Captain America: CG, 4h 1er, 7 k.
Casale: 2 for 3, 2 R
Gwin 1-2, SF rbi
Depo, Gies, and Coby all had infield hits.
Casale scored the game winning run after two consecutive throwing errors by the bulldogs.
The South Oakland Ducks of the North Side finish the 2009 regular season with a record of 16-8.
Recap later.
The Black Sox (16-6) beat the Matadors [ (11-10-1) by a score of 9-3, and clinched 2nd place on Saturday.
Congrats Kenny Powers.
It is official, we play the Gray Bats in six days.
***
Martin is here
Today’s game against the Bulldogs is “meaningless” for both teams.
The Bulldogs (by way of the Matadors forfeiting too many games) have already locked up a conference semi final game against the Warriors, while the Oilers and Bombers will have a play-in game the winner of which gets the Fightin’ Rafalski’s.
16-8 looks a lot better than 15-9.
Primarily we want to get everyone in and get our pitchers some work.
I have no idea what this is about.
Bad News for the Bulldogs.
Despite the dramatic nature of the Ducks win, in which Chris Wojton drove in the game winning run in the bottom of the seventh with a walk off bases loaded single to break the 4-4 tie, the post game reaction was somewhat subdued.
This was a trap game if ever one existed, and with the win, the Ducks at least force the Kenny Powers and the Sox to win one of their final three games to clinch the 2nd seed.
The Black Sox (15-6) magic number is 1. A loss by the Ducks or win by Brookline clinches for them.
balls.
The Ducks turned a sweet double play to end the first, The Ducks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom half.
Castle singled Gwin was hit by a pitch, Novak singled, and then Guthrie drove in two with a single up the middle.
The Ducks would go up 3-0 in the 3rd, Gwin was hit by another pitch, stole second, and Captain moved him to third with a well placed ground ball.
Then
Ducks all-star firstbaseman, Kirk Gibson singled to right.
it was 3-0 for a bit, The Ducks turned another great double play, the Bombers got angry when Guthrie made a sick diving catch in center that they said hit the ground, but didn’t.
Then the bombers went ahead 4-3 after a couple walks and a chopper got past the Ducks 3rd baseman, and then they hit a double and someone singled.
that sequence may have been spread over 2 innings.
Fletch relieved Smith, with South Oakland trailing 4-3 and held the Bombers scoreless the rest of the way.
The Ducks tied the score in the bottom of the fifth when Wojton tripled home someone, i think, and it was 4-4.
So it was tied in the top of the sixth and Gwin threw out the guy with one sock who tried to go from first to third on a single to left center.
Then Fletcher struck out one of their 3-hitter, and he was pissed.
The Bombers broke at least 2 bats by slamming them down in frustration after strikeouts.
Tied at 4 bottom 7.
Gwin lead off the seventh with a walk, stole second barely, Novak walked, then after an out, McCray walked to load the bases for Wojton who singled off the Bombers secondbaseman who waas pitching at the time.
Wojton also went from 1st to third on a single at one point.
Great game Chris, and Ducks.
one of the bottom 3 recaps of the year.
Can we start the playoffs already?
One more tune up against the Bulldogs on Sunday.
Depo’s slider is filthy, beware, Gray Bats…
Quack.
Giving up a total of 15 walks to anyone does not give you a good chance to win, unless of course you are me, Kenny F-ing Powers. Yeah we gave up 15 F-ing walks but we still won because not only I am the shit, but we, the Black Sox are the shit.
I am not really going to talk about the Ducks much just because I would rather talk about how great we are for that matter. This is why so many people may hate me, but people that hate me are haters and haters can suck it.
In the top end of the first the Ducks failed to score despite 3 walks. In the bottom half of the 1st the Black Sox put up 2 runs, with Florian, Klayko, and Brocollo each getting a hit.
After this inning I thought to myself there is no way we will lose this game because we are F-ing that damn good.
It became apparent in the 2nd inning that we would just toy with the Ducks by walking people, and when the time was right we would just shut them down. This way, the loss would be much harder to take rather than if we just ten-runned them. The Ducks did get a run in the second on 1 hit and 3 walks. Then the Black Sox put up two more runs in the bottom half to go up 4-1. Going into the third, JT calmed down and struck out the side. The Black Sox then followed with another run with doubles by Goldie and me, Kenny F-ing Powers, to extend the Black Sox lead to 5-1.
The Ducks would manage another run in the top of the 4th on 2 walks and an error, but the Black Sox would then put up 4 on 5 hits, yeah I had another F-ing double, to extend the lead to 9-2.
In the fifth JT again found his composure and struck out the side. The Black Sox failed to score a run in their half of the inning.
The sixth inning proved to be the best inning for the Ducks, mainly because someone from the stands kept screaming at the top of his lungs, “that is a balk” on almost every pitch. Guaranteed, this guy did not know what a balk is and let alone may have been on crack. It is what it is, and the Ducks put up 4 runs on 4 walks and two hits. Score 9-6 after 6.
The Black Sox made a pitching change in the 7th hoping this would cure the curse of the free pass. This was not the case. Jim Cannon ended up walking the first three batters to give the Ducks the bases with no outs. So I decided to call time out and talk to my pitcher. I told him, “What are you, some kind of pussy? Throw a F-ing strike! These walks are F-ing killing us!” He listened because I am F-ing great! Cannon struck out the next batter, got a ground ball out for the 2nd out, and picked up another K to end the game. Final score Black Sox 9 Ducks 7.
After that being said, I still am better than everyone alive, but the Ducks have come along way these past two years. They are a good team and deserve all the credit in the world. I look forward to seeing them again in the Playoffs. That is of course if they don’t lose to their rival Gray Bats first…
By Kenny Powers
full Ducks Bombers recap to follow
The Ducks trailed 9-2 heading into the sixth, but rallied for four runs in the inning then
South Oakland of the North Side had the bases loaded with no outs in the top of the 7th, but after a K, an RBI groundout and another K, the Ducks lost and Kenny Powers effectively clinched the 2 seed, unless the Black Sox lose out, and the Ducks win their last two games.
Full recap by Kenny F_ing Powers sometime Sunday.
We will see them again.
Thanks to all the fans, of both teams, who showed up.
We will need more of that, especially in the playoffs.
I really thought there was going to be a fight.
We may have eclipsed the Sox as the team with the most obnoxious fans.
That is a good thing.
Commish, the field ump was texting during the game.
Keep on Quacking in the free world.
BP, 6pm at Pitt.
The playoff loss last year was crushing a 9 run loss to the Black Sox.
The way things are shaping up, we will play this team again in the playoffs [barring an upset by the Gray Bats (3-19)]
Tonight’s game will all-but dictate which team gets a game off and which team has to throw one of their top two pitchers the day before the potential 2nd round match-up.
The PGH NABA old-timers remember a team from the early days in Ambridge that drank off hangovers in the first inning, smoked in the dugout, cursed, fought, agitated, and won.
That team was the Ducks in when you could still win in this league with a bunch of alcoholic ex-Legion players.
The Ducks filled the “Man I Hate Playing this F-ing Team full of shit talking assholes” niche before the Black Sox existed.
Kenny Powers basically modeled his franchise after the Ducks.
Baseball is ripe with history, even a league like ours something about the game lends itself to narrative and historical significance like a Philip Roth novel.
Pittsburgh NABA Pastoral.
One idea that was tossed around in a Phoenix hotel room scene reminiscent of a Led Zeppelin escapade, was to merge the teams in ’06.
I guess we would have been the Black Dux.
Obviously that didn’t happen, our catcher at the time said,
“We’d win, but f__k that, man…I’m a Duck,”
Ben Hartraft was a beast, he, like many other Ducks greats, blew out his arm.
When a bunch of guys you never heard of, but were pretty sick ball players, left for parts unknown, and the Red Scare Years enveloped South Oakland.
Even in the worst of times the Black Sox game was the one you got up for.
We’ve really been chasing the Black Sox since 2004, the first time they eliminated us from the playoffs.
We have the chance to beat one of the best pitchers our league has ever seen.
A kid who has a 19K game to his credit, and has thrown a no-hitter this season.
One run separates The Ducks and Black Sox in two games this season, 1/2 game in the standings.
Now we have a chance to take two of three from this team for the first time in a long time – possibly ever, and move ahead of Kenny Powers in the standings.
Tonight the ghosts of Black Sox games past hover with the smell of spilled beer and cigarette smoke above the concrete grand stand at Moore Park.
Alex Warren beat his former team last weekend.
Tonight we go back…
…to the future
Bad News for the Black Sox.
Quack.
Here are some random Darren Daulton links i found while searching for a sweet highlight montage that inexplicably doesn’t exist on youtube.
(someone find us some Daulton footage!, i’ll give you a dollar that you can then give to TC to pay the umpires.)
Daulton at his Kansas Hall of Fame induction.
Get Dutch to appear at your corporate function or party: Dutch link 1
performance enhancement: link 2
Darren Daulton can travel through time link 3
The official website link 4
What a man.
Quack.
Fletcher didn’t have his best stuff, but he still held the Rebels to one run.
He battled.
Dr. Jones had to shuffle the lineup with two of our best hitters,
SS, Frank Castle (above, ) and inf. Ryan Novak, mia,
and CF, Mars visiting friends in FLA
Kirk Gibson played a phenomenal game at short, and with Watson up the middle made all the plays. We got clutch hits and despite some odd base running occurrences, and some good defense by a much improved Fightin’ Reb’s team, The Ducks prevailed.
Our best hitter is mired in a slump, but he found a way to help the team win with his defense, throwing out three Rebels, two at third, one at second, and called a great game behind the plate.
Wojton made a great catch in the gap.
I don’t have the book – things will be a bit jumbled, here.
For the most part, this is not a friendly rivalry, and it got more heated today.
It’s not likely we will see this team in the playoffs, and its unlikely they will exist next season, but it was fun while it lasted. They have some talent on that team, and their nickname has really been the inspiration for this blog.
Most of those guys hate the shit out of the Ducks, and really wanted that game last night, which makes the win even sweeter.
Thanks to the fans for Quacking for us last night.
The early innings went quickly, Chris Feathers, put up a typical, Feathers-esque gutsy performance on the mound, and kept the Ducks scoreless for two innings, while Fletch worked out of trouble in the first two innings.
With one out and a runner on first in the top of the second, a diving attempt at what the Ducks left fielder thought was foul territory hit off his ten year old glove and went out of play, putting runners on second and third.
scored it a double,
Fletch came back to strike out some guy from South Carolina, and with two outs and runners on second and third, Fletch bounced one off the plate, the runners tried to advance or something, and Smith destroyed some kid with a throw to third. out of the inning.
I don’t know why but there was quite a fuss put up at this point. something about home plate being part of the playing field.
the batter never fouled it off, and i was in the outfield, but I’ll defer to Kenny Powers for the call
It was 0-0 going into the top of the third when with two outs, the Rebels lead off man bunted for a basehit and stole seocond.
Jefferson Davis hit a shot to deep short, Kirk made a diving stop and almost threw out Davis at first, but Davis’ blinding speed beat the throw and the runner went all the way home on the play.
good hustle, he ran like his plantation was on the line.
1-0 Rebels.
J. Smith threw out Davis at second, Kirk helped him with his helmet because he is a good sport.
More yelling and blaming the umps from The South.
In the bottom of the third Wojton walked to lead off the inning and Gwin doubled to left center.
Jefferson Davis was on his horse,
A perfect relay throw cut down Wojton at home, Gwin advanced to third.
after Kirk flew out to the fence, the Captain stepped into the box.
double to left.
he’s on fire.
1-1.
In the top of the fourth, the Rebels tried to mount a counter attack.
shame on a Rebel
Some guy hit a shot to right center, but Wojton was there
Another guy got thrown out at third, and there was a growing undercurrent of nastiness brewing, it was tangible. The Rebels started to get frustrated.
In the bottom half of the inning, Watson led off with a single, then Homa hit a blistering shot to left that was dropped by the Rebels outfielder, Watson was thrown out at second on a play he appeared to beat the throw, but whatever.
(remember that time you argued with the ump and he changed his mind?- didn’t think so)
Homa was on first with one out, Depo hit a monster shot to right, that got through the Rebels right fielder, guest thirdbase coach Garrett Moore sent Homa, the relay was off-line and Homa slid in safely.
Depo tried to take second, not happening.
Coby was hit by a pitch before Feathers recorded a K to end the inning.
2-1 Ducks through 4
but we had 3 consecutive players reach base and only got one run, how would we respond?
Fletcher struck out the Rebels 3-4-5 hitters in order in the top of the fifth
In the bottom of the 5th, Gwin was hbp, Kirk was thrown at and wound up with a walk, then once again
Captain singles to center.
Gwin scores
3-1 Ducks.
The frustration continued to mount in the Rebels dugout, as they continued to not score runs.
robbed on a questionable strike 3 last night.
The Ducks added an insurance run in the bottom of the 6th on an rbi ground out by Gwin.
Kirk was thrown at again.
You don’t want to know what phase 3 is.
The Rebels had a soldier on first in the top of the seventh, and had two hard hit outs before Fletcher enticed a ground out to end the game.
Now we have the Black Sox and their ace in a show down for the two-seed.
Great Scott…That’s Heavy
We have to travel to the lion’s den that is Moore Park.
All we can ask for is the opportunity and we’ve earned it.
1 run separates the Ducks and the Black Sox in our two games this season.
one half game separates us in the standings.
Back to the future with Kenny Powers and Co. this Saturday
Quack.
QuackQuackQuackQuackQuackQuackQuackQuackQuackQuackQuackQuackQuackQuackQuackQuack
South Oakland Ducks Baseball 