Month: April 2018

Ducks Lose: Cranberry 3, South Oakland 0

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South Oakland dropped to 0-3 on the season with a disappointing loss to Cranberry on Saturday. Cranberry scored three unearned runs due to a dropped fly ball that kept the second inning alive, and allowed Cranberry to plate three runs.

More concerning was the Ducks’ inability to hit. Cranberry’ starter was very effective. The Ducks were one-hit for the second straight game, and have only scored 4 runs in three games. Chuck Zuzack (L, 0-1)and Chris Heisler combined to throw six solid innings, allowing zero earned runs.

South Oakland next plays at home on Wednesday night at 9PM against Single A champs, Sheridan.

What a miserable game. This weather sucks. We’ve wasted three good pitching performances so far. No need to panic, but it’s time to score some runs and get a win.

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Gameday 3: Ducks at Cranberry

2018 South Oakland Ducks, Gameday, NABA, pittsburgh NABA

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (0-2)

at

Cranberry Crusaders (1-1)

5pm

Veteran’s Park of Cranberry (North Boundary Park)

South Oakland looks to win its first game of the season against the Crusaders this afternoon in Cranberry.

Below is an old scorebook page from a game two years ago vs. Cranberry. I remember we played this game at McGee Field because the mound at Spring Hill had been vandalized the night before. TJ had his car broken into, I think. We won on a walk-off hit by Culp in a ridiculous, 12-11 game.

Koshzow hit a ground rule double into the pool in left. We were down 11-10 going into the bottom of the seventh. They had their ace throwing and we knocked him around.

This season we pretty much only had Pat on the mound after Grahme blew out his shoulder. Nichols started this game, I think Brandt’s friend went 2 innings, and then Sorosky finished off the last two.

Alex Riley got on base three times this game in the revenge match against his former squad, and committed an error in RF.

Bad News for the Crusaders

 

 

 

Ducks Lose: South Oakland 1, Carrick 5

2018 South Oakland Ducks

The South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (0-2) lost their second straight to start the season, falling to the Carrick Express (2-1), by a score of 5-1 in Munhall last night.

The Ducks lead 1-0 going into the top of the fifth when Carrick scored a run on  a walk, a fielder’s choice, a ground out and two, 2-out errors. Then Slavs hit a double to drive in two more and that’s all Carrick would need. The Express added two more in the seventh on a misplayed fly ball that turned into a double, and three singles.

South Oakland’s defense was uneven, with players making a few spectacular plays, but costly errors leading to runs. Randy Patton (L, 0-2) pitched 7 solid innings for the Ducks, who only recorded two hits on the day.

No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds. No sunflower seeds.

South Oakland’s next game is Saturday, 5pm at Cranberry.

Gameday 2: Ducks vs Express

2018 South Oakland Ducks, Gameday, NABA, pittsburgh NABA, South Oakland Ducks Baseball

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (0-1)

vs

Carrick Express (1-1)

9pm

West Field

South Oakland looks to get back on track after a tough loss to West View last week. Carrick is good. We are short a few guys tonight, so some players who might not start normally will get some at bats against one of the better pitchers we will face this season.

Below is an old score book page from 2010.

This was a Ducks vs Maulers game. The Maulers played in single A that season, and would eventually become the Express. South Oakland won 6-2. We lost to them earlier in the season.

Vernacchio’s last at bat was a 2-RBI double.

Kress, Kopy, Cannon, are all former Black Sox and Express players. Gruendle is still on the Express.

This must have been early in the season before all the Waynesburg guys joined the team that season and I nearly destroyed the franchise, which I’ve written enough about at this point.

Casale had a day. Duffy left to be a scientist halfway through this season. Guthrie would get the win on the mound in the deciding game of our second championship.

Bad News for the Express

Ducks lose. South Oakland 3, West View 5

2018 South Oakland Ducks

South Oakland of the North Side (0-1) had its home opener spoiled by West View (1-0) Wednesday night, surrendering 4, runs in the top of the seventh in a brutal 5-3 loss.

Ducks catcher, Tom Pulice hit a triple and a sac fly. Starting pitcher, Mike Longman, threw four solid innings in the no decision, and left the game with a 3-1 lead.

South Oakland lead 3-1 in the top of the seventh. West View recorded two infield hits, and the Ducks committed two errors, and the game was tied without a ball leaving the infield. There was a sacrifice fly, and a single and the lead evaporated.

South Oakland had the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the inning but couldn’t tie up the game.

The Wolfpack hung around. Their pitchers kept us from adding to the lead. They deserved the win.

Now its snowing again.

South Oakland’s next game is at home on Wednesday vs Carrick.

Gameday 1: Ducks vs. Wolfpack

2018 South Oakland Ducks

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side

vs

West View Wolfpack

9pm

West Field

Getting out of spring view field was long over due. I think it’s incredible we are playing in the old Homestead Grays park.

No metal spikes.

Here’s a link to pretty cool site that shows how destroyed the field was before the renovations. Dead Baseball.

In stead of discussing this game, in honor of our 15th anniversary, I’m going to look through old score books and write about my findings. I am bored with half assed inflammatory previews.

This would probably be better as video, but i assume people only read these at work and that might be prohibitive. Still, maybe Germani and I can get together and create some amazing Pittsburgh NABA content.

Some of these old books are insanely rough. I think during the league’s first two seasons, I gave Boley our scorebook and he entered the stats, so there are many missing pages. Check this out from 2005.

These are consecutive pages, first a Maulers lineup, with Joe Graff leading off, then a Knights lineup, a Warriors lineup and a Ducks lines with the header: Ducks vs. Phantoms. There is no phantoms lineup anywhere though.

Naba legend Vinny Gala batting cleanup and playing 3rd. This was before Graff took over the league. We held them to one run. I don’t know how we managed that. Swetz must have pitched.

I think Brandt and Sorosky became Knights the next season. The Warriors won the title in 2005, I think. Maybe it was the Black Sox. Craig Boley: 2-3 and reached on an error, 2 SB, 2R. Solid production from the 8 spot.

We had a decent lineup. Hartranft, Swetz, Swanger, Adam Oliver. Eric Lee was the fastest guy I’ve ever seen. I think he’s on the lamb somewhere. We didn’t have a natural shortstop or enough pitching. We had like 3 second basemen who couldn’t throw. It was rough on defense.

Here’s an old picture from the blog’s glory days.

Bad News for West View

 

 

 

 

Everyone Cheats – South Oakland Ducks 2018 Preview

2018 South Oakland Ducks

If you haven’t paid, you need to pay me. Everyone needs to register on the league site before Tuesday. Same deal as every season. For fuck’s sake, register and pay your league dues. Guys who haven’t paid will sit.

No metal spikes on the new field. Get turf shoes, molded cleats or sneakers.

The first week of the schedule is up. We open with back-to-back games.  4/17 at BIG OIL; 4/18 vs WOLFPACK!!!

Tuesday at Mellon Park, 6:45pm. Former Oiler Randy will start in the grudge match, provided we aren’t snowed out.

Wednesday, West Field, 9pm. Starter TBD.

Roster Notes:

We have added a couple guys who can hopefully pitch, and first baseman Eric Tuomisto is back in town.

We lost utility player and closer, John Moore, and there are a couple guys who are up in the air right now. We have essentially the same lineup as last season.

This season marks our fifteenth in existence. With the Black Sox folding, the Warriors are the only other original five franchise still in the league (they were the piranhas in their first season, and we beat them for the our first championship). I started the Ducks when I was 22 and could still run and my back wasn’t all fucked up. Someone please take over for me. I’m old.

The Black Sox were our greatest rival when both teams were winning games, and this league was arguably at its peak. Certainly the blog was at least readable back then. So much has changed. Baseball lends itself to nostalgia. It’s fucking weird to be nostalgic about the early years of an adult league, but probably healthier than being nostalgic about high school or college ball. I’m incredibly grateful and very fortunate to still be able to play baseball and enjoy it. I don’t take our team and the league for granted.

Having said that, I will probably tear my ACL on the turf during warmups before our first home game.

I think Craig Boley and I are the last two players who have been in the league all 15 years of its existence. Boley kept the league running in the sketchy early days, and we all owe him a debt of gratitude for his efforts. I’m trying to get Boley to come play for us this season. I’ll poach the shit out of your players, Newman! Contract talks with Boley are ongoing.

We have a new home field. West Field in Munhall, former home of the Homestead Grays. It was recently renovated, and is now all turf. Pittsburgh NABA’s North American Lions used to play there back in 2014.

Over the years, I’ve put hundreds of hours into getting Spring Hill playable and I’ll never have that time back. Now, with the turf field, we should have fewer rainouts, and I will never have to rake it. It should help our infield play, and reduce the risk of dangerous bad hops. The dugouts are actually big enough to fit our whole team.

We will play two home games at the Duck Pond this season. Spring Hill is never in good shape, but I loved playing there. I might feel differently if I was an infielder. I’ll miss driving up that hill past all the meth addicts out on their stoops. The flying scooters, and how pissed off some teams were that they had to play in Spring Hill.

Ducks, another reminder: Pay me. Register. See you Tuesday.

Let’s win it this year. If our new pitchers work out, we have a great shot at it.

Quack.