HURTIN' UNITS SCARY GOOD AGAINST GRUESOME.

THE HURTIN' UNITS 

VS. 

THE GRUESOME DEVILS

Game # 18 - July 28th, 2016

Hurtin' Units win 19-3

Team Record - 11-7-0

Okay, let me start by saying that I have no idea why the font in some parts of the blog are different, I've tried to fix the problem, but nothing seems to work. I don't ever remember having this issue in previous years. Sorry, this blog is a mess, but I don't have any more time to spend on it. 

Keogh Park- It was only 2 games ago that the Hurtin' Units and the Gruesome Devils played each other, but it sure seems longer. The only team the Units have played is the Tap Masters, way, way back on July 19th. I was thinking earlier this week that the Hurtin' Units really have a strange schedule this season. Coming in to this game, against the Gruesome Devils, the Units had not been on the field in 9 days.

This is not the first time that this has happened this season; it is actually the third time. The Hurtin' Units played on May 17th and then played 9 days later vs. the Dusty Cleats and lost 11-8. The second time was when the Hurtin' Units played the Grisslies on July 6th. The Hurtin' Units had been off for 9 days and it took a bit to get in to the game. The Units would lose the game by a score of 15-12. I really think this puts a team in a little bit of a disadvantage when you don't play for an extended period of time. I believe your timing and rhythm is thrown off and it takes a couple of at bats to get it back. I also believe it puts us at a greater risk of injury.  

Since the last game that we played, on July 19th vs. the Tap Masters, there have been teams that have played three games; the Dodge City Rounders and the Draft Kings have both been on the diamond 3 different times. 

Don't get me wrong, I don't I'm not complaining about the schedule, it will all even out in the end, but I like to play and 9 days off is a lot of time. 

Game Time (8:15):

The Gruesome Devils and Hurtin' Units were the only game on this night. The 7:00pm game was postponed and there was no 9:30pm game. The only show in the Big Smoke on this night. 

The weather was good, the temperature was hovering around 22 degrees, there was a slight breeze and the skies were a sun/ cloud mix. There had been a forecast of thunderstorms for the early evening, but nothing materialized. Earlier in the afternoon, I stopped by Keogh and raked the batters boxes level, I didn't want to be standing in 6 inches of mud if it did rain. Fortunately it didn't rain. 

The Hurtin' Units were the home team in this game. Since there was no 7:00pm game the Units had to put the bases in. The bases were locked in the box, there was a bit of panic, but I managed to find the key. Clayton hammered the bases in, thanks Clay. 

At game time, the Units had 10 players ready to play. Missing on the night were Peter and Mark. Both guys were away on vacation. 

Bev kept score in this game (when Bev keeps score, it's really easy to see how the game unfolds), so I think I'll use the score sheets instead of trying to explain what happened in the game.  I know they are a little blurry (my battery was low, no flash), but you get the picture (the blurry picture). 

Inside the lines:

• Jon and Clayton both played two innings each in

  

  Gruesome? Not!

  left field. We were short 2 fielders and I needed somebody to cover the position. No worries when either of these guys are out there.
• The Gruesome would send a total of 30 batters to the plate. By the innings it reads like this- 5,4,3,3,4,4,7 batters. In the third inning, I threw 2 pitches and it was 2 out, the next batter needed 2 pitches.   
• Clayton made a nice double play at short stop, tagging the runner running from second and then touching the bag for a double play. 
• Jon was a vacuum at short stop. I heard someone (on the Gruesome side), when Jon bobbled a rare ball, "he is human". 
• I drove in the seventh run in the first inning, it seems to be my stick this season. I guess when you bat at the bottom of the order, these chances are going to come up. 
• On Monday I subbed for the Hottub Woodys and on Monday morning there was a heavy rain, the batter's boxes on Monday night were just awful. It was like standing in wet cement when you were in the box, I brought this issue up at the captain's meeting on Wednesday night. On Thursday afternoon, there was a threat of rain again, so I went to Keogh diamond and I raked the batter's boxes. This way, if it did rain, the boxes would not fill with water and it would not be the same slop as Monday night 
• Bev kept score in this game, so I used the
  
  score sheets, instead of trying to explain what happened in the game 
• Thanks go to Bev for scorekeeping. Nice job as usual.  
• Clayton, Jon, Gord and Robert (everybody really) are all interchangeable parts, I can ask them to play the infield or I can ask them to play the outfield and they all fit in seamlessly.
• Gord and Brad were perfect at first base, not a single error, not a single missed ball and they seemed to have a lot of action. 
• Our offense was good from the start, the 9 day layoff didn't seem to hurt our batting.  
• Two players on the Hurtin' Units, Jimmy R. and Gord D. both went 4 for 4 on the night. 
• Hurtin' Units had very few errors in this game, maybe 2 actual errors, it was a clean night, you don't see very many of these. 
• I ordered hats for the team. Jon was the inspiration
  
  for the hats, he kept wearing this Oakland A's hat and guys liked the color and the yellow trim, so I decided to do Hurtin' Units hats with just the name on the front on hats. 8 of us were wearing the hats. I have never ordered team hats before, I thought it would be something different.  

The Hurtin' Units next game is Wednesday August 3rd, 2106.