Game 13: Colts 11, TCBC 1

A FOUL BALL is a batted ball that settles on foul territory between home and first base, or between home and third base, or that bounds past first or third base on or over foul territory, or that first falls on foul territory beyond first or third base, or that, while on or over foul territory, touches the person of an umpire or player, or any object foreign to the natural ground. A foul fly shall be judged according to the relative position of the ball and the foul line, including the foul pole, and not as to whether the infielder is on foul or fair territory at the time he touches the ball. A batted ball not touched by a fielder, which hits the pitcher's rubber and rebounds into foul territory, between home and first, or between home and third base is a foul ball.

FOUL TERRITORY is that part of the playing field outside the first and third base lines extended to the fence and perpendicularly upwards.

LOOK WHERE I AM! LOOK WHERE I AM! LOOK WHERE I AM! GAWDAMMIT, LOOK WHERE I AM!

This game was just another where TCBC couldn't hold on long enough and found ourselves stretching players beyond what their prescribed nature is. But at least the team walked away learning a few things about the game:

• It's easier to play with 9 guys on the field.
• There should always be 3 outfielders, not 2.
• Relief pitchers are invaluable.
• A foul ball isn't always foul, and a ball called fair is a fair ball, no matter where it lands.

This is not to say there wasn't a bright spot or 4 for the good guys. Josh Taylor showed again what's made him the de-fact-o staff ace by pitching 2 strong innings against the Colts before succumbing to arm fatigue. Chris Miller extended his hot streak, pushing his OPS for the last 5 games to an unheard of 1.283! Lou Gerig pitched well for his first 4 innings in relief, striking out 5 Colts hitters (the highest single-outing total for a TCBC hurler since Chris Elliot's 9 K effort in week 3), and Matt Willbond broke through with a hit and an RBI (and some excellent play in the field while starting at 3rd base for the first time this year).

Here's the boxscore.

Here's the updated (overall) season stats.

Games 11 & 12 (Once More With Feeling)

Let's Play Two!

Games on back to back days with 9 guys each. It sure felt a lot more like playing in the backyard (or sandlot if you had one) than any games we've had yet this year. Both games were in Three Cities' grasp -- but alas, they managed to slip right through. In Saturday's game against the Dodgers, the umpires provided the lubricant, while in Sunday's contest vs the Ultimate Sack, it was more on just not being able to find the handle to hold onto, as the errors did the team in.

Saturday started off promising, with TCBC pitcher John Toth only allowing 2 lead-off singles in the first 4 innings, as TCBC held onto a 1-1 tie. The Dodgers took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 5th on an error, a hit and a sac fly to deep center, aided by the first controversial miss call: the "neigborhood rule" not being upheld on a potential DP transfer from Lou Gerig to John Millin at second. The Dodgers' lead didn't hold though, as Dan Taylor took a run right back with a "Ricky Henderson"-esque lead-off single followed by 2 steals and taking home on a passed ball, tying the game at 2.

The Dodgers answered in the top of the 6th with 4 singles in a row, 3 of which scored on a combination of another single, an error and a fielder's choice.

With the score 5-2 heading into the bottom of the inning, TCBC mounted a comeback, and after plating runners in the 6th, 7th and 8th inning, were able to draw even once again at 5-5 entering the 9th, as Toth took the mound looking to hold the tie and give the home team the chance to give him a CG win. The field umpire though had other thoughts in mind, as the inning's lead off hitter was awarded first on a "dropped" pop fly by Taylor in center. The next batter hit into what might have been a tag-out throw-out double play at 2nd, but once again the umpire played devil's advocate, saying he did not "see a tag" despite Millin's insistance and the runners own admission. So now with 2 men on and no outs, the Dodgers' starting pitcher Lastoria, although no longer the pitcher of record, gave the Dodgers the boost they needed for their first league win: a base-clearing double over Taylor's head in center, prompting a reaction and subsequent "ejection." 2 batters and one run later Toth's night was over as well. Gerig promptly retired the next 2 batters, but the damage was done -- and the deflated heart of the TCBC order couldn't crack Dodger pitcher Eckard in the 9th.

Here's the boxscore from Game 11.


Sunday had all the promise though of a rebound game, with several players returning to the TCBC lineup and lefty Josh Taylor starting. Taylor, stellar on the mound in his last several appearances, was once again in control and held the Ultimate Sack hitless once through their order and was still cruising with a 4-1 lead going into the bottom of the 6th. The TCBC runs had come from the combination of a hit, a walk and a stolen base by Dan Taylor in the 2nd and 5th innings, and an error-aided top of the 6th in which a HBP for John Millin and a sacrifice bunt (turned hit) by Charles Miller manufactured 2 runs.

The bottom of the 6th though saw 2 TCBC errors, a walk, a sacrifice fly and 3 singles bring across 5 runs for the Ultimate Sack, and knock out Taylor -- and Lou Gerig was again introduced for his second relief appearance in as many days.

Despite getting a run back in the 8th, 2 more errors from the TCBC defense and 2 doubles by the Sack put them comfortably in the lead 9-5 heading into the 9th, where singles by Chris Miller (in a standout day at the plate, going 3-4, with a double, RBI, and a team-leading 6th walk) and Millin just were a bit of the old "too little, too late."

Here's the boxscore from Game 12.

Here's the updated Game Results.

Here's the updated Overall Statistics on the year.

Game 10: TCBC 3, Riverside Dodgers 2

So I guess the old adages are true: in Baseball, all things come back around, and the calls even out. Finally, it seemed like the errors didn't totally destroy an inning for Three Cities, and the bad calls didn't knock the team out of the game. . . This time, it was the the Dodgers who ended up on the short end of things, with a costly throwing error in the 6th breathing life to a 3-run inning TCBC and nullifying a solid pitching performance by their starting pitcher.

After breezing through the heart of TCBC's order twice without issue, Chris Miller and John Millin led off the 6th with back-to-back walks, bringing up Matt Willbond, who squared to put down the sacrifice bunt. The ball was fielded cleanly by the Dodger pitcher, but with Tim Zeitz running for Miller, the throw to third had to be rushed, and the combination of a sliding Zeitz and a ball in the dirt knocked the overthrow out of play, scoring Zeitz, and moving Millin to third (and an alert Willbond into scoring position himself). As has happened time and again this season, the top of the Three Cities batting order did not dissappoint, with John Stewart and Lou Gerig knocking in an RBI each and giving TCBC a 3-2 lead in the process. This was enough to put Three Cities on top for good in this game.

Another solid start was put in by Josh Taylor, bringing his record to an even 1-1 on the year and dropping his ERA to an even 3.00 on the season (in 21 IP). In a bit of the old switcheroo, John Toth was credited with the save, and in pitching 3 scoreless innings to close out the game, brought his ERA into the single digits (in a team-leading 24 IP).

Fielding gems were the norm again for Gerig, but new comer Nate Kievman also made his presence known in putting in a good showing at first base, and especially in connecting on a rare 5-3-2-4-3 throw-'em-out tag-'em-out double play with Chris Elliott, Miller and Millin to end a rally in the Dodger 4th.


Here's the Boxscore

Here's the updated season (to date) stats.

Here's the Game Results.

Game This Saturday

This week's game is Saturday at 4pm in Akron at Prentiss Park vs. Riverside Dodgers.

Seems like this is news to everyone I've spoken to, but it's been on the schedule, so I don't know what else to say other than please check your (updated) schedules. Hopefully I'll see you all there!!!

Games 8 & 9 (Different Paths to the Same Destination)

Dunno what to say about these two games other than I wish we'd won them both.

The game a week ago against the league leading A's could be considered one of TCBC's finest defensive showings (despite the score), as gems abounded, errors were few, and John Toth was in control on the mound through 7 innings (Lou Gerig even showed a bit of promise from the hill in the 9th). The 8-2 score sure doesn't tell the whole story. When the 8th inning unraveled, it was almost as though the team had held on for as long as it could, and then, bloodied and bruised (literally), watched the A's take the game from TCBC's hands . . . It'd be difficult to say it was as disappointing of a game as the score might imply.

Here's the boxscore from Week 8

The 7/19 game against the Indians was a different story altogether. Although Josh Taylor put in a good effort in relief, John Toth's trickery and deception just wasn't fooling the Indians hitters to start the affair, and by their second time through the order -- TCBC couldn't buy an out. Offensively, despite cutting down on the 14 K's from a week prior, only 4 players breaking through will always make it difficult to put a tally in the "W" column.

Here's the boxscore from Week 9

Here's the Overall Stats

Here's the Game Results

“What team do you play for?”

The Indians
“Here in Cleveland? I didn’t know we still had a team.”
Yeah, we have uniforms and everything. It's really great.

Heyyyy Buddy, Looks Like You Got Some Sun . . .

Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy! For the second time in just 3 weeks one of TCBC's own has been named the NEORH Open Division "Player Of the Week!"

This time, it's good ol' number 25, Jimmy Swearingen, who was honored after going 3-5 with a double, a run-scored and an RBI off of the Akron Cardinals in the Three Cities loss this week.

Swearingen has really seemed to respond to a more consistant role as clean-up hitter and third base for TCBC, hitting .500 / .667 / . 583 with 2 doubles, 3 runs scored and 6 RBI over the last 3 games. On the year, he leads the club in total bases, average, hits, extra-base hits, RBIs, and stolen bases (tied with 4 others).

Congratulations again Jimmy!



Here's the release from the league:

Here are your Players of the Week for Week #9:
They will be recognized on the NEO Roy Hobbs web site and will receive a certificate in the mail for 24 wings at Scorchers in the Valley (36 winges of they attend in uniform).


28s (Open Division):
Jimmy Swearingen (Three Cities Baseball Clubs) 2b, 2-1b, run, RBI;


38s (Veterans Division):
Gary Galehouse (Kent MudHens Vets) 2-HR, 2-1b, SB, 4-runs, 3-RBI;


Thanks,
Don B

Congratulations again, Jimmy!