SFRC

It was another fine night of fall weather to participate in one of the greatest sports on earth.  We were playing on SFRCMP for the first time in two weeks, given the unprecedented rainout the previous week. 

Game #1 vs. Goodfella’s

It was a tough day in the sun.  The ball seemed to be carrying a bit and the sun apologized for the previous week by glaring right into the outfielder’s eyes.  It made fielding difficult.  We scored 10 runs in this ball game, but unfortunately gave up 20. 

But the 10 run loss doesn’t matter.  Why?

In the 4^th inning one runner had scored and there were no outs and runners on 1^st and 2^nd.  This situation has happened 4,317 times since they moved the bases back five feet a few years ago.  There was a hard hit ball to short.  Of the 4,317 times there have been runners on 1^st and 2^nd or bases loaded with no outs, 417 times there has been a ground ball to ol’ #35 at short.  413 of those times, T-Mac has booted the ball, once he tagged the runner and twice we turned double plays and once we came a half step / bad call away from a triple play.  Well, on this day SFRCMP did us a favor.  The ball was hit very hard.  Luckily, too hard to have time to think.  It was a one-hopper / Sunday hop right into #35’s glove going to his left.  This led him right into the runner for the 1^st out, stepped on the base for out #2 and threw to first as Pub Krull anxiously awaited and sighed relief when he caught the ball.  A TRIPLE PLAY!  I’d like to type that again…A TRIPLE PLAY!   On the 418^th groundball to short with runners on 1^st and 2^nd with no outs, we turned a triple play.  1/418 = 0.0024. That is 0.24% chance.  In other words, it doesn’t happen often.  Numbers don’t lie. 

So we lost this game, but we had another game to play on this fine evening and no one from the Schlitz Gusto Guys had to go to bed at night knowing they hit into a TRIPLE PLAY!

Final Score: Schlitz Gusto Guys 10 – Goodfella’s 20

Last out: ?

Game #2 vs. Rounding Second

The Schlitz Gusto Guys can only be tamed for so long.  They can only be caged for so long.  Eventually, the animal that is the Schlitz Gusto Guys bats will let loose.  And so they did, on their way to 24 runs.  We hit bloopers, groundballs, line drives and deep balls.  This tamed and caged animal was free to go.  We took extra bases when they were given, we tested the arms, we forced them to throw us out between bases and we had Cinco try to “sneak” home after the runner before him had a play at the plate.  He missed it by a step.  The Schlitz Gusto Guys made things happen all game.

Defensively we locked it down making the plays we needed to make.  Pub Krull pitched his first official inning and simply didn’t give up an earned run.  ERA = 0.00.  Opponents batting average = 0.250.  I think the Schlitz Gusto Guys own the best middle reliever south of the river.

Final Score: Schlitz Gusto Guys 24 – Rounding Second 10

Last out:  Ryan (officially a strikeout, since it was a foul ball)

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She was MIGHTY hot and humid in the afternoon.  Around 4pm the“feels like” temperature was 106 degrees in the great SFRCMP area.  According to an official Schlitz Gusto Guy car reading we had a temperature of 94 degrees at 5:15pm and still a balmy 91 degrees at 7:15pm.

The Schlitz Gusto Guys were more than ready to tackle mother nature and her balmy humidity.  Especially considering the wind was not blowing.

There are a couple of things we know for certain.

1. The Schlitz Gusto Guys bring their best effort when the balm is “a-plenty” and thick
2. Numbers don’t lie

NOTE: We have a new feature on www.sfrc.biz.  It’s the poll to the right.  This week’s poll is a vote for “Top Play of the Night.”

Game #1 vs. Celts Pub

It actually didn’t feel as humid down in the valley known as SFRCMP (Skyline Fighting Red C Memorial Park) as it had been throughout the late afternoon.  The Schlitz Gusto Guys were consistent throughout the game building an early lead, fighting off a rally by Celts Pub, increasing their lead and finally putting an end to the Celts Pub rallies.  Everyone hit well and hit when it mattered.  Potter made a GREAT diving catch charging a ball in left-center (top play nominee – see voting on the right).  On the night of the 2010 ESPYs, Potter made an early bid for “Play of the Year, 2011.”

Final Score: Schlitz Gusto Guys 18 – Celts Pub 9

Last out: Sans

Game #2 vs. Beer Me

Beer Me hits the ball well.  They started off the top of the 1^st doing just that….hitting the ball well.  They had quite a few runners, but managed to score only two runs.  The Schlitz Gusto Guys must have left their sticks at SFRCMP Field B because we were getting “no-hit” until the 3^rd inning.  Trailing 6-0 the Schlitz Gusto Guys pulled it together and got on the board with two runs.  At this point Beer Me lost their focus.  They started trying to figure out which guys were going to play in Fall League and who was going to play next summer.  The Schlitz Gusto Guys are nothing, if not focused on the job at hand.  We deal with this type of conversation after the games over an ice cold Schlitz Tallboy.  If the Schlitz Gusto Guys can hang their hat on one thing, it’s winning the mental game week in and week out.  This night was no different.  Defensively we gave up another run (on a play the ump never saw – the ball went in the dugout and came right back out – being the honest Schlitz Gusto Guys that we are, we admitted the play and it scored a run).  We came back to score a few of our own to close the gap 8-5.  In the bottom of the 4^th with runners and 1^st and 2^nd with no outs, a ground ball was hit to the Gusto Guy shortstop.  The runner on second froze and didn’t leave the bag.  #35 tagged the runner, stepped on second and threw to first for a TRIPLE PLAY (top play nominee – see voting on the right).  But wait….It was a bang bang play and the ump called him safe.  Really?  Can you call the runner safe in that situation?  We were just honest on a play the ump never saw the inning before.  The ump really can’t give us, and the triple play, the benefit of the doubt?  The very next batter hit a ball that somehow found #35’s glove on a diving play in short left field (top play nominee – see voting on the right).  In the words of Rasheed Wallace, “The ball don’t lie.” We came back in the top of the 6^th defensively with another double-play as Pub Krull scooped up a hard ground ball and calmly stepped on 1^st and threw it home where Cinco made the catch and tag (top play nominee – see voting on the right).  Celebrating the double-play the Schlitz Gusto Guys ran into to the bottom of the 6^th as the mighty Sans yelled out, “We need four to take the lead!”  Again, this is how the Schlitz Gusto Guys win the mental game.  Never, under any circumstances, would you hear “we need three to tie” out of a Gusto Guy dugout.  And with that call, the middle and bottom of the SGG lineup lit up the scorebook for four impressive runs taking a 9-8 lead.  We held on defensively for the win.

Final Score: Schlitz Gusto Guys 9 – Beer Me 8

Last out: Kurty

Fan of the night: Patsy and friend and the “double horn.”

As a reminder, the annual “Processed Food Night” will happen on “South Beach” Lac Lavon on July 21^st immediately after our second game (roughly 8pm).  Please see the BBQ tab for a roster of what to bring.

Highlights:

Sans from Tom McInerney on Vimeo.

2′s from Tom McInerney on Vimeo.

Pauly from Tom McInerney on Vimeo.

Silkey from Tom McInerney on Vimeo.

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I missed a week or two of updates. Some of the highlights missed can be found on the Quotes page, others include: • An “almost” triple play. Probably the second closest the Schlitz Gusto Guys have ever come to turning a triple play (remember a play at the plate in Game #1 circa 2009).

• We were held hitless until the 5th inning before getting the bats going (still lost).

• The ump was unsure if there were one or two outs.

• We had a situation in the base path in both Game #1 and Game #2 (not surprisingly #35 was involved in both).

• We had loons calling at Lac Lavon (an unofficial first for the Schlitz Gusto Guys).

• Most importantly, we had eight “leaders” still at the park 4.5 hours after first pitch, with an average age of 43.

• We beat Televant DTN 12-2.

• We beat H-Bombs (without their new uniforms) 7-6.

• We lost to Beer Me 7-9.

• We beat Edina Realty BCO 11-9 (on a game-saving catch by Pub Krull).

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It was beautiful out on the evening of June 2, 2010.   A night which couldn’t be matched since mid-2009.  Dare I this evening was gorgeous (a.k.a. Mrs. H)?  It was almost too nice out.  The Schlitz Gusto Guys were ready early.  We had a full squad of 13 leaders about 15 minutes before game time.  These early arrivals lead to a pre-game jog (see below) for a few of the Gusto Guys.  Unprecedented.  Not as unprecedented was the 118 cans of adult beverages available for consumption by the Schlitz Gusto Guys (a quick note to the good folks at Schlitz – apparently we have upped the purchasing).  This leads to an enjoyable evening of softball with the Schlitz Gusto Guys.  We are nothing if not a team that enjoys a nice summer evening with a large number of adult beverages.

Gusto Guys Run from 35 on Vimeo.

Game #1 vs. Edina Realty BCO

With the pre-game runs in a couple of Schlitz Tall Boys down, we were ready to play.  This game was a textbook Schlitz Gusto Guy softball game.  We fielded our positions and hit the ball all over the park.  We turned a less-than-smooth double play moved runners around the bases.  The Gusto Guys played so well this game ended in the 6^th inning because of the “Mercy” rule.  Better yet, we didn’t have any outs in the 6^th when the game ended.  That leaves the last out to Greg (FNG) back in the 5^th inning.  Never make the last out of the inning, it could count as the last out of the game!  Everybody hit the ball well.

Final Score: Schlitz Gusto Guys 18 – Edina Realty BCO 3

Last out: FNG got forced out

Play of the game: CW going back and to his right…looking at the ball….staring at the fence…looking at the ball….winking at the fence…grinning….jumping….making the catch in right-center.

Game #2 vs. Celts Pub

Game #2 was the inverse of Game #1.  The sun was out in full force.  Apparently the Gusto Guys were impacted more than Celts Pub.  Ol’ 35 booted countless balls (including a couple of triple play opportunities).  We did come about a step and a half of turning a triple play.  Potentially the second closest the Gusto Guys have been to turning a triple play (see the archives for the other).  We were one Kurty lighter for Game #2 as he hopped on a team that was short for the 7pm game.  We definitely could have used him since Ryan may have been the only Gusto Guy with two hits in our second game of the night.  Sans did let out a solid grunt for a line drive hit in the last inning.

Final Score: Schlitz Gusto Guys 6 – Celts Pub 14

Last out: Lars

Fan of the night: We had a very solid showing.  Potentially the largest crowd in Schlitz Gusto Guy history.  However, the winner of “Fan of the Night” goes to 2’s niece all the way from Chicago (potentially our second longest commute for a fan – Pappa Lars has made the trip from Arizona in the past)

Facts:

• The average age of the Schlitz Gusto Guys on June 2, 2010 was 44 years old
• At 10:30pm (4.5 hours after the first pitch) we could still field a team of nine leaders
• The average age of the Gusto Guys still at the fields at 10:30pm?  46 years old
• It never makes sense to park in the upper ramp at Lac Lavon.  This is true for countless reasons, but one reason stands alone.  That reason was clear just west of the beach circa 1998.  BABUSHKA my friends….babushka.  Again, NEVER park in the upper ramp.

An unscripted highlight from our friend Walt (you may need to listen closely / turn up the volume):

Leader from 35 on Vimeo.

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