Gotham City: Hounds Split on Opening Day

After weeks of anticipation, the Hounds were ready to start the Gotham City Sports season. It was a beautiful June afternoon in Central Park, and we showed up to the field ready excited to play ball. In the opposing dugout was an outfit called JeffCo, a poorly prepared team than we should be able to beat easily when we are on our game. Unfortunately, we played a little tight this series and were unable to secure the sweep.

In Game 1, George took the mound but his control was off and he was pulled after an ineffective 2 innings. Pat came on to pitch in relief, and he did a great job. On offense, the 2nd inning was big for us, as we scored 5 runs. The highlight of the game had to be Dave and Pat hitting two tape-measure home runs back-to-back. The game was close but we held the lead throughout and Pat closed the door in the last inning. Final Score: Hounds 10, JeffCo 8.

For Game 2, Pat once again got the ball, this time as a starter. We jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the first inning , with Jason T. hitting a 3-run home run. Pat pitched well and we headed into the final inning with a 5-2 lead. Then we proceeded to implode. We booted a bunch of routine plays and there was also a very controversial call made by the umpires. Before you knew it, JeffCo had the winning run at the plate. Their star hitter was up and he proceeded to hit a 3-run homer to win the game. Final Score: JeffCo 6, Hounds 5.

As frustrated as I was by the umpires' blown call, we deserved to lose at least one game with the way we played out there. The truth is, we were lucky to not have gotten swept. Except for a select few, our hitting was very lackluster. Our fielding at times was dreadful, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. We must improve greatly or it will be a mediocre campaign. The good news is that I know the quality of players we have on this team and I know we are up for the challenge.  

Zog: Hounds Bash Maroons

With a record of 5-2, the Hounds entered play on a gorgeous June afternoon firmly entrenched in the upper half of the standings. We were at Riverbank State Park, also known as Hounds Field. In the opposing dugout were the Maroons, a Fordham Alumni team we have had no trouble with in the past.

As the home team, we took the field first. Juiena was starting pitcher and she entered the game with lots of confidence from her previous outings. The Maroons scored one run in the first off two clean hits, but we held them to that one run. Now it was our turn to bat and we took command of the game from the very start. A four pitch walk to Alan set the whole thing off for us, and we proceeded to score 8 runs in that bottom of the 1st. From there we just dominated the game. Our hitters really came up big and the pitching & defense were stellar. Juiena was a battler all night and didn't walk anybody. On offense everybody did damage, the standouts were Alan(3-3, 2 RS, 3RBI), Dave(3-4, HR, 3RS, 4RBI), Mega(4-4, 3 RS, 2 RBI), Amy (2-3, 2 RS, RBI), and Karim(2-3, 2 RBI, RS). 

By the midway point of the game we were up big and the result was already locked up. The Maroons looked shaken but let's give them credit for being good sports. Due to time limit, the game was called two innings early depriving us the chance to reach the 20s in runs or maybe even beat the Hounds record(27). The final out was fittingly a comebacker to the pitcher. Final Score: Hounds 18, Maroons 5.

Very good win, team. These Maroons were right behind us in the standings so we have now put some distance between us and them. With only 4 games left I see that the remainder of our games are against the lower half teams. We must continue to build on this and head into the playoffs strong.

Zog: Hounds Re-Sign C-Rod

It is with great pleasure that I report that Cindy has re-signed with the Hounds for the stretch run. C-Rod was an integral part of our Spring '09 semi-finalist and Fall '09 Championship teams. She has already filled in for us this season, and her professional hitting and slick glove will make our team that much more formidable.

Zog: Hounds Win (Just Not the Way We Wanted To)

With Summer in full swing, it was time for us to kick-off the 2nd half of our Zog schedule. It was a very early weekday start time(5:45PM), but the Hounds did what they had to do and hustled over to Riverside Park in time for 1st pitch. We were fired up and ready to kick some tail...

Unfortunately, our opponents(who shall not be dignified by being named) did not have the same dedication. Only 4 guys on their team bothered to show up. No wonder they are winless and in last place. Needless to say, we got the victory, but we were still feeling a bit cheated. We Hounds hate winning by forfeit, we like to win on the field. We were understandably a bit grumpy, but we were still able to play a brief scrimmage and have some good laughs. Final Score: Hounds Infinity, Opponents Zero. 

Zog: Team Stats Through the 1st Half; All-Star Nominations

Hard to believe, but the 1st half of the Zog season is already behind us. We are a respectable 4-2 through our first 6 games, and are heading into the 2nd half on a high note. Below are our team stats..all I gotta say is big ups to the Huskies for helping us pad our numbers! Here are my nominations for 1st half All-Stars, feel free to nominate someone else in the comments:

Juiena - Juice has stepped up this season to deliver consistently solid pitching. Leads the team in Wins. She has also flashed the leather and her cannon for an arm in the field. Once her bat starts heating up, we could be talking about an MVP season.

Wink - The Winkster came into this season with a renewed dedication, and it has paid off for him. Leads the team in hits and RBIs. Has had a few monster games offensively.

Iain - What can we say about Mr. Clutch... He's having another MVP-type season. Leads the team in home runs and runs scored. In the field he has been lights out at 3B and more recently SS.

Amy - Amy has comeback player of the year on lockdown. Her contributions are not always visible in the scorebook, but she has hit a respectable .250 while playing solid 'D' in the field and showing good aggressiveness on the basepaths.

Mega - "Kells" has been consistently solid for us all season long. It seems like he is always driving in runs with his hits, and is right behind Wink for the team lead in RBIs.

Dave - All The Big Fella has done is get a hit every single time at bat except one. None of his hits have been cheap either, he has been absolutely pounding the ball. Leads the team with a .923 batting average.

Mike - MikePa is a new addition to our ballclub and he has fit in seamlessly. He has produced at the top of the order and has also played brilliantly in the outfield.

Push - She hasn't been around as much as we might like (we can thank Mr. Stanley for that), but Push leads all females with a .500 batting average.

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Zog: Hounds Maul The Huskies

For our 6th game of the season, the Hounds headed over to Chelsea Park on 28th street. It was another overcast, cool evening in the big city, and we were ready to shake off that ugly loss in our previous game. In the opposing dugout were the UConn Huskies, a team we have handled in the past. It was an early weekday start time, but fortunately we came ready for business.

As the away team, we came up to bat first. We were only able to produce one run, with Amy getting the RBI. Margaret took the mound making her 2nd start of the season, and as always, she pitched brilliantly. Lots of first pitch strikes and no walks. We kept the Huskies to one run through the first few innings, and were able to tack on a few of our own each inning. Going into the top of the 6th inning, we were up 8-3, and it seemed like it could possibly be a nail-biting finish.

Then we blew the game open. 10 runs were scored in that fateful 6th, with everyone in the lineup either scoring a run or driving in one. The offensive standouts for the game were many: Mike(3-5, 3RS), Mega(2-3, HR, 4 RBI), Juiena(2-3, 2 RBI), Iain(4-5, 2 HR, 4 RBI), Murph(4-5, 3RS), & Wink(3-5, HR, 5RBI). Overall, our defense was tight. Even if we did have a couple of minor miscues, they didn't cost us much, and we looked much better out there than last game. Iain continued to flash the leather, although I think I might have seen a throwing error...? (Just kidding, Iain). Murph had the web gem of the game with a nifty diving catch of a weak flare in foul territory. We added another 4 runs in the top of the 7th, and the Huskies must have been left wondering what happened. Final Score: Hounds 22, Huskies 4.

This was an important win for us. We needed to bounce back from the debacle last game, and we did in a big way. As I watched the game from the dugout, I saw a team that was hitting line drives, minimizing the damage by playing great defense, and getting solid starting pitching. If we build on this and continue to follow that winning formula, we will be unstoppable.

Zog: Hounds Lay An Egg

It was an overcast, cool Spring evening in New York. The Hounds headed over to Roosevelt Island to face Who's On First, a team we have had several encounters with in the past. Both teams knew each other well and a close game was to expected. After the pre-game pleasantries were exchanged, it was time to play ball.

As the home team, we took the field first. Margaret was making her first start of the season, and as always, her pitching gave us a strong chance to win the game. Unfortunately, the defense behind her let her down, especially in the early innings. After retiring the 1st two batters of the game on routine ground balls, we proceeded to make some very curious errors. The type of errors a team of our caliber should not be making. Before you knew it, WOF had a five-run rally to jump out to a quick 5-0 lead. We got three runs back right away in the bottom of the 1st, with Iain, Mega, and Karim getting the RBIs. 

As the game went on, we would only allow three more runs. Our defense settled down and there were some defensive highlights, including outfield assists from MikePa & Juiena. Iain continued his dazzling play at short. We really had every opportunity to take the lead. Unfortunately, we shot ourselves in the foot with bad baserunning mistakes. Except for a certain few, we also did not hit very well. In the bottom of the 7th, we got a runner on, but again were not able to string together some hits. As the game ended, we couldn't help but feel that we let one get away. Final Score: WOF 8, Hounds 5.

Let's give WOF credit, they minimized their mistakes and capitalized on ours with some timely hits. But the truth remains that our talent level is higher than theirs. We just have to elevate our focus and work on our game as a team. I know that we can get where we need to be.