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Stars of G#2, Tue, 9/11/01
@Baer Park, 7:15 p.m. vs. G.L.Evans (Div.III)

(Loss, 7-5)
Play-Off record after game: 5-2

Jeff Schaeffer
Shaeff was the last person to drive me in - a 3-run home run with me on third.
2-for-4,
3-run Homer,
3 RBI, 1 run
(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Steve Julian
I'll miss having Steve behind me in the infield in 99% of the Slow Pitch games that I've ever played in.
2-for-3,
1 RBI

(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Dickie Delp
I'll miss Dickie sweating in the shape of Mickey Mouse.
2-for-3,
1 run
(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Game Summary/Notes:
And so marks the end of my Softball career.  I'm a little disappointed with the fact that my last game had to come on the day of the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, thereby marking 9/11/01 as a day that I will most surely not remember as "my last day of Softball."  I spent that day with tears in my eyes, glued to the television set in a conference room at work.  Although I was surprised that we were actually still playing that night, at the time I was glad to have something to temporarily take my mind off of the rest of the world.  It seems pretty clear in hindsight, however, that mentally I was not prepared to be playing Softball.  One of my better performances this was not.  I pitched well, but I can do that in my sleep.  What requires 100% focus for me is swinging a bat, and I was not at all in a position mentally to do that.  In that respect it's a shame that my last two games had to be games where I couldn't think straight, but I guess there are more important things in the world to worry about than going 1-for-7 which will be long forgotten soon enough.

In some respects I'll miss playing, but I don't feel that there's much left that I'm capable of accomplishing so it definitely feels like the right time to stop.  11 years of bad habit stacked upon bad habit has resulted in one of the world's most embarrassing swings that had long since become impossible to correct.  I'm not getting any better, and I've finally given up hope that I'll figure out how I used to hit like I did when I was 16 which was about the last time outfielders played me with any respect what-so-ever.

The more frequent nagging injuries had also gotten old - my shoulder which has needed surgery since 11th grade, my thumb, my heal, and my hip.  My occasional bouts of Steve Sax/Chuck Knoblauch disease had grown tiresome as well.  (And Bev won't miss my leg sticking to the sheets at night after games when I had to slide on the pathetic fields that we are forced to play on.)

What I will miss most about Softball are the friendships, the male-bonding, laughing, the mid-game banter and hanging out after games.  I'm sure it didn't hurt that we hardly ever lost, but this was the best group of guys that I have ever played with.  We'll all meet again on occasion and I hope to stop by to see a few games next year, but I'll miss the days when I could count on seeing everyone every Tuesday and Thursday.

If there was one cool thing about my last game, I struck out the last hitter that I pitched to!

For the record:  I was 1-for-3 in The Final Game, my last at bat was an F-7, the last person I drove in was Steve Julian, and the last time I scored was on a home run by Jeff Schaeffer.

And so 2001 will forever be remembered as the year Ripken, Gwynn AND MALINOWSKI retired.  I look forward to entering The Hall with Kid Rip!  Hahaha.

Anyway, enough sappy rambling.  The game...we just didn't hit.  We were 15-for-36 (.417) as a team, with only one extra-base hit - a 3-run home run by Jeff Schaeffer that accounted for 60% of our output for the game.  Still, the game was in the bag as G.L.Evans didn't hit either.  The 4 runs we scored in the bottom of the 5th put us up 5-2!  Unfortunately G.L.Evans scored 3 in the 6th to tie it, and 2 more in the 7th to win.  We declined to answer their late surge.  Steve Julian lead off the bottom of the 6th with a single, but then we proceeded send 6 up and 6 down to end the game.

In reality, despite scoring 14 in the first game, we really didn't hit all night.  Take out the 4th inning of Game #1 (where we scored 10 runs on 9 hits), and we were only 25-for-63 (.397) in the other 13 innings.  That, my friends, isn't going to win many games.

Again, I'll miss you guys.  Keep me in the loop, and keep in touch.  Your Pal signing out...


Stars of G#1, Tue, 9/11/01
@Baer Park, 6:15 p.m. vs. G.L.Evans (Div.III)

(Win 14-9)
Play-Off record after game: 5-1

Pete Gabrielli
I'll miss Pete's dad telling me I need to put more arc on my pitches.
3-for-4
3 RBI, 3 runs
(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Jeff Schaeffer
I'll miss Shaeff calling me Samurai.
3-for-4,
Triple,
2 RBI, 1 run

(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Dickie Delp
I'll miss listening to Dickie's mobile hitting clinics.
3-for-4,
2 RBI, 2 runs
(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Honorable Mention:
Chris Hunter (3-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 run)
Mac Zeiger (1-for-2, 2 walks, 1 run)

Game Summary/Notes:
G.L.Evans opened with a single, walk, single, RBI single, RBI single, RBI single, RBI single which plated four runs and left the bases loaded.  The next hitter hit into a 1-2-5 double play - that's right, pitcher to catcher to THIRD.  The next hitter flew out to left to thwart what could have been a whole lot more than just four runs!

The end of that first inning seemed to breath life into us...or, at least, took the offensive life out of G.L.Evans.  They did not score again until the 7th inning.  Giovanna's, meanwhile, sent 14 to the plate in the top of the 4th inning which scored TEN runs.  Pete Gabrielli and Jeff Schaeffer both had two hits in that inning.


Stars of G#2, Thu, 9/06/01
@Baer Park, 8:15 p.m. vs. Steelers (Div.III)

(Win 9-8)
Play-Off record after game: 4-1

Pete Gabrielli
Pete has now reached base SEVEN consecutive times.
4-for-4,
Double, Homer,
FOUR RBI, 2 runs
(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Chris Hunter
This guy has a GREAT first name.
3-for-3,
Double,
1 RBI

(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Dave Engle
This guy a cool, but he would be cooler if his name was Chris.
2-for-3,
Walk,
2 runs
(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Honorable Mention:
Jeff Schaeffer (Game winning walk-off 2-run single in 7th inning)
Steve Julian (1-for-2, Walk, 2 runs)

Game Summary/Notes:
Was there a problem or something you guys didn't enjoy about just blowing everyone out of the water like we did during the season?  These two games took a few years off of my life.  This was the 2nd game in two hours that we won in the 7th inning.  Unlike the first game of the night, we were the home team in this game, and won it on a walk-off 2-run single by Jeff Schaeffer which came with the bases loaded after singles by Metcalfe, Engle and Gabrielli.

This game was close from start to finish...
After T1: Flanagan's 1-0
After 1: Giovanna's 2-1
After T2: Tied 2-2
After 2: Giovanna's 4-2
After T3: Tied 4-4
After 3: Still tied 4-4
After T4: Still tied 4-4
After 4: Giovanna's 5-4
After T5: Flanagan's 7-5
After 5: Tied 7-7
After T6: Still tied 7-7
After 6: Still tied 7-7
After T7: Flanagan's 8-7 (thanks to a solo homer)
After 7: Giovanna's 9-8!

Now THAT was one hell of an exciting game!

Pete Gabrielli has now reached base seven consecutive times:
Single, Double, Walk, Home Run, Single, Double, Single.

Scott Metcalfe played a VERY good defensive game in left-field in these 2 games.

Flanagan's mustered only 11 hits in 7 innings - 6 of those by their #3 and #4 hitters.


Stars of G#1, Thu, 9/06/01
@Baer Park, 7:15 p.m. vs. Steelers (Div.III)

(Win 13-12)
Play-Off record after game: 3-1

Jeff Tantum
Jeff also threw 5 or 6 touchdown passes to me before each inning.
3-for-4,
2 RBI, 1 run
(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Pete Gabrielli
Pete has a lizard named Freddie.
2-for-3,
Walk, Double,
1 RBI, 1 run

(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Chris Mal
Will undoubtedly enter the Hall of Fame with Gwynn and Kid Rip in 2006.

2-for-3,
1 RBI, 1 run
(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Honorable Mention:
Steve Julian (2-for-3, Sac-Fly, 2 RBI including a go-ahead RBI single in the 7th, 1 run)
Dickie Delp (2-for-3, Sac-Fly, 2 RBI, 2 runs)
Jeff Schaeffer (2-for-4, double, 2-run single in 7th)
Chris Hunter (2-for-4, triple, 2 RBI, 1 run)
Scott Metcalfe (2-for-3, 1 run)
Mac Ziegler (2-for-3)

Yeah, I know, my 2-for-3 wasn't any better than anyone else's 2-for-3.  If you want your picture on the Internet, make your own website.  Hahaha.

Game Summary/Notes:
OK, this was better.  20-for-37 (.541) as a team.  .541 is a solid above average performance, but I think this was made even more impressive performance because it was spread throughout the line-up.  9 out of 11 starters had two or more hits.  8 out of 11 starters drove in at least one run.

You guys are going to give me a heart-attack though.  We made this game interesting by waiting until the last two innings, scoring 3 in the 6th and FIVE in the 7th to come from behind to win 13-12.  We were the away team since we finished 2nd to Steelers during the regular season, and entered the 7th inning down 12-8...

Single by Metcalfe
Double by Engle
Walk by Gabrielli
2-run Single by Schaeffer
RBI Single by Delp
RBI Single by Tantum
Great grab on a line-drive to RF by Hunter for an out (if the guy doesn't catch it, it's a HR)
Sac-Fly by Barzd to tie the game
RBI Single by Julian to put us up 13-12.


Stars of Tue, 9/04/01
@Angelica Hardball, 7:15 p.m. vs. Gilbert's Furniture (Div.III)

(Win 14-2 in 6 innings)
Play-Off record after game: 2-1

Jeff Schaeffer
This guy has been playing with a broken collar bone since July.
4-for-4,
Double,
3 RBI, 1 run
(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Pete Gabrielli
Pete used to have a spider named Manford.
3-for-3,
Walk,
1 RBI, 3 runs

(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Dickie Delp
"It was like throwing a pencil down a hallway." -- Dickie Delp, 2000
3-for-4,
3 RBI
(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Honorable Mention:
Scott Metcalfe (2-for-3, 2 runs)

Game Summary/Notes:
I'm starting to think that we played SO well in the first half of the season, that I got a bit spoiled.  Outside of the last game of the regular season - which was against a Division IV team, so does it really count? - I can't remember the last time I did the stats and concluded that we hit really REALLY well.

Thanks to an impressive 6th inning we scored EIGHT runs to blow the game open, this game could be considered a mediocre hitting performance.  Yes, we 12-runned them, and 19-for-36 (.528) is OK I guess, but we had just two extra-base hits and those were doubles.  And prior to the 6th inning, we were a sub par 11-for-26 (.423).

Thankfully, Gilbert's was offensively inept and scored only 2 runs the entire game.  Despite that, the score was 2-1 Gilberts going into the bottom of the 4th, after which we scored a whole 2 runs to jump ahead 3-2.

For Gilbert's:  Jarred Sadlowski was held hitless (0-for-3) which was huge.  Gary Lloyd who said he loved my pitching and always hits me well - and also told me it doesn't matter who is pitching in Slow Pitch (wrong, wrong, wrong!) grounded back to the mound and flew weakly to left-center.  Chad Shrawder was 0-for-2.


Stars of Thu, 8/30/01
@Baer Park, 6:15 p.m. vs. Moyer's (Div.III)

(Lost 18-14 in 8 innings)
Play-Off record after game: 1-1

Dave Engle
Dave is now 5-for-6 in the Play-offs.
3-for-3, Walk,
Sac-Fly,
2 RBI, 2 runs
(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Chris Hunter
Chris attended seven different colleges.  He's that smart.

2-for-3, Walk,
2 RBI, 1 run

(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Pete Gabrielli
When Pete calls my house, my answering machine goes "PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETE!"
2-for-4,
Home Run,
4 RBI, Sac-Fly
(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Honorable Mention:
Chris Malinowski (2-for-3, Walk, Double, 1 run)
Jeff Tantum (2-for-4, Home Run, 3 RBI)
Dickie Delp (3-for-5, 2 RBI, 1 run)

Game Summary/Notes:
If you looked up "Let them hang around too long" in the baseball dictionary, you'd see a picture of this game...

After 1: Giovanna's 5-0
After 2: Giovanna's 7-2
After 3: Giovanna's 7-2
After 4: Giovanna's 10-4
After 5: Giovanna's 13-7
After 6: Giovanna's 13-12

...G.L. Evans scored 2 more in the top of the 7th to finally take the lead 14-13.  A Sac-Fly by Dave Engle scored Jamie Schiesinger (who pinch-ran after a double by me-me-me-me-me) to tie the game 14-all.

That's when it got ugly...Top of the 8th:  Single (that should have been fielded), Error, Single, Single, F7, Double, F4, Single (with running out trying to score - yet another assist for Jeff Schaeffer.)  G.L. Evans scored FOUR runs in the top of the 8th.  Giovanna's went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning.

After getting only 27 hits in our last two games COMBINED and winning both, we actually had 22 hits in this game alone (22-for-44 which still isn't that great actually), but lost.

Sorry guys...Pitching and defensively I really felt like I let everyone down this game.  I'm not going to miss this feeling next year.  (If it's any consolation, I have given up more than 8 runs in a game only TWICE before this since mid-July.)


Stars of Tue, 8/28/01
@Baer Park, 7:15 p.m. vs. Moyer's (Div.III)

(Win 3-2)
Play-Off record after game: 1-0

Pete Gabrielli
Pete hasn't been arrested since mid-July.
1-for-2, Walk,
Safe-on-Error,
Double
(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Chris Hunter
Chris works with schizophrenics as part of his job, which no doubt comes in handy when dealing with people on our team.
2-for-3,
Run Scored

(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Mac Zeigler
This guy has hit a LOT of balls hard this year right at people.

1-for-2, Walk,
Knocked in 1st
run in the 7th
(Click on photo for
a larger picture)

Honorable Mention:
Dave Engle (2-for-3)

Game Summary/Notes:
This game was definitely a nominee for weirdest game of the year.  We were actually SHUT-OUT going into the 7th inning.  Moyer's scored 1 run in the 4th on 3 singles.  The score was actually 1-0 going into the 7th before Moyer's scored their second run in the top of the 7th on a solo home run.

We left runners on base EVERY single inning thru the 6th:

1st inning - runner on 3rd with 2 outs
2nd inning - runner on 1st with 1 out
3rd inning - runner on 1st with 2 outs
4th inning - runner on 2nd with 1 out
5th inning - runners on 1st and 3rd with 2 outs
6th inning - runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs

...until finally in the BOTTOM of the 7th Giovanna's strung together five singles without making an out to win the game THREE-TO-TWO!  Dickie Delp, Chris Hunter and Jeff Schaeffer all singled to load the bases.  Mac Zeigler singled to knock in one run.  A bloop 2-run single ended the weakest hitting Slow-Pitch softball game of the year.

As a team we were a paltry 11-for-29 (.379), and a horrific 6-for-24 (.250) thru 6 innings.  Three people were hitless, five people had just one hit, and only three people had two hits.


For 2001
Giovanna's
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