B League Picayune
Often in error, never in doubt.
Volume 8, Issue 24 – June 11, 2026
Department of Corrections: Dang, another overlooked perfect day at the plate – Larry Young was 2 for 2 with two walks Monday June 8 in Blue’s game versus Purple. Dave Berra only mentioned it to me multiple times. Sorry, Larry.
Department of Honest Mistakes, Not My Own: With assistant managers overseeing Maroon (Jeff Stone filling in for Scott Wright) and Green (Mike Garrison filling in for Chunky Wright) on Monday, and nobody who knew better around to jump in and correct the mistake, the bucket draw for the Maroon-Green was mishandled, the managers taking turns picking straight from the bucket instead of selecting five chips and doing a draft. Honest mistake, we move on. For future reference, here’s the procedure as laid out in the league rules (which can be found on the league web site at https://austinseniorsoftball.
The umpire will determine the total number of regular roster players needed by both teams.
If only one team needs players, then the appropriate number of chips will be drawn, and those players will be assigned to that team.
If both teams need players, then the appropriate number of chips will be drawn, and placed on the table for selection. The first selection is given to the team as was decided in the pitcher round, with each team alternating picks until complete, except that neither team will select an 11th or 12th player, (as allowed in the shorthanded rule), until both teams have reached a roster of 10.
Games of Thursday June 11:
10:30 a.m.: Purple (3-11) at Green (7-7):
1 2 3 4 BUFFET FINAL Purple 5 2 5 1 0 13 Green 5 0 5 5 X 15 Pitchers: Purple – Ray Pilgrim; Green – Spike Davidson. Mercenaries: Purple – Jim Foelker and Paul Rubin; Green – Trent Peacock and Jack Spellman. Umpires: home – Jeff Stone; bases – Steve Browne. Perfect at the plate: Purple – Jim Foelker and Billy Hill (both 3 for 3) and Rick Jensen (2 for 2 with a walk); Green – Gary Coyle, Jim McAnelly, and Jack Spellman (all 2 for 2), Terry O'Brien (2 for 2 with a home run), and Steve Sandall (1 for 1 with two walks). Home run: Terry O'Brien (inside the park) (4).
Dave Berra’s Weather report: 87 degrees, feels like 98; humidity 69%; wind from the South at 11 MPH; partly cloudy – nice breeze, a bit steamy.
Jack Spellman, Paul Rubin, Trent Peacock, and Jim Foelker were picked from the bucket to play in the 10:30 game. Tim Coles had hoped to play, but was disappointed.
Good battle. Both teams scored five times in the first inning, Purple on seven singles and Rick Jensen’s walk without making an out, Billy Hill driving in the fifth run with a clean hit to left-center field; Green on Steve Sandall’s lead-off walk, two singles, Rex Horvath’s triple (well-struck drive to left field), and Terry O’Brien’s inside-the-park home run, his fourth of the season, tying Ralph Villela for the league lead, as seen here:
Purple went ahead with two runs scored after two were out in the top of the second, Phil Stanch driving in Jim Foelker with a double and then scoring on Jimmy Sneed’s two-bagger. Ray Pilgrim then held Green scoreless in the bottom half, working around a one-out single by Jim Maloy and a two-hit single by Jack Spellman.
The hits kept coming in the third, both teams scoring five times, Purple on six singles and Jimmy Sneed’s sacrifice fly to left field, which drove in Jim Foelker with the fifth run. Jack Spellman had moved to left field temporarily after Mike Garrison suffered a cut trying for a shoestring catch, I believe on a ball hit by Paul Rubin, when the ball short-hopped Mike and cut his face, superficially – Mike left to tend the cut and returned to left field in the next inning. On Jimmy’s high fly I moved a couple steps back to make the catch and then made a futile, inaccurate throw home on the one-in-a-million chance that Jim would trip over his feet running home. (Jim did not trip over his feet running home.)
Green responded with five runs in the home half on six singles and Mike Garrison’s double, making just one out along the way.
Purple got four singles in the top of the fourth, but came away with just one run. Ray Pilgrim and Shane Hill led off with hits, Ray’s pinch-runner (Phil Stanch, as I recall) taking third. Patrick Schmidt hit a pop to third baseman Gary Coyle; Shane was off on contact and was doubled up. Rick Jensen and Billy Hill both singled, Rick’s hit driving in Phil, Rick and Billy both completing perfect days at the plate. Spike Davidson got Paul Rubin to foul off a two-strike pitch for the third out.
Green grabbed the lead in the bottom of the fourth with five runs on five singles and Steve Sandall’s second walk of the game. Steve and Larry Fiorentino moved up to third on second on the late throw home on Larry’s two-run single, and scored the fourth and fifth runs on Rex Horvath’s base hit.
Purple came up in the buffet needing two runs to tie. Jim Foelker, completing a 3-for-3 game, and Joe Roche, collecting his third hit, both singled, putting runners on the corners with none out. But Spike Davidson got Phil Stanch to foul off a two-strike pitch, retired Jimmy Sneed on a pop to third baseman Gary Coyle, and then got Ray Pilgrim to swing through a two-strike pitch for the final out.
Final score: Green 15, Purple 13
11:30 a.m.: Maroon (10-3) at Orange (6-7):
1 2 3 4 BUFFET FINAL Maroon 2 5 0 3 1 11 Orange 5 1 5 5 X 16 Pitchers: Maroon – Jeff Stone; Orange – Tommy Deleon. Mercenaries: Maroon – Daniel Baladez, Rex Horvath, and Patrick Schmidt. Umpires: home – Mike Garrison; bases – Jim Maloy and Gary Coyle. Perfect at the plate: Maroon – George Brindley (3 for 3 with a double and a triple) and Rex Horvath (3 for 3 with a double); Orange – Jack Crosley (2 for 2 with a walk), Tommy Deleon (4 for 4 – Ohtani Award), and Mark Hernandez (3 for 3).
Weather update: The same, a bit warmer, the breeze kept it bearable.
Maroon skipper Scott Wright seems less than thrilled at getting Rex Horvath, Patrick Schmidt, and Daniel Baladez from the bucket to play in the 11:30 game. Tim Coles was once again unpicked and disappointed.
Dependably unpredictable, today the good-hitting Orange team showed up, posted three five-run innings in four at bats against a really good pitcher, and defeated Maroon 16-11 to finish Session Two at .500.
Maroon scored two quick runs to start the game, as Steve Browne led off with a single and George Brindley tripled to center field, Steve scoring easily. George came in on Scott Wright’s sacrifice fly to Matt Levitt in left-center, and Tommy Deleon retired the next two batters as well – Jeff Stone on a fly to Peter Atkins in right-center and Alan Phillips on a grounder to third baseman Adam Reddell, who made an outstanding play to his backhand on the ball and then a strong cross-diamond throw to first.
Orange’s first five batters reached safely and scored in the bottom of the first, on three singles and walks drawn by Pat Scott and Adam Reddell. Mark Hernandez singled in the first two runs, and the third scored on Peter Atkins’s sacrifice fly to left fielder… Patrick Schmidt, I think? (Forgot to note who was playing where in Maroon’s defensive set.) Don Solberg singled in the fourth run. Adam, the fifth player to reach, took second on Don’s hit, then took a pinch-runner, Jack Spellman. Jack Crosley drew the third walk of the inning, loading the bases. Matt Levitt grounded to third baseman Alan Phillips, who got the force at third, but couldn’t find the third out anywhere before Spellman scored the fifth run.
Maroon responded by scoring five runs in the top of the second without making an out, on a double by Rex Horvath, four singles, and walks to Fritz Hensel (leading off), Steve Browne, and Scott Wright, Scott’s forcing in the fifth run. Jeff Stone limited Orange to one run on three singles in the home half, and Maroon led 7-6 through two.
Orange took control of the game in the third inning. Tommy Deleon blanked Maroon in the top half. Jeff Stone and Alan Phillips singled leading off, but Tommy converted Fritz Hensel’s hard one-hopper back to the box into a 1-4-3 double play, Pat Scott turning an excellent pivot and making a strong throw to first to beat speedy pinch-runner George Brindley. Tommy then got Dean Hector to ground out to shortstop.
Orange surged ahead with another five-run inning in the bottom half, on six singles and Matt Levitt’s double. Mark Hernandez drove in the fourth and fifth runs with his line single to left-center. (Mark was 3 for 3 in the game, driving in five runs.)
Maroon cut Orange’s lead to 11-10 with three runs on three singles and George Brindley’s two-run double in the top of the fourth. (George tripled, singled, and doubled in his three at bats, but didn’t get a chance to try for the cycle.)
Orange won the inning, however, scoring five times again in the bottom of the fourth. The first five batters singled, two runs scoring. A third came across on Hal Darman’s 4-6 force-out grounder, his third RBI of the game. Tommy Deleon came up and knocked his fourth hit in as many at bats, a drive to right-center over the outfielders, driving in the fourth and fifth runs of the inning – technically a single, as Tommy took a runner from home, but a wallop that scored Hal from first.
Maroon came up in the buffet trailing by six. Three of its first four batters singled – Alan Phillips, Dean Hector, and, completing a 3-for-3 day, Rex Horvath, with Alan coming around to score. I believe it was Rex who hit a fly to left-center that Matt Levitt and Peter Atkins converged on, both calling for the ball (while I, at shortstop, was calling for Peter to take it – I thought he was closer to it), but neither heard the other, or me, and they collided and were unable to make the catch, the ball glancing off (I think) Peter’s glove. Fortunately, it was not a full-on collision, more an entangling, neither seriously hurt, both able to continue playing. Tommy Deleon got Patrick Schmidt to hit a two-strike foul for the second out. Daniel Baladez lofted a fly to left-center that Matt Levitt charged in on and caught low to the ground for the final out.
Final score: Orange 16, Maroon 11
Tommy Deleon earned his third Ohtani Award of the season, going 4 for 4 and pitching Orange to victory over Maroon. The pop group XG presented Tommy with his trophy at the Tokyo Dome.
12:30 p.m.: Blue (12-2) at Red (5-8):
1 2 3 4 5 BUFFET FINAL Blue 1 0 3 0 1 0 5 Red 1 1 5 0 1 X 8 Pitchers: Blue – Joe Bernal; Red – Trent Peacock. Mercenaries: Blue – Jim Foelker and Don Solberg; Red – Adam Reddell and Scott Wright. Umpires: home – Jack Crosley; bases – Matt Levitt. Perfect at the plate: Blue – Tom Bellavia and Larry Young (both 3 for 3); Red – Tim Coles and Tommy Gillis (both 3 for 3 with a double and a triple) and Adam Reddell (2 for 2 with a double).
Weather update: Same.
Blue manager David Brown and acting Red manager Anthony Galindo ponder their choices among bucket picks Jim Foelker, Don Solberg, Adam Reddell, and Scott Wright.
Good defensive battle, lots of good plays by both teams – Red turned two double plays and had a base-running kill, and Blue had two base-running kills in just the bottom of the first inning.
Blue had taken the lead with a single run in the top of the first: Tom Bellavia doubled with one out and scored on Larry Young’s line-drive single to right field. Mark Dolan drew a walk to start the home half and took second on Anthony Galindo’s single to shortstop – David Brown moved to his right to field the ball, saw he didn’t have a play at second, and made the long throw to first too late to get Anthony. Tommy Gillis followed with a single to left-center; Mark scored on the hit, but Anthony was thrown out 8-6-5, Tom Bellavia to David Brown to George Romo, trying for third. Then the same exact thing happened again: Tim Coles singled to left-center, and Tommy was thrown out 8-6-5 trying for third. Joe Bernal then got Trent Peacock to hit a short pop, Joe making the catch himself.
Trent held Blue scoreless in the second thanks to a fine play by second baseman Mark Dolan. Daniel Baladez singled leading off. Larry Shupe lined out to shortstop Tim Coles. Jim Foelker hit a pop to short right field; Mark moved back and to his left, tracked the pop, and made a terrific running basket catch. Tom Bellavia (I think it was), running for Daniel from first, did not think Mark would make the catch and was almost to second before he realized his problem. Johnny Lee got back to first base and called for and caught Mark’s throw to complete the F-4, 4-3 double play.
Red took the lead with a single run in the bottom of the second, scoring after Joe retired the first two batters. Johnny Lee, with Tommy Gillis running for him from home, lined a single to right-center. Adam Reddell followed with a high, deep drive to left field that fell in uncaught for a double, Tommy scoring easily from first.
The lead changed hands in each half of the third. Blue scored three runs in the top half on three singles, back-to-back doubles by Tom Bellavia and Larry Young, and David Brown’s sacrifice fly to Scott Wright in right field, going ahead 4-2. Red posted the game’s single five-run inning in the home half, on Mark Dolan’s lead-off walk, three singles, a double by Tommy Gillis, a triple by Tim Coles, and Marvin Krabbenhoft’s sacrifice fly to Tom Bellavia in left-center to drive in the fifth run. Two of the singles came on grounders to shortstop David Brown’s right. David made a great play on Anthony Galindo’s grounder, but he didn’t have a play at second and his throw to first got away from Larry Young, Mark Dolan scoring and Anthony winding up at third. David made another good play on Richard Battle’s grounder four batters later, but again couldn’t find an out.
With Red now leading 7-4, neither team scored in the fourth inning. Trent Peacock retired Blue in order in the top half; Red put runners on the corners with one out on back-to-back singles off Joe Bernal by mercenaries Adam Reddell and Scott Wright, but good outfield plays kept Adam from scoring. Jim Foelker charged in and caught Mark Dolan’s fly to short right-center, not deep enough to score Adam, and Tom Bellavia caught Anthony Galindo’s drive to deep left-center for the third out.
Both teams scored once in the fifth inning. Joe Bernal led off the top of the frame with a sharp grounder down the first-base side and was robbed of a hit by Johnny Lee, who made a terrific play on the short hop and beat Joe to the base. Tom Bellavia and Larry Young both singled, Larry on a pop behind second base that shortstop Tim Coles reached and got a glove on, but could not corral. Tom and Larry each completed 3-for-3 games with their hits. George Romo lined a single to left field, Tom scoring, Larry’s pinch-runner Lawrence Page halting at second. Donnie Janac hit a pop a bit behind and to the right of second base. Home-plate umpire Jack Crosley called “Infield fly!” – I heard him from where I was sitting, in the third-base-side stands, but Lawrence did not, and when the ball fell uncaught, he thought it was live and that he was forced. Mark Dolan picked the ball up and threw to third to put Lawrence out, completing the IF-4, 4-5 double play on what Lawrence described pretty accurately as a “phantom infield fly.”
Red got that run back quickly in the home half, as Tommy Gillis led off with a triple on a deep drive to left-center, then scored on Tim Coles’s double on a high fly to left-center, both Tommy and Tim completing 3-for-3 games. Tim took third on Trent Peacock’s single to right-center. Richard Battle grounded to third base, George Romo throwing to Joe Bernal covering second for the force there, Tim holding third. Joe then got Marvin Krabbenhoft to hit a two-strike foul for the second out. Johnny Lee grounded a ball to shortstop David Brown’s right; David threw to Joe covering second for the third out. (It’s hard to overstate Joe’s value as, basically, a fifth infielder.)
Blue came up in the top of the buffet needing three to tie. David Brown lined a hit to right field to open the inning, but was thrown out 10-6, Scott Wright to Tim Coles, trying to stretch it into a double. It was a bang-bang play, but I thought Matt Levitt got the call right, that Tim’s stretch got the ball into his mitt while David’s foot was still in the air. Daniel Baladez followed with a single. Larry Shupe grounded into a 6-4 force for the second out. Jim Foelker walked, which brought Don Solberg up, representing the tying run. Trent Peacock got Don, batting right-handed, to swing through a two-strike pitch for the final out.
Final score: Red 8, Blue 5, the home teams winning all three of the day’s contests.
2026 standings:
| Final Session 2 standings: | ||||||||
| Games | Runs | Runs | Runs dif- | W/L | ||||
| Wins | Losses | Win %: | behind: | for: | allowed: | ferential: | streak: | |
| Blue | 12 | 3 | .800 | 0 | 178 | 131 | 47 | L1 |
| Maroon | 10 | 4 | .714 | 1.5 | 190 | 131 | 59 | L1 |
| Green | 8 | 7 | .533 | 4 | 185 | 175 | 10 | W1 |
| Orange | 7 | 7 | .500 | 4.5 | 161 | 171 | -10 | W1 |
| Red | 6 | 8 | .429 | 5.5 | 167 | 177 | -10 | W3 |
| Gray | 5 | 10 | .333 | 7 | 170 | 200 | -30 | L1 |
| Purple | 3 | 12 | .200 | 9 | 170 | 236 | -66 | L4 |
| Home | Visitor | Walk-off | Extra-inning | Flip-flop | 1-run games | |||
| W-L: | W-L: | wins | W-L: | W-L: | W-L: | |||
| Blue | 6-1 | 6-2 | 1 | 0-1 | 3-0 | 2-1 | ||
| Maroon | 5-1 | 5-3 | 0 | 0-0 | 3-0 | 1-0 | ||
| Green | 4-4 | 4-3 | 0 | 0-0 | 4-1 | 0-2 | ||
| Orange | 4-3 | 3-4 | 1 | 0-0 | 1-3 | 2-1 | ||
| Red | 2-6 | 4-2 | 1 | 1-0 | 1-3 | 1-0 | ||
| Gray | 2-5 | 3-5 | 2 | 1-0 | 2-4 | 2-4 | ||
| Purple | 0-8 | 3-4 | 0 | 0-1 | 1-4 | 1-1 | ||
| Combined standings Sessions 1 + 2: | ||||||||
| Games | Runs | Runs | Runs dif- | W/L | ||||
| Wins | Losses | Win %: | behind: | for: | allowed: | ferential: | streak: | |
| Blue | 17 | 4 | .810 | 0 | 257 | 190 | 67 | L1 |
| Maroon | 12 | 8 | .600 | 4.5 | 255 | 204 | 51 | L1 |
| Orange | 10 | 11 | .476 | 7 | 232 | 254 | -22 | W1 |
| Red | 9 | 11 | .450 | 7.5 | 252 | 256 | -4 | W3 |
| Green | 9 | 12 | .429 | 8 | 256 | 254 | 2 | W1 |
| Gray | 8 | 12 | .400 | 8.5 | 250 | 277 | -27 | L1 |
| Purple | 7 | 14 | .333 | 10 | 255 | 322 | -67 | L4 |
| Home | Visitor | Walk-off | Extra-inning | Flip-flop | 1-run games | |||
| W-L: | W-L: | wins | W-L: | W-L: | W-L: | |||
| Blue | 10-1 | 7-3 | 1 | 0-1 | 5-0 | 3-1 | ||
| Maroon | 7-1 | 5-7 | 0 | 0-0 | 3-0 | 2-2 | ||
| Orange | 6-5 | 4-6 | 1 | 0-0 | 1-5 | 4-2 | ||
| Red | 4-7 | 5-4 | 2 | 1-0 | 2-4 | 3-2 | ||
| Green | 5-6 | 4-6 | 0 | 0-0 | 4-2 | 0-4 | ||
| Gray | 3-6 | 5-6 | 3 | 1-0 | 4-4 | 3-5 | ||
| Purple | 2-10 | 5-5 | 2 | 0-1 | 1-5 | 3-2 | ||
2026 total victories (read across) and losses (read down):
| Blue | Gray | Green | Maroon | Orange | Purple | Red | TOTAL | |
| Blue | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 17 | |
| Gray | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 | |
| Green | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 9 | |
| Maroon | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 12 | |
| Orange | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | |
| Purple | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | |
| Red | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9 | |
| TOTAL: | 4 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 72 |
2026 season home run leaders:
Terry O’Brien – 4
Ralph Villela – 4
Steve Browne – 3
Tony Garcia – 3
Mike Garrison – 3
David Brown – 2
Tim Coles – 2
Larry Fiorentino – 2
Allen Phillips – 2
Paul Rubin – 2
Jack Spellman – 2
Peter Atkins – 1
Richard Battle – 1
Joe Bernal – 1
George Brindley – 1
Mark Dolan – 1
Rick Kahn – 1
Mike Malay – 1
Bobby Miller – 1
Scott Rokita – 1
George Romo – 1
Luis Sanchez – 1
Steve Sandall – 1
Pat Scott – 1
Hit for the cycle:
Ralph Villela – May 26
Ohtani Awards (winning pitcher + perfect at the plate):
Joe Bernal: 4 (March 2, March 19, March 30, April 16)
Ray Pilgrim: 4 (March 5, March 23, March 26, June 1)
Tommy Deleon: 3 (April 6, April 30, June 11)
Spike Davidson: 1 (May 4)
Rex Horvath: 1 (March 30)
Lawrence Page: 1 (March 26)
Trent Peacock: 1 (March 9)
Jeff Stone: 1 (March 2)
Schedule for Monday June 15:
10:30 a.m.: Green at Maroon, Orange umpiring
11:30 a.m.: Orange at Red, Green umpiring
12:30 p.m.: Blue at Gray, Red umpiring
Purple has the bye, with priority for its players out of the bucket.
Preview: First games of Session Three! We have a new player soon to join B League, might see a minor shuffling of players in order to foster parity. Green and Maroon kick off the new session at 10:30; Maroon leads the season series 3-1. Orange and Red, which have split four games so far this season, play at 11:30, each with a winning streak – one game for Orange, three for Red – on the line. Blue and Gray each lost their final game of Session Two: they’ll play at 12:30 to see who starts off the new session in a tie for first place. Blue leads the season series 3-1. On June 15, 1215, King John of England signed the Magna Carta at Runnymede, limiting royal authority and establishing the principle that the king and his government are not above the law, but not explaining in any way how to run a bucket draft. Loser!
Will the rest of B League get tired of my dumb bucket jokes before I do? Probably, but one thing is certain: Only time will tell.
Keggy’s Korner:
Podcast review: IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson
Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson interview guests who generally are plugging their latest project (Steven Spielberg and his new movie, Angel Reese and, what, a line of beauty products? It’s been over a month and I can’t remember, which tells you all you need to know). They’re not great interviewers, and their guests tend to be far too awed by Michelle having been First Lady, but a good guest (Ayo Edeberi) can overcome this and be very entertaining, and Craig’s not afraid to call Michelle on her stuff. Overall pretty hit and miss – since the beginning of the year I’ve been skipping as many as I’ve been listening to. They chew over a listener question with their guest at the end of each episode, and this is absolutely skippable – often cringe-inducing and an excuse for indulging Michelle’s predilection for therapy talk. New England content: Michelle and Craig and their families summer in Martha’s Vineyard, kind of counts. Canadian content: Nah. Listening speed: 1.2X to get through episodes that regularly are well over 60 minutes long for no good reason. Also, you can skip through the three-minute-long commercial segments. Rating: 🎧
Revisiting an earlier review, The Big Dig just yesterday posted, as part of its Highway Teardown Tour, an episode about Austin and the debate over whether to put a highway cap over I-35 at Sixth Street. It’s a very interesting discussion that can be listened to at: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/