The Glove is Good

Last Thursday night, our fate was in our own hands; we win, 1st place is ours. We didn't concern ourselves with the complicated details about what would happen if we lost, we just went out and played the game.

We don't get paid to play softball, there were no television cameras documenting the game, there were no sports writers speculating about how good or bad we are, there were no tabloids waiting to follow us after the game to write about the drama in our personal lives (and believe me, there is some drama!).

So, why do we play the game?

When we cinch up our cleats, when we pound our gloves with our fists, when we step up to the plate with a bat in our hands, when we run onto the field for the first play of the game we do it for very simple reasons; we love the game, and we love our team.

And Thursday night, everything came together in a beautiful way. It was the culmination of the effort every single one of us put into The Glove since last Spring, and for some of us it goes back a little further.

We were up to bat to start the game, and when Ann scored the first run in the 1st inning we took the early lead and owned it; our defense stepped up, our bats kept swinging, we ran the base paths with passionate aggression, and when the rain subsided, when we secured the last out of the game we walked off the field in 1st place, 16-9 victors over SBW.

Respect.

Players of the Game

1. Jonathan filled in for The Glove in left field several games back, and I've done everything I can to make sure he showed up for every game since then. He represents everything that is good about The Glove; he brings a big smile, a heavy bat and some fast wheels. Thursday night Jonathan got worked in left field. SBW had some big hitters and they swung for the fences every chance they got. Left field was a busy and wet place, but Jonathan made every catch, hit every cutoff throw and hooked up with Ali and Dylan on what I think is the play of the game. Jonathan went 4-for-4 at the plate scoring 3 runs, including a timely inside the park homerun on his first at-bat. Big ups, Jonathan.

2. Ann is another fill-in Glover who I hope we will see much more of in the future. Like many of the other ladies on the team, Ann has a softball history, a well rounded experience and a healthy respect for the game. Thursday night, she made several big catches in left center field (big shoes to fill with the irreplaceable Kendra missing the game), but she stepped up and paid respect to the position. She also has a big bat, and if she could straighten out that swing just a tiny bit she will easily become one of the most dangerous hitters in our glovely lineup. She still managed to score 2 runs on 2-for-5 hitting. Much love, Ann.

3. Tim.

4. Holly is another new and much welcomed addition to STG. Her energy and bright smile make it a joy to play softball in the rain. Holly showed off her speed in the 3rd inning beating out a close play at first base (almost beat out another infield hit on a very close play) and made it all the way to third but didn't quite score. Holly, I hope you're gonna be ready for some more softball in the Spring.

5. What can I say about Dan? At the plate, he has only gotten better and better, going 3-for-4 and scoring 2 runs. On defense, he is so good at first base that we don't even think (worry?) about that position, but he's also managed to improve his play in the field, snaring pop ups in foul territory, hooking up with his pitcher on force outs at 1st base, and stretching and catching every conceivable ball thrown to him. Without a doubt, the most improved player on the team. There is no way we could have had such a successful season with you.

6. Abbey gives STG an advantage everytime she steps on the field. She can play any infield position you ask of her and plays those positions very well, although she currently owns 2nd base, and at the plate she is easily one of the most versatile hitters we have. She got the longball party started for The Glove in the 3rd inning by driving the ball deep to centerfield for extra bases, which quickly became a trend for our hitters. Abbey put together a solid 2-for-4 with the bat scoring 1 run in our big 5-run 3rd inning, and she helped anchor the middle part of the infield. When Coach steps on the mound with Abbey and Dan on the right side of the infield, he breathes a little easier.

7. What is a BADMAN? A badman is someone who will push the limits to make your softball team better; he will try to make the impossible out, he will try to hit the ball farther than anyone else, a badman will run the base paths with wreckless abandon trying to get himself into scoring position and score runs when the team needs them the most. Dylan is Badman. Besides going 3-for-4 at the plate and scoring two runs, Dylan did something more important. A few weeks ago our regular shortstop began having some scheduling conflicts and couldn't make the remaining few games. I asked Dylan if he would mind filling in at shortstop, and in typical badman fashion he embraced the opportunity. Not only did he 'fill in' at shortstop, I think he found a new calling. Dylan scooped up every ground ball that came his way, he made clean throws to 1st base, and he provided valuable support as the cutoff man for the many balls hit into the outfield. And he was part of the three person play at 3rd base that stopped our opponents momentum and gave us a critical out in the waning moments of the game. Even though you make my heart pound with anxiety many times during a game, you also make my heart sing when it matters most.

8. Some people were born to paint, other people were born to brew coffee for a living, and still other people were destined to live under a bridge. Ali Brown was born to play 3rd base. I was really bummed when I found out Ali was going to miss some games because she started her grad school program, but when our rainout game was rescheduled for October 14 she immediately emailed me to tell me she could play. I think that moment was one of the sparks that helped us win on Thursday night. Ali was a big part of our offense going 3-for-4 and scoring two runs in our 5-run 3rd and 5th innings. She also took part in that amazing 7-6-5 out at 3rd base that stifled SBW's late game rally and helped secure our defensive control of the game.

During the first practice Smell The Glove ever had, Ali and I warmed up together. I still remember playing catch with her that day, hearing her laugh, being a little hard on herself when her throws were less than perfect, but when things got a little more serious, when we took the field and people started hitting the balls she kept her lively attitude but her focus sharpened. Ali, no matter what I do in life, I always want to look over my right shoulder and see you standing there.

9. SG. Those two letters don't go together in too many words: hooSGow, tranSGender, thankSGiving... But when you put a *T* as in team between those letters you get STG, as in Smell The Glove, and Sarah is a big part of what puts those words and this team together. I know catcher isn't a glorious position on the field (neither is pitching for that matter), but pitch and catch are the foundation of softball. I want to thank Sarah for giving us such a strong foundation by graciously playing catcher, as well as subbing in at 2nd base and right field when we needed her. But more importantly I want to thank Sarah for showing up to every game with a quiet grace, an aggressive approach to the game, and a willingness to do what it takes to help us play the game, to help us win games, and to share in the joy of another great season. It always puts a smile on my face to see SG step into the batter's box, hoist that bat over her right shoulder, dig the left toe of her cleat into the ground and dare the pitcher to give her something to hit. At that moment I know anything is possible.

10. Coach. That word means something to everyone: Bad television sitcom, the bartender on Cheers, the creepy old guy with alcohol on his breath who ruined your little league experience. For this team, the last example still probably holds true :) but to me, Coach means a chance to play a game I love with a group of people who have become a family. I don't think of you all as the guy who plays left field or the woman who can hit really well, or the guy who runs fast; I think of everyone who played on Thursday night as my friend(s) Ann, Ali, Dylan, Abbey, Tim, Holly, Dan, Sarah, and Jonathan. We were missing a few people, but they were not forgotten: I always smile when I think about Kendra, I can't imagine ever playing without her; I missed Jonanna's passion; I wish Nick could have played these last few games with us. And I still miss and think fondly of past Glovers who have joined STG, made us better for the experience and moved on (maybe one or two of them will be back someday...?): Scott "don't call me Kendra" Binney; Quiet ssShawna; Mark "Crazy Legs" Zackowski; Old Man Tigran Eldred; and who can forget the Three Chrises (Hollywood Chris, Piano Chris, and Big Chris, aka, Crazy Chris, aka Scary Chris!). There are only 4 people left from the original STG roster, but it makes me smile to know that we're still able to find the right people to help make this team fun and successful. Thank you, all.

Play of the Game

In the 3rd inning, the torrential rain storm wasn't the only thing we had to weather; SBW's hitting came alive in a very big way. Their bats began crushing the ball, hitting the fence on almost every swing. They scored 5 runs that inning, and they knew they had to make another push if they were to have any chance of competing with The Glove. Late in the game with a 6 or 7 run deficit (depending on which score keeper you asked), Swings Both Ways was trying to mount another comeback. Their leadoff hitter crushed the ball deep to left field over Jonathan's head, he played the ball off the fence and came up throwing. The wet ball proved a big challenge to anyone who had to make a throw, but the cutoff still made it to Dylan in shallow left field. Knowing they had to take some chances, the runner tried to stretch the hit into a tripe. Dylan secured the wet ball and fired a strike to Ali at 3rd base, she fielded the throw cleanly applying the tag in a smooth motion and showing the umpire the ball... it was gonna be close... on a bang-bang play at 3rd base, OUT! After getting that 1st out in the inning the next two hitters went down in order, 3 up, 3 down. Not only was this a beautiful play to watch, but if effectively took the wind out of their sails and asserted our defensive control of the game.

Iron Man Award. As sad or respectable as it may seem, Coach didn't miss a single game this season, even during the three weeks he was going to the chiropractor for a bad back he still managed to play. He is always one of the first people to show up before a game, and he is always one of the last to leave. And with a little help from a few people (mostly Kendra), Coach did everything he could to accommodate everyone's busy schedules and still make sure we had enough people to play every week...and still give The Glove the best possible chance to win. But Coach doesn't do those things for recognition, I don't think he knows how to do anything else. No one suffers a loss and no one celebrates a win as much as Coach. I hope you all know he is doing the best he can. Props to Coach for giving it everything he has :)

PS I like to tease Tim every chance I get. Tim is a great guy, someone I've known for about two years, but it feels like our connection goes back further than that. This is only the 2nd league I've ever played with Tim (we played volleyball together last year and won a championship! so maybe he is a good luck charm for me), and I think it goes without saying that he is the best possible teammate anyone could ask for. Not only is he surprisingly athletic, especially for someone his age, but he brings such a positive, fun, carefree (oft times perverted :) ) energy to the team. He goes out of his way to be friendly and welcoming to everyone, and he makes everyone laugh. I hope we can keep laughing and winning together for more years to come.

Cheers.

$1.05

What would you do
If you were asked to give up your dreams for softball?
What would you do
If asked to make the ultimate sacrifice?

Would you think about all them people
Who gave up everything they had?
Would you think about all them softball fans
And would you start to feel bad?

Softball isn't free
It costs folks like you and me
And if we don't all chip in
We'll never pay that bill
Softball isn't free
No, there's a hefty fuckin' fee.
And if you don't throw in your buck 'o five
Who will?

What would you do
If someone told you to fight for softball?
Would you answer the call
Or run away like a little bitch?
'Cause the only reason that you're here
Is 'cause folks played for you in the past
So maybe now it's your turn
To kick some softball ass

Softball isn't free
It costs folks like you and me
And if we don't all chip in
We'll never pay that bill
Softball isn't free
Now there's a hefty fuckin' fee
And if you don't throw in your buck 'o five
Who will?

Softball costs a buck 'o five

No Solution

Once again, Clear Mortgage Solutions had no solution for The Glove.

We've grown accustomed to putting up some big numbers and shutting down our opponents, and while the final score of 11-4 doesn't quite capture the control and domination we dropped on CMS, I have to say that last night's game was probably the most consistent, solid team performance of the year.

Everyone hit. Everyone made plays on defense.

I know I've said it before, but this truly was a team effort.

Plays of the Game:

Outfield

1. Right off the bat (literally) on the first pitch of the game, their first batter drilled a liner to right field and Ann (the most valuable sub of the game last night! ...and future Glover?) snared the ball for a quick and decisive out. And with that first out, The Glove sent a message to CMS, "you're gonna have to do better than that."

2. Tim knew he had to redeem himself from last week (for practically everything that went wrong!), and he didn't disappoint last night. On another fly ball to right field he made a dashing catch on the run and smacked the ground in exclamation. Amen, brother. Amen.

3. Part-time Glover (full time Baller) Jonathan made a spectacular grab in left field on the run. And with his roadrunner cartoon-like speed, he made it look easy.

4. In the third inning, on a bloop liner into shallow center field Kendra comes flying out of nowhere to get a glove on the ball, it popped up in the air and she secured the third and final out of the inning with her bare hand. As my father and former little league coach used to say, "The glove is a crutch."

Infield

1. Abbey stepped in at the hot corner for Ali, who was off matriculating her Glove last night. Without missing a beat. Abbey snagged a pop fly and put a glove on every ball hit her way.

2. The middle of the infield had a new face and a new attitude last night. Badman Dylan filled in at shortstop and played a flawless game. He provided a solid cutoff on every ball hit to the outfield, he fielded every groundball hit to him and made perfect throws to first base. I know Dan appreciates that.

3. Holly played a great 2nd base again last night. She took a hard groundball to her foot last night, but she teamed up with Dylan for some tidy little force outs at 2nd base.

4. Dan showed, once again, why he is a Gold Glove 1st baseman. He snagged a couple of flyballs, one line drive and one foulball pop up, and he teamed up with Coach for some nifty 3-1 put-outs at 1st base. Watching Dan and Coach team up on those groundball force outs at 1st base was pure poetry.

5. Andrea is another part-time Glover who graciously subbed for us behind the plate last night. Unfortunately with all the great defense we played last night, Andrea's shining light was reduced to making some amazing throws back to Coach on the mound after every pitch.

6. What can I say about Coach? He is a hard man to get to know, but I probably know him better than most. He turned in another masterful game on the mound keeping the hitters off balance and forcing them to hit the pitches he wanted them to hit. He fielded several groundballs for easy outs, he teamed up with Dan at 1st base for some force outs at 1st base (they made it look easier than it is), and he snagged a line drive hit right at his head. The 'halo rule' is for sissies.

On offense, The Glove turned in an unspectacular but very steady and effective performance, marked by solid base hits and smart (sometimes aggressive) base running. Once again, good team softball.

I want to thank our subs again for helping The Glove out last night. Since we were on the verge of forfeiting due to not having enough players, it goes beyond saying that we couldn't have won without you. That aside, everyone who showed up brought a great spirit, a good attitude and showed amazing support for everyone in our dugout.

And I want to thank everyone who stuck around after the game for providing such a good hang. We sat in the dark and the cold, knocked back a few cold Budweisers (thanks again to Coach for providing the libations) and not only recanted the highlights of the game, but we also connected as a team and as the people underneath our cool-ass team shirts. With the ever unpredictable Portland weather, we never know when our last game will be, so it's nice when we take advantage of each other's company, especially since Fall Ball marks the end of outdoor sports until next Spring.

Hope to see you all next week.

We Didn't Quite Stop (!) Hammertime

No comeback this week.

But it's only one loss in an otherwise perfect season.

I really appreciate the effort everyone put forth last night. We were missing some key Glovers, we played with yet another sub last night, and we still managed to put up 11 runs on the scoreboard. Unfortunately, we gave up a few more runs than we scored, but sometimes that's just the way the ball bounces.

No need for a recap this week, on to the plays and players of the game.

1. Ali was a superstar last night. Ali *IS* a superstar! In the 2nd inning, she was solely responsible for all three outs on defense; first on a line drive fly ball, then she fielded a ground ball for a force out at 3rd base and fired a strike across the diamond to Dan at 1st base to complete the double-play. Overall, Ali was responsible for 7 put outs on fly balls, double plays, and perfectly played ground balls. Ali also contributed, as expected, with the bat going 2-for-4 with an RBI and scoring a run in our big 7-run 2nd inning.

Can't touch this.

2. Dan is back! And he picked up right where he left off, stretching for less than perfect throws to first base (making everyone look good), providing a reliable glove and arm on defense, and going 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored. In the 4th inning, Dan took part in his second double play of the game; on a ground ball to the pitcher, Dan fielded the force out at 1st base then made a perfect throw to Ali at 3rd base to pick off the runner trying to advance from 2nd base.

Please Dan, Don't Hurt 'Em.

3. I wanna be like Mike. Gray, not Jordan. Lucky for The Glove, Tim's smarter, more athletic, smarter, nicer, smarter, less creepy, and smarter brother Mike was able to sub at shortstop. Not only did he get a workout with all the cutoff throws he fielded due to the barrage of fly balls hit to the outfield, but he provided a stabilizing force in the middle of the field making every play that came his way. Oh, and he helped STG with a pretty good stick at the plate, going 3-for-3 with some blistering extra base hits to left field, he had 1 RBI and scored two runs.

Proper.

4. Last but certainly not least, resident Badman, Dylan went '2 Legit 2 Quit' on Hammertime pitching last night going 3-for-4 with 1 RBI and scoring two runs on some very aggressive base running, including an inside the park home run in the 3rd inning.

Before the game, the Hammertime coach said he circled this game on his calendar as soon as the schedule came out. That's not the first time I've heard that.

We get that a lot.

I think it says something that we've patched together such an eclectic group of individuals who have fun playing softball together, who win a lot of games and garner such respect from our opponents.

That's what's up.

STOP! Hammertime

I am so pumped about this game.

STG is going to drop some knowledge on these clowns, they will find themselves as irrelevant as that stupid fucking song.

If you have something to say...

LET ME HEAR IT!

And on Thursday, the softball gods cried...

because they were afraid of The Glove, and the fields were too wet to play on.

And as it goes with Fall Ball, there are no make up games. See you all next week, ...hopefully.

We should think of a sacrifice to appease the gods, just in case. We will need a virgin. Any volunteers?

Or we could all move to a drier climate...

Power Outage

With our backs up against the wall, The Glove stepped up and took another game away from the competition. This one wasn't quite as pretty as games before, but sometimes The Glove gets a little dirty, sometimes The Glove just does what it has to do to win. With hardly a breath or an inch to spare, The Glove unplugged some big bats and dropped a blackout on Power Play, and once again we did it in dramatic fashion with a 5-run last inning rally at the plate and some stellar lockdown defense to secure the victory.

To quote one of our generation's greatest poets/philosophers,

"Don't call it a comeback, we been here for years
Rockin our peers and puttin suckas in fear
Makin the balls rain down like a MON-soon
Listen to the bats go BOOM
Explosion,
overpowerin
Over the competition,
we're towerin..."

I think that sums up our efforts the last two games.

But last night was especially telling about how deep the finger of The Glove can reach. No, it doesn't always feel good and sometimes it hurts a little, but remember this: The Glove has lots of fingers, and if one of them hurts there are four more standing right next to you... and there's five more on the other hand.

Think about that.

We were missing some key members of The Glove, so we had a few new faces on the bench last night. I really want to thank Mike and Brad for filling in last night. I think it goes without saying that we couldn't have won without them.

I also want to give a big shout out to Jonathan for subbing in last minute; he brought a good glove, a steady bat, and unexpectedly fast wheels with him. And with even numbers of men and women, everyone got a chance to play last night, and that (along with beating the shit out of the competition) is the team goal.

Big ups to Brad, Jonathan and Mike.

Quick recap of the game last night.

Right out of the gate, The Glove put up 4 runs in the 1^st inning. Kendra, Marcus, Nick and Mike all scored with the help of some good bats and aggressive base running by the top 9 hitters in the lineup. The Glove picked up right where we left off in the top half of the 2^nd inning scoring 3 more runs with the same steady approach; Marcus, Brad and Sarah scored on the shoulders of good hitting by Ali and Nick. Unfortunately, Power Play’s bats finally woke up in the bottom half of the 2^nd inning; with the help of some towering fly balls and a few miscues on our defense, they tied the game up at 7 runs.

The next 3 innings were pretty unspectacular; good defense on both sides held the game virtually in check, although Power Play stole some runs here and there to post a 10-7 lead going into the top of the 6^th and final inning.

We needed three runs to keep the game going, at least four runs to give ourselves a chance to win. This time, however, there were no motivational speeches, no words of wisdom. Since the 2^nd inning, there was no real offense to speak of other than a few hits sprinkled here and there, no spark from which to start a late-game fire. The proverbial air had been sucked out of the room as The Glovers faced certain defeat.

If something was going to happen, we would have to make it happen. And in typical Glove style, we started clapping our hands, we kept drinking our beer, and we cheered on the first batter; if we were going down, we would go down as a team.

Mike got the party started by hitting a double. With a runner in scoring position, Jonanna stepped up to the plate and delivered an RBI single. We got one run closer.

Newly added Glover Jonathan came up to bat and cranked an RBI extra base hit, rumbling, bumbling and finally stumbling all the way to 3rd base, leaving himself in scoring position. One run closer, and now we were building momentum.

Crazy Legs Holly and her *awesome* thigh high socks rocked a single scoring Jonathan from 3^rd base.

Tied game!

We had new life, momentum on our side, and we weren’t done yet. Brad stepped up to the plate and crushed an RBI double and advanced on a throwing error to put himself into scoring position. The Glove had taken the lead.

Tickle-Me-Tim (Timwit? Just in the nick of Tim?) waltzed up to the plate and slapped a single down the 3^rd base line scoring another run.

The score was now 12-10. STG was back in the lead with ½ an inning to go. It was up to the defense to bring this game home.

The first batter up for Power Play crushed a heart wrenching extra-base hit. Two batters later, he scored to pull PP within one run of The Glove.

STG was still in the lead 12-11. There were runners on 1^st and 2^nd with only one out. Power Play was in the heart of their batting lineup; the same hitters coming to the plate were the same ones that made the game competitive back in their 7-run 2^nd inning, and they were sure to challenge our defense one more time. Coach was able to get ahead of the batter with a quick strike on the first pitch. Not wanting to give this big hitter a good look at any more pitches, Coach pitched him outside and eventually filled the count at 3 balls, 2 strikes. On the next pitch the ball was crushed, a deep fly ball to right field. Coming out of nowhere, sprinting with every ounce of energy he could muster Brad drew a bead on the well-hit ball and somehow (miraculously!) snared the fly ball on the warning track for the 2^nd out. The runners, not giving our defense any benefit of the doubt whatsoever, ran the bases with abandon--not waiting to tag up--assuming they would score the tying and winning runs on this one hit in walk-off fashion, got doubled up with a force out at 1^st base.

The Glove wins!

Two people I really need to shine a spotlight on.

1. Sarah played an amazing game. She put together another solid game at the plate getting a base hit and scoring a big run for us in the 2nd inning, but in a game where 1 run made the difference, every out on defense was a big out and SG played some outstanding defense getting 3 outs on foul ball popups... and she made those plays against some really big hitters for the other team. It's not easy getting hit by pitches behind the plate all night long, then popping up and tracking down foul balls against the background of those bright lights at Delta Park. Much love, SG.

2. I also want to thank Brad again for filling in out there in right field. Some people have this idea that right field is where softball defense goes to die, but as we all know that is not the case. Many home runs and extra base hits often go to right field... and the tighter the defense the better chance any team has to win. Of course, that game saving last inning catch by Brad is more than just an example of good 'defense'; that was more like fodder for softball lore, snagging that towering fly ball on the warning track at the most critical point in the game like some kind of cross between a one-handed touchdown by Randy Moss with the grace of Baryshnikov, and he maintained enough composure to get the ball in to his cutoff who helped complete the force out double play at 1st base.

Respect.

No Mercy

What a game.

I think this was the game of the year.
Best Glove game ever?

And what's more, we beat those Mercy Corps [insert derogatory term here]!

This game had it all: public intoxication, diving catches in the outfield, people getting hit with the ball, public intoxication, strikeouts, homeruns, and public intoxication!

When the smoke cleared and the band stopped playing... at the end of it all, The Glove showed no mercy and straight up took the game away from Mercy Corps. And those of us who played together will forever be bonded by the pain and endurance, as well as the sheer will and determination it took to win that game.

The game went 6 innings, and it was back and forth all night long: they scored 6 runs, we scored 5; they scored 3 runs, we scored 4... and at the end of 5 innings the score was knotted at 13 runs apiece.

Extra innings.

The umpire screamed at the top of his lungs, "We're now playing international rules!" meaning each team would go to bat with a runner in scoring position on 2nd base. Mercy Corps was the visiting team so they got first crack, and they jumped on us scoring 6 runs in a very deflating top half of the 6th inning.

The umpire looked at us as we finally secured the 3rd out and started walking off the field. "You need 7 runs," he said.

Coach hobbled to the sidelines, his back tightening more and more with every step, thirsting for that can of Budweiser waiting for him on the bench. In a very calm voice he reassured the embattled Glovers, "We don't need 7 runs. We just need to score 1 run, 1 run at a time."

Wise beyond his years, that man.

We started the bottom half of the 6th with Sarah on 2nd base. First pitch, crack! Dan drills the ball over second base into right field and stretches out an RBI double. One run.

Next batters, Kate and Tim, bam-bam! two more runs.

Then we hit a dip, two quick outs on two pop flies. Hope was fading, and it was fading fast.

Down three runs with two outs and a runner on 3rd base, Kendra nails a line drive double over shortstop into left field. One more run.

Coach steps up to bat, boom! hits a towering triple to left field scoring one more run.

Jonanna steps to the plate and drills a liner up the middle of the field for an RBI single. One more run.

Bottom of the 6th inning, two outs, a runner on 1st base, down by one run, Nick steps up to bat, CRACK! The ball sails into deep left center and rolls to the fence. With those long dancer's legs and her PF Flyers cinched up tight, Jonanna digs deep and scores the tying run all the way from 1st base (one more run). With the ball still in play, Nick is waived in aggressively as he motors around 3rd base. The ball is thrown in from the outfield, hits the cutoff at shortstop who throws a rope to home plate, the pitcher falls back to cover the force out at home--it's gonna be close...

SAFE! SAFE! SAFE!

The last run.

On a walk-off inside the park home run, The Glove wins 20-19.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I want to give props to Kate & Amy for filling in again this week; you two are a godsend. And Kate was playing a little hobbled last night with two bad wheels, which makes her a big bright beautiful star!

Dylan also came to the field feeling less than stellar, but in typical Badman style, he sacrificed, persevered and came through in the clutch for us. Plus he anchored a very busy left field for us last night against a very good hitting team. Michael Jackson once asked the question, "Who's bad?" Dylan Magierek is bad. That's who's bad.

Kendra played an aggressive and solid 3rd base last night--filling in for the sorely missed Ali Brown--but she also shined at the plate going 5-5 and scoring 4 runs, including providing the spark we needed with 2 outs in the bottom of the 6th inning. Those are VIP numbers, folks, franchise player statistics. Holly momentarily took the tough girl title away from her last week, but Kendra tattooed that crown of thorns around her biceps last night, a la Pamela Anderson. Grrr! Let's just hope that doesn't come with Hepatitis C.

Quick note on Tim Gray, who has flown under the radar in our first two games of Fall Ball; not only does he bring a big smile and a powder blue San Diego Chargers visor to each game, he has quietly put up some good numbers at the plate and has played a very solid right field. Last night, he went 4-4 scoring 3 runs, including a big run and RBI in that exciting comback 6th inning. Plus, he had the play of the game last night making a diving snow cone catch in a soggy right field. Respect.

Player of the Game: Kate Skelton. Not only did she play injured the whole game last night (and didn't complain a bit, unlike that crotchety old Coach guy), but she played a little 2nd base, she played some right field, and she went 3-4 at the plate with 1 RBI and she scored (well, Sarah scored) 3 runs. Kate is, by all accounts, a true Glover.

Foreclosed

Clear Mortgage Solutions tried to deny The Glove, but we cashed in a little bat-and-glove equity and gave them a small glimpse at our high credit rating, 18-3.

This first game of the Fall season was nothing short of spectacular. We incorporated a few changes to our roster, but in typical Glove style we didn't skip beat and we managed to add a little sparkle to our game.

Before we move on to the game recap, I want to shine a light on some new Glovely faces.

Nick comes to us from a connection to another softball team. As you may recall, Nick subbed for us in a very important game last season, he filled a huge void left by Scott at shortstop, and came through amazingly well. I am very happy to have him anchoring the infield.

Holly is our new resident tough girl (sorry Kendra). Holly is no stranger to the field of play, honing her talents in the Underdog leagues, but she showed us very clearly that PMSA softball can't contain her either.

Ezra is the softball equivalent of a gym rat. Ezra probably knows Portland softball better than all of the rest of us Glovers combined, and he is a welcomed addition to the team, especially because I can finally get a break from the mound every now and then.

Kate (and Amy!) was a late addition to the team. We are still in negotiations with her people to work out a contract for the rest of the season, but management is hopeful that she will be a fixture on this team.

Then there's Tim... what can I say about Tim? Let me think about that one for a while. When I am with Tim, we usually laugh a lot, my wallet ends up lighter if not completely empty, somebody nearby usually gets naked, and the next morning is usually hazy. I'm not exactly sure what he brings to the team yet, but I know there are lots of fun times ahead :)

To all the new faces, welcome!

Now on to the plays (and players) of the game.

1. 2nd base was a hot spot last night. There were quite a few plays where Holly sacrificed her body to knock down some hard hit balls, and to her credit she never gave up on a single play and secured some tough outs for us on defense. Her roller derby background makes a lot more sense now.

2. Still at 2nd base. 4th inning, just when CMS was trying to put together a late game rally with a runner on 1st, Jonanna cleanly fields a ground ball, flips the ball to Nick who then fired a strike to Dan at 1st base for a beautiful 4-6-3 double play. It doesn't get prettier than that.

3. The other hot spot last night (thanks to some masterful pitching by Ezra and Coach who kept the CMS hitters off balance and relegated their offense to ground balls and weak fly balls) was 3rd base. I lost track of how many put-outs Ali had last night; her glove got worked last night, including some hot line drives, and as expected, she came through every time. I can't imagine ever playing softball without you, Ali.

Player of the Game is Holly Pierce. You never could have guessed that last night was Holly's first game as a Glover. From the moment she stepped onto the field last night she owned 2nd base. I mean, she practically lifted her leg, marked her territory, and said "This is my house!" At the plate, Holly went 3-for-3 and scored a run in a big 5th inning. I know Holly is happy to be playing with The Glove, and we are thrilled to have her on the team.

I wish I had a few more gems to point out about the game, but in typical Glove fashion we played a fundamental game, making plays on defense, and stringing together some base hits to move runners around the bases; nothing fancy, just solid softball... and I am pretty sure everyone had fun.

We got off to a good start scoring 6 runs in the first inning, but the nail in the coffin was an 8-run 5th inning. I'll finish this post with a recap of our hitting/offensive stats (no RBIs unfortunately), and as you will see, this was a team win; everyone did the work, everyone came through.

Great game, everyone!

Kendra, 3-for-4, scored 3 runs.
Marcus, 4-for-4 with 3 runs scored, including a home run in the 5th inning.
Ali, 2-for-4 with 1 run scored.
Nick, 3-for4, 1 run scored.
Jonanna, 2-for-3.
Dan, 3-for-3, 2 runs scored.
Holly, 3-for-3, 1 run scored.
Dylan, 2-for-3, 2 runs scored.
Kate, 2-for-3, 1 run scored.
Tim, 2-for-3, 1 run scored.
Sarah, 3-for-3, 1 run scored.
Ezra, 3-for-3, 2 runs scored.

Fall Ball!

The online schedule for the Fall softball league just got posted. The 6-game league runs from September 2 thru October 7, so if you have a conflicting vacation or out of town work trip on a Thursday during that stretch of time, reschedule it cuz The Glove is gonna get dirty playing with our Fall Balls!

There will be no makeup games, even if a game is canceled due to inclement weather.

For whatever it's worth, the top coed teams for Fall Ball are in Group I, ...and we are playing in Group II. That means we have targets painted on the backs of our gloves. That means we have to bring it. That means we have to represent!

Date & Time

H/V

Opponent

Field (Click for list)

Thu, 9/2 @ 8:40pm

Visitor

Clear Mortgage Solutions

Westmoreland #1

Thu, 9/9 @ 8:40pm

Home

Scared Hitless

Westmoreland #1

Thu, 9/16 @ 8:25pm

Visitor

Power Play

WVO/Budweiser

Thu, 9/23 @ 7:20pm

Visitor

Swings Both Ways

DeMarini

Thu, 9/30 @ 8:25pm

Home

Hammertime

WVO/Budweiser

Thu, 10/7 @ 8:25pm

Visitor

Clear Mortgage Solutions

WVO/Budweiser

If you ain't first, you're last

If you don't waste your spare time at work browsing the PMSA web site you may not know we ended up in the middle of the pack for the 2nd half of the summer league. Looking at the standings, no one really dominated. In fact, we beat one of the teams ahead of us in the standings and tied another. If not for a slow start against Hammertime, not to mention that horrendous pitching display against Past Our Prime, I dare say STG could have won the H league... or at least finished in 2nd place.

Coed H

Team Name	W	L	T
1st Swings Both Ways	3	1	1
2nd Hammertime	3	2	0
2nd Open Meadow	3	2	0
3rd Smell the Glove	2	2	1
4th Past Our Prime III	2	3	0
5th Fast Undercar	1	4	0

I hope everyone is enjoying the warm weather. And don't forget, Fall Ball is right around the corner!

Fresh Roasted Beer Nuts

Thursday evening was warm, the sun was bright, and Beer Nuts II got straight up roasted. We needed to win this game to win our division, and that's exactly what we did.

In typical Glove fashion, we brought the game to BN II. We didn't do anything fancy, we played played solid unremarkable defense catching pop flies and getting force outs at 1st and 2nd base; at the plate we brought a steady bat stringing together base hits and moved the runners around the bags. After 7 full innings, The Glove snapped shut in a deceptively close 12-7 final score.

This was probably the best way to end a season marked by an oscillating roster and an ever shifting schedule; we walked off the field having played a steady consistent game, and we did it with two subs who contributed greatly to the win.

As for plays of the game, I want to give it up to the entire team. I mean it when I say everyone contributed to the win.

Shawna and Nick hooked up on a sweet force out at home plate on a hard hit ball to left field. Nick was one of the most valuable subs we've had all season, he played a solid left center field and got on base every at bat. Shawna also had a good game, moving runners around the bases and catching a great game.

Thunder Dan brought the... thunder... one more time at 1st base. In typical fashion, Dan caught a line drive on one of the hardest hit balls all season, plus he had a great night at the plate.

Sarah "SG" Symons Glegorio put the finishing touches on a season of amazing growth. Her bat is coming alive, and she played another solid game at 2nd base.

Kendra filled in at 3rd base catching a line drive in the 2nd inning and making solid defensive plays for force outs at 2nd base and the routine plays at 1st. She also got on base every at bat and scored some key runs.

Scott played another solid (expected?) game at shortstop. In the 3rd inning, he caught a line drive that squashed another inning for our opponents. He also connected on a long ball in the 4th inning, just missing a home run by a few feet hitting the middle of the fence in left field.

Matthew covered some ground in left field, making all the expected catches and keeping their base runners from advancing more than they should have. He also showed how good that DeMarini bat really is by consistently getting base hits, moving the runners around, and barely missing what could have been the most towering home run of the season.

Jonanna did her Texas roots proud by fielding every ball hit to her cleanly in right center field, hitting her cutoff throws on the mark (BN II didn't even think about running on her), and she brought her stick to the plate each and every time racking up 3 RBIs, all at critical times of the game.

In right field, Debbie (Scott & Kendra's mother) did the family name proud. In the first inning, she caught a towering fly ball for a message-sending-out to all the bro's on BN II. She also showed the source of the Binney hustle on the base paths every at-bat, beating out one infield hit for a single in the 5th inning.

Finally, Coach also had himself a game hitting two doubles and scoring every time he got on base. He also had a nice running throw on defense in the 5th inning that got a force out at 1st and kept the runner from scoring on 3rd base.

In the truest sense of the words, this win was a team effort. It's not a platitude, it's not emotional hyperbole for the last game of the season, this win was the way of The Glove.

Thanks to everyone for another great summer of softball.

On a sad note, the end of summer ball also means the loss of 3 very important Glovers, founding members, key players game in and game out. We will have to find people to fill in for each of them, but they can never be replaced. More updates to come, but for now, with a heavy heart I say 'so long'...

Mark 'Crazy Legs' Zackowski

Scott 'Don't call me Kendra' Binney

Shawna 'What is the point of Decaf' Rodrigues

+++++++++++++

Click here for the alternate image for this posting. Not for the faint of heart, but funny :)

Out With A Bang!

Great way to wind up the 2nd half of the season. Open Meadow got straight up gloved last night, barely avoiding another Glove Ahead Rule, 17-8. And not to make any excuses, but those 8 runs they scored were the benefit of some gnarly sun out there in the left field part of the diamond. Props to Ali, Scott, Matthew, Kendra & Dylan for fighting through the elements and giving us a chance to win.

We finished 2-2-1 in this half of the league, and those two losses could very easily have gone the other way. Not too shabby considering we played with a lot of subs and didn't have a very consistent lineup all season long. Despite all that, we can still end up in 2nd place depending on the outcome of the game between Hammertime and Open Meadow on August 5.

Now, on to the top plays...

1. Straight out of an ESPN web gems reel, Ali battled the sun and the wind and gloved a fly ball waaaayyyyy out in foul territory near the fence, through the other team's dugout, over the tarp and in between a couple of fans looking for a souvenir. Big out, bigger catch.

2. Boing! Weird play at home plate last night more out of a George Michael Sports Machine highlight than ESPN... An errant throw from the outfield had Shawna playing the carom off the fence in front of the other team's dugout, a runner tried scoring from 3rd base, but a heads up play by Dan at home plate got the force out saving a run. High baseball IQ on that play.

3. From the mound, two nice catches from the pitcher. Same hitter jacks two line drives right up the middle, Marcus catches them both for inning ending and game ending outs... He makes it look so easy, but he has the bruise on his hand today to show for it. Nice job, Coach!

On that note and at the risk of sounding self aggrandizing (sucking my own dick?), I have to give (accept?) POTG to Marcus who a pretty good game last night. At the plate, 4 for 4 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBIs. On the mound, he showed some very good control of his pitches (not as easy as it looks with the wind blowing and the sun in his eyes) including 4 Ks (strikeouts), 3 put outs at 1st base, in addition to those two line drive catches. But a pitcher is only as good as the 8 people behind him and the 1 person behind the plate; for all the Glovely defense all season long, thanks for making me look good :)

Everyone also deserves another beer and a pat on the back for an awesome 4th inning. We batted all the way around the lineup, everyone got a hit that inning, and we scored 8 runs to lock up the win last night. We smelled blood, and we went for the kill...

Ball game.

Tie

We didn't win. And we didn't lose.

It was close and competitive (we played a very tough team, unlike last week), and despite the unresolved outcome I think every one of us had a great time. So nice to be part of a competitive game instead of the lop-sided ones we've been a part of all too often this year.

And now, without any ado whatsoever I'll jump right into the top plays...

1. The outfield played solid. Despite some very hard hit balls, everyone in the outfield made some timely and aggressive plays. Kendra and Dylan, in particular, charged some low hit balls in the shallow part of the outfield and came up with some big outs. Playing against a very hard hitting and offensive minded team, every out was a big one. Mark and Scott also made some very big outs, rounding out a very solid defensive game for The Glove.

2. Thunder Dan came up with another web gem, diving to his right and catching the ball on the fly for a spectacular inning-ending out. Dan, we're getting used to these...

3. Double plays: Two big ones.
a. Ali to Dan on a 6-3 double play on a very hard hit ball; Ali fielded the ball cleanly for the force out at 3rd and threw a rocket across the diamond to Dan, who had to stretch for the put out at 1st.
b. Top of the 7th inning, with a runner in scoring position, Marcus fields a short hit ball on the infield, leaps through the air and fires a strike (a la Derek Jeter) to Scott for the force out at 2nd who completed the DP on a solid throw to Dan at 1st base saving a run at a critical time of the game, giving us a chance to tie or win the game.

This game was filled with some really good softball, offensively and defensively. A 9-9 tie game through seven innings just goes to show that there wasn't a lot of room for error, and because of that there can only be one unanimous player of the game...

Ali Brown. Ali has been a force at 3rd base all season long. 3rd base is not a position for the faint of heart, and Ali not only plays the position with deft skill and grace but I think she actually loves the pressure that goes along with playing the 'hot corner.' We've played some teams this year that hit the ball hard, and Ali has been up for the challenge every single game. Ali was part of some big plays on Thursday night, a couple of double plays, shagging some hard hit balls to help keep runners from getting more than a single base, plus she went 3 for 4 at the plate scoring a big run during a very important 4th inning. She's not only the first person to take on a challenge, but more importantly she is the first person to cheer on her teammates. I'm happy to be on your team, Ali, and I'm very happy to have you cover my ass at 3rd base.

Special thanks to our subs who came out on Thursday. Andrea and Anna not only filled some very big shoes with a missing Abbey and Jonanna, but they contributed healthily at the plate and on defense. This also meant we could get SG out from behind the plate, and she played an amazing 2nd base. Way to go, SG!

Another valuable sub, Mixmaster Mike who filled in for Leticia on the scorebook. Mike had never kept score before, but we could not have tied the game without him ;)

Special recognition goes to Dylan who celebrated his 43rd birthday with us on Thursday. A few of us celebrated with him long into the night (and paid dearly for it on Friday), and it was nice to know that playing a game with The Glove was at the top of his wish list on his special day.

Happy Birthday, Dylan, aka The Badman.

The Field was Hot, ...but that was about it.

I want to start out by offering a quick apology. I hurled every pitch last night with the intention of throwing strikes (I hope you all know that I would never sandbag The Glove), but it just wasn't my night.

The rest of you put together a very nice comeback scoring 7 runs in a very lopsided game. Under different circumstances, that would have been more than enough to secure a win (especially against those no-bat-swinging motherfuckers), but you take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have... a Run Ahead Rule game that went against us this time.

On the brighter side of life, there were a couple of things to be happy about. Scott stepped in and offered up some solid pitching after a disastrous start to the game. Dylan consistently hit his cutoff man on his throws from the outfield, including a bang-bang fielding play that prevented a double on a well hit ball to right field. Plus, everyone played their best on a very challenging, very hot and very sunny day at the ballpark.

Player of the Game: Sarah Symons-Glegorio (aka SG, as she is known to her entourage) played a very solid game last night. She helped save a run with a force out at homeplate, and she lined a rocket for a solid base hit that scored a run in the middle of that 7-run 4th inning. SG has put together a few solid weeks of play behind the plate and swinging the bat; she likes to fly under the radar, but she does not go unnoticed. Thanks for anchoring our infield, and an extra special thanks for catching my shitty pitches :)

I want to officially welcome Matthew to The Glove. After many weeks of trying to fill that 6th man spot on our roster, I think we found the right man for the job. If you haven't spoken to him yet, introduce yourself and make him feel like he's part of the family.

I also want to thank Julia for filling in on such short notice.

And lastly, I want to thank all of you for the support you give me on the mound; I hear every word from each one of you behind me, as well as every one of you in the stands.

Played Hard and Put Away Wet

I am still wet from the game last night. Physically wet. Emotionally wet. It was a challenge playing in the rain; throwing a wet ball, catching a wet ball, playing on a wet field.

The game never should have been played, but once we got started it wouldn't have been fair to one team or the other to suspend the game because the score was so close, we kept going back and forth. I could sense everyone's frustrations (I'm sure everyone could see my frustration!), but in vintage Glove style we fought through the adversity and pulled out the win against a pretty solid team.

There weren't a lot of highlights, not a lot of web gems. I think it's almost enough that everyone made it through the game last night without getting hurt, but I need to point out two really amazing things:

1. Every single Glover got on base.
2. Every single Glover scored.

As far as I am concerned, I think there can be only one top play, one player of the game: Dylan Magierek. It reads like a childhood dream, and here it goes...

Bottom of the last inning. We're down by 1 run. Bases are loaded. Two outs. The count is 2 balls and 2 strikes... BAM! Dylan drills a line drive up the middle to score two runs, Smell the Glove wins on a walk-off hit. In a game that was wet and sloppy, the last play was perfection.

Great game last night everyone. I know it wasn't easy. Thanks for not giving up, thanks for playing hard.

One Bad Inning...

I want to reiterate something I said last night; in every possible way, except for the one that matters in the standings, we won that game last night. We started out the game with a very long and ultimately costly 1st inning giving up 9 runs, but thanks to some serious lockdown defense, Hammertime didn't score another run the rest of the game. And thanks to some timely hitting and perseverance, we made a very respectable comeback and lost 9-6. Everyone should feel proud of the effort.

Plays of the game:

1. Double play! Ali to Dan for the 6-3 double play. Ali fielded some hard hit balls last night (Hammertime had a lot of belly strength behind their bats), and she played some great defense. Dan also scooped up a very hard hit ball down the first base line for a nice force out to end the 4th inning.
2. The entire outfield played solid; Mark, Kendra, Dylan, and Jonanna. I have to single out Mark only because he had the most balls hit to him last night, but all four of you are like a steel curtain out there. When I stand on the mound, I don't have a single doubt that you guys have my back.
3. Top Play of the Year so far... Runner on 1st base, Hammertime hit a line drive over shortstop, and the runner on first base tried to stretch his base running to 3rd base; Mark fielded the ball in rhythm and came up throwing on the run to 3rd base where Ali, of course, is already in perfect position to catch Mark's throw. In a bang-bang play amidst a cloud of dust, Hammertime got nailed.

BOOM!

Now, on to the awards...

Iron Woman Award: Ali Brown. Ali played a pretty amazing game last night, and she did it with a huge burn on her left (glove) hand, but you couldn't tell by the way she was fielding and swinging that bat. Respect.

Player of the Game: Abbey Rhode. Abbey is one of those consistent players who comes to play each and every week. Last night, she brought her glove, her bat, and a mental toughness that fueled our comeback from a big deficit and made the game respectable. Abbey went 3 for 3 at the plate, scored twice, played some great defense with some force out plays at 2nd base, and she brings Leticia to the game every week to help us keep score and cheer us on. In every way possible, great game, Abbey.

Special thanks to Jim for filling in at shortstop last night. A little bit of a miscommunication left us unexpectedly short handed last night, Jim stepped in at the last minute and played really well. Thanks, Jim.

THURSDAY

The Glove made the bunny hop from J to the H league.

Respect.

One other change to note (I hope it's not too big of a deal), but we will now be playing on Thursday evenings. The schedule just got posted online, and there will be a permanent link on our website.

Click here for the Online Schedule

Because of the day of the week change, please take a close look at our schedule and let me know if this poses any problems for you. As you all know we're playing with a pretty lean roster this year to maximize playing time for everyone. I'm really hoping this new schedule doesn't cause conflicts for any of you.

On a slightly different note, the game that was rained out last night will be rescheduled after the 2nd half of the season, but I don't have any more information than that right now; I don't know if it will be on a Thursday or other night of the week, and I don't know for certain if it will be played the week following our last game. As soon as I know anything about it, I will be sure to let you know.

From the glass half full perspective, we finished in 1st place for the first half of the league! I hope the weather and patchy game schedule didn't leave any of you feeling less than satisfied; we played some great softball, we have a lot to be proud of. I can't wait to unleash the fury of The Glove on the H league!

Sad Face :(

Run! Run Ahead! Run Ahead Rule!

We won another hard fought game last night, but for better or worse, it was called early due to the Run Ahead Rule... again, 14 - 4 this time. And we basically did it in less than 5 innings; we got 4 at-bats and scored 7 runs in one inning.

This keeps happening to us; we win big and the games end before time is up. I asked a few of you after the game if we are just 'that good' or if our opponents aren't 'that good.' The answer I heard from all of you put a smile on my face.

"We play good defense."

I feel like a proud father because I want that to be our focus. Defense wins games. Even though we have dominated 3 out of our 4 games this season offensively, it's nice to hear you all credit defense as our team strength.

Now, on to the awards!

Top plays:

1. & 2. Ali Brown gets two of these. She fielded two very hard hit balls right down the 3rd base line and forced the runners out at very critical times in the game almost single-handedly (glovely!) putting a halt to their comebacks.
3. Mark Zackowski. Filling in at shortstop for Scott is no easy task. Those are some big and sometimes smelly shoes to fill, but Mark played an amazing shortstop and made some solid plays, including a great catch on a hard hit low line drive.

Iron Man Award:

In the true spirit of The Glove, Scott Binney toughed it out last night and played without his support brace to show us how rugged he really is. He played a solid outfield, he hit twice and scored twice. It just goes to show when the going gets tough, the tough put on The Glove.

Player of the Game:

I debated listing Dan Neumann in the top plays category, but Thunder Dan deserves a highlight all his own. All season long, Dan has been a rock at 1st base, scooping up bad throws, showing good range on the field, getting timely hits and racking up the RBIs, but last night Dan made the most amazing diving catch at 1st base on a hard hit line drive going parallel to the ground then popping right back up like it was just business as usual. Just the way he doesn't miss a play on the field, Dan also hasn't missed a game or a practice. The Glove just wouldn't be The Glove without you. Great game last night, and great playing with you, Dan.

The Glove Knows the Score

I want to give props to Leticia for filling a critical spot in The Glove lineup. Scorekeeper.

Our team is playing with a lean roster this season, which means we don't always have extra people in the dugout to help keep score. As home team, sometimes it is our responsibility to keep the official book, but as we learned last year, sometimes it's prudent to keep a watchful eye on the other team to make sure they are keeping score carefully.

Let's all give a hearty Smell the Glove cheer to one of our most valuable team members, Leticia!

2nd Half Info

Due to all the Rainouts, makeup games have bee extended for an extra week.

The 2nd half of the season now begins the week of June 20, 2010. Schedules have not yet been posted/updated, so stay tuned for updates...

21 Outs

After playing two one-sided games to start the season, the Logitech Lunatics pushed us the distance, we had to play all 7 innings to get the hard earned and much deserved 6-3 victory. We faced a few challenges with a very, very green umpire, but it was great to see everyone stay strong and play consistently the entire game.

One thing was very much the same last night, defense won the game. The Lunatics got off to a good start scoring 3 runs in the first couple of innings, but we held strong and kept them scoreless down the stretch highlighted by some amazing plays.

Top plays:

1. Ali - Double play! With runners on 1st and 2nd, Ali fielded a ground ball, made the force out at third and fired a strike across the diamond to Dan to complete the double play.
2. Kendra made some timely catches in left field late in the game on some really hard hit balls - I'd expect nothing less...but we don't take you for granted!
3. Almost double play, if the ump didn't have his head up his ass. Abbey to Scott to Dan. We got the force out at 2nd base and a close play at 1st base should have been called an out.

Abbey also made a great catch on a line drive earlier in the game. Great game Abbey!

Happy feet award: Dylan finally got caught in a pickle between 2nd and 3rd (he and I got pickled later that night to make up for it!). Honorable mention goes to Shawna who also showed some speed trying to steal an extra base while Dylan kept the defense occupied. Way to be aggressive! That is the Glove Way.

Player of the Game: Scott Binney. Scott scored twice, had 3 RBIs, and played some great defense. In a tight 4-3 game, Scott drove the ball deep into left center field and scored two important runs on an inside-the-park homerun in the 5th inning, which gave us a little breathing room and helped secure the victory. Not sure how Ali felt about it, though; she was the runner on base who had to motor all the way from 1st base to score. Nice wheels Ali!

New Schedule

As you may already know, our two rain out makeup games have been rescheduled for the week of June 7. We play two games that week, including a Thursday night game at our old stomping grounds, Normandale. That’s bad luck for Beernuts II and good luck for Lil’ Cooperstown Pub & Grill where we will celebrate the end to an undefeated first half of the season!

Sinnot's Tavern (aka Lil' Cooperstown)

Please take a look at the schedule and let me know if you can make the games.

June 7, 9:30PM

Steel City House Rockers, Delta Park - Marathon field

June 10, 6:15PM

Beernuts II, Normandale #2