The Legend
Of The Shark
Don’t blame me if this
story seems a bit fishy. Another well-played
game between the A’s (Matta) and KFC (JD). This time the A’s MVP for the game
was John Carpenter, affectionately known on our team as Carp. After the game he
played today, we might just call him Jaws. The KFC team tried as hard as they
could to reel him in and land him in the boat, but Carp hit and fought like a
shark. He swam all over the field and attacked like a predator. John was 4 /5
with two doubles and a triple. More importantly, Carp the Shark put the bite on
the other team by knocking in 9 runs.
The seas were calm for
both teams in the first inning. The A’s started out floundering, putting up 0
runs in the first inning. The zero-score belonged, in part, to Bob Vandenberg.
It was Bob, on defense, who speared a hot line drive off the bat of TQ, with a
runner at 2nd, to gut any chance of a rally. In the bottom of the
first, the KFC team feasted on a little chicken of the sea, when they scored
after 2 outs. Hits by Keller, Seguin, Davis, and Sweet Lou, landed a pair of
tuna in the boat. After one inning, the
score was A’s: 0-KFC: 2.
In the 2nd
inning the shark stalked his victims. Carpenter doubled in three runs, after
Bailey, Burns and Coffman reached base with hits. Two more runs scored after
Reagen cast his line for a single, then Essenmacher went Deep Sea fishing,
hitting a HR. After 2 innings the A’s
lead, 5-2.
In the 3rd
inning the A’s took out their harpoon and took aim at the white whale in the
field. You could almost hear Captain Ahab say these words from Moby Dick; “...to the last I grapple with thee; from
hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at
thee.” Hits from
Shirer, Quinones, Book, Bailey and Coffman all stabbed at the whale. It was
Carps triple though that sunk the harpoon.
John cleared the seas of trouble and the bases of runners. After 3 innings, the score was A’s:
10-White Whales: 3.
In the 4th
and 5th innings the KFC team cast their net and hauled in a load of
fish. They scored 3 runs, in the 4th inning and 5 runs, in the
5th inning. The Starfish for those two innings were Lou, Alumbaugh,
Vandenberg, Benson, Morton, Vidal, Keller, Seguin and Davis. Take note, some of
those starfish had hits in both innings, (Lou, Alumbaugh, Vandenberg and
Benson).
As an aside from our
softball story, maybe we can all learn a lesson from The Starfish
Story:
One
day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up
and gently throwing it into the ocean.
Approaching
the boy, he asked, what are you doing?
The
youth replied, Throwing starfish back into the ocean.
The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they all die.
The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they all die.
Son,
the man said, don’t
you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish?
You can’t make a difference!
You can’t make a difference!
After
listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish,
and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said
I made a difference for that one.
and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said
I made a difference for that one.
That two-inning rally by
the big tunas, (KFC), could have put a hook in the jaw of the A’s; if not for
the fact that the A’s also scored 5 runs in the top of the 5th. Shirer, Matta, Quinones, Book, Burns and the
Carpenter saw to it that the fish would just not stay on the line. Again, Carp
was the one who put the bite on the other team, with a bases loaded double. After 5 innings, the score was A’s:15- KFC:
11. Even an anti -shark cage would not work this day against Carp. Just ask
the captain from the movie, Jaws. Quint: Anti-shark cage. You go inside the cage?
[Hooper nods] Quint: Cage goes in the water, you go in the water.
Shark's in the water. Our shark.
[sings]
Quint: Farewell and adieu to you, fair Spanish ladies.
Farewell and adieu, you ladies of Spain. For we've received orders for to sail
back to Boston. And so nevermore shall we see you again.
The A’s reeled in
another 4 runs in the 6th, they chummed the waters and added 2 more
in the 7th, they trolled and added 3 more fish in the 8th
then they surf fished for another 2 runs, in the ninth. In other words, the bats
stayed busy and the A’s showed lots of heart and fight.
The KFC team also jumped
through the waters like a game swordfish; fighting hard to win the contest
during that same stretch of innings. To borrow again from Herman Mellville’s,
Moby Dick, the KFC team was; “Panting and snorting like a mad battle steed
that has lost its rider”.
They added 10 runs to their total. It was just not enough, Carp the
Shark, had already taken his toll on the game. This would not be the fish story
of the one that got away from the A’s. Carpenter and his A’s teammates were the
masters of the sea today. A’s:
26-KFC:21.
Maybe Chief Brody, from
the film Jaws, had Carp in mind when he said these words: “Were going to need a bigger
boat.”
Treasures
of the Sea, Leading Hitters for the A’s:
Essenmacher: 4/6, HR and
double.
Shirer: 4/6, two
doubles.
Matta: 4/6
Quinones: 3/5, double
and a SF.
Book: 4/5.
Burns: 4/5.
Coffman: 3/5.
Carpenter: 4/5, two
doubles and a triple.
Reagen: 3/5.
Treasures
of The Sea, Leading Hitters for KFC:
Vidal: 3/5 with a
double.
Keller: 5/5, with 2
doubles.
Davis: 3/5.
Lou: 5/5.
Alumbaugh:
4/5.
Vandenberg:
4/5.
Benson: 3/5.
Morton: 3/5.
Jose: 3/5.
Write up by Nick Matta
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