Here we are in the post-Bob era.
The weather was significantly colder and grim with fog swirling about the field, suitable for the cold reality we are all living in....however we had 24 players show up, so maybe Bob leaving was just the kick in the ass that we all needed to start showing up more regular. Or maybe it's just that time of year.
A return in force of many of the regulars helped us get to the numbers we needed, including the Presley brothers, HR, Gaspar, McG, Phelps, etc. I was late getting to the game, having had to work out a trade arrangement with the family that found me at a Brentwood pumpkin patch for 3 hours in the morning. The things I do for baseball.
Sean started for the homers and I got to be on the home team, which was bully for me. Phelps started for the visitors, so it was lefty on lefty action for most of the first half. The game was real tight, 1-1 for most of it, and a hard fought tie it was. Sean, fresh from his trip to the Emerald Isle and beyond, wisely chose to stop throwing after 4 innings, and not stress his rested arm. I came in and threw a 5 inning save situation. Luckily, the team had our back and we exploded for 4 runs in the middle of the game. We sat on that lead for the rest of the game and 2 major cap tips to the homers:
* We turned not 1, but 2 double plays to end innings
* Mr Tim Presley was a damn All-Star out there: making over the shoulder catches, hitting frozen ropes, running the bases like Rickey.
I downshifted to the old strategy of give the hitters exactly what they are looking for and watch them fuck it up. It is amazing how batting practice fastballs will tie someone up so much. We had about 12 pop flies, one inning all of them stayed in the infield. It works, until it doesn't. And my back didn't hurt afterwards.
Erasto came in for the visitors and then Aiden mopped up. Everyone was trying to figure out how to see the ball coming from Erasto's mid-pitch hidden ball trick. Aiden, we just hoped that when people got hit, it wasn't fatal. Both of them did fine.
5-1, homers.
Highlights:
* Great to have full squads
* The mound had some clay added it to it, or the olde tyme guys have stopped for the season and aren't fucking it up anymore
* Phelps threw a great game, including a K on yours truly
* Tim P: He literally did it all, MVP.
* We slightly bobbled a ball at 2nd base an that was enough for Aiden to make it safe to first. That is what speed does for you.
* It's been a while since we had a game where a hit ball disappeared into the fog
* Anna got robbed, but had some nice digs at 1st
* Sean pitched a great game, especially for someone that hasn't thrown a ball in a month
* Adam played all-time defense, which confused us at first but eventually was a nice addition.
* A question posited during the game: Has anyone ever seen a dirty Dodgers uniform? They are always so bright and white....
* For pitching 5 innings, I am not sure if I threw 60 pitches total...Eeeeeeeeeeeefficiency.
* Santos made several good catches in the outfield, though judging by where he plays most of us, he thinks we can hit it a lot farther than we can
* HR put the bat on the ball and not just to right field, must be all the extra sleep
* Alejandro/Gabe, Diego, Mike N, Anna, that the infield if you want outs
* I am glad that I didn't kill Erasto with a line drive that was as hard as any I have hit recently, he made a great play
* Thanks to McG, Gaspar, Don, Greg for donning the tools
* The GGP parking was splendid!
* Remember- Clocks change this week, I believe next game is 1pm start.