Top Defensive Player – Chris Leo
Leo has played solid in the outfield all season and has become an anchor of the Superbas defense.

Top Offensive Player – Tim Evans
Evans is the Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig of the Superbas this season.

Most Improved Player – Brooks Ramsdell
Ramsdell is hitting .529 this season, compared with a measly .333 last year.

Biggest Surprise (so far) – Eric Grace
Once feared as being too wild, Grace has become a steady regular, hitting for average and playing solid defense in the outfield.

Biggest Disappointment (so far) – Andy Orr
After putting up majestic numbers last season, Orr has struggled early out of the gate, registering only one hit in his first eight at-bats. Orr’s recent resurgence, coming on the heels of being placed at the bottom of the lineup, makes it seem that Orr is destined to keep his early-season slump in the past.

• Great game. I’m proud of everyone. Except Andy Orr. Andy is finally hitting, but his play at third is becoming a liability.

  – A third of the runs we have scored all year came in last night’s game.

  – I’ve organized for a photographer to come and do a team photo shoot (probably before our June 5 game at 8:20pm, so everybody, please make it to that game if nothing else), with individual photos that will be part of the first edition of Superbas’ baseball cards. I need help deciding on whether the pose should be the classic batting stance or the on-one-knee looking a little to the left. Or we can do the faux fielding pose where the player pretends to be playing in the field (but you can tell that the player is in a parking lot, not on a baseball field). Thoughts?

• I was telling a few teammates about how I taught Haley, my puppy, to swim last weekend at Lake Tahoe. Here is the video…

• A quiet moment for Dyelan Grace. (Let us pray.)

-Jeff

Game Summary

The Superbas lost a nail-biter to Bank of the West Tuesday evening in what was the most productive offensive game of the season so far. The Superbas gave up eight runs in the first inning, only to take the lead twice later in the game with the help of 21 hits, but could not hold the lead as they lost 18-15.

Six Superbas players had multiple hits, including the Bash, er, Grace brothers who had four hits apiece. On top of his two singles, second baseman Dyelan Grace homered, doubled and drove in six runs. Leftfielder Eric Grace had four singles and scored four times.

Third baseman Andy Orr broke out of his season-long slump with three hits, including two doubles and two runs batted-in. Pitcher Brooks Ramsdell and centerfielder Chris Leo each added two singles, a double and an RBI. First baseman Mike Atiyeh cleared the bases in the second inning with a three-run double.

The Superbas plated seven runs in the second inning, and scored at least one run in every inning. Every player registered a hit and scored a run.

Ramsdell pitched a gem, only allowing one walk, and kept the Superbas in the game throughout the slugfest, and made a habit of throwing first-pitch strikes, much to the delight of the local cougars. Shortstop Jeff Wisniewski played solid defensively and Grace and Leo shined in the outfield.

D-Grace left the game following his double in the last inning with a possible injury to his Achilles. The extent of his injury is unknown at this time. Pressed for comment, Coach Wisniewski let loose a series of curse words and then pleaded with the lord that D-Grace recover quickly. “Dyelan is a major cog of our offensive machine, however prolific that machine is or is not. Any time off — if he comes back at all — will be a huge deal, devastating. Now get the f#@k out of my office.”

Atiyeh struck out on fouls in the fifth inning. Catcher Joe Gray struck out swinging in the sixth and final inning.

Defensive Players of the Game: Brooks Ramsdell and Jeff Wisniewski.
Offensive Players of the Game: Eric Grace (4-5, 4 R, RBI), Dyelan Grace (4-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 6 RBI) and Andy Orr (3-4, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI).

Box Score

Inning-by-Inning

1st Inning.
Ramsdell singled.
Leo singled. Ramsdell to second.
Gray grounded into double play to the pitcher. Leo out. Ramsdell to third.
Grace singled. Ramsdell scored.
Wisniewski singled. Grace to second.
D-Grace singled. Grace scored. Wisniewski to second.
Atiyeh popped out to third.

2nd Inning.
Orr flied out to left.
Ramsdell singled.
Leo doubled. Ramsdell to third.
Gray singled. Ramsdell scored. Leo to third.
Grace popped out to second.
Wisniewski walked. Gray to second.
D-Grace singled. Leo scored. Gray to third. Wisniewski to second.
Atiyeh doubled. Gray, Wisniewski and D-Grace scored.
Orr doubled. Atiyeh scored.
Ramsdell doubled. Orr scored.
Leo grounded out to the pitcher.

3rd Inning.
Gray grounded out to the pitcher.
Grace singled.
Wisniewski flied out to left.
D-Grace homered. Grace scored.
Atiyeh popped out to third.

4th Inning.
Orr doubled.
Ramsdell flied out to right. Orr to third.
Leo singled. Orr scored.
Gray grounded into double play to short. Leo out.

5th Inning.
Grace singled.
Wisniewski singled. Grace to second.
D-Grace popped out to short.
Atiyeh struck out on foul balls.
Orr singled. Grace scored. Wisniewski to second.
Ramsdell grounded out to the pitcher.

6th Inning.
Leo grounded out to third.
Gray struck out swinging.
Grace singled.
Wisniewski walked. Grace to second.
D-Grace doubled. Grace and Wisniewski scored.
Atiyeh flied out to left.

End of game.

• We have next week off. Get some rest.

  – We cannot be this bad. It isn’t possible. We always have that one inning where the bottom seems to falls out.

  – Our next game is another 6:15 game, our third of the season (out of four).

  – The lineup will be overhauled (again) in time for next game, with a bit of a flip.

  – The pitcher should try to cover first on balls hit to the right side of the infield (first and second base side). The pitcher should also back-up the catcher on throws home.

  – We did a much better job in the field overall, and hitting cutoffs specifically.

  – I will try to post updated batting statistics and leaders every two games (so not this week, but after next game).

  – Chatter has started about the possibility of the Superbas playing in the upcoming fall league. If you are interested, let me know as the season winds down. The fall league costs less but we would play fewer games. We’ll try to get a sponsor, of course. I can think of one, rhymes with “benjeo.” (On a side note, one of our designated hitters has nearly lost all his hearing from the noise associated with his work. Would someone higher-up at his company, say, an associate, please make sure to get Wright Cole some ear protection.)

  – Higher thought sessions at Bambino’s (located at Willow Pass and East Olivera) includes free pizza if eight Superbas show up after the game. (Just a little something we worked out with the owner last night as we continue to develop our “outreach” program for troubled youth in Concord, which is pretty much all youths in Concord. We’re also trying to convince the owner to sponsor the Superbas, but apparently they want to sponsor a “winner.” I asked him if he’d ever seen Major League, and he said that he doesn’t care for Martin Sheen or any of his children.)

  -Jeff

Game Summary

The Superbas’ losing streak reached five this season (and eight overall) as they lost to a hostile Pit Crew, 20-5, on Tuesday evening at Concord’s Willow Pass Fields. A handful of cougars were in attendance.

The Superbas stepped-up their defensive play in last night’s game, especially in the later innings. In fact, if it weren’t for a disastrous second inning (among many other things), the outcome may have been different. Solid defensive play was highlighted by the up-the-middle tandem of second baseman Brooks Ramsdell and shortstop Jeff Wisniewski. Outfielder Tim Evans made several key plays, including a double play with Wisniewski.

The Grace brothers made their mark offensively as each homered in the losing effort. Outfielder Dyelan Grace hit a solo shot in the second and centerfielder Eric Grace lined a three-run home run in the third. Ramsdell and pitcher Kevin Ghalambor each added two hits and a run scored. First baseman Mike Atiyeh had an RBI double.

Rightfielder Jesus Espinoza struck out looking in the second.

Defensive Players of the Game: Brooks Ramsdell, Jeff Wisniewski and Tim Evans.
Offensive Players of the Game: Eric Grace (2-3, HR, 3 RBI) and Dyelan Grace (2-2, HR).

Box Score

Inning-by-Inning

1st Inning.
Ramsdell singled.
Ghalambor singled.
Grace popped out to second.
Espinoza struck out looking.
Atiyeh lined out to third.

2nd Inning.
Wisniewski grounded out to short.
D-Grace homered.
Cole singled.
Gray grounded into fielder’s choice to short. Cole out.
Leo walked. Gray to second.
Orr grounded into fielder’s choice to short. Leo out.

3rd Inning.
Evans singled.
Ramsdell doubled. Evans to third.
Ghalambor popped out to third.
Grace homered. Ramsdell and Evans scored.
Espinoza grounded out to second.
Atiyeh walked.
Wisniewski flied out to center.

4th Inning.
D-Grace singled.
Cole lined out to third. D-Grace out.
Gray grounded out to the pitcher.

5th Inning.
Leo flied out to right.
Orr popped out to the pitcher.
Evans flied out to center.

6th Inning.
Ramsdell grounded out to the pitcher.
Ghalambor singled.
Grace singled. Ghalambor to third. Grace advanced to second on throwing error.
Espinoza popped out to second.
Atiyeh doubled. Ghalambor scored. Grace to third.
Wisniewski grounded out to short.

End of game.

Where ties exist in the leader board categories, there is only one tie-breaker: plate appearances. For general batting statistics (e.g., H, RBI, HR), the player with the lesser number of plate appearances is the leader. For averaged statistics (e.g., BA, SLG, RLS), the player with the greater number of plate appearances is the leader. The top four leaders in each category are shown. Where there are ties that exceed the fourth spot in the category, the number of players with that statistical value are shown (not just the leader as defined above). This is in order to show scale and reference.