This is possibly the best book about baseball I’ve ever read. So engaging I ripped through it in two sittings.
If you haven’t already, you should buy it and read it.
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Fielding-Novel-Chad-Harbach/dp/0316126691
Ducks,
send Fago your money. Now.
607 greenfield ave apt 1
Pittsburgh, PA 15207
Quack
James Fago is our manager this season, and he’s in the best shape of his life.
Get in touch with him (or me, if you must) if you plan on playing this season. As always, roster spots go to returning Ducks before we fill in the gaps with Dominican League players Rob Cool knows through some ex-AAU coach, who used to play DII ball in Eastern Ohio, and sells sneakers out of the back of a truck at Waynesburg away games.
We owe the league our first $500 in the next few weeks, and Nike is sending people to my home trying to shake me down for the money we didn’t raise to cover our unis last year.
We’ll get it figured out soon.
We run a tight ship in South Oakland.
Motivation?
Quack.
Jim Teyssier pitched a complete game shutout, striking out 9, while allowing just 3 hits and walking 2.
South Oakland scored its first run with two out in the bottom of the second, on three straight singels by Baumgartel, Smith and Gwin.
The Bulldogs left two men on base in the top of the third and would not threaten again.
In the bottom of the fourth, Fago walked, and pinch runner Tim Lipp stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error; he scored on Nick Berdine’s rbi single to left.
The Ducks will face Elliot in the finals on Saturday time and place to be determined.
quackquackquackquackquack.
South Oakland of the North Side (1-0) defeated the Hebrew Oilers 15-0 at Woodland Hills this afternoon.
Mike Fletcher pitched (1-0) pitched four scoreless innings for the win, and Rob Baumgartel pitched a perfect 5th to preserve the shutout.
For the Ducks:
James Fago was 3 for 3
Tim Lipp had most of our RBI going 2 for 2 with a sac fly.
Mark “Captain America” Guthrie was 0 for 0 with an rbi walk, and a sac bunt.
Gwin and Berdine each doubled.
and
Jim Teyssier went 1 for 1 with 2RBI
***
In other news, Cranberry nearly upset the Militia. Jeremy Barchie was the hero in that game I’m sure.
The biggest upset of the day saw the Express eleminate the Black Sox, winning 5-4.
No way does Carrick take out Barchie and the Militia in the next round.
Something was off with the Sox this season.
***
In a match-up of the last two league champions, the South Oakland Ducks will face the Hurricanes Monday night 8:30 pm at John Herb Field for the right to advance to the semi’s.
quack.
James Fago pitched a complete game, allowing 0 earned runs for the win over the Black Sox on Saturday night, and on Sunday, Mike Fletcher allowed 3 runs over four strong innings of work against The Express, as the Ducks swept the season series’ against both Brookline and Carrick.
It got a little hectic at the end of the Express game, but we kept our composure.
Good thing we raked, collectively. Lots of doubles.
We play the Fightin’s Monday night at 9pm, and finish with Elliot on Wednesday, 6pm at Herschal
No word on the sharks game being rescheduled. If I don’t hear from their coach its a forfeit win for us.
There could be some scenario that allows the Bulldogs to fall to second in their division, while holding a better overall record than us, but that would mean a team with a worse overall winning percentage than the Bulldogs would win the Allegheny, get the two seed, and then the Bulldogs would beat us out for the 3rd seed because of a better overall won-loss. So technically we haven’t clinched, but I have faith in those guys to beat the Oilers.
The flaw in the current playoff system is that the division standings are based only on division record, and the rest of the playoff seeding is determined by conference record.
I think it should just be overall won-loss for everything.
Give the division winners the #1  seeds based on overall record and rank teams from there. I think it’s the way it is now to compensate for the A teams or something, but eventually there won’t be any inter-conference games.
The Militia split a double header with Elliot today.
I’m ready for the playoffs to start.
quackquackquackquackquack
Batting in the ninth spot in the order, Rob Cool went 2 for 3 with 2HR and 7RBI, including a walk off grand slam, in one of the most impressive single game offensive performance in the wood bat era for South Oakland.
James Teyssier pitched a 2-hit shutout as the South Oakland Ducks of the North Side played an error-free game and beat the Brookline Black Sox 11-0 at Springview last night.
Baumgartel, Berdine, Fago and Gwin also drove in runs for the Ducks.
This marks the first time South Oakland has won the season series with the Black Sox, the first time the Ducks have ten-runned the Sox, and the first time South Oakland has shutout Brookline in consecutive games, both by Teyssier.
The Ducks wrap up the season series against the Black Sox again, Saturday July 16th at Moore Park.
***
Over the weekend, the Ducks defeated the Devils 3-0 at Pie Traynor.
Brendan Scioscia was 3 for 3 and James Fago drove in the winning run with a 2-run triple.
The Devils have the pitching to play in AA, and probably shouldn’t be playing down.
the Ducks have posted three straight shutouts and have allowed 2 runs in the last five games.
quackquackquack
South Oakland of the North Side shutout the South Side Eagles 3-0, Wednesday night at SpringView Field.
Mike Fletcher pitched six scoreless innings allowing 1 hit, and striking out 11.
James Fago pitched a perfect seventh for the save.
Nick Berdine and Brendan Scioscia combined to play an error-free game at second base.
The Eagles recorded their only hit in the top of the first with a lead off single.
The Ducks improve to 13-4, and resume division play Saturday morning against the Express.
Duffy, Smith and Gwin had RBI for the Ducks.
quack.
#17′s coming down from the rafters tonight
We have ten games left. Realistically, to win the division we have to win the rest of our games and have Elliot lose at least once. It’s possible they’ll drop one in their last nine or so. They have Brookline twice and two against the Militia and I think either of those teams could steal one from Elliot if they get good pitching and defense.
I think Kenny Powers and Brookline win tomorrow.
We have to win out. One game at a time starting tonight with another division opponent in the confusingly-named Express.
I have no idea what this picture is
Let’s quack tonight. Bounce Back City.
Abe Lincoln ends losing streaks before they start
Bad News for the Express
The South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (10-2) defeated the Hebrew Oilers (2-10) 11-1 Saturday afternoon at Pie Traynor Field. Ducks pitcher and resident super hero, Mark Guthrie allowed 1 run through four innings on just 2 hits; he also hit a sweet RBI double. Fago struck out the side in the fifth.
The Ducks hit four triples on the day; two by Nick Berdine, and one apiece by Tim Lipp and Anthony Defiippo. There might have been one more in there. The team slugging percentage skyrocketed and we hope to see our stats up soon on the league page.
Rick Whalen drove in a run with a sac fly in the 3rd, and 10 different Ducks had hits on the day.
South Oakland catcher, Jesse Smith threw out a runner trying to steal third in the first inning and had an RBI single.
Mike Duffy made several catches in centerfield, was hit by a pitch and singled twice for the Ducks.
The Ducks play undefeated, first place Elliot 9pm, Monday night at Springview Field.
quackquackquackquackquackquackquackquackquackquack
South Oakland of the North Side (9-2) came from behind twice Monday night to beat the West View Sharks ( 5-3) 4-3.
Rob Baumgartel allowed 1 earned run over five innings. Mike Cinefra earned the win in relief after the Sharks took a 3-2 lead off reliever Garrett Mack in the top of the sixth.
Nick Berdine drove in the winning run with a two-run double to right in the bottom of the sixth inning after James Fago was hit by a pitch and Rob Baumgartel singled to left.
South Oakland looks to extend their win streak to 10 when they face Big Oil Saturday at noon at Pie Traynor Field.
quackquackquackquackquackquackquackquackquack
