We'll be moving to Wordpress shortly. Comment section will be ironed out after the move.
Any Duck interested in blogging for the team this year can email me at penwin66@yahoo.com.
Any other NABA related material can be sent there as well and I'll post it, if you're dying to have it read by the six college kids who frequent our site. Otherwise don't bitch about one-sided
Kenny Powers: Canes/Sox recap?
I'll post a recap and some uninformed power rankings after the jump.
James Fago strikes out C-3PO in last night's Ducks, Eagles game
South Oakland of the North Side won its second straight game, improving to 6-5 on the season, with a 10-5 victory over the Eagles. The Ducks are now 1-1 in division play.
James Fago W, 1-0, struck out 9 in 4innings
TC Jones struck out 2 in 2 innings of relief work including arch-nemesis Adam Smith.
KT Murphy had the only extra base hit in the game, an RBI double in the sixth, driving in Coby Kolaja, who was 1-2 with a single, injured himself diving back into first and will have to miss work on Tuesday.
Ducks utility player, Nick Berdine, stole home.
The Ducks next game is Monday 9pm at Springview Field.
James Tessyer (sp.) pitched 6 2/3 innings striking out 10 in his South Oakland debut. Jimmy Fago singled in his first official plate appearance as a Duck, and pitched 1/3 of an inning for the save. Fago's whip is 3.0. Tony Casale drove in Mike Cinefra for the winning run in the bottom of the 5th, and the Ducks defeated Big Oil and their lefty ace Exxon Val-Reuf in a hard-fought pitchers duel.
Tessyer was perfect through 3 1/3. Big Oil strung together two hits, and scored on a fielder's choice in the top of the 4th.
Casale made the defensive play of the game in the top of the third, ranging to his right making a diving stop and throwing out a stunned Oil exec from his knees.
The Ducks took the lead in the bottom of the fifth Lipp walked to start the fram, Cinefra bunted for a base hit, and Lipp advanced to third on the throw to first. Cinefra stole second Casale hit a blistering shot to shortstop Big Oil threw it away. 2-1 ducks after five.
South Oakland struck again in the bottom of the 6th, Nick Berdine hit a pinch-hit single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and stole third. Kirk walked increasing his solid OBP. Cinefra drove in an insurance run with an RBI fielder's choice.
3-1 Ducks after six.
Big Oil threatened in the seventh after a Ducks error and a single.
Fago relieved Tessyer. He walked a guy, then got the last batter to ground out to end the threat.
Game. Ducks.
South Oakland resumes divisional play Wednesday night against the Eagles.
It's Ironic when someone who was on this team for one full season tells me what it means to be a Duck.
I've been here since day 1. This isn't a sandlot league anymore. Some people don't adjust well change, then blame others for their inability to adapt. We're all wearing green. We're here to win another title. If this team gels, we can take it. Chemistry doesn't form in three games. We'll be fine.
***
I'll mix up tomorrow's lineup to get guys in who sat last game. That's the first time we've had all 24 guys show up in the seven years I've been on this team. All I can do in that situation is ride the pine myself and try to put us in position to win.
Look for a South Oakland essay by Ducks legend Rob Swanger in the near future.
It is with great sorrow that I report the White-nose Syndrome fungus has been found on gray bats. Friday, we received word that five bats tested positive in a genetic test for the White-nose Syndrome fungus outside a cave in Shannon County, Missouri-one of only a handful of gray bat hibernacula.
Gray bats are very near and dear to Bat Conservation International's heart. For decades, we have worked to recover the declining gray bat populations and the species was well on the road to being removed from the Federal Endangered Species List.
That was until White-nose Syndrome showed up in New York four years ago. BCI and bat scientists around the country have been nervously monitoring the spread of this devastating disease that has killed more than one million bats since 2006. This winter, the White-nose fungus spread to Tennessee, the epicenter of gray bat territory, and we feared the gray bat would be the seventh bat species and the second federally endangered species to be affected by the disease.
At the end of winter, the Tennessee Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Bat Conservation International's Caves Coordinator, Jim Kennedy, returned from surveying Hubbard's Cave-one of the largest gray bat hibernacula-with hopeful news; the colony was stable with no sign of White-nose Syndrome. But now, the future isn't looking as bright.
Because of Bat Conservation International's strong emotional tie to this species, the gray bat was one of the first four Adopt-A-Bats to be released this past holiday season. If you'd like to support gray bats and the work we do, consider adopting a gray bat or donating online.
It will be interesting to see who's behind this. Name your price. Quack.
Due to some ridiculous and unfortunate circumstances, I will need a baby sitter during Ducks through the second week of June.
My daughter will be three on September 1st. She's awesome - has a great arm for a two and a half year old. Anyone who knows someone who would watch her during games [either at the field (this would be past ehr bedtime, but i'd make an exception once a week) or elsewhere] would help greatly. I'll pay whatever is the going baby sitting rate, and can include ducks hats, t-shirts and hoodies in the deal.
I'm probably gonna miss a few games due to this. Dr. Jones and Jesse Smith will run the team in my absence.
Big Oil has been subsidized by the Pittsburgh NABA, allowed to compete in the A division, yet the corporate conglomerate has been constructed, after recieving tax payer money and league revenue to allow it to operate in a less competitive division, to compete on the highest level. They defeated the Bulldogs and toppled the defending Champion, Fightin' TJ Morgans.
The Ducks were faced with this predicament in the off season, but our desire to compete at the highest level led to the addition of several college ball players, as the rules of the draft were that only AA teams could draft college players and if we were to play in that division, against the revamped Black Sox the Hurricanes and the NABA terrorist coup, Monroeville Militia, we would have to upgrade to give our team the best chance to win. The assumption was that any college players entering the league would go into AA.
The arms race, headed by the Brookline Bullies off-season aquisitions, put us where we are today.
When Kool and the Gang asked to play on the Ducks I agreed. Anyone who hates the Black Sox as much as those kids do is OK with me. Maybe I should have traded the rights of J. Spagnola and Bill Franciscus for a first round draft pick, kept my roster additions quiet and then arrived in the A division with an unfair advantage. From left to right: Kenny Cool, Rob Cool, Athony Defillipo, Brendan Scioscia, Nick Berdine, James Fago.
The good intentions of splitting up the league into A and AA have been undermined by Big Oil. Clearly this is exactly what happened.
Gasoline Live on Monday Night.
Guthrie for MVP.
The Eagles are another story all together. I sympathize with the troubles they have had in recent years. Last year, they beat us with eight players. Disgraceful. South Oakland Ducks of the North Side History Lesson with Howard Zinn. Adam Smith became the only Duck with a full season of tenure to leave South Oakland for another team. (and I preface this with acknowledgment of Smith's importance to the Ducks during the Red Scare Years, and his ability to throw strikes when we had no other pitchers. He was the team's MVP in 2007. In 2007 we went 8-14.) The seeds of his departure were planted when I handed the coaching reigns over to Dr. Jones and he recruited the core of our current roster. ( I founded the team in 2003 and coached for many years before I ran into TC at the batting cages. If we win-out this year, my all time record will get back to .500) Nick Homa and 2010 MVP candidate Mark Guthrie pushed Smith down in the rotation. Kirk and Novak secured the middle infield spots. Instead of competing for playing time on a better team, or accepting a reduced role on a winner (the Ducks finished ten games over .500 in Jones' tenure as Manager), Smith wined about the Ducks selling out and becoming the Pitt Club Baseball summer team. He sat alone in the dugout and passive-aggressively undermined our manager. He left a team that was 16-8 for a team that finished in fouth place in the Wales Conference last season.
Will Adam Smith throw against his former team on Wednesday Or is he begging his coach to sit him to avoid embarrassment?
Oilers on Monday. Eagles on Wednsday.
This is when we start a new winning streak. We might not lose another game.
The Ducks float just under the .500 mark this season. We've underachieved. Too many walks, not enough key hits, reliable and talented players uncharacteristically missing games and having one-pitch at bats resulting in infield flies with runners in scoring position. Something is amiss.
I've been searching for our mascot, Harlod the rubber Duck, our good luck Duck. I learned today he has been kidnapped, missing since last summer. In a move reminiscent of every college movie ever made, the Bulldogs stole our mascot. Harold is being used as a football, and a model for homoerotic porto-jon photos and fellatio. (see Commish's fantastic, Dawgs/Ducks recap two posts down)
South Oakland of the North Side (4-5) was no hit by Andy Rafalski of the HURRICANES! (7-1).
Ducks starting pitching walked several batters, and THE HURRICANES! took advantage, driving in 5 runs in the first after the Ducks took a 1-0 lead in the top half of the inning, on a Anthony Defillipo base running expose in which he stole two bases and scored on a past ball.
I guess we're three runs better than we were when we lost by 10 on opening day. There were several hard hit balls by the Ducks that went right at HURRICANES! fielders. Rafalski has allowed one hit in two games against the Ducks.
Tonight's game against Brookline has been rained out and will be rescheduled for sometime late in the season.
The Ducks have lost two straight, and take on Big Oil next Monday, 9pm at Spring View Field. That game is followed by a division game Wednsday against the South Side Eagles and Ducks defector Adam Smith.
Smith is too scared to ask his coach to pitch against his former team. We're starting Dr. Jones. He wants a showdown with Smith. We'll discuss this personal rivalry in detail in the weeks to come.
The Bulldogs and Ducks, er... Duckzzz waged their inaugural battle of the 2010 season on the dewey grasses, and groomed sands of John Herb Field in the early morning hours of May the 15th, 2010. The Bulldogs proved victorious by a score of 5-1, earning their 60th franchise victory in the process.
Prior to the game, the baseball gods gave a gift to the visiting Duckzzz, and placed a duck pond in two separate locations... the visiting on deck circle, and bullpen. Many a duck showed up early to play in the fresh water of the freshly made ponds. They sported slick new hats (tops in the league, kudos to Ben), 15 new players on a 23-man roster (their smallest in 8 years!!!) and took a spirited pre-game (although not as polished as when the Commish ran their show in April).
Fortunately, this is one Duck even Gwin wouldn't add to his roster.
The Duckzz sported a revamped roster, with 7 of their 10 batters new to the team, and 4 of them formerly of the 23-1 Owlz of 2009. Similarly, the Bulldogs took the field with 5 new players in their staring lineup, recruiting 2 LaRoche, and 1 Fairmont State player, while stealing 2 players from the 2010 PSL Dodgeball Champion Red Rockets.
This game also marked the largest gathering of Pittsburgh Blues on one field, with the Duckzzz rostering 4 players, and the Bulldogs 3.
Prior to the game, Bulldogs coach BJ Rankin needed to use the bathroom, but encountered an unusual occupant....
Realize this poor fellow needed some assistance, BJ coached him up on how to properly use the toilet paper, but alas....
one Bulldog can only do so much to help out a little duck. Feeling sheepish, this little duck challenged BJ to a wager on the game. Neither the terms of the bet, nor the bet itself, were known to anyone besides the Duck and BJ before the game.
At the pregame meeting, Bulldogs manager Vinny Gala and Ducks manager Ben Gwin had a moment of silence for their friend Greg Wittmer, who has been in and out of the hospital with kidney problems and was unable to attend the game. It has caused Wittmer to stop drinking for at least 5 out of 7 days each week, and limit himself to only 6-8 beers per sitting.
On to the Game...
Adam Philip sat the new-look Duckzzz down in order in the top of the first. Joe Graff led off with a 2-strike single back through the box off Duckzzz starter Rob Baumgartel. After two outs, Matt Dugovich stole second before Vinny Gala walked. With two aboard, Jarrod Harris laced a ball to left that was caught for the final out.
Philip yielded only a two-out single to Brendan Scoscia in the top of the 2nd. In the bottom, the Bulldogs would score the only runs they would need. George Nehay led off with a walk, and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Jeff Trojan doubled and scored the eventual winning run on a Justin Meyers ground out.
Trojan, Dugovitch, and Graff in a typical pre-game routine.
In the fourth, the Bulldogs struck again. Trojan led off with a single followed by a Meyers walk. Rankin came to bat with runners on first and second.
BJ Rankin bunted for a hit, and an errant throw allowed Trojan to score. With Meyers on third, and Rankin on first, Graff stepped to the plate. What occurred next was purely shocking.
BJ Rankin was leading off first, and was picked off by the Duckzzz. Gwin, who was playing first base, did not feel the out was enough, and beat him in the face with the ball until his tooth cracked and his face was bloodied from a gash on his lip, and stripped him of his game pants right on the field (!). First base coach Dan Morgan leveled his book-club mate Gwin with the copy of Crime and Punishment his carries in his pocket at all times. The fans starting throwing batteries, and the players broke out in an all out brawl as the police....
Sorry, was dreaming as I typed there. Everything after the first sentence of that last paragraph didn't really happen. Except that part about the Gwin and Morgan being book club buddies.
Graff drove in Meyers for the fourth Bulldog run. Rankin would later need stitches to repair his lip after Gwin's tag, but remained at the game for a reason unbeknown to the players in attendance.
Defensively, Joey Braunlich, Schuyler Shaeffer, and Meyers would enter the game for the Bulldogs in the fifth. Schuyler was wearing a unique T-shirt Saturday.
His girl looks hot from that t-shirt. But don't be fooled. Our crack research team has uncovered who that shirt was modeled after.
Not as impressed now, are you? Yes, that is Brian Strom pictured. Strom was in attendance at the game, but rendered unable to play after a night of tequila shots with a Professor of Spanish and lap dances at a fine local gentleman's club (editor's note: only two-thirds of that last statement is true - we will let you figure which fact is false).
The Bulldogs would add a run in the fifth before the Duckzzz finally got on the board in the 6th. BJs Lipp (not his first name, but kinda ironic) walked, stole second and later scored the Duckzzz only run on an RBI single by Tony Casale.
Schuyler's actual girlfriend. Everybody contributes on this team.
After the game, there was many good handshakes and warm embraces of mutual respect. These are two teams who have been around for awhile, and have developed friendships along the way. They each have played a role in shaping the Pittsburgh NABA as teams, and by members serving in administrative roles. There were seven NABA administrators, six active, between the two teams. They look forward to playing again.
Thanks to Ben Gwin for honoring his side of the gentleman's wager and allowing us to post the write-up. He is a tough competitor, and a good friend.
Almost forgot...
Even the potty trained duck was duck enough to honor his pre-game wager.
South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (4-4) at Sto-Rox Hurricanes (6-1) 3pm. Burkett Field.
BP at Burkett at 1pm.
According to Google this device has something to do w Hurricanes
I have no idea where this field is, apparently it's nice. We were embarrassed the last time we played the 'Canes on opening day. We'll see how far we've come in 8 games.
We will wear yellow.
1/3 of the way through the season and we're still getting our wings. We came out flat yesterday morning. If we can't get up for a game against the defending champs, it's gonna be a long season. The Hurricanes never should have left Hartford. I believe in Ron Francis.
The Bulldogs (7-1) defeated the South Oakland Ducks (4-4) by an estimated score of 5-1. Not the offensive explosion the Ducks were hoping for. South Oakland plays THE HURRICANES! tomorrow, 3pm at Burkett Field.
Full recap by someone on the Bulldogs is forthcoming.
On consecutive plays I hit BJ Rankin in the back with a throw on a sac bunt, then tug him in the face and split his lip. My bad, BJ.
Keeping with the theme of the week, I'm mailing this post in. The bulldogs get admin privileges on the blog if they win. A fifth straight win would equal the longest streak in Ducks history.
This game will feature several off-season acquisitions by the Ducks.
Mark Guthrie earned the complete game victory. Captain America allowed one earned run and K'd 10. Ken Cool drove in Tim Lipp with a bases loaded walk to end the game. Anticlimactic, but we'll take it.
Baumgartel, and Cinefra (2) had the other RBI for the Ducks. Gwin recorded his first HBP of the season.
South Oakland of the North Side (4-3) takes their win streak into John Herb Field Saturday morning for an 8:30am date with the first place Bulldogs (6-1).
###
I request anonymous posters at least create a fake username so we can tell you apart, takes two minutes, or sign a fake same like, Bill Franciscus.
South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (3-3) vs. Etna Matadors (1-3) 9pm Springview Field.
Batting Practice 6:30 Pitt IM Field
Candlesticks are nice.
A couple years back, the Matadors really pushed the conspiracy theory to the limit. The team's head bullfighter allegedly offered a bribe to a current Duck who once ran another team in the Pgh NABA. The Bullfighter asked the former coach to throw a game to spite the commish and his team and take a playoff spot form the Bulldogs.
Last season, the Matadors were taken over by a new guy who did not have the good sense to change the team name to the Bulls, or anything that doesn't have to do with slaughtering perfectly good bovines.
However the Matador unis are solid and they look expensive, and while the lack of a team named the Bulls is bothersome, buying new threads for the sake of having a more humane and baseball relevant name is not the most fiscally responsible decision. So the Matadors they remain. They lost to the Confederacy in the '07 finals.
Back in the 1860's the Confederacy formed one of our nations most bothersome militias
The Matadors will be tough; they have lost big to the Black Sox and HURRICANES! So have the Ducks. A win tonight will put South Oakland at 4-3 before the calvary arrives and the Ducks roster takes shape.
Please remove your tinfoil hat. No conspiracy here. At draft time the Hebrew Oilers had a team full of new people who were untested. So, I asked, not begged, to be put in A because I had no clue how we would do. Dan Ruef and several other guys came on after the draft. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good (see awful Oiler performance against Eagles). Also confirming no fights vs. the Canes. Just bad umping.
Lead Oilman
***
My bad, guys. No harm no fowl.
As of now the Warriors Ducks games will proceed as scheduled.
Memorial Day figures to favor Captain.
It's just an old friend...
Bad news for the Bulldogs.
Memorial Day figures to favor Captain.
It's just an old friend...
Bad news for the Bulldogs.
