7/28/24 GGP

 If ever there was a game that went from grim to great, it was this one.  

We started with 10 players at 3pm.  Well, technically 3:05 because I was late due to bridge traffic and the Up your Alley Street fair.  However, while we wallowed in our despair, things started to look up.  3 guys started playing catch in the outfield, and 3 kids were hitting baseballs near the infield.  We recruited 5 of the 6 and suddenly we had a game!  Add Santos, who showed up late on his bike, and we were set. 

Mitch and I dueled it out for the full length of the game, which ended up being 8 innings, since we had people that had to leave.  The Homers scored first, and then it went into see-saw mode.  1-1, 2-1, 2-2.  No one could break open the game, and the defense for both sides was pretty locked down.  I know we had at least 2 double plays for our team, and all the new guys contributed with at least one defensive play.  Mitch and I both had good games, both had working curveballs, and kept a lot of people off balance.

I was covering 2nd base in the 7th inning and sadly, really fucked up a play.  Mike N hit a curving rocket in my direction, and I tried to play it backhanded so as to shield my body as much as possible from injury.  I missed it of course, and the go ahead run scored, and then another.  So we went into the end of the game 4-2.  I felt bad about that.  

The Visitors wasted no time in scoring that run back and then another to knot the game back at 4's.  So we headed into the bottom of the last inning, tied.  We decided that if it was still tie at the end we would leave it as is and call it a tie.

I was the first batter up, and hit a ground ball that was destined to be an out, except that it went through the SS wickets, and suddenly I was on first base.  I really didn't want to be the winning run on base, and I almost asked for a pinch runner, but I figured there was a good chance that I would be the easy out at 2nd or something.  

On the second pitch, Powell tattooed one to left field, well over the head of the fielder.  I started running, and when I was at 3rd, the ball was still in the deep outfield so I figured to go for it, and barreled home.  I was readying myself to slide and possible break everything, but the throw never came, and the game as over.  

Apparently I had been told to stop at 3rd, but didn't never heard that.  I collapsed for a few minutes, not sure how I was going to recover, but I did.

5-4, Homers.

Highlights

* Thanks to everyone who made it out! Roll call of the devoted: Adam, Greg, Bob, Mitch, Chris, John McG, Santos, Mike N, Mike Lynch, Satch, Rick

* Thanks to Finn and Liam, our two kid recruits who did a great job!

* Thanks to Tomas and the two other guys, hope they come back next week

* John and Greg did a fine job behind the dish, keeping the ball in front, as did Liam

* Defensively we did great, even our errors were on hard plays

* Knuckleball was working!

* After 2 close throws from 3rd, we moved Finn to 2nd and he got a ground ball out, way to go kid!

* Liam roughed me up for two hits before I realized I didn't need to take it easy on him

* A lot of very close plays, I would not have wanted to be the umpire

* Twice I struck out New guy with two outs, and both times, Greg questioned why I was walking off the mound....

* It was 64 degrees and foggy the whole game

* We spotted the traitor Dave walking away after his olde tyme game finished, not even considering playing with us....

* Another discussion on where a ball has to land to be an automatic homerun, when we don't have a fence.  At this field, I have always though that you needed to get the ball to the berm, or the foothills as Adam called it, to be legit.  Chris is salty that I get the call, but he has to run his hits out, on account of him being in shape and me being, well, me.  I can't discount that completely.  I think a 380ft shot should be a automatic round tripper, and that is about what the map tells us is the beginning of the hill

7/14/24 GGP

 Another great game. And I say that from the point of view of the guy that blew the game.  More on that later. 

Sean started,  and finished,  for the Homers.  I was late getting to the game, and Dave had the bump, throwing his heat.  The first couple of innings, we were not doing much, other than getting outs and trying to not drop the ball.  We mostly succeeded.

Sean was in pitching mode, and you could see he was hungry for a game, we tried to comply, though our best inning was an error fraught scorcher, but we suddenly found ourselves in the lead.  Chris Powell took over duties on the bump for us and did a fine job of holding the line.  I think by that point it was getting close to 6-2, Visitors.

The stand out player of the game, with an acknowledgement of Sean's complete game, was Santos.  One of the Yucatan boys, he was all over the place with his stellar play.  He made several running catches in center field, and muscled up on at least 3 hits for the day.  He scored runs and stole bases.  He did it all.

So there I am taking over in the 8th, comfortable lead, the Homers had struggled to get the big inning the whole game.  I was feeling good, throwing what I thought was good ball.  The 8th went great, I think I threw about 14 pitches, 8 of those to Santos, who worked me for a well earned hit.  

Bottom of the 9th.  

The bats suddenly came alive for everyone on the Homers, and they clubbed a barrage of hits at me.  The easy fly ball we got all game, suddenly was a bases loaded double.  

The lead evaporated before my eyes, and I was suddenly trying to get my first out, with the game 6-5.

Needless to say, I didn't get said out.

The Homers easily pushed us aside, and won the game, 7-6.

Highlights

* Santos, game ball!

* Sean, awesome game on the hill. Kenball made some good catches in left.

* New guy Darius(?) was also solid in defense, and at the plate. 

* Cap tip to all the catchers

* JT had a couple of amazing plays at 1st, to come off and get the tag.  

* 2 JT collisions as well, though physics told me that JT was on the safe side for at least one of them

* Congrats to McGrath and his oldest son Liam, who got an offer to play D2 ball.  Go get 'em kid!

7/7/24 GGP Fourth of July Doubleheader

2024 Mission Baseball Club 4th of July Doubleheader

What a great day!  We have had some good 4ths before, but this one had it all.  Chills, spills, fog, assault on the elderly, music, babies, food, you name it!  Thank you to Bob and Greg for the permit work, and a reminder as Bob said in his stirring address, we will need people to step up and start getting permits once he has moseyed down the trail, but more about that later.

Game 1:

Sonny started for the Homers and Satch for the Visitors.  We had a total of about 32 players over the course of the day, so everyone played half a game.  Sonny threw well, and the score was very low, edging back and forth in the first few frames.  He bowed out after 3, and I left after 4.  When the players for the game are 15 on 15, it is important that everyone sits, a lot.  Especially when we have people who may only be playing one of the games.

Mitch and Tony replaced us, and the game kept up as previous.  There were so many hitters that the lineup was never quite the same, but it was close.  We had some great plays, including several catches behind the plate, some great catches in the outfield from Kenball and the Yucatan contingent, and at least one double play.  The band showed up and started making beautiful noise for the game.

In an act described as "medium sportsmanship," Tony took out Nick Smith at first in a horrific collision.  Well, actually, Nick came off the bag to get the ball, and Tony had nowhere to go and tried to lessen the impact as much as possible, but still, you be the judge, as we were lucky enough to get footage of the incident:

We had Powell and Sean on the same team, which usually isn't allowed, but there were so many others, and the Homers had the youthful destroyers Arson and Parks, who proved to help the Homers to take the lead.  It was 6-3 going into the 9th inning.  However, somehow we suddenly pulled ourselves together and starting scoring again, and when the dust had cleared we were out in front 8-6.  No one was more surprised than we.  

Phelps had come in as the late relief, and he had no trouble shutting door and we were victorious in the first game.

Break:

The awards ceremony this year was poignant and memorable.  Bob Carey, our steady as she goes team dad, Fiskian-style professional pitcher's target (catching or hitting) and permanent red ass, is retiring to the golden peaks of Southeastern Colorado. 

 Yes, Bob's hanging 'em up.  But I am sure he will be back as a regular player/visitor once he finds there is only so much you can do on a Sunday in paradise.

Here's a write-up I did for Bob back in 2009, and literally nothing has changed about his gamesmanship or character. He's a class act.

https://missionbaseball.blogspot.com/2009/04/player-profile-8-robert-carey.html

Well, Bob got the AOY, again, AND was anointed as the inaugural winner for the 1st AOY Lifetime Achievement Award.  Mike Lynch, having held the last AOY administration post, put forth a stirring argument for an amendment that the award be renamed from Asshole (Athlete) of the Year (AOY) to Jackass Of the Year (JOY).  There were several in agreement, a quorum was held, and...we'll let you know.  In honor of his trophy making, Sonny and I both presented Bob with keepsake trophies, so he will always know what he meant to us. Pics to follow.

Thomas D. passed the trophy for Rookie of the Year to Charlie D., making up for the unfortunate incident last year, of which the band is heartily sorry.  

Conor was named Best Dressed award by the perennial All-Star in that category, Sean Paul.  Trophy for that is delayed at least 2 years at this point.

Food was cooked, eat and drink was had, the band was playing the good old tunes, and the sun would slip out of the fog and make it 75 degrees for about ten seconds, and then it was back to 64 degrees. 

Special thanks to all those who brought something and the Tiemann's for the crockery as usual and all the extra help, Lynch, Nick S, Nick W, and whoever else schlepped a stove or a table or an ice chest! 

Game 2:

Same teams-ish, since there were some departures after the first game.  We flip-flopped the game, and Sean started for the now-Homers, and Javier started for the now-Visitors.  Unfortunately, the game was more of a boot on the neck than the previous game was. 

Javier pitched great, and the defense of the visitors was locked down.  Ours had gotten a little off course, though we were helped by Charlie D. who played a mean right field and 2nd base, saved a run with a heads up throw from the outfield and made a fantastic snare of a line drive off the bat of JT.  Rumors are, there is footage of that at-bat, I will share when it becomes available.

I think the score was steadily rising for the Visitors, and we could not manage to score a run.  We got close a few times, but the at-bats suddenly dried up. There was the occasional solid hit, but not too much else.  Greg was consistently on base, but I don't know that we ever got him in.

After Javier, Daniel came in to pitch and he did very well for a guy who only plays once a year.  Our slump continued, we may have scored a run, but it was bleak on the whole.  Not only could we not hit, but our love affair with mental mistakes and dropped balls continued -- of which I was responsible for at least one of each. 

I pitched again for 2 innings and then Greg took over for the rest of the game. To close it out, the Visitors brought in a guy named Shark.  

So that tells you what our last two at bats were like.  He was a hard throwing lefty, and he put us down pretty quick.  We managed to scrape another run or so, but the final score was a soft 9-4, Visitors.  They deserved it.

Highlights

* I'm not crying Bob, you're crying!

* Thank you to everyone who was involved, it was a great day.

* Bob had at least 4 hits on the day, and regrettably, did not get plunked even once!

* Big hits from lots of people, but I believe the drive of the game is Gabe's 2-run homerun, a majestic shot to left field

* Tony, it looks like you are only looking at 1-count of simple assault which is generally a misdemeanor. Simple assault involves intentionally or recklessly causing physical harm to another person or creating a reasonable apprehension of harm.  We got so many lawyers in this club, you should be able to get a deal struck....

* Great to Marci out with lil' guy in tow, and she played!

* Dan might be the first guy with a broken ankle to bat for us, thanks to Johnathan for pinch running, though next time, start out further away from Dan and not as much behind him,

* Matt Stone out, catching outs, and getting hits

* I try really hard not to hit people with fastballs, it is a horrible feeling all around when I do.  So, apologies to Conor, who had the reflex enough to put his hand up and block the ball, when I accidently threw one headed for his ear.  Mea Culpa.

* All the catchers did a great job behind the dish

* The band was out in force and played 2 versions of Take me out to the Ballgame!

* Close plays all day, when we weren't overthrowing, or dropping them.

* Ed made a guest appearance, as a non-player.  Always good to see him and he's got a fresh pair of 20-year old shoes and what appears to be a new style of cutoffs

* Bob rung up Tony in the first at bat of the game, on a questionable call. Classic.

* The Yucatan boys all made some stellar grabs in the outfield

* Daniel had back to back doubles in the first game!

* More than one infield fly rule on the day

* I think I had one that went through the fingers of my glove, it was hit so hard

Happy 4th to all!

S. Paige