LAST GAME RESULTS
29TH ST 29ERS
8
MISSION ST DEALERS
:(
RECAP: Some years ago, two of my best friends went to India to do whatever it is that people do who have that vague sort of hippie-ish inclination towards visiting places with undrinkable water and (usually) non-flushing "toilets." I'm no Prissy Pricilla, but undertaking that exact brand of a spiritual journey has never appealed to me. Apparently C Bukowski more of less felt the same way:
"Sometimes I just get tired of thinking of all the things that I don't wanna do. All the things that I don't wanna be. Places I don't wanna go, like India. . ."
— Barfly, 1987
So anyway, those two came back and among many of the stories they shared (some genuinely interesting; others painfully bland — ((didn't matter, they were going to tell them anyway))) one phrase kept popping up. That phrase was Same, Same but Different. I guess they use it to try to hawk their knock-off wares in open-air markets, but also in a universal, "we are all the same (but different)" sense.
So you can imagine my surprise when I googled "same same but different" before starting to write this post. This is how the inimitable and authoritative source Urban Dictionary(.com) puts it:
Well. Huh. That's something called "Tinglish." Tinglish. Thai and English. And now we've got Bob and we've got Jack and they are certainly not in India, but are instead hanging out with what is called a "lady-boy" in Thailand. Grinding. Lumps and dongs. Just, hmm. Okay.
I needed to write this all out because I've been going around since at least the fall/winter of 2005/06 saying this Same Same Blah Blah bullshit to try and affect some air of Eastern culture or worldliness and the WHOLE GD TIME PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN THINKING I WAS A BOB OR A JACK, CARELESSLY "GRINDING" A THAI LADY-BOY, FEELING LUMPS, FEELING DONGS. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But I needed to reconcile with that for a moment. Thank you for your patience.
GENUINE, BASEBALL-RELATED RECAP: You can see how clearly that all relates to this game, right? We beat The Dealers last time by a score of 8-0. Both games were held at St. Mary's. Superb pitching performances. Good defense. Same, Same. But different.
Bobby started and once he threw the first pitch of the game after some initial weirdness from the Dealer bench about my inability or unwillingness to obtain an official $54 field permit, I knew it was going to be a good day. One pitch, one out. I can't lie, I felt for The Dealers, who had to borrow Ricky's friend and make Ricky call his dad to come down from the Outer Sunset to fill out their lineup. It was painfully obvious they were lacking their big bashers. And I knew a win for them would mean a lot more than a win for us.
But I'm an unfeeling brute and while I thought in my head that I would pull Bobby after 6 or 7 if things got out of hand, he had to go and be throwing a shutout. How am I supposed to take a man out when he's throwing a shutout? Can't do it. Couldn't do it.
That's back-to-back shutouts from your starting staff, by the way. Good defense helps, and there was defense in spades on Saturday: Craig ranging over to the dugout fence to put away a two-on two-out threat. Zack fielding a ball and firing home to get Rob "Player to be Named Later" Specter in a 5-2-6-1 rundown. Large Michael picking balls out of the dirt all day like it's no thing.
Offensively, we obviously did enough to win. Guys didn't strike out. Will got a hit, Kevin got a hit, Colin got a hit. I liked that. But it wasn't a thumper game, and Flowers pitched pretty well overall. But the game story is pitching and defense. As a non-power hitter, it feels good to write that.
And then we celebrated. We popped champagne. Someone gave a mostly lame, nervous speech constructed entirely of clichés.
Pretty hollow recap, I know, but what do you want me to say? I suggest if you would like a different, funnier yet somehow bitter account of Saturday's game, you head over to http://missionstreetdealers.blogspot.com. The game went by fast, we scored a couple runs here and there until it was 8-0 and the game was over. No big innings to write about, just two runs here and there. Not that Bobby needed them. Speaking of . . .
PLAYER OF THE GAME: How many times has this guy won this thing? And have you seen his recent numbers? Holy SHIT they are f*ck%d up. Bobby Renz avenges his last outing against The News and throws a CG shutout, striking out 6 while only walking 3 and allowing 4 hits. He also had the only extra-base hit of the game, a double (every game, this guy) while walking twice and scoring 2 runs.
He was also the only 29er pitcher who's ever been able to do this:
 |
| Pictured: Bobby Renz, el matador, and Sam Bull, slain |
His hitting camp, "Touch 'Em All! With Your Coach, Bobby Renz" is now taking winter ball applications and I wouldn't wait, he told me spots fill up fast.
DRIVE OF THE GAME: Brandon, don't kick my ass, but I don't remember precisely where you hit your 2-RBI single that was the only multi-RBI hit of the game and therefore the clear choice for DOTG. I *think* it was up the middle? Or it might have been through the 5.5 hole, but either way, I remember you hitting it hard and it leading to a couple runs driven in for you. I bet that had to feel good for you, man. Feel free to refresh my mostly alcohol-related memory-deprived brain next time I see you.
UPDATE: The hit in question went sailing triumphantly over the head of "Big" Rick Sr.
PLAY OF THE GAME: It's coincidental that the Play of the Game came from Zack while playing third. Last game's was a tough play at third while Zack was on the mound and it preserved his shutout. This was Zack returning the favor.
With two outs and the bases empty, Eric "Rosie" Rosen, who's swing has always reminded me of DiMaggio's, hit a screaming ground ball shot to the left side of the infield. Zack deftly laid out, fully extended, and snagged it cleanly into his (well, not his personally) glove and quickly popped up and threw across the diamond to Mike. As soon as the ball left his hand, he cried "NOOO!!" out in terror as he realized it was going to be low. It wouldn't matter.
Mike handled the in-between hop with plenty of time to record the out. We went wild. Their bench didn't really like that but I didn't really care, either. That was one of the best infield plays of the entire season and I'll be damned if I'm not gonna hoot about it. The "Same, Same but Different" element after Dave made his play against The Cleaners just tied a pretty little red and grey bow on the whole thing.
Damn.
HONOURABLE MENTION: For a guy with a brand-new out-of-the-box infant who has necessitated his conspicuous absence for most of the season, Kevin Cline did something no other 29er RF has done before. Which is to throw out a runner at first on a would-be hit to right. Of course, that runner happened to be Rick, Sr., our very own Ricky's motorcycle-lovin', fast-life livin' father, so it was umm, bittersweet but still.
Damn.
*If you've made it this far reading all this you deserve an end of the season trophy for navigating my bloggy drivel*
There is also something else to keep in mind as we finish the season. We are going to do some kind of dinner/awards banquet/party thing to cap off this season. Wearing ties, cuz why not? Not sure whether before or after the PCHL Championships, but give me your thoughts. There are going to be six categories for awards, and you will all be voting after the last game of the season, but before the Series. I will bring a copy of the final regular season batting and pitching stats for each person (for you numbers guys) and you can all make your determinations.
It all works better if you don't really talk about the players for whom you're voting but, do what you will.
Categories:
MVP - Pretty self-explanatory "best all-around player," but I would include an emphasis on leadership abilities here.
Silver Slugger - Who was the best hitter this season?
Gold Glove - Who made the best plays this year? Also emphasis on consistency in fielding
Most Improved - Which player has come the longest way from where they started out during our first practices?
Cy Young - Who was the overall best pitcher this season?
Best Clubhouse Vibes - Who had the best vibes?
Take some time in the next couple of games to think about these things, guys. I got an award in 2011 and it's still proudly displayed on my "mantle" --- these things are silly but also pretty cool.
Now that that's all out of the way . . .
STATS
NEXT GAME
Saturday 31 August
vs
. . . wait, really? The Sunset Nobles AGAIN?!
does anyone else feel as though we've played them like, 10 times this year?
1PM
(and we will get a permit this time (I guess))
Probable Pitcher TBD
And behold, it was very good.
(Sam helped a bit with the Bobby & the bull thing)
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