Elliot pitcher, Stu Barnes carried a no hitter through 6 and 1/3 innings, and went 2 for 3 with a double and a triple to lead defending champion Elliot (1-0) past South Oakland (0-1) Wednesday night.
The game was scoreless through three, and then a few balls that should have been caught weren’t and Elliot scored 7 runs.
Jesse Ferko and Chris Roth had hits for the Ducks. Roth drove in the Ducks only run in the top of the seventh on an infield single.
We’ll round into form by divisional play, if not sooner.
Despite the loss, spirits remain high in South Oakland as the team looks to rebound against the Bulldogs Saturday morning.
We’re in a division with the Cherokee, Black Sox, and Cranberry.
I’m pretty sure only the top tree in each division make the playoffs.
I’m not sure if it’s based solely on division record, or if it’s overall record or what.
Barring the inevitable rain, we will play the bulldogs twice and then a double header against the Militia to round out five games in the first eleven days of the season.
The South Oakland Ducks of the North Side will rol out a roster featuring the top players from the 2007 team, and members of the Fightin’ Ra 2009 League Champion Hurricanes.
Everyone is excited to get the season started. It will be the Ducks 10th.
Realignment was discussed last league meeting, no clue how that panned out.
Big time rivalry with the cherokee. Bring your smallpox-infested blankets to that one.
Godspeed flip, berdine and tish, etc.
I put the over/under on how long that team lasts at 1.5 seasons.
And there’s a new rebels team apparently, who we will not play as they are in the A division.
After a rough start to the offseason and a few months of uncertainty, South Oakland management has rallied to put together what will be a competitive team for 2012.
Projected line up:
Dave Lewandowski CF
Ken Cool 3b
James Fago P/C
Matt Stahl 1b
Chris Roth Rf
Kirk Gibson SS
Brett Pusateri 2b
Ben Hartranft C/DH
Mark Guthrie P/OF
Ben Gwin OF
Management is still in negotiations with Tony Casale, Mike Watson and Hartranft’s rotator cuff. Hopefully all three are ready to contribute this summer.
James Fago is our manager this season, and he’s in the best shape of his life.
Get in touch with him (or me, if you must) if you plan on playing this season. As always, roster spots go to returning Ducks before we fill in the gaps with Dominican League players Rob Cool knows through some ex-AAU coach, who used to play DII ball in Eastern Ohio, and sells sneakers out of the back of a truck at Waynesburg away games.
We owe the league our first $500 in the next few weeks, and Nike is sending people to my home trying to shake me down for the money we didn’t raise to cover our unis last year.
We have ten games left. Realistically, to win the division we have to win the rest of our games and have Elliot lose at least once. It’s possible they’ll drop one in their last nine or so. They have Brookline twice and two against the Militia and I think either of those teams could steal one from Elliot if they get good pitching and defense.
I think Kenny Powers and Brookline win tomorrow.
We have to win out. One game at a time starting tonight with another division opponent in the confusingly-named Express.
Rain is dominating the Pittsburgh NABA through two weeks of play, but it looks like we might actually play tomorrow.
Bullet Points.
YODA will show up at a bulldogs game and get into a fight with Trojan and/or Trojan’s “partner.”
The Militia will finish the regular season ahead of the Black Sox for the first time since they were the Rebels.
Clearly, the Sharks based their team name off West Side Story
The Bulldogs will finally win a playoff game/series…
in the 28+ league.
Elliot will lose to the Black Sox in the playoffs when that guy who yells ‘Kenny Powers’ climbs the fence at Moore Park and knee-drops Elliot’s Ace in the 3rd inning, sparking a rally and a controversial win for Brookline when, after a two hour delay for the paramedics to cart the guy off the field and half the lights go out and the game is decided in a beer shot-gunning contest in the parking lot.
Then the Sox lose to the Ducks in the semis.
Anthony DeFilippo for MVP – believe it.
I don’t think there were league awards awarded last season. And where’s our trophy. It belongs in Guthrie’s living room until someone dethrones us.
We should move to a title belt.
Militia vs. the Fightin’s wil be heated. The Canes have more heated intra-division rivalries than anyone.
Rumor has it the Militia made a run at Rafalski in the off season.
Halloway is not pleased.
The big question is will the Ducks repeat.
We’re taking applications for Ducks Manager for the 2012 Season.
Pitching for the first time since he lost to Guthrie and the Ducks in the 2010 Championship, Pete Chalfin tossed a perfect game against the Express Thursday night at Moore Park.
Brookline wins 6-0, and move to 1-0 in the Patrick Division.
Kenny Powers is pumped.
The Express did not reach first base Thursday.
***
The Defending Champion South Oakland Ducks hare set to open the season against the Eagles on Wed, April 27, 9pm at Springview Field.
Amidst a flurry of shit talking via email correspondence, Big Oil boasted of their ability to receive government subsidies and enjoy tax-free status, while the middle class, as represented by the blue collar Brookline Black Sox and manager, Kenny Powers, continues to shrink and pay $4.00 a gallon.
South Oakland has a healthy respect and disdain for our long time rivals in Brookline who have been busy collecting seasonal unemployment and tossing beer kegs and cinder blocks at one another as part of an intense off-season conditioning program.
I imagine words insinuating milkshake drinking were thrown about while Oil management sauntered about Brooks Brothers buying polo shirts during lunch hour, and unwittingly hit ‘reply all’ on on of their team iPhones.
Big Oil plans to throw their ace tonight against Brookline with a game against the defending champion Ducks on Wednesday.
Clearly they think we’re a bunch of pussies. I don’t know what other conclusion can be logically drawn.
In other news, I finally saw There Will Be Blood, and the Oilers homepage finally makes sense. Solid flick.
Well played there for sure.
Ironically, the Black Sox picked their new team slogan, “Use a fucking piano leg with a nail in it if you have to,” from another Daniel Day Lewis movie, Gangs of New York.
If it doesn’t get rained out it should be a good one tonight at Spring View, as the revamped Big Oil squad takes on the always dangerous, Black Sox in a 2010 semifinal rematch.
South Oakland Ducks Baseball 