Gorundhogs lose

The Gorundhogs are now 1-2-1 after losing to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory 7-1 last night. The Pittsburgh NABA Groundhogs are ready to reverse their so-so fortunes in the playoffs.



Spags pitched well, allowing two hits over six innings. didn't get any close calls.

It's hard to get up for these games. It's good to get in some work. It's too bad we don't have an indoor league full of NABA teams. that would make the games much more competitive, and important. I still hate to lose, and our team is more talented than the five over 28 teams.

Timmy was AWOL last nite.

http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Guthrie was the only Ducks to show up and scrimmage with the black sox. he pitched to their batters, and probably dominated.




Ideally we will get at least 5 guys to show up next Monday. Regardless of how you feel about the team that eliminated us last season, they are providing us with an opportunity to get better in the off-season and we should take them up on their offer.

I've played alongside Kenny, Goldie, and Slavonic. They are everything you could ask for in teammates. For whatever that's worth.

I would get more out of seeing their pitchers in Feb than I am getting from the old guys in Trafford, but I'm committed to the Groundhogs, and since I only have two nights off per week, one is for the Groundhogs and the other is Sunday.

That said, turnout for our Sunday practices has exceeded expectations, and practice has been productive.

For the rest of the spring, we will practice Sunday at 5, and with the Black Sox Mondays at 7. Make every effort to get to both.

This will make us better individually and collectively.

I'm going to preview all 12 teams. I planned on doing one per week leading up to the season but I'm short on weeks. I'll figure something out. I'm going to start early in my quest to lead the league in HBP.

Bounty Hunter

Quack.

Spagnasty leads Groundhogs to first victory: Groundhogs 10, Giants 3

Joe Graff and his new friend.

Went to Harvard.

Jim Spagnola pitched seven innings allowing 3 runs, on four hits, striking out three Giants, and walking two.

The Pittsburgh NABA Groundhogs Modified Rules Winter Baseball Club played solid defense behind Spags, turning between two and four double plays.

Brian Strom went 3-4, Joe Graff continues to run fast and get on base while recording base hits and drawing walks.

If Ben Gwin and Vinny Gala start hitting at the same time, the Groundhogs will be unstoppable.

Groundhogs mid-season acquisition, Blue Shirt, hit a triple and brought pine tar. The other guy from the Huskies whose name I don't remember is a solid hitter and continues to drive in runs.

The Giants started Jeff Hostetler on the mound for an injured Phil Simms, but he was ineffective early, allowing six runs in the first two innings.

I think Joe got a hit, possibly two.
Strom surprised everyone going without eye black, or sunglasses. blinded by the bright indoor lighting, he relied heavily on his sense of smell, and played an unreal game at third.


The Giants relied heavily on these two, Banjo and Accordion. not the devastating double play combo you might think

The Groundhogs jumped out to a 7-3 lead and added three more in the last two innings.

The game started ominously for the no longer undefeated Giants:
Jimmy Spagmatic hit the first two Giants but they refused to take their free base, leading to a pop out, a walk and a double play for a 1-2-3 first inning.

Then Jeff Kent ate a dead bird


The Groundhogs have scored 16 runs in their last nine innings and are undefeated since, starting pitcher, Jim-bo Spagmania joined the team, he fields the position well, and will contend for a spot in the Ducks rotation while helping to solidify what is shaping up to be a very deep South Oakland bullpen this summer.

Winter Ball Game 3: Groundhogs (0-1-1) vs. Giants (2-0)...Ducks News

Some questions on the minds of the Pittsburgh NABA Groundhogs Modified Rules Indoor Baseball Club:

Will guest player, Blues outfielder, Brian Strom wear his sunglasses inside?
will he go with eye-black?
Or will Strom go with both shades and eye black and intimidate the Giants into a forfeit.


Will someone bring pine tar?

How much beer will be consumed at the pre-game meal?

Is this guy on the Giants?



Bad News for the Giants.

***


DUCKS:

Get your money to Coach TC Jones.

Dr. Theodore "Indiana" Jones

434 South Graham St. Apt. #4

Pittsburgh, PA

15232

Turnout at practice has been great.
The Next practice will be this Sunday at 5pmat the Greentree Sportsplex

Jesse Smith is in the best shape of his life.

Coach knows who has been in attendance.

Those of us who can't attend regularly won't have it held against us, but showing up to practice regularly will be considered when Dr. Jones makes decisions on playing time.

Get your money to TC.

Dr. Theodore "Indiana" Jones

434 South Graham St. Apt. #4

Pittsburgh, PA

15232

There's still a bounty on the mystery commenter, (see the last post. )



If this was someone who randomly stumbled upon our blog, then whatever, but if it's someone from the league their teammates will pay for their actions.
Granted, one of this blog' s functions is to provide a forum for trash talking, we dish out enough that we can certainly take it, but at least be a little creative, and show your team colors.

Quack.

Practice, League News

Ducks Practice this Sunday at 5pm
Greentree Sportsplex:
600 Iron City Dr.
Pittsburgh, PA 15205.

Mapquest that address or click on this link: directions to sportsplex

On Monday at 7pm we'll have a modified, scrimmage game against the Black Sox at the Sportsplex.
it will be the most intense indoor bullpen session with live batters and catchers with hits decided by the coaches that has ever occurred during February in Greentree.

There's supposed to be a league meeting on Sunday.
Get your money to TC,
go to this post for his address.



Sorosky is out of his mind, literally and figuratively:
checkout his GrayBats/Pitt Greensburgh Blog
Good stuff, I admire his confidence.
Quack away in his comment section.



I wrote this about the Super Bowl






Spagnola's T-shirt guy can get us shirts for around six bucks apiece, but we'd have to order 50 of them.
We'd all be on the hook for part of the other 30 or so shirts, (about $10 wholesale in shirts per player) which we could sell to our fans to pay for our own away jerseys.
It's worth considering.
other shirt vendors are in the $9-$12 per shirt range for 30 shirts so the total money is close, but we wouldn't have a wonderful T-shirt surplus to use for fund raising.

We will need to know how many new players we will have by March 1st so we can order green jerseys.


Go Ducks.

Six More Weeks of Winter: Groundhogs rally late, pound Beavers for six runs.

Groundhogs 6, Beavers 6

Jimmy Spagnola made his pitching debut for the PGH NABA Groundhogs Winter League Modified Indoor Baseball Team. He allowed 6 runs, 3 earned, and struckout maybe five Beavers over six innings.

The Beavers did not appear interested in swinging the bat early. The took a 6-0 lead by taking a bunch of borderline pitches, walking and hitting weak grounders that were misplayed by the 'Hogs.

Errors by Vinny Gala and Ben Gwin led to 3 unearned runs.

Having been shutout 6-0 by the Sharks on opening day, and continuing to struggle to string together good at-bats, the Hogs appeared to be reliving the same game over again, entering the bottom of the fourth, the Groundhogs had gone ten Winter League Modified innings without scoring a run. The sleepy atmosphere on the bench and the cold and general lack of intensity provided a creepy sense of deja vu on Groundhog Day. The Beavers were really into the game, they wanted to win badly, while it seemed the Hogs were mostly interested in getting some work in before the start of the spring season.

Then the PNGWLMIBT seemed to grow tired with the bush league antics of the Beavers, and realizing they were all at least 10 years younger than the competition, decided to play baseball. The Hogs scored four in the fourth, one in the sixth, and one in the 7th to comeback and tie the game.

John from the Huskies (I think) drove in the first 2 runs of the season. Then we scored 2 more somehow.

I wasn't paying much attention.

Mike Martin drove in a run in the sixth, and Gwin had the game tying hit in the bottom of the seventh.

I think Martin had two hits, Graff had one, Gala ripped the ball right at guys all game. Spags was on base a lot. Wino had at least a single maybe two, whatever.

I'm out in front of everything. shitty.

I would play for an over 28 team just to beat those guys in the regular season.

Go Groundhogs.

Groundhogs' Day

Groundhogs vs. Beavers
Tonight 9pm, All-America Baseball Center


Bad news for the Beavers

Ducks pre-season happenings

Fantastic White Stripes video

South Oakland's first practice, last Sunday at the Greentree Sportsplex was well attended especially for a mid-January workout.

Our next practice will be Feb 8th at 5pm. Then a controlled scrimmage against the Black Sox the following day at 7pm at the Sportsplex.

Seven of us met earlier to discuss fund raising, uniforms for new players, and yellow road
jerseys (T-shirts).

Here's the gist:

• We have plans for an NABA golf outing sometime in early to mid-May. Ideally this will cost around #120 per foursome, it will be a scramble with half the proceeds going to the league and the Ducks, the other half as prize money.
• Clear your calander, St. Patrick's Day Party at Guthrie and Gies's.
• We're going to try to have another event on the South Side at Town Tavern.
• Visit Adam's South Oakland Ducks Myspace Page, which will be linked to the blog soon.
• We're still working on how to offer t-shirts at a lower price than the current online store. (although you can save on shipping cost per item if you order in bulk. )
• The blog will be upgraded by the end of February.
• We will soon be operating on southoaklandducks.com
• Everyone do your best to find sponsors.

Groundhogs vs. Prowlers Tonight


Bad News for the Prowlers.

Lethargic Groundhogs Drop Opener,

Sharks 6, Groundhogs 0



The sharks starting pitcher was a poor man's Dan "Venkman" Morgan.

Venkman is nursing a shoulder sprain. Godspeed, Dr. Morgan.

He had a beard, but his breaking ball was terrible.
He was good pals with the umpire. No lie. The strategy was to throw the ball shin high and a foot off the plate, forcing the opposition to swing at bad pitches.
The strategy was effective.


Joe Graff pitched four innings allowing 3 unearned runs.
Vinny Gala allowed three more unearned runs in 3 innings of relief.

The Sharks played error free ball, the Groundhogs did not.
a couple walks and a coupel errors and the game ended 6-0.

The Groundhogs couldn't get anything going.
Vinny Gala got on base a couple times, but Mike Martin left his Bullldogs teammate stranded.
This angered Gregg "wino" so much that he challenged Martin to a wrestling match between innings



***

The Groundhogs infielder Randy Soles played a manic depressive game at three different infield positions, making some spectacular plays, but throwing away a routine ball that allowed the first of the Sharks runs.

Gala threw two shutout innings before a couple walks in the seventh led to more errors and more unearned runs.

Graff and Wino singled.
Gala walked twice for a .500 obp.
Gwin was 1-4 with a triple.
Graff singled and was picked off first before Gwin tripled in the sixth.
He was safe, the umpire was mud.



The Groundhogs look to bring more energy to their next game against the Prowlers.

We still need a pitcher.



Larry Zalewski was a late drop from the Groundhogs roster. A family emergency was taken by Zalewski as a sign to forgo the Winter session.

As much as Larry deserves to be given grief for not naming his team the Grays, he's a good man who loves the game.

Keep Larry's family in your thoughts and prayers.
Some things are more important than playing modified rules, indoor baseball.