The New Rules Debut

Finally, after two rain-outs last week, we got to play with the new rules changes in effect.  AND I'm proud to say that I earned the first strike from driving a ball into the pitching screen. See, there is justice in the world.  Then I hit a two strike single.  

OK, so I got pretty positive feedback from most of the players on the rules changes, thank-you for that, guys, but we need to play under any given rule for a while before we decide if it works or not.  Sometimes the scenario you envisioned when you change a rule never happens or there's some other unforeseen circumstance or repercussion that appears after we've played for awhile.  Let's see how these changes play out.  Suggestions for the Rules Committee are always welcome.

American League

On field C, the American League had a back and forth contest featuring several lead changes before the game was settled in the ninth inning. The  Visitor's strong lineup started things off with a 5 run first inning only to be tied up by the Home squad in the bottom of the first.  Unfortunately, the Visitors took a zero in the second while giving up a run and the lead.

The visitors lineup looked like they couldn't be stopped with Coffman, Gonzalez, Diaz, Toro, Hill, Accevedo, Lopez, Wells, Byrd, Matta and Radlein at the plate, while the Home boys put up Grabb, Lafoon, Butler, Duff, Scarbrough, Oestereich, Brennaman, Davis, Ota, Regan and Levesque.

After six innings the score was 16-17 when the  Visitors scored 2 to go up 18-17.  Then the Home team scored one, knotting things up again at 18 all. 

In the eighth, Radlein, Coffman and Gonzalez scored but then left two stranded including Juan Toro at third.  The Home team plated Butler, Duff, Scarbrough, Herbie O, and Brennaman  thanks to a timely Ken Ota inside the park homer. (sorry Ken it goes down as a triple as the fifth run scored ahead of you)

The game ended after Larry Wells singled to lead off the visitors ninth but was forced out on a fielders choice.  Nick Matta singled  and took a runner from first with Byrd at second.  Then George Radlein who had been hitting the ball very hard lately, smashed a line drive back through the box.  JD Davis flashed some very quick leather, snagged the waist high hot shot and flipped the ball to first base to double the runner up, ending the game.  What a sudden and dramatic finish to a great game.

Vistors 21, Home 23 

Thanks to Don Witmer for umpiring the contest for us.

Leading Hitters included:
  Coffman 4 for 6 
  Gonzalez 4 for 6
  Diaz 3 for 5 HR
  Toro 5 for 5 2 DB HR
  Radlein 3 for 5 DB
  Duff 5 for 5 3B 2B
  Scarbrough 3 for 4 SAC 2B
  Oestreich  3 for 4
  Brennamn 3 for 5  HR
  Davis 3 for 5 2B
  OTA 3 for 5 2-3B

 Submitted by Ron Butler

The Ridgewood Lakes Challenge

The National League teams today were managed by two of the Ridgewood Lakes contingent, Eddie Sullivan and Jeff Simon. While we were a little slow getting started, Team Sullivan wasted no time in scoring runs and opening up a lead. Their first three batters crossed the  plate and were followed by a couple more hits. Great defense at the end stopped what appeared to be a run away train. Team Simon answered with two of their own but lost the inning. That scenario would repeat itself through the first four innings. 

Team Sullivan scored three runs in the second, four in the third, and 3 in the fourth for a total of 14 runs. Team Simon meantime were unable to match the run production in any of the first four innings as they found themselves down by five.

I don't know if Team Sullivan's bats went cold for the next three innings,  Ray Mills found his stuff on the mound, or if the defense actually took their gloves onto the field with them, but Team Sullivan was shut out over that span. In the meantime, Team Simon closed the gap to one run on clutch hitting by Gene Baker and others. At the end of seven, it was Team Sullivan 13 and Team Simon 11.

The eighth saw Team Sullivan reassert itself with the bottom of the lineup getting so me clutch hits. Sullivan, King, Hearn, and Thompson all scoring. This was the deciding inning as Team Simon was not able to answer  the challenge and failed to score.

Team Sullivan scored two more in the ninth for a total of 18 runs. Team Simon managed one in the ninth to fall six short.

Top performances included:

Ron Thompson     winning pitcher

Richard Moots        5 for 5

John Fulton             4 for 5

Claude Hearn          4 for 5

Jeff Simon            3 for 4

Bob Zelazny        4 for 5 with a triple

Doug Chamlee    4 for 5

Reggie Barnes     3 for 4

Duff Hill                4 for 4

Submitted by Bob Zelazny