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Ducks Lose. Season Over.

2015 South Oakland Ducks Baseball

South Oakland lost 12-5 to the Eagles today in Shaler. A couple key errors led to seven unearned runs.

This was a really frustrating game. We were missing our ace, and a couple starters, but we played poorly and the Eagles took advantage of our mistakes. They put the ball in play and we missed it and every error led to runs. Apparently the Eagles beat the Express today too.

This was a microcosm of the whole season for us. We got down after a few errors and we could not come back. Something was off this year and it’s hard to pinpoint. I think if we had some success early in a couple games we blew in the late innings, we could have had a better mentality throughout the season in tough spots. I don’t know. It was a rough year. Collectively, we underachieved right to the end.

But we will be back next year, and with little turnover and a season playing together we will be fine if we can add a couple arms to the top of the rotation. If the Black Sox disband, it might help up in this regard.

I take the blame as manager for not doing more to put guys in o to succeed this season.

My personal highlight of the season was the game at Pie Traynor when my daughter came to watch and I hit a ball about as far as I’ve hit one in ten years, for a triple to center. She was so fired up about it. Her dad hit a triple. That was worth all the hassle of running the team for me. That’s while I do it again next year, because my daughter likes watching her dad play baseball, and that won’t last for much longer.

One time she said to me, “Dad, remember when you lost ten to nothing? That wasn’t very good. But it’s OK. It doesn’t matter if you win or lose.”

So there’s some perspective, I guess, as I sulk in front of the TV, trying to muster the energy to shower.

Thank you, Ducks for giving me another year of baseball, and keeping the team going. Thanks, Joe Graff for doing the thankless job of running the league, again.

Thanks, Bob Faust and Garrett Moore for your years of service to the Ducks. Both Bob and Garrett retired folowing this season. Bob played for a total of five years in 2005-07 and 2014-15, while Garrett logged six seasons at various intervals between 2006 and 2015. Both guys showed up and helped out and played hard. You will be missed.

Thanks, to the fans who showed up every so often, sorry we couldn’t give you something better to watch this weekend.

Big thanks to the Limbachs who kept score and provided all kinds of support and positivity during a tough season.

I hope Jefferson Hills looses, whatever else happens in the playoffs.

Here are the team awards:

MVP:

Pat DiPaola

Defensive Player of the Year:

DJ Dover

Offensive Player of the Year:

Brandon Culp

(with a nod to great seasons at the plate by Morgan, Strom, Koshzow and Tuomisto)

quack.

Ducks Swim Into Playoffs

2015 South Oakland Ducks Baseball, NABA, pittsburgh NABA, South Oakland Ducks Baseball

South Oakland of the North Side has won three straight and four of their last five games to finish with a semi-respectable 10-11 record. The Ducks clinched the 5th seed with a 10-0 win over the Devils, last Sunday.

The Ducks have won their last two games by a combined score of 26-6.

Our game vs. the Bulldogs tonight was cancelled becuase the city gave our rain date to the youth league that plays at Spring Hill, didn’t tell anyone until this afternoon, and we couldn’t find an open field anywhere else tonight on such short notice.

I guess it’s fitting. The regular season was somewhat disappointing (as was the blog), but high points include beating the defending champion WOLFPACK 7-1, the wild, 13-12 walkoff win vs. Cranberry, and the walkoff come-from-behind 3-2 win against the Eagles last week.

We can make up for all that mediocrity with a couple wins this weekend.

Our lineup matches up well. We scored 121 runs in 21 games. If we keep playing sound defense, we can make a run at it, especially given the playoff format. We just have to get past the play-in game. The one and done round is intense.

Here is the bracket:

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Here are the standings, pending the outcome of tonight’s Carrick / WOLFPACK! game

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On Saturday morning we will play the Eagles, with whom we have split a pair of really close games this season.

If we lose to the Eagles our season is over.

If we win, we will play the winner of the Cranberry vs. Oilers Game immediately following the Eagles game.

I remember when the Eagles had a lefty shortstop for like 3 years and routinely beat us anyway. Bad times.

Hopefully we have 3 games next weekend for me to not recap.

quack.

Ducks Win

2015 South Oakland Ducks Baseball, Ducks win, NABA, pittsburgh NABA

South Oakland snapped a two-game losing streak last night, beating the WOLFPACK 7-1 at Spring Hill.

Doc_Brown

Pat Dipaola pitched a complete game for his first win as a Duck, improving his record to 1-2 on the season. He struck out 6 and walked 2.

The Ducks took a 1-0 lead in the first when Tuomisto singled in Gwin. Gwin has been hit by a pitch in every regular season game the Ducks have played against West View in the last two seasons.

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West View didn’t really threaten until the third when they had a guy single and steal second with one out. Limbach threw him out trying to steal third, and Pat struck out the batter to end the inning.

In the bottom of the third, the Ducks added 2 more runs on four singles. After a fielder’s choice, Strom was by a pitch in the goin for his first RBI of the season. AFter a 2-for-2 night at the plate, Strom is batting .500 on the season.

duck water gif

The Ducks scored two more in the fourth when Nichols doubled to lead off the inning and scored on a throwing error by the thirdbaseman on Casale’s infield single. Casale was thrown out at second trying to advance. Then Gwin doubled and scored on another throwing error by the thirdbaseman.

WOLFFPAAAACKKKK!!!!

That kid had a rough night. He’s normally really solid over there.

West View scored a run in the fifth, loading the bases on 2 one-out singles and a walk, and scoring on a single to right. Doc worked out of the jam, getting a wolf to ground into a 1-2 out out, and then inducing a bases loaded flyout to center.

WOLFPAAAAACK!!!

It was during this inning one of their fans taunted Morgan in right. Because the league needs more old men who come to games and scream at the slightly younger men who are playing adult league baseball against their children or grandchildren. Great stuff.

The_Pack_Wolfpack_Party_cover

In the bottom of the sixth, Morgan hit a one-out single to right, driving in 2 runs to put the game out of reach.

Their pitcher threw over 130 pitches. We had many good at bats and wore him down. We didn’t make any errors.

This was a much needed win against a good team. We crushed the defending champs a week after losing to the last place Devils. It’s been that kind of year, but things are looking up.

With the win, South Oakland imroves to 4-7 on the season. The Ducks next game is 9PM Saturday night, at Moore Park vs. the Monsters.

quack.

 

Gameday 7: Ducks vs. Dirty Birds

2015 South Oakland Ducks Baseball

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (4-3)

VS.

Mon Valley Dirty Birds (10-3)

9PM

Springivew Field

After a dramatic walk off win vs. Cranberry, South Oakland returns to the friendly confines of Spring Hill to host Mon Valley, in what figures to be our toughest game yet. Last year, this team was the second place Lions, most of their best players left and started the Dirty Dirds as an homage to former Atlanta Falcons great, Jamaal Anderson’s touchdown dance.

Their coach garaunteed a victory over the defending AAA champion Cherokee in the league meeting this winter. Clearly, they have huge, dirty balls. They also play Clinton on Sunday, while the Ducks face longtime rival Brookline on Thursday, so, perhaps, we are each others trap game tonight.

Gray Bats, Weak - Day 6: Close Your Eyes and Try to Think About Baseball

The Dirty Birds have a far more professional looking website than this one. Solid. Very GIF-centric. The effort there reminds me of the mid-to-late-aughts, when I didn’t mail-in 90% of these posts, and we had Star War characters and the Hurricanes shit talking each other in the comments for months.

Ducks Opener: Thursday 9pm, Moore Park.

South Oakland may have turned it’s season around, by avoiding a fourth division loss on Monday, but it won’t mean much if we can’t build on it. We showed some resiliance. If we want to make a run at the title this year, we will likely have to go through this team. I’m curious to see if they are as dirty as they claim. We will probably see #22 and that other pitcher who throws hard for them. They will yell a lot.

But we have Doc on the hill for us tonight.

doc naba

Bad News for the Dirty Birds.

Ducks Win: South Oakland 12, Cranberry 11

2015 South Oakland Ducks Baseball, Ducks win, pittsburgh NABA

South Oakland snapped a two-game losing streak Monday night at Magee Field, when Brandon Culp capped a two run seventh with a walk-off single to center.

The Ducks lead 2-0 after two innings on RBI from Dipaola and Koshzow.

Then Cranberry scored five in the top of the 3rd to take a three-run lead. Some guy hit one into the pool beyond the left field fence.

The Ducks answered, scoring three runs with two outs in bottom half of the inning when Cranberry’s catcher threw a ball into center on a double steal followed by TJ Morgan’s two-run single.

5-5 after three.

Cranberry scored two runs in the top of the fourth. In the bottom half of the inning the Ducks scored two to tie the game at seven when Casale singled, Gwin reached on an error, Culp walked and Koshzow singled home 2 runs.

7-7 after four.

At this point, the strike zone seemed to shrink, and there were a bunch of walks.

In the top of the fifth, Cranberry scored three runs on two hit batters, two walks, a single, and a fielder’s choice before Duck’s reliever Ben Sorosky induced an inning ending 1-6-3 double play.

In the bottom of the fifth, of course, the Ducks scored three runs to tie the game, again. Strom doubled to right to start the inning, and pinch runner Andy Nichols scored on a single by Galvanek. Then Tuomisto doubled in Galvanek, Gwin singled in Tuomisto.

10-10 after five.

Cranberry scored one in the top of the sixth. The Ducks were kept off the score board in the bottom of the inning.

11-10 after Six.

In the top of the seventh, Garrett Moore made possibly the catch of the year on a ball down the right field line. The defensive specialist/bullpen catcher/bench coach made a Full extension diving catch to rob a sure double. Ducks pitcher, Ben Phillips (3-0), then retired the side with a K and a ground out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, Tuomisto drew a one-out walk, Limbach singled, and Casale hit into a fielder’s choice to put runners on first and third with 2 outs for Gwin who singled in Tuomisto to tie the game. Then, with runners on first and second, Brandon Culp hit a 1-1 pitch back up the middle and Casale scored from second.

12-11 Ducks.

What a game.

We only made one error: a low throw on a pickoff attempt at first. There were several fine defensive plays by the Ducks on the evening. Naturally, our defense won us this 12-11 game. Cranberry (4-8) made four errors.

Ducks of note:

Strom: 2-for-2, 2B, BB

Koshzow: 2-for-2, 2B, 2BB, 2RBI, R

Culp: 3-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2R

Casale: 2-for-4, BB, SB, 3R

South Oakland (3-4) next plays tomorrow night at the Duck Pond when they take on the first place Dirty Birds (10-3).

quack.

 

Gameday 7: Ducks vs. Cranberry

2015 South Oakland Ducks Baseball

South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (2-4)

vs.

Cranberry (4-7)

8pm

Magee Field

Cranberry has been in the leage for like five years without picking a team name.

Lazy.

This is a team we can out hustle.

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This image appeared when I googled, “cranberry mascot”

 If  were them, I would just go with the Astros and get those sweet early 80s jerseys with the horizontal strpies.

Or be the rays and rock these unis, which would fit with their color scheme.

Cranberry has a non-player coach, which I am theoretically and philosophically opposed to in adult league baseball. They dropped down to Double A after a rough season last year, while the Ducks moved up after finishing 3rd in Single A. This is the kind of matchup the league wanted with the new format. It should be pretty even. They will probably throw Andy becuase he always pitches for them, and their other guy will probably be at some cookout in Wexford.

fc,550x550,cranberry

As did this image

So far, Cranberry has played elevn games and lost seven. They lost to the Oilers 5-2, but beat the express 14-1. The Express, of course, beat the Oilers 13-0.

Additionally, Cranberry beat the WOLFPACK! who beat Jefferson Hills who beat the Cherokee.

Last weekend, Cranberry dropped a double header to the Warriors and the Cherokee by scores of 9-0 and 13-1, respectively.

I guess the Warriors are the best team in the league.

Pittsburgh naba

South Oakland enters the game having lost three of its last five. Two of those losses were by 2 runs, and the other came in 8 innings. We’re a couple bad bounces away from being 5-1, but we don’t have any control over that. That shit evens out. That’s baseball.

I think while Cranberry doesnt have a name, this Ducks team still doesn’t have an identity, and that’s on the returning players and mostly on the manager to cultivate that. We’re underachieving right now. We have time to turn it around, but it’s got to start soon. We’re due to start putting it together.

Game Day [10]: Ducks (6-3) vs Bulldogs (3-3)

Bad News for Cranberry.

Ducks Lose Heartbreaker to BIG OIL: 10-6 in 8 innings

2015 South Oakland Ducks Baseball, NABA, pittsburgh NABA, South Oakland Ducks Baseball

We had our 3 hitter up with one out and the bases loaded, tie game, in the bottom of the seventh and he crushed a one-hopper to the shortstop who made a ridiculous backhand then threw out a runner at home. It’s like if he hit a crappy chopper or something we probably get the run in. That’s baseball, though. Our four hitter then flew out to center.

In the top of the eighth, the Oilers scored four unearned runs.

We had some very hard hit outs. We got solid pitching, but we booted a couple. One of their guys hit a solo home run. I don’t know how we didn’t win this game. It was frustrating.

Former Duck, Anthony Ciccone pitched all 8 innings for the Hebrew Oilers (3-5). He pitched well and deserved the win.

IMG_9676

After getting rained-out on what turned out to be a beautiful Sunday evening, South Oakland (2-3) will take on the Devils (2-9), Wednesday, 9PM at Spring Hill.

Quack.

Ducks Split 2 Games Last Week

2015 South Oakland Ducks Baseball, NABA, pittsburgh NABA, South Oakland Ducks Baseball

On Tuesday night, South Oakland of the North Side lost to the Shaler Rebels, 11-9, in a game they lead 8-4 after three and a half innings.

A combination of walks, hitbatsmen and errors led to a seven-run fourth inning for Sahler. The Ducks could not recover. South Oakland left the bases loaded twice and had the tying run at the plate in the top of the seventh.

Pat Dipaola hit a 3-run homerun in the loss and pitched 3 scoreless innings. Culp had a great game in center field, making an over the shoulder catch at the wall, and throwing a guy out at home. Donnie hit a ground rule double.

That team could hit a little bit, but we should win games in which we score nine runs. The defense has not helped out our pitching thus far.

abraham-lincoln-antietam-battlefield

On Wednsday, The Ducks beat the Maulers 6-1 in Spring Hill. Andy Nichols and Ben Phillips (2-0) combned to allow 1 run over seven innings. Nichols pitched the last four, and I think he allowed 2 baserunners. Culp hit a three-run home run over the house beyond the left field fence. I’ve never seen a ball hit that far at Spring Hill. We played better defense in this one.

Ducks firstbaseman and DH, Eric Tuomisto went 6-for-6 with a walk over the two game stretch. I don’t think he’s gotten out yet this year. Mike Brandt and Ben Sorosky both have 2-game hitting streaks. TJ Morgan was hit by a pitch.

To summarize: We can hit, but we need to play better defense. Our fifth guy off the bench is probably batting .400 right now. And, I swear, the big roster will payoff when people start going on vacation.

RIVER MONSTER

South Oakland (2-2) next plays on Wed. 5/13 at home vs. the resurgent BIG OIL who beat the first place Dirty Birds last week. The Hebrew Oilers (2-3) are led by a couple former Ducks. It should be a fun game.

Note: Jeremy Barchie may have re-retired after blowing his arm out again. We are willing to offer him a one-day contract so he can finish his career as a Duck.

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Three Divisions

2015 South Oakland Ducks Baseball, NABA, pittsburgh NABA

The league moved to three divisions. We will be in the middle division. Teams in Double A will play regular season games against every team in the league. All games will be weighted equally. Playoffs will be seperated by division.

I’m excited for the chance to play against the best teams in the league.

The games against the AAA teams will help prepare us for playoffs, and the games agasint the A teams will allow us to get everyone playing time. The Double A Division will be tough.

Big picture wise, this will allow more teams to have more competitive games and allow everyone to compete for a championship in their respective division.

I wonder how teams will set their rotations against the upper and lower level teams. Do you punt games against Jefferson Hills to save arms for when you face the WOLFPACK, or the Express? There’s another element of stategy added now with the unbalanced schedule. It should be interesting.

Discussions got heated today in the league meeting. It was pretty hilarious. The New Lions team guaranteed a win against Clinton. I love the confidence.

quack.