HURTIN' UNITS ALL ACES AGAINST STIFFS.

HURTIN' UNITS VS. THE LUCKY STIFFS.

Game # 16 - July 24, 2012

Hurtin' Units win 9-4

Team Record  7-8-1

Coventry Park- We find ourselves back at Coventry again, we will also be back here next Tuesday night and the Tuesday night after that. Our schedule has us playing at Coventry for 4 weeks in a row and the only good thing about this is, 3 of the games are at 7:00.

Our games this season have really been spread out. We have had only two 2 game weeks all season and I think most of us would prefer to play more. The schedule this season is a little strange, I know it is just a computer program, but we have seen some strange things.

Lucky Stiff belt buckle, available in the gift shop.

There are teams we have not even played this season. There are other teams that we have played both our games against and one team, we played back to back.

It was only one game ago that we played the Lucky Stiffs and it seems longer.

On Thursday July 5, 2012 we played the Stiffs and won by a score of 20-7. I mentioned in the blog back then that I thought it was the Hurtin' Units all around best game of the season. Our defense was stellar and the bats seemed to be energized with multiple hits for everyone...I'm hoping that the same is in this game.

The weather for this game was almost perfect; the temperature was around 23 degrees, there were some clouds drifting through the sky, but it was mostly sunny. There was a strong breeze blowing north to south. The setting sun gave the right fielders and first and second basemen a few problems early in the game.


On Monday afternoon, I sent out a next game reminder e-mail and shortly after my Internet modem crapped out. It's really amazing how dependent we have become on modern day devices. I have a smart phone, but it only has Wi-Fi capabilities and it is not much good for e-mails or browsing with a crapped out modem. One of my reasons for the next reminder is that if someone can't make the game it's an easy reply, click reply, “can't make the game Jimmer” and it's done. Making a lineup/ positions becomes quite simple.

Internet is down, what do we do?

The problem this week was that I couldn't retrieve my e-mails and I had no way of knowing who replied that they couldn't make the game. I was fortunate that on Monday evening, I stopped by Mike's house (only 2 houses down) and he allowed me to steal his Wi-Fi from his wireless modem. I had zero baseball replies Monday evening, but it's usually the next morning when I get replies and then I would normally send another e-mail to Jason for sub requests.

 

So on Tuesday morning, about 3:45am, before heading off to work, I tippy toed my way over to Mike's driveway to check my e-mails again. I felt like a cat burglar or a secret agent sneaking around the neighborhood trying to find a Wi-Fi signal. I was really expecting Mike's dogs to start barking and wake up the neighborhood, but fortunately they didn't. I managed to log in and no baseball e-mails again... damn modem. I checked again when I got home from work, this time I didn't have to sneak around and this time I did have a baseball, "can't make the game" reply. What a pain in the ass not being wired. Thank goodness for stealing other people's Wi-Fi.

At game time we were down 5 players; Dave, Gord R. (3rd), Jamie, Al and Rob were all missing. I knew about Dave (sent me an e-mail) and Gord and Jamie, but Al and Rob were a mystery. I had arranged for a sub (Peter H.- Beer Bros), but we were still short a player, Simon was sitting in the stands and I asked him if he wanted to play (he showed up for his game and nobody was there) and he agreed. As the top of the first inning concluded, both Rob and Al were making there way up the driveway to diamond # 3. Since I had already committed to Simon to play, I asked him to continue playing.

Anybody who has played for the Hurtin' Units knows that I fill out a lineup and position sheet. I do this so I don't have to think about this during a game. Unfortunately, this game, things got messed up; I tried to sort it out, but there were guys sitting that should have been playing, guys playing who should have been sitting, cats and dogs living together, it was pandemonium on the Units bench. The game was moving along so quickly that I didn't even have time to try and sort it out; we muddled our way through, but it seemed a little disorganized, which I dislike...I'll be happy to get the new modem and know who is not coming to the game.

I believe this game was our lowest runs scored against this season. The defense, for both teams was excellent. I didn't realize the score was so close, until Bev, the scorekeeper, brought me the game sheet. I mentioned earlier that this was a fast paced game and this is usually the case in low scoring, tight, defensive games. This game actually reminded me of our last game against the Grisslies; low scoring, great defense.

We were the home team for this game. In the top of the first inning, the Units quickly shut down the Stiffs, with only 4 batters coming to the plate and allowing no runs. In the bottom of the first inning, the Units sent 5 batters up and Gord and Clayton both came around to score.

In the top of the second inning the Stiffs went down 1,2,3. In the bottom of the inning, Mark lead off for the Units hitting a triple, Al got out, Jimmer flied out and then Peter (sub) hit a single scoring Mark from third. Simon (sub) hit in to a fielders choice and the inning was over with a single run scoring.

In the top of the third inning, the Stiffs had 5 batters come to the plate and they managed to get Don B. (sub) to third before the Units closed the door. In the bottom of the inning the Units scored another run on an in the park homerun by Clayton who drove the ball between the RCF and RF players. The score at the end of 3 innings; The Hurtin' Units 4, Lucky Stiffs 0.

In the forth inning neither team scored. In the fifth inning, the second batter Don B. (sub) hit a triple and the next Stiff batter hit a single bringing in the first Lucky Stiff run of the evening. In the bottom of the inning, the Units sent the top of the order to the plate. Gord got out, Anicete flied out, Clayton got on with a single, Tumble got on with a single and Cam flied out, change ur up boys.

In the top of the sixth inning, the Stiffs scored 3 more runs and tied the game up. In the bottom of the inning, Craig lead off with a single, but was the first out on a fielders choice on Mark's at bat, Al hit a single moving Mark to second, Jimmer hit a double bringing Mark and Al in to score. Next batter Peter, hit single moving Jimmer to third, Simon got out, Gord R. hit a double bringing Jimmer and Peter in to score, Anicete hit a single, Clayton hit a single bringing Gord in to score, Rob hit a single and Cam hit in to a fielder's choice for the final out of the inning. The score at the end of six innings; Hurtin Units 9, Lucky Stiffs 4.

In the seventh inning the Stiffs would send 4 batters to the plate and only get a single hit before the Hurtin' Units would close the door. The bottom of the inning was not needed and the Hurtin' Units would win their 7th game on the season.   

Boxscore:          1     2      3      4     5     6      7       Total   

Hurtin' Units       2     1      1     0     0     5     X          9        

Lucky Stiffs        0     0     0      0     1     3     0          4         

JIMBITS:

In the third inning, Clayton hit an in the park homerun.

With a runner on first, Mark made a nice play at first to catch a grounder, ran to first for the out, turned and threw to Clayton

at second for a tag and a double play.

The Outfield for the Units made numerous catches and played the       Stiffs big batters perfectly all game.

Stef (sub) struck out on a foul ball, for the Stiffs.

For the first time I can ever remember, Anicete stuck out in a game...D'oh!!

Jimmer was called out for wearing jewelery...D'oh!!