Big Oil has been subsidized by the Pittsburgh NABA, allowed to compete in the A division, yet the corporate conglomerate has been constructed, after recieving tax payer money and league revenue to allow it to operate in a less competitive division, to compete on the highest level. They defeated the Bulldogs and toppled the defending Champion, Fightin’ TJ Morgans.
The Ducks were faced with this predicament in the off season, but our desire to compete at the highest level led to the addition of several college ball players, as the rules of the draft were that only AA teams could draft college players and if we were to play in that division, against the revamped Black Sox the Hurricanes and the NABA terrorist coup, Monroeville Militia, we would have to upgrade to give our team the best chance to win.
The assumption was that any college players entering the league would go into AA.
The arms race, headed by the Brookline Bullies off-season aquisitions, put us where we are today.
When Kool and the Gang asked to play on the Ducks I agreed. Anyone who hates the Black Sox as much as those kids do is OK with me.
Maybe I should have traded the rights of J. Spagnola and Bill Franciscus for a first round draft pick, kept my roster additions quiet and then arrived in the A division with an unfair advantage.
From left to right: Kenny Cool, Rob Cool, Athony Defillipo, Brendan Scioscia, Nick Berdine, James Fago.
The good intentions of splitting up the league into A and AA have been undermined by Big Oil.
Clearly this is exactly what happened.
Gasoline Live on Monday Night.
The Eagles are another story all together.
I sympathize with the troubles they have had in recent years.
Last year, they beat us with eight players. Disgraceful.
South Oakland Ducks of the North Side History Lesson with Howard Zinn.
Adam Smith became the only Duck with a full season of tenure to leave South Oakland for another team.
(and I preface this with acknowledgment of Smith’s importance to the Ducks during the Red Scare Years, and his ability to throw strikes when we had no other pitchers. He was the team’s MVP in 2007. In 2007 we went 8-14.)
The seeds of his departure were planted when I handed the coaching reigns over to Dr. Jones and he recruited the core of our current roster.
( I founded the team in 2003 and coached for many years before I ran into TC at the batting cages. If we win-out this year, my all time record will get back to .500)
Nick Homa and 2010 MVP candidate Mark Guthrie pushed Smith down in the rotation.
Kirk and Novak secured the middle infield spots.
Instead of competing for playing time on a better team, or accepting a reduced role on a winner (the Ducks finished ten games over .500 in Jones’ tenure as Manager), Smith wined about the Ducks selling out and becoming the Pitt Club Baseball summer team.
He sat alone in the dugout and passive-aggressively undermined our manager.
He left a team that was 16-8 for a team that finished in fouth place in the Wales Conference last season.
Will Adam Smith throw against his former team on Wednesday
Or is he begging his coach to sit him to avoid embarrassment?
Oilers on Monday.
Eagles on Wednsday.
This is when we start a new winning streak.
We might not lose another game.
Quack.
Great article Ben. If you remember, I was the starting pitcher for that disasterous outing against the undermanned Eagles last season. If I wasn't embarrassed by that, then I wont be embarrassed if I happen to get beat down by the Ducks. I'll enjoy playing on the same field with some of the flock again. Good luck with the Oil…they cant lay off changeups
LikeLike
I also think this is a good article with valid point.They pulled a fast one on somebody with the pickups they got. With that lefty on the hill the Oilers are able to battle anyone in the league. even when he doesnt pitch they are more than good enough to be in AA.They should NOT be in the A class. there are other teams that could Benefit from being in A.Quite frankly it’s a travesty. TJ M
LikeLike
lando thinks the duckzz got what was coming bringing on all the owlzzz. people called me a traitor for what happened in cloud city, but joining forces with cool to beat the blacksoxxxx? boo the duckzzz. you deserve it.
LikeLike
duckzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
LikeLike
Nice star wars reference, anon…thanks for reading smith, good luck in all games not vs. ducks.TJ M4Life
LikeLike
and we will get what is coming to us.
LikeLike
ahhhrhrhhnnnnn GRRRRHHhhh wwhhreeehrhrnnnn
LikeLike
cloud city was a dick move, but thanks for rescuing me from jabba.
LikeLike
It's a shame that the Duckszzz went to the dark side and fell to the evil Owlzzz empire. But I can still feel the good inside you ducks, let go of the owlz and come back to the light side!!!
LikeLike
This is exactly why i was against the move to split the league into A and AA. In theory it sounds great, but i figured teams might try to take advantage of it by signing college players to their A squad after the fact
LikeLike
quick question to everyone pissed about the owlz bs. I played for them, and now they don't have a team, so should i just go fuck myself or play on another team?
LikeLike
i got no problem with owlz. most of them seem pretty cool. no pun intended
LikeLike
no problem han. thanks for letting pilot the falcon in the final battle against the empire.
LikeLike
help me obi-wan kenobi, you're my only hope…
LikeLike
"If you spent as much time practicing your saber techniques as you did your wit, you'd rival Master Yoda as a swordsman."
LikeLike
and ex-owl anonymous, exactly. The team that lost to the BSox in the Wales semi's last season disbanded, they had to go somewhere, and we lost half our roster from last season: Fletcher, A.Smith, Novak, Dowling, Mars, Spagnola, Franciscus….I'm not gonna go into this again. How is the ex-division runner ups joing our team not viewed as redemptive for them, but as negative for us?I created that whole bullshit ZZZZZ persona for them anyway.It's hilarious. We have a common goal. To destroy Endor and those fucking Ewoks.
LikeLike
Swoosh said…This is exactly why i was against the move to split the league into A and AA. In theory it sounds great, but i figured teams might try to take advantage of it by signing college players to their A squad after the factMay 20, 2010 1:40 PMGlad there was at least someone else who shared my points of view on the bullshit theory that splitting the league up will help the league
LikeLike
@ FLO and Swoosh…i think it can eventually help the league retain players who don't have a lot of time to practice, and just want to play. On this line i think absorbing the entire 28+ league and combining them with the 18A would be an idea. Right now, it appears to be causing some problems. There is an imbalance in both leagues instead of two balanced leagues. Precisely what we wanted to avoid.
LikeLike
An imbalance in the force, one might say.
LikeLike
it's strong with this one…
LikeLike
I agree with Swoosh. That's why his ousting as Ducks manager after a steller 2009 season is a travesty.Anyway, you don't see the Big Oil asking to be in the AA, even if you accept their "we didn't know" excuse.Down with this Exxon Valdez oil spill! Down with the Conspiracy! p.s. Love the Kool & The Gang reference. Good one..
LikeLike
if swoosh wanted to return as manager today, I'd gladly let him.
LikeLike
Fuck all these comments let's play baseball
LikeLike
I see Big Oil easily handled their fellow single A opponent Maulers last evening.
LikeLike
i wouldnt exactly say I was ousted. I just saw some changes in the future of the Ducks i wasn't sure I would be able to correctly handle. Again, as I said before, I'm not a baseball man and my knowlege of the game, though adequate, is definitely not where it needs to be to lead a team to a championship. I was decent at finding a core group of good guys who I thought mirrored the Ducks philosophy who would give me a great effort and for the most part respected what I was trying to do in combining winning and balancing fun at the same time. But all in all I'm a hooper at heart and will always feel more comfortbable with a basketball in my hands than i do with a glove on my fingers. To be honest I've always felt like a bit of a fraud on the diamond even though i'm and adequate fielder and can throw strikes if needed. But I always give a full effort when I'm called upon, and am quite happy with my current role with the 2010 Ducks.
LikeLike
get over the conspiracy theory.it's the first season of 2 divisions, and only 10 games in.. let things play out for a season before you start bitching.. you guys sound as bad as the PBL guys bitching about changing to wood bats after only 4 games.
LikeLike
@ anonymous – agreed, it's these long weeks off between games…no one likes change. this season feels like Jones' first in a lot of ways we have a bunch of guys who aren't used to playing together, and we don't quite trust or know each other yet…we'll be fine.jones set the frame work of a winning team.
LikeLike
i live for conspiracy theories. I make them up in fact. it will even out eventually.the pbl guys are hilarious.
LikeLike
The "Ducks Philosophy"?Intriguing.
LikeLike
i hear that playmaker is working on his comeback and plans to play for the oilers around midseason.
LikeLike
joe graff once played for the maulers and the pythons/oilers. maybe we can work that into the conspiracy too…
LikeLike
our philosophy involves winning, and quacking. It's my job to get everyoen to buy into this philosophy. look for South Oakland to quack more and win more in the near future….This blog was built on conspiracy theories…I'm also going to moonlight w the 28+ dogs so that's clearly another aspect of the tinfoil hat prospectus that must be incorporated.
LikeLike
harry yeakel from the oilers plays with the 28+ dogs. i will try to get a confession from him on sunday.ps. harry is a beast at the plate.
LikeLike
I'm not sure what to think when I'm put in the likes of the famous Bill Franciscus. Sorry, I wish I could be playing for the Ducks this season but work took me out west to California.
LikeLike
good to hear form you spags,…neither of you are playing for us this year i suppose that's the common denominator.
LikeLike