TPG Ties HMB/RAMSA in a 6-6 Pitcher's Duel

Them (HMB/RAMSA):  Two-time defending champions, 40-4-2 regular season record over the past five years, new team jersey with championship banners embroidered on their sleeves.

Us (TPG):  Just trying to make the playoffs every year (and only succeeding about 50% of the time), 25-21 regular season record over that same 5 year time frame, angry that RAMSA's new team jersey was unveiled before our eyes.

Basically, Rocky 1.  The only people who gave us a shot, were ourselves.  But we had fight.  We had spirit.  And we were ready for battle.

It is not every day that a 6-6 game can be called a pitcher's duel.  But with exactly 1 earned run between the two teams over 8 full innings of play, that is precisely what RAMSA Pitcher David "I lost track of how many pitcher-of-the-year awards i have won" Solomon and TPG Pitcher Derrek "The Mouth" Blocker gave us.

The game started out bleak for TPG, as RAMSA scored 3 in the the first (1 earned) on sloppy play by the defense.  Unable to muster any offense against their "I don't have enough room on my mantle for all my pitching trophies" pitcher, TPG was scoreless after 3 innings.  RAMSA tacked on 3 more in the bottom of the 3rd on yet more errors and defensive miscues.  It would have been easy to give up having just staked the defending champions to a 6-0 lead.  But give up was not a word in our vocabulary...

In the top of the 5th TPG rallied.  2B Louis "Baseball is in my DNA" Herrera and RF Josh "Shufflefoot" Ginsburg started us off with back-to-back singles, and ended up scoring a on a series of errors by the usually stellar RAMSA defense. We had hope, and now trailed only 6-2.

Time to unleash the secret and not-so-secret weapons.  Princess "It is impossible for a pitcher to throw me a strike" Salvacion led off the 6th with a walk, followed by back-to-back errors bringing up the early season front-runner for team MVP SS Tommy "Guns" Anderson with bases loaded down four runs.  Tommy would not disappoint as he crushed a line drive over everyone's head for a game tying grand slam.

 
After the game, David Solomon commented that this was the first time in his entire SLAM career that he gave up a 6-run lead.  Our heart cries for you David, really.  That sound you hear?  The smallest violin in the world playing in sympathy just for you.

Our team photographer, Vu Tran was in attendence again, and you can see the rest of his photos from the game here:  https://plus.google.com/photos/109111179680946945239/albums/5742398289459189905?authkey=CKum17rfo-TIUQ

Game balls go to Derek Blocker for only giving up 1 earned run over 8 innings, Josh Ginsburg for another 3-3 day, and of course to Tommy Anderson for the hit of the season, a game tying grand slam - his 3rd HR this season in as many games.

END OF AN ERA....

The SLAM flags are flying at half mast on a gloomy Tuesday as we mourn the loss of a bar that is very near and dear to all of our hearts.   It is with great sorrow that I report to you that Brother Jimmy's Baitshack located on the corner of Third Avenue and 92nd Street is with us no longer.

 

Photo taken by Gensler outfielder, Jordan Scalere

The Baitshack had long since been the location for the SLAM Awards Party held annually each Winter since 1997.  When asked to comment on the startling news, co-commissioner Doug Neri could only say "Sucks, man.  When I moved to the city from a small town in Texas, I had never even heard of a frickle (a fried pickle for those unaware) until I went to Brother Jimmy's.  Damn I'm gonna miss those rib tips too."

No word yet on the site of the 2012 SLAMMIES, but the commissioner's office is exploring all options (and open to any suggestions)...

The Lilliputian’s Daily Telegraph

It takes a lot to Laugh, It takes a Train to Cry.

Editor-In Good Grief: Adam “Narcoleptic in the Field” Mead

Ennead showed up to the chilled fields of Central Park with 8 players to wield. We were hoping for greatness, to run the bases in weightlessness. But our little Lilliputian arms and legs were no match for The Phillips Group. To them we must’ve seemed like nervous ants, running around with us in our pants. A ball would fall over there, then over here, even Old MacDonald couldn’t’

make a rhyme out of us. We were truly something to behold, ,our ropes launched into the air, holding tightly to keep our nemesis from moving through the air. But, they turned our diamond around,  Adam Sheraden did his level best on that there pitcher’s mound. “1, 2, 3 strikes you’re out,” is a term we know too well, I can’t believe how many pennies, and wishes I left down that well. Now if you use that new math the kids like today, I hazard to say, we might win one of these games someday. Move a decimal here, a digit there, hey before you know it, we’re paying this game with talent to share. Now in just 2 games we’ve made our 2 opponents to quite able. If we continue on this path I foresee a future for me cleaning out a Horse Stable. As the 4^th inning came into focus, it was hard to avoid, another slaughter rule, someone please release the swarm of locusts. 11-0 in the end was the score, I know another lose, I am beginning to bore. In a week’s time from today we’ll be heading out again to try and show just what we’ve got, and put it on display. Season Standing 0-2

Epilogue:

As I sat in my apartment home, chatting away, my two cats a purring, pure contentment shown, I heard my phone a buzzing. It was an email from our friend SLAM League commissioner. I wonder, in summer is he much of a fisher? Now the e-mail seemed to paint him as a rather dispirited lad. But they usually win, I’d have thought he’d been rather glad. But, as you see I forgot to pay the UMP Fee, and in this email he framed me as rather a chump. Now at first I took great offense, but that quickly turned to solace. I am sure there was just a mistake and intended no malice. Now as my bald headed dome did descend into sleep, my imagination ran away with me and offered, an image, a treat. The commissioner, at work at Robert A.M. Stern, arguing over what was proper, “what is it to be, a Corinthian column, or something more solemn?”

Editors Note: No Lilliputians were harmed in the assemblage of these words.

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....

TPG Beats Ennead 11-0

Team TPG took the field yesterday against Ennead.  When Polshelk Parnership changed their name to Ennead, the meaning had something to do with the "power of 9".  Unfortunately for Ennead, last night they only showed up with a "power of 8" - as in 8 players to take the field.  TPG led off the game, and our first nine batters scored before we even had an out.  Two innings later, a 2-run HR by SS Tommy "Guns" Anderson, and that was all the  scoring we needed, as TPG won via the mercy rule 11-0 after 4 innings of play.

We were lucky enough to have TPG's official team photographer Vu Tran tag along, so we took the educational opportunity to illustrate what to do, and what not to do on the softball field.  For example, here's a breakdown of the correct batting stance vs. the incorrect batting stance:

Tommy "Guns" Anderson demonstrating the correct way to swing a bat

Simon "Muscle Ninja" Yeung showing us the, uh, not so correct way to swing a bat

We also learned that jumping in the air while swinging was not very effective:

Josh "Shufflefoot" Ginsburg teaching us the "jump-swing" technique

And anger can be a powerful tool, the more you grimace, the harder you hit:

Derrick "The Mouth" Blocker

Princess "Peanut" Salvacion

Sara "All Star" Laurence

Tony "Married to the Firm" Franzese

You can see all of the pictures from the game here:  https://plus.google.com/photos/109111179680946945239/albums/5737579785253901553?authkey=CIOVkdzk94qCPQ

Our next game is against 2-time defending champion, HMB/RAMSA.  We look forward to the challenge.

Game balls go to Derrick Blocker for pitching a shut out, Tommy Anderson for another monster HR, and Vu Tran for all the awesome photos.

Opening Day - will the Mayans be Right?

2012.  The year the world is supposed to end.  Well if it's gonna end, TPG wants to be on top.  And the first game of the season gave us just a little bit of hope.  Squaring off against MGA, the team who narrowly beat us last year (and effectively ended our postseason aspirations), TPG had some revenge in mind.  It was Hecksher field, a sunny day, and TPG came out in full force ready to play.  Although the game got off to a late start (ump was "caught in traffic"), when the first pitch was thrown we were ready, scoring 3 runs in the top of the first.  Hopeful, excited, it was time to play some defense. 

And then we got a bit nervous.  MGA's leadoff batter hit an opposite field home run to start the game.  And the next two batters got hits.  Oh,oh, would the TPG lead quickly vanish?  NO.  Stellar defense all around, and TPG held MGA to only that one run, and at the end of the first it was 3-1 TPG.

Top second, and the first two TPG batters made outs.  Guh.Ugh.  Looking like a long game.  But... then an historic 2-out rally that saw 12 batters, and 9 runs.  Included in that barrage was a HR blast by new SS Tommy "Guns" Anderson that bounced and hit the fence on the opposite side of the park (beast mode = on).

No one scored after that rally, and the game ended via the mercy rule with only 4 innings played, final score 12-1.

top row: Dave Beauchamp, Ray Dominguez, Lynee Hastings, Tony Franzese, Tommy Anderson, Omar Bustamante, Sara Laurence, Alessandra Belfiore.  bottom row: Alison Hopke, Shyam Kumar, Derrick Blocker, Princess Salvacion, Josh Ginsburg, Simon Yeung

Game balls go to Tommy "Guns" Anderson for his monster HR, Josh "Shufflefoot" Ginsburg and Dave "Speedy" Beauchamp for each going a perfect 3-3 on the day.  And honorable mention goes to Tony "Married to the Firm" Franzese for introducing us to his old childhood buddy Tommy.

Could this be our year?  Maybe the Mayans are right.  Because if TPG did win it all this year, many of the other teams would indeed think the end is near.  Fine, it's only one game, but we can dream, right?

First Game Blues

Ennead Gazzette

Late Afternoon Edition Vol 1, Version 2.0

Out of the Bush and into the Briar

Editor-Back in Relief: Adam “don’t ask me” Mead

2012 Season Premiere.

The wind was rustling the newly bloomed leaves, as Team Ennead, with its newly crowned team en-tow walked across Central Park West. The Sphere of Polshek’s past leered menacingly from across the street as we disappeared behind dipping branches, over yonder, under that tree, on a bench, some woman was eating a sandwich. We were bringing fresh faces to the field, but the question to ponder was, would our talent hold up again Gensler, or yield? We were held together in a mismatched array of t-shirts and sneakers. Have I ever mentioned I always like that character on the Muppets, his named was Beeker. Now as luck would have it, we lost the coin toss, we would bat first, but I tell you it would be Gensler’s great loss. We swung our bats, it was 1, 2, 3, and before I could even blink we were in the field down 0-11 in utter disbelief, without an ounce of leftover glee. We looked around to one another in dismay, and wondered aloud if this was merely not our day. The score kept creeping to the wrong side of the scoreboard. Now I know it might sound blasphemous, but even 1 day after Easter Jesus would have let out an “Oh Lord!?!” It was somewhere near the end, when our wee bitty legs were about to bend, but, before the break, Aaron Raymound, came from far afield, caught two miraculous balls, and had us thinking of a re-written end. He took his bat, and like Casey hit it hard, it flew far and over head, as he ran the bases his lungs sounded quite dead. But it was to be a day of extremes and his was a homer, 1 run to their 17, well, what can I say it was a bummer. Now I don’t need to remind most of you how last year ended, it was long and drawn out, our hope completely up ended. So we begin this year, like we ended the last, sitting at the bar with Beer and Wings having a blast.

0-1 & nowhere to go. Will we rise up, reborn, or stay static on the Hospital table, flat-lined, barely able? You guess is as good as mine. Next Game 4/23/12 Great Lawn #4 vs Perkins Eastman Kodak @6:45 pm. Come check us out, or merely watch as it turns into a rout.

Thanks to All the new Players this year. We fought hard for such a lopsided game, and let it be known to all, that laughter, it’s part of the game!