May 2008
Independents hosting Midland: Home Sweet Home!
Saturday, May, 31, 2008 | vs.
Midland | +
May 31, 2008 – Carroll Park, Bay City, MI
Bay City 15, Midland 12
The sky was high, and the clouds were parted to reveal the sunshine that would warm the grass and dissipate the dew on this lovely day at Carroll Park in Bay City. The Bay Citys would play host to the honorable gentlemen from Midland County in the Independents’ first home match of the season.
The hometown boys would lose the coin toss in the match, and so they took to the field as the River Hogs of Midland took to striking. The Hogs would warm to the sunshine and plated 3 aces in their first inning. The Midland strikers helped to motivate the Bay City gentlemen and they too put tallies across the plate in the first. Consecutive safeties were made by Mister’s LeRoux, David, Garcia, and McInerney and they allowed all of the above to score. Mr. Revette added an ace as well with his first home run of the season to bring the score of the match to 5-3 in favor of Bay City.
In the second innings the River Hogs would bring the contest one run closer when Mr. Gagnon scored the lone run for either side. At the conclusion of the second innings the River Hogs now trailed Bay City 5-4.
The Bay City strikers would spring back to life in the third and fourth innings and put an additional 8 aces on the board to bring their total to 13 for the match. The Independents would also put on a fine defensive display by skunking the Hogs in the next 3 innings.
The contest would become a tight scratch when the River Hogs kicked up their heels and tallied 8 runs in their final three innings to bring their total to 12 for the match. Likewise their defense was able to keep the Bay Citys from adding any substantial runs to their total, and the contest would end in the Independent’s favor at 15-12.
This was the only scheduled match with Midland for the season, and the Independents were sad to see the contest end, but all gathered together for some fine Bay City hospitality and generous libations. Perhaps their paths will cross again but for now the two clubs parted on happy terms.
Bay City 15, Midland 12
The sky was high, and the clouds were parted to reveal the sunshine that would warm the grass and dissipate the dew on this lovely day at Carroll Park in Bay City. The Bay Citys would play host to the honorable gentlemen from Midland County in the Independents’ first home match of the season.
The hometown boys would lose the coin toss in the match, and so they took to the field as the River Hogs of Midland took to striking. The Hogs would warm to the sunshine and plated 3 aces in their first inning. The Midland strikers helped to motivate the Bay City gentlemen and they too put tallies across the plate in the first. Consecutive safeties were made by Mister’s LeRoux, David, Garcia, and McInerney and they allowed all of the above to score. Mr. Revette added an ace as well with his first home run of the season to bring the score of the match to 5-3 in favor of Bay City.
In the second innings the River Hogs would bring the contest one run closer when Mr. Gagnon scored the lone run for either side. At the conclusion of the second innings the River Hogs now trailed Bay City 5-4.
The Bay City strikers would spring back to life in the third and fourth innings and put an additional 8 aces on the board to bring their total to 13 for the match. The Independents would also put on a fine defensive display by skunking the Hogs in the next 3 innings.
The contest would become a tight scratch when the River Hogs kicked up their heels and tallied 8 runs in their final three innings to bring their total to 12 for the match. Likewise their defense was able to keep the Bay Citys from adding any substantial runs to their total, and the contest would end in the Independent’s favor at 15-12.
This was the only scheduled match with Midland for the season, and the Independents were sad to see the contest end, but all gathered together for some fine Bay City hospitality and generous libations. Perhaps their paths will cross again but for now the two clubs parted on happy terms.
Bay City visits Saginaw
Sunday, May, 18, 2008 | +
The
Umpire Strikes Back!
May 17, 2008
Bay City 11, Saginaw 14
The lads from Bay City packed up bat, ball and all, and headed by rail down to East Saginaw and Ojibway Island to play a match game against the Saginaw Old Golds. The Independents visited the Saginaws last August in an introductory match and came off victorious. This visit would introduce the Bay Citys to an entirely DIFFERENT Saginaw Club. Oh, some of the faces remained the same, but they bore little resemblance to the club that Bay City defeated 21-2 in aught seven.
The match began with a coin toss watched over by, club founder, Tom Mudd. The honorable Mr. Mudd would use a coin borrowed from the Bay Citys, but it would hold no luck for them as the Saginaws would win the toss and chose to strike first. The Old Golds would strike well and hard, driving the orb to the long field often. Their parade of strikers to the plate began with Scoops Larkin, the second sacker, who placed a liner into the garden straight down the line past a diving “Buttons” McInerney, the Bay City left fielder, Scoops easily made his second as the call of “FAIR BALL” echoed from the throat of Mr. Mudd. The next striker, Mr. Guerra, who apparently is known to frequent the pool halls, was not as lucky and Mr. McInerney bottled his strike in style. Nic “The Brute” Hammond was next to the plate, and made his first on another strike to the long field, and Mr. Larkin scored to make the first run of the match.
The next striker was a young polish lad, just off the boat from the mother land, he let drive a long ball to the out field that again was taken by Mr. McInerney for another hand lost.
The fifth striker to the plate was a gentleman that was recognized by the Bay Citys, but apparently unknown to his club mates, a Mr. Slink Spitz. One of the Bay City lads had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Spitz’s brother on another occasion, and remarked to one of the Old Golds as to what the Christian given name was for their new first sacker, and the Saginaw gent replied that he was unsure, as it was the first time he had ever seen him at the yard. Hmmm! Could it be that the Saginaws had employed a revolver for the contest? No matter, as the aforementioned Mr. Spitz would blast a ball into the long field and plate another run for the new Golds.
The next fellow in the order was the catcher for the Saginaws “Black Jack” Taney. He reached his first on a ball that fell into the long field as well. Next up was the left fielder, a Mr. Holly. Mr. Holly walloped the onion into right field and sent the Saginaw runners in motion, the two previous Saginaws would score, and Mr. Holly seemed destined for a home run, but Doc Garcia rifled the ball from well into the long field and into the bellows of the Bay City catcher who deftly turned and drove the ball into the hip of Holly to lose the third hand of the innings. It was a bully play by Garcia, and one that helped to rouse the spirits of the Bay City lads.
It was now the Independents’ turn at the plate, and as always Mr. LeRoux would start the Bay Citys off in fine fashion by making his first. The next striker would lose his hand to a fly out to the second sacker. Doc Garcia would be next up in the order and moved Mr. LeRoux to third with a well placed ball into the garden. Runners now stood at first and third with Buttons McInerney coming to the stripe. The young Irish lad drove a single to the long field which allowed LeRoux to score the first ace of the day for the Bay Citys. “Double-D” Dinauer, the elder of the Dinauer boys, placed a ball behind the in field and loaded the bases for the Independents. Then “Rope” Revette came to the plate and drove home Doc Garcia with another safety for the home town gents. The bases were now full of Bay Citys when Dean “Sawmill” Koch hit a daisy cutter to the third sacker for Saginaw, who nimbly stepped on third for one out, and then helped run down Buttons McInerney for a crushing, twin-killing. After the first innings the score would stand at 4-2 in the favor of the Saginaw Club.
Saginaw would take to striking again in their second innings, and they sent a Mr. Tesch, their right fielder, to the plate. He made his first safely, and would stall at first when Ducky Mahan lost his hand to Mr. Revette on a fly out. Tesch would move to third on a single by Scoops Larkin, but the runners would remain after Guerra lost his second consecutive hand to a fly out to the long field. No runners had yet scored, and there were two hands down when Mr. Hammond strode to the stripe again. Hammond would reach his first and begin a string of well struck balls that would create a parade of aces for the Saginaws. By the time the third hand was lost Mr. Tesch had made his second appearance to strike. After their half of the second innings the Old Golds had pulled ahead at 9 aces to 2.
Bay City would not be put away quietly in their second innings either. Dennis “Double-D” Dinauer would make his second batting appearance of the day due to Buttons McInerney losing the third hand of the innings on the base path. The elder Dinauer would make good on this second chance and begin a string of successive hits for the Bay Citys. Both “Double D”, and “Rope” Revette would be brought to tally on a fine hit by the younger Dinauer, Shoeless Jeff, that would be 4 successful safeties for the Independents in the innings and yet no hands had been lost. Captain Johnson would put an end to the club’s good fortune by driving a ball into the shallow garden behind second base where the Old Golds fieldsman would scoop up the orb, and force Dinauer the younger at second sack. This would put runners at first and third in the persons of Johnson and Koch. Koch would score and Johnson would move to second on a bound ball from the bat of “Twinkle-Toes” Brissette. The next striker in the order was Scott “Umpy” Umphrey. The young wrong hander drove the apple down the right field line where it would wander past the Saginaw long fielders and allow Johnson to tally from second, and Umphrey was able to safely make his third. Little Train Johnson would bring Umphrey to talley with his two hands lost stroke into left field. The third hand would be lost when Brian “The Barkeep” Baceril took a mighty swing at a Saginaw offering that saw his bat slip from his hand, but only after he had made contact with the spiraling spheroid. Unfortunately for Bay City and Baceril the bat traveled farther than the ball, and the innings would end with the score of Saginaw 9, and Bay City 7.
In the third innings the Bay Citys would change their pitcher, but not their luck, as the Saginaw strikers would make 5 more runs in their turn, and take a commanding lead at 14-9. Despite the large deficit to the NEWLY formed “club”, the Independents did not lose their confidence at the plate. After losing their first hand in the innings the Bay Citys got consecutive hits from the lumber of the Garcia brothers, Kid and Doc, and then Buttons McInerney took to the stripe for the second time on the day. Buttons rifled the ball with rapid recoil and sent the Saginaw long fielders on a marathon run the likes that we have not seen since the ancient days of Greece. Both Garcia brothers would tally and McInerney was hot on the heels of the pair when Buttons, due to the rapidity of his breathing, could not hear the shouts of his fellow club members as they begged him to fetch up at third and so he traversed his carriage to the home plate where a fine throw from Nic Hammond would derail the run away freight and cause the second hand of the innings to be lost. The home town gents’ threat would end there as the next hand would be lost to yet another bound ball to the long field. The score would now stand at 14-9 in favor of the Saginaws.
After three innings of scrambling either the Saginaws tired of running the bases, or the Bay Citys gathered their sea legs, I prefer the latter explanation, because the Old Golds would be skunked by the Independents defenders for the next six innings with nary a threat to be made. The Bay Citys would climb closer in the contest by plating two more runs in the contest, one by the captain, Mr. Johnson, in the fifth innings, and another by Mr. LeRoux, the fine Bay City short stop, in the sixth innings. The match would remain a tight scratch throughout with a final tally of 14-11 in the favor of the Saginaw TEAM.
After the match the two groups of gentlemen would settle in for some fine refreshment that was supplied by the Saginaw gents. Unfortunately most of the “club’s” starters for the Saginaws were immediately called away to another engagement, so pleasant conversation about the match and its play could not be enjoyed by all. Perhaps when they meet again in June the Old Golds will have some time to enjoy some Bay City hospitality, where the Independents try to adhere to the ideal that a discourtesy is a greater disgrace then to lose a ball game and fine play is appreciated by host and guest.
May 17, 2008
Bay City 11, Saginaw 14
The lads from Bay City packed up bat, ball and all, and headed by rail down to East Saginaw and Ojibway Island to play a match game against the Saginaw Old Golds. The Independents visited the Saginaws last August in an introductory match and came off victorious. This visit would introduce the Bay Citys to an entirely DIFFERENT Saginaw Club. Oh, some of the faces remained the same, but they bore little resemblance to the club that Bay City defeated 21-2 in aught seven.
The match began with a coin toss watched over by, club founder, Tom Mudd. The honorable Mr. Mudd would use a coin borrowed from the Bay Citys, but it would hold no luck for them as the Saginaws would win the toss and chose to strike first. The Old Golds would strike well and hard, driving the orb to the long field often. Their parade of strikers to the plate began with Scoops Larkin, the second sacker, who placed a liner into the garden straight down the line past a diving “Buttons” McInerney, the Bay City left fielder, Scoops easily made his second as the call of “FAIR BALL” echoed from the throat of Mr. Mudd. The next striker, Mr. Guerra, who apparently is known to frequent the pool halls, was not as lucky and Mr. McInerney bottled his strike in style. Nic “The Brute” Hammond was next to the plate, and made his first on another strike to the long field, and Mr. Larkin scored to make the first run of the match.
The next striker was a young polish lad, just off the boat from the mother land, he let drive a long ball to the out field that again was taken by Mr. McInerney for another hand lost.
The fifth striker to the plate was a gentleman that was recognized by the Bay Citys, but apparently unknown to his club mates, a Mr. Slink Spitz. One of the Bay City lads had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Spitz’s brother on another occasion, and remarked to one of the Old Golds as to what the Christian given name was for their new first sacker, and the Saginaw gent replied that he was unsure, as it was the first time he had ever seen him at the yard. Hmmm! Could it be that the Saginaws had employed a revolver for the contest? No matter, as the aforementioned Mr. Spitz would blast a ball into the long field and plate another run for the new Golds.
The next fellow in the order was the catcher for the Saginaws “Black Jack” Taney. He reached his first on a ball that fell into the long field as well. Next up was the left fielder, a Mr. Holly. Mr. Holly walloped the onion into right field and sent the Saginaw runners in motion, the two previous Saginaws would score, and Mr. Holly seemed destined for a home run, but Doc Garcia rifled the ball from well into the long field and into the bellows of the Bay City catcher who deftly turned and drove the ball into the hip of Holly to lose the third hand of the innings. It was a bully play by Garcia, and one that helped to rouse the spirits of the Bay City lads.
It was now the Independents’ turn at the plate, and as always Mr. LeRoux would start the Bay Citys off in fine fashion by making his first. The next striker would lose his hand to a fly out to the second sacker. Doc Garcia would be next up in the order and moved Mr. LeRoux to third with a well placed ball into the garden. Runners now stood at first and third with Buttons McInerney coming to the stripe. The young Irish lad drove a single to the long field which allowed LeRoux to score the first ace of the day for the Bay Citys. “Double-D” Dinauer, the elder of the Dinauer boys, placed a ball behind the in field and loaded the bases for the Independents. Then “Rope” Revette came to the plate and drove home Doc Garcia with another safety for the home town gents. The bases were now full of Bay Citys when Dean “Sawmill” Koch hit a daisy cutter to the third sacker for Saginaw, who nimbly stepped on third for one out, and then helped run down Buttons McInerney for a crushing, twin-killing. After the first innings the score would stand at 4-2 in the favor of the Saginaw Club.
Saginaw would take to striking again in their second innings, and they sent a Mr. Tesch, their right fielder, to the plate. He made his first safely, and would stall at first when Ducky Mahan lost his hand to Mr. Revette on a fly out. Tesch would move to third on a single by Scoops Larkin, but the runners would remain after Guerra lost his second consecutive hand to a fly out to the long field. No runners had yet scored, and there were two hands down when Mr. Hammond strode to the stripe again. Hammond would reach his first and begin a string of well struck balls that would create a parade of aces for the Saginaws. By the time the third hand was lost Mr. Tesch had made his second appearance to strike. After their half of the second innings the Old Golds had pulled ahead at 9 aces to 2.
Bay City would not be put away quietly in their second innings either. Dennis “Double-D” Dinauer would make his second batting appearance of the day due to Buttons McInerney losing the third hand of the innings on the base path. The elder Dinauer would make good on this second chance and begin a string of successive hits for the Bay Citys. Both “Double D”, and “Rope” Revette would be brought to tally on a fine hit by the younger Dinauer, Shoeless Jeff, that would be 4 successful safeties for the Independents in the innings and yet no hands had been lost. Captain Johnson would put an end to the club’s good fortune by driving a ball into the shallow garden behind second base where the Old Golds fieldsman would scoop up the orb, and force Dinauer the younger at second sack. This would put runners at first and third in the persons of Johnson and Koch. Koch would score and Johnson would move to second on a bound ball from the bat of “Twinkle-Toes” Brissette. The next striker in the order was Scott “Umpy” Umphrey. The young wrong hander drove the apple down the right field line where it would wander past the Saginaw long fielders and allow Johnson to tally from second, and Umphrey was able to safely make his third. Little Train Johnson would bring Umphrey to talley with his two hands lost stroke into left field. The third hand would be lost when Brian “The Barkeep” Baceril took a mighty swing at a Saginaw offering that saw his bat slip from his hand, but only after he had made contact with the spiraling spheroid. Unfortunately for Bay City and Baceril the bat traveled farther than the ball, and the innings would end with the score of Saginaw 9, and Bay City 7.
In the third innings the Bay Citys would change their pitcher, but not their luck, as the Saginaw strikers would make 5 more runs in their turn, and take a commanding lead at 14-9. Despite the large deficit to the NEWLY formed “club”, the Independents did not lose their confidence at the plate. After losing their first hand in the innings the Bay Citys got consecutive hits from the lumber of the Garcia brothers, Kid and Doc, and then Buttons McInerney took to the stripe for the second time on the day. Buttons rifled the ball with rapid recoil and sent the Saginaw long fielders on a marathon run the likes that we have not seen since the ancient days of Greece. Both Garcia brothers would tally and McInerney was hot on the heels of the pair when Buttons, due to the rapidity of his breathing, could not hear the shouts of his fellow club members as they begged him to fetch up at third and so he traversed his carriage to the home plate where a fine throw from Nic Hammond would derail the run away freight and cause the second hand of the innings to be lost. The home town gents’ threat would end there as the next hand would be lost to yet another bound ball to the long field. The score would now stand at 14-9 in favor of the Saginaws.
After three innings of scrambling either the Saginaws tired of running the bases, or the Bay Citys gathered their sea legs, I prefer the latter explanation, because the Old Golds would be skunked by the Independents defenders for the next six innings with nary a threat to be made. The Bay Citys would climb closer in the contest by plating two more runs in the contest, one by the captain, Mr. Johnson, in the fifth innings, and another by Mr. LeRoux, the fine Bay City short stop, in the sixth innings. The match would remain a tight scratch throughout with a final tally of 14-11 in the favor of the Saginaw TEAM.
After the match the two groups of gentlemen would settle in for some fine refreshment that was supplied by the Saginaw gents. Unfortunately most of the “club’s” starters for the Saginaws were immediately called away to another engagement, so pleasant conversation about the match and its play could not be enjoyed by all. Perhaps when they meet again in June the Old Golds will have some time to enjoy some Bay City hospitality, where the Independents try to adhere to the ideal that a discourtesy is a greater disgrace then to lose a ball game and fine play is appreciated by host and guest.
Bay City visits Kawkawlin
Saturday, May, 10, 2008 | at
Kawkawlin | +
Bay City 19, Kawkawlin 5
The gentlemen from Bay City ventured northward in their buggy caravan to the small burg of Kawkawlin in order to teach the fine points of the “New York” rules base ball that has taken this town by storm. After discussing the finer points of the game the Kawkawlin fellows enquired to have a look at the ball that would be put in use for the day’s match. After much remarking as the to the hardness of the sphere, no doubt these fellows were still used to the softer version of the old apple used to soak runners in town ball, the Kawkawlin gents wisely chose to strike first when winning the coin toss.
Despite the solid sphere the Kawkawlin farm boys were dispatched in order, and the Bay Citys laid down their first coat of whitewash for the season. The Bay Citys then took to striking in the first innings, and were astonished at the aptitude for fielding that the Kawkawlins displayed. The newly formed nine dispatched the first two Bay City strikers with relative ease, and the Indpendents soon felt a little uncomfortable with their position. The third striker was “Kid” Garcia, the cracker-jack long fielder for the hometown nine, and he promptly put the fieldsmen on their heels with a scorching drive to the long field. Kid would easily make his second on the strike, and this younger brother Doc, the fourth striker in the order, would bring him to tally with another drive through the infield. After four more safeties in a row, the Independents now had a four run advantage over the Kawkawlin club at the conclusion of the first innings.
In the second innings the Kawkawlins would push through with a run of their own, and in the process equaled their total run production from last season’s contest, and made it a tighter scratch with the total now at 4-1. The Bay Citys though would tally twice more in their second innings when “Little Train” Johnson and Brian “Barkeep” Baceril would score on a whomp of the willow by “Irish” O’Laughlin. The score now stood at 6-1 in the Bay Citys favor.
The Bay City play in the field would yield a skunking of the Kawkawlin country club for the next three innings, and the Independents would add 8 more aces of their own during that time. The most memorable blow of the game would be seen in the fifth innings when “Doc” Garcia, the Bay City first sacker, drove a howitzer to the right field that soared above the Kawkawlin fieldsmen’s head. The country gent flew with such speed that Doc could only make his second on the blow, but it still drew audible gasps of admiration from the throng in attendance. After five innings the ledger now read a 14-1 advantage for the Independents.
The Kawkawlin Club took to the plate with a fiery determination in the sixth innings, and promptly put 4 tallies on the board before even the second hand of the innings was lost. That would be all the scoring they would accomplish for the contest however, and they would see themselves whitewashed for the remainder of the match. It was quite a rally though, and something that the newcomers could hang their hat on for the next time these two clubs should meet.
In the meantime, Bay City would see 4 more runs cross the plate in the persons of LeRoux, David, Baceril, and O’Laughlin. That would bring the final total for the contest to 19-5.
The gentlemen from Bay City ventured northward in their buggy caravan to the small burg of Kawkawlin in order to teach the fine points of the “New York” rules base ball that has taken this town by storm. After discussing the finer points of the game the Kawkawlin fellows enquired to have a look at the ball that would be put in use for the day’s match. After much remarking as the to the hardness of the sphere, no doubt these fellows were still used to the softer version of the old apple used to soak runners in town ball, the Kawkawlin gents wisely chose to strike first when winning the coin toss.
Despite the solid sphere the Kawkawlin farm boys were dispatched in order, and the Bay Citys laid down their first coat of whitewash for the season. The Bay Citys then took to striking in the first innings, and were astonished at the aptitude for fielding that the Kawkawlins displayed. The newly formed nine dispatched the first two Bay City strikers with relative ease, and the Indpendents soon felt a little uncomfortable with their position. The third striker was “Kid” Garcia, the cracker-jack long fielder for the hometown nine, and he promptly put the fieldsmen on their heels with a scorching drive to the long field. Kid would easily make his second on the strike, and this younger brother Doc, the fourth striker in the order, would bring him to tally with another drive through the infield. After four more safeties in a row, the Independents now had a four run advantage over the Kawkawlin club at the conclusion of the first innings.
In the second innings the Kawkawlins would push through with a run of their own, and in the process equaled their total run production from last season’s contest, and made it a tighter scratch with the total now at 4-1. The Bay Citys though would tally twice more in their second innings when “Little Train” Johnson and Brian “Barkeep” Baceril would score on a whomp of the willow by “Irish” O’Laughlin. The score now stood at 6-1 in the Bay Citys favor.
The Bay City play in the field would yield a skunking of the Kawkawlin country club for the next three innings, and the Independents would add 8 more aces of their own during that time. The most memorable blow of the game would be seen in the fifth innings when “Doc” Garcia, the Bay City first sacker, drove a howitzer to the right field that soared above the Kawkawlin fieldsmen’s head. The country gent flew with such speed that Doc could only make his second on the blow, but it still drew audible gasps of admiration from the throng in attendance. After five innings the ledger now read a 14-1 advantage for the Independents.
The Kawkawlin Club took to the plate with a fiery determination in the sixth innings, and promptly put 4 tallies on the board before even the second hand of the innings was lost. That would be all the scoring they would accomplish for the contest however, and they would see themselves whitewashed for the remainder of the match. It was quite a rally though, and something that the newcomers could hang their hat on for the next time these two clubs should meet.
In the meantime, Bay City would see 4 more runs cross the plate in the persons of LeRoux, David, Baceril, and O’Laughlin. That would bring the final total for the contest to 19-5.