FALL LEAGUE Bulletin Board

I'm putting together a fall softball team again this year. If the schedule is like last year, we'll play a double-header every Tuesday night for seven weeks, starting September 2.
 
We'll sponsor ourselves at a cost of $20 per player (plus out-of-district fees if you don't live in Champaign-Urbana - I think it was $15 last year). Wear whatever shirt or uniform you want; no fees for that.
 
Please click to reply and post a note if you'd like to play. Also, list your shirt number so we can avoid duplicate numbers. (I get dibs on the number 1).
 
Thanks,
 
---Dan

I'm in. $35. #6.
Don

I'll play. #3

--- On Sun, 7/27/08, QT - Dan Hughes <qtopic-40-q3nzgArYpcxK@quicktopic.com> wrote:
From: QT - Dan Hughes <qtopic-40-q3nzgArYpcxK@quicktopic.com>
Subject: Fall Ball
To: "QT topic subscribers" <qtopic-subs@quicktopic.com>
Date: Sunday, July 27, 2008, 8:08 AM

< replied-to message removed by QT >

Count me in. $20; number 52.

Thanks for taking on the administrative challenge again!

Dan,
  I'll play with you guys this fall. My number is 33.
  Thanks, Kevin

QT - Dan Hughes <qtopic-40-q3nzgArYpcxK@quicktopic.com> wrote:
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Dan,

I blew out my knee at Gus Macker last weekend. I go to the orthopedic doctor tomorrow to (hopefully) get a diagnosis. Not sure if I'll be able to play.

I'm in! I need the extra work. My number is 14. Jim M

Count me in. Number 27.

Joe and I are in. Me #22, Joe #7, $20 each.
Jim Rasner

I'm in. Good ole #2. ($20)

Practice today 2:00?
Jim Rasner

Yep, 2 pm today, Jim!

Dan - message from Cathy - I'm the bookkeeeper (sp?) for Jim - do I need to send you $35 this week? We will be gone from Aug 31 through August 7 to an FAA conference. Let me know where and when we need to send you the check. Thanks for doing this league - I wasn't ready for the fun to be over. Cathy

Cathy, no need to pay until after I pay. No hurry - I'll let you know.

Cathy - trivia time - "bookkeeper" is the only word in the English language that has three consecutive sets of double letters.

Edited by author 07-27-2008 08:39 PM
Halloween
hall...o....w.........ee......n
double l, double u, double e
How about that? :o)
...but it does stick an o in there. :o)

bookkeeping
plurals bookkeepers bookkeepings

Sorry, Don, even if I concede that "W" = "double U", you still have that "O" breaking up the three CONSECUTIVE double-letter sets.

I will be unable to do it this year because of my classes for school.
--- On Sun, 7/27/08, QT - Dan Hughes <qtopic-40-q3nzgArYpcxK@quicktopic.com> wrote:
From: QT - Dan Hughes <qtopic-40-q3nzgArYpcxK@quicktopic.com>
Subject: Fall Ball
To: "QT topic subscribers" <qtopic-subs@quicktopic.com>
Date: Sunday, July 27, 2008, 8:08 AM

< replied-to message removed by QT >

Dan,
This coming weekend, I'll be in D.C. but plan on practice the following Sunday. Jim M

Jim, where in DC? Kathy and Karen will be in Falls Church. Small world!

We will be in Pentagon City from this Thursday until the following Wednesday. Jim

I signed our team up for Fall Ball this morning. I had the choice of Tuesday or Wednesday nights, and I picked Tuesday because that's when we played last year.

BUT, they told me that the Wednesday teams are a bit less competitive.

SO, if everyone is agreeable, I'll switch us to the Wednesday league. But I won't do this if it will prevent anyone from playing.

ALSO, our fee is less if 60% of the team is from Champaign-Urbana, and there are no out-of-district fees.

Your share of the fee will depend on how many players we end up with, and how many of them are residents. I'm guessing that everybody's share will be $28 maximum. That's two bucks per game. Not bad! How much does golf cost?

Okay, what I need from everyone is the following:

1. Can you play Wednesday?
2. Address
3. City
4. Zip code
5. Phone number

If you got this note, you are on the roster. Please let me know if you can't play this season.

Brian, I put you down but I know you're iffy - do you know yet if you'll be healed enough to play?

Please get back to me with this info pronto - the slots fill up, and if we wait too long we won't be able to make the switch.

Dan,

I'm still not 100% sure that I can play. I had an MRI on Saturday, and won't get the results until this Friday. But, the knee is feeling much better, and I'm optimistic.

However, I can't play on Wednesdays. I have a band that rehearses from 6-8 pm every Wednesday starting in late August. Ironically, the band rehearses at Parkland;-)

If everyone prefers Wednesdays, I'd certainly understand. I wouldn't want to hold everyone up if that's the preferred night.

Info you asked for:
18 James Ct. Sidney, IL 61877
217) 417-6891

Wednesday Yes
1304 W Hill St
Champaign IL 61820
217-355-3539
630-202-3443 cell is best bet

Dan Wednesday would exclude me as our church has choir practice every wednesday. The majority rules! Jim M

Sorry forgot the address: 105 W William, Monticello Il, 61856 Cell: 217-671-0830

Wednesdays are no - I have a film class. Address (for Joe also) 1104 Galen Drive, C 61821 352-7324
Jim Rasner

Wednesday is OK

3304 Countrybend Drive
Champaign 61822
847 636-7006 mobile
630 847-2565 home

With both Jims and Brian nixing Wednesdays, we'll stick with Tuesdays.

I still need everyone's answers to the rest of the questions, though.

Greg, I got the Magic Jack but haven't activated it yet. Can't decide which city to pick - Indianapolis or DC. With Indy I've got all my old buddies; with DC I've got Kathy's family.

For the the rest of you: $40 (including first-year service) gets you a Magic Jack, which is a gizmo that plugs into your computer and gives you a new telephone number. You then plug a phone into the gizmo, and you can make totally free phone calls everywhere in the US and Canada, 24/7.

Take it with you on vacation; as long as you can plug it into a computer it will work almost anywhere in the world. Greg's in Jamaica right now with his.

Each year you pay $20 to renew for another year. You can pick a phone number that will make it a local call for anyone in the area you pick. Champaign isn't in the system; Greg's is in Chicago.

1. Can you play Wednesday? Yes & no. Every other Wednesday I play poker.
2. Address 197 Western Ave.
3. City Hume
4. Zip code 61932
5. Phone number (217)887-2252. Cell: (217)722-4843

The MagicJack works well for me - real easy to use, just plug & play. I got two thinking my yacky mother would love one, but the technology totally turned her off so may have an extra if anybody is interested (I've offered to set up and walk through calls w/ her so she may be persuaded)

Also, I'm in Champaign this week and headed for Panama on Saturday for two weeks.

Tuesday would definitely work, Wednesday would not.

101 Sterling Ct. #304
Savoy, IL 61874
840-4572

FALL BALL PRACTICE SUNDAY AT 2:00 AT DEXTER!

There will probably be some younger guys playing with us, which is good, because our opponents will all be kids.

Our first games are Tuesday, Sept 2; we will do doubleheaders every Tuesday through October 28.

We'll play at 6:00 and 7:00, or 8:00 and 9:00. The schedule should be available about August 18. I'll post it when I get it.

Some of those nights will be cold; we may even see snow. But the temperature for most of them will be quite pleasant, much better than summer ball.

I can play on either Tuesday or Wednesday.

2816 Salisbury Court South
Champaign IL 61821
land: 217-398-0893
cell: 217-649-8629

Tues & Wed both fine with me.
1712 Arden Court
Champaign, IL 61821
637-6853

Dan, Can't make the practice today, will make the next one though!. GO CUBS! Last night wasn't pretty...Jim M

Looks like I'm out for the fall. ACL is torn, MCL is sprained, and I have a hairline fracture at the top of my tibia. I hit the trifecta! Good luck this fall, and maybe I can play again next year.

Thanks for the update, Brian. Take care of yourself!

We had a good practice today. Sixteen guys, half of them ours, the other half from a church team. Everybody hit a bucket of balls, then we split into teams and played a game.

A hearty welcome to new team member Minor Jackson. He used to play senior ball for KFC, and for that he has our condolences.

Here is a list of our team members:

1. Paul Conforti
2. Jim Manint
3. Jim Rasner
4. Joe Rasner
5. Greg Reed
6. Don Anglen
7. Alan Nathan
8. Tom Young
9. Jeremy Curtiss
10. Kevin Layton
11. Dennis Harper
12. Minor Jackson
13. Dan Hughes

Fall Ball plays by the young-guy rules, so we'll play 10 guys in the field and an 11th player will be DH.

That means that if everybody shows up for the games, two players will have to sit out one game of the doubleheader. I'll spread that around as evenly as possible.

I think we have a pretty good team here. Our handicap is age more than skill, I think. Several of us have lost some of our speed and agility. Still, this is a great group of players attitude-wise, and I'm looking forward to a lot of fun. The seven weeks will fly by pretty quickly, I'm afraid.

See you next Sunday at 2:00!

Sorry I missed today. I'll be there next week!

I'll probably miss the practice on Aug. 17th. My mom is hosting
a reunion in Hume.
Don

Dan,
Can you give me a brief update on the change in rules in fall ball vs senior league? Takes me longer now to shift gears...

Jim M

Hi...has the fall schedule been posted yet? The "Schedule" link seems to be broken.

No schedule yet. I'll post it when I get it. The link is still uptop there but it goes nowhere until the schedule is up.

Jim, I'll post the major rule differences soon - I'm having computer trouble right now so I'm behind in a few things.

If anyone else wants to outline the differences in senior and regular, please don't be shy. Thanks.

Oops - my last note was sent under Kathy's ID. I didn't realize she had been doing some posting on her board. Sorry!

I think our team roster is set now. We have 15 players, and enough of them are in the Champaign-Urbana district that I'll get our out-of-district money back.

That means our team fee is $250, and each player's share is $16.67.

Here's our roster:

1. Paul Conforti
2. Jim Manint
3. Jim Rasner
4. Joe Rasner
5. Greg Reed
6. Don Anglen
7. Alan Nathan
8. Tom Young
9. Jeremy Curtiss
10. Kevin Layton
11. Dennis Harper
12. Minor Jackson
13. Dan Hughes
14. Jason Blunier
15. Michael Truss

Please post a note on this board when you can't make a game. Let me know as far in advance as possible.

Everybody who shows up will play at least one full game of each doubleheader, and sit-outs will be distributed evenly over the course of the season.

On opening night, the first 11 players who show up will play the first game. Batting order will be based on last year's stats for those who were on the team last year, and the new guys will be added to the bottom. After the first night, batting order will be based heavily on batting performance.

For the new guys, this team has two basic rules: Play hard, and play happy. Run out your fly balls and your grounders! Assume every ball is going to be dropped. There are lots of errors in this league, and you'll get on base sometimes when you don't deserve it - IF you run hard no matter where you hit the ball.

And do your best to stay in an upbeat mood, even when the world comes crashing down around us. The umpire is always right, even when he's wrong. Stay mature. Remember, we're the Seniors.

Okay, that's the pep talk for the season. See you Sunday at 2:00 for another practice. Yesterday we had 11 guys, 9 of them on our team, and everybody hit a bucket of balls. Then we played a game. For those of you who haven't seen this year's team yet, I have to say we're looking good.

Edited by author 08-19-2008 01:43 AM
Dan,
     On sitting out games... Does one of your rules say we need to
be there to count it as sitting out? I could sit out a double-header, stay home, and avoid driving the 96 miles. That would give me a
2 week window for a vacation. ...but I'm willing to play one and
sit one, if that's the rule.
Don

Don, normally I'd say you should be there for both games even if you're playing just one, to support the team, and somebody might not show up, or somebody could get hurt and you might need to sub - but I understand the driving you have to do, and if you let me know in advance when you won't be there, then what you request is fine. (If you bring me back a T-shirt).

Here's the math: We play 10 in the field and a designated hitter for each game. If all 15 players show up at every game, five of them will have to sit out each game (one of those five will get to hit but not field). That's 5 sitting times 14 games = 70 sit-outs, divided by 15 players = appx. 5 defensive sit-outs for each player, or appx. 4 sit-outs if you count DHing as playing.

So everybody will play 9 full games of the 14, with an additional game where they are designated hitter. (Most players will actually play more than this, because everybody won't be there every week).

We are not allowed to switch players back and forth every inning like we do in senior ball.

Some teams switch players in each game after 3 1/2 innings, so everybody plays at least a game and a half for each doubleheader. That method is tempting, but it does create some problems:

1. We'd have to change both the lineup AND the batting order midway through every game (we can't bat everybody like we do in senior ball). This gets pretty complicated, especially when I have to do it in the middle of a game I'm playing in.

2. I couldn't set the batting order to our best advantage, because the subs would have to take the batting positions of the players they sub for.

3. If a game ends early (10-run and 15-run rule), some players get cheated out of innings. They may not play at all if the game goes just three innings. (Can that happen? I don't know in what inning the slaughter rule begins).

4. Nobody would ever play a complete doubleheader, and one player would play just half a game each doubleheader.

5. Everybody would end up playing about the same amount of time either way, so I prefer the simpler-to-handle play-a-whole-game method.

Rule differences between Fall Ball and Senior Ball:

1. No double plate at home.

2. No force-out at home (unless bases are loaded).

3. No commitment line between third and home.

4. A player may be taken out of a game and then return to the lineup once (not unlimited switching as in senior ball).

5. Lineup must be turned in 10 minutes before game time or game is forfeited (I'd like everybody there a half-hour before game time to get in some warm-up throwing and stretching, and to give me time to put the lineup together without a last-minute frantic rush).

6. If a player leaves a game and no sub is available, his batting position is an automatic out every time it comes up.

7. A 55-minute clock is used, with no new inning starting after time expires (unless the score is tied).

8. International tie-breaker rule is used (the last batter of the previous inning is put on second base at the beginning of the next inning).

9. No pre-game infield practice, no courtesy runners, no mat behind the plate, a pitch hitting the plate is a ball.

10. And finally, here's the run rule (I just looked it up):

1. If at the end of five (5) complete innings of play, one team is ten (10) runs or more ahead of its opponent, the game will be called complete.
2. If at the end of four (4) complete innings of play, one team is fifteen (15) runs or more ahead of its opponent, the game will be called complete.
3. If at the end of three (3) complete innings of play, one team is twenty (20) runs or more ahead of its opponent, the game will be called complete.
4. If at any point during the game (at the end of a complete inning), one team is thirty (30) or more runs ahead of its opponent, the game will be called complete.

Dan,
I will be out of town this coming weekend but I'll try to get in some practice while at the cubs game with the pirates...Jim M

Good idea, Jim - Maybe they'll let you take batting practice with them.

Dan,
     Jim would like for Josh to play ball with us. I'm all for it. I think he really wants to play. Sit we out double, if need be. I don't mind.
Don

Edited by author 08-21-2008 08:58 AM
Next week's Wednesday morning practice will probably be the last Wednesday practice of the year.

We'll be playing doubleheaders Tuesday nights after that, and playing again Wednesday morning is a bit too much.

Sunday afternoons at 2:00 will continue as long as we have good participation. I really enjoy the routine of everybody hitting a bucket of balls, then playing a scratch game for an hour or so.

Donnie, Josh is in. Thanks for your offer, but everybody will still play equally.

Our schedule is posted!

Click on the link up in the header box.

First game is Tuesday, September 2, at 8:00 on Dodds 2.

Try to make it to Sunday's practice, and we should be ready to roll Tuesday night.

A question - who here besides Jim Rasner is comfortable pitching?

I am comfortable pitching.

...further explanation of fall league substitution rule from Greg.
4. A player may be taken out of a game and then return to the lineup once.

From: Greg Gerdes
 "All players regardless if they were a starter or a substitute may re
enter the game ONE TIME in the same spot in the line up. This has been
the rule for two years now."

NEWS FLASH - It looks like there's a tournament going on at Dexter today.

If the field is still in use at 2:00, we'll move to Seaman Field (the field you can see from Dexter, next to the fire station).

NO PRACTICE NEXT SUNDAY - IT'S LABOR DAY WEEKEND!

Our last Wednesday morning practice will be this week. See you then if you can make it.

I just got a note from the park district that our schedule has been changed.

The one up top is correct now.

Bottom line is that we play at 8:00 our first three weeks, and at 6:15 our last four weeks. Makes it easy to remember!

We had 12 guys at practice this morning, so we were able to play a game after we all hit a bucket of balls.

This was our last Wednesday session - starting next week we'll practice Thursday mornings at 10. Hope you can make it.

When you travel to see your favorite ball club play, you always hope the weather is great and your team wins. Monday night at Pirates Stadium, the Cubs were simply fantastic. They pounded the Pirates 12-3. There were cub fans everywhere! We had seats on the third base side of the field down low and a short distance from Soriano. Brought my glove, but unfortunately, no balls came even close...I highly recommend this ballpark, very pretty.

Jim, I was in center field in Atlanta in about 1977 when the Reds were in town, and Ken Griffey (the original, not the junior) hit a ball right to me.

I had no glove, and I barehanded the darn thing. The stitches of that ball were bruised into my palm. For a week or so I could proudly display that bruise.

"See those stitches? Ken Griffey!"

I should have said I was in the center field bleachers. I made it sound like I was playing center field.

Sept 2 @ 8pm. I thought this was a double header league?

Paul, we play the same team twice; once at 8:00 and again at 9:00.

For 6:15 games, the games are actually at 6:15 and 7:00.

Please post a note here if you WON'T be there for our first game.

Dan,
     I'll show up after 5:45 on the 2nd, so you can play someone
else the first game. Please sit me out enough games before and
after the 23rd, so I can play both games that night. It will be
against my son-in-law, and both of my granddaughters will
probably be there.
Don

Don, the 9-2 games are at 8:00.
Jim Rasner

Jim,
     8:00. That's right. I forgot. OK, I'll still watch
the first game. Thanks.
Don

Edited by author 09-03-2008 12:16 AM
Stats are up (click in the box up top), and we do have some bright spots.

First, the team we played tonight was 12-2 in the regular season against teams their own age.

Our team on-base percentage tonight was .463, not too bad. [For the new guys, here's an explanation of on-base percentage, or on-base average:
http://danhughesbooks.com/battingorder.htm

And howsabout this: A full two-thirds of our players tonight - 10 out of 15 - had OBAs of .500 or better.

Jeremy was 5 for 6, and Jim M walked three of the four times he was at bat. I guess those guys feared him mightily.

We played 10 innings total and we left guys on third three times. We had a 5-run inning in each game.

How could we possibly lose with stats like that? I went 0 for 2 and still had two RBIs. Piece a cake!

We had 18 singles, and just one double. No other extra-base hits. That has to hurt.

Okay, there are a few weak teams in this league, but a lot of strong ones too. They all have the age advantage on us and are expected to win, so when we do pull out a victory we can feel really good about it.

And for the senior guys, just remember that playing in this league will make next year's senior league look a lot less intimidating.

Practice Thursday morning at 10, and Sunday afternoon at 2:00.

Next week's games are at 8:00 on Dodds 1.

And please, everybody feel free to post notes here. Don't make me keep talking to myself.

Dan,
The catcher took one look at my "Combat Antivirus Bat" and I heard him shudder....I'm on call this weekend and amy or may not be at practice Sunday.
Jim M

Jim, either that or he knew you must be really hot when it took you five minutes to come out of the dugout.

Good one..!

I think we played pretty well against a very good young team. We will steal a few victories in this league.

For the Senior guys...the game's a lot faster than we are used to, but with concentration we can still make a difference - Donnie & I both caught hot shots - think how much easier next year will be against 55 year old player!

…………………………………….....................Distance.Pop.Sweetspot
2007 Rawlings Silverback Rush.ASA …. 8.82...9.45..8.55
2007 Combat Anti Virus……............ 8.98...9.19..8.78
2008 Easton SCN9 Stealth…........... 9.10...9.37..9.38

3 good bats.
Softballfans.com

Re Don's post about the 3 bats:
Just curious as to what the distance/pop/sweetspot numbers actually mean and how they are measured. What kinds of differences would be considered statistically significant (e.g., how seriously should one take the difference between 8.98 and 9.10).

.............OB.AB..ave
Seniors......10 26 .385
Non-seniors..15 28 .536
Team.........25 54 .463

Sorry youngsters. We'll try harder.

Edited by author 09-03-2008 06:57 PM
Alan, those figures are from softballfans.com, where anyone can "rate" any bat, and the numbers are automatically averaged.

These ratings have absolutely no scientific method behind them. A lot of idiots post reports that are totally bogus (you can give a bat all tens, even if you've never swung it, and many people do just that).

Here's the site:

http://www.softballfans.com/reviews/

softballfans.com is the most accurate of the bat reviews
for distance that I have seen. I'm not certain about
the pop. The sweetspot average is also pretty good. It's
true that some reviews are bogus, but all bats receive
some bogus numbers. I think the "serious difference"
between the 9.10 compared to the 8.98 is "a little". If I
were to guess, I would say about 5 to 15 feet. That would
be with those two bats(Rush and Antivirus) for a hitter that can hit frequent 300 foot home runs with an Ultra II and using a .47 core 525 compression softball.
...just my 2¢ worth.
Don

Hi Don,

I was just pointing out that the reviews on softballfans.com are all top-of-the-head, and do not come from a lab. Something a physics prof like Alan would probably want to know.

When a rating is listed to two decimal points, it implies that precision instruments have been used to determine that rating. Not so. I could pick a random bat and give it all tens or ones and skew its rating falsely. And I have seen a lot of bats rated all ones or all tens, with accompanying comments of "This bat sucks" or This bat rocks" and no other "analysis." Obviously guys with chips on their shoulders.

What percentage of raters do you feel are qualified to accurately rate a bat? Many of those guys have probably never swung any bat but their own, so how can they make a valid comparison?

One difficulty, even if scientific instruments were used to determine distance, is that stiffer bats require a faster, more powerful swing to achieve the full rebound effect. So a bat that gives great distance to a strong hitter may give below-average distance to a weaker hitter.

Also, there is argument as to whether "pop" should even be a category, because it has never been defined. If by "pop" you mean the speed the ball comes off the bat, then pop corresponds exactly with distance. And often you'll see someone say that a bat has great pop but poor distance. That just doesn't make any sense.

I just looked at the ratings for Kevin's new Rawlings Silverback Rush, for example. Ten people have rated it. One person gave it a 6 for sweetspot and a 7 for distance. Another gave it 10s for both. Are they rating different bats?

For the Combat Antivirus, one guy gave it tens across the board, another gave it a 4 for distance and a 2 for sweetspot. How does a potential buyer use those figures?

So it's okay to use the softball.com ratings as a general guide, but I don't think you can use the figures with any scientific precision.

Too wet for practice today.

See you Sunday at 2:00 if it's dry by then.

Hi Dan,
     You're right. I just thought when buying a bat, some guidelines
are better than none.
     I think "pop" is for guys that don't swing hard. They like to
have the trampoline effect anyway. They want the ball to jump off of their bat; not necessarily for distance.
Don

We had a good practice this afternoon. The weather was perfect for softball, and we played a doubleheader (second game only four innings) against a team from Danville. Hopefully they'll be back next Sunday for a rematch.

Team members who were there: Jim and Joe Rasner, Dennis, Greg, Michael, Josh, and Donnie (and me).

I know nothing of the skill level of the team we play this week, but they lost both of their games last week.

See you at 7:30 (game time 8:00) on Dodds 1 Tuesday night! As always, buzz me if you won't be there.

Notes on tonight's games:

1. Temp could be in the 40's before we're done. Most bats are not made to be used in temps below 60, and in fact the warranty is void if you break a bat using it when the temperature is below 60. When the temp drops, the balls get harder and are more likely to damage bats. I have a good metal bat I'll bring, and anyone who wants to use is it welcome.

2. Team fee is $16. You can pay Kathy tonight if you haven't already. Thanks.

3. We play at 8:00 on Dodds 1. Please be there by 7:30 so I can have plenty of time to make a lineup.

Edited by author 09-10-2008 12:54 AM
Unbelievable.

Three game balls awarded tonight - one for each individual game and one for overall performance:

Jim Manint's bases-clearing triple scored the winning run in the first game, giving us a 13-12 win.

Tom Young's intentional walk, single, two triples and homer in the second game gave him eight RBIs.

And Jeremy's two-game show, batting nine times and getting on base nine times (one was a fielder's choice so he gets credit for 8-for-9), while scoring eight times.

Many of you had performances tonight that would have normally won you a game ball. Most of the team had on-base averages of over .500 tonight. And check this out - we scored 34 runs, and left another 21 runners on base in these two games.

Stats are posted. Read 'em and smile.

Practice Thursday morning at 10 at Dexter, and Sunday afternoon at 2 at Dexter. See ya!

Last night was fun! Also there was some good pitching out there! Jim R - I remember you saying one of our teammates plays in a band. I forgot who it is and do you know if they are playing local this weekend? Jim M

Jim M. - Josh is guitarist in Kilborn Alley Blues Band. They are playing Fri. 9-12 at Chiefs (Country Fair shopping center, Wed. 9-24 at Iron Post, Sat. 9-27 at Embassy. Iron P and Embassy, Race St. Urbana. Anyone who likes blues and soul, check them out - they are awesome. Speaking of awesome, how about last night's games? Way to go team!
Jim R.

Jim R - Thanks for the info. I want more of those games like last night! Jim M

Next opponent: Clark & Addison 15-13.
Wednesday summer double-header blue division
I love statistics almost as much as Dan. :o)

Clark and Addison was actually my last opponent in Summer ball. We split with them, winning the first game, and losing the second one. The biggest problem we had was out hitting, which has been my other team's problem since I started playing with them 5 years ago. I know we didn't allow to many runs to them, winning the first game 8-3, and losing the second one 9-7. I believe they will be somewhere between the two teams we have played so far. My Putt Zone team matched up well with them, and I believe with the way we are hitting, our team matches up will with them. If we can hit like we did last week, we are going to be a pain in the butt for other teams the rest of the season.

I unfortunately can't remember too much about them, but they do have a guy or two that can really crank it. I believe their leadoff batter had the farthest hit if the day, taking one off of the fence, but I do remember the bottom of their lineup being very weak. If we just go out and play the way we can, we should compete and at least split with them. We have a much better team this fall than we had last fall. Have a good one guys.

Tom Y

Well, gang, the rain won't stop and our practice for this afternoon is canceled.

Hope the fields are dry by Tuesday night.

See you then at 7:30 at Dodds 2.

Hey guys sorry for the late notice but I won't be able to make it to the games tonight. It is my 2 year wedding anniversary and my wife got real mad when I told her I was going to play softball instead of spending time with her tonight.

If this means that we would be short to play just let me know and I can get out of it.

Thanks,

Jeremy

Jeremy,
Bring your wife along! We'll get some treats from the concession stand. Then after the game, take her out to Buffalo Wild Wings and celebrate our two wins we're going to get! Jim M

great idea Jim!

Edited by author 09-17-2008 12:21 AM
Stats are updated.

Surprisingly, our batting looked pretty good on paper tonight. Our team on-base average for the season stayed virtually the same, going from .563 to .562.

Donnie went 5 for 7 with two doubles, Michael was 4 for 7, several guys went 3 for 6, Jason homered, Tom tripled, several guys doubled.

I wish we could have played the last inning of the second game - who knows.

(For those of you who weren't there, we were killed in the first game 23-5 in four innings, and the clock ran out on us in the second game, which we lost 12-9 in six innings.)

  Dan - I won't be at practice tomorrow - have a family wedding to attend. Jim Manint

Hi...I am afraid I won't be able to play for the next two weeks, due to commitments made long ago for those nights.

I'll be at the Tuesday games and the Thursday morning practice, but I'll miss next Sunday's practice.

Shortstop #6
Don "Skins" Anglen

I will miss Tuesday's games and so will Joe.
Jim Rasner

Yesterday's practice was fun. We had just 8 guys, but we all hit a bucket of balls and then we played a game Donnie suggested: four 2-man teams, three in the field while the fourth bats. With just two guys batting, the batter runs to first and back to home to score. Just one base, so there's no problem with both batters being on base at the same time.

Modesty keeps me from telling you who won.

Hey, this week's games are at DEXTER! Don't forget! Try to be there by 5:45 so I can get a lineup in.

We can double check this with Alan.
"In fact, tests show that for every 1° F reduction in temperature below 72° F, the ball compression (hardness) increases 5 lbs. .... Conversely, when the temperature rises, ball compression drops. When ball compression drops, the ball becomes softer."

Compression Temperature
450............... 57° F
425............... 62° F
400............... 67° F
375....normal..... 72° F
350............... 77° F
325................82° F
300............... 87° F
275............... 92° F
________________________

600............... 57° F
575............... 62° F
550............... 67° F
525....normal..... 72° F
500............... 77° F
475............... 82° F
450............... 87° F
425............... 92° F

My 2 granddaughters, daughter, and son-in-law will watch us
play the 2 games tonight. My son-in-law will be the
shortstop for the othe team.

Teammates - I will not be at Tuesday's games but I wanted to alert everyone to a very important event Wednesday - 8:00 PM at Iron Post, Race St. Urbana, Champaign-Urbana's own, Kilborn Alley Blues Band (one of the best blues bands in the country) will play their 1,000th show. Our teammate, Josh Stimmel, is guitarist extraordinaire in the band. Impress your wives, girlfriends, partners or whatever and treat them to a great night out. Be there or be square! Oh, and I expect to see that the Seniors gave Tumble Inn two good thrashings.
Jim Rasner

I would love to be at the Iron Post, but...it's poker night: 7-10.
Don

Update: My arm, the problem being a tear in the upper bicep, is healing, and lite throwing is finally without pain. However, as nice as tonights weather is, it is best I give it another week and see what happens at practice.

Have a great series tonight!
Paul Conforti

Edited by author 09-23-2008 11:48 PM
We almost had to forfeit tonight - two guys arrived just as the ump was ready to dock us the game.

We had exactly 10 players, so everybody played both games. Though the other team had won just one game this season, they sparkled tonight, hitting much like last week's team, scattering scratch singles all over the place. Our bats were pretty silent tonight, and we lost both games by the 10-run rule.

First game was 12-2 in 6 innings, second was 20-7 in 5 innings.

Very few highlights tonight for us. Jim M went 3 for 3 in the second game, Tom hit a 2-run triple in his last at-bat, Donnie hit safely his first four at-bats, we got 7 hits and 4 runs in our last inning.

In the second game we were down just 3-1 after 3 innings, but then the other team got 8 in the 4th and 9 in the 5th.

And not only all that, but it was hot and muggy too.

But I see it like this: losing a doubleheader is still a lot better than looking out the window at ice and snow, knowing there will be no softball for several months.

I will not be at Sun. practice, nor will Joe. Josh said to let everyone know he can't make Sun. game - he has an afternoon gig in Danville. See everyone Tues. night.
Jim Rasner

I will be unable to attend the games tomorrow due to previous family arrangement. I also won't be there on Oct. 14th and I will be out of the state. Sorry for the inconveniences. These events are out of my hands.

Very few highlights from last night's games, sorry to say. We lost the first game 15-4 and the second game 15-0.

Tom went 4 for 5 and Kevin went 2 for 3. Nobody else hit our team average (which is still over .500, at .508).

The first game went five innings and the second game just four. Five of us batted just once in the second game. And in that second game, we had just three hits, all of them singles.

And the other team played with just nine guys.

Okay, enough whining. Two more Tuesdays and it's all over until next spring.

Take heart - the team we play next week was 2-6 going into last night, and the team we finish against was 0-8.

Much better than last night's 8-0 team, which, incidentally, plays three nights a week and travels on weekends.

If you can make it: Thursday morning batting practice at 10 at Dexter, Sunday afternoon practice and game (if we have enough) at 2 at Dexter.

And next week's game is at Dexter at 6:15.

Jim R, how you feeling this morning? How big is the bruise?

I made 5 of our 27 outs. I could not hit his 15' to 16' pitches
that were coming in over my head. I moved back in the box, and
the ump was still calling them strikes. Sorry guys.
Jim, Hopefully you'll have a quick recovery.

Yeah Don, that umpire, new or not, was pretty god awful. My final at bat where he took literally 10 seconds to make a decision on whether or not a pitch was a ball or a strike really didn't settle well with me. He was like, 'I wanted to call it illegal, but I just couldn't.' He should not be allowed out there again until he gets some more ASA training, like in that umpire tournament next spring. I know what your talking about with his 15-16 foot arch pitches. Oh well, it sounds like we have a chance to finish the year strong as the Pro softball teams are behind us. See you guys next week and get better Jim.

Tom Y

Just thought I would let you guys know that last night I took one out on field 3! My first over the fence homerun this season. It was a shot to left center field, and there was one runner on base. I ended up going 5-8 with a single, 2 doubles, a triple and the homerun, so between both games I had the cycle. I started the night 0-3 so I recovered well. By the way, we won both of our games soundly and are now 6-2 on the season with a very tough opponent coming up next week.

Tom Y

Way to go Tom! With a lot of winter weight lifting and general "bulking up", I hope to put one over next year...yeah Did you know the Cubs score then? Zambrano better bring it tonight. See everyone next Tuesday Jim M

Gotta ask, Tom - what bat did you use?

I used the Miken freak 98, my new bat, and the one that Jim R got me hooked on, so it already has paid off. I did know the Cubs had lost 7-2 at the time I hit it, so maybe it was me taking out my frustration on the ball, I dont know. Zambo better be on his game tonight otherwise we are done.

(From Josh)

Hi Dan,
 I just thought you should know - Jim Rasner was in the hospital on Tues night until yesterday evening. That line-drive cracked him hard and he had surgery on Tues late nite to repair the damage. It was pretty bad! He is home now and seems okay, just pained. It was a large rupture in his groin area that created internal bleeding. Poor guy! The doctors say he will be in pain for a month.
 
 I thought it would be nice if you sent an email to the team letting them know of his surgery. And I am sure he would love a few phone calls from teammates- his home number is 217-352-7324.
 
I would send this to the team but I don't know how to work that quick reply thing!
Thanks Dan!
Josh

Dan,
You weren't kidding when you said fall ball could be dangerous to our health! I just talked with Jim Rasner's wife - he had a huge (larger than a softball) hematoma from that injury. Doing great now! See everyone Tuesday night Jim M

Jim,

We will miss you at the next two Tuesday games. Your play and dedication have been instumental in getting this team where it is now.

Best wishes on a speedy recovery!!

Jim,
     Greg said it well. Same from me.

"We will miss you at the next two Tuesday games. Your play and dedication have been instumental in getting this team where it is now. Best wishes on a speedy recovery!!"

Don

Hey Jim R,

Best of luck on the recovery and hope to see you out there again soon. Take it easy.

Tom Y

Jim, what do you do for rehab? How long before you can take to the diamond again?

Remember, Dr. Jim can get you all the pain medicine you need.

In reply to Dan's question about rehab. - I will be sore for a month. I'm on vicodin for a couple of weeks. I go see my doctor on Tues to have the drain (his word), soda straw (my words), removed from my scrotum. The left front of my pubic bone hurt so bad thst I didn't think my testicle had been hit. I was wearing armouralls and no cup so everyting was held up in range. I don't think I got my glove on any of the ball. After the game I went home, had something to eat and saw thar my left testice was swelling. When my wife got home from choir about 9 the swelling was increasing so I drove to the emergency room to have things checked out. They didn't like the looks of things so they called my urologist. In the meantime I had ultrasound and when my Dr. got there at 11 or 12 and looked at me and my ultrasounds he had surgery prepared and they operated about 2 AM. He was able to save the testis? but he said when he opened the scrotum it looked like an explosion had happened. the outer membrane of the testis was long gone but he sewed up the inner and thinks that it will heal - if not, it will have to be removed. I stayed in the hospital Wed. and came home Thurs. nite about 8 PM. Yay morphine!! I'm sore but getting around very slowly and sleeping OK.
I don't think I will be playing anymore this season. Thanks, teammates, for all the well wishes. Now get out there and win four for the Gipper.
Jim R.

Jim R: Glad you're on the road to recovery now. Good thing you went in to the ER that night. You really "took one for the team"!@#$ Have a good rest of the year and see you next spring. Jim M

Sunday Afternoon Softball I'll be there practicing.

Oct. 7
Steve Irwin Memorial Sting Rays 2-8 vs. Seniors 2-8.

Games tonight are at Dexter, assuming we're not rained out.

Please try to be there by 5:45.

No surprise here - ALL GAMES CANCELLED TONIGHT DUE TO RAIN.

See you Thursday morning, or Sunday afternoon, or next Tuesday night....

Dan,
I'll be out of town next week but look forward to the makeup games the following week.

Jim M

Oct. 15 6:15 Dexter

Advanced Filtration Systems Inc. 0-10 vs. Seniors 2-8.



We should be able to stay with AFSI in our next two games.

I can't make it to Sunday practice.

Sorry but I can't make it to Tuesday's game. I have Krannert tickets that I can't easily get out of.

Here's my list of tonight's players:

FOR SURE:
1 Tom
2 Don
3 Greg
4Dennis
5 Jason
6 Kevin
7 Josh
8 Paul
9 Dan
10 Nick (from Tom's other team)

MAYBE:
11 Michael

OUT:
Jeremy
Jim M
Jim R
Joe
Alan

PLEASE let me know if I have this correct - we sure don't want to forfeit to a team that is 0-10!

If anyone on the FOR SURE list can't be there, I can get a replacement if I have enough advance notice.

See you all at 5:45ish at DODDS 2 (Dexter next week, not tonight Don!)

Again, tonight's game is at Dodds, not Dexter.

There are still a couple of players who haven't paid the $16 team fee. Please bring it tonight.

Thanks!

Edited by author 10-14-2008 10:23 PM
I haven't done stats yet - lots of numbers to compile; Greg batted 11 times, for example - but for those of you who weren't there, we lost the first game 9-7 and won the second game 21-11 in six innings.

We should have won the first one, too. The other team dropped in a LOT of bloop singles, and we hit even more line drives right at fielders.

In the second game we scored 10 runs in one inning!

In that inning, 10 batters in a row (that was all of us) got on base safely with either a hit or a walk.

Joe will be at Tues. game, Oct. 21. He is back in town but says his e-mail isn't working.
Jim R.

Where is the game tomorrow 10/21? Jim M

The 10/21 game is at Dexter at 6:15 - confirmed by Dan at practice yesterday.

Here's who I have for tonight - please let me know if you won't be there:

Jeremy
Tom
Jim M
Don
Greg
Joe
Alan
Dennis
Jason
Kevin
Dan
Josh
Paul

If everybody shows up, we'll have 13 players to fill 10 onfield slots and one DH slot, which means two players will have to sit out. I'll try to arrange it so that nobody sits out for more than half a game tonight.

Unfortunately I am in Indy all day today and will not return in time for the game tonight.

My 2¢ worth:
Dan,
     I think good attendance should apply to playing time, but
I will sit out if that is your decision.
Don

Also,
     At Rudy's suggestion; Thursday morning's practice is
Wednesday. It looks like rain on Thursday. I agreed with him.
...but it will be cool and windy. Everyone welcome.
Don

Wednesday: Considerable clouds early. Some decrease in clouds later
in the day. High 59F. Winds ESE at 15 to 25 mph.
Wednesday night: Partly to mostly cloudy and windy. Low 41F.
Winds ESE at 20 to 30 mph.
Thursday: Windy with showers. Highs in the mid 50s and lows in the mid 40s.

I finally got last week's stats integrated into the totals. Look fast before they get updated again.

Dexter tonight, gentlemen.

It was a fun year guys. Hope to do it again next year. Let's get through this crappy winter as soon as we can.

Dan,
     You have me down to .587. Could you double check those last 2 games
again, please?
Don

I had a great time playing with you guys again this year. Thanks to Dan for getting us in the league, taking care of all our super egos, all the little things that get us on the field every week...and pitching.

Let's do it again next year and play .500 in this league!

Thanks Dan for your passion. Playing softball, at this age, is a dream come true. You made it happen. We had a great team, had fun, and now we'll see what shape we're in when we report to "camp" in the spring.

My thoughts exactly Paul! I count my blessings I can show up and "attempt" to play. Thanks Dan for all your input into making this happen. It was fun playing with everyone and hope the winter flies by fast and the Cubs come out with both guns blazing!!

Thanks Dan and everyone. I enjoyed playing.
Thanks Tom. I'm glad you enjoy playing with this team.
We won three games, because you were in the lineup.
You could be playing with a much
better team that would probably win 10-14 games
instead of 3. At my age; fun, exercise, and camaraderie are
more important than 0-14 or 14-0.

C'mon Don. Even at your (young)age 0-14? But I'm trying to think of what I would trade for a win; fun, exercise or camaraderie? Well, maybe I would trade one to go 12-2, but then I probably wouldn't make the team. So, you're right. 3-11 is a start. Next year we add 5 more wins! (Reverse 3 selected innings from this season and we get 3 back already).

Paul, I wouldn't trade a win for fun, exercise or camaraderie. When
I was younger and playing fast pitch; maybe.
...here's my 2¢ worth.
After 7 years of dependable playing, the local 60's traveling team brought in a shortstop from Springfield to play. ...so I said if winning is that important, I don't want to play. They said I was too selfish.
I have just as much fun playing at a Thursday or Sunday
practice as a tournament game. When I get picked up by a team in Florida, I make certain that I am not taking a player's position. I tell them to put me somewhere. When I joined KFC at 55, they said they needed a shortstop. ...so I joined and didn't take someone's position.
I hope to play several games with you guys again next year.

Edited by author 10-23-2008 11:07 PM
My latest softball podcast is up. This episode is about pitching. Other shows I've already done cover fielding, setting batting order, and using older bats.

Podcasts are internet radio shows you can listen to on your computer.

I plan on eventually interviewing Dr. Jim for tips on staying healthy, and Alan for a show about softball physics. I'm trying to build an audience before I bring in the big guns, though.

Give a listen and let me know what you think:

http://thesoftballcorner.com

Just click on the POD icon and it should play for you.

Beautiful weather today, and this could be our last softball practice of the season. Dexter at two; hope you can make it. Attendance has been 'way down the past couple of weeks.

CONGRATULATIONS TO KEVIN AND PATTY!

Daughter, Lily Ann, born Nov 11, 1:56pm, 6 lb .03 oz, 19 inches long!

Details to follow from the proud papa.

Congratulations Kevin & Patty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats Kevin and Patty - beautiful name.
Jim Rasner

Congratulations, Kevin & Patty.
...from Don & Susie

Kevin,
Congratulations! You'll have to bring her to the games. :)

Thought you'd like to see a photo of Miss Lilly Ann Layton.

What a beautiful little girl - takes after her mother!

Sorry Kevin, couln't resist. By Spring she should be traveling to the games.

What a great pic! Spend as many minutes as possible with
her, Kevin.

She's a beauty - as pretty as her name. Good work, Kevin and Patty.

Hello is everyone itching to get back out on the field yet? I know I am and for this year and I am looking into getting my own bat and would like any opinions/help in choosing a good one.
I admit I have a lot to learn when it comes to softball bats. I also do not want to take out a second mortgage to get one as well. I have used(and liked) the worth mayhem and mizuno crush. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

Jeremy

Jeremy, here's where you want to go:

http://softballfans.com

Tons of bat reviews, and people waiting to answer all your questions (and to insult you, too - they can get rude sometimes).

I forgot to say that in the top right corner of the page I sent you to, you can click on Bat Reviews. And click on Forums to find the discussion boards.

Good luck, Jeremy. It's tough to find a good hot bat. Don
Spring Training so far. Go Cards!
Chi Cubs 4 1 .800 -
Pittsburgh 4 1 .800 -
St. Louis 3 1 .750 0.5
Cincinnati 3 2 .600 1.0
Milwaukee 2 2 .500 1.5
Houston 1 4 .200 3.0

Tom Young, who was our left-center fielder on our Fall Ball team, is having a practice tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon at 1:00 at Dodds.

Everyone is welcome! Time to start getting back into shape!

In California for a couple of weeks. Can make it on the 14th.
Don

Today's practice is at Dodds, not Dexter - correct?

This is the first time I have accessed this link. Nancy mentioned that Kevin and Patty have a baby girl. It was nice to see her picture here.

Jim, the two messages I received indicated Dodds for today's practice.

Hey guys, long time no talk.

I just want to let you know that I am having a softball practice at Dodds on Saturday at 1pm. I am going to try and do this every weekend as long as the weather cooperates. Things are looking good this weekend, with sunny skies, light winds, and a high in the lower 50's. You are all welcome to come if you like. We were able to scrimmage last week and it was nice. Probably one of the more solid practices I had ever been a part of, so let's keep that up every week, and get ready for the season!

Tom Y

Sounds like a plan. Looking forward to a little activity! Which field?
Jim

Great idea. Unfortunately, I will be away for the next two Saturdays, but I look forward to getting out there once I am back.

I can make it.
Don

dont know which field, just which ever one is open on the north side. Just look for me.

I'll be in Chicago dying the river green and watching the St. Paddy's Day parade - have fun!!

I will also be in Chicago for all of the St. Pat's festivities. Plan on attending next week though. Is 1pm going to be the time each week?

Hey guys,

Just want o let you know that there is a practice again this Saturday at 1p @ Dodds. Practice will remain this way all the way until the season starts. I will not be able to make it because of Centennial basketball going to State. I will be in Peoria Friday and Saturday carrying their games. Enough people know about this so there should still be a decent turnout on Saturday.

There is also a practice happening on Sunday, 3p @ Dodds. This practice is put together by another team playing in my Wednesday night league. They have extended invites to anyone who wants to show up. I will be able to make this practice I believe. Hopefully one of these two days works for you guys.

I plan to make Saturday practice - thanks Tom!!!!!!!

Unless you guys can find some more ppl for Saturday, the crowd for that day might be a little small. I have heard a number of people can't make it that day. Practice is still on, but I am just letting you guys know that.

Edited by author 03-21-2009 05:10 PM
I didn't receive any messages after number 439.
I found them in my spam folder.
Dan, what's my problem?
Don

Edited by author 03-21-2009 05:33 PM
Steve,
     Here are the non-approved bats. This is a March 2009 list.
http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:e22rD...hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

     Here are the approved bats. These bats have several differnt dates.
http://www.softball.org/about/getManufacturerDetail.asp

  If a bat is both lists or neither list, I don't know.
Don

Edited by author 03-22-2009 04:15 AM
just testing, trouble shooting


it's back.

Hey guys,

I know I have been doing practices on Saturday at 1p, but I think this week I am going to cancel it. It doesn't look like the weather is going to cooperate with us too much on that day, so instead it will just be the Sunday one at 3p @ Dodds. I think a fair amount of people are going to show up for this one, so it should be decent, as long as it doesn't rain too much before then.

Jim, does your son still want to play on Kevin's team? If see, we need his name, shirt size, and number preference. Thanks.

Tom Y

Hi All,

I'll try to start making the practices after the first week of April. Call this weekend then a trip to Biloxi for 1 week. Jim M

Practice update: forget it tomorrow.

Not only is it going to rain today, but tomorrow's high is barely going to get above 40 degrees, plus there is still an 80% chance of rain tomorrow. The fields won't have any time to dry out after today, and it doesn't look like tomorrow is going to help either. Next weekend is looking more promising, with highs in the mid-upper 50's, so we will shot for a practice then.
There is also a chance we could get a scrimmage next weekend, so that would be nice. Once again Jim, I need to know the information about Joe's brother if he still wants to play on Kevin's team. Name, jersey size, number. Also see if he can make it out there next weekend for practice. We'll shoot for Sat. at 1p and Sun. at 3p again (Dodds). Have a good one guys.

Tom,

Thanks for trying - weather will eventually cooperate. Appreciate your efforts and updates.

Greg

Hey guys,

Just a practice update. It's still on for both days, but try to make the Saturday one if you can. Sunday isn't looking all that great weather wise, while Saturday is looking like sunshine and 60. Also, Friday is looking like sunshine and wind, which will hopefully dry things up nicely after the rain today. It's Saturday at 1p at Dodds, then Sunday 3p at Dodds if we are able to dodge the bullet.

I would like to practice hitting some balls to center field
today, so I'm going to bring my pitching screen. I feel much
more comfortable when there is a screen there for the
pitcher.

Sorry I haven't made any of the Saturday practices; Saturday is usually a bad day for me.

I'll invite the senior team to today's practice, but I can't be there.

I like the idea of the pitching screen, I might feel more comfortable pitching too, lol

Dan,
     Everyday is Saturday, or like a Saturday. I forget what
day of the week it is, sometimes. See you soon.
Don

Practice today, Sat. 4-11?
Jim Rasner

Hey Jim,

Let Andy know we play at 8:00p tomorrow on field 7. I don't think we will have a game tomorrow with the rain, but you never know

Anyone practicing softball Saturday or Sunday, with whom I can
come and practice.
Don

I think Kevin wants to practice Sudnay at 3p. I will talk to him today to find out the details of that for ya and let you know.

I can make Sunday @3.

Yes, practice Sunday 3PM at Dodds.
Thanks, Kevin

Thanks. Sounds good!
Don

Kevin, I may be able to make the game (or part of it) Monday night. I have a senior league meeting at the park district at 6:00, and the game is at 7:00. I don't know how long the meeting will last, but if it's short I'll come on over to the park.

But Mr. Weatherman says cold and rain Monday, so it may not matter....

We are going to practice Sunday 3PM @ Dexter. Anybody & everybody is welcome.
Hope to see you there, Kevin

Hey Kevin, Hey Tom - is there a practice this afternoon?

dan when is the senior league going to start? the schedule will be out when? and when is the next practice?

Edited by author 05-03-2009 10:26 PM
Joe, I'm going to call the park district tomorrow to see if we can reschedule Thursday's rainout for this coming Thursday night. I'll post here when I find out.

Our schedule isn't out yet, but our first game will be on Monday, May 11. I'll post the schedule just as soon as I get it. Hopefully I'll find out tomorrow when we'll get our schedule.

I see we've somehow gotten on the Fall board instead of the regular senior board, so I'll post this there.

I am going to schedule a practice Sunday afternoon at 3 PM. Practice will be at Prairie School on Washington street in Urbana. Anybody & everybody is welcome.
Thanks, Kevin

Kevin, my senior team practices Sundays from noon to 2 at Dexter. Any of your guys who can't make your later practice are welcome to play with us.

I'll try to make both of them on the 31st.
Don

Fall Ball begins the first week of September. I'm putting a team together.

Last year we played Tuesday nights. If I remember correctly, the better teams play Tuesdays and the weaker teams play Wednesdays (I'll have to double-check on that). I'd like to play on weaker-team night.

SO:

If you'd like to play, please reply and let me know if you can play Tuesday only, Wednesday only, or either one is okay.

If you don't reply I'll assume you don't want to play this fall.

Thanks!

Edited by author 06-25-2009 10:08 AM
Count me in! Either day is fine.

Any time, any day...

Either day works for me - Tuesdays are better. Count me in! I'm just plain excited to think I am going to try and play tonight!!

Count me in; I agree Wednesdays will be better since we got crushed too often on Tuesdays last couple years.

Tuesday evening is good for me. Wednesday evening is choir time in the fall.

Steve,
Thanks for the reminder - our choir is Wednesday too starting in September

Jim

Wednesday. Like Greg said: weaker teams. Every other
Wednesday is my poker night, but I'd rather miss the poker
games and play on Wednesday.

Dan,
Tuesdays are good for me. I cannot play on Wednesday.
Thanks, Kevin

Either day works for me Dan

I already got a team that plays on Wednesday in the Fall, so I would only be able to play on Tuesday.

Either night works for me.

Kevin,

I can start tonight's game, but I have to leave at 6:45 because my senior team plays at 7:00.

Thanks!

Dan,
Is there practice today or are the fields to wet? If so when & where?
Thanks, Kevin

Kevin, I'll hop my bike over to Dexter and see what the field looks like. My guess is that it is saturated, but I'll let you know for sure. Give me a half-hour or so...

Dan,
Keep me on the roster for fall. The ortho Doc kept me out this summer but in two months, I envision my knee being totally healed. It's better day by day. Jim M

Just back from checking out Dexter Field - dry and good to go. Hope to see some of you there today! Starting at noon; get there whenever you can.

Edited by author 07-19-2009 11:00 AM
Just a reminder - practice noon to two today (Sunday) at Dexter, on the field behind and to the side of Dexter if Dexter has another Little League tournament going on.

Getting there late is fine - I know lots of churches don't let out that soon.

Hey Dan,

How many guys make it out to those Sunday practices? I have a buddy who put together a fall team and would like to scrimmage a day or two before the season starts, and I was thinking you and your guys would be up for it. I can make it out there to if you want to do the scrimmage. Talk to you later.

Tom, sometimes we have four or five; sometimes (like last Sunday) fifteen or more.

There is another team that sometimes shows up, and we never know if they're coming.

Love to see you and your guys. We start at noon, but a lot of people get there late and that's fine.

Our Fall Ball team will play Wednesday nights. Player fee will be either $20 or $25, depending on what the park district charges and how many players we have.

Here's how our roster looks right now.

CAN PLAY:

Dan
Alan
Dennis
Greg
Donnie
Jason
Jeremy
Bob V

CANNOT PLAY:
Steve
Jim M
Tom
Kevin
Blake


HAVEN'T HEARD FROM:
Jim & Joe R
Josh

Let me know if I'm wrong on anybody, so I can start looking for good players to complete the team.

What if I told them to come out there this week at noon? I probably can't make it, but I think you would still have enough for a scrimmage based on how many guys he's bringing. Let me know and I will pass it along to him. Thanks Dan.

Tom, sure, send 'em out!

Dan,
Doug Fink at Human Kinetics has expressed a desire to play with us (FOP) next year. His email is dougf@hkusa.com and I told him an official invite from you might be best. I'll ask him about coming to Dexter on Sundays to meet, play, & get to know softball guys.

We have two new Fall Ball team members: Bill and Wyatt McGeary (father and son respectively).

Jim M, I'm not sure if you're able to play or not?

And Blake?

Our current roster, and possible positions:

Dan - P
Alan - RF
Donnie - 2B
Greg - RC
Dennis - LF
Jeremy - 1B
Bob V - SS
Bill - 3B
Wyatt - LC

We had 20 people at practice yesterday (another team played with us). Practice at noon Sunday at Dexter - hope to see everyone there. And if you're late because of church, that's fine. Just get there when you can.

Dan,
I'd love to but I'm going to let my knee mend until spring. Jim

I think we have our core team now:

Dan
Alan
Donnie
Greg
Dennis
Jeremy
Bob V
Bill M
Wyatt
Jeff Vicek

That's ten guys. There will be have to be some rotating of positions. Somebody has to be catcher!

I still need a couple of subs; hopefully Bill's son Dylan will be one of them.

I need $25 from everybody on the above list. Since the subs will play only when the regular players can't be there, the subs won't have to pay anything to play.

I've already paid the park district fee, so please get your share to me when you can.

At today's practice, we had 26 guys! (Well, one was a girl). At least four teams were represented.

For those of you who don't work regular hours, there will be a batting practice session at Dexter on Wednesday from 10 to 11. Donnie says he will have a brand new set of softballs. I'm sure he's counting on jacking them over the fence.

At Wednesday practices, everybody hits a couple of buckets of balls. You'll get about 30 to 50 hits if you go. Hope some of you can make it.

I won't be at next Sunday's practice, but I hope the rest of you can make it. We had a lot of fun today. We played a game, and since we had so many people we had five outfielders and two rovers. It got pretty crowded out there.

Our first game (first two games) is Wednesday, Sept 2. The schedule will be out on Thursday night. Please try to make a Sunday practice or two before the fall season starts.

Thanks!

I'm happy to play anywhere, including catcher if you need me there. I will try to make it regularly on Wed. morning.

We should get our schedule Thursday night. I'll be out of town until Monday, so Dennis is going to the park district meeting Thursday for me. Hopefully we'll get the schedule posted here on Friday morning.

I'm getting excited....

No schedule yet. Dennis went to the meeting last night, and found that there was no meeting - it will be Sunday. Honest, the schedule they sent me said Thursday.

Anyway, I'll post the schedule when I get it.

FALL SCHEDULE IS OUT!

I'll post the whole thing tomorrow, but for now you can mark your calendar with these dates and times.

All games are Wednesday night doubleheaders. "6:15" means early games (6:15 and 7:00), "8:00" means late games (8:00 and 9:00).

Sept 2, Dodds 6: 6:15
Sept 9, Dodds 7: 8:00
Sept 16, Dodds 6: 8:00
Sept 23, Dodds 7: 6:15
Sept 30, Dodds 7: 6:15
Oct 7, Dodds 6: 8:00
Oct 14, Dodds 7: 8:00

We have a bye on Oct 21, and the next two Wednesdays after that will be used for rainout makeup games.

No stealing in fall ball.

New players can be added anytime, so if someone drops out there is no problem adding a replacement.

Can somebody please tell me who from our fall team was at Sunday practice? I heard there were 26 players there, but I don't know who.

I got back to town tonight (after driving 14 hours, leaving Washington DC early this morning). There's a Tuesday morning batting practice from 10:00 to 11:00 at Dexter. C'mon out and hit some balls if you can.

Don, Greg, & Dennis were at Sunday practice.

The schedule is posted. Just click on the blue SCHEDULE link up top.

We're playing three teams you might recognize. Tom Young's team (he stole a couple of our players), the team we've been playing on Sundays, and your worst nightmare: a team made up entirely of UMPIRES!

Sept. 30 It looks like we're playing Green St. Cafe.
They were 25-3 during the summer. Tom's team was
17-11. I hope the other 5 double-headers aren't this tough.
Wed. may not be any easier than Tues.
Don

We won't be buying team shirts for fall ball. Just wear a shirt with a number on it.

Please post here what number you will be wearing (they don't like duplicate numbers). Here's mine:

Dan - 1

If you don't have a team shirt, let me know your size. I can probably round one up for you.

I'm #52.

Ill take 16

I'll be #3

I'll take #2, and I was at practice Sunday, also.

I'll take #6.
"If you don't have a team shirt, let me know your size. I can probably round one up for you." Dan will round up or truncate down, depending
on whether the units number is 0-4 or 5-9. :o)
Don

Donnie:

Only a math teacher would get that joke!

Truncate, indeed!

I'll take #27.

For many years I have used #9 so that's fine with me if it is available.

Jeff, 9 is fine, but I think I was unclear with my note.

Just wear one of your own shirts with a number - it doesn't matter what team it says on the front, as long as their is a number on the back.

When I said "If you don't have a team shirt," I meant ANY team shirt, not OUR team shirt.

SEASON OPENS WEDNESDAY NIGHT! DODDS FIELD 6 AT 6:15! PLEASE ARRIVE BY 5:45 - WE ALL HAVE TO SIGN THE PARK DISTRICT WAIVER BEFORE THE GAME. And please bring your $25 fee then, if you haven't already paid me.

Please post a note on this board to confirm that you will be there. I won't ask you to do this after the first game; just want to start out on the right foot.

Sunday will be our last chance to practice before the season starts. Be there if you can - Dexter from noon to 2:00; arriving late is fine.

Getting anxious!

Edited by author 08-29-2009 06:58 PM
Don "Skins" Anglen #6 will be there Wed.
There is batting practice at Dexter 10:00-11:00.
...ON TUESDAY. I forgot to mention that it is on
Tuesday.
If you're available, come on out.

I'll be at the first game next Wednesday and also at practice tomorrow.

There are two Green Street Cafe teams in the monday night league. The one your playing is NOT the one that went 25-3 in the summer. They are the AGHBAB @ Green Street Cafe team. That's good news for you guys, because the AGHBAB team is good. The beat us both games in the summer, but they were close.

Tom, you said Monday night league - we play Wednesdays.

Missing Glove: Anybody find a black Diablo glove at Dexter last Sunday (Sept. 23)? I'm pretty sure I forgot it and left it on top of the batting rack.
Dan: Please bring your extra glove on Wednesday - I'll buy that one if mine does not show up.

Practice today was a hoot! We had 30 players, 15 per side, four deep outfielders, three shallow outfielders, and an extra infielder. It was hard to get a hit because every square inch of the playing field was covered.

And we went for 3 1/2 hours, too. I feel like I've played some softball today.

Okay, post here if you haven't yet that you'll be at the games Wednesday.

I'll be there Wednesday.

I will be there.

I'll be there Wed.

Everybody remember, get there early tomorrow night (5:45 if possible) to fill out the park district paperwork. And bring your $25.00 team fee.

Jeff and Dennis - I need your confirmation for tomorrow night! Assume you'll be there because you were both at Sunday's practice. Everyone else has checked in.

Greg - I've got the glove packed for you.

We have more infielders and fewer outfielders than is ideal, which means we'll have to experiment a bit to find our best fielding setup. Here's the batting order for tomorrow night:

Jeremy - RC
Dennis - LF
Bob - SS
Donnie - 2B
Wyatt - LC
Dan - P
Jeff - 3B
Greg - RF
Alan - C
Bill - 1B

The batting order will change every week, according to your on-base average. Do well and you move up.

We are visitors first game and home team second game.

Dan, I'll be there...

I will be there.

Gang, I watched the umpires team play tonight after our game, and I think I'm safe in saying we'll have at least two wins this season. Some of those guys were using Bombats that haven't been made since the 1980's.

Stats are up from tonight's games, just click on STATS up top of the bulletin board. Wyatt went 7 for 8, Jeremy 6 for 8, and Dennis 5 for 8. Batting order for next week will be exactly as it is on the stats page.

I've added Dylan (Wyatt's brother) to the full roster. For those of you who haven't seen him: He can throw runners out at third from deep left field. He will be a definite asset to the team, but he won't be able to play much because he has a lab class on most Wednesday nights.

And we need a couple of other guys as subs, because having just 10 is trouble if somebody gets hurt bad enough to leave the game, as Jeff almost did tonight. I'll round up some a couple of extras, hopefully before next game.

A note about the team we played tonight: my summer team played them twice and lost both games by one run. So I've played them four times this year, and lost all four games by a total of five runs.

The team we play next week had a bye tonight, so our game will be their season opener. This is the team we play on Sundays, and I think we have a pretty good chance. Their fielding is good (but not as good as we saw tonight), but their pitcher has trouble throwing strikes, and his pitches are generally flat and easy to hit.

NO PRACTICE THIS SUNDAY, since it's Labor Day Weekend and a lot of people will be out of town. So I'll see you next Wednesday, 8:00 and 9:00 on Dodds 7. I'll be glad to have the sun out of our eyes. We don't have any more 6:15 games on field 6, thank goodness.

Dan,
I'm out of town on September 16 - Salt Lake City for HK business.

Tonight we play the team we have been practicing against on Sundays. Should be a couple of good games, with the advantage hopefully our way.

Gametime is 8:00 on Dodds 7. Go Seniors!

Edited by author 09-09-2009 05:03 PM
Sorry for the late notice but I won't be able to make it tonight. I'll try again next week. Good luck to all.

Alan, ouch!

Everybody, PLEASE let me know before game day if you have to miss a game.

We're running on a very lean roster so everyone can play a lot, but it won't work if we have to forfeit for lack of players.

So give me some time to round up a replacement!

Thanks!

Note: If you're going to split a doubleheader, it's more fun when you win the SECOND game.

The stats are up; here are some highlights:

Last week, Donnie went 4 for 8 with three singles and a triple.
Tonight, he went 4 for 8 with three singles and a triple.

We scored 10 runs in the first two innings, two runs in the next 10 innings, then two more runs after two outs in the seventh and nobody on base.

Wyatt and Dylan both were called out for stepping on the plate while hitting the ball. I see that call about once every three years.

How many of us made outs tonight by slamming hard liners right at somebody? Now, how many of us CAUGHT hard liners? Those figures are usually about the same for each team, but they were really lopsided against us tonight.

Our team on-base average is .480; we need to get that above .500 to be competitive.

Sunday practice, noon at Dexter.

Dan, do we have a #2 on our FOP team? If not, I'll have a #2 put on my FOP shirt.

Bob, we have a guy named Paul who has number 2, but he played just one
game this past season (his shoulder is hurt). I think it's doubful that
he'll be back, so I'd say go ahead and get it if you want it.

Guys, we have a new team member. He'll be a sub and a designated hitter. His name is Mike Krumwiede, he hits lefty and he hits HARD, a great addition to the team.

He'll be there Wednesday night.

Practice today was scary. I took a line drive just above my right knee; pretty sore but no real damage. We only had about 10 people today, so we weren't able to play a game. Everybody hit a couple of buckets of balls.

The team we play Wednesday night is 3 and 1 (as are the next two teams we play after that).

And Mike, I forgot to tell you today, our team is 1 and 3, but we lost two of them 10-9 and 10-8. (And our other loss was to a team we beat in the first game of the doubleheader). As you might guess from our name, eight of our players are 55 and over. Makes it tough playing in a league of 20-year-olds, but we're pretty respectable so far.

I heard from Alan today, and his schedule will unfortunately preclude his playing any more games except for Sept 23.

So we'll move Mike into the regular rotation when Dylan isn't available, and we should still be good to go.

Here's our tentative lineup for Wednesday:

Wyatt - LC
Dennis - RF
Jeremy - 1B
Bob - SS
Donnie - 2B
Bill - C
Dylan - LF
Jeff - 3B
Dan - P
Mike - RC

If Dylan isn't there when I have to turn in the lineup (he has a class that ends just before 8:00), we'll leave him out and start with nine, and then add him when he arrives. We seemed fine with that last week.

I just wanted to remind everyone that I won't be at next weeks games as I will be out of state.

Stats are up. For those not here tonight (Alan and Greg): We lost the first game in six innings by the 10-run rule, 22-12. We scored well but made a lot of errors.

The second game was a heartbreaker. After six innnings, we led 8-5. They got four in the top of the 7th, we couldn't score in the bottom of the 7th, and they won 9-8. Again, errors killed us.

Offensive highlights: Wyatt went 7 for 8 with an in-the-park homer, Jeremy went 7 for 8, Dennis went 6 for 8 with a triple, Bill went 6 for 7, and Bob went 5 for 8.

Next week we play Tom Young's team, and they are really good. But in the regular season, they lost both games to the team that beat us tonight. So it should be fun.

Practice at Dexter Sunday at noon, and next week's games are early - 6:15 on Dodds 7. Please let me know (thanks, Jeremy) if you won't be there.

Jeff popped something in his leg tonight after hitting a single, and had to leave the game. He may be out for a while. Jeff, let me know when you know something.

Somebody left a glove in our dugout last night. It's a black Rawlings 14-inch glove with a round red pocket.

Whose?

JUST A REMINDER DAN, I WON'T BE AT GAMES ON SEPT. 30. I'LL BE OUT OF STATE SEEING OUR NEW GRANDAUGHTER IN HAWAII! BE THERE SEPT. 23.

Edited by author 09-23-2009 12:04 AM
Here's what we're looking like for this coming Wednesday:

Jeremy - gone
Dennis - probably gone (may or may not be back in time for games)
Dylan - gone (can't make early games)
Jeff - disabled list

Which leaves:

Wyatt - LC
Bill - 1B
Bob - SS
Donnie - 2B
Dan - P
Greg - 3B
Mike - RC
Alan - RF
Brian - C

That's just nine guys; we need another outfielder. I'll see if I can pick up another player at practice tomorrow; failing that I'll make some phone calls to be sure we have at least 10.

If any of you have any friends who don't play Wednesday nights and are REALLY good, let me know!

Donnie (and anyone else living out of town),

Weatherman says there's a good chance of rain today at about noon. May not be worth a drive into town, because practice may be rained out.

Feel free to call me for a weather check before you leave home (649-2824).

My calf muscle is feeling better but my movement is still limited so I should probably give it another week to repair. I will still be there Wednesday and I could be available as an emergency sub.

News flash from HK, looking forward to Rainer's new softball book.

Rainer Inducted Into Hall of Fame
By Brian Holding

Published September 18, 2009

Rainer Martens, HK’s founder and president, had a triumphant weekend. First, the Florida Legends, for whom he is the coach and starting shortstop, won the Softball Players Association National Championship in Dalton, Georgia, and then on Sunday in Atlanta, Rainer was inducted into the National Senior Softball Hall of Fame.

The Florida Legends this season have proved to be the country’s best team in its age bracket in national tournament after national tournament. During the past weekend, the Legends went undefeated, beating the top teams in the country.

Rainer joined 15 other players, two coaches, and an umpire in entering the 2009 Hall of Fame. “A true student of the game, Rainer always strives to win, hates to lose, and never places blame when we do,” says Derry Dedmon, a Legends teammate. “He is the team leader at shortstop, but knows the dynamics of each position and how it should be played. He continually strives for perfection in his game, and asks for and usually gets the best his teammates have to offer. Rainer sets the standard of excellence."

Another teammate, Lou Giovanini, added, “The qualities of talent, hard work, dedication, and team attitude are exemplified by Rainer in everything that he does, both on and off the field. One of the best compliments that one can give a talented player is that he is even a better person than he is a player. This would certainly be true of Rainer."

The National Senior Softball Hall of Fame was founded in 1995 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is now Headquartered in Mustang, Oklahoma. It recognizes players, managers, umpires, directors, and sponsors who have achieved the highest honors in senior softball.

Rainer and Julie will soon share their softball expertise even more widely. Together, they have recently finished writing what will be the most complete book ever published on slow-pitch softball. HK will release it next fall.

Most players go into a hall of fame after their careers are over. If you ask Rainer, he’d probably say his is just beginning.

To read more about the hall of fame, you can visit http://sshof.org/2009Class.aspx.

Barring any unforeseen calamity, here's the batting order for this week's doubleheader:

Wyatt - LC
Bill - 1B
Bob - SS
Donnie - 2B
Dan - P
Greg - 3B
Mike K - RC
Alan - RF
Chris (new guy) - LF
Michael T - C game 1, DH game 2
Brian - DH game 1, C game 2

Gametime is 6:15 at Dodds 7; please be there by 6:00 so I can get the lineup in.

Gentlemen, a stellar outing tonight!

Get this: In the second game, the game we lost, the other team did not score a single earned run!

They got three runs in the first inning after an error that would have been their third out, and they got five runs in the second inning after an error that would have been their third out. And they got NO more runs the whole game! They didn't score their last four innings! And this was a good team we were playing, too.

Lots of heroes tonight. New guys Chris, Brian, and Michael all performed excellently. Bob went 6 for 8, Wyatt went 5 for 8, Bill went 5 for 8 (and 4 for 4 in the second game), and no home runs but Brian hit a triple.

Wish the season wasn't already past half over!

Stats are up; click STATS up top (go to the internet page if you aren't already there).

Wyatt, do you have an email address for Chris? I'll add him to this list.

I forgot to post this for the guys who weren't at the games tonight (Dennis and Jeremy - Dylan will hear it from his father/brother):

We won the first game 5-4 in nine innings. Modesty prevents me from telling you who drove in the winning run.

We lost the second game 8-6, and we gave up 8 unearned runs.

The team we played tonight won both of their games last week by the 10-run rule, so we should be especially proud of our performance tonight. (Also, I used to be their pitcher, but they replaced me because I was getting too old. Their loss!)

You weren't replaced because you were getting old. Come on Dan, you know that!

Well, the reason I was given was that somebody who worked at Schnuck's wanted my place, but I always assumed it was really because of my hitting going downhill.

I think if I'd batted a thousand I'd still be there....

I won't be at practice tomorrow, and a lot of other regulars will be missing too, because they are at a tournament in Springfield.

If someone wants to get my bucket of balls to take tomorrow, buzz me today and you can pick them up this evening.

Edited by author 09-29-2009 11:22 AM
For this week's game, Bob, Mike, and Dylan will be gone. I'm guessing Jeff is still on the DL? Michael T can play the first game but not the second. And Wyatt, can Chris play again this week?

Working under the above assumptions, here's the tentative batting order:

Wyatt - LC
Dennis - RF
Chris - LF
Jeremy - RC
Bill - 1B
Donnie - SS
Dan - P
Greg - 3B
Michael - C (game 1)
Brian - 2B

The team we are playing is 5-1. Hey, that was Putt Zone's record when we split with them last week. We are 2-6, but with a few breaks we could be 6-2.

Game time is again 6:15 on field 7. Be there by 6:00!

Well my hamstring is healing well, but still tight. I'm afraid of re-pulling it if I come back too soon, so I better rest it again this week and try to play next week. I'm stretching and walking daily, so it is slowly getting back into shape. Good luck tomorrow and I hope to be back at least 75% next week. Mike K.

Edited by author 09-29-2009 11:23 AM
Thanks for letting me know, Mike.

Wyatt, that makes Chris doubly important. I've changed the lineup (note 557).

Jeff, think you can catch the second game?

If you can get enough players I should probably let the calf muscle heal but if necessary I can play. See what you can do but I will be there either way.

Chris is going to be playing with us again so that should help.

For you out-of-towners - we got 10-run-ruled in both games tonight. Our fielding killed us, and they could place-hit the ball really well.

The bright points from tonight's games: Jeff and I went 3 for 4 (and one of Jeff's hits was a 2-RBI double), a bunch of guys went 3 for 6 (Wyatt, Dennis, Jeremy, Bill), and Donnie went 2 for 4. (You don't get a lot of at-bats when you quit after five innings).

Next week is the umps, so we should do well there. We're back to 8:00 next week, so we'll have Dylan, and Chris is available too. We should have enough players, with just Michael and Alan out, and our injured players Mike and Jeff, who may or may not be playing. If neither of them play, we'll still have eleven guys. So we should be good to go.

Weatherman says it will be about 60 degrees at noon tomorrow, with no rain, so I'll be at Dexter with a bucket of balls. Anyone who wants to take batting practice is welcome.

Hope to see some of you there.

Practice today was great - the weather was perfect, and we had 13 players so we were able to play a game (with right field closed).

We'll keep doing this at noon on Sundays as long as the weather holds out.

Assuming Jeff and Mike are still out, here's the lineup for tonight:

Wyatt-LC
Dennis-RF
Bob-SS
Bill-C
Jeremy-3B
Don-2B
Dan-P
Dylan-LF
Greg-1B
Joe-RC
Brian-DH

The umps split last week, but their best player (Greg) has to ump our games tonight so he won't be playing.

Hey Dan,

I'm about 75% but if you have enough for tonight I'm going to rest my leg another week. Good luck, Mike K.

I could play tonight if necessary but it looks like you have enough guys. The leg is feeling much better but it wouldn't be a bad idea to give it a little extra time to repair. I will be there whether I play or not.

Tonight's scores: We 10-run-ruled the first game, 18-8 in six innings. In the sixth, all nine players who batted for us got hits. We quit with no outs because we were then up by ten.

We lost the second game 18-14 after giving up 13 runs in the first inning BEFORE we got the first out. That kinda hurt! We did come back to tie at 14, but then we were stopped cold.

The new stats are posted, and the big news is that our team on-base average is now above .500.

Offensive highlights: Wyatt went 8 for 8 with two homers, Bob went 7 for 8 with a homer, Jeff went 7 for 8 with his bad leg, Greg and I went 5 for 8. Dennis, Bill, Jeremy, Donnie, and Brian all went 4 for 8.

The weather was a bit chilly but manageable, the other team was in good spirits and we all had a good time.

Next week is our final game. This fall season sure goes by fast.

Practice Sunday noon at Dexter if the weather permits. Right now they're predicting no rain, but a high of just 50. If enough people come out, we'll have another game.

And if you're wondering why I'm up so early - I had to take Kathy to the airport at 4am. She's flying to DC for her nephew's wedding.

Thought I'd steer you to my latest podcast, a short look at the history of softball.

It started with broomsticks and boxing gloves, and a Yale-Harvard dispute.

Listen here: http://thesoftballcorner.com

P.S. And the last show was about playing third base. Jeff, Jeremy - check it out.

Kevin &/or Dan,
     Don't count on me for Thursday night's game. If you can't
get a full team, I'll come. 1-217-887-2252, cell: 1-217-722-4843.

Donnie, I don't think Kevin gets notes here; please write to his email.

Anyway, the odds are that we will be rained out. Weather report predicts rain at 100 percent at 7:00 tonight.

We had a really nice practice session today. I shed two sweatshirts before we were done; it didn't seem nearly as cold as I thought it would be.

We had just six players, and everybody hit three buckets of balls. They were really flying; Tom hit half a dozen of them over the fence (with a legal bat no less).

Our final fall doubleheader is Wednesday at 8:00 on Dodds 7. Weather forecast: cold but dry; temp about 48 degrees.

We play a team called "no name." Tom's team split with them, and we split with Tom's team, so they should be good games. I'm guessing our lineup will be about the same as it was this past week, unless Mike can play. Mike, let me know.

We'll continue Sunday afternoon sessions as long as the weather holds. The long-term forecast says it will be a nice day, about like today was except with more sunshine. Sounds fine!

Since I keep detailed stats, I can tell you exactly what we did against the No Names.

We played them the first week of Fall Ball. We won the first game by the ten run rule 16-6 and lost the second game 11-12.

I believe the manager of the team was the manager of the Maxwell Counters team in summer ball that went 1-27, but this definitely isn't the same team. I think they have some guys from "The Embassy" on their team as well, including that one meathead who might have hit the roids too much. I think he played SS, but I can't remember. He can hit, but I think he wants to take one out so much that you can get him to pop out, like we did. Other than that, I can't remember too much else about them. Hope that helps.

6 players Sunday. That's great! I'm trying to eliminate this
cough that I have had for about a week and a half. I thought
that Sunday & Monday I would try to improve my health.

Donnie is having a brief (one hour) batting practice at Dexter tomorrow (Tues) morning from 11:00 to noon. Temp should be high fifties, which is warmer than it was at our Sunday practice.

Hope some of you can make it!

Tuesday Morning Softball Practice: 11:00 - 12:00.
Dexter. Dress Warmly.
Today: A mix of clouds and sun. High 52F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph.
NE wind and cold softballs. Come hit some out!
Don

"Dodds Softball: All games cancelled." I just checked the
web site. Wed. games are cancelled.
Don

Edited by author 10-14-2009 07:19 PM
Kurt called me this morning to let me know that Tom Legue has died. (Tom played senior softball for many years; this past season he pitched for Busey).

He had two heart attacks Saturday and was on life support.

So sorry,

---Dan

Edited by author 10-20-2009 12:56 PM
No game this week (Oct 21); we play next Wednesday night (Oct 28) at 8:00 on Dodds 7, and that's it for Fall Ball.

Practice Sunday at noon at Dodds!

Hope to see you then!

Dan, sorry I missed last practice, I was in Michigan winterizing the in-laws trailer (cabin).
I won't be able to be there this Sunday because I will be riding in Indiana in the "Hilly Hundred" Saturday and Sunday.
And, yes, I know that I need the practice.
I will be at the game, Coach.(Manager?)
Wouldn't miss it...

EMERGENCY REQUEST - My Thursday night team needs a few players for this week's game, Thursday night at 6:15. Might be a good chance to get a game in this week, since our Wednesday team doesn't play.

If you are able to play Thursday (competition is about what we've seen on Wednesdays), please email the manager, Kevin Layton, at kjpitch57@yahoo.com and tell him I sent you!

Forgot to say - Thursday's game is a single game, not a doubleheader.

Dan,
Would I be eligible? I'm back to baseline now. Jim M

Sure, Jim!

Drop Kevin a quick email!

Here's a video showing how a composite bat (in this case, the Miken recoil) is made:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRhbYnNTdkg

Pretty fascinating!

Jim (and anyone else who was going to play tonight) - all games have been cancelled, even though it hasn't really rained yet.

Forecast if for heavy showers later this afternoon; somebody's face is gonna be red if the rains don't come.

Edited by author 10-22-2009 08:29 PM
Maybe they'll use all 7 diamonds and play double-headers
for the next two weeks. Makes sense to me.
Just received a phone call from Rudy. KFC of Illinois
won the AA 65 and over tournament in Phoenix.
Congratulations! I'll edit
this later when I look to see how many teams were
in their division: probably 10-15.
Just checked it our: 13 teams.
4 seeding games: 2 Mon. & 2 Tues.
double elimination Wed. & Thurs.
2-4 games Wed. &
2-5 games Thurs.
So 8-13 games in 4 days.
I couldn't find any scores
posted yet on seniorsoftball.com

A friend of mine in Indianapolis sent me a photo his sister took of the inside of the new Colts Stadium. It has a huge window at one end where you can see downtown Indianapolis. Here are two versions; the original, and one I tweaked for better contrast:

http://danhughes.net/images/lucas.htm

Dan,
Let me know if you need extra players yet this fall. Neat picture of the Colts Stadium! Jim M

Sorry to bring this up the day of game but I threw my back out again this morning that will require me going back to the doctor today. It really hurts just doing simple movements such as putting on my clothes. There is no way I would be able to play softball. Again sorry for the late notice but it just happened as I woke up earlier today.

I just drove by the ballpark and there is water on field 7. I don't know if they plan on working the field or not. So playing tonight might be iffy.

If we do play, here's the tentative lineup. Please let me know if there are problems. Jeff, Mike, tell me if you're still not up to this:

Wyatt - LC
Bob - SS
Dennis - RF
Bill - C
Jeff - 3B
Don - 2B
Dan - P
Dylan - LF
Greg - 1B
Brian DH (game 1)
Michael DH (game 2)
Mike - RC

We have a bit of a cushion there; if either Jeff or Mike need to opt out we're still okay. And if Jeff or Mike would prefer a less active position (catcher, 1B) I can make some switches.

Let me know if I'm missing anything, or if you won't be able to make it.

The weather conditions are probably not the best to make a comeback after being off for a month, so I'm going to pass on tonights finale. Thanks for letting me play and get back to me in the spring about the summer league. Mike K.

Just confirming...Game time is 8 tonight? With all the rainouts I'm having trouble keeping track so a reminder might help everyone.