Zog: Hounds Bounce Back Big-Time

Having lost a nailbiter on opening day, it was time for the Hounds to get back on the field and return to our winning ways. It was another trip to DeWitt Clinton, and it was a perfect evening for softball. In the opposing dugout were the City Slickers, a team we knew nothing about, other than that they had won on opening day. With only 6 games in the regular season, it was imperative that we get the win in this game. We took the field focused and determined.

As the away team, we came up to bat first, and we got off to a flying start. MikePa got us going again, leading off the game with a double, and scoring from 2nd on a simple 6-3 by Juiena. Wink then came up and stroked a solo homer, and the next 7 hitters proceeded to hit safely. Let's be honest, City Slickers definitely butchered a lot of balls, but we made the most of their mistakes. After the top of the first was over they were down 9-0 and there could be little doubt we would prevail.

Juiena got the ball as starting pitcher and she was in a nice groove from the start. Her high arc pitch was confounding City Slickers, and the defense behind her was outstanding. Most of the action for us on the defensive side occurred in the infield. Iain and the Cap were a strong left side of the infield combo, and new Hound Kyle played a solid first base. Meanwhile, our offense continued to roll along. The production was spread around, but the standouts were Mike(3-3, 2 RS, RBI), Wink(3-4, 2 HR, 4 RS, 3 RBI), Iain(5-5, 2 HR, 5 RS, 4 RBI), Push(4-5, 2 RS, 3 RBI), Buddah(4-4, HR, 3 RS, 3 RBI), and Kyle(4-4, 2 HR, 3 RS, 5 RBI). WIth the score at 17-0, Amy was brought in to get some relief work. She pitched well for the first couple of innings but got into some trouble in the bottom of the 5th. George then came in to get the final 7 outs of the game and he closed out City Slickers with relative ease. Let's give them credit for taking the beating in stride and let's give credit to the ump(Swayze) for letting us get the whole game in despite going over the time limit by a lot. Final Score: Hounds 27, City Slickers 7.

Even though we came through with a solid performance tonight, I must caution that our opponents were pretty awful and we shouldn't read too much into this blowout win. There are better teams ahead of us, although we also have the team that lost to City Slickers ahead on our schedule. That should be interesting. For next week, several key players will be away. Who is going to step up and carry us to victory?

Zog: Hounds Lose a Tough One

After basking in the glory of our all-conquering summer, it was time to return to action in the Zog Fall League. It was a brisk September evening in New York, and a steady sheet of rain blanketed the city. We showed up to the field a bit surprised that the game hadn't been called, but nevertheless ready to get down to Hounds business. The location was DeWitt Clinton Field in Hell's Kitchen, and our opponents were a team called Never Been to Third. They had also won their division in the previous season, so a close, well played game was to be expected. Just how close nobody could have anticipated.

Juiena got the ball as the now undisputed ace of the pitching staff. She pitched masterfully all night, giving us a chance to win the game. The first couple of innings went by with neither team being able to score. NBT also had a very good pitcher on the mound, and he stifled us with his very high-arc spinner. Finally, in the top of the third, NBT put up a run on the board, through a couple of clean hits and a miscue. Juiena escaped the inning without any further damage, and she battled her way out of trouble on several occasions. We then responded with a run of our own in the bottom of the third. MikePa stroked a single, then hustled his way to 2nd on a grounder from Jessie. He then scored from 2nd on a fielder's choice, getting new Hound Kyle his first ever RBI. It was all hustle, and our dugout was now fired up.

From there, the game was played on a razor's edge. Our defense did make a couple of mistakes, but there were also some fine plays made by Push, Mike, and Juiena, among others. The 1-1 scoreline held until the bottom of the 6th, when MikePa again hustled his way home after a single, fielder's choice, and a throwing error. Jessie picked up the RBI on that occasion. We were now up 2-1 going into NBT's last licks.  We felt good about our chances of locking up the win, but fate would not be on our side. A swinging bunt got the rally going for them, a dropped fly ball in the outfield assisted, and a clean base hit to right drove in the go-ahead run. In the bottom of the 7th, we went out 1-2-3, and we couldn't help but feel we let one slip away. Final Score: Hounds 2, NBT 3.

As unfortunate as it is to lose our first game(first Hounds loss in an opening game– ever), I don't think it's time to panic. We wanted to move up a division and we were always expecting a greater challenge. Now we know what we need to do in order to succeed at this level. We need to make some improvements, and I am confident we will. Our next game now takes on added importance as starting the season 0-2 could put a serious damper on our playoff chances. We can accept nothing less than victory next Sunday.

Gotham City: Team MVPs Announced

The voting is closed and the MVPs for the Gotham City Sports League have been selected. The winners are very deserving of the honor. So without further ado, here are the winners:

Zog: Hounds Switch Uniforms

Since our team's founding in 2008, we have always worn Navy blue jerseys in the Zog league. We forged countless memorable moments in those Navy and Orange t-shirts. But time goes on and progress is inevitable. Starting in the Fall 2010 campaign, The Hounds are switching to the Gray jerseys that served us so well in the Gotham City league. The Grays are just a much better quality garment and are a look more befitting a team of our caliber. 

Who knows, perhaps if there is another jersey order in our future we'll have a chance to update the Navy Blues. But for now, we're going Gray.

Home and Away style guides available on the home page

Gotham City: Playoff Stats

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Gotham City: Hounds Win the Whole Damn Thing

Having been tested to our very limit in the double elimination tournament of the previous weekend, it was finally time for the championship finale. A best of three series to determine who is the best co-ed team in Central Park. The weather was ideal for softball and the stands were packed with spectators. The grass was thick and very wet and there were two good defensive teams squaring off. We knew home runs would be at a minimum. We came into this series off a 12 and 2 regular season record and as top overall seed, but we knew records were meaningless coming into this one. Besides, the team we were up against– Grass Stains, had already beaten us pretty soundly to put us on the brink of elimination last week. Their regular season record was 9 and 5 but they had knocked out some good teams on their way to this World Series. We came in expecting a close series and we were very eager to redeem ourselves after the heartbreak of last season. There was a bit of pre-game controversy before the series started as to who had home field advantage, but fortunately Hounds management was prepared with all the necessary documentation and Grass Stains' feeble attempt at gamesmanship was quickly squelched. After the lineups were exchanged, it was time to play ball.

For Game 1 we gave our ace pitcher Margaret the ball and boy, did she deliver. We noticed Grass Stains' lineup was different and frankly, a bit weaker than in our last encounter, and we quickly closed them out with 1-2-3 first. Now it was our turn to bat and we put together a nice 2-out rally to put two runs on the board. Iain, Pat and Dave had three consecutive hits. Margaret continued to put zeroes on the board as she masterfully got out of a couple of jams. Our defense and concentration were in full championship mode, while our opponents didn't seem quite as locked in to the moment. We would add three in the 2nd behind a 2-run blast from Jason T, and another four in the 3rd, Wink with a 2-run triple. We were now up 9-0 and the game was quickly getting out of reach for Grass Stains. The threat of a victory by mercy loomed and the Hounds went after it like bloodthirsty sharks. In the bottom of the 4th, the top of the order was up and Jason T, Amy, Iain, and Dave strung together some hits to put another two on the board and the mercy threshold had been reached. The umps gave Grass Stains the dignity of playing out the inning. Final Score: Hounds 11, Grass Stains 0.

For Game 2, Margaret once again got the ball and continued to dominate Grass Stains' hitters. They were only able to get one extra base hit all game. Our defense was spectacular, with Pat and Iain making a number of solid plays. The outfield was also very strong, with Cardillo, Jason T, Cindy, and Wink shutting down anything hit their way. Meanwhile, the offense continued to put runs on the board. In the top of the 2nd the bottom of the order sparked a 4-run rally. George, Wink, Cardillo, and Margaret got consecutive hits and Iain had a sac fly. We were up 5-0 and the game became a defensive battle for the next few innings, although we did manage to score a run in the 5th and the 6th. We could feel we were getting closer to the promised land but we kept our composure and the dugout atmosphere was very encouraging. Margaret continued to close down Grass Stains and there were many innings in which she couldn't have thrown more than 5-6 pitches. Soon it was the top of the 7th and we entered up 7-0. Again the mercy rule loomed, and we would put up 2 runs to make it a distinct possibility. Karim was the winning run at 2nd, and Jason T stroked a single. With two outs and such a big lead, there was no thought of holding Karim as he made the turn at third base. This would be the most exciting play of the game, and would provide the only drama of the series. Would Karim score? Unfortunately, Grass Stains made a nice relay throw and gunned out Karim at the plate to maintain their dignity. However, they came up in their last licks and were quickly down to their last out. The final play was a 6-3 from Iain to Dave and it was finally time to celebrate. Final Score: Hounds 9, Grass Stains 0.

We are the champs! We were the best team in the league all season and we proved it in the playoffs. The end was a bit anticlimactic but we suffered plenty the previous weekend. That happens a lot in the bigs, where the LCS is the classic and the World Series turns out to be a sweep. To shut out an opponent twice in a championship series is quite an impressive feat. Clearly, Grass Stains might have been missing a player or two, but the truth is we were missing people too and we would have beaten any team with the way we played out there. That one loss in the playoffs was a wake-up call, and we have exorcised the demons from last season. We have a tremendously balanced squad and if we can keep the core together, we could be talking D word here. Nice season, Hounds!

Zog: Team MVPs

The voting is closed and the people have spoken. The Hounds MVPs for the Zog 2010 Spring/Summer league have been chosen. The winners are definitely worthy of the honor. So without further adieu, the winners are: