Friday, July 27, 2007

I make no apologies for this, guys. You were heroic on Wednesday...

The Fight at Finsbury

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Low Point, High Point

Low Point - Worrying about the count too much whilst batting then losing my concentration and my nerve and wildly swinging at pitches so that I struck out.

High Point - Making a great catch to get the batter out and then managing getting another batter out at first despite missing the catch. Somehow I scooped it up and got it to Peter with a scrappy under arm throw... oh and making my highest number of runs of the season!! (I know it's meant to be one high point, but I couldn't choose!)

We rock!! TriBiold 21 - 25 Loan Wolves

We rock! Today was a well deserved victory - and I'm proud of everyone who played, everyone who coached, and everyone who kept us together on the sidelines. Onwards and forwards....or something like that.

Well done Wolves - we certainly do Rock!!

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Sunday = 12 hours of Softball

As Mr T said... I pity the fools... but yes 3 wolves and one dev girl turned up at Clapham at 11 for a quick practice but before they knew it they were involved with a full on 4 team tournament. After 2 hours of drills and batting practice, Kevin, Matt, Paul and Alana stood in line like school kids waiting to picked by one of the other teams. I was lucky enough to be picked by Super Ben's team and wasn't the last person picked.... Matt? Kevin???

So off we went to play 3 round robin games and Kevin played 3 won 3, Matt played 3 won 1 drew 1 lost 1 and me in glorious wolves fashion played 3 lost 3 !!!! Regardless on how well our teams did (shut it Kevin) we all played 3 great game in teams from higher divisions and had so much fun. We all played well and did the Loan Wolves proud .... especially me by refusing to let good players win a game.

We'll probably be there next week and who knows what will happen?

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Low Point, High Point

Low Point: My batting was awful. Out at first, then made it to first but got Andy out.

High Point: Watching Manj drink her first ever tequila slammer.

Loan Wolves 2 - 43 Devil Strays

Sometimes you're the windshield...
... and sometimes you're the bug.
We were sadly unable to repeat last week's glory, coming up against an on-form bunch of Strays in the evening sunshine. we didn't field as well as last week, sadly. I was playing second Base again, and was painfully aware of all the balls that got past me or which I didn't get to quickly enough. I did take two catches though, which was something. The frustration we were all feeling as the match got away from us was exemplified by Peter's "berserker" axe-like swing of his bat at the ball in our last inning.
Pub afterwards, where Matt treated those of us still there after the first round to tequila slammers. From that point, we cheered up a bit.

[X posted from my LJ]

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Low Point, High Point

Low Point: My pitiful attempt at being 3rd base coach. I dried up like a big old dry thing.

High Point: Winning the pitcher-batter duel and so getting a walk that converted into a run!

Raiders Red 11 - 12 Loan Wolves

Having lost to one Raiders team last week, we were away to their other side this.
We emerged from the Tube at Clapham South into a rainstorm, but it dried up before the match started.
We batted first, as away side, and posted four runs before I hit the ball straight to their pitcher to end our inning. Then we fielded, and kept them to one. In the second inning, we made no more runs, while they chipped away at our slender lead. This set the pattern for the game – not many runs scored, with all ours coming in three good innings and theirs consistently in ones, twos and threes throughout the match. The sides were closely matched; both played well, both made good plays, both made a few errors. The Wolves benefited from Julian’s excellent pitching – nerves of steel, striking batters out, all through seven tense innings. We also had some good moments in the field – I think it was the second inning which saw three outs for no runs, all catches, all from different fielders. But then, so did they; we were shut out for four innings, after all.
The scores were levelled at nine all by the top of the seventh, and we knew we were in a ball game. With the home advantage, they would only need to score one more than us to win. We needed to score at least once to have a hope of victory. We made three. Would it be enough? Their last inning began. Soon there were two outs to us, but two runs scored for them. Runners on bases. Nailbiting stuff. It would only take one good hit to get them round. But then, it only needed one more out to end the game. And we made the out.
And so we had a win. For the first time ever, the Loan Wolves had won a competitive game. And it was a good win. The forfeit vs triBold doesn’t count, and the walkathon vs the Tornadoes would have been a hollow victory, but we played for this one, against a side we’d lost to before, and we earned our win. We played well, we played as a team, and we won fair and square. Everyone played their part, which was great. Due to lack of options, many of us were at unfamiliar positions, but we coped. I was at Second Base for the first time in a long while, making outs there and getting a tag on a runner.
After the game ended, we were in a euphoric yet numbed state (possibly helped by the trip to the pub afterwards). It hadn’t really sunk in yet. But by this morning it had. We have won a game. Remember today, little brother - today, life is good.
[X-posted from my LJ]

Washing instructions for the single man

For those hard to remove stains, can I recommend the following:

First turn your shirt inside out
Place in a white cotton pillow case
Use only pure soap flakes ( I suggest Dreft)
Wash on a cool wash
Iron when still damp

Following these steps will ensure that next weeks match we will smartest freshest smelling most victorious team in Div5.

Go Wolves

Gaz

Monday, July 09, 2007

Northwick Park Softball

I went along to the batting cages at Northwick Park on Saturday.

http://www.northwickpark.com/baseball_softball.html

Though it can't replicate the conditions of a real game, it's pretty good fun. A token of 15 balls pitched from a machine costs £2 (I went for 75 - I was feeling greedy). The pitches vary somewhat; some were knee height, some nearer the shoulder, which you'd leave normally (unless you're me), but required an overhead smash to get away. Because there's meshing all around the cages, sometimes it's hard to tell how well you've hit it, unless it goes quite flat and far. Also, they're quite pedantic about helmets, even if you're playing slow pitch softball....it's really not in their interests for you to get injured though.

It's quite a trek to get to but worth it, I feel, if you need batting practice between games.

Friday, July 06, 2007

Low Point - High Point

Low Point - Not keeping my eye on the ball enough:
Missing a high catch when I was in the outfield and mis-fielding a ground ball when I was on 2nd. Instead of landing in my glove, it bounced off my toe and veered off into the outfield. Ooops, sorry guys.

High Point - Patience is a virtue:
Holding my nerve and keeping my patience for two walks.
My second one came when I had got to full count, but I had been watching him with his fancy "wrist curling round his back" technique and noticing that he had been getting a lot of balls so I went for it, watched the ball as closely as I could, and put all the pressure on him.
It took nerve as the umpire was calling balls and strikes slightly erractically at times. Both the pitcher and I were convinced that I had been pitched a strike at one point but it was called a ball.
I know that not everyone is convinced by the "leave the first pitch" idea, but I personally think that it works, especially the first time you go up, as it gives you the chance to see how the pitches are coming and how the umpire is calling them. Plus, my batting isn't the strongest so I need all the extra edge that I can get!

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Laminated!

After last week's rain-sodden match in which our score sheet became pretty soggy and smudged, we'd thought ahead. We had laminated score sheets, with permanent markers. As Richard said, we are the geekiest team in the league. And we proceeded to get laminated - in the sense of squashed flat, smothered, and put through a heated mangle.
It wasn't that we played badly. It wasn't our finest performance ever, but RB are leading the division and it shows. They just outclassed us in batting. And fielding. And pitching. and base running. Apart from these few areas, we were actually quite close to them in skill level.
I faced my first pitch right-handed, then stepped across to the other batter's box and shifted to my left hand. cue minor agitiation from the opposition; "he's a switch-hitter!". Sadly, your classic switch-hitter is as deadly batting left-handed as right. Whereas I'm just not that much worse with my left... I gave them an easy out at first. Next time up, I was on a full count and lost the head-game with their pitcher - "will he pitch a strike now, knowing that if I leave it I'm out? Or a ball, 'cos he thinks I'll swing at anything? But he knows I'd know that...". Struck out.
Some great moments from us - Julian struck out two of their people, and there was some great fielding - at one point Gareth heroically flung himself at a ball, risking life, limb and finger, rolling over and emerging with it as a catch.
We retired to the social club, where my Doctor Who earworm was cleared by hearing the Raiders women singing along to 'Jolene'. Bring back the Scissor Sisters...

[X posted from my LJ]

Monday, July 02, 2007

Blasey's match report....

Thanks Matt for the peppy email... you aren't a touch on Manjiv but it put a
smile on my face this morning. Some how there is a fault on my broadband
so I have no internet at home till the weekend....

Mavy says that she enjoyed the game and she too has a bruised ankle but
failed to pull off a sicky.

I know I should blog but here's my highlights and lowlights of yesterday...

HIGHLIGHTS
Vic to Alsion to get an out at 1st
Gareth and Andy's out at 3rd
Julian's first time pitching this year
Alex almost being knocked out by a Paul fly-ball coming off the tree as he
cycled in late
Pete's slip at first but valiant attempt to catch the ball whilst on his
back
Faustina batting in Kevin
Kev's casual catch off the first delivery of their innings
Gareth slipping over but still getting the ball to Kevin
My slide to second to prevent the girl throwing Alsion out.
Paul unable to pitch to their girls.
The confusion caused by having 11 players in the line-up (including 2 guys
in a row)
Olivia trying to score using a soaked sheet or paper and a BIONIC finger.
Matt, Alex, Julian, Paul and Kev's confusion when we changed everything in
one go.
The Kev, me and Paul attempt to get an out at home plate.
Val looking like a drowned rat but there and playing well as catcher.
Mavy and Faustina in the outfield stopping ground balls.
Watching Paul slide as he tried to pitch in the mud.

LOWLIGHTS
Missing Tiggs and Kate...it's not the same without you.
The Rain
The long walk back to my car because we went to the other pub.
The Rain
So many illigal, too high and too low balls
Gareth's frustration in the outfield when we mucked it up
My underarm pass to Pete
My handing, not throwing, the ball to Alison.
When we make simple errors
When we aren't as tuned in on what is actually happening.
The umpire calling some questionable decisions on Vic.
That girl catching Gareth in the outfield when the bases were loaded and we
had 2 outs.
Not being able to move off 1st due to the mud.

Please can everyone let Manjiv know today or tomorrow if you can, can not or
might not be able to play on Wednesday as we are at home to Raiders Blue and
it's payback time.

One last thing....
Thanks guys. It might have rained, we might have been wet, we might have
been able to play better but it was still FUN.....

Lets get ready for 11th August when we will beat them all in the tournament.
Keep that date free.

Blasey