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The cool air was blowing in on Lac Lavon Field B. The SFRC have never had great results when the wind is blowing in the face of the batter. It was, however, sunny. There were 12 leaders ready to take on two games in the cool temperatures. This was the first games of the year for Pub Krull and Matty.
Game 1: SFRC vs. Burnsville Braves
The Burnsville Braves are a group of young kids and a couple of their fathers. Cheers to the Burnsville Braves. For the second week in a row, the SFRC started the game on fire. Walk, single, single, single, 3-run homerun. That resulted in a quick five run lead. The Burnsville Braves rallied with three in the second. The leaders of Skyline answered with three of their own. It was back and forth with neither team taking more than a 5-6 run lead. With a 10-6 lead and the Burnsville Braves best hitter at the plate with the bases loaded, Al calmly baited him in to a pop out to very short left-center. No harm.
There was some solid hitting with C20, 35 and Kenny each scoring two runs and Pete scoring three runs. CHill the body builder continued his hot streak including a 3-run homerun in the first. Kenny added a grandslam in the 3rd inning. They are huge, and hit the ball far too.
We must not have left many leaders on base as there were five (of 12) leaders who only had two at-bats in this game.
Final Score: SFRC 10 – Burnsville Braves 7
 Game 2: SFRC vs. ShantyTown Thunder Stix
The 9pm game on May 12 was fairly cool, but the wind was still blowing in the face of the men with sticks, and the guys batting as well. First innings have been kind and valuable to the SFRC. Game 2 was no different. Out, walk, hit, 3-run homerun, homerun. a quick 4-0 lead. We improved in the second inning batting 11 and scoring six. After a couple of pedestrian innings, the SFRC exploded for 15 runs. These runs were not scored on errors and weak hits. These were solid knocks all over the park. The ShantyTown Thunder Stix moved to five infielders and the SFRC still found holes, as they are wont to do (many hits too). We couldn’t get out and again, it was not due to errors. We hit so well that two outs during the game came from homeruns after we had already hit two.
Some highlights include:
- Pete scored five runs
- CHill 5-5 with a homerun
- Kenny 3-4 with a homerun and a homerun for an out (5 RBI)
- 35 was 5-5
- Matty hit a homerun for an out
- Lars was roping the ball everywhere for three hits
- Pauly was lining the ball all over the place
- Brain was showing range in the field
- c20 moved around the infield and beat-up the softball
- Potter scored a pair
- Sans was 3-4
- Pub Krull got the season going with three solid hits, including a 298 foot single to right-center
This was not just a game full of “Participation Awards.” Rather, the fact is every single leader played well. We didn’t boot many balls and everyone hit. We scored 29 runs and somewhere forgot to report one of the runs to the ump.
Final Score: SFRC 29 (+1) – ShantyTown Thunder Stix 7
“You can’t win them all if you don’t win the first four.”
 2016 Kickoff There are rumors that tradition is hard to break. Some would go as far as sad. For supporting information, see the 2010 Soliloquy. Whilst the SFRC typically kick off the season on Wednesday nights at the end of April, we had two changes. First, the SFRC are taking their talents to Thursday nights in 2016. There are a number of reasons for the change, not the least of which is the fact that there is no more Wednesday night league. It’s a bit of a milestone. The SFRC have outlasted Burnsville’s Wednesday night leagues. Secondly, Mother Nature wasn’t having any of us starting at the end of April.
The season was officially to begin THURSDAY, April 28th, Mother Nature threw a 36 degree rainstorm that will delay those games for a better night. As a side note, I know 35 was disappointed to wait for another week to get started, he woke up on April 29th with a smile knowing there were 24 more games to play and not 22. That, my fellow leaders, is a more glass of milk “half full.” I know Kenny was also excited (and happy too) that the games were cancelled as he would have had to miss the double dip whilst sitting in the Phoenix airport.
Cinco de Mayo was a completely different day. It was 70 degrees and sunny. Mrs. H, if you will. We had a number of SFRC “firsts,” which is frankly becoming more and more difficult considering the 25+ year body of work. We had our first Thursday night summer games (we have played on Thursdays in the fall). A new night? New teams? That can only mean one thing. It is all new material. “10 feet, right Red?” “We’re ready Red.” “Matty, no one.” We had our first female umpire. We had new bats (and familiar old ones). We had our first games at Alimagnet in at least three years. We had our first “fan of the night.” We had our first ice cold Coors Lights of 2016. And, of course, we had our first “quote worthy quotes” of 2016. All is well in the land of the Skyline Fighting Red C’s.
Game 1: SFRC vs. Turd Burglers
The SFRC started the game at the dish. It was as if they had been playing since January. Chris 20 = Hit, Pete = Hit, 35 = Hit, Kenny = Hit, CHill = Hit, Brain = Hit, Pauly = Nice SAC (RBI too), Lars = on base, Potter = Hit, Sans = RBI and we were back to the top of the order. In total, six runs were scored in the inning and everyone in the SFRC lineup accounted for a hit, reached base or had an RBI. Boom. 2016 was off to a solid start. The defense bent, but didn’t break, giving up two runs. We pushed two in the second inning and gave up another two in the bottom of the second. In the third inning the SFRC exploded for seven runs and allowed two in the bottom of the inning. The only memorable error was when 35 dropped a bullet from Kenny in CF with a runner approaching third. Turd Burglers get early credit for being a fun team to play against.
FINAL SCORE = SFRC 16 – Turd Burglers 9
Game 2: SFRC vs. Below Zero
Below Zero is quite a bit younger than the SFRC. They also have solid uniforms quite a bit more facial hair. Not a little scruff, but full on ZZ-Top beards a-plenty. The collective opinion from the East Side dugout of Alimagnet B was that Below Zero was going to beat of the SFRC and their many years of experience. With the SFRC starting the game in the field, the top of the first inning only reinforced that belief. Hit, error, hit, hit, hit and so on. When the Skyline Fighting Red C’s finally approached the plate, they were down 0-5. I don’t know much, but I do know that the Skyline Fighting Red C’s won’t quit. We rallied for two runs, held Below Zero to zero runs, pushed three, allowed three, pushed one, allowed one….It was back and forth. In the bottom of the 5th inning (second to last inning due to time), the SFRC took a one run lead. Hold Below Zero and we win. A runner gets on and the gimp (he hurt his leg earlier in the game) launched a 900 foot homerun to take a one run lead. There was no panic as we put the gloves away and headed to the plate. Potter, Al, Chris 20, Pete, 35, Kenny….Sounds like runs. Potter hit a shot to right and got on base. Al singled Potter in to tie the game. 35 pushed Al to third and Kenny roped a line drive single up the middle to score the winning run. Ball game.
FINAL SCORE = SFRC 16 – Below Zero 15
There was lots to love on Cinco de Mayo. You can’t go undefeated if you don’t win the first two games. The weather was perfect. The beer was cold. CHill was a perfect 7-7, Kenny launched a HR and had a game-winning RBI, 35 pushed a couple of HRs, Brain had 5 RBI, C20 and Lars lined the ball all over the field, Al kept the batters at bay, Pete tracked balls in LC and delivered some solid ABs, Potter pushed balls around the field (and had solid hits), Pauly drove in 3 runs, and Krull enjoyed his Anniversary with Mickey. Just a solid team performance. TWICE.
It’s good to be back. It is definitely good to be back. Thursday nights feel like they will work well.
Filmroom: Winter, 2015-2016
 Moisture in the Air The forecast looked moist. The rain was coming down hard, as if to give everything south of the city a shower. Were the SFRC concerned about having the game called? Nope. Why? Numbers don’t lie. It wasn’t going to rain and it CERTAINLY wasn’t going to rain enough to call the games. It turned out to be perfect weather for two. Per the norm.
Game 1: SFRC vs. Gopher Ballz
Gopher Ballz is one of the better teams in the league as they field and hit very well. June 17, 2015 was no different. The fifth infielder got plenty of action and made the plays his way. Chris20, CHill, Potter and Sans led the way with three hits each. Unfortunately, the SFRC were only able to push seven runs while Gopher Ballz scored in every inning tallying 15 in the win. Worth mentioning, Chris20 was only a HR away from hitting for the cycle. And, with the bases loaded in the sixth, he gave it a whirl. Unfortunately, the warm air and the slight breeze held the ball in play.
Final: SFRC 7 – Gopher Ballz 15
Game 2: SFRC vs. Big Sticks + two clowns
Most of the players making up Big Sticks are good guys. Good YOUNG boys looking to play softball. And then there are two clowns. Without question the two biggest jack-wagons in the league. Enough about them. Big Sticks came out swinging and hitting well. They pushed 11 runs in the first three innings and an additional eight in the fifth inning. Trailing 23-7 heading into the top of the seventh, the SFRC got their game faces on. The inning went something like this….Reached on an error, single, walk, single, single, fielder’s choice (with error), error, single, error, double, single, single….In addition to the hits and the runs, the lead jack-wagon must have had six errors trying to catch the ball behind the plate. It was a melt down of Dustin Johnson US Open proportions. The SFRC scored 11 runs in the top of the seventh, but ultimately came up short and lost 23-18.
Three things are certain. First, softball is really fun. Secondly, Big Sticks has the two biggest idiots in the league…And finally, Idiot #1 almost cost them this game with six errors whilst playing catcher.
Final: SFRC 18 – Big Sticks 23
 As we continue to make a push for third place and try to climb to .500, we took to Neill B twice. A few leaders arrived early to check the field. Get to know the lines and the dirt / gravel. Hydrate.
Game 1: SFRC vs. Turnt
We said it before and it’s worth saying again. Turnt is the best team in this league. They hit well (although they only scored four runs in their first game of the night) and they don’t make bad errors in the field. We plated one to start the game, but Turnt answered with seven to take an early and impressive lead. We scratched and clawed another run in the second, which Turnt duplicated in their half of the inning. We scored another run in the fourth to total three runs through four innings. Significantly less than their 13 runs through four. In the fifth our bats got going starting with singles by CHill, Sans and Pub Krull. We batted 10 and pushed five runs in the fifth to climb back within five. They answered our five with five of their own. We plated another three in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough. Pub Krull managed a 3-4 game, 35 was 4-4, Pauly and Lars were 2-4 and Sans was 2-3. The SFRC gave Turnt a few too many outs. That will happen when a team hits the ball hard.
Final: SFRC 11 – Turnt 18
Game 2: SFRC vs. Ziegler
 The last time Ziegler played the SFRC they got walloped. A 19-6 crushing that was never close. Ziegler was focused. They were ready. They brought a full roster of 13 (that’s never fun). They started the game with one run in the top of the first. The SFRC was focused on winning innings and pushed three to take a 3-1 lead into the second. Ziegler scored two and the SFRC answered with one. We held them to zero runs in the top half of the third, and then the fireworks started. The bottom of three looked like this for the Fighting Red C’s of Skyline: Line drive HR (Kenny), waslk by Chris 20, single by Paul, out, single by Potter, walk by Lars, single by Sans, single by Pub Krull, single by Matty, 35 doubled, Kenny, up for the second time in the inning walked, Chris 20 doubled, Pauly singled, Nate reached, Potter singled, Lars lined out to third on a ball that was smoked, CHill singled, Sans singled before we finally recorded our third out after scoring 14 runs. All but two leaders got up twice in that inning. Every leader was on base in the inning and every leader scored at least once in the third inning. That’s impressive.
We must give credit where credit is due. Ziegler came back in the top of the fourth inning and answered our 14 runs with 11 of their own. Well played, Ziegler. Not well enough, mind you, but it was a good response.
The SFRC weren’t done and pushed four more in the fourth inning and held Ziegler to a couple before Red called the game due to time. The game was close as there were runners in scoring position when the game ended.
Solid effort was being made by all the leaders. You can see what effort looks like. Less than 60 seconds before the road rash, ol’ 35 commented to Pub Krull how he wears wrist bands on his forearm/elbow to protect the scrapes…and said wristbands were clean (hadn’t dove for a ball all year).
Final: SFRC 22 – Ziegler 17
“KENNY!!!! KENNY!!!! Keep track of their runs.”
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Game 2: SFRC vs. ShantyTown Thunder Stix
