hello there

BULLET POINTZ! out of no where...

• I wouldn't wish the insanity that I've had in my life over the last four months on the Rebels.
• I got a kenny fucking powers t-shirt for christmas, which I'm basically going to wear as my jersey when we play the black sox. I'll get a #4 screen printed on it.

• i'm in grad school.
  
• One day I will teach your kids English. This could make the ducks blog home of the most over qualified blogger in the pgh NABA.
  
• That is until dr. venkman takes over on the bulldogs site, which i hear has been active and awesome as ever.
• Depo is busy doing all kinds of crazy admin shit.
  
• South Oakland will most likely win the championship this summer.
• what happened to 2009?

happy holiday's

you tube city:

Got me confused...

John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin is making the most interesting music of any former member at this point.

I'll be blogging about the new season of east bound and down as a lead in to the 2010 season.
Time permitting.
anyone still checking the site?




quack, quack.

these go up to eleven

and this one

Fall Ball Recap Week 3 & 3rd Annual Turkey Bowl Early Announcement

As far as I can tell the Red Tide and Green Machine are the only teams to see any action this weekend as heavy rains from the night before left fields unplayable. The matchup between the Tide and Machine was delayed until Sunday. Both teams worked several hours on Saturday in an attempt to make the field playable. Eventually it was deemed too dangerous to play and decided to pick it up on the day after.

On Sunday, neither team could find a way to score a run in the first game until, in the third inning, the game was moved from Jon Herb to Pie Traynor since another team had a permit for Herb. After some human ingenuity at its finest, Pie Traynor was ready to be played on with some help from my pick up and a plank of wood with nails driven through it.

Not my truck.

Eventually the machine would score the only run of the game and win 1-0.

The second game proved to be just as exciting but with more scoring. The highlight of the game was an inside the park grand slam to put the Machine up by four in the top of the 5th. The Tide responded with their own 4 runs and eventually won the game by scoring in the top of the 7th. Highlight for the Tide was in the top of the sixth when Martin threw a laser from center to gun down the go ahead run.

Duck's notes:

• Jesse crushed the ball on Sunday.
• I had two sacrifice bunts.

Third Annual Turkey Bowl

This is an early announcement of the famed Turkey Bowl to be held on Nov. 21. Everyone is invited as long as the Bulldogs don't piss in my living room. More info to come later on.

Fall Ball Recap Week #2

After putting up 13 runs against the Royal Has-Beens last week and winning easily, the Red Tide had to squeak out a close one at Avonworth on September 19. The first inning and a half took what seemed like an hour to complete. Both teams came out scoring runs and a plethora of walks and errors contributed to the length of the game. Highlight of the game was in the bottom of the ninth when Della Pena completed his complete game win by striking out the last two batters with runners in scoring position. Final score 9-8 Red Tide.

Red Tide Press Room:

• The Red Tide will miss Crafty Veteran David Wallis. The Red Tide will play the rest of the season with this patch on their jersey.
• Do not urban dictionary crafty veteran. I made that mistake only once.
• Rumors have surfaced that the upper brass of the Red Tide have managed to acquire one or two top notch pitchers to help the cause throughout the '09 campaign.
• I was able to snag an impromptu photo of our pitching staff the other day.

Why does it look like Greg Maddux was photoshopped into this picture?

• Week 3 games were postponed because of rain and have been rescheduled to the end of the season. Check the Pittsburgh NABA website for more details.

Ducks around the league:
None of the teams posted recaps so I have no idea what happened to the other teams, but heres some scores and standings.

Green Machine 8 - Columbia Blue Jackets 11
Orange Crush 9 - Royal Has-Beens 4

Standings:
Red Tide 2 0
Gold Nuggets 1 1
Orange Crush 1 1
Green Machine 1 1
Columbia Blue Jackets 1 1
Royal Has-Beens 0 2

Season Recap

This is going to be youtube and photoshop-less.

We'll start with the big picture:

Once again Commish was unable to rig the league well enough to have the Bulldogs win a championship.
Try as he might.
I love you, Joe.

The story of the season is the Owlz not winning the title, Cool and the gang lost to the Brookline Bullies in the Conference Semis.
Then the Hurricanes stepped in and beat Brookline.
Kenny Powers is still thinking about it I'm sure.
I know I would be.

Now more than ever teams win more based on who they can recruit than anything else.
The off season is a big deal.

I predicted there would be a bench clearing brawl this year, and we (as a league) were close a few times.
the umpires repeatedly lost control of games.
I think the only team that is satisfied with the umpires in the Hurricanes.

The Blues put our league on the map in AC (Scoscia is a beast), and then the four teams who played in Butler almost took it back off. see the bulldogs blog for the run-down.
.

I am one of few guys who can say they have played on a team with Rob Cool and on a team with Kenny Powers.
they are both honored i'm sure. quack.

me and alex warren and Rob Swanger and a couple other guys.
The Sox could have used Warren in the playoffs, he's a workhorse and a competitor.
he's also level-headed.

There is talk of radical realignment.
rookie, A, and AA.

I'm an anti-gambling baseball purist, and would rather have a just rookie league, then split up the rest of the teams into Wales and Campbell, and then have all but the 3 or 4 worst teams in the league make the playoffs.
However Joe proposes it, the new alignment will be voted on and we will make a decision collectively that we will all bitch about later.

He likes brackets and the tourney he has drafted will be great fun.
Come up with your own ideas to present to him at the winter meetings if you think you can do better.

The Ducks may split, we may not. We may play in the top division, we may stay down since we don't have any college players on our roster and are eligable as we are currently constructed to dominate the A division before we make the jump in 2011.

I stand behind whatever decision our coach makes.

This is a crucial off season, as Dr. Jones and I are old and have to find real jobs and all that other real life bullshit that hits when you get past 25 and still don't have a career or any real structure in your life.

We need two or three guys to do the uniform work, find a sponsor or two, and get us a field.
someone talk to the city about getting Mellon Park which is getting lights installed.

I am absolutely done doing extra shit. Sorry, I don't have time anymore. I am sad.
I won't be able to maintain the blog as consistently as i have and certainly don't have time to run around the city taking care of all the minutia i have for the past 7 seasons.
I put myself in this position because I'm too neurotic to trust others to do it, so I'm accountable, but whatever.
I'll still play next year if coach needs me.

The blog was absolutely ridiculous this season, and I took some liberties that maybe I shouldn't have, but mostly people need to lighten up.
If you don't want the Ducks to have the loudest voice in the league start your own blog, homos.
or at least leave nasty anonymous comments.
Overall it was great fun, and Larry is a crybaby who sucks.

***
Coby has been in touch with Al Gore about getting the internet and will have his thoughts sometime in October. Skip will post some individual awards in the next week or so, so I won't mention any individual accolades, of which there were many.
ok just one, and that was Squints' uniform heist.
#7 is a beast.

2009 South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (16-8, 3rd in Wales Conference, 4th overall) Season in Review.


Our season ended unceremoniously, with a crushing 10 inning defeat at the hands of the hated black sox. While I'm not one for moral victories, to call the season a failure is too simple.
This was the best Ducks team I've ever play on, and in any other season we would have probably been one of the last two teams standing.
We did it all without a true ace ( i think we were the only team in the top 3 or 4 in the league who could not boast a "Guy Who Throws 90"), or a natural center fielder or lead-off hitter.

It should be a point of pride among all of us that we were a tough team to play against this season. We never showed up at the park not having a chance to win (except the mother's day massacre).
No one saw South Oakland on the schedule and set their rotation so we'd get their third guy who only pitched once in little league.

We straight out-classed the Gray Bats on all levels.
We defeated the league champion Fightin's 2-0.
Only two teams posted better than a .500 record against us this year: The Owlz and Black Sox - the tow best teams in the regular season record wise.

My only team regrets are not giving the owlz a better game, even when we had our starters, and the Eagles game.
that shit will happen over a 24 game season.
shit like only beating the bulldogs by one run twice, our most unconvincing season sweep.
It also sucks a few guys bailed on us who had been contributing.
We won two of every three games we played.
We were five and oooooooh.
Then 12-3 before wrapping up the 3 seed and ducking around down the stretch.

We played inspired baseball in the post season beating the Gray Bats for the 4th time in 2009, before we came up 1 run short against the Sox in probably the most exciting game any team played during the 2009 season. Extras in the playoffs, can't beat that shit.
Fucking Black Sox.

We represented the league well in Erie, but not so much in Butler. What a shit show.
let's never talk about that again.
fuck that whole junkie infested town.
(note, the teams we played in the tourney were gracious in victory, and most likely don't live in Butler, except for that one guy in the dugout who kept nodding-out and itching himself and drooling all over the place.)

Going in to 2010 we have 10 roster spots open, half our pitching staff, and a bunch of guys are moving away or maybe won't be back. There is a lot up in the air.

Luckily, Ducks fly together.


Bad News since 2003.

Quack

a little late on this one.

RIP

Kanye! NO!

Ducks Fall Ball Update

The Ducks have split momentarily during the fall to align with new teams during the leagues fall season. I'll be making a post each week pointing out the highlights for Duck's players during the fall campaign. Here's who's playing for who:

Orange Crush: Mark Guthrie

Green Machine: Jesse Smith(coach)

Red Tide: Anthony Casale and Dustin Iser

That's all as far as I know. Let me know if there are any mistakes.

Week 1 highlights:

Red Tide over Royal Has-Beens 13-3.

Green Machine over Orange Crush 7-3.

• Captain America started the game and struck out three through five-innings in a strong showing. He also added two walks in his trips to the plate.

Current Standings:
Red Tide 1-0
Gold Nuggets 1-0
Green Machine 1-0
Orange Crush 0-1
Royal Has-Beens 0-1
Columbia Blue Jackets 0-1

Are stats going to be posted on the NABA website? I'd like to be able to get stats from the games.

The Steelers Suck

Alright, four disclaimers.

1. I do not agree with number 5 on this list. I happen to love the city of Pittsburgh.
2. This link is hosted by an Eagles blog. I am not an Eagles fan. I hate all teams from that wretched city.
3. I, in fact, hate the NFL entirely. I especially hate the Steelers because they are shoved down my throat everyday.
4. I am pretty drunk right now. If this offends you, please don't hold it against me.

Five Reasons why the Steelers suck.

Why I hate the NFL

• Overtime: If the Titans win the coin toss in overtime against the Squeelers the Titans could have won that game, but we will never know. The NCAA's overtime rules are far superior to that of the National Fucktard League. Here's an idea, lets see what happens if each team wins the coin toss.
• Playoff System: Everybody complains about the BCS, but college fans do not know how good they have it. People say they want to see the best team win and want to see a playoff system for the NCAA in the same sentence. What those people don't realize is the two are, for the most part, mutually exclusive. The best team in the NFL rarely wins the Super Bowl. The best team usually gets beat by some inferior team by some stroke of luck. Do you really think the Giants were the best team in the NFL in 2007? If you do then you probably can't read and nobody cares about you.

Then there is the fact that the regular season doesn't even matter in the NFL. The Titans lost their season opener. They could still barely finish over .500 limp into the playoffs and win the Super Bowl because thats just the way shit works. In the meantime Titan's fans are watching a shitty team play shitty games and the Titan's Collesium (or whatever the fuck it is called nowadays) has more empty seats than a Penn State basketball game. Then all of a sudden the playoffs come and everybody is given a second chance. Not so in college. Case in point, look at Oklahoma this year. They lost their season opener. They need a hope and a prayer to win the National Championship this year. Every game in college football is as important as the one before, the one after, and as important as the last game of the season. Even if you aren't playing for the National Championship. There are no second chances.
I've had people tell me the only reason why the bowl system is around today is because it makes the NCAA money. Well no shit sherlock! Do you know why it makes the NCAA money? Because every college football fan lives for the chance to march into a warmer climate every December/January, get drunk, and cheer on your team one last time for the year. It's what we live for. I went to the Sun Bowl last year. Sure it was a lousy game, but that is still the best vacation of my life.


I know there are more reasons why the NFL sucks and why college football is the best thing since roadhead but I'm about to pass out. I'll argue about everything else in the comments thread.

Changes

During this off season the Duck's are going to be heading towards some major changes. First, Ben will be resigning as equipment manager (pretty much the person who orders and distributes the uniforms and hats). Anyone interested in this position please contact me or Ben ASAP.

Secondly, I am seriously thinking about splitting the Ducks up into two teams. If it looks like we are going to have more than 15 guys interested in playing for the Ducks there will undoubtedly be a split. It is just too difficult for me to get guys, including myself, sufficient playing time with more than 15 guys. I'm not exactly how this split will be made or who will play on which team, but i guess that will all work itself out.

If someone is willing to be the other manager in the split please let me know that you are interested.

Let me reiterate, this split is not guaranteed. It will only happen if we have more than 15 guys interested in being a Duck next year.

labor day bbq

Labor Day BBQ at my place. Same deal as last time.

My Place.

My place is actually on Milligan Way, but it is called Buzzard Way on Google maps. When you turn onto Milligan Way, bear to the right and go to the bottom of the hill. You will come out into a clearing with three buildings, mine is the one on the right. From the front of the building you can buzz the door or just yell at me on my patio.

BEC gameday [2]: This baseball team kills fascists.

good luck pirates,bulldogs, canes

the Hurricanes lost 4-0 yesterday.

The Ducks play at 12:30 and have to win to play at 3:30 and win again to play tomorrow.

Captain's on the hill

bad news for butler.

SSC recap: Butler County is the Heroin Capital of Western PA. Saxonburg 4, Ducks 1

A two out, two-two run error in the bottom of the first, and another in the 4th gave Saxonburg a 4-0 lead.

the Ducks scored their lone run in the top of the 5th on Darren Daulton's bases loaded walk,.

that was the Ducks best chance to rally, as they had the bases loaded with one out, and chased Saxonburg's starter.

their relief pitcher retired two consecutive batters to end the threat.

the Ducks had runners on 1st and 3rd in the top of the seventh, but had a runner picked off, and the next batter grounded out.

Adam Oliver was 1 for 1 with a walk.

Necheff pitched 7 strong innings, and we wasted a good outing.

I think we out-hit them 5 to 4.

Three Ducks starters were delayed by rush hour traffic and an accident on 79 and didn't arrive until the top of the 2nd.

6pm games are a joke.

We need to play much better tomorrow, we made that guy look like Sandy Koufax.

The Ducks play the losers bracket game tomorrow at 12:30pm Saturday at highfield one.
directions are linked on the previous post.

If we win we play again at 3:30.

if we lose the season is over.

we have to run the table

Bad news for opponent tbd.

Game Day [29] Ducks vs. Saxonburg

Directions to highfield #1

bracket link

This evening, the South Oakland Ducks of the North Side travel to the edge of civilization to play the Saxonburg [Saxons?] in the opening round of the BEC/PGHNABA/SteelCityClassic Wood Bat double elimination tourney.

The Butler tournament didn't exist until we tried to contact their teams about playing in the Steel City Classic, then they under cut us and put out an inferior product.

In truely Capitalist fashion the Steel City Classic, an entity run by Joe, Vinny, and Sorosky, with minor help from myself and TC, Kenny Powers, and Tremel (sp.), was absorbed by the bigger cheaper Butler Tournament, a tournament that may not provide the same quality as the one we've been working since spring, but it will be less expensive. Does the consumer really benefit?
We've been bought out, basically.
Once we paid them they changed formats twice.

The number of guaranteed games has dropped to 4 to 2.
Let's win and it won't matter.

They are charging $15 per spectator to watch games at Pullman.
i doubt we see much of a cut from the door.
Maybe that's what we should have done, charged admission to amateur games in order to subsidize some of our cost.

Today the Ducks take the field at the same time as the legaue champ Hurricane's, Halloway hates the blogosphere, and especially this blog, but we are pulling for him, and the Fightin's today.

The backdrop here is one of our entire league being disrespected, and disregarded as fodder for the Fed and BEC teams to beat up on, while we hand over our money to subsidize their methlabs.

Normally I don't believe in playing for respect. But this is different. There is more on the line for our league in this tourney than there was when the Blues romped in the AC tourney.
As much as our league has grown and as far as it has come, - and it has come a very long way - it is clear that we still are not respected locally.

With all this bullshit dominating the week leading up to the start of the tournament, there is still baseball to be played.
If the Ducks, and the Pittsburgh NABA want the respect of these teams we have the opportunity to earn it.
***

We were put in this bracket specifically to be door mats to the Saxonburgs, (that name sounds like something out of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.)

We are South Oakland of the North Side.
We will face either a former pro or a DI pitcher, nothing we haven't seen in over the summer I'm sure.
We have an opportunity today.

This evening, the creepy, backwoods Butler County countryside will resonate with the sound of
quack.


Abe Lincoln is back with a vengeance.


Bad news for Saxonburg.

Ducks Unite

Gentleman,

It has come to my attention that today at 12:01pm, Pond-Of-Famer Adam Oliver will be making the five-and-a-half hour commute through PA Turnpike speedtraps, stimulus roadwork and Labor Day Traffic from the city of cheese steaks to the city of champions just in time to participate in the Beaver County/Steel City Classic baseball tournament. He will be suiting up in the Green and Gold for the first time since his legendary 2007 campaign.

I myself crammed five grueling days of pickle sales into a four day window in which I hustled through four states slinging dill and dreaming of glory. If this were any other week, I would spend my travel time wondering where I went wrong, lamenting the pathetic fact that I accrued a lifetime of debt earning an education that was unlikely to earn me any money, lay any foundation for even nominal renown or ever get me laid. If this were just any week I would spend my travel time anticipating the upcoming weekend of drowning my sorrows in rum-and-coke, par-3 golf, Lil' Wayne and fat chicks who tell it like is.

But goddamn it, this is tournament week.

In Erie, we knocked off the rust, some of us getting to know each other. Some of us learning, the hard way, how to communicate in the outfield. (Gwin, who has priority?) We hit some bombs, we made some plays, we swung at everything..., we had some fun, but in the end, it was just practice.

In the BC/SSC we may get to hit against a motherfucker that pitched for Braves. Not for nothing, but I'm a Phillies fan, and I will never forget that awful (racist, annoying) chop and its prevalence in the early 90s when Fred McGriff, Dion Sanders and Steve Avery et al were beating us up. We should see some good teams and Ducks thrive on competition. No doubt, you all have a bitter taste in your beaks after a disappointing loss to the Powerses. Oliver and I know the pain of PNABA defeat as both of our regular Duck finales ended in heartbreak, and included losses to Powers. Let's play some Duck ball and take it out on Beaver teams and Fed teams and NABA mishmashes of quasi-allstar teams. And we'll be doing it with real Ducks and not recruits. Ducks fly together.

Fago has enough quacktion to count.

This alumni Ducks campaign is not simply for us, but for the respect of Pittsburgh baseball and the honor of every Duck ever to wear the sacred uniform.

Let's take it to the stage sucka.

Squints 4 life

prepare for an actually gameday post tomorrow.

quack.

September Madness!

Here is the final bracket, it's a little better.

CLICK FOR BRACKET


Ducks,

if you aren't playing this weekend we need to borrow your jersey for the players we have recruited to fill your vacancy.

please get in touch with one of the following ducks from this summer who are playing, and make arrangements to get your jersey, it will be returned asap.

TC, McCray, Guthrie, Wojton, Casale, (aside from friday and saturday 10-3)
Depo, J.Smith, Homa, and maybe Dowling and i think that's it.

we need 4 or 5 more jerseys total.

i ordered some t-shirts and hats for the weekend.

BWP bats will be for sale on site: $40 for maple and $30 for ash.

Squints, you know your mission...

there will probably be one final schedule change. (above)

quack.

the schedule is going to change again - why not another edit? {monday 8/31- 10:03pm

we're going to a straight double elimination format now.
the final schedule will be posted later today.

this couldn't have worked out any worse for us.
here is the schedule.

i have no idea how to even try to get our game friday moved. but that would be great.

As of now, we need a shortstop for the first two games.


none of this is joe's fault he's been working hard with little help to make this a worthwhile endeavor.



who is this saxonburg team?

Friday, September 4th, 2009

6PM @ Pullman Park – Debos vs. Portage

6PM@ Highfield ( Lower Field) – Ducks vs. Saxonburg

6PM@ Highfield ( Upper Field) – Sto Rocks vs. Pittsburgh

Saturday, September 5th, 2009

10AM@ Pullman Park – Butler vs. Freeport

10AM@ Highfield (Lower Field) – Clancy’s vs. winner of Debos vs. Portage

10AM@ Highfield (Upper Field) – Rochester vs. winner of the Pgh. Vs. Hurricanes

10AM@ BCCC – Pirates vs. winner of the Saxonburg vs. Ducks

I recieved an "unoficial" bracket and it is rediculous - i won't post it until it is final - it is set up in a manner that would potentially have teams playing 3 or 4 games in one day and the HR Derby interfering with some games, which doesn't make much since as we have field times spanning 4 days but whatever, this is what we have now.

if we beat saxonburg we play saturday at 10am on Saturday against the Dunnless Pirates, if we lose game 1 we play at 12pm on Saturday and will have to win that game to force a double header and a 3pm game.

if we go win-lose

we play saturday at 3pm and have to win to force a 6pm game. which would be 3 games in one day.

unbelievable.

if we go win-win
we play saturday night at 7pm

let's hope this get tweaked a bit.

Sunday, September 6th
Continuation of Tournament – Times and Location TBD

Monday, September 7th
Continuation of Tournament – Times and Location TBD

practice tuesday 6pm Pie Traynor. - EDIT_SChedule UPDATE

members of the naba steel city classic teams, and fall ball will practice at pie traynor on tuesday at 6pm.

The Ducks open the 'classic against sorosky's team of ringers on friday at 6pm.

field tbd.

we play a double header on saturday starting with the bulldogs at 10am on then the hurricanes afterward.

if we finish in the top 2 in our 4 team poll, we will advance to the double elimination round on sunday.
full schedule

Schedule (Home Teams determined by coin flip)

Friday, September 4th, 2009
Ducks vs. Pirates; 6pm; Lower Highfield
Hurricanes vs. Bulldogs; 6pm; Upper Highfield

Saturday, September 5th, 2009
Bulldogs vs. Ducks; 10:30am; Lower Highfield
Pirates vs. Hurricanes; 10:35am; Upper Highfield

Ducks vs. Hurricanes; 12:45pm; Lower Highfield
Bulldogs vs. Pirates; 12:50pm; Upper Highfield

HR Derby – Pullman Park – 4pm Qualifying Round (Each team 2 hitters) – 6pm Championship Round (Top 3 hitters overall)

Sunday, September 6th
Doubleheaders for each time starting at 10am – Exact times and locations TBA

Monday, September 7th
Championship Series (Best of 3) – 11am Pullman Park

Teams Committed to Play (12 teams total)

Pool A (BEC Tourney)
Debo’s Movers
Allegheny Valley Baseball
Butler City
Pittsburgh

Pool B (BEC Tourney)
Clancy’s Grill
Freeport River Pirates
Saxonburg
Portage B Squirrels

Pool C (Steel City Classic)
Allegheny Pirates
South Oakland Ducks
Sto-Rocks Hurricanes
Rochester Inn Bulldogs

quack.

Breaking Steel City Classic News

Via Commish's email...

The Steel City Tournament has merged with the Butler Eagle County Tournament...

The new fee is $650 (down from $750), and we are now guaranteed 5 7-inning games (35 innings, up from 27 - details below). Individual teams will be getting more for less than what the SCC could have offered.

Please set aside 30 minutes on 9/3 at 6pm for a quick, but important meeting.

Here are the details of the tournament (lengthy, but important.... please read in its entirety):

Saturday, August 29, 2009 - Manager's Meeting - 2PM - Pullman Park
I will submit the entry fee ($400) on behalf of each team. I would recommend you send a representative from your team as pools will be draw at this time. 3 Pools of 4 teams. Top 2 teams from each Pool make playoffs.

Friday, September 4, 2009 - First Day of Tournament
Games begin at 6PM and will be held at Pullman Park, Highfield, and Butler County Community College.

Saturday, September 5, 2009 - Second Day of Tournament
Games TBA - Played all Day
HR Derby at 3PM at Pullman Park - Teams must send two (2) representatives. Championship round of HR Derby will begin at 4:30PM.

Sunday, September 6, 2009 - Third Day of Tournament
Top-6 teams will make the finals and will enter into a double elimination tournament and the championship game will be on Monday at 1PM.

Prizes: RLC Bats, BWP Bats (Provided by PIttsburgh NABA); Championship T-shirts (Provided by Pittsburgh NABA)







Bad News for Butler.

::EDIT::

Ducks, this is your manager speaking. I will be up north in beautiful meadville this weekend. I need someone to represent the Ducks at this meeting. I also have some cash and checks at my house that need to get to Joe. It would be nice if someone who will be at the scrimmage tomorrow can take them to him. I can leave them in an envolope in my mailbox if that helps.

Allman Brothers

Ducks BBQ 8/29/2009 {EDIT BETTER DIRECTIONS}

After the scrimmage against the Bulldogs, the Ducks' BBQ will be held at my place in Swissvale. All are invited, even Yoda.

My Place


My place is actually on Milligan Way, but it is called Buzzard Way on Google maps. When you turn onto Milligan Way, bear to the right and go to the bottom of the hill. You will come out into a clearing with three buildings, mine is the one on the right. From the front of the building you can buzz the door or just yell at me on my patio.

I'm getting the basics, burgers, dogs, and brews. If you want some finer cuts of meat or liquor you can bring your own. Any beverage or food donations are appreciated, and any monetary donations will be contributed to Ducks' Charities. Leave a comment saying if your coming and if your bringing any people so I have an idea of how much I need to get. If this isn't a good day we can move the BBQ to a different date.

one more

Hot New Video Game Consists Solely Of Shooting People Point-Blank In The Face

erie recap eventually, if someone else writes it and emails it to me i will ad pics/youtubes

This is great,

thanks to The Onion


Ngyuen Thi Buch Thuy: 'Just Give Me The Damn Sepak Takraw Ball'



so is this


Baseball Superstar Accused of Performance-Enhancing Genie Use

Duel.

***

vs

Saturday Aug. 29th.
JOHN HERB FIELD 10AM.


Ducks vs. Bulldogs scrimmage on the 29th as well.

Anyone else who wants to get in some work before fall ball/labor day tourney is also welcome to attend to help fill out the teams, and to watch the highly anticipated Yoda vs. Guthrie showdown.


An additional thank you to Kirk Gibson for being the catalyst of the Erie trip, and for not taking that job in CT which will allow him to remain a Duck next season.





quack.

SomeoneElse can recap this

The ducks split a double header with the Erie league champs, and lost 3-2 to a combo of two teams on Sunday. It was a good tune-up for the Labor Day Tournament, which will now probably only feature 4 teams, all from our league which is unfortunate.

McCray and Fago went yard.
KT and Casale had at least 5 hits apiece.
Coby and TC had key hits to spark rallies and drive in runs.

it was a great weekend of baseball.
the ducks thank the teams in Erie for the free baseball.
this recap doesn't count someone else please recap.

quack.

Ducks Rumor Mill

I have just received information from an inside source that the South Oakland Ducks of the North Side have just signed former NABA 2008 MVP Fago to a contract for the series in Erie and the Labor Day tourney. Sources also say that he is very close to signing a contract to be a Duck during the 2010 NABA season.

When asked about this possible signing Manager TC Jones said, "Since we lost 11 Ducks from the 2009 team we are actively looking for players of Fago's caliber to fill holes left by departing players. A player like Fago would fill up both a hole in our infield and a hole in our pitching rotation."

This Weekend - Edit GWIN

If you plan on staying with me in Meadville this weekend and need a ride in the Duck Mobile let me know ASAP. I plan on leaving after work, so hopefully around 6PM.

Big Chuck Jones said that he plans on cooking a feast and providing brews.


If you don't need a ride but need directions to my house also let me know ASAP.

Finally if you havent giving me the money for the tourney yet bring it this weekend to Erie.

I have inside information that YODA will be at our games this weekend.

***
Ben and Rob Swanger are leaving for Meadville friday as well, and can provide transport for two more Ducks.

quack.

BP

BP wed and thursday 630 at pitt.

we leave for erie friday night.

bulldogs playing with steely mcbeam,

Practice.

Practice with Bulldogs Tuesday john herb 6pm.

Friday Freak-a-link

I leave for vacation tomorrow morning. I'm heading up to Massachusetts for my bday. I will be returning the 21st and heading straight to Meadville Friday night. Ill try to keep posting while I'm gone and if you need to reach me just call my cell. Have a good week and see you all Friday.

Things Ducks do to past the time:

Sports You Need To Master

Yoda's possible identity:

Erie trip next weekend

Depo and the rest of the staff will take over the majority of the blogging operations, for a while.

I've just let them know via this post.

I'm beat.

Season recap following labor day.

Spots are still available for the Steel City Classic.

email the Commish at pittnaba@yahoo.com if you are interested in entering a team.



9 on 9 winter ball is in the works, email the league office if you are interested.



quack.

Wednesday Link Dump

Too bad about the game last night. I'll go ahead and mark that up as a win for the mon. Here's some links to waste your Wednesday away.

5 Incredibly Impractical Sexual Fetishes

The 10 Greatest Cleavage Moments In TV History

What Her Drink Really Says About Her

Maggots Living Inside Homeless Man's Nose (Not for the squeamish)

I'm going to hell.

Tremel

This post marks the first time in the Ducks blog' s history I have spelled John Tremel's name correctly.

The All Star Game was called after 3 innings when the lights malfunctioned with The Monongahela leading 3-1.

Guthrie had the game winning rbi, with a 1 out 2-run bases loaded shot to deep second base the guy had to dive for and make a tough throw the firstbaseman couldn't hold onto.

the lights came back on after 15 minutes or so, but the Allegheny All Stars and the umpires left had left.

The Owlz boycotted the All Star Game, apparently.

BP Thursday at 6pm.

Kenny, get your team together for the labor day tourney.

quack.

Vision Test

BP today at 6PM

Batting Practice

BP Tuesday and Thursday at 6PM

What are people's plans for lodging in Erie? I'm on vacation next week and won't be able to make any plans then, so I'd like to figure out what I'm doing this week. Anybody wanna split a room?

Bacon flavored vodka? Who's gonna pick up a bottle of this for Erie?

Sunday.

A detailed recap of the Canes game 3 victory.

Nice work, Nate. - FightinRafalskis.com for next year.

All-Star Game Aug 11th 8:30pm, John Herb Field

League meeting preceding at 7pm.




fall ball registration asap.

Erie on the 22nd, and 23rd.

Steel City Classic Sept 5-7.

Depo will schedule BP for this week, Dr. Jones is busy updating the stats.

quack

shrubbery

duck hedge.

DuckTales

There is no joy in Brookline. Fightin' Rafalskis win Pittsburgh NABA title

The McKees Rocks Hurricanes,who finished dead last in the Allegheney Division a year ago, defeated the Brookline Black Sox 5-4 to earn their first League title.

For a much more thorough recap go to the best blog in the pgh naba

Rafalski pitched the last 3 innings for the Canes relieving possibly Chris Rekker but i'm not sure.
Chalfin did the same for Brookline, Slavicek pitched early and was pulled after allowing a few unearned runs. The Sox kicked it around a bit apparently.

I got there in the top of the sixth, it was 5-2 Canes.

In the top of the seventh, the Black Sox rallied.
The Sox nearly had a lead-off double but a shot down the line by their nine hitter was just foul, and he ended up striking out.
Florian reached on a 2 base error by the Canes then Klayko singled him in, then Goldie hit one to the wall in left center to score Klayko.

after a strike out of a pinch hitter, Kenny Powers stepped into the box.
He walked, and the next batter flew out to center.

Game over.

Only the Black Sox ('04, '06) have won two league titles.

Owlz ('08), Rebels (1861), Warriors ('05), Ducks ('03), and now the Hurricanes have won one apiece.
No team has won back to back titles.
Bad News for the Canes next season.

Rafalski is the hands down league MVP in my opinion.
No one player meant more to their team.


Good season, everyone, congrats to the Fightins on a great turnaround from '08.

Everyone get your money in for the Labor Day tourney by Friday the 14th.
Sorosky has RobCooled himself a team full of ringers and he thinks he is going to run over everyone - no way that could back fire... if his Pirates team wins the tourney he will have to eclipse the number of wins the Gray Bats had in 24 regular season games in one weekend.

Season recap soon.

See you at the all-star game on the 11th if I don't have to work.

quack.

Random

Velvet Underground Cover.

Game 3 Thursday Night 8:30 Moore Park.

Championship series tied 1-1
Hurricanes win 11-4. Rafalski pitched.
RECAP

Can he go on 0 days rest?
Will Kenny Powers finally pitch to help out the depleted Sox staff?

Bulldogs Blog still barking.

Gray Bats Blog remains un-updated and unlinked.

robots.



Quack

Wednesday

Who won last night?
Someone post a recap in the comments.

Bulldogs blog recaps our comments, and has pics of awesome party.

Keg Stand City.



BP today and Thursday at 6:45

quack

Batting Practice.

Ducks.

BP Tuesday and Wednsday at 6:45pm at Pitt.

Bad News for the Eagles, from the Onion

Monday.

The League Finals start tomorrow.
Black Sox vs. Hurricanes.
8:30pm John Herb Field

The All Star Game will be Tuesday August 11th
8:30pm at John Herb.

Ducks batting practice today at 6:30pm

We will probably hit twice more this week.

The Steel City Classic is still accepting teams.
Pittsburgh NABA teams receive a discount on their entry fee.

The will play a 3 game series against TESCO of the Erie Adult Baseball League.



We will play at Ainsworth Field where they have been filming Signs of the Time a documentary about, William Klem, the umpire who invented the arm signals for "out", "safe", "foul", "fair", etc..

without Klem's arm signals we wouldn't have this...

Quack

Playoff Update: No Bunting - Black Sox Sweep Owlz, Advance to Finals

Ducks Batting Practice Monday 6:30pm - Pitt IM field.

About the time the Owlz were 11-0 they became the black cloud looming over the season.
How could any other team beat them in a three game series?
Realistically, it would take a miracle.



But Kenny f-ing Powers and the Brookline Black Sox, who, after being swept during the regular season (almost as badly as the Ducks were) by the Owlz, who found their Achilles heal.
Unbelievable.

Rumor has it Rafalski tore his hamstring.
The Fightin's may be without their captain or the rest of the post-season.

The Canes won a 17-11 barn burner against the Warriors to force a game 3 in the Western Conference Final.

***

The Brookline Bullies eliminated the Imperial Owlz with a 5-2, series-clinching victory in Moore Park.
It was everything you could hope for in an Owlz Black Sox game, player ejections, a near brawl in the stands, and amongst the madness some good baseball.

The Owlz were flat.
Top to bottom they have more talent than any team in the league.
I heard they have a kid on their team who pitches for LaRoche College, who didn't even see the mound this season.

That's the kind of guy who could be the Ducks ace, and he doesn't even play on that team.

The game was tied 2-2 going into the bottom of the sixth.
two consecutive walks to start the inning put runners on first and second for Kenny Powers.



Powers laid a bunt down the third-base line, the bunt was fielded and thrown into the outfield, and then the throw in went out of play.

A 3-run bunt to go ahead 5-2.

Slavicek retired the side in order in the top of the 7th.
An Owl got tossed for arguing balls and strikes.


The Owlz had a chance to break it open early when the led 2-1 in the 4th but hit into a 1-2-3 double play.

BSox40 pitched 4 scoreless innings in relief for the win.

The Owlz fanz were complaining about having to play the game at Moore Park, there was some controversy over this.

It's too bad we didn't re-seed for the playoffs so the Ducks could have been a 4 seed in an 11 (matador-less) team race instead of a 3 seed in a six team conference playoff.

Broccolo is thrilled to no longer be a Phantom.

The future of the Owlz is in doubt.


"The Ducks were the toughest team we played all season, you guys play with heart..."
- Kenny Powers

All this writing about the Sox and Owlz makes me want to vomit, but nothing else is going on.


August 22-23

Bad News for Erie.


Quack.

All Star Game Scheduled for August 11th

Campbell vs. Wales


Teusday 8/11/09
8:30pm John Herb Field.

League Meeting at 7pm open to anyone with ideas on how to improve our league.

League semi's tonight Sox/Owlz at Moore Park, and Warriors/Canes at John Herb Field.




Who is He?

The Steel City Classic will take place over Labor Day Weekend.
the cost has decreased to $750 for outside teams.
PGH NABA teams will receive a discount.

Email the Commish if you want to enter your team, or combination of teams for the chance to beat Yoda's team f it actually exists.

Rumor has it the Black Sox might not enter because they are scared to face South Oakland again, with Swanger back in center field.

Quack.

Bulldogs Blog Updated After Week long Bender.

Solid work as always by Dr. Radical & Co. - Calling out Yoda for his indiscretions and giving a grim recap of the Warriors Bulldogs wild card game.

Click on the above link.

If you want the circle jerk of the century check out the Gray Bats Team Awards post on their now fully functional blog.


Sox-Owlz at Moore Park tomorrow night.
winning coach can post a recap if they want, same with the series winning coach.
Canes Warriors play tomorrow as well don't know when or where but its not Moore apparently.

Quack.

Playoff Update [UPDATED 7-31-09] Warriors 10 - Canes 6

The Warriors have defeated the Fightin's 10-6 in Game 1 of the Campbell Conference Finals.

The reigning intercontinental champs (who are in the unfamiliar role of underdog this series) can wrap up a second consecutive trip to the Finals with a win Saturday, 9pm at More Park.
They want Hulk Hogan.

The Warriors O Doyle out-dueled former Black Sock Chris Recker for the win, Brent Heintzleman (sp.)had a 2-inning save, Rafalski and Joyner each pitched one inning in relief.

The Craig Boley went 2 for 3 with 2BB, and scored 3 times.

Don Stetzer had two hits, and dedicated them to Chris Wojton.

Heintzleman (sp.) hit a ball off the fence in the seventh against Rafalski that cleared the bases plating 3 runs.
Updates in the comment section are welcome.
Where will the Owlz and Sox play if not Moore Park?

The Ducks are still planning our invasion of Erie, and setting our roster for the Steel City Classic.



Robot Duck is looking forward to South Oakland of the North Side's trip to Erie.

• The Warriors will play the Fightin' Rafalski's in Game 2 Saturday, 9pm at Moore Park.
• Game 2 of the Owlz Sox series has been pushed back to the weekend.

Our number one priority this off season will be to acquire more fields.





hilarious.

YODA has made an appearance in this comment thread.

Quack.

Robots teaser.

More on robots later.

Wales Conference Final Update: Black Sox 3, Owlz 1

In the series dubbed "The Battle of the Air Horn vs. The Loud Lady Owlz Fan,"
The Black Sox took game 1, 3-1, over the Owlz.

Since 2004 the team that has won game one of the 3 game series has gone on to win 78.3% of the time, according to Pete Chalfin.

The '04 Ducks lost in the Conference finals to the Sox after taking game 1.

Game 2 will pit pitcher of the year candidate Scott Dunn against potentially J.T. Slavicek or whomever else the Sox have.
The Sox have got to be thin on pitching, mayeb we'll get an appearance from the greatest pitcher in the history of organized baseball.

The Sox's lefty pitched well.

neither of these team names can be made into possessive plurals.

the conclusion to this game was not forgone, apparently.

Words were exchanged after the game between two of the best players in the series.

Feel the hatred.

Winner of tomorrow's game and of the series can email me a recap for posting if they want.
Updates from the western conference are welcome also.

***

I'm still sick to my stomach about Sunday's loss.
Just fucking gut-wrenching.

Ill have a season recap after the finals.

Jones will have some team awards.

My picks for Ducks Awards:
MVP: Castle
Offensive player of the year: Captain America
Co-Pitchers of the year: Fletch/Invisible Hand
Defensive Player of the Year: Jesse Smith

Coby is probably hard at work right now on his recap.

The Ducks are in the process of getting our roster set for our trip to Erie for 3 free baseball games at the former home of the Erie Sailors, who when I saw them as a kid were the minor league affiliate of the Marlins, and seeking sponsors for our labor day tournament team.

Expect a call from the good Dr.


Quack.

Playoff Game 2 Recap. Black Sox 6, Ducks 5 final 10innings

Matt Slavonic hit a game winning RBI single in the bottom of the tenth, scoring Jason Goldie from second, and ending the Ducks season.

South Oakland led 3-2 going into the bottom of the 5th, the Sox scored two to take a 4-3 lead.
the Sox would add another run in the bottom of the sixth.

South Oakland tied the game at 5-5 with 2 runs in the top of the seventh.
Dutch drove in the tying run with an RBI fielder's choice.
We needed to take the lead there and we didn't.
Wojton drilled a ball to the gap, and the Sox left fielder was shaded that way, and was able to make the catch.

The Ducks didn't really threaten in extra frames.

We almost turned a triple play.

There's no shame in losing a 10 inning game.
Much better than last year's playoff loss.
It is a whole different kind of pain.

Good season, everyone.

This game will go down in the annals of the Ducks Sox rivalry as by far the best baseball game of the storied series.

I can't believe its over.

Good luck to the Sox and whomever they face in the Conference Finals.

Kenny played so well he was offered a contract with Tampa.





Note: the foul ball call was correct. we looked it up.

here's the rule:


the highlighted part says, "is touched by a player "on" foul territory, it is a foul ball."

there was some uproar over that.

the call was correct.

Its a footnote in the story of a great game, and a bitter sweet season.

If someone wants to go into more detail on this recap that would be great, but I don't have the mental capacity right now.

The Ducks will field a team in the Labor Day Tournament, and will travel to Erie to play a 3 game series against the Erie Adult Baseball League team or team(s) McCray knows the weekend of August 22nd.

I'm looking forward to another solid season recap from Coby.

Quack.

Playoff Gameday [2]:Ducks vs. Black Sox IV.

Ducks vs. Black Sox

3pm

Avonworth High School

The winner will play whomever wins the 5:30 game between the Owlz and Confederacy in the conference finals.

We have a chance to eliminate the Black Sox.

We will face Chalfin again.
The Ducks will start Guthrie or Smith.

We have another great opportunity this afternoon.

we will be a bit short-handed, we need to be better than the sum of our parts today.

Bad News for the Black Sox

BP Sunday 12-1:30pm

Ducks vs. Black Sox

3pm

Avonworth High School

Playoff Game 1 Recap: Ducks 10, Gray Bats 1

Unofficial line:

Nick Homa CG, 5 hits 8 K's 1ER
Kirk Gibson: 2-3, BB, 1B, HR, 3RBI,
Castle 2-3, SB, 3runs
Depo 1-3, 2B, 2RBI - three ladies after the game.

The Ducks (1-0) advance to the Wales Conference semifinals thanks to a 10-1 win over the Gray Bats (0-1), setting up a rematch with Kenny Powers and the rival Black Sox.

Nick Homa doesn't lose to Ben Sorosky.



The game was scoreless going into the top of the 3rd when Sorosky singled home some dude who hates his coach.

The Gray Bats led 1-0. They had runners on first and second with nobody out.
Ducks' reliever Adam Smith was warming up in the pen, the Bats had their best hitter at the plate, and he infield-flied out.
Homa K'd the next guy, then a ground-out ended the threat.

In the bottom of the 3rd, the Ducks scored five runs with two outs.


Gwin singled and stole second, then
Captain doubled to center.
1-1

with the score tied Kirk stepped to the plate...
Gibson drove in what would be the game winning run

2-1 Ducks

Gibson advanced on a passed ball.
J.Smith walked.
Wojton singled in Kirk.

3-1 Ducks

Depo hit a bases clearing double to right-center and the Ducks led 5-1 after 3.

The Gray Bats hit out of order, but weren't called out. I think it was a typo in the lineup card, but this is the playoffs.

Casale led off the 4th with a walk.
Gwin bunted down the thirdbase line, beat the throw to first, which got away from J.Rocker, and Casale scored.

Gwin marked it as an RBI double in the book.

Ducks 6, Gray Bats 1 after 5.

In the bottom of the sixth, Sorosky was relieved trailing 6-1.
Casale walked to start the inning, then a perfectly executed hit and run by Gwin and Casale turned into another RBI double to right for Gwin.

7-1 Ducks

Novak tripled to right to make the score 8-1.

Kirk Gibson's Homerun


McCray is now tied with Gwin and Wojton for the Ducks all-time post season HR record. (1)
He hit one off the dirt mound well past the wall in right field.

The Commish and Strom retrieved the ball
they can attest - it was a shot.

10-1 Ducks.

Homa retired the side in order in the top of the 7th.

i think i missed an inning in the recap.

After all that talk about sportsmanship, the Gray Bats' coach didn't shake hands after the game.

This was the Ducks' day, Homa was better than Lombaradi this afternoon, and the Ducks hit when we had to.
We didn't stop after one inning of offense.
Both teams played hard and with class.

it could have been a different game if that guy makes the diving catch on Captain and if maybe the Bats more guys contributing on offense, but when the dust settled, and South Oakland won by nine [9] runs.

The gin bucket will flow again.

The South Oakland Ducks of the North Side are now 6-4 all time in post season play.

This is the game we've been waiting for since we were eliminated last season.

We knew it was coming all year.

Another shot at Kenny Powers and the Sox for the right to advance to the Conference Finals.
I bet the Sox would have rather played the Rebels or whatever, but they knew they'd get us again, and deep down i know Kenny, and Goldie, BSOX 40, and Chalfin are pumped its us.

The Rebels play the Owlz in the Forgone Conclusion Game tomorrow.
The Bombers crushed the Oilers 10-1, and take on the Fightin's' tomorrow.
The Bulldogs play the Warriors in the other Campbell Conference semi.



Quack.

Playoff Gameday [1]: Ducks vs. Gray Bats.

Wales Conference Wild Card Playoff

3pm, LaRoche College.(Directions)

Ducks (0-0) vs, Gray Bats (0-0)
Projected Starters: Depo vs. Sorosky

"When we got to the ballpark, we knew we were going to win. That's all there was to it. we weren't cocky. I wouldn't call it confidence either. We just knew. Like when you go to sleep you know the sun is going to come up in the morning."


The name of the game is Thunder Dome



two men enter one man leaves

Rumors that LaRoche College has been traded for field prospects for the 2012 season are unsubstantiated.

The regular season may have been "meaningless" but the playoffs aren't.

Abe Lincoln and Ninjas

Depo on the hill


Bad News for the Gray Bats

Quack.