Mother's Day Friday

As Yogi would say "It's like deja vu all over again' ... some days are like that especially on the softball diamond.

 

The Short Porch

With Winter Haven Fitness Day taking most of the complex we were limited to fields A and E. The National League contingent was assigned to Field A where the outfield fences measured a mere 210 feet. You can imagine the gleam in the eyes of some of the hitters as they could see ball after ball clearing the fence and them doing the Jacobson trot around the base path. Well, we burst their bubble by instituting a few new rules for the game. The first was ground rule doubles for balls over the fence, second was that the extra fielder could play anywhere since we were playing with ten fielders, and thirdly (and totally by accident) we implemented the flip flop rule incorrectly. The last one was okay as everyone was pretty much spent what with providing coaches, umpires, runners for other folks, and then a fielder to the opposing team. Having said all that the game and sportsmanship was great and everyone had a good time.

The game started with Team Marino (yes he was one of today's managers) getting off to an early two run lead on solid hitting by Thompson and Marino. Team Mundy responded scoring 5 runs as the first five batters scored. Duff Hill planted his first of two over the fence.

You can't say it better than that Eddie

Team Marino did not bat an eye as they responded in kind as Lee Baker led of the inning and was the first of the five runs that crossed the plate. Team Mundy's only score came off Duff Hill's second fence beater as he drove Josh Wells across the plate.

The third saw no runs scored by either team. For Team Marino this was the case in the fourth and fifth innings as well. In the meantime, Team Mundy scored four in the fourth and 5 in the fifth to build a substantial lead.

The sixth and seventh innings saw Team Marino score an additional two runs in each inning. Unfortunately, Team Mundy scored five in each of their turns at bat.

You Gotta Score to Win, Guys

With Team Marino unable to score in the top of the eighth and the score being 11 to 27. We allowed Team Marino to take another bite of the apple. The first two batters got on base and scored. Then the team Mundy defense reached down and shut them down.

Key performances include:

Ray Mills        winning pitcher

Duff Hill        4 for 5 with two ground rule doubles

Wayne Mundy    6 for 6 with a double and triple

Bob Zelazny        6 for 6

Herbie "O"        4 for 5

Claude Hearn    4 for 4

Jim McPartlan    4 for 5

Richie Moots        4 for 6

Ron Thompson     5 for 6.

Richie Marino        5 for 6

Vassuri Bess        5 for 6

Larry Chrest          4 for 6

 

GatorLand Field

Visiting Team: Coffman, Gonzalez, Hamilton, Toro, Laffoon, Constantine, Hill, Diaz, Davis, Powell and King.

VS.

Home Team: Grabb, Brennaman, Edwards, Jacobs, Lopez, Butler, Scarbrough, Radlein, Matta and Simon.

I want to say that the Home Team smoked the Visitors, like they would a good cigar. I want to say,we beat em like a drum.  I want to say, we had em all the way. I want to say, they didn’t give us a game. I want to say, Frank Jacobs won the game with a HR, to Right Field.  I want to say, the good guys won.
 

If I said those things and did not recant the embellishments, two things would happen. Preacher and visiting team player, Freddy Gonzalez, would be on me, like heat on a Florida summers day. He would make me repent for lying.  Editor, Ron Butler, would make me rewrite my copy to represent the facts with a little more clarity.

So here’s the honest truth, or close to it. The two teams, loaded with star players, (allow me this embellishment), exchanged leads back and forth, until the Home team won in the ninth inning.  Here is the simple truth, it was a good game.

Our Fan

Starting Pitchers, George Radlein, (Home) and JD Davis, (Visitors) pitched using a paint brush. They both painted on the black line that surrounds the white plate. Still the hitters on both teams found the holes in the field. In fact, George found the hole in right center twice, hitting back to back triples, by slashing line drives in the gap.  At the end of six innings the score was 13-13. 

Larry Powell came in to pitch, for the Visitors, in the 6^th inning, he kept the game close. Both teams continued to battle, adding a few runs into the ninth inning. When the Home team came up to bat, in the bottom of the ninth, the Visitors held a one run lead, 19-18.

The Home team started the 9th inning with a fly out; it looked like the Visitors just might have themselves a W. Until the next batter, Larry Grabb, came up and started a rally with a double.  Brennaman then tied the game quickly, with a single.  Next batter, Edwards, advanced Brennaman to third, with a single to left.  With the winning run at 3^rd base and only one out, power hitter, Frank Jacobs, stood at the plate.  All the Home team needed was a long fly ball and the game was over. This is what I call Money in the Bank with Frank at the plate. Frank did lift a fly ball, only it was a short one, which fell in for a hit, between the 2^nd baseman and the RC fielder. Game over.   

Final Score: Visitors 19- Home Team 20.  

Even at the risk of reprisal, I’ll go back to what I said earlier, the good guys won.

WP: Radlein

LP: Powell

Leading Hitters:

Visitors:

Kirk Coffman, 4/5.

Freddy Gonzalez, 4/ 5.

Juan Toro 5/5, with two doubles.

Larry Powell, 4/5.

Home Team:

Rodger Edwards, 6/6, with two doubles.

Frank Jacobs, 5/6, with two triples and a game winning hit!