OK, I did give up 25 runs, but...By Havelock Hewes

  Alright, I blew an eight run lead and gave up 25 runs, possibly all earned.  Congratulations to Freddy Melendez, who pitched a great game in relief, giving up only ten runs, for the win. Kudos to Sam Magnus who tied the game in the seventh with a mammoth three-run homer to center into the railroad tracks.  The original six-on-six teams were perfectly balanced. I have assigned a point rating to each player and the team totals were 132 for each side. The combined on base average plus slugging average  average was .929 for the other team and .876 for my team.  However, Dave Rosengard left the game in the middle.  This left me to contend with what I believe was the greatest line-up in the history of Softball For The Love Of It.  Of the 25 players with 100 plus plate appearances, eight have OB+SLG of 1.000 or more. Four of the five hitters I faced were plus 1.000 and the average OB+SLG was 1.038.  The two teams started with average player point ratings of 22 (most weeks we are at about 20). After Rosengard left the opposing average rating soared to 25.  Here are the batters I faced...

Batter                OB+SLG         PLAYER RATING
Eric Schulman     1.113             30
Sam Melendez     1.138             28
Fred Melendez     1.066            25
Bob Holzwasser    .742             23
Sam Magnus       1.130            19

 

Games of December 2

Hewes 6, Sulyman 2
Havelock Hewes allowed 6 hits, and threw 6.1 shutout innings, and Ian Parfrey broke the game open with a 2-run triple in the third inning.

Melendez 12, Rosengard 2
Freddie Melendez was equally sharp in picking up his 20th win, and his team broke a 2-2 tie by scoring 8 runs in the 5th inning. Adam Garcia hit a 2-run HR, and Cid Rivera was 3-for-5 with 3 RBI.

Games of November 25

Hewes 5, Martinez 2
Havelock Hewes scattered 6 hits, and allowed no runs over the last 6.1 innings, for his 18th win. Eric Schulman's 3rd inning base hit was the 6,922nd plate appearance of the 2012 season-- a new record.

Melendez 11, Nilva 3
Mike Sulyman was 5-for-5, Alex Rivera hit his 18th HR, and Sam Magnus was 4-for-5 with 2 RBI as Freddie Melendez allowed 3 runs (none earned) on 8 hits for his 19th win.

We Play At Dyckman by Havelock Hewes

   Until further notice, Softball For The Love Of It will be playing at the Dyckman fields (located by the Hudson River at the western end of Dyckman Street in Inwood Park).
   The fields are open year round and are not available to get a permit for after Thanksgiving.  My expectation is that at least one of the three fields will be unused.  However, it is possible that soccer, touch football and other softball players wake up earlier than us and have the field.  If this happens we will caravan to Riverdale.

Games of November 18

Hewes 11, Melendez 3
Sam Magnus drove in 4 runs with a pair of triples, and Ian Parfrey and Zach Nilva had 3 hits each. Havelock Hewes allowed 3 runs on 10 hits.

Martinez 11, Nilva 0
Freddie Melendez was 3-for-4 with a triple and 3 RBI, and Alex Rivera and Chris Hall each added 3 hits. Derek Martinez threw a shutout, allowing only 5 hits, and striking out three.

Dyckman On Sunday by Havelock Hewes

We will be playing at Dyckman Park field this Sunday, November 18 a little after ten.  The field is located next to the Hudson on Dyckman Street.  As Ellington suggested "take the A train" to Dyckman street and walk West.
We have no permits after this weekend.  If the field is open (the parks department is going to get back to me with the date they lock up the field for the winter) we will continue to play there on Sundays.  I'll post again when I know more.

Running The Gauntlet by David Rosengard

Dyckman with its traces of 1776,from the ground is more depressing
to the sight than the dimmest cloister straight ahead over the Hudson
up on the Palasades.Perhaps that cloister built by Rockerfeller combines
the characteristics of a melancholy ruin,the saddest abbey or desolate
moor or all three combined.As each player assembles on the field one
these travelers of Softball For The love Of IT receive a listless glance
from Dyckman-it is almost as if a monk leaned out to look for a 
moment on the world.
Every pitch was measured,calculated,delivered like a stranger
arriving in a country town in a manner to run the gauntlet-severely
quizzed from every inch of Dyckman.
Game 1 Rosengard outduels Hewes 10-3;game 2 Melendez out duels
Appell 5-2.

Field Change

This Sunday, November 11, we will be playing at Dyckman Park, Field #1.  The field is at the western end of Dyckman Street, next to the Hudson River.  The parks department has closed the East River Park ballfields, with the claim that there is a dangerous "sink hole" in the outfield.

Games of 10/28

Ever wonder what softball in a wind tunnel would be like? We found out. A fly ball to right-center blew foul. A fly to medium left landed 20 feet behind the infield. It was interesting. And high scoring.

Hewes 12, Mishkin 8
Will Romero drove in 4 runs, and Freddie Melendez drove in 3 for Hewes's team. Sam Melendez was 4-for-5 for Mishkin's team.

Parfrey 9, Melendez 8
Ian Parfrey took a 9-3 lead into the last inning, and then gave up 6 consecutive hits before retiring Bob Holzwasser on a bases-loaded fly to right. Sam Melendez homered and drove in 2, and Sam Magnus was 3-for-4 with 2 doubles. Alex Rivera was 3-for-3 for Melendez's team.

Games of 10/21

Hewes 8, Rosengard 5
Ian Parfrey's 2-out, 2-run single broke a 5-5 tie in the bottom of the 5th, and Alex Rivera homered and drove in three.

Martinez 4, Nilva 3
Freddie Melendez hit the tiebreaking single in the 5th inning, as Derek Martinez allowed 3 runs on 6 hits for the win. Zach Nilva was just as good, allowing 4 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits.

F.Melendez 4, S.Melendez 1
In a very rare instance of brothers pitching against each other, Freddie Melendez picked up his 17th win and allowed only 2 hits in 5 innings. Sam Melendez allowed 3 runs in the 1st, with Chris Hall's 2-run single being the big blow.

The Lost Boxscores of SFL

Like The Lost Engines of Roanoke, the lost boxscores of SFL were eventually found. They were hidden in one of my books for my fall league, and here they finally are:

Hewes 10, Melendez 5
Ian Parfrey was 4-for-4 with 4 runs scored, a double, and 2 RBI, to lead Hewes's team. Bob Holzwasser had 3 hits for Melendez's squad.

Lawrence 8, Nilva 4
Cid Rivera's 3-run HR in the 5th inning broke a 4-4 tie.

Appell 9, Connor / Hewes 9 (5-inning tie)
Eric Schulman (3-for-4, 4 RBI) hit a 2-out, 2-run double to tie the game for Appell's team. Cid Rivera was 4-for-4 with a HR and 5 RBI for the Connor / Hewes team.

Games of 10/14: The Heckscher Finale

Hewes 5, Melendez 2
Sam Magnus's 3-run double broke open this game in the 3rd inning. Freddie Melendez had 3 hits including a triple, but Havelock Hewes muzzled the rest of the lineup, allowing 2 runs on 13 hits.

Appell 4, Nilva 3
Appell's team took the lead for good with a 3-run 6th inning. Russell Rivera singled in the tying run, and Gil Schmerler singled in the go-ahead run. Ray Hernandez hit a 2-run HR for Zach Nilva's team. Zach allowed 4 runs on 11 hits, and Jeff allowed 3 runs on 13 hits.

Our next games will be at East River Park (East 10th Street & FDR Drive), this Sunday at 10:15am.

Games of 10/7

Hewes 14, Parfrey 8
Hewes's team scored 7 times in the 6th inning to blow open a one-run game. Cid Rivera homered and drove in 5 runs, Eric Schulman was 4-for-5 with 3 RBI, and Bob Holzwasser had 3 hits. Chris Hall was 3-for-4 with 3 RBI for Parfrey's team.

O'Connor 9, Nilva 6
O'Connor's team scored 5 times in the 5th inning to erase a 5-4 deficit. Nilva's defense committed 5 errors and allowed 7 unearned runs.

Games of 9/30

Appell 9, Hewes 7 (8 innings)
This was an exciting finish. Jeff Appell blew a 6-1 lead over the last two innings, stranded the winning run on third base, and got the win in overtime. Eric Schulman, Sam Magnus, and Jeff Appell had RBI singles in the top of the 8th. Schulman was 3-for-4 with 4 RBI, and Zach Nilva was 4-for-5. Cid Rivera and Josh Balsam each had 4 hits for Hewes's team.

Nilva 11, Connor 10
In another exciting finish, Tony Connor's team came back from deficits of 10-2 and 11-6, and left the tying run in scoring position. Eric Schulman was 4-for-5 with a 2-run HR, and Andy Atkinson was a HR short of the cycle, and had 4 RBI.

Games of 9/23

We're slowly catching up here...

Rosengard 10, O'Connor 2
This game was tied at 2-2 going into the top of the 7th, when Rosengard's team erupted for 8 runs. Sam Melendez's infield single scored the go-ahead run. Ian Parfrey was 4-for-4 with 2 RBI, and Eric Schulman added 3 hits. Dave Rosengard allowed one earned run on 7 hits for the win.

Melendez 8, Lawrence 5
Freddie Melendez was staked to a 6-0 lead after 2 innings, and cruised to a win. He helped his cause with 2 doubles and 2 RBI. Phil Ciccone was 3-for-3 with 2 RBI for Lawrence's team.

Mishkin 7, Hewes 7 (5-inning tie)
In the third game, Mishkin's team led 7-5 after 2 innings, but the pitchers eventually regained control. Nel Yomtov was 3-for-4 with a double, triple, and 4 RBI for Mishkin's squad, and Havelock Hewes backed his own pitching with 3 hits and 2 RBI.

Games of 9/16

It looks like I'm never going to find the boxscores for Sept. 9 (don't worry, the stats were already entered), so we'll skip to the 16th.

Rosengard 9, Parfrey 3
Phil Ciccone had 3 hits, and Eric Schulman drove in 3 more runs. Dave Rosengard scattered 11 hits for the win. Ian Parfrey backed his "pitching" by going 3-for-4 with 2 triples.

Melendez 4, Hewes 3 (10 innings)
In an extremely hard-fought game, Freddie Melendez singled home Ian Parfrey (3-for-5) in the top of the 10th for the winning run. Melendez allowed 3 runs, none earned, on 10 hits, and struck out five. Havelock Hewes was almost as good, allowing 4 runs, 3 earned, on 12 hits. Hewes's team scored the tying run in the bottom of the 7th, and stranded the winning run on third base.

Games of Sept 2

Parfrey 7, Hewes 2
Parfrey's team struck for 6 first inning runs, capped by a 2-run HR by Sam Magnus. Cid Rivera also homered, and Ian Parfrey escaped 5 bases-loaded jams and scattered 14 hits for the win.

Melendez 9, Nilva 7
Again, Sam Magnus capped a first inning rally with a HR, this time a 3-run shot. Eric Schulman was 3-for-3 with 4 RBI, and Ian Parfrey also had 3 hits. Matt Mishkin homered and drove in 2 runs for Nilva's team.

Lawrence / O'Connor 7, Rosengard 6
Glen Lawrence pitched 4 scoreless innings of relief for the win in a back-and-forth battle. Freddie Melendez drove in Cid Rivera with a 2-out single in the 5th inning for the win. Victor Waldron hit a 3-run HR for Rosengard's team.

Eric Schulman drives in 100th run

In a Great Lawn game on Thursday August 30, Eric Schulman became the only SFL player to drive in 100 runs in a season. He broke Cid Rivera's single-season record of 94 the previous Sunday with-- what else-- a sac fly.

The game was a high-scoring affair, won by Jeff Appell 11-9 over Glen Lawrence. Schulman was 3-for-4 with a 2B, 3B, and 3 RBI. Sam Melendez and Alex Lee also added 3 hits, and Melendez scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error in the bottom of the 5th.

Batting Titles

With the 2012 batting race currently featuring 4 players within 16 points of each other, I thought I'd go back and find other close batting titles in SFL history. Surprisingly, there weren't many, but this is what I found:

1985-- John Decker and Tony Connor tie at .500.
1987-- Bill Weinberg beats Rich Rowlands by 4 points, .452 to .448
1992-- Dan Schneider beats Kurt Hettler by 4 points, .486 to .482
1996-- Joe Gerber beats Phil Kotik by 8 points, .484 to .476
2003-- Ian Lebowitz beats Chris Hall by 7 points, .500 to .493

Here are the widest margins of victory:

1983-- Bill Weinberg (.605) by 114 points over Jose Balento
2007-- Phil Ciccone (.558) by 85 points over Dave Sommers
2005-- Chris Hall (.580) by 80 points over Carl Weinberg
2000-- Larry Savell (.623) by 78 points over Ian Lebowitz
2008-- Carl Weinberg (.541) by 75 points over Ian Parfrey

Players who won multiple titles:

Phil Kotik, 3-- 1994, 1995, 1999
Bill Weinberg, 2-- 1983, 1987
John Decker, 2-- 1985 (tie), 1986
Dan Schneider, 2-- 1992, 1997
Joe Gerber, 2-- 1996, 1998
Ian Lebowitz, 2-- 2001, 2003
Carl Weinberg, 2-- 2002, 2008
Chris Hall, 2-- 2004, 2005
Phil Ciccone, 2-- 2006, 2007
Ian Parfrey, 2-- 2010, 2011

Players who were runners-up multiple times:

Larry Savell, 4-- 1989, 1990, 1991, 1999 (won in 2000)
Phil Kotik, 4-- 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002 (won in 1994, 1995, 1999)
Dan Schneider, 2-- 1993, 1994 (won in 1992, 1997)
Carl Weinberg, 2-- 2005, 2006 (won in 2002, 2008)

One time runners-up:

Jose Balento, 1983
John Decker, 1984
Austen Ruse, 1985
Bill Weinberg, 1986
Rich Rowlands, 1987
Mark Allen, 1988
Kurt Hettler, 1992
John Grieco, 1995
Ian Lebowitz, 2000
Bob Holzwasser, 2001
Chris Hall, 2003
Gil Schmerler, 2004
Dave Sommers, 2007
Ian Parfrey, 2008
Derek Martinez, 2009
Freddie Melendez, 2010
Eric Schulman, 2011

Games of August 26

Hewes 2, Appell 1
Havelock Hewes picked up his 500th win by pitching a 2-hitter. All he needed was a botched rundown involving Cid Rivera, and an outfield miscommunication that allowed Freddie Melendez's 6th inning 2-run single to drop in.

Melendez 3, Parfrey 1 (8 innings)
Sam Magnus's single tied the game in the bottom of the 7th, but an RBI single by Fred Lang and a sac fly by Glen Lawrence won it in the top of the 8th.

Lawrence 11, Rosengard 6
The bats finally woke up for the third game. Rosengard's team led 5-0 in the third inning, but Eric Schulman's 19th sac fly of the year was the go-ahead run in the bottom of the 5th. Schulman was 2-for-3 with 5 RBI, and Glen Lawrence was 2-for-3 with 3 RBI. Cid Rivera hit a 3-run HR for Rosengard's team.

Game of August 23

Rosengard 3, Connor 2
Rosengard's team scored three times in the second inning, around a triple by Sam Magnus (3-for-3). Cid Rivera threw out the tying run at home plate to end the game. Dave Rosengard allowed 2 runs on 11 hits, and Tony Connor allowed 3 runs on 6 hits.

Games of August 19

Appell 9, Hewes 4
Rob Anapol singled home Paul Geoghan for the go-ahead run in the top of the 6th. Freddie Melendez had 4 hits, and Nel Yomtov drove in three runs.

Nilva 9, Melendez 6
Eric Schulman homered and drove in 4 runs, Rob Anapol had 3 hits, and Zach Nilva singled home the go-ahead run in the 5th inning.

Hewes 4, Appell / Martinez 3
Derek Martinez tied the game with a line drive HR to left, before Matt Mishkin won it with a 2-out solo HR to right-center. Havelock Hewes then stranded the tying run on third base.

Games of August 12

Melendez 7, Hewes 1
Hewes's defense allowed 5 unearned runs in the second inning to blow the game open, Freddie Melendez allowed one run on 7 hits, and Sam Melendez was 3-for-3 with an RBI.

Nilva 7, Parfrey 4
Zach Nilva backed his own pitching with three hits, and Sam Melendez went 4-for-5 enroute to a 7-for-8 day.

Extra Thursday Early Evening Games by Havelock Hewes

  Softball For The Love Of It has two single-game Thursday permits on the Great Lawn on August 23 and August 30.  The permits begin at 7 pm, but we hope to get on the field at 6:30.

Schedule And Permits by Havelock Hewes

  I have received a permit extension at Hecksher Field through October 14!  We will be playing on Field #5 instead of Field #1 in September and October.
  From October 21 through the end of November I have a permit reservation for one of the tenth street fields.
  Tony thinks it is very probable, though not guaranteed, that the 241street field in Riverdale will be available in October.
  We would save money by switching to the Riverdale field in mid-October instead of the first week in December.
  The offensive production would go up because of the short fence.
  My recommendation is to take the permit for tenth street through November.  However, before making a final decision, I'd like to hear what others think.  Please leave your comments here but remember to include your name.  I will not take into consideration any anonymous opinions.

Umpiring by Havelock Hewes

   While umpiring our first game today I did not grant time out to the fielding team.  I did not grant time-out because I did not believe the play was yet over. Alex Rivera was dancing off third-base. I told Phil Ciccone, the fielder holding the ball that I would grant time-out if the pitcher held the ball.  There is no such requirement in the ASA rules and I was mistaken in making this call.  However, my impression that the runners were still not stable on the bases should have been respected (the ASA rule states that the umpire should not call time until the runners are at their bases) .  This was demonstrably true when Alex Rivera took off for home plate.   I ruled that Alex Rivera scored.
   What happened next was, in my eyes, unacceptable. My ruling was ignored by the team in the field and by the team at bat.  That Alex returned to third base after I declared him safe is a profound life-statement in favor of anarchy.
  Though I have a healthy distrust for authority, I do not share Alex's unbridled commitment to anarchy.      We have an umpire to make decisions.  When the umpire is ignored it sets a precedent for overturning all umpiring calls.
  Personally, this experience makes me wary of umpiring at all. From now on I will not umpire unless I am specifically asked to by the team captain.  I know some of you will be happy about this.  However, left with the perceived inconsistencies of the rest of those willing to umpire, I don't expect you will be any better off.  Eventually, if we continue to not give respect to the umpires, no one will choose to umpire.
 

Games of August 5

Hewes 7, Rosengard 5
Eric Schulman homered and drove in 2, and Sam Magnus was 3-for-4 with an RBI double to lead the Havelocks past the Rosengards. Phil Ciccone was 3-for-3 with 3 RBI for Rosengard's team. Defensive play of the game: Marvin Cohen catches a popup and initiates a 3-2 DP.

Appell 9, Parfrey 3
Russ Rivera's 2-run opposite field double broke a 3-3 tie in the 5th inning, after which the wheels came off for Parfrey's team. Appell scattered 6 hits in a strong pitching performance.

Games of July 29

We played a tripleheader at the Dewitt Clinton field, with Heckscher under water. Several dramatic finishes occurred.

Rosengard 7, O'Connor 6
Rosengard's team trailed 5-2 after 5 innings, but rallied to tie on an RBI triple by Sam Magnus, and took a 6-5 lead when Russell Rivera singled him in. A two-out RBI single by Dave Sommers tied the game in the seventh, but O'Connor lost the plate in the bottom of the inning, walking the bases loaded before Sam Melendez won it with a walk-off infield single.

Melendez 4, Parfrey 3
Freddie Melendez prevailed in a pitcher's duel, stranding the winning runs on base in the bottom of the 7th when he induced Joe Geller to ground into a game-ending DP. Parfrey lost despite allowing only four hits.

Martinez 10, Hewes 9
In another dramatic finish, Sam Melendez came all the way around on an infield hit and two errors to break a 7-7 tie in the top of the 6th, and Gil Schmerler singled in an insurance run in the 7th. Martinez's team rallied for three runs and the win, with Bob Holzwasser singling in Ian Parfrey with two outs to end the game. Derek Martinez homered and drove in 3, and Joe Geller was 3-for-4 with 3 RBI. Phil Ciccone and Sam Melendez had 3 hits and 3 runs scored each for Hewes's team.

Games of July 22

Hewes 4, Rosengard 2
Havelock Hewes picked up his 8th win, allowing two runs, one earned, on 10 hits.

Appell 10, Nilva 2
Freddie Melendez was 3-for-3 with an RBI to back Jeff Appell (3-4), who scattered 8 hits.

Games of July 15

Schmerler 7, Rosengard 4
Gil Schmerler (2-0) allowed 4 runs in the first and none the rest of the way. Joe Escobar singled in Seung Lee in the top of the 7th to break a 4-4 tie.

Nilva 9, Melendez 3
Zach Nilva (7-2) backed his pitching with a 3-run HR, and Ben Indek and Ian Parfrey each added 3 hits.

Games of July 8

Nilva 7, Hewes 6
Bob Holzwasser drove in 4 runs, and Alex Rivera had 3 hits to back Zach Nilva's pitching. Sam Melendez had 3 hits for Hewes's team, who stranded the tying run at first base.

Melendez 13, Lawrence 9
Freddie Melendez won his 10th game of the year. Eric Schulman was 3-for-5 with 2 triples and 6 RBI, and Sam Melendez was 4-for-5 with 4 runs scored.

Also note that the Heckscher hotline was unreliable this week. They claimed to be opening late at 11:00, and then opened at 9:15. When in doubt, call someone, or just show up.

Game of July 5

Lawrence 9, Appell 5
In a Great Lawn evening game, Eric Schulman's 3-run triple broke open a one-run game, and Mike Barbato was 3-for-4 to back Glen Lawrence (3-1). Freddie Melendez was 3-for-3 with an RBI for Appell's team.

Games of July 1

Mishkin 5, Hewes 4
Sam Melendez's 6th inning single scored winning pitcher Matt Mishkin (1-0) with the deciding run. Nel Yomtov added 3 hits for the winners, and Mishkin allowed only one run over the final 6 innings.

Nilva 6, Appell 5
Zach Nilva improved to 5-2 on the year in a wild finish. Appell's team went ahead 5-4 in the bottom of the 6th on four consecutive 2-out singles by Freddie Melendez, Fred Lang, Jeff Appell, and Paul Geoghan. Appell's team thought the game was over (as it was almost 11:00) and the 6th run was held at third base. Appell then came out to pitch the top of the seventh and had a rare control lapse, walking 4 batters (two intentionally) in the inning. Nel Yomtov's sac fly tied it, and Kim Mishkin's bases-loaded walk won it. Nilva retired the side in order for the win. Nilva also went 4-for-4, and Eric Schulman hit a 3-run opposite field HR.

Games of June 24

Hewes 11, Rosengard 8
Havelock Hewes's team tried to blow a 10-3 lead, but ran out of innings, and won the game.

Nilva 4, Appell 4 (7 inning tie)
Appell's team rallied for 3 runs in the 5th inning to tie, getting RBI hits from Glen Lawrence, Joe Geller, and Jim O'Connor.

Games of June 17

Rosengard 6, Melendez 2
Dave Rosengard scattered 7 hits in a strong pitching performance to pick up his first win of the season.

Appell 8, Lawrence 3
After Derek Martinez's 2-out 2-run HR tied the game for Lawrence's team, Havelock Hewes alertly stole home on an indifferent recovery of a throwing error for the lead in the top of the 6th. Eric Schulman drove in 4 runs for Appell's team.

Martinez 6, O'Connor 5
A bases-loaded walk to Fred Lang was the margin of victory, and Cid Rivera Sr. lined out to Cid Rivera Jr. with the bases loaded to end the game. Freddie Melendez drove in 4 runs to back Martinez's pitching, and Mark Rodriguez had 3 hits.

Games of June 10

It took me a long time to find this scorebook, but here it is:

Hewes 10, Melendez 0
Havelock Hewes's Mets crushed Freddie Melendez's Yankees, behind a 4-for-4, 3 RBI performance from Eric Schulman. Hewes allowed 5 hits, and had two successful squeeze bunts. Too bad the real Mets didn't play like this.

Nilva 14, Appell 5
Alex Rivera homered and drove in 5 runs, and Ben Indek had 4 hits, as the Yankees, with most of the same players, got their revenge.

Games of 6/3

Hewes 7, Rosengard 2
Havelock Hewes scattered 8 hits in his return to action, and Alex Rivera was 3-for-4 with 3 runs scored. Phil Ciccone and Robert Rodriguez drove in 3 runs apiece.

Nilva 5, Melendez 3
Ed O'Connor hit a go-ahead 3-run HR in the 6th inning, and then made a tough catch in center field to preserve the win for Zach Nilva. Zach and Freddie Melendez each had three hits.

Games of Memorial Day Weekend

Sorry I'm running a little behind here. We played a single 9-inning game on Sunday at Dewitt Clinton (due to a brief 7:30am downpour at Heckscher), and another Monday afternoon at the Great Lawn.

Martinez 16, O'Connor 12
Alex Rivera was 6-for-8 with 2 HR's and 5 RBI, then nearly gave it all back with a rocky relief outing for winning pitcher Derek Martinez (1-2). Derek also went 5-for-8 with 3 RBI. Ian Parfrey was 5-for-7 with a HR and 4 RBI for O'Connor's team.

Appell 18, Parfrey 6
Appell's team put up 8 runs in the first inning and never looked back. Alex Rivera had another great game at the plate, going 5-for-6 with 3 RBI.

Games of May 20

Melendez 11, O'Connor 9
Freddie's team battled back from a 6-0 deficit, scoring 6 times in the bottom of the 6th for the win. The go-ahead runs came in on Marvin Cohen's bases-loaded grounder to first, as Sam Magnus threw a 3-3-6 DP attempt into centerfield. Phil Ciccone and Chris Hall homered for O'Connor's team.

Parfrey 6, Holzwasser 2
Sam Melendez had 2 hits and 2 RBI in a three-inning second game.

Games of May 13

Melendez 15, Parfrey 6
Eric Schulman homered and drove in 5 runs, Freddie Melendez was 3-for-4 with 4 RBI, and Ben Indek was 4-for-5 with 5 runs scored. Alex Rivera homered and drove in 4 for Parfrey's team.

Nilva 6, Hewes 2
Courageously pitching with a broken finger on his pitching hand, Havelock Hewes gave up a tiebreaking single to Fred Lang in the 4th inning. Zach Nilva scattered 13 hits and backed his pitching with a 2-run HR. Hewes is expected to miss 1 to 3 months.

Extra Memorial Day Game

Great Lawn #4, 5:30pm Monday. This is in addition to our regular Sunday schedule.

Games of May 6

Hewes 8, Parfrey 5
Fred Lang and Sam Magnus each had 3 hits, as Hewes's team broke a 4-4 tie by scoring 4 runs in the 4th. Alex Rivera homered for Parfrey's team.

Lawrence 13, O'Connor 2
Glen Lawrence (2-0) scattered 8 hits and was backed by Alex Rivera (4-for-5, HR, 4 RBI). Sam Melendez homered for O'Connor's team.

Games of April 29

Melendez 12, Rosengard 11
Freddie Melendez backed his own pitching by going 4-for-4, Solomon Sarway hit a 3-run HR, and Jaime Orochena was 3-for-4 with 3 RBI. Melendez's team nearly blew a 12-2 lead, as they gave up 6 runs in the top of the 7th, and Melendez retired Mark Rodriguez with the bases loaded to end the game. Mike Heller was 2-for-4 with a HR and 3 RBI, and Robert Rodriguez and Sam Melendez each had 3 hits and 3 RBI.

Nilva 6, Appell 6
The second game ended in a 5-inning tie, as Nilva's team came back from a 6-1 deficit. Mike Heller hit his second HR of the day, and Gil Schmerler threw out the go-ahead run at home plate on a relay to preserve the tie.

Game of April 22

Parfrey 9, Hewes 8

Zach Nilva (3-for-5, HR) hit a walkoff sac fly, as Parfrey's team overcame two Brian Hernandez home runs. Marvin Cohen graciuosly played first base for both teams despite injuring his thumb in batting practice.

Games of April 15

Parfrey 13, Melendez 10
Parfrey's team came back from a 5-run deficit to win. Jeff Appell had 3 hits in his 2012 debut. For Melendez's team, newcomer Mike Heller was 3-for-4 with a 3-run HR.

Hewes 10, Appell 3
Appell's team committed 6 errors and allowed 7 runs in the first inning. Neither game was crisply played, to say the least.

Opening Day-- Games of 4/8

Parfrey 17, Hewes 4
Ian Parfrey backed his pitching with 4 hits, Don Weiss also had 4 hits, and Alex "Cid" Rivera drove in 5 runs. Parfrey's team scored 9 times in the 2nd inning to blow the doors off of this one.

Nilva 12, Melendez 4
Zach Nilva scattered 9 hits for the win, Sam Melendez was 3-for-4 with a grand slam, and Bob Holzwasser also homered in his return to SFL after missing all of 2011. Freddie Melendez was victimized by his defense-- only one of the 12 runs was earned. Eric Schulman was 3-for-3 with 2 RBI.

Lawrence 4, Connor 3
Glen Lawrence picked up the win and hit the winning sac fly to score Alex Rivera.

Happy Opening Day

A BARTERING EQUIVALENCE Marvin Cohen

After the last game, Ian Parfrey and I happened to be let off the same car, into the same subway station, aimed for the same C train. But I descended the stairs too slow, causing him to miss the train he would have made if he hadn't waited for me. It cost him an extra 5 minutes till the next train came. This is like I cost him a double or triple if he hits it into the gap with me on first and I can't make it past second base. Since time is money, and he's busy, I asked him how much I owed him for the 5 minutes between trains. Unlike a hard-nosed businessman, he didn't charge me anything except this contribution to our website. Thus the barter system is still informally alive in a social economy that shows good will pitching a meatball strike to a forgiven batter whether he can respond to the opportunity or not.

Games of April 1

Hewes 18, Martinez 5
Sam Melendez (2-for-4, HR, 6 RBI) hit a grand slam broke open a close game in the 5th inning. Matt Mishkin was 5-for-6 with 2 RBI. Havelock Hewes allowed 9 hits and picked up his 2nd win of the season. Eric Schulman homered for Martinez's team.

Greenblatt 10, Nilva 9
In a thrilling finish, Eric Schulman's 2-out 2-run single to right capped a 5-run comeback in the bottom of the 7th. Sam Magnus, Jim O'Connor, and Dan Greenblatt had consecutive 2-out hits before Schulman's game winner. Schulman and Freddie Melendez each had 4 hits. Nilva's team had scored 5 times in the top of the 7th to take a 9-5 lead.

Hecksher Season Starts Sunday by Havelock Hewes

On Sunday, April 8, we begin our Central Park Season at Field #1 at Hecksher Field. Games begin at 8:30 am. This Sunday will be Easter, so it is quite likely that the league which has the field after us will not be playing, so we can play past our usual eleven o'clock ending time.

The cost of our permit has gone up by over 50%, from $16 a week to $25 a week and the retail price of clincher softballs has gone from $8 plus tax to $9 plus tax. In order to keep up with these costs we have put dues up 33% this year, from $30 to $40. In the past we have not enforced a "no dues, no play" rule until we had 27 players. This year we are reducing the number to 23. This means that if we have 23 or more players and a player has not paid dues, he/she will not be allowed to play. You may pay Gil Schmerler dues at game time and you will be allowed to play.

Game of March 24

Nilva / Melendez 10, Magnus 9 (10 innings)

Victor Waldron (4-for-8) hit a walkoff bases-loaded infield single to end the game. Freddie Melendez (4-for-8) tied the game twice with singles in the 9th and 10th innings, and picked up the win in relief, stranding the bases loaded in the 9th. Zach Nilva pitched the first 7 innings and went 6-for-8.

Games of March 18

This week we played a twin bill at 260th Street & Broadway, after being kicked out of every other field in Riverdale.

Sulyman 9, Hewes 7
Sulyman's team blew an early 6-1 lead, due to a multitude of errors, misplays, and a Zach Nilva 2-run single. Eric Schulman's RBI groundout plated Ian Parfrey for the go-ahead run in the bottom of the 6th. Freddie Melendez was 4-for-4 with an RBI.

Melendez 13, O'Connor 7
Freddie Melendez picked up his 5th win, and added 3 hits enroute to a 7-for-8 day. Ian Parfrey and the Melendez brothers combined to score 10 runs on 9 hits from the first 3 spots in the batting order. Chris Hall was 3-for-4 with 4 RBI for O'Connor's team.

Awards and Results of Winter Meeting

Awards

Gold Gloves:
Pitcher-- Ian Parfrey
Catcher-- Josh Balsam
First Base-- Sal Cipriano
Second Base-- Ben Indek
Third Base-- Freddy Melendez
Shortstop-- (tie) Ian Parfrey and Phil Ciccone
Outfield-- Zach Nilva, Alex Rivera, Eric Schulman, Brian Hernandez

Best Pitcher-- Freddy Melendez
Rookie of the Year-- Sam Melendez
MVP-- Alex Rivera


Rule Changes:

1. When there are 22 players at a game, it is closed to
non-duespayers. Dues payers have a right to play no matter how large
the teams are. This rule takes effect when we move to Heckscher.
Non-duespayers cannot be displaced from a game they are already in,
and have the option of paying on the spot.

2. Due to the rising cost of permits, the league has raised annual dues to $40.

3. The league has banned alcoholic beverages at the games. Any
player drinking during a game will be subject to immediate ejection
and possible additional penalties.

4. The league has decided that outfielders will be required to play a
certain distance (to be determined) behind the infield basepaths.
This distance will be marked with a small orange cone on each foul
line. This is to discourage (but not eliminate) throws to first from
the outfield, and will eliminate the possibility of turning a double
play through the centerfielder.

5. A grievance committee has been elected for one year. Members are
Josh Balsam, Zach Nilva, and Alex Rivera.

6. Selection of pitchers-- Havelock, or whoever is making teams in
his rare absences, cannot tell a manager who to pitch. Regular
pitchers should not act as managers, unless no one else present is
willing to. It is hoped that this will result in an equitable
distribution of pitching innings.

There are two other items which will soon be presented to the league
for voting, as there was not a 2/3 majority at the meeting.

Thanks to Anne Atkinson and Gil Schmerler for hosting.

Games of March 11

O'Connor 12, Hewes 8
Sam Melendez (3-for-4, 3 RBI) led O'Connor's team to a victory at Van Cortlandt Park parade grounds.

Parfrey 12, Magnus 5
Ian Parfrey scattered 12 hits and struck out 3. Jorge Davila was 2-for-3 with 3 RBI.

Games of March 4

Greenblatt 8, Nilva 6
Dan Greenblatt won his first SFL start behind Rob Anapol's 3 home runs and 5 RBI.

Magnus 13, Melendez 9
Chuck Magnus was backed by 2-run HR's from Rob Anapol and Eric Schulman.

Games of February 26

Melendez 13, Hewes 9
Sam Magnus (4-for-5, HR, 5 RBI) and Adam Garcia (3-for-5, HR, 5 RBI) led Melendez's team to the win.

O'Connor 22, Mishkin 22 (8 innings)
This was one of the most dramatic SFL games ever. O'Connor's team stormed back from a huge deficit to (apparently) tie the game in the top of the 7th. Gil Schmerler's 2-out single to center plated Eric Schulman with the winning run-- except a scorekeeping error was discovered later-- Mishkin's team actually had 21 runs in the 7th, not 22, and Magnus's HR could have been the game-winner. No one noticed at the time and the game was declared a tie. Sam Magnus had an amazing game, going 4-for-4 with 5 runs scored, 2 HR, and 8 RBI. Bill McLaughlin had 5 hits, Matt Mishkin drove in 5 runs, and Sam Melendez and Mike Sulyman each had 3 hits, a homer, and 4 RBI.

Games of February 18

Melendez 8, Hewes 6
Alex Rivera (3 for 4) hit a 3-run HR in the top of the 7th for the win.

Garcia 18, Parfrey 13
Adam Garcia picked up the win despite walking 15 batters in 5 innings. He was also 3-for-3 with a HR and 5 RBI. Alex Rivera was 4-for-5 with a HR and 3 RBI.

Games of February 5

February 5
Hewes 12, Melendez 6
Jorge Davila: 2 HR, 3 RBI
Sam Melendez: 4 hits

O'Connor 19, Velez 9
Freddie Melendez: 3 for 4, 4 RBI
Sam Melendez: 4 RBI
Bobby Echevarria: 3 for 5, HR, 2 RBI
Jorge Davila: 2 solo HR's
Fritz Lambert: 2 for 3, grand slam HR

Nilva 16, Connor 10
No W/L awarded due to disagreement over length of game
Sam Magnus: 3 for 4, 6 RBI
Adam Garcia: HR, 3 RBI

Games of January 29

In this year's recaps, I'm going to try to include some pertinent quotes from our players. Mike Sulyman, describing Sunday's chilly, sloppy twin bill, told me, "I want you to write these up like they were the greatest games ever-- suspenseful, down to the wire..." That's a tall order, considering the games were more like the kind where everyone's batting average has a lot of fun.

Sulyman 13, Parfrey 10
Mike Sulyman backed his own pitching with a 3-run HR, and Eric Schulman was 3-for-3 with 5 RBI. For Parfrey's team, Jorge Davila was 4-for-4. Parfrey's team trailed throughout, getting as close as 10-9 in the 5th. Defensive play of the game-- Mike Sulyman knocking down a Nate Sillman liner, and recovering it behind the mound to throw him out at first, with men on 2nd and 3rd and 2 outs.

Garcia 12, Melendez 9
In a slightly more suspenseful affair, Garcia's team nearly blew a 10-4 lead, but held on to win. Adam Garcia was 3-for-5 with 4 RBI, and Fritz was 4-for-5 with 2 doubles. Bobby Echevarria led Freddy's team-- he was 3-for-5 with 2 RBI. Defensive play of the game-- SS Ian Parfrey's diving backhand catch of a Mike Sulyman flare to short LF with the bases loaded and 2 outs.

No Softball Unless Announced by Havelock Hewes

Softball For The Love Of It's winter schedule has no games on it. Should we have a fair weather day and a playable field we may decide to play and put out an announcement of a game.

Games of January 7

Melendez 14, Garcia 8
Jorge Davila's 6th inning grand slam broke an 8-8 tie and gave Freddie Melendez his 2nd win of the year. Davila also hit a monster solo shot earlier in the game. Eric Schulman was 3-for-4 with a HR and 3 RBI. Garcia homered and drove in 3 in a losing effort, and Bobby Echevarria also homered.

Schmerler 9, Hewes 8
With two outs in the bottom of the 7th, Havelock Hewes served up a walkoff 3-run shot to Jorge Davila. Chris Pun added 3 hits.

Parfrey 14, Garcia 5
Jerry Ramirez drove in 3 runs as Parfrey coasted to his 2nd victory. Alex Rivera was 3-for-3 with a solo HR for Garcia's team.

Game on SATURDAY, January 7

Due to a better weather forecast on Saturday, we will be playing on Saturday (not Sunday), January 7 at 10 am at ps 141 (236th street in Riverdale). There will be a 9:20 pick-up in Manhattan at 96th and Broadway.

Opening Day 2012

Parfrey 10, Hewes 3
Ian Parfrey allowed 3 runs on 7 hits, and held Hewes's team scoreless over the final 6 innings. Sam Magnus was 2-for-2 with a home run and 3 RBI.

Melendez 9, Martinez 5
Freddie Melendez allowed only 4 hits enroute to a come from behind win. Adam Garcia's 2-run double tied the game in the bottom of the 6th, and then Mike Sulyman (3-for-5) cleared the bases with a 3-run triple.