. Gerry, Ol' G, D, and Lefty ended up with three hits to lead the way.
In the nightcap, you could tell we let up after clinching first place in the opener. It didn't help that two of our players had to leave and we started without a schmiddler. Big Feet declared war on the middle, and even after hitting old Stink Eye, doubled up that effort for the first two innings. How many times can you apologize for going at the pitcher after you hit him?? By the time we figured it out, and pulled in Haze to plug up the middle (and go with three outfielders) we had spotted them an eight run first and a 15-1 lead through 2 1/2 innings.
After that we made a valiant effort to come back, and finished with a more respectable loss 19-14 (if there is such a thing). We were led by Chopper's 3-3 with five RBIs, including a bases loaded triple. Nomah continued his perfect hitting, and started his streak of right handed Heffe hits using Heffe's bats (bloopers landing 15 feet behind the first baseman) as he went 4-4.
In the last game of the Walnut Creek season (in which we rebounded to club Advance Construction 20-6), Nomah took the Heffe hitting style to a new level. I mean I never on all my teams got three ducks in a row just ten feet behind the infield like that. I bow to the New Master. Just for good measure as they squeezed tighter and tighter on the right side, he smashed a line drive to now wide open right center for a double his last time up. I bow to the Old Master too.
In other highlights, Bruce had a bases loaded and clearing double in the first that pretty much advanced Advance to the off season. That made it 5-0 and we never looked back. Bruce made the play of the game with a dive in the outfield, and a few others that would have been ordinary except they were on Field 3 with the brutal sun for the left center fielder. With his five RBIs overall, you'd have to name him Player of the Game.
He wasn't alone though. We started the nine run fifth with nine straight hits, and they all scored. D provided the comic relief. After going 'yard' and thus on Field 3 being called out his previous at bat, his next time up he swung and missed on purpose to avoid a walk. And then really worked the count until he hit a foul out strikeout that you can only do in softball. We were cracking up at his expense. Very cruel. You know it's just cause we respect you D. Really. As a man and as a hitter. Really.
Pope had an all double game with three, and Randy had two two baggers and four RBIs from the lead off spot, and Chopper continued his late season heat up with three more hits.
Part II
And now for something completely different, the Bleep - The Orinda Coneheads. We had two challenging games that could have defined the race for first - first against the second place old rival Old Scouts, and then versus the Carpetbagger...I mean the 12 Angry Men. Next year we are going to build a wall around San Francisco and make 12 Angry Men pay for it so they can't come over to play in our precious former hidden gem of a league in Orinda. We will dedicate it to Donald Trump after he fails in the election and fails in his bid for his proposed wall to block Mexican illegal immigrants.
Somehow our age and injuries and missing players seem to make more of a difference in Orinda. Or maybe it's just that the Scouts and Angries are just really good teams and we need to be at full strength to take them on. Let's face it, we were down four regular outfielders last night.
We were in both games late - down 6-5 to the Scouts going into the bottom of the fifth, and we had come back to tie it 8-8 last night after four.
But in each case the opponents came on late and squashed us like a bug. Very humbling. In Scout game, they won going away with 5, then 8 runs to close it out. To top all in last night's game, 12 Angry scored 26 in one inning, the top of the fifth. I can't remember many whole games the Heads have allowed that many runs, even when we played nine inning games. So I had to looked it up. In the ten years since I started keeping box scores, we have allowed 30+ runs in a game just a handful of times. The biggest inning I found was the Waitlisters once scoring 17. Not even close.
And HAH you carpetbagging lowlife scumbag bottom feeding predators-on-the-injury-depleted, we once scored THIRTY ONE in an inning. So there.
We had only one major highlight - Joe getting a home run when he sent Larry around the bases on a turf gapper to the deep outfield. Joe Bonds!
The other recognition is we have to call out Poor Chopper in right field last night. He gave it his best shot, and they just kept picking on him again and again the more tired he became. I blame the coach, who was slow to move the outfielders around to give him some relief - although let the record show that the first batter up after we moved him to right center hit it to right center.
But a word about Chopper the hitter - he is heating up just as the weather is, and just in time for the playoffs. He is 12 for his last 12, including a homer (no goose), a triple and four doubles.
Playoffs this weekend, we should all hit like Chopper, and Cotton will be ours.
Milestones Walnut Creek:
7/17 Game 1
Chopper 20 3b (#1)
Chuck 20 2b (#6)
Chopper 20 2b (#7)
Ol' G 350 ab (#8)
7/17 Game 2
It started with leap - Randy went high to snare a line drive from the opening hitter in the first game of our double header a week ago Sunday. It set the tone in important game against the Polar Bears. They came into the game in second place. Granted we were already in the drivers' seat - a game and a half ahead with two weeks left. But lose that game and suddenly the pressure is on for the two remaining games against a good Big Feet team and a desperate Advance Construction team.
Instead starting with the Leap, we dominated the Bears. Although we started slow, we opened it up with a six run fifth featuring a two run double by Gerry and Bruce's follow up two run triple. Gerry, Ol' G, D, and Lefty ended up with three hits to lead the way.
In the nightcap, you could tell we let up after clinching first place in the opener. It didn't help that two of our players had to leave and we started without a schmiddler. Big Feet declared war on the middle, and even after hitting old Stink Eye, doubled up that effort for the first two innings. How many times can you apologize for going at the pitcher after you hit him?? By the time we figured it out, and pulled in Haze to plug up the middle (and go with three outfielders) we had spotted them an eight run first and a 15-1 lead through 2 1/2 innings.
After that we made a valiant effort to come back, and finished with a more respectable loss 19-14 (if there is such a thing). We were led by Chopper's 3-3 with five RBIs, including a bases loaded triple. Nomah continued his perfect hitting, and started his streak of right handed Heffe hits using Heffe's bats (bloopers landing 15 feet behind the first baseman) as he went 4-4.
In the last game of the Walnut Creek season (in which we rebounded to club Advance Construction 20-6), Nomah took the Heffe hitting style to a new level. I mean I never on all my teams got three ducks in a row just ten feet behind the infield like that. I bow to the New Master. Just for good measure as they squeezed tighter and tighter on the right side, he smashed a line drive to now wide open right center for a double his last time up. I bow to the Old Master too.
In other highlights, Bruce had a bases loaded and clearing double in the first that pretty much advanced Advance to the off season. That made it 5-0 and we never looked back. Bruce made the play of the game with a dive in the outfield, and a few others that would have been ordinary except they were on Field 3 with the brutal sun for the left center fielder. With his five RBIs overall, you'd have to name him Player of the Game.
He wasn't alone though. We started the nine run fifth with nine straight hits, and they all scored. D provided the comic relief. After going 'yard' and thus on Field 3 being called out his previous at bat, his next time up he swung and missed on purpose to avoid a walk. And then really worked the count until he hit a foul out strikeout that you can only do in softball. We were cracking up at his expense. Very cruel. You know it's just cause we respect you D. Really. As a man and as a hitter. Really.
Pope had an all double game with three, and Randy had two two baggers and four RBIs from the lead off spot, and Chopper continued his late season heat up with three more hits.
Part II
And now for something completely different, the Bleep - The Orinda Coneheads. We had two challenging games that could have defined the race for first - first against the second place old rival Old Scouts, and then versus the Carpetbagger...I mean the 12 Angry Men. Next year we are going to build a wall around San Francisco and make 12 Angry Men pay for it so they can't come over to play in our precious former hidden gem of a league in Orinda. We will dedicate it to Donald Trump after he fails in the election and fails in his bid for his proposed wall to block Mexican illegal immigrants.
Somehow our age and injuries and missing players seem to make more of a difference in Orinda. Or maybe it's just that the Scouts and Angries are just really good teams and we need to be at full strength to take them on. Let's face it, we were down four regular outfielders last night.
We were in both games late - down 6-5 to the Scouts going into the bottom of the fifth, and we had come back to tie it 8-8 last night after four.
But in each case the opponents came on late and squashed us like a bug. Very humbling. In Scout game, they won going away with 5, then 8 runs to close it out. To top all in last night's game, 12 Angry scored 26 in one inning, the top of the fifth. I can't remember many whole games the Heads have allowed that many runs, even when we played nine inning games. So I had to looked it up. In the ten years since I started keeping box scores, we have allowed 30+ runs in a game just a handful of times. The biggest inning I found was the Waitlisters once scoring 17. Not even close.
And HAH you carpetbagging lowlife scumbag bottom feeding predators-on-the-injury-depleted, we once scored THIRTY ONE in an inning. So there.
We had only one major highlight - Joe getting a home run when he sent Larry around the bases on a turf gapper to the deep outfield. Joe Bonds!
The other recognition is we have to call out Poor Chopper in right field last night. He gave it his best shot, and they just kept picking on him again and again the more tired he became. I blame the coach, who was slow to move the outfielders around to give him some relief - although let the record show that the first batter up after we moved him to right center hit it to right center.
But a word about Chopper the hitter - he is heating up just as the weather is, and just in time for the playoffs. He is 12 for his last 12, including a homer (no goose), a triple and four doubles.
Playoffs this weekend, we should all hit like Chopper, and Cotton will be ours.
Milestones Walnut Creek:
7/17 Game 1
Chopper 20 3b (#1)
Chuck 20 2b (#6)
Chopper 20 2b (#7)
Ol' G 350 ab (#8)
7/17 Game 2
Haze 150 g (#5)
Joe 30 bb (#6)
7/24 Game
Randy 20 2b (#8)
Bruce 50 rbi (#15)
Bruce 10 2b (#17)
Bruce 100 ab(#21)
Milestones Orinda:
7/18 Game: None
7/25 Game
D 150 g (#14)
7/18 Game: None
7/25 Game
D 150 g (#14)
D 500 ab (#16)
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