The Cuban-American Connection team played two games today - 10am and 1:10pm. Dick Bremer toe'd the rubber for our first game. This game had "first" game of the camp all over it. The top of first featured some decent hitting, good pitching, poor fielding, and a few mental mistakes. It all added up to a quick 4-0 hole. We bounced back in the bottom of the first by batting around (yes all 13 of us) and scored 7 runs (leaving the bases loaded). I walked and scored a run in the first inning. I ended playing first and third base. We have an amazingly young team so I might not have play in the outfield or run a lot this week - my legs could actually be in OK shape by the end of the week. The game was at 7-6 in the fourth inning when we decided to open up the game by scoring 2 in the 3rd and 4 and in the 4th while the other team scored 2 in the top of 5th. The game was called due to how long it took to play this softball...er baseball game. The C-A-C won their first game and Dick Bremer notches his first victory.
For some reason I was unable to get solid bat on the ball and popped out twice (am I swinging for the fences?) - 0 for 2, BB, Run
The 2nd game was a "Clash of the Titans" - we played 96 Tears (I have no clue what that means) who are led by Frank Viola and Tim Laudner. I got the call to pitch this afternoon game. I was welcomed by a friend of mine (his wife and two baby sons as well) and attempted to put on a show. 96 Tears features a loaded lineup of veterans (W McMacken, Hinnenkamp's, Gracheck's, Slattery, B Harris, and Amundsen). I found out later they only have 2 rookies on the team. We were the visiting team and we started the game by adding two runs in the first. They came back with single runs in the first and second innings for the 2-2 tie. We scored 2 runs in the top of the fourth to go up 4-2. I found myself in a bases loaded, one out jam in the bottom of the 4th and induced a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat. We added a run in the top of the sixth (courtesy of a sacrifice fly by yours truly) to go up 5-2. The bottom of the sixth was a tough inning. With the meat of the of the lineup coming up, I was rocked around a bit by two doubles and three singles and before I knew it we were tied at 5-5. They had first and third with two outs and was able to get out of the inning by striking out the final batter of that inning. We promptly responded with a lead off double and single to get out in front 6-5, we added another run to make 7-5 going into the bottom of the 7th. I went to the mound looking to secure the complete game victory. The first batter took strike one and then popped out to third for the first out. The second batter took my first pitch fastball offering and flew out to left center field (we play 4 outfielders in this baseball game). I walked the next batter bringing the tying run to the plate. A sharp ground ball to third proved too much for our third basemen and we had first and third with 2 outs. Abby G. came up to bat against this lefty. I threw ball one. AG fouled off the next pitch. I threw two outside and high pitches to bring the count to 3-1. I came in with a strike and AG fouled off another pitch. I didn't want to walk AG in this situation - I rocked and fired - she chopped a grounder to the right of the mound, I scrambled to it and backed handed the ball - underhand throw to Dick Bremer to secure the 7-5 victory. It was a good game - the neat part was Kent Hrbek, Tom Brunansky, Frank Viola, Bert Blyleven, and Tony Oliva were all there watching this all unfold. Bert commented to me after game, "You were like a cat - pouncing on that ground ball at the end" - that was a lot of fun.
Pitching stats: 7 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 3 BB, K, CG
Hitting wise I was still not finding my swing, I walked, grounded out to the third, and hit a sacrifice fly to left field (RBI)
0 for 1, BB, RBI
Cumulative Hitting Stats: 0 for 3, BB, Run, RBI
We will get them tomorrow.
Off to the cigar and autograph party this evening at the hotel (I will not be smoking any cigars).
PB
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