7/14/11- MBC vs. San Quentin Giants

Once more through the gates of doom, to the field of battle.


Well, maybe that its being a bit melodramatic, but what the hell, you only go to SQ so many times, right?  We gathered again in the parking lot on Thursday night to see what we could do against the Giants.  Our wait was short, the guard was different, and they had a whole new procedure for ID's, again....

In any case, we got in and warmed up, the right field was extra sloppy, and the grounds crew was just starting to rake nad prepare the field.  We knew we weren't getting 9.  Greg pitched in to help chalk the lines, we spoke with Junkyard who was once again behind the dish, got the low down and then it was game time.

They had the same big righty pitching and he had the same stuff.  Decent fastball, enough of a curve to screw us up, and a really hard and heavy knuckleball.  He was also helped by the wide and low stroke zone of the Junkyard.

In a bit of sad news, we were disappointed that both Red and Johnny Badass quit the team earlier that week, after a drubbing by some junior college team.  It sounded like there was a lot more to the story, but in any case, they will be missed, as they were the guys that we had gotten to know the most.  I am glad that Red got to hit my changeup well before he left the squad.

Sean went 4 innings for us, and did well, despite an awful 1st inning that saw 6 runs come across on about 3 hits.  I think everyone contributed to making it the most error filled inning in quite a while.  Sean composed himself as a gamer, and pitched through it.  We all settled down and the errors dried up to the usual assortment.  Satch came in for one inning of relief, and never quite settled down.

We had one hit after three innings, which was pretty embarrassing, but we finally got into the mood, and Brian Phelps once again provided the scoring, complete with his usual SQ base running ugliness.  Luckily this time, he did score, it just took a while for it to happen.  Jimmy and Stoner and Gaspar are officially retired as 3rd base coaches, and the rest of us are on notice.

Once we had one run on the board, we all relaxed and enjoyed the game.  They pulled their starter and brought in a some guy who had a real spaghetti arm delivery.  We took advantage of that, as well the errors that the Giants started to make, and suddenly we had the makings of a good rally in the 6th.  With two outs, Chris popped up to the infield, but it dropped out of the pitcher's glove, who was stumbling backwards, and Satch came up with 2 men on.  I barely got a foul ball out of play, to stay alive, and then hit a long foul ball that would have been a homerun, if it had stayed fair.  I figured I wasn't going to get that pitch again, so I hit the next one up the middle and over the glove of Mario at SS.  Somehow, it picked up speed and went into the gap.  I was rounding second around and they still had not reached the ball, so I figured I would try for third.  Immediately afterwards, I thought to myself, What the fuck am I doing.  But I was committed, so I slid as wide and big as could to block the incoming ball, and had myself a triple.  Phew.

I ended up stranded at 3rd, and we lost the game 9-4.  Handshakes and hugs all around.  Off to the Marin Brewing Company for burgers and lots of pitchers.

Highlights:


* Sean deserved a better game and also was being squeezed by Junk all day

* Gaspar hit a double down the third base line, too bad for them that they don't know about the shift.

* Chris had a play at home that featured five people around home plate, Sean, Greg, Junk, the first runner and the second runner.  He fired it into the crowd and Greg took it off the wrist.

* For some reason we were delayed for several minutes cuz Junk scratched his arm

* Nick had a great dig at first to save a run

* Cagle saved my ass at second, when I got a hot grounder then fired the ball into the dirt

* Greg had a guy nailed on a pitchout to second.  The umpire didn't think so.  We did.

* The field umpire was really walking the vague line, he would point, but then make no gesture of safe or out.

* I think Jimmy got hit on a 3-1 count.  That's the SQ way....

* Ed continued his SQ streak of RBI's

* For every line drive we hit, there was a man positioned in just the right spot.  For every weak pop they had, we were no where to be seen.  Sean thinks they got a book on us.

* I overheard from  the SQ Giants dugout that they "love playing us, we are all great guys and good fun."  It helps that we allow them to pummel us everytime.

* Whoever took the pictures, please forward to me, so I can post.

Next game is August, unless we can squeeze one in.

S. Paige