Damned if I do, damned if I don't

Good evening, baseball fans! Welcome to Hell!

Alright, that may be a bit of a stretch. After all, I'm fortunate enough to still be living and breathing and entertaining myself endlessly with this typing, so I don't have an idea of what Hell is actually like.

But (1) I do believe in Hell and (2) I think it's safe to assume it's pretty dang close to what we Scorpions fans have been living for the past three days. Now I know what all of those Yankees fans have been going through and feeling this season (not that I sympathize)! And, no, I'm not a Yankees fan (see previous post on my disgust with the Nats - but that's a whole different kind of Hell. At least the Yanks have a chance! And kindly keep your comments about my beloved Nationals to yourself!).

I don't need to remind you Scorpions fans that the boys have dropped four games over the past three days, so I won't. No sense in reliving a past you cannot change. And there is no point in also reminding you that their lead has been trimmed to a mere 1/2 game. Actually, after the next few games any one of the four top teams could be in the top spot! Orange County is 1/2 gb, followed by Chico at 1 gb and LB at 1 1/2 gb. This week, I believe, we will see the 'real' picture on how the teams of the GBL are built. There could be some shuffling going on in the standings. Fingers crossed that our Yuma boys remain in the top spot (I say 'fingers crossed' because obviously the term 'knock wood' isn't working so I'll try another superstition. I'm not ready to wear the same Scorpions shirt day in and day out, unlaundered, until they win one (and neither are my colleagues) so I'll stick with 'fingers crossed' for now. That may change tomorrow!).

Frankly, I think I'd feel a whole lot better about this downward spiral if I were able to contribute to the club more. I blog positive comments - the Scorpions lose. I use reverse psychology and predict they lose - they do nothing to shatter the prediction - and the Scorpions lose. Damned if I do, damned if I don't. Am I the only one who feels completely and utterly powerless to stop this trainwreck?

I'd much rather be positive than negative (not counting the above comments), so I'll venture a guess and state that I believe the Scorpions are going to win this evening, their first of three games at Chico. Chico, as you will recall, is only one game back (third place in the standings) so it is crucial, absolutely crucial, that the Scorpions win tonight and tomorrow and Wednesday and the days that follow.

As far as my theory on what is ailing the Scorps: In a word, pitching (well, pitching and bad play-calling by the umps and too many uncalled for ejections (also by the umps) of Scorpions players and managers).

Pitching, as we all know (well, granted, there are a few hardheads out there that don't accept this), is the true and real source of baseball success.

I was speaking with my friend Steve today about the local nines. Steve is not only a terrific guy and a great friend, but he really and truly knows the game of baseball and keeps up on everything related to what happens on the diamond. Steve is one of those rare male specimens who actually watches and enjoys SportsCenter. I know, I know, a man that follows baseball (and every other sport including lacrosse and rowing and curling) on SportsCenter is a true endangered species but, believe me ladies, there are still a few out there so hurry and find one before they are all gone! (And no I won't give you Steve's number.)

Anyway, Steve and I were discussing the Scorpions' performance of the past few games. (I think he could sense my distress over the e-mail.)

Being a girl, and a blonde, I'd say something like this about the game of ball: The team that is going to win is going to be the team that scores more runs than the other team. Short and sweet and true!

Steve, being a true, passionate baseball fan (not that I'm not a true, passionate fan, but he's got a whole lot more knowledge of the game than yours truly) had this to say: "There are times when teams just seem to get in a pitching funk. They really just need a pitcher to step it up a notch and pitch a good game. It could also be that with all the run support they get too comfortable with their pitching and don't make quality pitches. Seems like they are stuck in a rut right now. Ya, all those runs you put up really don't mean anything if your pitcher can't keep the other team from putting them up."

(Boy, Steve's comments eerily remind me of my Fantasy Baseball team!)

I'd also say something like, "The team is really sucking right now."

Steve would counter with something similar to his above comment, and say it very diplomatically. Perhaps Steve should have become an attorney instead of an engineer.

As far as cold, hard stats go, the Scorpions are 12-6 (as I type this, very near to Monday's game time). With the 12 wins the Yuma side has scored an average of 9.5 runs and held the opponent to 4.4 runs. When the Yuma team loses they've scored an average of 3.5 runs, with the winning opponent scoring an average of 6.2 runs. What does all of this mean? Beats me, my major wasn't mathematics.

But I'm smart enough to know you don't win baseball games when the other team scores more runs!

I'm Done Making Predictions!

Saturday's Yuma-OC double-header results:

Game 1 ~ Yuma on top 5-0, gives up nine unanswered runs. Lose 9-5.

Game 2 ~ Yuma never recovers from being down 3-0, Maydew beans opposing batters indiscriminately, he and Marshall tossed. Lose 3-1.

I thought a few solid hours of sack time would improve my mood. Wrong. I'm still ticked at the outcome of yesterday's Yuma-OC double-header. The Scorpions have dropped three straight and I'd like to see this type of behavior come to a screeching halt. Right now. This type of nonsense is simply unacceptable.

Yesterday afternoon's (pre-game) blog detailed how the Scorpions owned the best W-L percentage in independent baseball. Well, that sure didn't last long, did it?

While Yuma still maintains a slim lead over Orange County and Chico (both 10-6, .625, 1 1/2 gb) in the GBL, a quick peek at yesterday's results across the eight independent leagues I've been watching show that Yuma is now tied for 6th (of 66 teams). Still not too shabby, but the local nines need to right this ship.

The Frontier League's Windy City ThunderBolts club improved to 24-7 (.774) giving them the top spot that was, until yesterday's miserable double-header, held by the Scorpions. The second through fifth spots are held by the American Association's Saltdogs (.744, dropped a game), followed by the SCL Peanuts (.733), the Can-Am League's Jackals (.714) and the Frontier League's Grizzlies (.710) all of whom claimed victories yesterday. Tied at 6th are our own Yuma Scorpions and the Northern League's Gary Railcat's (winner), both at .706.

Yesterday I also boldly predicted that Yuma would take both games from the Flyers.

I think I need to start making ' opposite' predictions. For instance, tonight I think the Yuma club is going to have their hats handed to them in their final game of the series at OC. There, now maybe they'll win. I cannot believe I just typed that.

A friend told me after yesterday's games that I shouldn't carry on so when the Scorpions lose. He calmly said, "It's only a game." I'm glad he pointed that out to me. I've lived my entire life thinking baseball is life!

I'd have breakfast now but my appetite is shot. Is it five o'clock somewhere?

Don't make me come over there...

The Yuma Scorpions are on the road, we all know this. Road trips can be pretty tough, this we also know. But what the hell happened today (Saturday)? This is simply not acceptable!

I have a Saturday off and I listen to not one, but two games! We drop both?! Marshall got booted in the second.

I'm sure he's about as happy as I am right now.

I'm pretty tired so I'm not going to stay out of bed rehashing this right now. But you can take it to the bank that I'm going to have some words on this come tomorrow.

This. Is. Ridiculous.

A Saturday Stroll through the Indy Leagues

I spent entirely too much time playin' on the lake last weekend so while I've been 'recovering' (and working my tail off at my day job) through this past week I've been thinking about the Scorpions' explosive start to the season. Specifically, I was curious about Marshall's season-to-date record and how it compared to other indy teams around the country. Yuma fans, I think we have some reason to brag. Knock wood.

Even though the Yuma nines dropped a game to OC last evening to fall to 12-3 (.800), it appears that they have the best percentage of all independent teams. Folks, that's 66 teams across eight leagues! I didn't realize just how impressive this stat was! I would like to point out that the GBL season starts later so the six teams in this league haven't played as many games (and probably haven't suffered as many injuries), but the statistic I am focusing on is W-L percentage. I'm still impressed.

(And before I go any further, the Yuma-OC series is split at one win each. A double-header today, beginning at 5:05 p.m., will give Yuma two wins to extend their lead, however Chico is now ahead of OC by 1/2 game, so it's starting to get bunched up a bit.)

American Association of Independent Professional Baseball: Ten teams, divided in to North and South divisions. In the North, Lincoln sits atop the standings at an impressive 29-9 (.763). El Paso leads the South, 22-17 (.564). I'd like to point out that the second and third place teams in the North (Sioux Falls, 29-9, .625 and St. Paul, 23-16, .590) are ahead of South leader El Paso. Perhaps the Diablos shouldn't have been so quick to retire Marshall. Not that I'm complaining! Their loss is our gain.

Scorpions fans will recall that the Saltdogs (not to be confused with the Salty Dog libation) were the team that Benny Castillo attempted to peddle Juan Lebron to during the 2005 season. The question has to be asked: Would Lincoln have an even larger lead in the North if LeBron were on the roster? A lot of things could be said of LeBron, but having a weak bat certainly wasn't one of them; he was a homer-hitting machine.

You've all heard of the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon? Well, in the baseball community I believe it's more like four degrees of separation. Example: Yuma's skipper through the 2005 and 2006 seasons, Benny Castillo, played for the Sioux Falls Canaries. Ironically, I lived in Sioux Falls in 1996 and 1997 and watched him play there many times. Less than ten years later he and I were working together for the Scorpions. The baseball community is, indeed, a small one.

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball: Eight teams, North and South divisions. Long Island and Bridgeport are tied in the North at 28-18 (.609), and Camden leads the South with a 27-19 record (.587). In the North, the Road Warriors are an amazing 15 games back. Barring a miracle I'd say they are playing for pride, because the chances of hardware appear slim. But in all fairness I should point out that the Road Warriors are homeless this 2007 season (like the GBL's traveling Japanese team in 2005, and my hapless Nationals once were - but the Nats have no excuse now, do they? Do they?!).

Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball (aka Can-Am League): Ten teams, one division. New Jersey sits atop the standings with a 19-8 record (.704). However, Quebec is only 1 1/2 games back at 18-10 (.643).

Frontier League of Professional Baseball: Twelve teams split into three divisions: East, Central, West. Washington leads the East at 17-12 (.586), Windy City leads the Central 23-7 (.767) and Gateway leads the West, 21-9 (.700).

Golden Baseball League: Six teams, one division. As we all know, Yuma sits alone at the top with a 12-3 record (.800).

Northern League: Eight teams, North and South divisions. Calgary leads the North with a 19-14 record (.576) and Gary leads the South at 23-10 (.697). In the North, Winnipeg is only 1/2 game back. It isn't even close in the South; Gary is at the top and Kansas City, Joliet and Schaumburg are nine, nine and ten games back, respectively. Former Scorpion Kevin Cheppenko was dealt to Joliet in 2006. Cheppenko was signed in 2007 by the Sioux Falls Canaries of the American Association, Castillo's former club. Remember I mentioned the degrees of separation? Oh, and I just noticed that the Canaries are facing the Diablos tonight (I don't know why this is relevant.). Many consider the Northern League the Cadillac of independent baseball leagues.

South Coast League of Professional Baseball: Six teams, one division. The South Georgia Peanuts sit on top with a 21-8 record (.724). Former GBL'er Kash Beauchamp is now with the SCL, as is Desi Wilson, as Field Manager for the Anderson Joes. Wilson's Joes club is last in the standings, with a dismal 6-24 (.194) record. Ouch.

United League Baseball: Six teams, one division. Rio Grande sits on top with a 24-18 record (.571). Alexandria at 24-19 (.558) is only 1/2 game back.

There you have it: Yuma's club tops 65 other clubs across eight independent baseball leagues with a 12-3 (.800) record. This is a good thing for Yuma (everyone loves a winner!), but the flip side is that when you are on top you only have one way to go - down! The pressure must be unbelievable, and I'm sure there are an inordinate number of spectators (particularly opposing fans) waiting and watching to see if the Scorpions will go down in flames. Misery loves company, so they say. Time will tell if Yuma's record-breaking start is a fluke, or if Marshall really is cooking up some magical brew in the clubhouse. I, for one, cannot wait to see how this season plays out. Of course, I'm not known for my patience (I always read the last chapter of every book first!), I hate surprises and any type of suspense kills me. Can we just get to the final game already?!

I'm signing off. The pool is beckoning and there's a game of baseball to be listened to on the AM dial.

Jinxed

In my haste to post last evening (you will recall I had a veeeeery long day and was longing for an Appletini*) I believe I may have inadvertently put the kibosh on the Scorpions' offensive juggernaut I had been so highly touting early in the game!

Much to my horror, I awoke this morning to learn that our boys suffered a 5-4 defeat at the hands of the LBALAUSNAIBA. I take full responsibility for the loss as I neglected to include the phrase 'knock wood' in that post.

My compliments to fellow NYer Steve Soja (2-1). Even though he suffered his first loss of the season last night his ERA is still, in my opinion, spectacular. I'd like to see more SO and less H, though. Wouldn't we all!

Today the club travels to Fullerton to take on Templeton's OC Flyers, whom (off the top of my head), I believe, are second in the standings. This could prove to be an interesting matchup. Game time 7:05, AM560 KBLU.

*Not only did I have a tasty Appletini (I recommend Stolichnaya), okay two, but I actually had a date! (Memo to Pat Brown, should he be reading: I was not set up on said date by my girlfriend, who has set me up with so many losers in the past. And, yes, she's still my BFF even if she, as you wondered, must secretly hate me!)

Not much to say tonight...

Y'all can read the box scores and stats on some other Web sites. I'm not going to go into those things here. I find redundancy unnecessary, not to mention a minor irritation.

Pete Whisler, hitting coach for the Scorpions, sat out Tuesday's game at Long Beach, and he's sitting out tonight as well. That makes his suspension three games (Sunday at home, Tuesday and Wednesday at Long Beach), but since he was tossed in the 6th during Saturday's game at home let's round the suspension up to four games, shall we? Pretty harsh for a minor 'bump' that may or may not have happened. Again, referring to my previous post, I refuse to believe that Whisler used a racially-motivated expletive when he spoke with said boy in blue (emphasis on 'boy' and he's sure not 'blue' now that he's claimed some sort of a victory over a coach; just what kind of 'victory' I suppose only men can understand). But what's done is done and we need to move on. I think some lessons have been learned here, and I know that more than a few have become jaded because of this entire episode.

I'd go out on a limb and say - with no disrespect toward pitching coach Shannon Hunt - that Pete's absence on the field has been felt. Is it just me, or have the Scorpions' bats been slow to heat up while Pete's presence has not been seen or felt or heard? Refer back to the first few innings of last night's game. Three up, three down ring a bell? Anyone? Anyone? Ferris?

Speaking of the Scorpions' bats, and their unbelievable (but very impressive) start out of the gate (let's not go Barbaro here!), through the twelve games to date opponents have felt The Sting by a tally of 113-55 runs, a better than two-to-one ratio. I'm still evaluating the pitching staff, but there is no doubt in my mind that at the present time it's definitely an offensive juggernaut that's carrying the Scorpions club to victory. The talk of the town is their come-from-behind reputation thus far in this short season. I'm thinking that the team doesn't mean or intend for that to happen. Who in the heck wants to have to battle out of the basement every other night to scrape together a tally in the win column? But perhaps the players have gelled to the point where some unconscious form of collective osmosis is going on in the clubhouse. I.e., 'Let's struggle early on and then freak out the other team when we battle our way back with two outs in the ninth." Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat...That kind of thing is totally going to throw off the opposing club! Okay, maybe it isn't happening that way, but I sure cannot explain it. Baseball karma, baby, baseball karma. We're all superstitious. Let's not shave until we lose a game. John, you got your lucky rabbit foot? Great! Just don't let PETA know about that pink colored thing you carry around in your pocket and play with and rub all of the time.

Tough break for Chris Langlois, huh? Throwing a decent game last night and ended up in hospital. Throwing-arm fracture. Evidently Langlois had visited the doctor prior complaining of some soreness and nothing was found (or diagnosed). Throws a pitch last night and breaks his arm! I'm thinking a stress fracture not visible. Those boys throw hard! Even the smallest stress fracture will put extreme pressure on the bones in the throwing arm (hey, I'm a mom of two boys, both baseball players). Too bad for Langlois. Seriously. Let's hope the offensive juggernaut referenced above will continue to carry the club.

With the GBL disposing of the DL this season let's hope Marshall finds a decent pitcher (RHP) to pick up the slack. I'm thinking a 2.00 ERA or better would be nice. I'm dreaming here, I am dreaming!! LOL! Anyone good enough to pitch like that wouldn't be toiling away in the indies or the minors. They'd be replacing Johnson or Schilling, fercryinoutloud!

Anyway, Langlois - it is my understanding - now resides in our fair city of Yuma so it will be interesting to see how that plays out. I expect Langlois will be a fixture at the ballpark even while he rehabs, and he'll likely be joining McLaughlin in the play-by-play booth. Not necessarily a bad thing. Always nice to have a second opinion. And if they don't agree on everything that's all the better! Nothing more fun than having two announcers going at it on the air. After all, the GBL tends to frown on bench-clearing brawls so a little excitement in the press box would be a refreshing change. On better thought, perhaps not. After all, didn't that play-by-play guy up in - was it Reno? - make national news when he ticked off the ump and got booted? His suspension was to suit up as an ump for a few innings. Hey, just like Halloween! :) Yes, that's my Jack-o-Lantern smile there. Pretty pathetic, but I haven't had the time to figure out all of these fancy features on the blog site.

Received an email today from a manager friend. I've been around the wonderful game of baseball long enough (counting my ancestors, since, oh, 1890) to know that long after the players go home (or hit the town at Applebees) the manager is reviewing stats and making adjustments and releasing players and basically figuring out what the heck he needs to do for the next game.

Said manager friend wanted to know what 'potion' Sorcerer Marshall is cooking up in the clubhouse office after hours to allow such a fabulous beginning to the season. I claimed ignorance, but I do know that if Marshall could bottle and sell this bit of magic he'd make more money than he did in his eleven years in the Majors. Managers in other indy leagues and in the Minors are seeing green at the success he's brought to the club. Kudos to Marshall. At this rate we won't have to wonder about which PLAYER will be called up, we'll be bidding adieu to Marshall, even if he does have a contract. Contracts were created to be sold, but I certainly hope that doesn't happen in this case. The Scorpions are obviously benefitting from Marshall's experience and knowledge of the game (no disrespect to my great friend Benny).

I must dash. I've been awake since 4:00 a.m. and there is an ice-cold pitcher of Appletinis with my name written all over it in my freezer.

Until we meet again...

Saturday's Race Card ~ I'm Going To Be Sick Now!

It took extra innings - eleven to be precise - for the Scorpions to obtain victory Saturday, but not without some modicum of controversy.

Pete Whisler, Yuma's hitting coach since the Scorps' inception in 2005, was tossed in the sixth for arguing a call (to recap, the Scorps were hosting the Reno Silver Sox and their skipper, Lancaster, is not known for his 'tact' and good grace.).

Sources say that Whisler 'bumped' the ump - and if that's the case he should sit out a game. But sources also tell me that the ump is now saying that Whisler called him...well, this is a family forum and I won't say, but it definitely had to do with the 'race card' and we all know what that means.

I was at the game last night - Sunday - and Pete was still not in uniform and Shannon Hunt, the pitching coach, was manning the first base side.

What I will say is this, unequivocally: I have known Pete Whisler since the GBL's inaurgural spring training in 2005. I have never known Pete to say one rotten, nasty, mean-spirited thing to any ball player, coach, front office staff person, sponsor or fan. Pete is the most even-keeled man I have had the pleasure to meet.

The fact that this is dragging on - day three! Hello?! - is a disgrace to the league and a disgrace to the game. Marshall needs to step up and toe the line for his assistant (whom I'm sure he knows as well as I), or Outcalt needs to render his decision and let the chips fall - even if it means Whisler goes home to Oregon, which will no doubt be a loss to Yuma and the Scorpions.

The club is leaving for a long road trip manana and it is the players, and Yuma's win-loss ratio, that will suffer without Pete's experience and knowledge and strong persona on the playing field.

It's one thing to make an example of someone (can we all spell P-A-R-I-S?) with just cause, it's another matter entirely to set an example of someone who has done absolutely nothing (and, remember, I witnessed this event!) to justify this ambiguity.

Y'all feel free to send an email to the GBL Commish, Kevin Outcalt, at koutcalt@goldenbaseball.com and tell him that Pete's place is on the field, not keeping stats near the press box or fishing from his dock in Oregon (altho I'm sure he'd not complain about doing that!). The Scorps have benefitted from Whisler's experience for three years (that is longer than inaugural skipper Castillo and two-year vet Meacham) and now it's time to show some loyalty to someone who has been loyal from the beginning, not some fellow in blue who is trying to stir up some controversy.

Good night! And don't neglect to send a quick note to Outcalt!