If the Ducks are going to make a run at the post-season it has to start tonight.
It has been a while since we've had a home game, it is good to be back in the friendly confines of Spring View. Hopefully there was just enough rain the past few days to soften the field.
If the rubber is 60.5 feet from home, then second base is roughly 66.8 feet directly behind the rubber.
More from Ken Burns.
We haven't seen this guy in a while, we're about due...
South Oakland(5-8-1) has one game before the July 2nd, All-Star break.( Monday 9pm against the Rebels). Due to a recent slump in which the Ducks have lost for of five, by an average of two runs per game, the team finds itself on the cusp of elimination. With ten games remaining (eight against Monongahela Division teams), South Oakland still has a chance to go on a run and sneak into the post-season.
The Ducks' next two games are against the Rebels and Oilers respectively, the Ducks lost 5-4 to the Rebels, and 3-2 to the Oilers in the team's previous match-ups.
The Black Sox (10-3) and the OwlZZ (10-2) are running away with the Monongahela Division. The battle for third place and the final playoff spot is still wide open, the Rakers and the Eagles are tied for third with the Ducks 1.5 games out of the playoffs.
To clinch a playoff spot, the Ducks will have to overtake the Rakers (8-8) and the Eagles, (6-6), with two games remaining against the Rakers, and one more game against the Eagles, the Ducks have a chance to accomplish this feat. South Oakland is 1-1 against the Eagles, and 0-1 against the Rakers this season. It has been a frustrating first half. The Ducks have yet to put their best nine players on the field at the same time. On the bright side, the players who have shown up and played have improved significantly, this could leave the Ducks with a solid bench when the starters return to action. My official endorsement for Nick Homa, Mark Guthrie and Chris Wojoton to be named as reserves for the All-Star Game.
Ducks Leaders (not including stats from the Bulldogs' game)
Batting Batting Avg.: Ben Gwin .407, Jesse Smith .385 (three tied at .333) HR: J. Smith, Ryan Novak, Chris Wojoton, (1) Triples: Guthrie, 1 RBI: Gwin 8, J. Smith, 7, Mark Guthrie 6 Slg. J.Smith .692, Novak .583, Guthrie .571 HBP: Guthrie, Gwin, J.Smith (3) SB: Gwin 5, Garrett Moore 3
The Ducks next game is against the Confederacy, Monday night at 9pm at Spring View Field. No word on when tonight's game will be rescheduled.
Congratulations to Duck, Jesse Smith on being named starting catcher for the 2008 Monongahela Division All Stars. Smith is hitting .385, and leads the Ducks in HR, OBP and, Slg. The All Star Game will be held July 2nd at Spring View Field, at 8:30pm
Monongahela Reserves will be named Monday, June 30th.
I'd like to thank the Bulldogs for reading last week's posts.
In 2003 the Black Sox were the Stampeders. It was against the Stampeders in the final game of the 2003 regular season, that the Ducks were involved in the only bench-clearing brawl in team history. None of the current Black Sox had anything to do with the lunacy that transpired that day. The Ducks went on to win the Championship from the fifth seed in the six team league.
The Black Sox ended the Ducks chance to repeat in a controversial second round playoff victory, which the Black Sox won two games to one. South Oakland won the first game 7-0, then the next game was rained out and rescheduled and the Ducks had to forfeit game two.
Their was something odd surrounding the game two forfeit, which I don't remember exactly. We didn't have enough players show up to the game which but it was rained out anyway, it wasn't quite right. That stuff happens, the Black Sox had enough players, and the Ducks didn't. So it goes.
Game three was rained out and rescheduled, and we had to play with seven guys, and the Black Sox won. It would have been nice to have the game rescheduled for a time when we could have had enough guys to field a team.
It is because of this playoff series I went out of my way to have an enormous roster, so we would never have to forfeit. But I always felt obligated to play everyone, and there were a few seasons where our depth dropped dramatically after the first 9-12 players, on a 24-man roster, which lead to some painful come-from-ahead, losses.
* * *
Joe Jackson is one of my favorite baseball players, certainly my favorite from the Dead Ball Era. Babe Ruth modeled his swing after Jackson's. I only know Jackson through statistics. I have only seen him through grainy documentary footage and still photos. I know his story through cinema, and literature. "Eight Men Out", the story of the eight White Sox players who conspired to throw the 1919 World Series is my favorite, non-comedic baseball movie, it is based on the book with the same name.
The part of Eight Men Out that gets me, is the final scene where John Cusack's character is watching what amounts to an NABA game, in which Joe Jackson is playing under a pseudonym,because he loves baseball.
Joe Jackson is why I hate Pete Rose and his constant blabbing about reinstatement.
Rumor has it, Kenny and the Black Sox were contacted by a group of gamblers before the 2005 Pittsburgh NABA championship game, and were paid a hefty sum to throw the series against the underdog Warriors. Matt Slavonic took the money, but hit over .375 in the series and didn't commit an error in the field.
We lost 15-1 to these guys on opening day. We need a win desperately.
The South Oakland Ducks (5-8-1) lost on a 2-run double in the bottom of the seventh inning, by the Bulldogs' ten-hitter. It was a pitchers' duel early. The Bulldogs went ahead 3-0 in the bottom of the third thanks to three unearned runs. South Oakland tied the game 3-3 in the top of sixth on Coby Kolaja's RBI single. The Bulldogs scored another unearned run on a two out error in the bottom of the sixth to take a 4-3 lead. In the top of the seventh, South Oakland scored two runs after KT Murphy walked to lead-off the inning, stole second, and then moved to third on a ground out by TC Jones. Nick Homa singled in Murphy, and then Eric Lee sacrificed Homa to second. Gwin singled to left to give the Ducks a 5-4 lead going into the bottom of the seventh. The Ducks would leave the bases loaded in the seventh. The Bulldogs came to bat in the bottom of the seventh, down by one, with their seventh hitter leading off the inning. Then after a single, a fielder's choice and a walk, the last hitter in the Bulldogs' order came through with a drive to the left center gap to end the game.
The Ducks played without six starters and fought hard. Starter Nick Homa (2-3) pitched well enough to win. He threw a five-hit complete game.
The game was originally scheduled to be played at 9pm in Etna, but was moved to Avonworth Field at 6pm, due to a problem with the lights in Etna. The schedule change didn't occur until Friday, after many Ducks' players had made plans to leave town, and return in time for what they thought was a 9pm start. It's not an excuse, just symptomatic of how the chips have fallen this season.
If it wasn't for bad luck...
This was painful to write
The Bulldogs played without Rick Beyer, last season's batting champion.
Brian Strom got the win for the Bulldogs. Hats off to them, they made key plays in the infield and kept us off the score board early. Catcher, Joe Graff made a nice pick on a low throw from the short stop to record a run saving 6-2 put-out in the sixth.
There were a few kids on the Bulldogs who appeared to go to the plate with the sole intention of earning a base on balls. That's what I always dreamed of as a kid, getting into the batters' box and taking four borderline pitches to draw a walk.
Nick wasn't awfully wild, and the defense wasn't terrible. We just made the errors after the walks.
Another wasted outing by a Ducks' starter, and another game where we didn't start playing until the last two innings.
Their first pitcher was tough to hit, but his stuff wasn't overwhelming. He held the Ducks hitless for 5 innings.
I'm not one to blame the umpires.
This was a great baseball game; there is some solace to take in playing good competitive baseball.
We have to win seven or eight of our last ten games, and get help to make the playoffs.
I should have had that last fly ball, I was out of position, the sky had turned gray, I got a bad jump and took a bad line. It carried. That's a play I can and should make, especially after lobbying to play outfield.
Coby had a clutch game tying RBI and a phenomenal diving catch in right field.
Attendance must improve if we are to win enough games to get into the playoffs.
The Ducks are still mathematically alive for playoff contention
The Bulldogs are wounded; Last season's Allegheny Division winners are currently mired in 4th place, owners of an apologetic 4-7 record. They've suffered injuries, but still have plenty of good ball players. The Bulldogs set their rotation to have their ace pitch last Wednesday, against the Rebels and they did us a favor by shutting down the Confederate Army. They also beat the Phatoms 2-1 yesterday. A victory today would solidify their hold on the last playoff spot in the Allegheny. The Ducks (5-7-1) look to ride the momentum of yet another one-run victory. When the dust settles after this weekend's Monongahela Division games, the Ducks could find themselves half a game out of third place, if they win tonight. We'll see who shows up today, but at this point in the season we have to expect to be short-handed. Players have been stepping up, Coach Jones has done a great job putting players in position to succeed. The League President is on the Bulldogs, he chose to play the Ducks twice this season, who can blame him after our inept 2007 campaign.
Around the Monongahela Division: The Rebels surrendered to the Matadors yesterday. Unfortunately, the Ducks find ourselves rooting for the Black Sox the sweep the Rakers. The Eagles(6-6) lost to the OwlZ yesterday.
Without the help of the entire starting infield and two-thirds of the starting outfield, Ducks' Manager TC Jones, patched together a brilliant last-second lineup and led South Oakland to victory. The Ducks (5-7-1) got strong performances from their reserves, and held on for a 6-5 victory over the Hurricanes(2-4). Jones (1-1) pitched five innings for his first victory of the season, Nick Homa recorded the save (3).
Gwin singled and scored on Nick Homa's ground-out to put the Ducks up 1-0 in the first. The Hurricanes answered with a single and a double in the bottom of the first, tying the game at one. Jones stopped the rally with two strike outs and a ground out to end the first.
In the top of the third, Gwin singled, stole second and scored on Rick Whalen's RBI double. Whalen also threw a runner out in the bottom of the third. Were it not for two Hurricane double plays, the Ducks could have run away with it early. South Oakland lead 2-1 after three and a half innings.
I left for work
Sources say there was a four run rally in the top of the fifth, to put South Oakland up 6-2. The Hurricanes chipped away, and trailed 6-5 in the sixth. Then Homa came in and shut them down for his third save of the season.
BULLET POINTS
The Ducks are now one game back in the win column of the 6-5 Eagles, who hold the final playoff spot in the Monongahela Division.
The fourth place Rakers are 5-5, pending the results of their game today against the Oilers. The Rakers play a double header against the division leading Black Sox (9-1) tomorrow, starting at 12pm at Avonworth High School.
Coby had an unbillievable day at the plate.
A. Smith had an RBI single
KT played a good three innings at second, and the defense as a whole was solid.
The Eagles played the second place OwlZ (7-2) today (no score posted), and the Matadors tomorrow.
As this weekend progresses, the Monongahela race will tighten one way or another.
Here's to a 6-7 log-jam.
Should the Ducks win tomorrow vs. the Bulldogs, it will be South Oakland's first winning streak of the season.
The 6-5 victory was the fifth one-run game of the Ducks' season, (3-2).
The tie vs. the Phantoms will be completed if the outcome will effect playoff seeding.
The Hurricanes are good guys, and I wish them the best of luck the rest of the season.
The Ducks play Sunday at 6pm at Avenworth High School Field. There will be a pre-game post by 2pm tomorrow.
South Oakland is 1-1-1 at Pie Traynor Field this season. Judging by the updated stats, found at Pittsburghnaba.com, we need to steal more bases and strikeout less. We are batting under .200 as a team we need to create runs. I am a brilliant baseball strategist.
There is a three way tie for the Bob Faust hit-by-pitch award: Guthrie, J. Smith, and Gwin (3).
The South Oakland Ducks (4-7-1) are 2 games out of a playoff spot with 12 games remaining. The Ducks will have to finish at least .500 to earn the team's first trip to the post-season in three years. One game at a time. Starting with the Hurricane Carters (1-3-1) on Saturday.
Around the Pittsburgh NABA: The Bulldogs beat the Rebels 6-1 on Wednesday.
The Ducks' roster has been posted in its entirety. South Oakland leads the league in players with 22. Injuries to Tom Pusateri, and Chris Roth have limited their availability. Brett Pusateri's Series of Unfortunate Events has kept him out of the lineup since early May. Gregg Campbell has disappeared off the face of the earth, and Bill Francisco-Cabrera has been unavailable to tell us how to play since the disgrace that was the second Eagles' game. We haven't seen the last of Brett, and hopefully Chris. I hope Gregg has not been kidnapped, some things are more important than amateur baseball. There are players on our team who, after twelve games, still have not met .
Apparently, a member of the OwlZ's front office changed the spelling of their team name on the main NABA page to contain a "Z" instead of the traditional "S". Since the days of Shakespeare, the letter "s" has been used to denote the plurality of nouns, albeit in a less Xtreme and phonetically intimidating manner than the letter "z". The OwlZ lead the league in Playaz I do own the Redman album "Dare Iz a Dark Side", it is solid, and if the OwlZ are going with the "z" as an ode to Redman, I'm all for it. Whateva, Man.
Hip Hop videos used to be different.
In other news, We should seek a sponsorship from Subway.
As a Dylan fan, and one who generally distrusts white people and corrupt New Jersey police officers, it is unfortunate, but later, unbiased revisiting of the evidence has reaffirmed Hurricane Carter's guilt.
The Hurricanes are cheaters, just like the Miami Hurricanes. They have seen fit to award themselves a 0-0 tie for a game against the Black Sox which never happened. The Hurricanes' lone win was a 7-0 victory over the Owls, which was probably a forfeit. We aren't in position to take any team lightly. If we do we will lose. If I were to name my team after a Dylan song, I'd have gone with the (Subterranean Homesick) "Blues". Or, naturally the South Oakland "Eskimos".
I was at this Phish show where they covered, Dylan's "The Mighty Quinn"
The Ducks (4-7-1) have four days off before traveling to Pie Traynor field to play the Hurricanes (1-3). Naturally, following an entire week off, the Ducks play back to back games this weekend (sat. vs. Hurricanes, sun. vs. the Bulldogs (1-7). ) South Oakland is presented with a great chance to get back in the thick of the playoff race. Yesterday the Ducks learned they would be awarded a forfeit victory for an early season game against the Rebels, which was illegally canceled by the Confederacy. The retroactive win comes on the heels of a brutal three game losing streak. With the W, South Oakland climbs out of the cellar and past the Rebels into fifth place, just two games behind the Eagles for the third and final playoff spot in the Monongahela Division. The Ducks remaining schedule now consists of eight division games, and four games vs. the Allegheny Division, which consists of two teams with winning records and four teams with a combined three wins. We should have seen this coming Last season, the Monongahela division sent the sub-.500 Knights into the playoffs. This lead to an uproar from the Phantoms, who finished above .500, and in 4th place in the Allegheny Division, but did not qualify for the post-season. The current format has the top three teams in each division advancing, instead of an NHL-type format which would have the division winners seeded one and two, with the next four teams qualifying for the playoffs. When the topic of playoff seeding was brought to the table in the off-season meetings, the vote was to keep the same format. Now, there are five teams in the Allegheny Division with one or fewer wins. Under the "division winners plus four" format, South Oakland would hold the sixth playoff spot. I doubt the Phantoms are whining about the seeding this season, as they sit 1/2 game out of third place, with a 0-3-2 record. There's no reason for us to complain, we almost quacked into third place last year, despite being pretty bad.
In Regards to this weekend's games, conspiracy theories, and bulletin board material. The league expanded this season, the OwlZ, and their superfluous "z" were added to the Monongahela Division, and the Hurricanes were added to the Allegheny. The Owls, roster is full of NABA veterans, and small college players. The Hurricanes are struggling, I'm sure their roster lacks the "star power" of the Owls, who have Faygo, (a sick pitcher) and a bunch of kids from the RMU team who were league runners up, in 2006. Those guys have obviously played together before, they remind me of the Yankees from the Bad News Bears.
Bulldogs player, and league president Joe Graff, added the Hurricanes to the Bulldogs' Division, and put the Owls in the Monongahela. Interesting...Of course this could be an attempt to even out the divisions, based on last years parity; add the better team to the softer division, and the team that's weaker on paper to the division that was better top-to-bottom. What I would have done if I ran the league and had to deal with all the BS Joe does, put the worse team in my division. It also could have been an arbitrary decision.
Also, the League president and schedule maker, has pitted his team against the Ducks twice, when he could have chosen to play any of the other five Monongahela Division teams twice. Big mistake. Clearly he conspired with the Bulldogs front office and hand picked his team's inter-division schedule, and the decided they wanted two games against South Oakland. The Ducks were 1-1 against the Bulldogs last season.
The Bulldogs got jobbed in their game on Sunday. There was a terrible call that lead to the Black Sox scoring the go ahead run in the top of the seventh(made by the same guy who called Eric Lee out in our game), and (all other things remaining equal) the Bulldogs scored in the bottom half of the inning, they tied it up instead of winning, and went on to lose in extra innings. The Ducks did not fare well against the Black Sox on opening day.
What's really killing the Bulldogs is the pre-season injury to their best starting pitcher who was hit in the hand during batting practice, and lost for the season. Brian Strom is a good ball player and a friend of mine, but he'd be the first one to tell you he's no pitcher.
The table is set for the Ducks this weekend, we have to take advantage of a couple struggling teams and build some momentum. It's great to be competing every game and to be playing exciting baseball, and we have to proud of that and optimistic that we can turn the corner. But if we can't turn our improved play into victories, it will be nothing more than bittersweet consolation, when we look back on a season of near misses.
In five of the teams losses, South Oakland (4-7-1) has had the tying run at the plate in the last inning, or has lost in the bottom of the seventh. Defeat snatched from the jaws of victory, time and time again. The improvement from '07 to '08 is only marginally represented in team's wins and losses, the Ducks won nine games last year, but did not compete game in and game out, the way they have in '08.
This weekend the Ducks play the Hurricanes at 3pm on Saturday, and the Bulldogs on Sunday. The two Allegheny Division teams have won three games between them.
It's time for a victory montage to take us into late July, or we will be disbanded and moved to Florida.
The Rebels won the battle, but the war is far from over.
South Oakland is 3-7-1, after a bitter defeat at the hands of the defending champion Monroeville Rebels. The Ducks were unable to take advantage of the short-handed Rebels who played the entire game without a right fielder. The Ducks lead 4-0 in the second and then Rebels' starter, reigning MVP, Jesse Jones, settled down and held the Ducks scoreless for the rest of the game.
leading 4-3 in the top of the seventh, South Oakland had the bases loaded with two outs, and Ben Gwin, popped out to end the threat. Nick Homa pitched five solid innings, allowing 2 earned runs, before turning it over to the bullpen. Relief pitcher Smith took the loss. All of the Ducks hits were to the left side of the field, no extra bases were earned due to the huge gap in right field. the Rebels eight-man lineup allowed them to get the heart of their order quicker, but in the end it was their last batter who blooped the game-winning single into center field. Kabby Everly had 4 RBI for the Rebels. Jones didn't seem to have the same speed on his fastball that he has in the past, but he is a tough competitor, and a smart pitcher, he recorded the complete game win for Monroeville. I tip my hat, to him. The loss drops the Ducks to last place in the Monongahela division Still, hope lies within the remaining 13 games of the South Oakland season.
***
Ducks, We can still make the playoffs, if you don't think so please hand in your jersey, I'll come get it. For the second game in a row, someone has commented to me that this is the best the Ducks have looked in years. Despite all the errors, all the mistakes and all the close calls, we have in it unitl the last pitch in all but two games. There's a lot of pride in this locker room. Look at what the Rockies did last year, they won 24 straight. We can be the Rockies. Our backs are really against the wall right now, but I wouldn't want to be on any other team. We are lucky to be able to play ball all summer. We have a chance to be a part of something special here, and at 3-7 it's all talk, but I can feel it and we are painfully close, we've been buying, Victory drinks all night only to see her go home with that douche bag frat boy at last call. From here on out we seal the deal, she's ours.
The sun's gonna shine on our back door some day. Bullet points
The Rebels and Matadors played in last year's championship. We beat the Matadors, and lost to the defending champs on the last play of the game.
The rest of the division will beat each other up, we can go on a run.
Another wasted quality start.
Les had his best game at the plate this season, he went 2-3. It is because his parents read this that the blog is not laced with profanity.
If it were anyone else who popped out in the seventh, with the bases loaded, I'd tell them it wasn't their fault we lost the game. I'm sure there are a few of us who feel we left some runs out there, or could have made another play in the field. I'm not the only one who feels like they've been punched in the sack.
At least our team name isn't the Rebels.
It is possible I was beaned in the first inning because of what I wrote about the Rebels last week. Perhaps, I overestimated their collective sense of humor. I'll take that trade-off every time, a hit-by-pitch, and a stolen base is as good as a double. If their pitcher wasn't a good guy, I would have charged the mound, then I would have been ejected along with the pitcher and they would have had 7 players.
I'm open for suggestions on how to get hit by the Hurricanes pitcher, if anyone else wants to post anything I will email you the log-in information.
After starting out 1 for 12, the Ducks' first baseman is 8 for his last 13.
Koby has a cannon, and a good arm.
Our relief pitcher, Smith, is probably somewhere in the murky, dark place between suicide and homicide. If I get that hit in the 7th he gets the win, he's had terrible luck. I just hope he doesn't get too down, there is a lot of baseball yet to be played and he will come up big for us down the line.
This hurts. Remember the pain, harness it, take it out on the Hurricanes.
Believe.
I have Monday and Wednesday off if anyone wants batting practice.
The Ducks travel to Avonworth High School Field to play Rebels today, at 3:30 pm
On June 15th, 1988, the movie Bull Durham made its debut. Happy Father's Day, Dad. thanks for not being an insane Little League parent, who fought with umps and coaches and such. A bit about my dad, He coached my Little League teams from ages 7-10, and then again from 13-15. We won a championship in 1991, but my dad says his best moment as a coach was when he put a nine year old with cerebral palsy at second base, late in a close game.
Ducks vs. Rebels Sunday 3:30pm, Avonworth High School
Union General Abner Doubleday
There you have it. The first officially recognized creator of baseball was a Union General. The rain should be gone by tomorrow. Try to take it easy tonight. Refrain from cola drinks and other caffeinated beverages. Our last Sunday game was a glassy-eyed debacle.
Check out the costume change. Note the Voodoo Child (slight return) tease.
"Without slavery, the rebellion could never have existed. Without slavery, it could not continue."
Abraham Lincoln, December 1, 1862, Message to Congress.
IN 2007, They split from the Black Sox and decided to call themselves the "Rebels". Opposition to team names and logos such as the Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Indians is documented and understandable, both Native Americans and white people fall on either side of the issue. I don't really care, but I'm not the one whose culture is being marketed, and sold as though it were a bottle of moonshine wrapped in Smallpox infested blanket.
Oddly, I can't remember hearing about any protests against UNLV or Ole' Miss for naming their teams "The Rebels", at least not to the extent of the "tomahawk-chop" issue on which Sports Center or Outside the Lines inevitably does an annual filler piece during the slow months of the sports year. I'm not trying to be some kind of anti-free speech, PC douche bag, teams have every right to chose any name and logo they want, even one relating to the pro-slavery side of the American Civil War, it's just not what I would do.
Anyway
It is a bit nationalist to view the term "Rebels" strictly in terms of the American Civil War. In many cases, throughout world history, rebel armies were the "good" guys. However, when your logo is this guy, and your predominant uniform color is gray, one can assume no one has gone to great lengths to avoid Confederate connotations. It is not as if there aren't far superior options for a "Rebel" logo out there. Consider the following: You can probably find his image on a t-shirt (most likely ironically weaved in sweatshop) worn by a hippie who spends more time taking bong hits and ranting nonsensically about "fascism" than actually doing anything. Just buy 16 of those shirts, slap numbers on the back and you're good to go. Not a fan of Che Guevara, go the Sandinista route: looking for something less controversial and "leftist"? How about this: Afraid no one knows that's the Star Wars Rebel logo? how about something more overt: Sure he was only in it for the money at first, but Solo was a huge, late-season addition to the Rebel cause. Incorporating him into the uniform would be tough, but clearly worth the trouble. I dare anyone to claim Han wouldn't provide a more intimidating screen-printed presence than Yosemite Sam.
Only one conclusion can be drawn, these guys are a bunch of racists, or at the very least not very creative. They could be rocking Billy Idol jerseys and Star Wars hats, but instead they disgrace our national past time by going with a caricature of a confederate soldier. To be fair I won't discount entirely the outside possibility that Rebel management is operating on an elite level of triple-reverse-irony that is over my head, but I doubt it.
Our life is in our hands, Dude. The Ducks' (3-6-1) division record is 1-4. 0-1 vs the Black Sox (7-1) 0-1 vs. the Owls (6-2) 1-1 vs. the Eagles (6-4) 0-1 vs. the Rakers (3-3) 0-0 vs. the Rebels (1-4-1)**Pending a possible forfeit for the rain game, which lead to this lengthy, disgruntled post We play each Division team three times. Ten more division games, another go at the Oilers, two vs. the Bulldogs, and a game against the Hurricane Carters'. Then the Playoffs.
I refuse to believe that our team peaked with the Matadors' game.
There is something weird going on with all the games being moved from Pie Traynor and Etna, to Findlay. I'm not a big fan of that field.
One more hit and one less error, that's been the story in four of the Ducks losses, which have been by three runs or less. The Ducks (3-6-1) season hangs precariously on the brink of irrelevance after a tough loss to their inter-division rival, The Warriors (6-2).
For the second time in two games, the Ducks brought the tying run to the plate in the late innings, only to come up short. Early on, the game was a small-ball contest, both teams sacrificed, stole bases, and played solid station-to-station baseball. Mark Guthrie gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead, in the bottom of the first, when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the first inning. The Warriors took a 2-1 the lead in the top of the third on one of four Ducks' errors. South Oakland evened the score in their half of the inning on a double steal, run-and-hit, when Guthrie drove in Ryan Novak. Then Warriors' catcher Craig Boley made an appearance, footage below.
The Ducks gave the Warriors two more runs on a botched pick-off attempt at second base, and the Warriors lead 4-2.
In the bottom of the fifth it looked as though the Ducks had figured out Warriors' stater, Overbaugh. Gwin lead off the inning with a ground rule double, when his shot to the wall lodged in the fence, it was almost the first triple in the history of Spring View Field. Then Ducks' catcher Jesse Smith hit a 2-0 fastball over the fence into some lucky family's backyard, but that would be all for the Ducks that inning. Going into the top of the sixth the game was tied 4-4.
Homa had pitched a solid game to that point, allowing only two earned runs, he must have thrown about 90 pitches, if the Ducks had made a few plays behind him 90 pitches might have been enough to finish off the game. On this night, it was not enough. The Warriors opened the inning with four straight ground ball hits, and Boley's line-drive single off the fence. That was enough for Homa, who was pulled with the Ducks trailing 5-4. Mark Guthrie relieved Homa, and after allowing a single, before he induced a 9-2 double play fly-out to Chris Wojoton. 6-4 Warriors with two outs. Then a dying line drive to center, off the bat of Steve Heckman, barely escaped Eric Lee's diving grasp, and plated two more Warriors. The stage was set for another Ducks' comeback, but it slipped through their feathers in a series of base running miscues. Eric Lee lead off the inning with a single, then Garret Moore moved Lee to third when he reached on an error. TC "Buttermaker" Jones added a pinch hit RBI, on a fielder's choice. Moore advanced to second, TC was out. Then KT Murphy, added his second hit of the game, and infield hit to deep short. Instead of having the top of the order up with one out and runners on first and third, Moore tried to score from second on the play and was out by a step. Then Chris Wojoton walked, and with two outs, Gwin worked the count full, the lead runner did not take off with the pitch, and did not score when Gwin singled to left. The Ducks trailed 8-5 with the bases loaded, and the inning ended with a blistering ground-out to short. two feet to the left and it's a one run game. So it goes. The Ducks would not threaten in the seventh.
Along with Brent Heintzelman's solid 2-3 performance at the plate, Boley was the only Warrior to really hit Homa hard, going 3-3 with a double and a single off the wall . Steve Heckman went 3-4 and only hit one ball out of the infield, a single to center, he has the keen ability to use his mind to put a certain spin on the ball which results in the perfect swinging bunt, he also bunted for a base hit. He hustled, he beat a couple throws by half a step. see the Warriors-biased recap of this game at Steveheckmanonline.com
Bullet Points
We can beat any team in the league.
Our next three games are against the Rebels, Hurricanes, and Bulldogs, they have a combined three wins as of today.
The Rebels game this Sunday is a must win.
As a catcher there is no greater feeling than being run-over, and holding on to the ball, Jesse made such a play for the second half of a key double play, after hitting a 2-run bomb earlier in the game.
With Lee and Wojoton out there, we have two of the best arms in the same OF in the league.
The Ducks have already tied last year's team HR mark, with 3: One apiece from J.Smith, Wojoton, and Novak. Last year it was Oliver with 2, and I think Rick had one.
I love chewing tobacco....318 and rising.
The Ducks' second base rotunda continues to whirl.
KT has reached base safely in five straight AB's.
There are some teams in this league which I despise, the Warriors are not one of them. This game was up for grabs the whole way, and they made one less error, and had a slew of infield hits. They didn't pull any cheap stuff either. It was smart baseball all around, aside from a couple key errors.
If I were Homa I'd be pretty frustrated after this one. Again, he did his job and put us in position to win.
Jim From CMU hit a solid line drive right at the second baseman fro a double play, if that one gets through maybe the wheels fly off the Warriors in the third, that's bad luck. That's baseball. Jim is a solid clubhouse guy, who takes a very logical approach at the plate.
At least Garrett was on base to make the ill-advised attempt at home plate, 80% of the teams in this league throw that ball away, Baker, and Boley made the play.
Garrett's base running error was bad, but it was an aggressive mistake, not a bad one to make early in the game, but we, as a team, have to do a better job of knowing situations.
I make base running mistakes too. I was playing in the NABA World Series in 2005, bases loaded, no outs, I was on second. hard grounder to third, the guy throws to second for one, and the double play is turned, I kept running and was thrown out at home for the third out of a 5-4-3-2 triple play. I killed that rally.
Congrats on Craig Boley, who is getting married
Congrats to Heckman and Lesher, on their pending Civil Union...Balls deep indeed.
MMMMMAAH.
We have five days off until we play the Rebels. I will post probably every day this week. We can not lose this game on Sunday, the state of the Union depends on it.
Also, how does everyone feel about calling TC, "Buttermaker" ala the coach from The Bad News Bears? Note: I had the 3,000th hit on the Ducks NABA home page.
Last year the Ducks went 1-2 against the Warriors. The Ducks won an 8am game by forfeit, and lost a barn-burner at home, 14-8. The Ducks 2007 season opener was a disastrous 15-0 loss to the Warriors. For the entire history of the Ducks vs. Warriors, go to Steveheckmanonline.com. Heckman is a work horse of a Warriors historian.
The Warriors always manage to find new pitchers who have played at a high level of baseball. Guys who have more than one pitch, and throw strikes. I blame this on Craig "Ultimate Warrior" Boley.
I suppose the five year anniversary of the Ducks, and the'03 Championship, make it worthwhile to reminisce. Baseball is like that, timeless, its history feels infinite; a lazy game that demands hustle, and respect. It is why the Ducks never changed their name. Even in a five year old rec. league, gnawing away at respectability in the Pittsburgh amateur baseball spectrum, there is still baseball tradition, and maybe for a team struggling to find .500 with one player left from the old days in Ambridge shooting the breeze about"tradition" slips down the slope of the has-been, but its there and it's undeniable.
Sometimes I feel like an old man whose backside is permanently imprinted on the corner stool of some dive in South Oakland, a grizzled "townie" slurring stories about bar- fights and that time he fucked two girls at once, stories that crescendo and pulse, growing more and more heroic with each telling. What baring any of this has on the 2008 Ducks is debatable, but it's good to know your history. So to get to the point, here's a story, and since it is our 5th anniversary, it will be the first of many, or at least several. This one gets better every time I tell it. The greatest play in Ducks history occurred during the 2003 season against the Piranhas, who would later become the Warriors. Back in the early days of the Pittsburgh NABA, when we played in a rock-covered, 270 foot band-box in the middle of nowhere (Ambridge), the Ducks were kings. The Ducks lead by one in the seventh, top or bottom, I'm not sure. In fact I'm not even sure it was the seventh, but it was late in the game. I am certain there was one out, the bases were loaded, and the Warriors were up to bat trailing by one run. Craig Pelat was playing short stop, Britan Dickey was at second. Pittsburgh NABA legend, Ian Dickman, was on the mound.
It was 100 degrees outside if it was 70, and Dickman was laboring. I was sitting on the bench next to Matt McCarthy, he was drinking a beer--a common occurrence among Ducks' players at the time, as the batter worked a 3-2 count. Dickman threw the pay-off pitch. Matt and I cursed in unison, at the crack of the bat. A sure single up the middle, but not that day. Pelat dove to his left and gloved the ball, from his stomach he flipped the sure single with his glove to Britan, who bare-handed the toss, spun and fired a one-hopper to first to complete the "oh-my-god" double play. It happened right in front of me and Matt. Matt stormed the field raised his Pabst pounder and shouted, "Put that shit on the internet".
I remember with perfect clarity, Craig telling me, "I've never made a play like that in my life. I didn't have time to get it out so I just threw it with my glove." In all my years of baseball I've never seen a smile as big as Craig's after he made that play.
That's why we play. Not for any kind of homage to the guys who came before us, or to sit on the bench wishing for a middle infield that showed up every day, but to make a play. To save a victory, to win a game to be a teammate again, to see the smiles that coaches and baseball politics and crazy little league parents stripped from us, to bring the fun back. Every one on the roster has the chance to jog back to the bench, smiling, and say, "I've never made a play like that before"
The Warriors have been in existence since 2004, they played the 2003 season as the Piranhas. That first season, the Ducks were 6-9 in the regular season, and 3-1 vs. the Piranhas.
It was during the 2003 season that Craig Boley took over as league president. It is due in large part to his hard work during the first two years of the Pittsburgh NABA that the league is still in existence. So in many ways he is... Along with the Black Sox, with whom the Ducks engaged in a bench-clearing brawl in the final regular season game of the 2003 campaign- when the Sox were still the Stampeders, the Warriors are the Ducks oldest rivals. But when the league expanded and realigned, the blood feud waned when the Warriors and Ducks found themselves in different divisions. Interesting that Boley would align the league to minimize Warriors Ducks games, eh?
I'll expand on the history of Ducks vs. Warriors in the days leading up to Monday's game. For now I'll leave you with this: the Warriors are such a renowned team, they inspired Richard Greenberg's Broadway hit, Take Me Out. It is a heart warming taled based on the Warriors 2005 Championship season. Click on the picture below for a synopsis of the play.
This video is not for little kids, Mormons, or people easily offended by profanity.
That's about how it feels right now.
In what has become typical Ducks' fashion, South Oakland spotted the opposition a seven-run lead, then put up a furious rally in the game's dying moments. The Ducks brought the tying run to the plate with one out in the seventh, but on this night, it was not to be.
The Ducks led 1-0 going into the bottom of the first, then the Eagles scored eight straight runs. Trailing 8-1 in the top of the fifth, South Oakland cut the lead to five when Gwin singled ahead of McCray's walk, then on a well executed double steal, the Eagles' catcher threw the ball into left field allowing Gwin to score, and McCray to advance to third. On the next pitch the Eagles would balk McCray home.
Trailing 8-3 going into the bottom of the sixth Ducks' reliever, Smith, after throwing two scoreless innings, had two outs with two runners on, when a somewhat routine fly-ball to right field allowed two Eagles to score. The ball dropped and the Ducks' right fielder chose to watch the runners instead of throwing the ball to the infield, then he blamed the infielders for not telling him what to do.
I wouldn't throw that guy under the bus if he didn't try to blame his teammates for the two runs that scored while he stood around demanding the ball be called foul. I was playing first and I ran out to make a play when it dropped in front of him, I said to him, "CUT FOUR". I suppose there was a miscommunication. Everyone makes errors, be they mental or physical, but it takes a certain kind of person to blame someone else for their own misreading of a pop-up and not quickly getting the ball into the infield.
He somewhat atoned for this blunder with a single in the top of the seventh.
It was not because of one play or one player that we lost this game. The little things continue to eat us alive.
The late comeback was frantic, the Ducks torched the Eagles' bullpen for four runs in the seventh, but came up inches short when a would be double skipped foul, before the game ended in a deflating 1-6-3 double play. The inning started when Les Geis (sp.) drew a walk, followed by a single, and a fielders' choice by Jim From CMU. KT Murphy reached base via walk for the third time in the game, then Wojoton delivered with an RBI single. Gwin walked, then Jesse followed with an RBI single of his own. Then just like that, it was over.
The first three innings were filled with booted grounders, and bat at-bats, for the Ducks. I don't think we've played a game this year with our best starting infield. (our starting second baseman hasn't shown up since the third game of the year).
The baseball always seems to find the guy who doesn't want it, never fails. The outfield was uncharacteristically, fundamentally terrible, except for Wojoton's 8-3 double play in the sixth.
Bullet points
We've got fifteen games left, I don't know if that's a lot or not. The rest of the division has approximately three games-at-hand on us, and it will be hard to gage where we stand until some games get made up and the games-played get squared.
3-5-1 is an ugly record, and I mean ascetically as well as in terms of personifying our under-achievement.
We are much better than we were last year.
We have to start playing in the first inning, not the fifth.
I've grown weary of alluding to our absent players, I feel as though it takes away from the guys who show up. Still, we played without both our home run and batting average leaders; the two of whom are the starting left-side of our infield.
We don't need to hit the panic button, but we have to put a few together before July rolls around and slams us in the balls with a 6-10-2 record.
Rick played hurt tonight.
Smith rebounded from a rough start against the OweleZ. He held the Eagles to two runs over three innings, and gave us a chance to pull another one from the jaws of defeat.
It seems as if we've played the whole season tip-toeing around the jaws of defeat.
Jesse threw out six guys and no one could hold onto the ball, he also had a clutch hit in the seventh.
KT was on base every time I turned around.
Jim the mysterious pitcher from CMU will fit in nicely, he plays a mean game of pepper, and he hustles.
I have as many walks through nine games as I did last season.
The Ducks (3-4-1) have a road game against the Eagles (4-3) Thursday at 9pm, at Moore Park in Brookline. A win vaults the Ducks into a tie for third place in the division and gives them a 2-0 record against the Eagles, assuring South Oakland of the first tie-breaker against a tough division opponent.
The Ducks beat the Eagles 4-3 on Garrett Moore's walk-off single, for their first win of the season. That win is the Ducks only division win thus far, South oakland is 1-3 in division play.
"It's been a long night, and I hate the fucking Eagles, man" -J.L.
Ted Williams, the greatest hitter of all-time, coached the Washington Senators after his playing days were over.
"Pepper is a great warmup game for any hitter, and as a coach I'm going to insist the Senators do more of it" -Ted Williams
Also, Barry Pepper played Roger Maris in the film 61*
In an unrelated note; there is no excuse for the "Owlz" using a "z" in their name. take a peek at their team page, try not to vomit.
This is the kind of win that can change the course of a season.
The Matadors scored seven runs in the first two innings. Ducks' starter Nick Homa (2-1) was struggling with his command, and the South Oakland infield looked shaky, committing key errors, forcing Homa to throw too many pitches to work out of bases-loaded jams in the first and second. Entering the bottom of the sixth inning, South Oakland trailed 7-0 and had recorded only one hit, an infield single. Going back to the bottom of the first inning of Sunday's loss to the Owls, the Ducks had been outscored 24-0 over the last nine innings, and at 2-4-1, they were swimming on the fringe of the playoff picture. For five innings, it seemed as though everything the Ducks hit went to the Matadors' shortstop, who played like Troy Tulowitzki. Homa had settled down, and was lights-out after the second inning. No more than 3 of the Matadors' runs were earned. The Ducks were poised to waste another solid performance, but this time there were no excuses, we had almost all of our regulars in the starting lineup, and we were getting handled by a finesse pitcher and an NL rookie of the year shortstop. Then it started, it started slowly when Coby was hit by a pitch, then Wojoton was beaned, and Guthrie singled. Ryan Novak drew a bases loaded walk to drive in the first Ducks run, and that was it for the Matadors' starting pitcher. Just when the Ducks were liking their chops at the chance to face the Matadors starter for the third time, Tulowitzki came into pitch and the infield was shuffled. Troy was throwing noticeably faster than the starter. Jesse Smith welcomed him with a marathon at-bat, fouling off twelve pitches and working the count full before drawing another bases loaded walk, cutting the lead to 7-2, bases still loaded.
Ben Gwin was 1-13 with 2 RBI heading into the game; the worst slump of his baseball existence, earlier in the game he's made an error at first which lead to two unearned runs, he had grounded out weakly in two earlier at-bats, five innings and nothing more than a broken bat for his efforts.
Redemption came in a three-run double to right center. 7-5. Tulowitzki would load the bases on a walk and a hit-batsman, but worked out of the jam by getting CF, Eric Lee to pop-up, and striking out two Ducks. He hadn't seen the last of Eric Lee.
The top of the seventh came and went with a walk, a double play, and a strike-out. Chris Wojoton lead off the Ducks' half of the inning with an infield hit to deep short, Tulowitzki maybe makes that play, but Chris booked to first, barely beating the throw. Guthrie was hit by a pitch, bringing the winning run to the plate. After a fly-out, and a questionable called third strike, the Ducks were down to their final out. Gwin came through again, singling to center, driving in Wojoton. Eric Tans drew a walk to load the bases, and Eric Lee came to the plate. Down by one bases loaded, two outs, Eric Lee was a super hero. The Play of the Game: Lee smashed one to the right side the ball hit off the Matadors' first baseman and dribbled into shallow right field, Guthrie scored to tie the Game and Gwin raced around from second to score the winning run.
Comeback complete.
WOOOO-HOOOOOO!!!
Bullet Points:
I've never been so happy to be hitting .250
Gutsy performance by Homa, who was rightfully upset at how we played the first five innings of this game, he hung in there and he bailed us out when a lesser pitcher would have quit. That is leadership.
This is the second game that we've won on our last at-bat.
The Matadors hit seven batters, Garrett almost charged the mound, that would have forced TC to pinch run, no one wants that.
This is our highest run total of the season
The Ducks are undefeated in June
3-4-1 and we're right in the thick of things
We beat a good team, the Matadors are no joke, they play the game the right way
Jim, the pitcher from CMU, does exist. Go Pens.
I don't think they had more than four hits to the outfield.
The Ducks are eager to get the foul taste out of their mouths after a historically bad 15-run loss to the Owls on Sunday. With almost 1/3 of the season in the books, and a scarcity of rain dates, every game has playoff implications in the highly contested Monongahela Division. South Oakland will look to fire-baller Nick Homa, and the infusion of Ducks starters who were unable to compete in Sunday's game, to stop the losing streak before it starts.
Last season the Matadors beat the Ducks on a seventh inning home run to eliminate South Oakland from playoff contention. That might mean something to the five returning players from last year.
Either way, it's gonna be bad news for the Matadors.
My American Legion coach once called my team a "disgrace to veterans", that's about how it feels after this loss. The Ducks (2-4-1) have been blown out before, but never in this fashion. The game was called with one out in the bottom of the third, and the Owls won by the seldom enforced, 15-run mercy rule. The Ducks lead 2-0 in the top of the first, after Mark Guthrie Doubled in Gwin, advanced to third on a ground out, and then scored on a wild pitch. The Ducks proceeded to surrender 17 unanswered runs, maybe five or six of which were earned. The Owls like to bunt, there were at least six bunts in the first two innings. They squeezed with an eight run lead. If I saw our team take infield practice before the game, I would have bunted all day as well. The Ducks played without five starters. The next Ducks, Owls game will be different.
South Oakland plays the Matadors tomorrow at 9pm, at Spring View Field.
The Ducks have finally started hitting. All but two South Oakland players recorded base hits, and the Ducks overwhelmed the undermanned Phantoms at Pie Traynor field, 7-3, to raise their record to 2-3-1.
For the second consecutive game, South Oakland's slow-starting offense has posted seven runs. Coach Jones knocked in his first RBI of the season, and Garrett Moore, Mark Guthrie, and Andrew McCray added extra base hits, to back up Guthrie's solid performance on the mound. Guthrie (1-0-1)scattered six hits and surrendered two earned runs over five innings. Nick Homa pitched two scoreless innings in relief for his first save of the season.
The Ducks travel to the Findlay Sports Complex. To play the expansion Owls today, at 3pm. A win would put the Ducks at .500 and move the team into 3rd place in the Monongahela division. I know little about the Owls and nothing about the Findlay field.
The Owls (2-2) screeched past the Rebels 14-9, yesterday. Knowing the Rebels, I bet they set their rotation to have their ace going against the BlackSox today, still the Owls had 18 hits. I found this on America's most reputable news source Supposedly wise, Owls live in barns, and eat rodents. Number 13 might be coming down from the rafters today, either way, it's gonna be bad news for the Owls.
Bullet points
Momentum, keep it going, build on it.
McCray hit a Gibsonian shot off the wall in center, 418 feet away
This was the most complete effort of the season
showing up is 80% of Pittsburgh NABA baseball
We still haven't had all our starters at a ganme at the same time, this has allowed coach Jones to get a look at everyone, and get everyone playing time.
Last game marked the end of Gwin's 108 consecutive games played streak.
the Monongahela Division is Log Jammin' right now, it's going to be a battle all season.
If the rubber is 60.5 feet from home, then second base is roughly 66.8 feet directly behind the rubber.
Charles Comiskey
Bad News for the Bulldogs.
Bullet points
Union General Abner Doubleday 
and your predominant uniform color is gray, one can assume no one has gone to great lengths to avoid Confederate connotations. It is not as if there aren't far superior options for a "Rebel" logo out there. Consider the following:
You can probably find his image on a t-shirt (most likely ironically weaved in sweatshop) worn by a hippie who spends more time taking bong hits and ranting nonsensically about "fascism" than actually doing anything. Just buy 16 of those shirts, slap numbers on the back and you're good to go.
Afraid no one knows that's the Star Wars Rebel logo? how about something more overt:
Sure he was only in it for the money at first, but Solo was a huge, late-season addition to the Rebel cause. Incorporating him into the uniform would be tough, but clearly worth the trouble. I dare anyone to claim Han wouldn't provide a more intimidating screen-printed presence than Yosemite Sam.
Only one conclusion can be drawn, these guys are a bunch of racists, or at the very least not very creative. They could be rocking Billy Idol jerseys and Star Wars hats, but instead they disgrace our national past time by going with a caricature of a confederate soldier.
Jefferson Davis; Rebel leader, racist.
Along with the Black Sox, with whom the Ducks engaged in a bench-clearing brawl in the final regular season game of the 2003 campaign- when the Sox were still the Stampeders, the Warriors are the Ducks oldest rivals. But when the league expanded and realigned, the blood feud waned when the Warriors and Ducks found themselves in different divisions. Interesting that Boley would align the league to minimize Warriors Ducks games, eh?
The Play of the Game:
