OAKVILLE MASTERS MEN'S SLO-PITCH LEAGUE

  

JUNE 5, 2025

Red Faces Report – Bill Craig

A 10-man Red Faces crew came out swinging and fielding like it was 1985 instead of 2025 in a sweep of a shorthanded Rusty Royals team by scores of 16-8 and 16-4.

The offence was very balanced. The top 5 hitters (Bosc, Craig, Mastervick, Pretto and Scott) got on base and scored 23 runs combined in the 2 games. The bottom 5 guys (Baker, Paterson, Brown, Halik and Hyland) drove in the runs. Highlights were home runs by Dan Scott (a shot up the left-centre gap to the wall) and Brian Mastervick (a towering drive over the fence in right). Doug Hyland chipped in with a triple among his 4 hits.

The boys flashed the leather today as well. Baker made a great stab of a line drive to his left at third base. Don Brown threw out a runner at home from first base and otherwise handled a pile of chances flawlessly. Mastervick made a terrific backhanded catch at rover. Dan Scott made a bunch of fine running catches in right-centre. In addition to pitching two very tidy games Rick Halik made an unbelievable stab of a line drive up the middle. [Ed. Note – I know - I was the victim]

Fun play of the day was turned in by Bill Craig who caught a toe going around first base attempting to stretch a single to a double at the tail end of game one. There was some arm flailing and some leg flailing and a doomed attempt to right himself before the inevitable crash landing 15 feet from the 1st base bag. Well, a big guy going down hard on a gravel infield will lead to multiple abrasions. The team was concerned (Craig is beloved by his teammates, I'm told), but he shook it off and played like a warrior in game two...or so he says. Moral of the story is...um...run the bases better next time.

Rusty Royals Report – John Koopman

There were bright spots.  Just like George HW Bush's thousand points of light.   Playing a man short the Royals fought like lions. In game one Jonathan Kamin had four hits in the lead-off spot, Dave Walker had four hits in the number three spot, and Koopman and the ageless Stubby each had three hits, but to no avail.  The Royals failed to bunch their hits and fell 16-8 in game one.    In the second game there were no thousand points of light and all records on the second game have been destroyed to protect the Royals from further embarrassment. There were no superior performances that would warrant a mention.  The Royals were mercied 15-4.  Still the Royal are a better team than their record shows. 

The turnaround is just around the corner...

 

Grey Beards Report – Dave Kozai

It was a day where both teams were shorthanded. Grey Beards had 8 regulars with 1 spare while Blue Pills had 6 regulars with 4 spares.

Game 1 was a 12-9 win for the Grey Beards. It was a game clearly divided into 2 halves. The Grey Beards held a solid 12-5 lead after 4 innings with the top 4 in the batting order (Frank, Tom, Dan and Jeff F) accounting for 9 of the 12 runs. The bats experienced a cold spell for the final 3 innings as the Grey Beards couldn't produce any more runs but with sound defence (again!) managed to hold onto the win as the Blue Pills threatened a comeback in the final two innings. Player of the game goes to Steve Moses, who along with his smooth glove work, also had 4 hits in this game.

 

Game 2 was a 5-2 win for the Grey Beards. It was clearly a 'no-hitter' for both sides so not much to report here. Not a lot of hitting along with not a lot of errors makes for a quick game! In fact, Grey Beards scored all 5 of their runs in the 2nd inning while Blue Pills scored all 2 of their runs in the 4th inning. After the 4th inning, it was a defensive clinic by both teams, in making the routine outs! Game 2 started just after 11 am but finished before 12 noon, to emphasize how quick it was.

Blue Pills Report – Ricky Buchan

A lack of timely hits and some crafty pitching by the Grey Beards hurler led to a doubleheader sweep by the Beards at Glenashton West, spoiling George Merrick's managerial debut. Game one saw the Pills spot the Grey folk a 6-0 lead before plating five to make it look respectable. Beards hung on for a 12-9 win. Spare hurler Bruce Best was on the hill for the good guys.

There was not much offence on display in game two by either team, save for a five-spot scored by Grey in the second inning,  as the Pills were beaten 5-2 in a game that seemed over in record time. Blue Pills’ highlight was a Tony Foscarin triple to score two in the fourth and some fielding gems by super spare Gabe Alvazian at rover.

 

White Hairs Report – Jeff Morton

In the continuance of an unprecedented season, 9 Hairs showed up to take on the Wines.

The Hairs had their best offensive game of the season putting up a 17 spot in game one and winning by 8.

Game 2, saw both teams doing their best to get to Monaghans first.  The barn burner was tied at 1 after 4 innings. 

The lads looked over at the West Diamond and saw the Pill Poppers and Beardies walking off the field.

Given first to Monaghans was not going to happen, the Hairs scored a few in the 5th and 6th to win game two 7-1.

Wines Captain Dan Sanscartier, sidelined for the week, tried to motivate his squad through a number of extraordinary measures.  None of them seemed to work as he gnawed on one cigarette after another.

Hairs had timely hitting from several sources including rookie Mark Palencher, Morton, Chris “looks like you'll have to play outfield this season” Barrett, Slick Brancier, Wonder kid Ian Schell and Steve “play me wherever you need to” Craig.

Flow Kemp pitched well and the Hairs turned several DPs.

Ken “Cheatin’ bastard” Cullum pitched well for the Wines.

Post game saw 8 of 9 Hairs return to Monaghans - with a thirst on!

Fine Wines Report – Dan Sanscartier

 

There's a well known saying in sports - "don't beat yourself". Usually this refers to committing errors but in this case the Fine Wines crew accomplished this by NOT making errors. On a day where the Whites were a few Hairs short of a full roster, we supplied them with two defensive players and those players combined for 8 putouts and 5 assists, including starting two double plays. Even with the bats our squad was defensive minded - putting up 9 runs in a 17-9 loss in the first game and one....count 'em (it?) one run in a 7-1 loss in the second game. Andy Kozai led the way with 5 hits and an inside the park home run over the two games while Ed Lincz, Tony Lima and Bruce Locke each had 4. The highlight of the day was, of course, a defensive play as Barney Henderson went vertical to make a fine catch to take away an extra base hit.

 

MAY 29, 2025

[Ed. Note – the games between the Blue Pills and Fine Wines were not played due to the field conditions at Glenashton East]

Red Faces Report – Bill Craig

Charles Dickens opened A Tale of Two Cities with "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times". If you reverse the worst and best in that sentence, it aptly describes the two games the Red Faces played against the Grey Beards (and friends).

Game 1 was close until the first pitch...ok, it was close until the second inning. Final score was 14-2 for the Beards. How bad were we? We earned our team name on both sides of the ball. We did not score until the 4th inning (one run). We got another run in the 5th before the Beards mercifully ended it with 5 runs in the bottom of the 5th. Try these stats on for size. We sent 23 guys to the plate and had 6 singles, one double and one triple plus 2 walks. We hit into 2 double plays. Credit to the Grey Boys who made some nice plays on the rare occasions when we hit a ball hard. Of course, on the defensive side we were...um...Flaccid? Limp? Sad? Morose? Not up to contemporary professional standards? We clanked a few and threw some away and didn't catch others. There was a group of kids watching the game during recess. I found out later that they were so traumatized by watching our team that the school brought in counselling for them. Kudos to Brian Mastervick who tripled to lead off the 4th inning so we could score a run.

I was thinking about famous speeches in history and landed on these three...Churchill's "blood sweat, toil and tears" speech from 1940...JFK's "I am a Berliner" speech from 1963...Reagan's "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" speech from 1989. And now we can add a 4th great piece of oration to this list. In what will go down in history as "The Tiger Balm Speech", one member of the team suggested that we should all apply Tiger Balm to our jockstraps to reverse the listlessness with which we had played game one. Of course nobody was foolish enough to do so, but the fiery Tiger Balm Speech led a fire under each of the Red Faces and we came out for Game two a different team.

The Faces took game two by a score of 18-13. The Grey Beards put up a five-spot in the top of the first, but the Faces responded with 5 of our own followed by 4 in the second inning. Super-sub Brian (known as the Good Brian) chipped in three hits as did Brock Paterson and Brian Mastervick. Really, we had offensive contributions from everyone.  And on defence, Dario Pretto and Dan Scott both made fine catches in the outfield. We even threw out a runner at the plate with an all-Milton Curling Club relay (Dario Pretto to Bill Craig to Ken Baker).  Winner of the "Why Me Award" is Rick Halik who got stepped on three times at second base while making plays. No worries...a little Tiger Balm on his foot and ankle and he'll be good as new.

Grey Beards Report – David Kozai

It was certainly a tale of two games. The Grey Beards were supplemented with two spares (Andy and Ed) from the Fine Wines, whose game at Glenashton had been cancelled due to unplayable conditions at their diamond. They were both welcome additions to the Grey Beards lineup as two of the real Grey Beards were caught in traffic and experiencing car troubles enroute to the first game. The starting Grey Beards lineup included 10 players while awaiting arrival of the remaining two Grey Beards. This led to many last minute changes to the batting order and defensive lineup. Credit to all the players for quickly adjusting to the situation.

 

Game 1 was a 14-2 mercy for the Grey Beards. Some fine pitching from Robert Cookish along with some uncharacteristically quiet bats from the Red Faces contributed to the result. The Grey Beards jumped out to a quick 9-0 lead after 3 innings. The Red Faces eventually scored 1 run in each of the 4th and 5th innings, but that kept the door open for a mercy. The bottom of the 5th inning saw the top of the Grey Beards’ batting order and they certainly demonstrated why they get paid the 'big bucks'. Five runs to secure the win! Stellar batting from Frank and Don, who both went 3 for 3 in the short game.

 

Game 2 was an 18-13 win for the Red Faces in a turnaround for the Red Faces. Their bats came alive for game 2. While the Grey Beards put up a 5 run first inning, it was matched by Red Faces in the bottom of the first. So the expectation for a slugfest was set early; however the Grey Beards sputtered a bit scoring 0 runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings. Of note, Grey Beards played great defence as illustrated by the 3 double plays made during this game but it was not enough to thwart the onslaught of hits from the Red Faces. Errors were minimal. They just hit to where we weren't! Looking forward to the next encounter with the Red Faces (great hitting team).

Rusty Royals Report – John Koopman

In Game One the Rusty Royals again played below their ability level.  They scored no runs in the first, second, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. In three innings they sent only three batters to the plate.  The White Hair's pitcher Johnny Kemp-Koufax was good, but not that good. We had a strike-out, multiple foul-outs and the coach on a bone-head play challenging Jeff Morten's arm (not a wise call) got thrown out at third, for a final out. Yes, the coach knows you should never be an inning's last out at third base...Bill Stubbins, trying to be helpful suggested he could run for Koopman next time.  At the top of the order Jonathan Kamin and Darrell Northcott got multiple hits but that was not enough. To their credit the Royal did play good defense with nifty plays by Kamin, Bill Manson, Andy Byj and Northcott.

The Royals though gritted their teeth and decided Game Two would be different.  As the poet sort of said in "Might Casey" -

the sneer was now gone from the Royal's lips

their teeth were clenched in hate

each of them pounded with cruel vengeance

their bat upon the plate

they would not let another game go by...

with just a whimpered sigh

In inning one the Royal loaded the bases with one out, but scored only one.  In inning two they again loaded the bases and now plated two.  In inning four they loaded the bases and plated two more.  And in the sixth they loaded the bags once more, plating two again.  Bill Manson, John Koopman, Dave Walker, and Jack Pang all had three hits.  Great defense led by Rudy Gauer with a nice grab in right, Tom Hunter with a sticky glove ran fifty yards to snag another, and Jack Pang caught a liner for the first critical out in the seventh. Stubby pitched a good game and the Royals walked away with an 8-6 win - our first win of the year!

Fellow Masters beware!  The Big Mo has shifted and the Royals will be a force to be reckoned with the rest of the season.

White Hairs Report – Jeff Morton

Sometimes it's good to be a little stiff.

In a historic OMMSPL day, none of the teams played at their assigned diamonds.  Morton arrived at Glen Ashton West to see the dedicated Oakville Parks crew discussing the mud dilemma.  The crew decided to go to Millbank and try and get the West diamond playable.  Meanwhile back at GA West, the teams set up a diamond on the grass, then reconsidered and were about to set up on the cricket pitch when Morton got a call from the Oakville works crew that Millbank was playable.  Our fearless leader Tom Hunter hightailed it to Millbank and confirmed. The Rust Buckets and Hairs then moved over to Millbank West, which the Beards and Red guys had vacated to move to East.  Meanwhile on GA E, the game was called due to wet conditions.

Warmup consisted of four throws and some half-hearted stretching.  The Hairs roster was reinforced with returning icon Ian Schell.  Rallying behind Ian the Hairs put together a good effort in game one with several solid plays in the field from Schell, Al "hit it hard at me" King and Mike "thank God I don't have to manage anymore" Boyle. 

Boyle's new role seems to be focused on motivational one liners and he or Steve "sure I'll try 1st base" Craig are credited with "the little stiff" stimulating line.

Slick Brancier was 4 for 4 and Gord Shields was 3 for 3.  Other than one shoddy defensive inning the Hairs held the Rustys at bay and won 12-3.

Game two saw the Hairs just miss turning a triple play.  Hitting was inconsistent through the line up but the Hairs were tied at 6 in the 6th.  Koop rallied his dysfunctional group with 2 in the bottom of the 6th to get their first win of the season.

Craig led the Hairs with 6 hits on the day.

With Boyle vacationing the next 3 weeks (aren't we all on permanent vacation?) the Hairs will need to find a new motivational orator. 

Post game the Hairs continued their new tradition of breaking bread and swapping stories at the same table as their opponents.  Pretty entertaining when Stubby is part of the group. 

See ya next week.

MAY 15, 2025

Blue Pills Report - Rick Buchan

The shorthanded Blue Pills took both ends of a twin spin against the White Hairs in two closely-contested battles at sunny Millbank West. Pills took the opener 8-7 on a clutch bottom of the seventh single by Samuel Hsu to plate George Merrick with the winning run. Excitement ensued. Ron VanderMeulen pitched and got the win. Vince Pileggi, Geoff Coulson and Samuel led the hit parade with 3 each.

 

Game 2 saw the Pills score 5 in the top of the first and hold on for a 10-8 win with some stellar "D" from Tony Foscarin at rover and Pileggi in the outfield. Again, Ron V. was on the hill for the "W." Willi Thurner was 3/4 at the the dish.

 

 

White Hairs Report - Jeff Morton

And then there were 10.  The Pills and Hairs both showed up with 10 willing participants on a fine Thursday morning at Millbank Park. The first game was a back and forth affair with good pitching, decent defense and the occasional solid rip.  The Hairs shifted some guys around and fortunately got no additional injuries.

Missed scoring opportunities cost the Hairs in game one and the Pills somehow scratched a run together in the bottom of the 7th to win 8-7.

Game two saw the Pill boys erupt for 5 in the top of the first.  The Hairs hung in, clawed away and took a 6-5 lead after 4.  Alas the Pills got to 10 and won by 2.

Al King, Steve Craig and Gord Shields played well defensively for the Hairs.  Flow Kemp pitched really well. 

Offensively Morton had 4 doubles and 2 triples.  Craig chipped in 5 hits including a triple, and Octogenearen Cummings, Kemp and Mark Palencher each had 4 hits.

 

 

Fine Wines Report - Dan Sanscartier

 

They say that fine wine improves with time. Of course, they also say that wine opened after its prime usually does not meet expectations. On the heels of sweeping both games in week 2, expectations were high to repeat our vintage performance in week 3. Unfortunately for us, in sweeping both games, the Red Faces team showed us that we needed to stay in the wine cellar a bit longer.  Red Faces jumped out to an early lead in the first game and were never threatened in a 15-7 win over our squad. Ken Cullum made his league debut as a starting pitcher and pitched well but ran into some hard luck with a bunch of swinging bunts mixed in with some solid hitting throughout the order from our opponents. 

In the second game our bats came alive early as we jumped out to an early 10-2 lead going into the bottom of the second.  However, we forgot that we needed to play 7 innings and Red Faces chipped away at our lead as our bats went silent until the 6th inning.  Heading into the bottom of the 7th with a one run lead (or two runs, depending on who was counting - somebody needs to tell our manager to double check the scores as the game progresses....or learn how to add) we couldn't hold on and lost 15-14 on a walk off hit.

As with last week, everyone contributed to our offense. Jeff Biren led the way with 6 hits in the double header. Randy (one eye) Heinbecker and Andy (marathon man) Kozei had 5 hits apiece and Kim Warren chipped in with 4 of his own including a booming standup (does anyone slide in our league?) double to right field. Barney (Bam Bam) Henderson had 3 hits and a walk and Al Stokes contributed a couple of key RBI. 

However, the biggest hit of the day belonged to Bruce Locke when he was hip checked while running out a grounder.  This was somehow fitting since we had just finished comparing old hockey injuries before the game. No word on our performance at Monaghans this week as even the writer of this material failed to make an appearance there.

 

 

Red Faces Report - Bill Craig

 

Well, they say adversity reveals character. If so, the Red Faces showed some character today. Having lost two roster players to injury and surgery (good news...that surgery on your shoulder you've been waiting for can go ahead because we've had a cancellation...bad news...it's happening right now as the softball season begins), the team put on their game Red Faces in a sweep of a good Fine Wines outfit.

 

The Faces started game one as the away team and threw 11 runs on the board in the first three innings. With an 11-5 edge after three, pitcher Denis Bosc (you know there's no good nickname you can apply to a guy named after a pear) proceeded to throw three straight scoreless innings, allowing the Facesters to finish off a 15-7 final score. We had hitting up and down the lineup and played solid defence (with one exception noted below). Four guys went 4 for 4 (Brock Paterson, Ken Baker, Richard Grudzinski, and Dario Pretto). Dario went single, double, triple to start this game but fell just short of the cycle.

 

The Wines are a strong team and came out like gangbusters (not sure what gang they wanted to bust up...Bloods? Cripps?  Jets? Sharks?), maxing out for 10 runs in the first 2 innings. Down 10-2 after one and a half innings, the Faces gamely chipped away. Pitcher Rick Halik proceeded to paint corners and held the Wines to only 4 more runs. Down one run in the bottom of the seventh, the Faces scored two, highlighted by a massive shot to the wall in left field by Ken Baker (alas, Ken was using a pinch runner who had to stop at first). The final score was 15-14 in a well played game by both teams. Again, the hitting was up and down the lineup. Richard Grudzinski finished off an 8 for 8 day and the defence was solid.

 

Funny dumb play of the day...by our shortstop...who shall remain nameless. One out, runners at first and third...ball hit to his left taking him right towards the bag at second base...field it, step on the bag and throw to first for an inning ending double-play...or...field it, decide to make a 4 foot flip to an unsuspecting team mate at the bag...and flip it over his head for an error and a couple of unearned runs. Proving that it is hard to play shortstop  with your head up your...anyway...two good games against a good team on a great weather day!

 

 

Grey Beards Report - Jim Fenner

On a glorious afternoon where knees creaked louder than the umpire’s calls, the mighty Grey Beards squared off against the relentless Rusty Royals in a double-header showdown for senior men’s slopitch supremacy. The smell of liniment filled the air, and an impressive crowd of spouses, grandkids, and a few curious squirrels gathered to witness a spectacle where reflexes may have slowed, but competitive fire burned ever bright.

 

Game 1: The Grey Beards Lay Down the Law

From the very first pitch, the Grey Beards established their dominance, holding the Rusty Royals off the scoreboard for three straight innings—an achievement made more impressive by the fact that several fielders had to squint through bifocals to track the ball. Kirk “The Wall” Macdonald put on a catching clinic, recording two outs with a determination rarely seen outside a discount sock sale. Meanwhile, Dan “Air Cooper” showed that age is just a number, making two gravity-defying catches in left field that left some wondering if he’d been secretly training with the local circus. The Rusty Royals, true to their name, looked a little… well, rusty. Their bats produced more foul

balls than a toddler with a plate of spaghetti, and their base running resembled an interpretive dance more than a strategic effort. By the final inning, the Grey Beards sealed the deal with a commanding 16-9 victory, no doubt celebrating with a round of ibuprofen and possibly a celebratory ice pack or two.

 

Game 2: The Royals Remember They’re Royal

Determined not to let history repeat itself, the Rusty Royals emerged in Game 2 with bats blazing, sending line drives whizzing through the air like misguided pigeons. However, the Grey Beards’ defense was a fortress of wisdom, experience, and perhaps a little luck. They held the Royals to just one run over three innings and blanked them twice more in the first five. Kirk Macdonald—now unofficially dubbed "Super Spare"—decided the best way to silence the Royals was to personally deposit two balls into the stratosphere with a pair of towering home runs. But perhaps the most legendary moment came when RF Jim “Golden Arm” Fenner sent a laser beam to 1B Steve “Steady Hands” Moses, who relayed it with textbook precision to catcher Larry “Iron Grip” Young. The result? A throw-out at home that spanned a combined 224 years of experience—a play so awe-inspiring that younger generations may need it retold in bedtime stories.

In the end, the Grey Beards walked away with a hard-earned 9-6 victory in Game 2, proving that cunning, skill, and well-timed naps remain the winning formula for senior slopitch domination. As the teams exchanged handshakes (and probably chiropractor recommendations), it was clear that the real prize wasn’t just victory—it was the camaraderie, the joy, and the undeniable fact that age is merely a number… especially when you play with the heart of a champion.

Now, who’s up for a post-game brew and a discussion about knee replacements?

 

Rusty Royals Report - John Koopman

 

It would please me mightily to tell you all how the underdog but plucky Rusty Royals overcame a talent deficit to defeat the might Grey Beards. Alas, the man in orange may have his facts, but we do not.  The Rusty Royals dropped two to the hard-hitting Greybeards.  The Rusty Royals put up four runs in the first inning, but thereafter were only able to add five more over the last six innings.  The Royals had no true heroes, but Bill Manson came closest, going three for three, with a double, and scoring three runs in game one. Tony Soprano (Fratia) also had three hits in game one, but his teammates brought him home only once.  Pitcher Bill Stubbins says that if we had given him decent defence, he could have shut-out the Grey Beards. We did not give him that defence.  In game two, six different Rusty Royals crossed the plane; once was enough for each.  Manson again hit safely three times, this time supported by Dave "Otis" Walker who also hit safely thrice.  Defeat has not (yet) killed optimism in the Royal squad.  As they say, "hope springs eternal" or maybe better yet, "there is no crying in baseball".  The Royals will notch a victory in the new week, I promise.

 

Game Reports - May 8, 2025

 Fine Wines Report – Dan Sanscartier

Well, it was another underwhelming performance for the Fine Wines crew. Sure they won both games (10-9 and 15-9) against Koop's Rusty Royals to even their season record at 2-2 but once again they were an anemic 3 for 11 in attendance at Monaghan's. This was a slight improvement over last week's 3 for 12 effort. Rumour on the street is that the staff at Monaghan's have started a Gofundme page to help offset the lost revenue.

 

As for the lower priority items - down two players on a very chilly morning - it was a true team effort over both games as every player drove in at least one run and had multiple hits, and the defense was solid all around. Mike Canham led the way with 5 RBI and some crafty work while pitching two complete games and Kim Warren made some fine catches in left field and, more importantly, the two of them had no trouble finding the bar after the games.

 

Tony Lima survived a barrage of missiles at the hot corner and Jeff Biren - in his season debut - and Ed Lincz shone on both sides of the ball as they - along with sub Mark (Randy who?) Dreschel invoked memories of Tinkers to Evers to Chance. Not to be outshone, Andy Kozai completed the full marathon in 65 foot segments and at one point may even have pinch run for the Rusty Royals.

 

 

Rusty Royals Report – John Koopman

Character is built upon adversity.  Easy wins lead only to decadence and decay.  The Rusty Royals built much character Thursday as they dropped two games to the previously winless Fine Wines.  In game one your Rusty Royals scored 9, and in game two 7. In each case decadence and decay scored more.  Darrell Northcott apparently has enough character already as he went 6 for 8 with two doubles and a triple.  The rest us though are left hoping that character can one day be monetized, as our baseball skills never will be.  The Rusty Royals will be back in week three and might yet pull out a New York Met 1969 type season.... hope springs eternal within the human breast...

 

 

Blue Pills Report – Greg Aubert

Under less than ideal temps, the Blue Pills hosted the Red Faces and once again got off to a great start scoring 5 runs in the 1st inning, mirroring the run production that the Reds tallied to start the game. The Pills clung to a 6 to 5 lead after 4 innings as both teams struggled offensively.  The Reds exploded for another 5-run mercy in the 5th and coasted to a 12 to 7 victory.  Notable accomplishments for the Pills included a Mike Way inside the park homer which saw him scoring right on the heels of the lead runner. Strong hitting performances included Ben Roczniak (3/3), Vince Pileggi (2/3), Geoff Coulson (2/3) and Greg Aubert (2/3).

 

Game 2 featured a strong pitching performance by Ron VanderMeulen and a balanced attack by the Pills batters who collectively batted .564 in Game 2 vs .424 in Game 1.  The Pills scored in 5 of the 7 innings, including two 5-run tallies.  The Pills’ defence was also sharp and held the Reds to a total of just 3 runs.  Both Mike Way and Vince Pileggi made great running catches and the infield, led by several nice plays by Vince Moffat, recorded many timely outs. The combination of good pitching coupled with excellent defence and timely hitting produced a well earned 14 to 3 victory for the Pills. Hitting stars in Game 2 included Geoff Coulson, Tony Foscarin, Ron VanderMeulin and  George Merrick who had 3 hits each.

 

 

White Hairs Report – Jeff Morton

 

The Hairs took the field against the Grey Beards minus 4 of Hair's regulars.  The Beards also had a spare and their former manager Chappy was in attendance.

 

Game one was loosely played, with the Beards scoring 19 in the first 4 innings. The Hairs dug in and pushed the game to 7 innings.  Lots of runs with Beardies winning 20-15.

 

Between games it was time to regroup.  Manager Morton sought input and made several defensive changes before and during game 2. Mike "I would never play there if I was manager" Boyle made his lifetime debut at 1st.  Now in defense of Hairs management, Mike was asked if he could play 1st.  Being a positive guy, Mike said sure. The first batter hit a hard one-hopper to Mike.  Mike took it in the jewels and made the out at first.  Suffice it to say Mike will now be known as Ding Dong.

 

Game 2 was closer and the Hairs hung in and played better D.  Stand in pitcher Steve Craig filled in admirably.  Infielders became outfielders and outfielders became infielders.

 

Nicknames are only usually applied to the Hairs.  Grey guy Palmer was labeled "statue" and "isthatyou" as he twice got to 3rd and stayed there watching the Hairs make some infield outs.  Unfortunately Jeff took a batted ball off the wrist in the 7th and left to take care of himself.

 

The Hairs batted to trail by one in the bottom of the 7th. Hopalong Habnot King got his 6th hit and hobbled to first.  Slick pinch ran and Morton got a hold of one for an inside the park 2 run home run to finally put the Hairs in front for the 13-12 win.

 

Offensively Habnot, Chris Barrett and Morton had 6 hits. Al, the other King and Rick Cummings contributed 4.

 

Let's go Leafs!

 

 

Grey Beards Report – Frank Sturm

 

Do you remember Mike and Mike’s cross country adventure show? What a memorable show. In today’s world, it would be called an “influencers” show. Unbeknownst to this reporter the Beards have three pairs of players on their roster. There is Jeff and Jeff, Steve and Steve and Rob and Rob. What other team can make such a claim to fame? They all influenced the games in their own paired style. Starting with Rob & Rob’s cross diamond adventure. It was rather uneventful as one Rob was absent. Steve and Steve’s diamond adventure was classic Ying and Yang. Steve I went 3/3 in game 1 and 1/4 in game 2. Steve M went 0/3 in game 1 and rallied back with 3/4 in game 2. They added symmetry to the day.

 

Jeff and Jeff’s diamond adventure was a reckoning of batting power, each contributing big hits and multiple rbi’s. However, with such power can sometimes come consequences. The 7th inning in game 2 saw Jeff hit a screaming line drive down the first base line, accidentally hitting the other Jeff squarely on the hand. Doctors have reportedly scheduled a Monday morning medical report. Further, the outcome of that event diminished the Beards’ late game rally which the Hairs quickly replied to with their own bats. Oh, the monumental shifts of baseball! 

 

Notables are: Frank “silver fox” Sturm going 6/7 and crossing home 5 times, Donny “why can’t I spell his last name” Yaschyshyn going 4/7 and scoring 3 times, and Jeff Palmer going 6/7 and cruising through home 3 times. Kudos to super spare Kirk Macdonald for many rbi’s and some great defensive plays.

 

 Overall, the Beards must hold their heads high as they piled up 32 runs for the day and got their first win. Spring training is now concluded.

 

 

Red Faces Report – Brian Mastervick

 

As the visiting team the Red Faces were pumped up and ready to go, scoring 5 runs in the top of the 1st. Rookie Denny Bosc led off with a double, and a few batters later Dario Pretto stroked a triple.  All the chatter in the dugout seemed to distract our whole team as we quietly failed to add any more runs until the 5th. Rookie Dan Scott decided to get things rolling again which inspired the bottom of the order to follow his lead. The next six batters all hit solid shots and scored. Rookie Linus O'Neill doubled, followed by the veterans Brock Paterson (who was smashing the ball like he was 60 again), Rick Halik and Drew Martin, who both added singles. Into the 6th we go thinking now we are firing on all cylinders, but without any spark we once again came up empty.  Top of the 7th and the bottom of the order wanted a couple of insurance runs. Rick H and Drew both contributed again and came around to score 2 extra runs.

 

After a quick rest we were strutting around ready to take another W in Game 2.  Unfortunately all that strutting around must have depleted our energy reserves as we failed to provide much of anything positive to this game. Give credit where it is due, and that is to the Blue Pills. They hit the ball hard, over us or down the line. We simply had no answer.

 

My question to the Blue Pills is "do those  little blue pills make that much of a difference, and where do we get them?"  Congrats to the power of the pills, leaving us red-faced once again.

 

 

 

MAY 1, 2025

Red Faces Report – Brian Mastervick

and sweet, (just like this report).

The Red Faces’ recipe for thThursday’s home opener was short e game was to start with a solid base of seasoned returning players, mix in with some fresh rookies. Stir in healthy solid hitting with some timely power and speed. Finish this off with a sprinkling of defensive gems.

(I would include the names of the outstanding players, but first I need to  learn their names.)

In the end the Red Faces were able to pull out the win in a see-saw battle.

Game 2 started strong for the Faces but Mother Nature won that one.

Rusty Royals Report – Tom Hunter

The cold wind howling through Millbank West made it difficult to hear the impassioned pre-game speech which manager John Koopman had meticulously practised all night. Something about hitting the cutoff man and infielders being “tourists”, although due to the unrelenting gale it was unclear whether that was a positive or negative.  Also, John mentioned some random statistic about the number of championships claimed by the Rusty Royals since the inception of the league being equivalent to the number of Stanley Cups won by the Leafs since 1967, with a plea to change the script this year. 

Thus inspired, the 2025 Rusty Royals promptly lost game one.

However, the team shows promise. The infield defence was solid, including catcher Rudy Gauer demonstrating great range and concentration to catch a popup, first baseman Jonathan Kamin’s leaping snap of a scorching liner, and Bill Manson’s dive to recover a low throw and somehow record the out at second base.  The outfielders received a passing grade, despite allowing the Red Faces to score 4 inside-the-park home runs in a single game, which might be an OMMSPL record.  Manager Koopman will no doubt spend the week in the video room to determine how the hell that happened.

The offensive contributions were spread throughout the lineup - 5 Royals went 3-4 or better and 5 Royals went 2-4, including an IPHR by Bill Manson.

The game was a see-saw battle.  Down 3-0 after the first inning the Royals roared back to grab a 4-3 lead after the second inning.  Throughout the remaining innings the teams took turns showing off their offensive powers, with the differential never exceeding one run.  Alas, the Royals were unable to overcome a measly one-run deficit in the final frame, losing by a respectable score of 14-13.

During the final inning of game one some of the more observant players noticed a few sprinkles of what was assumed to be a passing shower.  It wasn’t.  After a managerial conference it was decided to start game two immediately using a 1-1 count.  Game two lasted ½ inning, as the sprinkles became a steady, biting rain.  With visions of hot showers the teams happily abandoned the field to the elements.

Blue Pills Report – Greg Aubert

The anticipation and excitement leading up to opening day became subdued significantly upon arrival at the park and faced with unseasonably chilly weather.  However, both teams shrugged off the less than favourable conditions and played a solid game.  The Blue Pills in particular started the game in mid-season form registering 5 runs in the top of the 1st inning.  They added a further 2 runs in the 3rd and another 5 in the 4th inning.  Meanwhile, they held the Beardies to 2 runs over that same period.  The Pills managed another 3 runs in the 6th but were blanked in the 7th.  The Beardies’ bats came alive in the last 3 innings.  With 2 outs, they brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the 7th but Pills pitcher Ron VanderMeulen induced a groundout to end the threat and preserve the 15 to 11 victory. 

Hitting heroes for the Pills included Geoff Coulson (4/4 with 2 triples & 2 doubles), Vince Pileggi (3/3 with a sac fly), Mike Way (3/4), Ben Roczniak (3/4), Ron VanderMeulen (2/3) and Greg Aubert (2/3).

Grey Beards Report – Frank Sturm

Hot, wet and wild.

Well maybe not hot and maybe not wild but wet for sure. Wet enough to cause a game 2 cancellation. Our game started late due to lack of an umpire. The Beards found th emselves down early in the game thanks to the great hitting of the Pills. As the game wore on and the skies grew darker, the Beards fought their way back. But unfortunately, we ran out of innings. Post game at the bar brought up some lively discussions about new strategies that are going to have the Beards bounce back.

Fine Wines Report – Dan Sanscartier

The Fine Wines ownership group opened up their wallets during the off season - bringing in the Jays’ high priced management team, data analysts and hitting coach - and the results were .... unsurprising. Good defense and pitching and not a lot of offense.

The day, much like the weather, began ominously enough with the White Hairs jumping out to an early 8-1 lead after two innings.

After that the Fine Wines defense settled down and held them to 3 runs the rest of the first game and actually outscored the White Hairs 13 to 12 over the last 12 innings of the doubleheader yet somehow managed to come away empty-handed, losing 11-6 and 9-8.

Mike Canham (5 for 5 with a walk), Bruce Locke (4 hits, 4 RBI), Andy Kozai (4 hits) and Randy Heinbecker accounted for 19 of the 29 total hits for the Wines over the two games. Randy finished with 6 hits - 3 of them for extra bases. Future opponents should consider saving time and energy and just putting him on second base each time. The turning point in game two was when our team manager - who shall remain nameless even though his name appears on this summary - took the bat out of Barney "Bam-Bam" Henderson's hands with the tying run in scoring position by getting a running start halfway to third before the pitch hit the dirt. Apparently this is frowned upon and well, illegal. The Pinot gallery was not impressed.

Things are looking up for next week now that spring training holdout and starting shortstop Jeff (btw, you're our starting shortstop) Biren will make his season debut after signing a new contract worth three times his previous one.

White Hairs Report – Jeff Morton

The White Hairs Baker’s Dozen arrived at the nicely groomed Glenashton East diamond anxious to begin the 2025 season.  Three rookies - Bill Habnot King, Mark Palencher and John Locks Kemp joined the Hairs with eager anticipation.

The Hairs' opponent was Rookie Manager Dan Sanscartier and his Fine Wines crew.  The Wines first three hitters reached safely with one scoring.  With no -one out yet (for the season) The Hairs turned an unorthodox 2 getting an out at 2nd and after a fine throw from Chris Barrett, a 2nd out at home.

The bottom of the first saw the Hairs answer quickly, but at a price.  Mark Slick Brancier led off with a single and scored on Habnot's double.  Unfortunately, Bill pulled a quad going from 1st to 2nd and Slick hobbled around the bases on a bum ankle.  Here we were, at the bottom of the first inning and the Hairs two speedy outfielders and one-two hitters were both on the limp. 

After Morton got out in the 1st, the Hairs had 6 consecutive hits to put up 5.  The Hairs put up another 3 in the 2nd and 3 more in the bottom of the 6th to win 12-6. 

The 2nd game started during a light rain.  Clearly we were playing in a different weather system than the other teams.  Leading 6-1 after 4, the Hairs D was just good enough to hang on for the win 8-7.  What was the difference?  The Hairs taking off their jackets in the 7th well after the rain stopped? - naw.  Two differences were the steady D lead by Rookie Pitcher Locks Kemp and returning octogenarian Rick Cummings.  Rick made all three outs in the bottom of the 7th to preserve the win.

Hitting highlights included Slick Brancier, Cummings and Locks with 5 hits, Barrett with 4 and an awesome rolling tackle/block at first base and a HR by Morton.

 

It's hard to be first to the bar when you play two games and the other teams only play one.  Perhaps our new goal should be "last to leave Monaghans".  We're one for one against the new goal!

 

 

 

GAME REPORTS – August 8, 2024

 

[Ed. Note – these are the last game reports for 2024.  We give our intrepid reporters a well-earned break so they can concentrate their creative energy on the upcoming playoffs and spend more time at the batting cages.]

 

RUSTY ROYALS vs. WHITE HAIRS

Rusty Royals Report – John Koopman

The number one and two teams fought it out in a tight well-played first game. The Royals plated four in the top of the first, highlights being a triple by Jeff Biren and a double by Dan Cooper. The White Hairs then responded in kind with four on their side. Both sides then struggled a touch offensively as good defensive ball was played by all. Going into the bottom of seventh the Royals led 10-8 with Jeff Palmer, Jeff Biren, Mike Mozewski and ageless Al Stokes all hitting 3-4.  With the score 10-9 and two out in the bottom of the seventh, the White Hairs dropped a little Texas leaguer over first base that rolled in an unfortunate direction.  A few seconds later the Rusty Royals were on the short end of an 11-10 decision.

That late loss took the wind out of the Rusty Royal sails.  Mozewski was 4-4 in the second game but the rest of us, well, we sucked wind as we lost 17-8.  The Rusty Royals are battling physical infirmity, but there is no crying in baseball so we are not about to make excuses. We will be back and hungry for pay-back as we enter the playoffs.

White Hairs Report – Jeff Morton

August 8th was closing day of the regular season and the Hairs knew they needed to sweep the Royals to win the pennant.

The first game didn’t start well as the Royals first 4 hitters scored after solid hitting.  The Hairs answered with 4 and it looked like the start of a high-scoring game. Inning 2 saw the Hairs load the bases with none out, and then not score a run.

Defense took over and the Rust Buckets held a 2-run lead going into the bottom of the 7th.  Slick Brancier led off with a single and moved to second on Secret Weapon Grudzinski's fly out.  Morton hit a double to narrow the deficit to one.  Vinny First on the Field moved Morton to 3rd with another fly ball out.  The Royals then intentionally walked Buy a Vowel Yaschyshyn to get to Pitcher and Poet Manson.  With Slick running at first, Manson carved a ball between 2nd and right field scoring 2 for the Hairs’ first lead of the day and a win in game one.

Pitcher and Poet offered a few witticisms on the day, with "Cut the ball in half" being the most profound.

Bouyed by their late inning heroics, the Hairs rolled in game 2.  Outstanding outfield defense lead by Vinny and Slick, and timely outs on the bases held the Buckets off. Manson hit a clutch 3-run double in the 6th to put the game out of reach.

52 hits on the day was the best team hitting all year.

The sweep got the Hairs first for the season - but at a cost.

For the first time all season we were last to Monaghans.  Not so bad, but the Pills stirred it up by taking "our table." 

 

FINE WINES vs. BLUE PILLS

Blue Pills Report – Gord Shields

Overheard during the first game:

Umpire: “So, where are you guys in the standings?”

Blue Pill: “Last”

Umpire: “Whaat??!”

The umpire’s surprise was understandable because the Pills came out strong against a depleted Wines team to take game 1 by a score of 20 (that is not a typo) to 5 (not a typo either).  Every Pill had at least one hit, scoring in every inning and the defence was very good. Dave Walker set the standard with multiple line drive catches at 3rd in both games. The Blue Pills also welcomed Mike Fleming to the team in a trade deadline pickup by ownership. He showed his value right away with 5 hits on the day.

The defence held up in game 2, but the bats cooled off, resulting in a score of 2-1 Pills after 3 innings. Big Blue scored 5 in the 4th but gave 4 runs right back in the 5th. The defence held strong, shutting out the Wines for the next two innings for a 7-6 win. This week’s heroes include Kirk MacDonald 6/8; Dave Walker 7/8 and Frank Sturm who had four doubles. The Pills now take this momentum into the playoffs with high hopes.

Fine Wines Report – Dave Adams

For the Wines' final two games of the season our lineup was missing a boatload of players, including several regular outfielders. Could the Wines pull off some miracle wins, or finish the season in third place?

In Game 1, a spare plus a borrowed catcher from the Blue Pills gave the Wines 11 players but the Pills’ offence found the gaping holes and scored 20 runs to a meagre 5 for the Wines. Batsmen Geoff Coulson and Gary Gilmour combined for 5 hits and all the Wine runs.

For Game 2, we lost another player but the Pills offered us an outfielder to go along with the borrowed catcher.  Perhaps this charity stemmed in part from their crushing victory in Game 1. This seemed to help defensively, but the offence still sputtered, losing 7-6. Ian Schell and our spare Gabe Aivazian supplied 5 hits and half the runs.  (Gabe was playing his first game in the league – what an introduction!)

 Although there were no Miracles in Mudville for the Wines, their 2 losses clinched third place.

Coach Barrett, still on the IR, hopes the team returns to their Wine Winning Ways for the playoffs beginning next Thursday.

 

RED FACES vs. GREY BEARDS

Grey Beards Report – Larry Young

Congratulations to our team member Randy for a triumphant return after recently winning the Canadian Championships.

Greybeards finally got over our mini slump with a win in our first game 11-10. However we lost our second 12-8, placing us in fourth spot to enter the playoffs next week.

Bats came alive after last week with Randy and Steve Craig each going 5/6. Also with the hot bats were Dave Kozai, Bill Craig, George Merrick and Bruce Locke all going 4/6.

It’s been a great season with a great bunch of guys. Looking forward to the playoffs.

Red Faces Report – Mike Boyle

The Red Faces got hits up and down the lineup as the 11-man team managed a split in its regular season ending doubleheader.

In the opener, Grey Beards built a 7-2 lead after four innings. But Red Faces clawed their way back into the game and lost a squeaker 11-10. In the second game, the roles were reversed as Red Faces built a 7-1 lead after four innings and although we made things interesting in the seventh inning, prevailed 12-8.

Leading the way for the Faces was Jeff Francis (returning from 3 weeks on the IL) who had 6 hits and 7 RBIs. Dan Sanscartier had 4 hits and 4 RBIs. Drew Martin seems to be rounding into form as he had 4 hits and 3 RBIs. Tom Hunter seems to be enjoying the leadoff position as he added 4 hits and 3 RBIs. Jack Pang had 3 hits and 3 RBIs. Jim McDonald made a number of fine running catches in the outfield and added 3 hits. And Don Moseley-Williams added 4 clutch hits. John Finley adapted well to a new position, and his time with a hitting coach is paying off as he added 2 key RBIs and almost out-ran his courtesy runner to first base.  

 

 

 

GAME REPORTS – August 1, 2024

 

RUSTY ROYALS vs. BLUE PILLS

Rusty Royals Report – John Koopman

The first game was a pitchers’ duel through six innings. Ron Belluomini was throwing strikes and mowing down hapless Blue Pills.  The Rusty Royals, though, were not hitting much better and led only 6-5 at the end of six.  Maybe it was the heat but in the top of the seventh the Rusty Royals wilted. Maybe Ron B is not as young as he used to be, or maybe the heat got to the Rusty Royals as our vaunted defense lapsed into uncharacteristic messiness. Whatever the cause, in the top of the seventh the Blue Pills plated 3 and went ahead 8-6.  Some Rusty Royals felt the big MO had switched, and the game was slipping away.  Not Brian Mastervick.  With some luck the Royals loaded the bases with one out. Up came Mighty Casey/Brian...The air was shattered by the force of Brian's blow, and the ball flew over the right-field fence for a walk-off Grand Slam and 10-8 victory for the Royals!  

In Game Two with the score 0-0 in the second inning Mastervick came up again with the bases loaded.  With his wife watching (talk about pressure) he hit another Grand Slam!  The Blue Pills clawed back and it was a tight 10-8 game with the Royals leading going into the seventh.  In the top of the seventh, after fourteen innings of play the remainder of the Royals team decided to start hitting.  We plated 8 and handily took the game 16-8.

On the day Mastervick was 7-8, with two grand slams, six runs scored, 13 ribbies, and oh yes, he hit for the cycle in Game Two. I think he is a shoe-in for rookie of the year...

Blue Pills Report – Greg Aubert

The Blue Pills faced a 1st place team for the second week in a row, and despite missing 2 of their best players played very competitively and were unfortunate that they didn't earn a split.  Game 1 featured light hitting and strong defense for both teams.  The Pills were shut out in 4 innings but scored 3 in the 5th and another 3 in the top of the 7th inning which gave them an 8 to 6 lead going into the bottom of the 7th.  The Royals loaded the bases with well-placed flares and grounders, bringing Brian Mastervick to the plate.  Brian laced the next pitch over the right field fence for a dramatic walk-off grand slam homer.  The final score was 10 to 8 in favour of the Royals.  The Pills managed only 14 hits for a .424 team average.  Multiple hits were performed by Frank Sturm, Darrell Northcott, Ed Lincz and Greg Aubert.

The second game featured more of the same - good defense and light scoring.  The Pills batted a little better, going 20 for 37 for a .540 team average but that produced the same number of runs as in Game 1.  Despite that, the score was close at 10 to 8 in favour of the Royals after 6 innings.  The Royals put the game out of reach by plating 8 runs in the top of the 7th.  On a positive note, every Blue Pill player had at least one hit in Game 2, led by Frank Sturm (4/4) and Ed Lincz (2/2 + a BB).

[Ed. Note – the Blue Pills have strategically decided to save all of their karma for the playoffs.]

 

FINE WINES vs. GREY BEARDS

Grey Beards Report – Larry Young

A big double header for the Greybeards as we continued to fight for one of the top four spots. We gave it our all. But it wasn’t enough as the opposition bats feasted on our pitching. We got crushed in the first game and mercied in the second.

Andy Kozai led the way as the only player who batted over .500 as he went 5/6. Bill Craig contributed 4 RBIs on the day.

One last week before playoffs. Does anyone have Austin Powers’ phone number to help us get our mojo back?

Fine Wines Report – Dave Adams

In what would be the day's most anticipated matchup, the Grey Beards and Fines Wines took to the field at MillBank. The Beards wasted no time scoring, pushing home 5 runs in the top of the first inning. The Wines, as they often do, responded with a quintet of their own. Four more Wine runs in the 2nd were followed by three runs over three innings by the Beards, who had shaved the Wines' lead to 9-8 after five frames in this tense encounter. In the bottom of the 6th the top of the Wines’ lineup pounded out a barrelful of bad bouncing hits to take a 14-8 lead, which would be the final score. Geoff Coulson, Pat Blais, and Jonathan Kamin produced 9 hits and 7 runs. Ian Schell, Bob Edmonston and Rob Bentley each had a pair of hits and touched home 3 times. Ian Carson had a game to forget, but I would be remiss as a reporter if I failed to mention this and remind him of his two hard-hit line drives that were snagged by the Beards' infielders and a team-inspiring strikeout leading to a five-run Wine inning.

In Game 2 the potent Wine offence amassed a 10-4 lead by the halfway point and cruised to an 18-7 triumph. Top guns in this match were Coulson and Dave Adams who each went 4 for 4 and scored a six-pack of runs. (That's the only time you'll see "Adams" and "six-pack" in the same sentence.) The Wines also benefited from the bats of Blais, Kamin, and a rejuvenated and invigorated Carson whose collective total of 10 hits led to 5 runs.

This two-game sweep now has the fast-charging Wines in sole possession of 3rd place with one week to go in the regular season. A great team effort for the guys who put the "Win" in Wines.

Following the games, many of the Winer Winners made their way to Chef Schell's backyard oasis to partake in his annual Beer and Sausage Party, which this year also included burgers, chips, corn on the cob, and a special guest. The team's resident IQ guru, Maharicky Wilkinson, outlined ALL the season-ending possibilities which could occur after this Thursday's games. I would like to summarize his iffy deductions, but...well I can't remember them.

 

RED FACES vs. WHITE HAIRS

Red Faces Report – Mike Boyle

Red Faces welcomed back a couple of players from holiday. The additional bodies were welcomed to help fill out the roster, but the Faces lost both games, the second in a close game.

The opener was close for four innings before the White Hairs stretched out their lead and doubled the score 14-7. In the second game, the Red Faces stormed out to a 7-0 lead but couldn’t hold on, eventually falling 10-7.

Leading the way for the Red Faces was Tom Hunter who went 6-for-6 with a walk and three RBIs. Jim McDonald added four hits, Jack Pang and Dan Sanscartier had 3 hits and 3 RBI each. Ron Vandermeulin set the tone for the second game with a bases-loaded double in the first inning. Drew Martin added 3 hits and 2 walks as well. Al King had a couple of hits and made a number of outstanding defensive plays at third base.

White Hairs Report – Jeff Morton

The Hairs have adopted the Kindergarten class cheer "Rah Rah Ree" as their pregame chant.  Thursday's cheer was modified from Rah Rah Ree Monaghans to Rah Rah Ree Ricky (in honour of Steamboat hosting the team pool party bbq).

Buy a Vowel Yaschyshyn pitched game one and key hits by Prancer Byj, Secret Weapon Grudzinski and Glove Moffat propelled the Hairs to a 14-7 win.

Another highlight was the height measurement between Steamboat Wilcox and Short Sh*t George of the Faces. Too close to call.

In game 2 the Hairs were down 7-0 after 2. Pitcher and Poet Manson took over on the mound.  The Hairs’ bats came to life in the 4th before taking the lead in the 6th to win 10-7.

Slick Brancier, Breadbasket Warren, Byj and Grudzinski lead the way offensively.

2022 Hairs alumni Rudy Gauer was known for finding a way.  In the Hairs-Pills game on July 25th, Rudy found a way to stop a batted ball with his head- see attached pics.  Fortunately, he's okay and has added to his folklore.

 

GAME REPORTS – July 25, 2024

 

RUSTY ROYALS vs. GREY BEARDS

Rusty Royals Report – John Koopman

They say a week is a long time in politics. It is a long time in baseball too.  For a week the Royals stewed over the ineptness of their collective sticks, when they played the Fine Wines last week.  It seems the stewing was good for them.

With our two killer Bs (Belluomini and Biren) away, the rest of us knew we needed to produce. The Royals exploded for five runs in the first and did it again in the fourth. The Rusty Royal defence behind pitcher Rick Halik was solid and we walked off with a 17-10 victory.  Rookie Brian Mastervick continued his torrid pace at the plate, and looks like a rookie of the year shoe-in. He hit for the cycle (Single, Double, Triple, and HR) and was 4-4 with three runs scored and three ribbies. He turned a surefire second triple into a double so he could go home and honestly tell his wife he hit for the cycle.  Fellow rookie Willi Thuner was also 4-4 with two runs scored and a ribbie.  The rookies are carrying the Royals this year.  Mike Mozewsky was 3-4 and Mike, Jeff Palmer, Bill Johson, Steve Isaac all drove in two - emulating the ageless Al Kaline (Stokes) who also drove in two.

In Game Two the Grey Beards came out raucous, with a lot of trash talk, but to no avail.  The Royals felt bad pounding, and pounding, Grey Beard pitcher Mac (Gregg Macaulay) while his wife watched, but all is fair in love, war and baseball.  This time Jeff Palmer and John Koopman went 4-4 - both with home runs too. [Ed. Note – can anyone remember the last time Koopman hit a more run?] Palmer also had five ribbies.  Willi Thuner was 3-3 (he did not get out all day - though he did thank the good lord for an infield hit), Steve Isaac was 3-3 and Dan Cooper closed out the game with three run homer run to mercy the stunned Grey Beards.  Rick Halik made two sensational catches in the outfield (sacrificing his own body on one of them), Andy McMakin played through an injured leg, Mike Mozewsky pitched splendidly and Billy "White Shoes" Johnson continued to pull the ball to stardom.  We call him "White Shoes" because of his speed - not his shoes.

We hope that this week's Royals was the real team...

Grey Beards Report – Larry Young

With the games meaning a great deal in the final standings the GreyBeards had one of their toughest weeks of the season. Credit to the Rusty Royals who hit line drives all day.

First game was a 17-10 loss and the second was a mercy 21-8 after six innings.

Best performances of the day went to Bill Craig 6/7, Bruce Locke 5/7, Andy Kozai 4/7 and Steve Moses 4/7. Bill Craig also led the way with five rbi's on the day. Also, it should be noted that Barney Henderson continued to lead the team in triples by adding another one on the day.

Hopefully we can get back on the horse next week.

 

FINE WINES vs. RED FACES

Fine Wines Report – Dave Adams

Both the Wines and Red Faces played with depleted lineups last Thursday. This is much like drinking a non-alcoholic beer: it looks like a beer, it pours like a beer, it gets good head like a beer, but it just may not have the same effect as a beer. However, for the Fine Wines a secret ingredient gave their beer (team) a full-bodied flavour.

Gary Gilmour, catcher extraordinaire, was bumped from his comfortable crouch behind the plate to the position of Rover. This spot on the diamond is about as foreign to him as winning the lottery is for me.

Game 1 saw Gilmour gobble up five (5) ground balls and casually toss them to second base for 5 force outs. In Game 2, the Great Gilmour electrified the crowd by seizing a sizzling liner, ending a bases-loaded threat by the Reds.

Offensively in Game 1, the powerful hitting of Jonathan Kamin included a 3-run right field dinger in the 3rd inning. Contributing 11 more hits and 9 runs was the quartet of Geoff Coulson, Mike Way, Rick Wilkinson and the aforementioned Great One 2.0, to make the final 15-6 Wines.

 Game 2, and the hits just keep on comin'. Sommelier Coulson notched a season-high 5 hits which when mixed in with Way's 4 hits resulted in 7 runs. Big Ian and Little Ian (don't ask me where someone did the measurements) both had 3 hits and trotted home safely 4 times. The Wines' fine defence and the pinpoint pitching of Wilkinson kept the Red Faces' offence in check to make the final 17-5.

 The Wines' 5-game unbeaten string has the team back in 3rd place with only 4 games remaining.

Red Faces Report – Mike Boyle

The banged-up Red Faces drew another banged up team on Thursday and sadly, only the Fine Wines could overcome their absentees and as a result, the Red Faces dropped another pair of games. Their lack of hitting again proved their downfall as Red Faces managed just 11 runs over the two games.

However, the highlight of the game for either team came when LC Dan Sanscartier caught a sinking line drive millimetres before it hit the grass and then nailed the runner at second base for a spectacular double play. Dan received accolades from both teams and a shocked look from the runner who was out by 10 feet. The second highlight of the game (albeit negative) was the valiant attempted catch of a fly ball by pitcher-turned-right-fielder Tony Reda.  Tony wanted to make the catch so badly he decided to use both hands.  As most fielders can attest – bad idea.   Tony suffered a finger dislocation, and the sewing masters at the hospital went through a couple of spools of twine sewing it back together with 15 stitches.

Sanscartier and Bernie Renwick led the offence (such as it was). Dan had five hits and 3 RBIs. He was matched by slightly-more-agile-for-himself Renwick who conducted a hitting clinic with 5 hits and 4 RB1s. Bernie’s two outs were loud, line drives which easily could have fallen in. Manager Mike Boyle added 4 hits [Ed. Note – including a triple] and 5 RBIs, while Ron Vandermeulin had 4 hits and pitched the second game. New leadoff hitter Tom Hunter got on base four times with two hits and 2 walks, proving he can skip his next optometrist’s appointment. Rookie Drew Martin added 3 hits.

 

BLUE PILLS vs. WHITE HAIRS

White Hairs Report – Jeff Morton

A new ball saying was coined on the fine day of Thursday July 25th at Millbank West - "Negative Vertical".  I'm not sure who came up with the insight, but it was applied to our worthy opponent William Stubbins.  Stubby played a very solid Double Header on Thursday - primarily at first base.  Given the number of lefties in the Hairs lineup, Stub may have been the busiest man on the field snaring ground balls and one-hoppers. However, hit a 6 foot high line drive and you see Negative Vertical.  If only the Hairs could have executed a few more liners.

Really fun games Thursday with back and forth scoring and decent defense.

Split with the Pills winning by 2 and Hairs by 6

Slick Brancier, Morton and Pitcher and Poet Manson each contributed 6 hits, with 4 from Secret Weapon Grudzinski, Stitches Foscarin, Prancer Byj, Vinny Pileggi and Roadrunner Ron Linklater.

Blue Pills Report – Greg Aubert

The Blue Pills earned a split against the White Hairs and in the process moved out of the league basement and knocked the Hairs out of first place.  The Pills are getting hot and have now won 4 of their last 6 games

Game 1 - Pills 14 - White Hairs 13

The two teams came out swinging and scored 5 runs apiece in the 1st inning.  The Pills stayed hot and built a 5-run lead going into the bottom of the third.  The Hairs answered with 5 more in the 3rd to even the score at 10. Single runs were traded in the 5th leaving the scored tied going into the 6th.  In the 6th, Rudy Gauer led off with a well-placed cue shot which was followed by a walk to the Silver Fox (aka Frank Sturm) and then a booming double by the red hot Dave Walker, producing 2 runs.  A third run was cashed by a Darrell Northcott single.  A great throw to the plate by the Hairs’ Jeff Morton nailed what would have been a 4th run.  In the bottom of the 6th, the Hairs had men at 2nd & 3rd with 2 out and Morton at the plate.  He was intentionally walked, bringing Don Yaschyshyn to the plate.  He hit a sinking line drive which was snared by 2nd baseman Greg Aubert which ended the threat.  The Pills went quietly in the 7th inning.  The White Hairs scored two runs and had runners at 2nd & 3rd with two out.  The game ended with Bill (Stubby) Stubbins backhanding a hard grounder and beating the batter to 1st base.

Each Blue Pill player had at least one hit and the team went 23 for 39 for a .590 team average.  Ed Lincz went 4/4 while Dave Walker and Mike Canham each went 3/4.  Frank Sturm and Tony Fratia each went 2/3 with a walk.

Game 2 - Hairs 15 - Pills 9

Both teams were blanked in 3 of the first 4 innings.  Both teams put up crooked numbers in the 5^th, producing an 8 - 8 score.  The Hairs scored 5 runs in the 6th as they took advantage of a few faux pas by the otherwise steady Blue Pill defence. The Pills managed only 1 run over the last two frames and the White Hairs coasted to a 15 to 9 victory.

Hitting stars for the Pills in Game 2 were Darrell Northcott (3/4) and Dave Walker (2/2 with a walk and a sac fly).

 

GAME REPORTS – July 18, 2024

 

RUSTY ROYALS vs. FINE WINES

Rusty Royals Report – John Koopman

Ty Cobb said he always "hit it where they ain't".  The Rusty Royals did not listen.  In Game One the Rusty Royals hit it where the Fine Wines were.  The Wines did make some nice defensive plays (including many by a substitute the Royals hope they never face again), but as the good book says, history is the story of what I did to myself.   Jeff Biren had three hits for the Royals as did Brian Mastervick, Dan Cooper and Willi Thuner got two hits each, but the rest of the line-up, well we are praying for next week.  The Royals lost 13-7 in Game One.

In Game Two the Royals regained their defensive lustre and Ron Belluomini held the thunderous Fine Wine bats to five runs.  In almost every running the Royals had multiple runners on base, but we were not good at bringing them home.  The fate of Joe Biden was too much on our mind, and we failed to focus on baseball.  We hit worse than in Game One.  There was talk of firing the coach, but he was saved by a lack of volunteers to provide backfill for the role...In the end we held onto a 5-5 draw and remain tied for first place in this wickedly competitive league.

On the good side Rick Halik is back from DL. Young guys heal so fast.

Fine Wines Report – Dave Adams

Before the Fine Wines 2-game stint against the first place Rusty Royals, the team's manager, Chris Barrett, informed his teammates that an upper body injury would prevent him from playing. The Wines' team decided that Barrett should be relegated to the position of umpire. [Ed. Note - said position being available due to the unexplained absence of the qualified umpire.]

Game 1 saw the Wines score 13 runs over the first five frames before putting it in Cruise Control and coasting to a 13-7 win over the Rusted Royals. Geoff Coulson, Bennie Roczniak and Mike Way combined for 8 hits, including Way's CN Towering home run, and racked up 7 runs.

Game 2 would be a low scoring affair (no double entendre intended). In the top of the 7th with one out and the Royals clinging to a 5-3 lead, a hitless and somewhat hesitant Dave Adams shuffled to the plate and miraculously stroked a single to right field. Super Sub Mike Fleming (who drove in from Binbrook) followed suit with a single of his own. Jonathan Kamin then uncorked a two-run double to tie the game at five. In the bottom half, the Wines' defence buckled down and held the Royals scoreless, to make the final 5-5. Ian Carson and Bob Edmonston generously donated 5 hits but, ahem, could only score once.

Following the games, the Fine Wines were asked their opinion of Coach Barrett's umpiring. The players unanimously replied by saying they wished Barrett a speedy recovery.

 

BLUE PILLS vs. RED FACES

Blue Pills Report – Frank Sturm

“You never wear the same TWO shoes”. 

The Silver Fox sported a matched pair of shoes for the first time this season in a precursor to the day’s outcome.  [Ed. Note – our league private investigator has determined that the Silver Fox and the author of this game report are one and the same person.]

What a day, what a performance! 14 innings played and the Pills were only behind for 1!. That’s weirder than the shoes. A tidal wave of emotion engulfed the team as they recorded their first two-win day of the season. Two matched shoes, two victories. The team was solid all around on this temperate summer day. The Pills were even jovial, at one point laughing off a blundered base running error that resulted in a double play. We won’t call out any names but he bats 8th, and his mom makes the greatest Italian dishes this side of the GTA. Some highlights include Kirk (king of the bat) with a laundry list of stats including (but not limited to) going 7/8, 5 RBIs, 5 runs scored AND… he turned a double into a home run by using more moves than Keanu Reeves in a Matrix fight scene. Not to be outdone, Dave Walker went 7/8, had 6 RBIs and scored 6 times (maybe got a little silver fox base running help) AND… hit a real home run. Seems Dave W doesn’t care much for the Matrix movies.

It was also hinted in a previous report that the “Predator and the Pills” story would continue.  Predator 2 was released in 1990 and the Pills’ second predator appeared today as Coach Greg. He charged a quickly descending line drive ball and snatched it a split second before the “Reds” had already pencilled in a triple. Well done Greg! And welcome to the Predator franchise.

The Pills are now .750 in their last 4 games. Just to break that down a little further…..

On second thought, let’s not - .750 is good!

Red Faces Report – Mike Boyle

Red Faces finally got their bats going after several weeks of low run producing. However, despite scoring 21 runs, it wasn’t enough as they dropped both games to the Blue Pills on an otherwise perfect day to play baseball.

As is their recent trend, Red Faces fell behind early in game one. The guys chipped away at a 9-1 deficit to close the gap but couldn’t quite overturn the large hole into which they were placed and lost 14-11.

In the second game, Red Faces actually led 4-0 after the first inning. Alas, their hopes were dashed as the team was outscored 16-6 the rest of the way for a 16-10 loss.

Leading the way for the Red Faces was Jeff Francis who hit another over-the-fence home run. He finished with 5 hits, 9 RBIs and some towering outs. Dan Sanscartier added 6 hits and 6 runs. Tom Hunter went 4-for-4 in the opener in the leadoff spot and finished with 5 hits. Bernie Renwick’s textbook hitting produced 6 hits and a loud out. Ron Vandermeulin seems to have regained his hitting stroke with 4 hits.

 

GREY BEARDS vs. WHITE HAIRS

Grey Beards Report – Larry Young

Weather was great once again. Fields were playable even after Tuesday’s deluge.

We took on the White Hairs who have beaten us three times and tied once. Team came out of the gate with bats on fire. As the game went along the Hair rallied back. Greybeards hung on to squeak out a 13-12 win to finally manage a win. Second game both teams came out with red hot bats. We couldn’t keep up and lost 17-12.

Individual highlights go to Dario Pretto who was 6-6. Jim Fenner was 5/6, George Merrick was 5/6 with 4 rbis, and Barney Henderson was 4/6 with 4 rbis and was only a home run away from the cycle.

White Hairs Report – Jeff Morton

It seems like the season of unforeseen injuries for the White Hairs.  The full 14 Hair squad showed up to do battle with the Chapless Beardy Boys.

 

Unfortunately, the first battle was Hairs’ Secret Weapon Grudzinski hitting Pitcher and Poet Manson in his right arm during BP. The resulting bruising rivaled Stitches thumb colouring.

The Hairs went into a 3-inning funk as we tried to figure out how to adjust defensively.   Coming out of the ether in the 4th, the Hairs put up 12 over the next 4 innings to come up one run short.

Coach Morton, was faced with a dilemma trying to figure out a 14-man lineup and what to change.  As every Hair has a nickname it became evident we had to change one of the older monikers.  We wanted to be last on the field, so naturally First on the Field Pileggi is now simply Vinny!

 

Game 2 started with hitting through the order, 15 runs in the first 3 and some outstanding defence.

 

Buy a Vowel pitched great and the Hairs banged out 50 hits on the day.

The Glove Moffat and Morton each went 6 for 6, with Vinny, Stitches Foscarin and Prancer Byj contributing 5 each and 4 from G Coveny and Roadrunner Ron Linklater.

 

You would think with 54 runs scored in total our first to Monaghans streak would be pooched.  Nope! 

 

Pitcher and Poet Manson put a couple of cold ones on his arm and declared he'd be good to go next week against the Pills.

 

 

 

GAME REPORTS – July 4, 2024

 

GREY BEARDS vs. RED FACES

Grey Beards Report – Jim Fenner

The Grey Beards visited the Red Faces, and their bats were on fire. They scored in all but one inning while the Reds struggled, getting blanked in five out of seven innings. Veteran Barny Henderson led the Grey Beards’ offense with four RBI, and Andy Kozai hit a triple that brought in two runs. Andy also made a spectacular catch in left-centre field. The final score was Grey Beards 14, Red Faces 2.

In the second game, the Beards continued their aggressive play. They scored in each of the first three innings, shutting out the Reds during that stretch. Defensive highlights included second baseman Steve Moses making all three outs in the top of the 3rd inning, and rover Steve Craig strategically repositioning himself to catch two fly balls in short right-centre field. The final score of game 2 was Grey Beards 12, Red Faces 5.

Special recognition goes to pitchers Greg MacAuley and George Merrick, as well as the pinch-runners who ran tirelessly without complaint.

Red Faces Report – Mike Boyle

It was a beautiful warm day for baseball last week. And Red Faces were among the first back to the bar. And for the first time in a few weeks, every Red Faces batter came to bat at least 6 times.

But outside of that, there wasn’t a lot of good news as the Faces dropped both games to the Grey Beards. Strong fielding by the Grey Beards snuffed out most Red Faces’ rallies.

The 11-men Red Faces were led by the continued strong hitting of Jack Pang with five hits. Dan Sanscartier added four hits and made a number of fine running catches in the outfield. Tony Reda added 3 hits and pitched more as his ankle injury flared up. Beyond that, no one managed more than two hits although John Finley had both his hits in the second game.

 

BLUE PILLS vs. FINE WINES

Blue Pills Report – Frank Sturm

“I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord, And I've been waiting for this moment, for all my life, oh lord.”

Everyone must recognize this!! This is a 60+ league after all. Kudos to “Phil Collins” for leading the Pills mantra.  Game 1 looked like another defeat for the beleaguered Pills.  But fate and “Phil” stepped-in in the seventh inning and turned a looming 8-4 loss into a 12-8 victory. Pills piled on 8 (count ‘em 8) runs in the 7th for an OMMSPL record (for a July 4th).  Did you know that July 4th is Independence Day in the US? Fireworks sure lit up the Pills 7th inning scorecard. In fact, the team batted all the way around. Talk about Independence! The Pills had swagger as they strolled in to Monaghans.

Game 2 started out as an offensive see-saw. It went 5-5, 5-2 for a 10-7 lead for the Wines after the 2^nd inning. But as Phil Collins wrote “coming in the air”, vanishing in the air can also happen. Like a fart in the wind the Pills’ offense vanished until the 7th. Another comeback Phil inning? Phil let us down in game 2 and the Pills only scored 1 for a 16-9 loss.

Who was that outfielder? Lanky, lean, aggressive and strategic. Lost count of how many outs he got but he sure “snatched ” some Wine corks in both games. Rudy Gauer (aka “The Predator”) is a fielder to be reckoned with. Other highlights included batting leaders Greg Aubert and Roman Kryzaniwsky going 5/8. Kirk MacDonald, Dave Walker and Mike Canham posted solid 4/8’s.

In closing, Genesis released an album titled “then there were three” in 1978. Ahhh, 1978! Doesn’t that bring back those high school memories? (Younger, faster, stronger and quicker healing!) Well, take note of the Pills win column!  It stands at 3 too, which can be interpreted as “ominous“. The story of the Predator and the Pills will continue….

Stay tuned.

Fine Wines Report – Dave Adams

Once again this week the Fine Wines had two wounded-winged warriors perched on the bench. These two cartoon-like characters, who resembled those magpies Heckle and Jeckle, could only watch as their 11 teammates took a four-run lead into the top of the 7th inning. The Blue Pills would then get on up and score a record 8 times to take a 12-8 lead. The Wines responded by sending 4 men to the plate, three of whom didn't even get a sniff of first base. Offensively Jonathan Kamin and Ian Carson combined for 5 hits and a pair of runs.

During intermission, Ian Schell, like the mythical Phoenix, rose from the bench, approached Coach Barrett, and belted out, "Put me in coach, I'm ready to play...Second Base." And he did, swallowing ground balls to throw to first, and knocking out 3 hits and scoring twice. Game 2 featured more Singles than a Tinder Online Dating Site. By swiping to the right, 16 of those Singles ultimately scored to make the final 16-9. Multi-hit performances at the plate were turned in by Chris Barrett, Bob Edmonston, Geoff Coulson, Mike Way and Carson.

This two-game split leaves the Wines mired in 4th place but still able to smell the bouquet of the teams just a few points ahead of them.

 

RUSTY ROYALS vs. WHITE HAIRS

White Hairs Report – Jeff Morton

Momma said there'd be days like this.

 

Strong up the middle is one of baseball’s foundational lores.  The ‘24 White Hairs squad has given up the least runs with strong defensive play throughout the lineup.  Well, the defense on 7/4 was just ok, and the bats screamed we need a BP session.

 

The rusted Royals responded well to the challenge and put a licking on the Whiteys.

 

The Hairs had an unsuccessful talk between games one and two as the Blue guys got 8 or 9 consecutive hits before Buy a Vowel took over the mound.

 

The Hairs’ best part of the games was the bench banter - lots of fun giving each other jabs.

 

Steamboat Wilcox made an over the head catch, Roadrunner Ron pinch ran early in game 1 and then discovered the extra running wore him out.

 

Secret Weapon Grudzinski was 6 for 6.  Rapid Dose Hyland returned from 2 weeks of being locked in an interrogation room with the auditors and had his best offensive showing of the season.

 

The White Hairs group had another good afternoon at Monaghans and decided to indulge in various forms of therapy as they prepare to take on the Patio Head Winers next week.

 

Rusty Royals Report – John Koopman

On Thursday morning the OMMSPL's two strongest defensive teams (as measured by runs allowed) squared off.  Neither team leads the league in run scoring and so a tight, low-scoring couple of games were anticipated.  The White Hairs needed one win to stay at the top of the league and the Rusty Royals needed two wins to get there. 

The Rusty Royals, having learned from their first encounter with the White Hairs, collectively decided not to hit the ball to Jeff Morton, if humanly possible. Human vacuum cleaners should not be allowed on the diamond.  That strategy was broadly successful as veteran Jeff Biren went 4-4 and "Rookie of the Year" candidate Brian Mastervik went 3-3, with one of those hits being a triple.  Our two other rookies (who are giving Brian a strong run for the Rookie of the Year Award) also excelled. Ron Belluomini (he does need a name with fewer syllables) pitched a gem, and Willi Thuner ceded his usual shortstop role to a hobbling Jeff Palmer, and played a good game in LC.  Jeff Palmer's injury did not hurt his stick as he led the Royals with 3 ribbies.  It was a tight game until the fifth when the Royals exploded for four runs and took a 10-6 lead which turned out to be the final score of game 1.

Game Two was a replica of game one. The Royals opened the first frame with five runs on seven consecutive hits and a walk, and their offense was rather quiet the rest of the game. Tight defence, good base-running and another low scoring affair.  Mike Mozewsky led our sticks this game going 4-4 and scoring 3 runs and driving in 2. He hit a couple of doubles that would have been triples for anyone else on our team...but I guess we all have old knees.  John Koopman and Steve Isaac also went 4-4 (all singles), but whereas Mike is a threat on every at-bat, John and Steve are unlikely to ever repeat this performance.  When the dust had settled the Royals had a 10-7 victory.

In his post game interview with NBC, representing the now first place Rusty Royals, wily veteran Al Stokes summed it up this way: "hitting and pitching can go cold, but speed and defense never go cold".

 

 

GAME REPORTS – June 27, 2024

June 27, 2024

WARNING – this edition of Game Reports contains graphic content.  (Really.)

 

GREY BEARDS vs. FINE WINES

 

Fine Wines Report – Dave Adams

As the Shirelles sang so many years ago, "Mama said there'll be days like this, There'll be days like this, Mama said. (Mama said, Mama said)". And this past Thursday was certainly one of those days for the (not so) Fine Wines.

 With two injured wily Wine veterans sitting on the bench like those two cantankerous Muppet characters Statler and Waldorf, Coach Chris Barrett had to go with an 11-man lineup. It would turn out to be a morning of Strikes, Errors and Misses. But mostly misses: Misplayed fly balls, misjudged grounders, miscues on the basepaths, misfiring bats, mishits resulting in 11 fielder's choices. It was no mystery as to why the Wines allowed 25 runs over the two games while scoring only 14.

 In Game 1, the Wines took an early 1-0 lead, which disappeared faster than the White Hairs after their games. The Wines then scored 5 in the 5th, and Jonathan Kamin scorched a two-run dinger in the 6th to even the match at tens, before the Beards brushed the Wines aside and scored 7 runs to make the final 15-10. Mike Way and Benny Roczniak each contributed 3 hits and 2 runs.

 After a scoreless first inning in Game 2, the Wines recorded a pair of runs in the 2nd, followed by a drought, before notching 2 more in the 7th. Unfortunately this was not enough as the Beards scored half a dozen in the top of the seventh, which when added to their previously accumulated runs resulted in a final score of 10-4 good buddy. The better Way and Barrett were the 4-run scorers.

These two losses dropped the Wines into 4th place, leaving the Fine Wines tasting more like vinegar. After all, mama said there'd be games like this.

Grey Beards Report - Chappy

It was a perfect day for a couple of games of baseball.

Fine Wines and Grey beards took to the sand lot as two very well-matched teams. The teams played two very close games with the Beards somehow finding a way to

pull out 2 victories, by scores of 15-10 and 10-4.

 Steady pitching from Larry Young. Steady hitting from Randy Heinbecker and George Merrick each batting 5/6. Andy Kozai hit 3 singles and ended up on 3rd base.  Go figure.

 Great Games. Fine Wines are a class team.

 Did l mention that we beat the White Hairs back to Monaghans?

 

BLUE PILLS vs. RUSTY ROYALS

 

Rusty Royals Report – Brian Mastervick

The Rusty Royals may show 2 wins on the day , but that could not have been possible without the exceptional sportsmanship by the Blue Pills.

The Blues graciously provided the Royals with 2 defensive players, catcher and rover.  When the Blues were in a defensive position for the Royals they played as if they were coming up on free agency, making multiple  defensive plays to the cheers of many a Royal.  I think I also heard the cheers from the bBues during these plays, however without the hearing aids, it's hard to make out what the Blues were saying.  Thank you to the Blues for being great sportsmen. 

While we could only field 8 regulars our one spare Dave Ware (hey, that rhymes!) made a huge impact for us both with the bat and in the field. Dave is a big asset to any roster. Thank you Dave for joining us for the day. So how did the 8 Royals add to the wins? Bringing Jeff Palmer out of pitching retirement with no signs of rust, Jeff was able to keep most batters out of their grove resulting in softer hits that were turned into routine outs. When the balls were squared up and lined to 3rd base, the Royals’ secret weapon Jeff Biren was a vacuum inning after inning - great job Jeff! When the Blues were tired of outs at 3rd, they tried hitting to the other side of the diamond  only to find Dan Cooper more than up to the challenge, showing his range as a 2nd baseman. Dan may have a new home in the infield.

The standout player for the Royals outfield was Mighty Al Stokes making a few timely catches each of which could very well have been the TSN turning point.

Offensively with our short lineup everyone had to step up. Game one it was Willi going 4 for 5 with 3 ribs and crossing the plate 4 times.

Game 2 is when Jeff Palmer helped himself, now pitching in his second game (since who can remember), stepped into the batter's box and proceeded to stroke 4 for 4, scoring twice and adding an Rbi along the way. The Royals’ sub Dave Ware, now in mid-season form also went 4 for 4 with a Rbi and 2 runs scored.

Blue Pills Report – Frank Sturm

“Brother can you spare a dime?” Or maybe a catcher? Or maybe a catcher and a rover?

Two shorthanded blue teams faced off in a classic battle of “last man standing”. The “Pills” needed 2 spares just to field 10 and the “Rusties” needed a spare and 2 “Pills” to field their squad.  Hmmmmm, if I asked a bartender for a “Rustie, a spare and 2 pills”, would that be a double and a hangover cure?

Anyway, each team needed some help and the Pills got off to a good start getting 2 runs and holding the Rusties scoreless after 1. The tide turned shortly thereafter and the Pills went down in game 1, 14-7.

Sometimes there is game within the game!  This one was a namesake battle. Two Dave W’s were on today’s rosters - one on each squad. Both were watched closely with the anticipation that the “better” Dave W. would lead their team to victory. The Pills’ Dave W. (Aka-Dave Walker) was ferocious both offensively and defensively. The Rusties’ Dave W (aka Dave Ware) took the game lightly and was seen napping on the field at one point. So the game within the game became somewhat of a “yawner” as the Pills lost game 2 as well.

Highlights for the games include of course Dave Walker, who made “TWO” TSN catches of the day and went 7 for 8. Other notables were Frank Sturm (AKA “Silver Fox”) who went 5/7 with an inside-the-park home run and a bumbled TSN catch of the day. Darrell Northcott was 6/7 and manager Greg went 5/7. Iron Mike Canham (IMC) pitched an outstanding two games. The Rusties’ bats proved hard to stop on this day. Back at Monaghans, the Pills received a free jug from the Rusties for helping to fill in their squad.

All is fair in love and baseball and thanks to spares “double play Rick” Cummings and “Speedy Bob” Betker for adding to the Pills’ roster.

 

 

WHITE HAIRS vs. RED FACES

White Hairs Report – Jeff Morton

"That's the way she goes." - Ricky, Trailer Park Boys

The White Hairs showed up in good spirits glad that their teammate Tony Foscarin had survived a scrap with a band saw. Here's a picture of his hand - note the similarities to a burnt hot dog.

     

Tony will now be known as Stitches.  Despite 9 stitches in his thumb, Stitches made the first 3 outs in the first inning and played outstanding defense all day.  The Red guys were shaking their heads at Stitches’ defensive prowess.

Ron Linklater had a little something extra in his cornflakes before the game.  Before we knew it, he was inserting himself into the game as a pinch runner.  Consequently, Ron's new label is Roadrunner.   Later in the game, Roadrunner's breakfast supplement wore out, and so did Ron.  He was rumored to mumble "I was so out of breath, I couldn't ask for a pinch runner."

Stitches lead the Hairs to a comfortable 12-2 game one victory. 

Game 2 started off well for the Whiteys with 5 in the first.  The Hairs held the lead ‘til the bottom of 6. The Faces took full advantage of defensive changes created due to flukey Hairs injuries and took over in the bottom of the 6th to win 14-12.

Slick Brancier was a demon on the base paths until a hammy slowed him to a crawl.

The top 6 hitters for the Hairs batted a combined 31 for 39 on the day.  Breadbasket Warren also broke out of his batting funk hitting the ball hard all day.

Meanwhile, back at Monaghans, the Hairs’ beer fund helped soothe the squad’s various aches and pains.

 

 

Red Faces Report – Mike Boyle

For the first time all season, the Red Faces fielded all 14 players this week and came away with a hard-earned split with the league-leading White Hairs.

The first game proceeded much like many of their past games as they watched the White Hairs extend their lead throughout the game. It was played quickly and by the time 7 innings were up, the Faces found themselves on the wrong side of a 12-2 result.

The second game started just like the other games. The White Hairs rolled out 5 runs in the top of the first. However, Red Faces’ fortunes changed when after 3 consecutive singles to start the bottom of the inning, Dan Sanscartier laced a line drive inside-the-park grand slam home run to right to draw the Red Faces back to within one. White Hairs again pulled ahead and led 9-4 after three innings. Unlike previous games, Red Faces responded big time. Jeff Francis started the comeback by launching a towering, over-the-fence home run to right field. It may still be rolling it was hit so hard … Five more hits later and three more runs crossed the plate to draw the Faces back within one. Two runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth, and Red Faces found themselves ahead going into the last inning and facing the top of the White Hairs’ order. However, strong pitching by Tony Reda, and stellar defence by Red Faces held White Hairs off the board and off they were to Monahan’s with a win under their belts (along with some beer)!!

Again, for the third week in a row, no Red Faces’ batter came to the plate more than 5 times. Leading the way for Red Faces was Jeff Francis going 5-for-5 with a HR and two RBIs; Dan Sanscartier going 4-for-5 with 3 runs scored and 4 RBIs; and Jack Pang who went 4-for-5 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs. Mike Boyle and Al King added 4 hits each. Tony Reda went 3-for-3 with 3 RBIs in the second game after not playing since the first week of the season. Bernie Renwick chipped in with 3 hits. Tony Reda pitched the bulk of both games but was spelled off by Ron Vandermeulin just enough to throw off the timing of the White Hairs’ hitters.

 

GAME REPORTS – June 20, 2024

 

June 20, 2024

But first, some website notes...

If you make it all the way to the end of the game reports without falling asleep check out the "Boys of Summer" baseball cards, featuring the White Hairs, Red Faces, Greybeards and Blue Pills.  (The Rusty Royals and Fine Wines are still trying to locate a few missing players.)

For even more excitement click on the brand new tab entitled "Defibrillator Video" for a demonstration of how to actually use one of these things.  It might come in handy someday.

 

GREY BEARDS vs. RUSTY ROYALS

Rusty Royals Report – John Koopman

For an engine to work well it needs to fire on all cylinders. In game one the Rusty Royals fired only on two: pitching and defence. Ron Belluomini pitched well and the Rusty Royals provided solid defence to the hard-hitting Grey Beard bats.  Sadly we missed the offensive cylinder.  Apart from a four-run second inning not much happened.  Bringing up the rear of the order Al Stokes and John Koopman scored twice (admittedly driven in by the top of the order) but no-one else scored more than once.  Only Dan Cooper had a good game at the plate going 3-3 with a run and two ribbies.

Game Two our hitting cylinder was no better but we really turned the defence up a notch, under sweltering heat, to hold the Grey Beards to 6. We also plated 6 for a tie.  Jeff Biren scored twice, Willi Thuner had 2 ribbies, and offensively not a lot else happened. 

The Rusty Royals have fired their hitting coach and will be switching away from generics for some name brand steroids...

Grey Beards Report – Larry Young

The Greybeards had the bats working in the first game as every player chipped in with some timely hits. Team defence managed to keep the force play on almost every hit and it paid off as we were able to get many forced outs. First game in the books with an 11-8 win.

Second game saw the bats disappear as we failed to score in any of the first four innings despite hitting the ball hard. Some great defence performed by the opposition. Down 6-0 we managed to come back and get a tie, leaving interim manager Jim Fenner with an undefeated record at the helm.

Individual batting saw Dave Kozai go 5/7 and brothers Steve and Bill Craig and Andy Kozai go 4/7. On a sad note, after just welcoming Dario Pretto back to the lineup he injured his lower back and missed the second game.

 

FINE WINES vs. RED FACES

Red Faces Report – Mike Boyle

Fine defence by the Fine Wines coupled with Red Faces continued hitting woes produced back-to-back 10-3 and 12-8 losses for the Faces. Fortunately for Red Faces, the team played well defensively but banged out only seven hits in the opener. The team waited until the last inning of the second game before their bats heated up but their rally fell short and they went down to defeat once again, although the score was a little more respectable.

The Red Faces were led by Dan Sanscartier with four hits, two RBIs and a number of fine catches in the outfield. Jack Pang, Tom Hunter, Bernie Renwick and Mike Boyle helped out with three hits apiece. On the field, third baseman Al King put on a clinic, starting two double plays and making a number of clutch outs at the bag.

Fine Wines Report – Dave Adams

On a hot, muggy morning when HOFer Ernie Banks might have said, "Let's play 1," the Fine Wines and Red Faces decided to play 2. Sure, why not.

In Game 1 the Wines wasted no time taking the lead, scoring a trio of runs in the first inning...and then took an offensive nap for two innings. The Red Faces (not just a team name as it turns out) scored 3 in the second to tie it up. The now hydrated and relaxed Wines then popped the game wide open, scoring 8 runs on the defensively stifled Reds to make the final 11-3. Geoff Coulson, Mike Way and Pat Blais punched out 10 hits and touched home 7 times.

 After a much-needed break for the players and umpire, Game 2 began with both teams being held scoreless in the first frame. The red-hot Wines offence scored a mercy 5 in the second and held a 10-2 lead after four. The Red Faces, now resembling 50 Shades of Red, had no answer for the unrelenting barrage of base hits by the Wines who took a 13-4 lead into the top of the 7th. A Red rally fell short and the Wines hung on to win 13-8. With 8 of the 11 players having at least 2 hits Coach Barrett was pleased with this total team effort, which accelerated the Wines into second place.

 

WHITE HAIRS vs. BLUE PILLS

White Hairs Report – Jeff Morton

The White Hairs gathered under the heat dome with two goals - play some good ball and try and determine if the squad should wear ball pants or shorts.  Six wore shorts while six wore ball pants. The Hairs didn't lay out which metrics would support the pants camp and which would support the shorties.  Further compounding the issue, the usually opinionated Kindergarten class took residence in the shade in deep left center.  Consequently, the wee ones didn't weigh in with their opinions on the pants/shorts conundrum.

The shorts squad outhit the pants guys 22 to 21 while the pants guys outscored the shorties 13 to 12. (pinch runners in shorts scored 3 of the 13 pants’ runs).

The pants pitcher gave up 1 run per inning while shorts pitcher gave up 1.85 (many of the shorts runs against unearned due to errors by those in pants).

You may ask what about sliding?  No one slid!  You might think that fact alone might be the determining factor in the shorts/pants debate, but you would be wrong.

The determining factor might have been the inspired play of pants-wearing Rick Steamboat Wilcox.  Steamboat had several key hits, pinch ran like he was 35 years old and made the season's first White Hairs catch in right field without falling to his knees.

On the shorts side, First on the Field Pileggi returned to his 23 form with 6 hits and solid D.

So unfortunately we're unable to determine yet if the Whiteys play better in shorts or pants.

Whiteys win 2, are first to Monaghans, and had a few opt for perogies in honour of Pills Roman Kryzaniwsky.

Blue Pills Report – Greg Aubert

Game 1 - White Hairs 16; Blue Pills 13.  The 1st game was played under tolerably hot temps.  The White Hairs set the tone for the game by scoring 5 runs in the top of the first.  The Pills replied with 4 of their own in the bottom half.  The Pills were held scoreless for the next 3 innings and found themselves trailing by an 11 to 4 count at the end of 4 innings.  After yielding 2 more runs in the top of the 5th, the Pills started fighting back, scoring 4 in the 5th and 5 in the 6th knotting the score at 13 going into the 7th inning.  The Hairy ones then scored 3 and blanked the Pills 1,2,3 to end the game.  The Pills showed a lot of character fighting back from such a large deficit but ultimately it was another tough loss for the guys in blue.

Game 2 - White Hairs 9 Blue Pills 5.  Prior to starting the 2nd game, the managers agreed to play a 5 inning game due to the extreme heat.  The two teams scored 2 runs apiece in the 1st inning. The Pills were then held scoreless for the next 3 innings (deja vu?) and found themselves trailing the hairy guys by 7 runs going into the 5th and final inning.  A keystone cops moment occurred in the bottom of the 4th when an errant throw by Rover Dave Brinton bounced off  2nd baseman Greg Aubert's head into right field allowing a couple of runs to score.  Fortunately Greg's hard head didn't damage the ball.  With 2 outs in their final at bats, the Pills valiantly pushed 3 runs across the plate putting a bit of a scare into the White Hairs. However the comeback fell short and the Pills left the field with another disappointing loss. 

Mike Canham & Roman Kryzaniwsky each went 5 for 6 on the day while Dave Walker (4/5 plus a BB), Stubby (4/6) and Greg Aubert (4/6 & 5 RBI) also were solid contributors to the offence.

 

 

GAME REPORTS – June 13, 2024

RED FACES vs. BLUE PILLS

Red Faces Report – Mike Boyle

The Red Faces’ hitting woes continued this week as the team struggled to put runs on the board in both games. In fact, both games went the full length and coincidentally every Red Faces’ hitter came to the plate only 5 times. Fortunately, the team scored more runs than the Blue Pills in the second game to salvage a split.

In the opener, the teams were locked in a close game until the Blue Pills surged ahead in the fifth inning and poured it on to win 14-4. The second game was a pitching duel with only 5 runs scored after four complete innings. The Red Faces put up a five-spot in the fifth to take the lead and held on for a 7-6 win. Dave George returned from a three-week western holiday to deliver the key hit - a two-out, bases loaded single to knock in two runs and flip the score.

With only 5 at bats per player this week, the numbers are interesting. Dan Sanscartier led the way going 5-for-5 and knocked in 3 runs. Jeff Francis had a big day going 4-for-5, with 4 runs scored and 2 RBI. Others with 3 hits were Jim McDonald, Jack Pang, Mike Boyle and Tom Hunter. Ron Vandermeulin and Jack Pang shared the pitching duties.

Blue Pills Report – Gord Shields

The Pills came out strong in game 1, looking for their second win of the season. Every Pill had at least one hit in the opener and they put up a 5 spot in the first inning. Steady defence was seen all day with double plays made in both games and only 4 runs scored by the Red Faces in game 1, leading to a 12 – 4 Pills’ victory.

Game 2 saw the Pills’ fine defence continue with four shutout innings, but faltered in the 5th allowing 5 runs. This was the difference in a low-scoring game that ended 7 -6 for the Reds after a 7th inning Pills rally fell just short. It was an excellent effort all round by the Blue Pills who fielded an 11 man team which meant no innings off on a very warm day.

Heroes of the day were Dave Walker, 6/8; Darrell Northcott, 6/7; Greg Aubert, 6/7 and Frank Sturm, 5/8 while fighting of a flu bug. Thanks also to spare Rick Cummings for coming out to play for us.

 

 

GREY BEARDS vs. WHITE HAIRS

White Hairs Report – Jeff Morton

Poet, pitcher and philosopher Bill Manson revealed another side Thursday.  He provided a limerick for the Kindergarten class fans that now frequent OMMSPL games at Millbank.

"Rah, rah ree, kick him in the knee. Rah, rah ras, kick him in the other knee." 

Those kids are fast learners and delighted in chanting the Rah rah several times.

The support seemed to inspire both teams as 28 runs were scored in the game 2 sister-kisser.

The Hairs had solid defence with two DPs from the legendary Buy a Vowel to Foscarin to "I can see" Linklater combo.  Two more Hairs DPs and outstanding outfield defence kept the Beardy Boys at bay.

New glove Moffat also chipped in showing off his new leather.

Offensively it was clear some of the Whiteys had been practicing.   Slick Brancier led with an 8 for 8 date, Morton had 7, G Coveny, Buy a Vowel and Triple P Manson each had 5.

Back at Monaghans, the first to the bar squad had the more traditional fried foods for lunch.

We're back!

Grey Beards Report – Larry Young

The Greybeards season continues to be played in California weather. First game the team struggled to get the bats going. Dario Pretto, fresh off his Euro tour, made his season debut and crushed the ball all over the park. Unfortunately he managed to find an opposing glove at almost every opportunity. Lost the first game 11-6.

Second game led by our warrior Bruce Locke who was tripped at first and face planted. He managed to overcome this mishap and led the team with four RBI’s. Mac (aka Greg Macauley) went 6/7. Joined by Larry Young who finally got off the schneide by also going 6/7. Steve Moses also had a good day at the plate going 5/7. Game went back and forth with the teams finally settling on a 14-all draw.

 

RUSTY ROYALS vs. FINE WINES

Fine Wines Report – Dave Adams

The dictionary meaning of foreshadowing: a warning of a future event. In the first inning of Game 1, the Wines loaded the bases with only 1 out, but could only muster a pair of runs. In the second inning, the Wines again loaded the bases with only 1 out. (You can probably see where I'm going with this.)  Again the Wines could only score twice. You don't need to ask Nostradamus to predict how this game would end. The well-oiled Rusty Royals kept pecking, and pecking away [Ed Note – that’s because they’re peckers], scoring a 5-spot in the 4th inning to knot the score at nines before eventually taking the lead in the fifth frame and holding on to defeat the Wines 12-11. Leading the offensive Wine Brigade were Geoff Coulson, Jonathan Kamin, Chris Barrett, and Mike Way with 3 hits apiece and 5 runs scored.

Game 2 began much like the first game for the Wines... until with 2 out and the bases choked, Ian Carson sauntered to the plate and produced some much-needed firepower. Carson uncorked a Grand Salami to wipe the bases clean. The following few innings were uneventful until the bottom of the 5th when 4 more runners headed home safely. This was more than enough offence as the Wines dominated the now Rusty Royals 11-3. Kamin and Barrett were once again the driving force with 5 hits and 4 runs. Pat Blais actually got to swing at some pitches, after taking 3 walks in the first game, delivering 2 hits and a walk (duh!) and rambling home with 3 runs.

Rusty Royals Report – John Koopman

In Game One the Rusty Royals fought back from an early deficit to edge past the Fine Wines 12-11.  Rookie Ron Belluomini is not Sandy Koufax (maybe Don Drysdale) but he pitched a fine game and the Rusty Royals offence was just enough to get the job done. Mike Moszewsky and Jeff Palmer both hit triples, and scored two runs.  Palmer drove in three (and added a double).  Another up-and-coming rookie, Willi Thurner, went 3 for 3 and also scored twice.  All Rusty Royals, who were not coaches, had at least one hit. 

In Game Two the Rusty Royal bats went AWOL. There were more FCs (fielder's choice) on the Royal's scoresheet than I have fingers. Let's just say there were a lot.  Pitcher Ron Belluomini was kind enough to take the loss without blaming our bats.  Only veteran Al Stokes performed at his peak - he was 2 for 3 with a ribbie and a run.  A number of unnamed players went hitless. In consequence, the Rusty Royals have reinstalled curfew rules.  There is a suspicion that excessive boozing and nightlife is sapping our second game strength.  The dangers of having the league's best looking team...

 

 

GAME REPORTS – June 6, 2024

RED FACES vs. RUSTY ROYALS

Red Faces Report – Mike Boyle

The Red Faces were a little battered and bruised BEFORE the game, which didn’t augur well for the two games which followed. The team wasn’t in synch with itself, bashing out 24 hits in the opener but committing a boatload of errors to allow the Rusty Royals to pull out a bottom-of-the-seventh 18-17 win.

In the second game, the Red Faces tightened up its defence but didn’t score until the fifth inning and only scored four runs to drop a 13-4 decision.

Leading the way for the Red Faces was Ron VanderMeulin with six hits (including 5-for-5 in the opener), 5 runs scored and 4 RBIs. He also pitched both games. After missing his first game in forever last week, iron man Dan Sanscartier declared himself well enough to play and bashed out 5 hits and knocked in 7 runs as well as playing a solid 2B and RC. The Red Faces dipped into the spares’ pool to bring the complement up to 10 – superspare Mark Dreschel added 5 hits, 4 runs scored and 2 RBIs. Jim McDonald had 4 hits and 3 RBIs, while Jack Pang scored four runs, had 4 hits and made some nice catches in LC. Regular outfielder Tom Hunter, recovering from a leg injury and unable to run, imitated a pylon in the infield on the theory that it would be better than leaving the position vacant.  By his own admission, it wasn’t, but on the offensive side he contributed three walks in the first game [Ed. Note – the author made the catch of the day on a sinking line drive in left field which surprised everyone, mostly himself. In a post-game interview he credited the catch to his time-tested strategy of running hard and closing his eyes.]

Rusty Royals Report – John Koopman

Game 1 was an epic seesaw battle that saw the lead change twice before the Rusty Royals pulled out a walk-off victory in the bottom of the seventh.  The Red Faces led 17-16 going into the bottom of the last frame, but consecutive singles by Mike Mozewky, Dan Cooper, Willi Thurner, Steve Isaac and John Koopman led to two runs being plated and a walk-off 18-17 victory.  Leaders on the sticks were Jeff Biren who was 4-4 with two runs scored and three ribbies, and the ageless Al Stokes who scored three runs.  Stokes really learned a lot from playing with Ty Cobb.

In Game Two brilliant the Rusty Royal defence and Mike Mozewsky's pitching kept the Red Faces from scoring a run until the fifth inning.  Even super-spare Mark Dreschel was not enough to save the Red Faces.  Bill Martin's first game at Rover was a success, though two weeks in Italy have not helped his waistline.  At the plate Dan Cooper and Brian Mastervick were pounding the ball, and the consensus is that Dan's hitting speaks for itself and he does not need his mug on those buses driving up and down Glenashton in order to be noticed.  The league now knows who he is. A six-run seventh led to a final 13-4 victory for our hometown favorites.

[Ed. Note – Late in Game Two the fan base was exponentially increased by the arrival of three or four kindergarten classes who took up all of the seating in the 200 level on the third base side.  At our request they moved up to the 500 level to reduce the risk from foul balls, and we stationed a player nearby to intercept any such incoming missiles. Upon the game’s conclusion the munchkins invaded the diamond (at our invitation) to run the bases, and then posed with the victorious Rusty Royals for posterity while the Red Faces slunk off into obscurity.]

           

 

GREY BEARDS vs. BLUE PILLS

Blue Pills Report – Ed Lincz

Game One was a lopsided victory by the Grey Beards, outscoring the Blue Pills 15 to 4. The bright spots for the Blue Pills were Rudy Gauer going 3 for 3 and Ed Lincz 2 for 3. The Beards capitalized on a few errors by the Blue Pills to score 4 runs in the first and 5 runs in the sixth.

Game Two was a little closer, but the Pills still fell short and lost 8 to 5. Good defence by both teams resulted in several 1-2-3 innings. Players who scored this game were Tony Fratia, Roman Krazniwsky, Stubby, Dave Brinton and Lincz , but we couldn't push any more over the plate to get our elusive second victory of the year. Stubby pitched well in both games, striking out a couple. 

Grey Beards Report – Jim Fenner

On a sunny day at Glenashton West diamond, the Grey Beards’ bats were hot and their defence was tight. The top of the order, Randy Heinbecker, Dave Kosai, and Andy Kosai, each crossed the plate 4 times. Steve Moses led the team with 5 RBIs, followed by Bill Craig with 4, Andy Kosai and Barny Henderson each with 2, and Dave Kosai and Bruce Locke each with 1. Spectacular defensive catches were made in the outfield by Andy Kosai and Barny Henderson. In the infield, Bill Craig kept shortstop clean, Steve Moses snared everything at second base, and Bruce Locke played a solid first base. The final score was Grey Beards 14, Blue Pills 4.

In the second game, the Grey Beards held a 1-0 lead going into the 4th inning when the Blue Pills found a few cracks in the Beards’ defence. However, the Beards rebounded with more runs in the closing innings to post an 8-5 win without playing the bottom of the 7th inning. Kudos to George Merrick for pitching two complete games.

[Ed. Note – you may recall that the author of the above report, Jim Fenner, distinguished himself last week by breaking 2 fingers during batting practice.  In an impressive display of team loyalty Jim attended this week’s games (in uniform, no less) to keep score and provide much-needed moral support (as the Grey Beards are lacking in morals).  Jim also came back to the pub to show off his discoloured fingers and ruin a few appetites. What a guy!]

 

WHITE HAIRS vs. FINE WINES

White Hairs Report – Jeff Morton

"Goes the Other Way."

I don't know how many times I heard this phrase Thursday but it was a lot!  13 Whiteys showed up, had a good warmup and BP and then the games went in a different direction.

Strong Winers Defense and hitting and a tough day at the plate for the Hairs lead to a sweep. 

Highlights for the Hairs included 5 hits from Secret Weapon Grudzinki and 3 from Rick Wilcox.  Defensively, Tony Foscarin was solid and Morton took some consolation in throwing out his good friend Chris Barrett at home and third.

Back at Monaghans, the Hairs all had salads.  Enough said. 

Fine Wines Report – Dave Adams

With an opening day Double Dose Defeat at the hands, bats, and gloves of the White Hairs, the Fine Wines were looking to even the score. Things did not look promising as the Wines' lineup was as threadbare as the heel on my well-worn socks. Game 1 started slowly with the score 4-1 after four frames. Suddenly a Grape-loving Genie popped out of the (wine) bottle and granted the Wines 10 runs in the following two innings to bring the game to a merciful conclusion, 14-2. Great offence was provided by Ben Roczniak, Big Ian Carson and Bob Edmonston who blended their 8 hits to produce 7 runs. The somewhat wounded Mike Way (playing right field for the first time) pounded out 4 hits, resulting in a couple of meaty ribbies.

In Game 2 the Wines never trailed. With the contest tied at 5 after three innings, the Men in Magenta proceeded to score 7 more times to make the final 12-6, handing the first place Whites their first double defeat of the season. Some of the players on the Wines could be heard whispering "This is Huge...". Your eavesdropping reporter can only assume they were talking about the games' results. Big Bangers for the Wines were Chris Barrett, Jonathan Kamin, Roczniak and Edmonston whose bats cranked out a dozen hits, allowing them to hasten home with 8 runs.

Pitcher Pat Blais was a mound master, holding the Whites to single digits in the runs department.

Defensively, Bob Edmonston played a stellar left field, replacing the usual pooch who was on assignment. He swallowed (well actually it was his glove that did this) every fly ball that approached his domain. A Dyson handheld vacuum could not have done a better job than Bob.

 

GAME REPORTS – May 30, 2024

Grey Beards Report – Chappy

The skies were blue and a slight breeze. Great day to play ball.

 

I thought it would be a nice idea to give Jim Fenner a game at pitching. Jim went in to pitch batting practice and was promptly hit by a line drive on his hand (while protecting his face - a wise tradeoff). Broke 2 fingers. Sorry buddy. Thanks to Tom Hunter for escorting Jim to the hospital.  [Ed Note – Surprisingly Jim and his splinted fingers made it back from the hospital before the end of game 2, but he wisely decided to remain on the bench.]

 

The first game was a back-and-forth offensive game. That’s our story….

Barny Henderson was an energizer bunny. He ran for all the speed guys who were hampered with game injuries. 80 is the new 60. Steller 2nd baseman Steve Moses hung in there as best he could after coming up limp. Thanks to 2 new players to the league who spared for us: John “Chief” Ciufo and Bob Betker. We were able to scrape out a 23 – 19 victory.

 

Game 2 became the survival of the fittest. Which team could drop the fewest balls? Mac is home practicing the ”no anticipation” rule. On the plus side he was 8 for 9 at the plate. Bruce Locke was 6 for 8. New guy Bob was 7 for 8 with a homer. Congratulations to the Red Faces for the win 17-12. Have a great weekend and rest up everyone.

 

Red Faces Report – Mike Boyle

Both the Red Faces and Grey Beards were struggling with fielding a healthy lineup as a combination of previous injuries and then injuries that day put players onto the field into defensive roles that perhaps were challenging. Needless to say, while defence was in short supply that allowed the hitters to lift their batting averages significantly. Appropriately, each team won one game.

The first game went so long, not only did it kick in an automatic 1-1 count for the second game, it was all both teams could do to get 6 innings in.

The Red Faces played both games with 10 players plus a catcher graciously supplied by the Beards. In the opener, the Grey Beards surged in front to a big lead but the Red Faces chipped away and got close before the game ended 23-19 for the bearded guys. In the shortened second game the Faces came within a mercy victory twice and almost closed an inning before the 12:15 pm automatic cutoff but could not, thereby allowing Grey Beards a last chance. They loaded the bases to create a little anxiety, but the Red Faces held on for the 17-12 win.

Leading the way for the Faces was Ron VanderMeulin who had 7 hits including a line-drive home run, 6 runs scored and 4 RBIs. Ron also pitched well in the second game. Bernie Renwick was supposed to limit his defence because of off-season knee surgery but played a stellar second base. He also hit well, with 7 hits and 8 RBIs. Drew Martin is regaining his swing and contributed 6 hits and 5 RBIs. Mike Boyle added 5 hits, Jack Pang, Jim McDonald, and John Finley had four hits each and Al King added 3 hits. Our spares were very helpful at the plate - Warren Pantrey went 7-for-7 while John Wooning had 4 hits.

 

Fine Wines Report – Dave Adams

In a season that so far has seen the Fine Wines complete more splits than an agile gymnast, two wins against the Blue Pills would be crucial if the Wines hope to reach the .500 mark. The Wines jumped out of the blocks and scored 5 times in the top of the 1st. A non-singing quartet of runners reached home in the 2nd, followed by five more runs in the 3rd and 4th frames. Another 7 runs were added in the final 3 innings, giving the Wines a season high total of 26 runs. And since the Wine defence gave up 17 runs it was indeed a good thing the offence was on a roll. Geoff Coulson and Jonathan Kamin were each 5 for 5 and sprinted home safely 8 times. Additional support came from the bats of Ian Carson and Rob Bentley who added their 8 hits worth and 4 runs. Ian Schell returned to the diamond and supplied the usual number of hits, including a triple.

With hopes higher than that ant trying to move a rubber tree plant, the Wines were giddy with excitement about a possible two-win day. This game was a back-and-forth display of run production and sketchy defense. More balls were dropped than those at a teenage boys’ puberty convention. After 6 complete innings, the score was tied at 13. The Blue Pills got it up for a 1-run lead as the Wines came to the dish in the bottom of the 7th. Gary Gilmour led off with a single followed by Nino Gaspari the Super Sub. Both players scored to make the final 15-14 Wines, their first sweep of the season. The Dynamic duo of Coulson and Kamin cashed in their 6-hit game for half a dozen runs.

Next week, the Wines will renew their duel on the diamond with the White Hairs. With 41 runs scored on this day, the Wine offence would appear to be more than up for next week's challenge: to avenge their season opening double defeat.

Blue Pills Report – Tony Fratia

Another beautiful day at the ballpark for the epic battle of 5 vs 6 with a chance to get out of the basement, but it was quickly spoiled by our team being down 4 players. Compliments to the Fine Wines for supplying us with a reliable catcher who made 2 outs via a foul tip catch plus hanging onto a tremendous throw home from our centre fielder "Silver Fox" Frank Sturm. Frank wore out a lot of outfield grass today with several clutch catches.

The Vintners started out strong in the first game by pounding out 3 five-run mercies within the first 4 innings. We were in the jaws of a mercy defeat (losing by over 12 runs) but the saving grace was that we only had to play 5 innings. The Blue Pills finally started their comeback with a couple of 5-run innings of their own, sparked by a "Silver Fox" 3-run inside the park dinger.

Another inning saw Darrell Northcott hit a majestic moon shot (Jerry Howarth admiration worthy) over the left field fence with 2 runners on base, however his run didn't count since it was the sixth run.

Alas, the Winos never stopped scoring and we generously gave them a few extra outs. Final Score was 26 to 17 for the vintage Cabernet Sauvignon team.

 

White Hairs Report – Jeff Morton

It's too early in the season to call today's White Hairs versus the Royals gentlemen a first place showdown.

The Royals scored each inning in game one, building a 12-6 lead going into the bottom of the 7th. The Hairs then showed their mettle. Doug Hyland led off, slapping it the other way, followed by Chop Sticks Linklater driving one down 3rd and Rick Wilcox lifting one into left field.  Vince Moffat came to the plate and scored 2 on a sac fly. The top of the order then got 5 consecutive hits and suddenly the game was tied. Bread Basket Warren hit a sacrifice fly to complete the comeback.

In game 2, the Hairs came to bat in the 5th down 2-0.  Everyone calmed down, recognizing we were still in pretty good shape to get to Monaghans first.  8 consecutive hits resulted in 5 runs without an out.  One more in the 7th and the Hairs completed the sweep. 

When you only give up 2 runs, there are plenty of stellar defensive plays. Vince with the new glove Moffat, Tony Foscarin and Morton made some above-average plays in the infield. Each of the 4 Hairs outfielders - Warren, First on the Field Pileggi, Slick Brancier and G-Man Coveny, each made at least one outstanding play.

Bill Manson pitched two solid games.

Dan Cooper of the Rustys was first to Monaghans, and did the gentlemanly thing and let the Hairs have their table.

Rusty Royals Report – John Koopman

It was a tough morning for the Rusty Royals. Leading 12-6 in game one going into the bottom of the seventh, things looked positive for the fan favorites.  Unfortunately a coach, who will forever go unnamed, let an easy grounder to third, with one out, get by him.  That error seemed to shift the big Mo to the arch enemy White Hairs.  Six batters later the White Hairs had a 13-12 victory.  In the second game the Royal's bats never got started as they fell 6-2.

There were highlights for our Rusty Royal heroes. Ron Belluomini filled in for an injured Rick Halik (he has broken a finger and will be out for a while) and pitched two gems.  He was also our leading hitter on the day, going 4-6 plus a walk.  Willi Thurner went 3-4 and played some good shortstop.  Stephen Isaacs ran out each at bat, Bill Johnson hit a frozen rope right up the middle (his first non-pull hit since he and Ty Cobb went their separate ways) and Brian Mastervick made a couple of nifty defensive plays and also hit the ball with authority in every at-bat. 

Willi has really cemented his status as "King of the Carom".  Today it was Andy McMakin. our Rover, who took a ground ball to the leg and deflected it to Willi at SS, who proceeded to throw out a hapless White Hair batter.  We have lost Andy Mcmakin for at least a few games.  Charging a challenging infield fly he pulled-up lame. It seems a muscle we did not think he had has been torn. Andy is a gamer and he will be back before the "dog days of summer" start.

The Rusty Royals have lost a battle but not the war.  We are already planning the strategy for our re-match with the White Hairs.

 

 

 

 

GAME REPORTS – May 23, 2024

Grey Beards Report – Larry Young

Another amazing day to play ball. Greybeards had the bats going first game. Everyone had at least one hit and we scored a season high 17 runs. Of course in the second game the bats went cold as we only scored 5 runs in the first six innings. Although we did manage to finish with ten. We managed to keep our five hundred record alive with another win and a loss.

Player highlights. We were led by the day’s MVP Greg “Mac” Macauley who went 7/8 and also got six RBIs. Steve Craig went 7/8. Bruce Locke and and Dave Kozai each went 6/8. And Randy Heinbecker was a stellar 8/8. Best AB of the day went to our veteran Barney Henderson who got his first triple of the season.

Fine Wines Report – Dave Adams

After two consecutive weeks of doubleheader splits, the Fine Wines were hoping to win a pair of games against the Grey Beards. Things did not begin as was hoped when the Beards scored 4 runs in the top of the 1st, and continued to record at least one run in every inning enroute to a 19-14 victory over the Vintners. Offensively for the Wines, Geoff Coulson, Jonathan Kamin, Chris Barrett, and Pat Blais combined for a dozen hits and 11 runs.

In the eyes of this reporter, it's not for a lack of offence, but the Wines defence must stop the runs (cue the Pepto-Bismol) scored by the opposition.

So for the second game, some defensive adjustments were made by Boss Barrett. These amendments paid immediate dividends as the Wines' hot hitting continued, and the defence shut down the Beards in 3 of the 7 innings resulting in a 17-10 Wine win. Leading the way were Bob Edmonston, Rob Bentley, and Kamin who each had 3 hits and scored a total of 6 runs. Ben Roczniak and Blais (who had a perfect day at the dish) pounded out 8 hits and hastened home with 5 runs.

So for the Wines, it was another day of shared victories on the diamond. These double-dip splits remind me of going to the ice cream parlour and hoping for two scoops in your cone, but waffling and settling for one. Still good, but...

 

Red Faces Report – Mike Boyle

A perfect day for baseball turned into an imperfect day for the Red Faces as they dropped a pair to the White Hairs Thursday.

In the opener, Red Faces led by 3 after two innings but watched the White Hairs slowly pull away. A late, two-out seventh inning rally started to rattle the White Hairs but alas a line drive was snatched by the third baseman to end the game with White Hairs prevailing 18-12.

In the second game, the Red Faces battled closely throughout with four runs after two innings but again hit a drought and managed just one run the rest of the way to waste an expertly thrown game by pitcher Jack Pang and lose 8-5.

Leading the way for the Red Faces was Jim McDonald with six hits and four runs scored. Ron VanderMeulin belted five hits, scored twice and knocked in four runs as well as pitching a fine game in the opener. Jeff Francis was steady at SS and added four hits, and 3 RBIs, while newcomer Drew Martin had four hits.

[Ed. Note – thanks for not mentioning my boneheaded baserunning errors.]

White Hairs Report – Jeff Morton

The White Hairs showed up with a purpose Thursday to face their table-stealing nemesis, the Red guys. The purpose - be first to Monahans and get our table back.

Some tinkering with the lineup was required to achieve the team goal.  The inVincibles batted back to back, Prancer Byj played LC, and buy a vowel Yaschyshyn pitched game 1.

Lots of highlights in game one, including Gerry “I've lost a couple of steps” Coveny going 4 for 4 and playing a stellar RF.  Vince Moffat broke out his brand new glove and played some awesome 2B. Game one was a solid 18-12 win for the table seekers.

Game 2 saw both teams change pitchers.  The pitchers from game one, the Reds’ Long John Ron and Whiteys’ Buy a Vowel, both demonstrated their versatility with strong performances in their non-pitching positions. Game 2 ended 9-5 for the Hairs.

The Hairs bats rebounded off an off-week. Leaders were Morton, Prancer Byj and Bill Manson with 6 hits each and 5 from each of Moffat, Yaschyshyn and Gman Coveny.

Post game the Hairs returned to the nest first and sat at their home table.   Mission accomplished!

 

Rusty Royals Report – John Koopman

How could last week's immaculate deflection be improved upon? Well, it was. This time rookie Ron Belluomini, playing 3B, expertly manoeuvered to play a vicious line drive to the hot-corner.  Not wanting to catch it, he deflected the ball with his glove. Unfortunately he deflected it to his head where it made a loud smack, and Ron was out for the count.  Once he regained consciousness, we had to tell him that Willi Thurner caught the ball on the carom off Ron's head, and quicker than you could say Casey Stengel, the Rusty Royals had another theatrical out. The Blue Pills were gob-smacked, but we Rusty Royals are growing used to theatrics in the infield. Ron went on to go 4-4 in the game so the subsequent intellectual impairment did not hurt his stick.  Jeff Palmer also went 4-4 with three runs and three ribbies. The ever-steady Bill Johnson was 3-3 plus a walk. Jeff Biren was 3-4 and made a really nifty over the head grab on a fly on a Texas Leaguer that seemed destined for no-mans land.  Rick Halyk pitched his usual steady game and the Royals eked out a 15-13 victory. 

In Game Two the Rusty Royals again plated 15, led by Ron Belluomini (he needs to get hit on the head every game) and Dan Cooper who each scored four times.  Steve Isaac scored a hit every time he ran (I use the term loosely) down to first. Sadly, once he decided it was not worth "running" that far.  He has since learned you are always out if you don't amble to first.  The ageless Al Stokes drove in three and Willi Thurner played a solid game at SS.  We closed 15-6 with the crestfallen snake-bitten Blue Pills on the short end of the stick.

Blue Pills Report – Ed Lincz

The Blue Pills came roaring out of the gate after beating the first place team last week, running up five runs before the Rusty Royals had a chance to make three outs. It was short-lived as the Royals came back strong and tied the game. The game ended up close with the Rusty Royals winning 15 - 13.  Tony Fratia crushed a solo inside-the park homer.  Other notable players for the Blue Pills were Frank Sturm and Kirk MacDonald each going 3 for 3 and a number of others going 2 for 3. 

The Blue Pills seemed a little tired after game one as the team committed too many errors, allowing the Rusty Royals extra outs in most innings.  The Rusty guys hit solidly throughout the game while the Pills left many on base and also having a few strikeouts. The bright spot for the Blue Pills was spare Dave Brinton who went 2 for 2 with both hits being inside-the-park home runs.  However when the last out was recorded the scoreboard read Rusty Royals 15 - Blue Pills 7.

 

May 16, 2024

Rusty Royals Report – John Koopman

The Rusty Royals and the Grey Beards played a seesaw battle in game one.  The highlight was a preplanned play whereby we agreed that if there was a runner on first, our first baseman Willi Thurner would let the next line drive deflect off his glove, tempting the Grey Beard runner to take second. Jeff Biren would then catch the ball in the air, off of the deflection, and then relay back to Willi who would tag the hapless Grey Beard who was now scrambling to return to first, to score a double play.  It worked to perfection.   Tinkers to Evers to Chance have nothing on this Rusty Royal combination.  Jeff Palmer's little league home run was the highlight of the Rusty Royal offensive display.  He was also 3-4 on the day as were pitcher "Crafty" Rich Halyk, seasoned veteran Bill Johnson and John Koopman.  The Royals led going into the bottom of the last inning but were unable to hold what seemed to be juiced Grey Beard bats.  The final was 14-13 for the Grey Guys.

The Rusty Royals were not about to lose two games. Palmer hit another home run (and made some good catches in left centre). The league's oldest player, Al Stokes (sorry Barney), celebrating his 50th year in slo-pitch, added two hits and a run, plus a nice grab on a long throw from Jeff Biren to catch a runner trying to take home.  Dan Cooper enjoyed his first game back and we think he will be one of the league's power hitters this year. Only too many real estate deals can stop this sophomore sensation. Andy McMakin continued his hot hitting, Jeff Biren continued his hot defensive play and the Royals cruised to a 9-6 victory.

Grey Beards Report – Larry Young

Another glorious day of sunshine. Perfect for slo-ptich. First game went back and forth with the lead changing several times. Greybeards came up to bat in the bottom of the 7th down a few runs. Stringing together a number of hits with two out. The winning hit was by King Brock (Paterson) for a 10-9 victory.

Second game the timely hitting went away and every line drive seemed to get caught by the opposition. Clearly the scouting reports paid off. Greybeards had a loss. So a split in the day maintaining our .500 record.

Big bats for the day were: Barney Henderson 4/6, Bruce Locke 6/6, Randy Heinbecker 5/7 and Greg Macauley 5/7.

 

White Hairs Report – Jeff Morton

The White Hairs pregame discussion included "don't take these Blue Pills lightly."  Well, the Hairs didn't take any Blue Pills resulting in ineffective performance.

Game one ended in a 7-7 tie.  Game two 8-5 for the Pills.

Several Hairs had 4 hits including Go Go Brazier, Secret Weapon Grudzinki, Morton, Wild Bill Manson, Prancer Byj, Vince Moffat and Doug Hyland.

Pitchers for both teams enjoyed working on their unlimited arc skills. 

The Hairs left the diamond in reasonably good spirits feeling confident that at least we would at least be first to Monaghans.  Alas, the damn Red Faces beat us there and took our table to boot.  We'll just have to see what happens when we play those wankers next Thursday.

Enjoy the long weekend.

Blue Pills Report – Frank Sturm

“At least we didn’t lose”. Quote of the day from Mike Canham. The 0-4 Pills took on the 4-0 Hairs. An epic showdown that pitted a (Uhmmmm) good team against a struggling team?? Anyway, the tension was high and every run mattered in this defensive game 1 battle. The lead was always narrow and the“Pills” meds were kicking in. They fought tooth and nail to try and break their losing streak. The game came down to the 7th inning. The visiting Pills scored 1 run to tie the Hairs at 7-7. The Pills were kept at bay from scoring their 8th by the arm of Jeff Morton. Silver Fox Sturm was indeed tempted to round third and challenge that arm. But the coach called him off. He might have made it, or he might have been thrown out at the plate, but the history books will never know. The bottom of the 7th was equally tense. The Hairs fought back getting their winning run to third, but were unable to score. Final score 7-7.  Oh how sweet it is!! Pills get their first point of the season. Even if only a tie.

 

Game 2 went smoother for the Pills. The mojo from the game 1 motto “we didn’t lose” was infectious. Everyone contributed to the effort. Pills had two throw-outs at home with great catches by Gord Preston.  IMC (Iron Mike Canham) was stellar on the mound as always. Notable hitters were Frank Sturm 5-7 (scoring 4 times in game 1) and Darrel Northcott 4-6 with an rbi. Final score 8-5 for the Pills.

 

Infinite arc? what is that? An AutoCAD command? An infinite arc for those that don’t know (including this reporter) is when the height of a pitch goes WAY above 12 feet and is not called by the umpire. Rumor has it that it may have affected hitting. Ask Dave Walker for his thoughts.

 

Great job Blue Pills. Onward and upward.

 

 

Red Faces Report – Tom Hunter

[Ed. Note – the Red Faces’ game report from Game 1 was lost in the mail. Coincidentally, the Red Faces were mercied 15-3 in five innings.]

Having finally returned from the wilderness (or wherever he was), Manager Mike Boyle gave a stirring speech to pick up his dispirited team following their dismal performance in Game One.  In his dreams.  In reality, Mike decided to adopt the Jon Cooper approach to coaching – “I chew gum and let the players play.”  It worked.  In the first inning Jim McDonald’s leadoff single was promptly followed by triples from Ron VanderMeulin and Jeff Francis. However, the Winers were not intimidated and quickly put up a mercy in the bottom half.  The pitching mastery of Jack Pang kept the overripe Wines scoreless for the next three innings while the Faces rebounded to claim a 4-run lead going into the precarious seventh.  Two quick outs later, the Winers were hanging on by their fingertips and the Faces could almost taste the victory beer. But in the OMMSPL the third out can be elusive.  A high infield fly looked like the final out, but a slight miscalculation (or was it the Sun?) left pitcher Pang with his pride and noggin equally wounded. The Wines graciously provided another opportunity to end the contest with a fly ball to left field, but it dropped in. The next batter had a strong hit into centre left field which looked certain to bring home the tying runs, but speedy Dan Sancartier preserved the victory with a nicely timed running catch.  Whew!

VanderMeulin, Francis and Bernie Renwick were all a perfect 5-5 at the plate on the day, and Jim MacDonald was 3-4 with a walk. The defensive highlight of the day was an unassisted double play by reciprocally named Dave George.

Fine Wines Report – Dave Adams

Player expectations were high that the Fine Wines could extend their one-game win streak which began the previous week. Four runs in each of the first two innings gave the Wines an 8-4 lead over the Red Faces. An additional 3 runs were added in the 4th frame, followed by 5 more in the fifth which brought an end to this mercy-shortened contest with the Wines coming out on top 15-3. Offensive output was provided by Geoff Coulson and Jonathan Kamin with 4 hits apiece, and 7 runs. Mike Way produced a 3-run dinger as part of his 3-hit game. Ian Schell found his groove at the plate, going 3 for 3 and scoring once.

Picking up where they left off in game 1, the Wines scored 5 runs to lead off Game 2. Unfortunately for the Wines their bats then became as quiet and useless as a corkscrew at a boxed wine convention. Innings 2 thru 6 saw the Wines send a lowly 20 batters to the plate and score but a single run by Schell, who again supplied 3 hits. With the Wines needing a bunch of runs in their half of the final frame, your intrepid reporter was in a pickle because he had to vacate the diamond to participate in another kind of ball game. [Ed. Note – Dave left early to play in an Ontario Seniors Pickleball Tournament.  There is no truth to the rumour that some unusual betting activity was connected to his premature departure.] Manager Chris Barrett reported to me that Mike Way skyed a ball (a homerun in an elevator shaft) that ended up landing on the Red Faces' pitcher's head for a hit. A screaming line drive to the outfield by one of the team's Ians (either BIG IAN or little ian) was caught to end the game.

 So with the split in games, the optimist in me says the Wines' glasses were half full.

 

 

 

May 9, 2024

 

Fine Wines Report – Dave Adams

Following last week's beat-down double defeat, the question facing the Fine Wines was: would the team play like a beautiful bottle of Dom Perignon, or would the result resemble the iconic flask- shaped bottle of Mateus with a candle stuffed in its mouth dripping candle wax down its sides?

Game 1 of this double dip saw the Wines holding a 13-12 lead after 4 innings. Unfortunately, the hits and runs dried up faster than Doug Ford changes his mind. The Royals scored 4 times over the final 3 frames to secure a 16-13 win and keep the Wines winless. Offensively, there was some pop in the bats of Dave Adams, Pat Blais, and Ben Roczniak who were all perfect at the plate. Jonathon Kamin, Chris Barrett, and Mike Way combined for 7 hits and 6 runs.

In the second game of this mid-morning matchup, the Wines popped their corks like a shaken bottle of Baby Duck. The team was relentless, racking up runs in every inning. The game came to a merciful end with a Geoff Coulson 3-run homer in the fifth frame to make the final 19-3. Pat Blais pitched a masterful game and was once again perfect at the plate (can anyone say Shohei Otani?). Also contributing to the offensive output were Rob Bentley, Gary Gilmour, Ian Carson, Adams and Kamin who pounded out 14 hits and scampered home with 8 runs.

So it may not have been a Dom Perignon day on the diamond but the Wines were still able to make a toast to their first win of the season. As for those candle-waxed bottles of Mateus, they do make a wonderful Mothers Day gift.

Rusty Royals Report – John Koopman

[Ed. Note -the dog ate the Rusty Royals Report]

 

Blue Pills Report – Frank Sturm

Does anyone remember the first episode of the “Walking Dead”?  It was poignantly titled “Days gone by”. This would best describe the day.  Pills played like zombies for the most part. But if you know the show, Darrell Northcott can take care of business!  Our Darrell went 5 for 7 on the day, scored 3 times and made some great catches.  Other good bats (a Negan reference from the show) were Dave Walker 5 for 7, Frank Strum 5 for 7 and the Walker of the day Mike Canham, 3 for 3 with 4 walks. Let this day be gone bye and end the apocalypse.  We’ll strap on those cleats for a better day next week.

 

Red Faces Report – Tom Hunter

Buoyed by the return of superfan Cathy Renwick (along with her sidekick Bernie) the Red Faces clawed back to .500 on the season with two spirited wins over the Blue Pills. 

In Game One the Faces set the tone with 4 runs in the top of the first, but the Pills fearsome lineup dampened the mood with 3 of their own. Fortunately, crafty pitcher Ron VanderMeulin kept the Pills scoreless for the next 4 innings while the Faces demonstrated that we can actually hit (unlike last week).  Our defence was also much improved, including an unlikely blind catch by shortshop Jeff Francis running hell-bent toward the outfield fence. (LIke an over-the shoulder catch, but more “over the head”.)  In the bottom of the sixth the Pills scored 5 to create some mild discomfort, but the Faces promptly scored 3 in the seventh to snuff any misguided thoughts of a Pills comeback.  Final score 15-9.

Jack (of all trades) Pang made his pitching debut for the Faces in Game Two.  The Pills became very patient at the plate, resulting in an inordinate number of 3-2 counts, but Jack usually prevailed.  The Faces’ newfound fondness for hitting continued, and after 5 innings the score was a comfortable 10-3.  Once again the Pills found their stride late in the game and had the potential game-tying runners on base in the top of the seventh, but left them stranded to let the Red Faces escape with a 12-9 victory.  The defensive play of the game for the Faces was an unassisted double play by grizzled veteran John Finley, making a rare appearance at Rover.

Proving the old adage that hitting is contagious, each of the Red Faces had at least 3 hits (or in some cases 2 hits and a walk) and most of the lineup had an OBP above .667, so there is insufficient space to note individual batting performances except that Dan Sanscartier went 6 for 7.  The rest of you know who you are.

 

Grey Beards Report – Larry Young

The Grey wards suffered their first two losses of the season. Missing five of our regulars was a challenge. Nod of the baseball cap to Chappy for filling in and Super Spare Dave Ware who went 6/7.  Steve Craig led the way with a 7/8 day at the plate. George (Jorge) flew in from the Dominican for his first two games pitching and did not walk one batter. Looking forward to getting on the right side of the win column next week.

White Hairs Report – Jeff Morton

Un"Vince"ible.  That's what faced the White Hairs as their two Vinces, the only Vinces in the OMMSPL, were both absent. Undettered, European Import Rookies Andy Byj and Doug Hyland made their debuts.  Buy a Vowel Yaschyshyn also returned.

Last week's hitting prowess went missing but strong pitching and several outstanding defensive plays carried the Hairs to two hard-fought victories 10-9 and 13-9.

Tony Foscarin was flawless on the right side.  Breadbasket Warren made a perfect throw to second to erase that speedy Greybeard Heinbecker.  Gerry Coveny made a key catch in right and Road Runner Brancier tracked down several line drives.

At the plate, Buy a Vowel was 6 for 6 and Rookie Byj and Morton each contributed 5 hits.  Bill Manson delivered several key run-scoring hits.

White Hairs' first to Monahans streak continued.  This year's Hairs are a bit more of a traditional squad - only one salad ordered and a team beer fund was established.

MAY 2, 2024

Rusty Royals Report – John Koopman

Are the Rusty Royals for real?  Having tanked for the better part of the last five years the organization focused on the future and picked up a plethora of high draft choices. Those choices have finally matured and reached the bigs. In Game One rookie Ron Belluomini had a great debut hitting 3 for 3 with a double, two runs scored and two ribbies. Jeff Palmer also had three hits and Rich Halyk pitched a gem.  Rick Martin fresh off the IL made a terrific over-the-shoulder catch of a Texas leaguer.  Willi Thurner, though not used to playing in front of the huge OMMSPL attendance levels, kept his cool, made a nice grab of a deep fly and also contributed a run.  Newbie Brian Mastervik performed admirably, going 2 for 3 with a double, ribbie and a run.

Expected to meet doormats, the Red Faces came out hunting for bear in game two.  The Rusty Royals would no longer be under-estimated.  Early on the Royals fell behind 5-1 as they made a few errors.  They kept their composure however, played as a team, and by the end of four were only down by 2.  In the top of the fifth their bats exploded and they plated five led by Andy McMacMacKin's lead-off single.   In the bottom of the sixth the Royals plated three led by the bottom of the order to go ahead.  Tight defence held the Red Faces in the top of the seventh and the Rusty Royal went home with a 10-9 victory.  The post game beers were sweet.

Red Faces Report – Tom Hunter

A perfect opening day, if you don’t mind losing.  The Red Faces strategically decided to treat Game One as a pre-season warmup, with a predictable outcome – a 15-3 mercy after 5 short innings.  The Faces’ offence generated an average of two lonely baserunners per inning, and the defence might charitably be described as “inconsistent”.

After a trip to Canadian Tire to load up on WD-40 the Faces returned for Game Two and promptly put up 5 runs in the top of the first to take what they assumed would be an insurmountable lead.  Unfortunately, the Royals had other ideas and started to chip away.  After 4 innings the Faces still held a precarious 7-4 lead, but coughed up 5 runs in the fifth to squander it.  Trailing 10-7 going into the seventh inning the Faces considered mailing it in and getting a head start to Monaghans, but instead mounted a furious rally to score 2 and load the bases, but that’s all she wrote.

Defensive highlights included several strong plays by Jeff Francis at shortstop and a leaping snag of a line drive by Ron VanderMeulin which left both teams standing slack-jawed in awe. 

Offensive highlights – VanderMeulin was 4-5 with a walk, Dan Sanscartier was 4-5 with a sac fly, Jack Pang was 2-3 with 3 walks, Don Mosely-Williams was 3-4 with a walk, Tom Hunter was 3-4 with 2 walks and Dave George and Tony Reda were each 3-5.

Wallace the umpire also had a good day, including making an interesting safe call at first when the ball clearly beat the runner, but Wallace astutely noticed that the base was occupied by two defenders, which is apparently a no-no. Who knew?

The team is expecting great things from the return of manager Mike Boyle and star infielder Bernie Renwick next week.

 

Blue Pills Report – Darrell Northcott

On opening day the Blue Pills lost a pair, 9-4 and 16-9. Kudos to the Grey Beards who played solid on offence and made their plays on defence without giving us any free passes.

The Pills got an excellent pitching performance from Mike Canham along with a well-timed single that drove in a couple runs. Ed Lincz was kept very busy at second base with a lot of lefthanded hitters to deal with, and made many good plays including stretching to the max to snag a line drive destined for right field. Frank Sturm had a great day at leadoff and covered a lot of ground in centre.

Bottom line is the Pills are looking forward to a new challenge next week and hope to get the bats going and string some hits together. Especially looking forward to seeing Dave Walker keep the ball within the lines as he missed about 5 standup doubles by a couple feet. Top hitting performances - Frank Sturm with 6 hits and Tony Fratia and Greg Aubert with 5 apiece. Over and out.

 

Grey Beards Report – Larry Young

Season opening games started with a beautiful spring day. Sunny with very little cloud. The Greybeards managed to sweep their double header with two pretty evenly matched teams. Neither pitcher walked a batter the entire day. The Greybeards were led in hitting with Steve Moses going six for seven and Randy Heinbecker going six for eight. Andy Kozai was our great farmer as he was outstanding in his field with two phenomenal running catches in centre field. The left side of our infield was a strength throughout the day with Mac at third and the Craig twins (Bill and Steve) hoovering anything hit their way. The player of the day however went to our league veteran Barney Henderson who batted six for seven and beat out a close double play on his only out of the day, as well as playing an excellent right field. Majority of the team went back to Monaghans after the game for many stories and laughs. Looking forward to next week.

 

Fine Wines Report – Chris Barrett

Opening game for 2024 was not the rematch of 2023 finals the Winers had hoped for vs the White Hairs.

The new lineup came out and scored 3 quick runs, but gave away a run at home plate, then waited until the 4th inning to score a 5.  Ending with 10 runs - not a bad start. New to our League, Jonathan Kamin had two hits as did Mike Way, Pat Blais, Ian Schell, Rick Wilkinson, Bob Edmonston, Don Brown and Rob Bentley. Unfortunately, other than Ian at second base we were much too generous in our fielding and the powerful/ speedy White Hairs kept scoring.

The Fine Wines lineup got better in the second game, holding the White Hairs to 9 runs, but we couldn't muster any big rallies and only scored 4. This kept White Hairs Captain Morty happy so we could get to Monaghans in time. Who needed starting 1-1?

Mike was 3-4 and Pat, Ian, Bob, Jonathan, Ben Roczniak and Gary Gilmour each had two hits.

Looking forward to our returning outfielders and little more practice for future better results.

White Hairs Report – Jeff Morton

First to the Field Vince Pileggi got caught in some traffic and was last to the field.  Undeterred, the ‘24 White Hairs took to the field to support pitcher "Bill I don't walk anyone Manson".

The first game was close through 4.  Whiteys erupted for 9 in the 5th and 6th and cruised to a 19-10 win.

Returning White Hair, Bread Basket Warren, volunteered to apply/collect for lead off and strike out fines.  Ironically he promptly had the first K of the year, albeit swinging. 

Later Kim hit an inside the park home run despite questionable base running.  Perhaps the league could get a group discount on hearing aids.

Game two was a closer affair with the Hairs prevailing 9-4.  Mark Brancier and Gerry Coveny made several great plays in the outfield and Secret Weapon Grudzinki was his usual slick fielder at 3rd for the Hairs.

In total the Hairs banged out 49 hits with every player getting at least 3.

P.S.  yes, the Hairs were first to Monahans!