Thursday

Monongahela Update.
The Black Sox (1-2) won their first game, dominating the Eagles (2-1) 8-0 behind 19 K, 3 hit monster of a game by pitcher J.T. Slavicek (sp.)

On a slightly-related note, Kenny recently released his personal assistant.



Until Kenny Powers tells me otherwise I'm going to assume Ron Florian is injured, he only played 2 innings last game.
The Black Sox are a better team with Florian in the lineup, he hits doubles and runs fast.
The Ducks are in first place in the Monongahela Division.

There's a crap-ass Allegehey Division game tonight.
The Matadors (0-0) start their season against the Oilers (0-1).
These guys are playing out the rest of the season for the right to lose to the Bulldogs in the playoffs.
It's certainly not too early to make such an assumption.

The Bulldogs were the Ducks blog's pick to upset the perennial Campbell's Conference power Warriors.

After securing the first 3-0 start in team history, the Ducks are enjoying some down time before a hectic stretch in which South Oakland plays three games in three days.
The Ducks play the Hurricane-Carters Saturday at 5pm, the Eagles on Sunday at 12pm, before returning to the Pond to play the rival Gray Bats Monday night.
Our pitching depth will be tested.
This is clearly the best Ducks team of the wood bat era, no stretch of the imagination; we had a couple terrible teams.
If we were 0-3 I wouldn't be panicking, so we shouldn't get too worked up over a 3-0 start.
There are still 21 to play.
It's always nice to beat the Black Sox.
I will say, it will be fun to see what we look like with Darren Daulton catching and Life on Mars in Center, and all of our infielders there at the same time.
It's good to be 3-0 while still getting out the kinks.
TC and Adam Smith have been clutch. Whenever you can win without your ace pitching it's a big deal.
Will we see the much anticipated debut of Mantis this weekend?



Link to Captain America's Origin


Is it lame that the Owlz get to wait to start the season because their players are still being genetically engineered in some secret lab in West Virginia?
Sure, it is. There is a lot that is lame about that team (about everything but the talent-level), but the Ducks have a half dozen key players who are still playing college ball as well, and we've managed.
The 50-man roster is key.
90% sure the Owlz lured a potential Ducks recruit to the Dark Side.
That reeks of fear to me.



Quack.

So high he fell.




Pitt Club Baseball is in the NCBA Regionals after beating PSU last weekend, I think.
To be fair, the Penn State squad was probably suffering from withdrawl after that epic drug bust at State College the other day.
I always find the wording of these drug bust articles amusing in an antiquated 1950's kind of a way. The trib from Tuesday was hilarious.
Just Say "No", to trafficing 400lbs. of pot across state lines.
That type of thing would never happen at Pitt.





***



New hats are finished, and in my posession.

I will give a free hat to the first Duck to agree to write one blog post per week.

Go Ducks.

Game 3 Recap: The "Northern Agression". Ducks 9, Rebels 5

We fight for those whose poetry has not yet been written.

In a Ulysses S. Grant-esque move, Dr. Jones started Captain America in left field, and gave The Invisible Hand the nod on the mound.

(knows what he's doing.)


Adam Smith responded with 4 scoreless innings, to help propel the South Oakland Ducks to a 9-5 victory over the Confederacy(0-2), securing the Ducks first 3-0 start in team history, and ensuring the sate of the Union.



MVP candidate Jesse Smith led the way offensively, going 2-3 with a double and and RBI.
The Ducks led 2-0 going into the bottom of the fourth when, Les is more ripped a double to left center that was misplayed by CF, Jefferson Davis.


(Mars would have had it)


Mars followed with a walk, then after two failed bunt attempts, Ben Gwin doubled to right giving the Ducks a 4-0 lead. J. Smith selflessly moved Gwin over to third, and Novak, Kirk Gibosn, Watson, Wojoton, Depo, and Cheese, all reached base safely in some manner.
That inning got a little out of hand.




When the dust settled South Oakland led 9-0, after 4 innings.

Both teams left runners in scoring position in the game's early going, Feathers and Smith both pitched out of trouble.

Ray Finkle's single in the third inning was the first hit of the year for Monroeville.

(laces out, Dan)

The Rebels can cry and talk shit all they want, but through two weeks of the season, Wojoton, and Gwin each have as many RBI (5) as their team has runs scored.

That almost wasn't the case, in the top of the second with South Oakland nursing a 1-0 lead, Former MVP John Tremmel hit a ball to the wall with the bases loaded, but CF, Mars made a tough running catch to keep the game close.
Mars proceeded to drive in the Ducks second run with a sac fly, and
would later throw out a Rebel at second who foolishly tried to take second on a hit to right center in the seventh inning.

Captain took the mound in garbage time, the Rebels battled back, but their supply lines were cut, and they were drastically outnumbered.

The Ducks closed the door in the bottom of the seventh.

The Rebels really wanted this one.
What a shame.
That's what you get for naming your team after the greatest atrocity in American history.


Abe Lincoln would not name his amateur baseball team the "Rebels"

• Thank you to the fans who showed up to support both teams.
  
• Les Gies will be a factor this season, solid game at 3rd, clutch hit to start the 7 run rally.
  
• Everyone contributed to another solid team win.
• Lots of HBP.
  
• Depo had a fantastic infield hit.
• Coby has not recorded a hit since he cut his hair.
• The season debut of Novak and Mars was welcomed.
  
• We were 3-9 at one point last year, this is better.
• We still haven't had all our players show up at the same time, good luck with that, skip.
• Who better to get the W for South Oakland's first 3-0 win that A. Smith (1-0) who has suffered through some tough times, and has embraced a reduced, but key role on a better team.
• Adam Smith has seven K's in five innings pitched to lead the team.
  
• Since losing to the Rebels last season we've gone 10-2-1 in regular season games.

More later, maybe.

Quack, Quack, Quack.

Quacksburgh, Ducksylvania: Game Day [3] Ducks vs. Rebels

Home Opener tonight 9pm at Spring View Field.
(The map quest directions aren't great, try to get to the Pitt field and follow someone if you are unsure how to get there.)
***

Another important, early-season divisional game.

The 2007 Champions are looking to rebound after a sub-par 2008 campaign.


The Confederacy is still looking for their first hit of the season.
South Oakland looks to go 3-0 for the first time in team history.
The Rebels have some talented players, but are outnumbered by the Union 2-1.
There's some bad blood here. and here.
The Ducks have never beaten this team, except by forfeit.
Time to change that.

Who better to put on the hill vs. the Rebels than Captain America.




***
Batting Practice: 6pm-730pm at the Pitt IM field.

Abe Lincoln. Bad News for the Rebels.


Quack

Game 2 Recap: Black Sox Down. Ducks 5, Black Sox 3.

Nick Homa (1-0) earned the complete game victory out-dueling Black Sox ace, NCB All-American PSU pitcher, "Joe Paterno" Chalfin (0-1). (no idea what this kid's first name is, he was good, though.)

The Ducks (2-0) scored two in the first, Jesse Smith helped his MVP cause when he singled in Tony Casale, after a Britton Dickey sac bunt. Cheese would knock in Smith later in the inning.
The Black Sox (0-2) tied it at two.

For four innings it was Pitcher's Duel City.

In the top of the sixth, KT Murphy stepped to the plate with the score still tied at 2.
Murphy Delivered with an inside the park home run to center to put the Ducks ahead 3-2.

(Part man, part machine, all Duck.)

Murphy is as clutch a hitter as we have on this team.
Big time hit.
Murphy is giving Ducks' legend Matt Pease a run for his money for the best EH in Ducks history.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Black Sox tied the score when Kenny Powers followed the second best flair to right field in the game, with an rbi ground-rule double to right.

(Kenny is a beast.)

That outfield is treacherous.

In the top of the seventh, Gwin came to the plate with two out and runners on first and third.
A well-placed single to right plated what proved to be the winning run, and moved Whalen to third. "Slick" Rick Whalen scored when Gwin stole second, drawing a wild throw.

Homa allowed a single in the bottom of the seventh before enticing a double play and a ground out to end the game.

• Both teams were missing key players, but the first-place Ducks' depth played a huge role in the victory and our solid 2-0 start.
  
• I want to beat that team with Goldie and Florian in their lineup.
  
• The infield continues to make all the routine plays. Depo was a vacuum at first.
  
• Coby would have had that one to left if he didn't cut his hair.
  
• Homa is picking up where he left off last season, and will factor into the Pitcher of the Year conversation. Homa is every bit the pitcher that kid is.
  
• Homa for NCB All-American and Pittsburgh NABA Pitcher of the Year.
  
• KT Murphy leads the team in HR.
• The Flyers have no heart, Let's Go Pens!
• Somebody check the cover on that ball, I think I knocked it off with that laser to right.
• It's a line-drive in the website's, stats link though.
  
• The Duck Pond will be rocking for the home opener against the Confederacy on Monday, bring green and yellow shirts. The Union must not fall.
  

2-0.

The Ducks have never been 3-0 in our history.

Quack, Quack, Quack.

Game Day [2] Ducks vs. Black Sox

Ducks (1-0) at Black Sox (0-1)
9pm Moore Park.

Homa vs. Chalfin





This is about real emotions.





If you don't realize the scope of this game, talk to Britton and rick about the history here.
We'll see where we're at tonight.
This team took 2 of 3 from us last year, in embarrassing fashion.
They ended our season.
2009 offers a clear slate.
The Black Sox don't think there's any way they can lose tonight.
They probably didn't think they'd lose to the Hurricanes either.




Working nights sucks.
See you around the 4th inning.

1909 Cincinnati Reds

Bad News for the Black Sox.

***

Quack.

Game 1 Recap: Raiders of the Lost Arc. Ducks 14, Oilers 2

Dr. TC Jones (1-0) allowed one earned run on three hits, over 6 innings, as the Ducks crused to a 12 run win vs. the 2008 Cambell's Conference Finalist Oilers Thursday Night at Moore Park.
Jones walked only one batter, he struck out several.

Great "Natural" reference ( Roy Hobbs played for the Hebrew Oilers before the NY Knights), but in the book, Hobbs strikes out to end the game and dies.
You deserve it if i ruined the ending.

Dr. Jones is a beast.



The Ducks sent 14 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first.
The first pitch of the year against the Ducks was lined up the middle by SS, Tony Casale, sparking a nine-run first inning for South Oakland.
Gwin followed with a single to right on a hit and run, and advanced to second on the throw to third.
MVP Candidate Jesse Smith walked, and Wojo-Tang followed with an infield hit.
Mike Watson walked,
Mark, "Last thoughts on Woody" Guthrie singled.
[B]Rick Whalen, singled.
Murphy singled.


Lots of offense.
Ten different Ducks recorded hits off the Oilers ace, Jarri Kuri who is clearly missing line-mate Wayne Gretzky who left for LA.
off the bench, Coby, Cheese and Depo were all hit by pitches and scored.
Casale tripled and scored his second time up in the first, and his BFF Watson doubled and scored in the sixth.

"Elementary, my dear..."

• Spag-Tastic Voyage almost went yard.
• Adam Smith struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh.
• Everyone contributed.
• Jones managed to get 17 guys into the game.
• MVP candidate "White" Jesse Smith has a .500 obp, and two runs scored, and had a solid game behind the plate.
  
• Where are Dowling and Novak, and Mars?
• E. Lee missed the game racing Super Man around the planet.
• Immaculate defene at first base in particular, but the infield as a whole was as good as it's ever been
• Quack.
  

Big game Saturday.
Early-season battle for first place.

Kenny Powers' season debut.


Saturday 9pm at Moore Park.

Ducks (1-0) vs. Blacksox (0-1)




Quack.

Game Day [1]. Ducks vs. Oilers

Finally.
9pm, tonight at Moore Park.
Ducks vs. Oilers
Probable starters:
Dr. Jones vs. Jari Kurri.

Nothing without Gretzky.

Maybe you spent all day downloading angry hip hop and Metallica songs from the 90's and making potential lineups when you should have been writing.
Maybe not.
If you're not pumped for tonight go play on the Gray Bats.

BP 6-730. at the Pitt IM field.

I'll be late.

directions to both Moore Park and the IM field can be found in the previous post.
Bring baseballs to BP if you have them.



Bad News for the Oilers.

Quack.

Ducks Opener: Thursday 9pm, Moore Park.

Go to the league site and vote Jesse Smith for Pre-season MVP.
Like a good Democrat, I voted twice.
Link:
2009 Season Preview & Online Poll



Ducks vs. Oilers
9pm Thursday, 4/23 at Moore Park



Moore Park Directions

BP at the Pitt IM Field 6-7:30

Directions to pitt IM field

Wear green with gray pants.
dark-green socks available at Dunhams for cheap.

T-shirts and new-player jerseys will be ready Friday.
Hats by next weekend.

The golf money will cover everyone's T-shirts.
If you've already paid for one, that money will go towards umpires.

Pronounced Faye-Go {UPDATED}

UPDATE
Checkout the online poll on the league website.
it's about as scientific and unbiased as the content of this blog.
If blogspot wasn't crap we'd have polls here as well.
(who knows how I can get this domain name to Wordpress? Dr. Radical, maybe?)

I would never vote for myself for MVP.
that's as lame as cheating at golf.
Someone clearly did that as a joke.

Jesse Smith for MVP

***
Proposed new awards for this season.
Blog of the year.
Coach of the year.
Rookie of the year.
Defensive player of the year.
Comeback player of the year. (player who played in the league at one point and missed all or most of a season due to injury (possibly an injured nose) or working at Heinz.
An All-Pittsburgh NABA selection, perhaps?



I'll have some preseason Awards up at some point, if i get around to it.

Quack.

Back to the clutch comment by Jimmy Fago...

from the comments on the owlz b-sox preview...

Hey its Fago,
I regret to inform you that I will be playing in a different league this summer and not apart of the Owlz "legacy" I did keep my jersey which Rob is mad about so I stuck it to him as much as possible. If you really want to get to him you should check out him 99.99 era for waynesburg this year. Good luck guys I'll read up on the league and the ducks. Rob Cool is a homo.

-Fago out

Rob Cool does have a 99.99 era, he is hitting .390 though, not too bad.
according to sources close to the ducks golf classic. the owlz got that all-american Waynesburg secondbaseman, (wes white jr.) apparently he is a beast, and a class act.



Fago would look great in green and gold.
If you're ever back in town, there's always a spot on the Ducks for you, Jim.

thanks for reading.
(if you're team has a website or a blog feel free to post a link, and I'll add it to the blogroll)

Go Ducks.
***

Oil and Water

Monday Night's game has been rained out.
it has been rescheduled for Thursday night at 9pm, location to be determined.

BP thursday 6-7:30 at the pitt im field.

Monongahela DIvision Roundup...

Say it ain't so, Kenny.
Black Sox lose 3-0 to revived Hurricane Carter squad.
The B-Sox were able to acquire a $200 sponsorship from a local car dealership

(profanity)


The Hurricanes are no joke, the Black Sox are still among the Pgh NABA's elite.


The Gray Bats lost 7-6 in dramatic fashion to the Warriors.

GrayBats Blog Recap
Nice Zeppelin reference.
Hopefully that guy singer will remind us of a 6-year old matt capps.

"Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser"
--Vince Lombardi

The Warriors are like an old man who is tougher than he appears.
He has that old man strength and is bitter and angry at everyone.
The Gray Bats were without two of their top players.
Ben Sorosky was in the process of getting robbed at the Ducks Golf Classic, and some other kid who pitches at UPG was busy being pissed he has to spend 4 years in Greensburg.

the Ducks Eagles and Owlz have yet to play, and mother nature is plotting against the Ducks tonight.

The South Oakland grounds crew will call in reinforcements to do everything they can to get the field playable by 8:45


the rain has to stop immediately.



Naturally I blame the bad weather on our commissioner.

This is where the field is.

Link to Spring View Field

We will know by 645 pm if the game is canceled, the rain appears to have stopped.

BP at the Pitt IM field 6pm-715.

Ducks Oilers 8:45pm

Soroskys Strom Gwin lose by 1

The 2009 Ducks Golf Classic was a success.
Proceeds will subsidize uniform costs and umpire fees.


New course next time, the Rose Ridge people were misleadinng with their information, greens fees were higher than expected, that course is not worth $29 with a cart.
Now we know.
call around next time.
solicit more raffle items, etc...

Brian Strom dominated the raffle, winning a ducks hat and a prize package including a sleeve of golf balls, a golf shirt, towel and tees donated by friends of the Ducks.

Not bad for a week's worth of planning.

The Soroskys, Strom, Gwin foursome (-9) came in second by one stroke.

highlight of the round, an eagle on 10 the #1 handicap hole.

Gwin bombs a 300 plus yard drive, Sorosky hit a 4 iron to within 3 feet and sinks the putt.
Brian Strom birdied a short par 3 by himself
Mr. Sorosky's tee shot on 11 kept the 4some in the hunt.

Leader Board

Capatain America, Les is more, Kirk Gibson, Wojo-Tang (-10)
SSG (-9)
Tans' and inlaws (-8)
Dr. Joneses (-6)
The Smiths +3 (although they did play as a threesome since the Coby bailed on the event, basically costing them the prize money)
Coby is benched.


Huge thanks to Longest Drive winner, Adam Smith for pulling this together in the last six days or so.

Some kid i don't know in Coach Bombay's foursome won closest to the pin.

This has the potential to raise some serious money in the future if a few guys all do a little bit of work on it a few months in advance, as was suggested by someone in February.

Thank you to all who participated, your attendance and contributions to our team are greatly appreciated.

***

The Oilers are praying for rain.

Ducks Opening Day Tommorrow
9pm Spring View Field.

quack.

This is where the field is.

Link to Spring View Field

We will know by 645 pm if the game is canceled, the rain appears to have stopped.

BP at the Pitt IM field 6pm-715.

Ducks Oilers 8:45pm

Golf, Confederates Dominated by Bulldogs, misc

The First Annual Ducks Golf Classic is a "go'

ROSE RIDGE GOLF COURSE

4769 Gibsonia Rd
Allison Park, PA 15101

It's not Bushwood, but it will be a fun day of golf.

best ball.

the foursome of:

Sorosky,Sorosky,Strom,and Gwin is ready to dominate.

Our winnings will be split between the Ducks and the Blues.

I have legitimate golf items to give away as well.


Anonymous,

Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption

The poster that conceals the hole in the wall.

nice number.

.
How about that Indians Yankees game?

The Pirates are a house of cards...

NABA News

Morale in Rebel camp is lower than my credit rating.

The Confederacy was no-hit by the Bulldogs, in an 11-0 shellacking.

BULLDOGS REBELS RECAP


Dominant

Hats off to Dr. Venkman (center) for 4 perfect innings.

Some guy with two last names closed the door, pitching 3 hitless relief innings.



What a way to start the season


The "Reb's" have a strangle hold on last place already.


The Ducks are tied for first.

Black Sox Hurricanes, today at 5pm, in North Park.





quack.

Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption (Hope Spring's Eternal)

2009 South Oakland Ducks Preview.

Say what you want about Mr. King, he can tell a story.
He also loves baseball.

(TPB loves referencing this film, I have been ripping-off their style for almost a year.)




***

There has been plenty of pre-season bs about new pitchers, and time spent courting free agents who flaked.
It's hard to find something else to blog about in the middle of October.

This Duck's season is not about who we didn't get;
It's not about who decided to play for old man Zalewski, who has to spend the summer driving up to Butler to play ball, or who Team Typo courted away from South Oakland.
It's not about who the Owlz found in the "Who's Who of Western Pennzylvania College Baseball Players, or the Black Sox improved pitching staff and the return of Matt Slavonic.
It doesn't matter who Larry thinks he's going to trot out behind Sorosky during our Saturday 8am game in a few weeks.
It doesn't matter what The Don Henleys or the confederacy have up their sleeves after pillaging a very deep draft class.



It's about our team;
who coach Bombay rolls out behind our starting pitcher on opening day.


Would it be gratifying to have added three pitchers who used to pitch in the minors and roll over everyone in the league?
Sure.
But it will be more gratifying to win with the guys we've got.
To lament missed opportunities to add players is an insult to the names on our roster.


Bring the Pain.


Our division accounts for five league championships:
Two by the Kenny Powers', and one apiece by the Owlz, Confederacy, and Ducks respectivly.

This season is all about gearing up for the playoffs, the new format allows everyone to make the post-season. To put ourselves in position to make a run at the title.
The title that the Owlz will not let go of easily, a title the Black Sox think is rightly theirs, and that the rest of the league thinks they have just as much of a shot at as the team with the snarky blog and the gay photoshops.

I have a feeling that the sentiment around the league is that we aren't as good as we say we are, that we overrate ourselves, that we're all talk,
that while I'm blogging they're injecting Winstrol, taking BP, and calling up Jose Canseco.
That's fine.
We got one line on the league site's season preview
a blurb about new players or something.
OK.
Maybe we're not as good as we think.
It's a possibility.

We can't start quacking each other off before we take the field.



I do know that to play our team is to play South Oakland;
a part of town that's dirtier and grittier than the Pitt brochures will ever let on or that most kids have the misfortune of discovering.

The last time I'll talk about myself all season:

All I ever tried to do when I coached the Ducks was to embody the character of the team.
To lead by example: to refuse to be out-hustled, to initiate contact, to do something to help the team win even when I'm over-matched--especially when I'm over-matched. To be a tough out.

To play hard all the time.

If you can't play ball that way, go find a hackie sack and a bag of mushrooms.

I write the retired numbers on the brim of my hat.
Those guys wish they could still play on this team.
If they had just one more game to play on the Ducks, how would they approach it?

I've never gone into an at-bat thinking I can't hit the ball hard somewhere, and I've never gone into a game expecting to lose.
I've never gone into a season without the goal of winning a championship.

Individually, each game this season is winnable.
Some games we may have to be mistake free and get some breaks to win,
but we will not be out-hustled or out-worked.

Some games are won on the strength of big plays, but more games are lost becuase of walks and errors on defense, and by giving away outs on offense. Base running mistakes, bad at-bats, poor fundamentals.

This year's team fundamentally solid, and has big play potential.

Strong up the middle, power at the corners.

The staff has some depth, (Novak) and they'll have a defense they can trust.

It's been great to play alongside some of the top talent in this league during the fall and winter, and I look forward to the Blues tourney in AC. But, for now, it's all business and all Ducks.
In between the foul lines, when the ump shouts "play ball", I have no friends who don't wear green and gold. (power-blue on occasion.)





***

Your 2009 South Oakland Ducks

The Ducks bid a fond farewell to Garrett Moore, who will play in the over 28 league this season.

New players alphabetically:


Tony Casale inf.
Cheese util.
Darren Daulton C.
DB Award Winner, "Mantis", P
Depo, 1b
Jesse Smith's friend Matt, util
Mike Watson, inf.

(If I forgot you, you haven't been at practice, haven't paid any dues yet, or I'm a joke.)

Out of Retirement

Britton Dickey, inf.

Returning Players

everyone else.

Our backups have backups.
Teams need role players, the playoff format will allow coach Jones to get everyone playing time.
Ultimatly though, we need to find out our best lineup, and get those guys in shape down the stretch for the playoffs.

The competition for PT will make everyone better.

Dave Roberts,



A pinch runner sparked the Red Sox miracle comeback in the ALCS a few years back.

Teams need role players, and we have to trust that Dr. Jones has the team's best interest in mind.

Easy for me to say, I don't sit much, but I work hard to get better, to keep up with the influx of talent in the league.

There will not be any cake-walk games this season.
Every team has a chance.

That's all we can ask for, and it's all we're given
a chance to compete this summer.
If we want the championship we have to take it.


"Get busy livin'


(Jesse Smith for MVP, the campaign starts now)
4/20/09


Bad News for the rest of the league

Ducks Preview, within 24 hours

(click to enlarge)


Quack

Harry Kalas 1963-2009

I grew up near Philly I hate that city's sports teams and generally their fans as well.

But I listened to a lot of games called by Kalas, and he was one of the best.

2009 Schedule Released

Oilers on 4/20 9pm at Spring Hill

2009 Summer Schedule is up on the league site.



Pittsburghnaba.com


Quack

Ducks Golf Outing

FIRST ANNUAL, SOUTH OAKLAND DUCKS GOLF OUTING
(updated)




SUNDAY APRIL 19TH, 10AM
at
ROSE RIDGE GOLF COURSE.

DIRECTIONS

$140 per foursome/$35 per player

$40 per foursome goes towards prize money for the winner of the scramble, $40 goes towards Ducks uniforms.

Festivities Include:

50-50 raffle.

Choice of NABA or Ducks gear to longest drive and closest to the pin.

Whatever else we can manage to pull together in the next week.


We still need about five foursomes.

This will be a fun day of golf to kick off the season, and raise a few bucks in the process.

If you're interested email me at penwin66@yahoo.com, or leave a comment or something.


We're doing this by the seat of our pants this time, the second annual outing will include more free stuff.

We hope to make this an annual event and eventually make it big enough that we can benefit the whole league.

Your help in establishing this event is greatly appreciated.

We have to start somewhere.

If you don't have a game on the 19th come play some golf.
Even if you're terrible, it's a scramble, best ball format.

I plan on dominating, Anonymous.

quack.

Blogging, "on the Reg": 200th post.

(profanity)

This show is life-changing.

The hardest working blog in the Pittsburgh NABA celebrates 200 posts.

The schedule will be finalized this Sunday.

Thanks for reading.

Quack.

The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall...(or put me in, coach): Owlz/Black Sox Preview

What we have with the Owlz and Black Sox are two teams who expect to go undefeated, and win the championship. Any team that goes into a season without winning a championship as the ultimate goal, should go play slow pitch softball. Last season there was a near brawl during the Black Sox-Owlz playoff game, followed by fisticuffs in the parking lot.

The shenanigans overshadowed some great baseball.

Consider most sports movies in which there is an obvious protagonist and villain, the team you root for, and the team that stands in their way.

I've seen a lot of these films, and in the realm of cinematic sports theater, I have found basically two types of villains: The Bullies, and The Elitists.

The Yankees in Major League-bullies (the owners who want to go to FLA-eliteists. The Yankees in Bad News Bears-elitists.
The bad guys in Mighty Ducks-a little of both, Mighty Ducks II bullies, Mighty Ducks III, elitists. You get the picture, I'm sure...

Eigh Men Out: This was the bullies vs. the elitists, basically. These two factions hate each other more than Pete Rose hates his life.

The Elitists, who for the sake of a hypothetical sports film involving mostly college-aged baseball players, are too good to come to the protagonists party, since you only have Pabst light and liquor in plastic bottles, the elitists will instead call the cops and have your star pitcher arrested for underage drinking, and then offer to bail him out if he plays on their team. The Bullies will crash your party, already under the influence, start a fight, try to steal your booze, and try to make out with the star pitcher's girlfriend.

The Bullies just think they're bigger and stronger than you, and can push you around. The Elitists think its a joke that you're even attempting to beat them--that they're just too good for you. Sometimes, an all star team has to play a group of loud mouthed New Yorkers, who want to pick a fight. In cases like this, its good to have a bully on your side.

(The Charleston Chiefs were not smug. )

The elitists would rather start their own team.

For the sake of this story, the heroes, tragically flawed as they may be, are your South Oakland Ducks. Talented, but undersized. The underdog, an almost-dirty team that has to out- hustle opponents as much as out play them in order to win.

The villains, standing in the way of the Ducks shot at the title reside in our own division:

The Brookline "Bullies" and the "Elitist" Owlz.

Sometimes a name says it all: "Black Sox" just sounds imposing and dark, named after a tragic team that threw the world series, with a roster full of guys who look like they wrestle bears in the off-season. The defending champion Owlz, a team with a sleek sounding, phonetically intimidating, misspelled nick-name run by a guy with the name, "Cool". You couldn't make up two better bad guy sports-team monikers.

News Flash:

Controversial footage of an off-season confrontation between Coach Jones, and B-SOX Owner/GM/Player/Coach, Kenny Powers at the local ice rink has surfaced.

Jones has recovered from his leg injury.


The Owlz and the Black Sox absolutely despise each other.
I think Kenny is pissed his team is no longer the only team in the league not to end in "s"

These teams have more in common than they'd like to admit:
They have set the bar in the Monongahela Division, until the Ducks knock off these teams we're playing 3rd fiddle in our division. The Owlz are the top team in the league and the Black Sox, who dominated South Oakland in the playoffs last year (ie. the Indians losing in the ALCS after Major League) should be considered the second best team going into the season.

Opportunities like this; the chance to overcome two teams of this caliber to win the division is why I play baseball.
***

Kenny Powers is the leader of the Rob Cool Hate-Wagon.

During the off-season, Cool courted the best players from every team, and landed ex-Black Sox pitcher, Alex Warren.

Kenny has constructed this year's team with the goal of beating the Owlz.

Rob cut a lot of players from a championship team in order to stay ahead of the curve, he constructed a team with the goal (i think) of getting into a more cut-throat league.

These generalizations don't apply to everyone on these teams. If you read this blog and don't get that by now, you take yourself too seriously.



***

Let's go back to the MDCS
Alex Warren was promised a bonuse if he won 7 games, he only won six, and kenny rested him in his last 4 starts, in order to save him for the playoffs.



Warren lost in the semi's before going to play for the Owlz.

Interesting.

***
FOR KENNY'S BLACK SOX PREVIEW CLICK HERE

Brookline Black Sox:
Last season 2nd in Monongahela Division,
defeated Ducks 29-3 in wild card round
lost to Owlz 2-1 in MDCS

The Black Sox will have nine guys who can hit, and great pitching.

Here's how I imagine one side of a conversation between Kenny and a prospective Black Sox player:

Kenny: OK, all-state in high school, all conference at IUP, that's a good resume, impressive.
you're 6'6" 280 and it says here the charges were dropped, so you don't have to wear an ankle bracelet anymore. good, good.

you have several friends who will get wasted, watch our games and hurl insults at opposing players, yeah, the guy's name is pronounced "Fay-Go" but its spelled F-A-G-O, they can work with that, right?

Your girlfriend is hot, that's good, but will she will fight Rob Cool's mom?

What?, she'll fight Rob Cool, terrific.

What number do you want?

end scene.

The Black Sox are the Ducks' oldest rival.
There's nothing better than beating this team.
Unfortunately it hasn't happened very often.
The Ducks beat the B-Sox 8-2 during the regular season, but lost in terrible fashion in the playoffs.

I score kept the Black Sox games for a season in '05.
I don't have the animosity towards this team that the rest of the league may have.
They have the best third base coach in the history of the NABA:

***

Only one player did not get an at-bat in last season's all-star game.
Thanks, Kenny.

If we don't want the Black Sox talking shit and taunting us as they cross the plate,
we have beat them.
This season the Ducks will be ready for the Black Sox.
We concede nothing.

***
Owlz Preview:
Last Season: NABA Championz.


The Owl is literally a symbol of elitism. (among other things)
check out this Owl Link

The Owlz, like the Black Sox will pose a tough challenge for the rest of the Pittsburgh NABA.
Some of the players on the Owlz, and their fans strike me as "terrified of losing", as if the ramifications of playing on or supporting a team that does not win a championship would somehow reflect negatively on them
I could be wrong. I'm no shrink.



OK, Here is my Owlz Preview:

The Owlz are the defending championz, and manager Rob Cool haz worked tirelezzly to improve hiz team over the off-zeazon. Thiz year’z Owlz lineup will be able to hit top to bottom, and they probably have at leazt three pitcherz who hit the high 80’z conziztently, with off-zpeed pitchez that would buckle the kneez of Ted Williamz.

Thiz team iz wonderful. If Jezuz Chrizt himzelf were to put together a team to compete thiz zeazon, he would uze the Owlz az a model. We zhould all be honored to play on the zame field az theze guyz, zeriouzly. Lizten to their fanz, they know how good the Owlz are—zo good they will probably be invited to compete in the Independent League—thiz rozter iz loaded with talent above and beyond my capacity for comprehenzion, they are clearly in a league of their own. I get the feeling winning a zecond title iz more important to Owlz management than juzt about anything elze in the world, az it zhould be. I juzt hope they don’t beat uz too bad thiz zeazon.

I don’t think I’m good enough to even be the 4^th outfielder on thiz team.

Man, what an organization.

***

I thought at this level of play I wouldn’t have to deal with parents and fans taunting me and my teammates. To hear adults berate the Ducks, saying thingz along the lines of, “They don’t belong on the same field as you…” and condescending shit like that, it makes you wonder about the state of humanity in Pittsburgh. These comments came during a 5-5 tie that does not have a summary on the Owlz team site.

At least the Black Sox fans are drunk when they taunt the opposition during early afternoon games, so I guess they have an excuse.

Hope that was worth the wait, Mr. Powers.



Quack.