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AAYBA Nationals. July 15 – 21
The Jays rounded out a truly wonderful season with a very strong second-place finish in the 47-team AAYBA National tournament in St. Louis, losing 4 – 3 in a real nail-biting final game to the St. Louis (Rawlings) Orioles, who earlier had qualified for the Elite 24 tournament later this month in Disney World.
Game 1. In such a successful year you wouldn’t think that there would be many disasters. Yet, we absolutely “laid an egg” in the opener of our biggest, and grand-finale, tourney. The opponents were the Tri-County Comanches and after 2 innings we were behind (sit down first) 8 – 0! The kicker was that they only had 2 hits – 8 walks, a couple of errors, a timely double, and the cruel scoreboard screamed an embarrassing 8 – 0 score. That was enough because we never really got our bats going. We did manage to chip away at the lead a bit, and everybody in the park was wondering whether we would catch up in time, but the time clock expired before we could muster enough momentum – final score: 8 – 4. Ouch! We just dug ourselves a big hole. In a 47-team tournament, how do you qualify for the top 16 championship round with a loss and a 4-run deficit after the first of 3 pool games? Stick around and you’ll find out.
Game 2. Two remaining pool games and the PRESSURE IS ON. Not only do we have to win both games, but we have to hold the opposition to very few runs, and then hope that somehow we end up in the top 16 … not to mention that 8 or 10 teams will probably end their pool play 3 – 0 and another couple will be 2-0-1. The St.Louis Stingrays were in the unfortunate position of being in the way of a group of pretty upset Blue Jays, and in short order the final score read 13 – 2, topped off by a game-ending grand slam homer … indeed, an exclamation point on the statement that the Blue Jays were back in action.
Game 3. The AM Eagles, also from the St. Louis area, were next in line, and they too felt the wrath of some pretty focused Jays. Excellent pitching, a couple more home runs, and the Jays just kept adding more runs. This one ended after 6 innings, 7 – 1. The Jays had met the challenge, and climbed out of a very deep hole. It wasn’t until late that evening, however, that all the scores were posted and we learned that we made it to the “sweet 16.” Hardly a high seed (14th), but we were in, and at least had a shot at the crown.
Game 4. Game 4 pitted the 16 top teams against each other (seed 1 vs. seed 16; seed 2 vs. seed 15, etc…) - the winners advancing to the 8-team Platinum Division tournament and the losers relegated to the 8-team Gold Division tournament. As the 14th seed, we were matched against seed 3, the Springfield (Illinois) Pride, who boasted a 3-0 pool-play record. The game was tight from the outset and very well played on both sides – neither defense made a fielding error. The Jays jumped out early with 2 in the first, but pitching control problems again opened up the door for the Pride, who answered with 2 of their own. It stayed even through the 2nd inning, but more control problems allowed the Pride take a 3 – 2 lead as we entered the 4th. The Jays put together a mini rally in their half of the 4th, but it was squelched by a pitching change … the Pride brought in their ace to put out the fire – and he did. In the meantime the Jays pitching had certainly settled down, actually taken control, and after 4 the score remained 3 – 2. In the 5th the Jays popped a 2-out single, stole second, and scored on a sharp single. The Pride was again unable to answer and it was tied 3 – 3 headed into the 6th, when a solo homer, the 5th homer for the Jays in the tournament, put our boys ahead – a lead that ace relief pitching never relinquished. Final score: Jays 4, Pride 3 … and we are off to the Platinum Division tournament, the final 8.
Game 5. In the first round of the Platinum Division tournament we faced the Lincoln Rebels, a group of hardy Nebraska boys, who had literally destroyed all 4 of their tournament opponents, posting over 60 runs. It seemed that the Jays had their hands full for this one, and the first inning looked bleak. The Rebels literally pounded out 4 hits and two runs (those boys sure could swing their bats), and while we hit the ball pretty well in our half of the first, we did not “hit them where they ain’t;” 2 – 0 at the end of the first inning. However, our Jays just kept hitting and hitting and hitting, and the Rebels’ bats grew strangely silent as the game wound on. Seventeen hits and two homers later, the Jays had built a 7 – 3 lead, and again excellent relief pitching kept the opposition bats quiet. Had it not been for a couple of mental errors on the bases, the differential could have been much more. The Rebels walked out of the park with a little less swagger than when they entered, and the Jays departed planning strategy for their final 4 opponent, the Effingham Impact.
Game 6. The Effingham Impact was the number 2 seed, again undefeated and again mowing down tournament opponents with ease. Similar to the Rebels, the Impact popped the ball pretty hard in the first inning and opened a 1 – 0 lead behind their tall, lanky lefty. Also similar to the Rebels, the Impact bats grew strangely silent as the game wound on … while the Jays were just getting started. Two in the third gave the Jays the lead and four in the 5th (fueled by six consecutive hits) finished them off. Final score: Jays 6, Impact 1 … and there’s only one more team standing between the Blue Jays and the 4-foot tall first-place trophies – the Elite 24 bound St. Louis (Rawlings) Orioles.
Game 7. The Orioles, the number 1 seed, happened to be the same opponent the Jays faced 3 years ago in the 11-yea-old AAYBA championship game held at this same park. The younger version of the Orioles bested the Jays 3 – 2 that day in a game that far exceeded what you would expect from a bunch of 11 year old kids. In an almost “de ja vous” experience, it happened again … very well played game with the Orioles, who had added a few dude-like players and a corporate sponsor (Rawlings), squeaking out a close one, 4 – 3. The Jays drew first blood in the second inning with a run-scoring single off a very high quality left-handed Oriole fireballer. The Orioles responded in kind in their half. In the third the Jays put up 2 more runs on three consecutive hits, but the Orioles again found a way to scratch out a couple, and after 3 innings it was 3 - 3. Neither team scored in the 4th, so the game (and the season) was now condensed to 3 remaining innings. The Orioles did their remaining damage in the bottom of the fifth with a 1-out infield single, followed by a second-base steal, and a bouncing base hit through the middle; 4 – 3 Orioles after 5. In the sixth the Orioles brought in their closer, whose fast ball zoomed by at 85 mph, but the first Jay batter greeted one with a line-drive single right up the middle. The following batter crushed one almost the same place, but the pitcher deflected the ball right to the short stop, who was standing near second base … an easy double play, a big break for the Orioles, and a stake through Blue Jay hearts. In the seventh the Jays again put the first batter on base, followed by an almost perfect bunt that slowly rolled foul by inches to the dismay of the Blue Jay entourage. The game ended as the Impact catcher gunned down at second base a Jay trying to put himself in scoring position.
Sure, it would have been real nice to drive home with a season-ending championship trophy from a national tournament. But the Jays have nothing to be ashamed about. After digging themselves into a big hole in St. Louis, they cinched up their pants and crawled right back out, leaving plenty of good teams in their wake. In the final game they stood eye-to-eye with one of the elite teams in the US, and couple that with 7 tournament championships and an overall 54 – 10 record, and you have a reason to give it a go again next year. Tune in again about June 1, 2008, for a review of the fifth edition of the Bloomington Blue Jays as they venture a step up into the land of Elite travel baseball teams.
JP
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Blue Jays make very respectable showing at 14U/15U wood bat tournament but fall just short of the finals.
July 6, Bloomington,IN—The Jays have nothing to be ashamed about. At the Pastime wood bat tournament in the sweltering heat they run-ruled two 14 year old teams, and bested two 15 year old teams before bowing in the semi-finals to eventual tournament champions, the 15U Cincy Sluggers.
Game 1. In very efficient fashion the Jays jumped out early against the Mooresville Bombers and in 5 innings it was 9 – 0. A big first inning, generated by hitting, aggressive base running, and some soft fielding made it tough early on the 14U Bombers. Each inning added a few more runs, and behind solid pitching from 3 different Jays, this one was over in 5.
Game 2. Game 2 featured a match between our Jays and Edwardsville, a 15U team, who hailed from the St. Louis area and already had won its first two pool games. Again, the Jays jumped out early with 5 in the first and 2 in the second. After a rocky third inning, where Edwardsville cut the lead to 7 – 4, the Jays added another in the fourth, holding on to win 8 – 5. This victory, the first for the Jays over a 15U team, put our boys in the “driver’s seat” for the number 1 seed in the pool, and possibly a shot at the number 1 seed overall, which came with the award of a bye in the Sunday finals rounds.
Game 3. Neither team, our Jays or JB Yaeger, another 15U team, could get much offense together early on. Excellent pitching from both sides, combined with very solid fielding and the score going into the 6th inning was 1 – 0, Blue Jays. In the top of the 6th Yaeger threatened, but a fancy play at the plate, and very close call, ended that potential rally. In the bottom of the 6th the Jays let loose a 2-out storm, and posted 4 to take a commanding 5 – 0 lead. Steady pitching and some good defense finished the final inning, and this one ended 5 – 0. The Jays were crowned pool champs headed into Sunday’s finals rounds and only missed the very top seed by a hair’s breathe.
Game 4. The opponents, the Lakota Indians, a 14 U team from the Cincy area, earned their right to the finals by beating our cross-town rivals, the Bloomington Brewers, 7 – 6. It took once through the line-up for the Jays to catch on to their pitcher, but in inning 3 the Jays blew it open with 6 runs. They added 3 in the 5th and it was over quickly, 9 – 0 in favor of the Jays. Again, the pitching was tight … 3 different boys combining for the 5 inning shut out, our second in a row and third for the tournament … and the Jays advanced to the final 4.
Game 5. The Cincy Sluggers are a big, strong 15U team, and in this one they played errorless ball. Their pitcher was sharp throughout, and we could never really get a handle on his number. The Sluggers scratched out (and I do mean scratched) a run in both the first and the second, and we had pop-up-itis, so after 2 (in fact after 4) it was 2 – 0. The Jays finally bunched a couple of hits in the fifth, adding a run, to tighten it to 2 – 1. In the top of the 6th the Sluggers loaded the bases with 2 outs, and an off balance double with a 3-2 count broke open the game. The Sluggers went up 6 – 1, the Jays were unable to answer, and Sluggers – not the Jays - earned the right to face the Schaumberg Seminoles in the final game.
Overall, it was a good way to get ready for the nationals in St. Louis next week. Wood bats force the hitters to have more discipline (The wood bats just don’t quite have the same “pop” as the aluminum ones.), and place a premium on defense … and playing against 15 and 16 year olds forced us to play on our toes. A 4 – 1 record is a very respectable showing, pushing our season record to 49 – 8, and our hopes are high for an even better showing in St. Louis, the final tournament of the season.
JP
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Walk-off homer propels Blue Jays to 45 – 7
Tuesday, July 3, Bloomington, IN— On a beautiful late summer afternoon on a very nicely-manicured Bloomington High School South baseball field, the Blue Jays squared off against a very competitive Indiana Cubs team, an organization that over the years has produced some first-class baseball talent … and this year is no exception.
A walk issued to the first cub’s batter ended up producing a run in the top half for the visitors, who turned around and executed a perfect double play to shut down any Blue Jay hopes of mounting some momentum in their half of the first. However, a couple of hits, a couple of walks and an error led to three runs for the Jays in the second, so we headed into the 3rd up 3 – 1. The Cubs struck back with a towering homer and 3 more runs, and led 4 – 3 going into the 4th … notice the back and forth pattern, and we’ve only started. The 4th was quiet for both teams, but the Jays managed to scratch a tying run in the 5th; 4 – 4 headed into the 6th. In the top half solid Blue Jay pitching checked the Cubs, who brought in their ace pitcher to stem the Blue Jay tide. An infield single, followed by frozen-rope double gave the Jays a 5 – 4 lead, and an attempted squeeze mishandled by the catcher added an insurance run. Predictably, the Cubs bounced back with a screaming double to left (same kid that hit the earlier homer), a Blue Jay botch of a perfect bunt, and it takes an inning-ending double play to hold the Cubs to only 2 runs - tied 6 – 6 headed into the last of the 7th. A pop-up, a walk to a Jay who advances to second on a 2 – 2 pitch in the dirt, and the stage is set … a 3 -2 count with the winning run on second and first-base open. The Cub’s coaching staff signals a pitch-out to put the batter at first, but either the signal was never received or the pitch-out mistakenly ended up over the plate … whatever the case, the pitch-out actually ended up landing about 330 feet away from home plate, and the Blue Jays posted their 45th victory of the season in a well-played hard-fought match between two solid baseball teams – one of the most enjoyable of our to-date 52-game season.
JP
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Blue Jays piece together 7th tournament championship in the shadow of the Golden Dome
Friday, June 30, South Bend, IN—From Christian Team Victory to one of the world’s premier Catholic Universities, the Blue Jays traveled to South Bend for the 16-team Stars and Strikes Tournament, promoted by Triple Crown Sports and populated primarily by teams from northern Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Our boys made a clear statement about why they now boast a 44–7 record, and with the exception of one atypical Blue Jay performance, arrived home late Sunday night with bats engraved “tournament champion.”
Game 1. The first opponent in our 4-team pool was the Lake Central Indians, who hailed from the north east corner of Indiana and, interestingly, was the same team we could have played for the championship had Mother Nature not called a halt to our first tournament way back in April. You couldn’t blame both sides for entering this one thinking it was for the championship of that Bandit Yard title. In a near perfect game, the Jays “broke out of the blocks” early and never looked back. No fielding errors, opportunistic base running, Indians being picked off bases and gunned down by perfect throws – not to mention precise pitching from four different pitchers and base hits well into double figures. The scoreboard kept adding for the Jays and posting “goose eggs” for the Indians…final score, Blue Jays 9; Indians 1, and the chances for Lake Central, a very fine team, to advance to the final rounds just seemed to float right out the window. It is possible that the two best teams of the tournament had just battled.
Game 2. In Game 2 the Jays were matched against the Hilliard Panthers from central Ohio, and unfortunately this was not a good match…as it turned out, the Panthers are a Division B team. Be sure, they never gave up and never backed down, but they were in a little over their heads, and the early ending run-ruled game provided the evidence. One more victory and the Jays were guaranteed a spot in the final four.
Game 3. Wisconsin’s lone representative team, the Menomonee Falls Braves, faced the Blue Jays in Game 3. This team was a very credible band of ball players who had played the Lake Central Indians tough and run-ruled the Hilliard Panthers. Again, however, the Jays piled up a bunch of runs, and quickly built a 9–1 lead. Other than a bout with wildness followed by a timely double, which closed the gap to 9–4, the Jays were again operating on all cylinders. A 3-run inning in the 6th created the 12–4 margin that propelled the boys in blue to the status of Pool C champions, awaiting the winner of Pool D.
Game 4. It had to happen, and indeed it did against a very solid team – the Duneland Flyers from the Indiana dunes area. The Jays flopped in the field and pulled a few base running boners. We started by giving them 5 outs in the first, and wouldn’t you know it, they scored a run…unearned. 1-2-3 in our half of the first, and we’re down 1 – 0. Our pitching and fielding settled down in the mid innings, our hitting perked up, and we headed into the fifth with a 4–1 lead. The top of the sixth was ugly— a couple of errors, a pitch to the back stop, a botched pick off, a walk and a hit or two…and two more unearned runs; now its 4–3, and a big boost for the Flyers. We produced zilch in our half of the sixth, forcing us to hold them scoreless in the 7th to gain entry to the final game. Well, that didn’t happen. A pop up, a walk, an infield hit, a new pitcher, a tough call at second, another walk, a sharp single to right, and it is 4 – 4. On the next pitch the baseball gods weighed in our favor as they directed a soft liner right to our first baseman, who doubled the runner off third, and we’re out of the inning…a run in the bottom of the 7th and we’re done. Not so fast, that didn’t happen either, and it’s extra innings! Their half of the 8th went quickly with a bunt out, a strike out, and a soft grounder…a run in the bottom of the 8th and we’re done. Right? Well, that didn’t happen either. With runners on first and third with no outs we managed to hit a soft pop up, make a tragic base running error, and look at a called third strike…to the 9th. It gets even hairier. We boot a ground ball and toss one almost into the stands, and we enter the bottom of the 9th down 5–4 with a game total of 6 fielding errors, leading to 4 of their five runs. Here the Blue Jays finally come through…a 1-out single with a runner at third ties the score, and a bases-loaded sacrifice fly ends it in a cloud of dust at the plate with the winning slide. We really didn’t deserve it, but it is something to be able to find a way to win even when you’re not at your best.
Game 5. The championship game opponent was the Blue Wave from Canton, Ohio, who also survived a close semi-final contest. The third game on a sunny summer day always taxes your endurance levels and you could see that both teams were showing some wear and tear…no doubt caused in part by winning a couple of close, emotion-draining, hard-fought games. Our Jays, nonetheless, dug down deep and played a very, very solid game – 4 runs in the first, caused in no small part by aggressive and alert base running, and the Jays were off to the races. Behind excellent pitching (again 4 different pitchers), terrific fielding (no errors and 2 legitimate double plays), and 2 more runs in the fourth. The game ended 6–0, and was never in doubt; in fact, the Blue Wave never threatened. In the post-game celebration it was announced our victory qualified us for all of the post-season events sponsored by Triple Crown Sports…in some pretty cool locales. Vegas anyone?
JP
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Blue Jays Play Team Victory in Top-Flight Stadium
Indianapolis, IN—Little did we know that an invitation to play in Indy – just north of Ben David High School – against a first-year travel team, called Team Victory, would introduce us to one of the very nicest baseball parks in all of Indiana – including Victory Field. Built to the dimensions of Fenway Park in Boston, Green Monster and all, this relatively new field had big league dugouts, manicured Kentucky blue grass turf, and number seats for the fans – the only problem being some crabby neighbors, who didn’t appreciate foul balls through their kitchen windows…guess they can’t take a joke. Anyway, it was a beautiful evening for baseball and aside from having to carefully retrieve foul balls, we had 5 innings of fun. Team Victory is a Christian-based group, just this year organized into a baseball team, so the game wasn’t that competitive, but our hosts were upbeat and very gracious and even included a post-game prayer. Blue Jay players and fans alike all drove home feeling pretty good about the whole experience…I guess you never know what travel baseball will bring.
JP
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Blue Jays Sail through Walk-the-Plank Tournament
Saturday, June 16, Lawrence, IN— The Jays won their sixth tournament of the year, a 4-team round robin hosted by the Lawrence Pirates in Indianapolis. Big bats early and satisfactory, yet unspectacular, pitching kept the Jays on top throughout the entire day … and we had good reason to wear our hot-weather t-shirts for the first time this year.
Game 1. For the second time this season the Southside Saints, a collection of talented and experienced travel ball players and coaches, took the opposing dugout. In the first encounter, the Saints let one get away, allowing our Jays to pull it out by a single run in the final inning. Clearly, the Saints did not want that to happen again. However, the Saints were not at their best this day, and the Jays blew this one open early with 6 runs in the top half of the first – driven mostly by very strong hitting. In the later innings the Jays continued to pound away, including three homers, and the outcome was really never in doubt. The Blue Jay pitching was solid, giving up only 3 hits, but not particularly sharp, struggling at times with control. Nonetheless, this game ended in 5 innings – Blue Jays 13; Saints 2. The Saints are our first opponent this coming weekend at the Bloomington Invitational, and don’t expect another game like this one.
Game 2. Again, the Jays faced another team they had seen before – the Anderson Bull Dogs. Very early in the season the Bull Dogs came to Bloomington for a DH, and went home without a victory. Certainly, they had hopes of turning that around. However, the Jays again jumped on their pitchers early and coasted comfortably to a second 13 – 2 victory. Two Jay pitchers held the Bull Dogs down, and we used this game to work a number of players at new and different positions, introducing a first-time catcher, second baseman, and center fielder. After this second run-ruled game, the Jays were ready for the championship match against the host Pirates, who also had decisively handled the Bull Dogs and the Saints.
Game 3. The Pirates sent a right handed side armer to the mound and after 2 innings, the score was knotted at zero to zero. Neither team had mounted anything that could be considered a serious threat. After holding the Pirates to nothing in the top of the third, the Jays put something together in the bottom half of the inning, relying – as is often the case – on the lower part of the batting order to get it started. A combination of control problems, some mediocre fielding, and a couple of timely hits produced 3 runs for the Jays and a decent lead heading into the 4th. In the fourth the Jays pushed three more insurance runs across after the Pirates posted a single run, and all of a sudden the Jays were comfortably ahead 6 – 1. The Blue Jay pitcher who had held the opponents in check throughout the game began to get a little weary, and both teams scored one in the fifth. The game ended as time expired in the bottom of the sixth with the Jay threatening again - final score: Jays 7; Pirates 2 … and our boys add a sixth trophy to this year’s spoils, bringing their overall record to 38 – 7.
JP
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Blue Jays “rub elbows” with some big boys in Dayton, and discover that they are still a step or two behind.
Friday, June 8, Dayton, OH The Jays traveled to Dayton for their biggest tournament to date (Tournament of Champions), and saw plenty of national-quality teams, some of which look more like high school football teams. We got off to a decent start, quickly qualifying for the final round of 16, but then ran into a “bulldozer” from Florida, followed by a disappointing loss where we tried to plan for the next game, and let one slip through our fingers.
Game 1. Our first challenge introduced us to the Dover Tornadoes, an Ohio team that has made a habit of participating in the Tournament of Champions. Speaking of tornadoes, we played this game in an absolute gale … with the 30 mph wind bearing down on the batter directly from right-center. These conditions created a very strange baseball game, where outfielders could afford to play shallow and the wind combined with thick infield grass made for a painfully slow game. We did crawl out of the gate early with 3 in the first, but pitching control problems and funny conditions allowed the Tornadoes to answer with 2 in the first. Our pitching settled down in the second, and we scratched out a second run to go into the 3rd up 4 – 2. In the fourth the Jays posted a “goose egg” while the tornadoes mounted a threat, but were unable to score. Things got interesting in the 5th as the Tornadoes pushed one across and had runners at 2nd and 3rd with only 1 out. A pitching change, a liner to second knocked down by a pulled in second baseman (freezing the runner at 3rd while the batter was thrown out), and then a nifty pick off at third base ended the inning with the Jays clinging to 4 – 3 lead. In the sixth our boys made their move with a couple of base hits and a nice squeeze bunt, pushing three across … and the game ended Blue Jays 7 – Tornadoes 3.
Game 2. Game 2 pitted the Jays against an old nemesis, the Lawrence (Indy) Pirates, who over the years have constituted very respectable opposition. This year’s team has taken on a new look as it seems that Indy’s north side teams reshuffle just about every season. The Pirates sent a tall, lanky, lefty to the mound, who could muster some heat, and it looked at the outset that the Jays may be in for a game. However, solid pitching from the Jays’ combined with the lefty’s control problems and some inexperience (first year in travel ball), and the Blue Jays put this one away pretty early … 9 – 1 after 4 innings. The Pirates are on our schedule a few more times this year, and we better not get too cocky … they’ll remember this one.
Game 3. Welcome to the world of national-level travel teams … the Manesota Meteors, out of Sarasota, Florida, members of the Elite 24, and fresh off two trouncings of the Tornadoes (17 – 0) and the Pirates (10 – 2). After the game we spent some time with their coaches, who sheepishly admitted to having a pitching coach, a hitting coach, and (get this) a catching coach … all ex-MLB players. Look out below! Anyway, both teams were 2 – 0 coming into the game, and had already secured participation in the Final 16, so only seeding was at stake in this game. Consequently, neither team used their “ace” pitchers, and we all settled in for a game expecting plenty of scoring. To make a long story (game) short, the Meteors built a lead early and then gradually added to it. In the end they won 12 – 3; the primary redeeming feature for the Jays being that the game went the full 7 innings (an accomplishment that few other teams have been able to claim). The Jays did not play well - uncharacteristic errors (physical and mental), a general lack of enthusiasm, and we never really hit a pretty average pitcher. At the post-game team meeting we concluded that our pitching was actually pretty good and had we played our normal game – eliminating the fielding errors and hitting that caliber pitcher like we normally do, we would have won something like 8 – 4. Maybe we didn’t believe that we could beat these guys, or were convinced that we were supposed to lose … whatever the reason, we failed to play normal Blue Jay baseball, and consequently blew a chance to stick a real “feather” in our baseball caps. Perhaps we can take some solace from the fact that playing our normal game would have led to victory over a top-20 national team. … Now there’s a positive spin on a 12 – 3 loss.
Game 4. Our 2 – 1 record earned for us a 9th seed in the 16-team, single elimination finals. It appeared fortunate as well that in the first round we were matched against the 8th seed, the Algonquin (Illinois) Patriots, a team we thought – at least on paper - we should be able to handle. Like us, they earned their seeding with a 2 – 1 record, but they emerged from what looked like a weaker pool. To add to the drama - the winner would face the Manesota Meteors who earlier in the day had run-ruled their opponent (Pony Express Blue) in the first round … perhaps a second chance to knock off one of the big guys!
The Jays opened up strong … after two innings our boys had built a 4 – 0 lead on solid hitting and dominant pitching. Looking perhaps too far ahead to the Meteors, I made a pitching change, figuring we could maintain our lead without burning up our strongest pitchers. Well, I suppose you know where I’m headed … after 3 innings the score remained at 4 – 0, but the Patriots removed their starting pitcher in favor of one who seemed much stronger and more effective. In the bottom of the 4th, the “wheels fell off the wagon” … a hit batsman, a walk, a crummy call at first, a couple of seeing-eye grounders through the infield, a botched play, a blooper, a couple of balls passed the catcher, and a couple more walks, and by the end of this nightmare of an inning the Patriots had built a 7 – 4 lead. We frantically tried over the final three innings to even the score, but we could only produce two more runs … we actually hit the ball pretty hard (right at their fielders), and they never again even threatened, but one, big, ugly inning doomed the Jays, and we lost that chance to face the Meteors, the eventual tournament champion.
About a month ago, when our record was something like 18 – 0, I wondered out loud rather we were ready to move to that next level. Unfortunately, the answer right now seems to be “no.” Nonetheless, there is plenty of baseball yet to play, more chances to prove ourselves against top-quality teams, and our 35 – 7 record would still be considered pretty respectable.
JP
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Blue Jays meet their match at Best of the Midwest.
June 3, Bloomington— After a strong start and a couple of run-rule victories, the Jays ran into a first-class group from our neighbor state to the east, the Ohio Warhawks, and were sent home with nothing to show for this tournament. We did learn one lesson: there’s always somebody out there who is better, someone you can learn from.
Game 1. The first game of the tournament was played at Edgewood High School against the Dekalb Rebels from the northwest corner of Indiana. A very nice group of people, this was primarily a league team who had played most of the season at 54’-80’, the diamond dimension the Blue Jays played at last year. They did offer a pretty decent pitcher, who had some heat and was undoubtedly a handful at 54 feet. Nonetheless, the Blue Jays laid on him pretty fast and hard, and this one ended in 5 innings at 9 – 1. The biggest threat of this game was the ominous weather that kept swirling about, but never really dumped on us.
Game 2. The Indiana Tigers beat us a couple of weeks ago, so this game had a little extra something to it. As is often the case, the Tigers threw their ace against us, a good sized lefty with decent mechanics, and some speed. The Jays had their revenge this time, however, posting a couple of runs in each inning, and again a 9 – 1, 5 inning affair. Our 2 – 0 start made a high seed for the championship round pretty likely. For those who may not have noticed, this was the 6th time in a row the Jays had run-ruled their opponent.
Game 3. Game 3 of pool play introduced us to the Ohio Warhawks, a team built from a one of last year’s Super Midwest League, and they played like it. The Jays did jump on the Warhawks early with a couple of runs in the first, but the opponents answered back immediately and after 3 stanzas, it was 3 – 3, looking like a real game. That changed quickly as the Warhawks jumped on the Blue Jay pitching for 6 runs in the 4th to take an insurmountable 9 – 3 lead. In the sixth they scratched another run, placed on base by a hit batsmen (a problem we faced all game), and then a walk-off 320 foot homer ended this one mercifully at 11 – 3. I guess we kept the run-rule streak alive … 7 in a row – 6 by us and then one against us.
Game 4. The skies dumped on us over night and the tournament pairings had to be quickly re-written. In the end our Jays had another chance at the Warhawks, and the winner would be in the championship game - the opponent coming from the other pool. Here was our chance to redeem ourselves, and we were ready … rested pitchers and plenty of resolve to make up for an embarrassing game the day before. The game was well played – good pitching from both sides and solid defense. One bad inning spurred by a couple of walks, a lucky swinging bunt, and a solid double put 3 on the board for the Warhwaks in the third. The Jays answered with one in the fourth, but from then on the Blue Jay hits were just too scattered … never really came up with a hit when we needed one and didn’t get any breaks. It happens like that sometimes. We played as well as the Warhawks but they ended up on top 4 – 1 after our last inning rally fizzled.
We need to do the little things right to play with teams like the Warhawks. There is very little room for error … concentration, focus, hard work and a little luck. Next week we head to Dayton for the Tournament of Champions, which will feature a number of very high-quality teams. Are we ready to move to that next level? We weren’t ready to make that step this weekend.
JP
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Blue Jays Add Memorial Day Super Series Tournament Win to Accomplishments.
May 28, Bloomington— The Jays swept the Winslow-based Super Series tournament in convincing style by run-ruling 4 of their 5 opponents for their 5th tournament win in 6 tries, pushing their record to an impressive 31 – 3.
Game 1. The Jays had a pretty tough draw in this tourney, opening up against the Indy Prospects, who had pummeled them last week. However, this time the tables turned, and our boys jumped out 3 – 0 in the first on solid hitting. The Prospects put a little something together in the third, chopping the lead to 3 – 2, but the Jays added another in the fourth and three more in the fifth. Propelled by the combination of reliable pitching and solid fielding, the Prospects were never really able to muster a legitimate threat the rest of the game, and it ended 7 – 2 in favor of the Jays.
Game 2. Our game 2 opponent, the Middletown (Kentucky) Mustangs, had run-ruled their first foe 10 – 2, so this one looked like it might be a nail biter. In the early innings it seemed that way as the Jays broke out first, but the Mustangs countered. However, the Blue Jay bats started to boom in the fourth and fifth, and before you knew it, the Jays had mounted an 11-3 lead, and the game ended after 5. These two victories earned the Jays a 3rd seed in the 8-team championship tourney by virtue of a 2 – 0 record and 5 runs allowed. The top two seeds, the Bloomington Brewers and the Terre Haute Tribe, each had 2 – 0 records, but had given up zero and three runs, respectively.
Game 3. Our first contest in the championship series was against the 6th seeded, US Athletic Nationals, coached by former BHSN baseball coach Richard Hurt, who has a way of getting the most out of his players. The early innings were tense as the Nationals small-balled a run in the first, and the Blue Jays kept failing to take advantage of run-scoring opportunities … after 3 innings: Nationals 1 Blue Jays 0. In the fourth the Jays pushed one across, but again blew a chance to put the game away, leaving 3 “ducks on the pond” for the second time in the game. In the fifth, however, the Jays put together a big-time inning, fueled by a bases-loaded double, a collection of other solid hits, some aggressive base running, and some spotty fielding. The “dike” broke and again this one ended after 5 with a score of 9 – 1.
Game 4. Down to 4 teams left in the tourney, the Blue Jays faced Lightning Baseball out of the Cincinnati- Dayton area, who had bounced back from 2 early losses with a big 12 – 6 win over the second-seed, Terre Haute Tribe. This one ended pretty quickly as the Jays pounded the ball early and often to mount a sizable lead. This one ended in 4 innings at 11 – 1, and just in the knick of time before the rains came and put a halt to tournament.
Game 5. The final game, pushed back to Memorial Day due to thunderstorms, pitted our Jays against their cross-town rivals, the Bloomington Brewers. This all-Bloomington final reminded us of those Blue Jay-Indiana Express finals we all enjoyed a few years ago, and for the most part featured the same kids. The #1 seeded Brewers earned their spot in the final game with a hard-fought 6 – 4 victory over the Indiana Prospects. Somewhat surprisingly, the Jays made pretty short work of this game, jumping on the Brewers’ starter for 5 in the first, and then belting out another 5 in the third … after 3 innings it was 10 – 1, and the outcome was no longer in doubt. Both teams pushed a few more across in the fourth and fifth, but –like the others before it – this one too ended in a run-ruled 12 – 4 after 5 innings.
JP
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Blue Jays Complete So-So, 2 – 2 weekend with No Hardware
May 20, Indianapolis— Last year we won the Pony Express Start of Summer Slam tournament; this year we failed even to make the championship (final 4) round. A good start against the Red Raiders from Fort Wayne, a train wreck at the hands of a hard hitting Indy Prospects team led by one fine pitching performance, a disappointing loss to the Indiana Tigers, and a recovery against the Magic City Longhorns of Muncie … all added up to a pretty so-so showing.
Game 1. The Red Raiders, who boasted a 16 – 4 record, displayed a hard-throwing lefty, who pretty much controlled the Blue Jay bats for four innings … lots of strike outs and we are down 3 – 1 going into the fifth. It was good pitching and solid fielding that kept it close. However, the Jays put together some bat power, aggressive base running, and small ball in the fifth, posting nine runs, and chasing the starting pitcher as well as a couple of his replacements. Our pitching and defense continued strong as the Raiders were only able to push two across in the final inning after the game was no longer in question – final score: 9 – 5.
Game 2. After our promising start against the Raiders we ran into a buzz saw in game 2 in the form of the Indy Prospects, the eventual pool winner. They fired the same lefty at us, who we took to extra innings a couple of weeks earlier (eventually winning the game), but this time he was in COMPLETE control … no runs and NO HITS in five innings for the Jays. In the meantime the Prospects had their way with a good portion of our pitching staff, aided by some pretty loose fielding, and the result was an embarrassing 10 – 0 trouncing … a loss that pretty much ended any Blue Jay hopes of advancing to the championship rounds on Sunday.
Game 3. The Indiana Tigers are a first-year travel team, but I guess we were the ones who played like a first-year team. After booming the ball in the first two innings and posting a 4 – 0 lead, our bats fell silent. In the fifth and sixth the Tigers punched in 6 runs … a few walks, a few hits, and a few lucky bounces, and all of a sudden we are batting in the final inning down 6 – 4. We managed a run, but a base runner missing first base on a key potential double, which resulted in the final out, marked a fitting end for this one … 6 – 5 and we are 1 and 2 for the tournament, and I’m afraid off to the losers’ bracket on Sunday.
Game 4. The Jays redeemed themselves on Sunday against a pretty solid team, the Magic City Longhorns, who lost a couple of tough ones in a high-quality pool the day before. However, they also bested a very competitive Bloomington Brewers team. This team was no slouch. Again, the Jays found themselves behind early on as the Longhorns pushed one across in the first, and again the Blue Jay bats took a while to warm up. Fortunately, we shut them down for the remainder of the game with strong pitching and fielding. We knocked a couple across in the fifth, and blew it open with a 6-run sixth. Final score 8 – 1 in favor of the Jays, who now boast a 26 -3 record for the year.
JP
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Blue Jays Find Way to Keep Coming from Behind to Win Indiana Cup, 4th Straight Tourney.
Game 1. Our Jays were very fortunate to win this one … 4 – 3 in the last inning against the Southside Saints. While our pitching and fielding were up to speed – for the most part – we were never really able to lock in on their pitcher. We entered the 6th inning down 3 – 0, looking pretty feeble trying to hit off speed pitches off our front foot … not an effective hitting technique. We did manage to push one across in the sixth, but 3 – 1 going into the final inning is not a very good spot to be in. Our pitching held them scoreless in their half, and low and behold (once again) the lower half of the lineup produced a walk, an error and a BIG TRIPLE, and the game was tied with a single out and a runner at third. The Saints chose to intentionally walk the bases loaded, and an errant throw to the plate after a ground ball ended the game in our favor … a close call.
Game 2.. We then played the Southside Indy Bulldogs, that well-coached and scrapping team who never gives an inch. They are small, but their fielding is always solid and they make you play the right way to win. Early on the game was close, but the Blue Jay bats began to rock about midway, including a couple of solo homers and a grand slam (the field was a bit too small for 14U), and the game ended 11 – 3 after six.
Game 3. The final pool game pitted our Jays against the Indiana Flames, a team from Warsaw (IN), who unbeknownst to us was for real. We began to notice when they walked in, looking very athletic, and wearing T-shirts that boasted a national championship. They were also 2 – 0 coming into the game, so a #1 seed for the next day was at stake. Like a canon, they boomed 6 runs in the first, topped by a grand slam, and the Jays were in a gigantic hole right off the bat, which adjusted our pitching rotation for the game significantly. We were able to “stop the bleeding,” but after 4 innings, we could do no better than 6 – 1. Never to die, however, the boys in blue made a big move, boosted by a grand slam of our own, and we jumped ahead 8 – 6. The Flames countered with a seventh run, and threatened an even bigger inning, but a double play put the stops on that rally. The Jays pounded 3 more in their half of the last inning, and the Flames were unable to respond. Final score 11 – 7 and a #2 seed for the tomorrow’s championship tourney.
Game 4. The Indiana Braves, a very talented Indy northside team, have wanted a piece of the Blue Jays all year, and by crushing the ball in a 12 - 11 barnburner against the Bloomington Brewers, earned the right. This team is big, strong, and talented, and showed it by jumping ahead 4 – 0 in the first inning; 3 of the runs coming on a routine pop fly that turned into a homer by a short left field fence. Some excellent Blue Jay pitching up through the sixth inning, and a few homers ourselves (3 by the same hitter) had the Jays back into the lead 5 – 4 after six. However, our Jays were without a head coach (yours truly), who on the umpire’s orders had to watch the game from outside the park … and in the 7th were without a scorekeeper, who was then banned to the same fate for using his cell phone. (For details check with the coaches for the actual story). Fortunately, the team needed neither … as both teams posted 2 runs in the 7th, which ended the game at 7 – 6 Blue Jays … and off to the final game against none other than the Flames.
Game 5. The Indiana Flames are a pleasure to play against … a classy, talented group, who know baseball and respect the game … players, coaches, and fans. This one was going to be a good one. The Flames opened with a run in the first, fueled by a line drive double into the left field corner, and the Jays responded with two of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Given that this was late on the final day of the tournament, with both pitching staffs depleted (especially the Flames who had to play an extra game), it was easy to see that this was going to be a slugfest. To everyone’s surprise, however, two pretty cagey pitchers, operating mostly on guile and cunning, kept both teams’ sluggers off-balance and hitting off their front feet. After 5 it was still 2 – 1. The Jays inserted a new pitcher in the sixth, who added a bit more heat, and added an important insurance run to provide a bit more of cushion. The final score was 3 – 1, a well-played final game that pitted two high-quality teams … fun baseball … and a fourth straight tournament championship for our boys in blue, pushing the season record to 24 – 1.
The highlight of this tournament is that we were behind at some point in all five games, by as much as 6 runs, and we still ran the table. These boys don’t give up, and they seem to be able to rise to the occasion when necessary. Not everyone can do that … very good to see.
JP
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Blue Jays Fall from the Ranks of Unbeatens
May 6, Bloomington— It had to happen, and it sure did. The Blue Jays fell to earth with a big thump; 10 - 0 at the hands of a much superior Pony Express Blue squad … better hitting, better pitching, better fielding, better base running, and better coaching. Is there anything I left out? Nevertheless, our boys righted themselves in the second game of the round robin with a tough, extra inning 4-3 win over the Indy Prospects.
Game 1. This game was a disaster from start to finish. The Pony Express Blue posted a couple of runs on the Jays early … fielding errors, walks, missed cutoffs … and kept adding a run here, a couple of runs there, and by the end of the sixth, they were into double figures. Interestingly, while the opposition accumulated plenty of runs, they didn’t really “smoke” the ball. Randy and I counted 13 poor plays in the field (7 actual errors and 6 examples of poor judgment or execution). The Jays, on the other hand, were never able to do anything with the bat, largely because the Blue threw two quality pitchers. All in all, our lack of intensity and concentration timed with playing a high-quality baseball organization spelled doom for our boys. The pressure is off … we have been both beaten and run-ruled in the same game.
Game 2. It took a couple of innings for our concentration to return, so we again had a rocky start, but in this case we recovered. The opponents this time were the Indy Prospects, a very respectable baseball organization made much better by the addition of a first-rate, elite pitcher. This kid, who normally plays with an Elite 24 team out of Georgia, was in Indy for the weekend, and he needed some mound work to stay sharp … a lefty with plenty of heat, a sharp curve ball, and lots of baseball savvy. The game was close from start to finish. The Prospects broke out early, but the Jays kept responding in a see-saw battle that after regulation was knotted at 3 – 3. We never really hit this kid, but “small balled” a couple of runs when we need them, and our pitching was sharp from start to finish. Seven innings was enough for their starter, and they were forced to go into the 8th inning with their backup. The Jays jumped on the backup for a quick run, and we salvaged a split on the day, 4 – 3.
JP
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Blue Jays blast through a third tournament in Columbus, run record to 18 – 0
April 29, Columbus, IN—Right now the Jays are simply smokin’… Add four more games to the list. Hits are popping from throughout the line-up; base running is consistently producing extra bases; only a single error in four games with a variety of excellent fielding plays; and pitching has been consistent and reliable and, in some cases, dominant. It has been a pleasure to watch this operation unload. It makes one wonder whether we should be looking to play more nationally-rated teams. As good as you think you are, there’s always somebody better.
Game 1. The first opponent in the Hoosier Early Bird in Columbus was the North Dawgs, who hail not far from Cincinnati on the Indiana side of the Indiana/Ohio border. The Jays lost the coin flip and batted first, and look who’s on the mound … a 6-4 man-child with decent mechanics and plenty of heat … and its twilight to boot. He held the Jays down in inning 1, but didn’t show an ability to blow it by anyone … and sure enough our boys made a ruckus in inning 2 with four earned runs – initiated from the lower part of the order. I doubt the surprised pitcher was accustomed to being treated with so little respect, and a few innings later the rangy fireballer found himself playing third with the score - Blue Jays 8, North Dawgs 0. Excellent pitching from four different Jays, backed by a couple of nice fielding plays, kept the Dawgs off balance at the plate, and the game ended around 11:00pm, 8 – 1.
Game 2. The Terre Haute Tribe entered this game also with a victory over the North Dawgs (5 – 1), so Game 2 was a battle for top seed of the 3-team pool. This one was decided very quickly as the Jays pounded their way to a 10 – 0 lead by the end of the second inning … 10 hits, including 2 homers and a handful of doubles … and these hits were not the Texas leaguer variety. Indeed, it was an impressive display. By the end of the 4th, it was 13 – 0, and the game was over by run rule. The Jays are a convincing top seed and a member of Sunday’s final four.
Game 3. The North Dawgs worked their way into the final four with an extra-inning victory over the Cincy Riverdogs, earning for themselves the right to take another crack at the boys from Bloomington. Again, the Jays made them pay with impressive hitting, early and often. This one went 5 innings, ending 10 – 0 and featured our second straight shut out. While the hitting has been scary, the pitching – backed by first-rate fielding – kept opposition batters off base … the North Dawgs, a solid team, hardly even threatened a run.
Game 4. The final game featured two undefeated teams … our Jays and a Center Grove (Trojans) middle school team, who earned passage to the finals with three straight victories. Similar to the previous games, almost every inning featured a Blue Jay score or two, and by the 5th our boys were comfortably ahead 6 – 1, their only run coming from a solo home run shot by one of several good-sized Trojans. The Jays added a homer themselves, along with a handful of doubles and a bunch of singles, and the game ended 9 – 2 to cap off a third straight tournament for the players in pinstripes and royal blue – a third ceremony to hand out some hardware and a few more goofy team photos.
Are the Blue Jays actually 18 – 0 good? I’m not sure. Certainly, most of the competition has not been of the elite category, but then again the typical opponent has not been a slouch … most can hit (at least in the middle of the order) and the fielding by the opposition has been quite respectable. The advantage of the Jays so far has been all around strength … consistently strong hitting pretty much throughout the order (rallies are often started in the lower part and 5 different kids have hit home runs); base running has been aggressive and very effective at producing opportunities; the offense has been opportunistic and has shown an ability to produce “small ball” runs; the fielding has been almost remarkable (catching has been outstanding); and the pitching has shown depth and consistency (we are throwing about 60% strikes). Only one pitcher has got the best of us, and only a couple of others have slowed us down. Maybe we’re just hot, and the bubble will break at any time … or maybe we are just beginning to think that we can look teams like the Schaumberg Seminoles, Alleghany Tigers, and Kentucky Baseball Club square in the eye … not bad for a small-community team.
JP
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Blue Jays add another trophy to the 2007 trophy case
April, 22, Bandit Yard, Greenfield, IN—On a beautiful spring weekend the Jays pieced together five games in a row of awfully good baseball to take home top honors at the Bandit Yard Spring Swing, their second sweep of the year at that locale. This time the key to the championship was hitting – hard, often, and at the right time. Five games in two days taxed the pitching staff and the fielding wasn’t quite as sharp as it has been, but 4 home runs, plenty of triples and doubles, and hits throughout the lineup spelled the difference. The team now stands 14 – 0 on the season; I know the streak has to end, but it looks like whoever puts an end to it will have to play some pretty darn good baseball. Somebody pinch me!
Game 1. Game 1 brought the Southside Indy Bulldogs into the opposing dugout – not big, but always scrappy, well coached, solid on all fronts, and every time a threat to steal a victory. The Jays jumped out early on the first homer of the weekend and pushed the lead to 4 – 0 at the end of 3 innings. Maybe we got a bit too comfortable, and the Bulldogs clawed their way back with a few hits, a couple of walks and assorted Blue Jay fielding miscues - all of a sudden we’re heading into the fifth down 6 – 5. These Jays don’t lie down and die, however, and the bats started to boom … before you knew it, it was 11 – 6 … and the Jays were one step closer to a high seed in the championship round.
Game 2. The second pool game was played against the Indy Eagles, a brand new 14U travel team from the south side of Indy. For a team just starting out they played pretty solid baseball and at the same time the Jays seemed a bit lackluster. It took a few innings, and another couple homers, but gradually our boys built an 8 – 0 lead behind solid shut out pitching. This one ended on a run rule after 5, and Jays entered the 8-team, single elimination championship tournament as a 3 seed – four of the 8 teams were undefeated and all had the swagger of confident clubs.
Game 3. The Summit City Cougars earned their spot in the 8-team finals by wining one of two games, and not giving up many runs. Against our boys they started a clever lefty, who held us in check for four innings with pin point control, lots of off-speed, and an effective curve ball. He didn’t strike out many, but through the fourth inning we hit a bunch of soft grounders and lazy pop flies. Fortunately, our pitching was just as effective, and our fielding just as solid, so the two teams entered the fifth at 0 – 0. In the bottom of the fifth the lefty began to tire, and his control began to slip … right on cue the boys bunched a few hits and walks, some aggressive base running, and by the end of the inning a new Cougar pitcher stood on the mound and four Jay runs had crossed the plate. The Cougars were able to push one across before the game ended, but they never were able to mount a substantive threat. One lesson from this game: the Jays’ pitching depth seems to be paying off – in the latter parts of some games opponent pitchers often begin to wear down, while the Jays just keep throwing fresh arms from the beginning to the end … four teams remain.
Game 4. Game 4 pitted two undefeated teams: our Jays and the Orland Park Sparks (southwest side of Chicago). This opponent could swing the bat, especially in the middle of the order, and it was no fluke that these guys were a member of the Final 4. Indeed, they were the 2 seed, one ahead of the Jays. The Jays opened with a homer in the first, the fourth of the tournament (and this one sailed way over the high center field screen some 300 feet away) and pushed across another run – all with two outs – heading into the bottom half of the inning feeling pretty good. However, the Sparks jumped on our starter for 3 runs due to a combination of fortunate (for them) funny bounces as well as a couple of zinging line drives. After inning 1, there was no doubt that we were in for a game. Until about the fifth, the two teams took turns tacking up a few runs – the Jays would catch up and then the Sparks would again pull ahead by one; and as I walked to the third base coaching box to begin the fifth, down 4-3, I began to wonder if we could ever hold a lead on these guys. The Jays evened it up in their half of the fifth, with a “small ball” run and the situation began to brighten. But as in the previous innings the Sparks added a run in the bottom of the fifth to take a 5-4 lead. But we had fresh pitchers ready to finish up, and their pitcher, who entered in the second, began to show fatigue. In the sixth – again all with two outs – the Jays absolutely exploded with something like seven consecutive hits … line drive after line drive … and the inning ended after 5 runs had crossed the plate, and the Jays being thrown out at third trying to “push the envelope” a bit farther. That 9 – 5 lead turned out to be plenty, as our fresh pitchers shut down their offense. The Sparks were headed back to Chicago, and the Jays were headed to the final game.
Game 5. By far the strongest team in the Indianapolis area, the Indy Select represented a formidable final-game foe. They have been competitive for years, based out of Carmel, but this year they added a (large) handful of very high quality players, cherry picking from some of the best programs around. They entered the final game, having run-ruled all 4 of their prior opponents, and with a “chip on their shoulders” because up to this game the Jays had bested the Select the last 4 times in a row – going all the way back to the semi-finals of the AAYBA national tournament in St. Louis (when the boys were 11), and two of last year’s three Blue Jay victories over the Select came in the final game of tournaments. There was plenty of rivalry brewing in this one, and you couldn’t blame the Select for thinking “it’s finally our turn.” The Select drew first blood with a couple of hits in the first, scoring on a shortstop boot. 1 – 0 after one. The second inning was scoreless, but the Select threatened – saved by an inning ending Blue Jay double play. The Jays made their move in the third, chasing the Select starter off the mound with some big time hits, some aggressive base running, and by the time the dust had settled, the Jays were up 6 - 1, and it could have been more except for an out at home thanks to a perfect throw by the Select short stop - from pretty deep in the left center. The Jays entered the bottom of the third plenty confident, but that was short-lived as the Select jumped on the Jays’ second pitcher for three runs, and that too could have been more except for an excellent cut off and relay to gun down at the plate the potential fourth run of the inning. If you didn’t notice, this was two darn good teams going at it! Enter the Indy Select’s ace pitcher, who had excellent command of a sharp and active fast ball as well as a deceptive curve, and all of a sudden the Jays’ bats grow silent. Can we hold on to a 6 – 4 lead for four more innings? The third Blue Jay pitcher holds the Select down in the fourth, so we go to the fifth clinging to a 6 – 4 lead, and in the fifth the Select ace falters a bit, hitting a batter who fought his way to third on consecutive steals, and found his way home on a two-out looper over second base: Blue Jays 7 – Select 4. However, the Select pushed a fifth run across in fifth, and we go to the sixth up only 7 – 5. In the top of the 6th the Jays had a chance to add another run after a 1-out triple, but the bunt to bring him home was fielded well, and a potential insurance run evaporated. In the bottom of the sixth the Select produced another run by pounding out a 2-out double at the expense of our fourth pitcher in the game, followed by a sharp single at the expense of our fifth pitcher. We go to the 7th, still holding on to a fragile one-run lead … 7 -6. The Jays failed to threaten in the top of the 7th, and a couple of routine fly balls to start their half of the seventh left the Select with just one more chance. Wouldn’t you know it; almost out of a story book the next Select batter pounds a double into left center – setting up a show down between two players - pitcher and batter - who have “locked horns” many times in travel baseball since they were 9 years old. Cheers from the Jays’ side of the diamond signaled the final strike out, and again the Jays were champs, over a very high-quality Indy Select group of ball players and coaches. A big third inning, a committee of pitchers, and some timely fielding saved this one. I suppose these two teams will meet again before this year ends, and there’s no doubt … whoever watches that one will be treated to some fine baseball.
JP
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Blue Jays start slow but pull away from cross-town rival.
April 18, Bloomington, IN— In a practice game where both teams used plenty of pitchers and experimented with different combinations the Blue Jays established bragging rights in Bloomington - at least for now - with a 7-1 victory over the Bloomington Brewers. Neither team was able to muster up much offense in the early going as the score stood 0 – 0 after 4. In the fifth the Brewers drew first blood with a scratched out run on some shoddy Blue Jay defense, and threatened to push a few more across, but runners died at 2nd and 3rd. The Jays evened the score in the 5th, and pushed across 3 in both the sixth and seventh innings. Like the Anderson Bulldogs, the Brewers had not been outside much, and it showed as their pitchers had some trouble finding the plate, their fielding was spotty, and their bats never really caught up to the 7 different pitchers the Jays threw at them. As the season unfolds the Brewers will develop into a very solid team, and they will contend with some of the best teams around. However, for the time being the Jays seem to be ahead of the rest, chalking up their ninth straight win – 3 in Florida and 6 since coming home. This game ended with a nifty 4 – 6 – 3 double play … stamping an exclamation point on the victory. The boys are capable of playing some real baseball. One observation: I thought the boys would take some time to adapt to the bigger diamond, but interestingly, they do not seem to have missed a beat, looking as though they have been playing on a 60-90 diamond for a long time. If we just could find a way to quit missing signals on the bases …
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Blue Jays take twin bill from Anderson
April 15, Bloomington, IN— After a Saturday downpour, Blue Jay dads—and some help from rare sunshine with a stiff and chilly breeze—worked the diamond to playable condition by Sunday afternoon, just in time to host the Anderson Bulldogs for a twin bill. Neither team had been able to play or practice much due to an unseasonably cold April, but it showed more in the play of the Bulldogs, who were outside for the first time in 2007. The Jays jumped on bulldog pitching early and often, and amassed nearly 30 hits in two run-rule games. Again, the pitching and fielding were solid, and the bats did the rest – a 10-0 4-inning first game, and a 21-3 6-inning explosion in game 2. The bulldogs are definitely a better team than the score indicated, but they were never able to scrape off the rust from a long winter without much baseball. They will be better next time; you can count on it. Nonetheless, the Jays looked like a powerful and tight team that might just give some pretty good opponents plenty to contend with.
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Blue Jays Lay Claim to Rain-Shortened Early Bird at Bandit Yard
March 31, Greenfield, IN—The 2007 season got off to a good start as the Jays walked through the backdoor to gain their first title in 2007. Defense, pitching, and small ball produced three straight victories, and the rest of the field had to fight it out for the right to play the Jays in the championship final game. Unfortunately, Mother Nature, as she does so often in the spring, washed out the final day, and the Jays were declared champions.
Game 1. The 2007 season opened against the Auburn Red Devils, and in the bottom of the first a 300+-foot line drive homer, ruled a ground rule double - by a couple of umps who apparently couldn’t see it because it left the park so quickly – led to the first runs of the season. The Jays never looked back as they kept pushing runs across, posting 11 tallies in 4 innings. On the defensive side, a couple of pitchers kept the red devil batters at bay and the defense posted the first of three straight error-free games, including a 5-4-3 double play. Final score: 11-0.
Game 2. A team from the Chicago area, Homer Force, represented the second obstacle in the Early Bird Bandit Yard tourney. Runs were a little harder to come by in this game as the Blue Jay bats were pretty soft. Base stealing, bunting, a single or two here or there, an extra base, a passed ball and the Jays accumulated 5 runs – not a huge offensive effort, but certainly 5 is greater than zero, the total output from the Homer Force batting line-up. Again, sharp pitching and tight defense made the difference. Picked a runner off at third, threw a runner out at first from right field on an apparent single, committed no errors, and allowed no runners to advance on passed balls, wild pitches, etc. Final score: 5 – 0, and enough to earn number 1 seed in the final 4.
Game 3. As it turned out, Homer Force earned its way back to play the Jays in the final 4 by establishing itself as the 4th seed with a lopsided victory over the Bloomington Blazers. This game was a bit tighter as the Force put a pretty hard-throwing righty on the mound. The Jays drew first blood with a fancy delayed steal of home, and entered the third inning up 1 – 0. However, a bout of wildness from the Blue Jay pitchers allowed the opponents to push 2 runs across in the third, and after 3 it was 2-1 against our boys with a time limit quickly approaching on this late-night game. Again, small ball took over; a walk, a steal, a hit, a close play at the plate, a couple of bunts and a passed ball, and all of a sudden the Jays lead 3 -2. The Jays pitching staff then shut down any chance for the Force to reverse the situation, and the Jays added a few runs for insurance in the fourth. Final score: 6 – 2.
All in all, a good start for 2007. The bats were pretty spotty, which is not unexpected this early in the season, but the fielding, base running, and general conduct of the game was very tight – no fielding errors, very solid pitching, and an ability to manufacture runs when they were needed. The bats will eventually start to bubble, and if we can keep the rest of the game together, we may just turn out to be a bit of a handful for almost any opponent. Special thanks to the Blue Jay parents who helped with the ground crew and served as bullpen catchers in the dark.
JP
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Blue Jays Head South for Spring Training
March 9, 2007, Ft. Myers, FL— In early March most birds are making their way northward, headed back to their summer homes. Our Jays, however, traveled in the opposite direction for a spring break trip to Fort Myers. With a little different looking personnel and a couple of extras, the Blue Jays spent a week in sunny southern Florida hanging out on the beach, talking over karaoke restaurants, touring spring training facilities and, of course, taking a few grounders and shagging a few pop flies to prepare for the upcoming season. We had our own little stadium for practice in the morning, and managed to work in three evening exhibition games with Florida teams.
Game 1. The American Eagles, who we played and tied last year, were the first opponents, and they put a kid on the mound who threw some “heat”… indeed, quite a bit faster than what the Jays had seen in the batting cage at Smithville. He did manage to strike out his fair share of Blue Jays, but by hook or crook we kept pushing runs across—a couple of hits here, a walk or two there, an error, a steal, a passed ball, a nicely placed bunt, a sacrifice fly and before you knew it, we were up 7 or 8 runs. On the defensive side, our pitchers were dominant and our fielding was very solid—very few errors, threw out a base stealer, turned over a double play, hit cut-off men, and seemed to make the plays when needed. The result was an 11-2 blowout… not a bad start for a team playing far from home and outside for the first time this season.
Game 2. The Fort Myers Dirt Bags were next up, and while the name might not intimidate, these guys had the swagger of a very good team. It seems that a week earlier they earned a first-place trophy at a high-level tournament in central Florida, and the American Eagles coach warned us that “these guys are good, and they know it.” I think he wanted us to show them some “Indiana” ball, which we doubt struck much fear into their hearts. Well, maybe next time, they’ll think a little differently. These guys could not touch our Indiana pitching… three Blue Jays pitchers tossed a nifty shut out at the Dirt Bags, and it was only a couple of walks that enabled them to mount any kind of threat at all. While the Jays hardly “tore the cover off the ball,” we managed to “small ball” a couple of runs—enough to walk away with a 2-0 victory. Again, solid defense along with timely hitting and base running made the difference.
Game 3. In this game the Jays faced a 13 year old team, an arrangement made by the Dirt Bags’ coach, who was classy enough to set this up for us… he even umpired the game! There is quite a difference between 13 and 14 year olds, so the Jay were never really threatened, but it was well-played by both sides, and the Jays were able to give 5 different pitchers a workout. The final score was 8 – 1.
All in all the spring break was a great success on lots of dimensions. A number of the parents pitched in to arrange a tour and tickets for a Red Sox game, set up dinners, beach parties, and other events for the kids, and in general just do a real good job at what parents do—like drive all the way back and forth… and make dinner… and clean up….
And by the way, the baseball wasn’t bad either… the upcoming season might just be real fun. Let’s get to it!
JP
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