Opening Day - January 1

We will have New Years and Opening Day simultaneously on January 1, 2012 at 10 am at the PS 141 Field in Riverdale at 237th Street. Havelock will do a Manhattan pick-up at 96th and Broadway at 9:20.

Our Peculiar Rules by Havelock Hewes

Over the years, SFLOI has adopted only a few special rules...

1) The Tree Rule - Trees, though not roots, are considered air. Any ball deflected off a tree may be caught for an out or land in fair territory for a hit. Balls lodged in trees may be plucked out or dislodged by ambitious fielders. Any ball lodged in a part of a tree in foul territory but not dislodged after 19 minutes shall be called a foul ball and play continues. Any ball lodged in a part of a tree in fair territory but not dislodged in 19 minutes shall be declared a triple.

2) The Havelock Rule (Named after Havelock, the rule was created to stop him from fouling pitches off and extending at bats to up to 15 minutes.) After two strikes, batters are allowed two foul balls. If they foul off a third pitch the batter is declared "struck out."

3) No runner is allowed to run into a catcher. The runner may slide into the plate or try to step around the catcher to touch home plate, but he may not initiate contact with the catcher. If he does initiate contact with the catcher he shall be declared out.

4) No runner may advance on a pick-off attempt.

5) A pitcher may ask one and only one umpire, for any reason, to not umpire in a game and this request shall be granted.

I think these rules have served us well. In an upcoming blog I will address the adoption of new rules. For now, I want to hear any comments from players who think we should repeal any of these...

Dues

For the last few years we have kept the annual dues at $35. However, all players are allowed to get in games unless we have 27 or more players. If we have over 26 players those who have not paid their dues can't play. In practice, in the small number of games that have a 26+ attendance, the non-dues payers strike a bargain with our treasurer, Gil Schmerler, to play at a reduced rate.

The parks department permits have gone up by over 50% and we have run through our windfall of cash from selling our baseball cards, so we will need to collect more in dues (or do more merchandising). We could put the dues up and/or collect from more people. One way to do this is to enforce the dues rule anytime we have 21 or more players (down from 27). Another suggestion, in addition to reducing the number of players needed to invoke the rule, is to have a steep $10 per day one-time fee and $20 for anyone who plays 10 or under games and a $35 fare for 11-plus games. The bookkeeping required to enforce this may be more than Gil is willing to take on.

More merchandising is another way to raise money. I am considering making a 30th Anniversary SFLOI Strat-O-Matic game. The hours that I would have to put into this project make it impractical for me to do for no money. But I may do it and keep half the profits from the game (to pay me about minimum wage for my work) and give half the profits to the league. Anyone else who would like to make this same merchandising deal with the league (baseball cards, yearbooks, t-shirts, etc) is welcome to do so.

I am interested in any thoughts or ideas...

THEME GAMES Havelock Hewes

From time to time, we eschew our normal practice of making up even teams in favor of a theme game in which sides are made according to preferences of, or facts about the players. Some of our theme games have been Fathers vs. Non-Fathers for Father's Day, Mets Fans vs. Yankee Fans during the mets-yankees world series, Manhattanites vs The World, and Marvins (those in Marvin Cohen style garb) vs. Freds (those in Fred Lang style uniforms) for Halloween, Communists vs. Capitalists and Christians vs. Jews. After the players have been divided into groups there are usually some players who don't fall into either group, these are divided in a way to make the teams as evenly skilled as possible. We also play some theme games based on innovating the game, such as our Backwards Game in which players ran from home to third base to second base to first base and home again. Some suggested games of these sort which we have not yet tried are a Both Ways game in which batters could decide to run to first or to third base and the defense would have to adjust, and the NyQuil Game in which all players would be required to take a large dose of NyQuil before the game. There is often some grousing from players about these games. "What if I don't consider myself a Capitalist or a Communist?," "Its not fair to make me drink NyQuil!" On average, we play about one theme game a season, though we encourage more. We have always imposed these games on the players with the caveat that no player need fall into either category to play, and, if we really played the NyQuil game we would allow players to opt out so that an even number of NyQuil players would be on each team. As for rules experiment games, everyone is required to play by the new rules. It has been suggested that we run a small number of games with some limited form of base stealing or that we try out some rules changes regarding retarding the ability to throw hitters out at first base from the outfield over a period of, say, ten games. It is expected of players to have, if not a positive attitude toward these games, at least a reluctant acceptance of them.

This winter, beginning with today's blog, we will be reviewing many of our rules and practices in order to have a codified rule-book and a more consistent set of practices. Your input, in the form of comments on these blogs will be given serious consideration before we make any final decisions. At the end of this process the rules will be presented for a vote by all the 2011 dues players.

CHOOSING TEAMS, CAPTAINS AND PITCHERS

Our practice is for Havelock (or, in his absence, other league officials) to make up two even teams. The results, over the years, have ranged from very successful (in 2010 almost 70% of our games ended with a 3-run or less difference) to modestly successful (above 50% within 3 runs). Opposed to a choosing-up process the system has several advantages...1) Since the aim of the chooser-uppers is to get the best team possible, it is quite likely that one chooser will outmanuever the other...2) When Havelock makes up the team, he makes sure to have the two best shortstops on opposite teams, a quality centerfielder for each team, etc. so that the overall quality of the game is as consistent as possible, 3) Havelock makes sure that if one team has a liability it is adjusted for with more high quality players on that roster...4) we get about 15 minutes more playing time by not having a choosing-up process.

For the last few years we have had captain/managers for each team. His duties have been 1) To make a batting order, 2)Assign positions and substitutions 3)Make sure an umpire is in place when his team bats, 4)Settle any disagreements with the opposing captain, 4)Make decision as to late-coming players entering the game (when there are an odd-number of players the team with less players gets the new one. when teams have an equal number of players, the team trailing at the end of an inning gets the choice of taking the new player or giving him to the other team),and 5)negotiate any trades to make the teams more even if the first game did not finish within 3-runs.

Most players do not want to take on the responsibility of being captain, so, in practice, it has turned out that about eight guys take turns.

The captain chooses a different pitcher for each game from among those players who regularly pitch. I have heard criticism of this approach, mostly from pitchers. Some desire a rotation of pitchers, others would like to engineer match-ups that are more even (say two sub-5 era pitchers going in game one and two higher-than 5 era pitchers going in game two). The results of leaving it to the captains has been more close games and a more even spread of innings pitched than when havelock used to assign pitchers.

Some time is lost between games when, after a lopsided game, captains have to come to an agreement on a trade. My suggestion is to give the captains a strict 5-minutes to do this, after which Havelock (or, in his absence, another league official) will impose a trade.

Please feel free to comment if you have a suggestion to improve these practices or if you feel we have hit on a successful way of choosing teams, etc.

Games of Dec 18

21 players braved near-freezing temperatures to play in the season finale.

Hewes 11, Melendez 7
Eric Schulman was 4-for-4 with a HR and 3 RBI, Cisco Velez was 3-for-4 with a HR and 5 RBI, and Bobby Echevarria also homered, as Havelock won his 21st game of the year. For Freddie's team, Jorge Davila homered, and Sam Melendez had 3 hits.

Parfrey 11, Garcia 9
Trailing 4-1 in the 5th, Parfrey's team exploded for 6 runs, and never looked back. Sam Magnus was 4-for-5 with 3 RBI, Bobby Echevarria was 3-for-4 with a HR and 2 RBI, and Josh Balsam's 2-out 2-run single was the go-ahead hit. Jorge Davila hit a pair of 3-run HR's for Garcia's team.

I am in the process of updating the stats, and in the next few days it should be complete. We will be back in action in January 2012, weather permitting.

Games of Dec 11

Hewes 11, Nilva 9
Havelock Hewes won his 20th, settling in after a rocky start. Sam Melendez was 3-for-5 with 3 RBI, and Sal Cipriano and Sam Magnus each added 3 hits. Bobby Echevarria had 4 hits for Nilva's team.

Velez 15, Melendez 6
Cisco Velez won his SFL pitching debut, backed by the bats of Sam Melendez (3-for-5, 4 RBI) and Sal Cipriano (3-for-3, 3 RBI). Alex Rivera hit his 21st HR, and broke last year's alltime RBI record-- Cid now has 94.

Games of Dec 4

Magnus / Hewes 19, O'Connor 11
The ball was flying out of MS 141 this Sunday. O'Connor allowed 9 runs in the first, including 3 2-run HR's. The game settled down after that, and O'Connor's team closed to within 13-10 at one point. Alex Rivera led the offense by going 4-for-4 with 2 HR's (#19 and 20) and 4 RBI. Sam Magnus also homered twice with 4 RBI, and Eric Schulman homered and drove in 3 runs. Mike Sulyman added 3 hits, and Havelock Hewes had 3 hits and pitched an effective 3-inning save. Bobby Echevarria homered twice for O'Connor's team, and Sal Cipriano was 3-for-3 with 3 doubles.

Melendez 9, Garcia 8
Freddie Melendez (18-10) took a 7-3 lead into the 6th inning, but Garcia's team rallied-- Eric Schulman hit a tying 2-run single, and Rich Rowlands brought in the go-ahead run with a flare down the RF line. Garcia seemed to be on his way to a win, but Josh Balsam reached on an error with one out, and Havelock Hewes walked. Both came around to score on walk-on Nick Bressers' 2-out, 2-run double to center. Melendez retired the side in order in the bottom of the 7th for the win. Sam Magnus homered twice more, and drove in 4 runs.

Rosengard 9, Sulyman 3
Dave Rosengard picked up his 3rd straight win, baffling his opponents with offspeed pitches. He was backed by the hitting of Ian Parfrey (3-for-4, 3 RBI), Cisco Velez (3-for-4, 2 RBI) and Eric Schulman, who homered and drove in 3.

This weekend also featured appearances by Larry Savell (2-for-3), Bill Vernick and Bill Weinberg (both DNP), and Ian Parfrey broke Zach Nilva's 1-year old hit record, and now has 155 hits on the year, most of them singles to right.

Games and Notes of Nov 27

We will be at MS 141 in Riverdale next Sunday. The field is on Hudson Manor Terrace between 236th and 237th Streets. Game time is 10:00am and the weather looks playable.

Due to an enormous surplus of players, we played two simultaneous games, and then the winners faced the winners, the losers faced the losers, and anyone who wanted to stick around after that played again. Unfortunately, Paul Geoghan dislocated his thumb in the first inning of the first round. Speedy recovery, Paul!

Round 1
Rosengard 7, Hewes 6
Andy Atkinson's sac fly scored Joe Geller in the bottom of the 7th to give Rosengard the come from behind win. Atkinson was 3-for-4, and Alex Rivera drove in 4 runs. For Hewes's team, Eric Schulman and Ray Hernandez were each 3-for-4 with 2 RBI. Rosengard's team trailed 6-3 in the 6th inning.

Nilva 12, O'Connor 11 (8 innings)
Cisco Velez's sac fly broke a 9-9 tie in the 8th inning, and Nilva stranded the tying run at third in the bottom of the inning. Bobby Echevarria and Zach Nilva had 4 hits, and Sam Magnus was 3-for-5 with 5 RBI. For O'Connor's team, Freddie Melendez was 3-for-5 with 4 RBI, and Bill McLaughlin and Ian Parfrey added 3 hits each.

Round 2
Rosengard 7, C.Magnus 6 (8 innings)
Alex Rivera hit a walkoff double with 2 outs in the 8th to give Rosengard his second win of the day. Magnus's team came back from a 6-2 deficit only to lose in extra innings. Sam Magnus had 3 RBI.

Melendez 7, Connor 1
Freddie Melendez improved to 17-10 with a dominating pitching performance in the consolation game. He allowed 5 hits, an unearned run, and struck out 2.

Game 5
Hewes 8, Parfrey 4
Backed by his own 3 hits, Havelock won his 19th game. Chris Pun added 4 hits. Bill McLaughlin homered and Ray Hernandez was 3-for-3 in a losing effort.

Games of Nov. 20

Connor 21, Hewes 0
Havelock's third baseman, Gil Schmerler, after Hav gave up 12 runs in the first inning: "I'm trying to think of something to say to make Hav feel better." Someone else, I forget who, wondered aloud if they should text the final score to Appell. Tony Connor backed his own pitching by going 4-for-4 with 3 RBI, Alex Rodriguez homered and drove in 5, and Ian Parfrey (4 runs) and Joe Geller (3 RBI) each added 3 hits.

Parfrey 7, Nilva 2
Ian Parfrey allowed 8 hits, struck out 4, and was helped by 3 double plays. Ray Hernandez was 3-for-4 with 2 RBI, and Alex Rodriguez added 3 hits.

Games of Nov. 13

Connor 9, Parfrey 3
Matt Mishkin's 2-out 2-run triple to right broke a 3-3 tie in the 5th inning. Mishkin had 3 hits and Tony Connor helped himself by driving in 3 runs. Sam Melendez and Ian Parfrey each had 3 hits in a losing cause.

Melendez 8, Hewes 6
Freddie Melendez improved to 16-10 and his team overcame early deficits of 5-0 and 6-3 to win. Joe Escobar (2-for-3, 2RBI) drove in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the 3rd, and the game settled down into a pitcher's duel. Melendez's team had a balanced offensive attack, and Sal Cipriano (3-for-4, 2RBI) and Tony Connor (3-for-4, solo HR) led Hewes's squad.

Mishkin 12, Nilva 3
Ian Parfrey tripled, homered, and drove in 4 runs to back Matt Mishkin's pitching. Matt also had 3 hits.

Rivera Hits For Cycle

Hewes 16 Rosengard 3

Dave Rosengard survived a handful of errors by Marvin Cohen at first base to enter the sixth inning only trailing 4-3. Then it looked like artillery practice as Sam Melendez, Fred Lang, Laura Stoeth, Jack Cuttler and Ian Lebowitz singled consecutively, followed, two batters later, by Alex Rivera's three-run homer.

Melendez 15 Nilva 5

Alex Rivera hit for the cycle (4 for 5 with 4 RBI's and 4 runs), combined with big performances from Ian Lebowitz (4 for 5 with two triples, 2 RBI's and 3 runs), and Freddie Melendez (3 for 5 with 3 RBI and 2 runs) to torch Zach Nilva for 15 runs (9 earned).

No Game Tomorrow

Look out the window. It ain't no good.

Comments

I have partially disabled commenting on the site as of today. The purpose of this page is to provide game recaps, a leaderboard, and information about future games. It is not a forum to air personal grievances-- against anyone. If the rules or the commissioner are ticking you off, we have a winter meeting to address that in.

Games of Oct. 23

Hewes 10, Rosengard 2
Derek Martinez was 3-for-4 with 4 RBI, and Ian Parfrey added 3 hits, as Hewes's team scored 6 times in the first 2 innings and never looked back.

Martinez 6, Melendez 5 (8 innings)
In a tightly fought battle featuring more than the usual amount of arguments and blunders, Ray Hernandez (2 for 5, 2 RBI) drove in the tying run in the 7th and the winning run in the 8th. Ian Parfrey had 3 hits, and Sam Melendez scored 3 runs.

Parfrey 6, Stoeth 2
Backed by an Alex Rivera HR and Jack Cutler's 3-for-4, 2 RBI performance, Ian Parfrey won his 8th game of the year. Eric Schulman had 3 hits in defeat.

Is the .350 hitter becoming extinct ? by Havelock Hewes

The league stats show that our average batter hits .353. However, a closer look at our hitters reveals something else. Of the 25 players who have averaged at least one at-bat per game, 13 are hitting over .400 and 10 are hitting under .300 and only two batters are between .300 and .400. The only two hitters within 50 points of average are Mike Sulyman and Jim O'Connor, Mike to the north of .350 and Jim to the south. An even closer look reveals a pattern of age...the .400 plus hitters are almost all under 50 and the under .300 players are almost all over 50. This arrangement may be the ultimate ego-booster. The younger players are almost all among the best hitters and the older players almost all have a competitive average compared to the other geezers.

Games of Oct 16

Hewes 7, Nilva 6
Zach's team stormed back from a 7-2 deficit on a 3-run HR by Zach and a Freddie Melendez RBI single, however Havelock retired Marvin Cohen on a bases-loaded comebacker to end the game. For Havelock's team, Fred Lang's bases clearing triple in the 5th inning provided the margin of victory.

Martinez 15, Stoeth 4
Zach Nilva was 4-for-4 with a grand slam, Sam Melendez had 3 hits, and Ian Parfrey drove in 4 runs to give Derek Martinez his 5th win of the season.

Melendez 4, Lawrence 1
Freddie Melendez picked up his 14th win. All the runs were scored in the first 2 innings, the big blow being a 2-out 2-run single by Jack Cutler in the 1st.

From the Roger Connor files:

Did you ever wonder who SFL's past lifetime batting average leaders were? Here's a rundown.

1983-84: Bill Weinberg
1985-87: John Decker
1988-89: Bill Weinberg
1990: Jose Balento
1991: Bobby Naranjo
1992: Jose Balento (now #16)
1993: Bobby Naranjo (now #17)
1994: Larry Savell (now #6)
1995: Phil Kotik
1996-97: Dan Schneider
1998-2000: Phil Kotik (now #4)
2001-05: Dan Schneider (now #3)
2006-09: Chris Hall (now #2)
2010: Ian Lebowitz

I set the current requirement at 1,000 plate appearances, however up until 1993 qualifying limit rises incrementally each season, which is why John Decker and Bill Weinberg drop off the list. I might re-think that later, we'll see.

Games of Oct. 9

Our Heckscher farewell was a sloppy triple bill featuring insane amounts of runs scored, and some of the worst mental errors you could ever hope to see. Two lowlights would be Joe Geller's bases loaded grounder to short turning into the equivalent of a 3-run double thanks to a throwing error followed by a slow recovery and an additional boneheaded throw; and catcher Havelock Hewes baiting Alex Rivera into a rundown only to find that no one covered home in his absence.

Please note that we will be at East 10th Street at 10:00am next week.


Hewes 20, Appell 7

Yes, that is what you're seeing. The hitting stars were Ian Parfrey (4-for-4, 3 RBI), Derek Martinez (4-for-5, 3 doubles, 3 RBI), and Zach Nilva, Jim O'Connor, and Paul Geoghan each added 3 hits. On the other side, Sam Melendez was 3-for-4 with 3 runs scored, and Dave Sommers was also 3-for-4, with an RBI.

Melendez 12, Rosengard 4

Freddie's team scored 7 times in the 2nd inning to put this one away. Sam Melendez was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

Nilva 8, O'Connor 6

Derek Martinez had a great game, going 3-for-4 with 4 RBI, driving in the winning runs in the top of the 6th with a 2-run single, and picking up the save in relief. Sam Melendez was 3-for-4 with 4 runs scored and a 2-run HR, and Zach Nilva added 3 hits. For O'Connor's team, Chris Hall was 3-for-4, and Alex Rivera's 15th HR was a 2-run bomb to left-center that tied the score at 6. Nilva's defense also turned two difficult double plays-- a 6-6-3 on a slow chopper up the middle, and a 6-5-4.

Games of Oct 2

Due to YET ANOTHER dry rainout at Heckscher, we played a tripleheader at West 28th Street & 10th Avenue, on a turf field with an enticingly short RF fence.

Lawrence 7, Hewes 2
Glen Lawrence, pitching for the first time since 1999, scattered 7 hits and easily beat Havelock Hewes. Matt Mishkin was 4-for-4 with 2 HR and 3 RBI, and Ian Parfrey hit a 3-run HR. Sam Melendez was 3-for-5 with an RBI for Havelock's team.

Martinez 2, Mishkin 1
Alex Rivera's baserunning gave his team this win, as he singled to left to lead off the 4th, tried to take second, and came all the way around on a throwing error. Derek Martinez allowed 1 run on 9 hits, and Matt Mishkin was almost as good. Mishkin homered for his team's only run, and Ian Parfrey added 3 hits.

Melendez 7, Lawrence 5
Lawrence's second start of the day was spoiled by an Alex Rivera opposite-field grand slam, and the bats of the Melendez brothers-- Freddie had 4 hits and Sam had 3. Lawrence got yet another HR from Matt Mishkin, and Fred Lang busted out of a slump by going 4-for-5 with 2 RBI.

Games of 9/25

Nilva 7, Melendez 6
Zach Nilva picked up his 10th win, and Paul Geoghan's opposite field single in the 5th inning plated the go-ahead run. Sam Melendez (3-for-4, 2 RBI) and Matt Mishkin (3-for-4, 3 runs) led Zach's team. Ray Hernandez hit a 3-run HR for Freddie's squad.

Appell 10, Parfrey 8
In another slugfest, the bats of Appell's team prevailed. Brian Hernandez was 4-for-4 with 3 RBI, Chris Hall drove in 3 including the go-ahead run, and Zach Nilva was 3-for-4. For Parfrey's team, Alex Rivera was 4-for-4 with 3 runs scored, and Dave Sommers homered and drove in 3.

Games of 9/18

Appell 5, Hewes 4

Sam Melendez had 3 hits, and Ian Parfrey drove in 3 runs, as Jeff Appell squeaked out a win over Havelock. Alex Rivera was 3-for-4 with an RBI for Hewes's team, who left the go-ahead run on base in the 7th inning.

Sulyman 3, Parfrey 1

Mike Sulyman (2-0) again pitched masterfully, and Parfrey was almost as good. Derek Martinez's 2-out double in the 4th inning was the go-ahead run.

Hewes 4, Melendez 3 (8 innings)
Derek Martinez singled in Chris Hall in the top of the 8th for the winning run. Zach Nilva was 3-for-4, and 7-for-11 on the day.

21 inning game? Havelock Hewes

On Sunday, Russ Rivera and I came up with a theme game idea. We were talking about how much fun extra-inning games are. What if we had an extra inning game without having to have a tie? Instead of playing three 7-inning games we would schedule one 21-inning game. To insure that the game is interesting we would employ a 5-run mercy rule (any team with a five-run lead at the end of an inning from the seventh inning on would automatically win). Each team would use three pitchers in multiples of seven innings.

I'm interested in getting feedback and discussion on this. Please comment.

Games of 9/11

1. Melendez 9, Hewes 0
Freddie Melendez (11-7) threw a 5-hit shutout. Ian Parfrey (3-for-3, 2 RBI) and Russ Rivera (2-for-3, 3B) led the attack.

2. Parfrey 5, Appell 2
Parfrey's team scored 4 runs on 5 consecutive 2-out singles in the 3rd inning. Eric Schulman and Russ Rivera (both 2-for-3, 3B, RBI) were the hitting stars.

3. Rosengard 3, Nilva 2
Ian Parfrey's 2-out single plated Alex Rivera to break a 2-2 tie, and Dave Rosengard (3-3) hung on for the win.

Game of 9/5

Sulyman 5, Parfrey 4 (10 innings)

Bobby Echevarria's walkoff double in the bottom of the 10th ended an epic pitcher's duel. Mike Sulyman allowed 4 runs on 15 hits and added a 3-run double, enroute to his first SFL win. Echevarria was 3-for-5, and Matt Mishkin went 3-for-4 and scored the winning run. Parfrey pitched almost as well against a tough lineup, and helped his cause with 3 hits and an RBI. Solomon Sarway was also 3-for-5, and Nate Sillman made a game-saving catch for Parfrey's team on a flare behind 2nd base.

Games of 9/4

Back in action after multiple rainouts, SFL played a tripleheader this morning.

Rosengard 3, Hewes 2
Dave Rosengard allowed only 6 hits, and retired Havelock with the bases loaded to end the game. Ian Parfrey was 3-for-3 to back Rosengard's pitching.

Nilva 2, Parfrey 1
Zach Nilva scattered 5 hits, allowing only a solo HR to Eric Schulman, and Phil Ciccone's 2-out single up the middle in the 3rd inning scored Paul Geoghan with the go-ahead run.

Melendez 13, Nilva 7
The bats finally came alive in the third game. Nilva's team scored 4 in the top of the first, but couldn't hold the lead. Ian Parfrey was 4-for-4 with a double and 3 RBI to back Freddie. Nilva was 4-for-4 with 3 runs scored.

Week of 8/21

An open letter to Gil Schmerler from his defense: We're sorry.

Gil lost 7-3 to Zach Nilva despite allowing no earned runs in Game 2 on Sunday. Zach scattered 6 hits enroute to his 8th win of the season. In the earlier game, Freddie Melendez prevailed over Havelock Hewes 4-3. Eric Schulman doubled to tie it, and hit a sac fly in the top of the 7th to win it. Zach Nilva was 3-for-5. Ian Parfrey paced Hewes's team by going 3-for-4.

On Thursday, Havelock Hewes beat Tony Connor 10-2 behind the hitting of Freddie Melendez (3-for-4, 3 RBI) and Ian Parfrey (3-for-3, RBI). Jorge Davila had 3 hits for Connor's team.

Please note that we have an evening permit for Riverside Park this Sunday.

Field Schedule by Havelock Hewes

Today I picked up the Softball For The Love Of It field permits for September, October and November...

The parks department has extended our permit for Heckscher Field #1 on Sunday mornings from 9 (though we usually start a little after 8) to 11 through October 9.

From October 16 through November 27 we are permitted on Sunday mornings at East River Park (about 11th street) from 11 (though we usually start at 10) to 1. I took a bit of a gamble in asking for these hours. My hope is that no one will request the 9 to 11 and, so, we can start at 10 and play until 1.

No Games 8/7

Despite beautiful sunny weather, the parks department decided not to fix up the fields. We had batting practice at West 54th Street instead. This field makes an excellent alternate location on days when Heckscher can't get it together.

Games of July 31

1. Melendez 9, O'Connor 7
Freddie Melendez won his 8th game, backed by the bats of Eric Schulman (4-for-4, 2 RBI) and Chris Hall (4-for-4, 2B, RBI). O'Connor's side was led by Gil Schmerler (3-for-4, RBI) and Brian Hernandez-Sandercock's 3-run HR.

2. Parfrey 2, Hewes 0 (5 innings)
Ian Parfrey threw his second straight shutout, allowing only one hit and one epic umpire-baiting meltdown. The batting hero of "the weasel game" was Andy Atkinson, who clubbed a 2-run HR to deep left in the 4th for the game's only runs. It was his first career SFL homer.

Close Games by Havelock Hewes

Last season two-thirds of our games were close (within three runs). Our overall percentage of close games in 2011 stands at 57%. This season has been the tale of two boroughs. In Manhattan (Heckscher, Great Lawn and 54th street) our record is 22 close games and 8 games decided by four or more runs - 73% close games. We played 15 games in Riverdale. Four were close and eleven were not. That's just 26% close games.

To add to the mystery, several of the Riverdale games were shared victory blow-outs. Team A would beat team B 7-1 and then, in the second game, team B would beat team A 11-3. My current theory is two-fold.. in a park with a reachable fence multiple run innnings are more likely, giving a team a greater chance of racking up a big lead. Secondly, if total runs scored is higher, the case in Riverdale, then a 5-2 game in Heckscher (considered "close" because it is within 3 runs) is not considered close if twice as many runs are scored and each team has the same percentage of runs in Riverdale, say, 10-4 (considered a blow-out).

Since close games are our goal, we need to give some thought as to whether we should ever play in a reachable-fence ballpark.

Milestones

June 4-- Jeff Appell beats Havelock Hewes 7-2 for his 100th win as a pitcher.
July 24-- Ian Parfrey's 500th hit is a single to right off of Jeff Appell.

Also this season:
Havelock Hewes, hit #1700
Gil Schmerler, hit #1200, probably on July 17. I will check on this.
Mike Palma, hit #600
Derek Martinez, run #500
Dave Rosengard, 500th win as a player

Games of 7/24

Appell 5, Hewes 2
Jeff Appell (7-4) scattered 10 hits, and went 3-for-3 with an RBI. Brian Hernandez-Sandercock was 2-for-3 with a double and 2 RBI.

Parfrey 3, Nilva 0
Ian Parfrey (5-4) threw a 4-hit shutout, retiring the last 9 batters, and allowing only one runner to reach third base. The only runs Zach Nilva gave up were in the bottom of the 1st-- Mike Sulyman led off with a single, Derek Martinez (3-for-3) doubled, and both scored on a comedy of throwing errors. Dave Sommers (3-for-3) then tripled to deep left, and scored on a Solomon Sarway sac fly.

Games of 7/17

Melendez 7, Appell 2
Carl Weinberg's 5th inning 3-run HR broke open a close game. Mike Palma was 3-for-3 with an RBI, and Brian Hernandez was 2-for-3 with 2 RBI. Freddie Melendez (7-7) scattered 8 hits for the win.

Nilva 7, Hewes 5
Shaky defense in the bottom of the 5th ended Havelock Hewes's bid for his 13th win. Trailing by two, Ian Parfrey (3-for-3, 2 RBI) plated Chris Hall with a 2-out single, and Cid Rivera got caught in a rundown between third and home. Rivera and Parfrey both ended up scoring on an overthrow. On the other side, Carl Weinberg was 2-for-3 with a triple and 3 RBI. Zach Nilva improved his pitching record to 7-4 on the season.

Game of July 10

Hewes 6, Nilva 5 (14 innings)

Zach Nilva's 14th inning curse is alive and well. Zach lost for the 3rd time in the 14th inning since October 2010. Mike Sulyman (3-for-6, 2 RBI) hit a 2-out single in the top of the 7th to plate Brian Hernandez (5-for-5, 3B). The game was tied at 5 and stayed that way until Cid Rivera controversially scored from first on a single in the top of the 14th. Plate umpire Freddie Melendez called him safe, claiming that Rivera's foot touched the plate before catcher Dave Rosengard tagged him. This touched off a lengthy argument and provided one of SFL's most exciting finishes. Havelock Hewes (12-5) retired the middle of the order 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 14th. Hewes allowed 3 earned runs on 16 hits; Nilva allowed 4 earned runs on 20 hits. Here is the scoring breakdown:

Bot 1:
P.Ciccone singled to shortstop, Z.Nilva scored. On M.Sulyman's throwing error, B.Indek scored, P.Ciccone to second.
I.Parfrey reached on a throwing error by M.Sulyman, P.Ciccone scored.
Nilva 3, Hewes 0

Top 2:
M.Cohen singled to left, F.Lang scored.
B.McLaughlin grounded to short, M.Cohen out at second, J.Balsam scored.
Nilva 3, Hewes 2

Top 3:
E.Schulman singled to right-center, B.Hernandez scored.
Nilva 3, Hewes 3

Bot 4:
D.Martinez hit a sacrifice fly to center, P.Ciccone scored.
Nilva 4, Hewes 3

Top 5:
M.Sulyman singled to left-center, B.Hernandez scored.
Nilva 4, Hewes 4

Bot 6:
P.Ciccone grounded to shortstop, S.Melendez out at second, Z.Nilva scored.
Nilva 5, Hewes 4

Top 7:
M.Sulyman singled to center, B.Hernandez scored.
Nilva 5, Hewes 5

Top 14:
B.McLaughlin singled to center, A.Rivera to third, B.McLaughlin to second on the throw. A.Rivera scored, B.McLaughlin to third on the throw.
Hewes 6, Nilva 5

Games of July 4

Two big innings made the difference. In Game 1, Jeff Appell's team scored 5 times in the first, and hung on for a 5-4 victory over Havelock Hewes. The winning run was stranded on first base. Zach Nilva went 4-for-5 to back Appell's pitching. In Game 2, Derek Martinez's team scored 6 times in the second, and won 6-2 over Ian Parfrey. Don Weiss was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI.

No Game 7/3

fortunately there's tomorrow, great lawn 8, at 530pm.

Games of 6/26

Appell 10, O'Connor 5
Mike Palma and Ian Parfrey each went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI in the win. Chris Hall and Freddie Melendez each had 3 hits for O'Connor's team.

Nilva 6, Melendez 3 (8 innings)
Zach Nilva's extra-inning jinx was broken when his team scored 3 times in the top of the 8th. Brian Hernandez's sac fly broke the tie, and Solomon Sarway's 2-run triple iced it. Sarway was 2-for-2 with 3 RBI, Mike Sulyman added 3 hits, and Nilva scattered 11 hits for the win. Alex Rivera hit his league-leading 12th home run, and drove in 2.

Games of 6/19

The unofficial SFL father of the year award goes to Jim O'Connor, who brought Ed and Phoebe O'Connor to the Father's Day edition, and Ed hit a monstrous 3-run bomb without which the winning of Game 2 would have been much more difficult. We had a recent-record 30 players in attendance, so at bats were hard to come by.

Melendez 4, Rosengard 2
Freddie Melendez (6-6) allowed only 5 hits, and was backed by the bats of Phil Ciccone and Chris Hall, each 2-for-2 with a double.

Parfrey 4, Connor 1
Ian Parfrey (4-3) also tossed a 5-hitter and Ed O'Connor's 1st inning 3-run shot was the margin of victory. Zach Nilva added 2 hits.

Games of 6/12

Hewes 15, Appell 1
Havelock Hewes (11-4) cruised to a blowout win behind the hitting of Phil Ciccone (4-for-5, 5 RBI) and Brian Hernandez (4-for-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI).

Parfrey 11, O'Connor 8
Parfrey's team scored 11 times in the bottom of the 1st, and barely held on for the win. Brian Hernandez (2-for-2, 2B, HR, 4 RBI) and Solomon Sarway (4-for-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI) led the way. Alex Rivera was 3-for-4 with 3 RBI for O'Connor's side.

Games of 6/5

Appell 7, Hewes 2

Jeff Appell (4-2) scattered 13 hits to win, and Phil Ciccone alertly scored the tiebreaking run on a shallow sac fly by Solomon Sarway. Appell slammed the door on a 6th inning comeback, and that was it.

Nilva 6, Melendez 5

Zach Nilva (5-3) allowed all 5 runs in the bottom of the 1st, and pitched shutout ball thereafter. Freddie Melendez ran into trouble in the top of the 4th, and the decisive blows were a 2-run triple by Rob Anapol, and alert baserunning by Andy Atkinson, who reached on an infield single, advanced two bases on a throwing error, and scored the winning run on a groundout.

GAMES OF MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

1. Hewes 2, Melendez 1

Ian Parfrey's walkoff double to right scored Mike Sulyman in the bottom of the 7th. Havelock Hewes scattered 8 hits for the win, and Freddie Melendez was almost equally magnificent, allowing only 2 runs on 4 hits.

2. Appell 5, Nilva 3 (14 innings)

Despite throwing 11 straight scoreless innings, Zach Nilva was once again beaten in the 14th inning. Mike Sulyman led off with a bunt, and came all the way around to score on a pair of throwing errors. Chris Hall's sac fly provided the insurance run. Brian Hernandez hit a 2-run HR for Appell's team earlier in the game. Appell allowed 3 runs on 16 hits; Nilva allowed 5 runs, 3 earned, on 10 hits. Brian Hernandez threw the winning run out at the plate in the bottom of the 13th.

3. Hewes 4, Connor 2

Havelock Hewes (10-3) continued his winning streak, allowing 7 hits. The winning runs scored on an error and a Zach Nilva single in the top of the 7th.

4. Melendez 8, Nilva 4

Finally the bats came alive to back Freddie Melendez (5-5). Freddie and Nel Yomtov each went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI, and Chris Hall added 3 hits and a triple. Freddie allowed only 6 hits.

Boxscore of Game 2, 5/29/2011

Away 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 -- 5 10 2
Home 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 3 16 6

B.Indek 4 0 0 0 1 0 .217
M.Sulyman 5 1 1 0 0 0 .386
I.Parfrey 5 2 2 0 0 0 .589
B.Hernandez 4 1 2 2 1 0 .414
E.Schulman 4 0 0 0 1 0 .522
C.Hall 4 1 2 1 0 0 .429
J.Orochena 4 0 1 0 1 0 .375
J.Appell 4 0 0 0 1 0 .189
G.Lawrence 5 0 0 0 0 0 .115
M.Palma 4 0 1 1 0 0 .292
H.Hewes 4 0 0 0 0 0 .266
J.Pyne 4 0 1 0 0 0 .269
L.Stoeth 4 0 0 0 0 1 .071

2B--Parfrey (11), Hall (1)
HR--Hernandez (3)
SF--Hall

Z.Nilva 4 1 2 0 1 0 .404
F.Melendez 5 0 1 0 0 0 .430
A.Rivera 5 0 2 0 0 0 .526
P.Ciccone 5 0 2 1 0 0 .444
D.Sommers 5 1 2 0 0 0 .550
S.Melendez 5 0 1 0 0 0 .365
D.Martinez 5 1 1 0 0 0 .427
D.Weiss 4 0 2 0 1 0 .417
D.Nelkin 5 0 2 2 0 0 .375
F.Lang 5 0 1 0 0 1 .282
I.Lebowitz 4 0 0 0 1 0 .000
M.Cohen 4 0 0 0 0 0 .071

DP--Cohen, Nelkin


pitching
J.Appell W, 3-2 14.0 16 3 3 3 1 3.59

Z.Nilva L,4-2 14.0 10 5 3 5 1 4.43



scoring
Top 1
B.Hernandez homered to left, I.Parfrey and B.Hernandez scored
Away 2, Home 0

Top 2
M.Palma singled to center, C.Hall scored
Away 3, Home 0

Bot 5
D.Nelkin singled to center, D.Sommers and D.Martinez scored
Away 3, Home 2

Bot 6
P.Ciccone singled to left-center, Z.Nilva scored
Away 3, Home 3

Top 14
M.Sulyman reached third on a throwing error on pitcher, M.Sulyman scored on a throwing error on rightfielder
C.Hall hit a sacrifice fly to right-center, I.Parfrey scored
Away 5, Home 3

In Preparation for the Yearbook

This is a re-do of the top 25 batting seasons ever, which I posted in the early days of the blog.

25. Mark Allen, 1989 (28)
24. Ian Lebowitz, 2001 (23)
23. Tony Connor, 1985 (22)
22. Manny Santiago, 1990 (24)
21. Chris Hall, 2005 (20)
20. Larry Savell, 1989 (19)
19. Kurt Hettler, 1992 (21)
18. Ian Lebowitz, 2000
17. Kurt Hettler, 1993
16. Derek Martinez, 2009
15. Alex Rivera, 2009
14. Carl Weinberg, 2007
13. Phil Kotik, 1995
12. Phil Kotik, 1998
11. Carl Weinberg, 2006
10. Phil Kotik, 1994
9. Phil Kotik, 1999
8. Phil Kotik, 1996
7. Larry Savell, 2000
6. Carl Weinberg, 2002
5. Phil Kotik, 1997
4. Phil Ciccone, 2007
3. Carl Weinberg, 2008
2. Phil Ciccone, 2006
1. Dan Schneider, 1997

Seasons #26-100 will appear in the comments.

Memorial Day Weekend

Sunday 5/29 8:30am, Heckscher #1
Monday 5/30 5:30pm, Great Lawn #8

Thanks to Joe Gerber for the bonus frames.

Games and Notes 5/22

Today we had a pair of games featuring little scoring and lots of mud. In the opener, Havelock Hewes improved to 8-3 by winning a 3-2 decision over Laura Stoeth. Hav scattered 8 hits in the win. His infield single tied the game, and Mike Palma's single to center plated the go-ahead run, both in the bottom of the 5th. In the nightcap, Zach Nilva (4-1) beat Jeff Appell 5-3. Zach scattered 9 hits.

On May 8, SFL played a tripleheader. Game 1 went to Havelock Hewes 13-10 over Jim O'Connor. Hav's team clawed back from a 7-0 deficit. In Game 2, Jeff Appell beat Dave Rosengard 8-6, and Appell's team came from 5-0 down to win. In the third game, Hav won his rematch with O'Connor, 7-3. Bill McLaughlin went 4-for-4 for the winners and Sam Melendez's 2-run HR was almost all of the offense that O'Connor got.

NO GAME 5/15

Due to a downpour at 7:45am, and our lousy communication system, we decided to go back to sleep this week. Hey Vernick! Where's Yo I'm In when we need it?

Games and Notes of 5/1

1. Lee Lowenfish event:

Peanuts, Popcorn, Crackerjacks & Branch Rickey
A Salute to Baseball with Noted Baseball Writer, Lee Lowenfish

Tuesday, May 17th
6:00 pm Reception & Book Signing
6:45 pm Ballpark Dinner & Remarks
$25 per person, Chit Bar


He was not much of a player and not much more of a manager, but by the time Branch Rickey (1881-1965) finished with baseball, he

had revolutionized the sport – not just once but three times. Famed baseball writer Lee Lowenfish, author of the definitive biography

of Rickey, will talk about the man sportswriters dubbed “The Brain,” “The Mahatma,” and, on occasion “El Cheapo.”


As the mastermind behind the St. Louis Cardinals from 1917 to 1942 Rickey created the farm system, which allowed smallmarket

clubs to compete with the rich and powerful. Under his direction in the 1940’s, the Brooklyn Dodgers became truly the first “America’s team.” By signing Jackie Robinson and other black players, he single-handedly thrust baseball into the forefront of the civil rights movement. Come listen to Lee speak about a man whoselife is itself a crucial chapter in the history of American business, sports and society.


Lee Lowenfish is a historian, journalist, broadcaster, jazz commentator and the author of four outstanding baseball books. For reservations, please email Jessica Lyon at events@unionleagueclub.org.


2. Games of 4/24
Heckscher was closed but SFLOI headed over to West 54th Street, and played a ghost runner doubleheader extravaganza in the beautiful weather. Appell beat Rosengard 5-4 in Game 1, coming back from a 4-2 deficit in the final frame. Eric Schulman's 2-run double tied it, and Freddie Melendez's single won it. Alex Rivera was 4-for-5 with a solo HR, and Schulman was 4-for-6 with 3 RBI. In the nightcap, Melendez shut out Hewes 12-0. Rivera homered again and drove in 4, and Schulman, Appell, and Scott Weir each added 4 hits.

3. Games of 5/1
Again, a close game and a laugher. O'Connor beat Parfrey 5-4 in the opener, singling in the winning run himself in the top of the 7th. Alex Rivera homered yet again, and Eric Schulman had 3 hits. Chris Hall was 4-for-4 for Parfrey's side. In the second game, Hewes revenged his earlier defeat by trouncing Melendez 19-6. Rivera and Phil Ciccone each homered twice and drove in 5 runs. Sam Melendez homered and drove in 3, and Bill McLaughlin was 5-for-5. Chris Hall homered in a losing cause.

NO GAME 4/17

Too much rain overnight. We'll try again next Sunday.

Opening Day Heckscher

We had a strong turnout of 25 players to celebrate the Central Park opener this morning, and played two nailbiters. Freddie Melendez (3-3) won the opener despite suffering an ankle injury on the bases in the second inning, and his team came back from a 6-1 deficit to win 7-6 on Eric Schulman's 2-run single in the bottom of the 6th. Schulman drove in 3, and Derek Martinez and Brian Hernandez homered for the losing team. In game 2, Ian Parfrey (2-2) beat Havelock Hewes 4-2. Hewes gave up 4 in the bottom of the 1st, and Parfrey made it stand up, scattering 9 hits, and inducing Freddie Melendez to ground to first with the bases loaded to end the game.

Games of 4/3

On our last weekend in Riverdale, Havelock Hewes (4-1) defeated Zach Nilva 15-6. Nel Yomtov was 3-for-4 with a 2B, HR, and 4 RBI. Jim O'Connor also drove in 3, and Alex Rivera homered. Eric Schulman led Nilva's team with 3 hits. In the nightcap, Matt Mishkin (1-1) beat Jim O'Connor, 15-4. Eric Schulman homered and drove in 5 runs, Mike Sulyman homered and drove in 4, and Freddie Melendez was 4-for-4 with 2 RBI. Nel Yomtov added 3 more hits for O'Connor's side.

Games of 3/27

1. Hewes 16, Martinez 5

Mike Sulyman was 5-for-6 with a HR and 5 RBI, Eric Schulman was 4-for-6 with 2 HR's and 4 RBI, and Zach Nilva added 4 hits.

2. Connor 18, Schmerler 4

Ken Walker homered twice and drove in 5. Derek Martinez was 4-for-5 with 2 RBI.

3. Nilva 9, Melendez 5

Alex Rivera homered twice and drove in 6. For Melendez's team, Ken Walker homered twice.

Games of 3/20

Hewes 17, O'Connor 8

Alex "Cid" Rivera continued his hot hitting-- he was 3 for 4 with 4 runs scored, a HR, and 5 RBI. Freddie and Sam Melendez each added 3 RBI. Ken Walker homered and drove in 4 for O'Connor's squad.

Nilva 9, Mishkin 8 (8 innings)

Brian Hernandez hit a walkoff 2-run single to left to give Zach Nilva's team a stunning comeback win. Down to their last out and facing a 6-3 deficit, they got a 2-run double from Nel Yomtov, who then came around to score the tying run when Marvin Cohen dropped a throw at first. Ian Parfrey clubbed a 2-run HR in the top of the 8th, but Nilva's team had another comeback in them. Hernandez homered and drove in 3, while Parfrey was 4-for-4 (enroute to a 10-for-10 day) with 2 doubles, a HR, and 4 RBI.

Melendez 16, Parfrey 4 (5 innings)

Ken Walker homered twice and drove in 6, and Derek Martinez added a grand slam, as Melendez's team took advantage of some shoddy fielding, but also clubbed Parfrey and reliever Havelock Hewes for 16 hits. Parfrey was 3-for-3 with 2 RBI in a losing effort.

Bats

I thought I would begin a semi-regular series exploring the gear that we use. With bats, I am a compulsive experimenter, and I have spent way too much money trying to figure out what kind of bat suits me best.

I started with a 26-oz Easton Reflex, which was damaged in a very cold weather batting practice early in 2008. I then bought a 30-oz Miken Freak composite, which lasted for most of the 2008 season. I replaced it with a 28-oz DeMarini Doublewall Distance AND a 34-oz Easton Cyclone, and switched between them depending on whether I wanted to direct the ball, or hit with power. For the 2010 season, I used another 26-oz Easton Reflex, after trying a 27-oz DeMarini Creature two-piece composite that never really hit well despite being very expensive. This year, I have a 30-oz DeMarini Ultimate Weapon.

Every bat I've ever owned has been 34 inches. I don't know why you'd want less plate coverage, but if anyone can explain, please do.

I noticed that some great hitters use rather pedestrian bats, a case in point being Brian Hernandez swinging a low end 30-oz Easton singlewall, and consistently smacking the crap out of the ball.

There are a few different variables-- material, weight, balance. I also own a 34-oz Worth that is marketed as a "Clincher" bat. It's extremely end-loaded, and it feels like a sack of cement at the end of a broomstick, and the only success I've ever had with it is pitching to other people who are swinging it. I prefer a balanced bat, which feels lighter than it really is, to an end-loaded bat. And the more I hit, the more I think the hitter's reflexes and physical condition have far more impact on how well the ball travels than most bats do.

As far as weight goes, 28 to 30 ounce bats seem to combine the best of both worlds, at least for me. A hitter with very strong arms and wrists might need a 34-oz bat, whereas someone who struggles with bat speed might want a 26 or a 27.

There are three different kinds of bat construction-- singlewall, doublewall, and composite. Singlewall are the cheapest bats, and most of them still perform well. Several different grades of aluminum alloy are used, if that sort of thing matters to you. I've tried to avoid using the cheapest grade. Doublewalls and composites are more expensive, and generally don't last as long, either. I was happy with the one doublewall I owned, and I think one-piece composites are far superior to two-piece composites. And a good singlewall bat performs almost or just as well as its more expensive counterparts.

As far as bat manufacturers, I buy almost exclusively DeMarini and Easton, and I did a lot of research into the subject before buying anything. I didn't read too many good things about the lower-end Worth and Louisville Slugger bats. Some of the really high-end bats aren't ASA legal, which limits their utility. The one dud DeMarini I bought was ironically the most expensive one. Their midrange bats are pretty excellent, as are Eastons. I would only avoid the super-cheapo Easton Hammer.

My first two high-end bats had a lifespan of less than a season. They seemed to develop dead spots, and not drive the ball as well as they had before. I wonder if this was psychological-- maybe I was just in a slump and chose to blame the bat. With the doublewall, this may have been the case, as I gave it to Don Weiss, who still hits hard line drives with it.

I'd love to know what everyone else thinks about this. Please comment below!

In Response To The Livers

  When we started giving out awards in 1986, the major ones were trophies.  I fell behind in the 1990's and stopped giving out the hardware.  I have most of the trophies and am going to slowly update them.  When Ian Parfrey was awarded the Bill Weinberg MVP, that was the very trophy last given out to Phil Kotik in 1995.  I noticed that more than one of the winter meetings bloggers suggested that my  scratching Ian's name into metal with a fork was some sort of trick, conjecturing that I had Ian's name put on the trophy before the meeting.  The truth is that my mother often over-cooked beef and, as a child, out of necessity, I learned to press down very hard with my fork.  

   Josh Balsam is in charge of keeping the captain's records.  

   We adopted the scoring guideline that "any hit ball which a player with normal effort and average skills should field, but does not should be awarded an error."  Ian is correct that this gives a "break" to the pitcher who gets the hitter to pop out but the rightfielder is too busy watching the lithe Japanese girl with long, flowing hair, wearing a mini-kilt, knee socks and a form-fit white blouse unbuttoned to her navel walk by and lets the ball drop in for a hit.

  What I'm about to write will, necessarily, disparage many of our players.  I don't like doing this, but it seems the only way to properly point out the disadvantages of Sal's egalitarian movement.  

  The first point to be made is that two-thirds of our games last season resulted in score differentials of 3-runs or less.  Given the low quality of our skills (by professional baseball standards) this is remarkable.  As those of you who play in other leagues probably know, the blow-out (4 runs differential or more) is the norm. This is because the competition is uneven.  How do we accomplish such successful games with players like Havelock Hewes, David Rosengard and Charlie Block and only three real shortstops who only show up half the time? We do it by finding positions like pitcher, catcher and firstbase for those

with little range and by keeping Phil Ciccone and David Sommers at shortstop for the entire game.  Our new rule requiring sitting as evenly as possible without playing just thirds of an inning (now I'm giving Sal another idea) will mean that Gil Schmerler will be moving over to shortstop for an inning and Josh Balsam will be at thirdbase.  The result of a few easy grounders is a major rally.  Also, though Freddie Melendez claims it is "easy" to substitute 13 players evenly into a game, I bet he won't be able to do it.  I sat down and made two typical 13-player line-ups and it took me 15-minutes in a quiet room to figure it out. 

  One other reason we get even games is that we design the teams to be equal.  This is largely my responsibility and I do it very well.  Sal's suggestion that we allow two random captains to choose-up is a mistake.  Though we have had some stellar games with choosing-up (I'm thinking of one game when Seung and I were captains) the typical result is a blow-out.  Remember that the random captains are the same people who gave Marvin Cohen a gold glove.  Beyond mutual stupidity is the possibility that one of the captains is better at assessing talent than the other or has more information than the other and gets a much better team.  In fact, the very goal of choosing-up is to get the better team.  Isn't it better to create teams with the goal of being even? 

   

Quasi-Live Blog, Winter Meeting

Starring Sal, Seung, and Ian. Since this went over like a led zeppelin last time, we're trying it again!

Sal-Another meeting come and gone, and some interesting rules were discussed and voted on. More on those later, first a thank to to Anne and Gil for hosting a great event. Now to the awards...

Ian-We had a bit of confusion between me and Havelock-- each one thought the other was printing up the ballots, so there weren't any. Hav hand-wrote them at the beginning of the meeting. You could vote for anyone you wanted to, except rookie of the year, where the choices were Laura Stoeth, Eric Schulman, Sam Magnus, Ken Walker, and Solomon Sarway. I thought this worked well-- most of us play several different positions anyway-- but it did definitely influence the results.

Freddie Melendez took home gold gloves for pitcher and third base, as well as the Havelock Award. He went 17-9 on the mound, and I thought his defense at third was solid.

Sal-It was definitely the year of the Freddie. He brings so much more than on field talent to the game, and anything the guy wins is fine by me. He is the very definition of the salt of the earth. I voted for him on all of these except for pitcher gold glove, where I voted for Ian. His skill there have been honed so well, that I think now hands down, no one fields this position better.

Ian-Josh Balsam got the gold glove at catcher. This year's awards
featured a lot of Riverpudlians, who are taking over the game with an endless supply of Tony Connor-trained young athletes. Not to take anything away from Josh's achievement, but I should mention that Mike Palma also had a good year behind the plate.

Sal-I remember Mike Palma playing well there, too, but I voted for Josh who I've seen play rather well there. I'd like to mention that Havlock is a very good catcher as well. I feel very good when he's back there. I think the fact that he pitches so much blinds folks to the fact he plays there alot as well, and willingly. Maybe next year.

Ian-Marvin Cohen won for first base. I voted for Tony Connor, and you could have made a good argument for Brooklyn's own Sal Cipriano.
While Marvin's selection was controversial, he won in a landslide, and he certainly is identified more closely with the position than anyone.

Sal-Did Tony play there much this year? I wasn't around save for some cameos during the summer, but I don't recall him there, and honestly I can not remember too many folks who did save for Marvin, Josh, and the aforementioned kid from Brooklyn. That said, I'm glad I didn't win for last year. While I've sporadically played there before, I only really started coming on towards the end.

Ian-Laura Stoeth won the second base gold glove. Sue Kostner also received a vote, despite not having played with us in
over a year.

Sal-I voted Laura. That's her position. If she's there, she plays 2nd, and you feel good about that.

Ian-Phil Ciccone won for shortstop. Phil showed a lot of grit in coming back from a badly broken ankle in the fall of 2009, and was his old, dominant self again.

Sal-I voted Ken Walker. He's sick there. Sure he doesn't get to play much in the summer there, but he's a fall/winter hero that's second to none.

Ian-There were 5 gold gloves in the outfield-- Bill McLaughlin and Brian Hernandez tied for the last one. Brian didn't play a lot this year, but when he does play, his defense is memorable. McLaughlin proved to be a dependable flycatcher with an accurate arm. Zach Nilva, Eric Schulman, and Alex Rivera got the other three. Those Riverpudlians again, doing their part to keep everyone's batting averages lower. I should mention that no one voted for me in the outfield, though I definitely threw everyone at the meeting out on the bases at least once this year.

Sal-I voted Alex, Zach, Eric, and Bill, so I'm good with this. Ian, you were excellent there as well, but I think you get viewed at as an infielder and that blocks people's memories..

Ian- Did Don Weiss get screwed again?

Rookie of the Year was split between Eric Schulman and Ken Walker.
Both players were brilliant this year-- Walker hit a little more, but Schulman played more, and I think a tie is quite reasonable.

Sal-I had a rough time with this, couldn't decide between Eric and Ken, but I went Walker in the end. If he played a full slate of games, he would a major vote getter for MVP. He is a beast like none other.

Ian-I took home the MVP. Havelock had a trophy made, which I thought was a terrific gesture. It has the names of every winner since 1986 on it, and Hav did this little comedy bit where he pretended to carve my name on it with a plastic fork. I wonder what he would have done if Zach or Freddie won it. Did he have two more trophies out in the car?
Anyway, I agree with the results of that voting, though it must be
mentioned that Freddie, Zach, and Alex Rivera all turned in
MVP-quality seasons as well.

Sal-The trophy was a nice gesture, but it would've been insane if you would've lost, not that you deserved to lose. I voted for you. 2010 was definitely your year, hands down. Freddie was my number two followed by Zach.

Seung- If Havelock had been the one counting the MVP votes, there might have been one or two points where he might have started to question his premature engrav.. er, 'fork work'. Zach was ahead early, and *extremely* close for much of the counting until near the very end when Ian's name showed up first in several ballots in a row.

At the risk of another public censure, I will openly state that while Ian clearly won, I saw Zach's name on more ballots. While Zach deserves complete credit for his excellent performance, defense and professionalism, I believe this phenomenon is partly due to MVP fatigue. Just as with Bonds or Pujols, though there is a dominant player in the league, it doesn't mean people will want to give it to that person every year.

I'm curious to see what will happen next year. Will Zach finally be able to dethrone Ian? Will Freddie's triple threat performance lead to an upset? Or will Ian put up another dominant season? I'm sorry that parental obligations will force me to miss most of it, but will look forward to the outcome.

Ian- I thought the dominant player here was Phil Ciccone, it's just that 80 at bats can't get you an MVP.

I left early, so I didn't get to see how the rule change proposals
went. I did notice that Bill got a cricket exhibition on the schedule (not using a regular permit), and that the rules regarding overloaded games were clarified, so that dues-paying players cannot be turned away. I like those both.

Sal-I suggested it be an overall sports/bbq SFLOI summer party thing. Could be fun actually, and produce a big turnout. The rule about the players were major victories on both ends of it, first the one you mention. Paying members have to have precedence and that's that. That was a no brainer, so glad it went as such.

Ian-I heard that Josh Balsam and Freddie Melendez have been added to the grievance committee, which had a quiet 2010, thankfully.

Sal-Two agreeable chaps that can make a difference to any issue. Makes sense.

Ian-I also heard that manager's wins are to be counted as a statistic, which, in the words of Bob Dylan quoting Thomas
Jefferson, neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.

Sal-What? When did this happen? I was there the entire time, I don't recall this? I mean, I'm not opposed either way, but I just recall this.

Ian-I'm not a fan of what I've heard of the other rule changes. Havelock got his way regarding a more pitching-friendly definition of official scoring. Don't care for this at all, and hopefully, like this country's marijuana laws, it won't be enforced too much.

Sal-I don't think any rule was passed here actually. Lots of discussion about it, but I don't think anything firm was set. Maybe I'm having selective memory here because I think scoring is up to the individual's eyes and nothing else. Each play is a unique circumstance with too many variables to have a blanket decision. I don't think anyone is changing their ways here too much either way.

Ian-And the sitting rule was changed to be more democratic-- no one can sit twice until everyone has sat once. Though I admire the spirit of the rule, some exceptions need to be made to allow us to play two seven inning games within our permit time. Also, Havelock is going to have to make the teams a little differently now, I think.

Sal-This was a major victory for the fairness police of which I am a badge carrying officer. Started by Sgt. Geoghan, expounded on by Lt. Rivera, and simplified and motioned by myself. Everyone has to sit once before anyone sits twice, and then everyone twice before anyone thrice, and so one and so forth. We pay money to this pick-up league to play, and we are all equal in that regard. My mind was boggling when Havelock was arguing against this rule.

Ian- Doesn't boggle my mind. I'd rather not say who I'm thinking of, but this rule is going to get tested.

Sal- We also discussed, but not voted on pitching speed, and also I turned in a motion to amend the tree rule to allow home runs to stand in parks that have fences, I lost which I found disheartening. It's not easy to hit a home run in this game, and folks that do so should be rewarded for it, not given another obstacle. Pitchers are ruining this game is what my final thought on the matter. Actually while I'm at it, if I were to make a suggestion that pitchers not be allowed to be team captains that would be swell. Heck lets go one step further, have the team captains choose their teams in a one on one draft instead of Havelock choosing the teams. Hav chooses captains, makes a list of who is at the game, and then gives it to the captains. I think this would go just as quick as Havelock making the teams, and at least a captain is responsible for his picks bad or good.

Ian- That's it from the folks at the website. See you on the field next Sunday!

Games of March 13

Martinez 11, Appell 3
Derek Martinez (2-0) allowed a 2-run HR to Eric Schulman in the 1st inning, and proceeded to only allow a single to Zach Nilva over the final 6.2 innings. Bill McLaughlin and Nel Yomtov had 3 hits each, and Ian Parfrey homered to back Martinez's pitching. And, possibly the most improbable play I've ever seen occurred when Marvin Cohen struck out looking in the 6th inning, and flipped the bat in disgust!

Parfrey 13, Melendez 6
Parfrey survived a 5-run 2nd inning capped by Zach Nilva's inside the park grand slam, and his offense battered Freddie Melendez for 17 hits. Sal Cipriano (4 for 4, 2 RBI) and Derek Martinez (4 for 5, 2 RBI) led the way. Parfrey hit 3 doubles, and Bill McLaughlin drove in 4 runs. Freddie went 4 for 4 for his team.

AWARDS

The second annual winter meeting live blog will follow. Here are your 2010 award winners.

GG Pitcher: Freddie Melendez
Catcher: Josh Balsam
1st Base: Marvin Cohen
2nd Base: Laura Stoeth
3rd Base: Freddie Melendez
Shortstop: Phil Ciccone
Outfield: Zach Nilva, Alex Rivera, Eric Schulman, Bill McLaughlin, Brian Hernandez
Rookie: Ken Walker and Eric Schulman
Pitcher: Freddie Melendez
MVP: Ian Parfrey

Games of March 5

1. Martinez 7, Hewes 2
Eric Schulman hit a 2-run bomb in the top of the 1st for Hewes's team, but Martinez settled down to throw 6.1 shutout innings, and Alex Rivera went 3-for-3 with a home run and 4 RBI. Bill McLaughlin also had 3 hits.

2. Nilva 10, Parfrey 7
Bill McLaughlin's 5th inning double broke a 6-6 tie, and the Schulmans teed off on Parfrey's pitching. Eric was 2-for-2 with 3 RBI and Dave was 3-for-3 with 2 RBI.

3. Melendez 10, O'Connor 3
Alex Rivera continued his hot hitting (8-for-9 on the day with 3 doubles, 2 HR's, and 11 RBI). He had a 2-run double in the 1st and a line-drive 2-run bomb over the LF fence in the 3rd. Bill McLaughlin was 3-for-3 as he also had an excellent day at the plate. Melendez scattered 7 hits and the only batter to touch him was Havelock Hewes, who had a 2-run double.

Opening Day 2011

We opened the season the right way today-- good weather, exactly enough players, and two one-run games. Havelock Hewes beat Freddy Melendez 5-4, and Dave Rosengard's team got him a comeback victory in game 2, 10-9 over Adam Garcia. Hewes's team scored 4 times in the 1st, and just barely held on. Bill McLaughlin's single to center was the first hit of the year, and he came around to score the first run, driven in by Ian Parfrey. Melendez's squad chipped away at the lead, and stranded the tying run on second base when Justin Stotsky flew out to right.
In the second game, Stotsky came through, delivering a 2-run single to short center to tie the game in the bottom of the 8th. Gil Schmerler grounded a double down the left field line to score Mike Sulyman for the decisive run. Seven straight batters reached base during this rally, which started with Ken Walker's 2-out, 2-run HR to left-center.
Thanks to Zach Nilva and Tony Connor for getting us the field and the turnout.

OPENING DAY

Sunday Feb 27
MS 141 Riverdale
10:00am

Weather permitting.

Warm Weather!! Finally!!

The snow has melted in Riverdale. One of these weekends we will begin the 2011 season. Be ready!! It could even be tomorrow!!

Winter Celebration March 6

You’re invited to

 SFLOI’s Winter Meeting and Celebration

Sunday, March 6

 

4-6 pm

at the home of Anne Atkinson

 

22 West 96 Street, Apt. 2

(just off Central Park West – B or C train to 96th)

  

v  Voting for 2010 awards

v  Furious rules disputes!

v  Plans for ’11 season!

 

 

Light food and drink will be served.  Food or drink contributions welcomed,

although by no means required.

 RSVP to Gil at this email address, if you’re coming.

 

We Have The Permit!

I picked up and paid for our 2011 permit for Hecksher Field today. The permit for field #1 (our traditional diamond), 9 - 11 am, runs from April 10 through August 28.
Also, Gil and Anne have graciously offered the use of Anne's home for our winter meeting. I'll post again when we decide on a date.
Keep the faith, baby. -Havelock Hewes