Rakers Head coach Brandon Eberle visited Japan recently, and brought home with him some ancient, far-eastern training techniques. Video below.
We need to watch out for that dog on Sunday, I think its a Bulldog. I called the Rakers’ forfeit over the Eagles, word is Don Henley was in rehab, and Glen Frey was working his new solo album. Thanks for reading, Rakers. It’s going to be a good game this weekend. Playoff atmosphere.
New stuff in the Ducks store. All the proceeds go towards next season’s team fees.
I was having a hard time thinking of anything derogatory to say about the Rakers.
Thankfully, Rakers sympathizer, Larry posted a harmless comment a couple entries back providing a nice segue into another Lebowski clip. “Good luck” he says. Right. What does a smart person do if someone swings a rake at his head? he Ducks. I’m not sure how the term “raking” came to be synonymous with hitting the ball well, but it has. The Rakers are also sponsored by a landscaping company (the name escapes me but they have a banner), which all of us should patronize if given the chance. What a wonderful team name, given the circumstances. It even ends in “s” which, as a literary traditionalist and a baseball traditionalist), I admire. TANGLED WEB OF NABA HISTORY Nich Homa set the Ducks single season strike out record last game. The Ducks single game record is held by current Raker, Jeremy Barchie, who struckout 17 Black Sox two seasons ago, in a 5-5 tie. The spread on the game was Ducks (-.5), so who knows how legit all those K’s were, I did see a few noted gamblers on the premises. Barchie came to the Ducks towards the end of the 2006 season, the only loss he suffered as a Duck came at the hands of the Orioles, who were once the Knights, then became the Knights again, before current head coach, Brandon Eberle took charge and they became the Rakers. Barchie conveniently left to play with his friends on the Orioles/Knights/Rakers.
I remember that loss two seasons ago because it was the last time I hit a home run. it was a line drive that traveled at least 290 feet to right center. we were playing on a small field. The home run came off All Star pitcher Ben Sorosky (sp.), off of whom I recorded my first hit of this season. Basically I own that guy. Actually, he is very good and I am fortunate to have had the success I’ve had against him. The Rakers have great pitching, they don’t seem to score a lot of runs, but they beat the Black Sox three times this season. The only other teams to beat the Black Sox this year are the OwlZz and the Ducks. It would be quite a different playoff picture if the two expansion teams (the Owlz and Hurricanes) were placed in opposite divisions, but I’m sure the league president’s Bulldogs (10-9) don’t mind, they are tied for third, in the same division as the two win Hurricanes. We will probably get Barchie or Sorosky this Sunday. I enjoy the challenge of hitting against those two, whom I consider to be two of the best in the league. Although I don’t think either of them have over 60 K’s this season. It would be great poetic justice for the Ducks single game strike out record to be set against the Rakers. And for the author of this blog to get beaned in the spine.
Benedict Arnold. Traitor
BULLET POINTS
Homa is a beast, he will have a chance to redeem an early season loss to the Bulldogs on Monday.
McCray grounded into the game ending double play the first time we played the Eagles, he had the game winning RBI on Monday.
Guthrie is swinging the bat well, he’s due for another triple.
Every game it’s someone different, coming up with a clutch hit.
The Eagles were quite loud, right up until the end, when we beat them.
Class act by Kolaja to let Giess hit for him in his last regular season game of the season.
TC is doing a better job than I did at finding the balance between getting everyone in and winning. We are assured a better winning percentage than last season, a lot of that is due to how TC has managed. Where were you in ’06, Skip?
Keep reading Bulldogs, I’ll give you some more bulletin board material in a day or so.
A somewhat well thought-out Rakers preview and the rest of my thoughts on the win over the Eagles will be up at some point. Right now the all star game is on. Stay tuned.
We missed the home run derby on Monday. One day at a time, Josh.
Nick Homa broke the Ducks single season strikeout record (60 and counting) and Andrew McCray hit what proved to be the game winning single in the bottom of the sixth, as the Ducks (8-9-2) defeated the Eagles (7-9) to remain in control of their own destiny for the final playoff spot in the Monongahela Division.
It was a pitcher’s duel early. Nick Homa faced only nine batters through three innings, and Eagles’ starting pitcher Don Henley held the Ducks in check for most of the game. In the top of the fourth, the Eagles screeched and clawed their way to a 3-0 lead.
With one out, Joe Walsh doubled and Glen Frey reached on an error, scoring Walsh. Frey would steal second and score on a Bernie Leadon single. Leadon moved to third on an error and scored on a soft liner by Randell Cunningham. Homa induced a Vai Sickahema groundout, and struck out Brian Westbrook to end the inning. The Ducks tallied a run in the bottom of the fifth courtesy of a bases loaded walk by Eric Tans. 3-1 Eagles after five. The Ducks got to Henley in the sixth. Henley beaned Rick Wailen, who stole second and moved to third on a Mark Guthrie single. Gwin Walked to load the bases for all-star catcher Jesse Smith. Smith came through with a clutch two-run single to center, to tie the game at three. Ryan Novak Walked to load the bases for Andrew McCray…
woo-hoo
The Ducks went ahead 5-3. Homa retired the side in the top of the seventh.
The dramatic come from behind win sets up what amounts to a playoff game with the Rakers (9-9) Sunday at 3pm.
The Ducks’ single season strike out record was previously held by Ian Dickman (56).
THE BATTLE FOR THE FINAL PLAYOFF SPOT Ducks vs. Eagles, Monday, 9pm, Spring View Field Last season the Ducks finished 9-15. How and the hell did we win 9?As this season winds to a close, South Oakland (7-9-2) is right in the thick of things. The Eagles(6-7) played the Rakers(8-8) yesterday. The Eagles probably forfeited, and the Rakers didn’t enter the win on the league site. Ideally the Eagles won, we will beat them tonight and there will be a log-jam at 3rd in the division. The game tonight is thick with playoff implications. If the Rakers are in fact 9-8, we must stay withing two games of them, a win will put us a game back, with two games against the Rakers remaining. A loss and we need some help. I don’t know what’s going to happen with the rain-outs or the ties. I’d hate to be the League President right now. There will probably be controversy.
I hate the Eagles; Hotel California makes me want to vomit. Pink champagne on ice, indeed. Who names their baseball team after a soft-rock group?
Joe Walsh’s involvement in the Eagles shows why drugs are bad. I doubt he’d give up playing songs like the one below to play “Witchay Woman” and “Desperado” if he weren’t hooked on smack.
Homa has to be upset about how things transpired yesterday, he’s on the hill tonight. This is Les Gies’s 2008 Ducks’ finale. My family will be in attendance.
There is no shame in losing to the Owlz (15-4-1). They play baseball the right way, and on this day they played much better than the Ducks (7-9-2). Hats off to the Owlz, who handed it to us twice this season. We will see you in the playoffs.*
***
The umpires mulled leaving at 3:15, and a glassy-eyed malaise consumed the Ducks dugout. When the Owlz were certain to have enough players to field a team, the game limped to a start. South Oakland’s pitchers had trouble throwing strikes early.
The Owlz scored three in the first. James Faygo, hit a two-run double to the gap in left center. Ryan Novak cut down, Rob Kool at the plate and the Ducks escaped the top of the first inning trailing by three runs. Garret Moore, and Ben Gwin opened bottom of the first with back to back singles for the Ducks, Jesse Smith walked to load the bases with no outs. The Ducks would only score two in the inning on Andrew McCray’s double to right. A wasted opportunity, on a day when they would be scarce.
The Owlz scored two more in the second, and one in the third. The Ducks answered with a run in the bottom of the third when Garrett Moore scored on Jesse Smith’s sacrifice fly, to make the score 6-3 Owlz.
The Owlz took a 9-3 lead into the bottom of the fifth, helped by more walks, and an RBI triple by their center fielder. Les Geis lead off the fifth inning with a single up the middle, and A.Smith turned on a fastball, but unfortunately it went right at the third baseman, for a back breaking 5-4-3 double play. He hit it so hard, that the second baseman had time to triple pump before throwing him out at first. Eric Lee hit a double to right, but Moore flew out to deep center to end the threat. In came Dunn, and the Ducks would not record another hit. The Owlz ran up the score by adding one run in the sixth and another in the seventh.
we were due for this guy
*I’m not into predictions, but we control our own destiny, and our pitching rotation is set, set to Kill.
2 rbi today
BULLET POINTZ
We didn’t show up today, but it’s not as if Saturday night didn’t exist for the Owlz. We will lose games if half the team can’t see straight.
E.Lee is heating up, watch out.
Fago can’t get out.
I’m not writing any positives about our pitching anymore, clearly I jinxed everything two posts ago.
Garret Moore is revolutionizing base running. He did not maliciously run that kid over, but he looked like a pulling guard going after a defensive back out there.
Dunn has filthy stuff.
Moore reached base twice from the lead off spot today, happy birthday, old man.
on a positive note, we turned a sweet double play, but overall the defense was poor.
From what I could gather at first base, the Owlz are good guyz. Thankz for reading and good luck the rest of the way.
*** “It’s been along night, and I hate the fucking Eagles, Man”
Coby came through with a pinch hit home run for the black sox recap…it was Gibsonian…As is typical of the authorship here, Coby downplayed his own contributions, not mentioning his diving catch to take a double away from former MVP and Pittsburgh NABA all-time home run leader Kenny Rayl. Ducks pitching has allowed four earned runs over the last three games, which took place on three consecutive days. The whole staff performed well. After losing to the Oilers 3-2 in game three of the season, the Ducks won a cleansing 15-0 five inning romp in last Saturday’s rematch. An early season 17-2 embarrassment at the hands of the Owlz was somewhat rectified with a nine-inning 5-5 heart attack of a game on Sunday. Last Monday, the opening day 15-1 disaster that was the first Black Sox Ducks game, was redeemed with an 8-2 victory in a game that was close until the bottom of the sixth.
There has been some improvement.
We played the two best teams in the league, 1-0-1 over the weekend. Will we start to see the top of teams’ rotations? did it rain today, or did the Owlz play their double header? I was out of town. Those guys don’t like to lose, and will attack us like an owl attacks a helpless baby kitten in an urban area. What will become of our two ties?
Things weren’t looking up for either the South Oakland Ducks or the Black Sox on Monday night. Mother Nature made her presence known during an early afternoon thunderstorm which drenched the friendly confines of Spring Hill Field. Due to both diligent groundwork by the Ducks and proper gamesmanship by the visiting Black Sox, however, the game proceeded in the bog-like conditions. Little did the Ducks know that Mother Nature’s rain was symbolic for the Ducks’ reign that would follow.
The tone was set early in the top of the first inning as Ducks’ catcher Jesse Smith threw an absolute laser to second base which quelled any rally that the Black Sox tried to establish in the early going. Credit goes to Mark Guthrie for throwing strikes early and often. In the bottom of the first it looked like the Ducks were about to break the game open as Wojton screamed an infield single to third, and then was followed by Ben Gwin and Jesse Smith reaching base. With one out, Andrew (Kirk Gibson) McCray wore an inside pitch on the ankle, scoring Wojton. After McCray, though, the Black Sox shut down the Ducks threat, leaving the Ducks with only a 1-0 lead.
Things remained quiet until the 4th inning when the Black Sox staged a little rally, scoring a couple of runs on a shot into shallow right field that was eaten up by the Everglade-esque grass and water combo in the outfield. Trusting his defense to cut the inning short, Guthrie kept pounding strikes and the damage was kept to a minimum.
In the bottom of the 4th the Ducks decided to get their game faces on as Eric Lee reached first on a fielder’s choice, swiped second base, then scored on a rather strange infield fly by leadoff man Chris Wojton. Fortunately for the Ducks, Eric Lee is “fast as hell” and was on his horse. The Black Sox looked to reclaim the lead in the fifth, landing runners on first and third with two outs, before Guthrie pounded the strike zone, resulting in a fly ball into shallow right field which was caught by Andrew McCray who narrowly missed a collision with the plodding Coby Kolaja.
Things remained tied until the bottom of the 6th when the Ducks came up with the very bottom of the order (8-9-10) due up. For most teams this would be a curse, but with the Ducks’ depth and plate prowess, a rally began. The rally began with simple squib hit on the bat of Les Geis (which at first appeared to hit his foot), which Geis hustled and beat out at first base. This set the stage for a sac bunt from Coby, who was walked instead, leaving the duty of sac bunting to Eric Lee. Lee, being the gazelle that he is, layed down the bunt, used his speed to force the Sox to make a play at third, resulting in everyone on the base paths advancing safely.
The bases would remain loaded with one out until perennial all-star Ben Gwin came to the plate and continued his assault on right field, hitting a two-run double which plated Geis and Kolaja. Jesse Smith walked. Ryan Novak then added an insurance run with a broken bat sacrifice to the middle infield. The score at this point reached 5-2, and all the insurance seemed to be in place. But the Ducks were not finished.
Despite being without an ACL Andrew McCray (showing shades of Jake Taylor from Major League) beat out a ground ball hit to the right side, scoring another run. The Ducks still kept it going. KT Murphy, down in the count 0-2, used the power of the tucked-in jersey (thanks to a request by Gwin) to clutch up and slap a single down the third base line, scoring two more Ducks. By the time the third out was recorded, the Ducks had posted 6 runs and held a firm 8-2 advantage.
Pleased by the offensive outpouring, Mark Guthrie went out on the mound and retired the first three Black Sox of the inning, ending the game. Guthrie pitched a complete game gem, allowing only two runs.
BULLET POINTS: – This was a total team effort against a great team. The lineup did a great job from the top to the bottom. Even those who got out made the pitcher work hard out there. – Both teams stranded their fair share of base runners. – Skipper Teddy Jones must be commended for coaching to win, yet squeaking everyone into the game (except himself) which showed ultimate humility. This was his best win as manager, hands-down. – Ben Gwin is absolutely on fire right at the plate right now. All the little girls and boys sure aren’t in despair anymore, because Gwin the Eskimo has arrived. They are surely jumping for joy. – Rumor has it that the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim switched their moniker to simply the Anaheim Ducks because they heard about this awesome team in South Oakland… – You won’t necessarily see it in the box score, but Ryan Novak played a HUGE role in the Ducks victory Monday. He was simply flawless at shortstop, showing similarities to Ozzie Smith (I almost expected a back flip). If he misses one or two of his plays, it’s a completely different game, but he didn’t. He was infallible. – What a gutsy effort by Mark Guthrie. He didn’t try to overpower the Black Sox (the Black Sox are an elite team, this would have been foolish), instead relying on hitting his spots on letting his defense work behind him. I’ve never seen more fly ball outs in a NABA game. He always got the first out early in the inning, too, relaxing the Ducks when the Black Sox would threaten.
This Song Describes the efforts of Novak and Guthrie
I found footage from Bulldog’s first baseman, Vinny Gala’s, motivational video. For a synopsis of the entire film check out the Bulldog’s “My Site News” on the league website. I am motivated.
A win tonight would put the Ducks just a half game behind the Rakers for the last playoff spot in the division, and help erase bad memories of another early season blowout loss. We played the Rakers even after losing 17-2 in our first match-up. We lost 15-1 to the Black Sox on opening day.
South Oakland Ducks Baseball 