The Half Way Point

Fall Ball Part Trois!!!

I’ve gotta say that its kind of funny now when I talk to guys in the league, particularly the Old Timers. Here is how the conversation usually goes:

“PLAYER X, played like crap tonight….but don’t put that in the BLOG”.

It would appear that my days of flying under the radar (not that radar) are over. Honestly, last night I walked into the “club house” and guys actually stopped talking out of fear that I would repeat stuff! I mean, seriously, have I ever actually sold someone out? Have I ever actually written anything that embarrassed someone? Not counting Tito.

So, have no fear, this only fun. Good comedians take an element of truth and turn it into something funny. I’m not a good comedian. I just make stuff up. If there IS an element of truth, trust me, it was a fluke!

And yes Robin….that is how I roll.

Master Batters Vs M T Cases

We’re off the snide! Seeing our record SOAR to 1-2 was amazing! More so was how we did it! Here are a few highlights:

• Dave played all over the diamond and played great!
• Jason played all over the diamond and played great!
• Doris was his usual solid self at short and keep the infield on their toes + plus he had one AMAZING catch going out to left field.
• Rob Farah pitched a very controlled game and minimized base runners, he only gave up six earned runs.
• Doris, Nathan, Francis, Dave and Rob scored or drove in key late inning runs.
• Jason, Chris, Rocco and Scott were money at the plate and were instrumental in our come from behind rally in the 7^th inning to win.
• Scott subbed for Mark Doyle as our co-captain and demonstrated the humour and leadership needed to keep the team loose.
• I, for the 1^st time this year, caught a ball in the outfield at night at Keogh!!! (sorry Danny, it was bound to happen eventually).

It was a great team win and everyone contributed. We raised enough money in the stands during the game to purchase MD arm patches which we’ll be wearing starting next week. The “MD”, of course, stands for Mark Doyle who is down with Pneumonia and unavailable to play. We are of course wishing Mark a speedy recovery, but want him to remember that our winning percentage without him is .500 and our winning percentage with him is .000

That’s probably just a coincidence though. Get better Mark!!!

Master Batters Batting Stats

On base averages (includes hits, walks, errors and fielders choices)

Rocco 9 for 12 .750

Mark 3 for 4 .750

Chris 9 for 12 .750

Jason 6 for 8 .750

Scott 8 for 11 .727

Dave 7 for 11 .636

Doris 7 for 12 .583

Rob 6 for 11 .545

Kyle 2 for 4 .500

Nathan 2 for 4 .500

Francis 5 for 11 .454

Doug 4 for 11 .363

Master Batters Schedule

Thursday October 1^st

Capers Vs Master Batters 7pm Coventry 7 degrees, 7pm sunset

LOST 16-4

Monday October 5^th

Master Batters Vs Hard At It 7pm Keogh 8 degrees, 6:53 sunset

LOST 23-12

Wednesday October 7^th

MT Cases Vs Master Batters 7pm Keogh 9 degrees, 6:49 sunset

WON 11-10

Wednesday October 14^th

Master Batters Vs Cold Stix 8:30 Keogh 4 degrees, 6:37 sunset

Wednesday October 21^st

Get’er Done Vs Master Batters 7pm Keogh 4 degrees, 6:26 sunset

Wednesday October 28^th

Master Batters Vs Capers 7pm Coventry 3 degrees, 6:15 sunset

Getting to Know You!!!

The jury is out on this feature. Some people are digging it, others not so much. Truthfully the only negative replies I’ve gotten so far are from Danny & Mark who were the subjects of the 1^st two interviews. So be warned before you volunteer.

I recently had an opportunity to sit down with Jeff Shultze….here is how the conversation went.

Me: Jeff, first off, thanks for taking the time to do this interview, it’s much appreciated.

Jeff: No problem.

Me: So a couple of things off the hop. It’s known now that you won’t be coming back next year, which a lot of people are disappointed in & I thought you should know that. Here is your first question: You are known to be a quiet & supportive leader on the field. Does that come from a ‘life philosophy’ or something learned in specifically in sports?

Jeff: Hmmm. I’ll try to make this brief. I think it’s more of a personal philosophy on life, but saying that it, I also think that it is something that is applicable to all aspects including sports.

Me: Wow, sounds kind of deep. Can you expend on what that philosophy is?

Jeff: Sure, I’d be happy to. Basically, the way I see it is, everything in life relates one way or another to Star Wars….

Me: The movie?

Jeff: Its movieS actually, but yes.

Me: Okay, please continue, this is fascinating.

Jeff: So I think in every situation you are given an opportunity to do the right thing or take a ‘dark path’. Basically the question you need to ask yourself at every cross road is “What would Luke Skywalker do” and that way you make sure that you follow the good side of The Force.

Me: {Silence}

Jeff: Are you writing this down?

Me: Oh yeah, am I ever. So you must have a lot of memories over the last couple of years, are there any baseball specific memories that jump to mind?

Jeff: There’s so many that naming one would be an injustice to the rest. I think the fairest thing to say is that the camaraderie of the guys; be they on the same team or opponents, is what stands out most. You know, it’s like when Luke finished his training with Yoda on Dagobah and became the last Jedi Knight. Did he run off and build an army to defeat the Empire? No, he remembered the camaraderie of Leia and Han that was forged through adventures on Tatooine and in The Sky City and rescued them from Jaba The Hut before doing anything else. Yeah, I’d say it’s the camaraderie.

Me: That’s really intriguing. You play Short Stop. I’ve heard a number of people say that you are “deceptively quick”. Where does that come from?

Jeff: I think it’s about anticipation. I’ve played Short for a long time and I’ve talked to a lot of other people who’ve played the position and you just have to anticipate plays. You size up the base runners, who is at the plate, their tendencies as a hitter and you run it through your mind before it happens. Then when it happens you already have the mental picture of it and you’re ready. Sometimes I think I could do it with my eyes closed.

Me: You’re joking about the eyes closed, right?

Jeff: Not really. It’s like when Obi-Wan Kenobi blindfolded Luke and he still managed to deflect four consecutive laser bolts from the remote training droid. It’s just about calmly using The Force to visualize.

Me: Wow, The Force is strong in this one.

Jeff: That’s not funny.

Me: Okay, sorry. So I’m not going to ask you about your favourite movies, because I have a good idea what the answer will be. Instead, lets talk about music. Are there any bands of particular interest to you?

Jeff: Oh sure. I like Jefferson Starship, Electric Light Orchestra, Pilot, Atomic Kitten, The Future Heads, The 5^th Dimension, The Lovin’ Rockets, The Space Project, Star City, Stargard, Stars on 45, Atlantic Star, Tuxedo Moon, Radio Stars, MoonRaisers, Dubstar and The Carpenters.

Me: You seem to have a bit of theme there. Except for The Carpenters, what’s that all about? It doesn’t seem to fit your whole ‘space’ premise.

Jeff: Well, let’s start with the fact that they have a good beat and you can dance to them. But they also sang “Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft”. I have a CD in the car with that song burned on it 17 consecutive times. Great song.

Me: Agreed and you can’t beat Karen Carpenter’s voice. So Jeff, here is a bit of a curve ball for you for the final questions. You can invite any three people living or dead to dinner and have an evening of conversation. Who would they be?

Jeff: Hmmm, I didn’t anticipate that question.

Me: Maybe you should have blind folded yourself and used The Force.

Jeff: Are you making fun of me?

Me: Not really.

Jeff: I think I would invite Jesus Christ because I’d want to know if he knew where it was all going to end up from the beginning. I’d invite Pete Rose because he was the greatest hitter ever. And I’d invite Martin Luther King because he was such an inspirational person.

Me: You’re lying aren’t you?

Jeff: Yes.

Me: Who would you REALLY invite?

Jeff: Boba Fett because he was the most feared bounty hunter EVER, Qui-Gon Jinn because he was the Jedi Master that trained Obi-Wan Kenobi and Logray an Ewok who lived on Endor.

Me: Feel better now?

Jeff: Much.

This concludes our 5 questions with Jeff Shultze!

OUT....

1/3 of the season Down

Fall Ball Part Deux!!!

Okay, now I’m way behind on the old BLOG…its been a busy week. This ‘captain’ thing is TONS of fun! Actually, I’m digging it, but to be honest I’m learning on the fly. They say in the majors that a manager can only make the difference in a couple of games a year and its really the players that win or lose. So, I think maybe I’ve had my two game negative impact and we’re
about to go on a nice winning streak starting tomorrow.

(Me Before Managing the Master Batters)

(Me SINCE Managing the Master Batters)

Master Batters Batting Stats

On base averages (includes hits, walks, errors and fielders choices)

Rocco 6 for 8 .750
Mark 3 for 4 .750
Scott 5 for 7 .714
Doris 5 for 8 .625
Chris 4 for 7 .571
Kyle 2 for 4 .500
Jason 2 for 4 .500
Rob 3 for 7 .429
Dave 3 for 7 .429
Francis 3 for 7 .429
Doug 2 for 7 .289

Master Batters Schedule

Thursday October 1st
Capers Vs Master Batters 7pm Coventry 7 degrees, 7pm sunset
LOST 16-4

Monday October 5th
Master Batters Vs Hard At It 7pm Keogh 8 degrees, 6:53 sunset
LOST 23-12

Wednesday October 7th
MT Cases Vs Master Batters 7pm Keogh 9 degrees, 6:49 sunset

Wednesday October 14th
Master Batters Vs Cold Stix 8:30 Keogh 4 degrees, 6:37 sunset

Wednesday October 21st
Get’er Done Vs Master Batters 7pm Keogh 4 degrees, 6:26 sunset

Wednesday October 28th
Master Batters Vs Capers 7pm Coventry 3 degrees, 6:15 sunset

Getting to Know You!!!

Well, last weeks getting to know you went a little off the beaten path, so I thought I’d try and bring it back to a more conventional Q&A by interviewing Danny Chaisson.

Me: Dan, thanks for doing this, lets get the ball rolling; so to speak. So, in your opinion, who is the toughest pitcher in the Old Timers League?

Danny: Ha, you threw me a lob ball right off the bat! So bear in mind that I’m a deft hitter…

Me: Sorry, did you say deaf?

Danny: No, deft, as in “quick, skillful, adept”.

Me: Ok.

Danny: Where was I? Oh yeah, I’m a deft hitter and I probably hit a solid .350 over the year, but against Tito, I’m more like a .220 hitter.

Me: Ummm. Is that On Base Average or batting average?

Danny: OBA. Why? Is that bad?

Me: Question 2. You are well known throughout the league for having an exceptional arm, both for accuracy and strength. Is that natural or did you have to work at developing it?

Danny: That’s a great question. People often assume that athletes, like myself, are “gifted” just because the baseball gods reach down and turn your arm into a thunderbolt. Well, the truth is; it just ain’t that easy. The baseball gods….

Me: Sorry….wait a second, Danny, you really believe this stuff?

Danny: Are you kidding? Does Bobby Fisher play checkers? Hell ya! So, as I was saying, the baseball gods give you POTENTIAL. Its up to the individual to realize it and use the power for good and not evil?

Me: Evil baseball powers, Danny? Really?

Danny: You could play for the Yankees.

Me: Point taken. So how did you develop your arm strength?

Danny: Oh, I had special exercises that I did every night. I still do them now.

Me: Can you share what those arm exercise are?

Danny: Uhhhh. I don’t think that would be a good idea.

Me: Question 3. Moving away from baseball (and the gods), do you have a favourite movie?

Danny: Not really one specific movie, but pretty much anything with Meg Ryan. She had a small part in Top Gun. Of course When Harry Met Sally and Joe And The Volcano are classics! Sleepless In Seattle and French Kiss are probably in everyone’s top ten list, right? Not many people know this, but did you know that she did two episodes of Charles In Charge way back when? I still have those on Beta.

Me: Is that video in any way involved with your arm “exercise”?

Danny: What?

Me: Never mind. Question 4. When did you realize that baseball what “your game” so to speak?

Danny: Easy one. I was 8 years old and I’d get in trouble from time to time. So my teacher used to tell me to count stuff when I’d start to get distracted. Just to keep me focused on something, you know? So for awhile there I was counting EVERYTHING. The number of times I chewed before swallowing, the number of telephone poles we passed on the bus, anything and everything. Once in church when I got in trouble my mother handed me the rosary. I kept flipping the beads over and over and counting. It came out to 108 every time. Another time, I was sitting in the stands at a baseball game and had a ball in my hand. I counted the stitches on the ball. 108. Tell me that isn’t destiny!

Me: I’ll give you that one…it does seem like there’s some divine intervention on that one. Last question: I understand that you recently returned from Buffalo. What was the highlight of the trip?

Danny: You know, it was really all about the male bonding. The deepening of the relationships with the other guys and really seeing what makes them tick. You rarely get to see other guys at that level. Like Rick Cudnik's gift for cooking huge volumes of food but with attention to detail (linen napkins for instance). Or how Dougie Matson keeps everything so orderly. Oh, the other thing I learned was how to use the mirror behind Tito to see what his cards were. I couldn't lose!

OUT....

Kicking off Fall Ball!

Fall Ball!!!

Just when you thought it was safe to go back on the web….I’m BACK!!!


So in a year full of new experiences, this is my first crack at Fall Ball. To top it off I’m captaining a team along with Mark Doyle. I think it’ll be a good combination because he’s all about hitting and I’m all about….well, not hitting.

If that’s not enough, the two captains that harassed and tormented (errr…I mean coached and mentored) me this year are on our team!!! Yes Mutt & Jeff aka Tom & Jerry aka Felix & Oscar aka Hawkeye & Honeycutt aka Doris and Rob are Master Batters.

Oh, yeah…the team name is “The Master Batters”. The name was chosen to highlight our offensive prowess, but apparently some wise crackers are thinking there are other connotations. Those people need to step up to the curb because the gutter is getting full. This is just a little kick off BLOG to let you know we’re here and I’ll have a game report after Thursday’s match up against the Capers.

Proposed but unoffical logo
(See how the M & B make up the glove?
Very clever....my idea...just saying)

This will be the 1st meeting of the 1 & 2 place hitters in the old-timers league (Doyle & McCarron) since the semi-finals of the playoffs. Both played well that game but its still a pretty painful memory for me. The weather forecast for tomorrow is a balmy 7 degrees with variable clouds. Sunset is scheduled for 7pm tomorrow after which there will be strong chance of darkness.

Master Batters Roster

Rob Farah
Scott Bullen
Doris Casullo
Rocco Casullo
Kyle Saunders
Dave Caldwell
Chris LeBlanc
Francis Walsh
Mark Doyle
Doug Dwyer

(We had another person that we drafted that we had to cut because he failed his medical…we’re currently seeking a replacement)

Master Batters Schedule

Thursday October 1st
Capers Vs Master Batters 7pm Coventry 7 degrees, 7pm sunset

Monday October 5th
Master Batters Vs Hard At It 7pm Keogh 8 degrees, 6:53 sunset

Wednesday October 7th
MT Cases Vs Master Batters 7pm Keogh 9 degrees, 6:49 sunset

Wednesday October 14th
Master Batters Vs Cold Stix 8:30 Keogh 4 degrees, 6:37 sunset

Wednesday October 21st
Get’er Done Vs Master Batters 7pm Keogh 4 degrees, 6:26 sunset

Wednesday October 28th
Master Batters Vs Capers 7pm Coventry 3 degrees, 6:15 sunset

Getting to Know You!!!

Mark Doyle, trooper that he is, agreed to play 5 questions to help give everyone a little insight into what makes him tick. Hopefully this helps give you a little understanding in how to approach him and strike up a conversation.

Me: Okay Mark, thanks for agreeing to play 5 questions, lets get started with number one. What languages do you speak?

Mark: Officially I’m only bilingual. I’m well versed in English and French, but I know enough Russian to get by. In fact I’m good with most Slavic languages. You know, Bulgarian, Serbian, Ukrainian, Polish. You know what they say in Russian, “Имейте хорошую игру”

Me: Wow, that was unexpected…lets move on to something a little more mainstream, what’s your favourite hockey team?

Mark: Obviously the Leafs. It probably started when I was about 10 years old. I was a HUGE Miroslav Frycer fan! I know, you’re probably thinking, “Duh, who wasn’t”; but I had posters of that guy all over my room. I even bought a visor just like his. Don’t let being a minus 23 fool you, he was a great two way player. Definitely an all time Leaf great.

Me: You’ve got this Slavic thing going on, huh? How about music? Favourite artist?

Mark: Dude. That is SOOO impossible. That’s like asking a woman, “what are your favourite shoes”? There are a million possible answers. It depends on the mood, the company, the time of day. There are just way too many variables. I suppose if you had to pin me down to an answer I’d have to go with Celine Dion.

Me: I’m learning so much here. Way more than I expected.

Mark: Dude, I’m like an onion.

Me: You make my eyes water?

Mark: No, I have layers.

Me: Oh. Sorry. Question #4, Harper or Ignatieff?

Mark: I know you think that I’m going to say “Harper” because of Harper’s Tavern in Clementon New Jersey where they brew their own beer. But; did you know that “Ignatieff” is a Russian patronymic surname whose literal meaning is ‘son of or descendant of Ignatius.’ As a given name, Ignatius or Slavic versions of it, prospered even in the face of the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church disapproved of the first Jesuit, Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556), founder of the Society of Jesus.

Me: Wow. Mark, I’m kinda reeling here. This is supposed to be comical more than historical with a Slavic bent. I think this whole ‘onion’ thing is getting to you. Lets try and make the last one a quickie, #5 – You’re on a desert island and you have an infinite supply of one food, what would you pick and don’t say onions.

Mark: Shrimp.

Me: Okay, that was fast! Any particular reason you’d pick shrimp?

Mark: Yeah, think of all the things you can make with it, barbecued shrimp, boiled shrimp, broiled shrimp, baked shrimp, sautéed shrimp, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp Creole, shrimp gumbo, pan fried shrimp, deep fried shrimp, stir-fried shrimp, pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich.

Me: And that’s 5 question with Mark Doyle. Whether he’s an onion or a cake or a B52; Mark has layers.

out

There can only be one!!!

Little boy, in a baseball hat,

Stands in a field, with his ball and bat,

says "I am the greatest, player of them all"

puts his bat on his shoulder, and tosses up his ball.



And the ball goes up, and the ball comes down,

he swings his bat all the way around,

and the worlds so still you can hear the sound

as the baseball falls, to the ground.



Now the little boy, doesn't say a word,

picks up his ball, he is undeterred,

Says "I am the greatest, there has ever been,"

and he grits his teeth, and tries it again.



And the ball goes up, and the ball comes down,

he swings his bat all the way around,

and the worlds so still you can hear the sound

as the baseball falls, to the ground.



He makes no excuses, He shows no fear,

He just closes his eyes, and listens to the cheers.



Little boy, he adjusts his hat

picks up his ball, stares at his bat,

says "I am the greatest, the game is on the line,"

and he gives his all, one last time.



And the ball goes up, like the moon so bright,

Swings his bat, with all his might,

and the worlds as still, as still as can be,

and the baseball falls, and that's strike three.



Now its supper time, and his Mama calls,

little boy starts home, with his bat and ball,

says "I am the greatest, that is a fact,

but even I didn't know, I could pitch like that."

The Wild headed into this game as the visitors and riding a 5 game winning streak. They had beaten teams that had finished the regular season 12^th, 6^th, 9^th, 11^th and 8^th.

The Dislocated Joints were also on a 5 game winning streak. They had beaten teams ranked 5^th, 11^th, 10^th, 5^th and 6^th to earn their trip to the final.

Many of the games through the elimination round had been played tentatively. There were a couple of blow outs, but games were pretty much tight and played close to the vest. This game, in my very humble opinion, would be the best game of the weekend. Both teams gave it their all and seemed determined from the beginning to leave it all on the field.

The Wild batted 1^st and quickly tallied 4 runs and set the tone early that their bats were rolling. The Joints did not turtle. They picked up their bats and mercy’d The Wild in 1^st inning. I don’t have inning by inning stats over the course of the year, but getting a mercy inning on The Wild is no small accomplishment.

The game was 7-4 for the Dislocated after the 1^st inning and the crowd, which was ample, was loving every minute of it. There were at least 6 guys from each of the Grisslie and Dodge City teams in attendance, but considering that those two teams had been freshly eliminated, that shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. What was GREAT to see was that every team was represented. Even some of the folks that were eliminated on Saturday came back in their team colours on Sunday. That could be because they slept in their clothes, but I prefer to think to was honouring the league and their teams.

The game was a slugfest and a seesaw affair. The lead changed hands several time over the next few innings and was tied at 13 after four innings. There were three innings of ball left for the year and tie game. What more could you ask for? Neither team had any quit in them.

The Joints would score 7 more runs over the next three innings giving them 20. You would think that would be enough, but the Wild managed to score 14 and ultimately won 27-20.

Some highlights for the victors

Steve Brooks He left his Whitney Houston collection in the car and came to play. The defense at 3^rd base was great but most importantly he fooled everyone by driving in a couple of key runs by hitting the ball on the ground!

Peiro Del Greco Let me say that there was a lot of cheering for a lot of people in this game. There were plenty of offensive and defensive highlights to go around. However, the three loudest moments were a) Ed Vonda’s home run b) the final out c) When The Wild were battling back in the middle innings and Peiro delivered a critical line drive passed second base that scored 2 runs and was major component in the game. Peiro has been a trooper all year and is one of those guys that everyone likes to see do well!

Mark Doyle The Wild won in spite of Mark’s play. Probably the only disappointment on the team. Not much of an arm, a suspect bat and a glove with holes. He tries though.

Andy Gee How do you give up 20 run and pitch a good game? Well you start with being Andy Gee. Andy just doesn’t rattle. I’m sure he was as disappointed as anyone else giving up 7 in the 1^st inning but he just never shows it. And he doesn’t take a bad inning to the plate or bad at bat to the field. He keeps the 8 guys behind him in a groove.

Mark Kolsen I don’t know how Mark hit throughout the tournament, only that he didn’t have a great game against the Grisslies. Whatever may have been ailing him was shaken off for this game. He hit the ball hard consistently & fielded great as well.

Jens Lepa Hmmmm, which highlight is more impressive? Is it the home run in the soccer shoes or the Willie Mayes catch in the outfield? I’m gonna go with the catch. Anyone that can do two pirouettes, into a triple axle, go into a death spin and round off into a catch on the warning track should be inducted into some kind of hall of fame.

Brett Mabee Back from missing a significant portion of the season with a wrist injury and played a fair bit of the game at 1^st. The infield was great and Brett was big part of that. Having a middle infielder playing 1^st makes it really tough on the other team. Great job with the bat too!

Kevin Moon Mooner….Maybe it’s the laid back approach or easy smile that makes you surprised when he crushes the ball or robs a sure hit. While there were a number of position changes throughout the game, the Wild looked great with Mabee at 1^st and Moon at 2^nd. As usual his bat was killer.

Anthony Mrasek Tony & Ed were back to back in the lineup. Both hit well but not at the same time. I think when one made an out the other picked up the team with a key hit to drive in runs. The thing I remember about Tony most in the game was a couple of balls hit to him in right-center field that I thought FOR SURE he lost in the sun and it turned out that he either had them all the way and was decoying runners or he found them again at the last second. You can ask Rick Cudnik what its like to play right center at that time of day and he’ll tell you how tough it is….job well done.

Clifford Tucker Cliff too was fighting the tough sky for much of the game in left field. Still, he did a good job keeping the ball in front of him, playing great team ball by hitting the cutoff and not trying to overplay. Like everyone on The Wild, his bat was there too and he ran the bases great.

Ed Vonda In many respects….Eddy had a day to remember. His catch in left field on a sinking liner was a great one and in a 27-20 game, those defensive gems really stand out. However, Ed had a home run and a triple and drove in 5 runs (if my memory is right). Rumor has it that Ed will be back to help the Wild defend. Lets hope!

James (Bear) Wyatt Bear is high on the list of guys that are easy to cheer for. There was one point in the game with runners on 2^nd & 3^rd (or maybe the bases were loaded) and I turned to Doris and said, “they NEED to get Bear here or could be over”. Bear drilled a pitch for a single over third base scoring two.

Mark Doyle Yeah, I was (obviously) kidding earlier. Mark didn’t have a particularly great game in the semi’s where he gave Billy Clouthier a lot of practice playing third. But I don’t know that Mark has had consecutive ho-hum games at all this year. Mark hit both lines offensively with authority. He was driving the ball everywhere and was pretty much impossible to defend. He was a rock at short and he was stinging Mabee’s hand at 1^st all day. The one inning I saw him in the outfield he contributed there too.

In a day full of heroes – pick one, you won’t be wrong.

See you all next month at the banquet and then at the general meeting!

Put me in coach!

Well, beat the drum and hold the phone - the sun came out today!

We're born again, there's new grass on the field.

A-roundin' third, and headed for home, it's a brown-eyed handsome man;

Anyone can understand the way I feel.

And then there were four.

If you went by the end of the regular season standings, the 1^st, 2^nd, 6^th, and 8^th place teams were left with The Wild, The Dislocated Joints, The Dodge City Rounders and Grisslies respectively.

If you were to go by the seeding of the round robin, you would have the 1^st, 2^nd 3^rd and the 12^th seeded teams remaining in The Dislocated Joints, The Grisslies, The Wild and The Dodge City Rounders.

So, a little analysis of the final four.

Dodge City had 12-11-1 regular season. They had a very balanced season, never winning or losing more than 3 games in a row. They were the only team (apologies if I’m wrong) not to have a hitter in the top 30 in the league, but their attack was balanced and their overall +/- was fourth best in the league at a +34. In the round robin, Dodge City had defeated the Dog Catchers (17-10), lost to the Lucky Stiffs (22-16), The Wild (14-7), The Grisslies (19-11). In elimination games they had knocked out Recycled (23-20) and The Dog Catchers (13-11).

The Grisslies on paper look a lot like Dodge City in that they had 12-12 record and looked pretty balanced as well. The truth is that they were nothing like the each other. The Grisslies had about as bad a 1^st half as you could want starting 2-8. But when the Grisslies turned the corner they ended up having the best second half of any team in the league. They were a team of streaks having lost 6 in a row at one point and following that up with a 7 game winning streak. There is no doubt that Rob McCarren leading the league in hitting was a huge factor, but even with that they were 7^th ranked team overall in hitting. In the round robin, the Grisslies had defeated the Dusty Cleats (14-12), The Red Dogs (18-6), and Dodge City (19-11) while losing to the Dog Catchers (10-8). In their only elimination game they had narrowly taken out the Rusty Rebels (8-5).

The Dislocated Joints finished second in the regular season and first in the round robin. They looked good. The consensus was that the Joints were a team that hit smart & not necessarily hard. They had 3 player finish in the top 30 in hitting and it would have been 4 players but for one player being 5 at bats short of qualifying. They scored the second most runs in the league and had the 3^rd best +/-. In the round robin they opened by losing to Recycled (16-11) then beating Torn Ligaments (17-7), Dusty Cleats (16-9) and the Banshees (16-9). In their one elimination game they send The Torn Ligaments Packing with a 19-3 thrashing.

And The Wild. Earlier this year I think I referred to The Wild has having “million dollar arm & 5 cent heads”. OF COURSE, I was joking! The Wild were like the Bronx Bombers. So many guys on the team have the ability to pound the ball. They were the leagues dominant team in the first half and were steady in the second half & finished 1^st overall. They had 3 guys in the top 10 and were the most aggressive base running team in the league. In the round robin they had a slow start losing to the Red Dogs (16-11) before straightening things out with wins over The Rusty Rebels (15-8), Dodge City (14-7) and the Hot Tub Woody’s (10-9). Then in their first elimination game they ousted the Dusty Cleats in a close 7-3 game.

Dodge City Rounders Vs. Dislocated Joints. Dodge City was a tough match up for The Dislocated Joints. During the regular season Dodge swept them impressively by scores of 18-10 and 20-15. Dodge City had every reason to believe that they were the miracle team for the 2009 playoffs. They weren’t. They were game, good sports and played hard, but sun was shining brightly on the Joints who won a lopsided affair by 25-7 count.

The Wild Vs. Grisslies. These teams had split their season series and the game pitted the best team of the 1^st half against the best team in the second half. The Grisslies staggered out of the gate and after an inning and a half were down 10-0. The Grisslies had made a habit out of being down early and clawing their way back into games. Despite only giving up 3 more runs the rest of the way, the bats just never came alive with any consistency. Make the final Wild 13 Grisslies 6.

Semi - finals concluded with a total of 11 teams gone (and STILL not forgotten) in the Hot Tub Woody’s, Banshees, Lucky Stiffs, Recycled, Red Dogs, Dog Catchers, Dusty Cleats, Rusty Rebels and Torn Ligaments, Grisslies, and the Dodge City Rounders.

Match up for the Final…..

The Wild Vs. Dislocated Joints.

More to come…..One last blog….

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

Every day is like Saturday night, but I can’t wait for Sunday Morning!!!

Here we go….show time. Scores are sketchy, but wins and loses are accurate. The quarter final games matched up:

Torn Ligaments Vs. Dislocated Joints

Rusty Rebels Vs. Grisslies

Dusty Cleats Vs. The Wild

Dodge City Rounders Vs. Dog Catchers.

Torn Ligaments Vs. Dislocated Joints. Torn Ligaments had faced the Joints 3 times already. The Joints held a significant edge with a win and a tie in the regular season (the win being only by 3 runs), but they had also won by 10 in the round robin. This gave the Joints a 2-0-1 edge and lots of confidence heading into this game. Unfortunately for the Ligaments, the trend continued and the Joints dominated from beginning to end winning by a score of 19-3.

Rusty Rebels Vs. Grisslies. The Rusty Rebels had beaten the Grisslies twice this season by scores of 19-1 and 9-6. Outscoring the Grisslies by total of 28-7 gave the Rebels every legitimate reason to be confident. However, the Grisslies offence was just enough in this game plating 8 runs and the defense and pitching was stellar giving up only 5. This was one game where the season trend was not a factor. Grisslies move on 8-5.

Dusty Cleats Vs. The Wild. The Wild finished 1^st overall in the regular season, but the Dusty Cleats were no pushover for them. The Cleats had lost once to them by a run (20-19) and had beaten them by 6 (10-4). The Wild’s big bats were slow to wake up on Sunday morning and the Cleats played with the confidence of a team that had played tough against their competition. The Wild prevailed on good pitching and solid defense to win a tight 7-3 game.

Dodge City Rounders Vs. Dog Catchers. According to one Dodge City player, “I didn’t think we had a chance to make Sunday, we’re playing for free now!” True enough. Dodge City eked into the playoffs through the proverbial backdoor and knocked off the heavily favoured Recycled to see Sunday. The Dog Catchers on the other hand got the bye to Sunday by finishing with a 3-1 record with wins over the Dusty Cleats, Red Dogs and Grisslies. The only team they lost to in the Round Robin? You guessed it, Dodge City Rounders. Go figure. Add that to the fact that Dodge had beaten the Dog Catchers twice in the regular season, it really didn’t matter that the Dog Catchers had the bye or finished with a better record in the season. This was the best possible matchup for Dodge City and they rode that to 13-11 and provided the only upset of the quarter final round.

Quarter finals concluded with a total of 9 teams gone (and still not forgotten) in the Hot Tub Woody’s, Banshees, Lucky Stiffs, Recycled, Red Dogs, Dog Catchers, Dusty Cleats, Rusty Rebels and Torn Ligaments.

Match ups for the afternoon’s semi-finals, FINAL FOUR elimination games were:

Dodge City Vs. Dislocated Joints.

The Wild Vs. Grisslies

More to come…..

Saturday, here in the park....I think it was the 4th of July

WOW!!!

So some of my recollections of the finer details from the last two days may be a little off, but there was so much worth remembering that I’m a little bit on overload.

Coming into the last games of the round robin on Saturday afternoon, there were no less than 3 teams that could be the unlucky eliminated team and 6 teams eligible to earn the bye through to Sunday. The Rusty Rebels recovered from some heart breaking losses to beat the Lucky Stiffs and stay alive. Dodge City Rounders who lost twice on Saturday by more than 7 runs still made the playoffs on +/- due to the Red Dogs loss to the Dog Catchers. Honestly....who saw that coming?

The 1st team to be eliminated was the Red Dogs & the teams with the byes to Sunday based on the round robin order of finish were

1. The Dislocated Joints.
2. The Grisslies.
3. The Wild.
4. The Dog Catchers.

So that left the following Saturday Elimination games….

Dodge City Rounders Vs. Recycled. This was a strange one. Strange in that recycled headed into Saturday at 3-0 and lost a (seemingly) meaningless game 8-3 to torn ligaments. That one lost & +/- knocked them out of the top four and forced an elimination game. Meanwhile, you have Dodge City with that “just happy to be there” attitude. There were a number of guys on that team that thought they’d be going home earlier and were legitimately thrilled to still be played. Both teams ended up playing pretty well, although the sun was HUGE issue for both teams. Dodge won 23-20 and moved on.

Dusty Cleats Vs. Lucky Stiffs. Elimination games are funny, huh? So, the Stiffs started the round robin with a bit of surprise tie against torn ligaments, then a very surprising win over the Red Dogs and then kinda beat up on Dodge City. They were 2-0-1 before losing a hard fought game to the Rusty Rebels. Consensus was thought that the Stiffs were a hot and a team that you “didn’t want to face”. And who had to face them, the Cleats. The Dusty Cleats had a very tough ride through the playoffs starting with a really tough 2 run loss to the Grisslies. They had enough in +/- to finish 11th. As hot as The Stiffs were, this was a great match up for the Dusty Cleats having beaten them twice and easily in the regular season. Trends don’t ALWAYS mean something, but they did in this game with the Cleats prevailing 18-13 and eliminating the Stiffs.

Rusty Rebels Vs. Banshees. The Rusty Rebels were in the same boat as Dodge City, thinking that they were going home until they earned their way into elimination by winning their last round robin games. The Banshees, like Recycled, were a 3-1 team that was forced to play an elimination game because of =/-. The Rebels and Banshees played what was probably the best of the 1st round of elimination games with the Banshees on the losing end of 13-12 decision.

Hot Tub Woody’s Vs. Torn Ligaments. Torn Ligaments had the 1st of the great comebacks in the playoffs when they rolled a six in the 7th inning of their 1st game to tie the Stiffs. They then had 2 losses and a win and seem to be hitting their stride. The Woody’s on the other hand, had a pretty tough draw losing to the Recycled, Banshees and Wild and winning against Rusty Rebels. Tougher still, the Torn Ligaments were a team that handled them twice and easily in the regular season, and while the game was close at 15-10, the Woody’s were the last of the Saturday eliminations.

Saturday concluded with 5 teams gone (but not forgotten) in the Hot Tub Woody’s, Banshees, Lucky Stiffs, Recycled and Red Dogs.

Match ups for Sunday morning’s ELITE EIGHT elimination games were:

Torn Ligaments Vs. Dislocated Joints
Rusty Rebels Vs. Grisslies
Dusty Cleats Vs. The Wild
Dodge City Rounders Vs. Dog Catchers.

More to come…..

(bonus points if you know what song the title of this post comes from) ((double if you know the artist))

Playoffs. DAY 1

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.