This Orange Is Peeled and Ready For The Juicer

I knew Whiteneck was up to something when BEFORE the game he brought two cookies over, and they weren't even Sandy Camp's cookies. And then after some lip service paid to our hero of the day, Rick Evans, who showed up to play less than a week after one surgery and in line for another, he stated that the cookies were for Rick, but he knew Rick couldn't eat them. Was he trying to fatten me up? I certainly do not need any help in that area. Then he said that he knew Helen Kostoff would eat them. Were they poisoned? Did he want to poison our protector of the middle? Provoke a brawl among our team over the cookies? Why, oh Why?

I decided to just ignore him (although I did eat the cookies tonight). Unfortunately, we couldn't ignore him on the mound, and we couldn't hit him either.

There isn't much to talk about. Orange pretty much did not show up, and lost 12-7. But I will say a couple of things:

Rick did show up, and prepared all week to be able to be there with us and had a fine game in the field and at the plate.

Tony Gorgone did show up, and went 4-4 with two doubles, and made innumerable outs at SS, including chasing down a blooper along the left field line like he was 25 again.

With Ace Mike Howard enjoying the clear waters of Tahoe, Mike Elmore stepped up and threw nine innings, and kept all of the power hitters on Light Blue in the park. With our sloppy defense, I'd say less than half the runs were earned. He deserved better. And he had a strikeout to boot, but to Charlie Uhlman's chagrin, I don't remember who it was so I can't name name.

But finally, I want to recognize this Orange team, a scrappy bunch who overachieved all season. We had no power and very few stars at the 'skill' positions, yet we turned in a record over .500 and even flirted with first place for a couple of weeks.

So here's to Mike Byrnes, Michael Callahan, Mike Elmore, Rick Evans, Tony Gorgone, Dan Halyard, Patrick Heide, Mike Howard, Leo Kay, Helen Kostoff, Jeff Kravin, Nick Lauria, Steve Rousso, Rich Sanders, Vic Santini, Bob Staples, and Jeff Waters. We are a TEAM.