July 16 (1-1) – Staying near .500

A brilliant night for two softball games and bag balm.  At 7:15pm, 45 minutes prior to opening pitch it was 90 degrees and humid.  The SFRC had 12 players on hand and three fans.  A somewhat typical 4 to 1 player to fan ratio showed up to watch two thrashings.  As the saying goes….”Sometimes your are the fire-hydrant, and sometimes you are the dog.”  Nobody can hang around the .500 mark better than the “Redc0ck$ de Fight” (see awknowledgements below).

Game 1 vs. Varmit Poontang (2nd Place)

It just wasn’t meant to be.  It just wasn’t going to happen.  The FRC pushed a few runs, but certainly not enough to beat a team who simply could not get out.   The FRC didn’t boot around too many balls (we’re gentle like that).  The Varmit Poontang just got hit after hit after hit.  Most of them were singles.  Just one after another after another after another.  Because the SFRC got beat up so bad, the game ended after five innings.  A big loss 25-7.  This was the first time the FRC of Skyline had the mercy rule used against them.  More than half the lineup visited the dish only two times.  And with that in mind, the FRC and all of their balm were going to fight back in Game #2 of the evening.  It didn’t matter if the opponent was the NY Yankees or the Wednesday night, Burnsville D/E Recreational…..(see below)

Game 2 vs. H-Bombs (now in 5th Place thanks to the SFRC lumber)

The had a few extra minutes to regroup after getting thrashed in the opener.  We gathered our collective thoughts, reminded ourselves that it was ideal FRC weather and it was indeed “post-Memorial Day.”  The H-Bombs never had a chance.  The FRC had the lumber going early and often.  After losing by the mercy rule in the first game, the SFRC won by the mercy rule in the second game.  Mostly due to Pat being selfish and scoring from first on a “Texas leaguer” hit by Mikey.  Some would say it was a rope hit to center that got by the left-center fielder, but from the on deck circle, it looked like a bloop hit and Pat decided to rub it in and score to end the game. 

Last out (beverages next week)

Game 1 = Mikey (leaving Ol’ 35 on deck)

Game 2 = Matty – The only ball hit by Matty all night that wasn’t roped (Cinco got a hit enabling the winning run to score and leaving Ol’ 35 on deck…again)

Play of the day: Brain mixing it up and batting left handed (has been known in the greater Dundas area for a number of years to be a switch-hitter) ended up on third.  Some would call it a single and two-base error, some FRC score-keepers would call it a triple.  Fun to watch, but killed Brain’s after game refreshments.

Player of the night: Matty, who was roping the ball all night.  Line drives to deep center more often then not.  Honerable mention: Greg Krull and the new stance / swing.  It is better to bring it for games 21 and 22, then not to bring it at all.

Fan of the game: I may have to take back the “If you bring a blowhorn to FRC Park and you go ahead and use that haas, you are the fan of the game” statement posted last week.  Not only can the FRC ballplayers up the ante each week with field play, the FRC fans up the ante each week.  I don’t think there will be many arguments with rewarding JoAnn as the now infamous and saught after “FAN OF THE GAME” award.  She was on time, brought her own seat and sported an SFRC lid, with some crazy kind of fowl on the back.  In some circles, this fowl (and there were two) was said to be FIGHTING RED C0CK$!  Congratulations fan of the game!  There is one week left.  More fans and their originality are encouraged.  For those unable to attend next week, Sans has officially signed us up for FALL BALL (a.k.a. foul ball), so there will be time for more noise makers and SFRC authentic apparel starting in mid-August.

FOR THE BULLETIN BOARD:  Mikey has stepped out on a limb and GUARANTEED an SFRC sweep next week.  It could be that he feels we are peaking at the right time, it could be that we are playing at SFRCP and it could just be that the numbers don’t lie (playing two teams who we are a combined 0-5-1 this year) and the SFRC are DUE!  — As Cinco said, “Go Redc0ck$ de fight!”  Hey hey….Quienes tu papa, Cinco?