Make sure you read the post below this one.

Having a unique point of view, I used to play for the Gray Bats and I currently play for the Ducks, I’ve been asked to write a commentary on the matchup this week. So, I’m gonna put a plug of Skoal in and hopefully write something worth while.

* The South Oakland Ducks in no way encourage the use of chewing tobacco.

I’d like to start out by saying that Larry is a good coach. He knows as well as anyone where to put his players to maximize their output in the lineup and on the field. I would also like to say that I played for the Gray Bats during the fall. Things were alot more laid back then they were now. I can’t comment directly on the way things are handled in the Gray Bat’s dugout during this season.

There are three things that a coach must manage successfully in order to be successful: team chemistry, player happiness, and gameday management. A delicate balance of these three things must be maintained throughout an entire season. This is the reason the Ducks are so successful this year.

You wanna see team chemistry? Come to a bar with the Ducks some weekend.

Watch the way our infield flawlessly turns double play after double play.

I’ve never had more fun playing baseball than I have this summer.

I’m going to relay to you guys a little anecdote from my past. Ducks keep it in mind as you talk about this upcoming playoff game.

Believe it or not I was a bit arrogant back in my younger days, but so are a lot of 18 year old boys still in high school. My high school basketball team had just come off a huge win over the Cathedral Prep Ramblers, who were at that time ranked 3rd in the state of Pennsylvania, giving them their first loss of the season on our home court. I remember being in the locker room after that game patting ourselves on the back, trash talking with our chests all puffed out like we were really something special, talking about the state title we were all sure we were bound to bring home come March.

In walks in our assistant coach, he stands there for a couple minutes just listening to us gloat about our stats, our record, and beating a top team in the state. He then said something that has stuck with me every since. He said, “Gentlemen, believe me when I tell you this: What hype builds, hype destroys.” Those simple words were all he said before he turned and walked back out.

We were all quick to dismiss him, as would any hot-headed youngster who had just played the game of his life and came out victorious over a top ranked opponent. But sure enough, come March as I stood at midcourt looking up at the scoreboard seeing we are down 6 with ten seconds to go in a playoff game against a team we had manhandled two times before early in the season, that simple sentence our assistant coach muttered the month prior came ringing back.

That night well over six years ago was the last time I let hype and arrogance get the best of me. Nothing in this world is guaranteed, so Ducks as you talk up this game against the Gray Bats be careful not to let the hype get the best of us. The game is still played in between the chalk, and we need to just relax and play our style of game instead of getting into pissing matches with the opponents. If you don’t think the Gray Bats are giving us the proper respect then so be it. What they think of us does not matter, nor should it. We have one job on Saturday and that is to come out and play as hard as we can and leave everything on the field knowing that there was nothing else we could have done to put us in position to win the game. Come Saturday, win or lose (though I am confident we will prevail), I ask all of us to uphold the traditions of this game and be humble in victory or courteous in defeat.

The South Oakland Ducks of the North Side finished the regular season with a win over the Bulldogs today at Ohio River Boulevard.

Tony Casale broke out and scored both runs today in the 2-1 victory with two hits.

The Bulldogs struck first to make the score 1-0. The Ducks then tied it up when Casale made it on base and then made his way to third for Ben to hit him in on a sac fly. Casale made it on base again for the second time in the game and scored once again when two errant throws were made on a steal attempt to plate the winning run.

The rest of the game consisted of a great pitching from both sides, BJ Rankin and Mark Guthrie. Captain America came out on top pitching a complete game, only giving up one run, and throwing seven strikeouts.

Ben had an additional single and there was a bevy of infield hits by the bottom of the order. Adam Smith was a machine in left field. He caught everything hit anywhere near him.

Its playoff time. The Ducks look forward to the highly expected game against the Gray Bats on Saturday. I’m sure there will be plenty of talk about this match up throughout the week, but thats for another post.