More awards…

Copper Gloves: Tim Evans, Brooks Ramsdell, Jeff Wisniewski
Copper Gloves, the Red-Legged Superbas version of the Gold Glove awards, are awarded to up to two outfielders, two infielders and an additional player from any position that exhibited “defensive brilliance” during the course of the season. The Superbas may not have scored many runs, but their defense at times was stellar, thanks to these guys. Brooks and Jeff played solid up-the-middle and Tim carried his own in the outfield. These three did their best to keep the Superbas within striking distance, and it showed. Bravo.

Tim, Brooks and Jeff… we salute you.

Continuing on…

Surprise Player: Joe Gray
Joe quietly contributed 7 runs scored and 6 runs batted-in, resulting in a total run production index of .361. That’s pretty darn good.

Biggest Disappointment: Andy Orr
This award, nicknamed the “Maximoo Award,” is the most difficult to hand out. But it has to be done (for parity sake). Andy was last year’s top offensive player; this season, not so much. Andy batted .429 with a .522 contribution percentage — pretty good numbers, but not stellar for the East Side captain. Andy’s defensive play also deteriorated this season. Andy has openly acknowledged his season-long slump, the first step in rehabilitation.

Rutherford B. Hayes Award For Excellence In The Field Of Unadulterated Support: Eric’s improved choice in livestock
First, a little background information on Mr. Hayes. Hayes was born and raised in the state of Ohio before becoming governor and was only one of four U.S. presidents to have won the Oval Office without winning the popular election. (J.Q. Adams, Benjamin Harrison and sitting-president G.W. Bush are the other three.) Hayes promised to only serve one term and that he did. Hayes was also the first sitting president to visit the west coast. But on to Eric’s improved choice in livestock. You may remember her name; I don’t. But she was there for almost every game, rooting for the Superbas to at least tie.

Joe, Andy and Eric’s improved choice in livestock… we salute you.

Well, here goes…

East Side Player of the Year: Dyelan Grace
Dyelan captures the “what if” theorem perfectly for this past season. Before his catastrophic injury, D-Grace had a .667 batting average, 1.133 contribution percentage and .733 total run production index. Despite missing seven games, D-Grace still led the team in home runs.

West Side Player of the Year: Jesus Espinoza
Jesus plays softball with the subtlety and gracefulness that embodies the West Side. Jesus batted .440 this season, with a .552 contribution percentage, and played well defensively in the outfield.

Comeback Player: Eric Grace
Eric won this award last year, as he came off of a debilitating arm injury. This season, with the gruesome pain of last season’s injury still an all-too-real nightmare, Grace continued his comeback with a .429 batting average, .629 contribution percentage and .514 total run production index. Grace graced the batting leader boards all season, and tied for the team high in runs scored (and tied his brother’s mark with two home runs).

Ironman: Mike Atiyeh
Playing every day is essential when it comes to success for the Red-Legged Superbas, and Mike’s strength and determination is a big part of that. Too bad we were hugely unsuccessful, although that had nothing to do with Mike’s play. Mike picked up his defensive play the second-half of the season and was third on the team in runs batted-in and tied for the team high in doubles.

Dyelan, Jesus, Eric and Mike… we salute you.

Beginning Monday I will present the awards via this blog, in clusters, a few at a time. The entire grueling process will take four days. This year we will have fewer awards, because of our poor play, and because of a lack of participation as a whole. Last season, every player received an award. That will not happen this year.

You may wonder, or you may not, just how I come up with these awards, and why me, since I am such a horrible coach and a hack of a softball player. Well, this is how I come up with the awards…

I smoke two blunts. I look over the statistics from this past season. I smoke two more blunts. I read through the game summaries, looking for nuances that are not reflected in the statistics. Two blunts. Inning-by-inning summaries. Just how many runners did he leave on base? Bases-loaded, two outs, last inning of the final game of the season. Two blunts more. Last season’s stats. Who has improved; who has gotten worse. And who’s aging before our eyes. Pick up more blunt wrappers at the Pay-n-Save… Dutch Master. I review the leader board. Who’s better than who. Who worked the hardest. Who slumped; who streaked. I roll and smoke two blunts. Then sleep. Then write the column. (And that is how it happens. No more questions.)

Until Monday…

As of August 7, 2007

The following players have outstanding debts…

Current
Joe Gray – $25
Adams* – $10
Dyelan Grace – $10
Jesus Espinoza – $10
Andy Orr – $10
Eric Grace – $10
Brooks Ramsdell – $10

Past Due
Joe Gray – $20
Jesus Espinoza – $15
Andrew Orr – $15
Jason Bariel – $10
Kevin Ghalambor – $10
Wright Cole – $10

Money requests were sent via PayPal. Don’t be a jerk, please make payment by the end of August. These funds will go towards the summer banquet. If you would rather send a personal check, please contact me.

As of August 13, 2007

The following players have outstanding debts…

Current
Joe Gray – $25
Adams* – $10
Dyelan Grace – $10
Andy Orr – $10

Past Due
Joe Gray – $20
Andrew Orr – $15
Jason Bariel – $10
Kevin Ghalambor – $10
Wright Cole – $10

Money requests were sent via PayPal. Don’t be a jerk, please make payment by the end of August. These funds will go towards the summer banquet. If you would rather send a personal check, please contact me.

As of August 20, 2007

The following players have outstanding debts…

Current
Adams* – $10
Dyelan Grace – $10
Andy Orr – $10

Past Due
Andrew Orr – $15
Jason Bariel – $10
Kevin Ghalambor – $10
Wright Cole – $10

Money requests were sent via PayPal. Don’t be a jerk, please make payment by the end of August. These funds will go towards the summer banquet. If you would rather send a personal check, please contact me.

As of August 31, 2007

The following players have outstanding debts…

Current
Adams* – $10
Dyelan Grace – $10

Past Due
Jason Bariel – $10
Kevin Ghalambor – $10
Wright Cole – $10

Money requests were sent via PayPal. Don’t be a jerk, please make payment by the end of August. These funds will go towards the summer banquet. If you would rather send a personal check, please contact me.

• Well, we finished the season 0-12, which took me totally by surprise coming into the season, and although we did have our fair share of bad luck — losing D-Grace at the half-way mark and having Quinonez play only one game, among others — we were much better than our record. I still believe that.

  – We played our best game defensively last game; that is encouraging.

  – We had two no-shows for our last game, Ghalambor and Cole, who have become a duet of deadbeats.

  – During this off-season, I will update the website, finalizing and archiving all the gamelogs, player pages, and statistics. I will post the updates as they are completed.

  – We are moving forward with the fall league. I will post on that issue shortly.

  – I’ve gone through the seasonal awards, and I’ve reduced the total number accordingly. Being such, the awards will mean a lot more this season. Last year, we handed out 18 awards (for a 15-person team and a 12-game season). This season, I’m leaning more towards 12 to 14, and not everyone will earn an award, unlike last year. (A cursory explanation of awards is available.)

  – Speaking of awards, I will be sending PayPal requests to players who donated graciously into the Strikeout for Beer Keg Fundraiser. Please pay promptly.

  – Keep your weekends open in August for the banquet. Does Saturday, August 18, sound good to people? Or Sunday, August 19?

  -Jeff

Game Summary

The Superbas ended their second season with a disastrous 0-12 record on Tuesday evening. The Superbas played their best game defensively, allowing only eight runs to the first-place Pit Crew. However, the Superbas matched their best defensive game with their worst offensive game in team history, garnering only one run on eight hits. The final score: Pit Crew 8, Superbas 1.

Second baseman Andy Orr played well defensively and pitcher Brooks Ramsdell pitched a gem. Several great plays were made in the outfield by outfielders Jesus Espinoza, Chris Leo and Tim Evans.

The game could have potentially come down to one swing if it were not for four consecutive errors in the last defensive inning for the Superbas. With the game knotted at 5-1 with two outs, the four next plays saw Ramsdell failing to cover first on a routine ground ball, first baseman Eric Grace dropping an easy throw from Orr at second, Orr bobbling a grounder between first and second, and a ball going under shortstop Jeff Wisniewski’s glove on a grounder up the middle.

Orr and Wisniewski each singled twice and drew a walk. With the bases loaded and two outs in the last inning, Evans popped out weakly to the first baseman, ending the season and cementing the pitiful legacy of this year’s Superbas team.

Ramsdell struck out looking in the third.

Defensive Player of the Game: Andy Orr.
Offensive Players of the Game: Andy Orr (2-3, BB, R) and Jeff Wisniewski (2-3, BB).

Box Score

Inning-by-Inning

1st Inning.
Leo popped out to second.
Grace flied out to center.
Orr singled.
Wisniewski singled. Orr to second.
Evans flied out to left.

2nd Inning.
Ramsdell grounded out to second.
Atiyeh singled.
Gray singled. Atiyeh to second.
Espinoza popped out to short.
Leo grounded into fielder’s choice to short. Gray out.

3rd Inning.
Grace grounded out to second.
Orr singled.
Wisniewski singled. Orr to second.
Evans singled. Orr scored. Wisniewski to second.
Ramsdell struck out looking.
Atiyeh flied out to left.

4th Inning.
Gray lined out to the pitcher.
Espinoza grounded out to short.
Leo flied out to left.

5th Inning.
Grace flied out to center.
Orr flied out to left.
Wisniewski grounded out to third.

6th Inning.
Evans popped out to short.
Ramsdell walked.
Atiyeh flied out to left.
Gray grounded into fielder’s choice to short. Ramsdell out.

7th Inning.
Espinoza singled.
Leo flied out to center.
Grace flied out to right.
Orr walked. Espinoza to second.
Wisniewski walked. Espinoza to third. Orr to second.
Evans popped out to first.

End of game.

• We played great last game. A few more players, and we would have won. Of course, we played against a bunch of geriatrics, and we should have won anyway.

  – Yesterday’s no-shows: Kevin Ghalambor and Wright Cole. Not cool. We had eight players. One of you two must be educated enough to make a call. Maybe not.

  – Tim Evans told the waitress last night at the higher thought sessions at Bambino’s that I had come out of the closet that day. What Tim didn’t tell her was that I came out of his closet.

  – Immediately following next week’s game, I will send out invoices for the Strikeout for Beer Keg Fundraiser. You will have thirty days to render payment. After that, someone will be paid to kill you.

  – I wanted to take a brief moment and discuss the spam email issue. It has come to my attention that a few players, if not all, were on the receiving end of spam directed to superbas.org. I have been receiving this spam all along, but I didn’t think much of it because of the large number of spam email I receive everyday. I failed to recognize that it may have landed in your inbox as well. I first want to ensure you that, no, I did not sell your email addresses for a penny or two, nor do I run an insecure website. These emails are generated by automated spam programs, or “spambots,” that crawl the web, much like Google or Yahoo! do, but instead of culling search keywords, the spambots cull email addresses. So, every time I post coach@superbas.org on the blog, which I do every week in the “next game” post, these spambots pick it up. And that is what happened to the team email address (team@superbas.org). I created the team email address, as well as other email addresses for the east and west sides, etc., so I could send an email to everyone without cherry-picking through my address book. But now that almost everyone is subscribed to the blog, and that I communicate almost exclusively through the blog, I have no need for the team email addresses, so I eliminated all of them. That should take care of the problem. However, if you do get a spam email directed to superbas.org, please forward it to me at coach@superbas.org, and I will investigate. Once again, I apologize for my shortsightedness on this issue.

  – We have only one more game, so let’s end the season on a good note.

  – Who is interested in the fall league? Wednesdays?

  – Tim Evans is thinking late August for the Superbas summer banquet.

  -Jeff

Game Summary

The Superbas showed some offensive might in what ended up being a tough 24-18 loss to Censored on Tuesday evening. The Superbas belted 23 hits for a season-high 18 runs.

Last year’s MOP Carlo Quinonez returned to the mound for the first time this season. In a sign of solidarity, all Superbas players shaved their nutsacks in support of their pitching god. Jeff Wisniewski played well at four positions, including a jaw-dropping diving play at second in the first, which was followed by a cougar-filled standing ovation. Outfielder Chris Leo and first baseman Eric Grace made crowd-pleasing catches, and rightfielder Joe Gray played solid.

All Superbas players had at least two hits, everyone scored at least one run, and all but one registered an RBI. Leo scored three times, knocked in four, and was a home run shy of a cycle. Wisniewski and outfielder Tim Evans had four hits apiece, and combined for 7 runs batted-in. Gray and Quinonez each added three hits and three runs scored. Third baseman Mike Atiyeh tripled.

Defensive Player of the Game: Jeff Wisniewski.
Offensive Players of the Game: Chris Leo (3-5, 2B, 3B, 3 R, 4 RBI), Tim Evans (4-6, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI), Jeff Wisniewski (4-6, 2B, 3B, 3 R, 4 RBI) and Joe Gray (3-5, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI).

Box Score

Inning-by-Inning

1st Inning.
Quinonez grounded out to third.
Espinoza popped out to short.
Wisniewski grounded out to short.

2nd Inning.
Evans popped out to short.
Leo lined a single to right.
Grace flied out to right.
Atiyeh flied out to center.

3rd Inning.
Gray singled.
Quinonez singled. Gray to second.
Espinoza popped out to second.
Wisniewski tripled. Gray and Quinonez scored.
Evans singled. Wisniewski scored.
Leo lined out to left.
Grace popped out to second.

4th Inning.
Atiyeh tripled.
Gray singled. Atiyeh scored.
Quinonez singled. Gray to third on throwing error.
Espinoza singled. Gray scored. Quinonez to third.
Wisniewski singled. Espinoza to second.
Evans singled. Quinonez scored. Espinoza to third. Wisniewski to second.
Leo grounded into fielder’s choice to second. Espinoza scored. Evans out. Wisniewski scored on a throwing error.
Grace doubled. Leo scored.
Atiyeh popped out to third.
Gray grounded out to short.

5th Inning.
Quinonez lined out to short.
Espinoza singled.
Wisniewski singled. Espinoza to second.
Evans singled. Espinoza scored. Wisniewski to second.
Leo doubled. Wisniewski and Evans scored.
Grace flied out to center.
Atiyeh singled. Leo scored.
Gray popped out to the pitcher.

6th Inning.
Quinonez grounded out to the pitcher.
Espinoza flied out to right.
Wisniewski flied out to left.

7th Inning.
Evans singled.
Leo tripled. Evans scored.
Grace singled. Leo scored.
Atiyeh popped out to the catcher.
Gray doubled. Grace scored.
Quinonez singled.
Espinoza popped out to the catcher.
Wisniewski doubled. Gray and Quinonez scored.
Evans flied out to left.

End of game.

A player will receive an automatic invitation if he appears in four or more games the previous season.

This ordinance is premised on the “first season’s precedent” theory. The minimum games played by players in the first season was four. It makes sense to establish that as a minimum, as that represents one-third of scheduled games, a rational minimum.

As the Superbas move forward, it is imperative to recruit new players that will make the games, not only to avoid nasty forfeitures, but also to encourage better game-play, and to improve player morale.

All team ordinances — all four of them — are available on the website.