HELPING THE LITTLE RASCALS...HTKP.

HELP THE KIDS PLAY TOURNAMENT.

OUR GANG. 

Coventry Park-There is no doubt in my mind that this is my favorite tournament of the season. It is by far the most relaxing and the most fun. And the bonus is that most of us get to play with our own teams. 

In this year's tournament there were 10 teams entered and each team was allocated one or two players from the teams that didn't enter a team. The Units picked up Terry Doucet from the Dislocated Joints and Brett Mabee from the Dodge City Rounders.

The Units had almost a full team, Mike was still nursing a sore knee (he's still good at pouring Sambuca and scoring keeping) and Richard had family obligations. 

The Hurtin' Units have entered a team in the HTKP tournament every year since we came in to the league in 2010.

GAME # 1- July 5, 2013

Hurtin' Units vs. Brew Jays

Hurtin' Units win 22-18

Coventry Park - The first game of the tournament was an exciting roller coaster, at least it was near end of the game. The scheduled start time was 8:45pm and at game time we had 12 players ready to do battle for the kids. Mike was still nursing the sore knee, but he was here for support, pouring Sambuca and scoring keeping. Richard was absent. 

We got off to a great start scoring a lot of runs early in the game and kept the tally going most of the game. Our defense was fantastic in the early innings holding the Jays to only 2 runs up to the 4th inning. The Jays bats came alive in the 4th and scored 16 runs in the next 3 innings.

Going in the top of the 7th inning, the score was 22-12 for the Units, but the Jays would score 6 runs in the inning to make the game close. The final score ended up 22-18. 

GAME # 2- Saturday July 6, 2013

Hurtin' Units vs. The Gruesome Devils.

Hurtin' Units lose 16-2 

The second game of the tournament was when Mr. Hyde made an appearance. The Hurtin' Units could have batted with a Popsicle stick, the results would have been the same. After scoring 22 runs the game before, the Units could only muster up 2 runs in this game. 

Terry D. was the pitcher in this game and we didn't give him any run support. The Devils scores 16 runs and hit to every opening on the diamond. I don't know what it is about the Devils, but always seem to have our number. 

Going in to game 3 of the round robin the Units found themselves with a 1-1 record.
  

GAME # 3- - Saturday July 6, 2013

Hurtin' Units vs. The Red Dogs.

 Hurtin' Units win 10-3 

We really do play a Jekyll and Hyde type of game. Maybe not as bad as last season, but still an up and down game in, game out type of game. In this game the Dr. Jekyll showed up and we hit and played very good baseball. As I did game # 1, I pitched in this game and despite a few walks, I thought I pitched well. At the end of the round robin we had a 2-1-0 (+4) record. We would have to wait for several games to be completed before we would know if we would play on Sunday. At approximately 6:30pm we learned that we were indeed in the semi-finals and it would be against the Dusty Cleats.

GAME # 4- Sunday July 7, 2013

Hurtin' Units vs. The Dusty Cleats.- SEMI FINALS.

Where's Hags?

 Hurtin' Units lose 8-3

So we end up in 3rd position after the round robin portion of the HTKP Tournament with a 2-1-0 (+4) record. The top 4 teams, after the round robin, would go on to play in the semi-finals on Sunday. 

The 4 teams going to the semi-finals on Sunday were: The Rusty Rebels (1st), The Dusty Cleats (2nd), The Hurtin' Units (3rd) and The Red Dogs (4th). The 1st place team was to play the 4th place and the 2nd place was to play the 3rd place in the semis. 

The Hurtin' Units would play the Dusty Cleats. The same Dusty Cleats we were scheduled to play the next day (Monday) in a regular season game. A game (looking in to the future) that would be canceled because of heavy rain and thunderstorms. A day the Units had circled on our calendars for wing night or Phil Glecoff bobblehead night.

In the end, Mike and I decided on wing night; we just thought it was easier on the eyes... wings over bobblehead. 

Phil Glecoff Bobblehead.

I think we would rather look at a bucket of chicken bones for one night, than to see Phil's head bobbing up and down on the dash of our cars for the next several years. Too many Phil memories of the HTKP weekend. I guess you'll just have to find some other place to bobble your head Phil...Perhaps behind the small building at Coventry Park...LOL.

Let's play Ball... I had a feeling that we could have a rough day when Mike and I, on our way to the park, turned in to Tim Hortons only to meet with a huge drive thru line. It was faster for me to run in for coffee. 

When we arrived at the park, we were playing on diamond # 1 (how convenient) and most of the Unit players were already warming up. A quick head count and I realized that Hags wasn't here and we were closing in on the start time...Where's Hags.

We started the game without Hags and about half way through the first inning he was dropped off. 

I struggled with pitching in the bottom of the inning. After the third inning I brought Terry in to pitch the remainder of the game.  

The game was never out of reach, but the Dusty Cleats were playing some good defense and Mr. Hyde was working for the Units. The Cleats would peck away with a couple of runs here and couple there, but would never have a big inning. 

In the middle of the third inning, the rain started to fall, first a light rain and then the skies opened up with the heavy stuff. The game would continue, but the Units could not get any runs across. Everyone on the field were soaked, but the game went seven innings. In the end the Units didn't have enough, in this game, to get it done. 

The ultimate little rascal. 

This was a good tournament for the Hurtin' Units team; a good bonding weekend and hopefully going forward it will make us a better team.