Sour Nut Fails to Ruin Season

Last week, I was at an end-of-the-season Rivercats game enjoying a bag of peanuts and a cool drink, let’s just call it a lemonade. I was enjoying my peanuts and my time. I had arrived at the bottom of my cup and the end of my bag. I placed the last peanut between my mouth and I was treated to a sour, shriveled up nut whose taste was unable to be covered by my last swallow of lemonade. It was a horrible way to end an otherwise delicious treat.

Last night was a shriveled up peanut to say the least. I have had an enjoyable season with my new team. Though I have missed several games in the second half between globe-hopping and regular hopping around because of my cranky knee, the team has had successes. More than that, the season has provided me with a great semi-athletic outlet with a bunch of guys that I can consider friends.  

This game was very reminiscent of Bad Gnus games of my past. I thought we were the better team from the outset. However, after 3 innings in which BSBD had several well struck base hits and played flawless defense, the lead was only 3-1, due to many failed opportunities to cash in with runners on. It just takes one tough-break inning to ruin the game when you don’t take advantage of your chances and that inning was the bottom of the 5^th.

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After BSBD snuck another run home by the crazy/aggressive base coaching of Windmill Bob, the lead stood at 4-1. It seemed like we were up by 10. The Long Islanders starting chipping away, literally. Their inning was filled with little chip shots just in front on the outfielders and out of reach of infielders. The usually immaculate defense also let a couple runners aboard that otherwise would have resulted in outs. By the time BSBD was able to turn their 4^th inning-ending double play in 5 innings, they were trailing 5-4.

No big deal, we aren’t going to give up another run. We just need to scratch 2 runs across in 2 innings. Nope. Didn’t happen. No real good reason for it, but there was no good reason for most of what happened that night. I’m not even going to mention Walt taking a called third strike earlier in the game. Wait, what?

The Shiner Bock player of the game is going to our fearless leader, Greg O! I don’t know if he actually ever got a hit but he was completely robbed of extra bases twice by young outfielders that will have no chance at those balls in 10 years. If just one of those balls fall, we might be playing next week. Aside from those non-hits, Greg played an excellent left field, not only that he got everything in his vicinity, but he was positioned so well. He saved several hits with his combination of brains and talent. The last Shiner should be sweeter than the last nut.

Our last game is also a time to reflect back on the season. Look at this picture of Sarah accepting her Shiner Bock Trophy. To me this picture epitomizes the joy of this team. It is a silly picture of one of the beautiful Women of BS, in a circle of post-gaming Deadlies, accepting her trophy that was handmade by the son of a player. It is times such as this that will have us fired up to come out next year to start of the 2014 Spring league, not the opportunity to turn that final fly out to a line drive hit. When it comes down to it, the errors, defensive gems, fly outs and doubles in the gap don’t nearly matter as much as the opportunity to hang out in the park with friends. See you in the Spring!

BSBD Expands to 1-0

All teams are expansion teams at some time. For most of the teams in the Arden Park Beer League, that time was quite a while ago. I can imagine a time when Ahern Construction was new to the softball league. Walt was flying around the bases. Mark was turning any ground ball in the 95864 zip code into an out. Robbie was wearing his big boy pants and chasing butterflies behind the bleaches while his dad deftly worked the pivot at second base.

This week, BSBD ran into the most recent expansion team, Alive & Kicking. Sounds more like a soccer team name and from the looks of some of their defensive plays, some of their players may be more comfortable in a sport where they don’t use their hands. A & K appears to be filled with good guys that are a welcome addition to our league. They will only head up from here. Chief among their players are two former Gnus, Caldy and Todd O. Needless to say, those were A & K’s most valuable players.

This game was pretty much a breeze for most of the Deadlies. There were plenty of hits in our bats and some outs were played into hits by the Kicks. I can’t remember much of it, as the curse of Teddy Ballgame reared its one-eyed head. I have never thought much about wearing a cup playing third base prior to a recent discussion with Ted regarding my testicular carelessness. We don’t always talk about our junk when we get together, but give a couple guys long enough and the talk will veer. At this game, I thought a lot about wearing a cup from the second inning on. Thankfully, I already have 4 beautiful boys and my only repercussion from the tough hop on (into) a hard ball is the pain and swelling that has lasted 3 days so far. I do know that I have some shopping to do.

The final score was something like 14-3. I don’t think the schedule is quite as easy over the next three weeks, but BSBD is humming along right now, keyed by excellent defense and pitching. The good times will keep coming. The Shiner Bock player of the game this week goes to B Diddy! Brett has been on quite a hitting streak since the middle of the playoffs. He kept that going with a 3 X 3 night this week. He’s not slicing anything. All of his softball drives are right down the fairway. Great job, B Diddles!

Second Runner Up

The Bad Gnus have a much prouder history than some readers may know. There are many teams in the Arden Park League who only know the Gnus as a rag tag bunch of happy-go-lucky middle-aged guys who could occasionally put together a big enough rally to not throw away a game in the last inning and could string together a few wins each season. Over the past 10 years at Arden Park, we were never in last place, but certainly we did not contend for the park title.

In a different generation, we were known as a rather athletic, softball savvy group of 30 year olds who nearly always finished in second place at the Sacramento Softball Complex. We might have even taken home a title once or twice, but I specifically remember losing the championship game and finishing in second place at least 6 times. As the Bad Gnus grew older and players who moved on were replaced with people of as high of character if not as high of batting average, the Gnus benchmarks for success were shifted from v-necks to long necks.

My first season with Be Silent Be Deadly has been a wonderful transition for the Big Sexy. There is still a fair amount of sorrow related to the demise of the Bad Gnus. However, the season could not have gone any better. Not only has the stress of fielding a team and positioning them been lifted, but the Be Silent Be Deadly crew has been remarkably successful, while maintaining a wonderful culture. After winning all 4 of my regular season games, BSBD was 3-1 in the playoffs going into Tuesday night’s semi-final match up with the Young Hanks. We nearly got a whole additional season of softball in these playoffs!

Coming off our impressive 11-2 dismantling of the Longshots on Monday, the Deadlies were quietly confident as the Young Hanks tweeted, facebooked and vined their way to getting 10 bodies on the field. These are not your Dad’s Hanks.

There is still a tremendous amount of talent on their side of the field. The Hanks shout out to the past by having GT and Jerry lead off the game, but the Young Hanks’ game is all about speed. They can chase down anything in the air and are a menace on the basepaths. During this semi-final game, the Hanks’ outfielders made several running catches. BSBD matched their defensive prowess with a complete lockdown of the Hanks. The YH scored 3 runs on one misplayed ball as there speed allowed them to touch all the bases on just one mistake.

Aside from that, the teams were deadlocked at a well-played 4-4 in the bottom of the 7th with the Hanks coming to bat, looking to steal a win. Team captain and possible sprint champion, Christian led off the inning with a deep drive to centerfield that he turned into 3 bases, but then the convergence of 3 things led to his downfall. First, he was so fast that he had a hard time stopping on the bag. As he reached the bag he was stretching his toe in an attempt to stay on the bag and not over run it. Second, Greg’s relay throw was a bit high to third base causing the Big Sexy to expend all 2 inches of his vertical leaping ability. Third, the Big Sexy is not that nimble. In an attempt to catch the ball, not hurt his knee any further and to not fall down, he kinda landed on the 100-pounds-lighter base runner. That momentum was enough to pull Christian off the bag while the glove holding the ball had come to rest on his back.

The umpire called the runner out for coming off the bag. I understand the runner’s dispute of the call. Though I didn’t intend to push him off the bag, it would be pretty easy for the umpire to say “the fat guy landed on him; safe”. We definitely would have Been Silent. I bet Christian feels bad for the un-Christian way he treated the umpire. The ump decided that he did not come out to the park for $30 AND to be degraded, so he invited the Young Hank to enjoy the rest of the game in a different area of the park.

BSBD were way too silent with runners in scoring position for the first 8 innings of this game. We had many more opportunities to score than our counterparts, but failed to cash on a number of occasions. Just one hit with runners in scoring position would have catapulted us into the Championship Game.

With the T-Sox, impatiently waiting for the winner of the semi-final game to be decided, the teams headed to the 9^th inning. In the top of the frame, BSBD finally cashed in, scoring 4 runs to take what appeared to be an insurmountable 8-4 lead. Sadly, we picked a bad time to stop playing good defensive. Our sometimes sure-handed third baseman misplayed a hard grounder and compounded the mistake by throwing the ball away, leading to the first run of the YH comeback. Several well-placed hits and another infield error brought the Hanks even with only one out and the winning run on second base. Paul got the next batter to fly out, bringing up the ejected player spot in the Hanks lineup. That automatic out, ended the inning and forced a 10^th inning.

The 10^th inning started off nicely with a double plating the “automatic” runner to give BSBD the lead. Again, the bats went cold and the one run was all they could get. The Hanks’ bats that were hot in the 8^th inning stayed hot. They plated their 2^nd run of the inning with only one out. The Young Hanks went on to lose the Championship game in the dark while BSBD was able to enjoy their beer and brownies while thinking about what could have been.

The Shiner Bock player of the game goes to Scott Harrison! Scott missed the first 8 games of the season. He popped up in his first at bat of his season and, unofficially, has a hit in every at bat since. Combining his hot bat with the cold beer Scott brought on a night with a very thirsty ball club and he rises straight to the top of most noteworthy Deadlies. Great game and playoff run, Scott!

Let's Play Two!

The goal was to NOT play two games this week. I also had a goal at the start of the year to not buy my lunch two times a week and to never drink two nights a week. Sometimes things are just better in twos. Just ask my twins!

The second game of the week can’t go worse than the first game. Game 1 started off with a dropped fly ball by Greggy O and was followed up with horrible throw by Big Sexy. Those two plays led to two T-Sox runs scored without getting a hit. That sure wasn’t better in twos. It also led to a game full of bad defense and maddeningly inconsistent offense.

The T-Sox were the first victim of this long BSBD winning streak and they would be the ones to end it. The 12-7 game was sloppy from both teams. The T-Sox were just a little better this time. Or maybe just a little less worse. The game ended appropriately with Mike hitting an easy ground ball that resulted in two outs.

The Shiner Bock Award this week goes to the Shiner Bock Trophy creator! John Ahern constructed a beautiful gold trophy consisting of wine corks, bottle caps and, of course, an empty Shiner Bock can. It is glorious!! I am honored that John took the time and the creativity to produce art in the name of Be Silent Be Deadly.

It is those types of events that turn a group of guys playing softball in a park into something closer to a family. Whether we win game two of this double header or not, we have many things to give us a warm feeling about this team. Sara making wonderful treats for us to share, the increasing number of fans in the stands (I almost feel bad about called them the Women of BS, but I not enough to rescind the name), and the overall attitude of the guys on the field. When I look at this team, all I see is a big win. Let’s go out an keep this season alive and play two games next week!

Guest Blogger Weighs In, Breaks Scale

Sadly, the Big Sexy had to miss the first round of the playoffs to tend to the end of the little league season. But don't fret, Paul Friedrich had your back! He knows that such a literate and well read bunch, needs to have a weekly dose of Be Silent prose. I am happy to say he did an excellent job! Below is Paul's recap of the thrilling 2-1 win last week...

As Yogi Berra has said, “It’s not over until it’s over!”  Such was the case last night as BSBD took on the Longshots in a rematch of the season opener. In the last inning and facing what should have been the last batter, our elderly yet still productive pitcher Paul decided to make the situation much more difficult as he produce the only error of a truly defensive masterpiece.  After fielding a ball hit right to him by our obliging opponent’s bat, he threw a “dead fish” to Robbie at Short in an ignorant attempt to force a runner at second base.  What was he thinking?  He could have easily tossed an underhanded “

cold beer” to Mr. Dodge at first base.  Now he has put the winning run on first base.  However, to prevent a team “tar and feathering” incident and banishment from the overflowing supply of beer that newcomer Kyle dutifully brought (using the formula that Rob and Bob instructed him with), Paul calmly gets the ensuing batter to fly out to end the game.  Whew!  A 38 minute 2-1 victory became a satisfying feat that keeps the win streak alive.

    

The defensive performance of the BSBD infield of Brett, Mark, Robbie and John rivaled that of any Arden Park team past or present (at least in the last 28 years). This fearless fielding foursome completed two double plays and at least 12 ground ball outs without a miscue.  We may have to move Maves to pitcher.  I know he can throw darts to second base.  Our makeshift outfield of Scott, newcomer Brett, Kyle and old-timer Rob failed to allow the opposing team an extra base hit.   What else can you ask for?  Take note Trevor and Greg!  Even though we only scored two runs are hitting is improving.  Moving John into the cleanup position was beneficial as he produced both RBIs.   Take a second note Trevor and Greg! A few lucky catches, especially the ice cream cone catch of Mark’s fly in the first inning, prevented us from breaking out.  The next game might produce a barrage of batsmen.  Even the switch hitting pitcher who cannot throw seems to be finding comfort on the politically correct side of the plate.  The TSOX are in for a tough one.  

Be Silent Quietly Extends Win Streak to 3

Not all softball games are exciting. There are some that are so remarkable that you sit back, years down the road, and reminisce about the time the team rallied from a huge deficit in the last inning to win the big game or the time your buddy threw a ball from shortstop and hit the runner at third base right in the nards. As I relaxed with the boys, sipping one or three Coors Lights, I had a hard time remembering how we even scored in this game. There were hits scattered here and there, but BSBD were only able to plate runners in one inning, when they put up a 5 spot.

The big hit that inning was Mark Enos crushing a triple over the head of the right-centerfielder with the bases loaded. Unfortunately, the Big Sexy, batting in front of Mark, turned that triple into a double by shutting down the engines at third base. Mark’s unfulfilled legs tried to achieve their true outcome by attempting to score from second on an infield error. If he was out by a foot, he was out by 20 feet. (ed note: it was 20 feet).

Thankfully, that was all of the runs BSBD would need to finish with a 5-2 victory. Paul was automatic on the mound, as usual. The defense was stellar as well, led by B Diddy making multiple scoops at first base, Robbie making plays he shouldn’t at short and Mark pivoting one (should have been two, Blue!) double play at second. Hard to forget Bob stretching to the very extent of his flexibility at second base to pick up a ball Mike rolled Bocce-style from his stomach at third.  Unquestionably, the defensive highlight was Young Kyle’s diving catch in centerfield with runners in scoring position. That was remarkable!

The Smirnoff Ice, ice-hole of the game goes to Mike’s right arm. WTF, arm??? Then, as I was deciding if I was more like Steve Sax, Chuck Knoblach, or a real life panda, I was too distracted to even field grounders. You suck arm.

It was a little disappointing to see that the Wonderful Women of Be Silent Be Deadly (heretofore known simply as the Women of BS) were down to a single member this week on such a beautiful Spring night in the park. I don’t even think Nicole saw Young Kyle’s diving catch as her boredom level of the game persuaded her to picking this as a good time to look for a new lock screen for her phone.

The Shiner Bock player of the week was tough to pin down this week as I really had a hard time remembering anything anyone did at the plate. We have all the people mentioned in the fielding paragraph above as likely candidates. Sadly, I do remember what Brett did at the plate. That brings it down to Young Kyle and Mark. Both were very deserving in their own right.

But as I think back about the game, what brought me the most joy was meeting Art Zanze after the game. His enthusiasm and pure pleasure to meet all of Walt’s teammates was wonderful. It is easy to see where Walt gets his happy demeanor and people skills. Art is a treasure and I am happy to have met him. There is something about paternal love that is very special to me. I know that those of you who are fathers or have lost your father or both know where I’m coming from. I would love for my dad to still be around to come out to see me play one more time. Art, this Shiner Bock is for you. I hope there are many more for you in life’s ice chest.

Be Silent Moves to 2 and 0

Since the passing of my childhood softball team, the Bad Gnus, I have long anticipated the time that a former Gnu will line up against me on the field. It is my hope that eventually each team in the league will feature Bad Gnus. Howard will be running like a gazelle in left field for the Silver Bullets. Pete will be crushing balls over the centerfielder for the T Sox. Erik will be placing basehits for the Long Islanders. Greg will be pitching for the Hanks. John Wiesy will be running through third base coach stop signs for Don’t Panic.

Therefore, I was very excited that my good friend, Teddy Ballgame, was leading off for this week’s opponent, the Silver Bullets. Despite the boring grey shirt, he looked just like his former Gnu self. Swinging at the first pitch, no matter its location, and drilling it into left field for a base hit. Ted is my musical kindred spirit and a guy I never get to spend enough time with. Not seeing him on a weekly basis is the kind of thing that makes cry myself to sleep on Monday nights in the Summer on my big, softball-shaped pilla.

Thankfully, the Bullets had only one former Gnu on their side and aside from that strong, red-headed kid who kept hitting triples, the Bullets were relatively easy to dodge. On the BSBD side, their former Gnu had enough mojo to keep his personal undefeated season alive. Mike’s last career triple was stroked down the left field line (natch!) in the first. Three bases at a time for Big Sexy has been frowned upon by his doctor, wife and knees. 

That hit was surrounded by all manners of hits. All but one BSBD player had a hit in the first inning, resulting in 11 runs. Hard to remember who it was that hit into that odd pop-up, ground-ball double play. No matter, I don’t recall ever being up 11 in the first in a softball game. Oh, I’ve SEEN 11 runs put up in a first inning. Let’s just say it is much more fun watching that from the dugout then from third base.

After that first inning, the game was kind of a snooze-fest. Some balls were hit to fielders. Others were hit where fielders weren’t. It doesn’t deserve the time spend reading this paragraph.

The Smirnoff Ice, Ice-Hole of the game goes to Mother Nature. What was up with the pounding rainstorm while I was trying to enjoy the best part of beer league softball, the beer? I thought the clouds were kinda cool during the game and the reduced temperatures were nice after last week. But what kind of mythical creature would think a Floridian downpour in May at beer:thirty is acceptable? Bad form, Mo Natty. Bad form.

It is difficult to pin down a Shiner Bock player of the game this week. Everyone got in on the action and I can’t remember too many excellent defensive plays that were required. Paul pitched very well in the wind and got a hit or two, but he got credit for Rob’s hit in last week’s write up, so that has to weigh him down a little. Scotty Mac drilled a ball for a ground rule double by the old firehouse and had a hit during the big rally. I hate that local ground rule double rule. I think B Diddy could get at least a triple if he put one out there. Unfortunately, Scott can’t win this week because to get it two straight weeks, you have to top the previous week. Hey, I don’t make up the rules... Well, yes I do, but that’s the rules. Sarah Mac brought goodies again and cheerily sat through in climate weather rooting on the good guys. Sorry, see above. Plus, I was so thrown off by the rain I never even got to personally sample the treats. I didn’t get introduced to the other loyal fans, but I believe  they were with Rob, Robbie and Kyle. 

Robbie was excellent at short and had a hit or two. Combine that with bringing a loyal fan and this week’s Shiner Bock goes to Robbie! Way to go, Robbie!

Be Silent Be Deadly Be Winners

This was the first game of the rest of Big Sexy’s life. His first “official” game with his new team after the Bad Gnus declared (moral) bankruptcy. His whole world felt kinda weird. Though he had played with this wonderful group of guys before, under some of their previous naming incarnations (Ahern Construction, Last Call, Off Regularly, B Diddy and the Funky Bunch),  this was different. Warming up with Rob, who was wearing his grey Ahern shirt while Big Sexy was wearing his own black t-shirt was so much less colorful than the last time he warmed up with Erik before the last Bad Gnus game. There wasn’t any blue/purple/green tie dye to brighten up the already sunny evening. Though this team is full of current and future friends, this wasn’t the same band of brothers that have played together since he had a full head of hair and had a history of winning and losing to each team at Arden Park in every way possible.

The wind was strongly blowing toward the tennis courts on a warm Spring evening as BSBD warmed up, counted heads and scanned the parking lot. Whether that ocular search was for the 10^th player to arrive or to see what scrumptious post game treat lovely Sarah would bring was completely up to the individual. The opposing team was salivating thinking of all of the tree-shots they would smash deep into left field, while Big Sexy was salivating after hearing rumors of chocolate-peanut butter rice crispy treats.

When word game from Greggy O that Mike would take his usual position at third base, he was understandably a little nervous. Not seeing a ground ball in 9 months and with his balky knee and undiagnosed shingles causing enough pain over the last two months to make him consult his drivers license to see if he could get a discount at the movies, had lowered the confidence a tad.

After a relatively quiet top of the first, BSBD they took the field against one of the top teams in all of Arden Park. The T Sox have evolved from “Greg Young’s Team” that hangs out with the Bad Gnus around the middle of the standings table, to an annual powerhouse through the continual acquisition of softball talent. Chief among those acquisitions is third baseman and clean-up hitter Kirby, whose powerful left handed swing used to be a mainstay of the Ahern crew.

The first batter for the T Sox is their powerfully built left fielder. Dude looks like he picked his softball fashion after watching Win Financial a couple years back, but he does appear to be an excellent player. On the first pitch, he knocked all of the nervousness out of Big Sexy by drilling a one hopper that needed to be fielded to protect the ever-lower hanging plums. Thankfully, the glove still worked. That led to a quick 1-2-3 inning.

Paul, after flipping a coin to decide which side of the plate to stand, knocked in the first RBI of the game by placing a nice single into center field to plate Mike with the first run of the game. Paul would later come around to score and stake BSBD to a 2-0 lead that would hold up for the first 3 innings. The desperation then started to sink in for the heavily favored T Sox. They picked up GT to fortify their outfield after playing with only 3 outfielders to begin the game. There were grumblings that this mid-game pick-up made not to avoid a forfeit was a breach of beer league softball etiquette.

In the 4^th inning, the T Sox finally solved Paul and the excellent BSBD defense and plated 3 runs to take a 3-2 lead. This low scoring game was surely to be decided by a timely hit and defense. In the top of the 5^th, that timely hit came. Scotty Mac drilled a ball into the jet stream and watched it nearly end up at the fence line next to the basketball court, a quarter of a mile from home plate. The hits kept coming.  Greggy O drilled a ball to center that the center fielder couldn't catch up to for an extra base hit. Young Kyle reached the basketball court, nearly on a fly.

However, the spectacular BSBD defense was the key to this game. Robbie covers more ground at short than cat fur in a hoarders living room. Mark is a shortstop who happens to be playing second base. Big Sexy didn't screw anything up. B Diddy made several nice plays at first and the outfield hauled in everything hit in the air. There were no less than three double plays turned including a third to first to home number that required a lightening turn by B Diddy and a great dig by Rob. The last DP was a beautiful Enos to Ahern to Chance number over the top.

All of that awesomeness culminated in a 7-4 victory. There will be many more victory beers to be enjoyed this season if this team plays that well each week. Coors Light tastes much better in victory. Seems more like a punishment after a loss.

A new team brings a new sponsor the player of the game award. The Shiner Bock player of the game easily goes to the McMurray family. Not only did Scott play flawlessly in the field and had the games biggest hit. He brought beer AND Coors Light for the team to enjoy afterward. However, he needs to share the honor with Sarah, not just because she bought treats that only Don’t Panic would enjoy more than we did, but she was very vocal and supportive to the whole team, even those she had never met before. Way go Scott and Sarah. This Shiner Bock is for you!

Bad Gnus are Back and Badder Than Ever!!

The poet laureate of the1970's once howled, It has been a long time since we rock and rolled. The Bad Gnus last took the field in September of 2011. Back when gas was $3.60 a gallon, the Dow Jones was in the upper 12,000's, the Republicans were all angry about one thing or another and my left knee ached when I tried to run. So basically everything is exactly the same! Same as it always was. You can re-live the conclusion of our last season directly below this post, since I am sure most of you have forgotten any bad times and only remember all of the positive and happy times we spent at Arden Park.

The good news for the Bad Gnus at the start of our 21st year, is that we control our own destiny. The season is a blank canvas waiting for us to explore our own creativity and talent. Will we create an impressionist masterpiece the likes of which would make Monet want to swim in his own pond of lily pads? Will make some kind of crazy three booobed, one eyes cubist freakshow that would make Picasso sport wood? Or will we splooge all over the canvas in a variety of colors and hang in on a wall that would have Jackson Pollack want to trash his apartment? That is the wonderful thing about Opening Day. Endless possibilities!

The schedule below will list the time and date of each game, but more importantly, it will call out the Chosen One. He will be the host for the game, bringing refreshments to the Gnus to savor after 55 minutes of mostly standing around. That can work up a thirst. Onto the schedule...

Monday, July 2 - 7:00 vs. Young Guns

Sure, these guys won the Spring League. Sure, they tried to get league cred by jumbling the letters of our last name. Sure, only Teen Sexy is within 7 years of age of any of their players. But we have experience!

Host: Big Sexy

Tuesday, July 10 - 7:00 vs. Don't Panic

There it is. Don't Panic has been trying to go younger, but they are still recruiting at the local head shops. 7:00 is too late in the day for them. You do not want to play them at 4:20.

Host: Erik Grotte

Monday, July 16 - 6:00 vs. Longshots

I do think this is the same group that drinks behind a gas station next to a Pub. Newest team in the league vs. the Gnuest team in the league.

Host: Greg Blom

Tuesday, July 17 - 6:00 vs. T-Sox

This team has been the new cream of the league over the last couple of years, but we'll be loose from playing two days in a row.

Host: Greg Thiesen

Tuesday, July 24 - 7:00 vs. Ahern

Here it is... The game I always want more than any other. Cancel any vacation plans you have for this weekend. Make sure to come to the park by 4:00 for practice. We are taking these guys down this year. A whole year of bragging rights is at stake!

Host: John Calderon

Tuesday, July 31 - 6:00 vs. Long Islanders

I played a game for the Islanders this Spring. They are like the Gnus without the cool shirts, killer personalities, hot wives and tasty ice chests.

Host: Clayton Smith

Tuesday, August 7 - 6:00 vs. Silver Bullets

Another game with 4 possible outcomes: We blow them out. They blow us out. We win a thriller. We lose a heart-breaker. Make sure to check out these gripping theater.

Host: Ted Messner

Tuesday, August 14 - 7:00 vs. Hanks

The Hanks aren't what they once were but they are still remarkable talented for a, ahem, mature group of fellas.

Host: Pete Nixon

August 20-21  - First Round of Single Elimination Tourney

Could be against any team at any time! This may also coincide with a Bad Gnus end of the year picnic.

Host: Howard Hughes

Can't wait to get this season going! Please let me know as far in advance as possible of any games you may not be able to attend. See you at the Park!

Boat-Raced in the Playoffs

Another Bad Gnus season has come to an end. The final game of the season was a somewhat bittersweet night. It is always great to get on the field with the fellas on a lovely, late summer night and toss the ball around. But knowing it would be the last night like this for 6 months is a bummer.


Going into the game against the defending champion T-Sox, there wasn’t much reason to look ahead on the bracket schedule to see when the next game in the tournament was being held. There was a time when the T-Sox where in the same class of beer league softball teams with us. That class also included the Long Islanders and the Silver Bullets.

Both the Long Islanders and the T-Sox have upped their recruiting the University of Miami levels. They persuaded Kirby to leave Ahern for the T-Sox and feature several new, athletic players. I imagine their recruitment party was held on some swanky yacht, cruising slowly on the Delta. Greg Young making it rain Pac Man Jones-style around the strippers hired for the event. Sky box seats at Rivercats games being thrown around for outfielders who can hit .800 and gun down unsuspecting 40 year olds at home if they dared test their cannon.

There are plenty of good guys still on the T-Sox. Those guys all date back to the days when the Bad Gnus would win half of their games. However, one their new guys have shot up one of my Top 5 lists with a bullet. There is a new member of the Top 5 A-Holes in Arden Park Softball league. That list hasn’t been dusted off for quite some time. It appears that the Top 5 guys on the list all where members of Win Financial. Atop the list was their Bro pitcher memorialized in this post from two years ago. http://badgnus.blogspot.com/2009/06/boom.html

The new object of my distaste is the left-center fielder from the T-Sox. Here is a Richard that certainly saw this game as the athletic highlight of his life. He is the epitome of “Softball Guy”. He is playing this game and every game as if it was game 7 of the World Series. I’m sure if his coach in high school didn’t have a vendetta against him, he’d be playing left field for the Giants this weekend. He even had his cheek full of dip to make this Monday night at Arden Park as close to the Monday night at Fenway Park he should be having. I’m surprised he wasn’t wearing eye black to combat the setting sun.

It has long been a Bad Gnus tradition to throw behind runners. A lot of times it doesn’t even matter if there is a play there. It’s just fun. In this instance, there actually was a play. After another T-Sox hitter hit a line drive base hit to left field, Softball Guy rounded second aggressively, because he’s looking to go first to third on a base hit directly at our left fielder. Howard sees this as an opportunity for a needed out and tries to throw him out at second. The ball hits softball guy, who then was ready to take off for third if not for the good catch by second baseman, Teen Sexy.

After Softball Guy scored, he was paced back and forth on his bench, complaining and cursing loudly to any teammate that would listen to him about the play. This was followed by him popping off to a very surprised Howard as he was jogging off the field. Howard had no idea what he said or why he would be angry. Howard is a good natured, Bad Gnu through and through. I had to tell him what the kerfuffle was even about. I only knew because I witnessed Softball Guy’s grousing from my perch at third base.

About the game… the Bad Gnus started off with a run, but the offense let them down the remainder of the game. The 1 run lead did not last long. The T Sox hit the ball hard all night. The game remained close because of the stellar defense of the Bad Gnus. I haven’t had much cause to celebrate our defense this year, but on this night, the gloves were reliable. The only errors I can remember were plays that turned singles into doubles, not outs into singles. We can live with those. Keith, Stuart and Clayton all made nice catches in the outfield. After the Gnus struck for 2 runs in the 5th inning, I was surprised to learn we were only down 9-3. Despite all of the base hits by the T-Sox, the Bad Gnus had held them to single digits. Unfortunately, the bats would not wake up for the Bad Gnus and the game finished 9-3.

The 20th season of Bad Gnus softball is in the books. We’ll see you all out there again next spring, unless I’m able to gather my own Delta yacht trip in the offseason.

Bad Gnus End Summer Season on a High Note

Arden Park gave the Bad Gnus a summer gift for the end of the 2011 season - a doubleheader against two beatable teams. On Monday, the Bad Gnus would pop cans with the Silver Bullets, winner of exactly 1 game during the season. On Tuesday, the Gnus would take on the highly medicated Don’t Panic. With their cataracts and non-specific back pain, Don’t Panic staved off the munchies long enough to put their best season together since the Summer of Love. They had won 2 games during the season.

All was lined up for a double header sweep. The whole team was available for both games. The Big Sexy’s knee was feeling as good as it had all year, allowing him to return to his rightful position of third base. Ice Chests were lined up for post game celebrations. It was a foregone conclusion that the Bad Gnus would head off into the raking, football, homework and amber beer of Fall with a good feeling about themselves and their teammates.

Monday started well enough. The first 4 batters all singled after Graeme threw 5 pitches. Gotta love that pitch selection. This gave the Gnus a 1-0 lead with the bases loaded. Sean then hit a foul grounder that inexplicably bounced back into fair territory for a 5-2 double play. The momentum was killed and the Gnus could only get one run. After a quick defensive stand, the bats started hot again. The Gnus scored 4 more until Clayton over ran the limit line on a bad throw to the plate. Some opportunities lost, but a 5-0 lead with the hot Gnus bats fired up the team and Maddie the cheerleader.

Things started to turn a little sour on the defensive end. Some balls were dropped, some outs given up. No error was more painful, mentally and physically, then the two-out ground ball that Mike tried to field with his ankle instead of his glove. The ball bounced off the ankle bone and out of play, giving the Silver Bullets a 5-5 tie and put the go ahead run on second. That run would score as the next batter got a base hit. Just like that, the Bad Gnus lead was gone.

The Bad Gnus were still feeling good about their offense and continued to plate runners. After two back and forth innings, the Bad Gnus held a 10-8 lead. The most memorable of the offensive explosions wasn’t Keith’s two doubles (see none of you remembered them) or even Stuart’s awesome triple. Stu was flying around the bases like a 15 years younger Stuart. You know that guy. The guy who goes on off-road driving adventures. The guy who stays out drinking until all hours of the night and still shows up the next day with a smile on his face. Wait, that was just this Summer? No, the most memorable play was Kirk’s homerun that plated Howard and Stuart in front of him to give us the 10th run. Kirk hit a solid drive in the gap in center. Howard came flying around third, tempting the throw from Lippi. The throw was offline. As it was bouncing around the plate area and into the feet of the 3 Gnus on deck, Kirk flew around third to score. Old time Bad Gnus aggressive base running right there!

What happened over the next three innings was more surprising than Lippi’s foul ball into the garbage can. The Silver Bullets had brought 14 players to the game. Many in a crisp, new white t-shirt that screamed “I haven’t swung a bat in a month”. Sure, a couple of those guys would get hits. Sure, the Gnus were going to misplay the stray ball here and there. But with all these guys, there are going to be plenty of pop ups and easy rollers to quell any rallies. All the Gnus saw coming was the headlight of a streaking train breaking through the icy cold hearts of the opposition. The Silver Bullets hit the ball hard. Up and down the line up, they collected clean hit after clean hit. Before we knew it, The Silver Bullets had put up a couple of touchdowns and the Bad Gnus lost 20-10. The worst part about it was that the Bullets did it with such precision; it didn’t even feel like a deflating loss.

The Gnus merrily went to their ice chest to enjoy a “that was pretty fun for a spanking” drink. What awaited them can only be seen in the twisted mind of M. Night Shyamalan. As the sun set behind the trees on a comfortable summer evening, the sweaty and dusty hand of the player reached toward his well earned treasure. Nothing could wash down a 10 run defeat to a beatable team like a cold, refreshing beer. It had been a particularly mentally tough evening. Some things just did not add up. How can a fly ball land in a garbage can 250 yards away? How could Greg T not wear cleats? How could Clayton make a base running error? With plenty on his mind, our fallen hero opens the creaky ice chest. What he found next was nothing short of seeing Gwenyth Paltow’s head at the end of Seven… it was an ice chest full of Silver Bullets!!! (queue Hitchcock screeching music).

The Newcastle player of the game goes to Teen Sexy! Matt is easily the most improved Bad Gnu this season. In fact, I think everyone else has just gotten a little worse each week. I’ve missed the last couple of games, but on Monday, Matt was hitting line drives and making routine plays at second base look routine. No small feat for a Bad Gnus second baseman. His best play was a pivot and strong throw he made to complete a double play when the game was still 11-10. Unfortunately, the umpire didn’t see it that way, allowing the Silver Bullets to put up several runs in the inning. Some may say that blown call was the turning point. Actually someone might have said that to the umpire.

Next up was the Tuesday night clash with Don’t Panic. I was surprised to see Don’t Panic had already won twice this season and we weren’t even one of them. I’m not sure how that happened. Yes, they have gotten a little younger. They have made some younger friends down at Watt Avenue Wellness. But they are all still potheads. Despite being pleasantly surprised that the red hats (how gangster!) that the younger Panics wore to match their cool low hanging shorts were not flat brimmed, they still lack significant baseball talent and softball strategy. Fat Kid Rock is a big improvement, but he's not going to win any Gold Glove awards.

The Bad Gnus would have to take on Don’t Panic without their 18-consecutive-year MVP, Howard Hughes. Howard tweeked his troublesome back and instead of opting for some tasty brownies that Don’t Panic had to ease the pain, he went for Hot Yoga. Here’s hoping Howard’s back is well enough for his Zumba class tonight.

You could tell this was a game that had been circled on the Don’t Panic schedule all season. They had about 15 guys on their bench. Most impressively, a couple of the older guys were in the parking lot pre-gaming. They even shared a brew with Sean. The pre-game beverages did not help these older stoners as much as you might have imagined.

After leadoff batter and reigning Newcastle player of the game Matt reached on a bad throw to start the game, the Don’t Panic “coach” was yelling at the umpire about Matt turning the wrong way. Surprising that someone on Don’t Panic would need to chill out. Just like the night before, the first 4 Gnus reached on solid hits which scored one run and left the bases loaded. Just like the night before, the next batter grounded to third for the 5-2 double play. They only difference, is we got to watch Clayton dance around the limit line for the second straight game. It never gets old! Unlike last night, we were able to keep the inning going and score some more runs. After 2 innings, it was 10-0 and the Bad Gnus were on fire.

Maddie showed up and was so excited her favorite old guy softball team was actually winning a game. It was nice to be able to see the genuine smile on her face of rooting for our team. The score was 13-0 when she left and the Bad Gnus just kept hitting. Remarkably, the drug-addled minds of Don’t Panic thought it was a good idea to play their outfielders remarkably shallow all game. Several Gnus went over their heads for extra bases and we are not what you would consider a power hitting team. For more fun, Don’t Panic resorted to 5 infielders. What a long strange trip this game was. The game ended 22-6.

The Newcastle player of the game goes to The Stu! Stuart went deep to centerfield for a home run. It was the second consecutive night that he hit the ball there. He also was 5 for 5, all sharply hit balls. He even made a good catch on a deep fly ball in the game. I’m not sure Stuart even made an out all week. Excellent play, just in time for indoor softball season.

This game seemed opposite in so many ways. We don’t usually win. We don’t usually score 22 runs on a ton of sold hits. And we don’t usually do all of that with a struggling Pete Nixon. Pete is one of the more talented and athletic Bad Gnus. For some reason, he could not get out his own way this week. His performance was low-lighted by a called strike three. On the positive side, Pete was responsible for the ice chest listed several paragraphs above. To cheer Pete up, here is the link to his favorite Bad Gnus recap from way back in 2006. http://badgnus.blogspot.com/2006/05/beatings-continue.html.   Note the mention of current Gnu, Matt Blom.

After the game, Don’t Panic retreated to their table of Vitamin Water and Doritos and the Bad Gnus went back to (gasp!) the ice chest full of Silver Bullets! (eek-eek-eek-eek!)

Bad Gnus Fall In Rivalry Game

This area is thick with rivalries such as Bad Gnus v. Ahern Const. There are heated Kings v. Lakers games. Cal v. USC Football is always interesting. Even in high school you have Rio Americano v. Jesuit soccer. Not surprisingly, I root hard for all of those "underdog" teams. When these underdogs beat their rival, it doesn't really matter what happens the rest of the year. They have that one special victory to hang their sweat-rimmed hat on. Sure the competition might not even realize these are high intensity rivalry games. The Lakers have the Celtics. USC has UCLA. Jesuit soccer has Davis. I suppose Ahern has the Hanks.

In anticipation of Rivalry Week and coming off a two week stretch where the Bad Gnus could do no right, they took advantage of the bye week by not just drinking and getting fatter as they typically do during a layoff. They also held their first practice of the 21st Century with half of the team actually attending. That robust attendance paid dividends as their newly constructed left side of the infield of Clayton at third and Sean at short hardly made any errors and the team bats woke up. Unfortunately, the one thing that was not covered in practice was baserunning.

Monday was a beautiful and mild summer night in Arden Park. Conditions were perfect for a rivalry victory. Ahern Const., perhaps feeling more nervous than they let on, had a few tricks up their sleeve. Ahern broke Arden Park Old Guy Softball League protocol by starting a shortstop under 30 who was not a blood relative. Seems like a nice kid, but not only does he not have gray stubble in his 5 o'clock shadow, he can't grow a 5 o'clock shadow. I bet he doesn't even have hair tufts coming out of his back!

Ahern Const. also broke out new uniforms right before the game since they can't rely on just wearing Arden Park Champion t-shirts anymore. All of those shirts are either stained or lost by now. Their sponsor spared no cost by providing both home and away uniforms. Proving they could not be bought, both Scott and Paul refused to be a walking billboard for the founding company. Let me take the rest of this paragraph to speak directly to the Kilt Pub. Hey John, if you're reading this, the Bad Gnus guarantee to wear your logo on any color tye dyed uniform on all players for a full beer sponsorship. You don't even have to cover our league fees, just the beer tab after games.

Perhaps the most dasterdly case of gamesmanship pulled off by Ahern was the impressive foresight and planning required for Bob Ahern to pull off a perfect long con on the Big Sexy. Bob got Mike a bunch of interviews with a company he was real excited about. Then right before the first pitch, when the timing could cause the most damage, Bob made sure to pass along the news of the job going to a more qualified, better looking and smarter candidate. Bob knew this kind of information would result in a bunch of pop ups off the over anxious bat of the Big Sexy. That happens anyway Bob, you didn't have give me an excuse.

The first ten minutes of the game could not have gone any better for the Bad Gnus. Instead of the typical 10 runs surrendered in the first inning, the Gnus shut out the potent top of the Ahern lineup. That momentum carried over into the bottom half of the inning, where Clayton, Greg T and Sean hit consecutive singles to load the bases. Clayton tested Greg O'Connor's arm on Keith's shallow fly ball. Greg's throw was predictably off target by 15 feet, but got to the catcher right before Clayton ran into him for the inning ending 7-2 double play.

After only giving up a couple of runs in the top of 2nd the Gnus once again had consecutive singles by Greg B, Stu and Mike to load the bases with one out. Matt hit a shallow fly to Scott who predictably threw Greg out with a perfect strike to home to once again end the inning on outfield assisted double play. Only the Gnus offense can get 6 hits in 10 at bats and be shutout through 2 innings.

The next time through the lineup, Howard and Greg T were not going to take any chances with singles as they both ripped triples to the trees sandwiched around another hit by Clayton. Greg would score to give the Gnus 3 runs and put them right back in the game. Keeping the Newcastle Player of the Game in the Thiesen family, Greg takes home the prize this week with his offensive output and underrated play at first. A lot of the throws coming his way were coming in at all different speeds and heights and he made them all look like perfect throws. Congrats to Greg! To keep the Thiesen family in the running, Jackie may need to do some baking for the post game spread after the next game. I hear homemade taquitos go well with Pacifico.

It would stay close into the bottom of the seventh. With the Bad Gnus trailing by only 3, there was a feeling in the air that this would be the night the Gnus would be able to hang their hat on. With one out Greg B, Stu and Mike once again hit consecutive singles scoring Greg, but Stu was picked off after rounding second on a horrible call by the horrible blue with the horrible personality and horrible grasp of the pitch ceiling. It seemed like a makeup call from the previous inning when Clayton was picked off second and was horribly called safe. That took the wind out of the Bad Gnus sails, who could not put together a two out rally. They floated into port on the wrong end of a 9-7 pier.

After the game, Ahern drank from their surprisingly diverse ice chest just as they will 7 other times this season after dispatching just any other team on any other week. The Bad Gnus were left to kick themselves for coming so close to dispatching their rival on the one week this summer that could have been monumental point of their softball year. No moral victories here. Next year Ahern Const., next year.

Sp-Hanked!

I don't remember being spanked very much as a child. I think I was. There's a good chance that it is locked up in some repressed memory in the huge mental closet full of things I'll never remember unless laying on a therapist's couch or being interrogated by the authorities. What I remember about being spanked isn't the physical pain on my healthy, bulbous buttocks, but the shame and disappointment I felt about myself. I know I likely deserved the beating and there is not one thing that can really be taken from it as a positive.

Fast forward 35 years to a beautiful summer night in Arden Park. The beers were cooling in the ice chest, the Bad Gnus had plenty of players at game time and friendly banter had already begun with the Father's of Arden Park softball. (Side note, it is much better to be the Father's of Arden Park than the Mother's of Arden Park. That title is still vacant since the foreclosure of WIN Financials membership in the club.) It was a perfect night for the summer season to begin. Optimism was at a season high for the Bad Gnus.

The Hanks first batter, GT, started the game with a well struck ball that our fabulous shortstop Kirk Giberson, fielded oh-so-smoothly and snapped an effortless throw to first that looked great from my angle behind the plate. Sadly, it was a good 10 feet wide of Greg at first. When the next batter also found an infield glove to bounce a ball in and out of, the air had been let out of the optimistic rose-colored balloon that was floating in my imagination.

The Hanks are a veteran ball club. They have so many good hitters in their lineup, that giving them one extra out will come back on haunt you. The Bad Gnus had to have made 3 errors each inning for the first 3 innings. The Hanks also have that "Dad Strength" that cannot be explained. Ken Peterson runs like Ichiro out of the box, narrowly getting throw out on grounders to second. Another smaller, older gentleman smacked the ball over our outfielders heads. The Bad Gnus had been very bad children and reluctantly pulled down our pants and laid across the Hanks laps. The score after 3, Hanks 21, Bad Gnus 0.

The score had grown to 30-0 as the Bad Gnus came to bat in the bottom of the 7th. The Howard led off the inning with a blast over the centerfielder's head for a home run! No shutout! That blast nearly gave Howard the Newcastle Player of the Game honor. Howard also played nearly flawless defense, with the only ball that dropped out of his glove coming after he made a remarkable play to even take a stab at it. No one else would have even touched it.

Alas, Howard doesn't get the Gnu of the Game this week. That honor goes to Greg's daughter Maddie. This adorable girl showed up in homemade Bad Gnus shirt, skirt and headband, complete with the "20" which signifies our run total for the Spring Season. She watched the entire game standing at the fence cheering on her dad and his friends despite the avalanche of disappointment we relentlessly caused. Maddie even had handmade signs to hold up. She may have cheered the loudest of everyone when Howard broke up the shutout, long after Howard's own kids had given up on him and most Gnus players had stopped watching.

The Bad Gnus were embarrassed in every way possible during our 30-1 beating at the hands of the Hanks, but seeing her smile and enthusiasm even after something so discouraging brought home the sweetness that is playing a recreation game at a local park with our friends in front of our supportive families. Congratulations, Maddie, you are the Thomas Kemper Root Beer Gnu of the Game for making us smile and giving something positive out of our spanking.

Bad Gnus Playoffs Begin! (and end)

The first Bad Gnus playoff game of the year took place on Monday night against the third seeded Long Islanders. I never think much about The Long Islanders. I always think of them as a .500 team that we have a 50/50 chance of beating on every other night. And I think about how a Long Island Ice Tea is cold and sneaky. Tastes so good, especially on a warm day, then wham! It was a beautiful and warm, early summer night and the Bad Gnus were thirsty.

Many Bad Gnus were at Valley Oak participating in the never-ending Arden Little League season. Caldy and I made sure that we would not have that kind of conflict as we coached our little league team to the ground early.

The Big Sexy was excited to make his return to the diamond. It had been a couple of months since he shocked the league by hitting three straight balls to centerfield for hits. The was 2 more than his career high. Clearly, something was wrong and he immediately had knee surgery after the game.

In true Bad Gnus Spring Season fashion, we borrowed a player to round out our 10. The good news is that he played flawless defense. Unfortunately, we only borrowed one player. The Gnus handled the ball on defense a bit like Robin Williams handling Flubber. There were at least 5 errors in the first inning, as balls just bounced out of gloves. This was followed by a few the next inning. In games that Bad Gnus play solid defense, we are competitive. In games with we don't, Na-nu Na-nu. After 2 complete innings, the Gnus had sent 8 guys to the plate. The Long Islanders had scored a cold and sneaky 18 runs.

After an 18-0 deficit, the Gnus started trying to win each inning. Over the next four innings, the Bad Gnus won 2, tied 1 and lost 1. Not bad! Clayton unleashed his whooping stick for a 3 run home run to spark the otherwise listless offense. That was good enough to earn him Newcastle player of the game despite his .000 fielding percentage. What can I say, guys dig the long ball. After the team warmed up, many players started to get hits. Cleanup hitter John mixed in line drive hits and bloop hits to keep the defense off balance. Erik was hitting crazy grounders that the Islanders just could not field. Clayton kept hitting.

During the rest of the game, the defense got significantly better, as well. In the last inning the Gnus brought the tying run to the plate with the bases loaded. Of course, that batter would have had to batted all the way around to be the tying run, but where there is hope... The final score ended 24-9.

That concludes Bad Gnus Spring Training! Now we are ready to start. Batting practice has been taken. Ice Chests will be filled. Honeys will be in the stands. Knees have been rehabbed. Shoulders have been thrown out and already healed. Watch out Arden Park, the Bad Gnus are ready for our 50 days of summer!

Bad Gnus Sneak into Season

A long time ago, back in my high school years, that I learned that the cool kids don't get to the party when it starts. You need to show up after the keg is tapped, after the Betties have arrived and after the music is pumping. (I sure am glad teenagers nowadays don't go to parties.) So it only figures that the cool kids of the Arden Park Men's Softball League, the Bad Gnus, wouldn't be hitting on all cylinders during the first week of the season. They haven't even played the Prince album yet.

In typical April fashion, the Gnus had a hard time getting 10 guys on their 20 guy-deep distribution list to commit to playing. With a couple of new Gnus, the 2011 season began on a sunny Tuesday evening against the defending champion, T-Sox. (Note: not sure who won last year, but the T-Sox did in my mind.) The T-Sox scored 3 runs in the first. Newcastle Player of the Game, third baseman Clayton "Slammin" Smith, nearly got us out of a jam early. With the bases loaded and one out, he fielded a grounder on a short hop tagged his bag and alertly threw home for the double play. The throw at Jim's feet was too hard to handle and the T-Sox drew first blood. They were able to tack on a couple more before we were out of the jam.

Erik not only brought his employee to the game, but also

a spanking new bat! Nice work, Erik. Unfortunately, the Bad Gnus kept many of the hits still in the bat. The Bad Gnus only scored twice. Clayton had the most consistant, positive hitting. There was a 7 or 8 way tie for most consistant, negative hitting. Greg Thiesen did most of the offensive damage by smashing a ball over the outfielders in center. The fact that Greg was four feet in front of the batters box was not noticed by the umpire. Nice poke.

Somehow the Gnus were hanging around late. They were only trailing 4-2 with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Up stepped the top of the T-Sox order. Back to back players drove the ball between Keith and Sean in left center for home runs. I particularly enjoyed Sean's tumble and extended rest on the outfield grass as the ball rolled toward the tennis courts. I haven't seen that from Sean since the last concert in the park.

The T-Sox added three more in the bottom of the 6th to put the game out of reach at 9-2. 2 runs isn't a lot when the other team is throwing the ball underhand. I promise the Gnus will at least double that next week. We will be playing our dopplegangers, the Young Guns at 6:45 on Monday. The weather will be warmer, the time will be later and the keg will have already been tapped. Seriously, someone bring beer.