8/28/11- West Sunset

Well my departure last week was premature as it turned out, the wife was kind enough to let me have one more day in the sun.  And it was a great time, except there wasn't any sun.  Plenty of fog and mugginess though.  We had another big turnout, it was 11-11 this time instead of 17-17 though, so thank god for small miracles.  Satch started for the homers in what may be the last go around for this show pony, well, for a little while anyway.  And to switch things up, I got to face Johnny Bartlett, fresh off of a great game last week, which was erroneously reported.  Apparently, he threw damn near a shut out last week.

The game see-sawed continuously, each team losing the lead, then reclaiming it, sometimes with authority.  By the middle innings, the visitors put up what looked like an insurmountable lead, but somehow, we clawed our way our of a seven run deficit to tie the game.

I felt good, and everything seemed to working well, but I lost so many 2 strike counts that it started to feel like providence.  I would get the first two strikes no problem, and I would throw exactly the pitch I wanted for the third one, and somehow it was get hit, well or dinked enough to fall in.  And dink we did.  Between the two teams there might have been a record number of dying quails.

Not all the hitting was so wussy though, as Rich showed us once again why it was that he played 7 years of professional baseball, while the rest of us were partying.  Two home runs!  That's right I said it.  Off two pitchers.  Amazing.  He also had at least two doubles, so you might say that Rich was a big reason that we kept coming back.

 I think we all enjoyed the action of never being comfortable with the lead we had.  I bowed out after 7, and Johnny did the same, leaving Greg for the homers and Dustin and Brian Phelps for the visitors to mop up the game.  We continued to outscore each other, and we played an extra inning to make up for the excess of players that we had.  In the end, somehow, the homers won the game, which was most surprising to us, seeing how we had been in such a deep hole for a good part of the game.  Final Score: 18-14.

Highlights:


* It was a real honest game, people who were picked off didn't argue about it, when a play was close at first, the defense didn't argue on a safe call.

* There were more triples hit than I care to remember, but I know Duane had at least one, as did both new guys

* Bob was hit twice, once on a fastball, which I felt bad about.  Sorry Bob.

* Paul had the game of his life, he was at least 5-5 and made a spectacular diving catch in the short porch in right

* I am pretty sure that everyone on the other team got a hit off of me.

* Mitch had some great catches, but even more close ones that he safely veered away from as the other outfielder came crashing in.  The new guys don't know that its better to just let him handle it.

* Jay came out again and hit the ball with authority all day, and made a lifesaver catch to end my day on the bump.

* Noah and Dustin played well considering the hangovers they were most likely suffering from

* Bob also hit the longest ball we have ever seen him hit.  It probably helped that he knew I was going to  float one in after hitting him

* The third inning lasted approximately 3 hours.  I was soaked by the time I walked off the mound

* Noah was framing pitches that were a foot out of the strike zone, and even called one a strike.  I guess if you frame it then look at it, of course its a strike.

* Sean was kind enough not to catch my opposite field hit

* Rich and Mike Lattig were the 4th and 5th outfielders for most of the game rather than SS and 2nd.

* There were a number of solid left field line hits as well, and as we know it is treacherous out there on the left line, gets real bumpy and rocky

* Phelps almost had me on the center fielder pick off maneuver.  Luckily I was high enough (also thanks to Brian) to be one with the game and sniff out the complex ruse

* We had our first complainant on a foul ball, who apparently pointed out some minuscule dent on his truck.  Never saw the owner of the car who's roof we sky balled,  setting off the alarm.

* The only person who didn't hit me well was Sean who is usually the guy that hits me all day.  Go figure.  Maybe he has to pitch to hit.  I was so tired after the game, I think I told him that he pitched a great game, even though he never did throw.

* Let's go Stories!....I almost fell off the mound.

* We had a lot of stolen bases from people who shouldn't be stealing bases.  They were all safe too, which is only going to encourage them.


Alright, you are all on reporter detail until I get back out there, so pay attention and send me regular updates.

S. Paige