2012 Pitchers' Regular Season Stats

Player  GP  AB  R  RBI 1B 2B 3B HR OTF BB SAC  AVG 
Greg     8  30  5   6  15  5  1  1  1   2  0  .786
Alex     4  12  1   2   9  0  0  0  1   0  0  .750
Sam     12  41  9  10  16 11  0  0  0   1  2  .711
John     8  37  6   7  18  2  0  0  0   1  0  .556
Damian   6  21  3   4   8  3  0  0  0   1  0  .550
Matt    10  26  9   6   8  3  1  0  1   2  1  .522
David    4  14  1   2   4  2  1  0  1   0  0  .500
Felix    6  19  3   5   7  1  0  0  0   0  0  .421
Brian    2   6  0   0   1  1  0  0  0   0  1  .400
Stacey  10  23  2   3   8  0  0  0  0   1  0  .364
Katie   10  28  6   2   9  0  0  0  0   2  1  .360
Alicia   6  15  1   1   5  0  0  0  0   0  0  .333
Tara    10  27  4   4   7  0  0  0  0   2  0  .280
Julie    6  22  4   2   3  1  0  0  0   6  1  .267
Lisa     4   8  0   0   1  0  0  0  0   3  1  .250
Brooke   8  24  3   2   4  0  0  0  0   6  0  .222
Nicole   8  30  1   3   6  0  0  0  0   0  1  .207
Ringers
ATL      2   8  3   2   4  1  0  0  0   1  0  .714
Rob      2   7  1   0   3  0  0  0  0   0  0  .429
Chen     2   8  2   3   2  2  0  0  0   0  0  .500

Congratulations to Greg, for clinching yet another batting title and being recognized for his years of softball excellence as the Empty Pitchers' inaugural inductee into the Coleman Oval of Fame.

Also congrats to Sam, the 2012 MIA, MVA and MVP all in one; Julie, recipient of the year's Most Murphiest award; and Matt, who was recognized with the Rubockian Spirit award.

One last note to close out the 2012 season on the blog...we lost in the first round of the playoffs to the stupid Sub & Heroes. I remember us as having a shot at winning the game, but have lost the scoresheet, lo these many months later.

So we'll turn the page officially on the blog, being that we're already a month into the 2013 season...

Dirt Dogs Down Pitchers in Two

With Matt and Rachel watching from their Skybox, the Pitchers came crashing back down to the Coleman Oval last week, dropping both games to the Dirt Dogs, by a score of 6-5 in Game 1, and a closer-than-it-sounds score of 8-3 in Game 2.

After falling behind in the first game, pitcher Alex B. was able to hold the Dirt Dogs at bay long enough for the Empty Pitchers to begin their rally back. Stacey came up with a huge double in the fourth inning, driving in Sam and Julie, and a batter later Alex K. brought in Matt with a sacrifice, narrowing the score to 6-4. The Pitchers would claw back to score an additional run in the fifth, and Matt would attempt to literally knock the Dirt Dogs' pitcher out of the game in the sixth, but the Dirt Dogs were able to hold on for the win, as the Pitchers' seventh-inning comeback stalled after getting a pair of runners aboard. John (double, triple, walk), Brian and Damian all contributed a pair of hits in the early game, but the scatter shot offense couldn't string enough together to get it done.

Game 2 saw Greg take the ball after catching the red eye back for gametime, and, just in time for the playoffs, get a taste of what it feels like to be on the mound when the hits start dropping in. After scoring a run in the first, the Dirt Dogs bit back with six runs in the bottom of the frame, and tacked on another pair for insurance in the third. Greg did his best to help himself out, driving in all 3 of the Pitchers' runs in Game 2, while Damian collected another three hits to complete a perfect 5-for-5 day (and suddenly become much more interested in the status of his batting average).

Heading into November, John sits atop the standings with an .857 average. Greg needs to pick up the pace sitting back at .824, with the season winding down, and Matt and Sam are neck and neck for third place, with .706 and .704 averages, respectively. And no, there's no pulling a Jose Reyes at the Oval.



Next game: After last weekend's nor'easter cancelled our games with the Jaguars, we'll get a fast chance to take revenge on the Dirt Dogs, meeting them at the Coleman Oval on Saturday for the first round of the playoffs at 10 a.m.

All right, Alex K., you win for best "fun" face.

Gah, sorry Matt! Eyes closed in both of the pictures I took -
it's the 2008 team photo all over again.

Pitchers Bounce Back against Warmed-Over Cousins

With only Sam and Alicia as carryover witnesses to the softball brutality of two weeks ago, the Empty Pitchers' "B Squad" had no trouble taking two from the Hot Cousins, 10-1 in Game 1, and a closer-than-it-sounds 12-6 in Game 2.

Greg pitched Game 1, keeping the Cousins' batting order off-balance, and being the beneficiary of our opponents playing down a woman (thus saddled with an automatic out at the end of their lineup). John, Greg and Julie all had 3 hits in the early game, silencing both the Cousins' and the Cousins' at-bat boom box.

Game 2 saw Tara's departure to play in her summer team's much-delayed championship final, and David came on to pitch in a 9-versus-9 match up. A very different Oval dynamic saw normally catchable balls fall in for outfield hits, and 4 men batting in a row for both teams' lineups meant there were no opportunities for defensive sloppiness.

The Pitchers wasted no time getting on the board in a big way, nearly batting around TWICE in the second, and taking an early 8-2 lead that ended on John's only out of a 6-7 day; he must have felt some small twinge of pity for the Cousins, and grounded into a close fielder's choice to end the inning. After getting run around by Cousins' hits in the bottom of the inning, and seeing the lead narrowed to 8-6, Koach K smartly positioned herself in center field, ceding the right side of the outfield to Greg, who was able to record force-outs at second and first in the later innings on balls that would normally have been easy singles for the Cousins.

Rubock finally stopped thinking and started hitting, breaking out of his slump and getting back into his quest for a 1.000 average back on track with a 5-for-5 second game (if we conveniently forget that Game 1). Sam and Felix chipped in with 4 hits a piece in the second game, and ringer Brooke was a force for the Pitchers, pressed into duty at catcher and second, she cleanly fielded all her chances, and collected 4 hits and a walk for her morning's efforts.

But the female gold star of the day has to go to Julie. Called out of hiding somewhere near the Pennsylvania-Delaware and cajoled into playing on Saturday, Julie had 4 beautiful hits to go with 4 key RBIs on the day. More impressively, she resisted her instinctive impulses to throw down with the Cousins' first baseman after being tagged out in the face on an errant throw up the first-base line, and that discipline carried over to Jeremy's, where she overpowered Alicia in Travel Scrabble, 328-260.



Next game: Don't miss Old Timers' Day this Sunday down at the Coleman Oval and continuing on to Jeremy's afterwards. Game time is 12:30 p.m. against the Dirt Dogs, followed by chicken cheese steaks with Matt and Rachel afterwards.

Alicia took some solace in knowing she and Julie outlasted neighboring drinkers from the Defeated Cousins, as well as the fact that she wasn't the one who resorted to playing "POO."

Pitchers Knock Bruisual Suspects Around

The Pitchers took two ho-hum games from the Bruisual Suspects on Saturday, nonchalantly posting wins by the scores of 16-3 and 12-0.

Fielding a team of 9, the Suspects were a team cruising for a bruising, and the Pitchers took full advantage of the chance to pad their stat lines before the Suspects preemptively cried "Mercy Rule" in both games.

As the Pitchers piled on the pain in Game 1, Koach Korndog seized the moment to make another one of her softball dreams come true (see below). She never imagined her Asians in the Infield experiment would go so hideously awry in the 5th, when she threw the delicate Far East-meets-Coleman Oval off-balance. Too many Asians? Or not enough, thanks to the pitcher-catcher tandem of David and Julie? Regardless, the Suspects were able to post their only runs of both games in that frame of Game 1.

Game 2 saw Greg's 2011 pitching debut, with the Pitchers quickly getting up on the Suspects and never looking back. The only drama throughout the late game was how best to avoid the specter of openly-urinating Coleman Oval fans, and whether the game's at-bats still "counted" as the Suspects proclaimed to anyone within earshot that they were now playing for "fun."

What Pitchers took most advantage of the cakewalk? John was a perfect 7-for-7 on the day with 6 RBIs. Greg was right back into the swing of things (hardy, har) with a shameless 6 hits and 6 RBIs of his own. The ladies bounced back from a tepid Week 1, with Stacey picking up a handful of hits and Nicole climbing the ladder to rediscover her power-hitting stroke. David found a new way of being David, working a walk in the midst of an offensive barrage. And Sam somehow snuck in a pair of over-the-fence bombs without raising my ire.



Next Game: Same drill. Be at the Oval for noon on Saturday as we take on Team Jason.

One, two...

Three, four!

It's On, Like Donkey Kong

Following last week's playoff elimination, some Pitchers poured themselves a pitcher, while others threw themselves into other pursuits. So, congratulations to Damian!

The blood, sweat, tears and quarters that he poured into Jeremy's Donkey Kong machine over the course of the season finally paid off - his initials are stored in the machine at No. 5, beside his team-leading score of 57,700.

My His mother will be so proud.

Pitchers Primed for Playoff Run

The Empty Pitchers at last found the cure to their traditional hungover, Halloween-time losses -- a Sunday morning match up against the league's cellar-dwelling Remainders.

In a preview of their first-round playoff match up, the Pitchers took two from the Remainders, rolling by mercy rule in Game 1, 11-0, and by a final of 8-5 in Game 2. Both games ran only 4 innings, due in equal parts to the ump's and the Remainders' laissez-faire attitude in keeping track of the inning.

Back-to-back triples from David and Nicole to start the early game were a harbinger of doom for the Remainders, as the extra base hits helped the Pitchers jump out to a 3-0 lead. A slew of six straight singles from the middle of the order pushed another handful of runs across in the third, and the Remainders knew they were not long for this world.

With the colder weather here and much of the team breaking out the pants, the blowout did give the Pitchers a much-needed opportunity to practice their sliding. Horrendously ugly slides were in abundance at every base at the Oval on Sunday; thankfully, only minor injuries (the kind that can be walked off on the way to Jeremy's), were sustained.

In Game 2, as is the team's custom, the Pitchers' lineup suddenly had hot and cold pockets. Luckily, even in shorts, lead-off man John remained on fire at the plate and in the field. He went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and three runs scored. Sam, Felix and Damian also had perfect games at the plate, while Alex shook off his Cabbage Night fun to contribute 4 RBIs.

The 2010 Team Photo

'08 Playoffs Roundup: The Story

The bad news is that the Empty Pitchers will have to wait until next year to have a chance at wearing the league crown, after being blanked by the K.V. Kings, 7-0, last weekend.

It was a rough start for David, who elected to stay in his "Halloween Hangover"/"David Wells" costume for the duration of the softball contest, taking his first loss on the season in the process. Not that he was alone, with his Pitchers teammates offering up a few timely errors and a dormant offense, a combination that was no match for the Latin cowbell-clanging Kings. The lone bright spot in the game came courtesy of Rachel, aka "Mrs. November," who went 3-for-3 and provided a calming presence behind the plate.

A week earlier, the Pitchers found a way to a better outcome, taking their second-round playoff game against the Hurricanes, 5-4. (As the No. 1 seed in the league, the Pitchers had a bye in the first round). Greg went 3-for-4, and Damian and Felix both had a pair of hits in the win, though, as previously mentioned, Kristine got the MVP award by showing up to the field in time for a 12:07 p.m. start.

The Pitchers didn't push a run across the plate until the fourth, when David and Alicia both got on board and were moved around the pond by singles from Alex, Abbey and Felix. Later, with both teams tied at 2 heading into the seventh, the Pitchers were able to scrap for another three runs, thanks to timely hits by Damian, Greg and Alicia. The Pitchers would need all of that cushion to hold off the hard-hitting Hurricanes in the home half of the inning.

Even in the midst of the playoff bounce, the Pitchers might still have another way to grasp a brass ring for the fall 2008 season -- with a record of 8-2 in non-playoff action, the team still has a shot at winning the regular season crown should they take both games next weekend from that same Hurricanes team.

Playoff hopes last seen alive. 11.01.2008. 9:54 a.m.


Next game: It's the season-ending doubleheader, Saturday, Nov. 8 at 2:30 p.m. against the Hurricanes. Plan on taking another team picture, and taking a trip to Jeremy's Ale House for season-ending Styrofoam Beers. CANCELED due to mathematical elimination from pennant race.

Pitchers Exhibit Their Brand of Softball

Facing the cold, multitudes of pigeons and a surprisingly pumped-up competitor, the Empty Pitchers dropped their final two games of the season to the Phantoms, ending their inaugural season on a five-game losing streak, but saving some face by posting an overall winning record of 7-5.

It might not have been a pretty end, but the doubleheader seemed fitting in the overall scheme of the season, from the Commish's timely (!) arrival to throw an earlier laissez-faire exhibition game off the field, to Coach Korney's arrival with a nick-of-time lineup; from Kate's choice of puffy-coat fieldwear to Chrissy's third-to-first cannon. For better or for worse, the afternoon finale served as suitable showcase for the Pitchers' brand of ball.

Greg's superhero efforts lead the team in Game 1, and after he tired of tripling in back-to-back at bats, he mixed things up in the final frames with an over-the-fence out. Adam and Matt also had a pair of hits apiece in the first game, which the Pitchers dropped 8-3.

In the absence of a flu-ridden Raul, Jon stepped in admirably as the starting pitcher for Game 2, helping his cause by scoring the game's only run. With temps falling from "Uncomfortable," to "This Is No Longer Fun," David managed to mentally block the cold out and deliver two hits. Adam also matched Greg's first-game feat with an over-the-fencer of his own, and exhibited a graceful flair kick in pitching the final few innings of a Something-1 loss.

Thanks to everyone for playing. Hopefully we can do it again next fall.

Sadness is the final Styrofoam cup of the softball season.

The Power of Chantharaj! Fans in 40-degree temps!

Blood, Sweat, Orange Slices Not Enough

Was it the early hour of the game? The unseasonably warm temperatures? The distraction of Ruben's lady Angels? A truly quality opponent? The untimeliest of defensive lapses by the Empty Pitchers? Julie ending her Iron Woman streak of coed softball attendance? Perhaps the hatching and subsequent swarming of Canadian soldiers?

Whatever it was, the unsettling end result was the Pitchers dropping two games to the undefeated Ruben's Angels on Sunday -- falling again via the Mercy Rule in the first game, by a score of 15-3, and dropping the time-crunched second game by the score of 8-4. The Pitchers' record now stands at 7-3 on the season.

In the early game, Pat and Matt (2 hits each) were the only Pitchers with multiple hits, while Rachel also walked her way aboard the bases twice and Val had a key hit in the fourth to drive in a pair of runs. The Pitchers' bats looked more lively in the late game, with Nicole, David, Alicia and Greg (2 RBIs) all contributing a pair of hits, and Kate snapping out of a slump with her first hit of the season. Though that game was called on account of time, the Pitchers were able to stage a rally, bouncing back after an ugly defensive half of the fifth to load the bases in the top of the sixth. The team was ultimately only able to push one run across the plate, but the Pitchers achieved a moral victory of sorts, ending their three-game run of only scoring three runs a game.

Next week is the playoffs. If Dane Cook were here, I'm sure he'd share with us a cliché-ridden promo for the likely Hot Cousins at Pitchers match up.

Poor Pat (left), bloodying his knees at least paid off with an out; Jorge (center) fights pests the only way he knows how; poor David (right), dirtying his uniform did not pay off. Luckily, who doesn't appreciate an excuse to get, that, dirt off your shoulder?

Post-game pictures, pictures, pictures!

Note the Kristine-shaped hole in the upper left.

The Sunday Brunch of Softball Champions.