fightin’ TJ Morgans

Game Day 6: Ducks vs. Bulldogs

2013 South Oakland Ducks Baseball

South Oakland Ducks (1-4)

vs

Pittsburgh Bulldogs (4-0)

9pm

SpringView Field

South Oakland returns to the Duck Pond looking to end a 2-game losing streak against the first place Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs are coming off an 8-4 win against Cranberry, in which Jeff Trojan’s mustache was named player of the game after intimidating Cranberry’s coach into several questionable in-game decisions including an ill-advised double switch that left them without a left fielder for two innings.

The Ducks are still learning the names of all their teammates.

We have rostered players, still away at school, who haven’t taken the field for us yet. This makes it hard to get a good read on where we stand depth wise, but isn’t an excuse for a pretty poor start.

Plenty of teams are missing guys this time of year.

We need to string a few wins together. No better place to start than against a top-tier opponent.

Let’s turn it around tonight.

Rumor has it, Jesse Ferko will make an appearance for South Oakland.

Baconator’s on the hill.

Bad News for the Bulldogs.

Clinton Sweeps South Oakland, 10-0, 8-5.

2013 South Oakland Ducks Baseball, pittsburgh NABA

Cherokee starting pitcher Jim Tessyier threw complete game, one-hit shutout in game one, allowing only 2 base runners. Clinton scored 6 runs in the bottom of the 5th to ten-run the Ducks.

South Oakland dropped a frustrating game two by a score of 8-5, and the team’s record now stands at 1-4.

During the game, Clinton’s manager’s back windshield was smashed out by a foul ball.

Despite the loss, the Ducks remain optimistic the team can put it together in time for a run at the playoffs.

We’ve got the pieces, we just need to keep grinding it out and the wins will come.

South Oakland plays next vs. the Bulldogs (2-1),  Monday night 9pm at Springview Field.

quack.

Game Day [4&5]: Ducks at Cherokee

2013 South Oakland Ducks Baseball

South Oakland Ducks

vs

Clinton Cherokee

2pm

and

4:30pm

Findaly Sportsplex

***

At least it’s not the middle of July and a million degrees out.

Really, it’s just great that the heritage of a Native American tribe from the Southeastern United States is being represented by an amateur baseball team that plays by the Pittsburgh International Airport.

Clinton lost to the Bulldogs earlier this year. Allegedly, after the victory, a prominent member of the Bulldogs made a bunch of subversively racist jokes and dated porn references directed at the Clinton fans and then took a shit in the Cherokee dugout.

“This may cause us to lose a field permit, but was well worth it,” said an anonymous Bulldog who witnessed the post game shit while raking the third base line. “You should have seen their coach whining about it. What a douche bag. Just play baseball and you won’t get shit in your dugout. The piping on those unis is pretty great, though.”

Clinton players were not permitted to speak to the press following the game, but were seen sunning wind sprints in the outfield while their coach cut himself in the bullpen.

***

South Oakland is coming off a shutout victory over the Militia, and is looking to keep up the momentum after a three hour drive down to Findlay.

Both teams will be missing a few starters.

Clinton is always tough on paper.

Last year the Ducks split the season series with the Cherokee.

 If we have our best nine, we can play with anyone.

Tensions could run high in this one.

depositphotos_6398100-Andrew-Jackson

Bad News for the Cherokee.

Ducks Win

2013 South Oakland Ducks Baseball, Ducks win, pittsburgh NABA, South Oakland Ducks Baseball

South Oakland improved to 1-2 on the season with a 3-0 win over the Monroville Militia, Saturday at Woodland Hills.

Ducks pitcher, Randy Patten, worked out of trouble early and threw a complete game shutout to improve to 1-1 on the season.

James Fago and Tj Morgan drove in runs for South Oakland.

Game 2 of the scheduled double header was cancelled due to rain.

Next up for the Ducks, a doubleheader against former Duck great, Ken Cool, and the Clinton Cherokee in Imperial next Saturday at 2pm.

I hear Clinton has sick new warmup jackets and alternate jerseys.

quack.

 

this team will not die…{EDIT: GAME Time changed to 5pm saturday, Beedle Park]

2013 South Oakland Ducks Baseball, pittsburgh NABA, South Oakland Ducks Baseball

The Duck Pond is retired. The South Oakland Ducks of the North Side will not have a home field this season. I’ll miss it, but not really. bad hops on that field allowed me to hit over .400 for six of the last seven seasons and Spring View was host to some of the most dominating pitching performances in Ducks history. Hopefully i’ll have time to give it a proper send off at some point. I’m sure we’ll get a random rainout game scheduled there. the Ducks can’t thank the league enough for working with us to help keep the team swimming, and allow me to reuse all the sweet Baconator photoshops from a couple years ago. The Black Sox almost became the team to beat this season…

***

The TJ Morgan lead-South Oakland Ducks will open the season this Saturday 4/13

5pm

at Beedle Park

vs Day Toyota.

Buy American.

Quack.

Quack

2013 South Oakland Ducks Baseball, who names their team the Rebels?

The 2013 south oakland ducks roster is nearly set. Everything hinges on a couple pitchers.

TJ Morgan has been named manager, and will make all the in-game decisions. Mark Guthrie is in charge of finances. Garrett Moore is in charge of the bases and helmets.

I will play left field.

we’ll pull it together and be competitive again.

Ken Cool’s jersey will be retired when the ducks play the indians.

no idea how to get rid of this ad.

quack

Playoff Gameday [2]: Ducks at Elliot

2012 South Oakland Ducks Baseball

South Oakland Ducks

at

Elliot

6pm

Herschel Park

***

We’re 1-7 all time against Elliot. The only win coming in game 2 of last year’s finals before we lost the series in three games.

As far as I’m concerned we’re playing with house money at this point.

Given the injuries we’ve suffered this season and all the unnecessary drama that has gone down, we can go out and play like we have nothing to lose. No one expects us to get out of this round. A win this evening will put us in great position.

Bad News for Elliot.

Ducks Win.

2012 South Oakland Ducks Baseball

Anthony DeFilippo drove in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh and James Fago pitched a complete game for the victory. scattering 4 hits and one walk to lead South Oakland to the victory over the Monroeville Militia Sunday night.

The Militia led 1-0 when Dan Stell scored on an RBI triple by Lombardi in the top of the fourth.

The Ducks answered in the bottom half of the inning when Jesse Ferko reached after a strikeout and a dropped third strike, stole second, advanced to third on a past ball, and then stole home.

 it was technically a past ball, but that backstop is six inches behind the plate. Still a great hustle play.

The Ducks pushed the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth: Bob Swartwout hustled out a ground ball to deep short and reached on an error by the first baseman, Fago singled, and after both runners advanced on a past ball, TJ Morgan delivered a 2-run single.

The Militia tied the game at 3 in the top of the seventh on a two-run, two out double by Banner.

In the bottom of the seventh Gwin led off with a bunt single, advanced to second on a past ball, and scored the winning run on DeFilippo’s single to center.

The Militia’s starting pitcher Joe Stupka left South Oakland earlier in the season due to scheduling conflicts, and struck out 15 Ducks in the loss.

What a game.

This recap in no way does justice to how tense and well played the game was.

South Oakland will play Elliot in a best of three series in the league semifinals starting this weekend.

Quack.

 

Fago

Playoffs, All Stars and More!

2012 South Oakland Ducks Baseball, pittsburgh NABA, who names their team the Rebels?

South Oakland opens the 2012 postseason against the Monroeville Militia Sunday July 22nd, 8:30pm at Moore Park.

The All-Star starters are up on the league home page.

Interesting how last-place Cranberry has 4 starters compared to the Ducks and Black Sox who have one apiece.

From our team I nominated Fago, Ken Cool, Morgan and Swartwout. Who will represent us at the all-star game in August if they choose.

Cases could be made for Houseman and me based on the numbers and Houseman being sick at fielding. But i’m not about to vote for myself, certainly not to start over whatever low-A prospect Clinton has in left field, and for some reason I thought Elliot was in our division and Wes White was a more deserving starter at SS. Sorry, House, for not knowing what teams are in our division.

I think we need a return to the mid-season all-star game next year so people actually show up. That was a lot of fun a couple years back, despite coach Kenny Powers not getting me an at-bat.

Apparently the Rebels and Warriors game last week ended in a fight with police called.

I forget the details. Hopefully they meet in the A championship and it’s really intense.

***

The Ducks Elliot game will not be rescheduled. We tried, but the weather and field availability worked against us. I would’ve liked to get some at bats before sunday.

Anyway…

After a brutal off-season and losing pitchers upon pitchers for a variety of reasons, the Ducks finished the regular season 11-10-2 and 8-4 in the division.

Good for fourth overall and second in the Monongahela.

We will be the home team on Sunday.

If I had known the 2-seeds were going to switch brackets, it would have been a lot tougher to release Stupka to the Militia. Ethically I made the right decision.

If both teams have everyone show up on Sunday night, it’s going to be a great game.

More tomorrow.

quack.