2024 will bring the 21^st year of the South Oakland Ducks, and my fourth or fifth (I have no idea at this point,) as a player manager. I can confidently tell you three things, if you would have told 8-12 year old me that I would still be playing baseball into my 30s, I would have been extremely happy about it, we will hit the fuck out of the baseball, and we will have some losses that make me think the youth league we share a field with could absolutely crush us. Other than that, as our Vice President of Morale would say, we are going to be Dangerous this year.

                2023 Ended in disappointment, we played half the year without a regular shortstop, and somehow ended up over .500 with a 13-11 record. The playoffs did not go as well as I, or any of us would have hoped. The best thing for me that weekend was enjoying Pittsburgh’s annual Picklesburgh festival. To start off out playoffs, we faced the only team that swept us (I think,) and our newfound rival (yea it was quite one-sided last year,) the Buccos. I honestly can’t remember much about that game, except that one dude was wearing way too much Cologne, especially for an adult baseball game. Then the next day, or two days later, D2 got their payback from 2022, and absolutely routed us, 10-0. To get double swept on the weekend, out of the playoffs and by the yellow shirted plunderers leaves a feeling that I would rather not ever have again.

                There is going to be a bit of a new look to the Duck’s this season, both in our roster construction and in our Uniform configuration. For the first time in my career we are getting some new Jersey’s, hopefully these new uniforms bring us some “look good play good” luck. As for our roster, we have a new look with some familiar faces as well. We lost a few guys, including what I assume is the innings leader in Ducks history from our pitching staff. For me it is hard to see guys depart the Duck Pond, but I understand that dudes know when it is time to move on.  We do have a few past Ducks returning to the team this year, with Mullen and Stef. Although neither will be making regular appearances, I am hoping that we can piece it together with Jesse up the middle. We do have a newcomer up the middle with another D Williams coming in to shore up the outfield. With our veteran presence in right and left, this will give us some flexibility moving forward. I’ll tell you; it will be nice not having to wonder how I am going to configure the middle of the field, other than myself and the pitcher, during my workday. Other than the loss of one of our key staff members, we should have a solid and healthy rotation. Let me tell ya, I am excited to have a pitching staff again, it may have been 2 years ago but having like two starters for a season is a nightmare I never want to encounter again.

   On a Sad note, we have been notified that 2024 will probably be the final year that we get to spend our Tuesday Nights in the Friendly confines of the Duck Pond, with Spring Hill being scheduled to have a complete renovation start in 2025. To be honest, that is a pretty sad idea for us, other than a season and a half at West Field, never again btw, the Pond has been my home field since 2017. There aren’t many things I can say, good or bad about the Pond, but it will be tough to say goodbye. I don’t know where our new Game Lands will be in 2025, but I hope we can send off the Pond the right way this year, by raising a trophy and taking a photo at 1354 Romanhoff street. Fingers Crossed

South Oakland was swept out of the 2023 playoffs after losing to Butler and D2, two weeks ago in Spring Hill. The Ducks had a clear lead-off home run by Mark Lombardi ruled foul in the bottom of the first against Butler, and they never recovered. South Oakland went on to lose their opening round game 5-4 after another blown call on a play at the plate. After the tough loss, D2 beat the Ducks 10-0 and South Oakland was eliminated. There would be no miracle run to the finals.

This year’s team suffered two key injuries that we couldn’t overcome. Last year’s starting shortstop hurt his arm in the offseason, and our starting center fielder hurt himself early in the season. Then our new shortstop and our best pitcher were unavailable for the opening round of the playoffs. Overall, we did pretty well with the things we could control this year, and during the second half, we played some really good baseball. We won 9 of 10 to close out the season with a winning record. It was fun down the stretch. We won the season series against everyone but Keystone Oaks and our new nemesis, Butler.

We got a tough draw in the playoffs in that D2 is probably the only team with enough pitching to get through the play-in round and the Bandidos and still have a really good starter for a third game. As usual, they were better than their record indicated. The “We have baseball jerseys at home” Butler Buccos certainly had our number this year for some reason. If they don’t fold, and we manage to beat them, there could be a good rivalry brewing. The atmosphere around games with them is certainly different with all the parents and shit.

Losing early this year wasn’t shocking given the guys we were missing, and the second-round exit in and of itself isn’t heartbreaking, but it makes me more mad about last year’s finals. We had the Eagles on the ropes in that series, and they beat us with illegal players. We took two out of three from them this year without their ringers, and our only loss was a meaningless game for us that they had to win to avoid the play-in game. I guess we should have protested their guys’ eligibility in 2022. That missed opportunity is a little starker after working really hard this year to get better playoff seed only to get bounced while our ace was at the beach. Oh well. Hopefully, we can figure out our defense up the middle in the off season, and make a deep run next year.

Personally, I feel like I still have some years left. I can’t run as well in the second of back to back games, but my (admittedly bloated) stats say I contributed. At 42 years old, I’m still punching above my weight class and leaning into pitches. I think we have a great core of veteran guys who play well together, and we are determined to win one before we all ride off into the slow-pitch softball sunset.

As always, I’m humbled to still have a team and a league to play in. I don’t know what else I’d do during the summer.

Congrats to the Bandidos for a dominant season and a title won without any illegal players. Also, Cranberry had a hell of a run after half their team left in March.

Here’s to next season.

Thanks for reading.

Quack.

This year at the Duck Pond was another tough one. It was a different tough. Last year, it came down to the last half inning, a couple missed calls, blah blah blah. It honestly cast a shadow over this year, at least until we started winning. That ‘winning’ was an 8 game win streak, and it is nothing to ignore. That’s for sure the highlight of our year. Did we need to lose that last game of the season, did we need to keep it going, or did none of that really matter when it came down to the construction of our roster for the first weekend of the playoffs. Fuck if I know, but all of the above feel like they would have been the right answer. 

The beginning of the year came with thoughts that we’d walk the division back to the championship. Randy was great down the stretch this year, Casen throws a heavy ball that people don’t hit, Luke throws a curveball that buckles knees every at bat, and we were getting Brandon and Billy back, good luck everyone else. We returned our starting lineup, minus an injury at shortstop, and to be fair, that’s a pretty important position. We definitely learned how important it is. We picked up some young guys that we would have hoped to be the stop gap, unfortunately we put them in a no win situation. That group ended up helping immensely down the stretch anyways. Losing other starters to injuries elsewhere added to our mounting issues. Things were starting to pile up, including our runners left on base, and our errors. I’d rather it was runs and hits, but what can you do? 

Our season really turned with a last hour addition to our playoff roster, Jimmy getting back from vacation and Liam coming back from injury. These three coming around at the same time injected life into our roster, it was an electric factory. Honestly, that win in Plum really felt like the turn of the tide was official and real. It was the first time since game two that I felt we were going to get back to the big series. We had a great squad, we just couldn’t put it together, and starting the playoffs third legged was not the answer. Let’s not take vacations between July 15 and August 10th next year, just a thought. 

I love being a part of this team, putting on catchers gear game in and game out, and playing baseball at the Duck Pond. I say it a lot, but this is the first team I loved playing for since a pony team that me and the wild goose played for. I do feel bad, I didn’t give these guys everything this year, I had too much shit going on off the field, and was never really all there. You guys deserve better and I’ll be better next year. 

My team awards: 

Team MVP: Flip. Plain and simple, we were a different team with flip on the field. Hands down the ball player of ball players and one of the best hitters I’ve ever been on a field with. Having someone like that slotted in your lineup is increasingly important through the year. If Flip doesn’t win the MVP of the league it’s laughable. 

Pitcher of the year: Billy. A season getting close to 100 strikeouts is unreal. We play 24 games a year, 100 strikeouts in 24 appearances would be legit, let alone 12 appearances. 

Comeback players of the year: Brandon’s comeback meant a lot, that dude loves baseball, doesn’t pass the Buck, and absolutely despised losing. The phone call from Brandon almost two years ago was a tough one, I knew it was coming, but it’s still hard to lose a competitor like that. To get him back, double that tough feeling from the phone call and switch it to joy. That’s a guy you need and want on your team. Brandon went out there and competed no matter the situation. Honestly it is hard to put into words what pitchers like that bring to a team, and we have a couple of them.

Ben Sorosky. What a year big fella. Every year Ben makes those comments that he could help us if he was in the lineup, and let me tell ya, this dude proved it this year. It seems like every time I looked up Ben was on base, some times eliciting “wtf is going on here?!?” responses from 1/2 our bench. Ben just smiles and basically says “I told you so,” yea pal, you did. 

Ducks rookie of the year

We had a few new guys this year, but there was a specific addition that changed our year around. That’s Jesse. As I said earlier, shortstop was somewhere we struggled, and struggled mightily. Coming in and locking down our infield by being the shortstop we needed was important. Add in the fact that he’s a good ball player and someone who just fits in with our group was one of the sparks we needed. We sure are glad to have him. 

Every year I say this, and every year I believe it. We have the tools to win, I really don’t know what keeps stopping us, its something different every year. I truly believe that we are one of, if not the team to beat in the AA division. We have everything you could ask for. Bad news for NABA AA in 2024.

El Pato

Billy Welsh pitched a complete game (W, 4-3) and allowed 0 earned runs, to lead the Ducks past the reigning MVP and the defending champion Eagles (7-13) last night in Spring Hill. Anthony DeFilippo continued his torrid pace at the plate with a 2-run double. Tom Pulice, TJ Morgan, and Jimmy Murray all had RBI for South Oakland. Ducks infielders Kenny Rayl and Mark Lombardi had extra base hits.

The win was South Oakland’s sixth in a row and improved their record to 11-10. The Ducks are above .500 for the first time this season, and hold the tie-breaker over the Eagles with the season series win.

• Billy Welsh has an outside shot at 100 strikeouts this season and deserves Pitcher of the Year consideration.
• Anthony DeFilippo is on pace to win the first batting title in team history and should be in the conversation for league MVP.
• Tom Pulice will always be my Manager of the Year.

South Oakland plays next on Friday, 8:30 pm at Springview Field vs the Devils.

Quack.

South Oakland scored six runs in the first inning and overcame a few errors to win 11-8 last night in Spring Hill. Brandon Blackstone (W, 4-3) pitched six strong innings and Billy Welsh recorded the two-out save after reliever Cody Quinn left the game with an injury.

The resurgent Ducks (10-10) have scored 39 runs in their last 4 games. They have won five straight, and six of seven.

South Oakland plays next on Sunday, 12pm at Herschel Park against the defending champion Eagles.

Quack.

Last night in Spring Hill, Billy Welsh (W, 3-3) pitched a complete game, striking out 14, while allowing only 2 earned runs against the league’s top offense.

In the top of the sixth, South Oakland led 3-2. The Bandidos scored on a play where two errors were committed by the Ducks third baseman who threw a ball out of play after missing a grounder. (Typically this is where we would fall apart, but Billy shut them down, and then we scored a bunch of runs.)

With the score tied at 3 in the seventh, South Oakland scored 5 runs to put the game out of reach. The scoring was capped with a two-run sac fly by Dillon Williams.

Mark Lombardi, Tom Pulice, Anthony DeFilippo, Ben Gwin, and Jesse Iellimo hit doubles for the Ducks. The win was South Oakland’s fourth in a row. The team is now 9-10 on the season. The Bandidos fell to 12-4.

The Ducks play next Thursday night vs the Devils, 8:30 at the Duck Pond.

Quack.

Box Score

The Ducks beat the Warriors in Plum last night, 9-8. South Oakland scored three runs in the top of the seventh to tie, three more in the top of the eighth, and held off a late Warriors rally. Jimmy Murray had three hits, an outfield assist in the seventh, and a game-clinching diving catch.

Brandon Blackstone recorded his first save of the season, and Cody Quinn worked two solid innings in relief.

Tonight is throwback night at the Duck Pond.

8:30pm start vs the first place Bandidos.

Bad News for Bakery Square

South Oakland defeated D2 and Cranberry last weekend to raise their record to 7-10, and move out of last place. The wins gave the team two, key tie-breakers as they won the season series against both teams. The Ducks were then rained out on Monday and Tuesday. After a brutal start to the season, the Ducks have won 4 of their last 6 games.

South Oakland plays next on Monday, July 3, against the Plum Warriors, 7:30 pm at Plum High School.

Quack.