B League Picayune
Often in error, never in doubt.
Volume 6, Issue 12 – May 9, 2024
$3.00 (Prices in Canada may be higher)
Games of Monday April 29, Thursday May 2, and Monday May 6 all were cancelled due to wet fields at Krieg.
Weather: Temperature in the upper 70s at the start of the 10:30 game, rising to the upper 80s. My weather app said the relative humidity was around 59%, and I call baloney on that – it was so friggin’ sticky, just brutal, felt more like 99%.
Games of Thursday May 9:
10:30 a.m., Maroon (3-2) at Red (5-1):
1 2 3 4 5 BUFFET FINAL Maroon 2 2 0 1 5 6 16 Red 0 0 0 2 4 5 11 Pitchers: Maroon – Chunky Wright; Red – Gil Delossantos. Mercenary: Maroon – Tim Coles. (Mike Velaney was set to play for Maroon, but Anthony Galindo was released from jury duty and made it to Krieg in time to take the field in the bottom of the first. Mike did coach first base in the top of the first.) Umpires: home plate – Jack Kelly and Rick Jensen; bases – Donnie Janac and Mike Velaney. Perfect at the plate: Maroon – Tom Brownfield (4 for 4), Anthony Galindo (4 for 4 with a double), and Scott Wright (5 for 5). Home run: Tim Coles (over the fence).
A low-scoring affair in the early going, Maroon scratching out two runs in each of its first two at bats – on Scott Wright’s single, Jimmy Sneed’s double, and Tom Brownfield’s two-run single in the top of the first, and on four consecutive singles to start the second. Meanwhile, Chunky Wright, after allowing a single to Red lead-off hitter Bobby Miller, retired, eight of the next nine batters, holding Red scoreless over its first time through the order. Boo Resnick singled with one out in the bottom of the third, but got bad advice from his teammates when Donald Drummer hit a sinking line drive to left-center: Anthony Galindo came in and made an excellent shoetop catch, getting his glove underneath the ball and catching it cleanly; this wasn’t seen clearly in the home dugout, and some shouted for Boo to advance, which he did, without tagging up. The throw came in to the infield, and Boo was easily, albeit cheaply, doubled up.
Maroon hadn’t scored in the top of the third, despite Tom Brownfield and, sort of, Marvin Krabbenhoft opening the inning with hits. Marvin’s was a humpback liner to center; Tom held up to see if it would be caught, and the relay from Bobby Miller (I think) beat him to second. Gil Delossantos then retired Alvin Gauna on a pop to second baseman Boo Resnick and Chunky Wright on a fly to Bobby in left-center. In the fourth Maroon put across one run on three singles, Gil getting three outs on grounders to the left side – two 6-4 forces at second, and a 5-6-5 play for a force at third, Donald Drummer deflecting James Chavana’s hard grounder to shortstop Tim Bruton, who threw back to Donald for the out.
Red got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, scoring two runs on four singles. That cut the deficit to 4-2, but Maroon clapped back with five runs on seven singles in the top of the fifth, and wound up winning the inning as red scored four times on Boo Resnick’s one-out walk, followed by six consecutive singles, but left the bases loaded, as Gil Delossantos flied out to James Chavana in short left field (not deep enough for the tag-and-score) and Denny Malloy lined a ball directly at Anthony Galindo in left-center.
Maroon led 10-6 entering the buffet, and proceeded to put the game out of reach with a six-run inning. Jimmy Sneed doubled leading off, James Chavana walked, and Tom Brownfield singled, Jimmy scoring. Gil Delossantos got Marvin Krabbenhoft to hit a two-strike foul for the first out. Alvin Gauna singled – I believe James scored on the hit. Chunky Wright grounded back to the box, Gil getting the force at second, but Chunky beating the relay to first and Tom’s pinch-runner scoring. Anthony Galindo completed a 4-for-4 day at the plate with a double, Chunky scoring. Tim Coles then stepped up and launched a moonshot down the left-field line – it looked off the bat like it would hook foul, but it did not, clearing the fence directly above the foul pole for a two-run homer that made it 16-6. Scott Wright, completing a 5-for-5 game, and Jack Spellman each singled, but shortstop Tim Bruton made a nice grab to his backhand of Jimmy Sneed’s liner for the third out.
Red, chasing ten, got a lead-off single by Hal Darman, a line drive to left field. Boo Resnick’s looper to the 3-4 hole resulted in a force at second, as did Bobby Miller’s grounder to second. The next five batters singled, five runs scoring. Denny Malloy squared up on a pitch and lined it down the first-base side, but Tom Brownfield made a great play to his backhand and reaching up, just managing to snag the ball for the final out – I don’t think any other B League first baseman has a reach equal to Tom’s to make that play. Final score: Maroon 16, Red 11
11:30 a.m., Gray (3-2) at Orange (0-5):
1 2 3 4 5 BUFFET FINAL Gray 3 4 5 5 5 X 22 Orange 2 0 2 0 0 0 4 Pitchers: Gray – Jack Kelly; Orange – Jeff Stone. Mercenaries: Gray – Peter Sundquist and Mike Velaney; Orange – Jeff Stone and Rip Wright. Umpires: home – Donald Drummer; bases – Morgan Witthoft. Perfect at the plate: Gray – Ken Brown (4 for 4 with a triple), Mark Dolan (3 for 3), Tommy Gillis (4 for 4 with two doubles), David Kruse (4 for 4 with a triple and a home run), Don Solberg (4 for 4 with a double and a triple), and Peter Sundquist (1 for 1 with two walks). Home run: David Kruse (inside the park)
The most surprising thing about this game is that Gray didn’t score five times in either of its first two bats, managing just three runs in the first (David Kruse’s two-run inside-the-park home run to right field the big hit) and four in the second (all with two out, on singles by Ken Brown, David Kruse, and Tommy Gillis, all three of whom were 4 for 4 in the game). Orange pushed across two runs in the first, Rex Horvath’s run-scoring double sandwiched by singles by Matt Levitt and Eddie Ortiz, who drove in Rex and took second on the throw home, then advanced to third on Ray Pilgrim’s fly to left-center. Jim Maloy hit a hard grounder to second baseman Mark Dolan, and it took a bad hop, but Mark played it well, keeping the ball in front of him and getting the out at first.
David Kruse receives a Pluckers coupon from Jack Kelly after hitting his first home run of the 2024 season.
Orange didn’t score in the second, but got two runs from the top of the order again in the third, Larry Fiorentino’s triple scoring Matt Levitt from first, Larry scoring on Rex Horvath’s single to left-center. One out later Ray Pilgrim singled to left, putting runners on first and second. Jim Maloy hit a pop to the right side just beyond the dirt; base umpire Morgan Witthoft called it an infield fly, so Jim was out, but when the ball fell untouched, Ray’s pinch-runner – Matt Levitt, maybe? – tried for second, not realizing that Rex had not attempted to advance. This left Rex hung out to dry, and he was tagged out for an inning-ending double play.
That seemed to take whatever wind there may have been on this muggy day out of Orange’s sails. Gray, which had scored five runs on a walk and five singles in the third, proceeded to score five runs in both the fourth and fifth as well, much of the punch coming on extra-base hits by Ken Brown and David Kruse (back-to-back triples to left field leading off the fourth), Tommy Gillis (doubles in the fourth and fifth), and Don Solberg (a triple that drove in the fourth and fifth runs in the fifth). Orange didn’t score again, shut down over the final three innings by Jack Kelly, who worked around one-out singles by Larry Shupe and Jeff Stone in the fourth, retired the side in order in the fifth, and, after the teams flip-flopped for the buffet, stranding two more runners in the final frame. The game ended with a Jack throwing a perfect two-strike pitch to Jeff Stone that just clipped the front of the mat for a called strike three. Final score: Gray 22, Orange 4
Pep talk of the day – Scott Wright to Daniel Baladez: “I want to see nothing but the best out of you today.”
Response of the day – Daniel: “Don’t look at me, man.”
12:30 p.m., Blue (1-4) at Green (2-3):
1 2 3 4 5 BUFFET FINAL Blue 4 1 1 3 1 3 13 Green 0 0 1 0 4 0 5 Pitchers: Blue – Joe Bernal; Green – Tommy Deleon. Mercenary: Green – Tommy Gillis. Umpires: home plate – Rex Horvath; bases – Jim Maloy and Dave Berra. Perfect at the plate: Blue – David Brown and George Romo (each 4 for 4) and Pat Scott (4 for 4 with a triple); Green – Mike Garrison (4 for 4 with two doubles) and Mike Hill (1 for 1 with two walks).
Blue came out swinging, the first five batters knocking singles and four scoring, two on Jeff Fisher’s knock, one on George Romo’s. After Terry Thompson popped out to Mike Hill, Joe Bernal’s hit loaded the bases. Dale Fugate also popped out to shortstop, but Jerry Mylius came through with a single up the middle – Jeff scored the fourth run on the hit, but George was thrown out 8-5-4-2 (Paul Rubin to Dave Pittard to Trey Wall to Jeff Broussard) trying to score. In the bottom half, Mike Garrison doubled to left-center leading off, and Mike Hill and Tommy Deleon drew two-out walks to load the bases, but Trey Wall’s fly to right-center hung up long enough for Jeff Fisher to make the catch.
Blue got a single run in the second. Pat Scott tripled to right field with one out – Pat ran into Daniel Baladez rounding first, resulting in a play at third that was closer than it should have been. (I think if Pat had been thrown out, an interference call would have been applied retroactively, but no harm, no foul.) David Brown’s single to right brought Pat in. George Brindley followed with a single, David halting at second. Mike Hill fielded Jeff Fisher’s grounder to the left of second base and threw to second for the force on George; David took a wide turn at third, and second baseman Trey Wall threw behind him; David tried for home, but couldn’t beat David Pittard’s throw to catcher Jeff Broussard, a 6-4-5-2 double play resulting. Green went out quietly in the home half, Joe Bernal working around Daniel Baladez’s one-out single.
Each team scored once in the third. For Blue, George Romo and Terry Thompson each singled to start the frame, and George advanced to third and then scored on a pair of 6-4 force outs. Green got on the board and seemed poised for a big inning in the bottom half, as Mike Garrison, Paul Rubin, and David Pittard all singled to begin the inning, Mike coming around to score. Mike Hill walked again, loading the bases, but Tommy Deleon’s fly to Jeff Fisher in right-center wasn’t deep enough to score Paul, and then Trey Wall grounded into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play, George Brindley to George Romo to Dale Fugate.
Blue increased its lead to 9-1 with three runs on five singles in the top of the fourth, the last three hits coming with two out. Jeff Fisher drove in two runs with a single to right-center, David Brown scoring from first – he was caught between third and home, but beat the throw in. The inning ended, as did the first, with George Romo thrown out trying to score from first, this time on Terry Thompson’s single to left field, the 7-6-2 relay, Mike Garrison to Mike Hill to Jeff Broussard, beating him. (Said George – Quote of the Day – “It was the hamburger.”) Joe Bernal retired Green in order in the bottom half, and to that point had held 19 Green batters to five hits and two singles.
Blue scored one run on four singles in the top of the fifth, leaving the bases loaded. Green finally won an inning, scoring four times in the home half, on Tommy Gillis’s lead-off double, five singles, and David Pittard’s sacrifice fly.
Blue led 10-5 entering the buffet, and tacked on three more runs, on three singles and a two-out RBI double down the right-field line by Jerry Mylius. George Romo completed his 4-for-4 day with a sinking line drive hit to left field that Mike Garrison made a valiant attempt on, short-hopping the ball.
Green was chasing eight in the home half. Joe Bernal got two quick outs, on grounders to shortstop and thirrd base by Jeff Broussard and Tommy Gillis. Mike Garrison completed his 4-for-4 outing with his second double, pulling a drive down the left-field line. Paul Rubin followed with a single through the box that caromed off both Joe and shortstop David Brown, no play possible. But the game ended with David Pittard hitting a grounder back to the box that Joe fielded cleanly and threw to first for the final out. Final score: Blue 13, Green 5 – tough day for the home teams, all three defeated.
Standings – Session Two:
Games Runs Runs Run W/L
W L Win %: behind: for: allowed: differential: streak:
Purple 4 1 .800 — 81 57 +24 W4
Red 5 2 .714 — 106 95 +11 L2
Gray 4 2 .667 .5 84 61 +23 W2
Maroon 4 2 .667 .5 89 78 +11 W3
Blue 2 4 .333 2.5 66 76 -10 W1
Green 2 4 .333 2.5 67 81 -14 L1
Orange 0 6 .000 4.5 62 107 -45 L6
Home Visitor Walk-off Extra-inning Flip-flop 1-run games
W-L: W-L: Wins: W-L: W-L: W-L:
Purple 2-1 2-0 0 0-0 1-1 0-0
Red 2-1 3-1 0 0-1 2-0 1-1
Gray 2-0 2-2 1 0-0 1-0 2-2
Maroon 1-2 3-0 1 0-0 1-1 1-0
Blue 1-2 1-2 1 0-0 0-0 1-0
Green 1-4 1-0 1 1-0 0-1 1-1
Orange 0-3 0-3 0 0-0 0-2 0-2
2024 total victories (read across) and losses (read down):
Blue Gray Green Maroon Orange Purple Red TOTAL
Blue X 0 1 1 1 1 1 5
Gray 2 X 1 0 2 0 1 6
Green 1 0 X 0 0 0 1 2
Maroon 0 2 2 X 1 0 1 6
Orange 0 0 1 0 X 0 1 2
Purple 1 0 2 1 2 X 0 6
Red 1 1 1 1 1 1 X 6
________________________________________________________________
TOTAL: 5 3 8 3 7 2 5 30
Season home run leaders:
Tim Coles – 5
Gregory Bied – 2
Jimmy Sneed – 2
David Brown – 1
Tim Bruton – 1
Jack Crosley – 1
Jeff Fisher – 1
Clint Fletcher – 1
David Kruse – 1
Eddie Ortiz – 1
Dave Pittard – 1
Morgan Witthoft – 1
Schedule for Monday May 13:
10:30 a.m.: Green (2-4) at Maroon (4-2), Purple umpiring
11:30 a.m.: Purple (4-1) at Blue (2-4), Maroon umpiring
12:30 p.m.: Red (5-2) at Gray (4-2), Blue umpiring
Orange has the bye, with priority for its players out of the bucket.
Preview: Half a game separates the top four teams, and we could see some more juggling of the standings Monday. Maroon could move into first, but only by first defeating an improving Green team at 10:30. Blue will try to maintain its newfound momentum at 11:30 versus Purple, which can retain its hold on first with a victory. (Purple has lost the most games/non-byes to our spring rains, and is in first place thanks to winning percentage, ahead of Red, which has played two more games than they have.) The day’s big game is at 12:30, Red and Gray squaring off to determine who’ll be in first/second – Gray has started to gel, winning two in a row, while Red has struggled to regain its early-session groove. (Interesting/weird fact: for the season, Red is 1-1 versus every other team in the league.)
Keggy’s Korner:
Bruce Barnett held his Bobby Fund Burger Cookout and B League Reunion today. The burgers, hot dogs, and chips are always a delight, but the best part of the day is the return of former (and hopefully future) B Leaguers.
Founding Father Buster Goode, right, with forever-Treasurer Mike Hill. There’s Larry Dunn in the background.
George Brindley and Jim McAnelly compared notes on rehabbing following shoulder surgery.
Craig Redderson watches the action.
The great Kenny Jordan. Yes, that is a chocolate glazed doughnut. Yes, atop the doughnut is a tomato escaped from a burger.
Johnny Lee and the Arctic Blues Band are playing at Mr. Catfish this Monday night, May 13, and again Monday May 27.
Mike Mordecai has a weekly gig Mondays, 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., at the Elephant Room: https://elephantroom.com/calendar
Here’s how to make both gigs this Monday night – start at Mr. Catfish:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Mr.+Catfish,+Airport+Boulevard+Ste+220,+Austin,+TX/Elephant+Room,+Swift+Building,+315+Congress+Ave.,+Austin,+TX+78701/@30.271299,-97.7410484,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x8644b5d8a7a3437d:0xab40ccc36eeee044!2m2!1d-97.6981354!2d30.2710435!1m5!1m1!1s0x8644b50868729f6b:0xd42e2e4f8ba233c9!2m2!1d-97.7434826!2d30.2656708!3e0?authuser=0&entry=ttu