Ghost Man On Third
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE MA COMMONWEALTH DIVSION
"All the Balls Fit to Kick"
END OF THE SEASON -This is the end. You beautiful friend. This is the end. My only friend, the end. Of our elaborate plans, the end. Of everything that stands, the end. This is the end." - The Doors
Table of Contents
I - APT! APT I TELL YOU!
II - Semifinal Recap
III - Final Recap
IV - Omnibus Photo Section
V - Announcments
VI - Elvis Has Left Lowell Field
PART I - "Raise the sky. We got to fly over the land, over the sea. Fate unwinds and if we die, souls arise. God, do not seize me please, till victory." - Patti Smith
It is finished.
Our season has come to a close. Last Team Standing lived up to their billing and through teamwork, complimentary offense, defense, and the luck that comes with those, captured our Spring Division Title and now set their eyes on Las Vegas and The Founder's Cup.
Congratulations are in order not only to the members of Last Team Standing, Captain Jason and his charges of Sara, Michael, Julia, Suzanne, Ben, Mike, Arek, Casey, Nathan, Brian, Ben, Michelle, Michael, Alina, Phu, Nick, Jay, Jodi, Leah, Sarah and Brian, but to all league participants, who made this the best season ever of the MA Commonwealth Division.
Also, special thanks should be extended to WAKA League Representative Brian Sweetser. His tireless work made this year's league possible and it was his oversight that made this league run as smoothly as it did. Thank you Brian.
PART II - We are winners and losers, bed fellow choosers, Put here to pass by the times. We are space-age sailors, all had our failures, Now everybody gonna' shine. - Grand Funk Railroad
Semifinal Game 1
#1 East Coast Animals 2 v. #6 Ball Busters 1
Fresh off their upset of Allen Club in the first round, the Ball Busters were looking to hang the first loss of the season on East Coast Animals. They almost accomplished this, without even rolling a ball, as ECA was almost forced to forfiet. However a last minute arrival saved ECA and the game was on.
It was a classic pitchers duel, full of close plays, solid defense, and grind it out offenses. ECA scored in the first. Ball Busters tied it in the 3rd, and ECA pushed home the winner in the 4th. Their
defense held, and the #1 survived a scare, but accomplished part one of their goal to move onto the finals.
Congratulations for a great season goes out to Tom, John, Mike, Ant, Joan, Tara, Lindsay, Jamie, Elisabeth, Mike, Jen, Richie, Jennie, Mel, Kristy, Adria, Yasmin, Greg, Adam, Amy, and Ashley of the Ball Busters!
Tom Caddigan and Ryan Cummings contributed to this report. Thanks to Tom Caddigan for his photo contribution.
Semifinal Game #2
#2 Last Team Standing 6 v. #4 EAT DRUMS!!! 1
Last Team Standing drew first blood in the semifinals against EAT DRUMS when Manny, on time and ready to go, drove in Alina in the bottom of the first. Maryland Mike then drove in Kramer to give LTS a 2-0 lead after one frame. Leah continued her recent string of hot kicking with a clutch two out RBI in the bottom of the 2nd, plating Jay P. Three more LTS runs came home in the bottom of the third when the Manny-Maryland Mike duo struck again. Manny plated the Little General and Alina, while Maryland Mike again brought Kramer home. Solid all-around LTS defense
kept EAT DRUMS at bay until the Top of the 5th when they pushed a run across to account for
the final score of 6-1.. For the Drums, The LTS offensive attack proved too strong, and EAT DRUMS!!! made costly errors and were unable to plate any runs in the first four innings admist the stifling LTS D. In the fifth, the team managed to push across a run, but was unable to generate the base runners needed to sustain the rally.
Kudos on a great season for Isaac, Josh, Kyla, Elyssa, Lauren, Scott, Ben, Jeff, Jen, Christie, Colleen, Mike, Jen, Paige, April, Paul, Andrew, Dave, Rob, Ed, Jamie, and Nikki of EAT DRUMS!!!
Jason Kivela and Josh Bob contributed to this report.
Part III - "I stood where no man goes, and conquered demon foes. With glory and passion no longer in fashion." - Kansas
Championship Game
#2 Last Team Standing 7 v. #1 East Coast Animals 3
During their unblemished regular season ECA dispatched LTS with relative ease, winning 5-2. However, the tables were turned in the rematch. LTS got started in the top of the first when they started a two out rally. Kramer and Suit Mike kicked back to back singles. With runners at the corners Manny doubled in Kramer. Maryland Mike then came up and kicked a clutch two-run single, plating Suit Mike and Kramer and staking LTS to a 3-0 lead. East Coast Animals used their trademark aggressive base running to immediately get two runs back in the bottom of the first. The damage could have been worse were it not for a good catch at second base by LTS’s token southern belle Julia Gray. The score stayed 3-2 until the Top of the 3rd. The Little General and Alina had back to back singles to start the inning. Kramer’s deep fly ball to left, advanced the
Little General to third leaving runners at the corners with one out. Suit Mike doubled, scoring two and giving LTS a 5-2 lead. ECA would not go down without a fight though. With two men on and nobody out in the bottom of the 4th ECA booted it to right field where Suit Mike, ignoring the Little General’s “I got it!” scream, caused a collision reminiscent of Damian Jackson and Johnny Damon in the 2003 Division Series. But what initially looked like a disaster turned into a blessing for LTS when ECA’s aggressive base running got the best of them. With a run already in on the play, the kicker rounded first too widely and was pegged and then another runner was caught between third and home and pegged out for an unconventional double play. LTS expanded their two run lead to four in the Top of the 5th when Suit Mike and Manny had back to back RBI singles. Strong defense by Manny behind the plate, Kramer on the
mound, and Casey in the OF helped LTS close it out. Jubilation, awkward hugs and high-fives ensued after the last out was recorded. Thoughs immediately turned to potential Vegas debauchery and the prospect of hungover kickball on The Strip during Founders Cup.
ECA Team Captain Ryan Cummings was quoted as saying, "It was sweet to get there. A great set of games. Too bad we lost the last one but it was to a worthy advisary who played some excelent kickball. I'm very proud of our season and of every player on ECA. THanks for a great season. Of particular note - Last Team Standing proved to be excellent sportsmen and bought us a pitcher of beer - very nice of them."
A tip of the cap is in order for Brian, Michael, Adam, Ryan, Cat, Barry, Carmino, Ethan, Trisha, Jessica, Halie, James, Sarah, Sarah, Maria, Peter, Michael, Anna, and Matthew of East Coast Animals!
Jason Kivela and Ryan Cummings contributed to this report.
PART IV - "Oh, look what you've done to this rock 'n' roll clown. Oh oh, look what you've done. Photograph - I don't want your. Photograph - I don't need your. Photograph - All I've got is a photograph. But it's not enough." - Def Leppard
For anyone interested, here are the links to the complete set of this season's photos taken with my camera. Thanks to my various helpers over the season, Jeff, Arielle and Richard. If anyone wants the original files, please email me at this address.
PART V -"Let's go slowly, discouraged, We'll burn the pictures instead. When it's all over we can barely discuss. For one minute only. Not with the fortunate only. Thought it could have been something else
These days it comes it comes it comes it comes it comes and goes." - PhoenixAnnouncements:
FALL SEASON: The Fall Season is currently open for registration. Please visithttp://www.kickball.com/season/macommonwealthfall2009 for details.
BOCA: Thanks are in order to the BOCA BAR for providing our little league a wonderful home this season. We look forward to continuing with them as we move to the Fall Season.
END OF SEASON PARTY: The End of Season Party is still waiting to have the final details
settled. League Rep Brian Sweetser will be sending out an email shortly with the details. As it will be the
last time our league is together, I know it will be awesome wherever and whenever it will be.
LEAGUE CHARITY: Remember, when the END OF SEASON PARTY occurs, please bring guests. Guests are a $10 donation to our charity Saturday's Bread/Sunday's Bread. Also, in this tough economic times please consider helping them or any other worthwhile charity to spread the love that kickball engenders to those less fortunate.
PART VI - 'Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun. Shine on you crazy diamond. Now there's a look in your eyes, like black holes in the sky. Shine on you crazy diamond. You were caught in the cross fire of childhood and stardom. Blown on the steel breeze. Come on you target for faraway laughter. Come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine!" - Pink Floyd
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
It is time to deflate the big red balls (temporarily), renew, refresh, reflect and recharge. Time to hang up the thesaurus, put away the bad puns, and shutter the esoteric comments and rock and roll musings foranother time and another place. Many thanks to the captains and their stand-ins for their weekly tolerance of my emails haranguing them for recaps. Thanks to the all league members for posing for the camera, and most of all thank you for reading.
Until we meet again, may good fortune smile upon you, the pitcher of beer remain close to full, and the innocent joy of friends, laughter and kickball course through your veins. Shine on you crazy diamonds.
- David, That's What She Said
