#Winning

Congratulations TGT, our sportsmanship and camaraderie earned us the Commissioner's Cup, as voted by the rest of the league. It is a true honor.

We may not always play well, but we always play well with others.

Your TGT All-Stars, accepting the trophy on behalf of our team.

I guess we should try to plan that end-of-season BBQ we talked about - we can fill the Cup with beer and pass it around like we're the L.A. Kings. Maybe by then I'll have written the final game recap...

Undefeated! (In the playoffs / since Dusty got engaged)

Recap: CCSL Play-Offs, Opening Round vs. NCC

Great win last night! We played NCC in what could reasonably be termed our first meaningful game of the CCSL season, given that every team made the playoffs this year and thus the regular season provided little but fodder for inflating egos. Not that there is anything wrong with egos, per se - and I'm sure ours are fatter than they deserve to be, at least if our regular season record is anything to go by. But the win-loss records are out the door now, and all we earned for our 8th spot in the standings was last ups in the first round of the CCSL postseason, a match-up of the #8 and #9 seeds playing for a crack at the league's top team in Round 2.

We know that NCC understood the stakes. Rumors were flying before the game that they were fed up with losing to a jangly musical instrument, that they were out to revenge earlier defeats. Early on I thought perhaps they might be cracking under the intense pressure of the moment, as their catcher began giggling uncontrollably at the thought of Harry showing us "his wizard." But she, and the team, quickly regained composure and stayed focused right through the finish of a hard-fought game. (For our again-absent Russian photographer: "Giggity.")

We'll always have the memories. And the scars.

Followers of the NCC Rising Suns facebook page - and if you're reading this blog, why wouldn't you be one? - have already seen a recap of the action. It was strikingly similar to the last game we played against them. Again tied at three after four innings, NCC again took the lead with a three run inning, only this time it was in the 5th and not the 6th. TGT again responded immediately in the bottom half with our own rally, except this time we batted around and scored seven runs instead of four, with Special Sauce a.k.a. Instant Offense getting it started with a three-run jimmy-jack. NCC again failed to score in the ensuing inning, and while in our last meeting that was the end of the game, this time there was an inning and a half to go.

I confess that we were feeling pretty good on the TGT sideline with a 10-6 lead and only three NCC outs away from the first play-off victory under the Green Tambourine banner. And that might have been our downfall, if not for some unfortunate errors by NCC that allowed three more runs across in the bottom of the 6th. However, the Rising Suns were not prepared to set for the season just yet, and unleashed a furious last-ditch rally that saw five runs score and the top of the order come to the plate representing the tying run. We luckily diffused the drama and secured the final out, and are moving on to face the South Philly Nomads.

Cones are the new bunny ears.

Hats off and tambourine rattles for NCC, who proved to be fair and worthy opponents yet again.

TEAM	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	TOTAL
NCC	0	3	0	0	3	0	5	11
TGT	1	0	2	0	7	3	--	13

Final Score: TGT 13, NCC 11
NEXT GAME is TONIGHT! vs. the NOMADS at Edgeley #8. It's WIN or GO HOME, so COME OUT!

Shout-out to Bob Ford for a well-umpired game.

Let's Not and Say We Did

On Tuesday evening, Team Green Tambourine had a softball game scheduled against the Franklin Force on Edgeley #4, the very last game of our CCSL regular season. Conditions were somewhat less than perfect, due to heavy rainfall and a severe thunderstorm alert. There was internal team discussion about whether it was even worth making an attempt at playing, but Franklin was gung-ho to get the game in. With little desire to reschedule for the weekend, backing out would have required a forfeit, and we had maintained a forfeit-less season to this point.  It's not a remarkable achievement, but zero forfeits is a small accomplishment and a minor point of pride considering years past. If we had the players, we were going to make an attempt to play.

On Tuesday evening, Ms. TGTFan and I attended childbirth class where we listened to a charming local pediatrician expound upon formula options, vaccination schedules, the color and texture of infant bowel movements, that sort of thing. It was an enlightening talk, and we were not at all sad to be in a warm and dry lecture hall as opposed to outside in the wind and the rain.

I cannot report on what may or may not have transpired at the field. Wooden bats are presumably safer than aluminum in an electrical storm, but nonetheless it hardly seems necessary to risk player comfort and safety to decide a game with little material effect on the standings or the play-off picture. I'm assuming a similar conclusion was reached by the CCSLers assembled at Edgeley #4, and so the season ends with the rare mutually agreed-upon tie. Word is that the commissioner was "embarrassed" and "tremendously saddened" by this result, but life goes on.

FINAL SCORE: TGT 7, TFI 7
Final 2014 Regular Season Record: 4-8-1

Next Week: Play-Offs!

ATTN: RESCHEDULE!

Monday 7/7 vs. TFI has been moved to Tuesday 7/15 at Edgeley 8. 

<insert picture here>

<insert witty joke here>

How About a Zoo-Over?

Look, it's not ALL bad. There are definitely a few positive things to take away from our game(s) against the Zoo on Monday evening at Edgeley 8:

• We fielded 10 players again, so our season of no forfeits remains intact;
• Our photographer resurfaced, meaning we have frame-by-frame documentation of Adam getting plastered at home plate;
• Mac returned to the lineup after a brief absence and promptly smashed a home run, because that's what Special Sauce does;
• TGTFan hit his career defensive peak with a running catch in the outfield (seriously guys, that's literally the best I can do - it's all downhill from here); 
• Walk up music again! Not quite as hipster-cool as Paul's battery-powered boombox, but the bluetooth speaker worked pretty well; and
• We found the missing score book with our lineup from the suspended game, so we didn't have to wheedle and cajole a notoriously law-abiding Zoo team into allowing us a new or made-up batting order.  

Otherwise it was 8 innings of lousy defense, un-clutch hitting, broken bats and injuries. This is not how we drew up the game plan, but at least we are still on track to make the play-offs. #TeamSnoCone

Derp.

Congratulations to the Zoo team, who played with an intensity and skill that we were unable to match, and have now secured a bye in the first round of the play-offs. They deserve it.

Game 1 Recap

As the Away team for the suspended game, we batted first. The top of our lineup started the inning on deck, so a potential was there for some runs, but the batted balls found Zoo gloves and we were quickly retired. It was perhaps bad luck for us that the Zoo started their half of the inning exactly at the top of their lineup, as their top four crushed us all night long. It was perhaps mercy. The first drive of the game was a fly ball directly to Adam F. in left field - who dropped it like a hot potato. The second ball was sliced into shallow right for a hit. I seem to recollect that the third ball might have been the first of many infield errors on the night; the fourth was a walk-off line drive into left to bring home the winning run. It was a quick, clinical and anticlimactic conclusion to the contest.

FINAL SCORE: TGT 8, ZOO 9 (8 innings)

Game 2 Recap

I don't want it to seem like I am singling out Adam F. for a defensive lapse, because it would be difficult to find any TGT players who didn't make at least one error in this one, other than Sarah F. at catcher. Even Dusty, our defensive MVP on the season, had a bad case of the yips and booted several grounders. Literally every single player (again, other than the catcher) dropped catches, air-mailed throws, or allowed the Zoo to take extra bases by holding onto the ball or missing the cut-off man. This includes me, despite the singular nice catch mentioned above. It was a true team effort of the worst kind. So, let's call it a mulligan. No point in dwelling on this game, we've been much better in the past, and we'll be much better in the future.

The Zoo had some quality bats, and it would have been a tough game to win even if we had played to our defensive abilities. With the extra outs, it wasn't even close.   

FINAL SCORE: ZOO 18, TGT 7

GIF of the Week - Health & Safety Bulletin

Your GIF of the week is entertaining and action-packed, but it comes with a semi-serious sermon attached. Late in the game, with the score well out of reach, Sir Adam rocketed a triple past the outfield, driving in Rafter from first. Aggressively and optimistically, Dusty waved him home in an attempt for the home run. Alas, the ball arrived in the catcher's mitt several steps before Sir Adam arrived at the plate, and the following collision resulted:

We just want to remind our team that TGT's primary goals, in addition to winning, are to have fun and avoid injury. No run is worth a concussion or other significant harm to yourself or an opposing player. If there is a potential play at the plate, you have two options per the most recent quasi-official version of the rule book that we have seen: slide, or give yourself up by stopping/leaving the base path. If the catcher is already standing in front of you with the ball, the latter is usually a better option. There is zero upside to a collision at home - unlike in baseball, a CCSL player is still out if the ball is dislodged from the catcher's glove in the course of making a tag - so don't create one. 

One could certainly make a reasonable case that the ZOO catcher used more force than was required to make the out, but those plays develop quickly with little time to consider an appropriate reaction. It is fundamentally the responsibility of the runner (and base coaches) to prevent the situation from arising if at all possible. 

Sermon over. Play Ball!

Broken bats and blood. Fucking Mondays, man.

NEXT GAME: Monday, July 7th vs. The Franklin Institute at Edgeley #4

Come on out for this one! It's the last regular season game, and it should be a fun one against a good-spirited bunch from TFI. 

Majestic.

More photos after the jump.

Now With 33% More Wins and 200% More Fans!

On Wednesday eve at Edgeley 3, TGT had a sporting encounter with the fine humans of the National Constitution Center. The field, which I remember to have been in fine shape the last time we were on it, was less aesthetically and pragmatically pleasing for this occasion. Rutted base paths and scattered haphazard vegetation growing up on the infield dirt testified to a lack of grooming. I noticed late in the game that we were fairly sloppy with our cone placement along the left outfield line, which added an extra idiosyncratic element to the playing conditions.

Driving up to the field, it was hard not to notice and be somewhat awed by the sheer size of the NCC crew. Gleaming yellow T-shirts abounded; we may need to send in an undercover agent to ferret out their recruiting secrets. Nonetheless, we did have a full squad, featuring the season debuts of Sarah "I Ain't Drinking That Swill" F. and "Hey Let Me Bat Next Time" Maureen as well as the long-awaited return of ace pitcher Matt "Just Don't Make Me Run Fast Or Change Directions" Schwartz (these nicknames seem cumbersome, but I bet it took awhile for Bill "The Man Nobody Knows" Dickey's moniker to catch on too). It wasn't our best lineup - notably and illogically, yours truly was batting cleanup - but there are no excuses in softball, and the wooden bats have brought plenty of parity to the game. "Any given Monday or Tuesday, and sometimes Wednesday" is what the oldtimers say in the CCSL, and it's true.

I'll admit, I do get tired of lager sometimes.

About the game itself - it was a tight, well-played affair. TGT picked up two runs in the first with a bit of an assist from Edgeley #3 in the form of a bad hop over the shortstop's glove, and another run in the second. NCC came roaring back in the fourth inning, stringing together some solid base knocks to plate three runs and tie up the game. There was good defense on both sides, and the game remained tied until NCC, with the top of their order up, broke it open with three runs in the top of the 6th on the strength of a MAMMOTH home run down the right field line - one of the hardest hit balls we've seen this season. Not to be outdone, the top of our order answered right back with four runs of our own to retake the lead. A quick 1-2-3 top of the 7th and it was on to the handshake line as we escaped with our second straight W.

TEAM	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	TOTAL
NCC	0	0	0	3	0	3	0	6
TGT	2	1	0	0	0	4	--	7

Relaxing after the win.

Notes and Observations:

• Max grabbed his 4th start on the season, had possibly his best showing yet at the plate, and was awarded the final unclaimed official Team Green Tambourine jersee.  It was a well-earned promotion from super-sub to bona-fide regular. See you next week...

Bunny ears never go out of style.

• Lots of beer this week. Great job, everyone! 
• Hats off to a pleasant group of excellent sportsmen and sportswomen at NCC, demonstrating how close, competitive games can still be friendly. 
• After our stunning victory last week, an uptick in fan interest was inevitable. Indeed, we had twice as many fans as we have had at any other game this season - BOTH of Matt's parents were there. But fame isn't always chocolate and roses, and the attention is only good when things are going well. That was some quality heckling out there, Mr. Schwartz. You were on your game when we were not on ours. See you next week? I hear you might have some extra time on your hands pretty soon...

You're never too old for fatherly affirmation.

NEXT GAME(s):  Monday, June 30th at Edgeley #8 vs. Zoo.

We'll finish up the suspended game from Week 1 and then play another. We can get to .500 on the season if we win both...

Woooooo! (Spoiler Alert: We Won.)

RECAP: Monday 6/16 vs. South Philly Tap Room

There was point early in the game when I started to regret my not-so-bold claim in the last blog post that we were “mostly competitive” in the league. It was after I popped up a lazy fly-ball out in top of the first inning, where TGT scored two runs but could have threatened for more. I think it occurred just before I misread a fly ball that fell for a single late in the bottom of the same inning, where SPTR scored ten runs and it seemed like they were never going to let us hit again.  In the hindsight of that particular moment, it occurred to me that perhaps even with such a mildly positive statement I might have been guilty of hyperbolic overreach, or at least extremely poor timing prior to a scheduled game against one of the league’s perennial contenders (SPTR lost in the CCSL Championship Game last year to Catahoula). As it happened I had nothing to worry about. 

TEAM	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	TOTAL
TGT	2	7	3	0	6	0	0	18
SPTR	10	0	0	2	0	0	0	12

 Our lineup and production on the evening:

• Dusty : 3 for 5, 3 runs
• Rafter: 4 for 5, four runs (didn’t make an out until the sixth inning!)
• Adam P: 3 for 5, run
• Special Sauce: 4 for 5, 2 runs
• TGTfan: 2 for 5, run, strikeout
•  Adam F: 3 for 5
• Grace: 2 for 5, 2 runs (first game played for TGT!)
• Paul: 2 for 5, run
• Max: 2 for 4, 2 runs
• Cassie: 4 for 4, 2 runs  

The top of our order was phenomenal at getting on base and driving in runs. Dusty and Rafter were essentially unstoppable at the 1-2 slots, with both scoring in each of the first three innings as we clawed back from the early deficit. Our scorekeeper doesn’t record RBIs, but Special Sauce knocked in at least a handful. 

The bottom of our order just kept starting rallies. Cassie found her stroke with an incredible 4-for-4 night, crushing line drives to right field and even going opposite field once. Newcomer Grace had to dash home before the game just to get shoes in order to play, swung a bat for the first time in who-knows-how-long during a brief BP session 5 minutes before the game, and then knocked out a couple hits and scored twice.

Our saving Grace. Amazing Grace?

On the other hand we had TGTFan in the middle of the order… Christ, who invited that guy? Even casual observers (We had one! Shout-out to Papa Schwartz!) probably noticed that both of his “hits” were weak infield ground balls that should have been turned into outs by a less-than-sharp SPTR defense. I hear he even dropped a routine fly in the outfield in the fifth inning. A swinging strike-out in the sixth inning? Quite frankly: embarrassing. I think we all know who’s bringing the beer next week, because he owes the rest of the team for carrying his dead weight in the lineup all night.

Paul doesn't think I deserve that beer. He's probably right.

The story of the game: a terrible defensive first inning, followed by six innings of inspired softball where we outscored the Tappers 16 – 2 and won relatively easily, holding them scoreless over the final three frames. SPTR had some defensive struggles that helped us out, but we also did our part to create them, with quality ABs and far fewer lazy fly balls than we've been used to. It was a nice way to break out of a five-game losing streak and pick up some momentum heading into the final stretch of the season.

Victory Photo!

Various Notes and Observations:

• Walk-up music was in full effect, and went smoother than the trial run against P&P. Love it!
• Big defensive stand in the bottom of the seventh after an error allowed SPTR to turn the lineup over with two outs and subsequently load the bases. Paul snagged the hot shot at third and won the footrace to the bag (I’m not sure but I think his hat even stayed on his head.) to close out the game...
• Thanks to Rafter for providing the game beers, and thanks to Kyle from the Nomads for fueling the post-game celebration by unexpectedly showing up with a cooler of booze left over from their loss to Catahoula. Condolences on losing the bid for an undefeated season, but appropriate that last year's undefeated champion took it from you.
• Our Russian surveillance expert went missing for the second straight contest. We’re hoping he hasn’t been “picked up for questioning." Please report any tips, leads, or reported sightings to the blog. 

FINAL SCORE: TGT 18, SPTR 12

NEXT GAME: Wednesday, June 25th at Edgeley #3 vs. NCC