News (Again) Down '9ERS, 10-6

LAST GAME RESULTS

BERKELEY NEWS

10

29TH ST 29ERS

6

RECAP: Ughhh, where to start? The day started off so well, too. I woke up to a group text from Will talking about getting with Louie's mother (crude but funny), a tinc'd out Bobby and a plain ol' Dave picked me and Ricky up before we cruised ebulliently across the Bay's expanse, and we landed in Berkeley in high spirits as if nothing could go wrong.  Well, nothing did go wrong for the next forty-five minutes or so.

All right, so we drew Raf again (not a surprise based on how he pretty much shut us down last time), and he continued to display his weird and almost sorcerer-like power over our lineup, while we got a somewhat shaky start out of Bobby.  Apparently the mound at Willard has a crater in it, although that didn't seem to bother Raf as we continually popped up first pitch after first pitch.

The News had about five runners on base at all times it seemed, and look, I don't want to get into the hijinks that occurred with some of the inherently News-ie baserunning that followed (read: do want to, but won't), they were able to get their guys in and we weren't.  So what if they scored three runs while the umpire wasn't looking?  IT COUNTS.

We made it sorta interesting in the ninth with two guys on and no outs but then I struck out against their "closer" on a high 3-2 pitch and that just sorta set the mood for the rest of the inning.

But overall guys, it was just a bad game for us.  We know we're better than that.  Pretty much everything you can do wrong in a baseballing game, we accomplished it.  Shaky pitching, poor ABs, questionable baserunning, and (this one kinda stings) not our usually foolproof tight D.  Whatever, though, we're over it.

Let's keep this in mind going forward: when you play this team, they are relying on you to make mistakes.  They're not relying on themselves to actually hit the ball (except Raf really).  From his spot leading off, I counted ONE swing from David Blanco all day, and he probably got up five times.  Can't do that on these guys.  That has been their game plan since the league began.  They could probably go an entire season scoring 100 runs on like, five hits and just wait for walks and errors.  (Ed.: This is not a diss Newsites ((since I know you are out there, reading, analyzing, breathing)) --- just observation.)

Let me tell you this News: YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE LAST OF THE TWENTY NINERS.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Based on his day at the plate, I think it's clear Bobby takes the cake. I'm gonna throw in here quickly that as much as he and that mound mighta put us out of this game, he did his damnedest to bring us right back in.  2-3 with a 2-run jack, a double, a walk, and what? 3 RBIs overall? (Stats not with me at the moment.)  Dude looked poised at the plate; fierce yet somehow ... gentle.  Give me your secrets I will do anything. (Ray is found curled up in a ball in the corner of the Rock Bar, crying and sucking on Bobby's batting gloves)

HONOURABLE MENTION: S/O to Zack for coming in and pitching like his regular beast-like self.  Velocity actually looked a bit up, and he, as always, stayed chill and did his job.

DRIVE OF THE GAME: Clearly already mentioned, but Bobby's blast on a 1-0 pitch "right where he wanted it" for his and the team's first HR is DOTG.  Deep left center, and in Bobby's own words "not a cheapie, either" (it wasn't).  If there were any icing on the cake of a loss to the News, I'd say watching that thing sail out of Willard would be it, especially on a day when they had one hard-hit ball. (Burn.)

PLAY OF THE GAME: As I haven't been getting a lot of love lately (read: giving myself any) I'm going to include myself on this one and go with that sweet 5-4-3 double play that Dave, myself, and Pat turned.  MmmMmm so so tasty.  People have described that play as being "smooth as silk" --- do you disagree?  First 5-4-3 of the season if you're keeping score.  Dave fielded it cleanly, perfect feed to me at second, and a dandy little pivot throw on to Pat.  Let's do that every time, k?

SCOREBOOK IS STILL AT PAT'S SINCE THE POST-GAME RAGEFEST. STATS TO COME.

NEXT GAME

Saturday, 3 August

vs

The Lovable Nobles of the Sunset

feat. Billy Sandberg & The Gamechangers of Thrones

Field TBD

"Hi News, bye News"

This Is Worth Watching, Trust Me

Just to give you guys some brief context for what led up to this game, last year the Hard Bargains (known now as The News) had already clinched first place and were going to the championship series.  Egypt '84 (known now as The Dealers) finished the season tied with The Richmond Cleaners for second place.

This was the one game playoff that ensued.  Winner goes to the championship.  I don't remember the exact details but it was getting hairy at the end of the game.

And yes, that's yer boy making the calls behind the plate and making that dramatic out call to end it.

All that's fine but where the video really stands out is Sam tackling Kristina at home and then PUSHING HER BACK ONTO THE DIRT SO HE CAN CELEBRATE.  Vintage Sam Bull. (It's not possible this is where her knee issue started, is it? :/) (Also Sam's one-legged hop after tossing her back down lol, and strangely nimble!)

Also just noticed Danny standing and just sorta staring blankly at the celebration scrum on the mound, bat in hand.  It's sad and beautiful and poetic in the slo-mo version.

1:07 is where you wanna pay attention and then you get a much better look in full slo-mo.  So, so good.  (I think.)


Thanks Adrian for capturing this beautiful moment in time!

I Can't Think of a Title That Doesn't Include "Grinding" :(

LAST GAME RESULTS

29TH ST 29ERS

8

OAKLAND BEERS

3

RECAP: I'm all jacked up on coffee and for some reason, I just haven't been able to even *try* to be funny on this thing anymore.  Solid starting pitching, somewhat questionable and then solid relief pitching, PAT, good plate discipline up and down the order (8 walks, 2 Ks), serviceable defense.  And just a smattering of unfortunate Beers baserunning.  That's how it happened.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Lennen.  Another triple with the bags loaded.  Another "make-em-throw-it-to-third-as-I-scurry-around-the-bases" that led to him actually scoring.  Again.  I don't think any of us want to ever take this guy for granted, and the stats just prove it, but you watch what he does at the plate and just expect this sort of stuff.  99% of the time he hits the ball hard and he always hustles.  Or does something even more than hustling I'm not sure there's a word for yet.  "Pat-ing"? "Lennen-ing"? Help.  He added on another RBI single in the sixth just for good measure.

Pat earning player of the game and my getting to describe his triple conveniently opens up the . . .

DRIVE OF THE GAME: . . .for Will Buss.  No, it didn't knock a run in, but it was an opposite field hustle double for a guy that has largely struggled at the plate but who displays tons of heart and drive.  I slump, too.  It sucks.  When you make good contact and almost aren't expecting it, sometimes it catches you off guard and you don't know what to do.  Will always busts out of the box, and I was impressed he saw the opportunity to get into second and took it.  He scored 2 runs, too.

HONORABLE MENTION: Louie's clean line drive into right that knocked in a run in the third was pretty.  Check out that Package Deal getting it done.  Gonna miss you guys this weekend.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Sometimes early on in a game, you really want that first groundball, flyball, whatever, just to get it out of the way.  You'll hear Kuiper talk about it sometimes.  It's unnerving going into the 8th inning and you haven't gotten any action.  After that first ball that comes at you, you sort of settle down and remember that you know how to handle yo shit.  This is all a preface to the top of the third.  Two outs, full count, bases loaded.  Runners are moving with the pitch (but you knew that, right?).  Ricky had the cool calm collectedness to field the well-struck groundball that came at him and take a breath before throwing to first for the out and get us out of the inning with no harm done.

Sometimes you don't want that sort of ball to be the first one at you, but . . . anyway, well done, RR.

STATS

NEXT GAME

This one's a biggie.  If we can beat The News on Saturday, we will have a 4 game lead in the standings with only 5 games left to play. You can bet they've done the math as well.  We lose, it's a 2 game lead with the same amount of games remaining.

That means it's big.  And we want to finish first.  This would get us a whole lot closer.

SATURDAY 27 JULY

1PM

WILLARD PARK, BERKELEY

2730 Hillegas Ave

nasty?

29ERS Walk Off in Nail-Biter Over Brians, 3-2

LAST GAME RESULTS:

29TH ST 29ERS

3

DALY CITY BRIANS

2

Gonna keep this one kinda brief which is sorta an insult to this game but I need to get down to Rolph for practice so I'm gonna breeze it.

RECAP: So you all know we were down some of our guys and had only nine for the whole game (which was actually really fun).  They scored in the first on a blown call that should have been the third out but Woods or somebody said Pat had pulled his foot off the first base bag and so it goes . . . We actually tied it in the bottom of the first when their catcher EJ pulled his own foot off of home plate so there was some cosmic justice of sorts.

Essentially it remained like that, a heated pitcher's duel with neither side budging, until the 8th, when we went ahead on Louie's bases-loaded RBI FC placed perfectly to the right side.  Of course I'm forgetting Zack's mammoth blast to lead off the seventh and we couldn't score him.  That I'm okay forgetting about, actually.  If we didn't win that game that's the sort of stuff that can haunt you.

Just to add a little more drama, the Brians tied it in the top of the ninth with two outs.  And we nearly had a double play to end the damn thing too.

Leading off the bottom of 9, I took a walk against a brand new pitcher who couldn't find the zone.  Craig hit a ground ball to third and they tried to get me at second but I slid in safe, again someone pulling his foot off the bag.  Pat walked to load the bases with no outs.

Up comes Brandon who had worked a quick 2-0 count.  We all mumbled collectively because no one wanted to win on a walk-off bases loaded walk, that's just icky.  Brandon sees a 2-1 fastball and drives it cleanly into centerfield, past the all-the-way-in infield.  Walk off.  Sure, we gloated a little, but we fucking EARNED that one. 

PLAYER OF THE GAME: For the second time this season, Zack is taking the honors.  A CG battle and he never wavered, just kinda quietly determined to outlast Brian Woods. Never let the pressure get to him, only walking four while striking out 10 and giving up only 6 hits (which were ugh, almost ALL bleeders between the infield dirt and the mound) and 2 runs.  He also hit a triple, only the second 29ER triple of the year.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Craig playing a surehanded third base and coming almost all the way in the home dugout to catch a pop up in the later innings.  I'm not sure anyone thought he could stay with it when it came off the bat but he fucking GOT THERE and caught that thing. 

DRIVE OF THE GAME: Uhhhh, think I already mentioned Zack's triple, which absolutely was a MONSTER, so let's go with Brandon's shot up-the-middle to end it and send us all home happy.  Lunchbox has been a consistent and steady force at the plate all season and doesn't look like he's slowing down any time soon.

STATS

Next Game:

Saturday 20 July 

vs

Da Beers

BALBOA 2PM

i go get drunk now :(

Chili Peps

Look, I dont't want people to know what I listen to all the time either (Lillith Fair & Britney shit mostly) but that's why I alter those privacy settings . . . For now, #caughtchilipeppin

*MUST WATCH* Before Louie Files Cease & Desist Order Against Me VOL. 1

In this riveting ditty made in January of 2010, Louie "Rap" Rappoport offers his assessment and analysis of then upcoming Giants season.  Let's try to at least double those 22 views right?!?

(This should start a new series where I find old shit about you guys hiding in the depths of the internet, and then post it so everyone can love each other even more for it.) (All in good humor, don't worry.)

Without further ado, I present you all with our very own Lefty Louie Rappoport's "My Great Movie giants style" (title faithfully reproduced [sic]) . . . 

R U Proud? 29ers Over Dealers 8-0

LAST GAME RESULTS:

29TH ST 29ERS

8

MISSION ST DEALERS

0

RECAP: On a particularly beautiful and almost too-pleasant Saturday afternoon (I can't lie, I felt a certain amount of, um, guilt, about how nice the weather was, as if we didn't deserve such soothing warm breezes in our fine city, much less at the frequently swampy and icy St. Mary's Field ((why I felt this way has probably something to do with my guilt-laden and confusing childhood within a religion well-known for producing that feeling in its followers, but more than likely everything to do with the funky turmoil in which I have found myself recently: a bizarre and annoying story I think most of you know by now))) we won a baseball game against a team who has not won baseball games recently.

Most of the recap for this one will come out in the POTG and newly-added Drive of the Game sections, but suffice it to say The Dealers did not bring their A-Game to this meeting.  It's not my position to determine which letter grade they did bring, but any measure of A it wasn't, and unfortunately for them, we handed them their seventh consecutive loss.  This was largely due to the glaringly obvious poor defense on display by the Dealer infield, an infield that made nine errors.  Perhaps Justin Flowers was right when he said the final should have been something more to the tune of 2-0, but how can we know?  Flowers, IMHO, performed under what I have come to know as his usual self, lacking whatever methamphetaminic prowess he possessed what I can only assume was merely hours (perhaps minutes) before the first pitch; a fact that Zack revealed to me in an aside around the third or fourth inning when he said, "Look, he's already losing gas" --- or something to that effect.  Flowers' curve, which has always baffled and bound me, found my bat three times, albeit not once for hits.  But it did seem to lack its characteristic "snap" --- Look, it's not like we pounded the ball to all corners of the field; it was once again a show of our razor sharp defense and ability to what some baseball personalities on television call "slow the game down" . . . or I think it's something like that.  I don't really know, I don't get paid to analyze baseball, I just watch a lot of it, and think about it, and talk about it (probably too often) so if that gives me some sort of experience in interpreting the many banal clichés that sports' talking heads throw out there, okay.  If not, it sounds good anyway.

We won handily 3/4ths of the way through the game, and at that point, it became about preserving Louie's no-hitter, even in the face of the cabal that was The Dealers, the fevered spokesman for which was clearly Vinnie, the heightened pitch his forming some Italian devil horns with his fingers and muttering some esoteric curse upon our whole bench but most directly and emphatically at Louie himself.  We'll have to start keeping sage or crystals in the dugout to prevent anything like this from happening again, or prayerbooks and candles --- really, whatever your preferred form of spiritual amulet of protection, bring it.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Lately, this has been the easiest part of writing these things, and this section in particular has largely written itself.  Without question it was Louie, who was able to turn Saturday into not just another game, but a game with some legitimate intrigue involved.  For those on both benches who were aware of what was underway, after the fourth or fifth inning there existed an acute feeling of playing with baited breath.  During the sixth, it really started mounting.  I was experiencing the condition we call "butterflies in the stomach," which I've just read is the body releasing adrenaline and pulling blood away from the stomach.  The lack of blood in your stomach causes it to cease working temporarily, and gives rise to the weightless and nervous feelings we get.  I usually just hope everything's doin its thang inside me, and so it was on this day, until, as mentioned above, Vinnie put his damning fat fingers in our general direction, and in the bottom of the seventh, Sam Bull (who else) hit what was recounted to me later as a "you-had-no-chance-at-it" line drive clean into right field.  

Louie would continue to pitch marvelously (despite Sam's immediate and sort of shocking imperative to "EAT SHIT, LOUIE" as soon as he sauntered to first) to the last out of the game, giving up just one more hit to Gomez (a duck snort into right) along the way, all the while allowing only one Dealer to make it as far as third base, even that being with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, almost as a tease, as a mean older sibling or cousin offers candy to their younger relative and then shoves it in their own mouth and makes them (the younger one) watch them (the elder) chew it maliciously right in front of their eyes. (Ed.: Excuse the metaphor, it really isn't supposed to read like "taking candy from a baby.")

Louie's final line: 9IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 10K, 6BB. Proud of you, man.  Nice to meet your folks, too!

The symbolism of the chain link fence is just beyond my grasp. I can't do all the work for you.

PLAY OF THE GAME: While we played generally superb but fairly standard defense (as in, making the plays we are supposed to make i.e. grounders fielded cleanly and thrown gift-wrapped to first, fly balls caught sans confusion) one play stood out as truly spectacular. With Gantz manning left field, not his normal position but one he can clearly play with aplomb, and Eric "Spoon" Short up to bat, Spoon hit something between a hanging fly ball and a sinking, slicing liner that pulled Gantz all the way over to the foul line and necessitated his (Gantz's) graceful sliding backhand catch which kept extra bases from The Dealers and, more emotionally engaging, preserved Louie's no-hit bid for the first out of the sixth.  I wish I had a .gif of it to watch over and over again, but instead I'm going to scroll down and watch Will falling in the batter's box a few more hundred times.

And since we're on the subject of Gantz, I just wanted to mention that I tried in vain many times to take a picture of the deep and ugly contusion on my back caused by the foul ball off his bat while I was nobly coaching third base, but the pictures are all too blurry and/or explicit to share on this family-friendly website.

DRIVE OF THE GAME: After being somewhat humiliated (ed.: That's assumed on my part. I should mention here that at no point did Dave ever tell me he felt any humiliation on his part for this) by the backhanded and casual trickery employed by the Dealer's third basemen when he dropped Dave's liner and proceeded to turn it into a double play, Dave had a chance to make a statement next time he stepped up to the plate.  With the bases loaded, Dave sat on a hanging breaking ball and smashed it into left for his first (I suppose) "genuine" double of the season, and our only extra base hit all game.  A clean, 2-RBI knock after assuming Bobby's usual position in the clean-up spot, all the more satisfying after Dave had said privately that he was "getting used to striking out" the week before.  We can all learn a lot from Dave.  I'm not sure exactly what yet, but we all sure as hell can.

JONATHAN SANCHEZ MISGUIDED COCKINESS OF THE GAME: Sam Bull.  Sorry bud: 

STATS

NEXT GAME:

At home 13 July v. Brians, with Zack Farwell taking the start

BUT . . .

in the meantime there is the "All-Star Game" on the fourth at Raimondi in Oakland, which starts at 2 I think.  Whoever wants to show up can, it's essentially a fun pick-up game with food and beer and a "Home Run Derby" to follow.

God Bless Manifest Destiny