July 13 Recap
By Marc Brafman
What do you know…we got another week of games in! Of course, it still rained on Wednesday night and those of us at the Spring House had to dodge the monsoon that hit around 9:30. But that is better than 6:30, right?
First, before we get to the action on the field. A tip of the JCC hat to Team Solomon who won the first half title last night. Well done guys…
Now on to the recaps:
Field 1
Game 1: 11-3 Team Solomon
It was a tight game through the first 2 innings. It was another great pitching and fielding game for Corey “Chuck” Norris. He got the outs when it counted. In both the 3rd and 4th, we scored 4 runs to break the game open. Super Sub, Zach Hiudt, had a double over 1B to score two. Ryan “ROY” Marcus, Tyler Stansbury, and Greg “Triple G” Harris led the offensive surge to bring home the first half championship. Other play of note: I, Stuart Solomon, tried to steal home on a passed ball and was easily tagged out by the spry Ben Margolis to end the inning. On defense, Dan “Why is everything so” Green (this is a History of the World Part 1 reference. It a hilarious Mel Brooks Movie), Stansbury, and Corey “Chuck” Norris turned several double plays and one to end the game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fGkPp3t6y4
This championship is the first championship of any kind for 17-year vet Jeff ” 5th Rounder” Weisbrot.
Game 2: 12-9 Team Solomon
This one was a little more interesting.
This was a back-and-forth battle. Team Solomon started slowly and was in an early hole. Our defense was a little shaky in the beginning of the game, but we found our groove in later innings. Offensively, we had big 3rd and 4th innings. It all started with Mark ” Mr. Kroger” Wolfe and Swagner getting back-to-back hits and both scoring. Ryan “ROY” Marcus went 3-3 with a walk and seemed to be on base all day. In the 4th inning, the top of the line-up went to work scoring 3 runs with 2 outs. Adam ” The Mean One” Cronstein rocketed a ball to the wall in RF for a HR scoring Dan “Why Is Everything So” Green to put us up 4. The following inning, we could not hold the lead and it was tied going into the 5th. Team Solomon was unable to score with another great hit by Mr. Kroger himself, Mark Wolfe, and a great walk by Swagner aka Swaggy aka MS Wagner aka Matt The Accountant. The defense shut the door in the bottom of 5 when Mark Wolfe threw out a runner at 2nd base on a very strange steal attempt.
To Extras we go!
Adam and Tyler hit a single and double, respectively. We have runners on 2nd and 3rd and no outs. The team’s fearless leader and spiritual guru, Stuart Solomon, pops up weakly to SS. Sources close to Solomon say he was not very happy with himself. Grefer walks ROY Ryan Marcus to load the bases followed by a weak infield popup from Gregg Harris. Up steps the man of the hour, Corey Norris. With bases loaded and two outs Corey ropes a ball to left field getting past the Left Fielder for a bases clearing double. The defense slammed the door in the bottom of the inning and Team Solomon is 3-0 in the second half.
When told about his first championship, Jeff Weisbrot had to hold back the tears. He was able to mutter out ” I’m so proud of this team, I couldn’t imagine being with a better group of guys.” The rest was too hard to understand due to the sobbing.
Lastly, it’s Adam Cronstein’s birthday on Friday. He will be 15.
Field Two was Team Z vs. Team Fogel
Update pending…
Field 3
Team Brafman vs. Team Kamrass
The two teams split the doubleheader with Team Brafman winning the first game 12-5. A special note about our two games is that “Handsome” Sam Castellini for Team Brafman went at least 8-8 if not more in the two games and played a very, very good LCF. “The best two game performance I’ve seen,” said Capt. Brafman. “Sam says it’s all due to his pre-game meal of Triple Creek Hotdog and Bud Light. If that is his secret, count me on board for the next game.” Besides Sam, David BP Synder had a huge two out two run single, Dr. Bob Pelberg had a couple of hits as did Eric “The Mouth of the Midwest” Gruen and Joel Buckley. Team Brafman finished the 1st half of the season all alone in second place and would have beaten Team Solomon if Capt. Brafman hadn’t gotten tossed out of their game.
In Game Two, Team Kamrass led by pretty much their entire lineup and some AMAZING catches by Adam Heldman in RC and Mark “Big Blue” Tenenholtz in LC kept Team Brafman off the board. “The sun hurt us in the second game,” Brafman said but kudos to Team Kamrass who really put the ball in play. And man, their defense was really good. It should be noted that both Danny Gilbert and Mark Tenenholtz played in this game just to stick it to Team Brafman as they are moving after the season. (Thanks guys and good luck in Denver (Gilbert) and Austin (Mark))
Finally on Field 4 after an eventful week Team Roger vs. Team Jimmy
After losing for the 9th straight time in the first game of the twin bill vs TEAM LEFTON, TEAM ROSENTHAL gutted out a one run victory to finally see the other side of the scoreboard….
It has been a crazy last few days for captain ROGER ROSENTHAL in trying to pull off a trade to help better the team.
KYLE GREFER, captain of TEAM GREFER, was looking for a pitcher after MIKE GRAY went down for the season with an injury and approached ROSENTHAL about a trade involving pitching legend, HOWARD SCHWARTZ.
To make a long story short, a deal was made…..SCHWARTZ for first round pick TAYLOR POLICE.
POLICE is also out for the season with an injury, so ROSENTHAL had a choice to either get a temporary sub each week or a pemanent sub and he elected to get EVAN PIERSON on a regular basis.
“I wish HOWIE the best, but I think we needed a spark, and a change was the best for both parties, ” ROSENTHAL said.
Now to last night’s games…..
The first game was a pitcher’s duel between STU WEINSTEIN (LEFTON), who was filling in for regular pitcher and captain JIMMY LEFTON, and KEITH KOMBRINCK, the new pitcher for TEAM ROSENTHAL……
TEAM LEFTON won the game 5-2? and the losing streak continued, but in the second game, it was a different story……..
“It was a total team effort from top to bottom as we finally found a way to win and lift that load off our backs. It feels great,” ROSENTHAL said afterwards.
“I’m proud of the way the guys hung in there. I never doubted the effort. We just had some bad breaks along the way and couldn’t overcome them. I couldn’t be happier for the team to finally get that first victory,” he added.
Kudos go out to the entire team…….
KOMBRINCK….for pitching two great games!
SIMONS…………for throwing out a runner trying to score in the last inning that was huge!
GOLDFARB…….for hitting like a monster and making every play at SS!
PIERSON………..for providing a much-needed spark on offense and playing a solid LCF!
ASKIN…………….for coming up with a huge two out RBI hit that proved to be the difference in the game!
GOLDBERG……for playing a solid infield, both at 1B and 2B and executing a perfect bunt!
SOLOMON…….for keeping the energy level high and once again, being solid behind the plate!
FRANKEL………for playing a solid 2B and 3B!
SWAN……………for getting on base in the leadoff spot a few times to set the pace!
The game ball went to KOMBRINCK, who pitched two great games and to my knowledge didn’t walk anyone………..
League notes:
A very nice article on the First Family of JCC softball, The Wolfs, from the JCC newsletter. It was a great history and shows why our league is so special.
Let’s all wish Jeff “The Natural” Weisbrot good luck as he takes on the world once again in Israel for Team USA in the fast pitch Maccabiah games. Bring home that gold Jeff. Use your draft slot as motivation.
Some Reds news to brighten your day: This week Jason Stark, the HOF writer for the Athletic, had his mid-season awards/non awards. Cy Young, ROY etc. Here is what he wrote about the Reds as an offense which he voted as the anti-MVP of the entire National League. Other words he gave the ENTIRE Reds team the un-MVP
Going into last Thursday’s game: They had been outhomered 115-73, outslugged 451-375 and outscored by 105 runs.
The Reds position players are minus, let me repeat, minus 8.4 WAR
14 players have a negative WAR
And finally, my favorite stat the legendary Mike “I look more like a Moose” Moustakas has a whopping 7 home runs at home in 3 years. One of which was Sunday, when he finally hit his 200th homer.
Where does Howie getting traded rank as far as Hall of Famers getting traded? Behind Frank Robinson but ahead of Tom Seaver? Or Ken Griffey Jr? Either way it was a wild week in JCC softball when the living legend switches teams.
I bust Roger’s chops all the time for the weird things he sells (read below) but did you know that Mark “Little Gig” Franklin sells high-end Pokemon cards? He showed me last night and is doing really well for himself.
Riley “The Big Man” Able informed me last night that for a cool $400 or so dollars you too can sit center stage or center pit for the Bruce Springsteen tour starting this fall. You can catch Riley and I going to see The Boss in the last row of an arena near you.
Anton, Sam “The Hitman” Hecht, Eric “Jeter” Goldstein and Greg “Follow the” Leader all have family members in Israel right now through Camp Livingston. Oh, to be 16 again and on that trip. We think we are living large? Ah no, those kids are.
Next time you see Alan Lessure at the field please make sure you stop by and ask him to tell you his Beastie Boy joke. Trust me, it’s a real winner.
And finally, as promised Roger today posted that he is selling a Mark Jackson NBA “Chips” poker chip from 2005-06. Roger, please update me next week if anyone buys that.
Let’s hope we are done with the doubleheaders. See everyone next week
Marc