| Team | W | L | RF | RA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-fers | 1 | 1 | 22 | 26 |
May 14: O-fers 11, Copper Basin 6
May 22: O-fers 11, PSP Enterprises 20
May 29: O-fers vs. Precision Gaterollers, 8:30 p.m., Ramsey 4
June 5: O-fers vs. Space Screw, 6:15 p.m., Ramsey 5
June 5: O-fers vs. Red Rockets, 7:20 p.m., Ramsey 5
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | X | R | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSP Enterprises | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | - | 20 | |||
| O-fers | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | 11 |
One of the mixed blessings from having seen between a thousand and fifteen hundred games is that, for the most part, they start to look alike. It's pretty easy to categorize them once you've seen them dozens of times each.
In this case, this was O-fers Game Type 5: A Bunch of Kids with One-Tenth or One-Hundredth Our Experience Get a Sackful of Lucky Breaks, (a) And We Help Them Way Too Much.
I think we've got the makings of a pretty good defense. Steve Beasley made a couple tough plays at third base, and second baseman Kevin Garrett made a fantastic diving play on a ball hit back up the middle that has to be our Defense of the Game, but that's about it. We're still out of position on too many hitters, and we're still making too many errors on routine plays. The first problem can be solved by learning about the hitters and teams we're facing, and making sure the pitcher and his defense are on the same page. The second problem can only be solved with practice, if it can be solved.
Hit of the Game: Mike Black and Duane Miller went yard again, but Crash Davis said homeruns are fascist. I think the pair of triples by Robert Day and Mike Lawley, each of which started three-run innings for the O-fers, were way more exciting and democratic.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | X | R | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper Basin | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | - | 6 | |||
| O-fers | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | - | - | 11 |
A big fifth inning pushed the O-fers over the top in the 2008 summer league opener at Ramsey Field 1 in Coeur d'Alene.
The games are so much easier to win when your defense is pushing the other team back instead of giving them more opportunities than they've earned. This was the first game in 2008 where the O-fers allowed fewer than 13 runs, and the difference in the defense was almost palpable. Shawn Pearson, Rick Jackson and Duane Miller all made good plays, and nobody had one of those "ohmigod, what the f**k was that?" moments. The routine plays were exactly routine, as the O-fers committed only one error in the game.
Kevin Garrett pitched his first game in 2008 and didn't walk anyone. He was 2-for-3 at the plate to boot. Pearson also had two hits, including a two-run homer. Miller and Mike Black also homered for the O-fers.
It was a good start to the league. We have a lot of guys in green right now, but we'll share playing time around as we've discussed.
Hit of the Game: I think I'll go with Pearson, who came from out of nowhere to hit a homerun in his first game. It was a nifty line shot that dropped over the left-center fence. It definitely didn't stink. Sorry. That was just mean.
Defense of the Game: We had several candidates, but no play stood out more in my mind than the tripping, er, diving play by Rick Jackson. Rick started at second and moved to short when Beasley entered the game. With two runners on and two out, the next inning after the O-fers had opened the game up a bit, the Copper Basin batter hit a chopper past the mound. Pitcher Kevin Garrett just missed making the play, but Rick was on the ball. Stretching to the maximum, he caught the ball but lost his balance*. Falling forward into a slide, Rick's momentum took him right to second base, where he tagged the bag to force the runner from first and end the inning. Heck of an effort, heck of a play.
* I suppose it's possible that Rick planned this.
