The Bulldogs scored three in the bottom of the seventh to tie SOuth Oakland 4-4.
The Ducks scored on a balk in the second and three other times by way of RBI from, I think, Ben Hartranft, James Fago, and Mark Guthrie.
It was early.
Brett Pusateri had a double, Ben Gwin had 2 hits, Garrett Moore reached base 3 times in 4 plate appearances. Guthrie went 4innings on the mound, and gave up 1 run.
The teams will play again wed in the Ducks home opener.
Quack.
Might as well just put this up a day early.
Looks like rain tomorrow, but be ready to play until we hear otherwise.
Vinny will be ready
I like the composition of the Ducks this year a lot. The nothing-to-lose attitude is refreshing. Everyone is just excited to be playing again, or at all. Everyone’s hustling, and no one’s bitching about anything.
That could change if we don’t start winning some games, but it’s early, and the wins will come—that will be the result of the aforementioned approach.
I know coaching the last two years, the immense pressure to please everyone is what ultimately led to a lot of unhappiness and stress that seemed ridiculous to have over adult league baseball. I think there’s a misunderstanding about playing hard and demanding a good effort from yourself and your teammates, that it has to come along with some sort of fucked up intensity and shit talking that makes it all not fun, that it’s only worth winning if you can take credit.
With this team, this season the more fun it is the more we will win, not the other way around as I feel it was at times during the last two seasons.
That said, I hate losing more than anyone. And our goal this year, with the talent we have, is to win a championship.
Who the fuck knows, I’m just looking forward to walking into Moore Park in mid May, fearing for my life, questioning human kind while a fight in the stands breaks out, and hitting singles over the second baseman’s head. Stuff like that is why i love this league and being a Duck.
RIP Levon Helm.
TC Jones might have to come out of retirement to pitch Saturday.
Bad News for the bulldogs.
Quack.
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.
Quack.
Ducks,
Practice Wed 6pm at Olympia Field.
We will open the season against Elliot. 7pm, Wed April 18th at Herschel Field.
If you haven’t already,
send Fago your league dues.
Immediately.
607 greenfield ave apt 1
Pittsburgh, PA 15207
The first few weeks of the schedule are up on the league site.
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.
Quack
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.
quack.
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.
We’ll add pitching depth through the draft, etc.
Quack.
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’ll get it figured out soon.
We run a tight ship in South Oakland.
Motivation?
Quack.
South Oakland of the North Side shutout the South Side Eagles 3-0, Wednesday night at SpringView Field.
Mike Fletcher pitched six scoreless innings allowing 1 hit, and striking out 11.
James Fago pitched a perfect seventh for the save.
Nick Berdine and Brendan Scioscia combined to play an error-free game at second base.
The Eagles recorded their only hit in the top of the first with a lead off single.
The Ducks improve to 13-4, and resume division play Saturday morning against the Express.
Duffy, Smith and Gwin had RBI for the Ducks.
quack.
South Oakland Ducks of the North Side (6-2)
vs.
Pittsburgh Bulldogs (9-3)
9pm
Springview Field.
South Oakland looks to overcome and early season defeat at the hands of the Bulldogs who couldn’t even do us the courtesy of beating the Black Sox last Saturday.
Thanks guys. Way to be even more hungover at 8:30 am on saturday morning than the Black Sox.
Ducks’ utility player and third base coach, Rick Whalen was hospitalized during the first matchup between the Ducks and Bulldogs, but figures to factor in to tonight’s game in some manner.
Coming in to tonight’s matchup, South Oakland is riding a six-game win streak while the Bulldogs have won nine of ten.
The biggest difference between these two teams over the past four seasons has been playoff success. Since TC took over and then relinquished the manager’s position for South Oakland, the Ducks have won a title and advanced to the conference semi’s for a 6-1-1 playoff record. The Bulldogs can’t make it out of the first round.
Maybe we’ll get our championship t-shirts tonight from the commish?
and where’s my trophy?
I wonder if Flip’s buddy still catches for them?
This blog has turned to crap. However, the Bulldogs blog has proven to be even more racially insensitive and hedonistic than Fred Phelps reading from a public high school history book in a battered women’s shelter, wearing a bathrobe made out of Hustler back issues.
(I’m going the clothes made out of magazines route, it’s getting bad over here. Go read the bulldogs blog.)
Fightin’ words.
“I wanted to destroy something beautiful.”
Bad News for the Bulldogs
The 2009 and 2010 league champions square off at a neutral site this evening, in the first of three games in five days.
We’re looking to get back into the swing of things here with a victory over a tough opponent.
South Oakland lost the last two meetings to the Hurricanes by a combined 75 runs or something.
Judging by the standings, both teams are limping out of the gate a bit.
Finally some sunshine. Hopefully monsoon season is over.
I’ll miss this one due to graduation. After tonight, I’ll be a master, so says my degree. This means I’ll be one of the most educated food service workers in the city.
Fago’s running the show tonight.
Guthrie made it out of San Francisco alive.
Bad News for the Hurricanes.
Quack.
South Oakland Ducks Baseball 