A double shot of blog posts this week…Sunday the 19th and last night:
First on May 19:
Here is Roger’s blog post:
RECORD SET IN TEAM WOLF VICTORY OVER TEAM HARRIS??????????
After winning their first three games, TEAM HARRIS hit a rough spot in the road and lost to TEAM WOLF…..
The real story in the game was the defense had a few breakdowns and offensively, balls that were hit hard were caught….
KUDOS GO OUT TO…….
*STU WEINSTEIN, once a top 3 pick in the league (a million years ago), had two shots for doubles and once again played a solid first base……
*PAT FELDMAN, playing in his first game of the season, might have set a JCC softball league record with four walks in four at bats…….none were intentional…..
*ANDY GOLLIN had two hits……
*MARK WEISSER had a hit and two walks…..
*JZ ZEIDENSTEIN had a couple of hits and three runs scored…..
*DEE HARRIS had a hit and hit by pitch….
TIDBITS…..
*”We didn’t play our best in the field, but it’s just one game and I’m confident we’ll bounce back in our next game. I like this team and I think we’ll be just fine, ” captain GRIFF HARRIS said to the media afterwards.
*Things got a little chippy and some words were exchanged when a potential double play wasn’t converted because of some questionable base running by RYAN BAUM, but that’s all it was. Boys will be boys!
*Get well wishes go out to EVAN WEISSER, who missed the game, but should be out there next game as one of the most daring base runners in the league.
*The JCC league has it’s fair share of famous people come to games……BARRY WAGNER, former softball great, was in town with wife, NANCY, to watch son BRAD play…..they may not be invited back as his team lost…..
And finally, I feel I owe it to the league to balance out all the comments about the CINCINNATI REDS and talk hockey, the greatest sport on the planet………it IS the playoffs!…….At this writing, the NEW YORK RANGERS play the FLORIDA PANTHERS in the Eastern Conference Finals and the DALLAS STARS await the Game 7 winner between the EDMONTON OILERS and VANCOUVER CANUCKS for the Western Conference Finals……Add ADAM CRONSTEIN to the list of players that follow hockey….he’s pulling for the Canucks…….KEN GROH is a Rangers fan…..GRIFF HARRIS is a TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS fan and knows everything about AUSTON MATTHEWS that you would want to know…..and yours truly is a LOS ANGELES KINGS fan who has a WAYNE GRETZKY mecca in his basement…..
UNTIL NEXT TIME……TAKE CARE AND GO X!!!!!!!
Next we have Rick T
On the leper field (Field 4), Team Tenenholtz hosted a feisty Team Kamrass. Both teams were missing four regulars, so they split up the Kotzin brothers (Josh to Kamrass and Benji to Tenenholtz). Team Tenenholtz also had Greg Leader’s youngest son, 15-year-old Evan and Micah had brother, Jared. The Kotzin brothers played as expected, effortlessly crushing balls to the warning track and playing tough defense, while young Leader and bro Kamrass each helped their team’s defense.
The home team got off to a quick start batting around in the first and taking a 5-1 lead, but the visitors hung tough and trailed 6-5 after three. In the fourth, shortstop Jack Cohen led off with a single and the next three batters reached base. After a sac fly by Leader, the Hall-of-Famer, Howard Schwartz, got the third of his four hits to knock in a run and put Tenenholtz up 9-6. In the 5th, Jeremy Spiegel led off with his second hit of the day to start a 7-run rally, which led to a 16-6 win in 5 innings. The winning hit was an opposite field line drive from Mike Rothstein, his second hit of the inning and his 4th of the day.
After the game, Rothstein said, “If we can catch the ball and hold the other team under 10 runs, we can beat anyone. Of course, you can say that about everyone in the league!” First baseman, Zach Michelson, had another solid game at 1B. “If I keep it up, I should be able to snag defensive POY from Jeremy Fogel,” said Zach postgame. “Jeremy might be able to track a fly ball better, but he’s skinny, so you can push him around. Nobody’s gonna knock me off first base!”
Team Grefer beat Team Wagner 25-11. Our offense exploded in this one – taking advantage of difficult morning sun in the outfield on Field 1. It was a complete team effort with everyone having at least 2 hits and scoring a run, and 7 different guys having 4 hits each (Landon Krantz, Harry Meisner, Zach Mayer, Tim Trautman, Marc Simons, Gary Grefer, and myself). We broke out in the 3rd inning scoring 8 runs, with most of them coming with 2 outs.
We got a little dinged up with Landon Krantz and Zach Mayer suffering minor injuries, but they’ll hopefully be fine for the next game.
Also wishing a speedy recovery to Brad Wagner who pulled his quad in the game as well.
And finally Team Fogel won but I don’t know the score
Now onto last night
On Field 1 we had team Wolf vs. Team Rick T
Rick for…wait for it…the winners!!
On Field 1, undefeated Team Wolf hosted a beat-up Team Tenenholtz. Howie and Mike Gray battled all night long and both pitched well. The real story, however, was the play of Team Tenenholtz’s utility player, Brian Goldberg. “I lost track of how many putouts he had, but he fielded everything hit his way,” said the captain post game. “He also had four hits and kept us in it all night long.”
There is a reason Team Wolf has reeled off a regular season winning streak extending back to the beginning of 2023. They all can hit and SS and LCF are black holes for the opponent. Team Tenenholtz was fortunate to be in the right places at the right time tonight.
It looked bad for the visitors, when left fielder Yitzi Creeger came up lame after chasing a foul ball early in the game. Yitz was able to hold down 1B after a defensive shift was made. If anyone knows a good physical therapist, please call Yitzi!
Despite the defensive machinations, Team Tenenholtz was able to take a 6-1 lead after 4 innings, but Team Wolf came back with two runs in the bottom of the 5th to make it 6-3. After a scoreless 6th, Jack Cohen came up in the top of the 7th with Sam Castellini at first base and ripped a two-run in-the-park homer to right field. Howie was able to hold them in the bottom of the 7th as Team Tenenholtz hung on for the 8-3 victory.
Next week is a much-needed bye for the ailing Team Tenenholtz before they play red-hot Team Grefer.
(An amazing streak came to an end. Congrats to Wes for a fun streak to start his coaching career!)
On Field 2 it was Team Fogel vs. Team Harris:
After getting back in the win column on Sunday, Team Fogel took the field seeking their first winning streak of the season vs self-acclaimed rival, Team Harris. Falling behind in the top of the first, they took no time responding with a five-spot in the bottom half. Efficient pitching by Jamey Kurtzer and great defense behind him from every position lead to a lot of quick outs. The hit parade continued through the middle innings and was eventually capped off by a two-run walk-off homer by Pete Soltesz. Everyone recorded at least one hit, with Norm Frankel and Matt Brodof leading the way with a few each. When the bats are hot and the defense is good, watch out.
On Field 3 it was team Solomon vs. Team Wagner:
Team Wagner took down team Solomon 17 to 5 on Wednesday night. The victors were without Anton Loon, Brad Wagner, Joey Hiudt and Daniel Hiudt. After going down 2-1 in the first inning team, Wagner battled back with seven runs in the second and kept on tacking on extra runs after that in a run-rule shortened game. Everybody hit well for Team Wagner however, Matthew Leader led the way with two homers over the fence. He was quoted afterwards and he gave all the praise to a switch in his bat ammunition. The defense was led by Mark Levine who played amazingly at second base with multiple put outs and great plays.
Team Wagner takes on Team Harris next week with Raphael and Ronnie Belliard on the call.
Team Solomon takes on Team Grefer with Luis Quinones and Bip Roberts on the call.
And last but not least Team Grefer vs. Team Brafman
Kyle for the winners:
Team Grefer beat team Brafman 13-3 in 5 innings. This was a complete game for our team with sub pitcher Tim Trautman having another good game on the mound and after 4 starts he has only walked one batter. The defense was phenomenal playing a game without errors, and offensively we had one big inning carry us through.
Sub, Tyler Stansbury got the offense going with an early 3-run bomb to right field. Landon Krantz had a good game setting the table as our leadoff man, but game MVP goes to Will Coleman who hit two balls to the fence for a triple and home run.
League Notes:
Once again, please sign up the J Classic.
Jewish Night at the Reds game is coming up in a few weeks. Please buy tickets for that great night as well.
There is a Jewish Night at FCC but it’s on a Wednesday night, so boo on that.
Big news next week…please read the note from Gig who is going to treat us all to wings post game at Silver Spring House:
Please join us at the Franklin Wealth Advisors Wing Night at Silver Spring House after the games on Wednesday, 5/29. Wings will be provided courtesy of the JCC Softball League’s Primary Sponsor, Franklin Wealth Advisors (Greg “Gig” Franklin). For those of you who do not know Greg “Gig” Franklin, he has been involved with the JCC Softball League for over 50 years as a player, Commissioner and long-time supporter of the League through both sponsorship and other generous donations such as hosting Wing Nights.
Please join me in thanking Gig and Franklin Wealth Advisors for not only the upcoming Wing Night, but for his many contributions to the League over the years.
The Wing Night will be held irrespective of the games being played on 5/29. If the games are rained out, the Franklin Financial Wing Night will still be held at Silver Spring House and will begin at 7:00 PM.
Yesterday, I took myself down to Nova Care to have them look at my knee that I hurt last week. Lucky for me it isn’t anything serious (Although I’m on the IL for another couple of weeks) but the funny part is I was down there with all of the UC student athletes. My old ass is getting looked at next to some of the women’s soccer team, a couple of tennis players and then 5 of our lineman all going through their treatment. I feel old a lot but never more than that.
Watching the continued train wreck of the Reds season unfold it once again goes to show how terrible our front office was last year. You have a chance to win you go all in ALL in. You don’t worry about prospects. If a team wanted Edwin Arroyo, fine by me. They want Chase Petty, OK let them have it if that meant the Reds could have gotten major league talent who could have helped win the division last year. Instead we famously “Liked our team” and see where that has gotten you both last year and this. Thirty years…let me repeat, 30 years…and continuing since the Reds last won a post-season series. Such a sad sad state for our favorite team. By the way, that is the longest streak in professional sports.
See everyone next week.
Marc