Michigan Town Ball

[stevem810]

26 year old John Yancey entered the game batting .100 for the Z's, 2 for 20 as the starting backstop. But, the Dearborn, Michigan native had something to say about the outcome of the Z's and Mad Katz game.

Brookshire had a shutout going for the Katz entering the 8th inning. That's when Yancey lined a base hit to left center. With 2 out, John scored on a three bagger by Eddings. Game tied, 1-1. Yancey would end up 2 for 4 while gunning down the only would be base stealer at 2nd base.

In the 10th inning, it was Steve Mitchell facing Tyler Mitchell of the Mad Katz. Steve delivered a PH long ball that stood up for 2-1 win. The 37 year old has just 2 hits on the year, but the last one was big.

The Mad Katz streak ends at 10.

[stevem810]

About 1:15 AM this morning, right after the bar closed, a spokesman for the Family made an announcement. The last customer, Jimmy Manicotti, local patron and part time city blogger, captured the essence and uploaded it to his site.

Essentially, he posted the following:

The Family announced that starting this Saturday the Arrows would be known as the Pizzetta's. Paraphrasing the family spokesperson, aka Giovanni the bartender of the evening, he cited the following quotes.

"Look, what are we known for? Pizza's, right? I mean we have one thing on our menu. A medium sized pizza. That's it. Three generations still going strong. So, I ask myself, why are we calling our boys the Arrows?
Look around the place, other than the one pointing to the rest rooms, you seen any arrows? No, you do not."

"It's my fault. I should have never listened to my son-in-law, Luigi. Nice kid, but, upstairs, you know, sort of a dim light."

"We're going to use our new logo, we bought the boys two sets of uniforms. You're gonna being seeing the Italian colors on display proudly.
That's it. All I got to say about it."

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by stevem810

About 1:15 AM this morning, right after the bar closed, a spokesman for the Family made an announcement. The last customer, Jimmy Manicotti, local patron and part time city blogger, captured the essence and uploaded it to his site.

Essentially, he posted the following:

The Family announced that starting this Saturday the Arrows would be known as the Pizzetta's. Paraphrasing the family spokesperson, aka Giovanni the bartender of the evening, he cited the following quotes.

"Look, what are we known for? Pizza's, right? I mean we have one thing on our menu. A medium sized pizza. That's it. Three generations still going strong. So, I ask myself, why are we calling our boys the Arrows?
Look around the place, other than the one pointing to the rest rooms, you seen any arrows? No, you do not."

"It's my fault. I should have never listened to my son-in-law, Luigi. Nice kid, but, upstairs, you know, sort of a dim light."

"We're going to use our new logo, we bought the boys two sets of uniforms. You're gonna being seeing the Italian colors on display proudly.
That's it. All I got to say about it."

That's a very nice-sa, what Gionvanni speaka.

Really lika his comments about Luigi.

[progen]

Appears the Pizza boys over looked that one "ingredient", pitching. lol

[PocketsAintFull]

“It’s over the crust! It’s outta here!”

[stevem810]

Phil Stoke seems to defy his age, and his ratings. He's 36, owns TWO pitches, has mediocre stamina, and does not have what you would call highly rated intangibles. Yet, he manages to have an off the charts 20-1 career record.

His K totals are anemic, but his pitch to contact results are impressive. The key is he has given up a lifetime two home runs. It's clear his ball movement is aiding him in keeping the ball in the park.

The ballpark for Grand Haven is pretty much average in terms of home runs and batting averages. The team defense has a slightly better than average ZR, but Defensive Efficiency is a bit under the norm.

So, Stoke it would appear deserves credit for his numbers independent of any other statistical factors. We'll definitely look in again later in the season to see if this wily veteran from Waterford Township can keep it going.

[stevem810]

Matt Eddings, of Zing's Z's, leads the Town Ball circuit in three baggers with seven. Interestingly, he has more three baggers than doubles and homers combined.

This speedster has swiped 12 of 16 bags which ties him with Billy McGill for the league lead.

[Sizeman21]

I wonder if Fricano's ballclub gets free pizza on the house if they win the Championship.

[stevem810]

Originally Posted by Sizeman21

I wonder if Fricano's ballclub gets free pizza on the house if they win the Championship.

No doubt. Let's see....quick math....20 players....6 reserve roster guys...that would be 26 pizza's at once. Like a slow Friday night.

[Fredrocker]

Phil Stoke must be the second cousin of Elroy Face...

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[stevem810]

With the Pizzeta's winning 2 of 3 on the road last weekend at Ontagon (9-14), Luigi (of the family) showed up at Fulton St. Park with several of his friends and acquaintances for the first game of the home series.

The young Italian was so taken by the Friday night home field win he proclaimed after the last out, "Pizza on the House!" The remaining crowd of 30 or so took that to mean pizza for everyone, although Luigi later defended his action to the head of the family as being a simple offer of pizza for the 26 players.

We caught a bit of the dialogue before the door was slammed to ensure the meeting be private. "What's the matter with you, Luigi? What were you thinking? Where were you gonna put all those people on a Friday night? The roof? You know we have a line out the door until ten o'clock, right?

It's at the point the door closed on the eavesdropping crowd. Rumor has it that the players ate in the parking lot and were happy just to get the free pizza's. Some of Luigi's crowd were a bit disappointed that they had to wait for tables, but, after a few cold ones it was determined there were no hard feelings.

Any response to the inquiry of whether or not Luigi's wages will be docked for the next few months have not been responded to. We may never get the true answer, or the full story. Luigi has mentioned that he's not talking about it anymore, as a favor to his uncle.

For the record, 33 year old Morgan Vanderpool won for the 3rd straight outing. He went 5-5 last season but has a nice 7-3/ 2.65 ERA record on the season. Hitting star first baseman Ezra Schick had a pair of hits including a double to extend his hitting streak to 8 games. Ezra is hitting .362/.443/.650 on the season.

[stevem810]

Bill Ault is the leading vote getter in the Lower Peninsula and with good reason. Second sacker Loucks leads the U.P. in votes.

Other notes: Fricano's saw their modest win streak come to an end when Whitefish Bay put up an 8 spot in the 9th to win by 9 runs.

[stevem810]

I sat in on the Miner and Bear contest today and watched a very good game. The TC Bears saw their record drop to 12 and 12 after letting the Miners string together a series of hits in the first inning.

The slumping Miners (4-6) are now in second place 1/2 game behind the Mackinac Island Eclipse. The Drummond Island Lucky Clover are in 3rd one game back of the Miners.

[JaBurns]

A catcher hits a triple, what is steroid testing protocol in Town Ball?

[stevem810]

Originally Posted by JaBurns

A catcher hits a triple, what is steroid testing protocol in Town Ball?

Low budget league. Honor system in place.

[stevem810]

I was looking forward to the game for bragging rights between the two peninsula's. The lower peninsula had the home field for this one but the game belonged to the pitchers on both squads.

Few scoring opportunities as the two squads managed a total of just 10 hits while coaxing a mere 4 walks total. Thanks to the 7th inning heroics of C Eric Lamar it was the Lower Peninsula walking off with the trophy.

Up to the second inning I wondered if the game had made a mistake. The Ann Arbor Barn Owls had the starting pitcher and when the team came to bat the LP got one single and made three outs. All 4 batters were Barn Owls!

Young Eric Lamar is a two time Town Ball All Star.

[stevem810]

Here are the cards for Lamar.

[Sizeman21]

Hope the second half of the season is as jam packed as the first half! Keep it up Steve!

[stevem810]

At 16 years of age you wouldn't anticipate a player to have a 16 game hitting streak against a more seasoned and experienced competition. Then, again, who would have thought that a 15 year old would put together 28 straight games with a hit?

Nate Parker, from Sturgis Michigan, owns both of the streaks. At the moment his 17-11 Paradise Pines own a nice little 4 game win streak in the Upper Peninsula, good for third place a half game behind the Mad Katz and 3 games back of the Sea Gulls.

[stevem810]

Attending the Iron River game this evening and if you would have arrived a half hour late you would have discovered that the Sea Gulls were jumping all over SP Steve D'amboise in the bottom of the first inning.

Iron River reached base 6 straight times to begin the game with the big blow a grand slam from Dean Watson batting out of the 5 hole. It was his first dinger of the year. The Sea Gulls had four different players tally 3 hits apiece but it was Watson with the POG honors.

Leadoff hitter Billy McGill was a homer short of the cycle as he raised his B.A. to .381. Matt Sheffer goes 9 innings for the easy win lifting his record to 6-4.