Twistin' the Night Away.

 

Let's Twist Again Like We Did Last Summer.

Game # 17 – August 1^st, 2023

Hurtin' Units vs. The Tottenham Twisters of New Tecumseth

Hurtin' Units lose 21-12

Team Record-2-14-1

I apologize for this long-winded post, I just started typing and this is what came out.

When I do game posts, it's for a combination of 2 reasons. First I like to keep a record of the team's happenings and history. I have been doing a blog since 2010. This year the blog is showing nothing yet, but it's in the works, and by the end of the season it will all be posted, it will be basically what I've been saying in all the Facebook posts. The second reason I do this is to keep any followers up on the happenings around the Hurtin' Units team. Last year, when I created this group, it was great to update team happenings and the end of the season went well, so it was easy to post and keep it positive.

This season has been a bit of a struggle for the UNITS (candy coat it Jimmer) and it's sometimes a little difficult to keep things positive about the team. For me I'm having a fun season, joking around with these posts, i.e. Mystery Guy, Bucky Beavre and my losing streak are all fun to me. Customizing pictures with little twists (little pun intended, based on who we were playing this game) is fun to put together and I've been doing it so long, I could do them in my sleep. These have been fun, and my experiences on the field have been great also ( played in a great game between the Little Timmy's Tappers and Gruesome Devils last week), I have really enjoyed most of this season. Winning isn't everything.

There have been some not-so-good things this season: The passing of Chris L. and Laurier P. has been on the minds of many, throughout this season. These guys were long-time contributors to the T.O.T family and they are missed and reminisced about, in conversation, all the time. Chris played for the Hurtin' Units twice and he still makes me laugh when I think about him. Laurier and I were both pitchers and we battled against each other many, many times. I loved Laurier's competitive nature and his love of the game.

During the August tournament, the All-Star game will be named after Chris L. The Chris Larkin Memorial All-Star game will be played on Saturday, August 12^th. Also, Laurier's family is going to donate a trophy in honor of Laurier and it will probably be presented at the annual awards banquet. More on this in a future post.

The T.O.T league is a close-knit group and we work hard to keep things running smoothly in our league. This has been a bit of a difficult season and I tip my hat to Dave Storms and the executive ( including captains) for keeping it running as smoothly as possible. There have been many challenges this season, ( i.e. +55 league, rainouts, injuries, scheduling, etc.) and we have dealt with them all. The parity in the league this year is fantastic, there are 6 or 7 teams that could challenge for the regular season title and the championship is definitely on the table for a team that gets hot in the playoffs.

Let's Talk about the game... or not.

COVENTRY PARK - The weather for this game was comfortable, the temperature was in the high teens, and there was a soft breeze. We were on C #1 at 8:15pm, Lou C was the umpire, and I was the scorekeeper. The Units were the home team in this game.

At game time, the Units had 10 guys ready to take on the Tottenham Twisters of New Tecumseth for the second time this season. We picked up Gord Tanner as a sub. Missing from this game were Wayne, Jimmer, and Tommy.

Game Time: This game did not start well for the Units. The Twisters would score 7 runs in the top of the first inning, the Units not even recording an out and it was game on. Fortunately, the Units brought some sticks of their own and put up 5 runs in the bottom of the inning. The Twisters would start the top of the second inning at the top of the order, but this time around they would be shut down by some stellar defence by the Units. In the bottom, the Units would score a single run. The score after 2 complete innings was 7-6 for the Twisters.

In the 3^rd inning, the Units' defence continued to shine, the Twisters would score only 2 more runs, but the Units could only muster up a single run. In the 4^th inning, the Units' defence was good again, the Twisters would only score another 2 runs, and in the bottom, the Units would inch closer with a 3-run inning. The score just got a little closer (little is the keyword here), the Score after 4 completes was 11-10 for the Twisters.

In the 5^th inning, the pesky Twisters would tack on another 2 runs, and the bottom
would see the Units go down 1,2,3. That hurt the Units and that was really the turning point in this game. The Twisters would take that 3 up, 3 down momentum and generate 4 more runs, all with 2 outs, in the top of the 6^th. The Units would continue to battle, scoring 2 runs in the bottom. After 6 complete innings, the Twisters lead by a score of 17-12.

The Twisters would come out in the 7^th inning, starting with the middle of the order, the middle would all come around to score 4 more runs. With the last at-bat, the Units found themselves down by a score of 21-12, the last kick at the can. The Units would shit the bed, 3 up, 3 down and it was game over for the 14^th loss of the season.

As an observer of this game, I thought we played really well and I think most people thought the same thing. Guys were asking me the score, thinking the Units were up in the game. That's how good we looked. It's a strange season!!

And So It Ends.

 

Most of the Hurtin' Units followers probably won't care about what I'm going to say today. Since May 30^th, when the Units played the Tap Masters and lost 14-13, I (Jimmer) have been on a 19-game winless streak. I have played (and lost) 13 games with the Units in the regular season, 3 games in the HTKP tournament (and lost) and I have subbed for the Dogcatchers, Draft Kings and the Beer Bros all suffering losses when I was in their lineups.

To go winless in 19 games is crazy, it doesn't just play on your mind in baseball, it seems to creep into other areas too. I don't even want to buy a lottery ticket or play cornhole because I think I can't win. I'm joking a little bit here, but I think most people agree that not having at least 1 win over that stretch is a little bit strange. Roman jokingly said to me that I sold my soul to the devil, in return for a Hurtin' Units championship last season. I can honestly say that did not happen, but it is kind of funny that I don't mind the heat, I recently found horns growing on my head and I now have a pointed tail.

So, why do this post? I am happy to announce that Wednesday evening, in the rain, with the Shades of Gray Baseball Club, I pitched and came away with my first win since May 30^th. The final score was 24-3 for the Shades. Some may say there should be an asterisk beside the win because it was the 55+ league, but I say a win is a win, is a win. And So It Ends... A heavy weight has been lifted, the monkey is off my back and the losing streak is officially over. Let a new streak begin... hopefully it will win.

Speak of the Devil, the Devil Appears.

Game # 16 - July 25th, 2023

Hurtin' Units vs. The Tap Masters

Hurtin' Units lose 17-3

Team Record- 2-13-1

COVENTRY PARK - The weather for this game was comfortable, the temperature was in the mid-20s, and there was a strong breeze rustling the leaves on the trees at C #1 at 8:15 game. There was a sky full of clouds and earlier in the day there was a threat of thunderstorms. The games on Monday were cancelled due to rain and standing water on the fields. We were the visitors in this game. The scorekeeper was Terri R.

At game time, the Units had 10 guys ready to take on the Little Timmy's Tappers for the second time this season. The Units were missing Roman and Nick for this game. Roman was nursing a sore knee and coached us in this game ( Roman coached 3^rd base and he reminded me of the MAGTAG repairman, he didn't see a lot of work), Nick was away for the week. Wayne, Les, and Ingo were all back in the lineup for this game.

Unfortunately, in the early innings, Les would camp under a fly ball and the ball would hit him just above the eye, his glasses would cause a 3/4-inch gash on his eyelid. It was an awful sound as it him. Les would come out of the game. The cut was bleeding, but he got that stopped, his vision was good, but he probably will need a few stitches (or glue), and I would bet today he has a nice shiner. Last update, he went to hospital on Wednesday morning. I will check on him this morning. Roman would only catch for us on this night.

So here we find ourselves 16 games into the season and we still sit in last place. This is an unfamiliar position for the Hurtin' Units, we have never, in the history of this team, ever finished in last place. Over the years, we have become complacent in finishing in the upper half of the standings and as most of you know, we won the league in 2021 and the championship in 2022, sitting at the bottom, is definitely unfamiliar territory. Roman jokingly said to me I sold my soul to the devil for the championship last season and this year is my payback. “ I don't remember signing any contract or playing a fiddle”. I don't believe this is true, but some crazy things are happening this season.

We have played pretty well this season, but we seem to be a little snake-bitten when it comes to closing out games or innings for that matter. I can't tell you how many times we have had 2 outs and the other team would score multiple runs before the 3^rd out. If you look at our final scores, we are competing in a lot of games. Coming into this game, we have a 12-game winless streak, 9 of those games' losses were within 5 runs, and 3 losses were within 2 runs. That really is SNAKEBITTEN!! We could have used just a little bobble, seeing-eye single, missed catch or extra-base hit, and we might have won a game or two more.

We are the only team without a homerun (over the fence or in the park)... the only team. We can only hope that we get everybody playing and hitting at the same time and we get on a roll going down the final stretch. I don't like this 1 game a week either, which we have through July, I think it throws off a team's rhythm.

I think we have played well enough to win more games than we have. We have a confidence issue right now, our heads are down and we need to become a better-hitting team. Roman has been working with us on batting and other game-related stuff, we don't see the results yet, but I personally think if we keep working at it, I believe the results will come. Thanks, Romes.

In our first matchup with the Tap Masters ( May 30^th), we lost 14-13.

I'm not going to talk much about this game, we had a good night on the diamond defensively, and our bats were hitting decently, although we hit into 4 double plays, and mostly to the gloves of Tappers. Over we need to be positive, work hard, hit hard and play hard to get this season turned around.

Of all the games this season, this game hit me with the biggest reality check. We need to play better to compete in this league this season.

Barkin' Up The Wrong Tree.

Game # 15 - July 19th, 2023 (makeup game)

Hurtin' Units vs. The Dogcatchers.

Hurtin' Units lose 20-16

Team Record- 2-12-1

COVENTRY PARK - The weather for this game was comfortable, the temperature was in the mid-20s, and there was a strong breeze rustling the leaves on the trees at C #3. There was a sky full of clouds and earlier in the day there was a bit of rain, not enough to mess up the diamonds, actually, it probably made them better. For the second night in a row, we were at Coventry # 3 and I had been telling Peter all day it was guaranteed win night, we had gone 11 games without a win and, we were so due. The Units were the home team in this game. The scorekeeper was Kelly O.

At game time, the Units had 10 guys ready to take on the Dogcatchers for the second time this season. The Units were missing 4 guys tonight, Roman, Wayne, Les, and Ingo were all absent from the lineup. We picked up Jerry M and Franco B. as subs on the night. The last time we played the Dogcatchers we actually had a win, on May 16^th the Units defeated the Dogcatchers by a score of 18-12.

So here we find ourselves 15 games into the season and we sit in last place, it doesn't seem as bad as it looks, but something has to give and we need to get out of this slump. In the game against the Rebels, we played really well defensively and only gave up 10 runs, but as luck would have it, we only scored 8 runs. Considering where we sit in the standings, our plus/minus is really not that bad and a lot of our losses have been very close. I feel like the Rebel game was a breakout game, and this game may be the catalyst to getting us headed in the right direction.

Game Time: I mentioned that we were the home team, for the second night in a row. I don't think it helped!! In the top of the first inning, the Dogcatchers came out strong, 7 batters and 3 runs scored. In the bottom, the Units did something very rare and maybe for the first time this season, we scored a 7-run inning in the first. In the 2^nd inning, the Dogcatchers battled back and scored another 3 runs, the Units would score 2 more in the bottom, and after 2 complete the score was 9-6 for the Units.

We had a lead, really we had a lead and we were not playing from behind in a game. In the top of the 3^rd inning, that lead was short-lived, the Dogcatchers would score 5 runs. In the bottom, the Units would go down quickly, 5 batters up, 3 batters out, no runs. In the 4^th inning, the Dogcatchers would tack on another 2 runs, but the Unit's bats would come back out to play, the Units would put up another 5 runs, (a good sign for the team) and the score after 4 complete innings was 14-13 for the Units.

In the fifth inning, the Hurtin' Units' lead lasted about 3 minutes, the Dogcatchers came out like a house on fire, they would score 6 runs and take back the lead. CRAP!!!!! In the bottom, Tommy would lead off, coming around to score, Nick would do the same, we would leave the bases loaded and score only 2 runs. The 6^th inning was a clunker for both teams, we both sent 4 batters up and got 3 outs, no runs.

The 7^th inning was also a bit of a clunker, the Dogcatchers would score a single run, but the home team Units, would go down quickly. Pete would lead off and get out, Nick would also get out, Justin, and James would get on, Roddy would get out and there is your ball game. 20-16 for the Dogcatchers.

I have seen positives in this team this week. I know we continue to lose games, but our batting in this game was pretty good, it's been a while since we scored 16 runs. Justin's soccer skills are getting better ( little fun moment in this game where kicked the ball around a first base, 5 or 6 times, before the runner was safe), the defence in Tuesday's game was great, and Roman was a positive influence on the team, I went 5 for the first time in a long time, Roddy's shoe separated at the boot and sole (that's not a good thing, but it was a funny moment in this game) and overall there is a little more positive feel going down the stretch. Next week, get a couple of players back, but also are missing a key player, this has really been the story of our season. Units Unite!!

The Hurtin' Units' next game is Tuesday, July 25^th at Coventry # 1 at 8:15pm vs. The Tap Masters. Come join us for Roman Dasek Bobblehead night.

Mystery Guy Identity Revealed.

 

Mystery Guy Debut

Game # 14 - July 18th, 2023

Hurtin' Units vs. The Rusty Rebels

Hurtin' Units lose 10-8

Team Record- 2-11-1

COVENTRY PARK - The weather for this game was comfortable, the temperature was in the mid-20s, and there was also zero breeze at all. Earlier in the day we had a brief shower, but about 12 pm the sun popped out and it turned into a beautiful day for a ball game. We were on C #3 at 7:00pm so the sun was not as big an issue as on C #2. The Units were the home team in this game.

At game time, the Units had 10 guys ready to take on the Rusty Rebels, for the second time this season. The last team the Hurtin' Units beat was the Rusty Rebels way, way back on May 23^rd, game # 3 by a score of 21-11. Tonight we had Mystery Guy in the lineup for the first time. Welcome to the Hurtin' Units Roman Dasek

So here we find ourselves 14 games into the season, and coming into this game the Hurtin' Units officially are in last place. Holy crap, I can't believe with the team we have that we are not better in the standings. I can only hope that the team starts to gel and we get on a roll heading toward the playoffs. Including the HTKP tournament and subbing 2 games, I am personally winless in 15 games.

Game Time: This is the first game we have played since the HTKP tournament and I did expect a little bit of rust. In the top of the first inning, the Rebels came out strong, sent 7 batters to the plate and scored 2 runs. In the bottom, the Units did the same thing, 7 batters, 2 runs. In the top of the second, the Units flashed some leather and the Rebels went down quickly. The problem was the Units went down even quicker, 3 up, 3 down and a strike out by Roddy. The 3^rd inning saw the Rebels send another 7 batters to the plate and 3 came around to score. The Units would send 6 batters up and 3 more runs. The score after 3 complete innings was 5-5.

In the 4^th inning, the Unit's defense looked great, Rebels 3 up, 3 down. The Units would finally take a lead in the bottom, 6 batters and 2 runs would come in to score. In the top of 5the ^th inning, the Rebels would again send 7 batters to the plate, led by Rob Q, 2 more runs would come around to score. In the bottom, the Units would send 5 batters up, but no runs would come in, leaving runners stranded on bases. In the 6^th inning, the Rebels would go down quickly, 4 batters, no runs, runner stranded on 3^rd base. In the bottom, the Units when down 1,2,3. Crap!!! The score after 6 complete innings, tied again at 7-7.

In the open inning (7^th) the Rebels would send 7 batters up again, and when the diamond dust settled there were 3 more Rebel's runs on the scoresheet. In the bottom of the inning, the Units would score only a single run, leaving 2 other runners stranded on base. The final score was 10-8 for the Rebels.

The Hurtin' Units next game is Wednesday, July 19^th vs. The Dogcatchers.

HELPING THE RASCALS PLAY.

July 7th-9^th , 2023

HTKP TOURNAMENT.

Sometimes when I do postings on this group it's just for the documentation of the Hurtin' Units team. That's probably why I still keep the Hurtin' Units blog going. I can go back to the very first season and look up the roster and tell you game by game what I believed happened on that particular night. Sometimes I post for both entertainment and documentation. I actually enjoyed the last post with the Draft Kings game. It was fun trying to be creative. This post is more about what briefly happened to the Units over the weekend.

In July of 2016, the Hurtin' Units would play in their 7^th HTKP tournament and I guess it was 7 times a charm. The Units would go on the win their first and only HTKP tournament. The Units have put a team in every HTKP since we came into the league, with the one exception, the year the Covid 19 shut us down.

This year we also put a team in the Tournament. Every April year I send out an email to our newly drafted team and one of the things I mention, in the email, is that we always like to put a team in the tournament. It is 1 of 2 tournaments I like to participate in, the other being the August tournament.

For this tournament the Hurtin' Units had 10 of our own players taking part in the games. The only missing bodies were Mystery Guy and Jamie N. The Units would pick up Dave McGovern and Steve Porter for the weekend. Thanks guys.

The schedule had the Units playing their 3 round robin games all on Saturday. We also had bar duty at 2:30 until 3:45.

The weather on Saturday was a little mixed, for our first 2 games we had sunshine and it was warm. The 3 game was breezy, there were definitely rain drops, a little thunder in the distance, but we got the game in. It did rain later in the day.

Game # 1 – Saturday July 8^th, 2023.

Hurtin' Units vs. The Inglourious Batsters.

Hurtin' Units lost 18-6 and were mercied. This game started off well, the defense looked a little shaky to start, but we settled down and looked good later in the game. The problem was the Inglourious came out crushing the ball and it wasn't long before we battled from behind. Our defense has been quite decent most of the season. Our batting has been inconsistent. In tournament play, a good, fast start is needed to gain momentum and build team confidence, this didn't happen.

Game # 2- Saturday July 8^th, 2023.

Hurtin' Units vs. The Tap Masters.

The Hurtin' Units lose 12-10

In this game, we played the Tappers and gave them a pretty good game. We were the home team in this game and it came down to the last inning before it was decided. A base running error ended the game, but it was really the lack of stringing hits together at the right times that cost us a win. The Units had the tying run on first when the game concluded. The Tap Masters would go on to lose in the semi-finals vs. The Twisters.

Game # 3 – Saturday July 8^th, 2023

Hurtin' Units vs. The Master Batters.

Hurtin' Units lose 13-11

In this game, there was little chance of getting into the elimination games without a big win and a plus 7 plus/minus. We were again the home team in this game, (I think we won the coin toss 3 times, at least we can win something) and this game was up and down throughout, but in the later innings, the Units had a 6-run inning and took the lead. Going into the final inning, the Units had a 4-run lead, we stopped the Batters and we at least got a win. The Master Batters would score 6 runs and take the lead away. CRAP! The Units could not get any runs back. Batters win, Batters win, 13-11.

Congratulations go out the the Draft Kings for winning the tournament. The Draft Kings and The Tottenham Twisters of New Tecumseth would play in the finals. The Draft Kings would get off to an early lead and would almost mercy the Twisters (13-1), but then the Twisters would battle back and make a game of it. In the end, the Twisters just couldn't catch the Draft Kings because of the runs early in the game. Great final!!

The Hurtin' Units would be the only team not to get a win in the tournament, and including the regular season, we are winless in 13 games. The Hurtin' Units next game is Tuesday July 11^th vs. The Dogcatchers. Mystery Guy has been called up for this game, come on out to the park and Mystery Guy's identity will be revealed. See ya Tuesday. 

Game Of Grones.

 

Game # 13 - July 5^th, 2023

Hurtin' Units of Unitsville vs. The Drafty King's Men of Legionland.

Hurtin' Units lose 17-12

Team Record- 2- 10-1

THE PARK OF COVENTRY - The weather for this game was stinky hot, this week has been stinky hot, it was as though a dragon had breathed fire across the land making the temperature rise throughout the Kingdom. The sun was scorching and shining in the sky, the temperature around game time was about 30 degrees (give or take) and there was only a slight breeze, for this battle at the Coventry on the 2^nd. The sun was still setting, and for once it didn't seem to create as much of a blinding distraction as last time we played on this diamond.

At game time, the Units had 11 guys in amour to take on the Draft Kings for the second time this season. Missing for this game was only Mystery Guy (A.K.A the wizard). Mystery Guy shall be prepared for his first battle next game vs. The Dogcatchers. Stike seems to be absent for the Kings.

On May 15^th, 2023, the Hurtin' Units started their 2023 campaign vs. The Draft Kings on opening night at Park de Keogh. On that night, there was a memorial for our friend Laurier, and it was a sad and sombre night to be sure. We all lined up around the infield and Dave Storms (el presidente) gave a heartfelt speech about Laurier, there was a moment of silence and reflection. It was a tough night for the start of our season.

The Hurtin' Units vs. The Draft Kings game was the first game of the season (May 15^th), the previous year's playoff finalists usually start off the season, and that was the case this evening. The Hurtin' Units won the 2022 championship, but the Draft Kings would beat the crap out of the Hurtin' Units, in this game... by a score of 24-12. On that night the Draft Kings looked really powerful and basically unstoppable. King Charles (Chuck) of Colgan, led his merry men in a crushing defeat of the reigning champions, the Hurtin' Units of Unitsville.

So here we find ourselves starting the second half of the season, the Units with a 2-10-1 record and the Draft Kings with an 8-5-0 record. Opening night was not a true reflection of the 2 teams, the team records are far apart, but in the Unit's defense, (and I mention almost every post) we have been short our full team almost all season. This game was the closest to a full squad we have had since game # 1. We are better than our record would indicate.

Game Time: The Units were the visitors in this game. In the 1st inning, Pete started off with a solid double, Nick hit a triple to score Pete, Jamie, Wayne and Tommy all got out, inning over. Crap!! In the bottom, The Drafters only scored a single run. In the 2^nd inning, the Units scored another single run and Justin was forced out at second, Rod flew out, Corey popped out, inning was over again. Crap!! In the bottom, the Drafty Boys would put 7 runs on the board, ( a flashback to our first game against these guys).

In the 3^rd, the Units would send 6 batters up and come away with a single run again. CRAP!! Can you say “ another slow start”. The Drafters would score another 4 runs in the bottom. In the 4^th inning, the sleeping bats of Unitville started to stir, the Units would score 3 more runs, and the defense would hold King Chuck and his merrymen off the scoreboard. The score after 4 complete innings was 12-6 for the KINGS of DRAFT.

THE 5^th inning, was when the sleeping bats came to life, the Units would send an army
of batters (10, small army) to the plate and 6 would come around to score, leaving 7 behind on 3^rd base. The King's men could no longer hold the force of the Units off. In the bottom, the King's men would hit back with a soft attack, only scoring 3 more runs. In the last 2 innings, the Units of Unitville, were no longer able to battle on and went down in a catapulting ball of flames, unable to score any more runs. The mighty Kings would tack on 2 more runs to make the final 17-12 for the Drafty King's men. The Units battled strong, but in the end, the King's men were the superior team. We bow to you King Charles of Colgan.

The Units shall live on to fight another day, next Tuesday, July 11^th vs. The Dogcatchers.

The Units will venture to Coventry Park this upcoming weekend, licking their wounds, regrouping, picking up some reinforcements and battling in the HTKP tournament.

You gotta know when to hold 'em.

Game # 11 – June 29th, 2023

Hurtin' Units vs. The Gamblers

Hurtin' Units lose 11-9

Team Record 2-9-1

Coventry Park - The weather for this game was perfect, the temperature was in the mid-20s, the sun was shining, there was a soft breeze and the field conditions were much better than Tuesday night.

The official start time was:700pm, start your stopwatch.

At game time, the Units were down 2 players, Tom H. and Jamie were missing for this game. Tom with injury and Jamie recovering from surgery. The Units picked up Kevin Moore as a sub, and the Gamblers picked up Jerry Muirhead.

So, 2 posts ago I told the Hurtin' Units group that the Units had signed a mystery player, this is not me pulling your leg (other than the signing part), Units do have a new player coming into the fold. Tom H. has packed it in for the season; Tom was having some injury issues and would have a difficult time the day after games, he also popped his hip 3 or 4 weeks ago, and hasn't played since. He decided to call it a season. I'm a little sad about this, Tom is a very good player and a great team guy. So, the Units have seriously picked up a replacement player and that player is Mystery Guy. The rumours are floating around out there, and Mystery Guy's identity will soon be revealed.

Coming into this game, the Gamblers were tied for the top spot in the standings. They had been creeping up the standings over the last couple of weeks and earlier this week caught up to the Beer Bros. who have held the top spot for the entire season. The Hurtin' Units season has been a struggle, so playing the # 1 team was going to be a challenge. The Units played the Beer Bros. tough and I was hoping for the same with the Gamblers. I think we played them well.

The Hurtin' Units were the home team in this game. In the top of the first inning, the Gamblers would get on the board quickly, Lorne would get on, and the next batter Ian would blast a homerun over the left field fence, fortunately, that was all they would get in the inning. In the bottom of the inning, the Units get off to a pretty good start of their own, sending 7 batters to the plate and scoring 3 runs in the inning.

In the 2nd inning, the Gamblers would score a single run and the Units would go down 1,2,3 in the inning. In the 3^rd inning, the Gamblers would do a carbon copy of the 1^st inning, Lorne got on, and Ian hit a home run over the left fence. In the bottom, Units would send 5 batters to the plate, 3 would get on base, but nobody would score. The 4^th inning would see the Gamblers score another single run, and the Units again would go down quickly, 4 batters, 3 outs. The score after 4 complete innings was 6-3 for the Gamblers.

In the 5^th inning, the Gamblers sent 5 batters to the plate and a single run would come in to score. In the bottom of the inning, Units did the same as the last inning, 4 up, 3 out. In the 6^th inning, the Gamblers came out swinging, 8 batters and 4 runs would light up the scoresheet. The Units sent 7 batters to the plate and 4 runs would also come around to make the game a little closer. After 6 complete innings, the score was 11-7 for the Gamblers.

In the open inning, the Units would shut down the Gambler's offence, 4 batters, 3 out. The Units had their last kick at the can, they would score 2 more runs and fall short of tying or winning this game. And just like that the Units record gets a little worse, with a 2-9-1 after 12 games and the halfway point in the schedule.

The Units next game is Wednesday July 5^th vs. The Draft Kings.

Mystery Guy Signed by the Hurtin' Units

Breaking News: The Hurtin' Units have signed a new player. After a very short negotiation, the Units have inked a familiar face to play for the Units this season. This player shall be known as Mystery Guy until all the paperwork is filed with the league, and a roster spot has been created.

Until Mystery Guy can be put on the official roster, he has been assigned to the Saskatchewan Sasquatch for a 2 week conditioning stint. See you in a couple of weeks Mystery Guy.

Welcome to the Hurtin' Units Mystery Guy.

And I wonder, still I Wonder, who'll stop the rain.

 

Game # 11 – June 27th, 2023

Hurtin' Units vs. Inglorious Batsters.

Hurtin' Units lose 17-8

Team Record 2-8-1

Coventry Park - The weather for this game was damp (not sure if damp qualifies as a weather word), the rain had fallen for the last few days and the park was a little soggy. The temperature was in the mid-20s, there was a strong breeze, an overcast sky with threatening clouds. In the morning rain fell heavily, I went over to the diamonds, in the afternoon, to get the low down on field conditions. There was a bit of standing water on all 3 diamonds, but if we got no more rain, it would probably drain/evaporate away. Brad Young actually went to the diamonds and did some raking maintenance before the games. Thanks, Brad. The official start time was 7:00pm, start your stopwatch.

At game time, the Units were down 3 players, Tom H., Nick and Jamie were missing for this game. Tom with injury and Nick at his daughter's graduation and Jamie recovering from surgery. We picked up Kevin Moore as a sub.

So in my last (not my last, last was about MYSTERY GUY, but the one before
that) Hurtin' Units post, I was feeling a little frustrated with what was going on with the time of the games. Dave S. sensed my frustration and like a good president gave me a call and we had a great discussion about time and a little bit about the time rule. The one thing that was bothering me from the last game was that we were told, if the game goes past an hour and 15 minutes it goes back to the previous inning. This is not how the rule reads! The rule is “ If an inning has begun before 1 hour and 5 minutes has elapsed, it must be completed.” It does not go back to the previous inning score, it must be completed.

The Hurtin' Units season has been a struggle. We have had moments when we looked unstoppable and then other moments when we just looked like any that could go wrong, would go wrong. This week we have 2 tough games and coming into this game we are winless in 6 games. This week we play the Inglourious Batsters and the Gamblers, both are tough outs. I'm not going to cry over spilled milk, but I think we have only had a full squad once or twice this entire season, we have guys who work shifts, guys who have had family or job commitments and a couple of injuries that have prevented us from fielding a complete team every game. This is probably the same for most teams, but I think it has played a part in our record.

Breaking News: In my last post (the real last post), the news broke that the Units have signed a free-agent player, but that mystery player has been sent to the Saskatchewan Sasquatch for two weeks on a conditioning stint. Hopefully, Mystery Guy will help the Hurtin' Units get back in the win column. Welcome aboard Mystery Guy.

Units' vs Batsters.

The Units were the home team in this game and we played the game on the Coventry # 3 diamond. Coming into this game the Inglourious had a record of 6-3-0.

Game Time: In the top of the first inning, the Batsters sent 4 batters up, 1 got on, 3 got out. In the bottom, the Units sent 4 batters to the plate, 3 got on bases, and 3 also got out.

In the top of the second inning, the Basters would send 5 batters to the plate, and 4 would get on base, but through force outs, nobody scored in the inning. In the bottom, the Units would score 2 runs sending 6 batters up.

In the third inning, the Batsters would get on the scoresheet, scoring 3 runs. The Units would tack on another run also. The score after 3 complete innings was 3-3.

In the fourth and fifth innings, the Basters would score 3 more runs, and the Units also scored 3 more runs. After 5 complete innings, we were tied again, this was a very close game. In the sixth inning, the Batsters went down quickly ( 4 batters), and the Units would score 2 more runs to take a lead. 8-6.

Going into the 7^th inning ( yes I said 7^th inning, this was a night that I kinda hoped ended after 6 innings), the Batsters came out like we had stolen their lunch money, they pounded the ball all over the park, and when the diamond dust settled (there was no diamond dust, too wet from all the rain) the Batsters had put up 11 more runs on the board. Holy Crap, what just happened? We went from leading 8-6 to trailing 17-8. In the bottom of the inning, the Units were shell-shocked and went down quickly, 5 batters, 3 out. And just like that we are 2-8-1 with the Gamblers on Thursday night June 29^th.

GRUESOME? NOPE, STILL THE SAME SIZE.

Game # 10– June 22th, 2023

Hurtin' Units vs. The Gruesome Devils

Hurtin' Units lose 16-12

Team Record –2-7-1

Keogh Park- The weather for this game is perfect for baseball. The temperature was in the mid-20s and there was medium breeze, a sun/cloud mix and that was perfect for tonight's game. We could not ask for a better. The official start time was 8:20pm, start your stopwatch.

At game time, the Units were down 2 players, Tom H. and Jamie were missing for this game.

So in my last Hurtin' Units post, I asked the question: Is it no new innings after 1 hour and 5 minutes, 1 hour and 15 minutes or 55 minutes? Just after I posted, Roman messaged me and told me it was 1 hour and 15 minutes, I mentioned the executive said it was 1 hour and 5 minutes, and he wrote back to me and confirmed it's no new innings after 1 hour and 5 minutes. So we got that cleared up. Last night against the Gruesome, the umpire told me that it's no new innings after 1 hour and 5 minutes (sounds right), but if you start a new inning, before an hour and 5 minutes and it goes past the 1 hour 15 minutes, the game abruptly ends and we go back to the previous inning to end the game. What???? This is what I was told. I say just play the full 7 innings and be done with it. Holy Crap this time thing is frustrating this season.

Units' vs Grusome.

This season has been a bit of a struggle and I think it's safe to say that the Hurtin' Units are probably not going to win the regular season. Coming into this game, the Units record was 2-6-1 with a 5-game winless streak, we're not really rippin' the cover off the ball and we have gotten off to a really different kind of start than in previous years. We seem to have that one bad inning in every game and it leads to the Units seemingly coming from behind in every game.

The Units were the visiting team in this game and for only the 4^th time this season (10 games played), we are at Keogh Park. I counted the number of times we play at Keogh Park this season, on the schedule, the Units only play 7 games at Keogh all season and 17 at Coventry. This is probably due to the +55 division using Keogh on Wednesday nights. I prefer to play at Keogh, but this season we don't have that luxury. We have 6 games in a row at Coventry coming up, For the entire month of July we play Coventry every Tuesday night. I'm not complaining, the scheduler has a very tough job ( I wouldn't want to do it), but it just feels (this season) like things are a little out of sorts. Pete likes playing Coventry Park, but I prefer Keogh, it's too much packing up the wagon and trekking throughout the park for my liking.

Game Time: In the top of the first inning, the Units scored 2 runs, but also left 2 runners stranded on base. In the bottom of the first, the Gruesome scored 5 runs, 3 off a monstrous homerun by Tiny over the left field fence. In the top of the 2^nd Units went down 1, 2, 3, the nice thing was the Gruesome went down quickly also, 4 batters, 3 out. The Units would score 3 more runs in the third, the Gruesome would counter with 6 more runs, and the score after 3 innings was 11- 5 for the Gruesomes.

In the 4^th inning, the Units went down quickly 4 batters up, 3 outs. The Gruesomes would tack on 2 more runs. In the 5^th inning, the Units bats came alive and when the diamond dust settled the Units had scored 6 runs, the Gruesome Devils would come back with 3 runs of their own. The score after 5 complete innings was 16-11. The Units would score a single run in the 6^th inning (open), but the home team, didn't bat. Final score 16-12.

The Hurtin' Units are back on the field on June 27 vs. The Inglorious Batsters.

THE UMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

Game # 9– June 20th, 2023

Hurtin' Units vs. The Bat Flippers.

Hurtin' Units lose 16-11

Team Record – 2-6-1

The weather for this game is perfect for baseball. The temperature was in the mid-20s and there was a soft breeze. The only thing I disliked about this game was that we had the frickin' sun in our eyes the entire game. I hate Coventry diamond #2, I would have rather played at 8:15 on diamond #3, which was not used. We really need to revisit playing games on C2 when other diamonds are available later in the evening.

At game time, the Units were down 1 player, Tom H. was the only missing body for this game.

I need to rant a little about the umpiring this season, not for calls against us, but more about the inconsistency. First off, the no new innings after... Is it an hour and 5 minutes, an hour and 15 minutes or 55 minutes ( this should be a trivia question)? Last night, on the most perfect night for baseball, with no other games on C#3 and C#2 our last inning was called after 55 minutes. There were also a couple of calls in this game that were missed, one was a foul ball and the other (which might have played in the final result) was a ball clearly caught and dropped on the transfer, I know there are missed calls in games, but this was a bad one in the open inning.

Over the last 3 games, the Units have battled to stay in the games. The SOPs beat us up by a score of 13-9 and the Master Batters tied us with a 10-10 and in this game we went down 16-11. It seems like we have gotten off to slow starts in (what game is this, oh game 9?) about 9 straight starts. Even in this game, we gave up 6 runs in the first inning (7^th stranded on third) and in the home half, we sent 6 batters up and scored a single run. The score was 6-1 after the first inning. Not a very good start again.

As the game progressed, the Units settled down and slowed the high-powered Flipper offence down a bit. The Units chipped away at the Flipper lead scoring 4 runs in the 3^rd inning, 3 more in the 4^th inning, 3 more in the 5^th inning and only allowing the Flippers 4 runs over that span. At the end of the 5^th inning, the score was 11-10 for the Units.

It was at this point the umpire struck back, calling an open inning before we were even into
an hour in to the game. Some of you would say that this doesn't matter, but it does, especially with the defence on the field. I usually put the strongest defensive team on the field for the open inning, but when the open is called way, way too early it really messes things up. It was in this inning, that the first Flippin' batter hit to left field, clearly a catch, on the transfer the fielder drops the ball and it's called a fair ball, I call bullshit. Even the scorekeeper had an outmark on the scoresheet. The Bat Flippers would go on to score 6 runs in the inning for the win. 

The Hurtin' Units are back on the field on June 22 vs. The Gruesome Devils.

SLOWING DOWN THE BEER TRAIN.

Game # 8– June 14th, 2023

Hurtin' Units vs. The Beer Bros.

Hurtin' Units lose 18-9

Team Record – 2-5-1

Conventry Park - The weather for this game was comfortable, not too hot, not too cold, there was soft breeze and the skies were clearing. Earlier in the day there was rain, which got me a little worried On Monday, all the games were cancelled due to the rain that fell most of the day. The Tuesday games were also in jeopardy, with rain coming down Tuesday afternoon. At game time all Tuesday games were a go and all 3 were played.

At game time, the Units were down 1 player, Tom H. was the only missing body for this game. It was nice having our own players back in the lineup. I like subs, but it's nicer with your own team.

The Beer Bros. have been almost unstoppable this season, they have had a few close games and coming into this game they were undefeated. Their record was 7-0-0.

Over the last two games, the Units have battled to stay in the games. The SOPs beat us up by a score of 13-9 and the Master Batters tied us with a 10-10, we gave these teams their first points of the season. We are givers... or we couldn't muster up the hits to win these games.

This game was close in the early innings, the Units actually had the lead at one time, but a big 7-run inning, by the Bros. basically sealed the deal. The Beer Bros. actually had two 7-run innings in this game, 14 of their 18 runs in the game.

This game might have been a little closer, had we come out of the gate a little better. In the first inning, the Units first 3 batters, hit hard, but every one of them hit to a Beer Bros. glove, 3 up, 3 down, not the best start. We also had another moment with the bases loaded, I hit a line drive to left, for a hit, but Ingo was thrown out at second to end the inning. Missed opportunities!! Our bats are starting to come around, and it was great to have Nick back in the lineup.

This game marked the 1/3^rd point of the season, the Units record does look as good as I think it should. I really think we are starting to play a good game, it hasn't shown on the scoresheet yet, but we have a solid team. Les has been a surprise this season, Jamie is getting better at short every game, Justin impresses me every game, Corey is still feeling his way around the league, Tommy B. is crushing the ball, Rod, Nick, Wayne, Ingo, Pete are all team guys who play hard and I have found a pretty good groove pitching. We do miss Tom Hollmann's bat and stellar play at first. With 1/3^rd of the season complete, let's see how the 2/3^rd of the season goes. Go Units!!

The Hurtin' Units are back on the field on Tuesday, June 20th vs. The Bat Flippers.  

FINDING NEMO OR WHERE'S NIVO?

 

Game # 7 – June 8th, 2023

Hurtin' Units vs. The Master Batters

Hurtin' Units tie- 10-10

Team Record – 2-4-1

The weather for this game was comfortable, not too hot, not too cold, there was a soft breeze, a few sprinkles of rain and there was still a smokey haze in the sky. I noticed the smokey smell earlier in the day, more so during this game than last night's.

At game time, the Units were down 3 players, missing were Tom, Nick and Corey. At least that's what I was led to believe, at 7:00 pm we were still missing Nivo (Jamie), I texted and phoned, no response. Where's NIVO? He was napping and showed up in the 2nd inning. For this game, we picked up Nimmo Khan as a sub on the night. Next week we could get back to a full team, using our own players. Don't get me wrong, I love having subs play for us, but I would much rather have our own guys. It feels like we have been short guys most of the season, probably not true, but it seems that way. Last season we barely had any subs at all.

I was in my 2023 jersey tonight, hoping it would get us out of a Grand Funk
.

“ Ain't no sunshine when there's smog”, I know, I know, I know, I know, anytime it can go away”, my little twist on "There Ain't No Sunshine" and all the smokey skies. For the second post in a row, I've used the word ain't, I ain't gonna do that anymore. I was always told ain't, isn't a word.

For this game I thought I would change the batting order a little, just to shake it up baby now, "Twist and Shout". I have a lot of little songs stirring around in my head, I put the song titles in quotations. Fun stuff!! I didn't change the lineup dramatically, but I did tweak it a little just to get the team "On the Road Again". We actually were the home team in this game.

"We Get By With A Little Help From My Friends". We had a tough night at bat (only 10 runs in 6 innings), but our defence really helped us in this game. We had 2 innings where we gave up 4 runs in each, other than those innings, we were tight.

The Units were again a little out of sorts tonight, we had a difficult time at the plate, Kevin M. kept us off balance with his fancy, schmancy pitching the entire game and we could only manage 10 runs. On Wednesday, the Sons of Pitches got their first win against us, this game the Master Batters got their first point of the season against us. What can I say, we like to "Give A Little Bit" back.

The Hurtin' Units are back on the field on Wednesday, June 14th vs. The big, bad, scary, ball-bashin', run-scorin' Beer Bros.