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

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 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 of the North Side won their tenth game of the season playing fantasic defense behind another outstanding, starting pitching performance, shutting out the Bombers on D-Day.

Mike Fletcher scattered five hits over five innings and struck out five Bombers, without giving up a walk, and Rick Whalen drove in what proved to be the game winning run with a two out, 2-run double in the second to lead the South Oakland Ducks of the North side to a 4-0 victory over the Allegheny Bombers.
Adam Smith pitched two scoreless innings in relief, and the Ducks record improved to 10-3.

The game was delayed by fog for a half hour or so, then the Bombers were cleared for take off.

It was a pitcher’s duel early, the guy from the Bombers, who is probably their regular shortstop, pitched well limiting the Ducks to only a few base runners and limiting the number of hard hit balls as the game progressed through the early morning.

The biggest difference was the Ducks defense (error free on the day), and the ability of the bottom of the Ducks lineup to get on base and produce runs.
Captain America, Britton, Slick, and Dr. Jones batted in the 7-10 spots in the lineup and accounted for three runs.

In the second inning,
Captain walked and Britton singled, then Rick hit a double to left center, then it was Jones’ turn
A napalm blast down the first baseline to drive in the 3rd run.

It was 3-0 Ducks when this happened.

It was going to be a brawl the rest of the way.

4-0 Ducks.

The Bombers threatened, getting men on first and second a couple times, but they could not get the big hit they needed.
Mike “Tyler” Fletcher got big outs when he needed inducing many groundballs which were fielded and thrown accurately for outs.
Dickey made a great backhand play on what appeared to be a sure hit up the middle in the 5th, securing the shutout.
The Bobmers’ 7-9 hitters combined to get on base once all game ( I think), a single by their last hitter who acted like he had just won the Atlantic City Memorial Day Tournament when he blooped one in front of the Ducks’ left fielder who was playing with a pulled quad.

The Ducks 7-10 hitters got on base 6 of eleven times, including Coby’s sweet hbp and stolen base in a pinch hit appearance for Wojton.
Coby has more stolen bases than Wojton.

Nothing like a guy who has gone 1 for the season talking shit after a 4-0 loss to a team that is six games better in the standings.

Aside from him, the Bombers were solid human beings, and had to be missing some players.
Good luck to them the rest of the way.

bullet points & Mid-Season Notes

• Defense and starting pitching have carried our team through the month long stretch of one game per week.
• Remember when we used to play on Monday Nights?
• The Dr. and I took in some of the double header between the Owlz and the Gray Batz – the Ducks have a better chance of beating the Owlz than we do of losing to the Gray Bats – take that however you want.
• The Owlz seemed disinterested and still smoked the Gray Bats, albeit not by the 25 runz we may have assumed.
• You could have been a Duck Sorosky, all those unearned runzzzz – wooooo.
• The Gray Bats will come out with their guns blazing, ala the guy[s] who shot 50 cent, this saturday morning. If we lose I’m handing over admin of the blog to Larry for the rest of the year – no one wants that, not even Larry. All hands on deck.
• Slick Rick and the Invisible Hand have been our most improved players this season, their contributions have been noticable, both have embraced and thrived in a reduced roles on a winner after struggling through the Red Scare years. – While Wojton is finding his stroke, and before Captain America got his command back, they have picked up the slack at the plate and on the mound.
• Kirk Gibson is also playing up to his potential after batting only .260 or something last seaosn – a natural shortstop playing without an ACL he has made a seamless transition to first base, and is a corner stone of our infield – and allows last year’s first baseman an outfielder by trade to get back to his natural position.
• Depo was having a solid year, until he skipped Saturday’s game to rest for Kenny Chesney and was cut. Sorry, Depo.
• Our firstbaseman last year was gay anyway.
• Dr. Jones has taken this team from the scrap heap and turned it into one of the top teams in the league.
• Dr. Radical for Life.
• Aside from Jesse Smith, Tony Casale has been our most valuable player.
• Britton Mike and Mike have embraced the time-share at second base.
• Watson’s ankle is healing, I hope.
• Darren Daulton is unreal, when we don’t have to play at 8am he leads the team in Avg. doubles, and allows Jesse to play 3rd, where he imposes a Mike Schmidt like presence.
• If we beat the Gray Bats (1-12) on Saturday we assure ourselves that we will finish with a better record than them and we will equal our win total from last season with ten games to play.

Quack.