Thursday

Monongahela Update.
The Black Sox (1-2) won their first game, dominating the Eagles (2-1) 8-0 behind 19 K, 3 hit monster of a game by pitcher J.T. Slavicek (sp.)

On a slightly-related note, Kenny recently released his personal assistant.

Until Kenny Powers tells me otherwise I’m going to assume Ron Florian is injured, he only played 2 innings last game.
The Black Sox are a better team with Florian in the lineup, he hits doubles and runs fast.
The Ducks are in first place in the Monongahela Division.

There’s a crap-ass Allegehey Division game tonight.
The Matadors (0-0) start their season against the Oilers (0-1).
These guys are playing out the rest of the season for the right to lose to the Bulldogs in the playoffs.
It’s certainly not too early to make such an assumption.

The Bulldogs were the Ducks blog’s pick to upset the perennial Campbell’s Conference power Warriors.

After securing the first 3-0 start in team history, the Ducks are enjoying some down time before a hectic stretch in which South Oakland plays three games in three days.
The Ducks play the Hurricane-Carters Saturday at 5pm, the Eagles on Sunday at 12pm, before returning to the Pond to play the rival Gray Bats Monday night.
Our pitching depth will be tested.
This is clearly the best Ducks team of the wood bat era, no stretch of the imagination; we had a couple terrible teams.
If we were 0-3 I wouldn’t be panicking, so we shouldn’t get too worked up over a 3-0 start.
There are still 21 to play.
It’s always nice to beat the Black Sox.
I will say, it will be fun to see what we look like with Darren Daulton catching and Life on Mars in Center, and all of our infielders there at the same time.
It’s good to be 3-0 while still getting out the kinks.
TC and Adam Smith have been clutch. Whenever you can win without your ace pitching it’s a big deal.
Will we see the much anticipated debut of Mantis this weekend?

Link to Captain America’s Origin

Is it lame that the Owlz get to wait to start the season because their players are still being genetically engineered in some secret lab in West Virginia?
Sure, it is. There is a lot that is lame about that team (about everything but the talent-level), but the Ducks have a half dozen key players who are still playing college ball as well, and we’ve managed.
The 50-man roster is key.
90% sure the Owlz lured a potential Ducks recruit to the Dark Side.
That reeks of fear to me.

Quack.

So high he fell.

Pitt Club Baseball is in the NCBA Regionals after beating PSU last weekend, I think.
To be fair, the Penn State squad was probably suffering from withdrawl after that epic drug bust at State College the other day.
I always find the wording of these drug bust articles amusing in an antiquated 1950’s kind of a way. The trib from Tuesday was hilarious.
Just Say “No”, to trafficing 400lbs. of pot across state lines.
That type of thing would never happen at Pitt.

***

New hats are finished, and in my posession.

I will give a free hat to the first Duck to agree to write one blog post per week.

Go Ducks.

Game 3 Recap: The "Northern Agression". Ducks 9, Rebels 5

We fight for those whose poetry has not yet been written.

In a Ulysses S. Grant-esque move, Dr. Jones started Captain America in left field, and gave The Invisible Hand the nod on the mound.

(knows what he’s doing.)

Adam Smith responded with 4 scoreless innings, to help propel the South Oakland Ducks to a 9-5 victory over the Confederacy(0-2), securing the Ducks first 3-0 start in team history, and ensuring the sate of the Union.

MVP candidate Jesse Smith led the way offensively, going 2-3 with a double and and RBI.
The Ducks led 2-0 going into the bottom of the fourth when, Les is more ripped a double to left center that was misplayed by CF, Jefferson Davis.

(Mars would have had it)

Mars followed with a walk, then after two failed bunt attempts, Ben Gwin doubled to right giving the Ducks a 4-0 lead. J. Smith selflessly moved Gwin over to third, and Novak, Kirk Gibosn, Watson, Wojoton, Depo, and Cheese, all reached base safely in some manner.
That inning got a little out of hand.

When the dust settled South Oakland led 9-0, after 4 innings.

Both teams left runners in scoring position in the game’s early going, Feathers and Smith both pitched out of trouble.

Ray Finkle’s single in the third inning was the first hit of the year for Monroeville.

(laces out, Dan)

The Rebels can cry and talk shit all they want, but through two weeks of the season, Wojoton, and Gwin each have as many RBI (5) as their team has runs scored.

That almost wasn’t the case, in the top of the second with South Oakland nursing a 1-0 lead, Former MVP John Tremmel hit a ball to the wall with the bases loaded, but CF, Mars made a tough running catch to keep the game close.
Mars proceeded to drive in the Ducks second run with a sac fly, and
would later throw out a Rebel at second who foolishly tried to take second on a hit to right center in the seventh inning.

Captain took the mound in garbage time, the Rebels battled back, but their supply lines were cut, and they were drastically outnumbered.

The Ducks closed the door in the bottom of the seventh.

The Rebels really wanted this one.
What a shame.
That’s what you get for naming your team after the greatest atrocity in American history.

Abe Lincoln would not name his amateur baseball team the “Rebels”

• Thank you to the fans who showed up to support both teams.
• Les Gies will be a factor this season, solid game at 3rd, clutch hit to start the 7 run rally.
• Everyone contributed to another solid team win.
• Lots of HBP.
• Depo had a fantastic infield hit.
• Coby has not recorded a hit since he cut his hair.
• The season debut of Novak and Mars was welcomed.
• We were 3-9 at one point last year, this is better.
• We still haven’t had all our players show up at the same time, good luck with that, skip.
• Who better to get the W for South Oakland’s first 3-0 win that A. Smith (1-0) who has suffered through some tough times, and has embraced a reduced, but key role on a better team.
• Adam Smith has seven K’s in five innings pitched to lead the team.
• Since losing to the Rebels last season we’ve gone 10-2-1 in regular season games.

More later, maybe.

Quack, Quack, Quack.

Quacksburgh, Ducksylvania: Game Day [3] Ducks vs. Rebels

Home Opener tonight 9pm at Spring View Field.
(The map quest directions aren’t great, try to get to the Pitt field and follow someone if you are unsure how to get there.)
***

Another important, early-season divisional game.

The 2007 Champions are looking to rebound after a sub-par 2008 campaign.

The Confederacy is still looking for their first hit of the season.
South Oakland looks to go 3-0 for the first time in team history.
The Rebels have some talented players, but are outnumbered by the Union 2-1.
There’s some bad blood here. and here.
The Ducks have never beaten this team, except by forfeit.
Time to change that.

Who better to put on the hill vs. the Rebels than Captain America.

***
Batting Practice: 6pm-730pm at the Pitt IM field.

Abe Lincoln. Bad News for the Rebels.

Quack

Game 2 Recap: Black Sox Down. Ducks 5, Black Sox 3.

Nick Homa (1-0) earned the complete game victory out-dueling Black Sox ace, NCB All-American PSU pitcher, “Joe Paterno” Chalfin (0-1). (no idea what this kid’s first name is, he was good, though.)

The Ducks (2-0) scored two in the first, Jesse Smith helped his MVP cause when he singled in Tony Casale, after a Britton Dickey sac bunt. Cheese would knock in Smith later in the inning.
The Black Sox (0-2) tied it at two.

For four innings it was Pitcher’s Duel City.

In the top of the sixth, KT Murphy stepped to the plate with the score still tied at 2.
Murphy Delivered with an inside the park home run to center to put the Ducks ahead 3-2.

(Part man, part machine, all Duck.)

Murphy is as clutch a hitter as we have on this team.
Big time hit.
Murphy is giving Ducks’ legend Matt Pease a run for his money for the best EH in Ducks history.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Black Sox tied the score when Kenny Powers followed the second best flair to right field in the game, with an rbi ground-rule double to right.

(Kenny is a beast.)

That outfield is treacherous.

In the top of the seventh, Gwin came to the plate with two out and runners on first and third.
A well-placed single to right plated what proved to be the winning run, and moved Whalen to third. “Slick” Rick Whalen scored when Gwin stole second, drawing a wild throw.

Homa allowed a single in the bottom of the seventh before enticing a double play and a ground out to end the game.

• Both teams were missing key players, but the first-place Ducks’ depth played a huge role in the victory and our solid 2-0 start.
• I want to beat that team with Goldie and Florian in their lineup.
• The infield continues to make all the routine plays. Depo was a vacuum at first.
• Coby would have had that one to left if he didn’t cut his hair.
• Homa is picking up where he left off last season, and will factor into the Pitcher of the Year conversation. Homa is every bit the pitcher that kid is.
• Homa for NCB All-American and Pittsburgh NABA Pitcher of the Year.
• KT Murphy leads the team in HR.
• The Flyers have no heart, Let’s Go Pens!
• Somebody check the cover on that ball, I think I knocked it off with that laser to right.
• It’s a line-drive in the website’s, stats link though.
• The Duck Pond will be rocking for the home opener against the Confederacy on Monday, bring green and yellow shirts. The Union must not fall.

2-0.

The Ducks have never been 3-0 in our history.

Quack, Quack, Quack.

Game Day [2] Ducks vs. Black Sox

Ducks (1-0) at Black Sox (0-1)
9pm Moore Park.

Homa vs. Chalfin

This is about real emotions.

If you don’t realize the scope of this game, talk to Britton and rick about the history here.
We’ll see where we’re at tonight.
This team took 2 of 3 from us last year, in embarrassing fashion.
They ended our season.
2009 offers a clear slate.
The Black Sox don’t think there’s any way they can lose tonight.
They probably didn’t think they’d lose to the Hurricanes either.

Working nights sucks.
See you around the 4th inning.

1909 Cincinnati Reds

Bad News for the Black Sox.

***

Quack.

Game 1 Recap: Raiders of the Lost Arc. Ducks 14, Oilers 2

Dr. TC Jones (1-0) allowed one earned run on three hits, over 6 innings, as the Ducks crused to a 12 run win vs. the 2008 Cambell’s Conference Finalist Oilers Thursday Night at Moore Park.
Jones walked only one batter, he struck out several.

Great “Natural” reference ( Roy Hobbs played for the Hebrew Oilers before the NY Knights), but in the book, Hobbs strikes out to end the game and dies.
You deserve it if i ruined the ending.

Dr. Jones is a beast.

The Ducks sent 14 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first.
The first pitch of the year against the Ducks was lined up the middle by SS, Tony Casale, sparking a nine-run first inning for South Oakland.
Gwin followed with a single to right on a hit and run, and advanced to second on the throw to third.
MVP Candidate Jesse Smith walked, and Wojo-Tang followed with an infield hit.
Mike Watson walked,
Mark, “Last thoughts on Woody” Guthrie singled.
[B]Rick Whalen, singled.
Murphy singled.

Lots of offense.
Ten different Ducks recorded hits off the Oilers ace, Jarri Kuri who is clearly missing line-mate Wayne Gretzky who left for LA.
off the bench, Coby, Cheese and Depo were all hit by pitches and scored.
Casale tripled and scored his second time up in the first, and his BFF Watson doubled and scored in the sixth.

“Elementary, my dear…”

• Spag-Tastic Voyage almost went yard.
• Adam Smith struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh.
• Everyone contributed.
• Jones managed to get 17 guys into the game.
• MVP candidate “White” Jesse Smith has a .500 obp, and two runs scored, and had a solid game behind the plate.
• Where are Dowling and Novak, and Mars?
• E. Lee missed the game racing Super Man around the planet.
• Immaculate defene at first base in particular, but the infield as a whole was as good as it’s ever been
• Quack.

Big game Saturday.
Early-season battle for first place.

Kenny Powers’ season debut.

Saturday 9pm at Moore Park.

Ducks (1-0) vs. Blacksox (0-1)

Quack.

Game Day [1]. Ducks vs. Oilers

Finally.
9pm, tonight at Moore Park.
Ducks vs. Oilers
Probable starters:
Dr. Jones vs. Jari Kurri.

Nothing without Gretzky.

Maybe you spent all day downloading angry hip hop and Metallica songs from the 90’s and making potential lineups when you should have been writing.
Maybe not.
If you’re not pumped for tonight go play on the Gray Bats.

BP 6-730. at the Pitt IM field.

I’ll be late.

directions to both Moore Park and the IM field can be found in the previous post.
Bring baseballs to BP if you have them.

Bad News for the Oilers.

Quack.

Ducks Opener: Thursday 9pm, Moore Park.

Go to the league site and vote Jesse Smith for Pre-season MVP.
Like a good Democrat, I voted twice.
Link:
2009 Season Preview & Online Poll

Ducks vs. Oilers
9pm Thursday, 4/23 at Moore Park

Moore Park Directions

BP at the Pitt IM Field 6-7:30

Directions to pitt IM field

Wear green with gray pants.
dark-green socks available at Dunhams for cheap.

T-shirts and new-player jerseys will be ready Friday.
Hats by next weekend.

The golf money will cover everyone’s T-shirts.
If you’ve already paid for one, that money will go towards umpires.

Pronounced Faye-Go {UPDATED}

UPDATE
Checkout the online poll on the league website.
it’s about as scientific and unbiased as the content of this blog.
If blogspot wasn’t crap we’d have polls here as well.
(who knows how I can get this domain name to WordPress? Dr. Radical, maybe?)

I would never vote for myself for MVP.
that’s as lame as cheating at golf.
Someone clearly did that as a joke.

Jesse Smith for MVP

***
Proposed new awards for this season.
Blog of the year.
Coach of the year.
Rookie of the year.
Defensive player of the year.
Comeback player of the year. (player who played in the league at one point and missed all or most of a season due to injury (possibly an injured nose) or working at Heinz.
An All-Pittsburgh NABA selection, perhaps?

I’ll have some preseason Awards up at some point, if i get around to it.

Quack.

Back to the clutch comment by Jimmy Fago…

from the comments on the owlz b-sox preview…

Hey its Fago,
I regret to inform you that I will be playing in a different league this summer and not apart of the Owlz “legacy” I did keep my jersey which Rob is mad about so I stuck it to him as much as possible. If you really want to get to him you should check out him 99.99 era for waynesburg this year. Good luck guys I’ll read up on the league and the ducks. Rob Cool is a homo.

-Fago out

Rob Cool does have a 99.99 era, he is hitting .390 though, not too bad.
according to sources close to the ducks golf classic. the owlz got that all-american Waynesburg secondbaseman, (wes white jr.) apparently he is a beast, and a class act.

Fago would look great in green and gold.
If you’re ever back in town, there’s always a spot on the Ducks for you, Jim.

thanks for reading.
(if you’re team has a website or a blog feel free to post a link, and I’ll add it to the blogroll)

Go Ducks.
***

Oil and Water

Monday Night’s game has been rained out.
it has been rescheduled for Thursday night at 9pm, location to be determined.

BP thursday 6-7:30 at the pitt im field.