Nick Homa pitched nine innings, striking out 9, while allowing only 2 earned runs as the South Oakland Ducks (6-8-2) came back to tie the first place Owlz (10-3-1). He also fielded his position well, making two unassisted putouts on bunts during the rain drenched extra innings.
The Ducks defense was shaky early, allowing two runs on three errors in the first inning. The Owlz left the bases loaded in the first, leading 2-0.
South Oakland scored three runs in the top of the second to go ahead 3-2. Bill, “perky” Franciscus walked to start the inning, Guthrie singled and advanced on an error to put runners at second and third for Coby Kolaja, who proceeded to hit an RBI single. After a pop-out, A. Smith singled in Guthrie. Then Kolaja stole third. A strike out brought Chris Wojoton to the plate, with runners on second and third. Wojoton singled to left, scoring Kolaja, but Smith was thrown out at home to end the inning.
The Owlz chipped away, eventually taking the lead 5-3. Dan Sloan scored twice for the Owlz, once after hitting a double, and a second time he walked and stole second. the Other Owlz run was scored by their catcher, he was on first, and the hit and run was on. the batter hit a hard line drive to left fielder Chris Wojoton, the relay throw to first would have been in time, but it hit the runner in the arm and went to the fence behind first base. He went to second on the error and scored later in the inning.
The Ducks tied the game in the fifth inning when Gwin singled in KT Murphy and Chris Wojoton who had walked and doubled respectively.
It was as if the Owlz perpetually had runners on base, for the rest of the game, but the defense held, and Homa was spectacular. He held the league’s best offensive team (both teams played without their leading hitters) to one extra-base hit, A double by SS, Dan Sloan.
Sloan made a run saving play in the sixth, when he made a diving stop on Gwin’s third hit of the day, keeping the ball in shallow left, and nearly throwing out Wojoton at third; he was the best player not named “Nick Homa” on the field today. Their third baseman had a great game as well, he made a leaping grab on a line drive by Murphy, saving a potential RBI double, and had an RBI or two along with a pair of hits.
Mark Guthrie made a tough play at third to end the game; with runners on second and third, he charged a chopper by the Owlz nine-hitter and threw him out by a hair. That was a really close play, got him by a fraction of an inch.
BULLET POINTZ

• Not having umpires is non-ideal when playing an organized baseball game. I really thought, as a league, we were passed this. I’m sure the commish is livid.
  
• the umpire situation is not the league president’s fault.
  
• In the field, and on stolen bases, specifically were where the lack of umps was most noticeable; in the latter innings, it is possible the strike zone got a bit bigger when we were at bat, but as hitters in that situation, we should realize that and be more aggressive.
  
• ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
• When our starters are here things are a lot different.
  
• You’re not supposed to slide into first, unless it is to avoid a tag.
• Their starting pitcher pitched a good game as well, going 7+ before Fago came in and worked out of a jam in the eighth before retiring the side on four batters in the ninth.
  
• The bunt coverage was noticeably better than the last time we played the Owlz.
• Kolaja was huge at the plate and on the base paths. All he does is hit RBI singles.
• Not having umpires compromises things somewhat, I’m just as glad we didn’t lose as I am upset that we didn’t win. Right in the middle, and very tired.
• Thank you, to all the fans who showed up and stuck it out through the rain, even those who defamed our team within earshot of our third base coach. Our league needs all the support it can get.
• McCray and I combined on a sweet 4-3 putout, the one where he dove and I stretched and barely held the bag
• Novack and McCray are as good up the middle as any SS-2B combination in the league, and McCray is playing without his ACL.

The Ducks are 6-8-2, the Rakers are 8-8 in the last playoff spot. South Oakland plays the rival Black Sox tomorrow night at 9pm at Spring View field.

Guthrie is on the mound, Homa will get to bat: Bad News for the Black Sox.

The Ducks (6-8-1) have a chance to beat the first place Owlz (10-3). The Owlz reminded me of the Yankees is the Bad News Bears. The Yankees are the best team in the first movie, but they don’t get to play in the Astrodome in the sequel, or go to Japan for the ill-advised third movie. The Owlz are good for the league, their team has raised the level of competition almost single handedly.

Still, they put their pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us.

Here’s a scene from Field of Dreams, that made me cry the first time I saw it back in the early 90’s.

This has been intensely researched, Wikipedia is never wrong.
Here is everything we need to know about the Owls…

Owls have been a feature of falconry for years. In recent years, many owls have moved from their previous rural habitats to start to inhabit urban areas. The Tawny Owl has been a common visitor to cities across the UK for about forty years, where it survives on a diet of pigeons and small birds. Owls in urban areas are also known to prey on new-born kittens.

In many parts of the world, owls have been associated with death and misfortune, likely due to their nocturnal activity and common screeching call. However, owls have also been associated with wisdom and prosperity, frequently being companion animals for goddesses. In Hindu Mythology, the barn owl is considered to be vehicle of Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth) and thus it is considered lucky if an owl resides near your house.

Henry David Thoreau summarized one perception of owls, when he wrote in 1854’s Walden, “I rejoice that there are owls. Let them do the idiotic and maniacal hooting for men. It is a sound admirably suited to swamps and twilight woods which no day illustrates, suggesting a vast and underdeveloped nature which men have not recognized. They represent the stark twilight and unsatisfied thoughts which all [men] have.”

Most owls are nocturnal, actively hunting for prey only under the cover of darkness. Several types of owl, however, are crepuscular, or active during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk; one example is the pygmy owl (Glaucidium). A few owls are also active during the day; examples are the Burrowing Owl (Speotyto cunicularia) and the Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus).

Much of the owl’s hunting strategy depends on stealth and surprise. Owls have at least two adaptations that aid them in achieving stealth. First, the dull coloration of an owl’s feathers can render them almost invisible under certain conditions. Secondly, serrated edges on the leading edge of the owl’s remiges muffle the owl’s wingbeats, allowing its flight to be practically silent. Some fish-eating owls, where this silence is of no evolutionary advantage, lack this adaptation. Elf owls and Burrowing owls also lack the feathers for silent flying.

Once prey has been captured, the owl’s sharp beak and powerful talons, or clawed feet allow it kill its prey before swallowing it whole (unless its too big). Scientists studying the diets of owls are helped by their habit of regurgitating the indigestible parts of their prey (such as bones, scales and fur) in the form of pellets. These “owl pellets” are often sold by companies to schools to be dissected by students as a lesson in biology and ecology, because they are plentiful and easy to interpret.

In Greek mythology, the owl, and specifically the Little Owl, was often associated with the goddess Athena, a bird goddess who became associated with wisdom, the arts, and skills, and as a result, owls also became associated with wisdom. They are the unofficial mascot of the high-IQ society Mensa.

The Romans, in addition to having borrowed the Greek associations of the owl (see Owl of Minerva), also considered owls to be funerary birds, due to their nocturnal activity and often having their nests in inaccessible places. As a result, seeing an owl in the daytime was considered a bad omen. The vampiric strix of Roman mythology was in part based on the owl.

Likewise, in Romanian culture, the mournful call of an owl is thought to predict the death of somebody living in the neighbourhood. Such superstitions caused a minor disturbance when an owl showed up at Romanian President’s residence, Cotroceni Palace.

In France, a difference is made between hiboux, eared owls, which are considered symbols of wisdom, and chouettes, earless owls, which are considered birds of ill omen.

In the Welsh Cycles of the Mabinogion, the Owl is considered cursed – the first owl was Blodeuedd, a woman born of flowers to be the wife of Lleu Llaw Gyffes. Because she fell in love with another man and plotted to kill Lleu, Lleu’s guardian Gwydion turned her into the first owl, saying “You are never to show your face to the light of day, rather you shall fear other birds; they will be hostile to you, and it will be their nature to maul and molest you wherever they find you. You will not lose your name but always be called Blodeuwedd.” The addition of the w in her name changed her from a woman of flowers to an owl.

In Finland the owl is paradoxically viewed as both a symbol of wisdom, and as a symbol of imbecility, presumably because of its “dumb stare”.

Owl is the name of Pooh Bear’s wise friend in the famous childhood stories by A.A. Milne.

Clearly we have our work cut out for us tomorrow. Interesting the Owl is the Mensa mascot, and how about that Welsh myth?
Apparently, not everything associated with Owls is negative, they can play baseball quite well.

The Owls in the Harry Potter stories are quite courageous, and timely in their messaging. I hope none of them show up, we will have a tough enough time with Fago, Cool & Co.

Quack.

A.Smith returned to his all-star form of 2007, tossing a two hit shutout, and going 2-4 with 2 RBI as the South Oakland Ducks rolled over the Hebrew Oilers 15-0 in five innings, at John Herb Field. Smith struck out seven and walked two for his first win of the season.
The visiting Ducks scored five runs with two outs in the first, and didn’t look back.
Garrett Moore opened the scoring with a bases loaded single, scoring Jesse Smith and Billy Franciscus and moving Nick Homa to third. Moore advanced to second on a James Spagnola RBI single, then stole third, and scored on a past ball. Smith drove in Spagnola, but was caught stealing to end the inning.
in the second, Wojoton hit a one out single and stole second. Gwin singled in Wjoton, moved to third on a perfectly executed hit and run by J.Smith, and scored on a passed ball, to make the score 7-0. Then Nick Homa started hitting doubles, and the game was out of reach.

I’ve been up since 6am on three hours sleep, I’m not sure exactly how the other eight runs scored, they just kept coming, and it was glorious. Most importantly, the Ducks committed only one error, on a pick off attempt.

BULLET POINTS

• Jesse Smith looked like he’s been playing short stop his whole life. A.Smith shut down the Oilers in the Ducks’ most complete performance of the season.
• The Oilers had one runner advance past second base the entire game.
  
• Power hitting third baseman, Nick Homa missed his first home run of the season by a foot, when he hit a foul ball deep into the woods beyond the left field wall.
• Garrett Moore: 2-4 3RBI, SB, 1 spectacular catch in right field to preserve the shutout.
• James Spagnola recorded the first three-hit game of his NABA career: 3-4, 2 RBI
• Again, only one umpire.
• What was up with the guy in the White Album shirt?
• Those were the best field conditions we’ve had all year.
• I wish “Major League” was on now instead of “Major League II”
• Jesse Smith now leads the team in HBP (4), batting average (.467), slugging percentage, (.733), and obp (.615)
• Wojoton stole his first base of the season, he should have ten by now.
• 19 hits, quack.

Tomorrow the South Oakland Ducks play the Owlz at 2pm at the Findalay Sportsplex.
The last time the Ducks were involved in such a lopsided game, it was on the receiving end of a 17-2 beating at the hands of the Owlz. Owlz 17, Ducks 2, here’s the recap of that game.
The Owlz crush the ball, they are leading the division with a 10-2 record. The “Z” gives them power.
I’ll have a full Owlz scouting report later in the day.
It was nice to be on the happy side of a 15-run shellacking.

More 4th of July Weekend music.

The Ducks play the Oilers tomorrow morning at 8am, at John Herb Field. For the love of god, get some sleep tonight. Happy Fourth of July.

Bad news for the Oilers

The “Z” in Owlz may be unnecessary, but those kids can hit. James Fago of the Owlz homered twice driving in three runs, and his coach and teammate Rob Cool added a two-run home run as the Monongahela Division dominated Allegheny in the Pittsburgh NABA All-star game.

Ducks Pitcher Nich Homa recorded the win, pitching two scoreless innings, striking out three.

The Allegheny Division took the lead early when the guy on the Oilers singled home a runner from third. However, Craig Boley tried to score from second, and was thrown out at the plate by right fielder John Tremmel. Ducks catcher Jesse Smith made a nice pick, and a diving tag on the airborne Boley to end the threat.
Then the Mononghela Division scored seven straight runs over the next five innings.
Florian and Goldie of the Black Sox had two hits apiece, I have a hard time telling them apart, but they hit doubles, and drove in runs.

Bullet Points

• The Monongahela Division pitching was too much for the Alleghenies. After Alex Warren allowed a first inning run, Ben Sororsky, Homa, Jeremy Barchie, Brian Headley, and James Fago combined to allow just three hits over six shutout innings.
• The Allegheny team turned a smooth double play early in the game, and the short stop from the Hurricanes made a nice diving stop up the middle to kill a rally in the third.
• Brian Strom of the Bulldogs hit a ball over my head, and was thrown out at third by Dan Stell. Just like we planned it.
• The Bulldogs own me when I’m in the outfield.
• Strom and Vinny Gala both had hits for the Allegheny Division.
• I did not get a plate appearance, and missed a catchable ball.
• It was pointed out to me before the game by a member of the OwlZzz that the Ducks’ team batting average is poor, inferring that is why our team loses more than it wins. He proceeded to go 0-2, (with an RBI ground out) but after the game he was allegedly contacted by Billy Beane and offered a front office job, where he can better put to use his prodigious gift of statistical analysis.

There will probably be a nice, tidy write-up of this game on the league site in the next couple of days, also the Owlz will probably have a bright yellow blog on their team page. There is no way Fago isn’t the MVP.

pop

This was written without referencing the score book, and with little regard to accuracy. In fact, this is by far the worst write-up I’ve ever done.

Despite being deprived of a chance to hit, and having played a nondescript to below average game (I was on deck when the last out was made in the bottom of the sixth) it was a good time, and I am glad I had the chance to be a part of it.

After seven innings in the cramped Spring View Dugouts, I now feel much closer to all of the Ducks’ division rivals whom I have hatefully and maliciously libeled in this blog, which apparently is read by some of you. Thanks for reading.

Thank you to all the fans who showed up to watch our game. Special thanks to the pom-pom wielding ladies in the Ducks cheering section who serenaded me with a rousing “quack” chant as I jogged out to coach third base, where I proceeded to spit tobacco juice all over myself. Classy.

2008 Monongahela Division All Stars
(Absent: Mark Guthrie, P, Ducks)

Go Ducks.

The Ducks (5-8-1) swim into the All Star break on the heels of two consecutive rain-outs.
Games at Hand
The Rakers (8-8) hold the final playoff spot. South Oakland trails by 1.5 games with two games remaining against the Rakers, and two games at hand.
The Ducks next game is a hair of the dog affair at 8am Saturday, July 5th against the Oilers.
Then South Oakland will take on the division leading OwlZZ (10-2) at 3pm, Sunday at the Findlay Sports Plex before returning home to play the Black Sox (10-3), 9pm Monday night at Spring View.

Ducks 2008 All Stars
Jesse Smith-starting catcher (somebody get this kid a jersey)
Nick Homa-pitcher
Mark Guthrie-pitcher
Ben Gwin-1B/OF

There will be a full recap on the All Star game.
Come support the Ducks’ All Stars, 8:30pm at Spring View Field.

Go Ducks.

If the Ducks are going to make a run at the post-season it has to start tonight.

It has been a while since we’ve had a home game, it is good to be back in the friendly confines of Spring View. Hopefully there was just enough rain the past few days to soften the field.

If the rubber is 60.5 feet from home, then second base is roughly 66.8 feet directly behind the rubber.

More from Ken Burns.

We haven’t seen this guy in a while, we’re about due…

Bad News for the Rebels

South Oakland(5-8-1) has one game before the July 2nd, All-Star break.( Monday 9pm against the Rebels). Due to a recent slump in which the Ducks have lost for of five, by an average of two runs per game, the team finds itself on the cusp of elimination. With ten games remaining (eight against Monongahela Division teams), South Oakland still has a chance to go on a run and sneak into the post-season.

The Ducks’ next two games are against the Rebels and Oilers respectively, the Ducks lost 5-4 to the Rebels, and 3-2 to the Oilers in the team’s previous match-ups.

The Black Sox (10-3) and the OwlZZ (10-2) are running away with the Monongahela Division.
The battle for third place and the final playoff spot is still wide open, the Rakers and the Eagles are tied for third with the Ducks 1.5 games out of the playoffs.

To clinch a playoff spot, the Ducks will have to overtake the Rakers (8-8) and the Eagles, (6-6), with two games remaining against the Rakers, and one more game against the Eagles, the Ducks have a chance to accomplish this feat. South Oakland is 1-1 against the Eagles, and 0-1 against the Rakers this season.
It has been a frustrating first half. The Ducks have yet to put their best nine players on the field at the same time. On the bright side, the players who have shown up and played have improved significantly, this could leave the Ducks with a solid bench when the starters return to action.

My official endorsement for Nick Homa, Mark Guthrie and Chris Wojoton to be named as reserves for the All-Star Game.

Ducks Leaders (not including stats from the Bulldogs’ game)

Batting
Batting Avg.: Ben Gwin .407, Jesse Smith .385 (three tied at .333)
HR: J. Smith, Ryan Novak, Chris Wojoton, (1)
Triples: Guthrie, 1
RBI: Gwin 8, J. Smith, 7, Mark Guthrie 6
Slg. J.Smith .692, Novak .583, Guthrie .571
HBP: Guthrie, Gwin, J.Smith (3)
SB: Gwin 5, Garrett Moore 3

Pitching
Wins: Homa, 2
ERA: Guthrie 1.50, Homa 3.62
SO: Homa 42, A.Smith 13
Saves: Homa, 2

Facial Hair: Coby Kolaja.

The Ducks’ single season strike out record is 56 by Ian Dickman in 2004, Homa has a chance to shatter that mark.