This column is dedicated to the memory of Jim 'Jimmy Sue' Dial, a former Transdyn employee and player in the classic age of Transdyn softball in Concord, who passed away last weekend. Jimmy played 57 games in the 'stats' era but was on the team before that in the 90s. He didn't lead the team in anything but always kept things loose at work and on the field with his southern charm and slow drawl. One of the great ones.
They call him Coach at his real job. I offered the job to him on the Transdyn-Kaptch softball team, after all, isn't there a term limit for me here (18 years and counting)? But he politely declined, and I guess I will carry on.
That didn't mean he couldn't carry us to victory over the just concluded playoffs winner the Brews Brothers on Tuesday.
Greg hit a three run bomb to left to spark us to a nine run first inning, and then when the game turned seesaw, clubbed a rocket to deepest right center, also a three run job, to put us ahead to stay in the top of the seventh, in a game we eventually won 19-17. It was, indeed, a great start to the fall season.
He wasn't alone though. Our defense was outstanding, especially on the infield. Greg did make perhaps the catch of the game, ranging far in to swoop up a sinking liner in left late in the game. But it was Pauly, Jason, and B who made play after play to save us from big innings and ultimately turned a double play to end the game, and Brews Bros' hopes for a walkoff win. Pauly must have stopped five or six hot smashes at the hot corner. J and B seemed to be competing in who could make the best turn on a DP, and fire it harder to D or me at first to nail a runner by 1/4 of a step. Everyone won.
Theses weren't even the only great plays. Monty got out of the box in a hurry to catch a popup near our dugout in the second inning. And Cage got in his usual throw to nail someone errantly deciding to run on him - it was a nineteen hopper to third, no doubt, but was right on the money and the runner was out by two steps.
The Brews were without their starting pitcher, and to be sure they helped us out with eleven walks, five in the first as we jumped out to that 9-0 lead. But the Bros kept coming back, and there were lead changes in the second, fourth (twice), sixth (also twice), and finally in the seventh. Every time we took a lead they showed why they are now the team to beat, until J and B shut them down with the DP in the bottom of the seventh.
Pauly had four crisp singles, and D, Tommy, and Jas joined Gregg with three hits. Mario made the most of his single hit, driving three with it plus a sac fly. D, robbed of his RBI chances by Gregg's HRs, became a rally starter as he or his surrogate scored three times. B had a perfect slice on the line in RF, so perfect he was robbed of a triple when it skipped out of bounds and he had to retreat to second with a ground rule double. He scored anyway when Cage followed with his own two-bagger.
The league appears to have gotten even more competitive so this was a great start. More next week.
Milestones:
None
They call him Coach at his real job. I offered the job to him on the Transdyn-Kaptch softball team, after all, isn't there a term limit for me here (18 years and counting)? But he politely declined, and I guess I will carry on.
That didn't mean he couldn't carry us to victory over the just concluded playoffs winner the Brews Brothers on Tuesday.
Greg hit a three run bomb to left to spark us to a nine run first inning, and then when the game turned seesaw, clubbed a rocket to deepest right center, also a three run job, to put us ahead to stay in the top of the seventh, in a game we eventually won 19-17. It was, indeed, a great start to the fall season.
He wasn't alone though. Our defense was outstanding, especially on the infield. Greg did make perhaps the catch of the game, ranging far in to swoop up a sinking liner in left late in the game. But it was Pauly, Jason, and B who made play after play to save us from big innings and ultimately turned a double play to end the game, and Brews Bros' hopes for a walkoff win. Pauly must have stopped five or six hot smashes at the hot corner. J and B seemed to be competing in who could make the best turn on a DP, and fire it harder to D or me at first to nail a runner by 1/4 of a step. Everyone won.
Theses weren't even the only great plays. Monty got out of the box in a hurry to catch a popup near our dugout in the second inning. And Cage got in his usual throw to nail someone errantly deciding to run on him - it was a nineteen hopper to third, no doubt, but was right on the money and the runner was out by two steps.
The Brews were without their starting pitcher, and to be sure they helped us out with eleven walks, five in the first as we jumped out to that 9-0 lead. But the Bros kept coming back, and there were lead changes in the second, fourth (twice), sixth (also twice), and finally in the seventh. Every time we took a lead they showed why they are now the team to beat, until J and B shut them down with the DP in the bottom of the seventh.
Pauly had four crisp singles, and D, Tommy, and Jas joined Gregg with three hits. Mario made the most of his single hit, driving three with it plus a sac fly. D, robbed of his RBI chances by Gregg's HRs, became a rally starter as he or his surrogate scored three times. B had a perfect slice on the line in RF, so perfect he was robbed of a triple when it skipped out of bounds and he had to retreat to second with a ground rule double. He scored anyway when Cage followed with his own two-bagger.
The league appears to have gotten even more competitive so this was a great start. More next week.
Milestones:
None
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