IT'S A LITTLE DRAFTY IN HERE. 

Game # 14

July 11, 2022

Hurtin' Units vs. The Draft Kings

Hurtin' Units lose 16-14

Team Record- 9-5-0

Keogh Park- Coming off the weekend where we played the HTKP tournament I didn't know what to expect. We had played last Thursday against the Beer Bros. and it was our worst loss of the season, on the weekend (HTKP tournament) we got crushed by the Gamblers on opening night, lost a heartbreaker on Saturday morning to the Bat Flippers with a 10-9 loss in the bottom of the last inning, and we won against the Gruesome Devils, but lost out on Sunday games with a plus/minus ruling. I thought we played pretty well. Our thanks go out to Isaiha S., Tim S., Cal S., and Paul T. (Lumpy) for playing with us on the weekend, despite not playing on Sunday, it was still a fun weekend. 

Our game on Monday vs. the Draft Kings was a little sideways, I didn't realize Darrell was not going to make the game and we were short 1 player for the entire game. We asked the Draft Kings for a catchers, thanks guys. 

The weather was perfect for this game, there was probably more over cast than sun, but the temperature was in the high 20s and there was strong breeze that probably helped the ball travel further. It was so nice that when Darrell ( yes that same Darrell that didn't play) and I left the Legion, the warm air outside at 10:30ish felt like being in the Caribbean somewhere. A great summer night. 

I enjoy playing against the Draft Kings, they seem to always have a fun team
and they are always competitive. I like the captains Chuck and Stike (do these guys have real names? LOL) and they run a good team. So it comes as no surprise that this would be a close game.

The Hurtin' Units were the home team in this game. In the top of the first inning, the Hurtin' Units showed the weekend hangover and gave up 7 runs to the Kings. The good was the Hurtin' Units batting was firing on all cylinders and the Units scored 6 runs of their own. In the top of the 2nd inning, the Units shut the door on the Kings and allowed 1 tinny, tiny run to come in. It was "back on the sticks boys" and sure enough we won the inning with 2 tinny, tiny runs. The third inning nobody scored.

In the fourth inning, the Units shut the front door on the Kings again, and our offense would cash in 2 more runs. At the end of 4 complete innings, the score was 10-8 for the Units. 

In the fifth inning is where the wheels fell off for the Units, the Draft Kings would score 7 runs in the inning for the second time in the game. The Units would be shut out in the bottom of the inning.  In the sixth inning, the Drafters

would put up another run and the Units would inch 1 run closer with a 2 spot. 

The score at the end of 6 innings was 16-12 for the Kings. 

In the seventh inning, the Units defense was solid and did not allow any runs to score. The Units would need a 4 run comeback to tie the game and it was not to be. We started off well and we even got the tying run to the plate, but a couple of good Draft Kings plays and fly out by Fernando was the end of the game. 

Highlights in the game would be both Fernando and Marc hit back to back home runs out of the park. Marc would have another in the park homerun in the game also. 

 

 BEER BROS THIRTSY FOR A WIN. 

Game #13

July 7, 2022

Hurtin' Units vs. The Beer Bros.

Hurtin' Units lose 23-11

Team Record - 9-4-0

Keogh Park - I mentioned in the last post that we are just flying through this season, this game marks the half way point in the Hurtin' Units season. After this game we will have played every team at least once. 

The weather for this game was good, sun/ cloud mix, temperatures in the mid 20s, a soft breeze, all and all a good night for ball. 

At game time we had. 9 guys dressed and ready to play. Marc and Fernando were the only missing players. Brad called at game time and said he would be late, slept in don't ya know. LOL. 

This game is one I would really like to forget. This game was our worst lost of the season. It was a shit show right from the start and it didn't get any better as the game progressed. 

It was a good night for Peter to have a night of pitching, I thought I needed a night off before the Help the Kids Play tournament, I hadn't played second in a long time and slotted myself in there. The problem was Brad was not there yet and we needed a fielder until Brad arrived, I asked Peter to field and Darrell to pitch and I would stay at second. Paul came to me as Darrell was warming up and said Darrell had to wear a mask (new pitchers are required) and so Darrell was not pitching, I came in to pitch the first inning, Darrell played second, Rico was in right and Russell was at first. 

In the first inning, the Beer Bros would score 4 runs and we were off to the races. In the bottom of the inning the Units were shut down. 

Brad did show up in the bottom of the inning, everything was back on
track...or was it? Pete came back in to pitch, Jimmer at second, Darrell at first, back to the game plan. In the top of the second inning, the Beer Bros. would spray the ball around the diamond and when the ball stopped bouncing around the Bros had 7 runs. The Hurtin' Units were shut out again in the bottom. In the third inning, the Bros. were stopped and scored nothing, the Units would put up 4 runs and finally get on the board. The score after 3 complete innings was 11-4 for the Bros. 

The corner was not turned in the 3rd inning, the Bros. scored another 7 run inning in the 4th and Units countered with 3 runs. The fifth inning was a tie, 0 runs for either team. In the 6th inning, the Beer Bros. only scored a single run, and the Units made it a little closer with a 4 run inning. The score at the end of six innings was 19-11 for the Bros. 

In the top of the 7th inning, the Beer Bros. tacked on another 4 runs and the Units went down quietly in the bottom. Final score 23-11 for the Beer Bros.

This game was the worst game of the season for the Units, we looked out of sorts, the Units will be playing the HTKP tournament on the weekend, hopefully we get out of our funk. Go UNITS!!

The Hurtin' Units next regular season game is July 11th vs. the Draft Kings.

 

 They Call Him Flipper. 

Game # 12

July 05, 2022

Hurtin' Units vs. the Bat Flippers

Hurtin' Units lose  14-11

Team Record- 9-3-0

Keogh Park- So this game was game # 12, holy crap the season is flying by, after our next game vs. the Beer Bros will be half way through the 26 game season. 

This game was our first in July and our hitting was still not what it was at the start of the season, maybe a little fatigue or maybe just the fact we were playing a good teams. Coming in to this game the Flippers were in 4th place and had the highest runs scored with the Hurtin' Units just behind them. I actually thought this game was going to be a high scoring affair, but that didn't happen. 

The weather for this game was muggy, temperatures in the mid 20s, there were overcast skies and most of the day it looked like a storm could bust out, but we were very fortunate and see not a drop of rain.

At game time, the Units had 11 guys dressed in red and the only missing player was Fernando who was on holidays this week. The lineup was exactly the same as the last game and that game was close, perhaps I should have changed it up a bit. Next game I will do something a little different to shake the batting up. The Units were the visitors in this game. 

In the 1st inning, the Units started the game exactly how we started the last game, 3 up,
3 down, Jerry, Marc and Jon went down quickly on fly balls. In the bottom, the home team Flippers would put up 2 runs and we were playing for behind again. 

In the top of the 2nd inning, the Units bats were not much better, Peter would come around to score, but Brad, Chilly and Darrell all got out and our inning was over. The Flippers would score another run in the bottom. 

In the 3rd inning, the Units bats came to life (a little bit anyway) and when the dust settled we had scored 3 runs. In the bottom, those pesky Flippers (almost like mosquitoes) would score another 2 runs. The Flippers were not hammering the Units, but they sure were hanging around. The score at the end of 3 innings was 5-4 for the Flippers. 

In the next 2 innings, the Flippers would shut out the Hurtin' Units, and they would score 2 runs in each inning to take a 9-4 lead. 

In the top of the 6th inning, the Units showed signs of life and scored 7 big runs to get back into the game and take the lead. The problem was that the Flippers were not going down easily and they countered with their best inning of the game. The Flippers would score 5 runs in the bottom of the 6th inning to regain the lead.

In the top of the 7th inning, I (Jimmer) would lead off and hit a line drive to Kevin B. at second base (my best hit of the night) for the first out. Jerry would follow with a fly out to center field (2 out) and Marc (with a sore thumb) would fly out to left field (3rd out) and that was the ball game. The Units lose their 3rd game of the season. 

The Hurtin' Units next game is July 7th vs. the Beer Bros.

 Those Sons of Pitches. 

Game # 11

June 30th, 2022

Hurtin' Units vs. Sons of Pitches

Hurtin' Units win 13-11

Team Record 9-2-0

Coventry Park- I enjoy playing ball at Coventry Park most of the time, but when we play on C2 at 7:00pm it is a little bit scary. At this time of the year, the sun starts off at a decent height, but by mid-game it is almost in our eyes. We do have a safety rule for this problem, we can suspend the game for 15 or more minutes until it is safe to play again. This game was full sun coming into the left side of the diamond and we had to be on our guard. 

The weather for this game was warm, the infield on C2 was like being on Mars, it was so dry and dusty and the temperature was close to 30 degrees, and there was the bright sunshine beating down on us with blinding light in our eyes. In other words, it was a perfect night for baseball. The Hurtin' Units were the home team in this game. 

At game time the Units had 11 guys dressed to take on the
SOPs, Fernando was the only missing player, for this game, he doesn't play Tuesday nights. 

I think that the Units hitting has dropped off a little bit from the start of the season, we have struggled in recent games and this game was no different. 

In the top of the first inning, the SOPs put up 2 runs and the Units went down 1,2,3 in the bottom of the inning. Jerry, Marc and Jon all got out to start our night...not a good sign. 

In the second inning, the Sons would score another run, but the Units would score 3 as Peter, Brad and Chilly would all come around to score. In the third inning, the Sons would tack on another 2 runs and shut the Units out again. The score after 3 complete innings was 5-3 for the Sons of Pitches. 

Over the next 4 innings the Units bats with come to life and we would score 10 runs while holding the Sons to another 5 runs in the 5th inning. The Units would not bat in the 7th and the final score was 13-10 for the Hurtin' Units.  A close game, but a nice win for the 2 points. 

The Hurtin' Units next game is on July 5th vs. the Bat Flippers. 

 MASTERS OF THEIR DOMAIN, KINGS OF THE CASTLE.

Game # 10

June 20, 2022

Hurtin' Units vs. The Master Batters

Hurtin' Units lose 11-10

Team Record- 8-2-0

Keogh Park- The Master Batters were last year's champions of the league and the Hurtin' Units were the winners of the regular season, so it was time for a final showdown for all the marbles. I know what you're thinking, the teams are different and this game has nothing to do with last season. This is true and the only players on the Units are Pete and myself and for the Master Batters there are Dave and Gord. Alright, it's a new season with mostly new teams, but these teams have always had good battles. 

The weather for this game was warm, cloudy with over cast and there had been a threat of rain all day, but it actually turned out to be a good night for ball. 

At game time, the Hurtin' Units had 11 guys dressed in red and the only missing player was Brad who needed a maintenance day. The Units were the visitors in this game. 

This was probably the worst I've seen this team hit this season. In our last
game, sorry 2 games ago,  (32- 13 vs. the Dogcatchers)  we could touch the ball and we had a hit, this game we touched the ball and it was an out. I give a lot of credit to the Batters pitcher (Scotty B.) who kept us off balance all night. Scotty was pitching from so far back that it basically through our timing off. The whole Hurtin' Units team had an off night. We were popping the ball up, hitting soft grounders and when we did get a hit, it was caught. So we chalk this game up to " Just one of those nights". The down side is that the Units don't play again until the next Tuesday so we have this loss in our heads until then. 

I did not get a picture of the game sheet for this game, so I will not post a boxscore. 

Next up for the Hurtin' Units are the Sons of Pitches on June 28th. 

 Inglorious Batsters... scary good.  

Game # 9 

June 16th, 2022

Hurtin' Units vs. Inglorious Batsters.

Hurtin' Units win 22-13

Team Record - 8-1-0

Keogh Park- I personally have always liked playing the Batsers, I really like their captains and they are usually a fun team to play. This season the Batsters are have a difficult time on the field, coming in to this game they had not won a game. It worries me when playing teams are due and we have to play them.

The weather for this game was great, warm and sun/cloud mix and just a great night for baseball.

At game time, we had 10 guys dressed and ready (somewhat ready) to take on the Batsters. Missing from this game were Chilly and Darrell. The Units were the home team in this game. 

So you remember how I said I don't like playing teams that are overdue to win a game, this is how I was feeling in this game. The Batsters have a good hitting team (Kahuna, Will, Lahey, etc.) and they showed us that power in the first couple of innings. In the first inning, the Batsters put up 4 runs and in the second inning, they scored another 7 runs against us, the Units countered with 2 in the first and 2 in the second. The score after 2 complete innings was 11-4 for the Batsters. 

In the third inning, the Units stopped the offense of the Batsters and in the bottom of the inning the Units would score 6 runs. In the forth inning the Batsters would score only a single run and the Units would tack on another 7 runs to make the score 17-12 for the Units. 

Over the next 3 innings, the Units defense played stellar baseball allowing the Batsters to score only one more run. The Units cooled off a bit also, but still managed to score 5 more runs and not have to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning. The final score 22-13 for the Units. The Hurtin' Units next game is on June 20th vs. the Master Batters.  

 Tale of the Dog. ⚾⚾⚾

Game # 8

June 15, 2022

Hurtin' Units vs. The Dogcatchers

Hurtin' Units win 32-13

Team Record -7-1-0

Keogh Park-Every once and a while a team has a game where the bats are full of hits and the runs just keep coming. This game was one of those nights that we could do no wrong. 

The weather for this game was great, warm temperatures, soft breeze and a sun/ cloud mix in the sky. 

At game time, the Units had 11 players dressed and ready to take on the Dogcatchers. The Dogcatchers have traditionally been a tough battle for the Units over the years, but tonight it seemed a little bit easier. The only missing player for the Units was Enrico. The Hurtin' Units were the visitors in this game. 

In the first inning, the Units had first at bat and sent 5 guys to bat, 3 got out, we scored a single run as the Units went down quickly. In the bottom of the inning, the Dogcatchers put up 6 runs and it looked like it could be a long game. 

Over the next three innings, the Units held the Dogcatchers to only another 4 runs and the Units bats came alive and scored 3 seven run innings in a row to take a huge lead. The score at the end of 4 innings was 22-10 for the Units. 

Over the next three innings (5th, 6th and 7th), the Units held the Dogcatchers to only 3 more runs, and would score another 10 runs to make the final score 32-13 for the Units.  

  

 

 

 Twist and Shout, twist and shout. 

Game # 7

June 8th, 2022

Hurtin'Units vs. the Tottenham Twisters

Hurtin' Units win 16-12

Team Record- 6-1-0 

Keogh Park- For the first time since the season started the Hurtin' Units only play one game in a week. Over the first 3 weeks the Units have played 2 games a week and have played the most of any team at this point. The Rebels and Draft Kings might actually be tied with games played. There are some teams that have only played 3 games this season. By the end of a month of play, most teams will be evened out, we will all play the same amount by season's end, a 26 game schedule. 

On Monday of this week, the games were canceled because of heavy rain most of the day and through the over night. On Tuesday, it was still raining and I really thought Tuesday's game were going to be canceled, but by game times the diamonds at Coventry looked really good. On Wednesday morning (our game day) there was a beautiful sun cloud mix, the temperature was around 18 degrees at 11:00 am. 

At game time the Units had 10 players in uniform and ready to play. Chilly and Darrell were missing from this game, Enrico was running late and ended up playing the last 3 innings. 

This game was the Hurtin' Units 3rd home game in a row, and our 7th game on the season. The Hurtin' Units defense was solid in the first 4 innings keeping the Twisters off the score sheet. The Hurtin' Units offense was not hitting well, but we managed to score 7 total runs in the first 4 innings. The Twisters would score 2 runs in the 5th inning on a 2 run homerun over the left field fence by Al B. (sub for the Twisters). In the bottom of the inning, the Units would score 7 runs on the board. The score after 5 complete innings was 14-2. 

In the sixth inning, both teams would score 2 runs each. 

In the top of the 7th inning, the Twisters went on a run and scored 8 runs tightening the score. The Units would hold on and win by a score of 16-12. 

 

 GRUESOME,  FOR A BIG WIN. 

Game # 6

June 02, 2022

Hurtin' Units vs. The Gruesome Devils

Hurtin' Units win 22-9

Team Record- 5-1-0

Keogh Park- Coming into this game the Hurtin' Units record was 4-1-0, the only loss coming at the bats of the Rusty Rebels. The Rebels to this date were still unbeaten and had a record of 4-0-0, with only 4 games played. 

After our game with the Gruesome Devils we were now 5-1-0 and with 10 points we had moved up to the top of the standings, at least for the moment. The Units have played 6 games this season, 2 a week for the last 3 weeks and will only play one game next week. 

The weather for the Gruesome game was excellent, a sun cloud mix with a temperature in the high teens. There was a soft breeze keeping the baseball in the park.

At game time, the Units only had 8 players in red shirts, plus 1 Roger (Kahuna) B. as a sub. Missing from this game were Fernando, Chilly, Jon D., and Enrico. Rico was the only one I didn't know about ( I didn't realize he was stuck in traffic and emailed me), I called Rob J. to come and sub for us. 

The Units were the home team for this game, we took the 3rd base dugout and umpire was Joe T. 

In the first inning, the Units actually looked a bit nervous, the infield had a bit of a new
look with Marc at short for the night and Kahuna at second base, and Russell was playing in right field. The Units settled down and closed the door on the Devils. In the bottom of the inning, the Units would score only a single run. In the top of the second inning, the Devils would score a single run tying the game, but in the bottom of the inning, the Units bats would come to life and with a few timely walks by Steve, the Units would string together a 7 run inning. 

In the top of the 3rd inning, things seemed to get a little more interesting, Marc had a bit of a tough inning at short and the Devils took advantage of it, the Devils would score 5 runs and leave 2 runners stranded on base to end the inning. The Units would score only a single run in the bottom of the inning. The score at the end of 3 complete innings was 9-6 for the Units. 

Over the next 3 innings, the Units defense tightened up and only allowed a single run to cross the plate. And over those 3 innings, the Units offense took control and scored 13 more runs to increase the lead. The score at the end of 6 innings was 22-7 for the Units. The Devils would score 2 more runs in the top of the 7th inning, the Units did not bat and the final score was 22-9. 

 YOU GOTTA KNOW WHEN TO HOLD THEM...

Game # 5

May 31st, 2022

Hurtin' Units vs. The Gamblers.

Hurtin' Units win 19-4

Team Record- 4-1-1

Coventry Park- This season saw 2 new teams enter the league. The Strange Crew, who we played last game and the Gamblers who the Hurtin' Units got to play in this game. 

The weather for this game was hot, during the day the temperatures got up to 30 degrees and the humidity was high. By game time the temperature had dropped, the sun was setting and there was a warm breeze keeping us relatively cool. It was a good night for baseball. 

At game time, the Hurtin' Units had 11 players dressed and ready to take on the Gamblers. Fernando was the only missing player, he was on vacation this week. 

The Hurtin' Units were the home team this game and the game was played on diamond #2 at Coventry Park. 

In the first inning, the Units defense was stellar, the Gamblers sent 6 batters to the plate and the lead off batters was the only one to score...nice start Units. In the bottom of the inning the Units sent 10 batters to the plate and 6 runners would come home. The second inning would see the Gamblers send  5 batters to the plate, the lead off batter, Howie would hit a ball to the fence for an in the park homerun. The Units would shut the door on the others. The Units would score 2 more runs in the bottom of the inning. The score at the end of 2 complete inning was 8-2 for the Units. 

Over the next 3 innings the Units defense was fantastic, allowing only 11 batters to come up to bat. The 4th and 5th innings were both 3 up, 3 down innings. The Units also showed some power over these innings scoring 7 runs in the 3rd inning, 1 in the 4th and 3 more in the 5th. The score after 5 complete innings was 19-2 for the Units.

The Gamblers would score 2 runs in the 6th inning and shut the Units down 3 up, 3 down in the bottom of inning. In the 7th inning, the Unitsg defense would close the door again, 3 up 3 down. The Units would not bat in the 7th.  The Units next game is June 2nd vs. the Gruesome Devils.

 Strange Crew, Who Knew.

Game #4

May 26th, 2022

Hurtin' Units vs. Strange Crew

Hurtin' Units win 23-9

Team Record 3-1-0

Keogh Park- This season new welcomed 2 new teams in to the league. The teams are named the Strange Crew and the Gamblers. The Gamblers are captained by the Troy H. and Dave C. and the Strange Crew are captained by Doug D. and  Tim O. This game was the Hurtin' Units first meeting against either team. I believe we will play the Gamblers next week. 

The weather for this game was overcast, with a few sprinkles of rain. The temperature was in the high teens. 

At game time the Units had 11 guys dressed and ready to play...almost. Erico was there, but had to slip away to make an important phone call, and did not make in back until the late innings. Fernando was missing, his wife caught the Covid. 

In the first inning, the teams looked like they matched up well, each team
scoring a single run. In the second inning, the Units' defense shut the door and in the bottom of the inning the Units sent 9 batters to the plate and when the dust settled there were 7 runs up on the board. 

In the 3rd inning, the Strange Crew showed a bit of pushback and scored 4 runs and held the Units to 2 runs. At the end of 3 innings, the Units lead 10-5. 

Over the next 3 innings, the Units took over the game, the defense would shut out the Crew in the 4th, 5th, and 6th and the Units offense would tack on 13 more runs highlighted by a centerfield homerun by Marc L.  The score at the end of 6 innings was 23-5 for the Units. 

In the top of the seventh inning, the Crew's bats would come to life scoring 4 more runs highlighted by a homerun (first of his career) by Dave Doucette. A blast over the left field fence. Awesome!!  The Units next game is May 31st vs. the Gamblers.

Nothing from Nothing leaves Nothing. 

Game # 3 

May 24th, 2022

Hurtin' Units win 10-7

Team Record 2-1-0

Coventry Park- I don't know what it is, but the Draft Kings always seem to have a good team on the field. They always have a great, great, great drinking team at the Legion. They are definitely Champions of the Jugs every season. 

This game was one of those games that the Draft Kings probably wanted to forget, at least until the 7th inning. The Score going in to the top of the 7th inning was 10-0 for the Hurtin' Units. The Units had played a defensive gem and it appeared to be a simple 1,2,3 and that would be the game. NO, no, no, the Draft Kings had other plans and they scored 7 runs and when the dust settled (third out) they had runners on base and the tying run at the plate. The Units stopped the Draft Kings for the win, but it was a lot closer than it should have been. 

When most games end, I usually take a picture of the scoresheet for the
record and the blog, this game I forgot to do it, so I don't know who played in the game or who was the highlight player (if there was one) or anything else. What I do know is the Units were leading 10-0 and came close to choking in the seventh inning. No game sheet, no boxscore. My bad!!

The Hurtin' Units next game (#4) is May 26th vs. Strange Crew. 

 The Rebel Force Was Strong it Was. - Yoda.

Game # 2 - Thursday May 19th, 2022

Hurtin' Units vs. Rusty Rebels

Hurtin' Units lose 13-6

Team Record 1-1-0

Keogh Park- Our second game was not as good as our first game of the season. That's not to say we didn't play well, I really thought we kept pace, but just did not capitalize on our opportunities. The Rebels look like they have a strong team this season. Their roster is peppered with strong bats and the defense is really solid. 

Over the first week of the season, it looks like the league has a handful of good teams, but let's wait and see where things sit after a month into the season. Let each team play 7 or 8 games and then we can look at the standings and stats and see where teams are headed, including the Hurtin' Units. 

The weather for this game was a bit cool, at least cooler than the game on Tuesday night. The temperature was around 12 degrees with a sun/cloud mix. 

Missing from this game was Enrico. Fernando and Chilly made their Hurtin' Units debuts and both played a good game. 

In this game with the Rebels, we got off to a slow start and the Rebels came charging out of the gate. The Rebels scored 5 runs in the first inning, mostly off a homerun by Derek E. who probably had 7 RBIs in this game. Derek would hit another homerun in the seventh inning to put this game away. 

The Hurtin' Units had decent contact while batting, but we hit to a lot of Rebel players. In the later innings we scored some runs, but a too little to late. Overall the Units had a decent game, but were out hit by the Rebels. Mark the next Rebel game (July 12th) on the calendar, these guys are beatable and it will take a solid night of defense and offense to knock them off. The Hurtin' Units next game (# 3) is May 24th vs. the Draft Kings.   

 Opening Night with the Tappers.

 

May 17th, 2022

Hurtin' Units vs. The Tap Masters

Hurtin' Units win 28-5

Team Record 1-0-0

Coventry Park- On draft day, when we are all milling around the tables with the teams displayed, every team looks good and there are usually discussions over who looks strongest. We all look at the variables like rookies, injuries and positions, but in the end we all just want to get on the field and see what teams can do. 

Following draft day, the captains will contact players, arrange batting or practice time, get the team equipment together and look at where players will best be suited on the field. We will also get the players to sign the waivers and then, (like everyone else) sit back and wait for the start of the season. 

I am happy to say the start of the season is here and let's play ball. It has been a long winter and I am looking forward to getting on the diamond.

I don't know what the Hurtin' Units record is on opening nights, but I'm willing to bet it's about 50/50. I could, and may go back in the blog and check out this stat. 

This opening night was cool, about 12 degrees at 7:00pm and there was a strong wind with a sun/cloud mix. 

At game time we had 10 guys dressed to play, introductions were made to Marc, who we were meeting for the first time. Missing from this game were Chris (Chilly) and Fernando (Sup). 

When I first saw the lineup for the Tap Masters, I thought it would be a close game. The Masters have the Candys, that is a triple threat, these guys are good. 

The Hurtin' Units were the away team and we batted first. In the first
inning the Units put up 4 runs on the board and it was game on. In the bottom of the inning the Tap Masters put up 2 runs of their own. 

Over the 3 next innings, the Units scored 17 runs and the defense held the Tap Masters off the board. The score after 4 innings was 21-2. The Hurtin' Units bunting strategy was working, (just kidding about the bunting, but there were a lot of swinging bunts), and it must have felt that way to the Masters. The Hurtin' Units had 5 swinging bunt singles and the Tap Masters added 1 more. A total of 6 bunts in a game, too funny. Darrell G. (Master's pitcher) wasn't enjoying the buntfest as much as the Units, but he's a good sport and you really have to laugh at such a thing. When was the last time anyone saw 6 bunts in one game?

Over the next 3 innings, the Units would tack on an additional 7 runs and the Masters would score 3 more runs. This opening night saw a lot of batting practice for the Units, 8 of the 10 Hurtin' Unit batters had 6 at bats. The final score, on opening night, was 28-5 for the Hurtin' Units. A good way to start the season. Game # 2 is on May 19th vs. the Rebels. 

 Let's Rock and Roll. 

April 25, 2022.

With only 3 weeks until opening night the buzz around the league is starting to get louder. On draft day all the teams look good, but over the first month of play, the cream will start to rise to the top and we will have a better idea of the power and defense of the most teams drafted. The rookies could make the difference between a league title or the T.O.T championship.  

On draft day the Hurtin' Units drafted 3 players that have played on the Units over our 12 years in the league. For Darrell this will be the third go around with the Units. Jon and Stef both played for the Units in the past. As for the rest of the team, well there are Peter and myself (Jimmer), three Rookies in Fernando, Mark and Rico, that brings us up to 8 players. The remaining players have all played in the league, but not with the Units. Jerry, Brad, Russell and Chris  have all played for other teams.

I'm looking forward to getting out on the field this season, most of last year I had a sore foot (better now, but not 100%) and just looking forward to warm wind, hot days and playing some ball. 

The season is scheduled to start the week of my 16th and hopefully everything goes to plan. I had a glimpse at the first draft of the schedule last week and we will play every team twice during the season. A 26 games schedule. It's time to dust off the wagon, regrip the bats, clean the cleats,  pocket the glove with a ball, drink the protein shakes (beer or sambuca) and let's play some ball. 

Make Mine a Draft. 

April 14th, 2022- I don't know about anybody else, but that seemed like one heck of a long winter to me. I'm really tired of the cold and damp days and I'm so looking forward to getting back on the diamond. I added a new countdown timer to the blog and it is set for the season opener, scheduled for May 16th. 

On Saturday April the 9th the Tottenham Oldtimers league had our first in person draft since the spring of 2019 and it was great to get out and pick a team in a normal setting. We did have a draft in 2021, but it was at someone's house and it was restricted to only captains and league executive. The 2021 draft was live streamed, but it definitely wasn't the same as the drafts of the past. 

This season the league has managed to get back up to 14 teams. Last season only saw a total of 10 teams because of the Covid rules and players being a little bit more cautious. Last season (2021), it wasn't looking very good early on, but restrictions eased a by June and it was game on. When we finally got playing it wasn't until July 19th, with a 17 game schedule. The season ended at the end of September with playoffs. The Master Batters would go on to win the Championship vs. the Draft Kings in the finals. 

For the Hurtin' Units last season was bitter sweet. We drafted a great team with 3 rookies that were definitely better than their draft rating (sometimes that happens) and with the other draft picks we were a very solid team, both defensively and offensively. We could squeak out a win in a low scoring game with our defense, and we could get in to a slug fest and still come out on top with our offense. 

The Unit's record in 2021 was 14-3-0 in the 17 game season. In the playoffs we were 2-2. We had 3 players in the top 10 in batting. Jamie, Steve and Peter were all up in the batting race, and then there was Derrick who was no slouch with a baseball bat either.  Steve and Jamie were 2 of the Rookies. Jamie would win the batting title with an average of .915. Not bad for a first year player. 

The Units would go on to win the league title, we would win the Beer Cup, the Keg party, Jamie won the batting title, Howie was SVP (every team has one, I'm just doing it for effect) and we won best looking team (okay I'm kidding about best looking), but we were a solid, well rounded, hard to beat team. 

So what happened in the playoffs you ask? Well, in the first game we did what we were capable of, and we won the game by a score of 19-5. We did it with stingy defense and powerful offense, it was just how the regular season script was written. 

 

The second game of the playoffs was the game that basically put the Units out of the Sunday games. We got in to one of those low scoring games and we could not get the necessary runs needed to win the game. In the playoffs, the Units would take the away games (visitors) in every game, we had home field advantage, but we were thinking that we might need the plus/minus runs by playing a full seventh inning every game. 

In the Woodies game, the Units would be up 5-0 in the top of the 4th inning (3 runs in the first on a Derrick E. homerun), but the Woodies would play some tight defense and score 6 runs over the last 4 innings to win the game. 

This game still haunts me. I can't believe we didn't score more than 5 runs. The Woodies would also have a tie against another team in our division (Draft Kings in think) and that would come back to bite us in the ass.

 

In the 3rd game, we played the Draft Kings and I think we were still a little stunned from the Woodies loss, we played like we were a little off. The Draft Kings would defeat the Units by a score of 12-7. The Draft Kings were on a bit of a roll, they would go on to play the Master Batters in the finals. Sorry, no boxscore for the Draft Kings game. 

In the 4th game of the playoffs, the Units would play the Batsters and win 22-11. The win against the Batsters was one we needed, but it was not enough to get us in to the elimination games. And just like that the Hurtin' Units season was finished. Season # 12 in the books. 

I mentioned a bit earlier that we got back to a in person draft and it felt good to be almost normal again. On draft day, when all the teams are finally picked, the players usually mill around the lineups comparing teams, looking to see who has the advantages, strengths and weaknesses, speed, power, etc. A lot of guys will take pictures of the teams, it's almost like being at a photo shoot, cameras clicking, flashes going off, guys saying "work it". Oh, it's a scene man. On paper, on draft day, every team looks like a winner, I think the same about the team the Hurtin' Units drafted, the only real way to find out is to get on the field. 

This is how the Hurtin' Units drafted on April 10th, 2022.

2022 Hurtin' Units Roster. 

James Taylor (C)

Peter Hollmann (C)

Fernando Su

Jerry Muirhead

Stefan Kapp

Brad Russell

Russell Mabee

Chris Chilvers

Jon Douma

Marc Landry

Enrico Conte

Darrell Hager

Every team looks good on paper, we are all undefeated, but until we get on the field, hit some balls and make some plays we won't know for sure. I like the look of our 2022 team, I think we have a great group, I'm looking forward playing with guys I have never played with, and I look forward to getting on the field.  Bring on the 2022 season. Git ur done!