Playoff Game 1 Recap: Ducks 10, Gray Bats 1

Unofficial line:

Nick Homa CG, 5 hits 8 K’s 1ER
Kirk Gibson: 2-3, BB, 1B, HR, 3RBI,
Castle 2-3, SB, 3runs
Depo 1-3, 2B, 2RBI – three ladies after the game.

The Ducks (1-0) advance to the Wales Conference semifinals thanks to a 10-1 win over the Gray Bats (0-1), setting up a rematch with Kenny Powers and the rival Black Sox.

Nick Homa doesn’t lose to Ben Sorosky.

The game was scoreless going into the top of the 3rd when Sorosky singled home some dude who hates his coach.

The Gray Bats led 1-0. They had runners on first and second with nobody out.
Ducks’ reliever Adam Smith was warming up in the pen, the Bats had their best hitter at the plate, and he infield-flied out.
Homa K’d the next guy, then a ground-out ended the threat.

In the bottom of the 3rd, the Ducks scored five runs with two outs.

Gwin singled and stole second, then
Captain doubled to center.
1-1

with the score tied Kirk stepped to the plate…
Gibson drove in what would be the game winning run

2-1 Ducks

Gibson advanced on a passed ball.
J.Smith walked.
Wojton singled in Kirk.

3-1 Ducks

Depo hit a bases clearing double to right-center and the Ducks led 5-1 after 3.

The Gray Bats hit out of order, but weren’t called out. I think it was a typo in the lineup card, but this is the playoffs.

Casale led off the 4th with a walk.
Gwin bunted down the thirdbase line, beat the throw to first, which got away from J.Rocker, and Casale scored.

Gwin marked it as an RBI double in the book.

Ducks 6, Gray Bats 1 after 5.

In the bottom of the sixth, Sorosky was relieved trailing 6-1.
Casale walked to start the inning, then a perfectly executed hit and run by Gwin and Casale turned into another RBI double to right for Gwin.

7-1 Ducks

Novak tripled to right to make the score 8-1.

Kirk Gibson’s Homerun

McCray is now tied with Gwin and Wojton for the Ducks all-time post season HR record. (1)
He hit one off the dirt mound well past the wall in right field.

The Commish and Strom retrieved the ball
they can attest – it was a shot.

10-1 Ducks.

Homa retired the side in order in the top of the 7th.

i think i missed an inning in the recap.

After all that talk about sportsmanship, the Gray Bats’ coach didn’t shake hands after the game.

This was the Ducks’ day, Homa was better than Lombaradi this afternoon, and the Ducks hit when we had to.
We didn’t stop after one inning of offense.
Both teams played hard and with class.

it could have been a different game if that guy makes the diving catch on Captain and if maybe the Bats more guys contributing on offense, but when the dust settled, and South Oakland won by nine [9] runs.

The gin bucket will flow again.

The South Oakland Ducks of the North Side are now 6-4 all time in post season play.

This is the game we’ve been waiting for since we were eliminated last season.

We knew it was coming all year.

Another shot at Kenny Powers and the Sox for the right to advance to the Conference Finals.
I bet the Sox would have rather played the Rebels or whatever, but they knew they’d get us again, and deep down i know Kenny, and Goldie, BSOX 40, and Chalfin are pumped its us.

The Rebels play the Owlz in the Forgone Conclusion Game tomorrow.
The Bombers crushed the Oilers 10-1, and take on the Fightin’s’ tomorrow.
The Bulldogs play the Warriors in the other Campbell Conference semi.

Quack.

Playoff Gameday [1]: Ducks vs. Gray Bats.

Wales Conference Wild Card Playoff

3pm, LaRoche College.(Directions)

Ducks (0-0) vs, Gray Bats (0-0)
Projected Starters: Depo vs. Sorosky

“When we got to the ballpark, we knew we were going to win. That’s all there was to it. we weren’t cocky. I wouldn’t call it confidence either. We just knew. Like when you go to sleep you know the sun is going to come up in the morning.”

The name of the game is Thunder Dome

two men enter one man leaves

Rumors that LaRoche College has been traded for field prospects for the 2012 season are unsubstantiated.

The regular season may have been “meaningless” but the playoffs aren’t.

Abe Lincoln and Ninjas

Depo on the hill

Bad News for the Gray Bats

Quack.

The Playoffs Are Upon Us – this got a little long –

The regular season came and went quicker than that time Kenny Powers slept with a Miller Lite Girl.

unrelated clip of Kenny and Ashley Shaffer – that’s what we do here.

It has become apparent that recruiting and building a strong team in the off season has become more important than ever.

The Owlz are a good example of this they did an ok job of recruiting a fairly competitive team, the Sox got better two solid pitchers as well,

The Hurricanes went from laughingstock to the Fightin’ Rafalski’s and a title contender in one winter, and the Ducks added key components as well. Even if a few have been infrequent guests, Dowling, Casale, Watson, and Depo have all helped our team tremendously.
One could make a case for Fletcher as our team MVP, and he was a mid-season acquisition.

The best teams have the best line on players.

But the playoff games still have to be played.
They aren’t won during the off season, they aren’t won on paper, they aren’t won over the course of a 24 game regular season, and they certainly aren’t won in online pissing contests – as entertaining and ridiculous as they can be.

Tomorrow, the South Oakland Ducks of the North Side take on the Gray Bats
It’s a new season.
The winner gets to play at least one extra game.
That’s all the motivation either team, (and any team, in my opinion) needs heading into the post-season.

I’m amazed at the response you have all had to our blog, it makes it much more fun to write when there is a string of comments afterward (whether you think the blog is gay or not), and i think its added another layer of sub-lot to the season.

thank you for taking the time to read my 3rd grade-reading-level typing.
I’ve tried to include stuff about teams whose players leave comments, and tie it into the Ducks in some manner to keep the core fan base happy.
probably haven’t done that all the time.
Anyone who wants to email me a preview of anything playoff related I’ll post it if you want.

The Confederacy take on Don Henley and the Eagles tomorrow morning, then the Oilers and Bombers battle it out to earn a spot against the Bright Orange Bullies.
Then at 3pm the Ducks will play a team that has nothing to lose with our season on the line.

The Ducks have not won a playoff game since 2004, when we won game 1 of the conference semi’s against the Black Sox.
We’ve posted the best regular season in Ducks history finishing 8 games over .500.
Since Dr. Jones has taken the reigns, the Ducks are 27 – 17 – 2.

ten games over as head coach

There is some nice symmetry here – in 2007 we had 8 wins, and finished 8-16
Jones has puppeted the Ducks from being 8 games under .500 to 8 games over in 2 seasons.
.333 to .667 winning percentage
So there’s hope for the Bats in 2011 – woooooooooo!

In the past week the comments got a bit out of hand, and that will happen.
No one likes being accused of cheating or being delusional or lying or whatever, but that’s the nature of the beast.
The week sure flew by, though.

Something i think about often, on a personal and a societal level is the importance of sports.
The name calling and shit talking is just a symptom of how important we take our league, how seriously we take our adult amateur baseball, even when for the majority of us this is the last stop on the block.
About 99% of us are Has-beens and never-will-be’s in the major league scheme of things.

The competition has increased dramatically this year, and it has been great, but still many of us don’t play in college and don’t have a chance to play at a much higher level than this.
So if this league really for a bunch of amateurs, why do we get in 40+ comment long diatribes of who’s better and who should keep their mouth shut and who can hit who, and who is a total dick even though they caught an extra inning game during fall ball after apologizing for getting pissed about some bullshit, and tried to make it right by getting behind the plate so their could be a real game in the championship. etc…

In the grand scheme of things this level of baseball is exactly what it is – as much as i hate that phrase – but I’d rather be accused of taking it too seriously than of lacking intensity.
It’s a fine line, that will definitely be crossed at times.
There’s something about baseball that I need, like a junkie needs heroin, or a Black Sox player needs Miller Lite, and Percocet.

And a lot of wht this blog does is mock that incredible importance we place on our league, while at the same time taking it too seriously, it’s impossible not too.
A kind of contradictory self awareness, if you will.
like heroin, i know it’s bad for me but i need it.

It’s not as if it is some kind of attempt to relive high school or legion glory, it’s about the chance to compete and to have teammates again, and to play the greatest game there is at a reasonably high level, for as long as possible.
For some it’s a chance to stay in shape until they go back to Baseball Factory Waynesburg University.

So fuck off if you think we go overboard with this, or take it too seriously you may be right, but i still call that erring on the side of caution. There will always be people who disagree with that and its fine.

I find it less ridiculous than the string of comments at the end of any pro sports blog on ESPN.com.
At least we are the ones playing in these games, and while it’s not even single-A ball or Independent League ball, it’s our baseball it’s our league; we started it, we run it, and that allows us to play in it and blog about it.

The Pittsburgh NABA and its players have created our own baseball universe, and between April and August it is important – as far as prioritizing it after obvious things like work and family and school and stuff.
***

Back to the task at hand.

TC has been recruiting since last season ended,
We started hitting in January (believe it or not), and it could all be over tomorrow afternoon.

The Ducks are not ready for our season to end.

Ducks (0-0) vs. Gray Bats (0-0)
Saturday,
3pm
LaRoche College

Getbusy livin’ or get busy dyin’.

Quack.

Gray Bats, Weak, Day 1. Grey Album: Encore.

DUCKS:

BP tonight at 6:30
Scrimmage vs. Owlz tomorrow, details to be announced, asap – Cool feel free to chime in in the comments section or email TC when you know what’s going on – .
BP Wed. 6:30
BP Thurs. 6:30

Take one for your team

The Gray Bats are not as bad as their .125 winning percentage suggests.
Baseball is a humbling game sometimes, I’ve seen weird things happen, just ask the hole in the fence at Pie Traynor.
No one wants their season to end on Saturday.
As a competitor I appreciate the Gray Bats confidence, but still, the Ducks have proven over the course of 24 games to be the better team.
We have also proven in the 3 games against the Gray Bats that we are the better team.
We have to prove it when our season is on the line.

We have seen unreal amounts of trash talking between both teams all season.
There’s the Gray Bats manager and his fucking views on censorship – that’s another sub-plot.
If i ever hit under .200 when i was coaching i would have benched myself…

He took a shot at the Ducks Blog’s affiliation with Abe Lincoln.
Probably because Abe Lincoln was a real leader.

During Fall Ball I edited the Gray Bat wikipedia entry, not sure how that is looking now.
Someone should do that again, and get a screen shot of it…

I watched the entire first season of East Bound and Down yesterday.

I think “Ducks Die Together” is a great screen name, clever at worst…

Dangermouse is unreal.

Foes that wanna make sure my caskets closed

If we want a shot at redemption for the beating we took at the hands of Kenny Powers last season, we must win on Saturday.

Quack.

Ducks win: Ducks 2 Bulldogs 1

Captain America: CG, 4h 1er, 7 k.

Casale: 2 for 3, 2 R
Gwin 1-2, SF rbi
Depo, Gies, and Coby all had infield hits.

Casale scored the game winning run after two consecutive throwing errors by the bulldogs.

The South Oakland Ducks of the North Side finish the 2009 regular season with a record of 16-8.

Recap later.

Gameday [24] Ducks vs. Bulldogs

Ducks (15-8) vs. Bulldogs (12-11)
12pm
Ohio River Blvd. Field
(right off rt. 65)

The Black Sox (16-6) beat the Matadors [ (11-10-1) by a score of 9-3, and clinched 2nd place on Saturday.

Congrats Kenny Powers.

It is official, we play the Gray Bats in six days.

***

Martin is here

Today’s game against the Bulldogs is “meaningless” for both teams.
The Bulldogs (by way of the Matadors forfeiting too many games) have already locked up a conference semi final game against the Warriors, while the Oilers and Bombers will have a play-in game the winner of which gets the Fightin’ Rafalski’s.

16-8 looks a lot better than 15-9.
Primarily we want to get everyone in and get our pitchers some work.

I have no idea what this is about.

Bad News for the Bulldogs.

Quack.

Ducks & Graybats – Playoff Preview?

The 2009 NABA playoffs are quickly approaching, and matchups are being determined with each passing day. However, one contest looks like it may already be set, with potential epic consequences.

Ducks vs. Graybats
It is coming

Much has been said of the previous meetings between the two teams. Guaranteed victories and threats of retirement have both been parts of the division series. Now it comes down to this.

Playoff time.
With the new format this year, all teams make the playoffs (not counting forfeiting teams) regardless of regular season record. This was voted on by all teams during the offseason, and it passed with little opposition. While there are a number of positives about this format, it takes away some of the intensity of the regular season as well. We all know the great playoff run by the Ducks at the end of 2008.

But now teams in the basement of the division standings have a chance to upset better teams in the first two rounds of the playoffs. The Graybats are counting on this.

They are praying for it.

Praying for more juice, just like the Bats

But while much has been said of the previous games, much is expected of the one to come. The Graybats have one vision of what will happen

Larry Z wants to be flying high

The Ducks, however, also have a vision of what is to come

The booted ball has been the calling card of the Graybats all season and now that the pressure of playoffs is upon us, will they perform any better?

Graybats Home Run Ball

Not likely.

The Ducks enter the game ready to dive, dip, dodge, duck…
and smash the cover off the ball.

Get ready for the playoffs.

Quack

Bulldogs Week: Day 1 (Dog Days,…blah…)

(Is Playmaker our troll?)

The Bulldogs (11-11) are .5 games out of second place.
The Fightin’ Rafalski’s (15-8) [interesting that 15-8 is the best record over there, huh?] have clinched the Campell Conference regular season title
the warriors (11-9) and Matadors (11-9-1) have 3 and 2 games at hand respectively.
The Ducks (15-8) are most likely stuck in 3rd unless the Matadors, Warriors, and Eagles all beat Kenny Powers, and the Ducks beat the Bulldogs.

UPDATE – The Eagles Beat the Fightin’ Rafalskis last night 21 – 5.
Don Henley is a beast.

The Sox can clinch Saturday.
Gray Bats like men.

Friday Night: Get Your Crayons Out!!!

Ducks Pulled Pork Extravaganza and Drink Fest at Dr. Jones’ house.

Bring booze, food, or a Ducks donation of $5-1,000,000 to join in the festivities.
no free loaders!!!
8pm-4am
the Ducks know how to throw a Drink Fest.

***

Enter your team in the Steel City Classic.
It will be a great way to extend the season, play against some teams from other leagues, and potentially lose to the Ducks again.

Quack.

Game 23 Recap: Wojton gives 100%. Ducks 5, Bombers 4

The South Oakland Ducks (15-8) had their hopes of a 1st round bye all but eliminated on Saturday night, and entered their final home game against the six-win Bombers with little to play for.

Despite the dramatic nature of the Ducks win, in which Chris Wojton drove in the game winning run in the bottom of the seventh with a walk off bases loaded single to break the 4-4 tie, the post game reaction was somewhat subdued.

This was a trap game if ever one existed, and with the win, the Ducks at least force the Kenny Powers and the Sox to win one of their final three games to clinch the 2nd seed.
The Black Sox (15-6) magic number is 1. A loss by the Ducks or win by Brookline clinches for them.
balls.

The Ducks turned a sweet double play to end the first, The Ducks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom half.

Castle singled Gwin was hit by a pitch, Novak singled, and then Guthrie drove in two with a single up the middle.

The Ducks would go up 3-0 in the 3rd, Gwin was hit by another pitch, stole second, and Captain moved him to third with a well placed ground ball.

Then
Ducks all-star firstbaseman, Kirk Gibson singled to right.

it was 3-0 for a bit, The Ducks turned another great double play, the Bombers got angry when Guthrie made a sick diving catch in center that they said hit the ground, but didn’t.

Then the bombers went ahead 4-3 after a couple walks and a chopper got past the Ducks 3rd baseman, and then they hit a double and someone singled.
that sequence may have been spread over 2 innings.

Fletch relieved Smith, with South Oakland trailing 4-3 and held the Bombers scoreless the rest of the way.

The Ducks tied the score in the bottom of the fifth when Wojton tripled home someone, i think, and it was 4-4.
So it was tied in the top of the sixth and Gwin threw out the guy with one sock who tried to go from first to third on a single to left center.
Then Fletcher struck out one of their 3-hitter, and he was pissed.

The Bombers broke at least 2 bats by slamming them down in frustration after strikeouts.

Tied at 4 bottom 7.

Gwin lead off the seventh with a walk, stole second barely, Novak walked, then after an out, McCray walked to load the bases for Wojton who singled off the Bombers secondbaseman who waas pitching at the time.

Wojton also went from 1st to third on a single at one point.
Great game Chris, and Ducks.

one of the bottom 3 recaps of the year.

Can we start the playoffs already?

One more tune up against the Bulldogs on Sunday.
Depo’s slider is filthy, beware, Gray Bats…

Quack.

Game 22 Recap: Kenny F_ing Powers. Black Sox 9,…{Ducks rebound to beat Bombers 5-4 }

Giving up a total of 15 walks to anyone does not give you a good chance to win, unless of course you are me, Kenny F-ing Powers. Yeah we gave up 15 F-ing walks but we still won because not only I am the shit, but we, the Black Sox are the shit.

I am not really going to talk about the Ducks much just because I would rather talk about how great we are for that matter. This is why so many people may hate me, but people that hate me are haters and haters can suck it.

In the top end of the first the Ducks failed to score despite 3 walks. In the bottom half of the 1st the Black Sox put up 2 runs, with Florian, Klayko, and Brocollo each getting a hit.
After this inning I thought to myself there is no way we will lose this game because we are F-ing that damn good.

It became apparent in the 2nd inning that we would just toy with the Ducks by walking people, and when the time was right we would just shut them down. This way, the loss would be much harder to take rather than if we just ten-runned them. The Ducks did get a run in the second on 1 hit and 3 walks. Then the Black Sox put up two more runs in the bottom half to go up 4-1. Going into the third, JT calmed down and struck out the side. The Black Sox then followed with another run with doubles by Goldie and me, Kenny F-ing Powers, to extend the Black Sox lead to 5-1.

The Ducks would manage another run in the top of the 4th on 2 walks and an error, but the Black Sox would then put up 4 on 5 hits, yeah I had another F-ing double, to extend the lead to 9-2.

In the fifth JT again found his composure and struck out the side. The Black Sox failed to score a run in their half of the inning.

The sixth inning proved to be the best inning for the Ducks, mainly because someone from the stands kept screaming at the top of his lungs, “that is a balk” on almost every pitch. Guaranteed, this guy did not know what a balk is and let alone may have been on crack. It is what it is, and the Ducks put up 4 runs on 4 walks and two hits. Score 9-6 after 6.

The Black Sox made a pitching change in the 7th hoping this would cure the curse of the free pass. This was not the case. Jim Cannon ended up walking the first three batters to give the Ducks the bases with no outs. So I decided to call time out and talk to my pitcher. I told him, “What are you, some kind of pussy? Throw a F-ing strike! These walks are F-ing killing us!” He listened because I am F-ing great! Cannon struck out the next batter, got a ground ball out for the 2nd out, and picked up another K to end the game. Final score Black Sox 9 Ducks 7.

After that being said, I still am better than everyone alive, but the Ducks have come along way these past two years. They are a good team and deserve all the credit in the world. I look forward to seeing them again in the Playoffs. That is of course if they don’t lose to their rival Gray Bats first…

By Kenny Powers

full Ducks Bombers recap to follow