Monday, June 28, 2010

AND THEN THERE WERE TWO!!!

The 12th seeded Lyle's Family Barbershop Boys Kid Pitch Baseball team held on to squeak past a very good number 2 seeded PBPA #35 club 6-5 on Saturday, June 26, 2010 and earn the right to face Alamo for the outright championship on Monday, June 28, 2010. Game time is at 5:30 PM.

Lyle’s won the coin toss and elected to be the home team for the game. Quinn “The Eskimo Mr. Cool” took the mound for Lyle’s as the contest got underway. Peyton Lane walked to the plate and on a 1-0 count he allegedly was struck by the pitch. As to where the phantom ball struck him is anyone’s guess, but he was awarded first base. Derek Owens hit a popup just in front of home plate that stayed fair for an infield hit as PBPA had something going. Camfield may have been a bit rattled as he uncharacteristically walked the next batter, Cayden Collings, on 4 straight out of the strike zone as PBPA loaded the bases with nobody out. Nicholas Owens lined out to third baseman Konour "Slammer” Smith for the first out of the inning as the bases remained loaded. Reese Bergstrom hit a grounder back to Camfield who threw home to catcher Sam “The Rally Man” Owen to force out Lane at the plate for out number 2. It appeared Lyle’s would get out of the inning unscathed but the ball somehow ended up rolling towards the pitcher’s mound and Derek Owens took advantage and scooted home safely for the first run of the game. It was at that point that the coach for Lyle’s was granted time to talk to his infield to remind them to relax and play good, fundamental baseball, and they seemed to respond as Camfield struck out Nate Browning looking on a full count fastball to end the inning. Before that out was recorded, however, Matt Ashby received the second phantom hit by pitch of the inning to load the bases again. The reason I believe these were phantom hit by pitches is because both of these occurred following Camfield fastballs, and yet neither of the boys who were allegedly struck even flinched…and believe you me, anyone who is struck by a Quinn Camfield fastball would be rolling and howling in pain! Be that as it may, the top of the first ended with PBPA holding a 1-0 lead.

Quinn “The Eskimo Mr. Cool” Camfield led off the bottom of the first for Lyle’s and he grounded out shortstop to first for out number 1. Preston “The Machine” Hayes uncharacteristically struck out swinging on a full count Nicholas Owens offering for out number 2, but Donovan “Smooth Hustle” Ferguson drew a full count 2 out walk to keep the inning alive. Konour Smith, however, grounded out pitcher to first to end the first inning with Lyle’s still trailing 1-0.

Camfield was back on the mound in the top of the second. Seth Duhamell singled up the middle to start things off for PBPA. Josh Bushert grounded out third to first as Duhamell took second. Peyton Lane reached on an error as Duhamell moved to third, and it was here that we had our first little bit of controversy. Lane tried to take second on the play but he was thrown out at second. In the meantime Duhamell was sent home from third base. The first base and third base coaches for PBPA were getting upset, and I had no idea why, so I asked for time to go talk to the umpires to see what exactly was going on. As I headed out to the field I said quietly and calmly to the first base coach, “Let’s just get this right, Jeff.” When I approached the base umpire I asked him after hearing the third base coach yelling, “You can’t call time when players are off the base!”, “Did you call time?” He sheepishly replied, “Yes, I did.” I then said, “Then there is no out at second base, the runner goes back to first, and the runner returns to third.” I was not happy about what had happened, and I honestly felt that we were really getting the short end of the stick because we could have had 2 outs with nobody on and only 1 run in. Instead, we were facing a 1 out situation with runners at the corners and PBPA’s numbers 2, 3, and 4 batters coming to the dish. That was not a situation I cared to be in. But if an umpire calls time, then the play on the field stops.

Quinn “The Eskimo Mr. Cool” lived up to his nickname and he calmly struck out Derek Owens and Cayden Collings in succession. Both strikeouts were set up by knuckleballs that kept the batters off-balanced, preventing them from catching up to the blazing 2 strike fastballs from Camfield. So in spite of everything, Lyle’s still only trailed by 1 run.

Julian “Hey Jude” Harshbarger led off the second by being issued a walk from Nicholas Owens. DeAndre “Mr. Clutch” Thomas popped out to the first baseman for out number 1. Isaac “GPS” Ray also was issued a 4 pitch free pass, bringing Dakota “Badlands” Vasquez to the platter. Vasquez hit a double into right center field that tied the score as Harshbarger scored from second, and Ray moved to third. Sam “The Rally Man” Owen struck out for the second out of the frame and the bases were loaded as Quinn “The Eskimo Mr. Cool” drew the third walk of the inning. Preston “The Machine” Hayes hit the ball well but second baseman Derek Owens gobbled up the ball and threw Hayes out at first to end the inning.

Preston “The Machine” Hayes was called upon to pitch as the third inning began, and he held PBPA in check. Nicholas Owens was robbed as first baseman Donovan “Smooth Hustle” Ferguson made an excellent over the shoulder catch as he dove with his back to the plate to pull down the ball, holding on to it with both hands for out number 1. Reese Bergstrom reached as his high infield popup was dropped by second baseman Dakota Vasquez, but Hayes pitched around the miscue. Matt Ashby reached on a fielder’s choice as Bergstrom was forced at second base for out number 2, but another error allowed Nate Browning to reach safely, placing runners at first and second. Hayes induced Seth Duhamell to popup to third base to end the inning with the score still tied 1-1.

Lyle’s took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third. Donovan “Smooth Hustle” Ferguson grounded out to the shortstop whose throw nipped Ferguson at first, and Konour “Slammer” Smith followed with a 1 out walk. Julian “Hey Jude” Harshbarger went down swinging, setting up some 2 out heroics for DeAndre “Mr. Clutch” Thomas. Thomas jumped all over the first pitch he saw which was high and outside, but he drove the ball way out into right center field for a triple as Smith scored from first base. Isaac “GPS” Ray struck out to bring the inning to a close.

PBPA scored an unearned run to tie the game in the top of the 4th inning. Josh Bushert grounded out to shortstop Quinn Camfield but Donovan Ferguson dropped the throw, allowing the runner to reach base safely. Peyton Lane reached on a fielder’s choice for the first out of the inning. Lane moved to second as Ferguson handled the ball hit by Derek Owens unassisted for out number 2. Cayden Collings hit a double over the head of left fielder Julian Harshbarger that scored Lane, but Hayes got out of the jam by getting Nicholas Owens to ground out to shortstop Quinn Camfield whose throw to Ferguson at first base was in plenty of time.

The bottom of the 4th inning proved to be the difference in the ballgame as Lyle’s was able to rally for 4 big runs and take a 6-2 lead. Dakota “Badlands” Vasquez singled into right for his second hit of the game but he was forced out at second as Sam “The Rally Man” Owen replaced him on the base path at first. Owen stole second ahead of Quinn “The Eskimo Mr. Cool” Camfield’s single into left as Owen moved to third. Preston Hayes drove home Owen as Hayes reached on a fielder’s choice when Camfield was forced at second, and Donovan “Smooth Hustle” Ferguson was walked in a very good 8 pitch at-bat. Konour “Slammer” Smith singled home Hayes for the second run of the inning, and both Smith and Ferguson came home to roost as Julian “Hey Jude” Harshbarger blasted a pitch deep into center field for a 2 run double. DeAndre “Mr. Clutch” Thomas grounded out second to first as Lyle’s now found themselves with a 6-2 lead after 4 completed innings of play.

Preston Hayes went back to pitch for his final inning of work as the fifth inning began. Reese Bergstrom was hit by a pitch as he led off for PBPA. It was now time for manufactured controversy to erupt. Matt Ashby hit a fly ball into center field that dropped for what looked like an apparent hit. However, center fielder Isaac “GPS” Ray picked up the ball and threw to second baseman Dakota “Badlands” Vasquez, who was standing on the bag to force out Bergstrom. It was not even a close play, and Vasquez did not bobble the ball. But for some unknown reason the first base coach for PBPA became enraged and yelled at the umpire. The coach was then given a warning, and play continued with Ashby at first with 1 out. Hayes walked Nate Browning ahead of a single off the bat of Seth Duhamell that drove in Ashby. Josh Bushert grounded out short to first for out number 2. Leadoff hitter Peyton Lane reached safely as his popup fell in front of pitcher Hayes. The coach for Lyle’s was granted time to talk to his infield and give them some encouragement to relax and get the job done, and they responded positively once more as Derek Owens ended the threat by grounding out to shortstop Camfield for out number 3.

Lyle’s was unable to put more pressure on PBPA as they failed to score in their bottom half of the frame. Isaac Ray struck out and Dakota Vasquez grounded out unassisted to the first baseman. Sam Owen walked but he was stranded as Quinn Camfield popped out to third.

Camfield went back to pitch in the top of the sixth for Lyle’s. Cayden Collings singled into left field and he stole second and third. Nicholas Owens was called out on strikes on a borderline pitch and the first base coach was not happy at all with the call, and he let the home plate umpire know it. Reese Bergstrom singled home Collings to pull PBPA to within 1 run, but Camfield struck out Matt Ashby looking at a fastball. He then struck out Nate Browning swinging on another great fastball that painted the black of the plate to end the inning and the ballgame with the score 6-5 in favor of Lyle’s. It was Camfield’s second consecutive save in as many days as Preston Hayes improved his pitching record to 3-4.

DeAndre “Mr. Clutch” Thomas and Julian “Hey Jude” Harshbarger were awarded game balls.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Lyle's Overcomes Much Adversity in 7-5 Victory

The Lyle's Family Barbershop Boys Baseball team overcame a lot of adversity as they scored 3 runs in the top of the final inning to come from behind to defeat KC Summers 7-5 on Friday, June 25th, 2010. This was a tremendous victory as the squad dedicated the game prior to its start to their teammate Syrus Sears in the hopes that a win would allow their comrade to play another game with them. Lyle's faces PBPA #35 tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM with the winner facing Alamo for the city championship next week.

Preston "The Machine" Hayes led off with a single for the visiting Lyle's club, but Quinn "The Eskimo Mr. Cool" Camfield popped out to pitcher Nick Vaughn for out number 1. Donovan "Smooth Hustle" Ferguson followed with a line drive that was snagged just off the dirt by shortstop Joey Nunez for out number 2. But just when it looked as if KC Summers would get out of the inning unscathed, Konour "Slammer" Smith drove a 2-2 fastball deep into right center field for a 2 run home run. Julian "Hey Jude" Harshbarger then struck out swinging to end the top of the first with Lyle's holding a 2-0 lead.

Quinn "The Eskimo Mr. Cool" continued his remarkable tournament pitching performance as he struck out Brody Shook looking on a smoking fastball that blazed over the outside corner of the plate. Nick Vaughn coaxed a walk from Camfield before stealing second base. Jackson Nichols grounded out to first baseman Donovan "Smooth Hustle" Ferguson unassisted for out number 2 as Vaughn took third on the play. Lyle's should have gotten out of the inning still holding a 2 run lead as Joey Nunez grounded third to first but he was called safe at first base, and Vaughn was able to cross home to make the score 2-1. Noah Patterson whiffed at a knuckleball offering from Camfield for out number 3 so no further damage ensued.

Things started well for Lyle's in the top of the second as Isaac "GPS" Ray led off with a single into right field. DeAndre "Mr. Clutch" Thomas hit the ball well but right to shortstop Joey Nunez who turned the hard smash into a 6-4-3 double play. Dakota "Badlands" Vasquez popped out to third baseman Brody Shook as Lyle's half of the second inning came to a close.

Quinn "The Eskimo Mr. Cool" came out firing strikes in the bottom of the second as he struck out in succession Calvin Haney, Lance Warfel and Addison McMillian. McMillian was caught looking at a fastball from Camfield while Haney could not catch up with a Camfield fastball. Lance Warfel was left twisting in the wind as he tried to hit a knuckleball from Camfield that dropped a good 8 inches in its flight to the plate.

Lyle's increased its lead in the top of the third to 3-1. Sam "The Rally Man" Owen hit the ball hard but at the wrong spot as once again shortstop Joey Nunez was there to gather the ball in his glove and throw out Owen. Preston "The Machine" Hayes hit the ball back to pitcher Vaughn for out number 2 but Quinn "The Eskimo Mr. Cool" hit a deep fly ball into left field for a triple. Donovan Ferguson had the first of his 2 2 out RBI opportunites as he drove a fastball into left field for a double that scored Camfield from third. Konour "Slammer" Smith was caught looking to end the inning.

Preston "The Machine" Hayes began pitching for Lyle's in the bottom of the third inning. Christian Richardson was called out on strikes to start things off right for Hayes and third baseman Konour "Slammer" Smith made 2 fine plays in succession as both Daniel Carpenter and Luke Coffey grounded out third to first.

Julian "Hey Jude" Harshbarger walked to start the top of the fourth but Isaac "GPS" Ray was called out on strikes on 3 pitches. DeAndre "Mr. Clutch" Thomas walked to join Harshbarger on the basepath. Dakota "Badlands" Vasquez had a wickedly vicious cut that he just missed connecting on that would have sailed the ball into next week had he hit it, but instead he went down swinging for out number 2. Thomas and Harshbarger attempted the double steal but Thomas was called out on a phantom tag that was never applied to end the inning.

KC Summers took advantage of the gift as they scored 3 runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-3 lead. Preston "The Machine" Hayes walked Cameron Knierem to open the door for KC and Brody Shook followed his teammate through by drawing a free pass himself. Nick Vaughn hit a ball to shortstop Donovan "Smooth Hustle" Ferguson. Ferguson threw to third baseman Sam "The Rally Man" Owen but Owen dropped the ball as KC Summers loaded the bases. Jackson Nichols walked, forcing in Knierem from third. Joey Nunez hit a grounder that eluded the glove of Owen at third, scoring Shook and tying the game at 3 runs apiece. Noah Patterson hit a ball between third base and shortstop that was fielded by Ferguson, but he was unable to beat Nichols to the vacated bag at third as KC took the lead. Calvin Haney reached on a fielder's choice for out number 1 as catcher Konour "Slammer" Smith picked up the ball and touched home plate, forcing Nichols racing in from third. Lance Warfel was cut down swinging for out number 2 and Hayes got Addison McMillian to look at strike number 3 for out number 3 to bring an end to the fourth frame.

Lyle's was able to tie the game at 4 each in the top of the fifth. Sam "The Rally Man" Owen doubled down the right field line and he came home as Preston "The Machine" Hayes followed suit with a double of his own, also into right field. Quinn "The Eskimo Mr. Cool" Camfield walked but Donovan "Smooth Hustle" Ferguson struck out swinging at a very good Jackson Nichols fastball for out number 1. Hayes and Camfield pulled off the double steal, placing runners at second and third, and Konour "Slammer" Smith walked to load the bases. Julian "Hey Jude" Harshbarger and Isaac "GPS" Ray struck out as Lyle's let a very good opportunity to do further damage slip through their fingers.

With the score tied, Preston "The Machine" Hayes pitched his third consecutive inning for Lyle's. Christian Richardson hit a sinking line drive into right field for a single that just popped out of the glove of right fielder DeAndre "Mr. Clutch" Thomas, who made a terrific play just to get to the ball. Daniel Carpenter grounded out third to first as Konour "Slammer" Smith's throw to Quinn "The Eskimo Mr. Cool" Camfield easily beat the runner for out number 1, but Richardson was able to move to second on the play. Luke Coffey hit a grounder to Smith at third, but Smith hesitated just long enough to allow Coffey to reach first base safely. Smith's subsequent throw was wild and Richardson was able to come around and score as KC Summers retook the lead 5-4. Hayes then got Cameron Knierem to strike out looking to end the inning, setting the stage for some last chance heroics.

The bottom 3 of the order came to bat to start the top of the sixth inning, but as I have told the team all season long we do not have any automatic outs on this squad. They proved me right again. DeAndre "Mr. Clutch" Thomas earned his nickname again as he legged out a single up the middle as he faced a no balls and 2 strikes situation. Dakota "Badlands" Vasquez had an infield single, moving Thomas to second. Sam "The Rally Man" Owen moved Thomas to third as Owen reached on a fielder's choice with Vasquez being forced at second for out number 1. Preston "The Machine" Hayes also hit into a fielder's choice for out number 2 but Thomas was able to score from third on the play to tie it up at 5-5. Quinn "The Eskimo Mr. Cool" doubled into center field as Hayes was held at third, bringing up Donovan "Smooth Hustle" Ferguson to the platter. Ferguson drove a 1 strike fastball into right center field that scored both Hayes and Camfield as Lyle's held a 7-5 lead. Ferguson swiped third base but Konour "Slammer" Smith struck out swinging on a full count to close the inning.

Quinn "The Eskimo Mr. Cool" was back on the mound for Lyle's in the bottom of the sixth as KC Summers was poised to send the top of their order to face him. A sweet, dancing knuckleball that floated like a buttefly but stung like a bee caught Brody Shook looking as out number 1 was in the books. Nick Vaughn was also sent packing as another tantalizing knuckleball froze him at the plate. Jackson Nichols extended the inning and increased the tension, as well as this writer's blood pressure, as he drew a 4 pitch walk, but Joey Nunez was called out on strikes to end the inning and the game, only this time it came on a beautiful fastball right down central that Nunez could not pull the trigger on.

KC Summers is a very good ballclub who had an exceptional season. It is now time to take care of business with PBPA #35 tomorrow.

Konour Smith, Quinn Camfield and Donovan Ferguson were all awarded game balls, Smith for his home run and good defense at thrid base, Camfield for his hitting and great pitching, and Ferguson for his superb defense and his game winning 2 out RBIs.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Lyle's Advances by Defeating Buffalo Wild Wings 12-1

After losing the previous night 5-4 to number 1 seeded Alamo, Lyle's Family Barbershop bounced back by eliminating Buffalo Wild Wings from post-season play as they defeated their opponents 12-1 on Thursday, June 24, 2010 in Kid Pitch boys baseball. The victory gives Lyle's a record of 8-10 overall, and leaves them as only one of four teams left in the field of 15. They face KC Summers at 5:30 PM tonight with the winner advancing to play number 2 seeded PBPA #35 for the championship of the loser's bracket.

This might have been one of the best played games Lyle's has put together all season. Winning pitcher Quinn "The Eskimo Mr. Cool" Camfield did not allow a hit in 3 innings, striking out 7 while walking 4. Camfield also went 4 for 4 at the plate with 4 singles while driving in a game high 5 runs.

Lyle's lost the coin toss and Buffalo Wild Wings elected to be the home team. Preston "The Machine" Hayes walked on 4 straight pitches from Brendon Miller to start the game, and he stole second ahead of Quinn "The Eskimo Mr. Cool" Camfield's single into right field. The running game continued as Camfield stole both second and third. Donovan "Hustle" Ferguson knocked in Camfield from third as he grounded out pitcher to first for out number 1. Konour "Slammer" Smith followed with a deep drive into right center field that landed for a triple. Julian "Hey Jude" Harshbarger doubled home Smith, but Harshbarger was caught stealing for the third out of the inning as DeAndre "Mr. Clutch" Thomas struck out swinging for out number 2.

Quinn "The Eskimo Mr. Cool" started things off right for Lyle's by striking out Martez Enloe looking on a fastball that painted the outside corner. A 1-2 fastball caught Brendon Miller in the back, and he stole second and third. Alex Lensink also walked and stole second base, but Camfield was able to strike out Brock Smith for out number 2. Skyler Hood walked to load the bases but they were stranded as Travis Bailey hit a soft line drive back to Camfield to end the inning with Lyle's leading 3-0.

Isaac "GPS" Ray, who was at the plate with a 3-0 count when Julian Harshbarger was caught stealing in the top of the first inning, worked the count full before drawing a pass to start the second. Dakota "Badlands" Vasquez had an infield single as the sliding Ray beat the throw to second. Sam "Dancing Bear" Owen hit a double into left field to move Vasquez to third, but the relay throw home from shortstop Brock Smith just beat Ray at the plate for out number 1. (It appeared from my angle in the third base dugout that Ray was safe at home as he slid under the tag, but his mother, who was coaching first base, thought he was out. But it is true that the umpire did not move into good position to make the call. He was standing directly behind the catcher and his line of vision on the tag was blocked by the back of the catcher.) Preston "The Machine" Hayes doubled into center field to drive in Vasquez, but Owen was only able to advance to third as he had to wait to see if the ball would be caught. Quinn "The Eskimo Mr. Cool" singled into center scoring Owen as Hayes moved to third. Donovan "Hustle" Ferguson lined a double into left that plated Hayes for the third run of the inning with Camfield holding at third as the left fielder got the ball in quickly. Konour "Slammer" Smith hit a popup that appeared to be heading into left field for a hit but shortstop Brock Smith made a fine catch on the ball with his his back to the plate. Camfield tagged up at third and attempted to score, but Smith's throw home was a strike, and Camfield stopped dead in his tracks. He then headed back to third but he got caught in a run down as the catcher threw to third. Camfield reversed course and the throw went back to the catcher and Camfield tried again to return to third base. The catcher threw the ball to shortstop Smith who fired back to the catcher who finally tagged out Camfield to complete the double play that went 6 - 2 - 5 - 2 - 6 - 2 as Lyle's held a 6-0 lead.

Following a walk to J. C. Keller, Quinn "The Eskimo Mr. Cool" made quick work of Wild Wings, striking out Mike Botts and Ethan Grasl on fastballs before getting Doug Emenecker to flail at a tantalizing knuckle ball for strike 3, ending the second inning.

The top of the third had Lyle's scoring 3 more runs to take a 9-0 lead. Julian "Hey Jude" Harshbarger walked and teammate DeAndre "Mr. Clutch" Thomas was the first of 3 Lyle's batters to be hit by pitches thrown by Martez Enloe. Harshbarger and Thomas pulled off the double steal and Isaac "GPS" Ray was hit to load the bases. Dakota "Badlands" Vasquez reached on a fielder's choice as Harshbarger was forced at the plate. Sam "Dancing Bear" Owen became the third of the trio of hit batters in the inning, driving in Thomas from third and also knocking out Enloe since he had to be removed following the third hit batsmen of the inning. Brock Smith took over pitching duties for Wild Wings and he struck out Preston "The Machine" Hayes for out number 2 but Quinn "The Eskimo Mr. Cool" Camfield singled in Ray and Vasquez with Owen taking second. Donovan "Hustle" Ferguson went down swinging as Smith put a fastball low and away that Ferguson could not catch up with, ending the inning.

Preston "The Machine" Hayes took the mound for Lyle's to start the bottom of the third. Tyler Estes grounded out to short as Camfield easily handled the ball and threw to first baseman Ferguson. Leadoff hitter Martez Enloe singled into left, just eluding the glove of Camfield. Enloe swiped second and third base, scoring on a single up the middle off the bat of Brendon Miller. Alex Lensink also singled ahead of the fielder's choice from Brock Smith who forced Lensink shortstop to second as Miller took third. Smith stole second to put 2 runners in scoring position but both runners were stranded as Skyler Hood, who really battled at the plate, was finally struck out on the eighth pitch from Hayes to end the inning.

Lyle's failed to score in the fourth frame as they went down in order. Konour Smith and Julian Harshbarger both struck out and DeAndre Thomas grounded out third to first as pitcher Brock Smith was working hard to give his team a chance.

Preston "The Machine" Hayes had a very good fourth inning pitching as he held Wild Wings in check. Travis Bailey popped out in foul territory to catcher Konour "Slammer" Smith who made a textbook play on the ball. Bailey popped up a 1-2 fastball, Smith spotted the ball, whipped off his mask, camped under the ball and squeezed it in his mitt right next to the fence just as he had been told to do for out number 1. J.C. Keller walked but Hayes struck out Mike Botts for out number 2. Ethan Grasl grounded between first and second but first baseman Donovan "Hustle" Ferguson, who is getting very smooth at first base, gobbled up the ball and raced to first ahead of the runner for out number 3.

Lyle's scored their last 3 runs of the game in the top of the fifth inning. Isaac "GPS" Ray got the rally started by receiving his team leading 20th walk of the season. Ray stole second and third before Dakota "Badlands" Vasquez also walked and stole second base. Sam "Dancing Bear" Owen went down swinging for out number 1. Preston "The Machine" Hayes hit an infield single to load the bases just ahead of the infield single off the bat of Quinn "The Eskimo Mr. Cool" that scored Ray from third. Donovan "Hustle" Ferguson was called out on strikes as the catcher dove to his right to haul in called strike 3 for out number 2. Konour "Slammer" Smith was hit by a pitch to drive in Vasquez for the second run of the inning. Julian "Hey Jude" Harshbarger was issued a full count walk to drive in Hayes for the third and final run of the inning as DeAndre "Mr. Clutch" Thomas struck out swinging.

Quinn "The Eskimo Mr. Cool" Camfield strode back to the mound as the bottom of the fifth inning rolled around, and the coach met with his infield to let them know that this was it, they had a chance to move on if they held their opponents and kep them from scoring. Doug Emenecker walked on a full count fastball and then he stole second base. Tyler Estes struck out for out number 1 and Emenecker moved to third as Martez Enloe grounded out to first baseman Donovan "Hustle" Ferguson unassisted. The game ended on a strikeout as Camfield caught Brendon Miller looking at a 2-2 fastball.

Konour "Slammer" Smith was awarded the game ball for his great defensive work behind the plate and his first inning triple.

Out of 15 teams that began this double elimination tournament, there are only 4 teams left: Number 1 seeded Alamo; number 2 seeded PBPA #35; number 4 seeded KC Summers; and number 12 seeded Lyle's. And it is the number 12 seeded Lyle's team that no one wants to face.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Lyle's Sends Strong Message to League: "WE'RE READY TO PLAY!!"

Lyle's Family Barbershop Boys Kid Pitch baseball team sent a strong message to the league as they defeated a very good fifth seeded team in Subway 17-3 on Wednesday, June 16, 2010. Lyle's, the twelfth seeded team in the post-season tournament, had all cylinders clicking for them as they hit, fielded and pitched their way to victory.

Preston Hayes led off with a walk from hard throwing pitcher Mitchell Kremer, and Quinn "The Eskimo Mr. Cool" Camfield singled into left as Hayes held at second. Donovan Ferguson had an infield single that loaded the bases, and Hayes scored as all runners moved up on a walk to Konour "Slammer" Smith. DeAndre Thomas struck out swinging for the first out of the game, but teammate Julian Harshbarger picked his teammate up by hitting a bases clearing double into right field, making the score 4-0 Lyle's. Isaac "Laughter" Ray and Dakota Vasquez both struck out to end the inning.

Quinn "The Eskimo Mr. Cool" Camfield strode to the mound for Lyle's and he held Subway in check, allowing just 1 run to score in their half of the frame. Jacob Watson walked and stole second and third, but first baseman Donovan Ferguson squeezed the popup off the bat of Dylan Shull for the first out of the inning. Power hitting Chase Monroe hit a deep fly ball into right field, but DeAndre "Mr. Clutch" Thomas, looking directly into the sun, hauled in the projectile for out number 2 as Watson had to race back to third to avoid being doubled off the bag. Mitchell Kremer singled into right center to bring home Watson, but Camfield was able to blow a full count fastball by Beau Bennett for out number 3.

Lyle's was able to score another run in the top of the second inning, and they really could have scored more, but a good double play put a stop to that. Sam Owen went deep into right field, but he was held to a single as the right fielder got the ball back into the infield quickly. Syrus Sears followed with a deep drive into center field, and Owen hesitated at third momentarily, with Sears hot on his heels. Owen scampered on home safely but Sears was tagged out by the shortstop for out number 1 as he headed back towards second base. Preston Hayes hit a triple into deep right center field and Quinn Camfield walked, but a sinking line drive off the bat of Donovan Ferguson was caught by the shortstop for out number 2. Quinn Camfield was caught in a very tough running situation, and he was doubled off of first base. From first base it appeared as if the ball had hit the ground first. The coaches for Lyle's appealed the call to no avail, and the double play ruling remained. I had a good look at the play from where I was standing in the third base coaches' box, and I believe the umpire made the right call, and I told him so between innings. But it was a very close play that could have gone either way.

Quinn Camfield went back to the mound in the bottom of the first with a 5-1 lead. Colby Comstock walked to start things off for Subway. Camfield sent a knuckler past the frozen Gabe Eickberg for out number 1, and a Camfield fastball was not caught up to as Austin Kowalczyk whiffed at strike 3 for out number 2. Nick Redfern walked but another Camfield fastball was gazed at by Jerry Stewart as it cut across the outside corner for out number 3.

The bats really came alive for Lyle's as the third inning rolled around. Konour Smith walked for the second time in the game, and DeAndre Thomas also coaxed a free pass from pitcher Chase Monroe. Julian Harshbarger doubled in Smith as Thomas moved to third, but when Harshbarger tried to stretch the double into a triple, Thomas was called out as he ran out of the baseline trying to avoid the tag at the plate for out number 1. Isaac "laughter" Ray walked, joining teammate Harshbarger on the bases. Dakota Vasquez hit an infield single to make the score 7-1 as Harshbarger came around to score, and Sam Owen's second single of the game into right field drove in Ray. Syrus Sears struck out for out number 2 before Preston Hayes doubled home Vasquez. Quinn "the Eskimo Mr. Cool" hit a deep fly ball triple into left field, driving in both Owen and Hayes for the fifth and sixth runs of the inning. Lyle's now led 11-1 heading into the bottom of the third.

Preston Hayes was given the ball as he took the mound in the bottom of the third. Jacob Simpson was called out on strikes to start the inning, but Eli (I was never given a last name) walked. Leadoff hitter Jacob Watson reached on a fielder's choice as shortstop Quinn Camfield fielded the ball and threw to second baseman Dakota Vasquez for out number 2. Dylan Shull followed with a deep fly ball into left field that was over the head of Isaac "Laughter" Ray, but Ray ran back, tracked the ball down with GPS precision, and reached high into the air to haul in the ball for out number 3.

Lyle's was not able to score in the top of the fourth. Donovan Ferguson walked and stole second and third, but Konour Smith and DeAndre Thomas both struck out swinging. Isaac Ray walked, but Dakota Vasquez took a tough called third strike, bringing the inning to a close.

Preston Hayes was sent back out in the bottom of the fourth, and Chase Monroe grounded out pitcher to first for out number 1. Mitchell Kremer hit a sharp grounder to shortstop Quinn Camfield, and it appeared from my vantage point that the throw to first baseman Donovan Ferguson beat the speedy Kremer, but the umpire ruled the runner safe. The next thing I knew I saw Kremer heading for second base, and I had no idea where the baseball was. I then spotted it coming into the infield behind the runner as he now headed towards third, and when the ball was not caught he then raced home for the second run of the game for Subway. Beau Bennett reached first safely as second baseman Dakota Vasquez could not handle the sharply hit ball. Time was called and I went to the mound to remind the infield to relax, have fun and just get the batter out. The advice seemed to work because Vasquez followed with one of the best fielding plays of the year. Colby Comstock hit the ball hard between second and first, appearing to have a single into right field. Vasquez fielded the ball cleanly as he ran to his left, spun on his heel, and threw out Comstock as his throw to first baseman Donovan Ferguson was right on target. Ferguson then made a fine play when he grabbed the one hop ball from the bat of Gabe Eickberg and stepped on first base unassisted to end the inning.

Lyle's bats kept pushing in the top of the fifth as they batted around. Sam Owen led off with a 4 pitch walk. Owen stole second as Syrus Sears stood in the batter's box. Sears walked and both he and Owen pulled off the double steal, placing runners at second and third. Preston Hayes then received his won free pass, loading the bases. Quinn "The Eskimo Mr. Cool" drove in Owen and Sears with a single into left field as Hayes held at second. Donovan Ferguson grounded out pitcher to first for the first out of the fifth, driving in Hayes from third. Konour Smith took a 0-1 fastball deep into right field for a home run as both he and Camfield scored on the blast. DeAndre Thomas was issued a full count walk as was Julian Harshberger, and when Isaac "Laughter" Ray walked the bases were loaded again with gold and black cladded Lyle's players. Dakota Vasquez hit a single into left, scoring Thomas with the sixth and final run of the frame as Lyle's increased its lead to 17-2.

Donovan Ferguson began pitching the bottom half of the fifth inning, and he promptly caught Austin Kowalczyk looking at strike 3 for out number 1. Ferguson lost both Nick Redfern and Jerry Stewart on full counts and when he nailed Jacob Simpson in the back on a 2-2 pitch, he was removed and Quinn Camfield was brought back in to close the contest. Camfield walked Eli No Name as the last run of the game crossed the plate, but Camfield struck out both Jacob Watson and Dylan Shull to finish the contest.

Everyone was awarded a game ball since as can be seen everyone did something special towards the victory.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

A Case of Humility

I am sure most of you by now either have heard and/or seen how pitcher Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers was deprived of achieving one of the rarest feats in baseball, pitching a perfect game. He was not deprived by his walking a batter, and neither did the gem elude him by his hitting a batter or by his teammates committing an error. No, he lost his masterpiece (but not the game) this past Wednesday evening when first base umpire Jim Joyce ruled Jason Donald of the Cleveland Indians safe at first following 26 consecutive outs. It was, unfortunately, an erroneous call, a call even admitted to being wrong later by Joyce himself. I respect Mr. Joyce for being man enough to admit he made a mistake, which is rather unprecedented when it comes to Major League Baseball’s umpires, and he has genuinely been very distraught over what has transpired, even tearing up the very next day when Galarraga presented him with the lineup card at home plate and patting Joyce on the back. I do not know of any other umpire in Major League Baseball ever admitting immediately following a game that he had made a mistake. Former Major League Baseball umpire Don Denkinger knows he was mistaken about a call he made that went against the Cardinals back in the 1985 World Series, but he did not admit to it publicly until much later.

In a sport that has suffered much from its own self-inflicted wounds due to the stain of the steroid era hovering over it the past dozen years or so, there have been some very good stories coming out of all of this unfortunate incident. We have already mentioned the humility and honesty exhibited by Jim Joyce, both highly commendable qualities, but pitcher Armando Galarraga has been the epitome of a good sport about the whole thing. Even when the call went against him, all he did was smile without saying a word of protest. His pat of encouragement given to Joyce to following day was also very touching, no pun intended, as even the Detroit home crowd was giving Joyce applause when his name was announced, causing Joyce to break down as he fully expected to be greeted by merciless boos and catcalls. But does this not just prove once again how God’s word proves to be true? What does the Bible tell us about those who show true humility? “Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will exalt you” (James 4:10 [RSV]).

I could be wrong, but I do not believe Jim Joyce will go down in history as the umpire who blew the perfect game. I do not believe Armando Galarraga will go down in history as the pitcher who had a perfect game taken away from him. No, I believe Joyce will be remembered for his “manning up” and taking responsibility immediately, and humbling himself before others. And I believe Galarraga will go down in history as being the man who showed such great class, sportsmanship and love to a fellow human being who was suffering, when the easy thing to do would have been for him to point the finger of blame at Joyce and kick him while he was down. I cannot help but think that somewhere Satan is disappointed greatly right about now.

A Light to My Path

A man named Maurice Freehill once said, “Who is more foolish, the child afraid of the dark or the man afraid of the light?” If I were to answer the question, I would choose the second option.

Many people, even those who are Christians, spent a good portion of their lives away from the light of God's word, somewhat respecting what it contained but not willing to submit to it fully. This is very tragic for the word of God can do much for us if we would just let it.

In the Psalms, the writers take time to declare the goodness of God and His gift of His word so that we may do His will. David writes in Psalm 119:105-112 [RSV],

105. Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 106. I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to observe Thy righteous ordinances. 107. I am sorely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to Thy word! 108. Accept my offerings of praise, O Lord, and teach me Thy ordinances. 109. I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget Thy law. 110. The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from Thy precepts. 111. Thy testimonies are my heritage forever; yea, they are the joy of my heart. 112. I incline my heart to perform Thy statutes forever, to the end.

God's word is a lighted lamp for us (verse 105). For most of the history of mankind, lighting up our homes and businesses was difficult at best because the power of electricity had not yet been harnessed. Thousand of years passed by in which the only way one could read the Bible was either to read it during the daytime when the sun was out or read at night by candlelight. How helpful was that candle when the sun went down!

Sometimes I work late at night in my office off of my bedroom long after the sun has already gone down. I do not wish to disturb my sleeping wife, Carey, so when I go downstairs to get a drink I leave the light off so as not to awaken her or the kids. Common sense will tell you that walking around in the darkness to go downstairs is not the best of ideas! I cannot tell you how many close calls I had before I decided to use a little light from my cell phone to light my path. There is an old Chinese Proverb that says, “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” This is so very true.

How often in life do we curse the darkness when a good source of light is right near us? If we think about it, is it not really true that it is our own pride that is keeping us from doing what is right, and turning to the One True Source of Light, Jesus Christ? When we put away our foolish pride and accept that we need to read the Bible in order to hear and heed God's word, then we will be much happier, for His word will teach us how He would have us live.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Daring to Remember

This weekend many people in the United States will be celebrating the Memorial Day by going camping, fishing, watching sporting events, swimming, grilling out or maybe engaging in a combination of these things. It makes me wonder, though, how many people will even take a moment to realize the reason and significance of the Memorial Day holiday: It is to remember all those brave individuals who gave their lives in battle and made the ultimate sacrifice a person can do, in order o protect the citizens of this nation and the freedom and liberty we cherish as a people.

When I reflect upon the lack of remembering what the significance of the Memorial Day holiday is supposed to be about, I am reminded of a very unique passage of Scripture found in God’s holy word in Ecclesiastes 9:14-15 [RSV]. The Wise Writer states, 14. There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. 15. But there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. Who was this man? What on Earth did he do and what plan did he devise in his wisdom to deliver his city that was being besieged by a king? I can imagine the great hero’s celebration the city provided for this poor man, and I can almost hear the speeches proclaimed by the city elders and leaders, probably making claims such as, “We will never forget what you have done for us!” while they handed him the keys to the city. And yet we are told what really happened: “Yet no one remembered that poor man.” We joke about how we begin to lose our capacity to remember as we age. Forgetting certain things can be a good thing, such as ceasing to remember wrongs or perceived slights others have done to us. But it seems to me that our failure as a people to remember things that should be remembered and memorialized is a symptom of a much deeper problem that is plaguing our nation, and that is our forgetting our spiritual roots as a people. The freedoms and liberties we have enjoyed as a people and have taken for granted came as a result of much bloodshed of others, and we are witnessing a time in which freedom and liberty are being taken away from us all in the name of “Democracy,” forgetting again that our Founding Fathers never envisioned that we should be anything other than a Republic. They innately understood that a Democracy would never sustain a people to remain a righteous people that would be exalted by God (Proverbs 14:34), for Democracies cease to respect the private properties of others, which is a violation of God’s eternal and immutable law which proclaims, “You shall not steal” (Romans 13:9 [RSV]). "Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security, or the rights of property; and have, in general, been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths." (James Madison, Federalist No. 10, 1787) In 1798 John Adams wrote, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." Will we dare to remember and heed the words of our Founding Fathers? Will we dare to be Christians and follow our Lord, and remain “faithful unto death” (Revelation 2:10)?

Grace, Grace, Marvelous Grace!

While under the Law of Moses, the Law ruled. The people lived by works, and the idea of walking by faith and not by legal requirements was new. In Galatians 2:20-21 [ESV] Paul writes, 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the Law, then Christ died for no purpose.

I believe the Apostle Paul is attempting to show that there is not a legal way to get to Heaven. The new Paul, the Paul who had been reborn in Christ, lived by faith in Jesus the Christ Who loved him. The question of love encompassing the two greatest commandments had already been answered. We should love God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength and we should love our neighbor as our self. This thinking was a foreign concept and new to the legalist, even though it should not have been, for it was taught in the Book of Deuteronomy. The new creature in Christ Jesus Paul now lived by faith in the Son of God Who loved him and died for him. Paul is doing his best, I believe, to convert the legalist to a life of living by faith in the Son of God Who loves us and loving Him back for what He has done for us. The new immersed into Christ Paul now lives by faith in the Son of God Who loved him and gave Himself for him. He lived by faith in Him and loved Him with all his heart for what He has done. Nothing that the Law of Moses requires was going to be of any value to the new creation. Eight times in this little book Paul mentions his readers of God's grace. There is absolutely no value in trying to achieve any favor or even Heaven itself, for works of the Law nullify the grace by which we are saved through our obedient faith. We are new creatures and we live and are saved by grace through faith in this Son Who loved me and gave himself for me by going to the cross of Calvary and shedding his precious blood. And I love Him for that. Only Satan thought creation was over with. But God had plans for the cross to create a relationship with man and God that law could never accomplish. And this new creation would life by faith in the Son of God because He loved us so much to do this. This causes us to relate to Himself by faith working through our love for Him. We are the new man that Satan did not understand would be there when he thought he defeated God by seeing Him nailed to the cross. Satan had no idea that a new and right relationship with God of living by faith and love would ever happen. I feel strongly that the new creation is a product of the cross that makes all this grace and faith and love working together so that we can be a new creation. If we could not be made new, then sinners like me would have no hope of ever being able to change or be changed. It is my joy to be in love with this Lord of mine and to be so eternally thankful to wake up every morning knowing I am forgiven. I believe that all legalism would stop if this little letter of Paul’s would be understood with the simplicity with which it is meant. We, in all our intelligence, sometimes try to make the meaning of the Scriptures something too difficult to understand. But God would not dare to in any way, shape, form, or fashion give us a word that by His Spirit that even the most common of man cannot understand. I believe this with all my heart. But by faith, dedication to His Word, prayer and a relationship with His Spirit to reveal the truth to us, and a genuine love for Him all these things are possible.