WE TALKIN PLAYOFFS……..TPG battles back to tie Playoff Series 1-1

It's that time of the year again everyone….…..It's the SLAM LEAGUE PLAYOFFS…..yes WE TALKIN PLAYOFFS Ladies and Gentleman!….

…..We are finally here after a long season in which Team TPG has had its fill of ups and downs.  It has been a tumulus journey for the new TPG 3-headed management group, as this co-manager admits that we have had growing pains as a team.  However... ultimately all our hard work and dedication has proven with some positive results.  I can honestly say that the management group is very proud of the team to be where we are today.   The team at the beginning of the year was made up of rookies that out numbered the veterans of the team and so team chemistry was a big concern.  However at the end of the day Team TPG showed that no matter who puts on that uniform, Team TPG puts it all out on the field and win or lose…..We play as a team.  

TPG headed into today's playoff game in a bit of a slump as the #6 Seed playing against arch rival and #3 Seed, Gensler.  TPG had played Gensler in the regular season finale with results not favoring this side of the  plate.  Maybe it was nerves, maybe it was inexperience but Game 1 of the playoffs found the TPG team with the same results as the last match up in an 11-0 slaughter at the hands of the mighty Big Red Machine.  This would mark 14 consecutive innings that TPG has not scored a run at the hands of Gensler's starting pitcher, Joe.

Now with our backs to the wall….Game 2 was win or go home for Team TPG.  However this team still had some fight left in them and Team TPG regrouped and made some adjustments.  The first inning was promising as lead off hitter, Norman "Still the best Aussie in the game" Ha (3-3, RBI, 2 runs) and rookie SS, Joe "The energizer bunny" Carretta (2-3, RBI, 1 run) began the game with back to back singles but much like the past two games found ourselves without a run scored and that followed with another zero in the second inning which meant 16 scoreless innings for this slumping line up.

That's when Chase "The Mack Truck" Hodge decided that enough was enough and in the bottom of the 3rd inning lead off with a rally beginning single….followed by Steve "I found the ballpark" Dargo with another single.  So with two on and Norman "the best Aussie in the game" Ha up, drove in the 1st run in 17 innings for Team TPG which opened the flood gates of scoring for TPG as then Joe "the energizer bunny" Carretta followed suite with another RBI single.  Ed "The skyscraper" Baust (2-3, 3 RBIs, 2B, 3B, 2 runs) then flexed some 6'-10' muscle by following with a 2 run triple to open up the game.  FINALLY some life into the lineup in which TPG scored 5 runs.

TPG added 4 more runs in the bottom of the 5th lead by LF, Hernan "The marathon man" Graziano (2-3, 3RBI, 1 run) who showed some endurance after pitching an exhaustive 5 games in 3 day while giving birth to his second child then running into a burning building to save a cat, dog, 3 hamsters and the baby's crib.

Heading into the top of the 7th, TPG up 9-5 had some scare put into them as the big red machine rallied and showed that they weren't just going down so easily and scored 3 runs to make the deficit just one run.  At the end of the game, team TPG prevails 9-8 and pushes the series to a 1-1 tie.

Solid pitching from Steve "the Greek Freak" Aspiotis, Great defense by Chase "where did we get this guy" Hodge and our super 2B, Allison "the real deal" Stadnyck.

Hats off to the team for showing resiliency, heart and for fighting back after some rough beginnings…..Game ball goes to everyone on Team TPG… Also special Thanks to TPG partner-in charge, Jim Doherty for showing up and always supporting the team....….See you all on thursday - Game 3!

TPG Welcomes Something old, Something new……….TPG vs MGA

The TPG softball team had a welcome surprise coming into today's game vs MGA, which was none other than ex TPG manager and Mr. Controversy himself Josh "Shuffle foot" Ginsburg, who happened to be in the neighborhood traveling from the west coast on business (in other words he was busy golfing).  Josh's return in the office signified old times as it was like turning back the clock to the day when he used to roam the TPG hallways with nothing to do but stalk every player on the team on game day asking "so are you playing, are you playing?"and for a few hours it seemed like nothing had changed.

However this is not the same team, this is a different team than the one Josh used to manage last year.  There was a new aura and personality this year with the 14 new rookies in the mix and new management system.  The new players had heard of the legendary coach named Josh but thought he was just a myth like big foot, the lockness monster or that Princess is really 5'-0" tall (kidding..kidding but she is 4'-10").  With all that is different, one thing remained the same..TPG still had the same old attitude of having fun and winning as a team!

The start of the game was delayed a few moments due to some officiating issues so TPG had some extra time to warm up and prepare for the match up vs MGA but for starting pitcher, Hernan, he had other things on his mind.  It was rumored that he had to fill out a Hall pass permission slip in advance to play in today's game from his wife (Thanks Mrs. Graziano).  What we didn't know was that Hernan has the "BEST WIFE IN THE WORLD" who did allow him to play today's game while expecting a phone call from the doctor about welcoming their second child into the world.   We knew with a seconds notice or with a loud vibration in his pants (from the phone of course) that he may have to leave the game to attend to his wife.  So we really needed to get this game started.

Once the umpire arrived and coin toss complete which TPG elected to be the home team, Hernan with cell phone by his side, was all business.  He pitched lights out softball throwing a perfect game into the 3rd inning while allowing 1 run through the top of the 4th inning.

The TPG's offense didn't skip a beat either by scoring 15 total runs with 9 of them in the second inning lead by Andreas "The official self proclaimed Super Athlete" Karales who had 4 RBIs (2-3, HR, 3B, 2 runs) and Hernan"I have the best wife" Graziano with 3 RBIs (3-3, (2)2B, 1R).

At the end TPG steam rolls ahead to a score of 15-1 in a 3.5 inning mercy victory.  Hats
off again to the team for sharp hitting, solid defense and an overall well played game.

Game ball goes to……who else but Mrs. "Da Italian Stallion" Graziano!

On another note…..

I would like to introduce to YOU……..

 TPG's NOT SO TOP BUT FUNNY PLAYS OF THE GAME
(courtesy of Chelsea "Queen of Fresh Meadows" Cheng")

Now these blogs have always highlighted elite performances and showcased TEAM talent so I thought we could share with you some of the not so top but very funny plays of the game.

Starting with #4 TPG Not So Top Play of the Game
Chase "I stop for NO ONE" Hodge rounding 3rd Base to I don't know where. 
(click on video below)

#3 TPG Not So Top Play of the game...
SORRY boss....Damien "more golfer than softball swing"
didn't get that RBI you asked for. (wonk wonk wonk...)
(click on video below)

#2 TPG Not SO Top Play of the Game.... 

Great hustle play by Jon "sly like a" Fox showing us how to use your head!

(click on video below)

 

 

AND THE #1NOT SO TOP PLAY!…… 

Is Andreas Faster than…….. Dirt??? 

(Click on video below)

Again Congrats to the TEAM on a great game.  

Sophomore Slump?

At the end of the 2013 season, the league found SOM back on top for the first time since 2009, meaning the commissioner from the  infamous 2010 season would be back in charge in 2014 (Side note - please read one of the Original Founders of SLAM's history piece on the league website to see how the structure changed from a constant commissioner to a rotating "based-on-who-won" commissioner).  During the 2013 awards party, every manager expressed concern - led by OJ, the head umpire of our prestigious league.  "Do you really want to be commissioner again?  Do you remember how bad 2010 was?  You don't?  It was bad.  etc, etc, etc".

But it is written into the league rules, and so it was set.  If you win, you get to be in charge of the league for the next year (as long as you wanted to of course).  And who would possibly turn down a leadership role that is resume-worthy?  I mean, even if every single person in the league thought you should say no, you'd probably still say yes.  I get it.  And with the pressure on in 2014, the leadership from SOM stood tall, and delivered a perfect season with a responsive, thought out approach from the very beginning acquiring the needed permits, all the way to the final trophy awarded at the end of the 2014 season (to themselves of course).  SOM is an outstanding softball team, and Scott Habjan is not just the best pitcher in the league (sorry Solomon), but is probably the best pitcher of our era.

Ahh, but enter the 2015 season.  Clearly SOM had performed in their leadership role in 2014, so the rest of the league didn't give it a second thought.  And then radio silence.  March came, and still no manger's meeting scheduled.  A last minute scheduling threw the managers together, and everything seemed okay except for one small detail:  There was no schedule.  And when the schedule was finally posted, it was only for the first month.  Then the second month was added to the website.  The season started, and teams did not know when the games would be played after May.  A rush to get the games posted, and the obvious happened: mistakes, errors, omissions, and inequalities of who played at what time on which fields. At least one team found themselves playing a doubleheader on two different fields.

While OJ attempted to make sense of all this - and make sure umps would be at each game (which is of course what the league pays him to do) - we got a polite seemingly innocuous email from the commissioner:

"Adjustments to the schedule have been completed to address certain mistakes, inequities and injustices. Please check your schedule asap. The changes are few and far between but they do involve 1 game as early as next Thursday."

So let's ignore for a moment that the league managers were literally trying to schedule their team's games "as early as next thursday".  Let's talk about the schedule itself....  For the past few years the schedule has always had a few built in rain-out dates.  Typically these start in June and are perhaps twice a month.  The theory being that if a team suffered a few early rainouts, they would not have to wait until the end of the season to make everything up at once.  This is an excellent concept, and should continue to be the norm.  However, part of this concept means immediately re-scheduling a rain-out so that all the teams have adequate time to prepare.  So one would think that when the four games were rained out on 4/20 and 4/21, at least one of them would be re-scheduled for the first open rainout date of June 4th.  But alas, this didn't happen, and the June 4th date sat there staring at us as an unused permit.  And of course our next rainout would occur on June 1st.  At which point another loving email was sent to TPG and RAMSA (two fierce rivals who have meet in the playoffs almost every year):

"In putting together the schedule, we built in certain days for make-up games. We have one of those days this Thursday. Granted it is short notice and there is a 50% chance of rain, but if OJ can find an umpire, and in the interest of sparing you the potential of multiple regular season games in a week – I think it would be great if we could reschedule your game for this Thursday 5:30 at Hecksher. Please let me know asap if we can go ahead and do that. OJ please let me know if you and your crew can cover it."

After a lengthy back and forth based on the simple fact that less than 1/2 of each team was available that Thursday, the league agreed to just leave the permit unused.  For those of you who have been in this league for many years, you don't need me to tell you that the success or failure of our league comes down to one thing alone:  Permit Availability.  losing a permit is the worst thing that can happen.

When asked for comment, Commissioner Scott Habjan told this reporter:

"Like the past couple years, we built in some opportunities for make-up games throughout the season (not just waiting until the end.) Unfortunately the only games we needed to make-up were for earlier this week and it was too short notice to make it happen."

Which would be fine if that was indeed the reality of the situation.  This would have been avoided if the 4/20 games were re-scheduled in a timely fashion.

Simon Yeung (TPG Co-Manager) had this to say:

“Due to the rain out on Monday, TPG on short notice scrambled to assemble a team late Monday for a proposed rescheduled game on Thursday vs one of the top teams in the league in HMRamsa.  We were unfortunately unable to get 10 people to commit and therefore we had to respectfully decline playing on Thursday.  This potential game was very important to us and we didn’t want to lose against one of the better teams in a league that has so many playoff implications.”

And even former commissioner and RAMSA Manager David Solomon chimed in:

"my legal counsel has advised me not to comment on the schedule drama from a week ago for fear of facing a heavy fine or possible suspension."

In this reporters opinion, the idea of a rotating commissioner based on who won the last year is a bad, bad idea.  SOM is definitely the best team in the league these past few years, and no one can take that away from them.  But running a league is a completely different skill than winning a game.

Time to get your act together before OJ quits on us.  No more scheduling crazy.  No more drama.  Please.  For the sake of the league we all love.

TPG believes in T.E.A.M.…...TPG vs FXF

T -  Together 

E -  Everyone

A - Achieves

M - More

As one of TPG's Co-mangers this year one thing that I've learned is that softball is a TEAM game.  If you believe in your team and play together to have fun then no matter what the outcome is …YOU ARE A WINNER!  That is what TPG has always tried to preach and promote and nothing exemplified that more than this game in which we played as a T.E.A.M.

Due to a schedule switch from a Monday game to a Tuesday game TPG headed into today's match up against rival FXF without one co-manager and key starters who represent the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th hitters in our potent lineup and for any team that is something really hard to overcome. …. AND Not only that, TPG was in jeopardy of not having enough players to field a team ……  but no worries T.E.A.M TPG knew that they had the deepest and most talented team in the league and that even without the starters, the rest of the team would just have to step up and answer the call.

As game time approached Co-Managers Simon "4Ever" Yeung and Princess "of the Phillipines" Salvacion arrived at the field at 5:29pm just in time for the first pitch of the game.  With their arrival TPG now had a full starting team of 10 players.   

The first 2 innings was a very tight defensive game for both teams as TPG and FXF had runners in scoring positions but both failed to score a run.  Then came the top of the 3rd Inning when TPG's bats woke up……with the Bases Loaded and one out, Rookie SS, Chris "It's about GaaaaD Damnnmm time"Gutierrez came to bat and hit a bases clearing triple that scored the first 3 runs of the game.  Chris wasn't done yet as he added 2 more RBIS later to add to his total of 5 RBIS for the game.  The rest of the T.E.A.M contributed to the effort as Andreas "Maybe he really is a super athlete" Karales (2-2, 2B, 2BB, 2 runs), Stephen "I don't know how to read a subway map so that's why I was late" Dargo (2-2, 1 RBI) and Hernan "The Italian Stallion" Graziano (2-2, 2BB, 2 Runs) kept the offense moving.   

T.E.A.M TPG played solid Defense the rest of the way with Key plays from LCF -Omar "Da Stache" Bustamante, 3B- Frank "Maybe he was a Tank in his heyday" Lew and as always solid pitching from Hernan "The Italian Stallion" Graziano.

Game ball goes to......... T.E.A.M TPG with all around solid efforts from a shorthanded group and more importantly playing as ONE.  In the end TPG extends its winning streak to 3……TPG wins 6-2.  On to the next game.

TPG Toughness ...….TPG vs HH

Anytime someone puts on a TPG uniform we like to think that player will epitomize the toughness that we look for as one of our players.  We don't back down from any trash talking and we def don't get intimidated by anyone on the field.  That's how we play the game……….Now you may think that is easy to say when your LCF is the size of a mountain or when your 6'-10" short stop casts a shadow longer than the empire state building but today no one exhuberated that toughness more than Rookie 2nd Baseman, Chelsea "Crying is for the weak" Cheng.   Now the image below may be too violent for kids so parental advisory beware……

In the top of the 1st inning, an HH player lines a sharp and hard hit ground ball that went spiraling towards 2nd base and on a bad bounce struck our 2nd baseman in the left eye/nose causing her to see STARS not named Taylor Swift.  Medical staff, Derrick "The Mouth"Blocker rushed onto the field to check up on her…... Chelsea was still standing but had to leave the game for that top first inning for medical attention.   HH scored 3 runs in the top of the first.  

TPG responded in the bottom of the 1st inning with 6 straight hits lead by LCF, Danny "I do look like Mike Trout" Etkin (3-3, 2B, 3B, 3 Runs, 2 RBIs).  But what was the true highlight of the inning was Chelsea returning to bat, nose bruised and all and of course against medical staff, Derrick's advise to sit, Chelsea responded with a sac RBI, which contributed to a 6 run 1st inning.   

The second inning started with back to back walks which was the beginning of another offensive onslaught lead by SS, Ed "The Skyscraper" Ballast who hit a bases clearing double (2-3, 2B, 2 Runs, 5 RBIs) which contributed to 5 more TPG runs.  The TPG offense was hitting its stride for the first two innings as the all around team contribution hit 13 of 19 with 2 BB and 11 Runs.  

Game ball goes to who else?  Chelsea for embodying the toughness TPG represents and for not giving up….oh and Danny and Ed also had a good game…..if you think going for a combined 5-6 with 5 runs and 7 RBIs is good?

Final Score TPG 12-7 in 4-1/2" innings due to expiring time.  Hats off to the entire team for a well played game.  

So it begins.........TPG vs GS/A+1

Coming into the SLAM 2015 Season, TPG softball came in with a different feel....  With Legendary TPG Manager, Josh Ginsburg retiring to the west coast for sun, fun and…..Golf, the TPG Softball Team was now under a new look 3 Co-Manager system in which Princess, Simon and Derrick each took on different roles to work as a cohesive unit to lead the charge in the new season.   With 12 rookies on the roster, the TPG management core had to re-create the team chemistry it once had last year mixing the veterans with the new guys (and gals). 

I wouldn’t necessarily call it a bad 1^st  game but TPG Opening day  didn’t go so well as the new managers tried to figure out how to place the new team into the right roles.  Looking back at Game 1…..it was a learning experience for the managers from Derrick “the Mouth” Blocker trying to figure out how to do the score card to Princess “the hardest woman to pitch to in the game” Salvacion and Simon “Not the Kung Fu Panda” Yeung trying to manage the new line up. 

Heading into Game 2 against undefeated GS/A+1 (1-0)…..TPG could not go 0-2 to start the season with the schedule only getting tougher.  It wasn’t looking good before the game as a few starters were unable to make the game due to other commitments so the Rookies had to step up and show the league what they got and that’s exactly what they did!  Leading the attack was Rookie 3^rd baseman and lead off hitter, Steve “THE GREEK FREAK” Aspitois who went 3-4 with his first HR of the season.  The veterans also did its job as well with Norman “THE BEST AUSSIE IN THE GAME RIGHT NOW” Ha (4-4, 2B, 1 RBI, 2 Runs) and Andreas “The Self proclaimed Super Athlete” Karales (4-4, 2B, 2RBI, 2Runs) were just picking their spots.  Solid and key defensive plays by Rookie SS, Chris “Mr. Wonders“ Gutierrez and LCF, Eladio “ AY MARIO ” Victoria that only allowed 3 runs.  The game featured many key plays from other rookies as Chase” The MACK TRUCK” Hodge stepped up to the plate with 2 outs in the 5^th inning with a hustling slide into first base to beat out a close play to keep the inning alive which lead to 6 runs and Rookie Kathy “I don’t own a” Kia advancing the winning run into scoring position in the bottom of the 6^th.  Great team contributions all around……

Game ball goes to starting Pitcher Hernan “The Italian Stallion” Graziano who struck out 4 in 6 innings and who also contributed to the offensive attack with solid hitting (3-3, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI and 3 runs). 

Final Score TPG in a 14-3 Mercy Victory.  Hats off to the team for a great game!