Author: mightyeskimo

Gameday 17: Ducks at Express

2017 South Oakland Ducks, Gameday, pittsburgh NABA, South Oakland Ducks Baseball

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (9-5-1)

at

Carrick Express (7-7)

8pm

Volunteer Field

South Oakland of the North Side looks to rebound after a tough loss to Cranberry tonight in Carrick.

We always play like the walking dead against that team at least once a year.

Here’s a quick look at the standings, followed by some expert analysis that someone will undoubtedly take offense to and get me beaned.

Someone once told me good writing contains fractals, the way the narrative breaks apart naturally into threads and those threads move in an arc towards the conclusion.

Will 2 Dirty 2 Birds: Return of the Bandidos have such an arc, continuing to win titles before being forced to move up and break apart and buy new unis every other year? Will the teams with games in hand make them count? Will this blog ever have good writing, aside from Donnie’s guest posts?

Quick info  on the Bandidos motorcycle gang linked below. Interesting for the other team that plays in Bakery Square to be named after these guys.

Big missed opportunity for Eagles Sunday, day game unis

The Eagles stormed out of the gate before hitting a rough 0-4-1 stretch and returned to the pack a little. They have won two straight, I think. They’re still in first and still probably the team to beat. They hit the shit out of the ball.

The Oilers dropped one to Cranberry as well last week, and have likely been struggling to find consistent pitching aside from that lefty. This is all a guess. Perhaps we jumped the gin on their ringers coming in and shutting it down, but I’m sure that have something up their collective sleeve for the stretch run.

Bauerstown is overall pretty solid. We are hopefully going to finish our suspended game before starting our second game against them on Wednesday. That will be a big night for us if we can hold on to the win in the game in which we are up 1 in the bottom of the sixth, and potentially sweep that night. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

West View scuffling along at .500 is probably the biggest surprise of the season. Maybe teams aren’t as intimidated by the atmosphere at John Herb anymore. Who knows. It will be interesting to see if they get a bunch of rain outs rescheduled in time, and how that will effect the standings.

The Cranberry, D2, Wexford, Devils grouping is still good enough to sneak a game here and there form a top team. Should be an exciting stretch run.

The Express are still the Darkhorse to make a deep run this season. With the emotions of this likely being their last year under current management and their future in doubt they have extra motivation. Plus the pitching depth.

But they still have a long way to climb up the standings. Tonight, we can pull within a game of the Eagles, and keep pace the Bakery Square. We always give Carrick a good game. Four of the last five have been decided by one run. We need to hit tonight.

Smoking man seems fitting for this game.

Bad News for the Express

 

Shot Down in a Blaze of Glory. Ducks 2, Cranberry 7

Uncategorized

South Oakland outhit Cranberry 12-4, but left a bunch of guys on base and walked some guys. We made a couple errors. Not a great game for us. Cranberry’s pitcher kept us off balance, and didn’t allow a run until 2 out in the seventh when DJ Dover hit a 2-run home run to break the shutout.

We win and lose as a team, but as manager I have to do a better job in games like this when we have a chance to move in to first and we’re playing the last place team. Cranberry earned this one.

Of note, TJ Morgan, Tony Casale and DJ Dover had great nights at the plate.

Dover is now the all time Ducks single season HR leader (3). I’ll double check the stats to see who he’s tied with. He is having a monster season. Our relief pitching was also pretty solid.

Fuck.

Next game monday at Carrick at 8pm. We need to come out with some urgency in this one.

quack.

 

Gameday 16: Ducks vs. Cranberry

2017 South Oakland Ducks, Gameday, NABA, pittsburgh NABA, South Oakland Ducks Baseball

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (9-4-1)

vs.

Cranberry Crusaders (3-10)

9pm

Springview Field

The South Oakland Ducks of the North Side can move into a tie for first with a win tonight over the Newly Minted Cranberry Crusaders.

Cranberry, at one point a couple years ago, went by the Young Guns. I think I remember this and probably photoshopped some kind of intense Emilio Estevez/Charlie Sheen wild west thing.

Image result for young guns movie images

Like this but with germani photoshopped in there, throwing that 50mph curve ball no one can hit.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1b/The_Young_Guns_poster.jpg/220px-The_Young_Guns_poster.jpg

Anyway, I’m not surprised that name didn’t stick. There is really only room for one team with a nickname that has connotations to an Emilio Estevez film. Which, come to think of it, D2 is going to have to re-brand. Like the Dirty Bandido Lion Birds or whatever.

Best Emilio Estevev film?

Men at Work.

https://alchetron.com/cdn/Men-at-Work-1990-film-images-308d5ed0-499b-4869-9faf-34703d6606b.jpg

Bad News for the Crusaders

Stall Tactics. Ducks 8, Bauerstown 7 (suspended, rain)

2017 South Oakland Ducks

South Oakland tied the game on a John Zuzak single in the top of the sixth, then took an 8-7 lead on a bases loaded walk by Patton before the game was suspended due to rain, Sunday in Bauerstown.

The Ducks lead 4-1 going into the bottom of the third, then a couple errors, hit batsmen and singles by Bauerstown lead to five Grizzlies runs, and a 6-4 lead.

The teams traded runs in the fourth.

After leaving the bases loaded in the fifth, South Oakland scored three runs in the top of the sixth, and completed the half inning before the rain started, despite a questionable pitching change with two outs and the bases loaded, storm clouds on the horizon.

Mike Brandt took an intentional strike out in an attempt to finish the inning.

I dont’ know if it was even necessary at that point. I know if there’s a lead change in the half inning, the game is suspended. I’m not sure if it mattered that we finished our half. Regardless, selfless at bat by Brandt to swing at three in the dirt in order to move things along.

I assume we will complete the game before we start the next one, but it might just go unfinished.

Great effort by several Ducks who don’t normally start.

We came out flat but rallied late. Good effort overall.

It’s been a weird season with a rain-shortened opening day loss, a tie, and a suspended game already.

Some stats:

Morgan, 1-1, HBP, BB, 3RBI

J. Zuzak: 1-2, 2BB, RBI

Chavarek: 2-3, BB

Dover: 4-4, 2B, RBI, 2R

Police: 1-1 2B, 3BB, 2R

Graff: 0-0, 2BB, 2R

South Oakland’s next game is this Wednesday 9PM at Springview Field, vs. Cranberry

quack

 

 

Gameday 16: Ducks vs WOLFPACK!!!

2017 South Oakland Ducks

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (9-4-1)

vs

West View Wolfpack (6-5)

9pm

Springview Field

South Oakland of the Northside looks to extend its unbeaten streak to four games when the team hosts rival West View tonight at the Duck Pond.

West View fell victim to the 6pm weekday start time and dropped one to D2 yesterday.  The Wolfpack’s run differential suggests they should probably have a couple more wins than they do. We always play these guys tough at home. Judging by the 12 runs they allowed to D2, they should have pitching ready to go.

Making his first start for the Ducks tonight will be pitcher Mike Annerino, a man who believes in strikes.

Bad News for the Wolfpack

 

 

Around the League

Uncategorized

This weekend saw the Eagles lose two straight to fall back to the pack, including a big win for the Express. The Bandidos made a move up the standings, and the WOLFPACK!!! improved their record to 6-4.

We’re starting to see some separation in general with Cranberry, South Hills, Wexford and D2 beating on each other in the bottom four slots, with Bauerstown (6-4) being an unknown quantity at this point. Carrick is better than their 4-6 record.

Most teams this year have a top end pitcher who can win a game by himself. The Bandidos and Eagles both have guys we haven’t faced yet who have good enough stuff to shut teams down. That guy from Cranberry we faced before the lights went out is solid, and the Oilers lefty is probably the best guy we’ve faced yet this season. Finishing first or second and getting that bye seems like it’s more important this year than in seasons past.

We’re already more than halfway through our season, and we’ve lost by one run to the first place eagles and the 8th place Sorcerers.

9-4-1 is about right. 3 losses have been by one run, but we’ve also won 3 games by one run. Playing in tight games should serve us well going forward. We can hit with anybody. If our pitching and defense holds, we have a good shot to get a bye.

We have games against the Devils and West View this week, and then Bauerstown on Sunday.

Feel free to voice your disagreement in the comments section.

quack.

 

 

Ducks Tie Oilers. Scooter Retained.

2017 South Oakland Ducks, NABA, pittsburgh NABA, Recap, South Oakland Ducks Baseball

The South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (9-4-1) played the hebrew Oilers (6-4-1) to a time-shortened 6-6 tie in Brookline Friday night.

South Oakland jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Oilers fought back to take a five run lead thanks to a four-run third inning.

The Ducks scored one in the fourth, and two in the fifth to tie the game, before the BIG OIL scored in the bottom of the fifth on a sac fly to take a 6-5 lead. South Oakland scored a run in the top of the sixth to pull even, but stranded the bases loaded in the top of the seventh.

Tony Casale made a diving catch on a line drive and doubled off the runner at first in the bottom of the seventh, and relief pitcher Andy Nichols struck out the Oilers catcher to end the game.

Some stats

Dover 2-2, 2 2B, SF, 2 RBI, SB

Gwin 3-4, SB, RBI, 2R

Casale, 1-3, BB, SB, R

Police, 2-4, SF, RBI, SB

C. Zuzak 1-1, BB, R

Morgan, 2 BB

South Oakland plays next on Tuesday night vs. the South Hills Devils, 8:30pm at Herschel Park.

quack

Gameday 14: Ducks at Oilers

2017 South Oakland Ducks, Gameday

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (9-4)

at

Hebrew Oilers™ (6-4)

8:30pm

Moore Park

Game two of the 2nd annual Branden Chartier Memorial Spring Hill Scooter Series will take place at historic Moore Park. This neutral site contest will determine if the Oilers claim the scooter, or if the Ducks retain the trophy and set up a rubber match whenever our rain out from May is rescheduled.

I love playing at Moore Park. Can anyone confirm whether or not it was constructed as park of the New Deal?

Also, Did someone charge the mound in a league game a couple nights ago? My typically inaccurate sources claim there may have been an incident. Feel free to speculate wildly in the comments sections.

A win tonight will go a long way to helping us secure a first round bye. We need to get some separation from the pack. Patten is on the hill for South Oakland in a grudge match against his former team. We are probably going to face some recently DFA’d Pirate.

Bad News for the Oilers

 

 

 

 

Ducks Win Two Straight, Set Up Rivalry Game Showdown with Oilers on Friday

2017 South Oakland Ducks, NABA, pittsburgh NABA, South Oakland Ducks Baseball

The South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (9-4) defeated Pittsburgh D2, 5-1 in Banksville on Tuesday, and notched a wild come-from-behind, 7-6 victory over the Carrick Express at Spring Hill last night.

The wins move South Oakland into sole possession of second place behind the 9-1 South Side Eagles.

Re-enactment of Mike Koshzow’s triple last night in Spring Hill

On Monday South Oakland got a gem from starter Chuck Zuzak, (W, 2-1) who threw five shutout innings. Reliever Mike Annerino took over in the sixth, and allowed one unearned run on a throwing error after what appeared to be a game-ending pickoff play in the seventh.

Zuzak worked out of a bases loaded, one-out jam in the first with a double play ball, and D2 didn’t really threaten after that. South Oakland scored two in the fourth, and added three insurance runs in the sixth.

Morgan, Dover, Pulice, Gwin and Moore had RBI for the Ducks. Casale had two hits, and is on fire since his return from the DL. Maldonado kept the Ducks’ spirits up with lots of chatter and clapping, which may have rattled the D2 starter, and somehow did not lead to a D2 throwing at him.

Wednesday’s game vs. Carrick was vintage Pittsburgh NABA. I left after trading a page of our score book for a cigarette from one of the Express players. The game itself featured questionable umpiring, ejections, multiple three-run home runs, and several lead changes.

Opportunity for alternate Express unis

Carrick jumped out to an early lead off Ducks starter Ben Sorosky, but after a four run first, Sorosky settled in, and went four innings without allowing another run. Some guy on Carrick hit a three run homer with two outs in the opening frame. Carrick was up 4-0 after one.

The Ducks battled back. Mike Koshzow hit an opposite field, three-run home run, and added an acrobatic triple later in the game.

Carrick took a 5-4 lead in the sixth.

In the bottom of the sixth, pinch hitter Chris Heisler delivered a game tying RBI double, and Andy Nichols drove in what proved to be the game winning run with a two out, two-run double later in the inning off John Smiley’s kid, who was traded to the Reds for prospects after the game.

Jon Moore entered the game and tomb stoned the Express for the four out save.

Doc pitched 1 and 2/3 in the fifth and sixth, and earned the win, I think.

By all accounts, the plate ump had a rough night. Two guys were tossed in the bottom of the seventh for arguing balls and strikes. Carrick’s manager was pissed.

Ducks outfielder Brian Strom improves his 2017 managerial record to 1-1 and somehow got fourteen different Ducks into the game.

After a rough start to their season, the Express look rejuvenated. They are going to be a tough out in the playoffs. We play them once more in Carrick.

The Brendan Chartier Memorial Spring Hill Scooter Series continues Friday at 8:30 PM when the Ducks face the Hebrew Oilers (6-4) at historic Moore Park in Brookline.

quack.