Tottenham Oldtimers Slo-Pitch League

NEWS  

ALL STAR GAME

The Play - by - Play

WOW!!!!!!!!

First off, the game lacked the usual bravado of "we're going to kick your a**" from both sides.  Both clubs seemed keened to play under the spotlight of being the only show in town on Friday night.  Both teams had some new players on their rosters making their first all start appearance and we all quietly wondered how that would factor in.  

There was no 1st time player under more pressure than the Oldtimers Laurier Plante.  Laurier would be the first pitcher not named Andy Gee to start for the squad and in only his second year as a full time pitcher, it was a lot ask.  

1st inning

The inning opened with a Boston fly ball to left center followed by a sharp line drive out from Richards to short.  With two down and no one on base, consecutive hits by Pendlebury, Young, Potocki and Goodin produced a run and had the sacks drunk with Oldtimers.  Kevin Clouthier hit a rope to 1st base to end the inning.  

Trevor Wood led off for the Men and promptly hit a single to centre that he immediately turned into a no doubt double.  The Oldtimers took note.  That was followed by a Scott Bullen RBI hit and a quick 1-1 tie. Bullen couldn't advance on fly outs by Presenza and McCarty but went 1st to 3rd on a single from Ed McCarthy.  The threat was ended with a Jason Jacks fly out.  

After 1, 1-1

2nd inning

Steve Lahey flew out to right center and Laurier popped out to 3rd.  Keith Beechey would single in front of of Chuck Cragg's pop to short.  

Robert Gosse and Kevin Palmer were both quickly retired on ground balls to 3rd and short respectively. Sean Peterson would double before Ian Maclean ended the inning with a bounce out to 3rd.

After 2, 1-1

3rd inning

The Oldtimers would send only four men to the plate in the 3rd but produce 2 runs.  Boston would fly out to right center before Brian Richards hit his way on base.  Pendlebury flew out to right field leaving two out and one on.  Brad Young then had a majestic hit over the left field wall to score himself and Richards.  Dave Potocki's pop out to 1st would end the frame.  

The defensive affair would continue with Rocco Casullo flying out to deep left center field, Kyle Saunders grounding out 2nd to 1st and Tyler Tilk flying out to left.

After 3, 3-1

4th inning

Will Goodin led off with his second hit, a single.  He was unable to advance on the fly out to left center by Clouthier, but when 1st to 3rd on the single from Lahey.  With runners on the corners and one out, Plante would bounce into a perfectly executed 6-4-3 double play (short, 2nd, 1st).  It felt like the momentum was beginning to turn. 

Down for the first time in three all star games, the Men would respond.  Trevor Wood led off with his second hit of the game and would score on a Bullen single to right center.  Bullen tried to stretch it to two, but the Oldtimers were ready this time and gunned him down in a close play and sharp tag at the bag.  Presenza would be out on a sky high pop out to short.  McCarty would double to the gap and McCarthy ended the inning with a deep out to left center.  

After 4, 3-2

5th inning

The Oldtimers were led by Beechey who has played flawlessly in every appearance in this event and he would start the inning with a single.  He quickly moved to third on Cragg's double.  Boston would hit a sac fly to right center scoring Beechy.  Brian Richards singled, scoring Cragg.  Pendlebury lined out sharply to 1st base before Brad Young had his 3rd hit of the night, a single.  His hit was followed by Potocki's single and Goodin's single (his 3rd hit) which would knock in Brad.  Clouthier would end the threat with a fly out to left center, but the damage was done.

The Men were sensing the need to answer now and Jason Jacks led off with a rocket smash - that found a glove at 2nd base.  Gosse would reach on what may have been the only error of the ball game.  Palmer would be safe on a fielders choice that erased Gosse at 2nd.  The inning came to a quick end with a fly ball off of the bat of Peterson. 

After 5, 7-2

6th inning

(Due to a spilled beer on the score sheet, I have little idea what happened this half inning....Lahey, Plante, Beechey, Cragg and Boston came to the plate.  At least 2 got on and no runs were scored.  I could make it up, but it doesn't seem right)

In the quietest 1/2 inning of the night, Maclean flew out to left, Casullo struck out and Saunders lined back to the pitcher.  

After 6, 7-2

7th inning

Brian Richards started the inning with a fly out to right.  Pendlebury tried to find a hold in left field but found only leather.  With two out, Brad Young would split the gap and end up at 3rd base, hitting for the cycle!!!  A grounder to short off of the bat of Potocki would end the inning with no further damage.  

The Men needed 5 to tie it, but it was never really in question.  Tilk began it with a fly to left center followed by Trevor Wood's 3rd hit of the night.  A ground out to 2nd by Bullen and a fly out to right by Presenza would put the cap on the evening.

Final, 7-2

THE STARS

Young Timers

Trevor Wood - He did exactly what you want your lead off man to do in a big game!  3/3 with two runs scored, well done!

Jason Jacks - I'm sure he'd have liked to hit better, but seriously...giving up seven runs ought to be enough to win.  Very well pitched game!

Old Timers

Will Goodin - 3/3 in the middle of the line up, he kept it moving and played well defensively too.  

Keith Beechey - 3/3 with a run scored, another great all star game!  

THE MVPs

Brad Young - Hitting for the cycle in regular game is a big deal.  This was NOT a regular game.  4/4, 2 runs, 3 RBI .... nice night!

Laurier Plante - Lets put this in perspective.  The fewest amount of runs scored in our league this year in a single game is 1.  He held an all star team to 2.  That was the best display of pitching I've seen since the Wild beat Dodge City in the finals in 2010.  Absolutely fantastic!

 

 The week that was in baseball.  

I have a theory about the week after the Help The Kids Play tournament.  Not everyone likes my theories, but I'll share it anyway.  Theory:  "The top teams struggle the week after HTKP".  

I don't have a "WHY" to go with that, just that it invariably seems to happen.  So lets look at the top 5 teams from last week.  

1st - Draft Kings, an uncharacteristic split of games on the week.  

2nd - Dusty Cleats, after being undefeated in 10 games, inexplicably lose.  Bounce back to split the week.

3rd - Rusty Rebels go 2-0 on the week.  So that throw's my theory out, right?   Not really.  The Rusty Rebels didn't enter their squad in the tournament.

4th - Grisslies go 0-1 losing to the Dog Catchers.

5th - Hurtin' Units go 1-1 on the week. 

 

So if we throw out the Rebels, you have a 3-4 record at the top and the only teams to win had two cracks at it.  You can look at Dodge last year.  The Woody's two years ago.  Just sayin', keep an eye for this next year and see if I'm imagining it.  

Beer Cup..........

The Cleats finally relinquished the cup to the Master Batters.  What a fantastic run though!  I noticed that a number of the members of the squad have packed on a few pounds though.  All that free beer catches up!

And now, we enter the Master Batters era.  They immediately went 'all Dusty Cleats' and defeated the Dog Catchers by 10 in their first title defense.  

The next team with a shot at them is the Hot Tub Woody's, I can hear the bets going on already!        

Beer Cup Games Defended. 

1  Master Bathers

2  Rusty Rebels

6  Dusty Cleats

Beer Cup Games Played. 

1  Grisslies

1  Dog Catchers

1  Hot Tub Woody's

1  Inglorious Batsters

2  Master Batters

2  Gruesome Devils

2  Sons Of Pitches

2 Dodge City Rounders

2 Hurtin' Units

3 Tap Masters

6 Rusty Rebels

8 Dusty Cleats