B League News for Monday March 10, 2025

B League Picayune

Often in error, never in doubt.

Winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Inaccuracy in Reporting

Volume 7, Issue 3 – March 10, 2025

Weather report: Another incredibly pleasant day on which to play three excellent games. Starting times were pushed back 30 minutes due to the morning chill, and it was only just above 60 degrees at the start of the first game, but it warmed over the late morning and early afternoon, up to 73 degrees at the start of the 1:00 game, relative humidity at just 28%, wind from the south-southwest at 6 MPH. Sunny throughout, tough on the fielders for balls in the air.

Games of Monday March 10:

11:00 a.m., Orange (0-2) at Gray (0-1):

		1	2	3	4     BUFFET   FINAL
Orange		3	5	5	0	2	15
Gray		3	4	5	5	X	17

Pitchers: Orange – Gary Bowles; Gray – Jack Kelly. Mercenaries: Orange – George Brindley and Bobby Miller. Umpires: home – Rip Wright; bases – Jim Foelker. Perfect at the plate: Orange – George Brindley (3 for 3 with two triples), Clint Fletcher (4 for 4), and Larry Shupe (3 for 3); Gray – Jack Crosley and Jack Kelly (both 1 for 1 with two walks), Tommy Gillis and Boo Resnick (both 3 for 3), Johnny Lee (2 for 2 with a walk), and Paul Rubin (1 for 1 with three walks).

The two winless teams battled hard, and it came down to the final out. Orange scored three times on four consecutive two-out singles in the top of the first after Gray third baseman Adam Reddell made an excellent play to his left to short-hop Daniel Carvajal’s hard grounder to the 5-6 hole, getting a force at second. Adam then drove in the first of Gray’s three runs in the home half on the only hit of the inning, a liner to right field. Gary Bowles had difficulty with his control, walking five batters, including Jack Crosley with the bases loaded. Gray tied the game on Morgan Witthoft’s bases-loaded grounder to third baseman Ray Pilgrim, who got the force at third, but was unable to throw home in time to nab Adam.

Orange grabbed the lead in the second, scoring five times in the top half without making an out, on doubles by Bobby Miller and Mike Malay, George Brindley’s triple, and four singles, not a softly struck ball in the bunch. Gray responded with four runs on four singles and three walks in the bottom half, but once again left the bases loaded. (Johnny Lee’s single, a drive to left field, drove in two runs; his runner from home had to stop at first.)

Both teams scored five times in the third inning, Orange on seven consecutive hits after Jack Crosley caught David Brown’s fly to right field to open the frame. Bobby Miller hit his second double and George Brindley his second triple. Gray responded in kind, scoring five runs on six singles and Paul Rubin’s walk after Hal Darman grounded out to shortstop David Brown to open the inning.

So Orange was up 13-12 entering the final five-run inning. Ray Pilgrim led off the top half with a single, but was erased on a 6-4-3 double play, on Marvin’s Krabbenhoft’s hard grounder to shortstop George Romo; Dave Jaffe, who had just rotated to second base and was playing the position for the first time in a couple years, made the pivot, and Johnny Lee made an outstanding play to scoop the throw in the dirt. David Brown and Larry Shupe followed with singles, Larry completing a perfect day at the plate, but Jack Kelly got Gary Bowles to hit a two-strike foul to end the inning.

Gray then took control with five runs in the home half. Jack Crosley drew a lead-off walk and Morgan Witthoft followed with a drive to the fence in right field, Jack scoring from first on the triple. Dave Jaffe singled in Morgan. Clint Fletcher in left-center caught Hal Darman’s liner for the first out, but Jack Kelly drew a walk (both of Gray’s Jacks singled and drew two walks in the game) and Boo Resnick singled, Boo completing a 3-for-3 game and loading the bases for the top of the lineup. Tommy Gillis and Paul Rubin both singled, both also completing perfect days at the plate, two more runs scoring. George Romo lined a two-strike pitch foul down the left side for the second out. Adam Reddell drove in the fifth run with a single to right field.

That left Orange chasing four to tie in the top of the buffet. Four of the six batters who came to the plate hit the ball to shortstop George Romo. Bobby Miller grounded out 6-3 to open the inning. George Brindley singled to left field. Clint Fletcher’s grounder to shortstop took a bad hop, and George had no play. Mike Malay ripped a double to left-center, both George Brindley and Clint scoring, cutting Gray’s lead to two runs. Daniel Carvajal hit a ball on the ground to shortstop, and again the last hop wasn’t true, and George had no play. That put the tying runs on base for Ray Pilgrim. Ray hit a sharp grounder to George Romo’s left, and this time the ball found George’s glove cleanly; he stepped on second and fired to first for a game-ending 6u., 6-3 double play. Final score: Gray 17, Orange 15

Noon, Blue (1-0) at Maroon (2-0):

		1	2	3	4	5     BUFFET  FINAL
Blue		5	5	0	5	2	1	18
Maroon		2	2	0	4	5	6	19

Pitchers: Blue – Tommy Deleon; Maroon – Tom Kelm. Mercenaries: Maroon – Ray Pilgrim and Mike Velaney. Umpires: home – David Brown; bases – Gary Bowles. Perfect at the plate: Blue – Jim Foelker (3 for 3 with a double) and Jimmy Sneed (4 for 4 with a double); Maroon – Ivan Budiselic (3 for 3 with a walk) and Ray Pilgrim (4 for 4 with a double). Home runs: George Brindley (inside the park) (1) and Bobby Miller (two, both inside the park) (3, 4). Injury note: Maroon's Tommy Langa left the game after tweaking his shoulder with a hard swing in the bottom of the first. Maroon had 11 players, with Tommy acting as DH, so they did not replace him.

Best game of the season so far, with two undefeated squads going at it. Blue had the better of it in the early going, scoring five times in each of its first two at bats while holding Maroon to two runs in the bottom of each frame. Blue scored five in the first without making an out, on five singles, Tom Bellavia’s two-run double, and a walk to George Brindley. Maroon got two back as Ken Brown led off the bottom of the first with a triple to left-center and scored the first run on Bobby Miller’s sacrifice fly to (I think) Don Solberg in left field; two singles and a walk to Ivan Budiselic loaded the bases with two out, and Tom Kelm drove in the second run with a pop fly single to short left field.

Blue got five more in the top of the second, all with two out. Jim Foelker doubled with one out, and the top of the lineup came through with a single by Steve Sandall, Jim scoring; a double to left by Jimmy Sneed, Steve scoring from first; a line triple to left by Tom Bellavia, Jimmy scoring; and a two-run inside-the-park home run to the fence in center by George Brindley.

Couldn’t get to it till the end of the day, but Tommy Deleon was finally able to present George Brindley with a Plucker’s coupon for his inside-the-parker in the top of the second.

Again Maroon got two back in the home half. With one out Ray Pilgrim lined a double to left. Ken Brown hit his second triple in as many at bats, this one to right field, Ray scoring. Bobby Miller followed with a single to center, scoring Ken, but was thrown out 8-4, Steve Sandall to George Brindley, trying to stretch his hit into a double. Scott Wright ripped a hard shot down the first-base side, but was robbed of a hit by Tom Brownfield, who made a terrific play to glove the ball, then beat Scott to the bag.

Neither team scored in the third. Tom Kelm retired Blue in order in the top half, getting Tom Brownfield to ground to shortstop Jeff Stone (nice play) and David Pittard and Don Solberg to both line out to first baseman Ivan Budiselic. Jeff Stone led off the bottom of the inning with a double to right-center. Jim Maloy flied out to left fielder Don Solberg, who made a good running catch to his left. Ivan Budiselic dropped a short pop in between third base and shortstop that went for a single, though Jeff was unable to advance. Tom Kelm then hit a sharp grounder to third baseman David Pittard, who fielded it cleanly, stepped on third for the force there, and threw cross diamond to cut down Tom’s pinch-runner, for a 5u., 5-3 double play.

Blue scored five runs once again in the top of the fourth, its first six batters reaching base, on four singles and walks to Tommy Deleon (leading off) and Steve Sandall (with the bases loaded, driving in the first run). Jimmy Sneed singled in the second run, and Tom Bellavia’s single drove in the third and fourth – Tom’s fourth and fifth RBI of the game. With the fifth run on second base and none out, George Brindley refused a walk, but wound up flying out to Bobby Miller in left-center.

Quote of the Day – Dave Berra: “We waited for that?”

Didn’t matter: Tom Brownfield’s single to right field got the fifth run in.

Maroon got four runs back in the bottom of the inning on a four-batter sequence: With one out Mike Velaney doubled; Ray Pilgrim singled to the 5-6 hole; Ken Brown lined a single off Tommy Deleon’s glove and into center field, Mike scoring; and Bobby Miller laced an inside-the-park home run to right field, his third of the season so far. Scott Wright singled, but Tommy D. got Jeff Stone to line out to Don Solberg in left-center and Jim Maloy to ground into a 5-4 force to David Pittard.

Ken Brown presented Bobby Miller with a Pluckers coupon after the game. Between them Ken and Bobby had seven hits and 17 total bases, plus Bobby lofted a pair of sacrifice flies.

Blue led 15-8 entering the last five-run inning and had four batters reach base with one out, beginning with Don Solberg’s double (to left field, as Don switched to batting right-handed after batting from the left side his first two times up), but only got two runs in. A walk to Tommy Deleon and a single by Jim Foelker loaded the bases. Rip Wright singled to right-center, moving everyone up one base, Don scoring. Steve Sandall’s sacrifice fly to Scott Wright in right-center scored Tommy’s pinch-runner. Jimmy Sneed hit a short pop just behind the pitcher’s mound that Tom Kelm couldn’t get a handle on, the balling falling in for a cheap, bases-loading single, but Tom escaped the jam, getting Tom Bellavia to fly out to Ken Brown in left field.

This gave Maroon an opening to get back into the game, and they took full advantage, scoring five times in the home half, the first six batters reaching on singles, only two of which, by Tom Kelm and Ken Brown, left the infield. With three runs in and the bases loaded, Bobby Miller drove a ball to left field, only to have Steve Sandall make a good catch – Mike Velaney tagged up and scored the fourth run. Scott Wright lined out to left-center, Blue getting another good catch, this one by Tom Bellavia. But Jeff Stone drove in the fifth run with a clean single to center.

Blue’s lead was down to four runs, 17-13, entering the buffet. George Brindley led off with a single. He took third on Tom Brownfield’s single down left field line, but Blue took an out on the play as Steve Sandall, running from home for Tom, forgot himself and raced to second on the play, and was called out. Tom Kelm got David Pittard to foul off a two-strike pitch for the second out. Don Solberg, again batting right-handed, grounded a ball past third base and into left field for a double, scoring George, but that was the only run Blue would get, as Tom Kelm retired Tommy Deleon on a bouncer up the first-base side, Tom moving quickly to grab the ball and toss to first to beat Tommy’s pinch-runner.

So Maroon needed five to tie, six to win in the bottom of the buffet, with the bottom half of its lineup due up. They all came through, the first six batters all knocking singles: Jim Maloy to the 5-6 hole, Ivan Budiselic past the second baseman, and Tom Kelm to left field, loading the bases. There was no play on Joe Dayoc’s grounder to third, Jim scoring. Mike Velaney’s hit brought in Ivan. Ray Pilgrim singled to left-center, Tom Kelm’s and Joe’s pinch-runners scoring from third and second, though Ray was called out for passing the commit line, as he had taken a runner from home. Mike Velaney wound up at second on the play, and stayed there when Ken Brown popped out to second baseman George Brindley. Ken offered to run for Mike, but Mike declined – I believe he said, “I’m no cripple,” or words to that effect. And he was fully able to score the tying run on this play:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/2076775809432708

Bobby Miller drove a ball over the head of right fielder Jim Foelker (good attempt at a leaping grab) and circled the bases for his second inside-the-park home run of the game, his fourth of the season. It was a walk-off homer, for his seventh and eighth RBI of the game, and gave Maroon the victory. Final score: Maroon 19, Blue 18

1:00 p.m., Green (1-1) at Red (1-1):

		1	2	3	4     BUFFET  FINAL
Green		3	5	0	3	4	15
Red		5	2	3	0	3	13

Pitchers: Green – Johnny Wimpy; Red – Joe Bernal. Mercenaries: Red – Jim Foelker and Scott Wright. Umpires: home – Jeff Stone; bases – Tommy Langa. Perfect at the plate: Green – Chunky Wright (3 for 3 with a home run); Red – Jim McAnelly (1 for 1 with two walks). Home runs: Tim Coles (over the fence)(1), Chris Waddell (inside the park) (1), and Chunky Wright (inside the park) (1).

This wasn’t a walk-off, but it had a pretty spectacular ending. It was a close game throughout, the lead changing hands five times. Green jumped to a quick lead on a three-run, over-the-fence home run by Tim Coles, a line shot to left-center, in the top of the first. Rick Kahn followed with a single, but Joe Bernal retired the next three hitters and Red wound up winning the inning, scoring five times in the home half, on a lead-off triple by Jack Spellman, a double by Anthony Galindo, walks to Gary Coyle and Jim McAnelly, and five singles, the only out of the inning coming on a relay that cut down Anthony trying to score from second on Joe Bernal’s single up the middle – Rick Kahn through to pitcher Johnny Wimpy, who relayed home to catcher Chunky Wright for the out.

Green then grabbed the lead with five runs in the top of the second. Chris Waddell led off with an inside-the-park home run to left center, burning the outfielders. Donnie Janac singled, and Chunky Wright followed with another inside-the-parker, also to left field, a drive that skipped through to the fence. Ralph Villela and Doc Hobar followed with singles. Ralph scored and Doc took third on Rick Kahn’s double, and Doc scored the fifth run on Mike Garrison’s single.

Red scored twice in the home half, on four hits, doubles by Jack Spellman and Joe Bernal starting and capping the rally, then reclaimed the lead in the third inning by shutting out Green in the top of the frame (Joe Bernal worked around Phil Stanch’s one-out single and covered second on the inning-ending force-out grounder to shortstop Tim Bruton) and scoring three times in the bottom half on Jim McAnelly’s second base on balls, three singles, and Anthony Galindo’s second double.

Green went back in the lead with three runs in the top of the fourth, on two singles, a double by Tim Coles, and Mike Garrison’s triple.

Know Your B-Leaguer: Johnny Wimpy.