GAME 10 - Dodge City Rounders - These aren't the droids you're looking for

THE STORY

This doesn't happen too often. 

The Squirrel (Scott Mason) submitted a song to the BLOG!!!  What the hell?  It makes my life easier, so thanks Scotty.  The song is based on the Police classic song, "Wrapped Around Your Finger".   You can click on the song title to get the music.  Thanks again Scott!

Wrapped Around Your Finger

You consider me the young apprentice
Caught between the Baseball and Jedi Mind Tricks.
Hypnotized by you if I should linger
Staring at the ring around your finger.
I have only come here seeking knowledge,
Things they would not teach me of on the Smokies.
I can see the baseball brain you hold
turned into a shining band of gold.

I'll be wrapped around your finger.
I'll be wrapped around your finger.

 Tony Fernandez is not your name,
But I know what you're up to just the same.
I will listen hard to your tuition,
And you will see it come to it's fruition.

I'll be wrapped around your finger.
I'll be wrapped around your finger.

Keogh in the deep blue sea behind me
Vanish in the air you'll never find me.
I will blow by you because I run faster,
Then you'll find your servant is your master,

And you'll be wrapped around my finger.
 You'll be wrapped around my finger.
You'll be wrapped around my finger.
 You'll be wrapped around my finger.....

Once again, I can't thank Scott enough for submitting the song, but seriously, W.T.F.????  Dude, you need some serious counselling. 

I thought this was going to be a week off for the BLOG, what with only playing one game and the Squirrel doing most of the work with his song.  No, all it did was increase my work load.  Because now I had to figure out just what this god forsaken song was about!

That wasn't an easy proposition.  No one wanted to talk, but I was able to extract a tiny bit of info.  namely, the "young apprentice"/"Servant" in the song is Scott Mason.  The "Master" is none other than the Grisslies own, Geoff Keogh.  Apparently the two played together years ago on the Smokies with Geoff (obviously) being the Short Stop and the young apprentice, Squirrel (equally obvious) playing second base as the understudy. 

After talking to several people who used to be short stops in this league, I found out that there's a whole short stop sub-culture in the league that they NEVER talk about.  And don't think that playing a couple of innings of short gets you into this club.  It doesn't.  You have to be a died in the wool short stop to get in the group. 

Above is a picture of Scott when he was first initiated into the world of Short Stops.  A young Padawan as it were.  Of course, those that seem to have the physical characteristics and mental potential to eventually become a shortstop are paired with a master. 

This is the first known picture of Padawan Scott with his Short Stop Master, Geoff Keogh.  It was up to Geoff to train Scott on the ways of the shortstop and to avoid the "dark-side". 

After many years of training, the young Padawan had grown into an apprentice short stop.  I still love this picture of Scott with his rat-tail and Geoff rocking his best Keifer Sutherland beard.  Things seemed perfect.  But were they?   

There was a tremor in the Short-Stop force. 

On the day of Scott's first Old Timers draft, the Short Stop Council (including Master Keogh, Master Smith, Master Duggan, Master Doyle and Master Cragg) agreed to elevate Scott to a Short Stop-Knight!  He should be thrilled, right?

And then came the tremor.  Scott was furious about not being made a Master immediately!  Furious!!!!  But come on, no rookie comes in as a master.  Well.  Except Lahey.   

Enter, Dodge City Rounders captain and Sith Lord Al Fry who exploited Scott's rage.  It took most of the season but Al turned Scott from his mentor Geoff by using all of his Sithness.  You know Al.  He comes across as this great happy guy in public, but as soon as he can get into his robe, he's a different guy altogether. 

Scott turned.

Geoff tried to take on Al to save Scott.  But even a Short Stop Master against a Sith Lord ain't going to cut it. 

Nope....it took Jon Hardy, neighbor of Scott and secret head of the Short Stop Guild (although he's a mild man and doesn't like to display his dominance) to take out the Sith Lord.   

It was a mighty battle. 

But the dark side was defeated. 

Don't believe this?  Have you seen Al?

THE GAME

Well....as luck would have it, we didn't get to see the showdown between master and apprentice as Geoff was at his daughter's graduation!  Hearty (not Hardy) congratulations to Geoff & family!

Fortunately, we were able to replace Geoff with this guy.

Don't recognize him?  Maybe it would be better out of costume, try this.....

Yep, Doris Casullo. 

As everyone is aware, Geoff coached the team on Monday and got the win.  We are a team that respects streaks, so even with Geoff not there we went with his lineup. 

A lineup that had Doug Dwyer batting clean up. 

Fortunately, the crew was able to over come this flaw. 

The Grisslies blew a chance in the 1st inning stranding two runners as everyone with exception of Danny Chiasson where swinging anxiously facing the knuckle ball for the first time.  The Rounders had us on the ropes with runners on the corner in their half of the inning with only one out.  But a short - to 1st - to home double play killed the threat and kept the game scoreless. 

The Grisslies second saw 5 runs scored with Cal Russell, Tom Enright, Doris Casullo, Cliff Tucker and Dan Routledge all scoring in a bat around inning.  Dodge was retired quickly with no one getting past 1st base in the bottom of the inning. 

After a scoreless top of 3, Dodge got busy and tied the game when Adrian Barry, Scott Mason, Anicette Goncalves, Rob Rumble and Kevin Bryan all scoring.  The last two runs scored on a mammoth blast by Rumble.

The 4th, 5th and 6th innings were scoreless for both squads and the 7th began tied still tied at 5's.

The first 3 batters, Dwyer, Ford and Russell would all reach and score to make the score 8-5 heading to the bottom of the 7th where the only damage was a Barry single. 

Rob Farah pitched great in this one as did Kevin Bryan. There were some very nice defensive plays, but there were also some nervous bats on both sides that lacked their usual punch.  But a very enjoyable game to say the least.

The Grisslies sit 5-4.  This is the first time the Grisslies have been over .500 since August 23rd, 2012.  Ouch. That's taken awhile. Worse, its the first time the Grisslies have had two wins in a week since July 10th and 11th of 2012. 

Check the 3 stars!