Does an Almost-Win, Almost-Count?

The afternoon of Thursday July 3rd looked gloomy, with big black clouds and rumbles of thunder, similar to how the softball game would play-out for the Lords and Ladies..... a Gloomy loss against the Forced Outages, that had circumstances been slightly different, we likely could have won.

Things started on the up and up, with the Lords and Ladies pulling well ahead in the first few innings. There were some highlights, like Crowley's and Wade's pitcher-first baseman tag-team plays. Another highlight was Tim's home run, which certainly should have only been a single had the FO's been able to field the ball without it slipping out of their hands. Diana, Brandy and Brian made some fabulous stops to prevent the ball from rolling deep into the grass, and Margo got a big 'out' or maybe two at second base. Meanwhile, Andrew held a picnic at Right Field, and invited the Forced Outage players to hit over towards him so he could at least get his hand on the ball once.

The Forced Outages made some (or many) critical errors throughout the game, and for the first time in the season the Lords and Ladies called an 'out' on an opponent runner's massive lead-off from first base (note; the lead-off started well before any swing). There were some close calls on both sides, but still by the bottom of the 5th the 'Ladies were well ahead.

Then something happened. Either the Lords and Ladies got tired, or more likely perhaps they got a little over confident. In the sixth (or was it the 7th?) an un-named player (let's call him 'Goose') started to round second base, trying for a triple, only to stop after rounding second and watch as the ball made its way back to the infield. As 'Goose' dawdled back to second he taunted the fielder who held the ball, only to get it slapped on his butt milliseconds before reaching his foot out to touch second base. 'Out' was the call. Another encounter had a L & L member stand after a hit and watch the ball almost get caught, get fumbled, and then make it to first base before the batter had really started to take-off for the bag. Combined with a few good hits from the opposition, The Forced Outages began to claw their way back.

Going into the seventh inning the score was 11-9 for the Lords and Ladies. Starting off batting the FO's knew that a win was within their grasp, and had a massive inning to put them ahead 14-11. Knowing that it was now or never, the 'Ladies tried to make a comeback, but failed to get-in any runs (if I remember correctly.... the score sheet's in my garage, so maybe we did get one run in). Regardless we didn't get enough to pull back ahead, and we held our heads low and held an impromptu batting practice.

Have no fear, Tuesday August 26th will bring us a chance to redeem ourselves, as we'll be facing the Forced Outages once more. In the meantime the coach has ordered us a pallet of steroids to 'bulk-up'; our new secret weapon. Or maybe we'll just focus on a few key skills during the games ahead, like staying-put on a base when the ball is 3 feet in front of you.  :)  Sorry Goose. No matter though, a fun time was had, and we enjoyed the team's company a bit longer at the Courtyard Pub.

Next game is Thursday July 10 at 5:00pm, again on the Kinsmen South diamond, against the fearful-looking RCMT team. This is the make-up for last week's rain-out. Focus of the game will be batters running hard after their hits. :P

See you then!

Rain, Thunder, & Sunshine Bring Out The Best

June 3 started out as a wet day, then sunny and dry, then come game-time some big puffy dark clouds and a few clasps of thunder threatened what could surely be an epic game. Team captains throughout the land (ie: the Kinsmen fields) called-off their games, but the Nuclear Fissionaries and the Lords and Ladies had faith that they would be spared from the heavens above. With minutes until game-time, things were looking rather bleak, with reports coming-in of an epic storm in nearby Oshawa, Markham, and Pickering Towne Centre. The captains' had faith that the furor above wouldn't hit them, although their hopes were bleak as a brief downpour delayed field set-up.

Then their luck changed, the skies somewhat cleared, a ray of sunshine came-through, and field set-up and de-watering commenced. Goose showed his might in his puddle-raking abilities, and soon the 'Ladies were ready to play. The day's line-up brought-out for the first time this season original team member 'Poop' Jeff, and the dainty slugger 'Princess' Diana.

Just as the 'Ladies were about to step-up to bat in the first, Margo showed-up with a birthday-cake for Goose, who was turning sweet-sixteen (or so) that day. A rendition of "Happy Birthday" was rung-out in his honour, to which the opponents could be heard saying "What a lame team cheer". L & L weren't deterred, and captain-Wildman promised the 'Ladies they could eat cake only if they won and if Goose hit a home-run.

The first two innings were a little hair-raising, with the Nuclear Fissionaries pulling ahead 3-1 at the bottom of the second. But the clouds and thunder moved-on to Oshawa and places further afield, and 'fair-weather' commenced; the secret to L&L's success. The third inning brought the first mercy-inning of L&L's season, with them scoring 10 runs, including 3 runs from Brendon's bounce-off-the-fence-top home-run-single (since he didn't make it home due to too many runs in).

Highlights of the game include killer-catches by Andrew, Ron, and Brendon in outfield, the Wildman trying his hand at third and first (and evening having a big catch at third), a solid double-play getting 'outs' at second then first (my memory's short, but we'll give Brandy, Diana, and Kate credit for that...... sorry if I got it wrong). Paul tried-out as back-up pitcher, Jeff got an out or 2 at Home Plate, Diana had a few solid catches and brought-back her dynamic lightning-throws to Kate, and Wade brought the team good-news on the jersey front. Heavy hitting was made by everyone too.

The last few innings went by quickly, with the 'Ladies failing to score any runs, but with the Nuclear Fissionaries getting in very few of their own too. Good defence on both sides. Final score 14-8 for L & L.

To celebrate their 2-win winning streak and Goose's special day, victory-cake was served to all, and the team easily demolished it.

Next game is the exhibition-game, 4:30 Wednesday June 11 at Kinsmen North against S-99 (the 'new-be team'), followed by Thursday June 12 at 5:00pm at PARC West, against another new team, the Dingers.

Check your email for info on the jerseys! Also, pencil-in to your calendars Friday August 22nd as a possible Blue Jays baseball game night-out.

See ya next week.  :)

Big Comeback for first win of the season

It has been a long-known fact that the Lords and Ladies are a fair-weather team, and they perform best when given with the best conditions. In fact a full decade of L & L stats support this. So with May 29th bringing with it 'perfect fair weather' for a ball game, the crowd was excited and there was almost a stampede to obtain tickets for what promised to be a thrilling match. Too bad the Stub-Hub Internet bots had bought-out all the seats in the first 1.2 seconds of the tickets being available. Regardless the temperature was moderate, the humidity was low, the sun was shining, and the wind was non-existent. A field closure from the City of Pickering due to damaged drainage on PARC East relocated the Lords and Ladies game to the perfectly dry and goose-poo free PARC West field. Even the John-Deer tractor raking guy spent extra time making sure the field was perfect. Everything was lined-up for a solid game.

So with Acu-Poke Brian back in the line-up, and heavy-hitter Paul fresh out of the Operating Room ready to slug some balls, the team was in for a big game against the mighty 'Up and Atom'. During warm-up surveillance Up and Atom was observed to have some fresh talent of their own, with a gazelle playing in the field, and a fielder/back-up pitcher with new-tech bright red 'Power-shorts' and matching shoes. To try and throw-off and confuse the 'Ladies fielders, Up & Atom dressed their heavy-hitter and light-hitter in matching neon-blue shirts too. Obviously they new that L&L was a force to be reckoned with.

Thus in the top of the first the Ladies were up to bat. With Brandy at lead-off she pulled-through with a powerful hit and made it on the bag. Safe! Wade as number 2 delivered a slug-hit, followed by Pete. Acu-Poke Brian showed he had been training during the off season and performed a mighty-sprint to first base. Then Up & Atom pulled their act together, getting-out Denise, Brendon, and Kate. 2 runs L & L, almost as many as their total runs in the previous game! The bottom of the first led to 2 runs from Up and Atom, and the game was tied.

The second inning showed that Up and Atom had game. The gazelle made a few flying leap catches, and Andrew, Tim and Paul were all quickly up then out. Only newbie Margo made it safely to first base. With Up and Atom gaining three runs in the second for a score of 5-2, the crowds started to worry.

Then in the third inning L&L learned that they had to work for it. Five solid runs were delivered (Brandy, Wade, Pete, Brendon, and Brian), and only 2 runs were let-in. Unfortunately for the Ladies, one of those Up & Atom runs was a 'bounce the ball off the top of the fence' out-of-the-park home run, showing that the opposing team could really hit. Tie game 7-7 going into the fourth. Now the excitement starts!

The fourth inning delivered five more runs for the 'Ladies (Paul, Brandy, Pete, Denise, Brendon), and the gazelle proved yet-again that it was capable of flying-leap catches of every ball that Tim put out into the field, no matter where it was placed. Fortunately the 'Ladies got their fielding together to stop any Up & Atom runs, bringing them ahead. The secret power of the Moe-K8 combo at pitcher/first was beginning to deliver. Brendon at left-field made a big catch too, and everyone else also had great fielding! 12-7 for the Ladies, going into the fifth. Were they going to make it?

In the 5th Up and Atom made a big come-back, only letting in 1 run (Paul), while gaining 4 runs themselves. Close game, 13-11 for the Ladies.

This just fuelled the 'Ladies fire for the 6th, who knew they had what it would take to win. Brendon started the 6th off with a huge over-the-fence home run, showing Up and Atom that they were quite capeable of hitting out of the park too. Andrew, Tim, Margo and Paul also made it into home before Up and Atom got their third out. Then in the bottom of the inning, L&L prevented any more Up & Atom runs. Wade did his position-dance around the field so people could take turns sitting-out and took third base, putting Brian into his former back-catcher role for an inning, so he could call a few extra 'balls' with a smile. L&L pulled-ahead for a score of 18-11.

Going into the 7th, L&L knew they almost had it, barring any disaster. Fortunately none came, except for Brendon's big stumble at first when Brian's hard-drive was caught by the pitcher and in the same action almost thrown in a Zeus-like lightning bolt throw to first. Nice stumble and recovery flying-leap back to the bag with your finger-tips touching Brendon! A single run was delivered. At the bottom of the 7th, the Lords & Ladies did what they had done twice before. No runs were let in, with a final big-win score of 19-11, as expected for a fair-weather L&L game. The crowd went wild, and new manager Wildman was taken off probation and given full-time status.

To celebrate their first big win of the 10th anniversary season, the Lords and Ladies hit-up the Courtyard patio, who rewarded their victory with a free platter of greasy but oh-so-yummy eats. Next time we're going to ask for peppermint teas and blankets instead, along with propane heaters.

Next game is Tuesday June 3rd at 5:00pm on PARC West. See you then!!!  :)

10th Anniversary Season Opener

*Under New Management*

On May 22, 2014, the Lords & Ladies had their season opener of their 10th anniversary season, against the powerful WTF Collective. To celebrate the anniversary opener, the stands were full and the crowds were wild, and the stadium gave-out free sunflower seeds and peanuts to all to celebrate! Or so we'd like to imagine.

New this year was a change in management. After a triumphant 2013 season, the Lords and Ladies' long standing manager Hubbie-Mike was bought-off by an overseas high-roller team, at a price the L&L's owners just couldn't afford to match. Original team member 'Wildman' Tim was tasked with taking over team management, and given that the season opener wasn't a complete disaster, he may not be fired, at least not just yet.

The Wildman brought-on a few new call-ups, with high potential for grand slam big hits, and flying-leap eagle-eyed catches:

Ronnie - An urban legend, ringer-Ron is ready to cover the entire outfield single-handedly with his speedy sprint. He's a strong contender for dozens of out-of-the-park home runs, based on him having his own bat and also playing in another league. He just must be a super-star!

Margo - After continually upping the bribe to get her to join the team, Margo finally caved-in with an offer of a 500% increase in player base salary. Too bad 500% of $0 is still $0, but we won't tell Margo that. :) Margo brings the full force of tyke T-ball experience to the field, a force that the opposing teams will be knocked off the field with.

Andrew - Hipster Andrew is Margo's other half, and comes as part of the package. Donning his aviator shades and denim jeans to the field, his plan is to distract the other team by looking so smooth they'll forget all about getting the ball into the infield. Watch-out for when he actually wears his sportswear, then you'll know he really means business.

Wade - Wade's enthusiasm is so pumped-up that he's already gone to the tattoo parlour to get a giant L & L emblem inked across his chest. "It gives me hitting power", says Wade. "Just wait until you see how I'll be hitting over the fence every hit, then you'll all be getting one of these."

Brandy - A late call-up from the 2013 season, Brandy's now ready to take on the big-leagues full-time, and has joined L & L for the 2014 season. She's fresh out of off-season Florida training camp with the Blue Jays, and ready to teach the team all the secret tips and tricks of the game.

And so fresh out of the prior-week's training camp, and under the first warm and sunny day of the year, the Lords and Ladies were ready for their first game of the season. Snow-shoes were traded for cleats, a swamped ball diamond was traded for a grassy and dry one, and the team was ready to play-ball!

The game started out slow but well, with the Lords and Ladies holding the field against WTF Collective, preventing any embarrassing mercy-innings, but also just not getting the necessary runs in. Brendon really livened things up with his out of the park home-run, trying to show the new call-ups how to 'get 'er done'. Taking Brendon's lead, Pete ('Moe') hit a deep and far out-of-the park foul, almost knocking-out an innocent soccer player. However the WTF Collective really showed its might in their field, only allowing 3 L & L runs in the entire game.

On the infield side, everything looked promising. Margo got a big and much-needed 'out' at home plate, and K8 made some big catches at first base. Wade quickly picked-up how to tag-team with short-stop Tim, and the combination seemed to get their dance together for a few more 'outs'. Pitcher Moe got-in a couple strike-outs, proving his worth and that he can hit the mat with the best of them. Third baseman Rob got his hand on a ball or two, and managed to make a few key stops to keep the ball in the infield. And styling Andrew even showed-up late in the 6th, to cheer us on and ponder whether he's really worthy of joining such an amazing team!

Not having enough excitement at third, Rob tried his hand at pitching for the 7th inning, for which he earned participation points from the crowd. Sorry Rob, but we'll have to work on that pitching-arm a bit more. :)

In the outfield, 'Goose' Brendon, Ron, Brandy and Denise had their work cut-out for them, as WTF could really place the ball wherever the outfielders weren't. Denise was kept busy with a number of balls placed directly up in the bright sun...... Don't worry Denise, we'll get you welder's goggles for next game so you'll be able to pick-out those balls coming in from the bright ball of fire! Brendon and Ron certainly got their exercise chasing the ball around, and were able to quickly get it to the infield with some big throws. Not to be outdone, Brandy at rover got plenty of pick-ups and also got them to the infield quickly to stop the play.

All in all it was a valiant effort by all involved, and not nearly as crushing a defeat as a score of 21-3 sounds like on the face of it. The next game is 4:30pm on Thursday May 29, on PARC East (unless it's still swamp-like), against Up & Atom. See you there!

Finally! Lords and Ladies Triumph in a Championship Game...

New Fissionairies snatch defeat from the jaws of Victory!

For 9 years, the Lords and Ladies have come close but never achieved victory in the final game of the season.  That all changed yesterday with a 15-13 Win over the New Fissionairies.  The game started poorly for the Lords and Ladies, going down 11-3 after 4 innings.  The momentum was clearly not favouring the big Purple Machine...so for the bottom of the 5th a pitching change was made, to somehow change the mood of the game.  The bottom of the fifth was a 1-2-3 inning.  The smallest, faintest, absolutely infinitesimally small light appeared at the end of the tunnel, still Purple needed the bats to come alive as it was already the top of the 6th.

The Epic Comeback - Top of the 6th

In an inning that shall long be remembered in Lords and Ladies lore, the top of the 6th inning in the championship game vs. the New Fissionairies played in PARC West Field on the 17th of September in the year 2013, the big Purple Machine made their Epic Comeback.

Brian, the eternal optimist, opined that all that was needed was a simple 10 run inning.  The Lords and Ladies did not believe it possible as they had been shut out for four consecutive innings..  1st up to bat was Kate...no dice...she was out via a caught line drive to the shortstop.  It did not look good.  1 out...

Then good ole Moe came up to the plate, and hit one that managed to drop in for a single.  Next up, Tim, could Mr. Flying Unicorn start the magic.  It is a well known fact that Flying Unicorns are magic creatures.

So with the count full (added for dramatic effect), Tim channeling the inner unicorn, hit one hard,  landing safely in the outfield.  Pete was safe at 2nd.  Two On, one out.  Next up, was the infamous Brian, whom was by now sporting a wicked bruise on his left ankle (although he could have always used his glove instead of his foot to catch the ball).  1st pitch, wasn't his...strike!  2nd and 3rd pitch were balls.  Brian looking a bit fatigued and a bit in pain, but never more focused.  Finally, his pitch.  Wham!  He hit it so hard, it went past the pitcher (in the air!), and bounced between the shortstop and 2nd baseman and into the field, quickly picked up by the rover and tossed to 2nd.

SAFE! came the call as Tim made it in time to the base.  Up next, Mike...could he deliver under pressure.  1 out, bases loaded.  He had been struggling at the plate all game as his timing was thrown off by the stutter step of the pitcher.  He ditched the tried and trusted 28oz Miken Freak Bat for the lighter more explosive Combat.

1st pitch strike, it's not looking good.  2nd pitch ball, wait for his...then on the 3rd and ultimate pitch...Mike hits a hard and long line drive.  Over the heads of the outfielders and reaching the fence.  Yelling at Brian all the way to move his a$$, the Lords and Ladies counted 3 runs on Mike's 3-RBI triple.  The score 11-6.

With Mike on 3rd, and one out.  Denise was up to bat, and come through she did.  She hit a deep sacrifice fly on which Mike easily scored.   it was now 11-7 with 2 outs and the top of the order up.

Now it was time for Charlie Hustle, needed to get on base to keep the inning alive.  And sure enough, even though fatigued by travel, he made it safe at first with a gutsy hit.  Now Paul, fingers crossed...1st pitch BALL!  2nd pitch BALL!  3rd pitch BALL!  4th pitch STRIKE!  but then finally the 5th pitch BALL!  Paul took a walk, for the first time in his Lords and Ladies career, he took a walk.  That was what it was all about when the trusty GM Tim Collier, called him up as a free agent and negotiated a deal.   Making the smart choices at the plate, delivering in clutch situations.  Lords and Ladies have 2 on, and 2 out.  Shawn up at the plate.

Shawn, picked up at the trade deadline due to the "immense puddle" incident, had been solid all season.  Could he deliver the 2 out base hit that would bring the L&L closer to achieving victory?  The park was quiet, all the fans were hushed.  The Nuclear Fissionairies still had a commanding lead at 11-7 and had been sharp all game.  The big Purple Machine needed four more just to tie.  Shawn with sweat coming down his brow, looked focused and determined.  Staring down the pitcher, and looking directly at the unfortunate fielder in right field...Shawn swung and hit a high fly ball down the right field line...was it going to land fair?  All those in attendance collectively head their breath as the ball hung in the air for what seemed at least 3 to 4 seconds, which is a moderate amount of time for a collective group to simulataneously hold their breath.

Finally, after those 4 seconds...the ball touched the grass, or perhaps some goose $hit as Goose was telling us, there was plenty of out in the field today.  Well regardless of what it landed on, it landed fair and went to the fence past the unlucky fielder.

Running with determination Charlie Hustle crossed the plate, then Paul, with Shawn coming in safe at 3rd.  A 2-RBI triple, bringing the Lords and Ladies that much closer.  The score 11-9 with 2 outs and Shawn on 3rd.

Batting clean-up and also struggling was Goose.  The field was littered with Goose's Green Power Pellets...heck, I was even leaving food on the field between games to ensure Geese would leave their powerful droppings...With first inspection in the bottom of the first, Goose seemed pleased with the amount of Goose $hit on the field.  This should have meant a repeat performance of his 2-HR performance from last week.  But after a strike-out and two horrible fly outs, he was without a hit after 3 at-bats.    Perhaps it was the Goose-step of the pitcher, that weakened his superpowers, but he needed to find a way to struggle through without his ability.

So with a 2-1 count, Goose finally broke through in a big way,  crushing the ball to the fence and running faster than ever, Shawn comes into score 11-10 and Goose is on 3rd with a clutch 2 out - stand-up triple!

Now, Kate was up to the plate.  And she hit the ball hard into the ground.  I think it made about 6 feet, possibly 5.  But Kate was able to perform the difficult to defend against Slap Bunt!  She insured that the contact placed a spin on the ball that caused it to stop immediately upon contact with the ground.  Tim being the 3rd base coach already knew the squeeze play was on!  Sending Goose immediately upon contact.  Could Kate make it to first in time?  Could she be the Munenori Kawasaki of the L&L?  A person whom was not depended on to make the big plays, but always seemed to be there when it counted...So the pitcher fielded it cleanly.  Throw to first...it's in time...but dropped by the 1st baseman.  This is a play that is likely to become as infamous as the Bill Buckner error in the Game 6 of the 1986 World Series (see YouTube Link below for video of the Bill Buckner play).

Bill Buckner's Error

Well, that was the penultimate play, the slap bunt by Kate, the error at first and it's a brand new ball game.  Score tied 11-11.

Next up Moe!  Can he continue the 2-out surge?  With Kate's incessant complaining on first about how much she hates being on 1st base when Moe is up (he bats left), Moe seemed a bit distracted.  Not able to focus over the constant chatter from his wife, he took a first pitch strike.  Still the nattering continued.   Moe...2 words...selective hearing!  You've been married for 18-years now, you should have it by now.   Still it is pretty hard to hit a ball when you have to safely guide it past your vocal wife.

So on the second pitch, the Nuclear Fissionairies got Moe out on a checked-swing grounder to second, which was scored as Kate - 4 -3.  The top of the 6th was over, but the big Purple Machine had clawed back to tie it 11-11.

Lords and Ladies set down the side in Order (OK it was 4 up, 3 down)

With Mike on the mound, and the top of order up to bat.  The Lords and Ladies came up with some big catches to ensure the game remained tied through the bottom of the sixth!  It was a second consecutive inning in which big Purple shutdown their opponents.  Could the L&L find it in them to get the hits to put them over the top.  Even the Geese in attendance where crapping their proverbial pants!

Flying Unicorn (aka Wildman) gets Bloody in USC (Ultimate Sliding Competition)!

First up, yes, our resident Flying Unicorn, the magical creature.  But with the game on the line, he shed his gentle nature, becoming the aggressive base-running Wildman!  On what surely should have only been a single, Wildman made it a double, with his "cleats up", knees down slide into 2nd.  Text book Colby Rasmus slide.  Safe at 2nd.  Tim showing the team, that he lost a few inches of skin in his battle with the ground, seemed exuberant.  Lords and Ladies had the go-ahead run at 2nd with none out.

Next up, Acu-Poke.  And he poked one to shallow center field, caught by the rover.  Tim (aka Wildman) aggressively tagged up and started to run towards third.  Would he make it?  With the ball coming in fast, The Wildman's wheels were moving quickly and creating an immense dust-cloud behind him.  With another massive slide and his hands protecting his head from a fast & low throw to third base, The Wildman was safe at third, minus a few chunks of skin left on the field.  Go-ahead run now at 3rd!  One out.

Mike up to the plate.  Can he repeat his clutch 3-RBI triple?  first pitch BALL, second pitch swung on, hard grounder to 3rd base, past the third baseman, but the shortstop showing incredible foot speed manages to get a hold of it.  Throw to first...not in time.  Channeling his inner Charlie Hustle, Mike made it safely to 1st for an RBI infield single.  L&L are now in the lead for the first time since the top of the 1st!  Score 12-11.

Denise was now batting.  Looking comfortable as ever, she rocks one deep into the outfield.  Knowing it's going to drop in safely, Mike takes off, seeing the ball land safely and no one covering third, he turns the corner and makes it safely to the bag.  One out, 2 on.  Top of the order.

Charlie Hustle, at the plate delivered a clutch Sacrifice Fly!  Scoring Mike.  2 out.  13-11.

Paul, at the plate.  was he going to swing the bat or take another walk.  The pitches once again, not good.  Count went to 3-1 when WHACK!  Paul crushes one done the line, past the fielders.  Denise hustling all the way from 1st, makes it into score!  Paul gets a clutch 2-out RBI triple!  Lords and Ladies are now up 14-11....

Of all the acquisitions made during the season, none was more important than the trading of Chris' PARC rights for Restricted Free Agent Shawn.  There were numerous times the L&L were in talks to obtain this hitting and pitching dynamo, sensing that the big Purple machine could final attain their goal of being a championship team.  And today, was the day that those long hours of discussion and negotiation paid off.

Shawn, up at the plate, immediately delivered a 2-out, RBI triple scoring Paul easily from 3rd.  That completed the scoring for the Lords and Ladies in the top half of the inning.  Lords and Ladies go into the bottom half of the final inning up 15-11!  They are three outs away from the championship!

Nuclear Fissionairies comeback falls short

Making it tense but truly never in doubt, the Lords and Ladies gave back 2 runs, but Mike finished them off with a clutch strikeout to end the game!   Bring out the champagne!  The Lords and Ladies have won their first championship ever!  The crowd went wild, and Brian did his best Jumping Joe Carter impersonation.

Big Purple Machine - Paints the town Purple...

The championship party for the Big Purple Machine went into the wee hours of the evening, maybe 8:30 or 9:00 pm a team record this year!  But the party was awesome.  The mayor of Pickering phoned the team from city hall to congratulate them on the hard fought victory.  This author expects this L&L team to be inducted into the PARC Baseball Hall of Fame one day, and sooner rather than later.   With no injuries, and all players locked up to one year contracts, it looks like the big Purple Machine is going to be a likely candidate for repeat next season.  

I would like to thank all those for playing this year and look forward to seeing everyone next year!

Seventh Heaven! Lords and Ladies improve to 7-3 with win over Up and Atom

Tight Defensive Game sees Ladies prevail over Up and Atom

What an exciting game, this game had key hits and great defensive plays.  The infield was attacking ground balls and making the throw to first.  The outfield was tracking the fly balls and pulling them in.  Is there anything that could derail the second 3 game win streak of the year.  

In fact, take out that forfeited game, that the Ladies were ahead of 10-3 before play was called, and you would have 6 wins in a row.  For as long as I have been following the Ladies, there ain't been no 6 game win streak!  

Out there today, the Ladies were doing it all, and the Lords were cleaning up after them.  Shawn, the receiving his Peerage midway through the season, has shown he should have been a Lord all along. Unstoppable at the plate, and mowing down the opposition with his pitching.

The Diana - Kate combo not to be outdone, were chasing everything down, making the plays look easy.  Pete was his usual Ball Hog self once put in the outfield, tracking everything down, calling for everything.  Not to mention that he showed that White Men really can jump!

Lords Head Scout - Goose - Scouting Report

Don't hit to D.B. Shortstop of this team, he will make you pay.  D.B. Shortstop was central for 11 of the 18 outs.  That's almost two-thirds of all outs.  

Homeruns & Lack of Intense Heat causes Strategy Fail

Homeruns & Lack of Intense Heat causes Strategy Fail

Special  Report from the Flying Unicorn (Thanks)

The last ball game in July was a beautiful day, and the Lords and Ladies looked strong but short-staffed when entering the field to play against their long-time rivals Balls Deep. Mid-summer vacations and forced-outage critical path work created havoc with the L & L’s roster, not to mention Band Camp. Just where exactly do you stick that saxophone during your band camp ‘games’ Alex?

Being short-handed with only 8 players, and seeing that the other team had a large cooler of silly-pops, the Lords & Ladies strategy from the outset was to “Make them run lots when fielding, and dehydrate them so they consume even more silly-pop”, hopefully with the result that they’ll be staggering-about in the final few innings. Unfortunately Shawn’s 2 amazing home run hits went a bit too far going over the fence, thus the Balls Deep fielders didn’t have to run so much. Come-on Shawn, the hits were great, but you obviously weren’t paying attention at the pre-game briefing about making the other team run. What unicorn points you earned for the home-runs are negated for not sticking with team strategy. Please stop day-dreaming of saxophone games during pre-game briefings.

By the end of the third inning we were well-up in score (11-5), but the short-handed Lords and Ladies began to loose steam while Balls Deep team powered-on. Too bad the weather was so nice and it wasn’t an overly hot day, otherwise perhaps their silly-pop consumption rate would have been elevated. In the third inning Pete showed Shawn how it’s supposed to be done by hitting an in-the-park homer; way to go Pete, you earned 2 Unicorn Points.

The combination of Diana’s short-stopping and Kate’s first-basing held the Balls Deep team to only one run in the bottom of the third, with an amazing jump-catch by Diana (3 Unicorn Points earned) and some strange comments from Kate about how she prefers to be on-top when Diana is below her (or was it the other way around????). Other game highlights include Tim and Diana’s triples, Shawn’s bang-on pitching, Jeff’s outfield catching, Rob getting a workout by running all over the place, and Denise almost getting de-ankled, de-capitated, and de-armed by some close-calls with some wicked-crazy-fast balls towards short stop.

Unfortunately in the final few innings Balls Deep’s fielding seemed to get their act together, and they slowly pulled ahead of the tired Lords & Ladies, for a final score of 15-14 for Balls Deep. A fun game was had by all, and kudos to Balls Deep for lending us at catcher.

After a long weekend and much deserved week-off, the next game is Thursday August 15, 4:30pm at the Kinsmen South field against The Turtles. We’re EXACTLY tied against the Turtles in the standings, and we’ve beat them before when we played them in our season opener, so lets do it again! That is unless the Sluggers & Chuggers looses against the New G-Rads on Tuesday (an event that has about the same likelyhood as a volcano developing in Pickering in the same timeframe), in which case it will very-much be in our advantage to not win Thursday’s game, but let’s not get caught-up on silly details.

See you Thursday at 4:30!