This One's For You Jerry Franzese

Last week team TPG found out some sad news.  Our star 3B Tony "Married to the Firm" Franzese lost his father Jerry during the off season. Tony is not just one of the best players on the field, but he's also the epitome of a family man - often bringing his wife and kids to the game. While we never met Jerry, it was obvious from the very first time we met Tony that his father was someone special.  So just like Tony's been there for us all these years, we felt like we needed to be there for him last night when we took the field against PEA. A few minutes before first pitch the team handed Tony a card, shook his hand, and said let's win this one for your pop.

After shutting down PEA in the top of the first (highlighted with a stellar double play by RF Frank "The Veteran" Lew), TPG threatened to put up a big number, but some clutch defense ended the first with bases loaded and only one run scored. During the course of a season, there will always be ups and downs. A team that looks championship bound one day might struggle to get a single out the next day. The real test comes when you face adversity, and the true measure of success is in how a team overcomes such challenges. For the next 3 innings the PEA lineup showed off their power, and scored 9 unanswered runs while the TPG bats went quiet. After 4 innings played, TPG found themselves losing 9-1 with daylight quickly evaporating.

Would TPG fold their hand, and give up? Was this going to be one of our worst losses in many years? Time to regroup, make some substitutions, and remember Jerry. A different TPG team took the field in the top of the 5th, ignored the previous four innings, and played ball. P Hernan "The Terminator" Graziano kept his focus and shut down the PEA lineup holding them scoreless for the next two innings. TPG batted in the bottom of the 5th, and after a couple errors and two ground ball outs TPG had two runs in with two outs and the top of the lineup coming to bat. EH Norman "Cricket" Ha continued his (now two year long) hot streak, and blasted a HR (those Cricket players sure are fast).  Five consecutive singles later, a two out rally, and 6 runs scored. A brand new day. Heading into the 6th, the ump announcing this would most likely be the last inning due to darkness, and TPG was trailing 9-7.

We were pumped. You could feel the energy. PEA tried to rally for some insurance runs in the top of the 6th, but TPG escaped the inning and took the plate down 2 in the bottom of the 6th. Our first batter reached on an error, and the next two made outs. So TPG was down 9-7, runner on 2nd, two outs, and C Princess "Senior Moment" Salvacion at the plate. Have you ever tried to throw strikes to Princess? Well the PEA pitcher could not, and princess walked. Top of the order, and fresh off his HR blast, Norman walked and we had bases loaded, two outs with last year's league MVP Justin "Yoga Pants" Aharoni at the plate. A bullet single, and Princess is held at 3rd. Down 1. Two outs. Bases loaded. And who steps to the plate? Of course it is Tony. With his father looking down from above, Tony ripped a game winning, bases clearing double, and at the end of 6 TPG was on top 11-9.  The game was called due to darkness, and the score was final as 10 unanswered runs resulted in one of the greatest comebacks in team history.

This one's for you Jerry Franzese. You will be missed.