Showing posts with label amateur baseball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label amateur baseball. Show all posts

Friday, September 18, 2009

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

Friday, September 4, 2009

Game Day [29] Ducks vs. Saxonburg



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.








Thursday, September 3, 2009

Squints 4 life



prepare for an actually gameday post tomorrow.

quack.


Tuesday, September 1, 2009

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.

Monday, August 31, 2009

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


Sunday, August 30, 2009

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.

Friday, August 28, 2009

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.

Monday, August 24, 2009

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.






Friday, August 14, 2009

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.





Sunday, August 9, 2009

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

Saturday, August 8, 2009

shrubbery


duck hedge.


Friday, August 7, 2009

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.



Wednesday, August 5, 2009

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

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

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

Monday, August 3, 2009

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

Sunday, August 2, 2009

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.



Saturday, August 1, 2009

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.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

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.