Blurry, but SEXY!

The Gusto Guys lost their Schlitz uniform virginity last night.  Numbers don’t lie.  The Schlitz Gusto Guys have never lost whilst wearing their Schlitz uniforms.  Worth noting, at least 90% of the squad looks sharp, svelte and dare I say, SEXY, in their new uniforms.  She was chilly and breezy for the 8pm and 9pm games on Cinco de Mayo, 2010.  But the Gusto Guys have never let the conditions dictate their play.  They simply persevere.  They fight.  They battle.  And on Cinco de Mayo on Skyline Fighting Red C Memorial Park (SFRCMP), they WIN.

Game #1 vs. Edina Realty BCO

Leading off for the Schlitz Gusto Guys is a badge wearing Schlitz Gusto Guy member (Pub Krull).  Worth noting, Pub Krull was also the Schlitz Gusto Guy of the month for March, 2010.  On the first pitch of the game, on the first swing in a Gusto Guy jersey, BAM, a homerun to centerfield.  This was the second week in a row that Pub Krull started the SGGFRC night off with a homerun.  Numbers don’t lie.  That immediately put the opposition on their heels.  The Schlitz Gusto Guys kept the heat on kept hitting and running and scoring and hitting and running and scoring and hitting and running and scoring.  All 10 leaders hit well and everyone had either two or three hits as the team accumulated 26 total hits, scoring 23 times.  Matty also had a “no-doubter” over the fence in left-center.  Pauly was a solid 3-3 and had a nice sac too.  In the field nice plays were made by Niehaus, CW, Ryan and Brain turning a double play.  Sans recorded another strikeout on the mound.

Final Score: Schlitz Gusto Guys 23 – Edina Realty BCO 6 (five innings)

Last out: There is a 15-run rule after five innings.  In the bottom of the 5^th, the run to go up 15 scored, then the run to go up 16 scored and then the run to go up 17 scored.  The rally stopped when Ryan smoked a line-drive to third for the final out of the inning.  As we were taking the field, the ump let us know the game was over by the 15-run after five mercy rule.  In theory, Ryan should never have batted in the inning, the game was already won.  However, a team-rule is a team-rule and Ryan got the last out of this offensive explosion of a game.

Game #2 vs. Celts Pub

We simply started where we left off in Game #1…Hitting, running, scoring…hitting, running, scoring…again and again and again.  We batted around in the first inning, the second inning and the third inning.  At one point in the first inning the Celts Pub pitcher asked, “Is there a 20 run 1^st inning rule?”  I think he was serious.  Ryan had two triples to revenge his last out of the first game and Pub Krull had another homerun enroute to a 4-4 game.  Niehaus was also 4-4 in Game #2.  Sans was ripping the ball all evening.

Defensively we were solid with only one error on record.  Al made two nice defensive plays on the same ball throwing to first and then jumping off the mound to cover first as the ball went by Pub Krull.  Kurty also made a couple of nice plays in the field.

Final Score: Schlitz Gusto Guys 27 – Celts Pub 4 (five innings)

Last out: C-W

Fan of the night: Braving the cold in a hood, blanket and coffee…BRANDI

Quote of the night: “I screwed myself and I didn’t have to leave my house.”

A few things worth noting:

• The 2009 Schlitz Gusto Guy Sportsman of the Year (Brian Niehaus) started the year on fire going 7-8 with a double on the night.
• As a team wearing their Schlitz jerseys, the Schlitz Gusto Guys are batting .591 and averaging 25 runs/game.
• #35 didn’t have an error in two full games.  That may be the first time in years (of course he was catching too).
• 

Game #1 vs. Celts Pub

The SFRC can get it done many different ways.  In Game #1 of the evening we took advantage of the extra outs Celts Pub gave us.  We also took bases when they threw to the wrong base.  Most of all we hit.  It was Leader, leader, leader, all the way through the line-up.  The FRC simply hammered the ball and never took their foot off the gas.  After taking a 22-11 lead, Celts Pub scored a run after Ol’ #35 booted a tailor made triple play ball.  But as the FRC are wont to do, we came back to score four and win 26-12. 

Final score:   SFRC 26 – Celts Pub 12

Last out: Matty

Plays of the game:

In the field: After T-Mac charged a ball, picked it up with his glove and through the runner out at first, Ryan said, “you need to bare-hand that ball next time.”  The very next batter hit a ball that Ryan had to charge.  #7 put the glove in his pocket, bare-handed the ball and calmly through to first to end the game.   

At the plate: Leader, Leader, Leader, Leader, etc.  I think everyone hit the ball well.   I believe the FRC batted around twice in this game.

Game #2 vs. Edina Realty

The other way the SFRC get it done is by doing “just enough.”  With the sun setting right over the pitcher’s shoulder seeing the ball was more than a small issue.  I do not think a single ball went over an outfielder’s head for either team.  There were at least four or five swings and misses and countless lazy ground balls hit by both teams.  This was clearly the worst conditions I have ever experienced considering there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.  The FRC did not bat around in Game #2 of the evening, but we did put a few hits together and scored some runs.  Let the record show that the SFRC won with the wind blowing directly in.  Possibly the first win EVER with the wind blowing in. 

Final score:   SFRC 8 – Edina Realty 7

Last out: T-Mac

Plays of the game:

In the field:  There are at least three candidates.

1.      Kurty made a great diving backhanded stop at short and threw to third for a force out.

2.      Pub Krull made a diving/rolling catch in left center to steal a hit.

3.      T-Mac took a few slow motion steps with cinder blocks on his feet and jumped (using that term loosely) to make a catch with two outs and two on with a one run lead to end the game.

At the plate:  I have no idea who got a hit.  All I could see were sun spots.

Fans of the night:

Clearly it is good to see Patsy week in and week out, but this week’s fans of the night have to go to Mrs. Pub Krull and “little miss giggles” (that was on her shirt).  We give it to the Pub Krull family for letting him show up Sans and stay for a few refreshments after the game. 

Quotes of the night (The list really could go on and on):

·         “Yours is bigger than mine.”

·         “I have been thinking about coming out here to run my doodle.”

·         “She must have smelled my doodle.”

·         “Cute dog.”