Nuts and Bolts Screwed Again by SD

Shattered Dreams Improves to 8-0 with 16-7 Victory

I write this recap holding two cold beers...One Sam Summer Ale to satisfy my thirst and another icy brew to numb the giant welt on my leg. I am sure many of the other Dreams have similar bumps and bruises from tonight's game but I doubt that anyone cares all that much. For the minor pain we endure tonight pales in comparison to the heartache that Nuts and Bolts must be feeling as we have put a giant wrench in their playoff plans.

It's hard to pick stars of the game as this was a team victory in the truest sense. If we were at Brother Jimmy's, a dozen gators would be in order. This was the first test we've had in weeks and as All - Star Coach Jeff Dubs noted, "We showed great maturity and poise tonight. It was the mark of a veteran team." The Skipper is so proud and focused, that, as the division leading manager, he has spurned Al Morales' request to coach the All Star game next week. Should SD send it's finest to Dewitt Clinton for an exhibition showcase? No. We have bigger plans and the next time we return to 52 and 11th, we return as a team ...to leave it all out on the field again in the last game of 2010.

Tonight, N&B jumped out to an early lead in the first frame, but SD stormed back. They had us by the Nuts, but could not Bolt the door closed. We rallied for 3 runs in the second and then the wheels came off for our opponents. We were the Road Runner to N&B's Coyote as we pushed the anvil off the cliff and onto our adversary - exploding for 7 runs in the 4th. We hammered the new Nut pitcher in the 6th, laying down another 5-spot, and with it, the final nail in this young team's Division III coffin.

This game was filled with savvy play and tons of hustle. There was a spark present tonight and it showed in the form of lots of colored-in boxes on the scorecard and even more dirty uniforms.

- Offense was patient this evening and up and down the lineup, we made the pitcher work. Shining tonight was Joel - with 3/4, 3R and 4 HUGE RBIs at critical points in the game. Collins noted "That guys has great GAP" and indeed - with those gaudy numbers, I bet Hans wishes he could draft himself for his fantasy baseball squad. Let's also not forget Rohin who has mastered the art of the very deep sac fly and Duff who found his stroke this week, lacing lasers into LF as if he were back at Seamen Neck hitting stickball pitches off Mark Dubs. Robbie Hansen also continued his hot streak, driving in multiple runs and scoring twice. Together, these four sluggers accounted for 12 RBIs in this contest.

- Wiley Veteran Play:  This is not the 2003 version of SD. Cockiness has turned to confidence and with 9 years under our belts, we are playing a fine brand of cerebral softball that even the YSA umps seem to be enjoying. Was that Jeff Isaac or Ryan Howard? With the shift on,  Jeff alertly poked the ball to RF to ignite a big rally. In the 6th, not even duct tape could fix our opponent's damaged psyche. The New Jersey Connect of Robbie and Rohin notched this season's first pickoff play after Jeff and Ian forced a perfect run down. I loved watching this team unravel.

Enrico Perlazzo loves SD

- Hustle: At times this season, some have been called out for not giving it a 110% on every play. Not tonight. Not at all. Aggressive baserunning which at times could have run us out of innings, was instead turned into crooked numbers on the scoreboard. On several plays, the ball beat us to the bag, but each player gave it their all and slid to safety. Hats off to Hans, Jeff I, Seltz, Jerry and Duff for kicking it into an extra gear and leaving clouds of dust in their wake. Let's not forget Craig L and Jeff D busting it out of the box and gutting out real infield hits. On any one of the aforementioned plays, less than 100% effort would've yielded us outs.

Wow. Great game all around. This felt like a big win.We just wanted it more tonight than the other team and it showed.
8-0.
6 wins to a championship.
Big one on Monday vs. Citi Ballers.

BRING IT!!!!!!
SD4L