Same old venue, different show.

Before the Wild Card preview it's time for....Around the Pittsburgh NABA

Nick Homa for Pitcher of the Year, TC Jones for Manager of the Year.
(these things are won in the press.)

***

A pitcher on the Oilers threw a no-hitter against the Bulldogs, then the Matadors tried to say both teams cheated and that they should be awarded a spot in the Allegheny Championship, because they won the division last year, and have sweet uniforms.

Why not name your team "The Bulls"? Granted, the Matador usually ends up killing the bull, but its not very humane, bullfighting is disgusting, and unfair. I imagine it is sweet to watch live, though.
Maybe they just wanted to go with a Carmen theme. Bizet is unreal.

Neither the Rebels nor the Matadors made the playoffs this season, after playing in the 2007 Championship.

The League President should mandate the next expansion team name themselves the
"Ghostbusters" or something along those lines. Something, you know, Bill Murray related.

Something you should know about our League President. He dominated me in Dance-Dance-Revolution at the Ultimate Warrior's bachelor party at Dave and Busters.

Footage of me practicing for the rematch

• The Oilers will face the Warriors Wednesday night, at Spring View Field in Game 1 of the Allegheny Division Series.

There's some fierce, bright-yellow smack-hooting on the OwlZzz "My Site News" page. I stumbled over it while I was searching for a pitcher with more strikeouts than Homa. I didn't find anyone.

Speaking of the regular season Monongahela Division Champs...
The winner of tonight's Ducks, Black Sox game faces "Team Typo" on Thurzday.
Those kids can play ball, but that yellow writing gives me a headache.

* * *

"Yours is the cloth mine is the hand that sews time..."

The Ducks (11-9-2) will play the Black Sox (14-8) Tuesday night at 8:30pm at John Herb Field.

South Oakland is 5-3 all time in Pittsburgh NABA post-season play; the Ducks went 3-0 in 2003 and won the title. The next season, South Oakland beat the Maulers in the first round, and took the first game of the best-of-three with the Black Sox before losing by forfeit in game two, and losing game three after a rescheduled rain-out left the Ducks playing with seven guys. that was the end of an era.

In 2005, the Red Dawn Ducks lost to Chris Wojton's Rangers/Phantoms, 14-8 in the first round. It was during that game starting pitcher Matt Swetz took a ground ball to the groin in the fourth inning and continued to pitch three more innings. He wore a cup the next season. Swetz was never the same after that night.

Then it was two seasons of lame duck baseball before TC Jones revitalized the team, leading the South Oakland youth movement into the playoffs for the first time since '05.

I've been here since the beginning. Rick, A.Smith and E.Lee have been here since '05. Everyone else is in their first or second year on the team. We are as good now as we have ever been.

There's no use bringing up the '04 series against the Black Sox, and beating it to death. That time is pertinent only to myself, and a bunch of Ducks who have moved on, and out of Pittsburgh. We did let one slip away, though and it was all down hill from there. I'll tell you stories if you want to hear 'em.

There is no use in evoking images of a return to glory by the Ducks, nor should I cover this post with wistful reminiscence about 2003, the days when Dickman dominated, or sweet double plays and bench clearing brawls from six years ago. I think that would be self-indulgent, and it won't help win the game tonight.

But this team, the 2008 Ducks, can win tonight.

Ducks with game winning RBI this season: Moore, Lee, Spagnola, McCray, Gwin, Homa.

***

Fly together.

Leave it all on the field.

Ghostbusters.

Kenesaw Mountain Landis

Bad News for the Black Sox.