It was a cold, dark, windy night at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Stadium (it just rolls off the tongue doesn’t it) as the Ottawa Champions took on the NCBL’s Tier 1 All-Stars earlier tonight. It wasn’t a true NCBL All-Star team since guys like Eric White (.500), I, Shaun Keay (.400), and Patrick Lyons (1.000) didn’t suit up, but it was a fair representation of our Tier 1 teams…
I guess It's hard to pick one all-star from a whole team of them! #nocryinginbaseball
— Outlaws Baseball (@ottawaoutlaws) May 9, 2015
Cory Bond quit keeping stats in the 3rd inning so I can’t really provided an inning by inning breakdown, but basically the Champions took the lead in the 1st inning and never looked back. It was an unremarkable game, but the smart fans eventually realized that the real matchup wasn’t between the Champions and Tier 1, but has always been and always will be between the Panthers and Brewers.
The “game within the game” heated up in the middle of the 9th inning with the Champions up 6-0. Normal baseball rules decree the game over when the home team is up through eight and a half innings, but NCBL All-Stars manager Tim Gautam (Panthers) invoked the little known Can-Am rule giving the visiting team the option to take the field in the bottom of the 9th inning should they so choose.
There was no way the NCBL Tier 1 All-Stars could win the game, it was cold, it was windy, it was late, so why play the bottom of the ninth if there was nothing to gain? There may have been no benefit for the All-Stars, but there was still plenty to gain for the Panthers…
This Thursday, the Panthers and Brewers will face off at the Sportsplex, but will the Brewers be missing their biggest weapon? Geoffrey Magnus, the most decorated player in NCBL history, had a very #iShaunKeay type of game: no mistakes on defense, somehow got on base once, and struck out 3 times. That’s a great game for me, but no so much for Main Event Magnus. The 2014 Tier 1 Manager of the Year Tim Gautam could see weakness in his mortal enemy and decided to strike, making what could end up being his greatest move as a manager yet: he put Magnus in to close the 9th, relieving friend-of-the-SweatSox Charles Crabb.
The Ottawa Champions scored 6 runs while Magnus was on the mound, highlighted by a “rocket ship blasting off after counting down from 10” two-run triple. The Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Stadium “sound guy” couldn’t have been happier to finally press that button on his soundboard.
Geoff Magnus is now questionable for Thursday’s Brewers vs Panthers game, as he considers a rehab appearance or two down in Tier 2 to get his game back on track. There’s always a spot for you on the SweatSox if you need it Mags. #softpoach
Game over at RCGT Park. #ottchamps take another win, this time 12-0 over the @ncbl all-stars! pic.twitter.com/g3zaipVRVu
— ⚾ (@baseball52395) May 20, 2015
The Ottawa Champions may have a silly name, and play in an awkwardly named ballpark, but tonight, they were unquestionably the Champions of Ottawa. Congratulations, and good luck in whatever league you’re playing in this year.
Final Champions vs Tier 1 All-Stars Notes/Thoughts:
- They didn’t sell any beer.
- Never sit downwind from someone eating a giant bag of peanuts.
- Craig Cornell finally got his wish; Cam was back in action.
- Marc Lett fears the cold.
- My non-hit last game is still not a hit.
- Jean Lazure talked to every group of fans in the Stadium, except for the SweatSox.
- Mark Bond missed most of the action playing his Clashing Clan of Wars game.
- Eric White is not a fan of the Kiss Cam
- The in-house DJ has an unhealthy obsession with Michael Jackson’s Beat It.
- The PA announcer doesn’t know where the hell #2 is.
- Boy Scouts aren’t allowed to have water gun fights.
- They should mix in a Mortal Kombat soundboard to spice things up.
- What’s the 4th flag pole for?
- Bill Beelen, Joe Beelen, Matt Beelen, and Hank Beelen were good sports doing the YMCA.
- I still hate Bobby Brooks
Next up for the SweatSox is a matchup with the NCBL’s Tier 2 All-Stars, better known as the Ottawa-Nepean Cardinals, Wednesday night at Southgate. Ross Hughes is scheduled to start.
