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 Moisture coming The forecast didn’t look good. There was plenty of moisture making it’s way over most of the metro area. Not just a little drizzle, but a full on downpour was making its way over Burnsville. Yes, you read that correctly. A full on legitimate downpour was heading towards SFRCMP. Unthinkable I know. Unimaginable for most. The SFRC have been rained out roughly five nights in the past 380 nights of softball. 12 weeks of summer league and 7 weeks of fall league equals 19 weeks per calendar year. Multiply that times the last 20 years and we get to 380 weeks of softball. We have had five rainouts. Five. That means there is a 1.3% chance of a rainout.
 On the drive to Neill A, it didn’t look good. And, as the puddles started to form, there were questions in the air. The games scheduled to be played at Lac Lavon were cancelled on this wet evening. But there is one thing that holds true….Numbers don’t lie. Games at Neill A (Skyline Fighting Red C Memorial Park) and Neill B were on. We played through the rain for the first 30-40 minutes of Game 1 and the weather normalized. Kurty played through the rain after the first inning completed as he was not confident that the show must go on.
Game 1 vs. Cruizers
The rain was doing some strange things. Puddles had formed on the back of the infield and that stopped multiple balls. There was one certainty of this game. The Cruizers were more wet than the SFRC. How and why? Well, they spent significantly more time in the field than we did. Every leader had at least one hit in this game and many had three or four hits, including Sans, Potter, Chris 20, Kenny (a solid 5-5), 35 and Kurty. Homeruns were hit by Chris 20 and Pub Krull.
The fielding was solid as the infield was soft. We held the young Cruizers to two runs spread across seven wet innings.
Final: SFRC 19 – Cruizers 2
 Game 2: SFRC vs. Big Sticks — The “It’s Always Fun to Come From Behind” game
What is that we see looking west from Neill B? Is it? Why of course. It’s a clearing sky and a beautiful sunset. There is a very good chance that the first schedule out had the SFRC playing at 7pm and 8pm or 8pm and 9pm. Only the league director could have scheduled rain during our games. Mother Nature knows better.
This was a back and forth game that saw the SFRC fall behind early. We laid an egg in the first inning, Big Sticks pushed two. We found one run in the second and Big Sticks pushed an impressive snowman (8). The SFRC settled down a bit and started playing defense and hitting the ball. In the third inning we pushed three, they answered with two. We pushed three more in the fourth and they responded with one. From there it was the SFRC show. We scored five in the firth inning and two more in the sixth to take a one run lead. With time running out in the sixth and the SFRC leading by one, there was a deep shot to right field. Potter tracked it and made a great game-winning catch. Or so we thought. The red let us play one more. We proceeded to push two more runs and locked it down in the field. Kenny ended the game with a diving catch in centerfield.
“It’s always good to come from behind.” Truer words have not been spoken. Yes, truer words have not been spoken.
Final: SFRC 16 – Big Sticks 13
 Master Chef The evening was gorgeous. Master Chef Sans brought the grill and we cooked a few dogs returning home close to Thursday.
Worth mentioning, and it cannot be overstated. 2015 has been a banner year for the quote page. We are at the halfway point of the summer season and have far exceeded the quote total for 2014. Grab a drink, sit down and digest some of the greatest quotes ever heard at the softball fields.
I will admittedly keep this brief, as it is from a few weeks ago. We were missing the captain, the coach, the leader of leaders. We were missing Sans on this beautiful night for two.
Game 1 vs. Ziegler
Kurty joined the squad and that kick-started the hit parade. Scoring in every inning against Ziegler on this beautiful night for softball. The inning totals looked like this: 2-6-3-2-3-3. That’s 19 runs for those of you scoring at home, or even curious about the SFRC runs scored (credit to Keith Olbermann, circa 1995). Matty and Kenny were both 4-5 and almost everyone had AT LEAST two hits in this game.
The defense was solid and we held Ziegler to six runs.
Final: SFRC 19 – Ziegler 6
Game 2 vs. Turnt
Turnt is separating themselves as the best team in the league. They hit the ball well and have solid fielders throughout. Whilst the FRC of Skyline did their best, pushing 14 runs. As a team, we were able to bat 0.571 for the game (20-35). Nate was 3-3 and ol’ 35 was 4-4. but it wasn’t enough. We were no match for the Turnt sticks, who tallied 24.
Final: SFRC 14 – Turnt 24
To the surprise of no one, the weather was perfect. The sun was shining and there was barely a breeze to kick up the dust. Neill B for a pair at 7pm and 8pm. Or was it 6pm and 9pm?
Game 1 vs. Gopher Ballz
Gopher Ballz is a solid squad with some good hitters. The SFRC held their own in the field save for a few dropped balls (ol’ 35 had two errors on one play) holding Gopher Ballz to nine runs through seven innings. A team like the “usually blessed, sometimes cursed” Fighting Red C’s of Skyline should be able to put up more than nine runs. That isn’t too much to ask in a slow pitch softball game. Unless of course, it IS too much to ask. It took us until the third inning to get through the lineup, which is always a bad sign for the run column. We mounted a small comeback in the fifth inning scoring a pair, but clearly not enough to over take the heavily favored Gopher Ballz.
Final score: Gopher Ballz 9 – SFRC 3
Game 2 vs. Big Sticks (one of only 4,342 slow pitch softball teams with the name “Big Sticks” in the five state region)
This game started with the SFRC at the dish. As Pub Krull stepped to the plate, the “Young and Dumb” pitcher barked out, “How closely do you call this sportsmanship rule? Because I’m a d!ck.” And away he went and away we went. Look at three pitches that didn’t sniff the strike zone, Pub Krull walked. Matty followed with a walk of his own and then a couple of outs ended the inning. The Young and Dumbs hit pretty well to start the game scoring four runs in the bottom of the first. It was time to put on the veteran caps. On the field where they once score more than 20 runs in an inning, the SFRC went on a run. Chris20 started it with a single. That was followed by a harmless out. Then we went E-5, single, walk, walk, single, single, SAC, single, slingle then Chris20, up for the second time in the inning, walked, followed by a single, single, walk. And with the bases loaded Potter launched a bases clearing triple over the right-center fielder’s head. After 17 batters, the SFRC recorded the third out of the inning and took a commanding 13-4 lead. Young and Dumb responded with two and then pushed another six. After Chris20 launched a homerun to right center in the fifth, the SFRC were able to score an important five runs in the top of the 6th before ol’ 35 popped out in foul territory by first base whilst trying to push the ball to right. Upon taking the field Red alerted both teams that this was the final at-bats of the game due to time. Sounds good, except that means ol’ 35 is bringing the beverage holder back home. Pub Krull did not get out in this game and Chris20 had a single, HR and two walks. Pauly had two singles and two walks and Sans was 3-4. A solid outing for all of the Fighting Red C’s of Skyline.
Final score: Big Sticks 13 – SFRC 19
Last out: 35
On a positive note, when the lights went dark we were able to enjoy the beautiful blue glow of the beverage holder.
Another nice night for two. Per the norm. Downside of the night, Ol’ 35 forgot the beverage holder, which result in some sort of penalty.
Game 1 vs. Ziegler
Neither team could get a good rhythm going at the plate. The game was kept close, but the SFRC ultimately took it on the chin losing 7-5. Highlights include a diving catch in left by CHill and a nice catch behind the dish by Lars!
Final score: Ziegler 7 – SFRC 5.
Game 2 vs. Turnt
The bats got going a bit in the second game of the evening, but Turnt is a good team with young players that can hit and throw. Most of the damage the SFRC did was in the middle innings. Turnt was able to push runs in every inning. Kenny hit a rocket over the left field fence to get into the HR column and ol’ 35 was able to scrape together four hits.
Final score: Turnt 15 – SFRC 8.
Last out: Lars (don’t worry about the beverage holder….35 will bring it next week)
 Numbers DO lie. Whilst it may be obvious, it cannot go unmentioned. In cases where the weather calls for rain, numbers DO lie. The weather was PERFECT. Sure the forecast stated 100% chance of rain. Why wouldn’t it? The radar showed the weather pattern moving towards Burnsville and significant rain was part along the path.
 Shadows
An email was sent to the author with the following statement, “weather.com predicts 100% chance or rain at 6pm. Bold move weather.com. Bold move.” Obviously, weather.com apparently doesn’t have input from www.sfrc.biz, the Farmer’s Almanac of weather reports for Burnsville from April through October. Notice the shadows. Notice the sun the right fielder was fighting until the sun set on May 6th. Rain? Nary a drop. Not one single drop of rain on SFRCMP from 5:25pm – 10:35pm.
Some teams looked surprised that it wasn’t raining. Not the Fighting Red C’s of Skyline. This group of leaders has been down this path too many times to be surprised by the lack or rain on game night. In the end, it was a bit muggy.
Game 1 vs. Gopher Balz
The good guys started in the field. Gopher Balz is a solid team who hits the ball well. They put a quick four on the board in the top of the first. The SFRC were not intimidated and the first five batters reached base on the way to scoring three runs in the bottom of the first. In the second inning we went down 1-2-3, but followed that up with three more runs in the third. Unfortunately, that was the only run production for the game. While we were never out of the game, we couldn’t catch Gopher Balz. SFRC were a bit short-handed fielding only nine leaders and that cost us a few outs, which of course led to runs.
Final Score: Gopher Balz 12 – SFRC 6
Last out: Lars
Game 2 vs. Cruiser
Coming off of our last ABs, we were ready to start swinging again as the visitors on SFRCMP. We batted seven and scored a quick run to take an early lead. On the defensive side we were not quite as ready, throwing the ball around and allowing Cruisers to score three runs to take a 3-1 lead. Knowing we need a spark, Lars took a walk as did Sans allowing Pub Krull to walk to the plate with runners on first and second with no outs. The pitch was quickly sent deep the other direction for the first HR of the season in any game we have seen. A three-run shot to left field.
The hits kept coming and the defense held tight. SFRC pushed 20 with no more than seven in a single inning. Everyone had their turn. Cruiser made some in game adjustments and walked Pub Krull three times. Lars and San ripped the ball all game, as evidence by these videos:
 Last out penalty Final Score: SFRC 20 – Cruiser 7
Last out: Ol’ 35
Conversation at home…
Mrs. 35: “What is this?”
35: “You should be proud that you are asking about this now. It is multiple years old. It’s a beverage holder used at softball games.”
Mrs. 35: “Why do you have it?”
35: “I made the last out of the second game. Like I said, you should be proud of me. This is the first time you have seen it.”
Mrs. 35: “What time do you play next week?”
35: “I think we have another 6pm / 8pm split double-header.”
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On the drive to Neill A, it didn’t look good. And, as the puddles started to form, there were questions in the air. The games scheduled to be played at Lac Lavon were cancelled on this wet evening. But there is one thing that holds true….Numbers don’t lie. Games at Neill A (Skyline Fighting Red C Memorial Park) and Neill B were on. We played through the rain for the first 30-40 minutes of Game 1 and the weather normalized. Kurty played through the rain after the first inning completed as he was not confident that the show must go on.
Game 2: SFRC vs. Big Sticks — The “It’s Always Fun to Come From Behind” game
