GRUSOME BATS BITE THE HURTIN' UNITS...

HURTIN' UNITS VS. GRUSOME DEVILS...

Game # 8 - June 11, 2012

Hurtin' Units lose 16-8

Team Record- 2-5-1

Keogh Park- Our game against the Grusome Devils brings back some familiar faces. Four of the Grusome players played for the Hurtin' Units over the last two years, Robin D., Bob Mc., Richard G. and Jens L. all were on the Unit's rosters. The Devils are captained by rookie captains Jens L and Steve D. I was looking at the standings on the weekend, the Grusome were sitting in 8th place with a record of 3-3-1 and 7 points. If the Hurtin' Units were to win the game on Monday evening we would have the exact same record and would vault ourselves from the bottom of the standings to a tie for 8th spot. There is unbelievable parity in the league this season. In the standings, only 5 points separate 2nd place from 15th place... Unlike last season, no team is really walking away with the lead, the Dislocated Joints finally lost a game and it could mean things might get a little more interesting...

Fine Swedish Quality - Jens L., Matts Sundin and IKEA

The Devils have assembled a good looking team (good looking in a baseball term) and their lineup is peppered with solid bats and guys who know what to do with the ball in defensive situations. In 7 games played this season, the Devils have 83 runs for (a little on the low side) and only 78 runs against (the best in the league) so we know the defense are making the plays... Mike and I had the pleasure of playing with Robin and Bob Mc. and these guys are both solid, steady infielders and when Jens played for the Hurtin' Units he was rated an 8, I think Jens would have been a steal at a 4 rating. In 2010, at the conclusion of the season, I believe I rated Jens a 4 or a 5. There was no way that a guy who could hit, throw, catch and be a all around team guy like Jens, was going to come back to haunt me on another team.  Jens is a scary player, probably explains the team name The GRUSOME DEVILS, he may still be under rated at a 4... 

And speaking of Jens, I was at the legion last year (it might of actually been draft day), Jens was there was a handful of other guys sitting around having a few beverages, Jens had a pair of tickets for the Leafs vs. Bruins for that evening, he asked me if I wanted to go, I accepted his offer and he gave me the tickets for the game... I was excited about going to the game, I am a Leafs fan (I think Jens is a Habs fan) and Boston was a great team to go watch... The Leafs kicked Boston's ass all around the rink, I believe the score was 6-1 Leafs, probably one of their best games all season... And if many of you don't remember (I know Cam and Dennis S. do) Boston Bruins went on to win the Stanley Cup in 2011. This was the first time I had ever seen a hockey game at the ACC, a memorable evening to be sure, thanks again Jens... 
  

The weather on game day was for our game against the Grusome Devils was frightening, it was hot and sticky, the temperature topped out at 28 degrees, but with the humidity it felt like 33 degrees. There was also a threat of rain and thunderstorms heading in to the evening hours...When we started the game it a light drizzle was beginning to fall, it would get a little heavier and then let up allowing us to get the complete game in...

At game time we had 10 players ready to play, Anicete was away and Mike was there if we needed him, we went with 10 players and Mike kept score again...Mike finally got an MRI scheduled for his knee and he will know the extent of the damage within a couple of weeks. 

Hurtin' Units Scoresheet

This game (#8) marked our one third point of the season and if we were project our end of season record it would not be pretty, our record would end something like 6-15-3. We all know this is just a projection and we are going to get better as the season continues, we will not go down in flames...We are a much better team than this.

I was looking at the standings and noticed that there are 2 other teams with 5 losses this season already, and their standings have not been updated for this week. I also realized that the scores are all over the place, there are really close games, games with huge differentials and games with unbelieveable low scores, this is anyone's season to win... 

I really underestimated the hitting power of the Grusome squad. I knew the hitting power of Bob, Robin and Jens, but Richard G. (a Hurtin' Unit last season) was crushing the ball hard and in placing it in all the right places. Where was that power last season Richard? There were some new faces on the Devils that could certainly bring it also and when I give them some free passes (4 walks) this was a recipe for embarrassing loss. 

We are a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde team. On any given evening we can score bunches of runs and our defense could stop an all-star team from scoring. The next night we might play like we're a different team, fouling out (for jugs of beer), hitting pop ups, little weak flares into perfectly positioned defender's gloves and then our opponents seem to hit every pitch hard or just over our heads or through the gaps. I should go through our previous games and see who we were, Jekyll or Hyde, in each game and determine if there is a pattern to our play... Who will we be next game??? 

Boxscore:                1     2    3     4      5     6      7          Total   

Hurtin' Units             0      0    5     0     1      0     2              8       

Grusome Devils       3      0    2     3     5      3     X            16     

HTKP TOURNAMENT.

I asked everyone about playing in the HTKP tournament and I was elated to hear that everyone was committed to play. This is great; the tournament will give us a chance to play together as a full team and in a relaxed atmosphere I think our batting will improve. This will also give me so much more pitching experience and in the long run it can only improve our odds of winning more games and a
 better stretch run heading toward the playoffs...

"WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS" is what I would like to write on this blog, either after the T.O.T playoffs have concluded and/or after the HTKP tournament. We have a great group of guys on this team with skill and talent, we have the potential, with the parity this season, to step up and win it all... I would also like to congratulate the Los Angeles Kings who clinched the Stanley Cup in game 6 of the finals.

For the second year in a row, the Hurtin' Units played on the evening that the Stanley Cup Champions were decided. Last season it was the Boston Bruins...

For the Los Angeles it was there first ever Stanley Cup victory in their 45 year history...Los Angeles came in to the league the last year the Maple Leafs won the Cup...1967. D'oh!!! At one point in the 2011-12 season it didn't look like the Kings would even make the playoffs, but they managed to edge out Calgary to get the eighth seed in the Western Conference and thirteenth over all in the standings. 

Every team in the T.O.T league makes the playoffs, I think we could be the L.A Kings of our league, we have the bats and gloves to do the task, we just need a little more seasoning and a  bit  more  confidence...

Our next game is Tuesday June 19, 2012 at Coventry Park at 8:15pm.