Game One, The Hot Tub Woody's

INTRO

Rob:  Are you ready?
Doug: Ready?  I've been ready since March.  It looks like we're going to dodge the rain. 
Rob:  Ya.  I predicted that.  I'm a fornicator. 
Doug: Prognosticator?
Rob:  That too.  So, did you see Geoff Keogh's post on facebook this morning?
Doug: Ya, I commented on it.  It was awesome. 
Rob:  I thought so too.  But I didn't know you're on facebook.  I'll look for you. 
Doug: Right.  You can be mean. 
Rob:  So, I especially liked the "breathe through your eyelids" part.  I've been doing some research on that.
Doug: Oh?  What did you find. 
Rob:  Glad you asked.  Did you know that there are only two species that can breathe through their eyelids?
Doug: I can't wait for this.  What are they.
Rob:  One is the Galapagos Lava Lizard. 
Doug:  Okay....and?
Rob:  And Fernando Valenzuela.
Doug: Not a species per se, just a person. 
Rob:  Not JUST a person. 
Doug: Okay, a Mexican person. 
Rob:  More than that, he was a pitcher.
Doug: True. 
Rob:  Like me.
Doug: True again.
Rob:  So I've been practicing the breathing through the eyelids thing.
Doug: How's it been going?
Rob:  Surprisingly calming.  I'm going to try it on the mound tonight. 
Doug: Well it sounds like Geoff is onto something. 
Rob:  Ya, but one thing bothers me about his facebook post. 
Doug: What?  The lollygaggers part?
Rob:  No, that was fine. 
Doug: What then?
Rob:  How did he know that I wasn't putting the little flower at the front?
Doug: Maybe you were too fidgety on the mound?

THE SPEECH

As Grisslie President and CEO, Robert Farah Esq., is want to do; he rallies the troops before the start of a game with a speech.  The Speech itself has evolved over the years.  He used to use great leaders in history for inspiration and repeat their quotes in a baseball context.  People like Ludwig the 2nd of Bavaria, Fyodor The Bell Ringer and Pope Steven the VI (sorry Mark) were often quoted.

But Rob determined that music was a much better vehicle to get his message across and for the last several years he's been delivering classic tunes with a baseball spin.  So, about 15 minutes prior to the game, Rob gathered the team around, pulled out his 1981 boom box for background music and sang for us, his version of Chicago's Saturday in the Park.

Saturday In Geoff Keogh Park

(Click on the song title for the music)

Saturday in Geoff Keogh Park, It felt like the Fourth of July

Saturday in Geoff Keogh Park, It felt like the Fourth of July
Fleming's dancing, Ford is laughing, Chiasson's selling Lighthouse ice cream (singing Italian songs)
Can you dig it (yes, I can) And I've been waiting such a long time
For Baseball....

Saturday in Geoff Keogh Park
You'd think it was the Fourth of July
Saturday in Geoff Keogh Park
You'd think it was the Fourth of July
Lenny's talking, Suzie's smiling
Dude's playing guitar

I'm singing for us all
Will you help the Grisslies change the world
Can you dig it (yes, I can)
And I've been waiting such a long time
For today

Dwyer's a slow motion runner, getting to 1st takes all day
And our Tom man still can tell stories his own way
Listen Russell, all is not lost, all is not lost, oh no, no,

Funny days in Geoff Keogh Park, every day's the Fourth of July

Funny days in Geoff Keogh Park, every day's the Fourth of July
People reaching, people cheering, A real celebration
Waiting to play ball, If we want it, really want it
Can you dig it (yes, I can), And I've been waiting such a long time
For today!

THE GAME

Its not often that there is a grudge match to open the season.  Particularly when you have a team 13 and 11 in previous year facing a team that was 3-21.  Additionally, considering that its two teams that are among the longest running in the league, you wouldn't figure it to be a breading ground for animosity.   

However, the Grisslies had reason to harbor a little resentment for the Woody's as they were the authors of the worst beat down that the Grisslies had ever received in their illustrious history.  How bad was it?  Well, we shut them out in the 6th inning.  Thank god for that, because we still gave up 35 runs.  35.  How does that happen?  Well, when Lance Horgan goes 7 for 7, Geoff Keogh (before the trade) goes 6 for 6 with 6 runs scored and 3 time batting champ Scott Barton goes 6 for 7, things generally don't end well.  This was game #10 of last season.  To give you an idea, Keogh scored more runs in that games than Rob and I had scored (together) for the season to that point.

So that explains the Grisslie side of the grudge, but what of the Woody's?  Well they had every reason to want a win.  Despite the horrific Grisslie season in the 'lost year of 2013', we did manage one playoff win.  Yep, against the Hot Tub Woody's.  I must have had my Wheaties because I had my first ever 4 for 4 game with 4 runs scored.  Sad but true.  We had our best game of the year which I would have gladly given back had I known that we'd fold like a cheap suit in the 7th inning of the next game against the Rebels.  So our win and and subsequent loss, made the Hot Tub Woody's the first ever 2-2 team in the round robin portion of the playoffs to be eliminated.

Did the grudge play out?

Damned straight it did!

The Grisslies scored 3 quick runs in the 1st inning on the strength to the rookies hitting escapades. The Woody's countered with 2 in each of the 1st and 2nd innings to have a 4-3 lead after two complete. 

The Hot Tub Woody's exploded for four more in the in the fourth while the Grisslies were still turning goose eggs. 

Good defense continued throughout and the Woody's would pull away with an 11-5 win despite Geoff Keogh (Park's) mamoth homer that was matched by (former Grisslie, turned free agent) Jeff Sagert's bomb. It was clearly Jeff/Geoff night. 

But the Grisslies didn't take that laying down.  No sir!!  We challenged the Hot Tub Woody's to an arm wrestle pitting their strongest guy against ours. 

We're still looking for our 1st win. And we may need a sub at 2nd base because Eddie damn near broke my arm.

Well done Hot Tubbers! We'll see you again July 14th.  Thanks for not scoring 35 runs. Always fun to share the field with the legends of our league.

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