Game 13 Win 12-10

The crafty lefty battles through some pretty awful errors to get the W.

Game was so long ago I can't remember what happened, probably better that way.

Fun fact: Sully's arch enemy is seen here on the left of the picture

New Schedule

These guys are on the Softball team

Game 12 Win 10-0 aka "The Ball Fielder commeth"

Did we play a game last night? It's almost as though we were making jokes, busting people's balls, and playing a softball game on the side. At any rate, the Ringers had their first shut-out of the year. The win really revolved around defense. Danny played a stellar CF adding a web-gem to his repertoire of catches. It's nice to pitch with a guy like that in the OF. Sully played a solid SS getting a few charity hops from the soft infield dirt. Played musical catchers as Sam and DiStefano called the game behind the dish. Josh played a steady but questionable first base. He moved with the grace of a sloth on that grounder to the bag (cue circus music). The kid pitched a gem, working up the ladder as the at-bat went on. That box of rocks for a 3rd baseman actually swung at one that had to have been 20ft at it's height.

...how that kid sleeps at night after taking that called "ball" i'll never know

Sully had a day with a dinger and a double, 2 knocked in. Bags decided to go opposite field with 2 singles. Boonton put it best "Crowley had a couple of nice pokes" (literally and figuratively). Crowley's triumphant return from a textbook shin-boner. TC has fallen on some tough luck, robbed by a shoe string catch. When you slump those never fall in. The Kid goes 2 for 3, children take note, a little practice at the batting cage may just help after all. More stuff happened, I just don't have the sheet and Boonton doesn't have it at work. Feel free to leave comments

What we did see yesterday is something very special. We saw a man that is a master of his craft. A man the plays the game with style, focus, and grace. A man that makes you appreciate the sport. Simply put, we saw the "Ball Fielder".

The Ball Fielder isn't always the focal point. Sometimes he quietly sits on the bench, or behind the plate, or even in right field. He will mutter to himself "fuckin rookies" or "I can make that play with my dick strapped to my glove". When The Ball Fielder takes the field, look out. It's like Sinatra at the Sands, Ledger playing the Joker, or Nicholson playing Jack Torrance, gentlemen on top of their game...The Ball Fielder is no exception. "Unassisted double plays", grounders where he doesn't even bother to look at the ball...he knows it's going in the glove, line drives that just stick to his glove...that's The Ball Fielder, one bad son of a bitch. Just like Mr. June, tip your cap to him next time you see him, he doesn't come out that often.

Bags is that a boner in that pic?

Game 11 Win 6-2 or "Mud Bowl 2009"

For some reason this is the first pic to pop up googling "shin boner". Go figure...

Trivia question: What was worse? The mud that we played in or the talent level of the chicks at "The Tavern". Answer: it's a draw, straight down the middle.

Ringers advanced to a nasty 9-2 record after the pitchers duel with The Daily Boggs. Boggs came out hitting, plating 1 in the first and 1 in the third. They seemed like a solid hitting team and decent fielders, we have def played worse. The hitting started off slow for sons of Monty, fly balls, line outs and grounders. Put a few runs together and got up by 1 heading into the 7th inning.

Clutch hits by Josh and Sully put us up 6-2. As Timmy said "it would have been cool winning 3-2". I agree with his statement. The kid took the hill, single up the middle, force out, fly out, fly out. Good win. No walks and less than 3 errors should win you the game each time. Nice job all around.

Danny played a great OF, catching a lot of balls that other teams miss. Solid Short and 2nd played by Sully and Sweet. Connors called a good game behind the plate. Kid improved to 6-0. Skipper T. Smith was seen on the bench and chirping at the "fat dead ump". Player-coach Sully put local triathlete A. Crowley on the DL with a shin-boner. Pretty tame game, not much to write, so here are the lyrics to MJ's Smooth Criminal:

As he came into the window
It was the sound of a crescendo
He came into her apartment
He left the bloodstains on the carpet
She ran underneath the table
He could see she was unable
So she ran into the bedroom
She was struck down, it was her doom
Annie are you ok
So, annie are you ok
Are you ok, annie
Annie are you ok
So, annie are you ok
Are you ok, annie
Annie are you ok
So, annie are you ok
Are you ok, annie
Annie are you ok
So, annie are you ok, are you ok, annie
(annie are you ok)
(will you tell us that youre ok)
(theres a sign in the window)
(that he struck you-a crescendo annie)
(he came into your apartment)
(he left the bloodstains on the carpet)
(then you ran into the bedroom)
(you were struck down)
(it was your doom)

Game 10 Win 12-7 or "never count out a team with Mr. June on it"

These are the games that scare you. These are the games that sneak up on you and bite you right in your "shin boner". After defeating Raso's 20-1 last time, ya never know what could happen.

Boonton run down:

So, another night, another Ringers comeback victory, another chapter in the growing legend of DSull's bat. Facing another potential forfeit situation, the squad buckled down and pulled out an improbable win over Raso's, putting the squad at 8-2, good for a second-place tie.

As 7:30 rolled around at Field 2 (the 'good' field), with seven Ringers standing around wondering how they were going to steer clear of a forfeit ,nevermind pull out a W. Batting first, the ringers plated 3 runs in the first, but in the bottom half were forced to start seven dudes in the field, leaving a lot of open real estate in the OF. But with the trusty glove of GBags, patrolling the right side of the outfield, the steady pitching arm of Noyesie (just as steady as it was in bag toss at Sully's BBQ last weekend), and the resiliency of first baseman/triathlon afficianado Adam Crowley, who took a solid shot to the shin on a ground ball but managed to stay in front of it and get the putout. With Sweet and McGrath arriving in the second inning and the squad finally at full strength, the defense was solid, with some timely outfield putouts on some deep shots fielded by Sweet, McGrath, and DSull.

The infield was stellar as well, with both the right side (AC/JD) and the left side (TC/MB) playing error-free defense.with McGrath knocking in 1 run in the fourth, the ringers had really nothing else notable offensively, with some noticeable baserunning gaffes (2 officers turns (OT's) rounding 2B, one by JD that he somehow managed to get away with, and another with Sweet, who was not so lucky. Again JD attempted to 'sell' a GT, only to look back and notice that nobody was even paying attention.Then came the bottom of the sixth. Down 5-4 with one man on and their backs to the wall, DSull, the sparkplug of this offense all season long, stepped to the plate.

You know how the story goes, you've seen it before, a shallow rightfielder, an outside pitch, DSull licking his chops and poking a line shot over the RF's head. 6-5 ballgame, Ringers very much alive and well. The two-out rally continued from there, despite the Diamonds waiting in the wings to play the late game, and rooting hard against us, with insurance runs tacked on with some timely hits by Shaun, JD, Sweet, and McGrath...when all was said and done the Ringers had plated 8, giving A-Norr a comfortable lead to close the door for another inspiring W.

Seen in the crowd: Amy Norris-Noyes, ferociously cheering on her beloved 'Aarie' on the hill.
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Timmy Run Down:

So it was a battle. Pulled it out in the end.

Great defense last night. No errors in field. Played the first inning with DSull in left, Bags in center, Sweet in right (came in to give us 3 outfielders with 1 or 2 outs in the inning. Started with 2 outfielders and JD 2nd/OF tweaner)

Solid defense from Bags in center and Sweet in right. They got some action out there.

Distefano a couple nice plays at second.

Crowley had what looked to be a "shin boner" after he took one of the leg.

Noyes pitched well. Still a bit wild, but the handful of walks were spread out. Solid outing that will help the ERA. Sean did a great job at stripping Noyes down and getting him right.

Down 5-4 in the last inning with 2 outs, Dave Sullivan hit a two run opposite field bomb to put us up by one. After that, the bats woke up. Hitting is contagious ya know? Plated 5 more for a total of 7 two out runs in the 7th.

The other pitcher (a cross between Frank Rizzo and Norm Peterson) played some SOLID defense. Greg Maddox esc.

Diamonds were there to catch the end and gave us the respect we deserve by rooting against us. We 9-2. Get right.

Face in the crowd: Amy “don’t call me Rossi” Noyes.

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Richards Post Script

The legend of Mr June

There hasn't been a clutch hitter like this since Murph (before he "retired" from softball). When the game is on the line, this man delivers. All athletes have a go-to shot in their repetoire, Kobe has a turnaround jumper, LeBron has a step back 3, Elway has "the Drive", and now Mr June has the "right field poke". Here's to you, Mr June, you slippery son of a bitch.

Game 9 Win 12-11 or What a f'n comeback!

On a night where the Sox mounted a comeback against the Yanks, the Ringers never said die. For a team that has 2 names (Shockers/North Medford) they came to play and they came out hitting out of the gates. They definately earned their runs as we were steady in the field. Started out down early after the first half inning. A half in the bag Timmy started us off with a single and we continued the onslaught of singles. Kept it close, loading the bases at one point, but fly outs by me, Boonton, and Timmy hurt. I thought that play may sink us, but the resilient Ringers fought on. Keeping them at 11-4, DSull with one swing Grand Slammed it to 11-8, striking distance. Biggest hit all year (thank you emailing idiot on the Shockers).

Noyes kept me in check behind the plate with calling most of my warm-up pitches balls. Talk about a tough ump. They actually hit the crappy pitches better than the meatballs so I just threw it high and let them screw it up. One kid went down looking on 3 pitches, and I had a 3 pitch inning, after that their hitting was nonexistant.

Late in the game a huge HR by Sully tied us up, then the big man came up. Above is the face of the guy you want at bat when the game is on the line. That is the face of a winner, a champion, a true hero in the world of slow-pitch softball. Never any fear in his eyes, always sharply dressed and up to the challenge. Well the big man delivered. HR to right center, almost falling at first base, but a dinger to put us up 12-11.

We shut 'em down in the bottom of the 7th. Held them to no runs for the last 4 innings. Ringers go to 7-2. An epic comeback.

Seen in the crowd: "Casual Dan", Rudelyn Tinlingting Smith, my hitting skills.