Birds of a Feather Flock Together.

 

Game # 7 – June 9th, 2026

Hurtin' Units vs. The Brew Birds

Hurtin' Units win 18-16

Team Record – 4-3-0

Last Thursday/Friday, I had an opportunity to finally get to the Hurtin' Units' Facebook group, to post the happenings of the 2026 Units. I did all 6 posts and got myself caught up with the games. Now, some might say why bother catching up? Just start from the game you just played and be done with it. Nope, I can't do that. I have been posting since day one that the Units came into the league. I have written (sometimes good, sometimes really shitty) posts on every single game the Units have ever played. The posts are not all on Facebook, I have a blog that I started back in 2010 and it is still up and running. If you are so inclined, check it out at https://hurtinunits.blogspot.com/.

In 2007, I played for the Rusty Rebels, yes those Rusty Rebels and I spent my entire season at 3^rd base beside Hughie at Short-stop (yes you read that right, me at 3^rd , Hughie at shot-stop). Anybody who has played on the Rebels can imagine what my season was like. That year I decided to try a blog, I started a Rusty Rebels blog and wrote about the Rebels season. The Rebels blog is https://rustyrebels.blogspot.com/, if you want to see what I thought back then take a look, some of it is pretty funny.

So here's a little Hurtin' Units history. In 2009, Eddie Hopkins approached Mike Olliffe
and I about becoming captains in the league, he totally endorsed us and thought we would make good captains, we liked the idea and agreed to put in a team. After the registration in 2009, there were not enough players to add another team and our dreams of captaining were put on hold. In the spring of 2010, a team dropped out and registration was up, the league was going to expand by 2 teams. That season the Hurtin' Units and the Brew Jays were officially welcomed into the league.

In the 2010 season, the Hurtin' Units and the Brew Jays would battle all season long for the league title,, and the Hurtin' Units would prevail, winning the league in their first season. Back then, the league played a 26-game regular season, and the Unit's record was 19-5-2 for 40 points. The Hurtin' Units would get a pullover for the league win. I still have it and wear it with “UNITS” pride.

2010 Final Standings.

Position Team Games Wins Losses Ties Points

1 Hurtin' Units    26        19         5        2        40

2 Brew Jays        26        19         7         0       38

From 2010 to the end of 2015, Mike and I ran the Units, 6 seasons in total. I remember Mike telling me he only wanted to captain for 5 years, and he did it for 6. At the end of 2015, Mike hung up his Units shirt and moved on as a Captain of the Units. In 2016, I was not ready to call it quits as a captain, and Peter Hollmann, with whom I worked, who had been in the league for a couple of seasons, we hooked up for the next chapter of the Hurtin' Units. Pete and I are now in our 10th season as Captains of the Units.

Over the many years Pete and I have been captains, I have hoped that one year we would actually draft Mike O., for another kick at the T.O.T championship. It hasn't happened yet; he keeps vetoing us. LOL.

Over those 10 seasons, there have been some ups and downs, some good teams and some teams that were not so good. In Pete's first season as a Captain, we won the HTKP tournament with a little help from a couple of walk-on players (Thanks, Phil G, Troy H., and Ricky M). In 2021, the Units would win the league title for the second time(first with Pete), and we got Jackets for our efforts. The highlight of the Hurtin' Units' team would come in 2022 when the Units finally broke through and won the championship. I have included a picture of the playoff board in this post.

Last season (2025), I thought we had the best team ever assembled by the Hurtin' Units. I honestly thought we had the team to go all the way to the finals. As luck would have it, the Units lost to the Beer Bros. by a score of 6-5 in the quarter finals. The Beer Bros. would go on to win the championship. So there's a little history about the Hurtin' Units. If you have come this far in this post, you might as well see what happened in the Brew Birds game.

Coventry Park- The Hurtin' Units only have one game this week, which is nice because are still missing a couple of bodies for this game.

The weather for this game was a little bit iffy, there was rain forecast for the afternoon and then thunderstorms around game time. The temperature was in the mid 20s (nice!!) The storms and rain held off until later in the evening, great light show around 11:00pm.

At game time, we were missing Andrew and Johnny, Andrew still nursing a wrist boo-boo, and Johnny was away for work. The Hurtin' Units were the visitors for this game, which was played on Coventry # 2 at 8:00pm.

Someone on the Units ( might have been Kevin or Mike) has said on multiple occasions that the Units are a 20-degree team, meaning that we play and hit much better in 20-degree   temperatures or higher (we haven't played in 30 degrees, things might drop off at this point). In our first two games of the season, it was miserable, raining in the first game and cold and windy in the second, and the results were 2 crushing defeats. In our 3rd game, it was warm and comfortable and we won, defeating the Draft Kings.

For this game, we were up against the reigning cancellation champs (last year, it seemed to rain and cancel the Brew Birds games all season long). In the first inning, the visiting Units sent 5 batters to the plate and came away with nothing. In the bottom, the Birds sent 7 batters up, the first 2 got out, but Kyle, Rick, Fernando, Robby Q., and Cliff all got hits, Fernando a double and 3 Brew Bird runs would come in to score.

In the second inning, the Units' bottom of the order came through. Marco would get out, Keith, Franco, Dave, Jimmer, and Lorne would all single, Keith out on a fielder's choice, Corey would fly out, but the Units scored 2 runs to keep it close. In the bottom, the Brew Birds would not relent; they came out hitting the ball hard around the park. Saro (sub), Anthony (sub), Skippy, Shawn, Rick, and Fernando would all get singles. Shawn and Rick would get out on fielder's choices, Kyle would fly out, but when the ball cooled down, the Birds had scored another run. The score after two complete innings was 6-2 for the Birds.

In the third inning, the Units were just warming up (20 degree thingie), Mike and Pete
would single, Kevin would fly out, Marco would crush a triple, Keith, Franco, Dave would single, Jimmer would get out on a line drive to Shawn at second base (bastard, that should have been a hit), Lorne, Corey, and Mike would single, Mike's hit bringing in the Units 7^th run of the inning. At the bottom, the Brew Birds were not going away; they would send 7 batters to the plate, and 2 more runs would score. The score after 3 innings was Units 9, Birds 8.

In the fourth, Pete would lead off with a triple, Kevin would get out, Marco would single, Keith would get out, Franco would also triple, hobbling around to third, Marco would score Pete, Franco would bring in Marco, Dave would get out, and that was the top of the inning. In the bottom, the Birds were relentless. Kyle would lead off with a triple, and we were off to the races again. Rick would single, Fernando would fly out, Robby Q. (Hurtin' Units alumni) was killin' us night long, tapped a single, Cliff got out, Brad S. (another Units' alumni) doubled, Super Sub Saro hit an in the Park Homerun, Anthony would hit out, and after the Birds landed, they had scored 5 more runs to take the lead again.

In the fifth, the Units went down quickly, Jimmer - out, Lorne - out, Corey – out, change em' up, boys. In the bottom, with time running out, the Birds went back to work; Skippy got out, Kyle and Shawn singled again, Rick hit an in-the-park homerun scoring 3 more runs, Robby Q would finally get out to end the inning. The score was Brew Birds 16, Hurtin' Units 11.

The sixth inning was called the open, the last kick at the can for the Units, down by 5, but there was a great stir around the bench that we could do this. “Everybody just has to hit twice” was heard around the bench, mostly in jest, but there also seemed to be some optimism about getting back in this game. Mike would lead off with a single, Pete would also single, Kevin S. (who had been hiding in the bushes all night) showed up and crushed a 3-run homerun over the left field fence at Coventry #2. Marco would follow that performance with a single, and then Keith would hit an in the park homerun to tie the game. With nobody out, Franco and Dave would then single, Jimmer would fly out (1 out), Lorne would single, Corey would hit into a fielder's choice, Lorne out at second (2 out), Mike and Pete would single again (second time in the inning for both), scoring Franco and Dave. Kevin would fly out to end the inning with the Units scoring 7 runs to take a 2-run lead. In the bottom, the Birds were started with the bottom of the order (included 2 subs), Cliff would get out (1 out), Brad would single, Saro (subber) tapped to short for a fielder's choice at second (2 out) and Anthony would do the same hitting to Marco at short for the final out a second base and a come from behind Units' win. Great game, guys, both teams!!

Hightlights:

Kevin Home run over left field fence. 3 RBIs.

Keith in the park homerun. 3 RBIs.

Pete tripled.

Saro hit an in the Park Homerun

Kyle solid triple to left center.

Rick hit an in the Park Homerun.

Lorne 4 for 5

Mike 5 for 5

Franco 4 for 4 on a sore knee.

Pete 4 for 5

Marco 3 for 4, good defence at short-stop.

Dave 3 for 4

Keith 3 for 4.

Shawn made a great catch on a Jimmer at bat.

The Hurtin' Units' next game is Tuesday June 16^th vs. The Gruesomes.

 SHOOTOUT AT COVENTRY PARK.

Game # 5 – June 2nd, 2026

Hurtin' Units vs. Dodge City

Hurtin' Units win 17-10

Team Record – 2-3-0

Tottenham- I was sitting outside on Wednesday morning, and in the distance I could hear the loud, piercing sound of the train whistle coming into town. This meant that the train from Dodge City had arrived, and the Dodge City team was about to disembark at the station. I'm glad we were the home team in our game that night. Every time the Units go to Dodge City, there's a trouble a brewin'. But just because we were the home team didn't mean that the Dodgers were going to be on their best behaviour, no, I don't think these boys know how to stay out of trouble. Plus, they just had a long train ride, and they was gonna be ornery.

When I arrived at the Coventry Corral, I realized I had forgotten my book for scorin', I was gonna have to ask the biggest, meanest captain in the league to borrow a page from his scorebook. I approached Captain Beechy, my hand near my holster, and asked for him for a page for scorin', to my surprise, he obliged, but not before a 10-second stare down and a promise of a whiskey later following the game (I'll be avoiding that saloon tonight). I turned and hightailed my way back to the Hurtin' Units bench.

The weather for this game was nice, really nice, warm and dry enough to have tumble weeds roll across the outfield, not that we saw any. At game time, the Units were down to 10 gunslingers (players), Andrew was still out with a bullet wound or maybe a wrist injury(can't remember which), Lorne D (one of our best shooters) was in a posse, taken care of business in the town of Alliston. Dodge City had only 10 slingers, so we was evened up.

In the top of the first inning, Dodge came out firing bullets (baseballs) around the diamond, 7 batters later, the crack of bat on balls, had stopped, and Dodge had an early 2-run lead. In the bottom, the Units didn't back down, we sent 9 batters up, sprayed balls around the outfield and scored 4 runs. In the top of the second inning, Beechy's band of merry men laid a beatin' on the Units; they went through the order, and when the smell of crushed balls had settled, the Dodgers had scored another 6 runs. The Units were a little shell-shocked, and in the bottom went down 1,2,3.

The third inning saw the ornery Dodge City team come out firin' again, 10 batters, 3 more runs and a
few more stare downs. In the bottom, the Units would not be intimidated, we pulled out the big guns and started firing. Pete started off with a triple, Kevin with a single, Franco with a single, Marco with a single, and Johnny G with a single. 8 batters in total, 3 big runs scored. In the fourth, the Units held ground and stopped the Dodgers without a run. In the bottom, with opportunity knocking, the Units top gunslingers were coming up, Corey would fly out, but Mike hit a double, Peter would single, Kevin would get out (2 outs now) Keith would hit a huge, monstrous in the park home-run clearing the bases for 3 runs, Franco would single, Marco would do the same, but unfortunately Dave would fly out to end the inning. The score after 4 complete innings was 11-10 for Dodge.

In the top of the fifth, Dodge would send 6 batters to the plate, after 3 singles and 3 outs, they had scored another single run. In the bottom (Units down by 2 runs), John would get out, Jimmer would also tap out (2 out now), then the top guns would start spraying balls around the diamond again. Corey hit a single, Mike C hit a double, and Pete hit a double. Kevin hit a single, Keith a single, followed by a Franco out. All those hits resulted in a 3-run inning, and the Units took the lead by a score of 13-12.

In the sixth inning, Dodge only sent 4 batters to the plate, 3 outs, no runs. In the bottom, Marco led off with a single, Dave D with a double (triple Ds), Johnny flied out, Jimmer blooped in a single. The Units were back to the top of the order (1 out), Corey, Mike, and Pete would all single, Kevin would be out, Franco would also single, and that would be 7 seven runs on ye ole scoresheet.

In the open inning, Dodge had their top coming up, Mark would get out, Wayon would single, Beechy would get out, Todd would single, and Bo would be the final out for the Dodgers. The Units were leading and did not bat in the seventh. The final score 20-12 for the Units.

I haven't looked closely at the schedule to see if the Units will be headed to Dodge City this season, but if we do, you know those Dodge boys will be lookin' for some kind of revenge. Elbows Up, Boys!!

Highlights:

Corey went 4 for 5, 3 runs- Corey also brought his family out to the game, good luck charms?

Mikey C. went 4 for 5, 3 runs.

Peter (superstar) went 5 for 5, 5 runs scored.

Keith Dell in the park homerun.

Marco went 5 for 5, with a jammed thumb.

Franco went 3 for 4.

Todd Mc. (Dodge) went 5 for 5.

Rob Jordan (Dodge) went 4 for 4.

The Hurtin' Units' next game is June 9th, 8:00pm vs. The Brew Birds.

 REBELS WITHOUT A CAUSE.

Game # 5 – June 2nd, 2026

Hurtin' Units vs. The Rusty Rebels

Hurtin' Units win 17-10

Team Record – 2-3-0

Coventry Park- Who doesn't get up to play the Rusty Rebels? I find that most teams get pumped to play against the Rebels. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I'm going out on a limb and say it's the great personality of Robin Dickson. Robin is a 2-time Hurtin' Units' alumni (2010 and 2018), and he also plays on the Hammell Team in the August Tournament. Robin is one of my favourite guys in the league, and is always a positive in the dugout. I would have him on my team anytime. Playing against Hughie seems to get a couple of teams pumped up, also.

For this game, the weather was terrific, the temperature was in the low 20s, the sun was shining, and it was a perfect night for a match vs. The Crusty Rebels. At game time, we had 11 players ready to do battle with the 2026 edition of the Rebels. Andrew was the only missing player on the night (still on the DL with an upper body injury). Sandy D. helped us out with the scorekeeping. This game was played on Coventry # 3 with an 8:05pm start. The Units were the home team.

In the top of the first inning, the Rebels came out guns a blazing, sending 11 batters to the plate. Tyler
came up twice, and when the dust settled, the shell-shocked Hurtin' Units found themselves down by 7 runs. In the bottom of the inning, the Units answered the call and sent 12 batters to the plate. Lorne came up twice in the inning, and without getting 3 outs, the Units scored 7 runs to match the Rebels' output.

In the top of the second inning, the Units' defence tightened up against the middle of the Rebel order, 3 up, 3 down. In the bottom, the Units sent 8 batters up and 3 more runs came in to score. Mike C had a 2 RBI triple.

In the top of the third inning, Robin started the Rebels off with a single. The Rebels would send 6 batters up, and 2 runs would come in to score. The Units would send 6 batters up, but would only score a single run, and strand the bases loaded. After 3 complete innings, the score was 10-9 for the Units. Close game.

The Units' defence was stellar again in the fourth and fifth innings; the Rebels would send a total of 7 batters up over the 2 innings, and only 1 would get on base. The Units did not allow a Rebel run in the 4th and 5th. The Units were a little more productive over those innings, scoring 2 in the fourth and 4 more in the fifth.

In the sixth inning (the open inning), the Rebels' first 2 batters would get out, Mauro would single, Tyler would single (yes, only a single), Mark C. would double, scoring Mauro, Nick would fly out, and that was the top of the inning. The Units were leading and would not bat in the home half. The final score was 17-10 for the Units.

Highlights of the Game:

Corey had in the park homerun in the first.

Lorne went 4 for 4 scoring 3 runs.

Pete went 4 for 4 scoring 3 runs.

Marco went 4 for 4 scoring 4 runs.

Keith and Franco both went 4 for 4, Franco coming in to score twice.

The Hurtin' Units next game is tomorrow, June 3 vs. Dodge City.

 Let's Twist Again Like We Did Last Summer.

Game # 4 – May 28, 2026

Hurtin' Units vs. The Tottenham Twisters of New Tecumseth.

Hurtin' Units lose 12-9

Team Record – 1-3-0

Keogh Park- It was nice to be back at Keogh Park; it seems like forever since we played there. I can remember a time when the bulk of the games, for most teams, were played in the intimate setting of Keogh. Now I believe we have a total of 2 games scheduled to play there. I’m not complaining, I just prefer to play at Keogh.

This game was actually a make-up game for our first game of the season, which was rained out.

The weather for this game was great, warm, calm and clear, almost as nice as the night before against the Draft Kings.

At game time, we had 10 guys ready to take on the 3-0 Twisters. Kevin and John were the only missing bodies for the Units. Lorne said he might be a little late, but was ready to go at 9:15. Sandy was the scorekeeper for this game. The Units were the home team for this game.

In the top of the first inning, the Twisters came out like a tornado, sending 8 players up to bat, and when the dust and debris settled, they had put 4 runs up on the scoreboard. It was looking like a long night already. In the bottom of the inning, the Units sent 8 batters to the plate. Also, Corey led off with a single, Mike followed with the same, Pete walked, Marco singled, Lorne hit into a fielder's choice, forcing Peter out, but bringing in some runs. Keith and Franco would also be single, and when the inning ended, the Units had scored 3 runs, keeping the game close.

In the top of the second inning, the bottom of the Twisties lineup started off. Mathew got out, Tequila Joe (sub) tapped out at a single, and we were back to the top of the order. Daniel and Fabrizio would be single, scoring TJ, Geoff would fly out, Roger (Kahuna) would get out, and that was the top. The Twisters only managed a single run, “nice defence Units”!! The sad thing is, the Units went down 1,2,3, and it was over.

In the top of the third inning, that incredible defence of the Units was back on the field, 4 Twister batters, 3 quick outs. At the bottom, the home team Units were in perfect position to put some runs on the board, NOPE!! The Units’ Mike, Pete, and Marco went down 1,2,3, and it too was over.

I have to say, up to now, the Units' defence was playing well. In the top of the fourth inning, the defence did it again, 4 Twist tie batters and 3 outs, no runs. In the bottom, Lorne led off and Keith singled, Andrew singled, and after 3 outs, Lorne had scored to get the game a little closer. At the end of 4 complete innings, the Twisters 5, Units 4.

In the fifth inning, both teams seemed to find their batting stroke. The Twisters would score 5
runs in the top of the inning. It was looking like this game was out of reach, but in the bottom of the inning, the Units would match run for run with 5 unanswered runs. The score was 10-9 for the Twisters.

The sixth inning was called the OPEN inning, and in the top, the Twisties would send 7 batters to the plate. After 5 hits, they had put 2 more runs on the scoreboard. In the bottom of the inning, the Home team Units were lead-off by Dave D, who was the first out, Jimmer came up and got a lucky single as “Butterfingers Saunders” let a ball slip through his hands, Corey would hit into a fielder's choice getting the Jimmer runner out at second (2nd out), Mike C would single advancing Corey, Pete would come to bat as the tying run, but unfortunately hit into another fielder's choice getting Mike out at second and that was the ball game. Units lose 12-9.

Game Notes: There were a couple of things noteworthy in this game. Keith D and Geoff K both hit a home run over the right field fence. Mike Candy stretched a double into an out at third base. He may look fast, but he's really not. Andrew was diving for a ball and landed on his wrist (sprained wrist on the DL for a week or ??) and still finished the game. TROOPER!!! Thanks go out to Dave D for catching, it was going to be catchers by committee, but Dave stepped up for this game.

The Hurtin' Units' next game is Tuesday, June 2nd, at Coventry Park.

   Winner, Winner Drafty Dinner.   

  Game #3 – May 27th, 2026

  Hurtin' Units vs. Draft Kings

  Hurtin' Units win 21-5

  Team Record – 1-2-0

"Baseball is the only field of endeavour where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer."- Ted Williams.

Coventry Park- After the last two games, it was a welcome sight to have a warm and dry day for our game. The Draft Kings were the home team. At game time, the Units had 11 players dressed in Hurtin' Unit shirts, and the only missing player was Keith D., who was out celebrating his 50th birthday.

In the top of the first inning, the Units sent 7 batters to the plate, and when the diamond dust settled (dry game), the Units had scored 3 runs to get this party started. In the bottom, the Drafters sent 5 batters up, and the Units' defence had come to play. The Units would get the first two batters out (Jerry and Daniel), Jeff and Paul would hit singles, Chuck would get out, and that was all they wrote.

In the top of the second inning, the Units showed the most offence they had shown all season. The Units sent all 11 batters to the plate, and 7 huge runs would score. In the bottom of the inning, the Units once again would shut the door, 4 batters, 3 outs, with Justin getting the only hit.

In the top of the third inning, Andrew led off with a single, and the offence was rolling again, sending 9 batters to the plate, 6 hits later and 4 more runs on the scoreboard. The Units' offence was rolling along nicely, but the defence was tearing it up, Kevin S. was like a vacuum at third base, and after a few innings, I was trying to pitch everything inside, on the righties, to get them to hit in Kevin's direction. In the bottom, the Kings sent 4 batters up and 3 got out. The score after 3 complete innings was Units 14-0.

In the top of the fourth inning, the Drafties slowed the Units' offence down; 5 batters came up, and only 1 run scored. In the bottom of the inning, the Units' “D” was terrific again, 4 King batters and 3 outs, no runs . In the fifth inning, the Units bats came to life again, 7 batters and 5 more runs. In the bottom of the fifth, the Drafters finally broke through the mighty Units' defence and scored their first run of the game.

The sixth inning would see the Draft Kings turn the tables, the Units would go down quickly, 4 batters,
3 outs and no runs. The Draft King's bats woke in the bottom, and after 4 hits, the Kings scored 3 more runs.

In the seventh inning (yes, we got to a seventh inning), each team would score 1 run, making the final score 21-5 for the Units. Units are in the win column for the first time in 2026.

The Hurtin' Units' next game is Thursday, May 28, vs. ( undefeated) Tottenham Twisters.

 It Was A Cold Night For Master Batting.

Game #2 – May 20th, 2026

Hurtin' Units vs. The Master Batters.

Hurtin' Units lose 20-6

Team Record – 0-2-0

Coventry Park- I did not play in the first game vs. The Meatballs; I was a little under the weather, and in this game, I did play, but I wasn't feeling much better. Nothing like coughing your guts out between innings. The weather did not help anyone in this game ( maybe the Master Batters), but it was definitely uncomfortable to play in the cold.

The weather was cold (not sure of the temperature), but I do know I was wearing at least 3 layers, and the wind was cutting right through, chilling me to a level of discomfort.

At game time, the Units had all 12 guys at diamond # 3 ready to play the Master Batters. The scorekeeper was Sandra D., and the Units' side was filled with fans' cheers and shivering in the bleachers. Kylie, Sandy and Candy were all there to cheer on the Units. Bob C was coaching 3rd base in his new Hurtin' Units' shirt. The Units were the home team in this game.

In the top of the first inning, the Masters sent 8 batters to the plate, bashed the ball around the park, and when the Units finally stopped the onslaught, the Batters had scored 4 runs to get the game going. In the bottom of the inning, the Units matched the number of batters with 8, but could not match the number of runs, only scoring 3. In the top of the second inning, the Batters did not let up, they sent 9 batters up and scored another 7 runs. In the bottom, the Units could not muster up any offence, sent only 5 batters to the plate and came away with zero runs. The score after two complete innings was Master Batters 11, Hurtin' Units 3.

In the top of the third inning, the Units slowed down the Master Batter Express and only allowed them to score 2 more runs. At the bottom of the order, the Units' top of the order crashed and burned, Corey hit a double, Keith, Kevin and Pete all got out, inning over. Crap!! In the top of the fourth inning, the Units slowed the Batters again, allowing only 2 more runs, only 2 runs!! In the bottom, Mike C hit an in-the-park homerun to lead off the inning, Franco hit a double, it was looking like this might be a comeback inning, but it was short-lived, and the next 3 batters went down 1,2,3 to end the inning. Crap on a cracker!!! The score at the end of 4 innings was 15-4 for the Batters.

In the top of the fifth inning, the Batters bats came back to life, like Frankenstein's monster on the table, they scored 5 more runs to basically put this game out of reach. At the bottom, the Units could only score another single run (a theme in this game). In the top of the sixth (Open inning), the Units' defence came to life, and the Batters only sent 4 batters up to bat, with 3 outs. In the bottom, Pete got on with a single, Mike and Franco got out, Andrew hit a single and brought Pete in, Dave would hit into a fielder's choice, and that was the ball game. Master Batters win 20-6.

This game was not fun, it was cold, windy, and the Master Batters were hitting every hole on the field. The Units are off to a slow start, but I truly believe that we are a good hitting and defensive team and will get into the win column soon. The Units' next game is Wednesday, May 27th, vs the Draft Kings. 

Good Units!!

 

Revenge Is A Meatball Best Served Cold. 

Revenge Is A Meatball Best Served Cold.

Game #1 – May 19th, 2026

Hurtin' Units vs. The Meatballs

Hurtin' Units lose 19-8

Team Record – 0-1-0

Coventry Park- Back on August 27th , 2025, in the final games of the regular season for both the Units and the meatballs, the Units defeated the Meatballs by a score of 24-14. This was not just another loss for the Meatballs; it was the game that knocked the Meatballs out of first place and gave the Gamblers the regular season title. In fact, on this night, the Gamblers were playing at Coventry Park, with an earlier start, and came to Keogh to watch the final innings as the Units ate up the Meatballs. The Meatballs were not going to forget what the Units did to them. It took 9 months, but the Meatballs would have their revenge.

Last week, the weather prevented most 35+ teams from playing the opening night, rainouts and soggy fields were the theme of the week, and the running joke is that it was the Brew Birds' fault based on how many games they had rained out in 2025. For tonight's game, it was not looking promising. At around 6 pm, the rain started to fall, and the skies looked a little ominous, but as luck would have it, the rain stopped over Tottenham, and the chatter on WhatsApp was leaning toward getting the games in. I arrived at the diamond around 7:30 pm. The ground was damp, but the diamonds were playable. Around 8pm, a light rain started to fall; it sounded worst in the metal dugouts, but after a couple of innings, the rain moved out of the area for the night.

At game time, the Units had all 12 players dressed in new jerseys with a little different colour trimming on the shirts this season. I did not play in this game and kept score. The umpire was Dave T., and he was actually quite good. The Units were the visitors in this game.

In the top of the first inning, the Units looked great. I remember thinking this is a good hitting squad, the Units would score 6 runs and leave the 7th stranded on base. At the bottom of the inning, the Units only allowed the Meatballs to score 3 runs. I remember thinking this is a good defensive squad. After the first inning, the score was 6-3 for the Units.

The second inning was not pleasant for the Units. At the top of the inning, the Units scored 2 more runs, and that would be the total for the game. In the bottom of the inning, the Meatballs were cookin', they sent 10 batters to the plate and scored a 7-run inning.

As I mentioned, the Units did not score another run in this game, the Meatballs were spicy all game long and scored 4 more runs in the 3rd, and 5 more runs in the 5th, and when everything was on the table, the final score was 19-8 for da Meataballs. Revenge belonged to Meatballs on this night.

The Units' next game is Wednesday, May 20th, vs. The Master Batters. Go Units!!

Let's Get This Party Started.

 

On Tuesday, September 9th, 2025, the Tottenham Oldtimers, +35 division officially started the 2025 playoffs. On opening night, 12 teams were in action; the Hurtin' Units were not one of those teams. The Hurtin' Units' first playoff game was scheduled for Wednesday, the 9th, at 7:00 pm vs. Dodge City. 

All of the Hurtin' Units games are expected to be played at Coventry Park, with 2 games during the week and 2 games on Saturday. Multiple teams could walk away with the championship this season. I don't think anyone is a clear-cut frontrunner. 

Let the games begin—best of luck to all the teams.

Rollin' in to Dodge.

Hurtin' Units vs. Dodge City

Playoff Game # 1- September 10th , 2025

Hurtin' Units win 11-8

Team Playoff Record – 1-0-0

Coventry Park - The Hurtin' Units' first game was against Dodge City. During the regular season, the Units played Dodge City twice, and each team had a victory, both games being won by a single run. On July 17th, Dodge City beat the Units by a score of 12-11 and on July 28th, the Units would win by a score of 18-17. Dodge City finished 10th in the standings, with the same record as the Hurtin' Units, 11-11-0.

The Units were the home team in this game; Laura C. would be the scorekeeper, and Steve would be the umpire for this game.

This game was another close match, but in the end, the Units' defence was solid and kept the Dodge players off the scoresheet. In the first inning, the Units' defence stopped the Dodge, and I think that set the tone for the game. In the bottom of the first, the Units came out on a mission, sending 9 batters to the plate and scoring 7 runs.

In the second inning, Dodge would inch a little closer, scoring 2 runs and holding the Units to no runs. In the third inning, both teams went down quickly with no runs scored. In the fourth, Dodge would tack on another 2 runs to chip away at the Units' lead, but in the bottom of the inning, the Units would score 4 more runs, highlighted by Matt Masters' second homerun of the game, Mike Belise's homerun and an RBI triple by Mike Di Matteo. The score after 4 complete was 11-4 for the Units.

In the fifth, the Units' defence was stellar again, shutting down the top of the Dodge order. The Units went down quickly at the bottom, 4 batters, 3 outs. The sixth inning saw Dodge push back, scoring 2 more runs and stranding 3 runners on base. The Units went down, 1,2, 3, in the bottom of the sixth. The score was 11-6 going into the open inning.

In the open, Dodge made another push with the top of the order. Kyle got on and scored, Lorne got out, Mark C. got on and scored, Matt and Keith would get out, and the Units would hold on for the victory.

I think winning the first game in the playoffs tends to relax teams a little; it seems to take a little bit of the pressure off and put players in the right mindset. The Units win the first game of the playoff run. Go Units!!

King of Diamonds.

Hurtin' Units vs. Diamond Kings

Playoff Game # 2- September 12th , 2025

Hurtin' Units win 18-9

Team Playoff Record – 2-0-0

Coventry Park –During the regular season, the Units only played one game against the Diamond Kings, and came away with ass-kicking. On June 2nd, the Diamond Kings came out on fire; they smashed and slashed the ball all around Keogh Park. The Units did not look good and lost by a score of 17-10. The Diamond Kings finished 15th in the standings with a 5-17-0 record.

In the Wednesday night game, we played solid defence and our offence was just a little bit better to win our first game against the Dodge City team. The Diamond Kings' win against the Units earlier in the season had me a little worried coming into the game. There are some pretty good bats on the Kings, and they could create some havoc. In the first inning, the visiting Units (we took the visitors in this game) went down quickly, and in the bottom of the inning, the Diamond Kings, led by Jon and Lucas, scored 2 runs to take an early lead. In the second inning, the Units woke up and scored 7 runs and shut the Kings down. In the third inning, the Units would score 2 more runs, and held the Kings to a single run. The score after 3 complete innings was The Units 9 and Kings 3.

In the fourth inning, the Units started to take control, scoring 6 more runs in the top and holding the Diamond Kings off the scoreboard. In the fifth, the Units were shut out; the Kings scored a single run. In the sixth inning, each team scored 3 runs. The score after six completed innings, Units 18 and Kings 7. In the open inning, the Units went down quickly, and the Kings had one more chance to catch the Units. The Kings would score 2 more runs, but in the end, they fell short, and the Units would win 18-9. The Units were now sitting 2-0-0 going into Saturday's games vs. the Gamblers and the Draft Kings.

Drafty Duckkings.  

Hurtin' Units vs. Draft Kings

Playoff Game # 3- September 13th, 2025

Hurtin' Units tied 12-12

Team Playoff Record – 2-0-1

Coventry Park – The Draft Kings were another team that the Units only faced once during the regular season. On July 7th, the Drafters and Units played, and the Units would come away with a 15-14 win. The Draft Kings finished 7th in the standings, with a 13-9-0 record.

This game was a see-saw battle all the way through. The Units would score, the Kings would score; it was only fitting that the game would end in a tie. Going into the final inning, the Units were up by 2 runs and the Draft Kings would make a push and tie the game in the bottom of the inning.

This was a fun game, the Draft Kings are one of my favourite teams to play against, and they always seem to be in the mix. I look forward to playing them on Sunday.

All Bets are Off!

Hurtin' Units vs. The Gamblers

Playoff Game # 4- September 13th , 2025

Hurtin' Units win 15-7

Team Playoff Record – 3-0-1

Coventry Park – The Gamblers finished in 1st place in the standings and finished with a 15-7-0 record to win the league. The Meatballs finished in 2nd place with the same record, but the Gamblers won out with tie-breakers. During the season, the Hurtin' Units played the Gamblers twice, and both games were losses. The games were not blow-outs, but they were close, either. On June 12th, the Gamblers beat the Units by a score of 13-7, a 5-run difference. On July 22, the Gamblers did it again, this time by an 18-9 win. The Gamblers won the league, and most teams will be gunning for them in the playoffs.

This was the game I was most worried about when the schedule was posted. I really hoped we were in a position to make Sunday games when we got to this game. The Gamblers are a tough out, and if we were close to Sunday games, a loss was not going to put us out. As it turned out, the Units were 2-0-1 with 5 points, and it was the Gamblers that needed the win as they were on the bubble of elimination.

The Units got off to a quick start in this game, scoring 7 runs in the first inning and shutting the high-powered offence of the Gamblers down. In the second, the Units did not score, and the Gamblers put up a single run. In the third inning, neither team scored. In the fourth inning, both teams put up 2 runs on the board. In the fifth inning, both teams scored 3 more runs each. The score after 5 innings, Units 12, Gamblers 6.

In the sixth inning, the Gamblers would tack on another single run and get a little closer for the seventh inning. In the seventh inning, the visiting Units would score 3 more runs, widening the gap and making the Gamblers a little more nervous. At the bottom of the inning, the Units would hold off the Gamblers and put them into an uncertain position for Sunday's playoff picture.

Beer Bros. Squeak By Units.

Hurtin' Units vs. Beer Bros.

Playoff Game – Quarter Finals, September 14th, 2025

Hurtin' Units lose 6-5

Team Playoff Record – 3-1-1

Coventry Park- After knocking the Gamblers out of the playoffs, the Units were going to Sunday with an unbeaten record, 3-0-1, and we were seeded in the fourth spot vs. the fifth-place Beer Bros. The Hurtin' Units had scored 56 runs in the previous 4 playoff games for an average of 14 runs per game. What happened to the Units' bats? Was it too early on a Sunday to hit some baseballs? I don't really know what happened, but the Units could not put up enough in this game against the Beer Bros. The Beer Bros were not much better, but they scored 1 more run, and that was the difference.

In the first inning, the Beer Bros. got off to a good start, sending 6 batters to the plate and scoring 2 runs. At the bottom, the Units started with a Mike G. Double, and it looked promising. Brad and Kyle got out, Mike B hit a double, scoring Mike G., and Kevin would fly out. In the second inning, the Beer Bros. scored another 3 runs, all from the bottom of the order. In the bottom, the Units sent 6 batters to the plate. Pete flew out, Mike D. got a single, Matt got out, Jimmer got a single, Fabio got a single, and Jim R. would fly out, leaving the bases loaded. A huge missed opportunity for the Units to get back in the game. The score after 2 complete innings was 5-1 Beer Bros.

In the third inning, the Units shut down the middle of the Bros' lineup, 4 batters, 3 outs. At the bottom, the Units showed some life. Harley got out, Mike G hit a single, Brad hit a double, Kyle hit a triple and scored Mike and Brad, but Mike B. popped out, and Kevin flied out, leaving Kyle at third. In the fourth, the Units' defence shut down the Bros., 4 batters, 3 outs. In the bottom, the Units would start strong, Pete would single, Mike D would double, Matt would single, scoring Pete and Mike, Jimmer would single, getting Matt out on a fielder's choice at second, Fabio would do the same thing, Jim R., would single moving Fabio to second, Harley would fly out and the inning was over. The score after 4 complete innings was tied, 5-5.

In the fifth, Brent and Brian both got out, and with 2 out, Al Frans would double to keep the inning going, Carl would double, scoring Al from second, Danny would single, and Mark would fly out. The Beer Bros. would score a huge run late in the game. At the bottom, the Units' top of the order was coming up; they had scored 3 of the Units' 5 runs, the top went down 1, 2, 3, quickly and quietly. In the sixth inning, neither team scored a run; both teams sent 5 batters to the plate, and nobody came in to score. The Units headed into the 7th inning down by a single run with the bottom of the order coming to bat.

In the seventh inning, the Beer Bros were near the top of the order; the Units had to hold off these guys to have a chance. Brent got out, Brian got a single, Al Frans got out, and Carl flied out to give the Units a chance to tie or win. In the bottom, the Units' bottom coming up, Jimmer would hit a line drive to the third baseman for the first out, Fabio would fly out, and Jim would hit a line drive to first to end the game and end the Units' season. The Beer Bros. would go on to the semis and the finals to win the championship.

And So It Ends.

It's tough to take when we were this close. The Units had a great time this season. It may not have shown in the standings, but from the start of the season, Pete and I both believed we had a team that could win the championship. We had some good players who missed parts of the regular season, but we really thought that when our whole team was on the field, we could compete with any team in the league. In some ways, we showed it; we beat the Meatballs in the final game of the season to spoil their chance to win the league (helping the Gamblers to win the league), and we beat the Gamblers in the round robin to eliminate them from Sunday games, giving other teams the chance to win.

I really liked the players on this year's squad, a great group of guys that were fun to play with. We had 4 or 5 rookies (depending on the definition), and next season, most of these guys will be spread out across the league. I hope that they enjoyed this season as much as I did, and hopefully, most come back to play in the greatest league I've ever played in. Thanks, everyone, for a fun season.