SD outlasts Client # Whine 27-23
(according to the book, it actually looks like 27, not 28)
(according to the book, it actually looks like 27, not 28)
Exhaustion. Relief. Exhilaration. All rolled into one.
I got up this AM and as i awoke, the scrapes and raspberries on my arms and legs burned. I stepped out of bed this glorious morning and my legs were sore. Mentally and physically - beat.....And I couldn't feel any better!!!!!
The average age of this team climbed over night it seems. One third of our roster celebrated birthdays between the last game and last night, but Seltz, Jeff, Duff and Hans didn't look a day over 30 through 7 grueling innings yesterday evening. If anything, our experience showed last night, coupled with tenacity and the fire of a team of veterans that will refuse to lose.
If there were cameras rolling, this would've been an ESPN instant classic and I'd allocate an hour and forty minutes every day to replay, relive and rejoice in the hard fought victory that I hope sets the tone for the rest of this season (assuming i don't boycott everything Disney). I sat on the subway this morning on my way to work and examined the scorebook, reconciling the RBIs to the multitude of runs. In fact, with all of those filled in boxes, it looked more like a Scantron from an 8th grade Regents exam, than a scorecard....It took me the whole half hour trip to digest it all.
What a team effort and not bad for a bunch of old men. We smacked 9 hits and scored 8 runs in the first hitting, jumping on the opposition like it was an early bird special in Boca - and giving them no time to breath. Our offensive jaugernaut plated 27 runs in total and sprayed 32 hits against a pitcher who allegedly struck out 9 batters last week. This was a complete team effort, with 9 out of 10 hitters, notching at least one RBI. Everyone contributed and home plate may as well have been a turnstile at a Bingo tournament, with each Dream crossing the plate at least two times.
We exorcised the demons from last week and with all that offense, left less men on base all game than through the first 3 innings of last week's loss. While we made some miscues we did limit the big inning (odd to say when the other team scored 23 runs, but we never lot the game get away from us, never down by more than 2 runs and always coming back to strike in our next at bat).
Ian gets the virtual gator - that's for sure. On one leg, Ian went 4-6 with 4RBIs and 2 runs. Client #9 paid for their decision to make our injured 1B play. Ian made them pay dearly. Who didn't think of Kirk Gibson as Ian hobbled down the line with each clutch stroke, fueled only by his passion for Shattered Dreams? One for the ages!
Gaudy line, but this was a team effort! From the cleanup slot, Seltz smoked 4 hits and 4 RBIs and hit a moonshot HR to lead off the 2nd inning, reminiscent of the Chizzle from yesteryear. Perhaps at 33, Jon is now in his prime?
Duff reached base and scored 3 times. While generally known as a free swinger, like a fine wine - Duff has also matured with age and even drew a key walk in this slugfest. Old Man River, indeed.
The other half of the Westchester - Connect, our icon behind the mask, veteran catcher, Jerry "Pudge" Miller (seems he's sold his "raw dog" jersey to Jeff for a pulled pork sandwhich and a beer at Tequilaville), called a great game behind the plate and reached base 5 times (including 2 walks and 3 hits). I don't know how he sat back there for that whole game, but what an effort!
With age comes wisdom, and this team should be full of it! Our experience paid off as both Jeff and Jeff slyly repositioned Robbie to short center in a key strategic move that helped us secure victory. As long as i can remember, Robbie has been our rock of consistency. Our Craig Biggio - moving positions when needed and getting hits always. Like Dick Clark, Robbie is timeless and comes back year after year with the consistency and flexibility we take for granted. Did you know that Robbie also had 6 RBI last night to lead the team?
And although this team loves to be out on the field, no one argued with carrying 12 players on the roster. This team has embraced a "team first" attitude. This is the new Shattered Dreams. Not young and arrogant and fit. But older, wiser and filling out those unis in a different sort of way.
The name on the front matters more than the name on the back and no one has proven that more than one of our new additions Hans, who seems to have successfully wiped the curse of the Joel jersey from Shattered Dreams lore. Part of that dynamic duo of Hans-Hansen that is quickly becoming a fan favorite part of the lineup (t shirts will hit the market in 2 weeks), Hans has filled in capably at several positions. It seems Robbie has taken him under his wing as the new super utility men on the squad and Hans has responded. 4 hits, 4 runs and 3RBI. nice line.
Speaking of flexibility, how about Jeff Dubs. With a late scratch, Jeff took the hot corner in his first start of the season. Despite being a bit uncomfortable in a new position, Jeff held his own and unleashed at the plate with 4 hits and 5RBI. Well done.Not bad for an old man. Julio Franco would be proud.
All in all, the bottom of the lineup was outstanding. Everyone did their job and beyond. While the top and middle were consistently on base, the 7-10 hitters drove in a ridiculous 15 runs. I think there is a new Murderer's Row in town.
"Speed kills!!". That's what Jeff shouted out as Collins regained his form taunting the oppositions and challenging them with aggressive baserunning. It's good to see that we still have some legs and while i think my hitting was Luis Castillo-esque (not the most solid pokes), Craig and I combined for 6 hits and 7 runs - trying to do our part to ignite the offense and cause commotion on the base paths. Aggressive baserunning has been a hallmark of Shattered Dreams and it was good to see it back in action. I promise not to stand in front of the mirror naked admiring myself in the SD clubhouse...a la an aging Ricky Henderson. Can't promise the same for Collins though...
Finally - what can we say about Ed Lover. While we can't wait to have BP back for his golden arm and fiery manner on the mound, Jeff I provided us with the spot start we needed. Jeff took the ball and with a rubber arm muddled through this firefight. He kept a consistent pace and threw strikes, limiting the free passes which was critical in a game like this. After that performance I'd put Jeff in the class of Jamie Moyer and would hope to see him throw that junk for the next 10 years. Did i also mention that he had a triple as well? Wow!
So all in all, lots of good things to take away. We have two weeks off but let's savor the flavor of this win and take that momentum into the next game and through the rest of the season. That was one of the most satisfying wins we've had in a while. It was a battle and we did not give up. We beat an arrogant and cocky team who bounced us from playoff contention last year and we did it without some key team members. Most importantly we evened our record and I truly believe this bunch of graybeards is ready for greatness.
Old men? I don't think so. These boys of summer should be playing well into August.
SD4L
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