[Westheim]

Raccoons (37-46) vs. Crusaders (36-46) – July 7-10, 2003

We’ll play four for(?) last place honors. Their lowly .240 batting average had the Crusaders score less than four runs a game, and their pitching was not even close to keep the playing field level. Their run differential was at -71 by 20 runs worse than the Raccoons, yet somehow we’re still only spaced half a game apart. Strange things are happening.

Projected matchups:
Randy Farley (5-2, 3.48 ERA) vs. Kelly Fairchild (3-8, 5.26 ERA)
Ralph Ford (5-11, 5.98 ERA) vs. Mike Nelson (7-7, 5.01 ERA)
Nick Brown (4-9, 4.01 ERA) vs. Whit Reeves (5-7, 3.46 ERA)
Bob Joly (0-4, 4.09 ERA) vs. Marvin Hall (3-6, 5.07 ERA)

Four games, four right-handers. Early in the season when we lacked two of our right-handed position players, we struggled quite a bit against left-handed pitching, however by now our left-handed batters are a bit lame. Martin, Brady, Palacios – you name them, none of them is setting the world on fire.

Game 1
NYC: SS Rice – CF Britton – LF M. Ortíz – RF S. Martin – 1B T. Mullins – 2B Andrews – 3B Rigg – C F. Gonzalez – P Fairchild
POR: 3B Sharp – SS Guerin – RF Brady – 1B A. Martin – LF Reece – 2B Palacios – CF Torrez – C Ledesma – P Farley

In theory, Randy Farley pitched a gem. It was still nerve-wrecking. The Crusaders took the lead in the top 1st on Gary Rice dropping a bunt for a single, moving up on two outs, and scoring on Daniel Sharp’s error as he mishandled Stanton Martin’s ground ball. The deficit was temporary, Clyde Brady lifting Farley and the Coons quickly with a 2-run homer in the bottom of the inning, and Fairchild gave up another run in the second. Then, the offense died for a considerable amount of time. A few things conspired against Farley in the seventh inning eventually to knock him from the game. Andrews singled and stole second on a lame throw by Ledesma, who had thrown one into center two innings earlier, but hadn’t gotten an error because the runner hadn’t advanced further. Ed Rigg drew the first walk given up by Farley, putting the tying runs on, and then Farley got Felix Gonzalez to ground right back to him for a double play opportunity. Unless of course his throw would be well high and over a leaping Guerin. That loaded them up, and Farley expended another 15 pitches go get through Jorge Gonzales (K) and Rice (4-3) to leave the inning without a run scoring. But his spot was up to start the bottom 7th and he was removed for a pinch-hitter in Ingall as we faced reliever Mike Collins, a prominent chapter in the first volume of Infamous Left-Handed Relief Pitchers for the Raccoons. While Ingall doubled and Collins walked three in the inning, we only got the one run on a Martin sac fly to make it 4-1. Moreno and Bruno almost ruined that score in the eighth, but Brady snagged a sharp liner by Andrews to end the inning with runners on the corners, after Moreno had walked the leadoff man Britton. The ninth was relaxed however, as Nordahl retired the Crusaders in order, fanning two. 4-1 Coons. Sharp 2-2, 2 BB; Ingall (PH) 1-2, 2B; Farley 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, W (6-2);

Of course, it could have been worse. While Farley appeared to be cruising to a shutout, the Crusaders could have put up a 7-spot just as easily.

We are that far: every game the Critters don’t surrender half a dozen runs is filed away in the “good” cabinet.

Game 2
NYC: CF Gonzales – 2B Andrews – LF M. Ortíz – RF S. Martin – SS Rice – 1B T. Mullins – 3B F. Adams – C F. Gonzalez – P Nelson
POR: 3B Sharp – SS Guerin – RF Brady – 1B A. Martin – LF Reece – 2B Palacios – CF Torrez – C Ledesma – P Ford

Ford won his last two decisions, and this was the right time to start a proper streak. Neither team got any hard contact off the opposing pitcher in the first three innings. The fourth then stopped Ford’s attempt at making it a streak, because he felt some thing or other and left the game with what appeared to be an injury. Ricardo Huerta was called on to go into long relief, performing well and beyond expectation with 3.2 innings of hitless relief, and he also drove in the go-ahead (and only) run through his outing with a sac fly in the fifth inning. Huerta was hit for in the bottom 7th with runners on the corners and nobody out, with Moore flying out to shallow right on 3-1. Sharp drew a walk off reliever Alex Glaviz to load them up anyway, and that brought up Guerin with one out and the bags full. If possible, we’d like a ball beyond the infielders, please. Guerin had already had a number of doubles this year, especially early in the season, and here he hit a ball to the outfield as well, and fairly deep, and nobody would get it. In fact, it was carrying, carrying, and became a GRAAAAAAAND SLAAAAAAAAAMMMMM!!! That sealed the deal. The Crusaders hadn’t gotten the bats up all game, and that didn’t change. Another run fell out of Glaviz in the eighth after a walk, a double, and a sac fly, and the Coons were never really threatened. 6-0 Furballs. Guerin 1-4, HR, 4 RBI; Torrez 3-4, 2 2B; Ledesma 2-3, RBI; Ford 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K; Huerta 3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, W (3-2);

Concie with a slam? Go home, baseball gods, you’re drunk! =)

Of course the injury to Ralph Ford – no matter how bad he has been this year – could be devastating. Our rotation has little credibility besides Farley, who seems to have left the Singles Cascades behind himself, and Nick Brown, and Brown only on a good day. After that, it’s rookies …

Rookie and Bob Joly. (shivers)

Game 3
NYC: CF Gonzales – 2B Andrews – LF M. Ortíz – RF S. Martin – SS Rice – 1B T. Mullins – 3B Burne – C Negrón – P Reeves
POR: 3B Sharp – RF Brady – LF Moore – 1B A. Martin – CF Torrez – SS M. Ramirez – 2B Palacios – C Fifield – P Brown

First inning, and no, Brown would not go deep into the contest. He walked Andrews, walked Ortíz, Martin singled, and Rice hit an infield single to Sharp who had lost his glove in Milwaukee, it seemed. Brown struck out the next two, but it was going to be one of those games. In six innings, Brown surrendered five runs total, the remaining four all scoring on home runs, a solo shot by Gonzales in the second, and a 3-job with nobody out in the sixth hit by Mullins. The Raccoons had mildly tried to rally in the second and third innings, had hit into mood-killing double plays both times, and just couldn’t get anything going. Through six innings, they were held to three singles, and Sergio Vega had bled another run in the seventh, making it 6-0 and with Whit Reeves, the ex-Scorpion, locked in, the Coons figured to have no chance at this.

Yeah, but figuring is such a peculiar thing. Dale Moore led off the seventh with a double. Martin singled, and Torrez turned into one for his sixth homer of the year, cutting the gap in half with one swipe. Next inning, now against the bullpen, Sharp hit a terrible bloop for a 1-out single. Brady singled. Martin singled, with Sharp waved around and scoring. Torrez hit a ball deep to right, off the wall, and Martin was waved around and scored from first base with the tying run on the double! Ingall got on, hitting for Palacios against left-handed pitching, but Fifield made the final out of the inning. We soon went to extras, where Dan Nordahl pitched a good 10th and wonky 11th, but the Crusaders didn’t score off him. Bottom 11th, Torrez led off against Glaviz, who had been rocked before in this series, and sent a huge fly to deep center, but it was caught by Jorge Gonzales. Next was Ramirez and drew a walk, and with Negrón having a very weak arm and the bullpen thin, we pressed the issue and had Ramirez go for the extra bag. Negrón didn’t even come close, Ramirez had the base, his fourth of the year, and Ingall sent a fly to deep right that eluded Martin, and the Coons walked off!! 7-6 Furballs!! Martin 3-5, 2B, RBI; Torrez 2-4, BB, HR, 5 RBI; Nordahl 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K, W (3-1);

That was a comeback I never would have expected. After Ted Mullins’ homer this game was so over, and then the team suddenly comes back and scored back-to-back 3-spots to tie.

Do they have some soul after all?

Game 4
NYC: SS Rice – CF Britton – LF M. Ortíz – 1B T. Mullins – 3B Rigg – CF Gonzales – 2B F. Adams – C F. Gonzalez – P M. Hall
POR: 3B Sharp – RF Brady – LF Reece – 1B A. Martin – CF Torrez – SS Guerin – 2B Palacios – C Ledesma – P Joly

If we could complete the sweep behind a winless Bob Joly (…) and the Elks would lose another one to the Titans, we’d move into a virtual tie with them just in time for a 3-set against another on the pre-All-Star-Game weekend for fourth place.

But there was just no winning with Joly. He was a useless piece of ****. The Crusaders had their way with him, every which way they wanted. After Al Martin hit a solo homer in the bottom 2nd to get the scoring going, the Crusaders soon whacked Joly around and would eventually return the favor of the consecutive 3-spots to Bob the Unfunny Clown, who did not survive the fifth inning, trailing 6-2 on ten hits, including two triples. The Coons had the bags full with one out and Martin batting, but nothing came of that. While Torrez drew a bases-loaded walk to pull the score to 6-3, Guerin grounded out to short this time. But maybe it was a bit too much to ask for a slam every other day. By contrast, a rather stark contrast, the Crusaders would get 15 hits off Raccoons pitching, with Ed Rigg missing the cycle by the home run, which was about the only thing we didn’t surrender one of. 7-3 Crusaders. Brady 2-5; Guerin 2-4; Moreno 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

Joly…

The Coons stole four bases in this game, and Concie alone stole three! Still didn’t help any.

Raccoons (40-47) vs. Canadiens (41-44) – July 11-13, 2003

Against the more or less average Canadiens, who sported the worst bullpen in the Continental League, the Raccoons had taken six of nine so far this year. We certainly had a desire to make it nine for twelve.

Projected matchups:
Edgar Amador (1-2, 5.10 ERA) vs. George Norris (7-3, 3.54 ERA)
Randy Farley (6-2, 3.22 ERA) vs. Juan Bello (5-7, 4.37 ERA)
TBD vs. Joe Hollow (3-10, 5.35 ERA)

We still had no clue about Ralph Ford’s condition. And it’s been a few days. I can’t possibly have just thrown the medical report into the trash? Or could it … could it be this piece of paper that is completely covered in honey? … Don’t ask…

Game 1
VAN: SS Simon – CF E. Garcia – 2B Dobson – 1B I. Gutierrez – RF Velasquez – 3B Phillips – LF R. Green – C Hurtado – P Norris
POR: 3B Sharp – SS Guerin – RF Moore – 1B Martin – LF Reece – CF Torrez – 2B Ingall – C Ledesma – P Amador

And the bad news were just crashing down now. Edgar Amador’s second start as a Raccoon lasted one inning. He tweaked his ankle on a pitch to Jerry Dobson and had to leave the game. There was no way we could piece another game together with the shambles of the bullpen. We got another 3.1 innings from Huerta, who had already been used heavily in the Crusaders series, allowing only an unearned run that was on Torrez, and left when Martin dropped Guerin’s throw that put Norris on base in the fifth. Moreno kept that runner on, and the game remained tied 1-1. Bottom 5th, Ingall singled, Ledesma walked, and Moreno struggled to get a bunt down, but eventually moved the runners into scoring position, and the Raccoons still didn’t score. Sharp was walked intentionally, and then Guerin and Moore made poor outs. Top 7th, still tied, Benton Wilson walked Arthur Simon with one out, then allowed a double to Ramón Trinidad hitting for Garcia. Reece brought the ball back in, and while his legs were old, his arm wasn’t, and he threw out Simon at home plate. The Elks didn’t score, but came close again the next inning against Marcos Bruno. Two out, Jim Phillips at second, Royce Green grounded to Ingall, whose throw as dropped by Martin. Third dumb error for the team in this game, but the Elks still couldn’t pull out a run. Neither could the Coons, behind held to four walks and three hits by George Norris through seven innings. One out in the bottom 8th, Guerin slapped a single to right. Although Pedro Hurtado had about the best arm in the world, he was in motion during Dale Moore’s at-bat and ran while Moore turned into a pitch. Guerin never stopped, and neither did Moore, for he had hit it out! 3-1 Coons, and somehow we had managed to save Dan Nordahl for the end here. While he got Dave Wheaton to fly out softly to Reece, he then walked Arthur Simon and Ramón Trinidad rammed a double to left center that put the tying runs in scoring position with one out. We really didn’t have anybody else, and extra innings would be TREMENDOUSLY bad, Danny. He struck out Dobson, which brought up NOT Gutierrez, the slugger, but Freddy Rosa, who was batting .181 with three homers after some double switches. Nordahl fell behind on him, 3-1, and instead of walking him, was taken to left for a double, and the score was tied. Yeah, my bad. Why do I go with a TREMENDOUSLY bad pitcher? Velasquez struck out before Pedro Alvarado issued a leadoff walk to Ingall in the bottom 9th, and then Ledesma hit right into a double play. Extra innings. Of course. Nordahl was left out there to ****ing die. First batter, Jim Phillips, floating one out to Torrez, who made his second idiotic error of the game, and that was four for the team. Nordahl would also balk, but the Elks still failed to score. Bottom 10th, Leon Walker pitching. Sharp doubled to left center, ran past second, ran to third, and the ball was there about half an hour before Sharp arrived. WHICH WAS DOUBLE AWFUL, since Concie doubled right behind him! An intentional walk to Moore and an infield single by Ramirez loaded them up for Clyde Brady, who hit for Neil Reece to counter the righty Walker. The count ran full before Brady put the ball in play by about 30 feet. Walker hustled in and lobbed the ball to Hurtado to force Concie. Torrez with two out, another full count. A fastball in the dirt walked off the Coons. 4-3 Raccoons. Sharp 2-4, BB, 3B, 2B; Guerin 2-5, 2B; Ramirez 1-1; Huerta 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K and 1-1; Wilson 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K;

You know… Even with our practice of awarding three “Doofus of the Game” awards, in gold, silver, and bronze, each day, we can’t cover all the mooks in this one. Four errors, Nordahl, Sharp, ugh!! And it all starts with rotten luck with Amador’s ankle!

The universe hates the Raccoons. I just don’t know why they’re winning these closely-knit games that cry out to be lost.

Of course the hammer came soon enough. While Amador’s ankle was not all that bad and he’d be good to go after the All Star break, Ralph Ford wouldn’t. He had torn his rotator cuff and was out for the season.

Like we don’t have enough problems. Well. We scrambled, and called up Fernando Piquero to take over Ford’s spot and make the start on Sunday. That didn’t help us any with our ridiculously squeezed bullpen. And Piquero would only make the start on Sunday if Farley would go sufficiently deep on Saturday. If Farley got knocked out early, Piquero would have to appear in relief in that game, and then we NOT A SINGLE OTHER OPTION left but pitching Nick Brown on short rest on Sunday.

Game 2
VAN: SS Simon – CF E. Garcia – 2B Dobson – 1B I. Gutierrez – LF Wheaton – 3B Phillips – RF R. Green – C Hurtado – P Bello
POR: RF Brady – SS Guerin – LF Reece – 1B Martin – CF Torrez – 3B M. Ramirez – 2B Palacios – C Ledesma – P Farley

The second inning was a perfect illustration for how ****ed up everything was in Coon City. First, Farley was pierced with three straight singles over the second base bag by Wheaton, Phillips, and Green, plating Wheaton for a 1-0 score. When Hurtado flew out to Brady and the Elks had runners on the corners with two out for Bello, Farley through four straight balls, and Arthur Simon took advantage with a bases-clearing double well past Neil Reece. It was of course exactly the one thing we didn’t need and couldn’t use: Farley returning to being Mr. Singles. He surrendered plenty of those in the game, 11 hits in six innings, nine of them singles, producing five runs and using him up completely for over 120 pitches. Down 5-1, the Raccoons had the bases loaded with no outs in the bottom 6th for Palacios, who used deadly precision to shove a grounder into Jerry Dobson’s glove for a 4-6-3 double play. Top 7th, Sergio Vega came in, faced one batter, then left the game with some ouchie or other. Martinez was wrung out for five outs, and somewhere we squeezed another inning from Marcos Bruno – all in another soul-crunching losing effort. 5-2 Canadiens. Guerin 3-5, 2B; Martin 2-4, 2B; Martinez 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K;

YAY! More injuries!! Rejoice!!

Sergio Vega’s sore shoulder might be good past the All Star break. Who cares! It’s all just right in the groove.

The groove of misery.

Game 3
VAN: SS Simon – CF E. Garcia – 2B Dobson – RF Velasquez – LF Wheaton – 3B Rodgers – 1B Phillips – C Hurtado – P Hollow
POR: 3B Sharp – SS Guerin – LF Reece – 1B Martin – 2B Ingall – RF Brady – C Fifield – CF Lyon – P Piquero

Arthur Simon singled, stole a base, and while Piquero would issue three walks in the inning, a Velasquez double play held the actual damage to one run. In the bottom of the second inning the Raccoons loaded them up on singles by Martin and Brady sandwiching an Ingall walk, all with nobody out, and Hollow kept missing by miles, walking Fifield on four pitches, which was not an easy task. That forced in the tying run, but the Coons were held to a Lyon sac fly and didn’t break through. In the top 3rd, the Canadiens put their first two men in scoring position, but failed to score when Dobson whiffed, Velasquez grounded out to Sharp, and Wheaton lobbed out to Reece. While the Raccoons hit into double plays in both the fourth and fifth innings to kill chances before they even were proper chances, Piquero at least came through on occasion, like in the top 5th where he had a runner on second, but struck out the dangerous Velasquez to end the inning. In the sixth he walked Dave Wheaton as the leadoff man, but Sharp dug him out by starting an inning-ending double play on Jim Phillips’ grounder. The Coons got another chance to expand their 2-1 lead presented on the silver platter in the bottom 6th when Ken Rodgers capitally tossed Concie’s grounder away to put a speedy runner on second with nobody out. The Elks walked Reece intentionally to have Hollow get the favorable matchup with the lefty Martin, who grounded into a fielder’s choice that sent Reece right back to the dugout. Ingall walked, loading them up. We were still looking for our third hit on the day, but also gladly accepted the sixth walk from Hollow, which had Clyde Brady force in the third run for the home team. And then Fifield hit into another double play to end the inning. Top 7th, runner on third with two out, Piquero faced Enrique Garcia as his last batter no matter what. Garcia drilled a 2-0 pitch to deep left, where suddenly Reece appeared and caught it with a launching grab. Whoah! Is it 1998!? So, we needed six outs in a 3-1 game, with a bullpen that was exhausted throughout. Well, Nordahl was penciled in for the ninth, but right now in the eighth we had two right-handers in Dobson and Velasquez to retire, and called on Martinez. He got Dobson, but Velasquez singled, which moved the line up to Benton Wilson. Wheaton grounded to Ingall, but we only got the lead runner. Rodgers then fired a liner up the middl- WHOAH, GUERIN!!! The play of the month, right there!! That ended the inning, gave the Raccoons another chance to try for a third hit, which was an utterly futile endeavor, but at least Concie reached on an error again. (sour look) Reece grounded out, moving Concie to second, and then Martin DID GET ONE THROUGH!! Single to right, Concie scored handily, 4-1, and suddenly the Gordian Knot was dissolved with a double by Marv and a pinch-hit single by Palacios, with two more runs scoring. Nordahl did his usual escapades in the ninth, including drilling Iván Gutierrez, but got through. 6-1 Coons. Martin 2-4, RBI; Ingall 1-1, 3 BB, 2B; Brady 1-2, 2 BB, RBI; Palacios (PH) 1-1, RBI; Piquero 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, W (1-0);

All Star Game

In the 2003 All Star Game, the Federal League All Stars played the Boston Titans. Or something like that. The Titans had nine players (Chapa, Hildred, O’Halloran, Snyder, Bennett, Lopez, Matsumoto, Garrison, Munoz) on the roster. The Raccoons got one mercy All Star, Albert Martin, who was nominated for the third straight year.

Martin strikes out in a pinch-hitting appearance. The CL wins 4-3 in walkoff fashion. Anibal Sandoval surrendered all three of the FL’s runs in the first inning and the CL doesn’t come back until the seventh, when they score two runs off Dan Moriarty, and in the ninth Ryosei Kato blows the save. Atlanta’s Alejandro Rodriguez walks off the CL with a 2-run double.

Roster moves

We added Felipe Garcia, who was 1-1 with a 1.16 ERA in three rehab starts in AAA, to the 25-man roster. Sergio Vega returned to AAA, Bob Joly was kicked out of the rotation into the long man role. Piquero is hanging around right now, but I don’t see an alternative with Bean traded and Ford injured. Actually, wonky Nick Brown is now our top hurler.

Raccoons (42-48) @ Crusaders (38-51) – July 17-20, 2003

No, they haven’t started scoring, and they are still atrocious, begging to be beaten.

Projected matchups:
Nick Brown (4-9, 4.21 ERA) vs. Whit Reeves (5-7, 3.48 ERA)
Randy Farley (6-3, 3.48 ERA) vs. Kelly Fairchild (3-10, 4.99 ERA)
Edgar Amador (1-2, 4.94 ERA) vs. Mike Nelson (7-8, 5.21 ERA)
Felipe Garcia (2-1, 3.14 ERA) vs. Marvin Hall (4-6, 4.96 ERA)

And those four are still right-handed, too. There might be movement in the matchups, since Greg Connor (7-4, 3.50 ERA) could come off the DL.

Game 1
POR: 3B Sharp – RF Brady – LF Moore – 1B A. Martin – SS Guerin – 2B Palacios – CF Torrez – C Ledesma – P Brown
NYC: CF Gonzales – 2B Andrews – LF M. Ortíz – RF S. Martin – SS Rice – 3B Rigg – 1B Burne – C F. Gonzalez – P Reeves

The first run of the game scored on a balk by Reeves, plating Palacios in the fifth. The Coons had had the bases loaded with no outs and Nick Brown batting. Brown was iffy with the control again, but somehow kept the Crusaders stranded. Although Brown was then robbed on what off the bat looked like a double by Stanton Martin, it was still a sac fly, and three more hits would eventually score three more runs, giving the Coons a 5-spot. Now you longed for a shutdown inning from Brown in the bottom 5th, which he entered on 63 pitches. Not bloody quite. With two down, Brown drilled Gonzales, walked Andrews, before Ortíz reached on an error by Al Martin, Stanton Martin walked, and Gary Rice singled, and SOMEHOW Ed Rigg did something capitally wrong and made the third out. 5-2. Brown lasted only six after all, walking four and plunking a pair against eight strikeouts. Both runs were unearned. The score was still 5-2 after seven, when the Crusaders sent Mike Collins although they should know better. Concie led off and homered! And then Collins put one on, put two on, and Ledesma homered as well, making it 9-2. Bob Joly pitched the final two innings, not allowing the Crusaders back into the game. 9-2 Coons. Moore 2-5, 2B, RBI; Guerin 4-5, HR, 2 RBI; Palacios 2-5; Ledesma 2-3, BB, HR, 2B, 3 RBI; Brown 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 8 K, W (5-9); Joly 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K;

Give me more of that Collins chick. He sucks so badly, even the Raccoons can put up big numbers. Well, we’re insiders on this one. In exchange, the Crusaders lost a good reliever in Leonardo Sosa to injury in this game.

With this outing, Brownie appears in the top 3 in strikeouts in the CL again. His 122 K trail Martin Garcia by 12 and Kelvin Yates by six.

Game 2
POR: SS Guerin – RF Brady – LF Reece – 1B A. Martin – 2B Palacios – 3B Ingall – CF Torrez – C Ledesma – P Farley
NYC: SS Rice – CF Britton – LF M. Ortíz – RF S. Martin – 1B T. Mullins – 2B Andrews – 3B Rigg – C F. Gonzalez – P Fairchild

Fairchild was off by miles and the Coons loaded the bases on a single and two walks, but up came, with one out, Farley. He grounded to third, where Rigg tried to get the double play rather than the out at home, but they were too slow in turning it, and Farley came up with an RBI groundout. Concie singled in a run and the Coons were up 2-0. Farley surrendered the first eight batters before Fairchild homered, which was not only slightly annoying, but it also kept the inning going for three more Crusaders to reach base and tie the score. It didn’t stay tied for too long. Farley morphed into Mr. Singles again by the fifth and was just needled to death by the Crusaders, who hit single after single after single. Farley was yanked at 5-2 with two men on. Another run scored off Huerta as the Raccoons had another **** day on the mound. Down by four became down by two against a shoddy Fairchild, and while the Coons didn’t get to Alex Glaviz this time around, they still cooked up the bullpen in the eighth. Guerin came up with the tying runs on base and he was unretired on the day. Mario Perez (not the Capitals starter) was tasked with his removal, failed, and Concie doubled the runners home to get us even at six, but we couldn’t find anyone to drive him in. Confidently(!?) we sent in Marcos Bruno to get us to the next inning – and he was torn apart. Three runs scored off him, including a Gary Rice home run. 9-6 Crusaders. Guerin 4-4, BB, 2 2B, 4 RBI; Palacios 2-4; Sharp (PH) 1-1; Moore (PH) 1-1;

Frustration. Completely ****ed up pitching staff, can’t get anything done. This is about the WORST offensive team in the league, and they still manage to routinely put up six, seven, or more against these atrocious pushovers.

We got rid again of Cal Lyon and called up Chris Beairsto, who by now had 31 homers in AAA.

Game 3
POR: SS Guerin – LF Moore – 3B Sharp – 1B A. Martin – 2B Palacios – RF Beairsto – CF Torrez – C Fifield – P Amador
NYC: SS Rice – CF Britton – LF M. Ortíz – 1B T. Mullins – 2B Andrews – 3B Rigg – RF Gonzales – C F. Gonzalez – P Connor

There was Greg Connor, fresh off the disabled list. He faced Beairsto with three on and two out in the first inning, surrendered a high fly to deep center, but Britton caught that. The Crusaders then instantly broke through Amador, scoring two in the first on poor stuff and bad control, and soiled him with six runs in four innings. And here came the bullpen, and it went on. Huerta was taken deep by the first guy he faced, Mullins, and that made it 7-0 against a Raccoons outfit that didn’t even show effort. They didn’t even try. The Crusaders had this one easily in the bag. 8-2 Crusaders. Palacios 2-3, BB, RBI;

The Crusaders stole four bases off Fifield, who also went 0-3 to drop to .148. And it is enough. He was designated for assignment. Mark Thomas, that other sucker, was called up.

Game 4
POR: SS Guerin – 3B Sharp – RF Brady – 1B A. Martin – LF Reece – C Ledesma – CF Beairsto – 2B Palacios – P F. Garcia
NYC: SS Rice – CF Britton – LF M. Ortíz – RF S. Martin – 1B T. Mullins – 2B Andrews – 3B Rigg – C F. Gonzalez – P Nelson

Another game, another pitcher incinerated, and it was the guy with the brown cap yet again. Garcia was crap from the first pitch going forward. In the first two innings he only had two men on each time, and bailed out twice when liners were caught by Guerin in the first and Sharp in the second. By the third, luck was out, and he got hammered. His control was ****, he had no stuff, the Crusaders just stuck the bats in there and singled and singled and singled. Seven hits and five walks in just four innings plated just three runs, but it was enough **** for one day. In the meantime, the Raccoons had about nothing, and certainly no runs. The Crusaders would casually continue to score like in the sixth with two runs on Bruno that were unearned after Sharp had not made one, but TWO errors in the inning, then hit into an inning-ending double play in the top 7th. Somewhere, somehow, two terrible bloops would eventually create a little bit of offense for the Inepticoons. In the top 9th then, facing lefty Ignacio Garcia, Thomas led off with a pinch-hit double that hobbled through Ed Rigg. Beairsto walked, bringing up the tying run with no outs. Palacios struck out. Ingall struck out. Guerin popped out. 5-2 Crusaders. Guerin 2-4, BB; Brady 2-4; Reece 2-4, RBI; Thomas (PH) 1-1, RBI; Palacios 2-4; Moreno 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

In other news

July 11 – Denver’s Zak Davidson (.333, 1 HR, 32 RBI) stretches his hitting streak to 25 games with a 1-3 day in a 6-2 loss to Dallas.
July 12 – TIJ 2B/SS Juan Barrón (.283, 1 HR, 36 RBI) joins the 2,000 hits club with two hits in a 7-5 win of the Condors over the Bayhawks. Drafted sixth overall by the Falcons in 1990, Barrón debuted with them the next year before joining Tijuana in 1999. For his career he is batting .313/.353/.401 with 24 HR and 663 RBI. At age 31 he still has a long road ahead of him and could make it to the 3,000 mark rather handily.
July 12 – DEN INF Jose Correa (.263, 2 HR, 36 RBI) is out for a month with a quad strain.
July 13 – TIJ SP Curt Powell (2-8, 5.79 ERA) is out for the year with a torn labrum.
July 13 – The day before the All Star game, Zak Davidson’s hitting streak ends at 26 games.
July 16 – All time home run leader TIJ RF/LF Raúl Vázquez (.320, 10 HR, 39 RBI) seems likely to miss a month with a fracture in his foot.
July 18 – RIC OF/1B Gerardo Rios (.282, 17 HR, 59 RBI) has suffered an intercostal strain and will be out for about a month.
July 20 – WAS SP Chris York (9-4, 3.34 ERA) has been diagnosed with a torn labrum and is out for the year.

Complaints and stuff

Shopping Jesus Palacios yielded no returns. This may be a salary issue, mainly the fact that most teams are either overbudget after the draft (though not as badly as last year), and the Raccoons are overbudget as well. Also, he doesn’t perform well, either.

The week before the All Star Game was certainly one to declare a Week of Wonders. Well, basically, any week in which Concie hits a slam is one that qualifies. But add to that two starting pitchers getting hurt, the Raccoons winning one of those games despite four errors and Nordahl blowing yet another save, and them posting a winning week despite most atrocious luck.

And dumb mistakes. The second week however was just abysmal. Tear-jerking. Makes you quit baseball…

Defining note of the summer: the Raccoons have conceded six or more runs in a game *22* times since the start of June.