Snow comes early this year to PARC

Team Captain Mike checks in with this week's game recap:

The Lords and Ladies with a short-handed crew, a result of scheduling conflicts with the worst professional soccer team in North America (perhaps the world), did battle in their 1^st playoff game against the RamRods last night.  In the end coming up short with a 9-6 Loss.  However, there was much to cheer about in the well played game.

Player of  the game, by a mile, Chris S, who takes over full time 3^rd base.  The Canadian born talent gave the Lords and Ladies a chance to win the game (and perhaps local fan support) with his stellar defence at 3^rd and his crucial singles bring in 2 RBIs coming in the latter half of the order.  His wife, Meaghan, not to be outdone, gave up her title to the regular season batting statistic by going 2-3 at the plate.  Earning the signal to “swing away” with the count 3-0.  Meaghan also did a wonderful job of playing 1^st base, making every catch even Diana’s blistering throws from Shortstop (without the whiplash suffered by Tim).  The couple left it all out there on the field and showed that they perform when called upon, they were ready to raise their game for the playoffs.

Other notable efforts,

• Diana who battled courageously at Short Stop.  Fighting through not 1 but 2 injuries, one to the knee, the other a minor concussion, she still managed to go 2-4 in the #2 spot.  I attribute her lone strike out to the concussion she received during her last at bat.
• Alex made a strong case to be the everyday centerfielder for next year, catching every ball in a half-mile radius around him!  His hitting was not up to his typical high standards, although I believe that he was simply too tired from running those half-marathons in the field every inning picking up all those outs!
• Erick is notable for hitting into the 5-4-3 double play of the year (perhaps our 1^st ever)!  Earning his nickname honestly “Stumpy”, Stumpy tumbled down the 1^st base line at the speed of ... well .. a stump!  Who put him batting leadoff again?  Oh yeah, that would be me...
• Not to be outdone, Rob hit into the 2^nd ever 5-4-3 double play, and I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it!  Rob ran even slower than Stumpy.  Although there may have been some interference by the bat, which jumped up and “bit” Rob in the legs, thereby reducing his velocity to less than Stumpy speed.
• Denise showed once again that she is big-league talent in Right Field, playing strong in the outfield, making a critical highlight-reel worthy catch and running down balls like a person possessed.  She had a great single, and was robbed of a second by a great play in the field.

The game was filled with great defence, good pitching, and clutch hits.  In my humble opinion, this was the game to be at!  For I am certain that the game was the most exciting professional or amateur sports match played in the Toronto area last night!

Let’s get ready for the next playoff game, where Chris M, currently on the 15-day DL, will be returning his full-time Pitching duties, and the Lords and Ladies wonder whether their key off-season acquisition, the Swiss-dynamo, Brian  “Er fliegt wie ein Vögel” (“The man who flew like a bird!”), will come back from injured reserve to lead them to the promised land, the Recreation league consolation finals!