It was 71 degrees, not a cloud in the skies and winds from left to right.  It was absolutely “Mrs. H” for a season opener.  Without question the SFRC were in mid-season form.  Physically and mentally.  That only happens in Week #1 when teams spend 12 months a year together.  This only happens by running the SFRCP hills in January and keeping the chatter going watching pitches in the cage in March.

Game #1 vs. H-Bomb

There are a few certainties in SFRC softball.  One is “numbers don’t lie.”  The other is that Pub Krull will have grass stains by the end of the evening without exception.  In 2010 this happened on the first batter of the game.  It was a blooping pop up to shallow left.  Pub Krull got a good jump on the ball, used his world class D/E speed and made a nice diving effort on the ball.  A single.  The first inning looked promising for Ol’ 35 at short, making two putouts in two attempts (it went downhill from there).

How many times do you see it?  How many times do you see a guy dive for a ball (and miss it) in left field to start a game, then lead off the top of the 1^st for the home team?   How many times does said left fielder lead off the bottom of the first and the first AB for the 2010 FRC watch the first pitch and then hit a HOME RUN?  Hey, there aren’t many firsts for the SFRC anymore (we’ve been going strong for 20 years), but I think it is safe to say Pub Krull’s 2010 leadoff HR is a SFRC first.  This does not happen by taking HGH in early April.  This only happens when HGH is used as your daily vitamin.  Pub Krull has been sharing his secrets as the FRC hit FOUR homeruns in Game #1.  In addition to Pub Krull, T-Mac had 1+ (more on this later) and the FNG (Silkey) had a HR for an out.

As mentioned earlier 35 made the first two plays hit his way after taking a bad hop in the fact last week.  After those two plays, the flood gates opened.  We had another SFRC first.  Three straight errors on three straight batters.  All by Ol’ #35.  Not exactly how someone wants to go down in the SFRC record books.  These errors allowed the H-Bomb crew to stay in the game.  H-Bomb had a two run lead heading into the bottom of the last inning (6^th inning due to time).  Per the norm you did not hear “we need two to tie.”  Not on this team.  Not in the SFRC dugout.  Rather, a number of guys were making the “We need three to win!” call.  Truly a sign of winners.

Brain led off the inning with a solid hit.  Matty followed that up by smoking a ball to left center.  Being the aggressive base-running team that we are, Matty went for three and had Brain making a late dash for home.  Everybody safe.  The FRC now were down one with a runner on third.  T-Mac stepped to the plate hoping to get the “Mr. No Clutch” hex off his back.  He managed to hit a wind aided game winning HR.  Oh wait, even though H-Bomb had hit a HR the rules say you both have to hit two HRs before either team can hit another one.  “Mr. No Clutch” came through again with a HR for an OUT!  No matter, the SFRC don’t have quit in their vocabulary.  Ryan got on with a game-tying RBI single.  CW got on base on a fielder’s choice.  Runners moved over to set the stage for 2’s (aka CP).  2’s came through with a walk-off RBI single, scoring CW.

SFRC WIN!  SFRC WIN!  OOOOOHHHHHHHH SFRC WIN!

The FRC are nothing if not dramatic.

Final Score: SFRC 17 – H-Bomb 16

Play of the game (aside from the open grass stained Pub Krull): Ol’ #22 with the walk-off game-winning single.  As someone stated later in the evening, “CP was huge tonight.  And he hit well too.”

Last out: Ryan on a fielder’s choice hit by CW

Game #2 vs. Televent DTN

The FRC started where they left off.  The hits came early and often.  We scored two in the first, a couple more in the second a few more in the third, and so on.  In what turned out to be the last inning, the FRC went Peter North on the opposition en route to 20+ runs.  After batting around multiple times heard from the opposing bench was, “No damage done, let’s go.”  I guess that’s true if you define “damage” as the mess left in the Biffy prior to Game #1 by one of the SFRC faithful.  We locked them down in the field ending the game with a double-play.

Highlights of the game: Pub Krull swinging and MISSING on two straight pitches for a K (I’d like to say this is a SFRC first – hitting a HR and swinging and missing twice in the same night, but I don’t think it is).  Also, Pauly being the team player taking two walks.

Lineup call: I have written about how much I love softball.  Here is an excerpt:

There are countless reasons to enjoy softball.  Being outdoors, the laughing and joking during and after the games, the chance to be competitive and maybe the greatest thing is hearing the lineup called for each inning.  Playing with the same guys for a number of years usually ends up in calling each other by their nickname.  A lineup could read: Moose, Hollywood, Pig, Shooter, Flash, Shorty, Deuce…

Based on names from a friend’s squad, their lineup could read: Cozzie, Moore, Moore, Byrnes, Whipple, Uber.  Or, it could read: Moore, Cozzie, Uber, Bush, Moore, Whipple, Byrnes… Read that fast like you are calling out a lineup.  You can’t make stuff like that up.  Just fantastic. If you don’t see the humor in that lineup, well, stick with book club and avoid the softball field.

Well on 04-28-2010 if you listened carefully you would have heard something like this: Steve, Greg, Sampson, RON, JEREMY, Alex, Sprout, Eric, etc.  There is something to be said about a lineup that can provide a stick like RON, JEREMY.

Final Score:  SFRC 27 – Televent DTN 4

Last out: Ryan (twice in one night – ouch)

A shout out to the FNG for catching two straight games.  Silk and Mauer are generally known as the two best catchers at calling a game.  The calls from behind the plate led to multiple strikeouts thrown by Sans.  All of the Schlitz Gusto Fighting Red C Gusto Guys hit well.  Moving Brain over to short definitely increased the reliability of the team in the field.  It’s worth mentioning again, the SFRC were in mid-season form on their chatter.  Check out some of the best on the Quotes page.

Fan of the night:  We had a very solid showing on Week #1.  Mrs. CW was present, Patsy and friend, Merrie (Pauly’s sister), TO, et. al.

He’s our Darrin Nelson, our Barry Sanders, our Billy Simms, he’s Brian Schmoll.  What do they have in common with the 2010 version of the SFRC?  2-0 describes them all perfectly.  The Schlitz Gusto Fighting Red C Guys have never lost.  Never.  “Numbers don’t lie.”

We are already looking forward to “Cinco de Mayo con Cinco.”

Schlitz Processed Food Night

Processed food night brought out the masses.  There may have been tornados and thunderstorms to the North and East, but above Neill there was a nary a cloud.  It simply doesn’t rain at Neill.  The stats are updated.  Pictures from processed food night can be found here.

 Game #1 vs. Booze Brothers

At 6pm the FRC crowd was lean, but that would change before the evening was done. 

There are a handful of teams the FRC have faced over the past 20 years that could probably beat us with eight players.  The 2009 version of the Booze Brothers is not one of those teams.  They started with eight fielders and were buried before their ninth and tenth players arrived.  The SFRC simply took advantage of the gaps and sent leader after leader to the plate on the way to an 18-3 shellacking of the Booze Brothers.  It didn’t feel that close.

Final score:   SFRC 18 – Booze Brothers 3

Last out: Ryan

Plays of the game:

In the field: There were a few nice plays by CW and Pub Krull staring at the brightest star in our sky.

At the plate: Leader, Leader, Leader, Leader, etc.  I think everyone hit the ball well.   This was partly due to the lack of fielders and partly due to the fact that the FRC are coming into their own in mid July.  Pub Krull also hitting a HR and followed it up with two swings and misses for a K.

Game #2 vs. Edina Realty

There was standing room only for Game #2 at SFRCP a.k.a. Neill Field A.  Game #2 was a competitive game that went back and forth throughout.  They scored a couple, we scored a few, they scored eight, we scored three, they scored one, we scored four, etc. 

Final score:   SFRC 11 – Edina Realty 12

Last out: Cinco

Plays of the game:

In the field:  Pub Krull sits back 270 in left field and waits, waits, waits….then runs in and makes a basket catch at 200 feet.

At the plate:  35 with a graceful slide into second base.  There is a good reason Ol’ 35 doesn’t slide very often. 

Fans of the night:

The list is long and distinguished.  In no particular order…David & Rita Jonson, Heidi Thompson, Susan Meinke, Anna & Owen Stangl, Pat Garrity, Dave Jones, Brent Denoma, Julie, Neihaus family, CW family, Neil Bailey, Steve Oaks, Greg Lovstad, Patsy, Trisha, Kathy Goering, Joann, Don Schwabauer and Kris Cecare.

Post games recap / Quotes of the night (The list really could go on and on):

·         “She was born in 1978.  She should act like it.”

·         “She does not seem to be the kind of girl to jump on that donkey and whip it like there is no tomorrow.”

·         “Patsy, you bent my thingy.”

Game #1 vs. Varmit

Historically the FRC get six or less innings in against a team that is generally the slowest team on and off the field in the five state Midwest area.  I will never understand why they ask who is up next when they have followed the same guy in the batting order since 1983.  The game was back and forth through out.  We’d score three, they’d score four, we’d come back with five, they’d score two, and so on.  The ump didn’t do the FRC any favors and missed at least three calls.  In the bottom of the sixth the FRC padded their lead and took the field in the top of the 7^th up nine.  From the opposing dug out we could hear, “we need nine to tie.”  That is like lion smelling blood.  Any team looking to tie is destined to lose.  Varmit scratched and clawed in the top of the 7^th, but their output followed their goal….I bit too low.  Varmit scored seven, but lost by two. 

Final score:   SFRC 19 – Varmit 17

Last out: CW

Plays of the game:

In the field: Sans snagging three line drives up the middle.  Sans hustling over to cover first (just like we practiced in the gym back in January).  Brain putting the film room to work and catching a line drive towards the hole at second base. 

At the plate: Brain and his new found power from the left side of the dish going 4-5.  Cinco, in potentially his last night at the diamond without being a father, going 4-5.  35, going 4-5, which could have been 5-5 if not for the “grand slam out” because……Pub Krull going deep to left center for a pivotal HR.  Pub Krull also hit a laser off the fence in left.  The rest of the FRC crew missed a golden opportunity to freeze out Pub Krull and leave him out there on his own after his big HR.

Game #2 vs. H-Bomb

Another thriller.  H-Bomb had 8.5 players on this evening.  The outfield was open.  The FRC did what they could to take advantage of the green grass and tallied 30 hits in Game 2 of the night.  The game was back and forth with a few very strong innings.  In the top of the third H-Bomb scored six, the FRC would not allow them to win the inning and scored six of our own in the bottom of the third.  The game continued to be back and forth and again “Red” didn’t help the FRC out at all.  In the bottom of the 6^th down three with time running out the FRC plated two runs and trailed by one.  Luckily, as the FRC are wont to do, we left enough time to play one more inning.  In the top of the 7^th H-Bomb scored two to take another three run lead.  What did we hear coming out of the FRC dugout?  “WE NEED FOUR TO WIN!”  A distinct difference from the opposing dug out in Game #1.  What did the FRC do?  They proceeded to get runners on base and score runs to take the victory in the bottom of the 7^th. 

Final score:   SFRC 22 – H-Bomb 21

Last out: Brad

Plays of the game:

In the field:  There were some big catches in left, left-center and right.  There was a put out from left to third base (oh wait, Red missed that one), there were a couple of double plays (3^rd to 1^st) and at least one other double play that was botched by Ol’ 3-5. 

At the plate:  CW was the leader of leaders going 5-5.  Cinco continued to stay hot (he also had another four hit game).  Lars had two doubles and a nice SAC (he also had an RBI with a sacrifice fly) and circled the bases two at a time.  We may have even seen a FRC player slide. 

Fan of the night:

Mad-Dog making a brief, but important appearance before mysteriously disappearing.

Numbers:

Numbers don’t lie.  The season is two weeks old and the FRC have not lost and sit at 2-0.  Brain donated some time and put the stats together.  Early batting leaders are CW and Cinco at .800.  But the FRC are about the team and this team is batting .582 for the season.  Could running hills, watching film and practicing start to be paying off?  See you next week!