Ken Cool

Offseason Update, Misc. Ducks Happenings

2017 South Oakland Ducks, pittsburgh NABA, South Oakland Ducks Baseball

Ducks,

Send in your league dues. Let your coach know if you need a new hat or jersey. Do this ASAP. We have nine awesome pairs of stirrups still unaccounted for, and guys who have paid their dues get first dibs.

Personnel Moves: 2017 PITTSBURGH NABA (AA) HOT STOVE ADDITION

The South Oakland Ducks welcome longtime reader, Larry Z’s favorite player and Gray Bats all time leader in slugging percentage, average, HRs, RBI and ground rule doubles, Mark Lombardi to the team. He joins former Gray Bats, Ben Sorosky and returning catcher Rob Galvanek on the 2017 Ducks. If Lombardi wants stirrups, he can have them as he has paid his dues for the season. This move will sure up the outfield and make up for the loss of Brendan Chartier in the lineup.

Related, the Spring Hill Scooter will be named the Brendan Chartier Memorial Spring Hill Scooter, as Brendan played for the Oilers and Ducks and has now retired. The one-game stint with the Oilers occurred this summer when a few of us joined BIG OIL for an exhibition against Kenyon College in Ohio. That was a fun time. Thanks to Zach Ciccone for the invite and the Oiler’s organization for putting it together. Chartier retires tied for second all time in Ducks post-season home runs (1). (Gwin, 2, McCray, Ken Cool, Scioscia, Koshzow, 1).

A nod to Pat DiPaola who retired after two solid seasons. We always had a chance to win when he pitched. Doc leaves tied for the all time lead in post-season ejections (1).

Pitcher, Randy Patten has given the Ducks a verbal commitment to return to South Oakland after a few seasons with the Black Sox and Oilers.

Ken Cool’s brother is trying to release him so he can come play for us.

DJ Dover looks to return full time after becoming an air traffic controller and missing the last 3/4 of 2016 with work commitments.

Number 55 is in the best shape of his life.

Still no word on our field permit situation.

That’s about it. Not much turn over from last year’s third place team.

So far we’ve won a title every seven years. Unbelievably this is our fifteenth season coming up, so we are due to win it all again.

Quack.

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Quack Quack. Two Ducks Teams in 2014?

2014 South Oakland Ducks, NABA, pittsburgh NABA, South Oakland Ducks Baseball, who names their team the Rebels?

Fuck this winter.

It looks like TJ Morgan is running the AA Ducks, and I’m running the single A Ducks. I’m still trying to find a loophole to allow me to play on both teams, but I’m not sure that’s going to happen.

The split should’ve happened in 2010, but no one on that team was going to step down and play in a lower division. Instead, a bunch of guys quit rather than take reduced roles. And, really, who wants a reduced role in a fucking summer league? No one. I strained some friendships over that mess, and I probably deserve it. Maybe I shouldn’t give as much of a shit four years later, but I’m obsessed with narrative–the story in this mess, and without conflict there’s no story. So I think about it.

This weather is making me sound depressed. Here’s a photoshop to lighten things up. Some of my best work!

2007WorldChamps-Rebels_photo_poop_2 copy

The A Ducks are shaping up pretty well. We have a bunch of guys from the Militia, and a few ghosts of South Oakland past returning. I think it’ll be fun. We will be competitive. If the pitching holds up, we should contend with the other sandbagging teams for a title. I think those are realistic expectations.

Morgan’s Ducks, will be nasty this year, too, if the pitching holds up. The Fightin’ Ducks, is what it looks like since everyone still has Ducks jerseys. Morgan does things the right way, and helped the franchise through a rough patch last season that saw a near folding of the team, and a collapse down the stretch and a ton of games in the middle of nowhere. It sucks to run a team without a pitching staff, and guys who won’t commit.

Teams that left in the offseason: The Militia. Elliot. Maybe one other one. This will be the Ducks 12th season.

If it wasn’t for Elliot, we could conceivably have won two or three titles in the last four years. We’d have won in ’11 maybe ’12. What would have been awesome, is if we played the Cherokee in the finals or semis two years ago. But this is some space time continuum shit. Whatever. Elliot made the league better. Not upset I don’t have to face Barnes again. They beat us 20-3 one game, the year where only divisional games counted towards our record so we punted that one and got slaughtered.

The Militia broke up, the team that was the Orioles, Knights, Gray Bats, and Rebels who left the Black Sox who were the Stampeders.

militia

With Monroeville disbanded, who will defend the league?

Not Captain America.

Guthrie retired. The last holdover from the TC Jones era, Guth beat the Black Sox to win our most recent championship. Guth went 6 1/3 innings on the mound in a 5-3 win in the clinching game then blacked out and split his chin open that night celebrating. Blood and cheap whiskey everywhere. That’s always how it ends.

Goodnight Captain.

Quack.

Gameday 20: Ducks at Pour House

2013 South Oakland Ducks Baseball

South Oakland Ducks (7-12)

at

Pour House Pirates (7-10)

9:30AM

Hershel Park

The last time we played the Pirates we were pulling guys off the street to play, and we still put up 10 runs before an epic collapse in the top of the seventh in which Pour House scored nine unanswered and went on to beat us 14-10.

It would be nice if West End got nine together on Friday to at least force Pour House to use up some pitching. They play three games in four days and are one game ahead of us in the standings. This weekend is huge for playoff implications as we get down to the wire. We have almost all our starters available Saturday morning, so we don’t have any excuses if we can’t hold them under 14 runs.

Jesse Ferko is playing third.

Bad News for the Pirates

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.

 

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

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.

 

 

Ducks Lose. Mound Destroyed.

2012 South Oakland Ducks Baseball

Playing without team MVP, and number one starting pitcher James Fago (and three other regulars) South Oakland dropped its most important game of the season 13-11 to the Clinton Cherokee Wednesday night. We fought hard and came up just short. Clinton led 4-0, after one, 7-1 after two and we brought it to i think 9-8 in the third.  Then they scored three in the fourth, and one in the fifth before we put up three in the bottom of the sixth. I could go get the book out of my car to make sure, but I won’t.

I’m not one for moral victories. We had a chance to win the division and we didn’t. Maybe we still allow 13 runs if we have a couple guys in on defense, but we only made a few errors, a pop-up and two grounders. Everyone who showed up played hard. Guthrie and Strom played especially well, and maybe those two don’t get in if everyone’s there, so who knows. Clinton ran on us all day, if we have another infielder we can maybe make defensive moves to address that. It’s frustrating.

They also hit like fifteen home runs.

We split the season series with Clinton and aside from our first matchup we’ve played them tough every time. I don’t think they expected that.

One positive I take from the loss is that we battled, and we were patient at the plate against that kid who threw at least 120mph and let him walk us.

We had the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the sixth.

The game was called due to time limit. I definitely managed the pitching as if we were playing seven, and that’s my fault for not realizing we were going to come up against the time limit, which I should have figured out when it was 9-8 in the third.

We’ve got to retire the Duck Pond next year. That field is getting dangerous due to neglect by the city, and their reluctance to let us work on it or get us the keys to the equipment shed.

Tessyier removed the rubber in the fifth and both teams pitched without it.

We open the playoffs next Sunday July 22nd, agains the 3 seed in the other division, which will be either the Bulldogs or the Militia.

Commish says the cross-divisional playoff games are a means to not punish the stronger division, which makes sense, but I think it may cause issues in the second round if both two seeds advance there isn’t a way to properly re-seed, since all season we’ve been playing for best division record. No matter what Joe does someone will be unhappy. Playoff seeding won’t be what keeps us from playing for another championship, if we don’t get out of the semis it will be lack of pitching depth necessary to win a 3 game series.  We’ll figure something out.

The Ducks play the Black Sox Sunday night at 9pm at Moore Park.

Ducks Win: Ducks 7, Cranberry 6

2012 South Oakland Ducks Baseball

James Fago hit a walk off two-run single in the bottom of the seventh to lead South Oakland past Cranberry Wednesday night. South Oakland (8-1, 11-6-2) led 5-2 after the first inning, but Cranberry (1-7, 6-13) scored 1 run in the third, fifth and sixth innings to tie the game at 5 and took a 6-5 lead in the seventh.

In the bottom of the seventh with one out, Casale and Johnston hit back to back singles, then Morgan walked to load the bases for Fago who ended the game with a single to center.

With three division games remaining, the Ducks lead the Cherokee (6-3, 13-6) by 2 games.

The Cherokee have two games left against Cranberry and one against us.

We have two against the Black Sox and one against the Cherokee.

We lead the season series 2-1 over the Cherokee.

I’m pretty sure if we finish tied we lose the tie breaker.

Notes: Bring back Right Down Broadway. The plate ump last night was unspectacular.

The kid who pitched for Cranberry threw well. He also hit a solo home run in the first.

Good teams win close games. Cranberry had a chance to steal one, and I think it was Guthrie and TJ Morgan’s veteran leadership that pulled South Oakland through last night.

It’s going to be a battle for the last playoff spot between the Black Sox (2-6) and Cranberry (1-7).

South Oakland has won four straight and ten of twelve since starting 1-4-2

The Ducks are off until Monday when we play the Black Sox at home.

Quack.