6/22/25 GGP

 A great game! We had 12-13-14-15-16-17-18

A great game.  I almost died, again.

A great game? Greg got bean-balled and only because it also hit his ear did he avoid major damage.

It was some kind of ball game.  

Carter gets the "Great to see you, Don't rush back" award for pitching like a maniac and almost killing Greg. :) 

Sean pitched a masterful game but didn't get the breaks he needed, and we had a few choice hits.  I started and was throwing efficiency ball— that is slightly above batting practice speed, and praying they swing and don't get it square.  It works.

Until it doesn't.  Phelps, arriving later than usual, was batting for the visitors and absolutely destroyed one that was a heat-seeking missile headed for my sternum.  Time slowed; I could see the red threads rotating.  Reflexes took over and I caught it.  Then I took a long walk around the mound to collect myself and resist the urge to ugly cry.

We scored some runs thanks to the fact that we had Mitch and Powell on the same team, which is also the best defensive team you can ask for.  Mitch Mitched a few people, Powell provided some sure outs.  Nice pitching to defense.

I don't think we ever lost the lead, but the visitors started to wake up in the middle innings, and by the time I bowed out after 6, the score was 8-4.  Powell came in for two innings and they scored 2.  We still felt confident, but then Carter started his berserker routine and we got gun shy.  We called on Mitch to close it out and he was masterful to the end.  The visitors scored one, and had runners threatening on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs.  

No problem, game over. 

Homers 8-7

Highlights:

* Glad we all lived through another Sunday, I used to not think that way after games.

* Mitch made a long run into foul grounds from third to track down a foul ball

* Greg is ok!  

* Adam made a sno-cone snare on a foul ball at first

* I caught a infield pop up off the mound after calling "Oh shit, I guess that is me."

* Ana had the hard luck award hitting three drives that went straight to people

* Phelps had a pretty great triple. Asshole.

* Sean was hitting double-doubles

* Thanks to the guy in the stands that made it 9 on 9 and also hit a long drive

* Erasto was feeling pretty down on himself for a couple of errors, but it didn't keep him from getting 3 RBIs and 2 hits

* Lynch was also stinging the ball

* We had successful look them back at third—get the out at first.

6/1/25 GGP

We had a lot of players, that much is true.  The day was sunny, though not warm in the traditional sense. We were on the eastern diamond, away from the throngs of the Olde Tyme league game.

Sean started for the homers, and HR for the visitors.  The first three innings took roughly 4 hours to complete, the 3rd inning in particular was more than a little painful.  HR looked good in the beginning, but faced some challenges with strikes as the game went on.  

Sean was efficient, as he often is. His defense had his back as well, and we hit right into it.  Our defense wasn't terrible, but we did have that inning.  We also had about 5 balls overthrown at first that resulted in automatic doubles.

Charlie came out to keep the old man company, and play some 2nd base, which he did great, to the tune of 4 putouts and an assist.  He almost laced a single to left, but well-known bully Don was playing in just the right place to catch it.

Satch came in after HR and we moved into a quicker game.  The run-scoring, on the other hand, started to get out of control.  I had a working curveball but my challenge fastball wasn't challenging anyone.  By the time the middle innings were behind us, the score was somewhere in the 8-2 region.

Liam came in for the homers after that, in case our throats weren't properly being stepped on, and that was about it.  Since becoming a collegiate standout, he has improved a lot as a pitcher, and we went from little chance to no chance.

In the 9th we showed a little ginger, and Liam showed his lack of understanding on how one leaves the pitcher mindset and throws an easy pitch to an 11 year old.  Charlie took a ball to the forearm, and showed a lot of character by staying in, and taking first.  I followed with a first pitch swing and blooped one in to center. I was thrown out at 2nd on a fielders choice and base-coached Charlie in for our first score since the 3rd inning.  

That's how you turn a negative into a positive! We scored another but that was it.  

Final, 12(?)-4, Homers.

Highlights:

* Thanks to the 20+ that played, weird to think that we had 11 people 2 weeks ago

* Jesse did a fine job behind the dish, as did Nick, Greg and John McG

* Liam hit the hardest line drive over first base that I have seen in awhile

* Gabe hit one back at me that I am going to see in my nightmares for a while.  I didn't even attempt to catch it

* Chris and Zach collided in the outfield, luckily no one was hurt.  Gotta communicate out there, people!

* Django was doing it all

* Alex has proven that he is the fastest player we have seen in while

* Mitch was a human vacuum cleaner in the infield

* We're coming up fast for the double header, which by my reckoning will be July 6th.

Player Profile- Rick Kvoriak

It was brought to my attention that I have never given Rick the respect of a MBC player profile.  I apologize profusely for this oversight.  

Rick was there before I was.  I am not sure how long, but possible from the very early times, in the 90s. When I first started, there was another Kvoriak on the email chain, which apparently is Rick's brother, but I have never met him.  

When I showed up, Rick was in the midst of raising young'uns, twins, and that definitely affected his ability to get away for games on a regular basis.  It was cute when they came out to cheer on their dad, but he was pretty distracted when they came out, something I came to know much more about a few years later.

When he come out, he was known as one of the bigger bats especially if he got out in front and pulled the ball, it could go a long way.  Like, really a long way.  I gave up a hit to him once at the Marina that landed in the softball field in left.  Roughly here.

His bat was wicked fast, and while he wasn't breaking any records on the bases, he was sure footed and knew what he was doing.  The same with his defense, mostly infield, but he could do anything.  I remember him pitching too, I think.  

So we had a Rick hiatus for about 15 years, and then about a year ago, he started coming out again, and his bat is just as lethal as it always was.  The twins are now adults and following the family tradition of being in several bands.  Rick is a prolific musician, plays all kinds of things, and has been in several bands with another MBC legend, Johnny Bartlett.

Rick is another MBC player who started life in Ohio, and agrees that it is a great place to leave.  Lesser known fact that Rick likes to bring up is that Ohio is the only state that has a baseball pennant as the state flag.  

In 2011, a friend of Duane's did a Nike spec shot with our team, and in it you see Rick swing and miss for strike 3 on a inside change up.  How do I know?  Cuz' I threw it, and it was one of the few times I got him out, and it got filmed.  Enjoy:

Three cheers for Rick Kvoriak, a modern day Roy Hobbs, back to prove that age is just a number and power never goes out of style. Cap tip!

5/18/25 GGP

Well, a beautiful day, and a shitty turnout.  

At 3pm there was ten of us.  The best we could muster up was 3-3-3 with Greg as all-time catcher and Sean and I pitching two innings in a row then swapping.  The same thing that we did a few weeks back, but this time Sean didn't get hosed on at bats.

Greg was the rock, catching Top, Middle and Bottom of the innings, cap tip.

The game was all over the place, and when you only have 3 batters, you get ghost runners etc.  The team of HR, Mitch, and Rick was the clear winner, from the beginning. They were a team of doubles.

Django showed up, and was teamed with Sean and Tim, then me and Tim, then Don and Tim, and me and Sean, then me and Sean and Tim.  

Lynch, Nadolny, and Nick Smith were the last team, and also a team of big hits. Cap tip to Mike for playing through a shredded kneecap that occurred on a weird play at 2nd.  Hope it's ok.

Final score was something like 3-8-5.

Highlights:

* Amazing day, plenty of parking, and in case it scared anyone off, let it be stated once and for all that Bay to Breakers does not interfere with the game in GGP.

* Mitch gets MVP for his offensive and defensive skills

* Sean had a triple

* Double play from the defense in a must get an out situation was awesome

* Greg almost caught 3-4 pop up foul balls

* Sean also had an amazing play at 3rd, spearing a ball down the line, keeping the runner at 3rd, and getting the out at 1st

* Don showed up and made it better....and worse

* We asked everyone with a glove in the park to play, and got nowhere until the end of the game

* Rick showed off the lumber

* Greg was still blocking like a champ after his 12th inning in a row

* Roll call of the faithful: Greg, Lynch, Mike N, Mitch, HR, Satch, Sean, Tim, Don (0.5), Nick S, Rick K, Django, Rando Guy

* We had several near misses with foul balls, including a guy that looked to be intently watching our game, but who was clueless when a ball came down right next to him.  

* In other park news, we had a gaggle of 5 year old girls in center field that we stopped play to politely usher out of the way, and the dad told us he would handle it and then threw in the aside that he "hadn't seen any one hit it out there all day, anyway."  Sean took umbrage and asked why he felt the need to be a dick when we were just trying to keep the kids safe.  Dad didn't like that.  The general consensus is that guy was pissed about something else, and we ended up getting the misplaced rage.  Next time we'll just deal with the kids, since they obviously will be more mature than the grown ups.

5/4/25 Cop Field

One of the most amazing days, on a field that is normally a foggy wind chasm.  Once again, field issues abound.  This time it was a playoff game, that was supposed to be at Swampy, but was moved to our field, because there was another game already in progress.  So we get there, and there are easily 100 people watching the game.  How are we supposed to ruin that?  So we start to walk to Swampy, only to see guys setting up a pitching machine on that diamond.  

Welp, that ain't going to work either.

Luckily, the playoff game guys were super cool, and they finished up quick and handed off the field.  We had 16 at our high point, and the game was, well, not pretty.  As Greg says, maybe I need to examine that these recent shit show games have one common denominator, me.  I will be the first to admit that I did not have it yesterday.  The mound was terrible, my arm was sore from little league, and I never felt totally in control of my pitches.  Mike Lattig took the bump for the visiting team, and he was throwing every kind of dipsy doodle curveball that he could, and it was so tempting to swing at, but never good contact.  Needless to say, he had us in the palm of his hand.

The first two innings of the game took roughly 4 hours to play it felt like, and when the smoke cleared it was still only 4-2.  I thought to myself, that wasn't so bad.  But we could not make the plays. I settled down and we got more efficient but the score just kept going up: 7-2, 8-2, 11-2.  

A low point of the game for our team was getting the first two outs of an inning via the infield fly rule. In both instances, our players dropped the pop up too. We literally had to legislate the game to get an out.  It was also a good learning situation, as we were educated on the infield fly rule calls the batter out, but the ball remains live. Runners can still advance at their own risk, just like on any other fly ball.

That was the game, and we all had fun, but I don't know that I would call it a fun game.  John McG pitched two good innings, and Nick W took over for Lattig and then Aiden came in and blew us away in rapid succession in what we called the bottom of the 9th (it was the 7th and we were losing players).

Final- 11-2, visitors

Highlights

* The visitors had a good game

* Poor Gabe, such a mighty swing, neutralized by the softest of breaking balls

* The visitors defense was superb, 3 double plays?

* We did have a great play at the plate to nab Aiden, excellent throw by Alex and Gabe

* JT played 6 outs of defense in a row in right field

* Kenball had a good game at the plate, lacing line drives

* Aiden's fastball is more fun to see now that it is a strike and not at your liver

* Greg, who has been clutch of late, killed our bases loaded rally with a pop up to the pitcher

* Lattig hit three gork balls to left field that all landed in the exact same place

* Gaspar using a wooden bat and driving the ball up the middle!

* Naldony with a heads up play at 2nd to tag the runner and then get the double play

* Not a single foul ball that threatened a car!

4/27/25 West sunset again, with a permit

Well, I guess the CYO team don't play "every Sunday", cuz they weren't there when I got there.

Of course that was 28 minutes late, because I had Little league stuff I had to do, and then the bridge was kind of fucked, and West Sunset is basically driving to the ocean.  But I made it!

And so did 21 other individuals, for a glorious day of baseball.  

For the home team anyway. 

I am not going to sugar coat it, we, the visiting team, got the shit kicked out of us. Like we stopped counting the runs at one point in the inning, and then settled on a score that wouldn't be too depressing but still was woefully undercounting the actual number of runs scored.

 And we all had a great time.  That's the beauty of Mission baseball.

We really celebrated when we scored a 2nd run, it was the high tide for our game. 

We finished early enough that we played an extra inning, just because we could.  

For the love of the game.  

Thanks to everyone that made it out, a good time was had by all.

Highlights:

* Great game caught by Arson, who has become an elite level player.

* Greg had to leave early for some birthday party he got roped into, we've lost a lot of good players that way, be safe out there

* Mitch made several amazing plays in outfield, our entire team was Mitched.

* Sean also provided some razzle dazzle in the outfield after a solid start on the mound

* Brian Phelps also had a great start on the bump and then made the awkward-est 6-4-3 lefty double play I have ever seen

* Jesse killed the ball all day, including a line drive to right center that smacked high on the wall.

* I got to be the pitcher of record for one of the more run-heavy innings of all time. The lineup never got easier.

* Ana had a nice hit and a play in the outfield

* Pitchers for the day: Sean, Satch / Phelps, Sonny, HR

* Gabe had some big hits, but kept getting Mitched

* Chris Powell also had some stellar pickups at SS

* I hit some poor new guy with a fastball, which really sucks.  I gave him a big marshmallow to hit as a gesture.  And hit it he did.

* Let Adam's experience be a learning one everyone: Call time out if you are dealing with a medical issue and you don't have your glove on.

* The Presley's play at first when we needed an out was nice to have

* Sean also took on the Gaspar flex in his absence, sending roughly 8 foul balls in a row behind third base

* Right side of the field, anything in the air was real tough to track with the sun

* Mission Baseball!

4/13/25 West Sunset #1...no...#2

 

Apparently the CYO baseball league has a lock on the West Sunset field for Sundays in perpetuity.  They play every week.  It is inconceivable that they would not have a permit.  The problem with that is we had a permit that clearly listed us as having the field yesterday.

If we ever needed a clear indication as to why the majority of us should not be professional negotiators, this was it.  Most of us instantly got red-assed and started chirping amongst ourselves as to what was going to happen at 3:30 when the permit took effect and the CYO game was not over yet.  Cuz that's our field, and those kids need to learn the RULES!

Luckily, we are captained by a person with infinitely more patience and panache, Greg, who took the high road, and also managed to insert some venomous verbal barbs to the grumpy CYO guy while he was offering resolution.  It was pretty amazing to see. CYO guy was so sure he was in the right, but he didn't gather his evidence first.  He knew they had a permit, because they ALWAYS have the permit.  This particular strategy has been used several times on us, and they are always wrong.  Greg offered to move us down to the other field, and we did, while the guy was fumble-fucking with his phone to download the permit that he KNEW they had.  Turns out they had a permit for the field....next week. Wah wah.  

In his defense, he was categorically apologetic and made a special trip down to acknowledge the error.  I don't think any of us would mind if CYO paid for our permit at some point, as a goodwill gesture.  Let me also say that Greg was right from the start, when he tried to get us to go down to the other field immediately, and none of us would because we are all a bunch of playground tough guys that want to push around some kids.

The weather was absolutely amazing, the sun was a bit of a bear, but the roar of the ocean and the warm temperatures made it one of the nicest games I have ever been a part of.  Game time was late in starting with all the bureaucracy, but we did get going by about 3:45, and the teams looked a little wonky.  Sean was pitching for the homers and Satch for the visitors.  We drew first blood to the tune of two runs and when I saw the lineup for the homers, I got a little worried.  Powell, Sean, Lynch, Adam, Nick W to start off.  As far as I am concerned that's 3 doubles and 4 stolen bases every time around.  My defense came to my rescue though, and we managed to quash the impending slaughter a few times.

The extra gleam in everyone's eyes was due to the left field fence, which we rarely have and even more rarely is it a mere 286 feet from home plate.  I went to bat the first time with a cheater bat--avoided getting hit even though Greg put in the order-- and then grounded out to Powell.  That was about how my day at the plate went.  Others fared much better, especially lefties.  Elon hit 3 doubles, Lynch had an almost in the park homer, Sean was masterful as usual, and Phelps, well, he had a bad toe.

I threw 5 innings, was helped by two double plays by my defense, and exited the game with the score 6-2.  Felt good, the mound was nice.  John McG pitched another great inning, then HR came in for two strong, though the homers did start to mount a comeback, and New Guy Ben closed the door after some fireworks.  Sean threw the bulk of the game, and Greg came in for the final 2, which felt like the first time in a while.

I have to say that the home team was on wrong end of several close plays.  I was not in the position to question some of the calls, but I have to say there were a lot, and none of them went their way.  Maybe our defense was that sharp, but I think more than that, our defense was really sure of being in the right.  Maybe the CYO guy energy was rubbing off on us.  Specifically Lynch's almost-homerun and Adam's put out at third in the 9th inning.  They were the difference in the game, unfortunately.  Maybe our defense was that good?  Either way, the homers were raging in the comeback, from 8-4 they quickly made it a close game and we were all a bit worried in the bottom of the 9th, with the tying run on 2nd.  However, the comeback was not to be.

The icing on the day was Ben hitting a legitimate homerun in the 9th inning, a towering blast that cleared the fence by 20 feet and probably would have been about 340 feet had it not slammed the concrete wall of the upper deck arena.  Nice to see something like that.

Most people had a hard stop at 6pm, but we managed to get the full 9 innings in, another glorious game in the books.  

Final, 8-7, Visitors.

Highlights:

* Such a mighty wallop.  I know it says 299, but that thing was still going up when it hit the wall.

* Elon does really well at everything, considering he comes out twice a year

* Greg, Gaspar, McG, Phelps and Sean all did great behind the dish.  Two lefty catchers has to be a MBC record

* Kenball with the diving catch in left field!

* Elon with the diving catch in right field!

* Gaspar once again showing his level of surgical aptitude, dropping a hit perfectly in between all fielders in left

* Ana with a nice hit to right, with an RBI

* Lynch with the down the line triple, I tried to coach him from third but he didn't listen

* Brian had a hell of a throw to third to get Adam (if he was truly got).

* Greg scaled a 15 foot fence to get our baseballs back.  He's like Spiderman and Thurgood Marshall rolled into one

* Ben doing it all, including a fine pick from the mound for the final out

* Good to see Tony out, even if he wasn't playing, hopefully his glorious return is not too far off

* Tim helping his brother out of a jam with a pressure play at 2nd

* The sun on the ocean made for pretty blinding conditions in the latter part of the game

* Two double plays is a nice thing to lean on when you are pitching

3/30/25 Cop Field

Can't win them all.  We get comfortable with having enough players and then this happens.  

We had 11 people show up, comprised of those who didn't make other plans because of the impending rainstorm...that didn't happen.

And Bob came out!  He was in town and ready to play.

So we came up with 3-3-3 with alternating pitchers and catchers.  Satch and Sean.  It was something, but it wasn't our best game.  Nick W came to hit, to the tune of several singles and doubles, an RBI machine.  Sean got cheated out of an at bat or two as I didn't swap with him as regular as I should have.

Bob swung at the first pitch on his first three at bats.  The first one was a knuckleball and he might see that one in his nightmares for a while.  Ana, Tim, Gaspar, McG, Mike N all had some nice hits, JT scorched a line drive over third, Sean put one about 400 feet in right field, I popped up and grounded out most of the day.

Greg caught most of the game, sacrificing himself for the good of the club as usual.  I had a more efficient time on the mound than Sean, we pitched 6 outs, and then swapped.  We had way too many close calls on foul balls hitting cars in the police station.

The final was 1-7-5, I think.

Highlights

* Gaspar beat the Gaspar shift, putting the ball perfectly in between LF, SS, 3rd.

* I botched a play to the right side, not covering first

* Bob caught the ball consistently in the outfield in high winds

* Nick was hammering the ball to left

* Hope everyone shows up next week.

3/23/25 GGP

 What an amazing day.  It is not hyperbole that it was a perfect day for a game.  We also had 24 players show up, which makes it even better, no running around covering positions, though we did have to remind a few that you can't sit out every inning...

The only issue I had with the day was the breakdown of the 2 squads, for lack of a better word, they were uneven.  The home team was without gaps, it was one big hitter after another.  The general rule has always been that you shouldn't have Powell and Mitch on the same team.  

Well, Mitch led off and Powell was 2nd.  That was what we were facing. Then it got worse.

Satch started for the visitors and Nick W for the homers.  The score wasn't terrible at the beginning of the game, though I don't think we ever held the lead.  The difference in the game seemed to be Tim Presley who put on a clinic at 3rd base, to the tune of 8-9 put outs.  He was everywhere, doing everything.  It was awesome.  Nick threw well and kept us in check, then handed it over to John McG for one inning, who put up a 4-pitch dazzler and then on to Sonny who shut us down completely.  His knuckleball in particular, was super funky.

After 6 innings of facing crusher after crusher I handed the ball off to Dave for an inning and then Sean, who took it the rest of the way.  Sean faced the same conundrum as I had, how can you celebrate getting an out, when the next hitter up is another potential double.  

The score started to get lopsided by the 8th inning, which I think was when we lost track of how many runs had actually been scored.  There was a bases loaded rally with 2 outs that seemed to go on forever.  John McG tattooed a ball.

New guy Ben came in to close the door and threw well, he has a sneaky fastball and a good curve.  

Final of game- 13(?)-3, homers.

Since we had extra time and players, we did a one inning exhibition and we managed to win that 4-1, so a little respect, though most of our team went home, so we only had about 6 players left.

Highlights:

* Everyone on the home team

* New Guy Alex and New Guy Ben were raking all day.

* Greg waited on a changeup and hammered it down the line

* Kenball almost had an amazing sliding catch in left field

* We did get an out at home, on a sliding play, thrown in from right field.  That was a bright spot.

* Alejandro had a big fly as well

* Great to see Stoner out

* Two line drives, one to me and one to Tim, that nearly took our gloves off

* Adam made some life saving plays at 1st base

* Someone almost hit the right fielder in the other game on the fly.

* Tim had an inning that he was responsible for every put out, great day!

* Sean ripped a couple of balls, but we couldn't consistently pick him up.

* Mike N did a great job blocking the dish in the latter part of the game

* Ana had a nice hit and scored a run

* Let's remember this team, so we can stop it if it happens again: Mitch, Powell, Alex, Ana, McG, Greg, Alejandro, Nick W, Sonny, Ben, Don, Rick

* Sorry to relate the news that skateboarding has claimed another victim from the MBC, get well soon Tony Rojas!

3/9/25- GGP

It's been a while since I got a chance to play.  Various family things, weekend sports commitments, rain, it all happens.  So it felt great to have a chance to play ball.  What wasn't great was trying to find a fucking parking space.  I arrived early and drove around for 25 minutes, watching the team every time I drove by.  Finally I gave up on anything close and went to the no man's land of Lincoln and 12th. There is always a spot, but the walk sucks.

We were at full bars plus extras for the day, the final may have been 12-12.  Sean started for the visitors and Nick W for the homers, but Nick didn't last too long, something in his shoulder went awry and he brought Mitch in immediately.  Mitch did great, and so did Sean, working 7 strong.  Both pitchers did a good job of controlling the game, and most of the hits were singles.  Dave came in to relieve Mitch, he also threw well, working on his knuckler, and then Satch got the last 3 innings.  Erasto took the last 2 innings from Sean, and got the 2-inning save, aided by the most deceptive release point in the game.

It seemed like everyone was getting hits, and not too many cheap ones.  The new guy Alex, who lives at 7th Ave and saw us from his front window, was killing the ball all day, to the tune of triple, double, single.  He scored 2 or 3 of the runs we managed to get.

Sean, McG, Lynch, Erasto, Alex, all were hammering the ball, it seemed like the homers managed to escape mostly unscathed, but there were a lot of runners every inning.

The crowd actually applauded a few times, more interaction than we have seen in a long time at GGP.  Probably helped by the aforementioned big bats. The game was close, by the time I came in we were only down one run, 5-4.  Well, I coughed up an extra run, and we never could get our come back to materialize, and the final was 6-4, Visitors.

Highlights:

* Beautiful day, full rosters, great game

* Thanks to Greg, McG for catching

* We had a lot of interest in the game, when it rains it pours

* Marcos made several great catches in left, blinded in the sun

* I K'd McG on one of the nastiest knuckleballs I have every thrown

* I owe both my hits to the Tree Trunk, one off the end that only works if your bat is 35" and one on the hands if your bat is thicker at the hands than most barrels.

* Johnny Bartlett and Rick Kvoriak were out, what is it 2004 all over again?

* We tried to play it safe and not test the arm of Gabe from left, and still had the guy thrown out trying to go back to 3rd.

* We had Mike N dead to rights at home, but I was the cutoff and couldn't get the ball out of my glove.

* Heads up play from Dave to get the lead runner at 3rd, in a 6-4-3 situation.  It was the right play.

Late Edition: Footage of The Catch

For those following, Charlie made a fantastic diving catch to rob JT of a sure-fire hit at the Fourth of July Doubleheader.  

As JT and I both hail from a time before computers, it took 7 months but we finally figured out how technology works for transferring large files and I was able to collect the much vaunted footage.  

Enjoy, and great catch kid!  You make your old man proud.

1/12/25 GGP

 I talk about it a lot but it really is true that the most amazing games we have tend to be smack dab in the middle of winter.  It was glorious outside, 66 degrees, hot in the sun, and we had about 27 people show up to play.  They all came out of the woodwork, other than Don, who must have known that we were overstaffed, and was absent from his usual late arrival.  

Sean started for the homers and I started for the visitors.  I felt good, the sun was hot at times, and it had been a minute since I had pitched.  Note, I said I felt good, but I sure wasn't pitching good.  I think that every person on the home team had at least a single off of me.  I don't know how the score stayed as low as it did, because I was getting teed off on.  Gabe counted his first and second career hits off of me, and everyone else just added to their pile.  I guess it was the day, as Sean also was giving up some hits, and the game was really evenly matched.  So much so, that the score was either tied or with a one run differential all the way to the extra inning that we had to play. 

I started to bear down a little more as I warmed up, and with the help of some stellar defense from infield and outfield, I was able to stymie the attack.  I bowed out after 5 innings, with the score knotted at 4-4.  Mitch came in and did a great job of pitching the remainder of the game.  I sat out at least 3 innings, which probably also helped my team's defense.  Sean stayed in a bit longer, and then handed the game to HR, who looked like he has been working on his curveball and his form, both looked excellent.  Greg came in for the final inning and well, tough luck.

We played through 9 innings and were left with a tie ball game 6-6, so into extra innings we went.  We were able to score 2 runs on the mighty wallop of Stoner, who smoked a ball into the gap and eventually also came around to score. The homers seemed to deflate a bit in the bottom of the 10th, and were quickly extinguished.

Final score: 8-6, visitors.

Highlights:

* Thanks to everyone that came out

* Nice hitting Gabe!

* Powell accounted for several of our runs

* In honor of the Man of Steal, Mitch completed a perfect Ricky run: single, take 3rd on play at first, score.

* Johnny Bartlett came out, this looks to be the beginning of the next chapter of Johnny's baseball career, and I am here for it!

* Javier made several important catches in the outfield, he didn't look confident doing it, but he did it

* Play of the game may have been Zach's diving grab in left field, amazing!

* I knew I was in for it, when lead off batter Tony lined my first pitch down the right field line for a easy hit

* Gabe's throws from SS rival those of Shawon Dunston, and its little unnerving not knowing if the 1st baseman is going to catch the ball, or if it is going to take your head off

* Greg almost took off my foot with a solid comebacker, I got my shoe and my glove out of the way....

* Lynch made a snare on a line drive that would have taken his head off if he hadn't caught it, instead, a much needed double play

* Gaspar was smoking the ball

* Stoner treated us all to the patented Stoner Slide Catch.

* I will have to go back into the archives to find the last time I struck out Lattig.

* Anna had a nice hit that turned into a double and eventually a run scored.

* I got into a pitch Sean left up in my first at bat and hit it to the right center gap, and rounding 1st I saw HR fumble it and thought, What the hell.  I made it to 2nd just ahead of the throw, and I had to slide which is never good but miraculously, was safe.  With each play afterwards, there was a bobble or a issue that made my running advancement decision murky.  But, I eventually scored our team's first run.

* Thanks to Greg, McG, Gaspar, Mike N for catching duties

* Two of the strangest ground balls, Lynch had one at third base that went from big hopper to worm burner, and one to Powell that never lost contact with the grass after impact.

* Apologies to Mike N, who I tagged with a 1-2 fastball in the rear parts

* Muchas gracias a Erasto, Santos, y Javier por un gran partido y a Carlos por venir a pasar el rato.

* After years of no contact, we had SF Park Rangers check permits TWICE in one day! Obviously it's part of the new mayor's promise to crack down on....illegal recreation? A bit of a buzz kill to see a guy with belt full of beat-down equipment walking over to you unsolicited on a Sunday afternoon, but, hey, that is why we pay for permits.

* Apologies if I missed any big plays, there were so many people to catch up with, the game became the background for a while.

11/17/24 West Sunset

 The great thing about West Sunset is that you can get so many different types of fog.  Bright fog, dark fog, sunny fog, wet fog, dry fog.  We had them all on Sunday.  We also had 20 players, which was a really nice change, and hopefully a sign of more to come. We got to warm up in decent fashion, since there was no league nonsense before us, and we split the teams with Sean going for the visitors and Satch for the homers.  

Much like last week, we drew first blood with the help of our lead off man Aiden, he of the youthful legs.  We cruised through the first few innings, and Sean was starting to sweat even though it was cold, his pitches were looking good, but they were also getting hit.  We tacked on a few more runs, and the innings were crawling by, the 3rd inning felt like the 6th.  For some reason, the visitors suddenly came alive, helped by the baseball gods who heard me joke, "Boy am I going to be pissed when I blow this lead."  

Well I did, but I can't say I was really mad, games are meant to be scoring affairs, and the end of the 4rd inning found us 5-5.

Luckily, things started falling into place for me again, an I settled back into the groove.  Sean settled down and then took himself out, replaced by Diego, who did well, and then Sonny who was tossing the ol' apple.  I still felt good, and encouraged by my team, I kept throwing, tallying 8 innings and 3Ks.  The best part is that my back isn't killing me today.  

We had taken back the lead, 6-5, and then started to pile it on again, when the dust settled in the 9th, it was 9-5.  Aiden came in to secure the win, and immediately got into trouble, with the bases loaded and no outs.  He worked his magic, after the visitors pushed one run across, and struck out the final batter to win the game.

Final 9-6, Homers.

Highlights:

* A great game, on a perfectly manicured field

* The Gaspar shift worked exactly as it was supposed to

* Adam made an incredible scoop to save a run

* We had some very close plays at first over the day, people were hustling!

* No Don, not even late

* Greg made a long running almost catch, which took a cavernous thunking carom off of his chest, which I heard from the mound

* The sunny glare in the fog for the first few innings made for precarious outfield duty

* I got to use my new Tar Bar from Pelican Wax, tell 'em Satch sent you!

https://www.pelicanbatwax.com/

* Tony had a ground ball hit his glove, fly in the air behind him, and then fall in the vicinity of his right hand, he plucked it out of the air, and made the play at first

* Diego's brought out a friend who obviously knows what he is doing

* I had 3 hits, about 4 RBIs, and I was stranded at successive bases each time I got on, e.g., stranded at first, then second, then third

* Sean gave up 4 hits to shallow right field, his curve ball was nasty, and that was what we could do with it

* Gabe continues to have a strong swing that does not produce the expected results

* Thanks to Greg, John McG, Mike N, Gaspar for catching duty

* One successful infield fly rule, and two that were deemed not routine enough

* I let Sean know that one pitch of each at bat for him would be a big fat one, because I wanted to see him hit one over the short porch in right.  He hit two of the hardest foul balls, and then drove a line drive right to Adam at first

* We lost out on about 5 pop outs due to the low hanging batters cage at the field

* Edit from last week: Tony made what he said was his best play in 20 years.  I missed it because I have this superstition about watching fielders make plays when I am pitching.  I am sorry I didn't see it and did not cite it last week.

11/10/24 GGP

Back at the other field at Golden Gate Park, which I prefer from a pitching point of view.  The mound is more tapered, and someone has added clay recently, which makes all the difference.  The sun is a little blinding in the winter, but it sure didn't feel like winter yesterday.  Probably about 67 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, no wind, amazing.  

We also had 22 players out, so maybe our summer doldrums are finally over, now that it is not remotely summer anymore.  

This was one of my two guaranteed games of the year: my birthday week and Father's Day.  No need to dwell on that though, it was a great birthday present though.  Sean was pitching for the visitors and Greg started for the homers.  We eked out a run in the first, on the back to back doubles of Aiden and Sean.  That seemed like all the impressive hitting I saw for the game.  

The homers were baffled by Sean, and even if they got on base, he picked off at least two people. Greg bowed out for Dave, and then Diego, and then Brian.  The entire homer pitching staff was throwing inside and high, they hit us at least twice, and came close about 5 more times.  We stayed with Sean for the first 5, then Satch came in for 4 and then Aiden for the bonus inning, since the game had gone so quickly, it wasn't even 4pm when we were done!

We picked up a couple more runs along the way, and the homers kept not.  I know for myself, I was not throwing anything impressive, but they were popping up and grounding out a lot.  All their hard hit line drives were right at someone, that's the way she goes sometimes.  We were not that much more impressive, but our pop ups found spots to land.

Even with the extra inning, the score was the same as it had been in the early innings, and it ended in a 10-inning 3-0 win for the visitors.

Highlights:

* Great group of players, a good time had by all

* Greg and Tony were on opposing teams, something that has not happened in several years.

* Marci came out and showed us how it is done

* I hit Dave right in the middle of the spine, which I felt bad about, since he wasn't the guy I wanted to hit in retribution

* John McGrath took a pitch right in the elbow and needed to waive his batting turn, he came back to smack a sweet line drive hit

* My weakest swing of the game resulted in my only hit

* Greg came up big with a perfect hit over third base

* Brian Phelps is still pitching lights out ball

* Our Yucatan contingent continues to play great ball

* Matt hit a frozen rope to center with me on first, and I don't think I have ever been fast enough that I would have made it to second safely.  Still felt bad about it though

* The homers turned a very nice double play

* My pitching count by the inning was: 8, 6, 5, 15.  Not too shabby.

* Connor was almost fooled more than the runner on a Sean pick off throw

* Greg *almost* had an amazing diving catch behind the dish

* After commenting that Santos plays about 150 feet deeper than he should, I hit a towering drive that he barely had to move to catch.  

* Anna made an amazing over the shoulder catch at first base for a third out!

* We heard that Bob had 30" of snow this week, bummer

10/27/24 GGP

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.

10/20/24- GGP- Bob's Last Game

Bob's final game in San Francisco,  for a time at least. 

Hard to believe that it is really happening.  Bob has been an institution to the game since before I started, and in true MBC form, he came to the game on happenstance and chance.

The word went out this week that it would behoove all those who had a free Sunday to show up and pay their respects.  They came out of the woodwork, that is for sure.  Probably the biggest get was Johnny Bartlett, who has not been out since a 4th of July game back a while, and not regular for even longer.  One sarcastic wag suggested that it might be worth Bob leaving if it meant Johnny started coming out again regular.  Not quite, but it would be neck and neck.  Plenty of regulars and old timers out as well, I think we hit 27 at our high point, luckily, people left early, so the game wasn't too packed.  

It was also decided that it was imperative that Bob do a Campaneris for his last game.  For those uninitiated that means that you have to play all 9 positions in the course of the game.  He did it, and he did it well.

I started for the homers and Sonny for the visitors.  We drew first blood but I had a shitty time on the bump.  I was trying to throw easy, but could not get a comfortable gasp on the strike zone.  So many 3-0 counts.  Add to that my change up was getting hammered when it was a strike, and it was not my best day.  I gave up an in-the-parker, which was walloped to center field. I think by the time that I gave it up after 4 innings, the score was 3-2, visitors.  However, we stormed back and retook the lead with a healthy dose of scoring, and when the dust settled it was 7-3, homers, and at that point, I think we started to let our guard down.

Tony came in and did a great job of righting the ship.  Sonny gave way to Dave, who was throwing hard, and then Mitch.  Tony went out after 2 innings, and Carter came in and seemed to be throwing strikes, but did not fare well.  Partly due to the fact that Ken was blinded by the setting sun at 3rd and made some overthrows, and partly because the visitors hit 3-4 triples.  I also managed to not get even close to the pop fly behind the mound that should have been mine.

I had a wave of nostalgia looking out to the outfield one inning and seeing Johnny, Bob, and JT from left to right.  A trio of MBC'ers if ever there were.  

We went into the 8th trailing 9-7, and could not seem to get back our mojo.  Bob pitched the 8th, and did a fantastic job, holding the visitors scoreless, after a lead off double by none other than Nick Smith.  He even trotted into 2nd ahead of the throw without a care in the world.  Unfortunately, that hubris was short lived, as Nick was gunned down at home, trying to score on an infield hit.

For the 9th, it was more of the same, Greg came in to close, with Bob behind the dish.  Erasto came in for the homers to get the save.  No one on either team did much of anything, and the game ended in a 9-7 final score, visitors.  

Bob was presented with two signed baseballs from the group, a lot of handshakes and hugs, and then there was not much else to do but go home, which is the goal in baseball, right?  

Bob has left an indelible mark on the MBC team, and our game won't be the same without him. Who else is going to stare down an incoming pitch, rather than move out of the way?  Who else is going to try and block a ball with their ear?  Who else is going to make grandiose trophies, and call out horseshit when they see it? Who else is going to ring up their own son, or have 5 complete baseball uniforms to wear? Who else is going to swing from their heels at a knuckleball that they know is coming, and then curse your name as it's popped up to the first baseman?

I have been playing in the MBC for 22 years at this point, longer than some, shorter than others.  It has been one of the constants in my life, and at times I have taken it for granted that the game will always be there when I want it.  As Bob says, this is a SF institution, and needs to be preserved, past and present. I agree.  I hope that there are enough of us out there that can keep it going.  I know for myself, life gets pretty full sometimes, and with all the things you have to keep in your head and on your plate, you sometimes forget that time is the real motherfucker.    And it's only going one direction. So gather ye rosebuds while ye may.

Take care Bob, thank you for you guidance and participation in our little corner of the world.  We'll catch you a little further down the trail....

Barnstorming in CO, anyone?

Highlights:

* We will miss you Bob

* Thanks to all that showed, and Don for making it before the game was over

* Parking sucked.  Damn music festival season.

* There were many big hits: Gabe, Chris P, Diego, New Guy, Patrick, Mitch, Mike N, Bob, Elan

* Greg's hitting tear continues!

* The Yucatan contingent grows and thrives: Santos, Erasto, Marcos

* Bob was not HBP, a gross oversight on the side of the visitors.

* This game had more near-calamities from foul balls than any other game I can think of.  We almost hit a mother and baby, 3 different women walking above, a bike, two players, and a couple that was snuggling on the grass.

* Patrick made a great catch on a foul ball behind the dish.

* JT won the award for most confidant looking near-catch.

* A good old fashioned pickle at home, with Sonny caught in the fracas.

* Let's keep the numbers up as we head into the warm SF season

10/6/24 GGP

 Maybe the hottest game on record, certainly for October.  95 degrees.  Thank god we were on the east field, so the shadows got bigger the longer we played.

Only 12 individuals came out.  Could have been worse.  Thanks to Santos and Erasto for making it at least Havana 6's, and not batting practice.  Now if only we can convince them to sit with the team.... Por favor siéntate con nosotras.

I started for the homers, on the same team as Nadolny and Powell since who knows when.  Greg catching, Santos and Erastos filling out.  I don't think having 2 outfielders really makes that much difference, in fact, I can state that I would be alright with 7-7 with two outfielders, if it made it more enjoyable from a rotation point of view.  

Mitch started for the visitors, and I think we got one run, and then nothing for a while.  Then a few more.  And then I think one more.

I held the visitors scoreless for the first 3 innings, and then they scored one (Mitch of course) and there we sat for the rest of the game,  It was so fucking hot.  The good news is that all the muscles are limber and ready.  You feel like you're going to collapse, but you will play really good until you do.

Erasto came in for the 2-innig save, and John McG and Nick W swapped innings with Mitch.  We stopped at 7 innings, and enjoyed the shade.

Final- 5-1

Highlights:

* Roll Call of the Devoted: Greg, Bob, Nick W, John McG, Chris P. Mike N, Lattig, Mitch, Satch, Santos, Erasto, JT, and a guy on a bike that played for an inning.

* Throwing at 50% is great, especially when you have an infield that can make plays

* The parking was plentiful!

* JT had the unenviable job of playing left field with a bunch of pull hitters.  However, he made a great running catch when it was really needed

* Cap tip to John McG who caught and pitched on a day when both should be avoided

* I missed the opportunity to plunk Bob.  Mark your calendars, October 13th and 20th, and then we are living in a Post-Bob era.

* I made two grabs off the mound that I would not have made had it not been hot. Apologies to JT, who smoked a line drive that should have been a hit

* Cap tip to Greg for catching the whole game, probably with surfing before and after.

*Great to Lattig out, after a long stint on permanent vacation

* Santos made some great catches in left, on the run

* Several double plays made in the game

* Thanks to Nick for the permit organization, and also being my only K of the Day

* Greg had several line drive singles, he's just getting started

* Stay cool!

9/22/24 West Sunset

 I left home and it was 90 degrees, and by the time I got to West Sunset it was 61 degrees.  And that is as warm as it got the whole game. We had enough players, which as great.  The game was even handed, which was also nice. I looked it up and the last time I played at West Sunset was 2018, it feels like it has been longer than 6 years, but what a weird past few years it has been.

Nick W started for the homers and he had a really nice curveball working.  We were able to push a few across the plate, and so did the homers.  I was hurling for the visitors, felt good after not playing for almost a month.  We cruised through a few innings and before I knew it, it was the 5th. 

We were helped along by some dropped plays that allowed us to extend our innings, and we took advantage as best we could.  The fog got thicker and colder, and we had at least a couple of plays that went into the fog and disappeared. 

The homers for their part did not give up easily.  Mike N had at least 4 ground balls hit hard down the 3rd baseline for hits, each harder than the last.  A new guy kept hitting singles to right field.  Greg came alive for several hits.  We managed to turn away one bases loaded jam, but it was never easy.  I lost it for an inning, could not throw a strike.  Luckily we don't count walks, cuz I would have had about 4 of them.

Game keeps going, Mitch takes over for Nick, and then gives way to HR.  We built what we thought was a good cushion but it should never be assumed that the game is over.  With a 12-6 lead, I was confident that I could get 3 outs.  That proved to not be as easy as I thought.

Hits.  Boots.  Hits.  Boots.  Bases loaded, no outs. 

The score ballooned to 12-10, then we managed a double play, thank you infield!!! Another run scored on the play and it was 12-11.  How the hell did it get like this.  Up steps the new guy that has 3 hits off me.  I had very little left in the tank by now, and honestly, I was just trying to get the ball over the plate.  I did and for the first time, he doesn't drive it to right field, he hits it to SS and Powell throws him out.  Game!

Highlights

* Great game all around

* Adam saved a few innings, scooping the balls at 1st

* Patrick caught a good game, and had some deep drives with RBIs

* I hit Bob with a fastball, with 2 strikes, which is several things I don't like to do.  Hope it doesn't bruise.  At least the game was official.

* I struck out for the first time in a while, on a slow breaking ball

* Gabe, by his own admission, would have hit better with a wet noodle

* I think our outfielders all play too deep.  Too many short hits dropping

* Powell made at least 3 catches of line drives that looked sure to be hits to left

* Infield fly rule was in effect a couple of times

* More stolen bases than usual, these young kids 

* Thanks for a great game!

9/1/24 GGP

This is a late post, and there wasn't much to write about.  

Beautiful weather, lots of people in the park, and we had the nice field.

We also had enough players, that was a nice change.  The teams were nowhere near evenly divided.  Phelps started for the homers and I started for the visitors.  We got one runner to 3rd base the whole game.  That gives you an indication of what we were like.

The bright spot that I can remember was that our team turned 3 double plays.  Which is probably the only reason that the score wasn't 20-0, instead of 11-0.

It was a fun game, for a blow out though.

Ana made some great scoops at 1st.

The homers had the hole between SS and 3rd locked in, to the tune of at least 10 hits.

Hopefully next time, we will do something about the lopsidedness before it gets embarrassing.

8/18/24 GGP

 Well, another piss poor showing, so hopefully we are almost done with the summer doldrums.  Thank you to everyone who did make it out and played.  

Sean and I squared off in a old fashioned duel, but it was clear from the beginning that Sean was clearly in a different zone than I.  He was throwing everything well, and the sweat back was out and proud early in the game.  He probably had 5-7 Ks on the day.

The weather was a balmy 71 degrees, perfect!

What we didn't have was a full roster, and we recruited from the old tyme games that had finished.  Along came Jibber, Jabber, and Blotto.  They made it a game, and we thank them for that, but that is about it.  They were chirping after hits, bat tossing, and wandering around the outfield with no clue where the ball was. Thanks for filling the ranks, though. Hooray for Don showing up too, and bringing us back to the magic number.

The lineup of the visitors was no joke.  Arson, Sean, Lynch to open.  That is 3 batters that should never be a in row.  The rest of the lineup was no more forgiving.  They strung together some hits and we booted some balls, and the score was 4-1.

The only person who I had the number for was Carter, who had come out with his younger son.  I struck out Carter twice, but no one else was biting at the junk.  We only played 7 innings due to imminent departures, the game was not progressing anyway, the final was 5-2.

Highlights

* Roster of the Faithful- Sean, Gaspar, Lynch, Arson, John O., Alejandro, McG, Gabe, Santos, Don, Matt, Satch, Carter. Diego

* Arson absolutely killed a ball to left center

* Santos made an absolutely great catch, unfortunately he was covering for the other team at the time

* Arson, McG, Don, Gaspar, thanks for the catching

* No one was fooled by the change up, they all waiting and slapped it

* Diego played a great first base, several stretches

* A lot of our plays at first were much closer than they should have been

* Gabe slid into home, and was tagged out, a first since his high school days, a great play from John to Arson to nab him

* Special call out to Connor, who specifically emailed that he was free and excited to be playing and then crapped out.  Come on man.

* Explaining the Gaspar shift to a new left fielder is always a challenge

* Too many pop ups

* The band was out in force and sounded great, playing a variety of tunes, and they did the national anthem to start the game.

* It makes a real difference when there is a catcher that can race to field a passed ball, and still you throw you out

* Come back MBC faithful, your teammates miss you.