What a beautiful day. I know I say that a lot, but seriously, it was borderline perfect weather at the ballyard. We were a little worried when there were only 12 people including a DL'd Greg dropping off the equipment, but then, our ranks swelled and we ended up with 20!
Noah started for the homers, fresh from his sojurn to RI, but he didn't seem to have practiced his pitching while he was there. The visitors touched him for two runs in the first, then we tacked on a few more runs, and I guess he must not have been feeling it cuz by the 3rd he had given the duties over to Mitch who took it the rest of the way.
Satch started for the visitors, and it felt good, even had some extra zip on his fastball to help off set the change up. That being said, the homers kind of lit me up when they were hitting, they answered back to tie the game in the first to make it 2-2 and seemed to be on the verge of several big innings that fizzled out. After 7 strong, I handed the game over to Sean and then Tony for the finish, both of whom did admirable jobs. Sean is leaving the MBC for a few months to tour with some rock and rollers, Good Luck!
The defense on both teams was not bad, other than a few of the usual muffs and drops. The game was quick and we were having so much fun that we played an extra inning. The homers loaded the bags and were on the verge of breaking out only to be turned away after a great pitch and a bang-bang double play.
Not much else to report, the final was 8-5 visitors.
Highlights:
* Good turnout and a fun game
* Thanks to Bob, Mike, Adam and Noah for taking the catching duties
* Gaspar gave me a true Gasparian at bat, fouled off at least 6 balls.
* Tony and I fouled out in successive order
* Powell turned a double play with the bases full to end the game!
* My last at bat, Tony and I were determined not to go down so easy. For my part I hit a ball about 380 feet and into the glove of Sean, who was covering left field and playing me at 370.
* Mitch sent a low line drive to center field that was snared by a diving Phelps. Mitch got Mitched (except of course, that Mitch would never have to dive, he would instinctively know where the ball would be hit....)!
* Sean's friend Miles came out and made several good plays in the field and had at least one hit
* Ball went right through my wickets on a comebacker. Powell picked it up for the out. Nice.
* New Guy Ryan played well and also broke his first bat. Hazards of the game.
* Don is a scary batter to face, I had a lot of confidence in my stuff and everything that was close he was right on it. Had to downshift to junkballs
* Both teams seemed to overthrow first a lot
* Powell also made the correct choice in electing to go to third on a ground ball to get the lead runner. I know that is what you are supposed to do, but in the MBC that is sometimes a frightening proposition.
* Adam missed a play at first, I haven't seen that in a long time
* Thank you to Nick for taking the gear and allowing us to play an extra one
* I think I may have not allowed a hit to Lattig? Or maybe just wishful thinking.
* Mitch hit a big league triple
* Double steal, me and Sean. Becoming quite the thief....
* There were also a lot of infield hits, not by me though, I grounded out twice to third and both times I barely got it out of 2nd gear...but I didn't want to blow out the legs early, ya know?
* Thanks again to everyone who came out, it was a great game!
S. Paige
PS
Sorry if I have left out any memorable plays. Feel free to remind me and I will add in
Monday, August 25, 2014
Monday, August 11, 2014
8/10/14 Balboa Cop Field
This week's write up courtesy of Mike Gaspar, thank you
Mike! Seven Double plays, that is
definitely a MBC record!
It was a surprisingly sunny day at balboa park. The field was in peak summer shape. Meaning, alternating dry, bare patches and
swampy patches in the outfield. Hit a dry
patch and you got an easy double, hit a swampy patch and you might get thrown
out at first. Players started slowly
assembling and it looked like me might not get to the magic number of fourteen.
When low and behold, like a scene out of Field of Dreams,
William Rockwell appeared.
Will's back in town to see his brother Carter get hitched
(congrats dude!) and as luck would have it, play an s.q. game. After a round of hugs and handshakes and a
little infield practice, we were ready
to start.
Mike Lattig took the bump for the home team and as he would
for most of the day had a tidy first inning.
As for the visitors, Chris Powell got the starting duty. And after a solid hit by Tim, some shoddy defense
and a weak ground ball by yours truly, the score was 1-0 homers.
The big story line (besides the return of Will) was the
amount of double plays turned. In a
typical mbc game you might have one or even two but on this day there were
seven. Now a couple of these were a
result of some questionable base running,
but most were due to good infield defense.
Both pitchers settled into a good rhythm and because of the
aforementioned double plays the game was low scoring and played at a quick
pace. The visitors tied it up. And then the homers tacked on a couple. And in the bottom of eighth it was 3-1. That's when the homers put up a crooked number. At this point Greg then Tony had taken over
for Chris. The big hit of inning came
off the bat of Mike Lattig. A double
that plated two runs.
With the score 6-1 at that point, Sonny came in and got the
'save'.
Highlights:
-playing with Will " Straight outta Brooklyn"
Rockwell.
-seven double plays!
-J.T. had some nice line drives right at Mitch. Then one finally fell.
- John McG. had a hit
from the left side.
- Mike L. pitched one
of his better games. Mixing his pitches
well.
- We all got like seven at bats.
- A nine inning game in under three hours. (mlb take note)
Monday, August 4, 2014
8/3/14 Balboa Cop Field
Two in a row, I could hardly believe my luck.
Of course, I also know that I have commitments the next five weekends in a row, so I guess you take the gifts that you are offered. The weather was somewhere between muggy, foggy, windy and neutral. Don't ask what that means, but that was what it was.
Sean started for the visitors and Mitch on the bump for the homers. It was a good match up, both teams seemed capable. But the visitors had a case of the dropsies that was much worse than usual. We could not believe our good luck as we saw balls squirt out of the gloves again and again. No kidding, errors were averaging two to three per play rather than per inning. The game stayed within range, and was tied after the first few frames.
Satch made a controversial call to go for the out on a ground ball to SS, with a runner going home. Ordinarily, this is a no brainer MBC play, but with Powell at SS we probably had a good chance of getting him and stopping the run. While the argument that early in the game is to try for those sorts of outs, I have seen it go sideways too often. That being said, I tried hard the next inning to make it up by taking second on a passed ball and third with a great jump, but was stranded. Might be the first time I have stolen a legitimate base off of Sean.
It turned out not to be a big deal, as our deluge of runs began and by the end of the 7th, the score was all of a sudden a lopsided 8-3. Satch came in to throw after Mitch did 6 strong, and I felt good, mixing it up. There was a grand canyon in front of the mound, so I switched from far right to left, rubber wise which was new.
I can only assume that the homers won, I had to leave the game early, as I got word that Lil' Satch took sick and threw up all over the couch, and I felt bad not being there to help out the missus.
Thanks to AOY Phelps for the denouement of the game.
Top 9: With a 5 run lead, Powell came in for the emergency relief appearance and walked the bases loaded. Sean hit one off the end of the bat right at me at second and I thought it had more mustard than it did. I didn’t charge it and he beat it out. Rule 42.3.4 - No lefties in the infield besides 1st base. Then Greg (?) hit a blooper over 2nd base that I nearly caught but heard footsteps and hesitated at the last second. Tice, the tying run at 3rd base and Chris got the strikeout (i forgot who was up). Game over.
A good game all around, thanks to everyone who showed up.
Highlights:
* Powell and Mcgrath were both hitting line drives
* Ed and Greg did a great job behind the dish, blocking errant pitches
* John Nero had a great catch in left field
* Duane was the hard luck winner of the game, got hit in the back with a pitch, was thrown out at first and again at third on very close plays
* Paul managed to catch a few while working around his son Malcolm (who is five.)
* Struck out Tim on a nasty breaking ball
* Lattig in pants!
* Maybe I am behind the times, but I love the nickname R.B.Ed, very apropos.
* Infield fly rule was enforced correctly
* Tony had a legit triple, as did Sean I think.
* Lattig had a good day at first, Adam had a day of watching throws sail over his head
* I told Greg he was getting the fastball, and he grounded out to SS, I bet he will think of that for a few days
* Mitch threw a great game
* The Piano Leg threw a wood splinter on to the field of play. Nothing a little more tar won't fix
* The pop fly was deadly in the first few innings. Then the wind died down.
S. Paige
Of course, I also know that I have commitments the next five weekends in a row, so I guess you take the gifts that you are offered. The weather was somewhere between muggy, foggy, windy and neutral. Don't ask what that means, but that was what it was.
Sean started for the visitors and Mitch on the bump for the homers. It was a good match up, both teams seemed capable. But the visitors had a case of the dropsies that was much worse than usual. We could not believe our good luck as we saw balls squirt out of the gloves again and again. No kidding, errors were averaging two to three per play rather than per inning. The game stayed within range, and was tied after the first few frames.
Satch made a controversial call to go for the out on a ground ball to SS, with a runner going home. Ordinarily, this is a no brainer MBC play, but with Powell at SS we probably had a good chance of getting him and stopping the run. While the argument that early in the game is to try for those sorts of outs, I have seen it go sideways too often. That being said, I tried hard the next inning to make it up by taking second on a passed ball and third with a great jump, but was stranded. Might be the first time I have stolen a legitimate base off of Sean.
It turned out not to be a big deal, as our deluge of runs began and by the end of the 7th, the score was all of a sudden a lopsided 8-3. Satch came in to throw after Mitch did 6 strong, and I felt good, mixing it up. There was a grand canyon in front of the mound, so I switched from far right to left, rubber wise which was new.
I can only assume that the homers won, I had to leave the game early, as I got word that Lil' Satch took sick and threw up all over the couch, and I felt bad not being there to help out the missus.
Thanks to AOY Phelps for the denouement of the game.
Top 9: With a 5 run lead, Powell came in for the emergency relief appearance and walked the bases loaded. Sean hit one off the end of the bat right at me at second and I thought it had more mustard than it did. I didn’t charge it and he beat it out. Rule 42.3.4 - No lefties in the infield besides 1st base. Then Greg (?) hit a blooper over 2nd base that I nearly caught but heard footsteps and hesitated at the last second. Tice, the tying run at 3rd base and Chris got the strikeout (i forgot who was up). Game over.
A good game all around, thanks to everyone who showed up.
Highlights:
* Powell and Mcgrath were both hitting line drives
* Ed and Greg did a great job behind the dish, blocking errant pitches
* John Nero had a great catch in left field
* Duane was the hard luck winner of the game, got hit in the back with a pitch, was thrown out at first and again at third on very close plays
* Paul managed to catch a few while working around his son Malcolm (who is five.)
* Struck out Tim on a nasty breaking ball
* Lattig in pants!
* Maybe I am behind the times, but I love the nickname R.B.Ed, very apropos.
* Infield fly rule was enforced correctly
* Tony had a legit triple, as did Sean I think.
* Lattig had a good day at first, Adam had a day of watching throws sail over his head
* I told Greg he was getting the fastball, and he grounded out to SS, I bet he will think of that for a few days
* Mitch threw a great game
* The Piano Leg threw a wood splinter on to the field of play. Nothing a little more tar won't fix
* The pop fly was deadly in the first few innings. Then the wind died down.
S. Paige
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