So this past Saturday, 7 March, the boys from Cougars took home our first baseball title together, hammering the N Sydney team 16-4. The mercy rule was employed as we had the 12 run lead after 7 innings complete. Great stuff from the boys all game. While the value of naming an MVP is questionable, I suppose a few names stood out for me
Eventual MVP Dave Kark was a force, smashing a bomb to deep right center that just carried.... and carried... until the CF ran face first into the fence! Got to like that (nice effort, despite the near concussion...). That dinger got us on the board and really got us rolling. And Karky's single to left that cleared the bases was money. Well done to the young springbok!
Chris Corey going 6 strong on the hill against a good hitting team... lethal. Kept the fastball down, had a nice breaking ball, and allowed the boys behind him to make the plays (which they did, read ahead.) Kidd pitches; he doesn't throw. He changes speeds to the point where that fastball, I'm guessing (never faced him, don't really want to, although I'm sure I'd go yard... only messing Kidd) must look very quick when he rears back. He takes a page from the great Warren Spahn: "Hitting is timing. Pitching is upsetting timing." It's fun watching him pitch and I'm glad he's on my team.
Dan Crooks at SS was awesome. While making the routine plays (not to be undervalued), he made the dramatic ones as well, cutting down some aggressive baserunning by N Sydney (hurt them early.) Smeg behind the dish made a nice scoop on a short hop as well. But Crooksy was everywhere in the field. And was on base 4 times offensively... that's having a day for yourself on the big stage (well, in front of maybe 35 people... but you get the point.) Well played mate.
And can't forget "The Ballplayer" Nick Ellsmore. Like former Boston 3B Billy Mueller, Ells deserves the title "Ballplayer." It's truly one of baseball's highest compliments. Ells plays everyhere and plays it well. And rakes with the bat too.
By the time we brought on Pete "Pistol" Hinteregger, it was all over... nice finishing with the 1-6-3 double play though. A bit of style to finish it.
As for me, well, a strikeout (I'll go to my grave knowing that one was low), a swinging bunt hit to 3rd, a walk, and my favorite at bat of my day, a 14 pitch battle against their starter. I lost that battle with a grounder to third... but we won the war. I like to think that those 14 pitches fatigued him on a hot day, maybe even frustrated him a little bit. A coincidence that Karky hit his bomb straight after my at bat? Maybe; maybe not. Baseball, as always, is about the little things.
So Cougars are champions. I can enter temporary retirement on top; time to teach our little one about who Big Papi is, that the Green Monster is nobody to fear but is actually your friend (particularly to the lefty who will take it to opposite field), and that it's ok to have a snuggly security blanket (like Papelbon is to Sox fans.) I'll be back next September to show our little one how it's done, that 37 year olds can hit bombs just like Big Papi (ok, now I'm dreaming...)
Good luck to Div 4 Cougars in their Grand Final this weekend! And got to give a shout out to the Aussie WBC team, big upset of the Mexicans. But the heart is with the USA WBC team... as Tommy Lasorda said: "This is our game! It's our time to win it." Bring it home boys...
Dan Crooks at SS was awesome. While making the routine plays (not to be undervalued), he made the dramatic ones as well, cutting down some aggressive baserunning by N Sydney (hurt them early.) Smeg behind the dish made a nice scoop on a short hop as well. But Crooksy was everywhere in the field. And was on base 4 times offensively... that's having a day for yourself on the big stage (well, in front of maybe 35 people... but you get the point.) Well played mate.
And can't forget "The Ballplayer" Nick Ellsmore. Like former Boston 3B Billy Mueller, Ells deserves the title "Ballplayer." It's truly one of baseball's highest compliments. Ells plays everyhere and plays it well. And rakes with the bat too.
By the time we brought on Pete "Pistol" Hinteregger, it was all over... nice finishing with the 1-6-3 double play though. A bit of style to finish it.
As for me, well, a strikeout (I'll go to my grave knowing that one was low), a swinging bunt hit to 3rd, a walk, and my favorite at bat of my day, a 14 pitch battle against their starter. I lost that battle with a grounder to third... but we won the war. I like to think that those 14 pitches fatigued him on a hot day, maybe even frustrated him a little bit. A coincidence that Karky hit his bomb straight after my at bat? Maybe; maybe not. Baseball, as always, is about the little things.
So Cougars are champions. I can enter temporary retirement on top; time to teach our little one about who Big Papi is, that the Green Monster is nobody to fear but is actually your friend (particularly to the lefty who will take it to opposite field), and that it's ok to have a snuggly security blanket (like Papelbon is to Sox fans.) I'll be back next September to show our little one how it's done, that 37 year olds can hit bombs just like Big Papi (ok, now I'm dreaming...)
Good luck to Div 4 Cougars in their Grand Final this weekend! And got to give a shout out to the Aussie WBC team, big upset of the Mexicans. But the heart is with the USA WBC team... as Tommy Lasorda said: "This is our game! It's our time to win it." Bring it home boys...
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