Gotham City: Hounds Sweep

With our playoff possibilities firmly locked up, it was time to return to Heckscher Field and return to our sweeping ways. The weather was finally something other than stifling hot, and that was a much welcome change. In the opposing dugout was a scrappy and fun-loving team called We Slap Ballz. 

In Game 1, Margaret was our starting pitcher. As the away team, we came up to bat first. MikePa, Wink, & Camille proceeded to hit back-to-back-to-back singles, and Dave followed with a 3-run home run, his first of two in the game. We would score 5 in the first, and Margaret held WSB to just one homer off a clean shot by their leadoff hitter. There is nothing you can do but tip your cap to the guy, it was a well hit ball. At least it was only a solo shot, and we still had plenty of time to impose our will. We added 1 in the second, 1 in the third, and 2 in the 4th, all the while playing magnificent defense. Cardillo and Jessie had some nice plays in the outfield, and the rest of the team looked really good too. In the 5th, we blew the game open with another big inning, Wink ending it on mercy rule with a 3-run blast. Final Score: Hounds 16, WSB 1.

For Game 2, Wink made his first start for the Hounds after some campaigning, and he backed up his self-confidence with a solid outing. This time, we were home team and we entered the bottom of the first down 0-2. The captain set the table and ledoff with a lucky shot that turned into a solo homer. We scored a quick 5 in the first and would never look back. MikePa hit a solo homer and had a spectacular catch in center, and Diana scored her first run of the season. But the game stayed close throughout, and with the score at 7-5, Margaret came in to pitch the last two innings and sew up the victory. We added to our lead in the top of the 5th, with Iain hitting a 3-run homer. Wink's first victory as a pitcher means we are 10-2 and in great shape heading into the final week of the regular season. Final Score: Hounds 10, WSB 5. Afterwards, we celebrated at our annual team bbq.

I think this was our most solid all-around performance of the season. The defense was really stellar and our hitting was also very good. We are clicking like a well-oiled machine. Let's keep the momentum going into the final week of the regular season. Reliable sources tell me we will be playing one of the top-ranked teams in the league next week.

Zog: Final Regular Season Stats

The final regular season stats have been compiled and it must be said we had a very strong offensive season. All the Hounds single-season records came crashing down. Iain took the triple crown, hitting .844 with 10 Homers and 32 RBIs. Wink set new marks in At Bats and Hits, a testament to his exemplary attendance and consistency. Juiena closed out the season as team leader in Wins, and she won the ladies batting title with a .486 average, almost .200 points higher than her average last spring/summer.

We have to put the regular season behind us now. None of what happened then will count towards what happens next. The two teams that beat us this season lay ahead of us in the playoffs. I have no doubt we are up for the challenge, but we must stay humble, hungry, and smart in order to pull it off.

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Zog: Hounds Annihilate Sporting Wood

The regular season finale brought us to DeWitt Clinton Field in Hell's Kitchen on a warm Summer night. It was a rematch with Sporting Wood, a team we had already dominated earlier in the season. We were primed and pumped to close out the season strongly and head into the playoffs on a high note. We also had playoff positioning at stake, with a victory clinching the top spot in the division and homefield advantage throughout. Sporting Wood is quite frankly, a team that can't hit, run, throw, field or pitch. To top it off they came to the game short-handed, only being able to field a team of eight players. After a brief negotiation, we decided that we would not lend them a player due to the importance of the game for our side. Finally, it was time to play ball.

As the away team, we came to bat first. Sporting Wood's pitcher was not able to find the strike zone, and when he did, he got pounded. Iain, Dave, Mega and Wink all went yard in the first, and we put 10 on the board in that opening frame. The game was pretty much over at that point, as starting pitcher Juiena had given up 10 runs in a game only once this season. She pitched a scoreless first, and in the 2nd we scored another 12 runs to really put the result beyond question. The highlight of the 2nd inning had to be Camille's monster 3-run home run...it was a shot any of the fellas would have been happy to have. The bench went crazy and after that point our motivation became padding our stats and shooting for the Hounds all-time single-game scoring record(27). We then did offer a player to Sporting Wood to stop the bleeding a bit, but their manager stubbornly refused before his team convinced him to accept. By then though, it was too late. We pulled our offer and decided to really step on their throats.

There are too many other offensive highlights to list, but some that come to mind are Iain hitting two homers; one a grand slam, the other a 3-run shot. Dave hit for the cycle, although he could have at least fake-tripped on the turn at first to make his "single" more believable. Mega had two dingers and drove in 4, Camille drove in 5 and Amy had a hustle home run and drove in 4. The record fell in the top of the third, and who knows how much we would have scored if the game hadn't been called due to time limit. Wink came in to relieve Juiena in the 4th, and threw two shutout innings. When the game was over both teams were relieved, but for different reasons. Final Score: Hounds 33, Sporting Wood 1.

Let's give credit to Sporting Wood for mostly being good sports and taking the beating in stride. Sure, there was that one chatty fellow, but we felt too sorry for him to even reply to his banter. 

Now the playoffs are upon us. We have a first-round bye and most likely won't be playing for at least another week. Please bear in mind that playoff games could be scheduled any day in the coming few weeks, we need all hands on deck for the title push. I am very confident we can defend the crown.

Gotham City: Hounds Split

Following a strong performance in our last outing, it was time to measure ourselves against the undefeated, first-place team. The setting was the Great Lawn, and the city was embroiled in a stifling heat wave. Thankfully, a big tree provided shelter from the sun, and the field was in immaculate condition. In the opposing dugout were The Big Cocks, and by the time the day was over, they would demonstrate that they are aptly-named.

For Game 1, Margaret took to the hill and she did what she always does, pitch very well. The Cocks went out 1-2-3 in the first, then it was our turn up to bat. The Cocks made a curious choice for starting pitcher, as the lad was unable to come close to the strike zone. We gladly took the walks and sprinkled some hits in between. Iain, Jason T. & Justin each had 2 RBIs. A 6-run first inning boded well for our chances of winning this one. The Cocks would change pitcher, but by then, the damage had already been done. Meanwhile, Margaret continued to make pitches, and our defense was solid even if there were a couple of miscues. We were up big entering the top of the 5th, and Margaret closed them out to end the game on mercy rule. We realized that The Cocks did not get on base through a clean base hit, giving Margaret her first no-hitter as a Hound. Final Score: Hounds 11, Cocks 0.

For Game 2, George took the ball and pitched decently. He did have a few walks though and the Cocks were able to finally get some base hits. Early in the game, we pointed out that The Cocks' male-to-female ratio in the batting order was too high. The umpired agreed with us but unfortunately, that ruling brought out the worst in our opponents. They became very talkative and obnoxious, but they held the lead and we were unable to silence them with our play. Unbelievably, they gifted us 8 walks but somehow we were not able to fully capitalize. We hit a combined .222 in this game, which won't get us very far in any league. We also had a couple of rally-killing bonehead baserunning plays, with 2 runners getting called out for leading too early. We can't have that kind of stuff happening, guys. We did mount a rally in our last licks, but were only able to get one run on the board before the game ended on a 5-5-3 double play. There was a brief confrontation between the two teams at the end of the game before cooler heads prevailed. Final Score: Hounds 4, Cocks 6.

It was very tough to split against this team, but at least we had a look at the team that was in first up to this point. It's safe to say that we do not have too much to worry about if we have to play them in the future. I am very proud that we were able to just keep playing the game and leave the talking up to them. I know we are going to rebound strongly after this loss.

Gotham City: Stats thru First Half

We're already more than halfway through our Gotham City season and it's time to take a look at the stats. Across the board, averages are lower than on our Zog team, I would chalk that up to better competition and the fact that Central Park plays more true than a lot of the Zog fields.

Props have to go to Iain and Pat, who are having monster run-producing seasons. J-Hizzle is quietly hitting .750, while Alan and Amelia have been strong in their limited opportunities. Rookies Mike and Jessie are distinguishing themselves as well.

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Gotham City: Hounds Shut Down the Mafia

Having gotten off to a flying 6-1 start, the Hounds were back at Heckscher on a steamy Saturday afternoon to keep the winning streak going. Our opponents were a team called Brooklyn Mafia, a team run by a tempestuous young fellow who was out to cut every possible corner. We had previously known this team by another name, and in the previous season we had some testy encounters with them. Thankfully, most of the other guys that had made our encounters so nasty were no longer around. After making it clear we WOULD NOT be willing to share the shaded dugout with them, it was time to play ball.

For Game 1, Margaret took to the mound and she did not back down from the challenge. Mafia had many lefties in their lineup, for some teams this might have caused some difficulty. But not for a team as well-balanced as the Hounds. We played excellent defense and Mafia played right into our hands by hitting several easy fly balls to the outfield. They did score some runs, but we were able to match them and then some. Iain was in full Eliot Ness mode, doing damage to the Mafia by hitting 2 home runs and driving in 4. Pat also had a homer, going back-to-back with Iain in the 5th. Justin(J-Hizzle) also had a nice game, going 3 for 3 with 2 RBIs. The game was tainted by Mafia's dirty tricks, which included lineup chicanery and courtesy runners for players that were not even injured. It made them look all the more stupid when their tricks didn't work. They mounted a brief threat in the last inning before Margaret closed them out. Final Score: Hounds 9, Brooklyn Mafia 4.

For Game 2, we really put them to the sword. Amy stepped up and took the ball this time around, and she pitched very well. Mafia's hitters had no answer for her stuff, and their pitcher continued to serve up meatballs. We were happy to pounce on her, and we were scoring pretty much at will. Iain had another monster game, going 3 for 3, with a homer and 6 RBIs, giving him 10 RBIs total on the day. Dave, Wink, Alan, Claudia, and J-Hizzle all batted 1.000 in this game. Amelia made her return to the lineup by going 2 for 3 with two runs scored and making 3 nifty plays in rapid succession at third base. Before we knew it, a victory by mercy-rule became a distinct and delicious possibility. All we needed was one run to do it, and Iain stepped up to the plate with no out and the bases loaded. He proceeded to hit one of his trademark shots in the rightfield gap to send all the runners home. The league's scorebook may say 11-1, but I have it as Final Score: Hounds 14, Brooklyn Mafia 1.

With this series sweep we have officially put this "rivalry" to bed. There can't be a rivalry when one team dominates the other. Let's save "rival" status for classy teams that can actually play the game, not for opponents who only know how to run their mouths. Nice work, team.

Zog: Stats at the Home Stretch

With only one game left in the regular season, I thought it would be interesting to look at the stats.

Iain has a clear lock on the batting title and home run king, but ol' Wink is blocking his path to the triple crown by one RBI. 

Among the ladies, Juiena has gone on a tear as of late to overtake Push at the top of the batting leaders.

Should be an interesting finish to the season...

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