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.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
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!
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!
Labels:
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Wednesday, March 16, 2011
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?
Monday, March 14, 2011
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!
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!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, March 7, 2011
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
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
Saturday, March 5, 2011
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.
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.
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