It is difficult to believe the Schlitz Gusto Guys wrapped up summer softball already. 24 games are in the books. I believe we finished 18-6 and tied for 1st Place. With any luck we had less total runs than the Moose Knucklers. We know we don’t want to move up a league next summer. We have been in that league before. It’s not pretty. Numbers don’t lie.
Sub-plot of the night. Entering the game #35 held an ever-so-slight lead over Brain for the Schlitz Gusto Guy batting title. One of the biggest benefits were those Gusto Guys who did not qualify for the batting title. The batting title essentially came down to whoever got more hits on this final day of the summer season.
Game #1 vs. Moose Knucklers
The pitcher for Moose Knucklers is up there on the “Most Likeable People” list with LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. He’s just a really fun guy to play against. After Cinco hit a ground ball up the middle #35 asked if the pitcher was okay. The reply went something like this, “You tell your *&(@#$% pitcher that I’m coming up the (*&$&$@# middle and I go head (*&$%(*# high.” Let’s take a step back. The Schlitz Gusto Guys and Moose Knucklers play in Wednesday night D/E Recreational league. Further, I’m not sure anyone on the Schlitz Gusto Guys would try to go up the middle to hurt anyone. It’s just not how the Schltiz Gusto Guys roll. I don’t want to say karma plays a role in this, but he might be the only pitcher in the league to occasionally pitch between his legs or behind his back.
On to the game…It took a while for the bats on either team to get going. We headed into the 4th inning tied 0-0. It was back and forth in the final few innings, and the Schlitz Gusto Guys gave away a few runs en route to a 5-9 loss.
Brain ended 3×4 with two singles and a double / #35 finished 3×4 with two singles and a double.
Final Score: Schlitz Gusto Guys 5 – Moose Knucklers 9
Last out: Pub Krull
Game #2 vs. Ziegler
After scoring 17 runs in their first game of the night Team Ziegler didn’t have much left. The Schlitz Gusto Guys, on the other hand, had PLENTY left on this final night of summer ball. It was one hit after another. Team Ziegler, usually a solid defensive club, gave us a few freebees, which always helps. There was quite a bit on the line for this game. If Moose Knucklers lost in their second game (which they did) and the Schlitz Gusto Guys won, we’d tie for 1st Place. The runs came early and often for the Schlitz Gusto Guys as we batted around in the 2nd and 3rd innings and the game was really never close. Everyone in the lineup had a minimum of four at-bats in Game #2 (in five innings). Pub Krull slid over to shortstop and immediately had three of the next four put outs. We also owe a thank you to Pub Krull for extending the game an extra at-bat by throwing just a bit wide of second base. This biggest impact of this went to the “last out” of the game / summer. Speaking of Pub Krull….He hit one of the best singles of the season. A long fly ball, to DEEP left-center field….off the fence. Nobody has a better “single” trot than Pub Krull. Nobody. He looked so graceful trotting to first on that single. It was almost as if he thought the ball was gone (for a homerun).
Brain ended 4×5 with three singles and a double / #35 finished 4×4 with two singles and a homerun.
Final Score: Schlitz Gusto Guys 22 – Team Ziegler 7
Last out: FNG (Silkey) – In the second to last inning (we had a walk off 15 run rule win)
Fan of the night: Kurt Student, “like it’s spelled.”
Final batting stats were as follows:
Brain was 48×84 for a 0.571 average. #35 was 50×86 for a 0.581 average. DISCLAIMER…If Brain’s last at-bat was scored a hit instead of an error he would have finished 49×84 for a .583 average. Ol’ #35 owes the score keeper a TALL BOY!
Worth mentioning: As of August 3rd, 2010, there are 267 days until Summer Balm-2011
Also worth mentioning: There are 19 days until FALL BALL (not to be confused with Foul Ball…or Fowl balls).
Leave a Reply