Another long weekend is upon us, which means I, Shaun Keay, finally have a few free minutes to update you all on the latest SweatSox happenings. The last time we spoke the SweatSox still didn’t have an invitation to the Tier 2 postseason, we had just come off a disheartening loss to Marc Sports, and our hottest hitter was none other than Ross Hughes. A few things have changed in the past 2 games, while others have stayed exactly the same.
This adventure began with our third and final matchup of the season against the Braves, who were pulling out all the stops to at least hold, and ideally improve from the 8th spot in the Tier 2 standings. The Braves struck first with a couple runs in the top of the 1st, but the SweatSox struck hardest with 11 runs in the 2nd, highlighted by a Ross Hughes two-run double, his first double since 2012.
It was at this point that the Braves decided that their best chance to win the game was to have it cancelled and replayed at a later date. In the 3rd inning with the SweatSox up 11-2, Braves management, under the guise of the safety of both teams, requested the game called as the invisible storm of 2015 approached. Fortunately the umpires, under the watchful eye of their boss, opted not to end the game based on hopeful wishing.
It was also around this point that several SweatSox players became suspicious that the Braves were intentionally delaying the game before it was official, hoping that the Great Storm would actually come and bail them out. Were the shoelaces of every single Brave really coming undone after every single pitch? Are their 3rd base signs really hidden in a sequence of 200+ signals? Did the whole Braves team really have to go chase a foul ball in the parking lot? My stance is they were not delaying; I’m guessing there was simply a manufacturing defect in their most recent shipment of team shoes, their 3rd base coach was being attacked by a swarm of bees, and they were all just making sure that one of their car windows wasn’t smashed, something I know all too well. Any other “delays” can simply be chalked up to the Braves being old & slow.
Once the game was official, the Braves started working on their comeback. Chipping way with runs in the 4th, 5th, and 6th, the SweatSox found their once 9 run lead cut down to 4. John Groves, making his first start since dismantling the Kingston Ponies at the Brewer Tournament, threw into the 6th before turning the ball over to Cory Bond with 2 outs and the tying run on 2nd (Eric White may have gotten the ball had he known it was a save situation). Our GLE got out of the jam, which motivated the SweatSox to get back on the sticks and end the game, which we did by scoring 6 runs to win 17-7 in a mercy shortened 6 inning game. The Braves were furious that the SweatSox ended it early and didn’t give them another crack at the bat, but to be fair they would’ve probably been mad at the NCBL for only having 7 inning games had it gotten that far and they hadn’t completed the comeback yet.
With the win, the SweatSox got our *, which means we clinched a spot in the 2015 Tier 2 Playoffs.
Final SweatSox vs Braves Notes/Thoughts:
- If you don’t confirm your attendance in time, you sit; unless you’re I, Shaun Keay
- Being called Mr. Mindy over the PA system is NOT an insult
- The SweatSox average 11.0 runs per inning when there’s someone on the PA system (regular season)
- All 11 of the runs the SweatSox recorded in the 2nd inning were unearned
- Eric White got HBP. This was his first HBP/BB of the season
- If it were allowed, Braves management would’ve declined the mercy so they could plunk the next SweatSox batter. Stay Classy San Diego.
- If she’s half your age, do her twice
- Does Mark Stinson pee sitting down?
- NCBL Umpire in Chief Jean Lazure may have had a bit too much to drink at Summerhays, as he was spotted in the corner performing a variety of random umpiring hand gestures
- Chris Lidstone proposed; Mindy rejected it. Happy Anniversary.
THIS ISN’T LITTLE LEAGUE
I’m not a medical engineer, but I’m guessing there are hundreds of thousands of viruses or illnesses out there that can affect the human body. Many of them are curable, many of them can be treated, but several of them even the brightest minds still can’t quite comprehend. The Winchester Flu is one of those illnesses that hits at least one person from every Tier 2 team on a random Thursday each summer. It usually strikes the starting pitcher for the visiting team hours before the game, and it preys on the fear of doubling, tripling, and often quadrupling your earned run average. This past Thursday, our scheduled starting pitcher Josh Ramage became another textbook case of this infamous bug. Get well soon Ramage. UPDATE– Josh recovered quickly and was able to make it to Toronto for David Price’s first start as a Blue Jay.
After Josh Ramage sent our starting lineup into chaos, we spent hours trying to figure out the best possible “Plan B”. It came down to Craig Cornell vs Eric White, but we all agreed we had to keep the Treasurer of the NCBL fresh for Game 1 of the playoffs, so we gave the ball to 2-Pump White.
The SweatSox quietly scored a run in each of the first 3 innings, and added a 4th run in the 6th off a Cory Bond solo HR to “deep” right field. “Tier 3” threw another complete game, giving up just 1 run (in the final frame), walking nobody, and striking out 8 along the way.
SweatSox 4. Winchester 1. Final.
WP- White
LP- Goddard
HR- CBond#notamercy— SweatSox (@SweatSox) July 31, 2015
What would a SweatSox-Winchester game be without a little something extra? The controversy this time happened in the bottom of the 7th, when Winchester’s Jordan Hardcourt reached base via a throwing error from a Dorion finalist on Cornell’s MVP ballot: Ross Hughes. Perhaps forgetting he was in Winchester and not on a wide field like Sportsplex or Faulkner, Hardcourt “took off” for 2nd. A split second later though he either remembered where he was, heard his base coach yelling no, or could see that our first baseman had already picked up the ball, and decided to head back to first; but before he got back he was tagged by our great lefty, and called out by the Cuban umpire. A brief debate regarding “intent” was held, but there was no indisputable evidence to overturn the call, and the SweatSox became one out closer to victory.
Boxscore from Game 18 – SweatSox vs Winchester:
Final SweatSox vs Winchester Notes/Thoughts:
- You can’t show up 3 minutes before the game and expect to start.
- Adrian Delorey still thinks the Winchester on deck circle is right behind the umpire
- Nobody catches a fly ball in Mark Stinson’s territory, not even Eric White
- GLE finally figured out how to beat the shift
- Cory Bond recorded his 15th career HR; and is now 3 ahead of me (Shaun Keay) on the all-time list
- Craig Cornell’s helmet almost fell off during a swing
- Half of Winchester’s losses are against the SweatSox
- Half of the Orioles’ wins are against the SweatSox
- There were no Bank Street speeding tickets, thanks in part to Whatsapp
- Terrell Owens defending Tony Romo was a better cry than Wayne Gretzky leaving Edmonton
- You can’t order a poached egg at Jonny Canucks, but a hard-boiled one is still in play
- To spite M.I.A. Mindy: I, Shaun Keay, ordered an onion ring with the onion.
- In honour of the Blue Jays signing David Price, the SweatSox are looking into wearing #14 patches on our jerseys
Next up for the SweatSox is a matchup with Marc Sports tomorrow (Tuesday) night at the Sportsplex, where we’ll get one more look at Gabriel Gervais before we see him 2 more times in the playoffs, and then 4 more times next year.
@SweatSox not ready for Tier 1
— Winchestersox (@winchestersox) July 31, 2015
Finally, in our last story we asked about Winchester’s inevitable decision regarding Tier 1 next year. In our most lopsided poll ever, nearly 90% of voters said Winchester SHOULD move up, while 75% think they WON’T despite a seemingly endless supply of young talent from Carleton University (for the record, we’d go if we were 1st). I’m hearing they haven’t ruled out partnering with a Tier 1 team again; could we be seeing the Winchester Brewers in 2016?
This week, we’re asking the same question about the Orioles, who are on pace to finish last in the Tier.
[yop_poll id=”7″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]