1/4/15 Moscone Field- The Alpha Game

When I die, I hope I end up in a place where the baseball season never ends....oh wait, that's the Mission Baseball Club season!  So, I'll just stay here.

Per usual, January provides some of the nicest baseball playing weather of the year here in SF.  Not sure why, but I have been writing this blog long enough to page back through the years and see that it's true.  Feel free to the do the same, I'll wait.....

Well, our first game of 2015 was no exception, beautiful sun, plenty of action, nice field, who could ask for more?

In a stunning turn, Satch got to play in consecutive games, which hasn't happened for quite some time.  The traffic was non-existent but it takes a while to get to the Marina.  Luckily, everyone else was int eh same boat, so the game hadn't started by the time I rolled in.  The pitchers had been set however, and Carter started for the visiting team, with Satch coming in around the 6th, while the homers went rotisserie style, throwing Sean, Greg, Sonny and someone else, for the homers.  The game was tight, crisp and full of razzle dazzle. 

In the first inning, looking over the formidable lineup of the homers, I remarked to Lattig that the key to winning this game would be to let Chris Powell be the only one who scored.  The thought was that trying to stop him was an exercise in futility, better to focus on the other 8 players...well, I didn't use that exact phrase, cuz I didn't want him to think I was a fancy pants, but the ethos was, let Powell score, and then no more.  And dang if that didn't end up being the way it played out.

Every time that the homers threatened to blow the game up, the visitors would find a way to shut it down.  As a result, the score was a back and forth ending up tied at 3 a piece going into the last three frames.  But in baseball, one wrong pitch can be the difference, and with a mighty crack, the visitors went up and stayed up, fending off one bases loaded jam after another to the tune of a 6-4 victory.

Highlights

* Chris Powell scored 3 of the 4 runs for the homers, and was stranded on third base during a bases loaded fiasco. 

* As a battery, Ed and Satch were completely out of synch with what pitch to throw, but managed to still do a good job

* John McGrath gets the Ugliest Double award, the hit was a thing of beauty, but also a valuable lesson for his kids who were in tow, that one should always be aware of the other base runners, while running. 

* In addition to his scoring prowess, Powell also made several plays from deep SS

* Gaspar laid down a great bunt in an attempt to fend off against the shift, but was foiled by an even better play by Carter to get the lead runner at third.

* John Carey was out, resplendent in Bob's high school uniform, and played a great game, even if he did dive a few times in the outfield on plays that may not have required it

* Greg gave himself an error for throwing the pitch, and then immediately knowing it was the wrong choice, which Satch crushed to take the lead in the game

* The grass at Moscone makes the hardest hit grounder, a roller after two bounces

* The homers had about 7 hits to short center field, all singles, no way to defend

* Last week, John Nero left the game to go buy water, and so, in a crucial part of the game, Chris Powell came up to bat with two outs instead of Nero....this week, when Dennis left early, the home team was asked if they wanted to just let Powell hit again, since that seems to be the way it works....I am turning the whole thing over to Bob Carey, Chief Justice of the Kangaroo Court

* Since Bob was on my team, I may have tried to breeze John with a knuckleball.  Missed him by two feet.

* I had my first legitimate sacrifice fly in quite a while to get the visitors on the board.

* Hank had a number of hard hits in the game and played all over the diamond

* JT made some catches in right when we really needed them

* Don also made some catches in right (center) when we really needed them

Thanks for a great game, everyone who was out.  Happy 2015 (still waiting for jet packs, flying cars, one piece uniform jumpsuits, telepathy helmets, food in pill form, and the Cubs to win the World Series....)

S. Paige