We had a great crowd over at Barry 1 last night: eleven eager Foes and the biggest cheering section we've seen all year! A huge thank-you to Brett, Steve, Morgan, Peter, Sarah Habibi, and Shayne for trekking through an uninspiring neighborhood to stand in the hot sun and cheer while the True Foes battled the Predators in our first (and last) playoff game of the summer. That weird Kenny Powers promotional thing was happening too, and though it was pretty understated, mullet caps were worn both on the field and off (it's a good look on you, Mabs).
The field last night was nice and dry, but there was a really deep hole next to home plate (where the puddle used to be), so with every hit the runner first had to extricate him/herself from six inches of silt-like dirt and then find traction to sprint to first. Meanwhile, the catcher is squatting in a permanent dust cloud like Pigpen. On the bright side, the typically shaggy grass in the outfield was nothing but crunchy scrub, so at least it was easier to maneuver out there.
We were the away team (at bat first) and the game was off to a great start as Softball Dave, Willy, and Jason quickly brought in three runs--nice homer, Jason! Batting cleanup was Alex Laviola, who made some amazing blazing hits right down the third baseline. Taking early lead was exciting, and there were also a couple of scoreless innings for the Predators! I don't know if it was from last week's near brawl or Jason's inspiring words, but the True Foes were off to a strong start and feeling good!
However, the Predators (and their "supplementary players") made back the runs and then some, and we just couldn't score enough to close the gap before the seventh inning. I think the final score was something like 12-5, and to be honest we played pretty well compared to our last few efforts!
Jason pitched a great game while the other team admired his leggy style from their dugout. More notable moves: his skin-scraping slide into second (safe!) and Softball Dave's stunning sprint from shortstop to grab a line drive and whip it over to Willy on first base for an out! Ryan Hullings, Tyson, Ben, and Mabilon rounded out the impressive infield lineup, and our outfielders (Casey, Laviola, Issa) also did a great job catching Predator's big hits and bringing them in quickly to minimize the damage.
Forgive me for not recalling and recording all the great plays and hits the way they deserve. I was kind of keyed up for this game, and also I think those filthy sluts at the bar messed with my memory a bit...We did make some errors too, but not nearly as many as we have on other evenings, and our team spirit stayed strong. If the team we played last night had been the same team we played back in May, I think we could've taken them.
This being a playoff game, of course, the other guys totally cheated. They had a pretty amazing *new* pitcher, and their ranks were definitely filled with ringers. This is something I can prove because I recognized their shortstop from my other team, and I know for a fact that he never played for the Predators before last night.
The usual gripes aside, it wasn't a bad end to the season. Though it would've been nice to face off against the real Predators, at least they weren't as obnoxious and aggressive as the guys we met at the East River Field last week! In fact, they were pretty cordial and there wasn't any drama to speak of. I hope that they and all the other cheaters get what they want out of the playoffs. We kept it real and had a spirited dugout, awesome fans, and an especially fun time pickling our livers in between bites of burgers and fries at our usual watering hole.
And then the season was over, just like that. Sure, we didn't feel great about every single game, not everyone got the hits s/he wanted, and we suffered more than our share of cancellations and complications due to poor management by the commish. But we got plenty of exercise out in the fresh air, had great turnout at every game, and, most importantly, we got to share with good friends the breakups, engagements, injuries, recoveries, true stories, bad jokes, and one-too-many drinks that made up our summer.
Keep in shape, keep it real, and know that for the True Foes, the best is yet to come!
Until next season,
GTF
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The True Foes vs. Cobra, 7/27/2010
Everything should've gone swimmingly last night. We had the gorgeous weather, we had an on-time ump (more or less), both teams were all present and accounted for, there were plenty of bases, and we had a great warm-up.
And then we stinkin' lost again. I didn't want to tell you that, and I had this elaborate lie all worked out--even a believable winning score of 7-5. But it turns out the only thing harder than writing about a loss is writing filthy, cowardly lies about a win.
Yeah, we lost. So what? We're still standing! Willy pitched his best game ever, and that's as true as the day is long! And everyone in the field made a great catch at some point or another because Cobra gave us a wealth of opportunities to practice catching. The outfielders especially got a great cardio workout chasing long bombs. Man, could those Cobra guys hit. Their team had plenty of big dudes, the kind with forearm tattoos and thick necks who spit before they step up to the plate. There were also smaller dudes, about my height, with necks of normal girth, and they could hit great too. I mean, for a lot of those big rips there's just no way anyone in our outfield could've been playing deep enough. There was also loads of intense sunshine to deal with and zero cloud cover, so Foe fielders really had to use the Force to make good catches.
We welcomed back Glenn Baken last night, one of our hardworking outfielders, and he had a great hit into right field as well! Tyson gets the award for most unconventional successful catch--way to hold onto it! Ryan and his friend Dave covered the always-bumping third base/shortstop zone, catching, chasing, and knocking down balls from the dirt mound to second base and beyond.
Issa was there at first base, ready, willing, and able to make outs whenever we could get the ball to him in time. Alex Mabilon settled in to his right field role even more, and Casey Moore roved like a pro--nice grabs, guys! Softball Dave stepped up to manage/coach in Jason's absence, and got plenty of exercise out in left field!
The part where we really disappointed (ourselves, since we had no fans) was at the plate. We just couldn't score a run to save our lives. We didn't even make it through the batting order twice in the whole game! It's so pathetic it's almost amazing. You could say that we surpass all other teams in bad batting.
Cobra was an all right team. Their uncontested dominance could've led them to act like d-bags, but they just played the game. Wish I could say the same for the ump, who felt like he needed to point out that we didn't play well. Yeah, well he walked off the field alone at the end of the game, and we were in much better company. You're only a loser if you feel like one!
The whole second half of this season was just weird. I feel like the triple lineup of late games, and the last-minute rescheduling of rained out games really threw us for a loop. We were missing some of our regulars more often than in any other season, and it seemed like we had more than our fair share of absentee umpires or other game-ruining events (remember when they shut the lights off?!).
But now, more than ever, we can't let the bastards grind us down! Cobra may have crushed the ball, but they haven't crushed our hopes of finishing the season on a win--we just have to sweep the playoffs! How 'bout it? I could go for that! Let's go in there with guns blazing and really show 'em what we can do!
We all lost together, and we all drank together: every last one of us, even the people who said they didn't have time. Water St. was very accommodating, with two major league games on TV, hardly any customers besides us, no live jazz music, and plenty of delicious, life-giving beer. Big thank-you to "other Dave" for transporting the equipment bags, and thank you also to Softball Dave for giving us a reason to celebrate--there will soon be a Mrs. Softball Dave! Woot!
Keep your spirits up, True Foes! Stay limber, and stay tuned for an e-mail from Jason telling us when and where our march to victory shall begin!
GTF
And then we stinkin' lost again. I didn't want to tell you that, and I had this elaborate lie all worked out--even a believable winning score of 7-5. But it turns out the only thing harder than writing about a loss is writing filthy, cowardly lies about a win.
Yeah, we lost. So what? We're still standing! Willy pitched his best game ever, and that's as true as the day is long! And everyone in the field made a great catch at some point or another because Cobra gave us a wealth of opportunities to practice catching. The outfielders especially got a great cardio workout chasing long bombs. Man, could those Cobra guys hit. Their team had plenty of big dudes, the kind with forearm tattoos and thick necks who spit before they step up to the plate. There were also smaller dudes, about my height, with necks of normal girth, and they could hit great too. I mean, for a lot of those big rips there's just no way anyone in our outfield could've been playing deep enough. There was also loads of intense sunshine to deal with and zero cloud cover, so Foe fielders really had to use the Force to make good catches.
We welcomed back Glenn Baken last night, one of our hardworking outfielders, and he had a great hit into right field as well! Tyson gets the award for most unconventional successful catch--way to hold onto it! Ryan and his friend Dave covered the always-bumping third base/shortstop zone, catching, chasing, and knocking down balls from the dirt mound to second base and beyond.
Issa was there at first base, ready, willing, and able to make outs whenever we could get the ball to him in time. Alex Mabilon settled in to his right field role even more, and Casey Moore roved like a pro--nice grabs, guys! Softball Dave stepped up to manage/coach in Jason's absence, and got plenty of exercise out in left field!
The part where we really disappointed (ourselves, since we had no fans) was at the plate. We just couldn't score a run to save our lives. We didn't even make it through the batting order twice in the whole game! It's so pathetic it's almost amazing. You could say that we surpass all other teams in bad batting.
Cobra was an all right team. Their uncontested dominance could've led them to act like d-bags, but they just played the game. Wish I could say the same for the ump, who felt like he needed to point out that we didn't play well. Yeah, well he walked off the field alone at the end of the game, and we were in much better company. You're only a loser if you feel like one!
The whole second half of this season was just weird. I feel like the triple lineup of late games, and the last-minute rescheduling of rained out games really threw us for a loop. We were missing some of our regulars more often than in any other season, and it seemed like we had more than our fair share of absentee umpires or other game-ruining events (remember when they shut the lights off?!).
But now, more than ever, we can't let the bastards grind us down! Cobra may have crushed the ball, but they haven't crushed our hopes of finishing the season on a win--we just have to sweep the playoffs! How 'bout it? I could go for that! Let's go in there with guns blazing and really show 'em what we can do!
We all lost together, and we all drank together: every last one of us, even the people who said they didn't have time. Water St. was very accommodating, with two major league games on TV, hardly any customers besides us, no live jazz music, and plenty of delicious, life-giving beer. Big thank-you to "other Dave" for transporting the equipment bags, and thank you also to Softball Dave for giving us a reason to celebrate--there will soon be a Mrs. Softball Dave! Woot!
Keep your spirits up, True Foes! Stay limber, and stay tuned for an e-mail from Jason telling us when and where our march to victory shall begin!
GTF
Thursday, July 22, 2010
True Foes vs. El Destructo, 7/21/2010
It saddens me to report that the True Foes suffered a humiliating loss at the hands of El Destructo last night. Now you know.
But good things first: we had a full team of ten tenacious True Foes show up to Commodore Barry Park and Sauna. It was so humid, even the trees were sweating, but for once we got to play on field 2, which is way better than field 1 (it has shade, and it's about 150 yards closer to the bar). Highlights from the game include a smashing home run by Alex Laviola, and a lightning-fast double play by Ryan's friend Dave and Issa.
It was good to have Issa back on first base, and Tyson covered second and caught an infield fly ball like it was nothing. Ryan's friend Dave was on third and made lots of great grabs, and Laviola got plenty of action as shortstop. Casey Moore put the "over" in rover, as in, "If you hit it to me, your time on the field is over." Ryan and Jason had their work cut out for them in the outfield, and really earned their beers knocking it down and bringing it in. El D also kept Mabilon busy over in right field, and he did his utmost to impress his son and his wife, who were watching from the dugout. See, Jason, I told you we'd have fans! And last but not least, a shout-out to Willy Brese who pitched another full game, and is improving by leaps and bounds every time he takes the mound!
For a while there it didn't look so bad. I think we were only behind by one run after the first inning, and then they scored a couple more...then a couple more. We got some bodies on bags, and made a few good hits, but we never quite managed to bring anyone home. Then there was this devastating inning where they scored seven or eight in a row, and you could actually feel the shift in energy on the field. We still had no runs, they still had no outs, and I started to think: "You know, maybe it's time to let go of the idea of winning this one, and just try to get on the board."
Unfortunately, that didn't happen. What did happen is the ump invoked the Mercy Rule and called it a game after five innings. Jason was right when he declared, "That team is not sixteen runs better than we are!" But they sure did score sixteen more runs than we did, and our record is starting to go all pear shaped. Encouraging words don't seem to be accomplishing much lately, so maybe it's time to try a little tough love.
At the bar, the general consensus was that we sucked. We sucked big-time. We aren't an inherently terrible team, but we sure do flush a game down the crapper every so often, and last night was a prime example. Fortunately, this means that turning things around won't be all that difficult. We don't necessarily have to improve; we just have to stop sucking. After careful analysis, and much thoughtful beer-sipping, Jason and Laviola concluded that this will entail:
-making more hits
-catching more balls
-scoring more runs
If we follow this simple, three-point plan, we are sure to succeed! I know that we lost, and then we lost again, and then we had a rainout, and then we lost again, but it's not too late to regroup and recover! Let's reclaim our rightful status as a Team to be Reckoned With. We've got a game next Tuesday on the same field versus "Cobra." Losing sucks, but writing about losing sucks too, and I'm putting my foot down! So suck it up, and then get ready to stop sucking! It's time for less soft and more balls.
GTF
But good things first: we had a full team of ten tenacious True Foes show up to Commodore Barry Park and Sauna. It was so humid, even the trees were sweating, but for once we got to play on field 2, which is way better than field 1 (it has shade, and it's about 150 yards closer to the bar). Highlights from the game include a smashing home run by Alex Laviola, and a lightning-fast double play by Ryan's friend Dave and Issa.
It was good to have Issa back on first base, and Tyson covered second and caught an infield fly ball like it was nothing. Ryan's friend Dave was on third and made lots of great grabs, and Laviola got plenty of action as shortstop. Casey Moore put the "over" in rover, as in, "If you hit it to me, your time on the field is over." Ryan and Jason had their work cut out for them in the outfield, and really earned their beers knocking it down and bringing it in. El D also kept Mabilon busy over in right field, and he did his utmost to impress his son and his wife, who were watching from the dugout. See, Jason, I told you we'd have fans! And last but not least, a shout-out to Willy Brese who pitched another full game, and is improving by leaps and bounds every time he takes the mound!
For a while there it didn't look so bad. I think we were only behind by one run after the first inning, and then they scored a couple more...then a couple more. We got some bodies on bags, and made a few good hits, but we never quite managed to bring anyone home. Then there was this devastating inning where they scored seven or eight in a row, and you could actually feel the shift in energy on the field. We still had no runs, they still had no outs, and I started to think: "You know, maybe it's time to let go of the idea of winning this one, and just try to get on the board."
Unfortunately, that didn't happen. What did happen is the ump invoked the Mercy Rule and called it a game after five innings. Jason was right when he declared, "That team is not sixteen runs better than we are!" But they sure did score sixteen more runs than we did, and our record is starting to go all pear shaped. Encouraging words don't seem to be accomplishing much lately, so maybe it's time to try a little tough love.
At the bar, the general consensus was that we sucked. We sucked big-time. We aren't an inherently terrible team, but we sure do flush a game down the crapper every so often, and last night was a prime example. Fortunately, this means that turning things around won't be all that difficult. We don't necessarily have to improve; we just have to stop sucking. After careful analysis, and much thoughtful beer-sipping, Jason and Laviola concluded that this will entail:
-making more hits
-catching more balls
-scoring more runs
If we follow this simple, three-point plan, we are sure to succeed! I know that we lost, and then we lost again, and then we had a rainout, and then we lost again, but it's not too late to regroup and recover! Let's reclaim our rightful status as a Team to be Reckoned With. We've got a game next Tuesday on the same field versus "Cobra." Losing sucks, but writing about losing sucks too, and I'm putting my foot down! So suck it up, and then get ready to stop sucking! It's time for less soft and more balls.
GTF
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
True Foes vs. Gimme Shelter, 6/28/2010
For a while there it looked like we might not play at all. Thunderstorms had been threatening all afternoon, and we were waiting well past six o'clock with so sign of the ump. But the dark clouds departed after a quick, light shower, and the ump finally strolled onto the field, acting like we should have the red carpet rolled out for him.
"The ump is the most important person in the game," he half-jokingly reminded the catchers on both teams. "It's your job to take a bullet for the president!"
Despite the lateness, the lame jokes, and the stiflingly muggy weather, it was still good to play a real game! For the first few innings the two teams were head to head: no runs were scored until the third, when Gimme grabbed two and the Foes (the home team) one-upped them and took the lead. The next two innings turned up only a couple of more runs, and then all hell broke loose in the sixth. Gimme got their ducks on the pond, and somehow they just kept bringing them home. As their score climbed and our energy waned, there was nothing to do but come out swinging and root for a rally. Unfortunately we just couldn't hustle any more runs, and wound up with a depressing score of 13-4 at the end of the night.
But that's not to say we didn't have our awesome moments! How about Jason back on the pitcher's mound, for one thing! He threw strike after strike, fearlessly facing one batter after another, even though his nose isn't all the way healed yet. Gimme Shelter's pitcher was this big guy, and a lefty, and the first two times he was up at bat he walked to first. I figured that was part of J's strategy, since this guy looked like he could really whale the tar outta the ball--and boy was I right! His third at-bat he blasted that softball in a vicious line drive about ten feet right of second base. Fortunately our unflinching rover, Sarah Finklea, put herself right in front of the blazing fireball and turned a hit with home run potential into a mere single. That's what I'm talkin' about!
Other notable plays include two amazing grabs by Alex Laviola as shortstop! One was a lateral dive and catch, the other was more of a dive into the dirt, a catch, a fast pivot while still on the ground, and an accurate pass over to Willy on first for a double play! Right on! Willy and Jason also made their share of outs catching infield flies, and Glenn Baken rested a pulled hamstring while covering the unpredictable third baseline. Abbey did her usual excellent job at second base, despite some untoward crowding during key plays, and our outfielders, Softball Dave, David Phillips, and Casey, did their utmost to keep any big hits from getting by them.
Speaking of big hits, nice triple to start us off, Softball Dave! Nice big fat home run, David! And nice rips Jason and Willy!
Alas, the hits and the saves we made just didn't add up to a win for us this time. It wasn't an ideal conclusion to our "lost game" from last week, but at least we got to play! There will come a day when we no longer have to schlep heavy equipment bags through unattractive neighborhoods. A day when nobody's looking at their watch or calling the commissioner, wondering where the hell our umpire is. A day when sweat and dirt don't form a disgusting film that coats all of our exposed skin. A day when we don't have to listen to other team's obnoxious managers argue petty points and waste our daylight. But that will be one sad effing day my friends, because on that day we won't be meeting up with old friends and playing our hearts out for the gutsiest team in the league.
You've gotta take the bad with the good sometimes, and if suffering a couple of humiliating losses is the price we have to pay for the awesomeness of being a True Foe, then we'll gladly pay it!
Have a fantastic 4th of July weekend, stay safe, and get ready to start a revolution on the 14th when we're set to play Gimme Shelter one more time! We'll storm the gates and liberate ourselves from this nasty little losing streak!
GTF
"The ump is the most important person in the game," he half-jokingly reminded the catchers on both teams. "It's your job to take a bullet for the president!"
Despite the lateness, the lame jokes, and the stiflingly muggy weather, it was still good to play a real game! For the first few innings the two teams were head to head: no runs were scored until the third, when Gimme grabbed two and the Foes (the home team) one-upped them and took the lead. The next two innings turned up only a couple of more runs, and then all hell broke loose in the sixth. Gimme got their ducks on the pond, and somehow they just kept bringing them home. As their score climbed and our energy waned, there was nothing to do but come out swinging and root for a rally. Unfortunately we just couldn't hustle any more runs, and wound up with a depressing score of 13-4 at the end of the night.
But that's not to say we didn't have our awesome moments! How about Jason back on the pitcher's mound, for one thing! He threw strike after strike, fearlessly facing one batter after another, even though his nose isn't all the way healed yet. Gimme Shelter's pitcher was this big guy, and a lefty, and the first two times he was up at bat he walked to first. I figured that was part of J's strategy, since this guy looked like he could really whale the tar outta the ball--and boy was I right! His third at-bat he blasted that softball in a vicious line drive about ten feet right of second base. Fortunately our unflinching rover, Sarah Finklea, put herself right in front of the blazing fireball and turned a hit with home run potential into a mere single. That's what I'm talkin' about!
Other notable plays include two amazing grabs by Alex Laviola as shortstop! One was a lateral dive and catch, the other was more of a dive into the dirt, a catch, a fast pivot while still on the ground, and an accurate pass over to Willy on first for a double play! Right on! Willy and Jason also made their share of outs catching infield flies, and Glenn Baken rested a pulled hamstring while covering the unpredictable third baseline. Abbey did her usual excellent job at second base, despite some untoward crowding during key plays, and our outfielders, Softball Dave, David Phillips, and Casey, did their utmost to keep any big hits from getting by them.
Speaking of big hits, nice triple to start us off, Softball Dave! Nice big fat home run, David! And nice rips Jason and Willy!
Alas, the hits and the saves we made just didn't add up to a win for us this time. It wasn't an ideal conclusion to our "lost game" from last week, but at least we got to play! There will come a day when we no longer have to schlep heavy equipment bags through unattractive neighborhoods. A day when nobody's looking at their watch or calling the commissioner, wondering where the hell our umpire is. A day when sweat and dirt don't form a disgusting film that coats all of our exposed skin. A day when we don't have to listen to other team's obnoxious managers argue petty points and waste our daylight. But that will be one sad effing day my friends, because on that day we won't be meeting up with old friends and playing our hearts out for the gutsiest team in the league.
You've gotta take the bad with the good sometimes, and if suffering a couple of humiliating losses is the price we have to pay for the awesomeness of being a True Foe, then we'll gladly pay it!
Have a fantastic 4th of July weekend, stay safe, and get ready to start a revolution on the 14th when we're set to play Gimme Shelter one more time! We'll storm the gates and liberate ourselves from this nasty little losing streak!
GTF
Thursday, June 24, 2010
True Foes vs. Mayhem, 6/23/2010
Thank goodness the third and last of our 9pm games is behind us--we just can't catch a break at that East River field! Last week's late game wound up being a three-inning scrimmage against 'The Explorers', because the ump didn't show up until 9:30 and it was too late to start. That one really hurt, because we were playing great and it was a nice night for it.
Last night was incredibly hot and muggy. Fireflies hovered in the air, boats drifted down the river, and clouds of dust from the infield dispersed slowly like a gritty fog. We were all sweating like steam pipes, but we had a good feeling about this game. It was ours to win. And there's no doubt we would have, if we'd had a seventh inning!
Don't tell Jason's doctor, but we had an "all hands on deck" situation and he and his nose played left field. Willy pitched tirelessly, and kept a level head even when the ump's version of the strike zone shifted faster than the end of a wormhole. And of course Mayhem's infamous pitcher Irwin was there, grunting and whipping the softball in with impressive speed, if not accuracy.
The True Foes were off to a strong start in the first inning when Alex Laviola hit a home run with ducks on the pond! Our defense was in top form as well: Shortstop Brian secured an impressive number of outs, Willy made some essential plays, and we were all glad that Abbey came back from "the northland" to play second, where she caught two infield fly balls! Along with Jason, Alex, Ryan Hullings, and Casey covered the outfield and did a fantastic job bringing the ball in quickly whenever it reached them.
Softball Dave made his usual solid plays at third. Ben was back on first, which meant plenty of disappointed Mayhem runners, and Tyson was our starting second baseman.
Yes, our defense was strong last night, but we could have done better in the hitting department. As much as I like to make fun of his mannerisms, Irwin's a pretty good pitcher. Not to say we didn't get our share of good hits! SBD was a consistent base hitter, Hullings had a fabulous double, and (forgive me for not recalling all the worthy rips!) due to some super swings on our end and plenty of errors on Mayhem's part, we had a decent night at the plate. But to be honest, we didn't live up to our potential.
So it's the top of the seventh. The last inning. We're dirty. We're tired. We have to pee. Mayhem has just taken a one-run lead in the sixth. Willy's on the mound. He's warmed up. He's poised to hurl softbombs, and we're all ready to bag three outs in a row and then rally hard. The first batter steps up to the plate. And... the lights go out.
They shut the damn lights off just after ten o'clock! And then the ump calls it a ballgame!
That wasn't a ballgame, it was an incomplete! What total crap. The parks department gives us one hour of light? Come on, man. And Mayhem's all cheering and squealing and jumping up and down as if they actually won. Pfff. Enjoy your hollow victory, you lucky S.O.B.s. We were on the cusp of one of our trademark rallies, and then we were robbed.
Yeah, well, Mayhem had better hope and pray the commish is feeling lazy, because if we ever get to finish that game we'll turn their smiles into grimaces of pain, and their victory dances into spasms of anguish!
I was enjoying a bottle of beer the other night, and it had a proverb on the label: "Anger is energy. Use it, then let it go." So let's hold on to our completely justified anger just long enough to kick some ass next time! On Monday we're playing at 6pm at Barry 01 against Gimme Shelter. So stay away from any FIFA-related bar brawls over the weekend and prepare for a fury-fueled comeback game!
GTF
Last night was incredibly hot and muggy. Fireflies hovered in the air, boats drifted down the river, and clouds of dust from the infield dispersed slowly like a gritty fog. We were all sweating like steam pipes, but we had a good feeling about this game. It was ours to win. And there's no doubt we would have, if we'd had a seventh inning!
Don't tell Jason's doctor, but we had an "all hands on deck" situation and he and his nose played left field. Willy pitched tirelessly, and kept a level head even when the ump's version of the strike zone shifted faster than the end of a wormhole. And of course Mayhem's infamous pitcher Irwin was there, grunting and whipping the softball in with impressive speed, if not accuracy.
The True Foes were off to a strong start in the first inning when Alex Laviola hit a home run with ducks on the pond! Our defense was in top form as well: Shortstop Brian secured an impressive number of outs, Willy made some essential plays, and we were all glad that Abbey came back from "the northland" to play second, where she caught two infield fly balls! Along with Jason, Alex, Ryan Hullings, and Casey covered the outfield and did a fantastic job bringing the ball in quickly whenever it reached them.
Softball Dave made his usual solid plays at third. Ben was back on first, which meant plenty of disappointed Mayhem runners, and Tyson was our starting second baseman.
Yes, our defense was strong last night, but we could have done better in the hitting department. As much as I like to make fun of his mannerisms, Irwin's a pretty good pitcher. Not to say we didn't get our share of good hits! SBD was a consistent base hitter, Hullings had a fabulous double, and (forgive me for not recalling all the worthy rips!) due to some super swings on our end and plenty of errors on Mayhem's part, we had a decent night at the plate. But to be honest, we didn't live up to our potential.
So it's the top of the seventh. The last inning. We're dirty. We're tired. We have to pee. Mayhem has just taken a one-run lead in the sixth. Willy's on the mound. He's warmed up. He's poised to hurl softbombs, and we're all ready to bag three outs in a row and then rally hard. The first batter steps up to the plate. And... the lights go out.
They shut the damn lights off just after ten o'clock! And then the ump calls it a ballgame!
That wasn't a ballgame, it was an incomplete! What total crap. The parks department gives us one hour of light? Come on, man. And Mayhem's all cheering and squealing and jumping up and down as if they actually won. Pfff. Enjoy your hollow victory, you lucky S.O.B.s. We were on the cusp of one of our trademark rallies, and then we were robbed.
Yeah, well, Mayhem had better hope and pray the commish is feeling lazy, because if we ever get to finish that game we'll turn their smiles into grimaces of pain, and their victory dances into spasms of anguish!
I was enjoying a bottle of beer the other night, and it had a proverb on the label: "Anger is energy. Use it, then let it go." So let's hold on to our completely justified anger just long enough to kick some ass next time! On Monday we're playing at 6pm at Barry 01 against Gimme Shelter. So stay away from any FIFA-related bar brawls over the weekend and prepare for a fury-fueled comeback game!
GTF
Friday, June 11, 2010
True Foes vs. The Hit Show, 6/10/2010
After a no-show ump and a friendly scrimmage with El Destructo last week, The True Foes were ready for some real action on the field. Even the dark, dirty, distressing kind.
It was dark because our 9pm game started about a half an hour late due to the field being a mud pit. Someone found an orange traffic cone and converted it into a landscaping tool to try and fill in the biggest puddles. It helped a little, but the infield was still plenty boggy, and the outfield was slick.
The first inning set the tone for the rest of the game: it took forever, there were painful errors, and The Hit Show scored more runs than we did. And yes, on their t-shirts they made the 'S' in 'show' cover both words, though why you'd want to call your own team 'the shit show' is beyond me. Also in the first inning, to our great shock and dismay, one of the painful errors was Jason taking a softball between the eyes! Fortunately his nose bone is strong, and it got bloody but not broken. It was also fortunate that Susan, Brett, and Heather were in the bleachers, meaning there were plenty of pain-dulling substances on hand.
The Hit Show did show us some hits, but we can't deny that we straight-up gave them plenty of runs. Alas, there was no shortage of ball mismanagement on our end. But that's not to say we didn't get on the board ourselves! Our score was in the double digits by the end of the night, and that's not too shabby. If their pitcher had been able to get the ball over the plate more often we probably could've scored even more: man, did he have a wild arm! It was like watching a five-year-old play Duck Hunt: he moved too fast, and he was all over the place.
David Phillips got beaned at his first at-bat (how's your foot?), but stuck it out and hit a fantastic double later in the evening. We welcomed Shortstop Brian back and appreciated his nifty catches and fabulous triple! Speaking of nifty catches: nice one, Tyson! Hearty thanks also to our outfield (Casey, Alex Laviola, and DP) who had to try and spot a muddy softball amidst the dazzling stadium lights, but always brought it in swiftly.
Abbey had a solid hit and shared second-base duty with Julie, who brought heaps of team spirit and also a 'plus one' for our cheering section. Softball Dave hit well and made some good plays at third, and Willy made plenty of outs at first base, which was conveniently located at the end of a slip-and-slide mud strip.
We played hard, we played through the pain, and though we didn't always play well we stuck it out until the end--which was after 11pm! In contrast to last week's absentee official, we had a great ump last night who really went the distance: when the parks department guys showed up and tried to kick us out, he talked them into letting him lock up so we could finish. Right on!
By the time our defeat was a done deal, we felt like we'd been through a war. And Jason really looked the part: he had a bandage on one wrist, a splint on his nose, he was spitting up blood, and covered in mud from the waist down. We really could have used some post-game drinks, but it was super late, and showers and sheets trumped alcohol.
One more huge thank-you to our cheering section: it would have been a much sorrier event without friendly voices hooting and hollering on the sidelines!
Losing's a bummer, but we have a chance to do-over! Next week Thursday: same time, same place, we play 'The Explorers.' They'd better be ready to explore profound depths of disappointment and dismay, because The True Foes are poised for a stellar comeback!
GTF
It was dark because our 9pm game started about a half an hour late due to the field being a mud pit. Someone found an orange traffic cone and converted it into a landscaping tool to try and fill in the biggest puddles. It helped a little, but the infield was still plenty boggy, and the outfield was slick.
The first inning set the tone for the rest of the game: it took forever, there were painful errors, and The Hit Show scored more runs than we did. And yes, on their t-shirts they made the 'S' in 'show' cover both words, though why you'd want to call your own team 'the shit show' is beyond me. Also in the first inning, to our great shock and dismay, one of the painful errors was Jason taking a softball between the eyes! Fortunately his nose bone is strong, and it got bloody but not broken. It was also fortunate that Susan, Brett, and Heather were in the bleachers, meaning there were plenty of pain-dulling substances on hand.
The Hit Show did show us some hits, but we can't deny that we straight-up gave them plenty of runs. Alas, there was no shortage of ball mismanagement on our end. But that's not to say we didn't get on the board ourselves! Our score was in the double digits by the end of the night, and that's not too shabby. If their pitcher had been able to get the ball over the plate more often we probably could've scored even more: man, did he have a wild arm! It was like watching a five-year-old play Duck Hunt: he moved too fast, and he was all over the place.
David Phillips got beaned at his first at-bat (how's your foot?), but stuck it out and hit a fantastic double later in the evening. We welcomed Shortstop Brian back and appreciated his nifty catches and fabulous triple! Speaking of nifty catches: nice one, Tyson! Hearty thanks also to our outfield (Casey, Alex Laviola, and DP) who had to try and spot a muddy softball amidst the dazzling stadium lights, but always brought it in swiftly.
Abbey had a solid hit and shared second-base duty with Julie, who brought heaps of team spirit and also a 'plus one' for our cheering section. Softball Dave hit well and made some good plays at third, and Willy made plenty of outs at first base, which was conveniently located at the end of a slip-and-slide mud strip.
We played hard, we played through the pain, and though we didn't always play well we stuck it out until the end--which was after 11pm! In contrast to last week's absentee official, we had a great ump last night who really went the distance: when the parks department guys showed up and tried to kick us out, he talked them into letting him lock up so we could finish. Right on!
By the time our defeat was a done deal, we felt like we'd been through a war. And Jason really looked the part: he had a bandage on one wrist, a splint on his nose, he was spitting up blood, and covered in mud from the waist down. We really could have used some post-game drinks, but it was super late, and showers and sheets trumped alcohol.
One more huge thank-you to our cheering section: it would have been a much sorrier event without friendly voices hooting and hollering on the sidelines!
Losing's a bummer, but we have a chance to do-over! Next week Thursday: same time, same place, we play 'The Explorers.' They'd better be ready to explore profound depths of disappointment and dismay, because The True Foes are poised for a stellar comeback!
GTF
Thursday, May 20, 2010
True Foes vs. Six Point 5/19/10
A glorious game at Barry 2! The sky threatened rain but held off--and we even got some glimpses of blue sky as the evening progressed. The field was shaggy, our dugout was a bog, and home plate was mucky, but we made it work. We played newbie team Six Point (that's right, the brewery!) and they did not bring any beer with them. Boo.
The True Foes won the home field advantage and took a big lead in the first inning! Six Point faked us out for a moment in the second inning when they scored five runs, but after that they had nothing. It was a fast game because we kept shutting them down one-two-three whenever they were at bat!
When I say "we" I kind of mean Jason--he made five outs in a row at one point! They just kept hitting the ball right to him. Also, Ben guarded first base like a jealous boyfriend, and very few six-pointers had the privilege of meeting it.
We were missing (once again) a couple of our regulars last night: Glenn Baken and Shortstop Brian have apparently gone rogue, but Softball Dave stepped up to play short, despite suffering what may have been a wee hangover, Ryan Hullings bravely covered third base, and David Phillips, Laviola, and Casey covered the outfield on the rare occasion that the other team got the ball out there!
In the Big Bat Breakout category we have Tyson and Abbey! They both repeatedly excelled at excellently placed hits: not too high, not too low, and right into that spot between the infield and outfield where nobody can catch it. In fact everyone was hitting great last night! Jason made two doubles, and David Phillips had a sweet home run! He looked like the roadrunner going around those bases: his legs just kept going faster and faster until they were a blur!
We made our share of errors as well, but overall we outplayed Six Point consistently and thoroughly. Welcome to the league, suckas! The final score (which we know because of Finklea's attentive and enthusiastic score-keeping) was True Foes 13, Six Point, uh, 6.
To be fair, they were a nice team and gracious losers. One of them even told us to "keep making awesome DVDs" during the post-game hand slapping. But that didn't stop us from grinning as we slaked our thirst with some Six Points at the bar. As Alex put it, it was "kind of like drinking the blood of our enemies" after a battle.
What an awesome season so far! Thank you to everyone who comes out every time, and I wish I could give you all the individual shout-outs you deserve and still be pithy. There hasn't been a single game this year where we've feared forfeiting because of too few players. And, ahem, WE'RE THREE AND ONE BABY!
Our next game isn't until Friday, June 4, so stay limber, Foes! We'll be facing off against El Destructo back at Barry again. And since that's a Friday game we can really tie one on after we beat them--you seriously don't want to miss it!
GTF
The True Foes won the home field advantage and took a big lead in the first inning! Six Point faked us out for a moment in the second inning when they scored five runs, but after that they had nothing. It was a fast game because we kept shutting them down one-two-three whenever they were at bat!
When I say "we" I kind of mean Jason--he made five outs in a row at one point! They just kept hitting the ball right to him. Also, Ben guarded first base like a jealous boyfriend, and very few six-pointers had the privilege of meeting it.
We were missing (once again) a couple of our regulars last night: Glenn Baken and Shortstop Brian have apparently gone rogue, but Softball Dave stepped up to play short, despite suffering what may have been a wee hangover, Ryan Hullings bravely covered third base, and David Phillips, Laviola, and Casey covered the outfield on the rare occasion that the other team got the ball out there!
In the Big Bat Breakout category we have Tyson and Abbey! They both repeatedly excelled at excellently placed hits: not too high, not too low, and right into that spot between the infield and outfield where nobody can catch it. In fact everyone was hitting great last night! Jason made two doubles, and David Phillips had a sweet home run! He looked like the roadrunner going around those bases: his legs just kept going faster and faster until they were a blur!
We made our share of errors as well, but overall we outplayed Six Point consistently and thoroughly. Welcome to the league, suckas! The final score (which we know because of Finklea's attentive and enthusiastic score-keeping) was True Foes 13, Six Point, uh, 6.
To be fair, they were a nice team and gracious losers. One of them even told us to "keep making awesome DVDs" during the post-game hand slapping. But that didn't stop us from grinning as we slaked our thirst with some Six Points at the bar. As Alex put it, it was "kind of like drinking the blood of our enemies" after a battle.
What an awesome season so far! Thank you to everyone who comes out every time, and I wish I could give you all the individual shout-outs you deserve and still be pithy. There hasn't been a single game this year where we've feared forfeiting because of too few players. And, ahem, WE'RE THREE AND ONE BABY!
Our next game isn't until Friday, June 4, so stay limber, Foes! We'll be facing off against El Destructo back at Barry again. And since that's a Friday game we can really tie one on after we beat them--you seriously don't want to miss it!
GTF
Thursday, May 6, 2010
True Foes vs. Predators, 5/5/10
It sure felt good to get back on the field after a rainout and a two-week break! The game was off to a late start over on Barry 1, due to some boys' school team wrapping up a game and taking their sweet time clearing out. Our opponents, the newbie "Predators," showed their true colors early on by poaching our dugout. Grr! We won the coin toss, but the True Foes' bats were a little rusty in the first three innings and the Preds took an early lead. They thought they were the cocks of the walk...until the True Foes' thrilling rally mid-game!
At this point I'd like to give mad props to Sarah Finklea, not only for her determination to take some hacks and reclaim her softball skills, but for keeping careful score and having a civilized discussion with the ump when he thought we were tied 6-6 when in reality we were ahead 7-6 at the bottom of the fifth!
Alas, this was not the only instance of unacceptable ump behavior: he also let himself get hoodwinked by the other team after Ryan Hullings hit a blazing triple. Ryan was safe on third, I was up, and then the Predators' first baseman claimed that Ryan didn't touch first base. Bad boy blue just took their word for it (even though he obviously didn't see anything amiss with his own eyes) and declared him out. Not cool. He also lost track of what inning we were in at one point, and accidentally shouted "Fair ball!" when he meant to say "Dead ball!" Dude.
The ump also failed to establish a stable strike zone, which meant the Predators repeatedly walked on base when they had no business doing so. I mean, I saw every pitch too, and there was simply no rhyme or reason to what he called a ball or a strike. So there Jason is, sweating it out on the mound, and blue is just phoning it in! Plus he was afraid of the ball and did this super girly "twist and flinch" move every time he thought a pitch might bounce in his direction. If you're the ump you've got to get your head in the game, man. Let's have some consistency and conviction, for Pete's sake!
Despite the disadvantages, the True Foes got it together and played hard to the end! Jason and Willy both hit spectacular home runs, and Alex Laviola unsettled the other team with his mismatched knee socks and aggressive base running. Softball Dave (our shortstop this game) and Issa made plenty of solid outs at first base, and David Phillips and Ben made good catches and brought the ball in quickly from the outfield. Tyson had a great hit during a crucial rallying moment, and Finklea & Casey covered the tricky rover/second base territory. Yours truly got to tag a guy gunning for home, which doesn't happen often and was great fun (especially because he said "Oh, shit!" right before he got out). I apologize for any positions/plays that I've omitted or misremembered--the sun was in my eyes the whole game, and the Cinco de Mayo margarita merriment may have interfered with my recall a bit!
It was exciting right up to the finish--the Predators reclaimed the lead by scoring some more runs in the sixth and seventh innings, and our second big rally didn't quite get off the ground, leaving us with a final score of 12-10. It's no fun losing, but we stepped it up in a challenging game and enjoyed an evening of absolutely perfect weather! Thank you to Susan, Lee, and Morgan for being our cheering section and keeping our spirits up even when our score wasn't!
We won't have to wait long for our next shot at glory: the True Foes face off against our old foes "El Destructo" next Wednesday on the very same field. If we can start strong and nix the pop-ups we're sure to destroy El D! You don't want to miss it!
GTF
At this point I'd like to give mad props to Sarah Finklea, not only for her determination to take some hacks and reclaim her softball skills, but for keeping careful score and having a civilized discussion with the ump when he thought we were tied 6-6 when in reality we were ahead 7-6 at the bottom of the fifth!
Alas, this was not the only instance of unacceptable ump behavior: he also let himself get hoodwinked by the other team after Ryan Hullings hit a blazing triple. Ryan was safe on third, I was up, and then the Predators' first baseman claimed that Ryan didn't touch first base. Bad boy blue just took their word for it (even though he obviously didn't see anything amiss with his own eyes) and declared him out. Not cool. He also lost track of what inning we were in at one point, and accidentally shouted "Fair ball!" when he meant to say "Dead ball!" Dude.
The ump also failed to establish a stable strike zone, which meant the Predators repeatedly walked on base when they had no business doing so. I mean, I saw every pitch too, and there was simply no rhyme or reason to what he called a ball or a strike. So there Jason is, sweating it out on the mound, and blue is just phoning it in! Plus he was afraid of the ball and did this super girly "twist and flinch" move every time he thought a pitch might bounce in his direction. If you're the ump you've got to get your head in the game, man. Let's have some consistency and conviction, for Pete's sake!
Despite the disadvantages, the True Foes got it together and played hard to the end! Jason and Willy both hit spectacular home runs, and Alex Laviola unsettled the other team with his mismatched knee socks and aggressive base running. Softball Dave (our shortstop this game) and Issa made plenty of solid outs at first base, and David Phillips and Ben made good catches and brought the ball in quickly from the outfield. Tyson had a great hit during a crucial rallying moment, and Finklea & Casey covered the tricky rover/second base territory. Yours truly got to tag a guy gunning for home, which doesn't happen often and was great fun (especially because he said "Oh, shit!" right before he got out). I apologize for any positions/plays that I've omitted or misremembered--the sun was in my eyes the whole game, and the Cinco de Mayo margarita merriment may have interfered with my recall a bit!
It was exciting right up to the finish--the Predators reclaimed the lead by scoring some more runs in the sixth and seventh innings, and our second big rally didn't quite get off the ground, leaving us with a final score of 12-10. It's no fun losing, but we stepped it up in a challenging game and enjoyed an evening of absolutely perfect weather! Thank you to Susan, Lee, and Morgan for being our cheering section and keeping our spirits up even when our score wasn't!
We won't have to wait long for our next shot at glory: the True Foes face off against our old foes "El Destructo" next Wednesday on the very same field. If we can start strong and nix the pop-ups we're sure to destroy El D! You don't want to miss it!
GTF
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Game 2: True Foes vs. The Shatters, 4/12/10
[I missed Game 1 because I was in Spain on vacation, but the True Foes won!!]
Game 2: The True Foes vs. The Shatters 4/12/10
Spain was spectacular, but there’s no place like home plate, and there’s no better homecoming than enjoying America’s favorite pastime—especially when your team is undefeated!
It was a gorgeous spring night (just chilly enough to keep things interesting), and the True Foes shattered the Shatters! I was tempted to say “we shat on the Shatters” but they were a very nice team and did their best, so I’ll also refrain from calling them “the Shitters.” It was a typical warm welcome at Murray Bergtraum: a high school team playing on well into our field time and an uptight “security guard” telling us not to warm up, play catch, eat, drink, or do anything except sit on our hands and wait.
Because of the late start, the game was called on account of darkness after four innings—but if even if we’d had plenty of daylight it only would have lasted one inning longer: with a final score of 22-9 and the way we were racking up the runs, we were headed for not only our second victory but a second mercy ruling in our favor!
The Foes had a great turnout and high caliber contributions from all who played, but the first shout out has to go to Glenn Baken, who made the ball disappear over the right field fence for an impressive home run! Alex Laviola and Brian also had big hits and took turns calling and catching everything that came anywhere near their shortstop/rover territory. Another great catch was made by Jason, who covered right field, and mad props go to Willy Brese for not only pitching the entire game, but for being the best pitcher to take the mound last night—for all their efforts, the Shatters’ two pitchers didn’t give us much to swing at (and due to our discerning eyes, many a Foe walked to first).
Softball Dave, Brian, and Issa demonstrated some especially good baserunning, with the style award going to Issa for his skin-ripping slide into third! Tyson had great at-bats, including 2 RBI from one hit and great placement right over the head of the Shatters’ first baseman. Mike also favored the first baseline when he hit, and Laviola proved he’s equally good at dodgeball when one of them appeared to have his name on it! Yours truly was thrilled to be back in the swing of things on her favorite team, and made a solid start with a double and a run scored--not that we needed it!
Due to the late start and early finish, our subs didn’t get the field time they deserved. But what they lacked in game time they made up for with brio: Sarah Finklea bravely stepped up to the plate after a 2-year hiatus (it’s just like riding a bike, man! don’t be a stranger!), Mabilon wowed us with a long bomb from the outfield, and Casey had a fabulous hit followed by a fearless performance behind the plate.
We took the scenic route to Fontana’s, detouring around the FDNY’s latest handiwork and absorbing the unique sights and smells of Chinatown. Drinks, dumplings, and team spirit abounded, and we have two whole weeks to rest up and relive our latest victory until Monday the 26th, when Gimme Shelter will surely be seeking shelter from the unstoppable True Foes!
GTF
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