Discovering Gold in Danville

I could go on about the heroes at the plate in our dominant win over Danville Gold, 25-14. And I will.

Tom went 5-5, with a home run and the play of the game - grabbing a line shot over the screen and tossing to second for the game ending double play when the runner took off.

Mark, who has been tearing it up all season was also 5-5, and had three doubles - including the generous scorekeeper giving him a double on a hit that could/should have been a homer but the fifth run in the inning had scored from third base.

Bob was 3-3 plus two walks and every time he came up it seemed like a clutch situation, and he drove in five runs.

Randy was 4-4 and a walk and scored four times.

Dan was 4-5 and drove in three from the leadoff spot.

Dave was 'only' 3-5 but led the team with six RBIs.

Everyone else had at least two hits, except...

How many people can brag about going 1-4 but having their average go UP??? And also catching a one hop throw with his elbow and ample gut? I will let you guess as a class exercise.

But all that is just individual stats. As well as Bob making some great catches at SS and Howard ranging all over the right side of the infield making plays.

What this game showed is how good we can be when everything clicks. We should play like this every week and we could compete with the Wolfpack and the Hornets. Extra credit if you can figure out how to make this happen.

In the mean time, take a week off and enjoy the victory. Our strange schedule has us against the Wolfpack for the third time in seven games next week. We will need everryone playing like last week.

How Do I Lose Thee? Let Me Count The Ways!

It appears that Team Black's offense is fine. We slipped a little in batting average this week, but we scored 25 runs on two doubles, three triples, and two home runs. That should be enough to win a ball game, even a nine inning senior softball game.

Hence the problem is our defense. We play too tight, too afraid of failing, of losing balls in the sun, trying to make double plays instead of getting the sure out first, etc. It has been suggested that we drink our way to playing loose next week, which everyone may or may not be on board with.

Well, I have the solution.

Bear in mind, I am but the assistant manager here; the call is Dave Rose's. But here goes:

We atart out playing the position with the number of our spot in the batting order. So Tim starts out pitching (1), Brian at catcher (2), Art at first base (3), etc. on through the outfield. And then every inning you move one position up or down one in the numbered field. So Sandy moves to pitcher, Tim to catcher. Brian to first base, and so on. Eventually, everyone sits the same number of innings and gets to improve their game by being exposed to different positions. That is what winter ball is all about, right?

Or you could reverse the rotation - Tim sits out, Brian goes to the mound, Art to catcher, Tony to first base, etc. In this scenario, by about the fourth inning, using the lineup from two games ago, the outfield will be Frank, me, Helen and Sandy. We can't lose! And I promise - I will loosely chase every ball as it sails over my head or by me on either side. It's a win-win. We will be drinking by the fifth inning even if we don't start before the game.

You see, we have to think outside the box. That is because we lost our fourth in a row in the ninth inning. The scores going into the ninth have been 15-18 (tied it and then lost 19-18 on a walk off), 24-21 (led and then lost 25-24 on a walk off), 21-21 (lost 30-27 after allowing nine open inning runs), and again 21-21 (lost 28-25 allowing seven this time). It's quite remarkable.

Even though we gave away way too many runs, we had some good plays too, Tony turned a rover step on second, fire to first double play in the fourth. In the fifth Sandy made a great stop on a blast to her right at 2B but couldn't get an out as no one covered second. The same inning, Dan and Heffe combined on a nice third to first play as Dan charged a ball and threw off balance to first and Heffe picked it up. And in the seventh with the game on the line Darren caught a ball in left field that held Green to a single run, and kept it close.

Everyone had at least one hit on offense. Tony led with 4-5 including a two run home run in the first and five RBIs total. Johnny was right behind, also 4-5 with a beautiful double down the right field line that scored two of his four RBIs. Art and Brian were both 3-5, with a homer and a double respectively. Darren and Dave R also were 3-5.

But only one player did not make an out. Yours truly went 3-3 with two bloopers and a hit off someone's glove and a walk. Perfection!

This week we have a bye to think about what could have gone better, and then it's back at it one more time before Thanksgiving.

Dave - we'll talk.

Crows Give Back in Black a Black Eye, 25-5

In our best season two years ago, we shut out the Diablos 18-0 one game. But since that season, wins have been hard to come by, and especially laughers like we had yesterday.

With two last minute cancellations, we were going to struggle with just ten players, but Don remained optimistic. "We've got the right ten!" (as I smirked back at him)

We start out with a shutout inning on defense in the top of the first. We came in from the field looking at each other, like "What do we do now?

Well, Brian knew what to do, get a base hit to start us off. And with Mark and Aram hitting two run hits, we had a 4-0 lead! Do we know how to play from ahead?

In the second, Mark smashed a two run double to put the exclamation point on our first five run inning of the season, and we duplicated that in the third, this time it was Joe with a two run triple that punctuated the inning.

Finally in the fourth we were held scoreless. Brian was worried, we have a habit of going silent on offense in the middle innings.

But now we have our new weapon on the mound. Tom was dealing, getting easy ground balls and lazy flies the whole game. Back in Black never came closer than 14-3 in the fifth. In the bottom of the sixth we notched a third five run inning, on consecutive hits by LT, Mark, Bob, Aram, Tom and Heffe. Finally we learned how to Add On. We even added four more in the seventh, in a rally featuring a lead off home run by Joe.

I didn't take notes on defense but there were very few errors, and really because of Tom's pitching, most of the outs were routine. Bob had a good game in RC running in on a couple of tough catches. Mark more than made up for an error when on the following play made an all out dive to grab a grounder in the hole and flipped to third for a force out. Lamont crashed in hard on a ball up the middle, and Heffe snagged his off balance throw off the turf, one of two he scooped. Tom made a couple of nice plays on ground balls up the middle ticketed for center field. We did turn one double play, abetted be a brain dead runner at second. LT caught a hard liner right at him at 2B, and the runner took off on contact, and was already halfway to third. LT flipped it to Mark covering for the easy DP.

Apologies to Joe - I was right the first time - he 'only' had four RBIs, so there was a five way tie for the team lead in RBIs: Joe, Dan, Mark, Aram and Heffe. Can't remember that ever happening before. Aram (pronouced 'Ai-ram') led us with a prefect 5-5 day including a double. Brian led the way at lead off with 4-5. Dan (two SF), Joe (triple, homer), Lamont, Mark (double), Bob (triple), Tom, and Heffe all contributed three hits.

This is something we need to contiune!

Nearly Tied Tie Dye But in the End Died on Yet Another Walk Off

I have been playing softball at Heather Farm on and off (mostly on) for about 40 years. I thought I have experienced everything in softball, including in all those games at Heather.

But Tuesday was different. We all know all about our feathered friends that love the sod there for some reason. Well, Tuesday, as I innocently sat in the dugout keeping score, teammate Darren Bobrosky points up to the sky, and says, "the geese are getting ready to drop their load," or some such thought.

I thought no way, we are under a roof in here, they aren't that good. and then suddenly SPLAT! SPLISH! SPLASH! The Red Baron would have been proud!

I'm telling you they got me on the arm, on my outer shirt, on my undershirt, on my LIP, and all over the scorebook. The only parts of me untouched were my underwear and my knee pads, which fortunately I wear under my pants.

I'm a little paranoid about it - my grandfather once was pruning his rosebushes and must have touched some bird shit, and then rubbed his eye, because he contracted a reaction so bad, he was nearly blinded. So I came home and thoroughly fumigated myself. And I am burning the scorebook.

And on top of all that we ended up losing (25-24) on a walk off gapper in a game we had full control of early on. We jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, Brian Black setting the tone with a lead off double, followed by four more hits. In the second we added three more, and in the third, Art Miner led off with a solo homer, and we were on our way building a 15-7 lead after five innings. In the sixth, Miner added a two run triple and after six and a half we were sitting pretty at 20-9. But Tie Dye woke up in the bottom half, and closed to 20-19 before we could blink. We helped them out with a couple of crucial errors, but it's senior softball and they were bound to make a run.

In the top of the eighth, Sandy Camp and Heffe started us off with a couple of walks, but we hit a lineout and a fly out and it looked like the 'rally' would fizzle. But Miner came through once again, this time with a double to complete the cycle, and hits by Bobrosky, Tony Camillo, and Johnny Gutierrez completed a four run inning. We held TD to two in the bottom half, and led 24-21. A few runs added on in the open inning, and we're in business right? But two pop ups to the catcher and a flyout were all we could muster.

And then the curse continued as we made a crucial error in the ninth. With the bases loaded and a run in, up strode Mike Herrera. We had held the slugger in check all game. He had one infield hit when Camp made a great stab on a hot shot grounder in the 3-4 hole, but I couldn't get back to the bag with her errant throw to tag him.

So Herrera was overdue, and showed why he is one of the most feared hitters in Creaker Land. He launched a sizzling liner deep in the RC gap and the runners raced around the infield, and all we could do was get in line to congratulate Tie Dye for coming back.

There were some defensive highlights: In the second Bobrosky made a fine catch in RF, Camillo made one of his sliding catches in shallow RC from his rover position, and Black snagged a shot up the middle for an easy put out at first that all kept TD off the board. In the fourth, Dan May charged a weak grounder at third and threw an awkward one hopper to my right that I managed to hang onto. Helen Kostoff stretched out to catch a high throw from 3B in the fifth. In the next inning, she ranged to shallow right to catch a high popup from 2B. Also that inning Miner fought off the sun to catch the second out.

Miner led the offense with a 4-5 day, and the cycle brought home 5 RBIs to lead the team. Joining him at 4-5 were Bobrosky, Gutierrez and May. Tim Orr and Camillo added three knocks, and Heffe was 2-2 plus two walks for a perfect OB day.

p.s. The next day, playing in Danville, I noticed the Bombers got my softball bag as well, even though it was fifteen feet away outside the dugout. I'm bringing a rifle to the next game.

What's One run Between Frenemies?

A beautiful day despite the usual fall weatherman reports that wanted us to believe a downpour was imminent. Batten down the hatches! Get the sandbags ready!!

Both teams were down a few players, including some key ones, so it made for a close match. It didn't start out well for the good guys, as we went down one-two-three on three routine ground balls, and Team Green nearly batted around, scoring four in the first. But we clawed back with a five run third started by the bottom of the order, in which we did not record an out (that's consecutive singles by Jeff Kravin, Helen Kostoff, Tim Orr, Dan May, Art Miner, Darren Bobrosky, and Johnny Gutierrez), and after five it was knotted at ten.

You got the sense that we might wish we were the home team because it looked like it would come down to the ninth. And there it was, we tied it for the last time in the top half, highlighted by a big bomb triple to right by Robert Douza. Sadly, though, for the fourth time, we left the bases loaded, and could not take a lead. In the bottom half a ball lost in the brutal sun leading off essentially sealed our fate by a follow up walk off hit.

There were several defensive highlights, some in unexpected ways. The play of the game was on a no out infield pop up beyond the pitcher's mound. Kostoff came charging in and the first baseman ducked out of the way after briefly entertaining the thought he might catch it. She was on a mission. She got there so fast that the runner on first had no chance to get back in time, and she beat him to the bag by plenty. "Get out of the way!" she yelled at the suddenly useless first baseman (I am just curious, I am sure Kostoff is so good it has happened before, but when was the last time she turned an unassisted double play?)

Dave Rose made a great catch behind home plate on a foul tip that was barely high enough to be called an out. There would have been a riot if the umpire did not give it to him. Frank Coppa stopped a couple of hot shots at the hot corner as well. We turned another double play, also started by Kostoff. She fired low to Steve Rousso at 2B, and in turn he threw low awkwardly to first and both made good catches to complete the DP. And finally, Johnny G made a fine catch in right field in the sixth for the last out after Kostoff's special double play.

Manager Rose led the way, going 5-5. Nice start! Bobrosky, Gutierrez, Dousa and Rousso all had four hits, Bobrosky also working a walk. Miner, Orr, and Kravin chipped in three each, Miner sharing the RBI lead with Bobrosky with four. Miner had a double and a homer and Gutierrez had a double and a triple for the mini-cycle.

Better clutch hitting and we could have gotten the job done, but let's just say that when I left a few Greens had come to our side to party, and at that time we still had a few players remaining, but the teams on field four were long gone. We win the fun prize.

Green Folds up the Tent, Loses 22-16 to Gray

Dark Green led the league in a couple of categories. One was games missed, one was always being the last team off the field, that's how much we enjoyed each other's company.

Today, as usual, we were the last team to leave Pleasant Oaks. Of course, we didn't have a Gerry Dasey to take us out for a victorious lunch. But then you have to win first, don't ya, and we went down 22-16 to a very good Gray team.

It started with errors by two of our solid defenders. And in the second, Leo Kay makes a valiant effort to snag a ball in the RC gap, and it's off his glove right into his nose. Not a good sign. And so, we found ourselves down 5-0 in the first and then 9-5 in the second.

In the third we once again came roaring back, scoring five with just one out. Frank Coppa got the last hit in both five run innings, including hustling all the way to third in the latter on his bomb to left, even though the runner in front of him was the fifth run.

And so, we were neck and neck through six, actually leading 13-12 going into the sixth. Then the floodgates opened. Gray plated two straight five run innings, and we just couldn't string together enough hits to counter.

Kudos to Kay for coming back into the game with tissue stuffed up his nose - he's a real gamer. He even went out to his usual RC position in the ninth, and started our play of the game (see below). Jeff Olsen was perfect 4-4 with a triple, and even in addition had a bases loaded walk for an RBI. Coppa was 4-4 with the triple. Michael Callahan went 4-5 with a double. Helen Kostoff and Robert Dousa were each 3-4 with a double. Shel Perham was 3-5 and Heffe and JD Dills had a couple of knocks.

There was one inning that featured three outstanding plays. First Olsen made a great running catch in LC, then Kostoff snagged a high line drive headed to left center, and then the first baseman ran in toward the enemy dugout to outrace a pop up and juggle but hold for out number three. Kostoff was involved on our play of the game when she took a throw from Kay and fired to third to Coppa to nail an errant runner who dared test Kostoff's strong arm. And Perham made a great catch in deepest RC in the eighth. We also turned a double play when Perham grabbed a grounder, stepped on second and threw in the dirt but the first baseman held it against his leg to turn it.

We had one of the most fun teams I have had the honor to coach. With a little luck and more skill we could have competed with the big boys and girls, but we won a few spectacular games, and still had fun when we lost. Now we are rooting for Gray, so we can say we were barely nosed out by the champs!

The Pause that Refreshes

What did we do without Charlie? It was in the middle of the game yesterday sometime, and something is attracting Chuckles' attention. It is so quiet you can hear the slight breeze. Then we see he is tilting to the right - there's a dog walker with a squeaky little white thing in tow along the third base line, and I don't mean the dog if you know what I mean. Is that too racy? sexist? racist? It's very important to take a pause in a softball game, to gather your thoughts. What I don't remember is if that was in the fourth and it inspired Charlie to shutout the Outlaws, or if it was the fifth, and he lost his focus as they plated five. It doesn't matter, you can pick your own truth, that's the age we live in, so whatever you wish. OR for that matter the second inning when he got a good hitter to strike out in a one-two-three inning.

The Outlaws were missing a couple of their best players, but you play against the guys on the field. At least one of the replacements was a tournament player that I played with years ago, and he made several nice catches in left and hit a gapper home run to boot.

And so, it was a neck and neck game throughout. After the Outlaws' initial three run inning, and our two five run innings early gave us a 10-5 lead, and after that we were never more than three runs apart, ending with a 16-15 win.

In the first we had a couple of hits and walks and then Dave Balfour drove in two with a triple. Mark Childress did him one batter and just blasted one over the left fielder and raced around the bases to give us our five.

In the third, Howard Reeves started us off with a double down the line. A walk to Clay LeChe, and Randy Cobb came through with a gapper for two runs. He was chugging coming into third! A couple of more hits, and we had our five that inning.

After that, we kept answering their rallies with just enough to stay ahead. In the bottom of the eighth, we ominously left two in scoring position after getting just one, and it stood at 16-13. In the bottom half, they had scored two and the tying and lead runs were on base, when Charlie got one of their lefty sluggers to bounce one just over the first base bag (a little controversy there), and I grabbed it and tossed it to Charlie covering to end the game.

I don't have many defensive notes. There are a few total bombs that were caught by LeChe, Balfour and Cobb in the deepest parts of the field, always tough. Lamont Thompson made a nifty double play, rover step on the bag and throw to first.

The kind of game the Crows can win, just keep it close and make the plays defensively and get timely hits. I guess that goes for all teams.