YSA: Hounds Achieve Perfection

 After an undefeated regular season, it was time for the Hounds to take the field and claim their destiny as the best team in this Yorkville League. The setting was DeWitt Clinton Park on a warm and beautiful New York evening. The stage was set with an intense atmosphere as both teams had their own sets of supporters to cheer them on. We were facing the team from Amalgamated Bank, who we had dispatched pretty easily in the regular season. However, we knew that result would have little to do with the game at hand. After the pleasantries were exchanged between the two managers, it was time to play ball.

As the home team, we took to the field first behind our ace Juiena. In typical Hounds fashion, we had a rough first inning, surrendering a two-run home run on what should have been a single at best. We got out of the inning only down 2-0, and now it was time to for us to bat. MikePa and JT proceeded to get us started with back-to-back extra base hits. Iain drove JT in with a sac fly and just like that the score was tied. Over the next couple of innings both teams exchanged blows, and heading into the bottom of the 4th we were down 4-3. We never felt the game was beyond our each, and sure enough, in that 4th inning, we imposed our will. RBIs from Cap, Wink(2), and Mano, put us up 7-4 and we would never look back. Our defense settled down tremendously in the later innings and along with Juiena's masterful pitching, it was a deadly combination for Amalgamated. They showed no signs of being able to score while we added 2 in the 5th, Iain driving in MikePa with a double, and Dave driving in JT with a single. We were now in the driver's seat and with Juice in complete control, Amalgamated went out feebly in their last licks. Final Score: Hounds 9, Amalgamated 4.

WIth our place in the final sewn up, we waited for the other semi-final to wrap-up, and in an upset, the Bombers defeated Bloomberg to set up this final confrontation for all the marbles. Once again, we were the home team, an important advantage we had sewn up by virtue of having the best regular season record. Juiena of course got the start and this time, we had a much better 1st inning defensively, holding the Bombers scoreless. We then jumped to a 1-0 lead, with MikePa making an outstanding baserunning play, scoring from 2nd base on Iain's sac fly. The Bombers have some good hitters and they also employed the strategy of using some diminutive batters to make the strike zone tiny, but Juiena dealt with them well. We put on a defensive clinic, with JT, Mike, Wink, and Mano making all the plays and then some in the outfield, and the infield of Cap, Iain, C-Rod & Dave was sharp as well. We hardly made any mistakes, but our bats were quiet and we entered the bottom of the 4th down 3-1. 

Then we put together a small-ball rally in the 4th. JT, Dave, & Cindy all came through with doubles, and Pat hit an RBI single to put us ahead 4-3. The Bombers made a couple of critical errors and we took full advantage by being alert and ready to capitalize. By the later innings, the Bombers showed little threat to score, while we tacked on some huge insurance runs in the bottom of the 6th. Mike and JT led off with doubles, and were driven in on RBI hits from Iain and Dave. Now we were up by 3 entering the Bombers' last chance. Juiena got the first two batters easily, and when the last batter hit a fly ball in JT's direction, we knew victory was at hand. The ball landed in his glove like it always belonged there and a wild celebration ensued. The dream of the perfect season has become a reality. Final Score: Hounds 6, Bombers 3.

Congratulations to all of us on a great season! Our team showed tremendous heart all season, and we won the final with sheer grit and determination. We didn't hit any home runs in the playoffs, but we were able to get it done with small-ball, really heads-up baserunning, and outstanding defense. A perfect 14-0 record is something to be proud of, especially given that we really had to earn that flawless record. Savor this moment, Hounds...

Scoresheet(After the Jump)

Gotham City: Perfect Storm Leaves Hounds Reeling

It seemed like everything had been going our way thus far in the Gotham City season. We have a record of 10-0, and we have already shown no deficit is too small for us to overcome. We entered play this weekend full of confidence. The setting was perfect and the best ump in the game was assigned to the series. We were looking forward to a fun & victorious day. Our opponents in the other dugout were the Thuggz n Juggz team, who have also been around for a couple of seasons.

For Game 1, George took to the mound hoping to erase the memories of his last outing, in which his control was off. For the first few innings, he was effective, holding T&J to 2 runs over 3. Meanwhile, T&J made a costly error in the 1st inning. A routine fly ball to left which should have been the third out with no damage done, turned into a 6-run inning for the Hounds. We did a great job of staying disciplined and capitalizing on the mistake. We had another big inning in the 2nd, scoring 7 runs. With a lead of 13-2, it was looking like a laugher, but then this game became an example of why no lead is ever safe in softball. George imploded in the top of the 4th, issuing walk after walk, and T&J also got some extra outs handed to them. It was a miserable inning, probably our worst of the season. The encounter became testy as one of T&J's players was a little out of order on several occasions in the inning, as if he was looking for trouble. Amy came on in relief and was able to get us out of the inning finally, but not before we had surrendered our big lead. To make matters worse, Dave and Amy got banged up, something we don't need as we enter the home stretch.

We got in the dugout ready to make our comeback in the bottom of the 4th, but the game and the series were abruptly halted due to a problem with the field permits. It was a frustrating moment, as we were all very confident we could turn the tide on this one. I'm proud to say that we all held our composure despite the aggravation of not getting our chance right then & there. We'll get our shot another day. Bottom 4, Score: Hounds 13, T&J 15. To Be Continued...

Gotham City: Hounds Crash the Swingers' Party

After 4 weeks of dominating all of our competition in the watered-down Gotham City League, the league was shuffled around to do away with all the bad teams, and what we are left in is a much stronger division comprising all of the strong teams. We welcomed the greater challenge, even if the change was a bit sudden and unexpected. With dangerously high triple digit temperatures in the forecast, we knew the task ahead would be difficult. Fortunately, there was a lot of cloud cover, which provided much needed respite from the sun. In the opposing dugout were the Swingers, an outfit that has been around for a while, and whom we dispatched pretty easily back in '09. Now is a different time though and we did not know what to expect. 

For Game 1, we were the away team and came to bat first. We scratched out a run, with Iain driving in Cardillo with a single. We would only get one though, and it was time for our ace Margaret to take the mound. She was her dominant, efficient self, but the Swingers are a much better opponent than we have been playing, and did not make many defensive errors. The game was a low-scoring affair, as our defense was also up to the task. The game was tied at 1 after the 2nd, tied at 2 after 3, and in the 4th, we grabbed a one-run lead. Swingers' pitcher made a critical walk to JT which allowed for Amy to also walk, and JT was driven in by Cardillo. We should have had more but the Swingers held strong and got out of the inning with minimal damage. In the top of the 5th, Iain and Dave led off with base hits, and were driven in on a single by Cap to make it a 5-2 Hounds lead. The Swingers fought back valiantly in the bottom of the frame and scored 2 runs of their own. Cardillo got us a vital insurance run in the top of the 6th with a solo home run, his 3rd of the season. We came out for the bottom of the 6th with a 2-run lead and three outs from victory, and with Margaret still working, we knew had a great chance to win. The Swingers again fought back and were able to get runners on 1st and 2nd with two out. However, their rally would go nowhere as Margaret induced an easy 5-5 put out to end the game. Final Score: Hounds 6, Swingers 4.

For Game 2, Cap saw no need to change the winning formula and Margaret again took to the hill. We had an ugly 1st inning and the Swingers were able to get 4 quick runs on the board. However, we have been in these situations so much by now that we knew we were hardly out of it. We proceeded to put up 4 runs of our own in the bottom of the 1st, as we patched together a magnificent small-ball rally. After Margaret held the Swingers scoreless in the 2nd, we then proceeded to show the power aspect of our game, with Dave launching a big three-run home run deep into the leftfield gap. We scored 5 in the 2nd, we were up 9-4, and here is where our superior conditioning played a major factor. The Swingers were showing signs of fatigue while we continued to play strongly. We added 1 in the 3rd and 3 in the 5th, Iain with a 2-run blast. There was little doubt victory was at hand, and Margaret closed out the Swingers with an easy top of the 6th. Final Score: Hounds 13, Swingers 4.

These were two great victories and we are now on our way in this newly re-shuffled division. There are only 2 weekends left in the regular season, and both series will be against difficult opponents. We have little room for a let down.

Yorkville: Final Regular Season Stats

The final stats have been compiled and it was another very productive season for the Hounds. The production was very much spread around, no one player dominating all the categories. Props to JT for locking down the batting title, eeking out Mike by a mere 10 points. Paterno is the home run king, with a surprisingly low 4 for the season. Iain and Pat tied for the RBI lead, while in the pitching department, Wink sneaks away with the ERA title, sporting a solid 3.94 in relief. Juiena led the team (by far) in wins with 5.

Kudos also to the new Hounds Jane and Mano who both did very well in their rookie seasons. And how can we not mention Jessie, who wasn't around for many games, but when she was around, she was a big-time run producer. 

Yorkville: Hounds Cruise into Playoffs

Wink rounds the bases on his 1st home run.

After our most exhilarating victory of the season last time out, it was a quick turnaround for our next and final game of the regular season. The city was still in the throes of a stifling heat wave, the temperature reaching 104 degrees. The location was the Great Lawn, and Central Park was understandably much less crowded than normal. We knew that regardless of the opponent, a tough game would lay ahead. In the other dugout was a team with the catchy name of WTAS. After the pleasantries were exchanged between the two managers, it was time to play ball. 

Jane up to bat.

Cap is fired up.

As the home team, we took the field first behind Amy, who was making her first start of this Yorkville season. She pitched a scoreless first and now it was our turn to bat. JT set the tone with a leadoff double, and our offense was off and running with a 7-run inning. Wink's 3-run home run to the right center gap capped the rally. Amy got into some trouble in the 2nd, surrendering 5 runs, but getting out of the inning with the Hounds still in the lead. We added 3 to our tally in the bottom of the frame, and for the top of the 3rd, Wink came on in relief. The Winkster was effective out there, working quickly and giving up only one walk in his 5 innings of work. Meanwhile, our offense continued to tack on runs– 3 in the 4th, and 3 in the 5th. The offensive standouts were JT(4-4, 3 RS), Jane(2-4, 2 RBI, RS), Pat(2-2, BB, 4 RBI, 2 RS), Karim (3-3, 2 RBI, 2 RS), and Wink, who went yard for a second time in the 5th, another 3-run job. It was a 3-3 game for him, and if you add that to his pitching, it was an MVP-type performance from Wink. Entering WTAS' last licks, they were down by 9 runs and victory wasn't in doubt. They scored two meaningless runs before Wink closed the game out, a grounder to first the final play of the game. Final Score: Hounds 16, WTAS 9. The one downer out of this one is that Pat turned his ankle on a close play at first and had to come out of the game. We hope it's not too serious and that you can get back to mashing ASAP, Pat.

We have officially closed the book on the regular season. Our undefeated record is a testament to our will to win. We won games even when we weren't at our best. We won by blowout and we won close ones. We had two walk-off wins. We should be proud of this accomplishment, but we must also remember it will all be for naught if we do not capture the ultimate prize. I am confident that we can step our game up even further in the playoffs.

(scoresheet after the jump)

YSA: Hounds Prevail in a Thriller

Coming into this 11th game of the regualr season, the Hounds were on a 10-game winning streak and showing no signs of slowing down in their pursuit of Yorkville glory. We showed up to Chelsea Park with the intention of keeping up the streak, even though with first place sewn up, we knew the game was essentially meaningless for us. The city was in the grips of a stifling heat wave, and the field was a pleasant surprise, the turf having been re-laid since last season to the more realistic field turf. In the opposing dugout were the the Bloomberg Bombers, and as the lineups were exchanged, their manager's exact quote to me was "We are going to kick your ass." I replied, "give it your best shot." There were some other testy words exchanged, as some of their players came to the field with a chip on their shoulder. Hey, that's fine. Whatever gets you motivated...

Our ace Juiena took the mound after a brief hiatus and she was masterful out there. Truth be told, Bloomberg would not have scored many runs off of her if not for a number of miscues, yours truly being at the forefront of that. Bloomberg scored 2 in the 1st, then 3 in the 2nd, and we were in a quick 5-0 hole. We were able to get on the board in the bottom of  the frame, Cap and Mano driving in the runs. Bloomberg would add another run in the top of the 3rd to take a 6-2 lead, but they would score no more. Juiena held them at bay, getting out of multiple jams with the finesse of Baryshnikov. JT made some tremendous catches in the outfield to rob Bloomberg of a few runs. Meanwhile, we chipped away at their lead little by little, with the bottom half of the order doing the yeoman's work. 

After the bottom of the 4th, the game was tied at 6 and the next couple of innings were played on a razor's edge. After holding Bloomberg scoreless in the top of the 7th, we came up to bat in the bottom of the frame with a chance to win it. The 1st two batters of the inning made outs however, and extra innings loomed large. Then, we proceeded to put together a clutch 2-out rally, Cindy leading the way with a clutch single up the middle. Bloomberg's pitcher issued an intentional walk to Mano which also walked Juice and set up bases loaded, 2 outs for Jessie. Jess had already gotten some key hits for us earlier in the season, but this was a big-time pressure situation. Calm as can be, she stroked a clean base hit, opposite field no less, and once it went over the first baseman's head, our dugout exploded in jubilation as Cindy scored the winning run. It was a hard fought win against probably the best team we have faced this season. The streak is intact and we head into the finale on the highest note possible. Final Score: Hounds 7, Bloomberg 6.

WOW. All I can say is Wow. What a tremendous win, team. Maybe the best Hounds win ever, strictly in terms of gameplay. We were down, but never for one second did we believe that we were out of it. Massive props to our pitcher who kept us in the game, and to our defense, which after a rough start, locked Bloomberg down. This was definitely a character-building win, and it couldn't have come at a better time.

New Feature: Scoresheet (after the jump)

Gotham City: Stats Thru 8 Games

Hard to believe, but we are more than halfway through the Gotham City regular season. Now's a good time to take a peak at the stats. Of course, the usual names are up on the leaderboard, but there are also some new names at the top as well. Props to Cardillo, Karim, and Alan for stepping up the production. And to Marguerite for being tied(with Cindy) for the team lead in walks!

(click to enlarge)