Gaining Momentum, a Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss

After starting out the season 2-0-1, TPG was primed for a successful 2012.  Then the rain started.  We led the league in rainouts (3), and did not play for 6 weeks.  Muscles started cramping.  Gloves got dusty.  Bats were definitely rusty.  The rain-induced "vacation" ended with TPG squaring off against Gensler, and it was not a fair fight.  We did everything we could not to get Mercy'd and lost 14-2.  The following week (hey we did not have a rainout!) we lost a close battle to KPF, and saw our record an even .500 at 2-2-1.

But our stone was rolling.  The moss was gone.  Amazing what regular playing will do to a team.  TPG took the field last night against Perkins Eastman looking to regain momentum and find ourselves back in playoff contention.  Leading off the 1st, TPG scored a run on 3B Tony "Married to the firm" Franzese's RBI double.  We had a lead.  But PEA came right back in the bottom of the 1st and scored 2.  Oh crap.  Now we were losing.

A scoreless 2nd, and you could cut the tension with a knife.  Emergency RF Alessandra "Really?  You need me to play?" Belfiore made a spectacular catch turning a would be HR into a long out.  This was a must win game for TPG.  Top of the 3rd, and DH Derrick "The Mouth" Blocker led off the inning with a single.  A hit parade followed, and TPG scored 4 to regain a lead that would not be given up.

With the game still close, TPG blew the doors off when SS Tommy "Guns" Anderson came up with bases loaded and 2 outs in the 5th inning.  A bases-clearing 3 RBI triple, and TPG now led 10-3.  Sadly Tommy was held up at 3B, so his streak of consecutive games with a HR ended at 4.  Shockingly, TPG scored 2 more runs in the 7th as DH Derrick "The Mouth" Blocker hit a triple (!?) - and yes his blood sample was sent to the lab for PED testing after the game (results came back negative).  Final score 12-6 TPG.

Game balls go to Derrick Blocker (3-4, 2 1Bs, 3B, 3Rs), Tommy Anderson (2-4, 4 RBIs), and Alessandra Belfiore (RBI, flawless RF).

BACK TO BUSINESS

After a somewhat controversial winter away that included an extensive doping allegation (no charges filed), a visit to the White House and very light off-season workout program, the HMBA/RAMSA Orange Crush returned to their office in Central Park to kick off the 2012 campaign.  The one-time "bridesmaids" of SLAM have become (to some) the Bridezillas of the league.  Make no mistake about it, in 2012 this team has a bullseye squarely aimed at its back.

 Facing a much improved and highly motivated Perkins Eastman team to open its second defense of the trophy, the SLAM champions were flat and rusty.  PEA came right out of the box with a run in the first inning (and threatened for much more).  On the flipside, it took four innings of softball for the HMBA/RAMSA squad to scratch out its first hit of the young season.  And four batters later, with two outs and two runners on base, cleaner hitter Brian Barney roped a single to center to give the us a 2-1 lead.    Two innings later with a little more hustle than muscle (and the help of a throwing error), an important tack-on run was added  as they closed out the game 3-1, Good Guys.

Two weeks later - and sporting the debut of brand-spanking new uniforms since 2006 - a rejuvenated team complete with a new crop of rookie talent returned to the Great Lawn against MGA.  Unlike the first game of the season, this version of the players somewhat resembled the championship formula of seasons' past--timely hitting, solid defense across the field and just enough pitching from their aging captain (who nearly paid a visit to Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Alabama this winter).   Most notably the offense came out firing in this game with 4 runs in the top of the first inning.  In fact, the offense scored runs in each of the five innngs of play.  Highlights from the game include the newly crowned quadragenarian, Eric Hofmann's 3-3 evening with 3 runs scored and 1 RBI, Addie Suchorab's 2-2 (1 RBI) performance and Josh Barkan's 2-2, 2 RBI performance which included his first career home run in SLAM ("No joke, that's the first home run I've ever hit - at any level!" he proclaimed in post-game comments).  Final score, Good Guys 12, MGA 1.

Next up on the schedule is the Mayan-endorsed, undefeated (and over-photographed) Blue Storm of TPG - the #1 ranked team in SLAM sporting a formidable 23-1 run ratio in the early part of the season.  Better get your cameras ready, boys and girls....

PCF bounces back with BIG win over PEA

PEA were a little slow warming up their defense which proved detrimental in the first inning. Veteran shortstop Mark Maljanian pounded a 2 run homer which highlighted a very productive inning offensively for PCF/HH, earning 5 runs the old fashioned way with solid base hits, smart running, and fielding errors. On defense, Juan Monahan pitched consistantly and his fielders helped hold PEA to only 3 hits in as many innings. Perhaps it was the temptation of cold beer served at the oh-so-close "Ballfield Cafe" that distracted us, but the middle innings saw PCF/HH get a little anxious both offensively and defensively. PEA clean up hitter smashed a homerun into what seemed to be Central Park South, and that was just enough to get PCF/HH back into the game offensively in the top of the 5th. A single by Mark Maljanian set up Carlos Sagastume (LF) to pound out an RBI double. Ron Rainone (3B) proved his clean up status with a monster triple scoring 2 more runs. And Rodney Santiago (1B) closed out the damage with an RBI earning sac fly to center field....

PEA remained collected as the top of their lineup stepped up in the bottom the 5th. Capitalizing off PCF/HH's decision to go 3 wide in the outfield, PEA dropped down a few blooper singles and managed to score 3 more runs. 5 runs not being "enough" insurance for PCF/HH, they answered big offensively by scoring a total of 6 more runs with hits by Cate Foster (2B), Yusuke Okabayashi (EH), a monster double by Tony Rodriguez (RF), and pretty much everyone else in the line up. Final score, 16-5 PCF/HH (plus 3 rounds of beer at the Ballfield Cafe!)

Game ball goes to Tony Rodriquez for his slump busting 3-RBI double. Honorable mention goes to Mark Maljanian who went 4 for 4 with a homer.

HMA/RAMSA MOVES TO 4-1 ON THE SEASON WITH A 12-3 VICTORY OVER PERKINS EASTMAN

Though the final score of 12-3 would indicate otherwise, nothing came easy for HMA/RAMSA (4-1) against Perkins Eastman -- especially for pitcher David Solomon who struggled mightily to find the strike zone all game long.

As they had done in 3 of their first 4 games of the season, HMA/RAMSA jumped on the board early with a manufactured run with a little hustle and a deep sacrifice fly by Brian Barney to take a 1-0 in the top of the first inning. Perkins Eastman threatened in the bottom of the inning with a base hit and walk (the first of a career high 5 walks by Solomon); but some solid defense and well-positioned fielders bailed out the pitcher on many occasions on this night. HMA/RAMSA turned a double in the first inning as 3B Jon Fukutomi snagged a hard ground ball stepped on third base and threw out the runner at first base. Another double play was turned in the 3rd inning to end yet another threat as The Cannon, Pete Garofalo caught a line drive in shallow center and threw out the runner at first base, leaving the score deadlocked at 1-1 heading to the fourth inning.

Mike Ryan and Brian Barney each reached base via error to lead off the inning. They were followed by a single by last game’s hero Mike Periolat and then a pair of walks which gave HMA/RAMSA a 3-1 lead. After PEA turned a nifty double play of their own, Doug Neri singled up the middle to continue the two-out rally and score 2 more runs. When the dust had settled in the inning, all 11 batters came to the plate and 7 runs crossed to break open the game to 8-1.

From there, the HMA/RAMSA pitcher had serious control problems on the day as PEA threatened in each of the next three innings with 2 or 3 runners on base in each inning. When he did get the ball over the plate, Solomon was hit very hard by PEA with some very deep outs to well-placed outfielders. One has to wonder if there was added pressure on Solomon as his 21 month old son was in attendance on the afternoon.

HMA/RAMSA tacked on 4 more runs in the top of the inning to extend to a 12-3 lead, the final two runs coming on a 2-run HR by cleanup hitter Brian Barney to complete what was clearly his best day at the plate this season. HMA/RAMSA has now scored in their final at bat in each of the first 5 games.

The offense certainly came alive this afternoon with the 12 run output but with two-time defending champions Gensler next up on the schedule, the HMA/RAMSA pitcher had better get his location issues resolved before next Tuesday.

GAME BALLS:
Pete Garofalo – 2 for 4 on the day, 2 runs scored and 2 RBI; equally impressive were his two outfield assists (4 total on the season) -- one to double up a runner at 1st and another to nail a runner at 3rd base.

Brian Barney – 2 for 4, 2 runs scored, HR, 3 RBI -- maybe all that waffle ball did help?

PCF/HH Guts Out 6-5 Win Over PEA

On a dreary Thursday that saw just enough constant rain to cause problems in the field, Pei Cobb Freed/Hart Howerton and Perkins Eastman Architects traded big innings in a batter's duel en route to a come-from-behind victory in a battle of the two remaining undefeated S.L.A.M. teams.

It's not enough for a pair of teams to boast an "undefeated" 1-0 record in an amateur softball league, so I'm going to build on that by saying only in the S.L.A.M. league can the same teams play error-free softball in sloppy field conditions, particularly since this official scorer hasn't awarded any team an error in more than three years of managing.

But I digress. Cy Young certainly turned over in his grave last night, as he couldn't bare to watch the slugfest between the Black and Red of PCF/HH and the grey of Perkins Eastman. Still, PCF/HH pitcher Juan Monahan made up for his 17 hits allowed (a number of which weren't on his shoulders) by driving in three crucial runs for his home team. Monahan drove in two in the bottom of the first after three consecutive singles by Mark Maljanian, Yusuke Okabayashi, and J. Strong. Carlos Sagastume added a sacrifice fly to left field to help PCF/HH to a 3-0 lead after one.

Perkins Eastman followed up with some key two-out hits of their own, including a big two-run triple by left fielder Eric Brodfuehrer and an RBI single from pitcher Steve O'Reilly to knot the game at 3. PCF/HH narrowly escaped more damage by eliciting a fly ball out with the bases loaded to end the top of the second. After blanking the Black and Red in the bottom of the second, PEA pulled together some more clutch two-out softball, including four consecutive singles and Melissa Schroeder's 2 RBI to take a 5-3 lead.

Neither team scored in the fourth as the sprinkling of rain filled out to a constant drizzle. But in the bottom of the fifth, with time starting to become a factor and the top of their lineup coming to bat, the Black and Red took advantage of what may have been their final opportunity. Alternating singles and fielder's choices, PCF/HH found themselves down 5-4 with two outs. With Okabayashi on first as a courtesy runner for Strong, the tandem of Monahan and Sagastume teamed up again. Monahan boomed an RBI triple to right-centerfield to score Okabayashi and tie the game at 5, before Sagastume hatcheted a single over the heads of the infield to score Monahan and give PCF/HH their second lead of the game, which they would not relinquish.

Defensively, in spite of the sludge, both shortstops made particularly interesting plays to keep their teams in the game. PEA shortstop Mike Bruno pulled off a legitimate SportsCenter Web Gem of a diving catch to rob PCF/HH leadoff hitter Mike Copeland at the top of the first. Bruno received compliments from both teams on the play. Déjà vu struck in the bottom of the second, as Bruno again made a lunging stop to rob Teresa Parziale of a single up the middle.

Not to be outdone, Maljanian anchored two double plays. The first came on a line-drive out in the third inning that he threw to first to double off the base runner. His next one came in the top of the fourth, also on a line-drive catch, followed by a diving tag to catch the runner at second.

The PCF/HH Game Ball goes to two players. Juan Monahan for his clutch hits and 3 RBI to lead the team offensively and to Mark Maljanian (who'd tell you he had a crappy game if you asked) for his 2-for-3 and 2 runs scored at the plate, as well as his two double plays to lead the team defensively.

The PEA Game Ball, in my mind, has to go to Mike Bruno, who added a perfect 3-for-3 batting average to complement his two outstanding plays in the field. If Christine doesn't agree with my call for her Game Ball, she can duke it out with me and the peanut gallery in the comments section.