GAME 2 – Grisslie Island

The Intro

The Grisslies are in the fortunate position this year of carrying two rookies. More accurately perhaps, two rookies are in the unfortunate position of carrying the Grisslies!!!

We may as well get the rookie initiation stuff out of the way now. (We’re not allowed to call it “hazing” anymore; not since the incident with Dave Argue, the goat and the peanut butter sandwich back in ’98, but I digress).

Rookie week this year will be week 6. That week we’ll be playing Dodge City and the Dog Catchers. Of course, during rookie week, all rookies are required to wear a skirt to the game & lip stick. It’s ideal if you make the lipstick something ‘tarty’. Piero probably still has his Jarvis Street Red lipstick from last year that you guys can borrow. And if anyone needs a skirt, call Danny.

Week 6 is when rookies really turn the corner and are fully integrated into the team. I’ll tell you, it made a huge difference for me. Oh, by the way, it’s okay to wear shorts or track pants under the skirt (wish someone was there to give me that tip last year).

A couple of other rookie notes:

1. It’s customary for the rookies to buy beer after the teams first win (no danger of that yet)
2. A team’s 5th win of the year is commonly referred to as rookie pizza night.
3. A team’s 10th win of the year is known as rookie karaoke night at the legion. (microphone behind the bar)
4. Once the team gets its 13th win and guarantees a .500 record for the season, it’s generally expected that the rookies will pick up the other players and drive them to the games. I would hate to see us loose this tradition.

Welcome aboard Tim & Greg. We’ll look forward to seeing your creativity in week six. Hopefully I’ll have figured out how to include pictures by then!!!

The Pre-Game

Rob is kind of funny. After last week’s atrocious performance, a lot of us thought he’d read us the riot act before the game. But Robbie is full of surprises. Instead of taking the ‘angry’ route, Rob tried to lighten the mode. Click the title below if you need to hear the tune.

Grisslie Island Theme

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,

A tale of a fateful trip,

That started at the draft day board,

The thought still makes me sick.

The first pick was good glove man,

His arm is straight and true.

Next up was a great outfielder,

Though his throws go askew, his throws go askew.

Then the draft really picked up,

The Grisslie team might get sauced,

If not for the Jugs of some legion brew

The Grisslies could be lost, the Grisslies could be lost.

The team set off to play their questionable style

With Del Greco,

And Ingo & Cal too,

The Captain and his wife,

You know Brett’s a star,

The rookies and Simon Smith,

Here on Grisslie Isle.

So this is the tale of the Grisslies,

They're here for a long, long time,

They're sure to make the best of things,

But it's an uphill climb.

The first mate and the Skipper too,

Will do their very best,

To bring the others all together,

For the Grisslie name on their crest.

No bats, no gloves, no score book cards,

Not a single luxury,

Like Radar’s sense of humour,

As primitive as can be.

So join us here each week my friends,

you’re sure to get a smile,

from twelve crazy baseball players,

Here on "Grisslie Isle."

The Game

Last weeks, The Game section opened with this line, “The Hot Tub Woody’s HAVE to be favoured to win the league this year.”.

With all due respect to the Hot Tub Woody’s, I made that assertion prior to seeing the Brew Jays play! These guys are CRAZY good.

Francis Walsh’s winter in the gym has really paid off. His arm is like a cannon now! He threw out 11 of our base runners on his own. Some guys get it all. Dazzling good looks & the good fortune to have the baseball goods reach down and bless their arm and turn it into gold! Bill stuck out 10. He’s developed a nasty breaking ball to go along with that devastating slider. I see a Cy Young in his future. And then there is Wayne “boom boom” Caldwell. I’m pretty sure he was 22/22 last night with 74 total bases. There should be rules about him getting to hit 4th, 8th and 12th in their lineup. If you go up to Coventry tonight the outfield fence is will still probably be vibrating from the number of times he hit it.

On the Grisslie side of the ledger, there were definitely highlights. Rob Farah has been nothing short of the perfect model of consistency. After giving up 26 runs (all earned) in the 1st game of the year, he used the two week layoff to his full advantage. Last night he came back with performance of 26 runs against. After two games the ERA is 26.00. Last year the Grisslies had given up 63 runs after two games, so comparatively – WE’RE ON FIRE BABY!!!

Kidding aside, if you took the 1st three inning of our first game and the last three innings of our second game we played pretty sound and winning baseball. Those other 8 innings in a row are a bit of a problem, but we’ve had nice stretches that give us reason to think the slump will be busted! I wouldn’t want to be in the Dislocated Joints shoes as they prepare to play us next week!

Some bright signs were having Brett at short & Dave at third which really solidified the left side of the infield. Tim “don’t call me Donny” Osmond played really well at second base and we’re deep in center field with Danny, Radar and Cal all performing capably. Radar has been “Mr. Versatility” so far playing the outfield, 2nd, 3rd and 1st base. If there were a 4th & 5th base we’d probably try him there too. We’re getting there. Look out Dislocated Joints, look out!!!