Season Recap Part 2

Well, apparently when I committed to posting Part 2 of the Season Recap a week after posting Part 1, I was being overly optimistic. It's now 5 weeks later, and my memory of the events of the week of July 25th are a bit hazy, so please forgive any historical inaccuracies.

Where were we...let's see. I think we left off with SPTR capturing the Regular Season championship for the 2nd year in a row. And coincidentally, for the 2nd year in a row the Taproom's first round playoff opponent would be Bishops Collar. The Collar jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead on the back of several SPTR defensive miscues. The damage could have been much worse had it not been for a key defensive play by Brian W and Jules. With 2 outs, a BC batter knocked a single into left field scoring 1 run. A 2nd BC runner tried to score from 2nd base, but was cut down by a nice Brian W relay to home plate, and an even nicer snag and tag by Jules. The momentum of the game, and the entire playoffs changed as a result of that play, I have no doubt about that. The Taproom settled down on the defensive side of the ball for the rest game, allowing only 2 additional runs, and scored a respectable 10 runs against a tough BC defense to close the game out with a 10-8 victory. For the 3rd time in 5 seasons, it would be a SPTR vs Franklin final.

The Taproom was going into game # 1 at a slight disadvantage, with starting pitcher and Chief Franklin Antagonizer John Benson out of town. Coach Al turned to the crafty veteran lefty Dennis to hold down the fort in Benson's absence. That move paid dividends, as Dennis held the typically powerful Franklin lineup in check for most of the game, including forcing the painfully consistent Ryan Whitmarsh into an 0-3 performance. The Taprooms bats knocked the ball around pretty well all game, and the defense was solid all around. Due to the weather, the game was suspended in the 6th inning with the Taproom leading by a couple of runs. The remainder of the game would be played the following Monday as part of a twilight double header.

A week later, the Taproom picked up right where they left off, stymieing the Franklin on offense and taking advantage of several uncharacteristic defensive lapses to close out game # 1 by the score of 13-10. Going into game # 2 on that same night, you could sense the frustration in the other dugout. Game # 2 played out similar to game # 1, with the Taprooms' superior defense and hitting leading to a convincing 9-4 victory. There were some tense moments throughout the game, but as Robin caught the relay throw at 2nd base for the final out of the night, 6 years of frustration were magically erased as the The Taproom captured the title.

What I liked best about this team is the fact that we never panicked when we fell behind. There was always this calm sense of assurance that we would comeback, no matter how big the deficit, and we typically dealt with adversity in a positive way. Everyone played a part in this success, but most notably:

Aaron - A last second fill in during an early season game, Aaron became a top of the order dynamo who basically batted 1000 everytime he hit the ball on the ground. It's a tough field this year for Rookie of the Year honors (Aaron, Ryan, Elmer, Jules), but Aaron should definitely be in the running for the Okeechobee Memorial Cup.

Al - Al coached a great season. He put the right people in the right positions to be successful. He stayed positive, and didn't micromanage the team. From a playing perspective, Al played a stellar shortstop, and had a much improved season at the plate. Also, Al wins the Iron Man award for taking a line drive off his face (yes, his face) and returning to play 3 innings later in a meaningless game against either the Zoo or PTM

Brian W - Tag Teamed with Jules on the previously described put-out from left field in the BC playoff game. Also, Brian came up with a key 2 out 2 RBI single against the Franklin in the Finals to put the game away. (I can't remember if it was game # 1 # 2). I think there were a few other top notch defensive plays Brian made throughout the season and playoffs, and if I could remember them I would certainly write about them.

Carol - Carol played a key role this year as a utility infielder and had an overall calming influence on a team full of interesting personalities. Carol's mere presence on the SPTR squad brings our score on the 'League Wide Likability Scale' from 'Horribly Annoying' to 'Somewhat Tolerable'.

Dennis - Dennis played most of the season at first base, but came up huge in game # 1 of the finals as a spot starter. Dennis shut down the typically consistent Franklin offense and fielded the position like a pro.

Elmer - After a slow start, Elmer absolutely murdered the ball in the playoffs. It didn't really matter how deep the opposing defense played, Elmer still hit it over their heads. Defensively, Elmer made one of the key defensive plays of the finals during the late innings of a close game, catching a crucial tailing line drive that twisted him around. If that ball drops, we might be talking about how we squandered yet another chance to win the CCSL championship.

Good Brian - Brian played a solid first base all season, and even managed to cut down on his patented tomahawk chop swings. Badger also had a good year, only running onto the field and interrupting play once or twice.

Jeremy - Despite a lingering shoulder injury, Jeremy played an outstanding outfield in the playoffs, even putting his body on the line to make a diving catch in the Finals. At the plate, Jeremy crushed the ball (especially in the playoffs) and returned to his 2008 MVP form. Jeremy credits removing himself as Team Manager as the driver of his improved 2011 performance and his Zen like demeanor.

Joe Kenney - After being inserted into game # 1 of the Finals in the 5th inning, Joe made a huge catch on a hot line drive to left field. It was one of those 50/50 balls, and coming into the game cold probably drops the odds of making the catch to about 20/80. Joe twisted around and did his typical 'one handed glove stab' and calmly hauled it in for a key out with men on base. If he drops that ball, game # 1 might have ended differently.

John Benson - John has my vote for team MVP. He had a great year at the plate, with clutch hits more times than I can remember. More importantly , he dominated as a pitcher and fielded his position extremely well. I'll give him a pass for missing game # 1 of the finals.

Jules - Newcomer Jules played most of the season as catcher and made one of the key plays of the playoffs described in the paragraphs above. What I didn't mention above was the tricky hop the ball took when it hit the infield dirt. Jules casually leaned to her left to take the ball on one quick hop and leaned back towards home plate to tag out the sliding runner. Without the catch and tag, who knows if we would have been able to come back and beat BC.

Me - I didn't blog very well this year, but I made up for it with an uncharacteristic hitting performance in the finals, knocking 2 HR's and a triple in some key spots. I like to think of it as my 'Cody Ross Moment', and I'm sure I will return to my consistent level of mediocrity next season. I can assure you that rumors of HGH usage are without merit.

Pam - Pam didn't play much this year, but she always brings a lot of passion and enthusiasm to the dugout when she is able to come out.

Robin - Robin was just flat out awesome this year. She knocked the ball around on offense, and was the best defensive 2nd baseman in the league. Against the heavily left handed Franklin in the finals, Robin made several difficult plays look routine on sharply hit ground balls and line drives.

Ryan - Ryan played a great 1st base, and hit the cover off the ball every time he came up. All of this while probably averaging 2 hours of sleep a night thanks to his new arrival at home. Again, another strong candidate for Rookie of the Year honors.

Swede - Swede had another great year on the mound and at the plate. You can always count on Swede to pitch a solid game, get a couple of hits, and show up with a cooler of Miller Light. (even on nights when he's not the beer guy)

The Franklin's Point of View:

Below is an excerpt of the Franklin Blog describing the SPTR victory:

"We lost the first game 13-10 in a rain delayed (by a week) game. Story of the game, of their 13 runs, at least 7 were unearned. And by unearned, I mean UNEARNED. Not you typical, oh, the infielder made an error on an Edgely 4 ground ball and they scored 1. Nope. Dropped fly balls led to 7 runs. Dropped. Yes, I was 0-3 with a sac fly and sucked. But we did score 10 runs and still should have won that game. The bounces went their way and not ours. This is the nature of the game. Pete catches the diving ball in left field down the line instead of having it pop out and they don't score another 3. Meanwhile, they made 2 spectacular catches to save runs in this game. If it were one game, eh, so what. But it carried over into the second game, which we had no chance in. Again, dropped fly balls and other errors led to 2 out runs for them while Elmer catches an over shoulder fly ball diving backwards to rob at least 1 run. Silly. It's Elmer! Ugh. So disappointed, not with the loss so much, but with the way we lost."

So according to this, SPTR didn't really win the League Championship as much as Franklin lost it. It was really a fluke. There's no possible way that the has-beens of SPTR should have been able to hold the jocks of the superior Franklin Institute warriors.

Sorry, I really don't see it that way. I think we were the better team this year top to bottom. I couldn't say that in prior years, but this year I have no problem saying that. If you look at the rosters of both teams, you could argue Franklin has the two best players out of the entire bunch, but I think the next six or seven slots would be held down by the Taproom.

Season Ending Reflections:

1. I'm glad Brian W gets to go out on top in his last game in Taproom Blue. (formerly red)

2. Speaking of Brian W, The Franklin Blog was highly critical of the picture of him holding the Championship trophy with his middle finger extended. The Franklin Blogger took the opportunity to accuse the SPTR squad of lacking class. While I can't excuse Brian's middle finger antics, being called classless by the Franklin is a bit of a pot calling the kettle black situation....right? Isn't this the team who's outfielder urinated on the Dairy 4 infield in mixed company after an early season game. I'm pretty sure the Emily Post guide for etiquette would view public urination as a bigger violation than flipping someone the bird on camera.

3. Looking back at my at my ho hum athletic career, I can't say there are many times where I was part of a team that won a championship. There are 4 that come to mind. 1) The 2011 Taproom, which has been discussed ad nauseum. 2) The 1993 JCC of South Jersey Boys Basketball squad that went on to win the Pittsburgh Macabbi Games Gold Medal (yes, we defeated the hometown team in the finals, much to the chagrin of the 50 or so onlookers). 3) The 1986 Leopards who won the Claremont, California Little League championship, defeating the overhyped Bulldogs (despite the Bulldogs pitching the previously unhittable 9 year old John Downer on 5 days rest). 4) The 1984 HJ Heinz Tee Ball Team that took home the Claremont, CA Tee Ball League championship.

Thats four Championships in 34 years. I think I'll enjoy this one. Who knows when the next one might roll around.

Season Recap Part 1

In a week filled with headline news, (ie: 1. The debate over the national debt and the looming crash of our economic system, 2. The Phillies emptying out their farm system to acquire Hunter Pence, 3) The Eagles shocking signing of Nnamdi What's His Face), the biggest story of the week was The South Philly Taproom 2 game sweep over the Franklin Institute to capture the 2011 Center City Softball League Championship!!! It was a true team effort, with everyone on the squad contributing in one way or another. We'll touch on that point a bit later, but in the meantime, the story of how this championship season came together needs to be told.

We'll start in the 1960's, when Coach Al's parent's first gazed into each other eyes and said.......Actually....that story will take to long. Let's flash forward to April of 2011.

SPTR was coming off yet another disappointing season after losing in the first round of the 2010 playoffs to Bishops Collar. Morale was at an all time low, and several long time team members were seriously thinking about leaving the team to focus their passion on other hobbies like Modern Dance and Coed Synchronized Swimming (which will be an Olympic Sport in 2024). Ultimately, everyone decided to give it another try. With re-focused energy, The Taproom came into the season with high expectations and with a Single Goal: Dethrone the reigning 5 time champion Franklin Institute. After 3 games, achieving that goal seemed highly unlikely. The Taproom dropped 2 of its first 3, losing to two of the better teams in the league (Art and Franklin). The Franklin game was such a beat down the notorious Franklin Force Blogger titled his weekly entry "The Spankening". (The infamous blog entry also spiraled into a politically malicious war of words that somehow reached the conclusion that the SPTR squad was somehow involved in the Kennedy assassination.)

The early season Franklin loss forced Coach Al to re-evaluate the squad and make some changes. The first and most important change was to get rid of the putrid mesh uniforms that lived through 5 years of futility. The new 'old school' Phillies Powder blue T's seem to do the trick. (despite the fact that we turned into walking billboards). Another big change was moving Rookie Aaron Goldfarb to the top of the batting order. Aaron's speed and overall lankiness proved valuable in the leadoff spot. Kudos to Coach Al for that unselfish move, which indirectly knocked him down to the 9 hole in the lineup. The last big change was the insertion of John Benson into the starting pitching rotation. What was originally thought of as a joke on a night that Swede couldn't make it, turned out to be huge competitive advantage for the Taproom in the 2nd half of the season and into the playoffs. Benson fields the position very well, and seemed to have a detailed scouting report on all of the top players in the league. (For instance, some of Franklin's better hitters don't like it when you talk bad about their Mothers during their backswing......and they prefer high arc pitches, middle in.)

These changes sparked SPTR to several strong efforts against some of the top teams in the league. We squeaked past P&P in two games that could have gone in P&P's favor with a few breaks here or there. We also swept the Collar and lived through a few weeks where it seemed like every game was rained out. Before we knew it, it was late June and we were looking at back to back games against Art and the Franklin that would have major playoff ramifications. We knew going into that week that we would be short handed for those two games. (how dare Jeremy go to Italy with his family during the season...what is he thinking!). Despite missing Jeremy and Brian W, the Taproom was able to squeak past the Art in a tightly fought one run game, and scored a convincing win against the Franklin. All of a sudden, SPTR was 8-2 and in first place. We swept the last 4 games against PTM and the Zoo to finish 12-2 and win the regular season title for the 2nd year in a row.

Part Deux of the Season Recap coming next week.

Two Games, Two Wins for the Taproom

Despite scoring only 13 runs in 14 innings, the newly uniformed Taproom swept 2 games from the The Zoo and Bishop's Collar to end the first half of the CCSL season well positioned for another playoff run.

The pitching and defense was the real story of the week, as SPTR held the Zoo and BC to only 1 run over a 2 day span. There were some great plays in the field, and unfortunately I can't remember any of them given that I'm writing this 5 days after the fact. I'm sure Al made a few nice plays at Short, John B and/or Swede likely pitched some great innings, and Pierre made some outstanding plays in Right. Way to go Pierre!

Thats a good segue into the next topic of business....This Blog and how it needs some new blood. As much as I'd like to spend 2 or 3 hours a week coming up with clever one liners, it's cutting into my Modern Dance practice time and I just can't have that! So I'm seeking volunteers to take over what might be the most sought after job in the blogosphere.

The minimum qualifications for the role are:

A fifth grade education
A rudimentary knowledge of the English Alphabet and basic sentence structure
A loose understanding of what 'Libel' means.

There will be a sign up sheet at the next game for all those who are interested.

If more more than 1 person is interested, the job will be awarded to the winner of an intense 8 week Blogging Reality TV showdown that will be aired Thursdays on CBS between CSI Miami and CSI Las Vegas. The show will be marketed as a cross between Celebrity Apprentice, American Idol, Top Chef, and The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

Off this week and back at it the week of June 6th. Happy Memorial Day!

Extra Inning Win for the Taproom

Recap:
In a game that was short on offense and filled with defensive gems, the Taproom rode an 8th inning rally to win a hard fought matchup with the P&P.

P&P jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead after the first inning, and the Taproom countered in the bottom half of the inning with 4 runs, 3 of which came from 2 out RBI singles from John Benson and Robin. The next 6 innings featured a prolonged slump from both teams. The Taproom collected only 7 hits over the next 24 at bats, a respectable .291 batting average when facing 95 MPH fastballs, but a bit weak when facing 10 MPH Eephus pitches. P&P didn't fair much better, as the tempo of the game picked up dramatically with only a handful of runs scored between innings 2-7. After 7, the score was tied at 7-7.

P&P got their leadoff hitter on base in the top of the 8th, but a timely double play quickly erased the rally, and the Taproom entered the bottom of the 8th with a chance to win the game.

Brian W started off the inning with a base hit, and then advanced to 2nd on a Sac fly from Elmer. John Benson came through with another clutch base hit, and Brian easily scored from second. Ball Game.

Player of the Game:

Very easy decision. Clearly John Benson was the difference maker in this game. 3 Hits, 3 RBI's, including the game winner, pitched a complete game, and fielded his position very well.

Play of the Game:

There was some defensive gems from both teams, but Al's unassisted double play against P&P's speedy left fielder was possibly the most improbable play in CCSL history. That guy was the fastest guy on the field last night, and I would bet that was the first and only double play he will hit into in his entire softball career.

Quote of the Game # 1:

"When did the Taproom acquire Wilson Valdez?"

- Spectator, commenting on the Taproom's prolong hitting slump.

Quote of the Game # 2

"Safe"

- P&P 1st Base Coach / Umpire, on a close play at first base pumped his fist to clearly indicate "Out", but said "Safe" instead. Oh well, there was a 50 % chance he was right.

Hard Ass Play of the Game

Newcomer Jo on first base, Al at the plate. Al hits a hard ground ball to first base, and it catches Jo in the leg on her way to 2nd. It looked like a pretty painful bodyshot, but Jo shook it off immediately, focusing only on the out that was created as a result of the ball hitting her leg. Gotta love that toughness. I probably would have dramatically fallen to the ground screaming in agony. By the way, my favorite thing about Jo, is that "Jo" is not her name. Apparently, people mistakenly started calling her Jo on her former team, and the name just stuck. "Jo" is apparently not one to complain.

New Uniform Update:

Apparently, they are coming soon. I have high expectations for my $8 investment. I noticed last night that only 3 Tappies were wearing the official SPTR mesh uniform. Everyone else was wearing various colored t-shirts (even Coach Al). We basically look like 12 strangers who happen to stumble across a pickup softball game. Let's get with it people....the least we can do is settle on one color. Or just go topless.

The Hypocrisy of Marcus Hayes
You may recall, I used to drive a 2000 Toyota Camry. It was an unusual shade of blue, and it had a canvas rooftop. It was not a cool car or age appropriate by any stretch of the imagination. I won't get into the details of how I came about owning this car, but it served me very well for four years. It was a versatile city car that spent most of the time parked on the street, and was driven only a few thousand miles a year. Mostly to softball games. When we played P&P LAST YEAR, Marcus Hayes (who I do not know and have never spoken with), noticed me getting into my car and started making fun of it, especially the canvas rooftop. He was hooting and hollering and carrying on about how ridiculous a car it was. At the time, I was thinking about getting a new car anyway, but that schoolyard taunting pushed me over the edge. A few months later, I traded in the Ragtop Camry for a Used Hyundai Santa Fe. Flash-forward to last night. After the game, I walk to my car to head home, and I happen to see Marcus Hayes getting into his car. Guess what kind of car he was driving. A Lime Green Toyota Camry. For full clarity, it did appear to be a hybrid, so I assume it is a fairly new car and a lot nicer than my old car. BUT....I don't think anyone who drives a lime green Toyota Camry has the right to criticize the appearance of another person's Toyota Camry....regardless of how ridiculous said Camry may have looked.

So in conclusion, Marcus Hayes owes me $15,000.

Bad News for the Collar

In a rematch of last years semi-final playoff, the Taproom avenged one of the most painful losses in franchise history scoring a 11-7 win over Bishops Collar.

The game got off to a slow offensive start, with both teams contributing only 5 runs after 4 innings. Going into the top of the 5th inning, the score was SPTR 4, BC 1. Then the offense of both teams woke up. In the top of the 5th, the Tappies brought 9 hitters to the plate who contributed 6 hits and 5 runs, capped by Coach Al's 2 run HR. The BC bats woke up in the bottom of the 6th, scattering 5 hits on top of 2 SPTR errors and scoring 6 runs. After 6 innings, the score was SPTR 9 BC 7.

In the top of the 7th, the Taproom came to the plate needing some insurance runs, and they got that with a timely 2 out 2 RBI single from John Benson that extended the lead to 4 runs heading into the final frame.

Swede pitched a perfect 1-2-3 bottom of the 7th, forcing 3 straight flyballs outs, and the game ended with a final score of SPTR 11, BC 7.

All in all it was a well played game. The Taproom's defense was a little stronger and their hitting was a bit more disciplined. The Collar seemed to have quite a few fly-ball outs.

Hats off to Swede for pitching a complete game and keeping the BC batters off balance all night. All of this coming off a significant surgery. Well done Swede!

PLAY OF THE GAME

Bottom of the first inning, 2 outs, runner on 2nd base. Hard hit ball to Ryan at 1st base. Ryan cleanly fields the ball and underhand flips to Swede who sprinted over to cover first base. Great instinctive defensive play by Swede. Sounds simple, but nine out of ten times in slow pitch softball the pitcher doesn't cover 1st base.

Quote of the Game

" Come on, it's Edgely 4!"

- Words spoken from an anonymous scout on an opposing team after a member of the Collar chastised him for urinating on the pitchers mound. Asked later which field(s) he considers good enough NOT to pee on, said person indicated Dairy 2 was sacred ground.

Coaching Update

Congrats to Al for getting his first win as SPTR skipper. Coach Al joins a long line of great player/coaches including Carol, Jeremy, and Lenny Wilkins. Unfortunately, due to technical issues, Al's post game press conference is not yet available on Youtube. Check back later this week for updates.

On Deck

Two big games next week against The Franklin and FLM. Good seats are still available.

Why is this night different from all other nights?

For anyone familiar with the Maxwell-house Haggadah, the answer to the question above is quite obvious. For those who are less familiar with nuances of Passover and more familiar with the power structure of the CCSL, the answer is much more disturbing.

On a rain soaked Edgley field, the South Philly Taproom lost the Home Opener to the Art Museum for the first time since 1946. In his inaugural post game press conference, the new SPTR skipper Al Heinle summed the game up in 3 words. "Well, that sucked".

On the bright side, after 3 years of rumors and innuendo, it appears new uniforms are on the way, and our current 'Ronald McDonald Style' Jerseys will be slowly phased out over the next few weeks. Please note, Management is planning a Promotional SPTR 'Throwback Jersey Night' sponsored by Hatfield Quality Meats some time in June. As such, please make sure to keep your uniforms some place safe.

More to come next week.