Friday, February 20, 2015

Dukes hire Bubba

The Green Day Dukes have announced that Bubba Lewis will manage the team for the 2015 season, after he agreed to a 3 year deal.  Slash Dixon's contract will not be renewed after 4 straight losing seasons.  Bubba will try to instill a winning atmosphere on a team that has been losing, and collecting top draft picks, for a long time.


The Dukes have drafted Jek Lewis, Squirrel Nutkin Jr., Michael Rondon, Ezekiel Duke, GreatJon Umber, and Roger Blackwood since their last winning season.  The talent is there, it will be up to Bubba to bring it all together.


Bubba, 43, played for Green Day for 3 seasons out of his 21 year career.  He holds the alltime record for most homeruns by a Jawa, with 504.  He also holds the single season record for homeruns by a Jawa with 42, which Brett Solo tied in 2008.

Sunday, February 01, 2015

World Series Games 3-4-5

Utah jumped off to another early lead, scoring 7 run in the first 3 innings off Clint Meyers.  Alex Bronkey continued to Bumgarner the postseason, pitching 6 scoreless innings.  Utah took an 8-0 lead into the bottom 8th, and almost blew it.


They tried to get by saving their best relievers for later in the series.  Roberto Calazzo and Nate Rogers came on to throw batting practice.  Between them they allowed 6 hits and 6 runs while recording only one out.  Keith Langford came on with one out, bases loaded, and an 8-3 lead.  After getting Berroa, Renseller hit a 3 run double.  Mark Crawford came up representing the tying run, and lined out to second.  This changed Utah's plans, and Grimes, the saving Ute, came out for the 9th.  He pitched another perfect inning, and the Utes took a 2-1 lead in the series.


Game 4:


Ruben Ramirez came back on short rest, and pitched a gem.  Through 7 innings, he allowed only one run, as Kermit Crawford doubled home Dodson in the 4th.  Randy Watson was even better for Utah though.  He went the distance, pitching a 3 hit shutout.  Watson walked 3 while striking out 8.


Game 5:


Denver took an early lead off Jaret Benser.  Joey Renseller homered in the first.  In the second Vince Jones doubled, moved to third on a Berroa single, and scored on a Gaedel groundout.  Utah made it 2-1 in the 5th on a Jose Landry RBI triple.


Denver stretched the lead to 4-1 in the bottom 5th thanks to 2 out RBI from Hamilton and Renseller.  In the top of the 6th, Utah tied the game up.  Charlie Howard led off with a homer. Dodson doubled, Kermit Crawford singled, and that was it for Zack Owens.  Denver went to the bullpen for Troy Lewis, who got one out as Alberto Mitre flew out to right, too shallow to score the run.  Now it was time for pinch hitter Adama Dunn, and Dunn came through with a line drive over the head of center fielder Crawford, scoring 2 runs.


Earl Hickey pitched the 6th for Utah, and recorded a 1-2-3 inning.  With Troy Lewis on the mound, Utah sent up Frank Lewis.  Jawa vs. Jawa.  Big Troy reached back for everything he had, and after an epic 15 pitch battle, he struck Frank out.  Now out of gas, Willie Gomez came up next and hit one out of the park, giving Utah the lead.  Ryan Webb came on in relief and finished the inning.


Scott Klippenstein worked a 1-2-3 7th, Webb allowed no more runs to the Utes, and Keith Langford pitched a perfect 8th.  Just one more inning to go, Battletrap went back to Grimes, the Saving Ute.


Grimes struck out Stan Marsh.  Alex Maldonado popped up.  That brought up the pitcher's spot (after an earlier double switch), and pinch hitter Clyde Frogg.  Frogg refused to make the last out, lining one into the gap in left center.  Elvis Soto came on to run.  Denny Berroa hit one in the air, fairly deep, but never in doubt.  Kermit Crawford was there to make the catch.


Utah wins their 7th world championship, the 3rd under Battletrap, and the final one of the APBA era.

2014 World Series Games 1-2

Utah took a 6-1 lead after two innings as they ran the bases loaded offense to perfection.  Denver ace Ruben Ramirez was knocked out after only 2 2/3 innings, Frank Lewis reached base 5 times on a hit plus 4 walks, and Kermit Crawford had 4 hits.  Denver came roaring back though, scoring 2 in the 5th and 2 more in the 7th off Jaret Benser.  In the 8th Keith Langford came on holding a 7-6 lead, 2 runners on, and Stan Marsh at the plate.  Marsh hit a 3 run homer to put Denver on top. Troy Lewis pitched a scoreless 8th for the win, and Ryan Webb picked up the save.


In game 2, Bartolo Fatone and Lucas Velasquez pitched out of jams for 7 innings.  In the second inning, Alex Hamilton led off with a triple, but after a line drive back to the pitcher and a popup, was stranded at third.  Next inning they had bases loaded with 1 out for Alex Maldonado, but Velasquez was able to strike him out and get Hamilton on a long fly.  In the 7th, a one out single by Mark Crawford put runners at the corners with one out.  Reliever Earl Hickey came in to strike out Stan Marsh and get Maldonado on a grounder to short.


Utah finally scored in the 8th as Jose Landry was hit by a pitch and stole second, Charlie Howard walked, and Frank Lewis singled in a run. Adama Dunn added a sacrifice fly.  Scott Klippenstein finished the 8th for the win, and Chris Grimes pitched a perfect 9th for the save, striking out Crawford to end the game.

Florida vs Denver, games 6-7

Game 6:  Zack Owens went 6 2/3 innings allowing only 1 hit.  Mark Crawford and Alex Maldonado homered, and Joey Renseller had 3 hits as the Rabbits win 6-2 to tie up the series.


Game 7: Doug Guzman and Clint Meyers started, and pitched scoreless baseball into the 4th.  Penguins struck in the top of the 4th as Gromit Peveto hit a 2 run homer, his 5th of the playoffs.  Guzman drew a 2 out walk and came around to score on a Joey Howell double.


The Rabbits came back in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases for Vince Jones, whose sac fly got them on the board.  Ozzie Gaedel singled in the second run, and Big Cheese lifted Meyers for a pinch hitter to try and take the lead.  It didn't work as Jason Blaylock struck out with runners on the corners.


Bartolo Fatone came on in relief, and kept close for 2 innings.  In the 7th, Kurt Kawasaki hits a 2 out, 2 run homer to make it 5-2.  Rabbits came back in the bottom of the inning, as Denny Berroa drew a walk, Joey Renseller doubled, and Mark Crawford plated 2 with a broken bat single. 


Bryan Brooks held the Rabbits scoreless in the 8th, getting a DP grounder after a leadoff walk.  Florida failed to score in the 9th, and went to Grant Hansen to try and close out the series.  Ozzie Gaedel led off with a single and advanced to second on a bunt by Elvis Soto.  After Denny Berroa struck out, the Penguins almost ended the game with a pickoff play at second, but Gaedel was able to sneak in.  That brought up the dangerous Joey Renseller, who singled up the middle.  Gaedel came around to score the tying run, and Renseller moved up to second.  After an intentional walk to Crawford, Maldonado struck out.  Into extra innings.


Ryan Webb worked a scoreless 10th.  The Penguins threatened when Melvin Ortiz singled and stole second, but pinch hitter Otto Tingley grounded out.  Travis Howard came on to pitch the bottom of the 10th.  Clyde Frogg singled to start the inning.  After Alex Hamilton popped out, Big Cheese elected to stay with Webb, who put down a 2 strike sacrifice bunt to move Frogg up.  With 2 outs, Ozzie Gaedel was intentionally walked to get to weak hitting backup shortstop Elvis Soto, as Denver had few options left on the bench.  Wally Calhoun was about to step out of the dugout to bring in a relief pitcher when Howard delivered the pitch to Soto, who shocked everyone by lining a laser over the head of the shortstop.  Gromit charged, tried to throw Frogg out at the plate, but airmailed it to the backstop. 


The Rabbits won the Pennant! Go Crazy folks.

Miami vs Utah Game 6

Doug Dodson hit 3 solo homers off Tommy Vercetti to give Alex Bronkey a 3-1 lead through 6.  Frank Lewis added a 2 run shot off Kevin Davidson, and Bronkey went the distance to defeat the Stars.  Bronkey allowed only 6 hits, walking 2 and striking out 6 in a complete game, 6-1 victory.