Team-

First of all, I would like to briefly apologize if I was abrasive or overly aggresive during last night’s game. There is no excuse; however, I see great things for this team (actually, I don’t), and my style may be too harsh. I had a great time last night – I went 3 for 4, hit 2 doubles and scored 3 runs – and I play more effective when I am “in-your-face.” However, that may not be the case for everyone on the team and I realize that. On a related matter, I would like to win these games, and have fun, and if you would rather have fun, that is fine by me, the more beer the better, but then please do not be frustrated when we lose. (In my personal history, that is how it is. I have always had hard-leaning coaches, we always had fun, and we always won.)

I do believe we can all play harder, with more heart, and with a greater determination to become better ballplayers (i.e., learn the game, not make a mockery of it), win games and have fun as a result. It is possible. Remember team rule number 7: “Winning is more important than remaining friends.” (Maybe I take that rule too seriously.)

Alas, we are on a five-game losing streak. So it goes… [K.V.]

TEAM CAPTAINS

Now, let’s get down to business. As a means to streamline pregame activities and possible midweek practices, we will now have two captains.

The Captain of the West Side will be Brooks Ramsdell; the following will report to Ramsdell: Bayham, Grace, Ghalambor, Espinoza, Bariel and Gray.
The Captain of the East Side will be Andrew Orr; the following will report to Orr: Quinonez, Mallchok, Adams, Wright, Cole and Harper.
The captains will report to me.
I report to Jesus of Nazareth.

The responsibilities of the captains will be to run pre-game activities (soft-toss, getting arms warmed, and stretching for the older folks), being liasons with the umps before and during the games, ensuring that base coaches are present at all times, gathering emotional support on the field and in the dugout, scheduling any mid-week practices, and assisting the coach with the lineup before and during the game (but never after).
And God saw that it was good.

KEG FUND

Wright Cole struck out yesterday, raising money for a great charity event: the Strikeout for Beer Keg Fundraiser. For every strikeout a player records, he will donate $20 to the fund. Because of Cole’s generosity, we now have $120 in the fund, well on our way to a keg of fine beer and meat to grill. Let us all be more philanthropic in the future.

JEFF ADAMS

Lastly, Jeff Adams is a moron (although he surely can hit the ball). He wasn’t born a moron, he isn’t always a moron, but last night, he was indeed a moron (and you can substitute “a$$hole” for “moron”). He owes the team a half-dozen softballs as a result of his home-run derby showcase with the short leftfield fence; what was it, 120 feet? (Jeff: these softballs are available at several locations throughout the bay area, including your hometown of Concord. Please contact Vice President of Operations, Joe Gray, if you have questions.)

Well, that being said, we only have four more games, and we are mathematically out of the playoff. Let’s try to finish the year on a high note.
And I promise to relax more if everyone plays better.

Later.

-Jeff

Approximate runtime: 10 minutes.

Retroactive to the first game of the season, a player will be fined $20 for every strikeout he (or is it she) records during the season. These funds will be placed in a lock-box of sorts, and all proceeds will go towards a half-keg of beer for an end-of-the-season cookout.

So far, the most philanthropic Superbas are…

Andrew Orr – 2 strikeouts – $40
Jason Bariel – 1 strikeout – $20
Jesus Espinoza – 1 strikeout – $20
Kevin Ghalambor – 1 strikeout – $20
===
TOTAL – 5 strikeouts – $100

The following is a transcript from the broadcast of Game 7 vs. Viper Squad. Tim, the play-by-play announcer, and Jake, the color commentator, apparently stopped recording after the first half-inning…

Tim: Welcome to tonight’s game here at the Willow Pass Fields in Concord, California. We have the Red-Legged Superbas taking on the mighty Viper Squad. Jake- these two teams couldn’t be going in more opposite directions.

Jake: That’s right. The Viper Squad is in the middle of a battle for first place and the Superbas, well, they have lost three straight. They are struggling big time. But we are only halfway through the season, so anything can happen.

Tim: We are here at field number 4, part of the Willow Pass Fields complex in Concord, California, and the fields look to be in horrible condition, Jake.

Jake: The grounds crew foreman had told me that the infield is hard, and what that means, is that those hard grounders will becoming especially fast to the infielders, and watch out for those awkward bounces.

Tim: Well, we are in for a treat. The Superbas are first at-bat, and they have retooled their lineup, it seems. Shorstop Andrew Orr is the leadoff hitter.

Jake: Well, anything can help when you’ve lost three straight.

Tim: And the first pitch of the game… ball one. A tad outside.

Jake: Orr has been struggling at the plate as of late.

Tim: Strike one. It is a beatuful night out here in Concord.

Jake: But where are the cougars?

Tim: It is a 1-1 count… ball two.

Jake: Orr is doing what he is supposed to do as a leadoff hitter… take pitches, extend your plate appearance, and let the rest of your teammates get a feel for the pitcher.

Tim: And the pitch… Fouled back, towards us… watch out.

Jake: That hurt.

Tim: It is a full count to the leadoff hitter, Andrew Orr. And the pitch… strike three, looking. The first out of the game. Orr didn’t even lift the bat off his shoulders, Jake.

Jake: He may be tired. I don’t understand it myself… Swing the bat; this is softball.

Tim: And up next, second baseman Jeff Wisniewski.

Jake: Wisniewski is in a minor slump as well. Last game he went 0 for 3.

Tim: The pitch… line drive up the middle. A single for Wisniewski.

Jake: Well, let’s see if the Superbas can capitalize.

Tim: And Wright Cole, first baseman, makes his way to the plate.

Jake: A man’s man of a man, a beast. This guy can hit, but he just keeps popping the ball up.

Tim: The pitch… and it’s a pop-up behind second base… And it’s caught. Out number two. No chance for Wisniewski to tag.

Jake: Not in that situation, you don’t want to take yourself out of an inning.

Tim: And power hitter third baseman Jeff Adams is up next.

Jake: If the Superbas can get a two-out rally going, Adams will lead the way. He leads the team in almost every batting statistic.

Tim: Two outs, Wisniewski on first. Top of the first inning, Superbas taking on the Viper Squad here in wonderful Concord, California. Adams at the plate.

Jake: Look for Adams to take one deep, the outfield is playing shallow.

Tim: The pitch… a fly ball to left field, it looks like it will drop… Wisniewski rounding second… And it does drop. Wisniewski rounding third, they are sending him home. A play at the plate… no, Wisniewski will score. Adams into second standing up… Adams comes up with a big — Adams is out at second. End of the inning – but the run will count.

Jake: Adams rounded second when he probably shouldn’t have. Let’s look at the replay. The outfielder does a good job getting the ball in to the cut-off man, there was no play at the plate – Wisniewski scored easy – but the shortstop had the presence of mind to throw the ball to second where Adams was careless. Out number three.

Tim: Well, Wisniewski scored from first on Adams’ hit. It is 1-0 Superbas. Viper Squad coming up to bat…

Jake: A good start for the Superbas.

Tim: We’ll be back after this.

As of June 9, 2006

As of July 3, 2007

As of October 12, 2007

Game Summary

The Superbas’ losing streak has reached four games as they were torn to shreds, 15-1, in a re-match against the highly-touted Viper Squad in the late game on Wednesday, June 7. The Superbas managed only one run on six hits.

The Superbas’ highlights came on the defensive side as second baseman Jeff Wisniewski made several great plays, including a 4-3 double-play. Wisniewski’s defense accounted for 8 of the 18 fielded outs in the game.

Shortstop Andrew Orr, however, made countless uncharacteristic errors that kept innings alive for the Viper Squad, and fumbled several double-play opportunities.

The Superbas offense fell flat after the first inning when they scored their only run as Wisniewski scored from first on a double by third baseman Jeff Adams. The Superbas failed to reach third base following that inning and only had one runner in scoring position all game.

Pitcher Kevin Ghalambor pitched well, only allowing a few walks. Carlo Quinonez batted but did not play in the field due to his recent foot injury. He and Eric Grace, who is day-to-day, are expected to be fully recovered in time for next week’s game.

Orr struck out looking to start the game, his second strikeout of the season.

Defensive Player of the Game: Jeff Wisniewski.
Offensive Players of the Game: Jeff Wisniewski (1-3, R) and Jeff Adams (1-3, 2B, RBI).

Box Score

Inning-by-Inning

1st Inning.
Orr struck out looking.
Wisniewski lined a single up the middle.
Cole popped up to second base.
Adams doubled. Wisniewski scored. Adams out at second.

2nd Inning.
Wright flied out to center.
Quinonez singled.
Espinoza grounded into double play. Quinonez out.

3rd Inning.
Ramsdell walked.
Harper grounded into fielder’s choice. Ramsdell out.
Ghalambor grounded into fielder’s choice. Harper out.
Gray grounded into fielder’s choice. Ghalambor out.

4th Inning.
Orr flied out to center.
Wisniewski popped out to the pitcher.
Cole singled.
Adams grounded into fielder’s choice. Cole out.

5th Inning.
Wright flied out to center.
Quinonez flied out to center.
Espinoza walked.
Ramsdell grounded out to the pitcher.

6th Inning.
Harper popped out to short.
Ghalambor popped out to the pitcher.
Gray singled.
Orr singled. Gray to second.
Wisniewski grounded out to the pitcher.

7th Inning.
Cole popped out to second.
Adams grounded out to short.
Wright flied out to center.

End of game.

Top Defensive Player – Craig Wright
Wright has played solid in the outfield all season. There is no doubt about it, C-Dub is an anchor of the Superbas defense.

Top Offensive Player – Jeff Adams
The numbers speak for themselves: Adams is clutch with a .667 batting average, 9 runs, 7 runs batted-in and a .955 contribution percentage.

Most Improved Player – Raphael Harper
Harper, hampered by a leg injury for most of the season, has marked his own territory in right field with some spectacular cougar-attention-grabbing plays. He has also come through at the plate with 5 singles, 2 runs and 3 runs batted-in.

Biggest Surprise (so far) – Kevin Ghalambor
Ghalambor has given the Superbas a second top-flight pitcher in the rotation. At the plate, Pudge, KG, the Rock, or Kobe (or whatever nickname he has been assigned that day), has hit 3 singles and has drawn 2 walks.

Biggest Disappointment (so far) – Eric Grace
Grace was the Superbas’ opening-day centerfielder and clean-up hitter. That didn’t last. A Fairfield-style injury has limited Gracie to 6 plate appearances and has kept him off the field since the second game. Grace has fully recovered and the Superbas are expecting big things in the second half of the season.

It is the halfway point in the season and the Red-Legged Superbas are struggling. After a rude awakening in their first game, the Superbas fought back to force a tie in the second game and win a supaslamajama slugfest in the third. These two games, unfortunately, account for all of the Superbas’ three points in the standings.

The Superbas are currently mired in a three-game losing streak, including two crushing defeats in the fourth and sixth games, and a heartbreaking 1-run loss in the fifth.

The Superbas have had their share of injuries: centerfielder Eric Grace broke his arm in the third week of the season and has had only six plate appearances; pitcher Carlo Quinonez injured his foot last week, forcing him to be sidelined for two weeks; and outfielder Raphael Harper has been hampered with a strained calf.

The Superbas have a bye this week and all players are expected to be free of injuries when the Superbas take the field on Wednesday, June 7, in a rematch against the Viper Squad.

Hits
14 – Adams
14 – Wisniewski
11 – Orr
8 – Cole

Runs
9 – Adams
8 – Wisniewski
7 – Orr
5 – Cole

Runs Batted-In
7 – Cole
7 – Adams
6 – Wisniewski
5 – Orr

Batting Average*
.667 – Adams
.636 – Bariel
.609 – Wisniewski
.500 – Orr
.500 – Quinonez

Doubles
6 – Orr
3 – Wisniewski
2 – Cole
1 – four players

Triples
2 – Adams
1 – Mallchok
1 – Wisniewski

Home Runs
1 – Bariel
1 – Wisniewski

On-Base Percentage*
.714 – Bariel
.636 – Adams
.609 – Wisniewski
.600 – Quinonez

Slugging Percentage*
1.000 – Bariel
.957 – Wisniewski
.905 – Adams
.773 – Orr

Sacrifice Hits
2 – Ramsdell
1 – five players

Walks
3 – Bariel
3 – Quinonez
2 – Ghalambor
2 – Gray

Contribution Percentage (RLS)*
.957 – Wisniewski
.955 – Adams
.929 – Bariel
.739 – Orr

Total Run Production Index*
.727 – Adams
.667 – Cole
.565 – Wisniewski
.522 – Orr

• Minimum of 12 plate appearances

Game Summary

The Superbas’ inaugural season is on the verge of a total collapse following a 14-2 drubbing by The Goonies on Wednesday, May 24. The Superbas started slow and ended slow in what has to be one of the worst offensive games ever to be played before the loyal cougars of Concord.

The Superbas had three 1-2-3 innings and another three-batter inning following a double play. Two other innings featured only five batters. The Superbas best inning came in the seventh and final inning when six batters came to the plate.

Despite the shellacking the Superbas took, there were a few offensive highlights. Outfielder Jason Bariel went 3 for 3 and scored a run. Utility fielder Jeff Adams went 2 for 3 and scored the only other Superbas run. Both runs were scored on hits by first baseman Wright Cole, who has found his groove after an early-season slump, going 2 for 3 with 2 runs batted-in.

Defensively, the Superbas did even worse. The one bright note was the stellar pitching job by Kevin Ghalambor, who walked only one Goonie. Unforunately, the defense behind him fell flat. Spectacular individual plays, however, were made in the outfield by Raphael Harper and Jesus Espinoza. Bariel played a solid game fielding several sure hits by The Goonies.

The fourth strikeout of the season for the Superbas came when Espinoza struck out looking to lead off the game.

The Superbas have crawled to a screeching halt as they have reached the midway point of the season with three consecutive losses and a 1-4-1 record (3 points).

Defensive Player of the Game: Jason Bariel.
Offensive Players of the Game: Wright Cole (2-3, 2B, 2 RBI) and Jason Bariel (3-3, 2B, R).

Box Score

Inning-by-Inning

1st Inning.
Espinoza struck out looking.
Ramsdell popped out to short.
Wisniewski grounded out to third.

2nd Inning.
Orr popped out to the pitcher.
Adams lined out to third.
Bariel singled.
Cole doubled. Bariel scored.
Ghalambor grounded out to short.

3rd Inning.
Gray singled.
Bayham flied out to center.
Harper grounded into fielder’s choice. Gray out.
Espinoza singled. Harper to second. Harper to third on throwing error. Espinoza to second.
Ramsdell lined out to second.

4th Inning.
Wisniewski grounded out to third.
Orr popped out to third.
Adams singled.
Bariel doubled. Adams to third.
Cole lined out to short.

5th Inning.
Ghalambor popped out to short.
Gray popped out to third.
Bayham flied out to left.

6th Inning.
Harper singled.
Espinoza lined out to second. Harper out at first.
Ramsdell flied out to right.

7th Inning.
Wisniewski lined out to left.
Orr flied out to center.
Adams singled.
Bariel singled. Adams to third.
Cole singled. Adams scored. Bariel to second.
Ghalambor grounded out to short.

End of game.