First to Ten Wins!

They say they don't do it on purpose.

Frank made a hell of a play yesterday. With Vintage Terry bearing down on him, the throw sailed toward third base from the outfield offline. Frank did what you are supposed to do - he came off the bag to catch the errant throw so there would be no further advance. But then in a very nifty two step, he tip tapped his toe to the bag, beating Terry there by half a step. It wasn't even that close.

And the call from Pitcher Pete umping at home plate - "Safe" - with a big sweep of his arms.

I mean, Mark Kraft wasn't even present, the most notorious Vintage umpire. Still this is what we get. If they ain't cheating, they blind! Vintage is a walking testament to not have self-umpiring, unfortunately.

It allowed three extra runs to score, creating a tie going into the eighth inning. Once again we had taken an early lead but stopped hitting and let Vintage creep back in until they scored six altogether in the seventh to tie it up.

But we scored one in each of the last four innings, and that was enough to eke out the 11-9 victory. Too close against the other Green lineup but a win is a win. And for this (and putting them out of the playoff hunt), we get to go through it all again next week. What a strange schedule they concocted this year.

Depending on whether we make up the rain out as rumored, we either did or did not clinch the playoffs with the win. Even with it Vintage would have to win every game and we would have to lose every game from here on out. That ain't gonna happen. In other words the magic number is one for us to make the playoffs if there is a make up. So let's take it out on them once again next week, and not give them hope next time.

Chris had the biggest blow of the game, a three run homer in the fourth that produced most of the runs in our only five run inning. The only other extra base hit was vintage Heffe, a slicing line drive down the left field line for a double. Billy and Heffe were the only ones with three hits, but John L drove in two without a hit, and JP got two clutch two out RBI singles. Chris, Frank and Dave R all had two hits plus a walk.

On defense, we were under the big top in the middle outfield. First Paul in the fourth, and then Chris in the fifth made circus catches on balls that turned them this way and that, and Chris added a juggling act to his. The latter also had a great running catch in the first. David P in left didn't get an out but did an outstanding job cutting off a hard liner to his right that prevented extra bases and probably a big inning in the third. In the eighth, Doug made a strong play to his left to get an out on a grounder ticketed for center field, and then Frank closed it out by starting a 5-11-3 double play to John L (strong turn and throw) and JP on first. JP also had a good time catching a tough foul pop in the fifth.

It was too close for comfort but with Leo's helping us as expected by beating the Crows, we leapfrogged back over them into third place again. They have the easier schedule down the stretch, but if we can manage to put Vintage out of their misery next week again, it will come down to our head to head meeting with the Crows in a couple of weeks. It would be a lot nicer to end up third and face the Hornets in the first round of the playoffs instead of Leo's. But I digress. One at a time.

Eat Crow

In a well paced and crisply played game, the WolfPack prevailed over the Crows to retake third place today, 13-9.

There were numerous highlights on offense and defense, and as Frank predicted, the first team to eight runs won. The low scoring game was 3-0, 4-3, 4-5, and 6-5 through seven innings. Someone was going to break out and we were glad it was us when we plated five in the top of the eighth. Dave R. started it when he gapped the right fielders (he's been due for a break for a while) for a triple. Wilbur promptly brought him in with a single to right. Singles by Al and Doug brought in another run, and then Billy smashed his second straight extra base hit, to the same right center gap, and this time, instead of loping into second like he did to start the seventh on a hard shot to left center, he rumbled and hustled all the way to third base. After a walk to Frank, Mike cleaned up the fifth run with a single.

When the Crows answered with three in the bottom half, the 11-8 lead seemed a little precarious. But hits by David P, Chris, John L., and a ground out by JP scored our last two runs in the top of the ninth, allowing the defense to take over in the bottom of the ninth.

With one out, Al made the play of the game. Charley Pastor smashed one up the middle, and Al stuck his glove out from behind the net and snagged it cleanly. The easy out at first took any wind out of the Crows' sails, and soon the third out was caught.

Billy was the hitting hero, 4-4 with the double and triple and two RBIs. Mike was 3-3 with a sac fly, good for three RBIs. David P., Heffe and John L. joined the three hit club. Wilbur had two clutch hits, driving in two runs.

On defense, Wilbur had a magnificent game. His reaction time is like no other old guy. He plays shallow, even on the turf, and still nothing gets by him. He made numerous outs, but the one that stands out is a one hopper, where he chased Mike Nagy back toward first trying to tag him, and then tossed to me to get the speedy Anthony (the batter) out. Then Doug and I completed the double play by getting Nagy in a rundown. It was your standard 4-3-6-3 DP. A  run did score but it got us two outs in the heart of their lineup.

David and Paul and Chris and Billy made some fine running catches in the outfield. The sun was particularly brutal for Chris and Billy on the right side, so really any catch over there was spectacular.

There should be a new stat - two out run scoring hits. Today, Wilbur, David P, and I had them.

Over all, a finely played critical win. We are in third place again, and have a shot to move up as we wind down the season. Now if we can only play like this two weeks in a row!

Blackeyed Mudcat

Now that is more like it. Today we beat one of the teams we are supposed to defeat in our quest for glory this season. We trounced Mudcat Black 20-9 and it wasn't that close.

Something weird was up though. When two of our three extra base hits were doubles by Heffe and Frank, something is up. But you look at the rest of our lineup - everyone was hitting. We hit .673 as a team. Every single batter got at least one hit, and three were produced by Al, Mike, Heffe, JP, and Dave R. The latter has been hitting line drives all over the place for weeks and until today many seemed to be right at gloves. In his return, JP hit like he should always take a few weeks off mid-season.

We had some outstanding plays, especially on the infield. Mike turned an excellent third unassisted to first double play in the second. Wilbur replicated the feat at second base in the sixth (tag out, throw to first). Les made a fabulous stop on a ball to his right at rover, and wheeled and fired to Wilbur at second for the third out in the fifth. Throw in one K by Al, and a few good running catches in the outfield and we had a good day on defense.

There was even a miracle play. JP caught a popup at second that was right in the late arriving sun in the seventh.

Play like this and we can compete with any team in the league. Even Vintage.

Dr. Wolf and Mr. Pack

Last week, the Dr. Wolf played a relatively flawless game, and beat the vaunted Hornets 16-11. Al was at his best and kept that lineup reaching and off balance.

We built a 13-3 lead after five innings. It was never comfortable - the Hornets are capable of breaking out for 10 runs at the drop of a hat. But we held them to one late rally - six runs in the eighth - and after adding three more in the seventh and eighth held them scoreless in the ninth.

The defense was solid all game long. Highlights included a great running catch in right center by David P, and another going back by fill-in Chuck. Heffe had a good game at first - he snagged a hot hot line drive by Tommy Stone, although it may have been self-preservation as much as anything, and stretched for a one hop throw to get an out.

The offense was balanced - three hits by Al, Paul, David, John L, Dave R., and Wilbur. Lee L had a monster home run. The key was how focused we were - perhaps because of the challenge of playing the Hornets. They have not lost to anyone else and we have not lost to them yet this season.

This week the Mr. Hyde emerged. We were unfocused on defense and at the plate and on the bases. Sure the bad 'homer' calls by Vintage contributed - but that would just be an excuse - we should beat them by plenty.

As it was the inner Pack rat emerged, and mistakes and lack of timely hitting doomed us, and we lost 17-14. We found ourselves down 16-7 going into the bottom of the seventh. We rallied, especially in a four run ninth, but it was too late.

The only defensive highlights I remember were a couple of nice catches by David P in right center and Wilbur had a one man show in one of the late innings, getting all three outs. Al had a tough time on the mound, getting hit twice, but also made some fine knock down get em out plays on balls headed to center field.

Al was perfect at the plate, going 3-3 with two walks. Joining him with three hits were Doug, Mike, Lee L, and Frank. Heffe had two and two walks. Doug had our only long ball, a two run shot in the seventh.

Next week we need to regain our focus and beat the lowly Mudcats. They are winless this year but they just took a one run loss to the Hornets, 18-17. The lesson for the week is anyone can beat anyone if you give them the chance.

The Winds of Victory

Amidst at times a strong swirling wind, the WolfPack ultimately ran away with our third victory over the vintage Vintage team, 15-6.

Kudos to Al Oxley for throwing strikes in the howling wind - it takes a control artist to do that. His mix together with our increasingly good defense kept Vintage from being much of a threat all game.

Our bats were largely silent as well through the first seven innings. In the second, we managed to string together six of seven hitters with singles, and plated three to take a 3-2 lead. And after Vintage went a run ahead, in the fifth on a wild fielder's choice by Wilbur Williams, we scored two runs and never trailed again.

But the game remained close until the top of the eighth (6-5). Dave Rose and JP at the bottom of the lineup started things out with singles. Oxley and Doug Ichikura brought them home with base hits but the big blow was Mike Harris' ensuing triple on the gap. David Partridge brought him home and we had the first five run inning of the game.

Vintage was done at that point as the score was 11-5. They managed one in the eighth, but we weren't finished. In the ninth, Lee Hubbard smashed a two run homer and we added two more to get to the final score of 15-6.

Early on, there was a great catch in left in the twisting wind by Hubbard, and Frank Coppa pulled down a tough pop up at the fence by third base foul ground. Somehow I don't have notes of other great plays, but I do know that in one of my innings out, JP generously gave out loads of comic relief playing first base. I do believe he stumbled more than once fielding and catching the ball, and did his darndest to give away some free bases but managed to get the out each time.

We ended the first go-around 3-1-1, by far the best start in our short history. We are starting to gel. There are no superstars, and that's a good thing, I think.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and let's keep it going when we get back to it! We should all have more power with the added weight from the holiday, even if we are a step slower!

I Just Didn't Want to Kiss Ritt.

Wednesday's game could be looked at in about as many ways as there were at bats in the game.

On the one hand, we had so many chances to take over the momentum, and could have pulled off the upset. On the other hand so did the Hornets, and yet they never got that killer rally to put us away. They thought they did with a five run eighth for a 10-6 lead, but we roared back with four in the ninth and held them scoreless in the bottom half to preserve the 10-10 tie.

It's a testament to Billy's pitching and especially the defense up the middle - we turned numerous double plays either started by Doug at SS or Les at Rover. The Hornets are the powerhouse no matter how many times Leo's wins the league, and we kept them from winning in the bottom of the ninth in a tie game. We gifted them a lead off error base runner, and Doug promptly wiped him out with a double play. That's a win.

It also shows our new character - we weren't hitting a lick, and still managed to come away with the tie, and I didn't have to kiss Mike Rittenhouse, because lucky for me he is not my sister.

The sun was tough and Lee, and Paul and David all made nice catches staring up into it.

There were lots of o-fers and one-fers throughout the lineup but Doug also had a nice day at the plate. He hit a gap triple in the first (even though we stranded him). But the clutch hit was a thing of beauty in the ninth - a line drive into right center that plated our first run in the game tying rally in the open inning.

The others with three hits were Chris and Heffe. Paul had two and a walk, and David had an important two run single in the second to get our scoring started. Every run counted in this game. Billy had an RBI monster shot to right center, but he was hobbling, so he stopped at second.

A win next week against Vintage would mean a 3-1-1 start the first time around the league. That would be the best start by far for this team. Let's do it!

Cheaper By the Dozen

In a league wide season high for runs, the Wolfpack downed the Crows 28-20 in dramatic fashion, scoring twelve runs in the top of the ninth, and shutting out the Crows in the bottom half to seal the victory.

The game was actually a pitchers' duel through the fourth, and we trailed 3-1 at that point. But things changed in the fifth.

Paul Lisi's two run, two out triple in that frame gave us our first lead at 4-3, and we were to put up 14 runs in the next three innings. But the Crows kept battling back and they tallied 12 over the same time frame.

The next big hit was David Partridge's three run bomb to deep left in the sixth, the major run producer in that five run inning. David had been battling bad luck through the first two games, and he broke out of it in a big way with a team leading five RBIs.

The next turn was John Look's three run smash the next time we came up. John showed up despite feeling fluish, and he was sweating profusely. What is the expression, "starve a cold, feed a fever?" Well now it's "starve a cold, feed a fever a three run homer."

Among others, I had four hits, including a key two run double in our ninth inning rally that changed a three run lead to five with two outs. But I am most proud of coaxing a walk from Don Clay to start the ninth - a true "and that's how it started" moment.

Because the deluge was on. Everyone played within themselves at the plate that inning. We had nine straight hits with two outs including back to back doubles by Heffe and John, followed by a triple by Chris Nielsen.

Doug Ichikura and Billy Warren led the way with five hits. Followed by Lisi, Kravin, Look and Nielsen with four. Everyone had at least two hits, and everyone drove in at least one run, and all but one scored at least one.

Finally, Al Oxley was lights out pitching. He knows all the hitters except their big guy who produced a prodigious bomb to center, and if it weren't for some key drops by our fielders, the Crows would have been held to far fewer runs. But we also made some plays on defense, especially a grab in right by Look on a slicing liner to the right field line that saved a couple of runs. And we turned at least one, maybe a couple of double plays on the infield, and Wilbur Williams made a great shoestring catch on a low liner.

All in all, a very exciting game where it felt good to come out on top. We play like this, we can compete for a title this season!