Happy Fathers Day.
Quack.
This is the longest day of the week, then 3 consecutive games.
Go Ducks.
If for some reason we had a blogger who didn’t also play on our team, or i was smart enough to be anonymous from jump street.
it would open the door for the blog to say things like who we’re going to beat etc…
but I didn’t and we don’t.
I’m just glad I’m not thinking about how I’m going to avoid a first round match-up with myself, and hoping to get forfeits from the Matadors, and hoping other teams lose etc.
Those were bleak times.
I don’t know how I’d feel if I were a player and our defact-o team spokesman specifically said we were going to lose 3 of 7 games.
(Any Duck who wants admin access to our blog is welcome to it, the more variety we have in the voice of this site the better.)
and I would sure as hell be pissed if I were Dr. Radical, and a 2-12 team said my team was one of 4 he expected to beat.
The odds are they won’t lose to them twice.
The Gray Bats figure to be active at the roster deadline.
My take on the rest of the Ducks schedule is that every game individually is winnable.
We went 9-3 in the first half of the season, and to improve that by one game and finish 19-5 seems reasonable.
The big picture goals are to advance in the playoffs, make a run at the conference title and the championship.
Kenny Powers will be out for blood the next time we face them.
To list individually which games i think we will win is not something I would do.
The South Oakland Ducks (11-3) of the North Side have won 6 straight – a franchise record.
DR. RADICAL4Life!
This Comment thread is still active and full of spite.
Quack.
whether we are rained out tonight or not
Batting practice friday at 6 at the pitt field
if it gets nice out this evening, BP tonight at 6:30pm
We will also hit Saturday at noon before we travel up to Warrendale to play the Warriors
batting practice tomorrow at 6:30 PM at Pitt IM fields. Hope to see everyone there. Ben could you put a post about this. Thanks.
***
Big Weekend ahead
What can we expect from the Warriors this weekend?
Plenty of Don Stetzer.
They are very possibly hoping we overlook them on our way to our division game against the Owlz on Monday.
They play the Eagles Wednesday night.
Steve Heckman, the Warriors co-manager who runs his team with life partner Jason “Phil Lesh”-er, had probably the most comprehensive statistical database in the league for his team.
That’s one regret i have is being such a mess for the first two Ducks seasons that there is not much record we even existed except for our 2003 Championship trophy, and a few ancient player of the week blurbs on the league site.
I’ve been trying to calculate our all-time W-L record as it is most likely nearing the .500 mark.
I just don’t count well.
At least this season’s Ducks know I did not imagine Britton, our ss/sb from the Ducks’ early days.
Anyway, unfortunately the Warriors official homepage has been out of commission (too bad there were some very photoshop worthy pics on that site). Possibly due to Tipper Gore taking offense to the Heckman thong, which was available for purchase, and petitioning to have sale of this item banned, and the site removed.
If it wouldn’t get me banned from the pgh naba, I’d wager a ducks t-shirt vs. a Steve Heckman thong on this one -it would be the creepiest pine-tar rag ever.
(That could be a wonderfully disgusting metaphor as well.)
It is kind of a niche item.
How horrifying would it be to take home some lucky lady from Spice Cafe and then right when the moment of truth was upon you, in your drunken half-comatose state, she takes off her pants and you see Steve Heckman grinning at you.
Would you still have sex with her after you vomited all over the place?
The answer to that question will tell you a lot about yourself.
The Ducks Warriors rivalry is one that is as old as the Pittsburgh NABA.
We basically owned these guys back in the Ambridge days – when they were called the Pirahnas.
They still have nightmares about Ian Dickman.
I still have nightmares about Dickman blowing out his arm.
I hit my first lcareer home run off the Warriors’ Jason Baker, who i think pitched at Baseball Factory: Waynesburg College – no one ever asks how big the field was when you tell them you hit a home run.
League News:
The Bulldogs lost to the Electric Light Orchestra last night. Just when it looked like they had turned the corner.
Playmaker must have made his dramatic return.
To Find out more about this game check out their Blog.
He belongs on the Gray Bats, he’s a lifetime .370 something switch hitting catcher, someone put these two parties in contact.
All Star starters and pitchers were voted on by the managers.
I don’t remember everyone, but among the Ducks (11-3) who got the nod are:
Will Kenny Powers also be an assistant to head coach Rob Cool?
Will Rob Cool finalize his roster by “acquiring” half of the Mon all-starz?
What will Black Sox and Owlz fans do when they are forced to cheer for the same team?
Will Kenny Powers pitch this season?
Will the Ducks finally get some fans at our games?
We need a harem.
Quack.
The Ducks are neutral in this affair, I am anyway. Both teams are, for the most part, comprised of solid human beings, and have plenty of talent.
Kenny helped get this league where it is today by putting a team out there in the old days when
Craig Boley umped every game, and if you were in the stands, there was a good chance of playing.
Rob has recruited some of the best talent this league has seen, and has made a few enemies on the way.
The Ducks concede nothing.
This will be a phenominal playoff race in the Whales Conference.
This ought to get some discussion going.
Quite possibly the inspiration for the Owlz 3rd jerseys
Here’s an unedited Owlz B-Sox recap in its entirety.
By Rob CoolRivalries. It’s why we play the games. It’s the trash talking, the hatred, the adrenaline, the competitive edge that makes these games so important to each team. It’s that desire to come up with that big play so that you can give your team bragging rights ’til the next round. It’s this type of game where you want to play your very best. It’s where heroes are made by those who back it up on the field, and fools are made by those who can talk the talk, but fail to walk. But most importantly, rivalries are why we play the game.
The Imperial Owlz and Brookline Blacksox rivalry is all of the above. The history dates all the way back to the RMU club days. A rivalry where trash talking and hatred have led to fights on and off the field. A rivalry where Pittsburgh NABA legends have been born (Dunn). A rivalry where so called all-stars have continuously failed to show up (I’ll refrain from this one). The Old vs The Youth. The NOWS vs the HAS BEENS. The team who talks the talk vs the team who walks the walk. This is THE rivalry in the Pittsburgh NABA.
Since Gwin runs a censor free blog, I’ll finally have the chance to post the Owlz feelings towards the Blacksox. WE FUCKING HATE THEM. It’s not even the guys on the team that we hate; all are pretty cool dudes. It’s just a hatred that happens once we both take the same field. The way they carry themselves about by chirping from their dugout, or acting hard by staring you down on the field. Or how they bring fans just to talk shit on us during the game. It’s just one of those things.
Putting those feelings to the side, Saturday night was no different than previous meetings. Another game filled with a great pitching duel, flawless defense, and cluth hitting.
The first inning flew by with both Dunn and Slavicek mowing down two batters a peice. Beatty recorded the first hit and run of the game when he doubled down the line to start off the 2nd, later scoring on Hazel walk. Spicer came through with a clutch two out, two RBI single to make the score 3-0. The Owlz would then add another on an RBI single by Spina.
In the bottom frame, St. Amant gave the Sox their first hit of the game, crushing the hopes of another Dunn no-hitter. With guys on 1st and 2nd, no outs, Dunn would go on to strike out the net three batters, killing the momentum.
The 3rd and 4th frames were the pitching duel at it’s finest. 10 total strikeout combined, Dunn 6 and Slavicek 4. A single by Klayko and a triple by Cool were the only two hits in those innings. Klayko eventually made his way to second on a steal, while Cool nearly scored on a squeeze bunt off the bat of Theobald.
The Owlz would go on to add two more runs in the top of the 5th, when Dunn and Lamont both added RBI singles to their night. But the top of the 5th was where the offensive production for both teams stopped. Both Dunn and Cannon would go on to strike out 3 a piece in the final two innings.
Slavicek ended the game with 8 strikeouts in 4 innings pitched while Dunn sat down 15 Blacksox batters. Klayko is a ball player. He came up with one of the four Blacksox hits and had a huge putout at home. Spicer came up big for the Owlz going 2-3 on the night with 2 RBI’s.
The win now brings Dunn’s career record to 5-0 vs the Blacksox. in 31 innings pitched, he has given up only 3 earned runs while striking out 55. An even more impressive stat; only 13 total hits.
Final Score- OWLZ 6- Sox 0
***
What happened on the squeeze?
The Ducks are quietly 11-3, while these two teams beat the shit out of each other.
Kenny if i get something from you I’ll put it right in this space.
Or give you a new post tomorrow or something, whatever you’d prefer.
Quack, Quack.
The 8am games are over, let’s start scoring some runs.
The Ducks have a tough 3 games in 3 days this weekend.
The Ducks have only beaten the Warriors twice, I think, in six years.
We are 0-4-1 lifetime against the Owlz, and I don’t even want to look up the runz for and against for those 5 games.
We haven’t played in the cozy confines of the Duck Pond in forever, the Owlz plan to spoil the homecoming.
Gave the Black Sox the Razor’s edge Saturday night.
unfortunately the most anticipated game of the season will not get the attention it deserves from the blog, as it is on the tail end of three games in three days, and we don’t want Heckman playing the no-respect card.
The Owlz play the Hurricanes, and the Bombers on Saturday and Sunday.
Both teams have all week to set their rotations.
Do we frighten the Owlz?
How much respect will they show us?
We will find out based on who they pitch saturday and sunday.
Focus on the Warriors.
We’re still gunning for that bye.
clearly the teams who are not in contention for a top two spots in the division have stopped giving a shit, except the Gray Bats, who will finish the season with more than 2 wins.
I guarantee it.
Don Stetzer is now a Warrior.
He’s out of his element
Perhaps we’ll get some Owlz/Black Sox recaps in the next few days.
I reallly am hoping Kenny Powers writes one in character.
Quack.
The rational baseball talk pointed to a pitching advantage for the Gray Bats, and all South Oakland Ducks pitcher Mike Fletcher (2-0) did was show up and toss a complete game shutout, against the highly touted and talented Gray Bats starter, Ben Sorosky (1-2).
The Ducks got on the board in the first when Mark Captain America Guthrie hit a bases loaded, 2-out double to put South Oakland of the North Side ahead 2-0.
Nick Homa could not score from first, due to the leg injury that has kept him off the mound the past few games.
The Gray Bats threatened in the third, but Benji the Hunted hit into a 3-6-1 double play.
then he shit on the carpet and was put to sleep.
There was a time not too long ago, when the Ducks were literally incapable of turning such a double play.
Depo is a machine.
The Ducks added two more in the 5th or something when Casale and Gwin had back to back hits and wound up on second and third before Sorosky wisely pitched around Kirk Gibson to load the bases for Captain America.
Whom he also wisely pitched around.
try not ending that sentence in a preposition.
Captain took the free pass for his 3rd RBI.
Keeper of the Helmets hit a blistering shot to deep short, for an RBI fielder’s choice.
Then RolandThompsonGunner shot a Sorosky changeup into left for an RBI single, he never takes vacations.
5-0 Ducks and Fletcher was cruising.
later in the game he struckout Altmeyer with a runner on second.
After an explosive hitting display by Murphy,
and some good pitching by Sorosky to keep his team in it, The Gray Bats finally threatened in the top of the seventh.
They loaded the bases after a couple errors by the Ducks 4th-string 3rd baseman (one by Tipper Gore himself – “How was I to know she was with the Russians too?), and an infield single.
Fletcher struckout a guy in between somewhere and induced a game ending 6-3 double play.
The Ducks improved to 11-3, and the Gray Bats (who lost a 2-1 nail-biter to Kenny Powers and the Black Sox today) had their winning streak snapped before it started, and now sit at 2-14.
It is now impossible for the Gray Bats to finish with a better record than the Ducks, who have outscored them 13-0 in two games and have defeated their two top starting pitchers.
The BSox lost to the Owlz, Saturday 5-0.
The Ducks sit in second place thanks to our win over the Black Sox back in April.
Scott Dunn may get my vote for Co-MVP with Jesse Smith if he keeps this up.
The Ducks went 11-9-2 last season thanks to a 7-2-1 finish.
We are 18-5-1 in our last 24 regular season games.
Kirk, how about some bullet points for tomorrow’s post.
Quack.
13-0 combined in two games.
Mike Fletcher (2-0) has pitched 14 consecutive scoreless innings.
Captain America: 2-2, BB, 2 2b, 3rbi
Murphy: 2-3 2 2b
Casale: 3-3, 2 2b
Gwin: 1-3 2b
Gies: 1 rbi
Kolaja: 1-3 rbi
Depo is a beast, may or may not have shit his pants and still played fantastic first base.
The Ducks won without six starters.
The Ducks (11-3) have equaled last season’s win total with ten games remaining.
Quack.
full, offensive, recap to follow.
It’s possible I crossed the line in some of my comments in past posts, but I stand behind this blog, and won’t change the way I write it.
This was a victory for America.
Go Ducks
Got my Phish tickets in the mail, they do a great cover of this Beatles tune.
Let’s include discussion about blog etiquette too. Potential NABA players can view them. Much of the discussion is in bad taste.
This isn’t an issue of free speech if there isn’t a link to the blogs from the NABA site, but there are. Blogs should be clean and project a positive image. No personal attacks either.
I’m as guilty as everyone else, but I think things should change.
Just a thought. Thanks for listening I just want to make this a better experience for everyone.
[Anonymous Gray Bats manager]
I don’t moderate comments. I dish it out I can take it [sometimes better than others]. I think there should be more blogs, preferably ironic ones that make fun of the very idea of blogging, and new media vs. AP press clipping type stuff.
If Kenny Powers and/or Rob, “Razor Ramon” Cool, are reading, if either of you wants to email me, or post in the comments a preview, recap, or any other thoughts on your upcoming Black Sox vs.Owlz Steel Cage match, it would be greatly appreciated.
It will actually get read by the league players and interested parties on the Ducks blog.
I go out of my way not to make personal attacks, I use pronouns – nicknames whenever its applicable, if I wanted to attack people they’d know about it.
Who among us is so self righteous that they should decide what’s in good taste?
Boobs.
_Ben Gwin
South Oakland Ducks Baseball 