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.