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 Mrs. H The week of April 29, 2015 is a big week of sports. The NHL and NBA playoffs are in full swing. NASCAR goes to Talladega on May 3rd. The Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight is on May 2nd. The NFL draft first round is April 30th and continues on May 2nd. However, no sporting event is bigger than the start of the SFRC Summer Softball League schedule. Not even StubHub could locate ticket for these games.
April 29th, 2015 was “Mrs. H,” per the norm. 65 degrees and sunny. There was a 7 – 8mph breeze blowing straight in on Neill A, aka Skyline Fighting Red C* Memorial Park (SFRCMP). There were a few leaders claiming stake to the west side dugout a solid hour before first pitch and 11 leaders were ready and able at least 10 minutes before the first pitch.
Game 1 vs. Ziegler
The Ziegler bats fresh out of their wrappers were ready. They scored four in the top of the first. The SFRC bats, also fresh out of their respective wrappers didn’t shy away from the early challenging and responded with three of our own.
It went a bit downhill from there as far as the runs are concerned. Ziegler scored in every inning. The SFRC scored only three more spread across the remaining six innings. The Good Guys only managed 12 hits in this seven inning softball game. Matty, CHill and Kenny managed two hits each, whilst the rest of the squad didn’t get more than a single hit per leader. Clearly not quite to midseason form.
Final score: Ziegler 19 – SFRC 6
Last out: Ol’ #35
Game 2 vs. Turnet
Whilst the name looks different the faces were the same. Turnet is a new name for a team that played Wednesdays in the summer of ’14.
As the visitors on SFRCMP, we started the game with hot sticks. Five infielders couldn’t stop the SFRC from a lineup that went: Walk, Single, Out, Single and Run, Single and Run, Single, Single and Run, Single and Run, SAC, Single and Run and Out. 11 leaders stepped to the plate in the top of the first and jumped out to a six run lead after holding Turnet scoreless in the bottom of the first.
The game was back and forth throughout. We scored six, they scored zero. We scored one, they scored six. We scored six, they scored one. We scored zero, they scored five. In the end, the SFRC game up one run short. It was a fun game. This is the type of game that the SFRC don’t lose after Memorial Day. Numbers don’t lie.
Every leader had at least one hit in this game and Pub Krull, Ol’ 35, Kenny and C20 had three hits each.
Final score: Turnet 16 – SFRC 15
Last out: Matty
 SFRCMP After the 7pm game ended, a solid group of leaders stuck around to scout other teams, discuss off season workouts, try to figure out if the new bats have limited oomph and frankly, just wait for the quotes to start rolling in.
Whilst the other teams players drove off with daylight still present, the SFRC said their goodbyes around 10pm. This may have been the first time in years that the last of the leaders left whilst the lights were still tanning the skin of Neill Field A.
The quote page has been updated, which means the 2015 Softball season is officially underway…and so is a solid week of sports outside of Burnsville, Minnesota.
The SFRC Leaders are ready. The summer softball schedule kicks off 32 hours as of this post (31 hours if you count pre-game). All the check boxes have been covered:
- Forecast is splendid (65 degrees and sunny)
- Ice cold beverages ready
- Legal bats ready for action
- 11 leaders available
- Loss of focus at work on Tuesday
- Sack in the trunk of the car
- Soiled cup warming with greenhouse effect
- Games balls ready (softballs too)
- Off season film work complete
- Sliding practice complete
The SFRC will be ready for first pitch on Wednesday, April 29, 2015 at 6:00pm Central.
I don’t know much, but I do a night worthy of being called Mrs. H when I see one. Thursday, September 18, 2014 was “Mrs. H.” It was just an ideal night for playing two softball games.
We picked up a FNG, “Joel” from the Bloomington league to man left field for an evening.
Game 1 vs. Auto-Ballers
The Skyline Fighting Red C’s were not about losing innings against Auto-Ballers. They’d score two, we’d score four. They’d score three, we’d score four. They would score one, we would score two. As a math major, I can tell you, it’s tough to lose games when you win every inning. At one point, with runners and first and second a selfish player for Auto-Ballers swung at ball three and intentionally missed in an attempt to get on via a hit. The next pitch Kenny delivered coaxed Mr. Selfish into fouling out behind the plate. Ouch. Later in the inning, after a deep shot to left, a couple runs scored and the runner tried to get third. Joel threw a one hop strike from left to get the runner out. Clearly Joel is a qualified leader.
In the top of the 7th, with the SFRC up 17-13, Auto-Ballers started to string a few hits together. However, there was no quit in the field. Everyone was playing their positions, backing each other up, talking and doing what leaders do to win games. Auto-Ballers managed to push two runs, but this game was never in doubt. SFRC won, 17-15.
Two different angles to Pete’s triple to right-center:
Pauly with an RBI single.
CHill with a solid single to left.
Potter with a 2 RBI stand-up triple.
Ball JUMPS off of Kenny’s stick.
Game 2 vs. Spunk Masters (or is it Buck Masters?)
Most of the players on the Buck Masters seem like nice guys. There were a couple that give the Burnsville D-Low league a bad name. Middle, middle, middle, middle. Enough already. Middle, middle, middle.
The leaders of the SFRC started the game by batting 15 men and plating 10. That’s how you start a game. The Buck Masters came back with seven of their own. This was a back and forth game with no team finishing an inning up more than six runs. There was plenty of excitement to go around. Homeruns by Kenny, Chris20, Krull and ol’ #35. Triples by Pete and Potter. Lars going long over the left-fielder’s head. Lots of leaders beating the five man infield. Evidence below.
The bottom of the 7th arrived with the SFRC up five runs. Unfortunately, Buck Masters put a few hits together and walked off with a one run victory. SFRC 22 – Buck Masters 23
The good news is we play two next week.
Lars beats them deep.
Potter beats the five infielders (hits the ball through all the defense too).
CHill joined the party.
I’m not sure where to start. It’s been a poor showing for Ol’ 3-5 on the field and at the plate in 2014 and it’s been a poor showing for Ol’ 3-5 online in 2014. Let’s not dwell on how we have landed here. Rather, as any leader would do, let’s look forward.
This may be the first recap of 2014, but I’m hoping it won’t be the last.
An email arrived to all the SFRC Leaders from Sans, on queue with his weekly, “Who is in and who is out” theme. The message was simple. We had 10 leaders and whilst he was not going to be present, he was suggesting the rest of the leaders find an 11th body. The response? Crickets. Nothing. Perhaps he knew something we didn’t. Was someone going to be late? Was a leader among us nursing an injury? Perhaps he just wanted fewer at-bats per leader for everyone that could make it. We may never know the real reason. Game day arrived and CHill decided to inquire. Maybe he was concerned someone was in doubt based on the original email. Or maybe it was just a foreshadowing to a leader who needed to backtrack because he forgot his sack. At any rate, the leaders collectively determined, “Our team is on the floor.” 10 Leaders = plenty of ABs. 10 committed leaders is a full squad. #0, I want you to read that sentence again. 10 committed leaders is a full squad.
Game 1 vs. Sick SOP
For the second time in the Burnsville D-Lower Thursday night softball league, the Legends in Royal Blue (SFRC) took the field against the imposters, also wearing royal blue. They may wear the same colors and carried the same record entering the game, but the similarities ended there. We’ve worked through the Google searches. There is no sicksop.com website. No sicksop.org, sicksop.biz, sicksop.org. This is not a global team. This squad did, however, like to go middle. They attempted to go after our very own comback player of the year, Brain. He would have none of it. After a few put outs by Brain, they started trying other areas in the field to no avail.
At the dish, the 10 committed leaders drove the ball to all fields, including those past the 300 foot signs. This onslaught was led by last year’s SFRC Rookie of the Year, Kenny and his three bombs. In the end, the result was similar to the first meeting of these two squads with the SFRC ending the game at the plate with Red proclaiming, “That’s enough. Ball game.”
One of Kenny’s three homeruns that each traveled north of 340 feet.
Pub Krull drives a double over the left-centerfielder’s head.
Game 2 vs. Zachry Engineering
The SFRC took the momentum created in Game #1 and used it to catapult into Game #2. We locked it down on defense early allowing no runs to start the game. From the good side of Lac Lavon Field E we plated four to take a quick 4 – 0 lead. The second inning was reminiscent of the legendary 8th inning on Neill Field B, circa 2003’ish. Pete led off the inning with a solid single to get the activity started. There were plenty of hits, a few errors, lots of running and run after run after run. This inning didn’t end until Pete likely set a SFRC record by going 3-3…IN THE SECOND INNING, leading to a 20-run SFRC at-bat. The ball continued to travel well in the cool air and each team struggled to keep it in the park when they needed to. Kenny hit another pair of HRs, making five home runs for the evening (likely another SFRC record), C20 hit a HR and a blind squirrel found a nut when 35 barely cleared the chained link. Pub Krull even went 3-3 from the left side of the plate. Clearly he’s a switch-hitter. Things got a little weird late when the good sports on the Fighting Red C’s laid off the base paths a bit and Zahry Engineering mounted a comeback. The SFRC showed their flexibility in the field by flopping some of the infielders and outfielders and didn’t commit many errors. CHill showed some diversity by locking down 3B admirably and Lars and 35 managed left and left-center. In the end, the SFRC did what they do, completing the sweep and the perfect evening by hanging on for a 22-18 win in the night-cap.
Speaking of perfect, the conditions held up long after the lights were out at Lac Lavon and a few leaders closed out the park the only way we know how. Reminiscing about things that had happened in the mid to late 90’s at Lac Lavon, telling stories our very own 2’s would enjoy.
Final thought: One benefit of playing Thursday evenings is that when the conditions are right and you depart the fields and open the garage door on Friday, the weekends starts the same night.
Worth mentioning, the quotes have been updated for 2014.
 As mentioned in “2013 – Strange Year,” it was only a matter of time. All things SFRC were due to get back to normal. on June 5, 2013 at 4:30pm it did not look promising. The clouds were thick. The rain was coming down hard. It looked like the second week in a row for a monsoon.
Believers. The Leaders of the SFRC squad are nothing if not believers. We believe the softball Gods have been merely confused. With that, 11 Leaders headed toward SFRCMP (aka Neill A) with an open an optimistic mind. The rain will stop. The skies will open. It was Wednesday night in June, after all. Sure enough, at 5:40pm there was a hint of blue peaking through the clouds. A glimpse of our normal was saying hello. As it turns out, there was not a drop of rain. Instead, just enough pregame moisture to soften the infields.
 With Mother Nature working with the softball Gods to bring decent weather (it was still cool – 60 degrees) and Sans busting out an early “BE THE ONE BE THE SHOOTER BE THE GUY WITH THE BAT BE THE HERO…..HOOAAAHH NOW!” the SFRC knew it was time to do their part. The SFRC took the field with a 1-7 record, good spirits and a tad bit of new technology.
Game 1: SKYLINE vs. Vancortlandt Rangers
I am not sure how this team took the field in 7th place. They beat us up in the last meeting. They are much younger, much faster and have a MUCH better shortstop. Just ask BP (or frankly anyone with a heartbeat).
The SFRC started well batting nine and scoring four runs in the 1st inning. The team did not look back. We scored six in the 2nd, 5 in the 3rd and 5 in the 4th. Defensively we allowed Vancortland to stick around and stay in the game. Additionally, we had a few unusual outs. Ultimately, the errors and base running blunders could not derail the hitting machine that is the SFRC with decent weather. Big win. 20-11’ish.
LAST OUT: ol’ #35 who popped out to 3rd with two outs and the bases loaded. Clutch.
 GAME 2: SKYLINE vs. Beer Me (Tied for 1st Place at the time 5-1-2)
Beer Me’s only two wins in 2012 were against the SFRC. Nobody bring parity to the Burnsville D/E Recreational league better than us. This game was no different. As the visiting team, we immediately picked up where we left off (save for the game-ending F5) by scoring three in the top of the 1st inning. After taking the second inning off, the SFRC scored 5 in the 3rd, 4 in the 4th and added another 5 in the 7th for good measure. Beer Me didn’t know what hit them.
SKYLINE 18 – Beer Me 8
LAST OUT: Ryan (bring the beverage holder to work on Wednesday morning)
Highlights:
- Cinco was 8-9 on the night
- CW only got out once
- Lars who beat the left-fielder twice (hit it over his head twice too)
- The 1-5-3 double play (bang – bang – bang…bat – rubber – Rex’s head) — OUCH
- Solid night of quotes
Fan of the night: The first “Fan of the Night” will be an early candidate for “FAN OF THE YEAR.”
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