Text message from South Oakland Ducks’ head coach TC “Buttermaker” Jones, received by Ducks’ blogger and founder Ben Gwin– “Christian [Necheff] wants to be a Duck!”
If this holds true the rest of the league is Ducked next season.
Potential rotation listed in chronological order of hopefully heartfelt commitment.
Homa Barchie Necheff Sorosky–c’mon, Benny it will be grand.
Bullpen Guthrie A.Smith TC.Jones {Shwartz??}
This is in addition to the Ducks’ acquisition of infielders Tony Casale and Mike Watson–both are sick.
Domination.
Bring on the Owlz
Rumor has it the Black Sox may have another off-shoot next year, and radical realignment is expected.
The Ghostbusters Ace Dr. Dan “Venkman” Morgan will take on the Crush and new Duck Christian Necheff tomorrow during the second game of the double header.
Game one vs. the Gray bats will be a coin flip (maybe literally) between A. Schwartz and A. Smith to see who gets the start. the other will follow in relief.
I’d better post this before i forget the game entirely…
Highlights of the Ghostbusters first defeat of the Gray Bats
The Ghostbusters avenged an early season 6-5 defeat at the hands of the Gray Bats in grand fashion. Dr. Dan “Venkman” Morgan pitched a complete game shutout, and was the beneficiary of timely hitting and solid defense behind him, as the Avalon Ghostbusters beat the Gray Bats 10-0 in five innings, though the game unofficially ended in a 13-2 victory after seven innings.
Morgan: “You better bring your A-Game this week ‘Bats”
Morgan worked out of trouble in the first inning, stranding Bats on second and third, and would later entice his Bulldogs rotation mate, Bats SS, BJ Rankin to ground into an inning ending double play. Morgan stopped a rally before it could start; picking-off an absent minded Gray Bat who had his head down after reaching on an infield hit in the third.
The Ghostbusters started the game with O.C. players Joe Graff, and Patrick in the corner outfield spots. Patrick and Graff added speed to the bottom of the lineup, and Patrick would score th Ghostbusters first run of the game on a stolen base and an error. The 1-0 lead was all Avalon would need on that day, but they would add 9 insurance runs. The offense finally came alive.
Watson and Casale each had two hits. And anchored strong infield play behind Venkman.
Gwin broke his one-for-the fall slump with a single and an RBI.
Vinny Gala ripped a two RBI single to left after refusing to take first base when plate umpire, awarded him first base on an apparent hit-by-pitch.
In the third inning, Garrett Moore finally arrived with Alex Schwartz.
Scwartz promptly drove in 2 runs with an RBI single.
Moore would go 1-2 and reach on an error after long night of busting ghosts, casued him to over- sleep.
The Ghostbusters are now 2-3 with a chance to get over .500 for the first time this season with the impending sweep of this week’s double header.
Why is that one guy on the Gray Bats so angry all the time? the second baseman/Right fielder, relax. Someone needs to destroy him if they get the chance to break up a double play, then maybe he will have something to scowl and cry about.
BJ’s fiance and Joe Graff are both jealous after Rankin made me his woman in the first game, I went 0-5 with 4k’s in a guest appearance for the OC, causing me to question my existence.
This week the Ghostbusters will probably get 4 innings of Rankin (above right, with “friend and teammate” Joe Graff ) and three innings of Alex Warren for the first game of the doubleheader.
Why was Warren left in that game for seven innings? He’s a competitor and a good pitcher, but at he must have thrown around 150 pitches, too many for a fall league game, especially the last two innings that didn’t even count.
Watson pitched a scoreless phantom sixth innin, and Casale allowed two runs in the unofficial seventh inning
the game ended on a sweet play by Adam Smith, who played a solid, aggressive game at 3rd base after being inexplicably pushed into outfield duty for most of the season.
Eric P. had solid game behind the plate, and after moving to the outfield, threw out a runner at second base in the seventh.
We need bats.
The Ghostbusters won despite playing without Adalino, The Keymaster, who is 5 for 9 on the season.
Last Week the Gray Bats beat the Ghostbusters 6-5, thanks to two seven inning runs and a stellar effort by BJ Rankin.
Rankin and life partner Joe Graff fight evil. See video .
The Avlon Ghostbusters of the North Hills look to rebound from last week’s heart breaker against the O.C. when they take on the Gray Bats this Saturday. A scheduling glitch has allowed teh Ghostbusters consecutive late games, which is just fine. Ironically and perhaps fitting, the schedule maker plays on the Orange Crush. and will play 9am games back to back weeks.
The Crush team reporter cheats and uses the score book as a reference, he has a thing for journalistic integrity.
I hope the MLB playoffs will be on network TV, so non-cable owning schmucks like myself will be able to take in some of the action.
I’m pulling for a Dodgers vs. Rays World Series. I would have liked the Twins to win last night, funny how Minnesota is able to put a winning product on the field while the Pirates, who play in a similar market, have subjected their fans to 16 years of irrelevant baseball. This time of year always remind me how painful it is to support a team run by a front office that has no desire to give its fans a taste of October baseball.
More unsubstantiated Ghostbusters 3 rumors, allegedly Bill Murray is on board, and the script will be written by the guys who write The Office. Could be worse.
Christian Necheff (sp.) pitched a complete game for the Orange Crush, allowing two unearned runs over seven innings, striking out upwards of 8 Ghostbusters to earn the win for the O.C.
(Orange Crush Team Photo)
Ghostbusters starter Alex Schwartz was the tough luck loser, allowing two runs, none earned, in three innings of work.
Tony Casale hit a two out triple in the first inning, but was stranded on third, when Vinny Gala hit a line drive right at someone– the Ghostbusters M.O. for the first four games of the fall ball season.
In the bottom of the first, the Crush had runners on first and second with one out when a potential inning ending double play ball turned into a two run error.
The Ghostbusters had the bases loaded in the bottom of the second but Necheff got the RingMaster strikeout and worked out of the jam when Ben Gwin Grounded out to O.C. second baseman, Joe Graff to end the inning.
Joe Graff, second baseman for the Blues, Bulldogs, and now the Crush, had an uncharacteristically rough game in the field. His mind was clearly somewhere else. perhaps still thinking about how torturous it was to have to play against life partner BJ Rankin in the first game of the double header.
The Ghostbusters defense kept them in the game, turning four double plays. Adam Smith pitched two scoreless innings for the Ghostbusters. In the bottom of the fifth Joe Graff tried to steal third base, Ghostbusters catcher, Garrett Moore, had other ideas.
Graff was thrown out at third, for the second out of a 1-2-5 double play. Strike ’em out throw ’em out. This was Garret Moore’s best inning as a catcher. Joe was more distraught then when he heard BJ was getting married, to a woman no less.
No photoshop needed. They are a deadly double play combo.
The Crush would add another unearned run in the sixth, off relief pitcher Mark Kuhns. Trialling 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh the Ghostbusters rallied. With one out; Vinny Gala and Eric P. singled, then Shwartz walked to load the bases. Ron Kuhns drove in a run with an RBI force out, and Mark Kuhns followed with a single.
The stage was set
The Ringmaster, who entered the game with an .800 average, came to bat with tw outs and runners on second and third, trailing 3-2, but Necheff finished the game with a strike out, and the Ghostbusters fell to 1-3 with the loss.
Dr. Dan “Venkman” Morgan will get the start this Saturday against the Gray Bats.
I’ve never been on a team that hit so many triples (3; Gala, Lee/Winston, and Casale) turned so many double plays, and still had a 1-3 record.
The Ghostbusters (1-4) have lost two games by one run.
These things have a way of leveling out, the pendulum will swing the Ghostbusters way again.
I’m 1-for-the fall, this must change. I looked at my spring stats to remind myself I can hit and drive in runs. Here are the Ducks 2008: Stats
Our middle infield is the best the fall league has seen this year.
South Oakland Duck Adam Smith is pitching as well as I’ve seen him pitch in a while.
Vinny is the best all-around first basemen in the Pittsburgh NABA.
The atmosphere has been great so far.
Watch out for the Ducks this spring…Team of Destiny ’09.
First, the game is at 11:30am not 9am, this Saturday at Pie Traynor
Naturally, the South Oakland Ducks Blog has spawned two off-shoots fall ball blogs, here is the second fall ball blog that has appeared in the wake of the Ducksblog: Orange Crush Blog
Since I have linked it here, it may actually get read. The writing is better than this site (actual journalism vs. the ramblings of a young man with a fiction writing degree), but it lacks video clips.
Now we have a photoshop war on our hands.
I am not very good at photoshop
It’s kind of better that way (Sunglasses and eye black, Strom?)
Anyway, the Crush have guaranteed victory this weekend, inviting spectators to “witness perfection”
Only God is perfect The Ghostbusters learned that lesson in the 80’s
Adalino and his league leading .833 Average will dominate the Crush this weekend He is currently waiting for a sign…
I had the third and fourth overall picks in the fall ball draft, with those two selections I chose Dan Morgan and BJ Rankin. In the name of competitive balance Rankin was moved to the Gray bats without playing a game for the Ghostbusters.
On Saturday Rankin demolished his former team, pitching four scoreless innings and hitting a two run triple to lead the Bats to a 5-4 victory over the Avalon Ghostbusters of the North Hills. Here is the recap from Gray Bats coach, Larry.
Rankin did not earn the win, as Avalon erased a 3-0 Bats lead, on the strength of strong pitching from Adam Smith, and a clutch RBI triple from Eric “Winston” Lee.
Clutch mid season acquisition
Avalon led 4-3 after six, but the Gray Bats blindly screetched their way to an unearned run in the top of the seventh, and added another on a semi-routine “haunted” flyball which eluded the Ghostbusters outfielders.
Alex Warren retired the Ghostbusters in order in the bottom of the seventh on three hard hit ground ball outs.
It was a tough loss; Vinny Gala’s day at the plate was symbolic of the Avalon effort, knocking the cover off the ball in three at bats only to wind up 0-for-3 with three line outs to the Bats left fielder.
***
The Ghostbusters won their first game in dramatic fashion, erasing deficits of 3-0 and 4-2 on the way to defeating the Orange Crush 9-5.
Game two of the double header featured Ducks starter Mark “Captain America” Guthrie, on the hill for the Orange Crush, and Dr. Dan “Venkman” Morgan of the Ghostbusters.
Guthrie started the game off the bottom of the first with a strike out of Ducks’ infielder Les Gies.
Guthrie had the Ducks number in game two, Ben Gwin was 0 for 3 against Guthrie, and Eric Lee was 1-3.
Crush third baseman, Stay Puft Marshmellow Man, hit a hanging curve ball by Morgan down the left field line for a two run double to put the Crush ahead 3-0.
Avalon continued to hit the ball right at the opposition.
Morgan turned in a courageous performance allowing two earned runs over four innings, despite a hamstring problem that almost forced an early exit. “I can go one more” he said after pulling up lame in the third, and he proceeded to pitch a scoreless fourth inning, retiring the Crush in order.
Trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth, Avalon loaded the bases with one out, and tied the game on a busted double play.
Then the Ghostbusters scored on back to back squeeze bunts, the first with Eric Lee on third and Mike Watson at the plate, which scored two runs after a throwing error.
Watson reached third and Guthrie was pulled for Brian Strom. On the second pitch Watson broke for the plate and Tony laid down a perfect bunt, the run scored and Tony beat the throw to first.
The Ghostbusters added another insurance run on Adalino’s third hit of the day.
Adalino describes his thoughts after going 5 for 6 with four RBI in the Ghostbusters double header
No joke.
Mark Kuhns (1-0) was the pitcher of record for the Ghostbusters earning the win on the mound after allowing one run in two innings. The run came in the top of the fifth when Stay Puft ined a single to center.
Mark’s son Ron recorded the save. Ron Kuhns worked out of a bases loaded no outs jam in the bottom of the seventh. Blues’ left fielder Brian Strom lead off the inning with a single to left, followed by three straight walks.
Kuhns struck out the next batter, and enticed a 1-2-3 game ending double play from Crush shortstop, “Wino”
Swoosh and I are trying to figure out a way to provide Ducks apparel at a lower cost, and to con local investors into funding a large portion of our league dues next year. I could not find an online vendor that provides green and yellow shirts at a lower cost. all the products are marked up $3 all that money goes to the Ducks, but there’s still a rather large shipping cost which is no good. Our goal is to lower prices by about $5 a shirt and still have enough profit to get a significant portion to the team, while providing awesome gear to our loyal fans. We may have to outsource.
Last week’s slate of fall ball games will be moved to the end of the season, not bumped up one week. The Avalon Ghostbusters of the North Hills have a chance to get to 2-1 after this Saturday’s double header, which I initially, and incorrectly assumed was only going to be one game. Fortunately for the Ghostbusters, the team is loaded with pitching. Avalon may add a lefty to the already deep rotation, and another catcher. Eric Lee is a hard man to get a hold of, but has an open offer to play for the Ghostbusters this season, to add some much needed outfield depth.
*** Speaking of bad remakes, there is a Knight Rider series in the works. So many original series’ have fought their way back into the public eye due to a sick obsession with 80’s and 90’s campy television, film, and music which was bad to begin with. And it is due in part, perhaps, to baby boomers reminiscence about the year they got the tax break which allowed them to buy their second Porsche.
“Remember the night after all the Federal Air Traffic Controllers were laid off, and we did a bunch a blow and killed a homeless person before we went home and watched the Knight Rider episode where Kit made sexual advances towards Herbie the Love Bug? Those were the days“
It is perplexing how a show or a movie can be made on the basis of, “the original was so bad it’s good”. This is happening everywhere, and is even more disturbing than the Indiana Jones, Die Hard remakes, which contain no pretense about being anything but formulaic revenue machines. Like a bad joke told by a man with a sweet mullet; it may be funny, but not because its funny. I think.
There’s also a GI Joe movie in the works. If this movie goes beyond pure war propaganda, I will be amazed.
*** I want a Quantum Leap remake, and another Twin Peaks-esque David Lynch project on network television.
I’m enjoying the Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicle series, even though it is fairly predictable.
*** Ducks’ pitcher, Nick Homa, continues to dominate in fantasy football, I continue to lose.
In baseball news, Carlos Zambrano threw a no-hitter two days ago, and the 4th place Yankees are trying to get a rule change to allow them to be in the playoffs just because they are the Yankees. Bud Selig is considering the offer.
Former Pirate Dale Sveum is now the coach of the Brewers.
South Oakland Ducks Baseball 