Monday, August 09, 2010

And The Winners Are...




[Ready To Rock, In The Official Bombers Uniform]








[Playoff Socks]


And so, Sunday came and went. It was a very important day in my softball life. Not only did I desperately need to get the taste out of my mouth from the end-of-season fall from grace of the Swingers at M Street, but I also knew tens of you would be hanging on the news of the final scores. I had, after all, promised a fabulous* prize to the person who…

Oh, hell, you know all that, right? No reason to recap or explain. Those who care, know. Those who don’t care, don’t care. Those who might have cared, but who aren’t sure whether or not they care now, can go HERE and HERE for explanations.

OK, here are some scores, but if you picked the Bombers to win, and had us scoring 35 runs, it’s best not to get all excited. I apologize, and I’ll explain.

BOMBERS - 19 Renegades – 8
BOMBERS - 16 Renegades – 15


The contest isn’t over, and nobody is a winner yet. That’s because the second game isn’t complete.

Confused? Welcome to the club. The entire league is awaiting the final score of game two. Until that second game is resolved – and then possibly a third game – the winners of the other playoff series won’t know who they play next week.

I’ll try to be succinct. That’s not my specialty, so bear with me.

Game one went the way we expected it might. The Renegades are a game bunch, but we’re a very tough club to beat this year. We pounded out 23 hits (including 5 doubles, 4 triples, and 3 home runs) and had the game well in hand most of the way.

The Renegades took advantage of three walks and a couple of infield errors, plating four runs to begin the game. We came back at them with eight in the bottom of the first. We pushed the lead to seven after the second, then nine after the third, and then finally to eleven, the final margin.

Pretty much everybody in the lineup had a good game. Leading the way statistically were Pat Atton, with two triples and a home run from the leadoff spot, and Cam Zirpolo, who had four hits and four runs batted in. Charlie Conners continued his drive towards possibly setting a number of team records, stroking two doubles and driving in two runs. Patrick Michael Pickup had a home run and three RBI. Emilio Zirpolo, who had been without an extra base hit this season, got his first in a big way, with his three-run homer putting the capper on the eight-run first inning. Pitcher Big Jay Atton notched his ninth victory of the year, tying a team record held by Jimmy Jackson since 1997.

And the second game began in a fashion that made it seem like we’d probably advance without too much of a problem. We led, 6 – 2, after two innings, and we increased our lead to ten runs by the top of the fourth.

Meanwhile, something we weren’t expecting began to happen. Members of the league that usually plays after ours started showing up. It was our understanding – and that of our commissioner – that we had the fields for as long as we needed them this week. This presented little or no problem for the other teams competing at Smith. They had wrapped their games up more quickly, with two-game victories for the Titans over A-Town, and the suddenly powerful Brighton All-Stars over the Reds. Ours was the only series still in doubt.

(At Cleveland Circle, the Moe Howard Club had dispatched the Dot Rats in two, also.)

The reason for the doubt in our series was that the Renegades were shown life and they grabbed for it with both hands. Jack Atton, on the hill for us in the second game, lost his control and gave them six walks in the fourth. Meanwhile, his defense did him no favors, dropping a routine fly and then having another ball, a single, go through the five hole of an outfielder, giving the Renegades a couple of expensive gifts. By the time the damage was done, a game that had clincher written all over it was back to a one-run lead.

And, despite it only being through the fourth inning of game two, we were smacked up against the starting time for the league that follows ours.

The Commissioner tried to give both teams a way to finish it, getting on his phone to the fields down at Cleveland Circle and arranging for us to travel there for the remainder of game two (and for a possible game three.) A few of our guys were pressed for time, though – work commitments – and we would have been in a very rough spot overall. If both teams went to Cleveland Circle, and then played the second game to completion, it would have been well past one o’clock.

After some discussion between The Commissioner, the managers, and the umpires, it was decided that the game would be picked up next week from the point at which it had been stopped. And that’s where we stand, up one game to none, with a 16 –15 lead in game two.

So, the winner of the contest is nobody (yet) and the fabulous* prize (which I decided will be a $25 gift certificate to Amazon, by the way) isn’t anyone’s (yet.)

*Prize is NOT fabulous, but that’s not too bad for very little effort. Next time I run a contest, I bet a whole bunch more people will enter. But, I’ll tell you upfront that the next prize may not be as fabulous as this one. I decided to make it more fabulous than I had originally planned just to piss off the slugs that didn’t feel it was worth their time and effort to make a guess.

(Hey, who knows? Next time the prize might be even MORE fabulous. I’m perverse in that way – among others – and I’m likely to increase the value of a prize in inverse proportion to the number of entries received. Someday, if only one of you enters a contest of mine, you might end up with me as your personal slave.)

(That might not be so fabulous, either, considering my habits and general slugginess.)

This is the most bollixed up scenario I’ve ever been a part of, softball-wise. Next week now includes the possibility of the Bombers playing FIVE games in one day. We should have taken care of business and had it done more quickly, but having the field you’re contesting a playoff series on suddenly made unavailable is just bizarre. I would have preferred getting it done, by traveling to Cleveland Circle and playing it out this week, but I don’t have a life on Sunday outside of softball. Some guys do.

Stats, through the first game of the playoffs, have been updated at the Bombers website.

For those of you who care about my performance, I caught game one and went 3-for-4, a double included. I scored once and drove in one. I would have given you some good humor describing a couple of things that transpired on the bases, but this has gone on way too long already. Maybe I’ll hit you with them next week. Meanwhile, be patient. Keep your playoff socks on.

Soon, with more better stuff.


27 comments:

Brian Miller said...

nice. i dont think i am in terrible shape as long as neither team scores much more....hope you pull it out once they figure out what to do...nice socks!

Cricket said...

Go Sul! Go Bombers!

It is a pity that strange things like this happen in Softball Leagues. Kind of takes the momentum out of a game, no?

I predict the final score will be Q to 12. Bombers.

(not necessarily your) Uncle Skip said...

"...the possibility of the Bombers playing FIVE games in one day."

I think I'd pay to see that.

Jazz said...

I caught game one and went 3-for-4, a double included. I scored once and drove in one.

Huh?

(not necessarily your) Uncle Skip said...

BTW - nice socks!

It occurs that if someone were to photoshop the two pics, it would look really funny.

Stu said...

"*Prize is NOT fabulous, but that’s not too bad for very little effort."

That's crap. I had to do math and forecasting. Very much more than very little effort. My entry took a good two or three minutes, including serious mental debate, not including my spastic interaction with your word verification system. So if I win, the prize definitely better be fabulous enough. Like, maybe a new pair of those socks!

Stu said...

And wow, total bummer, I had Bombers and 36. Obviously it's not gonna be that, 'cause you got a week's rest coming and more innings to play, but I was, in a way, pretty close. Calls for a drink. Wait, what time is it? It's quarter after seven in the morning. Yeah, like I was sayin'... Wait, what was I sayin'?

Suldog said...

Jazz - Oh, I don't suppose you really want a tutorial, but here's one, anyway.

I played the position of catcher in the first game. In four attempts to reach base, I was successful three times. On of those times, I reached second base. I circled the bases completely at one point, and provided the impetus for someone else to do so another time.

Yeah, that's much clearer :-)

Chris said...

Jeez, what a let down. I'm sure the Bombers will take care of business next week.

And I've already lost the contest, so no suspense there.

Suldog said...

(not my) Uncle Skip - I tried to provide appropriate spacing between the two photos, but one can only do so much with limited skills.

Suldog said...

Stu - The socks were a gift to me from the always-delightful Lime (whom you may find on the sidebar right close to your own link!) If you ask her real nice and purty like, she might be amenable to your blandishments. And she might send you some socks, too.

buddy the elf or softball player or other said...

jazz put it this way ur husband did three things right out of four but one of the thing things he did it twice as good and scored one and drove in one but you are mad because the one thing he didnt do well was he left toilet up

Michelle H. said...

Love those elf socks. Great games you played. Way to go!(Sorry for the sort of bland comment. You know how things are going right now).

Sueann said...

Well keep on hitting Bombers and you too Sully!! Need more runs!! Good luck
And wear those socks...unwashed of course!!
Hugs
SueAnn

Buck said...

Bizarre, indeed. The Gods are messin' with you. No doubt.

Daryl said...

When I celebrated my followers with a 3 prizes Toonman said 'well if you pay them, they will come'...

Jeni said...

Wait! Was this contest to cover one game or two or more games? Maybe I misunderstood the ground rule there. Just wondering -can I change my numbers?
Whatever. Will be plugging away down here in central PA for the Bombers to win and for you to be the heavy hitter of the game(s) too!

CiCi said...

The prize is too fabulous. And you are really cool to offer it too.
Good luck with rest of the games.

Ed & Jeanne said...

Where'd you get those socks? I have an interview coming up and I want to wear my sandals with them...

And hey, stop by and leave a comment...you're not even on this year's blog roll! Sheesh...

Unknown said...

It's as if the gods of softball know what kind of blogger you are and dragged it out so you'd have that one extra week (or possibly more) to barrage us with more team awesomeness.

The good news? Bombers will be well rested next week. The bad news? So will the Renegades.

I'm pulling for you guys!

lime said...

i will confess, it's the end of a long ass day that sucked hairy donkey balls so i skimmed the post in terms of catching a lot of detail. i did however, notice those totally awesome playoff socks which put a great big grin on my face. many many thanks for that smile and may the socks bring you and the bombers the playoff mojo you need to whip the renegades.

Shrinky said...

Are those your seriously groovy lucky socks? How can they fail? Flash those at the opposition, and you'll blind them..

Gawd, and people moan that our cricket takes forever to finish..! Good luck with part two - hope ya' beat the socks off of 'em..

i beati said...

lots of clapping here. how many years fro the socks?

Thumbelina said...

That's typical you - no winners!
Thank you so much (publicly) for the lovely comment at my place. You are a gentleman sir and I love you too! (Although I have to say I truly believe YOUR WIFE is a saint...)

You DO know I still visit often don't you? ;0)

Ananda girl said...

What a weekend! What a nail biter!
I've been gone and missed so much. YIKES!

I rarely win anything. I bet the Bombers clinch it by three runs... whatever the scores.

Cricket-- hee hee!

Carolina said...

I'm almost wishing I understood softball. Almost. Lovely socks.
And I think the prize is great.

Let me try to explain to you what a softball post looks like to people like Jazz and me: ik begrijp er echt geen hout van. Het lijkt wel geheimtaal. Je zou ook in het Russisch kunnen schrijven, daar snap ik net zoveel van.

Something like that ;-)

But good luck on the next game(s?)?

Ruth and Glen said...

At some point during the game you really should expose your secret weapon to the other team. Of course we're referring to those socks!! They'll be in shock and awe at the sight of your mojo OR doubled over in fits of laughter. Either way it's a win-win. :o)