HURTIN' UNITS CLAW BACK AGAINST THE GRISSLIES.

" There's no better outings, than watching 7 innings".

HURTIN' UNITS VS. THE GRISSLIES.

Game # 12- July 2, 2015

Hurtin' Units win 14-8

Team Record- 7-5-0

Keogh Park-  This game finds the Hurtin' Units back at Keogh Park. On Tuesday the Units were scheduled to play the Dusty Cleats, but the rain over the weekend, Monday night and all day Tuesday forced a postponement of the game. So we're back at Keogh where last week we had a 2 game stint, the Units won 2 high scoring games and showed some awesome defense. 

A two win week jumped the Units up in the standings. I looked at the standings on Monday morning and the Units are sitting in 7th place with 11 games played. A team record of 6-5-0. Last season after 11 games played the Units record was 0-11-0, so we are in better position this year. Last season the Hurtin' Units didn't win their first game until game #12 and it was against the Dusty Cleats. 

On July 16, 2014, game # 12, the Hurtin' Units finally broke through and won a game. It was like we had won the Stanley Cup, the stink was off our monkey and there was a chicken dinner. 

In that game, it really didn't look very good for the Units in the first inning, the Units got down 7-2 and with the confidence so low, it was looking like loss #12. The Units found a way to come back against the Cleats, they would not go the entire season looking for a win. 

This is an excerpt of the blog following our 1st win on July 16th, 2014 vs. the Dusty Cleats. 
  
"It would not surprise anyone if I was to say that Kevin C. led the Units to this victory. Kevin hit 2 homeruns, went 5 for 5 at the plate, made numerous great catches in the field and scored 4 runs in this game. Kevin led the way, but everyone on the team made contributions. Dave scored 4 runs and went 4 for 5,  Clayton went 4 for 5 and Mike went 4 for 4 and both scored 3 runs each, Dwayne, Esau and Rick all scored runs in the game. Every player on the Units had at least one hit"

Even with the efforts of all these guys, we barely managed to squeak out a 20-16 win. It really goes to show how much parity is in this league. 

That was then, but this is now. I mentioned that I looked at the standings and the Units were sitting in 7th position. Our plus/minus (thanks to last week's games) was at plus 17 and the Units are 2nd in runs scored with 203 runs. The Dodge City Rounders lead the league in runs scored with 206, but the Units also have a game in hand...Nice job BBM (Big Blue Machine)!

The Grisslies are one of the teams the Hurtin' Units played twice last season. The first game was on June 23, 2014, game #8, and the score was 27-11 for the Grisslies, giving the Units a 0-8-0 record. The second game against the Grisslies on August 20th, game # 21, was a little better with a 11-7 loss, giving the Units a 3-17-1 record. Yes, you read that right 3 wins... 

Always a good time with the Grisslies.

The weather over the past weekend, Monday and Tuesday was rain. The weather finally got better for this game, the temperature was in the 20s and a slight breeze. There was a sun/cloud mix and all in all it was a really good night for playing baseball.

At game time we had 12 players of the BBM (Big Blue Machine). Dave and Bill had made their return and I missed another opportunity for a team picture. D"oh!!! Lots of picture time this up coming weekend. The Umpire for this game was Lou. The Hurtin' Units were the home team in this game. 

On Canada Day, I was talking to Doug D. and he had mentioned that he had thought about who every team in the league reminded him of in the Major leagues (past and present) the first team that came to my mind for the Hurtin' Units was the Cincinnati Reds in the early 70s. The Reds were nicknamed the Big Red Machine, hence my nickname for the Hurtin' Units for (BBM) BIG BLUE MACHINE. 

Wikipedia- The Big Red Machine is the nickname given to the Cincinnati Reds baseball team which dominated the National League from 1970 to 1976. 

Because of the upcoming tournament, this weekend and the fact that I had a beer (Gluten Free) at the Legion (things are a little fuzzy today), I will probably be at bit terse with this posting of the HU blog.

In the top of the 1st inning the Grisslies would get off to a good start scoring 3 runs, but in the bottom of the inning the Units would counter with 3 runs of their own.

In the top of the 2nd inning the Grisslies would add on another 3 runs, the Units could only muster up a single run in the bottom. The 3rd inning was a defensive juggernaut, with the Grisslies the only team to score with a single run, on a towering homerun by Darren F. off the top of the garden shed in LCF. 

In the top of the 4th inning, the Grisslies would send 7 players to the plate, but only Brad S. would come around to score. The Home half of the innings saw the Hurtin' Units start to claw their way back into the game. The Units would also send 7 batters to the plate, but 3 would come around to score, Mike and Todd on an in the park homerun by Todd. The score after 4 complete innings, Grisslies 8, Hurtin' Units 7. 

In the top of the 5th inning the Units defense tightened up and after the first 2 Grisslies batters got on base the Units shut the door 1,2,3 to end the half. In the bottom of the inning the Units bats came to life and 10 batters would come to the plate, 5 of those batters would come around to score. Mike and Todd would come in on a homerun by Todd (8th of season, 1 in the park). 

I thought you said Grizzlies...I brought my bear.

In the 6th and 7th innings the Units defense would shut the door on the Grisslies offense. The Units would tack on 2 more runs in the bottom of the 6th inning and would not have to play the bottom half of the 7th. Units Uniform!!