Playing Catch-Up

A quick recap of the last few games:

5/31 v. FAIRMOUNT GRIFFINS 

Longtime followers of the blog will know how much I hated to miss this game. But toddlers don't feed and put themselves to bed, and the CCSL doesn't pay well enough to justify a sitter. So it goes. Apparently, I missed the latest installment in what continues to be an enthralling rivalry.

Source Material.

For once, the Honey Badgers didn't suck in the first inning. We gave up just a single run and went to the bottom half with a moral victory already accomplished and the game still within reach. In the bottom half we put five straight batters on base with one out, scoring two. We may have benefitted from some sloppy defense on the part of the Griffons' 3B, if my reading of the tea leaves/score book is correct. However, we failed to push any further runs home despite having the bases loaded with only one out. This would haunt us later in the game.  

The Badgers and Gryphons traded one-run and scoreless innings over the next two frames. Bill knocked in a run in the bottom of the 2nd to put us up 3-1, but we gave it back in the top of the 3rd. The metaphorical gloves came off. They put up a four-spot in the 4th inning to go up 6-3. We struck back in the 5th, scoring 3 to tie the game; T-Barr had the big blow with a two-run HR. The tension was palpable, the air was thick with nervous excitement. Or so I assume, reconstructing this narrative from the score book as best I can. 

The Grumps again scratched out a run in the 6th. The Badgers would mount a two-out comeback in the 7th to tie the game at 7-all and send the game to extra innings. Alas, after giving up the lead in the top of the 8th, the game ended on a Badger groundout to shortstop with the tying run stranded at second base, as I read "Goodnight Moon" for the second time.

So, we lost to the Grinches, in yet another hard fought, back-and-forth affair that will be talked about for literally days. Unfortunately we don't have another regular season game with them due to the unbalanced schedule, but there is always the chance of a postseason matchup...

FINAL SCORE: L, 8 - 7 (8 innings)

6/7 @ BISHOP'S COLLAR

I missed this one, too, but have less material to discuss. We were short some players at the start of the game, but ultimately put up a not-completely-embarrassing score against one of the better teams in the league this year.  The question I have for the Badgers who played was whether or not CCSL softball phenom-turned-legend Dick Mahoney suited up for the Collar. If so, I hope you all enjoyed your brush with greatness. Now that the story has blown up in the national press and Mr. Mahoney himself has allegedly moved on to pursue a movie career instead of sticking around for Philly slow-pitch softball stardom, it's unlikely that we'll see him again in the league. 

His flame burned bright, but brief.

With or without Dick's help, the Collar crushed us.

FINAL SCORE: L, 21 - 11

6/13 v. SOUTH PHILLY NOMADS

Megan already covered this game in her recap. I just want to double down on two things:

• It is of course a little hard to tell exactly how well the defensive shift worked as we didn'ts start using it until the second inning when we had already given up 12 runs. But the Nomads aren't a team that likes to ease up, regardless of score, so I'm inclined to say that it had a real and positive impact. The execution is still a little rough around the edges but with some polish I think it might help slow down some of the better-hitting teams in the league.
• There was a minor kerfluffle when a Nomad complained from the bench about being interfered with in the top of the 7th after he was thrown out at second base on a single to right-center. It is my understanding that no contact was made between the runner and the 1B, but it seems that after making a move to cover the bag, our fielder may have remained somewhat in the basebath watching the play develop. Since the rules say nothing about this situation (I checked), common sense must prevail. The only reasonable truth about this is that if you are thrown out trying to take a meaningless extra base in the final inning with a 10 run lead, you've got nobody to blame but yourself. 

FINAL SCORE: L, 21 - 13

A reminder to send me photos if you take 'em at any of the games. Otherwise I have to scrounge for content, and Dick Mahoney doesn't happen every week. 

Fin.

6/13/16 Game Recap

HEY TEAM, we were actually decent against the South Philly Nomads.  Except for the first inning, in which we gave up 12ish runs, as it is tradition for us to start off really far behind.

Game highlights:

- Whose idea was it to switch to a shortfielder/rover situation and have one infielder cover 1st and 2nd, but also not really cover either base because she (Megan) would get confused? Carl? That was actually a brilliant plan and it worked well with the way the other team was batting.

- Rusty was wicked good at shortstop again.

- Max made interesting and loud noises when he was at bat and his dog is really cute.

- Matt pitched really well!

- We now have two Sams on the team and they did great rotating through catcher and 2B.

- Carl, Bob, Mac and T Barr were champs in the outfield

- Jason Bill Paul and Josh likely made some good plays elsewhere in the infield too, but was I paying attention enough that I can remember it now?

And to that little fucking Jawa on the other team who yelled at me for supposedly blocking him: Calm down, it's just recreational softball. I was covering first base because you really didn't hit the ball that far and I thought we might make the play, I don't have the tactical knowledge to intentionally do anything like block the runner. I didn't realize that maybe you are on steroids, and you have rage issues that are probably further exacerbated because they made your testicles shrink and you're insecure about that (and confused because I don't think anyone cares about the size of your balls... amiright ladies???). And also you are probably doing steroids wrong because you're still kind of a small dude. Point being, you are no fun and I hope you have a bad day. 

5/18 @ TFI: Honey Force

RECAP

Wednesday, May 18, 2016: A day that will live in infamy for all who live and breathe with the rise and (more frequently of late) fall of the Honey Badger fortunes. Which is to say, a day that will likely be forgotten by all by a very special few. But a day that is worthy of reflecting upon nonetheless, as it marks the awarding of the inaugural Honey Force trophy. And no, it wasn't awarded to us.

Several things went wrong in this one. First, we didn't get a hit until the fourth inning. It is very difficult to score without hits, and exceedingly difficult to win without scoring. Then, for the second game in a row, we gave up five runs in the first inning, and followed it up by allowing three more in the second. Together, this combination of not hitting while allowing lots of runs is a poor recipe for success in a game where the object is to score more than the other team.

...That is what we in the business call "analysis."

On the surface of things, we were a bit unlucky. On defense, the infield was hard and uneven, leading to bad hops on some routine grounders and ultimately to runs for the Institute. On offense, we hit into inning-ending double plays in both the 5th and 6th innings with multiple runners on base. Instead of potential big rallies, we were limited to a combined three runs in those innings as we tried to claw our way back into the game.

But the adage that "you make your own luck" is also undeniably true here. The Force played solid defense and didn't make any egregious errors. They hit a large percentage of grounders, which proved a successful strategy given the field conditions, while the Badgers lofted far too many lazy fly balls for outs and even gave away an out on a called third strike (we are too Polite And Understanding to Let any names slip here). Though we endured some bad hops that few if any CCSLers would have turned into outs, we also had unforced errors and throwaways that extended innings and led directly to more runs for TFI.

And that's all we're going to say about it. Congratulations to Buddy & crew on winning the first ever Honey Force game. PLEASE don't blow up the trophy until we have a chance to replace it with something more permanent and less explosive. Any claim that the pyrotechnics were "for science" will not be accepted without a rigorous and peer-reviewed journal article to back it up.

Ladies and Gentlemen, your (temporary) Honey Force trophy!

FINAL SCORE: TFI 13, Honey Badgers 4


BRIGHT SPOTS

AJ was on base twice and scored two of our four runs. T-Barr had two solid hits and RBIs in the game. Relatively new aquisition Erisa came out to play on her birthday and also collected two hits, including breaking up the no-hitter (hooray!) in the fourth.

Key 2015 Honey Badger Sean was on leave from Afghanistan and came to cheer us on. Unfortunately he didn't play - we could have used him! Sorry we couldn't get you a win, but we were glad to you could make it.

Also, food! Barbeque games bring out the best in everyone. We had an abundance of frothy adult beverages, lots of food, and excellent company for our first post-game grill of the season. Even slightly chilly temperatures and a light rain couldn't dampen the enthusiasm. Good times!

Top: Honey  -  Bottom: Force

  On to the next one.

5/2 @ Pen & Pencil: Lucky 13

RECAP

We started the game going down 1-2-3 in the top of the first, including carelessly getting picked off first after rounding the bag on a two-out single. We then gave up 13 runs in the bottom half of the inning, getting the ball smacked over our heads, missing the cut-off, allowing extra bases by attempting foolhardy and low-percentage throws to 3rd/home chasing the lead runner. We weren't ready to play, our heads weren't in the game, and we were sloppy. For their part, P&P hit the ball well, hit the ball hard, and made the plays they needed to make in the field. It was a very bad first inning for the Badgers.

3eanuts.com

Other than that, we played OK ("Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln...")

In the official record, we outscored them 8-5 for innings 2 through 7. The reality is that they subbed in some bench players and may have taken their foot off the gas a bit. Nonetheless both our offense and defense improved and we were much more competitive. That's how we need to play coming out of the gate.

FINAL SCORE: P&P 18, THB 8


REAL TALK

Of course, the biggest problem was not that we sucked at softball (it's happened before, it's bound to happen again at some point) but that we didn't have any beer to fall back on. It's possible that Chappy made good on his promise to drink all of the leftovers from last week, because they (both Chappy and the leftover beer) certainly didn't make it to Edgeley 4 yesterday. Being game-ready means more than being warmed up and ready to play, and like our first inning foibles, the blame doesn't fall on any one player. C'mon, Badgers! We're better than this.


CCSL's NEXT TOP MODEL

Give a warm Badger bark for Carl, sporting the hottest in Honey Badger athletic gear, accessorized with a matching wood bat and base layer in a complementary blue color. Looking good, Carl! Do a turn for the crowd.

HISTORY LESSON

This evening's game is against the Fairmount Griffons, formerly Philadelaphia Art Museum Griffons. This is the closest thing to an actual rivalry that we've got in the league. It stems from the early days of Team Green Tambourine, spurred by a bit of a brou-ha-ha after the postponement of a scheduled game was inadequately communicated to some of the Griffons. The profanity-laced diatribe that followed engendered a sense of purpose and competitive fire that fueled the next several meetings. It also directly inspired TGT's first-ever official team jerseys*. It did not, alas, inspire us to victory. But subsequent seasons have produced very close and memorable games - some even noteworthy enough to earn mention in other league blogs.

Any personal animus between teams may (we certainly hope) have faded away with time. But the games continue to be compelling. Last season, in our first as the Honey Badgers, we earned our first win against the Griffons since the Great Taint of 2013 by the score of 10-9. They got revenge and a one-up by the score of 11-9 in the rematch a month later. We were denied a chance to meet in the postseason after PMA bowed out in the second round, although we were both ultimately defeated by the same team (Catahoula). The rivalry lives, for now.

I guess what I'm saying is, let's win this one.

I'll bring a case of lager.

UPDATE: Game POSTPONED due to soggy field conditions. Will be rescheduled for date TBD. Oh well, we probably had more fun drinking at Bar Hygge anyway.

*Vonnegut fans may get the joke

4/26 v. the Zoo: Righting the ship.

"We WILL be more competetive than we have shown thus far."

Well, that didn't take long -- once the game eventually got started.

DOUBLE RAINBOW... What does it mean?!?

Rainy days can be tricky for any CCSL squad. Based on the most recent unofficial polling data available, approximately 12.4% of participants enjoy playing in soggy conditions, which makes fielding a full squad difficult for any team with a roster size smaller than NCC. It was a good sign to see a full contingent of Badgers brave the elements and take the field. Even more inspiring to have multiple fans and onlookers joining the fun behind our bench. Most importantly, it meant Paul could avoid taking the field with his recently-dislocated index finger still in a splint.

Don't need 10 fingers to hold a clipboard.

The Badgers started strong with three runs in the first, tacked on extra runs in the second and third innings, and then blew the game wide open in the fourth, as nine straight batters reached base and the first eight all crossed home plate. It had quickly become a romp. The Badgers finally allowed a run in the fifth but also tacked one on in the same inning. All sides agreed that, with darkness closing quickly, five innings was a sufficient length to determine the winner, and having met the criteria for an official game, it was agreed to call it at that point.

Apparently hitting with a recently-dislocated finger is OK. #NoPainNoGain

Not that everything was wine and roses - 2016 early-season stalwart Bob came up limping with a pulled quad after another fine catch in the outfield. And as good as we should feel about the performance, it is only fair to note that the Zoo was playing a man down, with attendance perhaps influenced by the wet weather. It's a lot easier to get hits against a three-person outfield, which may have helped us out a bit.  A win is a win, and it's hard to imagine that one more outfielder could have prevented all 13 runs. So we'll take it, and we'll build on it. 

Honey Badger bench.

FINAL SCORE: THB 14, ZOO 1

LESSON LEARNED: Attendance matters! Especially in adverse weather conditions. The Badgers have a doubleheader this week with plenty of gray clouds in the forecast. Let's mine that silver lining and let the other teams stay home, warm and dry, while we grab the wins.

MULTI-MEDIA TIME!

Maybe? We're trying this video thing out for the first time. Note that smooth Badger defense in the background (and that handsome Badger blogger in the foreground, of course). Thanks for the photos and video this week, Adriane! Badgers, the blog always welcomes and appreciates your contributions of visual documentation or even guest-posts. Please share! 

4/19 v. Catahoula: Practice? Practice! You talking 'bout PRACTICE?!?

(In which the blogger barely recaps a resounding defeat,  and makes a weak attempt at topical humor)

Yes, there was some talk about practice following Tuesday's game against Catahoula. In some past years, the idea of a regular practice in addition to a weekly game would have been the punchline to a joke, not a serious proposal.  But there is no doubt that practice is an important part of skills improvement, so I'll echo Paul's call for better attendance. Hopefully we can get enough people out on a regular basis to run some effective drills and scrimmages, which are also more fun than hitting BP with 5 people.

This game, against last year's top team, was basically a training session, at least for the outfield. It included basic aerobic conditioning and arm strengthening exercises as we chased after well-struck fly balls and heaved them back to the infield. Once we we had retreated deep enough in our initial fielding positions to have a chance at making a play, we got to practice catching the ball, with some success. We even explored advanced defensive concepts like three- and four-person relay chains to return the ball to the pitcher for the next at-bat. Did I mention the sprinting (or, once the game was basically out of hand after the 3rd inning, half-hearted jogging)? Yeah, we ran a lot. Especially Bob in left field- apparently Catahoula didn't want to practice hitting the ball to the opposite field.

So it is safe to say that the some of us were feeling the Bern after a tough game against the four-time reigning CCSL champions. No, I didn't just mispell a colloquialism for overworked muscle tissue -- It seemed clear that with the talent inequality in the league we needed to follow Senator Sanders' blueprint for dealing with our unfair economic system by breaking up Catahoula, the top 10% of the CCSL, and redistributing the wealth to the "poorer" teams. Also, universal healthcare was sounding like a pretty good idea after our Captain dislocated his finger sliding into second base to escape a late-inning pickle (hope you are feeling better, Paul).

Alas, much like the DNC is in clear cahoots with HRC, the CCSL "Establishment" has too much at stake in ensuring Catahoula's continued dominance. A redistribution of of the softball talent is even more unlikely than a Bernie Sanders nomination following his New York primary defeat. Comrades, the game is rigged in favor of better teams! I fear that our only effective strategy for a successful CCSL revolution must be to improve on the field.

...So maybe there is something to this "practice" idea after all...

Just don't hold it against me if I can't be there*.

Final Score: Catahoula 26, THB 3 (6 innings/darkness)

*Considering that I opened my third CCSL season with a swinging bunt and then tripped over first base, I should probably try to attend a few. Noted.

----

We've played our opening games against two of the best teams in the league, and we haven't yet been at full strength or played our best ball (as the results have shown). Don't let it get you down! It took us a few weeks to get rolling last season, but once we hit our stride we could hang with anyone and made it all the way to the Championship Series. We WILL be more competitive than we've shown thus far.