12/14/25 GGP

A remarkably sunny day for December, and while we had to move from our scheduled field to the other one due to the high school team hogging it until 1:30, everything else was ok.  We began with 7 on 7 and became 9 on 9 for a brief moment.  

The day was a real gem, and so was the parking.  Enjoy it while you can. 

Mitch was the starter for the visitors and Satch for the homers.  I felt like I was dealing well, but the visitors were on to me from the beginning.  They were assisted by an absolute beast of a new guy, Aaron, who ended the day with 1 single, 3 doubles, and a 2-run HR.  Woah.   

I gave up 4 of those hits, by the way. Including the bomb. Which I signaled immediately, in case you thought I only wanted my own hits to count... 

Mitch was throwing lights-out ball for the visitors, and we could not get a thing going, no matter what we did.  What we did was a lot of Ks and weak grounders and pop ups.  It was observed that there are a substantially higher number of foul outs recorded when Mitch is pitching because his range to either foul line is much beyond every one else. 

I threw 7 innings, and would have done more, but after giving up the HR, Greg asked me the somewhat rhetorical question, Do you think you have done enough today?  

I guess so.  

Greg finished the game, with a much better track record than I had.  Dave came in after Mitch, and we fared no better with him.  With a whimper we dropped the bottom of the 9th, and meagerly called it a game. 

9-2, Visitors. 

Highlights 

* Mitch pitched a hell of a game 

* An amazing display of power in every direction from Aaron (hereafter known as the Good Aaron) to every field, as well as timely defense in the outfield 

* We relied on the MBC double to get runners into scoring position 

* A reverse of the previous month, we saw the anti-Nick Smith Defensive web gem game; the glove was not working 

* A hell of a play on a shot to the gap from Anna, that Powell leaped up and away to snag, and then turned to fire it to 2^nd to Nadolny to double up the runner 

* There was a pop up in front of the plate that I really wanted Greg to catch, though I had a better angle on it.  Whomp whomp 

* Sonny was playing the full game again, rather than just pitching, so that was something 

* Anna's nephew Leo came out and proved a gamer, we tried to draft him but apparently 8 year olds are too young to play.... 

* Stoner proved that he needs to come out more often, hitting isn't something that you can do once in a while 

* Gaspar took the shift and told us to shove it right up the middle 

* Lynch survived another hot corner attack 

* Greg, McG, Mike N, Mike G, and Don all did a great job behind the dish 

* Here is what a no-doubter looks like, cap tip to the Good Aaron 

 

12/7/25 GGP

The Tule fog has been playing havoc on the valley for the last several weeks, and created a strange dynamic where it can be pleasant and sunny in the City and gross everywhere else around it. It's also been significantly warmer in the City than home.  Anyway, it was a pleasure to come out of the 47 degree gray nightmare and into the sunny and balmy 54 degree day in GGP, and while our numbers were a little scary at first, it turned into a great game with 17 at our pinnacle.  

We even got Marcie out, and celebrated Anna and McG birthdays, it was a really nice day. for a game

Too bad the game wasn't a little nicer.

We homers scored the first run of the game, and then we absolutely shit the bed for the rest of the contest.  I started for home team, and Sonny for the visitors.  I couldn't throw a good pitch in warm-ups but my first 5 pitches once the game started were all spot on, including a curveball that actually curved.  Then the visitors started teeing off on me. Sonny did not have the same problems, though he appeared to be unable to do any baseball except pitch.  The visitors also had a real tough lineup, not a weak spot among them.

The game was 1-1 for a little while then they scored two more and that was the game.  I threw 7 innings, McG threw one and Greg threw one.  Gabe replaced Sonny just in case we had any inkling of trying to come back and he was much more locked in than past outings which was both great and disheartening to see.  I think with one exception, both teams had a baserunner every inning, but we could not for the life of us get anyone around.  Gabe and new Guy Jeff combined for 4 singles, 4 doubles and a triple. Gabe was particularly impressive, legging out two infield singles in his first two at bats.

My defense is what kept the game from being a total disaster, we turned a double play, we had a couple of great catches on line drives, and both teams handled several high fly balls that needed to be caught.  The visitors didn't have near the issues we did with baserunners, and also managed a couple of heads up plays to get outs when the force play dissolved.  Including one where they threw me out at 3rd for the final out of an inning, it was a ground ball up the middle, I figured I was safe from harm and was jogging along waiting to hear the out made at 2nd, and then I see the ball bouncing ahead of me to the third baseman.  

What can you do?

It was 3-1 for the majority of the rest of the game, then they scored 3 more.  For us, after the run that scored, we never got a runner to third base again.  

Final- 6-1, visitors.

Highlights:

* Thank you to everyone that came out to play

* Sorry to Don for hitting him with the inside fastball, I try not to ever hit anyone with fastball.

* Thanks to Marcie for the donuts and the great defense in right

* For a bunch of aged fellows, we still got some hustle down the line

* The ball was carrying a lot

* Anna, covering left field for us, made the cardinal mistake of charging a line drive from Gabe, which seemed to picking up speed and height as it went along, and zoomed over her head

* Heads up play at 1st from Nick Smith to keep a passed ball from becoming more

* The visitors hammered the hole between 3rd and SS all day

* Ben and Alejandro both played excellent infield

* Thanks to Nico and Marcos who did the majority of the defense covering for the the other teams

* Anna had a great hit on her birthday, and possibly a RBI?

* A Mission Baseball Single- An weak groundball resulting in a fielding error and/or a throwing error

* A Mission Baseball Double- The same thing, but the ball is sailed out of play behind 1st

* Mike Lynch had some hot corner magic

* Sonny's dog bit me