B League Picayune
Often in error, never in doubt.
Volume 5, Issue 14 – April 24, 2023
Weather: A chilly 53 degrees at the start of the 10:30 game, overcast with 85% humidity. The skies cleared a bit and it got into the 60s by the time the 12:30 game got started. Games were played at Krieg 2 due to the muddy infield at Krieg 3.
Games of Monday April 24:
10:30 a.m., Maroon (3-2) at Purple (1-4):
1 2 3 4 5 6 BUFFET FINAL Maroon 0 3 1 0 5 5 X 14 Purple 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 3 Pitchers: Maroon – Joe Bernal; Purple – Gil Delossantos. Mercenaries: Maroon – Tom Brownfield and Jack Spellman; Purple - George Brindley, Donnie Janac, Eddie Murillo, Paul Rubin, and Don Solberg. Umpires: home plate – Jack Kelly; bases – Dave Berra. Perfect at the plate: Maroon – Peter Atkins (4 for 4 with a double and a triple) and Tom Brownfield (3 for 3); Purple - ?. (Maybe Eddie Murillo, who made his season debut today.)
Close through four. Neither team scored in the first, Maroon going out in order in the top half. In the second Maroon scored three times, with Peter Atkins driving in the first run with a triple – Chris Villareal scored from first, but pulled a hamstring while circling the bases and subsequently left the game – and scoring the second on Ken Brown’s single. Purple got two in its half, that inning ending on a nice force play at second, 6-4, Maroon shortstop Scott Wright making a terrific play to his left to rob a hit. Purple scored a single run on three singles in the top of the third, then shut out Purple in the bottom half, Joe Bernal starting an inning-ending 1-6-3 double play. In the fourth Gil Delossantos blanked Maroon in the top half, getting all three outs on ground balls to shortstop George Brindley. Purple scored a run in its half to cut Maroon’s lead to 4-3.
After that, though, it was all Maroon: five runs on six hits and a walk in both the fifth and the sixth, with Peter Atkins, 4 for 4 with seven total bases and four RBI on the day, knocking a two-run double in the fourth and a run-scoring single in the sixth. (One of the funnier moments of the day was Joe Bernal, coaching third base, urging Scott Wright to keep running even after the fifth run was scored in the fifth.) Purple was unable to generate anything in their halves, with the sixth inning ending on a 6u., 6-3 double play started by Scott Wright. The teams then flip-flopped for the buffet, and Purple again did not score, with the game ending on a 5-4-3 double play, Jack Spellman to Tom Brownfield (picture-perfect pivot) to Tom Kelm. Final score: Maroon 14, Purple 3
11:30 a.m., Red (2-3) at Green (3-2):
1 2 3 4 5 BUFFET FINAL Red 3 0 0 0 4 1 8 Green 1 1 2 5 4 X 13 Pitchers: Red – Jack Kelly; Green – Chunky Wright. Mercenary: Red – Joe Roche. Umpires: home plate – Gil Delossantos; bases – Marvin Krabbenhoft. Perfect at the plate: Red – Sam Baker (3 for 3); Green – Mike Hill (4 for 4). Homerun: Paul Rubin (inside the park).
Red jumped out to a quick lead on Paul Rubin’s three-run inside-the-park homerun in the top of the first, a drive to right-center field, but did not score again until the fifth inning, thwarted by some excellent Green defense.
Paul Rubin receives a Pluckers coupon from Terry Thompson following his three-run homer.
In the top of the second Boo Resnick in right field moved in front of right-center fielder Reed Durant to catch Joe Roche’s fly for the second out of the inning. A walk to Donald Drummer and a single by Terry Thompson loaded the bases, but Reed caught Paul Rubin’s fly to right to snuff the rally. An inning later Red loaded the bases with lead-off singles by Ken Mockler, George Brindley, and Daniel Baladez, but did not score. First, Hal Darman hit into a weird-ass double play: Hal popped a ball up in front of the mound; umpre Gil Delossantos called infield fly; pitcher Chunky Wright tried to catch the ball, but it popped out of his glove; not aware of the infield-fly call, I don’t think, Ken Mockler thought he was forced, and headed for home; Chunky threw to catcher Jeff Broussard for the out at home. It took some discussion to establish that Hal and Ken were out and George and Daniel’s pinch-runner had advanced to second and third. Jack Kelly then came up and lined back to the box, Chunky making a good grab for the third out.
Sam Baker opened the third inning with his second of three singles. When Joe Roche flied out to Boo Resnick in right field, again, Sam tagged up and tried for second, but Boo’s throw to George Brindley beat him to the base, for an F-10, 10-6 double play.
Meanwhile, Green put up at least one run in each of its four at bats, scoring once in the first (on three singles, the inning ending on George Brindley’s terrific play on Ray Pilgrim’s grounder up the middle, converted to a 6-4 force out) and once in the second (on four singles, the inninng ending on a 6-4-5 double play, George Brindley to Daniel Baladez to Joe Roche, Jack Kelly thereby escaping a bases-loaded, one-out jam). Green got two runs in the third on three singles, with Reed Durant robbed of a hit when his one-hop liner to Paul Rubin in right-center was converted into a 9-6 force at second.
In the fourth Green scored five runs, all with two out, on eight consecutive singles after an opening ground out. Tim Balke, running for Jeff Broussard, was thrown out trying to score on Donnie Janac’s single to right-center, 9-6-2 (Paul Rubin to George Brindley to Sam Baker), but that was but a brief speed bump.
Red got back into the game with four runs in the top of the fifth, on Paul Rrubin’s double and five singles, making the score 9-7, but Green matched that with four of its own in the bottom half, the last two on Gary Coyle’s double, Donald Drummer coming close to making a diving catch of the liner.
That inning ended with Jeff Fisher lining a ball up the middle and off Jack Kelly’s chest, the ball caroming to first baseman Hal Darman, who fielded it and tagged the base for the out. It was the third time in the game Jack took a ball off the body: in the first inning Donnie Janac lined a ball off one of Jack’s shin pads for a single, the ball caroming toward third base; and in the fourth Gary Coyle lined a ball off Jack’s knee for a single. Gentlemen: Jack’s not wearing a bull’s eye.
Jack Kelly, tough as nails, points to where Jeff Fisher’s line drive landed. Jack later said he is bruised, but okay, and plans to play Thursday.
Red went into the buffet trailing 13-7. Chunky Wright got two quick outs on pops to third baseman Gary Coyle. Paul Rubin and Ken Mockler both singled, and George Brindley doubled to center, Paul scoring – it was the third hit of the game for each of the trio – but the game ended with Daniel Baladez, who’d hit safely his first three at bats, grounding out to first baseman Ray Pilgrim. Final score: Green 13, Red 8
12:30 p.m., Gray (2-3) at Blue (2-4):
1 2 3 4 BUFFET FINAL Gray 5 4 4 5 X 18 Blue 2 3 0 1 1 7 Pitchers: Gray – Greg Lloyd; Blue – Chunky Wright. Mercenaries: Blue – Hal Darman, Jack Spellman, Chunky Wright, and Scott Wright. Umpires: home plate – Jeff Broussard; bases – Mike Hill. Perfect at the plate: Gray – Dale Fugate and Fritz Hensel (each 3 for 3), and Scott Wright (2 for 2); Blue - ?. Homerun: Jim Maloy (inside-the-park grand slam).
Blue somehow managed only seven runs despite collecting 18 hits and two walks. This was due to excellent Gray defense, including three double plays and a tremendous relay play. The relay came in the first inning, after the first double play. After Gray scored five times in the top half, Blue started strong, with Anthony Galindo taking a lead-off walk and coming around to score on singles by Larry Fiorentino and Morgan Witthoft. David Kruse,who had a great day in the field, then turned a 6u., 6-3 double play on George Romo’s hard grounder up the middle. Fritz Hensel, with Larry Fiorentino running for him from home, followed with a single. Dale Fugate then slashed a single off that first glanced off the glove of third baseman Rick Jensen, then richocheted off shortstop David Kruse and into short left field; as Larry raced to third, left fielder Jerry Mylius retrieved the ball and got it back to David; Larry turned at third and headed for home, but David’s throw to catcher Frank Delmonte beat him by a step, for an inning-ending 5-6-7-6-2 out.
Gray scored four runs in the top of the second, a diving stop behind second base by shortstop Scott Wright keeping the fifth run from scoring. Blue got three back in the bottom half on a walk and four singles, but another excellent play by David Kruse ended the rally – moving to his left, David fielded Morgan Witthoft’s hard grounder up the middle and made a backhanded flip to second baseman Tom Brownfield for the inning-ending force at second.
Gray got four more runs in the top of the third, though I can’t remember how. Lots of hits, basically. Blue loaded the bases to start the bottom half, on singles by George Romo, Fritz Hensel, and Dale Fugate. Stan Fisher popped out, infield fly to the pitcher, for the first out. Chunky Wright then hit a hard grounder to third baseman Rick Jensen, who fielded the ball cleanly, stepped on third for the force there, and then chased George Romo to the commit line, tagging him out as George had one foot on each side of the line, for an unassisted 5-5 double play.
Gray effectively put the game out of reach with five runs in the top of the fourth, the last three coming on Jim Maloy’s inside-the-park grand slam on a drive to right-center field.
Above left, Gray manager Greg Lloyd presents Jim Maloy with a Pluckers coupon following Jim’s grand slam. Earlier I took this picture, above right, of the remnants of the tacos prepared for us by Jackie Maloy, whom we should be thanking way more than we actually do for the splendid repasts she’s made.
Blue scored a single run in the bottom of the fourth, Hal Darman leading off with a double and coming around on singles by Jack Spellman and Scott Wright. Anthony Galindo hit a ball hard to the 5-6 hole, but Rick Jensen made an excellent play to his left and started a 5-4-3 double play, Tom Brownfield on the pivot, the third twin killing turned by Gray over the first four innings. Larry Fiorentino flied out to end the inning, and the teams flip-flopped for the buffet. Greg Lloyd retired the first two batters of the ining, then gave up a run on four consecutive singles before getting Hal Darman to ground a ball up the middle, David Kruse once more ranging to his left to make the play, throwing to second for the final out. Final score: Gray 18, Blue 7, Gray defeating Blue for the first time this season.
Quote of the Day: Rick Jensen: “My new Beebes have supplanted my old cleats. I threw those out.”
Standings – Session Two:
Games Runs Runs Run W/L
W L Win %: behind: for: allowed: differential: streak:
Gold 5 0 1.000 — 69 48 +21 W5
Maroon 4 2 .667 1.5 78 64 +14 W1
Green 4 2 .667 1.5 79 73 + 6 W2
Gray 3 3 .500 2.5 86 78 + 8 W3
Red 2 4 .333 3.5 71 78 – 7 L1
Blue 2 5 .286 4 90 109 -19 L2
Purple 1 5 .167 4.5 58 81 -23 L3
Home Visitor Walk-off Extra-inning Flip-flop 1-run games
W-L: W-L: Wins: W-L: W-L: W-L:
Gold 2-0 3-0 2 2-0 1-0 3-0
Maroon 1-1 3-1 0 0-0 2-1 0-1
Green 2-2 2-0 1 0-1 1-1 1-0
Gray 1-1 2-2 1 0-2 1-1 1-1
Red 1-2 1-2 0 0-0 1-1 0-1
Blue 0-4 2-1 0 1-0 1-2 0-1
Purple 1-3 0-2 0 0-0 0-1 0-1
2023 total victories (read across) and losses (read down):
Blue Gold Gray Green Maroon Purple Red TOTAL
Blue X 1 2 0 0 2 0 5
Gold 1 X 1 2 1 0 1 6
Gray 1 1 X 0 1 0 2 5
Green 1 0 1 X 0 2 3 7
Maroon 1 1 0 2 X 2 0 6
Purple 0 0 1 0 1 X 1 3
Red 2 0 0 0 1 1 X 4
______________________________________________________________
TOTAL: 6 3 5 4 4 7 7 36
Schedule for Thursday April 27:
10:30 a.m.: Blue (2-5) at Maroon (4-2), Gold umpiring
11:30 a.m.: Gold (5-0) at Gray (3-3), Maroon umpiring
12:30 p.m.: Purple (1-5) at Red (2-4), Gray umpiring
Green has the bye – players from that team will have priority out of the bucket.
Preview: The teams with the longest active winning streaks face off at 11:30, Gold looking to solidify its hold on first place, Gray hoping to extend its streak to four straight wins. The teams with the longest active losing streaks square off at 12:30, Purple and Red each looking to avoid finishing the day in last place. Maroon can move to just half a game out of first with a win over Blue at 10:30 and a Gold loss; Blue looks to post its first win of the season versus Maroon.
Keggy’s Korner:
Ralph Villela checks in:
Just want to pass along this message regarding my absence –
My wife was diagnosed with cancer and will start chemotherapy this Thursday, so my play time will be here and there, but probably mostly on Mondays.
Ralph
I don’t believe I’m speaking out of turn: All of B League, and anyone reading this, is sending prayers and positive thoughts your way, Ralph.