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.

TGT's version of game preparation.

"Let's not embarrass ourselves out there."

On deck, the Zoo's clean up hitter in 2030.

Happens to the best of us.

They made an error or two. We made 25 or 30.

The literal crack of the bat.

Photo proof that we did get make at least one out.