Camp Black Shines in the Sun, Team BS Dominates the Tie Dyes 15-4

Home Team Tie Dye made the call to have the batters face the sun on Danville's Field 2 instead of the outfielders on Field 3 which we knew would result in a lower scoring game. Some players struggled all day with trying to hit a ball that they couldn't see at all, or just at the last second.

After seeing our outfielders struggle with the winter sun game after game on Fields 3 and 4, I was willing to accept that idea until I got to the field and saw and remembered who the pitcher is for the Dyes - Mike Howard. Howard kept the ball at his usual 11 feet 11 inch height, and we struggled to get hits off of him. We managed a lot of infield singles though, and at the end of the day, we won 15-4, nearly matching our average this season of 17 runs. The game was close through six innings (we led 5-4), but five spots in the seventh and eighth put away the Dye.

That was because pitchers Brian Black and Sandy Camp simply outdueled Howard and company. They may not have Mike's finesse, but they held Tie Dye to three runs in six innings and one run in three innings, respectively. They were helped by solid defense, including a few outstanding plays. Art Minor started things with a diving catch on a sinking liner to left center to end the first inning. It kept the opening inning to two runs; little did we know it turned out to be the opponent's biggest inning.

David Peterson took his turns next in the second and third, making diving stops on hard grounders at SS. Camp made her contribution off the mound in the fourth to snag a short pop up. Dan May stopped a couple of hot shots at the hot corner later that inning and later in the game.

But the clutch catch of the game came in the seventh when Mike Nichols hustled in from right field to rob a hitter on a shallow fly ball. We had just scored our first five run inning, and his catch signaled "un unh, no way are you coming back on us."

As the team is undoubtedly sick of me saying, the bottom of the order hits, we win. But Camp, Nichols and Ken Gorgone were collectively 9-12, and I rest my case. Camp had four of those hits (4-4), and Steady Eddy (Dan) May was 4-5. Black drove in Helen Kostoff, Camp and Ken Gorgone with a grand slam in the eighth, and behind him May made it back to back jacks to get our fifth run of the frame. Then Black shut out the Dyes in the last two innings to complete the win.

Steve Rousso, David Thompson, and Gorgone contributed three hits each. Everyone had at least one hit, and all but two scored a run and likewise drove in a run.

We won the battle of pride - the battle for last place in the non-standings. More importantly we broke a seven game winless streak. Feels good, don't it?

Stung Again, 30-19

"One of these days, Alice." We need to channel Ralph Cramden. One of these days, Hornets, we will channel the beginning of last winter, when we beat them twice in a row.

We stayed with the Hornets this time for five innings of perhaps the slowest game in the history of slow pitch softball. Rittenhouse even wanted to quit after seven innings in a close game. At the end of the fifth, the score was 16-15 Hornets. But they plated five in the sixth and we couldn't keep up after that, losing 30-19.

It took the air out of some otherwise good performances. Charlie had five straight singles en route to a 5-6 day with three RBIs. Coach Don was 4-5. But the hitting star of the game was no doubt Dave. All he did was go 5-5 with our only home run and six RBIs, a three run job that brought us close in the second when we ultimately tied it up after the Hornets scored the maximum ten runs in the first two innings.

Ultimately, we just hit into too many double plays (and I wasn't even in the lineup!). It happens.

By the way - kudos to Coach Dandy Don for calling us out when we started the game lackadaisical on defense the first two innings. For a while it worked, and our defense was much better after that. Maybe he should have yelled at us about our offense too!

Next (due to the fabulous scheduler in Danville), we have the Diablos two weeks in a row. We should win against them; it is an opportunity for us to get better, but they are no pushovers exactly. Hopefully we get Anthony and Barry and Ed back, and we are whole.

Go Johnny Go, Johnny Be Goode

I haven't posted since October 22. At the time, we were 2-1 and looking good. I've been a little busy since then - Moving. Hosting my extended family for Thanksgiving. The Rest of the Holidays. And it didn't help that Team BS went into tailspin - after that win we tied the next week and have since lost six in a row. Not like this team, yet there it is. The offense and the pen dried up.

And of course my leg/back situation kept getting worse and worse until I found a doctor who said shut it down for at least the winter. It's not the worst pain I have ever endured, but it just keeps coming back over and over again, and now I know what is like to live with pain. And worse, I felt like I was hurting the team, since I couldn't push off to hit, and in the field I could barely get to first base to cover the bag.

Enough about me. This is about how Johnny Gutierrez picked the best time to enjoy a great game (to get ink!), even if we lost a heartbreaker by a run, 17-16 (because I am finally calling out the highlights). There have been a lot of great individual performances in the last seven games, but they got neglected by this pundit. I apologize deeply to you who have starred in the interim.

Johnny and I have a running conversation about when to throw to the lead base to try to get a runner, and when to just "keep the force on" and not let runners move up. Play it safe (we also argue about how deep to play various hitters but that's for another time). Well today, he won the argument in spades. He threw out two runners at third base who foolishly tested his arm. I had no idea what a cannon he has.  And but for a tough skip on a ball that barely eluded Helen Kostoff at second, he would have had a third. Nice game Johnny! Oh and he was 2-2 plus two walks at the plate.

Those plays were not the only ESPN highlights. Dave DeWitt went into a full dive from right center after calling Steve Rousso off in shallow right field to rob a hitter. He went back on a ball playing left center later and caught it falling down, and nearly concussed himself but hung on. Dave also started a double play from right center, flinging the caught ball to Reymundo Aguilera at the mound who wheeled around and nailed a would be run at the plate.

All in all we turned five double plays. The other two were nearly identical - hard shots up the middle to Steve, who stepped on second and fired to first, leaving no doubt about the outcome.

And Dan May made a couple of diving stops in the 5-6 hole at SS to get outs.

All in all, not a bad day in the field, and it should have been enough. But we just couldn't finish, and didn't score in the last two innings to salt away the game when we had momentum from coming back  twice to take a lead.

The team's defense was not the problem and in general has been relatively good compared to the other teams'. There were some offensive highlights, just not enough. Art Minor collected three RBIs on a two run homer in the first that set the tone (if not for long) and a sac fly. But the Big Clutch was a two out bases loaded bases clearing monster shot by David Thompson over the right fielder's head in the bottom of the seventh. At the time, Team Blue had just scored their first five run inning to take a 15-11 lead. Big Dave's bomb gave us our only five run inning and the lead back at 16-15. It gave us the momentum back, but unfortunately we shut down the rest of the game.

DeWitt was 4-4. May, Aguilera, and Kostoff pitched in three hits apiece. Rousso set a personal high by walking three times.

Nothing stood in the way to have the best post game of any of the teams, and that's what I love about this team. All we can do is say we will get them next week or next time!

Charlie Tames the Lion, 17-4

Oh Tom. Oh Tom. If only you hadn't said anything...

Many ball players are superstitious. And Tom had to go and mention it in front of Charlie - "Hey, you've got a shutout going!"

Let's face it, it's really tough to throw a shutout in slow pitch softball. But Charlie had the Leo's tamed, putting up zeroes for the first six innings, until Tom called up the jinx. In the end, after a couple of unearned runs, they got all of two more in Brian's innings, and the final score came out 17-4.

They had some help. The Crows turned three double plays in the first four innings. Randy was in the middle of all of them. Two of them were started by Charlie on the mound himself, and Tom turned a round the horn 5-11-3 job in the third.

The third basemen had a game - Tom made a great stab on a hot shot down the line and fired to first to nip a runner, and Don cut one off going into the 5-6 hole in the fifth in his inning at 3B. As usual on cue Anthony made a fine running catch in the fifth and Dave did his best imitation in LC in the eighth.

On offense, the Crows had 29 hits, but only three doubles for extra base hits. What we did was string together a lot of singles. In the first, we hit four straight with two outs to produce five runs. And we bookended that with a five spot in our last hitting inning, the eighth, when seven of eight batters hit singles.

Clay was perfect (4-4). Brian shook off his "new to the team" slump with three RBIs on three hits. We knew he had that in him. Anthony and Dave joined with three hits. But the hit of the game was an opposite field slasher by Tom that eluded the right fielder. The only question was whether Tom would get a triple or go all the way when - the ball disappeared, and the right fielder threw his arms up. Someone left the gate open in deepest RF and the ball found the gap. Dave went back to third and Tom to second, ground rule. They both did score thanks to singles by Aram and Don, but if the score were 15-14 instead of 15-4 at the time, we might have screamed bloody murder.

But all's well that ended well, that is, the scoring when Tom crossed the plate, and soon the Leo's roar turned into a whimper.

Now for a week off, and then back to it against the once again defeated so far Hornets, let's get 'em!

Shame on Team Black, Winning 18-17 over Tie Dye

As soon as he saw me, Ron Schwab scolded me before the game, the first time I had seen him this season.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, putting together that team."

I crawled away, tail between my legs. Or, maybe I had a different reaction: "Yeah well fuck you!" Or, maybe it was, "Hey I can't help your guys are flaky and they sign up and don't show up". All these thoughts wen through my head. But then I suggested that he could address this grave injustice by volunteering to be the coordinator next year. Suddenly, he backed down, hard.

Let's see, four teams tied at 2-1, run differential runs from +9 to -11. His team, which hasn't won a game, is 0-4, has lost two of them by one run (including today's 18-17 score) and one by two. Their coach resigned before the season started (although no fault of his), and their designated star hitter that are known to miss a lot games (each team has one) hasn't made even one.

I am ashamed. There's just no balance. It's not fair.

I actually did a much better job this year with the teams. Yes, I will pat myself on the back for that. We win more than we lose because we have the best chemistry and the most fun, in my ever so humble opinion.

Today, our stars did their fair share. Darren, who apparently hits better with a bad back than a good one, was 4-4 with a homer ("Run, Darren, Run!") and a double and three RBIs. Art was 3-4 with a three run opposite field homer and a double.

But, as usual some different characters stepped up with clutch hits and plays. Mike made possibly the best catch I have ever seen behind the plate on a straight back foul ball, barehanded. And went 3-3 with three RBIs, including a really key two out two run single in the fifth. Dan had a stellar game at 3B (a lunge for the third out in the eighth to keep the Dyes scoreless). This completed our comeback from down 16-11 as we had scored five in the top of the inning. Plus he added a big hit to knock in what proved to be the winning run in the top of the ninth. Steve made one of his frequent sliding catches in RC. Brian had a triple to drive in two in the five run eighth, and tossed a backward K strikeout in the fifth. Ken had two great line shots oppo past the third baseman. And Heffe the old fat lazy first baseman, ran in hard to catch the last out of the game off the leadoff Tie to Die hitter with the tying run on first and the big hitters coming up. Johnny G and DR had three hits and Frank was 2-3 with a booming double. I believe it was Ron who called out how Frank was old and slow and then watched the ball go by him.

Good game all around, and we may have set a record for the number of whiskey-juice-bacon shots.

Fun times!

Crowing Out Loud

Don D gave me the honor of leading off in the first game of the Winter Season for the Crows. We were playing the Wolfpack, my former team that has bulked up to chase the Hornets. I promptly hit a line shot down the right field line, I knew it was a double for sure, even for me. Then the right fielder was kind of lollygagging after the ball and so I took off for third. I stopped and looked around, and then I saw it - they were still barely getting to the ball. I could hit my first home run in years! But I remembered whose body I was in, and after all it was a runner on third with no outs and Anthony coming up and Tony Camilo had the ball by then, so I stayed.

And then I knew I was dreaming.

Instead I have to write about how we came up short against the Knights on the first round of the playoffs and got an extra week or two off and avoided the 100 degree heat (the playoff final was postponed this week due to heat).

The score ended up at 13-10 - we really made it close. But this was after a furious rally in two of the last three innings - if only we hadn't waited until the seventh inning to get serious about hitting the ball.

Down 13-1 in the seventh, Clay singled and Dave doubled and Howard singled in our second run. Don D followed with our biggest hit of the game, a line shot that found a gap for a two run triple. Ultimately we rallied for four in the seventh and four in the ninth while shutting the Knights down, but it wasn't enough.

There were just a couple of defensive highlights - SS Howard and R Randy and 1B Heffe turned a slick double play in the first to prevent a five run inning. And 2B LT made a great backhanded stop to get a force out at second in the third. He has been making a habit of this lately.

Howard and Barry and Brian led the way with three hit games, and Dave had a double and a triple. Everyone had at least one hit, it just wasn't enough.

And one final note. Howard made an out (!)  in his last at bat. It was a line shot at the third baseman. You may not think this was significant, but it ended a streak of thirteen straight hits (with a walk thrown in). He will start a new streak when the new season starts, no doubt.

Well, new beginnings October 23rd (or 30th). It is going to be in interesting season. Three teams have added new players to try to chase the Hornets, including the Crows, so we should be in the mix!

Welcome Back, Black

Even though we have to open our season without our spirit leader Sandy Camp, Team BS managed to prevail over Team Green, 25-15 in the Creaker Fall/Winter 2024 AD/ND season opener on Heather Farm Field 4, which rumor has it is Manager Dave Rose's favorite field.

BS took an early lead at 4-1 in the first. The strong top of the lineup pounded four straight hits to start us off, and we were off to the races. Although we allowed Team Green to tie us in the second, the game was never in doubt once we put up nine runs in the next three innings.

Team Green has a green manager, and it showed. They had two pitchers who had maybe never pitched in a game before, pitch most of the rest of the game, and the patient BS hitters drew nine walks. He had some players in questionable positions, but I think he was experimenting. I am sure they will be more competitive next time we play them.

In the mean time there was hitting up and down the BS lineup. Art Miner led the way as usual, going 3-3, with two doubles and five RBIs plus two of the walks. Brian Black and Greg Mathers were 4-4, Dave DeWitt and Dan May were 4-5, Mike Nichols was 3-3 plus a walk, Darren Bobrosky and Jeff Kravin joined the group with three hits each. Eight players had two or three RBIs. They say it's a team game and that's how you make it so. There were only two other extra base hits, doubles by Rose and Mathers.

RC DeWitt had a great defensive game, making multiple running catches and gunning down a runner at second on a single/force out. LC Miner threw out a runner at home with a one hop bullet to Nichols, who made a nice pickup. The catch of the game though was by SS Steve Rousso ranging into shallow left to grab a pop fly in the fifth almost all the way to the foul line.

The Bloody Mary's at the Greenery on our bye week will taste better after this game.