I’d better post this before i forget the game entirely…

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 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.

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.

rumor has it there was a bear in his apartment.

Let’s win two this weekend.

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.

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.

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”

The Ghostbusters welcome new recruit, LHP (and probably 1b/of) Alex Schwartz.

The Avalon Ghostbusters of the North Hills will not play tomorrow due to inclimate weather, and lack of a grounds crew. The Ghostbusters’ next game will be Saturday September 20th at Pie Traynor Field. I don’t know what I’m going to write about all week. Be prepared for nonsense. Feel free give me some ideas.

While the 2009 Ducks season is still 8 and a half months away, it’s not to early to start fund raising. For instance, this holiday season, why not by Ducks Hoodies for everyone you know, and ask your mom to buy you one for the holiday celebration of your choice.

The Ghostbusters are unlikely to fight against the elements in order to get in a game, although the field was mighty dry and may benefit from the rain if it doesn’t continue to late into the night.

Goodness knows we can’t reschedule for Sunday as that would cut into the twelve hour pre-game binge drinking preparation for the Steelers game at 8:30.
I’m a die hard Steelers fan, and I look forward to football season with the anticipation of a high school kid awaiting some quasi-holiday I don’t understand but allows me to miss school for a day, but I think the NFL is one step away from becoming self-aware and overtaking human kind.

I’ll have an email out to the Blues in a week or so outlining our plans for the Florida Citrus Classic, Jan 17th-19th. I hope we can retain most of our pitching staff.

I don’t have cable and I can’t find the remote, so I get to watch the worst Batman movie of all time, this may also be the worst movie in which Uma thurmon plays a predominant role. I think I may read a book soon.

I’d rather watch these two than the governer of California playing Mr. Freeze.

There is not much to report from Ducks, Ghostbusters, or Blues camp at the moment.
The Ghostbusters will probably need to add a couple Ducks to the lineup this Saturday, we only have eight confirmed players. I’m in the process of trying to aquire Eric Lee from the Crush, as the Ghostbusters are short on outfielders.

I am amazed that Batman and Robin was ever made. I hope if a Ghostbusters 3 comes to fruition, it has absolutly nothing in common with this sequel in another solid movie franchise. There are rumors of a third Ghostbusters film floating around the internet. Bill Murry is the only one who is not on board. Murry was not in Caddy Shack II, good decision. Since Dan Akroid is already in Ghostbusters, he will not be able to fill in for Murry in a hypothetical Ghostbusters 3, as he did in Caddy Shack II.

If you haven’t noticed, the NFL season has begun. Ducks’ pitcher, Nich Homa had the high score in the fantasy football league I am commisioning. Blues catcher, Craig “Ultimate Warrior” Boley also won handily.

Dominant.

The Blues will soon begin fundraising for the Florida Citrus Classic, which runs from Jan. 17th-19th in Palm Beach Florida. A solid showing in FLA would be a great way to start the tournament seaosn.

It would benefit the Ducks greatly to aquire some sponsorship money prior to the 2009 season. The T-shirt sales have been less than spectacualr, and I don’t think we can count on Gregg Campbell getting another $500 from the Bottelshop, I haven’t heard form him in a while. It’s never too early to solicit funds for your amateur baseball team.