You stay classy, Ball Tappers

Well, now that the dust has settled and we ended on the wrong side of the CCSL championship for the first time ever, let's discuss the game. Final scores from the 2 games, 13-10 L, and 9-4 L. Gross. Utterly awful play from the defending champs. I won't say that we deserved to win the 1st game, but neither did they. I'll discuss this in the recap. But here, I would like to draw attention to several 'notes' from the game. The picture on the right was sent to the Mgmt shortly after the win. Always classy, Tap Room. Also, there were many spectators at the game from the Collar, Art Museum, Pencil......and only one person sat on the side of the Tap Room. That was Ron. I assume he thought they had hoagies or Metamucil. So, we have won 5 straight years and everyone was rooting for us???? I find that strange. I guess for my answer, again, please view the picture to the right.


Recaps

We lost the first game 13-10 in a rain delayed (by a week) game. Story of the game, of their 13 runs, at least 7 were unearned. And by unearned, I mean UNEARNED. Not you typical, oh, the infielder made an error on an Edgely 4 ground ball and they scored 1. Nope. Dropped fly balls led to 7 runs. Dropped. Yes, I was 0-3 with a sac fly and sucked. But we did score 10 runs and still should have won that game. The bounces went their way and not ours. This is the nature of the game. Pete catches the diving ball in left field down the line instead of having it pop out and they don't score another 3. Meanwhile, they made 2 spectacular catches to save runs in this game. If it were one game, eh, so what. But it carried over into the second game, which we had no chance in. Again, dropped fly balls and other errors led to 2 out runs for them while Ogre Benson catches an over shoulder fly ball diving backwards to rob at least 1 run. Silly. It's Ogre Benson! Ugh. So disappointed, not with the loss so much, but with the way we lost. That's not the Franklin.....that's not even Mexico!

The Good

Not a lot of good. In fact very little. Memorial Nick had 5 hits, Mickowitz crushed the ball in both games and happened to be unlucky. We only had to play Benson in one of the games. That's all I got. Shit.

The Bad

Let's see...I'll start with me first, since I am not above reproach. 0-3 in the first game with 4 weakass fly balls in the first game. I don't think we win if get hits there, because of aforementioned errors, but the game is considerably closer, and who knows, maybe I score 2 or 3 times. Different game. I sucked ass. Now, several 2 out errors in the infield. Hurts. Misplayed outfield balls aplenty outside of the 5 dropped fly balls. Our outfield has never played so poorly. Second game was the opposite offensively (but not defensively). I actually hit better but some of the people who hit well in the first game didn't. Way to click at the same time, team. Inconsistency. Ugh, so frustrating. Scored 4 runs. And our 2 and 3 hitters scored them all. On a slick field. Just terrible. Sigh. Oh, and this was Blonde Benson's (pictured right) last game in the CCSL. Sad. He's still a douche though.

The Franklin Mystique

Things were actually looking so bad for the Franklin that Fordo while umping, actually said "who are you going to pop up to next?" to the Mgmt while in the box. That's a dismal outlook. So of course I hit the ball as hard as I could at Benson. That's the best slump buster I know.

Moving on......

So, the first part of this writeup is clearly angry, disappointed, unfunny, and atypical of these things. So, I've said my piece, now we get back to enjoying this league. As I said to Benson last year, when he told me he didn't care about this league (funny that he was screaming like a little girl who just opened her new Barbie Dream House on Xmas morning when they won the Championship), if you don't don't get angry, upset, or frustrated at some times in this league, then you don't care about it that much. I still feel that way. This is my favorite league and I wouldn't trade the losses for anything else. Except maybe a smile on Fordo's face whenever he steps on a softball diamond. Or a game when Pam has laryngitis.

Lumber Liquidator Studs of the Week

Mickey
Candy
MMN
Ford
Kyle/Jeremy/Nevins
Phyllis' boobs
Kate Beckinsale

Paul Watch

A grainy picture was sent to the Enquirer earlier this month and while initial reports are that it has been photoshopped, we'll still post it here. If you notice in the photo, which appears to be taken at some sort of Forearm Brothel, there is a hulking figure to the right that clearly looks uninterested, boring, and pumped full of creatine. More on this as it develops.

NASDAQ Trade of the Week

We traded runs for errors. We also traded nice, sunny July evenings for fall in London.

CIALIS Boner of the Week

TMTC

Collarblog Syntactical Error of the Week

Has nothing to do with the blog, but Flynn angered the Ogre. I'm sure he's porridge somewhere.

Benedict Pickle's Historical Reference of the Week

On this day in history, July 27th, in the years 2006-2010, The Franklin Institute won 5 consecutive CCSL titles. NEVER FORGET!

Ed's Movie of the Week

The Natural, 1984

Phyllis' Retro Porn Movie of the Week

The Da Vinci Load

Quotes from the Week

"If you have to do a reacharound, that's okay."
Chandra

"I'm so angry I could hit a child."
Brett Favre

"Jeremy's looking good out there, drinking a PBR and not paying attention."
Fordo

"Hope you beat Icky Benson."
Phyllesbian

"I'm game for anything."
La Nice

"We won! I still wish I was taller."
Alvin

"I am getting pink sitting here."
La Nice

"Flynn is like the Unthunder God."
Mgmt

"I'm engaged!"
"Congratulations Buddy! You know they make you take a blood test before you can actually get married?"

"I wish Tina was here."
MMN

"1 too many Marinos, I guess."
Buddy

"Willmarth is like a gazelle out in left field....you know, the kind of gazelle with a broken leg that is unaware a pride of lions is 30 feet away."
"I don't get that reference."
"Shut up, I'm angry."

"That chick over this is hot."
"Which one, Carol?"
"No the other one."
"Tan Carol?"
No, the other one."
"That's Jeremy."
"Yeah."

"We may have to call an ambulance, Benson put the trophy all the way up."
"It's gone to us now."

"For once, I'm glad I'm in Long Island."
Vellia

"No way I'm putting these fucking banners up in the rain."
Fordo

"I'm glad I don't play in this league. It gives me more time to work on my hobbies."
Whiskey Frank