I’m done picking on the Gray Bats until they start making more obnoxious claims, unbefitting of a team with such a poor record 2-14. It makes me feel like a bully.
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.
The anticipation leading up to this game was worse than waiting for the methedone clinic to open. After a week of smack talk, 8am was finally upon us. Sorosky is now 1-1 in guarantees, which is better than his W-L record this year. (WOOOOOOOOO!)
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.
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.
Sorosky said he chose teh Gray Bats over the Ducks because he thought he’d have a better chance to win a championship. Sounds a lot like Marian Hossa.
Any chance of the Ducks overlooking the 2-12 Gray Bats flew out the window during a ridiculous week of blogging.
A Ducks win guarantees that we gain ground on someone in the standings with the Owlz and Black Sox playing later tonight.
That’s the only guarantee that matters.
After dropping a double header to the Rebels, whomever used to write on the old Gray Bats blog defended the Confederacy and questioned my belief in Abe Lincoln.
That sounds exactly like something someone who wants to bring up blog etiquette at a league meeting, and try to censor our blog, would do. (Things are only going to get more offensive I assure you.)
DUCKS: PRACTICE 5:30 Pitt IM Field (Bulldogs Welcome)
Maybe you wrestled in high shcool, maybe you wrestled lightwieght and their was that one school who had some 80lb chick in that weight class. You had to wrestle her or take a forfeit. It was a lose-lose situation. Either you won and were supposed to, or god forbid you lost to a girl.
Maybe you got to touch a boob, and if you had as bad of acne as I did as a freshman in high school, it was a big deal. The Gray Bats (2-12) are that 80 lb girl The South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (10-3) have to wrestle this weekend. A 10-3 team is supposed to beat a 2-12 team 95% of the time. This Saturday can not be that 5%
Thisrivalry has gone beyond baseball at this point. A member of Gray Bats management is trying to lead us to believe that they are concerned for the league’s well-being and how the Pittsburgh NABA may be negatively effected by blogs done in poor taste. How dare he attack the Bulldogs blog like that. It is a fine site.
Really I think it’s just a matter of frustration at being called out for batting a .200 hitter in the 6th spot in the lineup, and thinking that’s a personal attack when the stats are available online. And for posting a 2-12 record through 14 games. And it could be argued that their was never an issue with taste until the Gray Bats were the brunt of it. Or he thinks he should be the one who makes value judgments for the whole league. just possibilities, not a personal attack.
(B-Sox, Owlz recap, by Kenny Powers by Sunday or Monday)
In big-picture league news the 10-2 Brookline Black Sox and the 10-0 Imperial Owlz play Saturday night at 9pm at Moore Park. The Ducks sit at 10-3. The top two teams in the division get byes. In the second game of the season we beat the Black Sox 5-3. Their only other loss is to the Hurricanes. They have won ten straight, I think.
I am going to guess that the Black Sox and Ducks used last year’s Owlz team as the measuring stick for how much each of our respective teams needed to upgrade to win the Championship.
The Ducks added a couple arms and a few infielders, Darren Daulton, C, Mars, CF, and got stronger up the middle and moved some players who were playing out of position last year back into their natural spots, and that has lead to a 10-3 start.
The Black Sox added the Slaviceks, and Chalfin and a couple other pitchers and that guy who plays third, who used to be on the Phantoms.
The Owlz don’t have one player on their team who doesn’t play at least DIII basaeball. The chance to play against and beat that team is what baseball is all about. I know the Black Sox aren’t going into that game scared. I know the Owlz are out for blood. The former Gray Bats blogger has griped incessently about how unfair it is to have to play against the Owlz. He also has lost 3 games to the Black Sox and Ducks by an average of about 7 or so. No Coplaints about our teams.
Everyone who wants a chance to play baseball is allowed to play in this league it’s important we don’t lose sight of that. But don’t base your team around the “we give everyone a chance to play ball” theory, and complain incessently that you can’t win. You either win and try to get everyone in, or you get everyoen in and try to win. The way things have been headed it’s one or the other, and that’s why we will realign next year.
Last season I basically compared the Black Sox to a bunch of criminals, it was clearly done in jest, but they didn’t take it so f-ing seriously, and are some of my most loyal readers (the ones who can read, anyway – woooooooooooooo!).
A sense of humor and more importantly some self awareness can go a long way. I know the definitions of slander, and liable and nothing I do falls into that category. What one person thinks is offensive, another thinks is funny, or not, who cares.
(We’re Gonna Have Tryouts)
The bloggery has given life to a game between two teams who are nine games apart in the standings. The gray Bats have nothing to lose, the best they can do is get to 4th in the standings. All the pressure’s on the Ducks.
If I were the Ducks starting pitcher and I kept hearing how great Sorosky is, and how they have the edge in pitching I’d be pissed.
I wouldn’t normally post an email, but this is rediculous.
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?
They claim Lombardi is the best hitter in this contest. He did rip a double off of Dunn last game, solid hit. He’s a ball player. It’d be a shame if he got pitched around with no one protecting him in that lineup.
Leads both teams in all major offensive categories. Once had a sweet mullet in junior high, just like “Dutch” himself.
“Pitching Altmeyer would have been like throwing Sorosky again“ If Sorosky and Ameyer are the same pitcher, it looks like another 8-0 Ducks victory.
They take obvious care not to insult the bottom of our lineup Whalen has been batting 8th, he’s hitting .357, with a .912 ops and is tied for the team lead in triples. Our team has 8 players hitting over .333
Captain America is ready to break out We don’t get the “let’s throw this asshole who pitched once in little league” because this team has a win% under .200 pitchers.
Kirk Gibson our 6th hitter is batting .350 with a .885 ops
The Invisible Hand, Nick Homa and Wojton Clan are out for Saturday with non-hockey related injuries.
Britton Dickey leads the league in RE.
Some thoughts on the Owlz – Graybats trash talk from last week. when an “automatic out” is talking shit, threatening to bean him is too easy. I agree with the owlz decision not to throw at anyone. The way to go, in my opinion, is to throw at someone else for the indiscretions of the “automatic out” Anyone but a pitcher, and not in the head.
like how your high school football coach would make everyone else do push ups if you went off sides in practice.
Not that the Ducks would do something like that, not when a team struggles so mightly to get on base in the first place. Right? ***
Sorosky came to us wanting to play on the Ducks after a bad experience on the Rakers. We couldn’t offer the same playing time as the Gray Bats.
This game is about the players who are on the Ducks not guys who could have been.
Depo left the Gray Bats becuase he couldn’t take the selfish management of Larry Z The Delusional. ***
The Gray Bats have no chance against us if we have our best lineup. The only way they win this game is if we have guys playing out of position, or still drunk, or whatever, and even then with any nine of us I like our chances. Still, these guys are 2-12, and are acting like they can play on the same level as us. Even though we beat them 8-0 last time we faced them. We beat them by more than the Owlz did, although to be fair the owlz looked like they were sleep walking, and playing different positions for fun and shit. We all know there’s the biggest hockey game of most of our lives the night before.
If you are a Duck and want to be able to look me, Ben Gwin – the founder and captain of this team in the eye ever again, you will stay as sober as you have to the night before to be effective Saturday, and you will show up ready to play. You will be ready to bury this joke of a team, who has a great starting pitcher, Ben Sorosky (whom I have much respect for as an opponent and occasional teammate.) and a couple other guys who can hit. But nothing else.
They have called out our team, our blog, myself, Kirk, Dr. Jones, the town of South Oakland. They don’t even incorporate the Batman logo into their uniform. They have called out the tournament winning Blues team that Sorosky, Strom and I put together (which is really odd, and may not concern you – Larry probably thinks the Gray Bats could beat the Blues though)
They (mostly larry who is batting a robust .200, and wouldn’t sniff the field if he were a Duck Black Sock [correct singular?] Owl, Bulldog, Hurricane, Warrior, etc…) are taking things to another level and I can’t understand it. This goes beyond the Rebels response to the Confederacy comments, (which i guess i can wrap my head around if i try.)
We lost to the Rebels in an 8am game. We were worse than the Rebels that day, and it may cost us a bye. We can not be worse than the Gray Bats on Saturday.
We are playing for a shot at the Division and a bye. Our immediate long term our goal is to pass the Black Sox – the team immediatly ahead of us in the standings, not to fend off the Gray Bats. “One game at a time” is a cliche for a reason.
{Awkward TRANSITION_CITY}{}{ the trash talk between the 10-3 Ducks and the 2-12 Gray Bats is heating up, check the following post and the comments in the post below it. Also the B-Sox Owlz game is this weekend. Adding fuel to that fire is like throwing brush in a volcano. That is the most intense rivalry in the league, there is genuine disdain between those two teams.
I’ve never seen a 2-12 team with so much to say…
Thank you all for reading and commenting it is greatly appreciated.
Batting Practice today: 6:15 at the Pitt IM field.
The Ducks currently sit in third place after the Rebel army surrendered a double header to Kenny Powers this weekend.
Kenny Powers is a beast, they probably would have won both games anyway, but who knows. Baseball is a funny game sometimes.
The Owlz are a nifty 10-0 and have scored 100 runs, allowing only 11 The Black Sox are 10-2 South Oakland of the North Side is 10-3.
The Owlz and Black Sox play each other this weekend. Blood-Bath City.
If we take care of business against the defensively impaired Gray Bats ( who did not call the cops on the Owlz since they did not throw at Larry Z- the same Larry who said Alex Warren was overrated in this blog’s comment section) we will gain ground on one of these teams.
Tangent.
The Gray Bats trailed only by a couple runs heading into the sixth inning, they had been crying conspiracy, and it was somewhat effective, then the Owlz brought in the Warren Commission their second gunman theory was debunked.
Single Bullet Every Conspiracy Needs a Patsy
Warren held the Owlz lead and the Gray Bats dropped game one of the double header.
*** Since neither team has a blog to facilitate trash talking, and since I have an amicable relationship with players on each team, I will pour some gasoline, light a match and walk away. As Kirk Gibson will tell you, it’s a fun thing to do, and will hopefully get a good discussion thread going.
My sources are anonymous as always.
From the Black Sox :
“F___ Scott Dunn he’s overrated. We can hit him.
“We can hit their junkballers… We’ll take care of the Owlz”
“Rob Cool is a homo”
From the Owlz’ss’z:
“The Black Sox get older and slower every year, they’re out of shape”
“Their defense is poor, they just try to intimidate teams, they can’t touch our pitching.”
“The Black Sox do not impress me…”
“Dunn no-hit them twice last season.”
A while back there was some trash talk in the comments in relation to the Owlz ability to hit Slavicek, who may or may not be forced to undergo season-ending surgery.
Both these teams stand in the Ducks way of a regular season division title, and our road to the Championship.
We have a win against the Black Sox, but the Owlz dominated a decimated Ducks lineup as though we were the Gray Batz – sweeping a Mother’s Day double header on a day that saw Nick Homa play shortstop.
The Black Sox seem to be very preoccuped with the Owlz, not so much South Oakland of the North Side, and that’s fine.
The Owlz seem more preoccupied with pursuing an invite into the Independant League, and getting Ozzie Canseco to DH for them (two z’s in his name, i think he’s a perfect fit).
The Owlz are like a combination of Mr. Burns’ softball team from that Simpsons’ episode and RaZor Ramon, – I think a lot of teams mail it in against them and the Black Sox before they even take the field. – sometimes literally as they both have forfeit wins this season.
For example: The Gray Bats held out their second best pitcher against the Owlz in game 2 yesterday conceding victory so they’d have a chance against the Bulldogs. I see the logic, but I believe in going with the guy who gives you the best chance to win that game. You play your best against the best.
The Black Sox do intimidate teams, but they are 10-2 for a reason. They still have pitching depth and there is not an easy out in their lineup.
These teams hate each other more than the Capulets and Montagues. There are good odds on a fight breaking out in the stands.
Wallis’ gravity ball was effective for a bit, until the Owlz wised up. (haha – wised up) There were many errors and base running mistakes by the Gray Bats. I haven’t looked, but I bet there is a sentiment of “moral victory” on the Chicken Soup for the Gray Bats Soul blog.
It looks like he’s crying
These guys have three blogs. (counting Sorosky’s) jesus. If blogs were quality outfielders your team would have five wins. woooooooooooooo!
“Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser.” -Vince Lombardi.
The Don Henley’s and the Confederacy round out the Whales Conference. Both teams forfeit a lot. Our loss to the Rebels this season looms, unbelievable. They beat us fair and square but the war is not over, not by a mile. The Union will not stand divided. We don’t play them for a year. We have done a great job of winning five straight after a tough loss to a team we should have beaten.
I guarantee a win for the Bulldogs tonight over the Gray Bats.
The Commish hits for the cycle. Vinny goes yard twice.
The Hurricanes split a double header with the bulldogs over the weekend. Redemption Song on the best blog in the league.
The Hurricanes are tough, they are one of only two teams over .500 in the Campbell Conference.
The Warriors are always competitive, and the other + .500 team out west. I attribute this to Heckman being a supreme dick, and his resurgence as a pitcher. Any team with The Ultimate Warrior has a chance to win. The Bulldogs will still take that division.
I think all teams making the playoffs has not had the desired effect as guys don’t show up for games they deem meaningless. What’s the big deal, we’ll still make the playoffs, who cares if we go 4-20 with seven forfeits? Unless your competing for a bye, and right now half the teams in our Conference aren’t there seems to be a malaise surrounding some teams. It was voted on so this is what we have. It hasn’t made it any less fun for me personally.
Ducks vs. Gray Bats Saturday at 8am. (They are better than 1-10, I’d say they should be 4-7.)
Gave the Black Sox the Razor’s edge Saturday night.
South Oakland Ducks Baseball 