B League Picayune
Often in error, never in doubt.
Volume 7, Issue 8 – March 27, 2025
Weather report: I’m surprised we got all three games in today – rain was forecast overnight and throughout the day, and it was coming down on the west side when I left for Krieg, but somehow Krieg didn’t get very much until late in the final game. When I checked, at the beginning of the 12:30 game, it was 67 degrees with an intermittent drizzle, humidity at 91%. Cloudy and overcast throughout, wind from the east at 9 MPH. Could’ve been worse.
Games of Thursday March 27:
10:30 a.m., Maroon (5-1) at Purple (3-3):
1 2 3 4 5 BUFFET FINAL Maroon 2 4 1 0 1 1 9 Purple 4 3 4 1 4 X 16 Pitchers: Maroon – Tom Kelm; Purple – Ray Pilgrim. Mercenaries: Maroon – George Brindley, Tommy Gillis, and Phil Stanch; Purple – Tim Coles, Steve Hamlett, Ray Pilgrim, Paul Rubin, and Jack Spellman. Umpires: home – Jack McDermott; bases - Donald Drummer and Jim McAnelly. Perfect at the plate: Maroon – George Brindley (3 for 3 with a triple); Purple – Tim Coles (4 for 4 with three doubles) and Rex Horvath (4 for 4 with a double).
A rare game that had no five-run innings, both teams playing pretty good defense. Purple hit a bit more, scoring every at bat, putting up crooked numbers in four of five innings. Maroon opened the game with its first four batters reaching – Bobby Miller singled and scored on Tony Garcia’s double, Scott Wright walked, and Jim Maloy singled in Tony – but Ray Pilgrim retired the next three batters, and Purple took the lead with four runs in the home half on three singles and back-to-back doubles by Ray Pilgrim and Tim Coles.
Maroon grabbed the lead in the top of the second with four runs on five consecutive one-out hits, Tony Garcia’s second double driving in two, Tony scoring the fourth on Scott Wright’s single. Purple reclaimed the advantage with three runs on three singles and Richard Battle’s double in the bottom half.
Ray Pilgrim got two quick outs to start the third, then allowed singles to each of Maroon’s mercenaries, Tommy Gillis coming around to score. Bobby Miller hit a hard grounder back up the middle, but was robbed of a hit by Ray, who made a quick, twisting catch of the ball and threw to first to end the inning. Purple then put across four runs in the bottom of the frame, Tim Coles leading off with his second double, five singles following – a meat-and-potatoes rally.
Maroon did not score in the fourth, Ray Pilgrim working around Scott Wright’s one-out single. Purple had a chance for a knockout blow when the first three batters in the home half hit safely – Larry Young and Ray Pilgrim singled, and Tim Coles hit his third double, Larry scoring – but Tom Kelm retired the next three batters, stranding runners at second and third.
The innings were moving so quickly that there was still time on the clock as the fifth inning began. Maroon scored a single run in the top half, on George Brindley’s two-out RBI triple. Richard Battle singled and Rex Horvath doubled with one out in the bottom half. When Mark Hernandez grounded out to third baseman Scott Wright, Tom Kelm was an out away from escaping the jam, but the next four batters singled, four runs scoring.
That left Maroon chasing eight runs entering the buffet. They got just one, as Tony Garcia tripled with one out and tagged and scored on Scott Wright’s drive to left-center, Paul Rubin making an excellent catch for the out. Jim Maloy followed with a single, but Ivan Budiselich grounded into a game-ending 1-6 force. Final score: Purple 16, Maroon 9
11:30 a.m., Red (3-3) at Orange (1-5):
1 2 3 4 BUFFET FINAL Red 2 5 4 5 2 18 Orange 5 0 4 3 1 13 Pitchers: Red – Donald Drummer (inning 1) and Joe Bernal (innings 2-end); Orange – Ray Pilgrim. Mercenaries: Red – George Brindley, Tim Coles, Tom Kelm, and Chris Waddell; Orange – Daniel Baladez, Tony Garcia, Tommy Gillis, Boo Resnick, and Ralph Villela. Umpires: home – Scott Wright; bases – Jim Maloy. Perfect at the plate: Red – Anthony Galindo (4 for 4 with a double), Jim McAnelly (4 for 4), and Chris Waddell (3 for 3 with a double); Orange – Dave Brown (4 for 4) and Tony Garcia (3 for 3 with a double). Home run: Tommy Gillis (over the fence) (1).
Not sure how indicative this game is of the true strength of these teams, as Red was playing with four mercenaries and Orange five. (Red’s mercenaries went 9 for 13 with two doubles, Orange’s 11 for 16 with a double, a walk, and Tommy Gillis’s home run – about even, value-wise.) Orange won the first inning, holding Red to two runs on three singles and Mark Dolan’s sacrifice fly to left-center in the top half, then scoring five runs off Donald Drummer on five singles, a walk, and Ralph Villela’s double. But that was the only frame Orange won: Red scored five times in the top of the second, the rally capped by Mark Dolan’s two-run triple to the fence in left-center, and then Joe Bernal took over on the mound and blanked Orange in the bottom half, escaping a bases-loaded, one-out jam when Tim Coles turned a 5u., 5-2 double play.
Both teams scored four times in the third, Red on four singles and doubles by Donald Drummer and Anthony Galindo, Orange five singles and doubles by Marvin Krabbenhoft and Tony Garcia. Orange again had the bases loaded with one out and hit into a 5u., 5-2 double play to Tim Coles, catcher Tom Kelm making a good stretch across his body to backhand the throw home.
Red scored five again in the top of the fourth, on Mark Dolan’s lead-off walk, three singles, and back-to-back doubles by Chris Waddell (completing a 3-for-3 effort) and Tim Coles. Orange got three back in the bottom half: Ray Pilgrim doubled leading off and scored on David Brown’s single, and Tommy Gillis followed with an over-the-fence home run to left-center, a really impressive line shot, given the poor conditions (wet ball, heavy air).
Here’s a file photo of Tommy Gillis, who left before I could get him his Pluckers coupon for his home run in the top of the fourth. Mike Velaney is somehow everywhere, isn’t he?
Red led 16-12 entering the buffet, and added two, Mark Dolan picking up his fourth RBI of the game when he doubled in Anthony Galindo, Jim McAnelly completing a 4-for-4 game with a single that scored Joe Bernal.
That left Orange chasing six. Clint Fletcher led off the bottom of the buffet with a triple and tagged and scored on Ken Mockler’s fly to George Brindley in right-center. Mark Dolan stayed down on Ray Pilgrim’s hard grounder to the right side and threw him out, 4-3, for the second out. Marvin Krabbenhoft and David Brown followed with singles, David completing a 4-for-4 game. Ralph Villela hit a grounder to shortstop Jack Spellman – I went down to one knee in an effort to keep it in front of me, but still managed to botch the play, the single/E-6 loading the bases. But Joe Bernal got Tommy Gillis to hit a catchable fly to Donald Drummer in left field, Donad recording his fourth putout to end the game. Final score: Red 18, Orange 13
Boo Resnick shows the after-effect of the throw from Jack Spellman that he intercepted Monday. I think a good title for a reality TV series about the B League would be Boo’s Bruise.
12:30 p.m., Green (3-3) at Blue (3-3):
1 2 3 4 5 BUFFET FINAL Green 4 3 0 0 0 1 8 Blue 4 0 4 2 3 X 13 Pitchers: Green – Chunky Wright; Blue – David Pittard. Mercenaries: Green – Mark Dolan, Anthony Galindo, and Matt Levitt; Blue – Jim Maloy, Jim McAnelly, and Scott Wright. Umpires: home – David Brown; bases – Dave Berra. Perfect at the plate: Green – Mark Dolan (3 for 3). I received this email from Rick Kahn as I was working on the 12:30 game recap:
Jack,The bursitis is a little better but still painful, as is reading about Green losing while I can’t be of help. If Green lost today could you please not mention the game in the upcoming recap. If they won then it’s okay.Thanks, Rick
Welp, I wouldn't be a good pretend journalist if I fudged what happened. Green had the better of it in the early going, but only managed one run after the second inning, Blue scoring nine unanswered runs over the third, fourth, and fifth to build a 13-7 lead going into the buffet.
Both teams scored four times in the first inning, Green on six singles, Blue on four singles, two walks, and Scott Wright’s sacrifice fly. Blue defenders made two outstanding plays in the top of the first to keep Green from getting a fifth run. After Ralph Villela opened the game with a ground-ball double past third base, Mike Garrison lofted a fly to short left field that looked like a sure Texas League single, only to be robbed by shortstop Jimmy Sneed, who made an outstanding catch moving back and to his right, his back to home plate when he made the play. Then, with four runs in, runners at first and third, and two out, speedy Matt Levitt grounded a ball to third baseman Scott Wright, who fielded it cleanly but had to hurry his throw to first; Daniel Baladez made an outstanding play to scoop the ball on the short hop for the third out.
Green took the lead in the top of the second with three runs on four singles and Mike Garrison’s line double off the fence in left-center. Chunky Wright shut out Blue in the bottom half, retiring Jim Maloy on a bouncer back to the box and Steve Sandall on a fly to Matt Levitt in right-center field, an excellent tumbling catch. Singles by Jimmy Sneed and Tom Bellavia and a walk to George Brindley loaded the bases, but Chunky got David Pittard to line out to shortstop Ralph Villela.
David then turned around and shut out Green over the next three innings, allowing two hits in the top of the third (he got Mike Garrison to pop out for the third out, David making the catch himself, a difficult play), one hit in the fourth (a two-out single by Chris Waddell), and retiring the side in order in the fifth.
Meanwhile Blue put up crooked numbers in each of their at bats. After Chunky Wright got two quick outs to start the bottom of the third, each of Blue’s three mercenaries singled, as did Steve Sandall, two runs scoring, and then Jimmy Sneed ripped a two-run triple to center field. In the fourth, David Pittard doubled with one out and took third on Daniel Baladez’s Texas League single to left. Jim Foelker’s sacrifice fly to Mike Garrison in left scored David, and Scott Wright’s line single down the right field line scored Daniel. Five singles and a walk resulted in three runs in the bottom of the fifth, though a good 7-6-5 relay, Mike Garrison to Ralph Villela to Tim Coles, cut down Tom Bellavia trying to go first to third on George Brindley’s single.
Still, Blue led 13-7 entering the buffet, with the rain starting to intensify. The managers elected to play it out. Singles by Mark Dolan (completing a 3-for-3 game), Mike Garrison (on a fly to left field that Steve Sandall couldn’t hold on to, the conditions deteriorating rapidly), and Phil Stanch (on a sinking line drive that Tom Bellavia very nearly caught, catching it on the short hop) loaded the bases with one out. Mark scored on Tim Coles’s sacrifice fly to right-center (Jim Maloy, I think, making the catch). Chris Waddell hit a pop to the middle of the infield that David Pittard was able to grab for the final out. Final score: Blue 13, Green 8
Final standings, Session 1:
| Session 1 | Games | Runs | Runs | Runs dif- | W/L | |||
| Wins | Losses | Win %: | behind: | for: | allowed: | ferential: | streak: | |
| Maroon | 5 | 2 | .714 | 0 | 103 | 90 | 13 | L1 |
| Blue | 4 | 3 | .571 | 1 | 92 | 79 | 13 | W2 |
| Red | 4 | 3 | .571 | 1 | 105 | 99 | 6 | W3 |
| Purple | 4 | 3 | .571 | 1 | 87 | 87 | 0 | W2 |
| Gray | 3 | 3 | .500 | 1.5 | 78 | 81 | -3 | L1 |
| Green | 3 | 4 | .429 | 2 | 84 | 91 | -7 | L3 |
| Orange | 1 | 6 | .143 | 4 | 82 | 104 | -22 | L2 |
| Home | Visitor | Walk-off | Extra-inning | Flip-flop | 1-run games | |||
| W-L: | W-L: | wins | Wins: | W-L: | W-L: | |||
| Maroon | 2-1 | 3-1 | 1 | 0-0 | 3-0 | 1-0 | ||
| Blue | 3-1 | 1-2 | 1 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 1-1 | ||
| Red | 2-1 | 2-2 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 | ||
| Purple | 3-1 | 1-2 | 1 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 1-0 | ||
| Gray | 1-2 | 2-1 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 0-1 | ||
| Green | 0-3 | 3-1 | 0 | 0-0 | 1-3 | 0-0 | ||
| Orange | 1-3 | 0-3 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 0-1 |
2025 total victories (read across) and losses (read down):
| Blue | Gray | Green | Maroon | Orange | Purple | Red | TOTAL | |
| Blue | X | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Gray | 1 | X | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Green | 0 | 1 | X | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Maroon | 1 | 1 | 1 | X | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Orange | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Purple | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | X | 1 | 4 |
| Red | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | X | 4 |
| TOTAL: | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 24 |
2025 season home run leaders:
Bobby Miller – 4
Tim Coles – 3
Tim Bruton – 2
Larry Fiorentino – 2
Tom Belavia – 1
George Brindley – 1
Donald Drummer – 1
Anthony Galindo – 1
Mike Garrison – 1
Tommy Gillis – 1
Rex Horvath – 1
Mike Malay – 1
Chris Waddell – 1
Chunky Wright – 1
Schedule for Monday March 31:
10:30 a.m.: Blue (4-3 in Session 1) at Gray (3-3), Purple umpiring
11:30 a.m.: Purple (4-3) at Orange (1-6), Blue umpiring
12:30 p.m.: Green (3-4) at Red (4-4), Orange umpiring
Maroon has the bye, with priority for its players out of the bucket.
Preview: First games of Session Two! Maroon gets a day off after winning the Grapefruit Session. Everyone starts with a clean slate. 
? One thing is certain: Only time will tell.
Keggy’s Korner:
Reposting this for Morgan Witthoft:
This weekend is the HONK festival , Friday evening and all day Sat/Sun, dozens of fun bands playing at multiple stages.
I’m playing with the Klezmer Bund at:
Friday, 3/28 6:00-6:30 at Showpony @ Jackalope Riverside
Saturday, 3/29 – 1:30-2:15 and 3:00-3:45 at Mueller Lake
Sunday, 3/30 – 1:11-1:22 at Pan Am Park
But a great time is to be had whether you catch the Klezmer shows or just the vibe of the whole festival.