DISCLAIMER: There are a few good guys on the Rebels, some of whom I’ve played alongside in tournaments, they play the right way, and they probably had nothing to do with this mess. Then again there were probably some decent folks who fought for the confederacy.

Apparently the Rebels had better things to do Monday night than play baseball. The Rebels’ coach called the umps and told them the game was rained out, then told his team it was canceled, before he called [Ducks Manager] TC to confer on the status of the field. It wasn’t their decision to make, the home team’s manager makes that decision. If we could have rescheduled we would have called the game before we spent all that time getting the puddles off the infield, which we did four hours before game time.

Rick tore the sleeves off another shirt for nothing.

Springview Field was damp and muddy, the conditions were not ideal but we could have played. Ducks’ players spent approximately three hours getting the standing water off the field and adding dry sand and kitty litter to the soft spots. We were operating under the impression that we were out of rain dates, making it impossible to reschedule the game. To be fair, it’s likely the Rebels’ coach was unaware of the lack of a rain date. However, their coach told me one of his players was there (in between the Ducks 4-5:45 field repair tour, the 7:30 pre-game rake) and saw a puddle on the field, the Rebels coach was misinformed about the puddle situation by one of his players.
The only way we would have been able to play was if the rain held off, which it did.

Maybe if the Rebels were represented at the pre-season managers’ meetings they would have known about the rain-out policy.

Then I talked to the guy on the phone, I said the field was bad, but playable, that we had been down there all afternoon and were still working on it. he relayed the misinformation and added, “We’re not playing on a field like that.”
clearly insinuating his team is above playing on a field fit for Ducks.

We’ve played on worse, we did last season against the Rebels, of all teams, in a game we lost something like 24-17.

It was during that game I heard one Rebels’ player say, “If we lose to this team I’m going to kill myself.”
That made me feel angry. Not that I hold a grudge, but I don’t think any of those kids are getting drafted. Except for that guy they had who pitched in the Blue Jays minor league system, whom I singled off of. Anyway, that’s the same lack of respect they showed by canceling the game without first conferring with TC.
I hate playing in bad conditions, but its better than not playing at all. The Rebels would rather not have to get too muddy than follow the rules set by the League President regarding cancellations.

Why in the world would you name your team the Rebels, and use that Yosemite Sam logo?

The Rebels were once part of the Black Sox, and they split to form their own team before the ’07 season. They seceded from Kenny’s team, probably because they didn’t like how he ran things. So they are drawing a clearly Confederate parallel to their team.
At some point there must have been a conversation along the line of this:

“Let’s start our own team because Kenny’s a dick, and [third base coach] Randy is insane.”
“Cool, man, but what will we name our team?”
“Duh, man, the ‘Rebels’. We are Rebels!”

Jesus, is this Mississippi?

So their coach handpicked the best guys from around the league who were on losing teams and the Rebels won the Championship last year.
During their championship season, I was the base umpire for one of their games in which they had seven guys show up. I said I’d play for them so they could at east have a real game, with just the plate ump. Instead they picked a kid out of the stands wearing jean shorts who was left handed and stuck him in the outfield with a right-handed glove. The kid had obviously never played ball before, and they decided to go with him instead of letting me play for whatever reason. Not to sound selfish, anyone playing with the correct handed glove would have brought at least a shred of integrity to the atrocity which occurred on the field that day. Sometimes that stuff happens, my dad played in one game in ’05, for instance, but we didn’t have a choice. My dad is sick.
The Rebels have a long history of being terrible ambassadors for our league, which needs all the help it can get; they take free agents and then if they aren’t good they just don’t call them anymore.
Their front office is largely to blame for last seasons’ umpire fiasco.
They are the champs, though, they do know how to win.

I’m not really surprised a team named after the darkest chapter in American history pulled a stunt like this.

• BULLET POINTS
• If this game can’t get rescheduled, we deserve the win.
• If the Rebels needed bulletin board material I have provided it, if they were literate and read this blog I’d be worried.
• They’d probably tell me they’re to busy polishing their trophy to read this crap.
• We got a good practice in at least, and I made a sweet catch on a ball over my head. that’s why I play; for the chance to feel the weight of the ball in my glove during the split second I’m completely airborne, even if it’s during practice.
• I wonder if anyone other than Coby reads any of this, leave comments it makes me feel like I didn’t spend all day raking a field for no reason.
• I hope this doesn’t screw up our pitching rotation
• We could have pulled this same bullshit on saturday but we didn’t because it was the Rakers’ call, we had to finish that game without our starting catcher.
• the season shouldn’t start until mid-may, among US cities, only Seattle has a greater annual rainfall than Pittsburgh
• We should play this game under protest if we get it rescheduled at some ridiculous time which causes us to loose.
• I wonder if this pitcher we got from CMU really exists
• SHENANIGANS!!!!

The Rakers beat the Ducks 4-1 at Pie Traynor Field on Saturday. Last year’s Knights, the Rakers (who did a great job of getting the field in shape to play on Saturday) basically trimmed the fat from the underachieving 2007 team, kept all their solid, small-college players, and added an enormous third-baseman, and a few guys with beards. They are a tough team. Typically, pitching is their strength.
I left in the bottom of the fourth, with the game tied 0-0, the Rakers lead off the inning with a routine fly ball that dropped for an error, then a walk to Eberle. Errors and walks. The Rakers would go on to score three runs in the inning, and one more of TC Jones.
Adam Smith and Garrett gave me the recap.
We left runners in scoring position. I left KT on second base in the top of the third after a terrible one pitch at bat in which I popped up to first base. Chris Roth left two men on base later in the game, Rick was stranded on second in the seventh after he doubled in our only run of the game.
Smith went five strong innings allowing two earned runs. TC came in to finish the game and allowed one earned run in two innings of relief.
There were a lot of ifs and a lot of what-have-yous in this game. If we make one more play in the field and get one more key hit, it might have been a different outcome. That’s baseball. We have to win the games we only allow three earned runs. We’ll see the Rakers again.
Smith had a great start after getting roughed up by the Blacksox on opening day.

• Bullet Points, ( based on what I was told about the last three innings after the fact, and without seeing the book.)
• Kt had a good game at the plate. He walked stole second, singled and scored a run.
• Rick hit a double, his biceps are huge. Also, he looked much better at shortstop than he did at second vs. the Blacksox.
• We were in this game till the end, and we played without Guthrie, who leads the team in triples, slugging percentage and RBI.
• We got a great start from Smith, he gave us a chance to win.
• TC continues to do a good job of getting everyone in the game.
• Again, one umpire. At least this guy was coherent.
• We beat the Eagles last week in a game in which we only had two hits. We had six or seven on Saturday and lost.

We are scheduled to play the defending Champion Rebels tonight at Spring Hill. It is wet and gloomy outside at the moment, but its not raining. We have to try to get the game in as we are out of makeup dates.

Who names their team the Rebels?

I hope it doesn’t rain. Regardless, the Ducks’ grounds crew will have to put in some work tonight before the game if we are to play.

Nick is on the hill tonight, that’s bad news for the Rebels.

This is why the Ducks baseball team exists, to give players the chance to dive in the game winning run with two outs in the bottom of the 7th. Garrett Moore did just that Monday night, as the Ducks evened their record at 1-1 with a dramatic, come from behind 4-3 victory over the Eagles. The win was TC Jones’ his first as Ducks Manager.

The Game was tied at three going into the bottom of the seventh; after a ground out and a strike out, pinch hitter Andrew McCray, playing with a torn ligament in his knee was hit in the leg by a pitch, then Nick worked a full count and hit a ground ball deep in the hole which the Eagles’ short stop bobbled, allowing him to reach safely. Then Moore hit a line drive to right field, and McCray, hobbled around third and beat the throw from rightfield.

Ducks starter Mark Guthrie pitched 5 strong innings allowing 3 runs (1 earned) and worked out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the fifth to keep the score tied at three. Nick (1-0), the new pitcher whose last name I don’t know, threw two scoreless, hitless innings in relief to record the win.

The Ducks didn’t take the lead until the last pitch of the game. I forget how the Eagles scored their first run, but the second two came in the third inning, on a bases loaded dribbler to the right side that got under Gurthrie’s glove and was in effect a perfect swinging bunt. Mark had trouble picking up the ball, and the guy on second rounded third and headed home, Mark recovered to get the ball to me in time, but I couldn’t handle the throw. I blocked the plate well enough that I think I picked up the ball and tagged him out, but the ump said he saw the guy hit the plate. I’m glad my drop there didn’t cost us the game. The next inning we had a sweet strike ’em out throw ’em out double play to end the inning. I suppose that made up for it.

We trailed 3-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth. Eric Lee lead off with a broken bat infield single and stole second. Brett drew a walk. I was up, and after they both advanced on a passed ball, I hit a chopper to the left side, and I don’t know if the guy booted it or if it was an infield hit, but Eric scored and Brett wound up on third with no outs.
I stole second on the next pitch, then our cleanup hitter walked. A strikeout bought up Tom Pusateri with one out and the bases loaded. Tom hit a gound ball up the middle, which the shortstop fielded and flipped to second for the force, I rounded third and saw the throw pull the firstbaseman off the base, the ump (who editorialized all his calls instead of using phrases like, “safe” and “out” or “ball” and “strike”) said something unintelligible, but the firstbaseman was laying down, so I ran home. The Eagles started walking off the field. there was some argument, Tom took second, but the ump( who made similar calls) told Tom to go back to first, even though if he was safe he should have been able to take second, and it was the Eagles’ fault for leaving the field .
The Eagles tried to say I shouldn’t have scored, if Tom wasn’t allowed to take second. However, both runs counted (as they should have) and we tied it at three on that play. The next batter made an out, and that was the end of the fourth. It was a huge inning, and we didn’t even hit the ball out of the infield. As was the case on the ball Nick hit in the seventh, it was the Ducks hustle that kept the inning alive, and lead to the victory.
The Eagles probably have a legitimate argument against the so-so umpiring.

The field umpire didn’t show, which is something I thought we no longer had to deal with after going with a local umpire association instead of half drunk league players on their team’s off nights, so the guy had a tough job. He was animated and amusing and for the most part accurate. Also, while there were a couple close plays that went against us and we didn’t berate the guy over it.
The Eagles were vocal in their displeasure, and from the point that they really started crying, the umpire didn’t give them another close call.
play of the game
Garrett’s hit, or Tom’s two RBI fielders choice to tie the game.

bullet points

• Guthrie pitched a great game, the Eagles were off balance all night.
• Nick throws gas. I was happy just to be able to hold onto the ball.
• How about that umpire?
• had the Eagles left fielder not been playing between the shortstop and second base, Eric and Brett both would have had doubles tonight.
• I hit the ball hard twice and was out, the dribbler I hit in the 4th, which I hustled out to beat the throw, got me an RBI and I scored later in the inning.
• Hustle, by everyone, won us this game. Hustle and…
• Garrett Moore.
• The pitching was phenomenal, and the defense was much improved.
• We started last year 0-6, we’re already off to a much better start especially after the 15-1 aberration that was the Blacksox game. Clearly, it was critical we put that one behind us.
• We miss Roth’s bat in the middle of the lineup.

We play the Rakers, Saturday at 3pm at Pie Traynor Field. This is a new team, I know nothing about them. I do know, Saturday at 3 its gonna be bad news for the Rakers.

The Ducks haven’t been at .500 since we started 2-2 in 2006.

Blacksox 15-Ducks 1, five innings.

Despite catching a double header over the course of three innings, it doesn’t even feel like I just played a baseball game, I’m just sore and frustrated and anxious to play on Monday.
Blacksox pitcher Luke Demsey retired the first three Ducks in order to start the game, and then the Blacksox scored 9 runs in a surreal bottom of the first on the strength of seven Ducks errors and four walks by Ducks starter Adam Smith.
It was a bad omen when the normally accurate Smith, walked whomever hits lead-off for the Blacksox, then when I threw him out stealing second he was called safe. Then I got crossed up on a pitch and he stole third on the past ball. I should have caught it.
I’m pretty sure the only two Ducks who didn’t make an error were CF Eric Lee, and pitcher Adam Smith.
KT Murphy made a play on the only ball hit to him at second base, he also reached on a 6-4 fielders choice, in which the BSOX second baseman was probably off the base.
Guthrie and Lee also had the only two hits of the game for the Ducks. Although I’m 99% certain I would have beaten-out that one I hit up the middle even if the guy fielded it cleanly. Also Garrett’s shot to short stop might have been ruled a hit, but overall we were dominated, we were two-hit. Was it closer than the score indicated? not really. we were awful, but we will get better.
Demsey is a solid pitcher, and the Blacksox only commited two or three errors, while the Ducks were somewhere in double digits. The right side of the infield was atrocious.
I have no idea what POV to use in this blog.
The Blacksox started to hit Smith hard after the Ducks pitcher had to labor through a couple innings in which he was let down by his defense. Both of those innings were the top of the first.
Guthrie tripled in the only run of the game for the Ducks in the bottom of the second, with no outs, and naturally was stranded on third to end the inning. We couldn’t have had more than two more runners in scoring position all game.
Eric Lee singled, and flew out deep to center to end the game.
This looked dishearteningly familiar. No more.
Reasons for Optimism

• We get to play baseball all summer
• This was the first game of the year, and aside from the nine runs in the first inning of our first game it wasn’t terrible.
• Eric Lee showed up out of the blue and played a great game in center field.
• Guthrie hit a triple.
• Those two guys weren’t here for almost all of last season, and will help quite a bit.
• We were missing about five guys, and TC had to patch a lineup together tonight.
• Chirs Roth is probably the team’s best hitter, while is arm is shot, he may be able to DH and hit bombs. When he finds out McCray played with a broken leg, maybe he will be more apt to show up on Monday night.
• From what I could tell, everyone played hard and stayed upbeat, despite getting slaughtered. I bolded that because it’s the most important, I think. Still let’s try to be upbeat and play hard when we are winning by twelve.
• Brett Pusateri (sp.) and I will start hitting. Statistically we are two of the best hitting, returning Ducks, along with Roth. We were 0-4 combined tonight. That will change. This was the worst opening day I’ve had at the plate since ’03. My best opening day, ’04: 3-3 with a 3 run HR and two singles, we won 4-0. I am going to go over some old tape of my swing and make the necessary adjustments.
• Brett hit the ball hard both times he was up, lacing one foul in the first before grounding out, and grounding out in the second on a hard hit ball to second. Brett also made…

The play of the game
Some guy on the Blacksox was up and Adam Smith threw an inside fastball which overpowered the batter, breaking the guys bat, the splintered bathead twirled ahead of the ball right at Brett who was charging the slow roller, he then nimbly leaped over the bat, gloved the ball on the run and gunned the runner out at first. The ump was still looking at the bat and Brett in awe, and inexplicably called “safe.”
The best play of the game for us was an infield hit by the other team.

Of Note: Adrew Mcray played with a torn ligament in his knee, and saved a run when he leaped for a ball I tried to throw into right field.

Ducks’ Home Opener
Ducks vs. Eagles, Monday night at Springview Field, deep in Pittsburgh’s scenic North-Side.
1-1 is a lot better than 0-2.

I guess we should be called “The South Oakland Ducks of the North Side”.
Rolls off the tung, doesn’t it?

Rookie Manager, Theodore-Cobblepot Jones, will right the ship. He did a good job of setting an example by sitting out for most of the game. He also allowed only one run in relief.
We still haven’t practiced much, and this is what happens when we don’t practice.
Everyone has different schedules, let’s all try to find two other guys who work the same hours and workout on our own as much as we can. I will give you baseballs with which to practice.

Speaking of which, I’ll be at the Pitt field at 6 on Monday before the Eagles’ game.

Bad news for the Eagles.

I made an online store with a couple ducks shirts for sale. They are marked up $3 a piece, if anyone buys anything the profit will go into a paypal account and we’ll use it to pay umpires or I’ll give everyone back some money at the end of the year, maybe buy a bat.
If we only make like $6 I’ll give it to the league for next year.

Any additional apparel suggestions are welcome.
I’ll have more, better stuff up shortly, I’ll have shirts with the duck head logo up soon, I have to get one with more pixels or it will look like Mario Bros. 1, which, when I think about it might not be that bad.

Great gift ideas for family, life partners, and friends; buy them stuff and tell them to come to our games. Also, buy yourself a shirt and help promote the team.

I will have undershirts made for our uni’s from somewhere cheaper, which I’ll give to everyone at cost, probably $10 or so. They will be like our shirts from last year, but the right color yellow.

The season starts in a month.
TC is the coach so direct all your questions to him. Also, pay him.
League Prez., Joe won’t let us play if we don’t get our dues in on time.

The fund raiser at Town Tavern is tentatively scheduled for saturday 4/19. Its’ in the south side. Tell your friends, this will be a relatively economical night out, and we will raise more money. We still have to work out the details.

-Ben