An amazing weather night for our final regular season games of the year. While we have battled rain and suspect field conditions it was a spectacular night to end the season. Let’s get to the action
On Field 1 it was Team Harris vs Team Buttermaker aka Brafman
Roger for the winners:
TEAM HARRIS 15
TEAM BRAFMAN 11
In the final regular season game that seemed like it would never end, TEAM HARRIS defeated TEAM BRAFMAN, 15-11, in a game that went right down to the end.
“We’ve been struggling the second half and really needed this win to get some kind of momentum going into the tournament. I thought the guys played with a purpose and it showed on the scoreboard. Credit MARC BRAFMAN and his team as they kept coming at us before we finally put them away,” rookie captain GRIFF HARRIS said afterwards.
It was total team effort as everyone contributed in one way or another.
On offense, RYAN MARCUS, a car salesman by day, smashed two homeruns to lead the way and the rest of the team followed.
GRIFF, RYAN BAUM, DAN BERNSTEIN, PATRICK FELDMAN, DEE HARRIS, EVAN WEISSER and even pitcher STU WEINSTEIN (pitchers can’t hit) contributed with key hits.
On defense, an ESPN highlight play by ROGER ROSENTHAL at 2B that amazed everyone, led the defense that at times was shaky, but was able to come up with enough plays for the victory…..ANDY GOLLIN caught the final out in RF to seal the victory…..
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TIDBITS…..
*Former players DAVE WERNICK AND MARK GORDON were in the stands scouting the fields while looking for players in the Over 60 slow pitch softball team that they will have touring the country come next year…..
*JERRY KIRZNER, the leagues oldest player, is calling it quits after the season…..He has been an important part of the league, both as a player and person, but also as the schedule maker…….BEST TO JERRY…..we’ll miss him and hopes he comes by to say hey a few times a season….
*Where was the JCC SOFTBALL LEAGUE mascot, JACOB BRAFMAN, son of MARC??????……oh wait, it was a school night and he’s in the WYOMING SCHOOL DISTRICT, so he must have been at home studying hours upon hours like a good student would do……
*Rumor has it that RYAN BAUM is going to get lessons for catching routine fly balls in the outfield……he dropped a “routine” ball in LF and then made excuses of why he dropped it……I told him good players make that 99% of the time……lol
Finally, DAVID WEIL is so interesting to listen to about how bad DAVID BELL is…….can you do a better job??????????
TIDBITS PLUS…..
If you’re reading this, are you in favor of the first half champ playing the second half champ for the LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP and then the tournament is just that, a tournament and the winner can say they got hot at the right time, but that is all it is…….a lot of discussion last night about it…..what’s your opinion or do you even care…..
In other words, would you rather win the league title or the tournament in which every team gets in and you don’t earn your way in……………
thoughts?
TAKE CARE AND STAY SAFE!……
Capt. Brafman had this to say. Well not the season that we wanted or expected. I’m proud of my team. We battled every game and while we came up short that is not to say that we didn’t put forth our best effort each game. Kudos to rookie of the year candidate Steve Shapiro for a great first season, Jeff “The Natural” Weisbrot for moving around to any spot on the field that he is needed, Jamey Drennen, and Harry “Hood” Meisner for their continued excellence both at the plate and in the field and our three vets David the Dr. of Style Weil, Eppy and Jerry “Doc” Kirzner for your positive and encouragement. I encourage everyone to come to Field 4 this week where Eppy will sacrifice a goat to the baseball gods and we may or may not offer up my daughter Maya to the bat and fielding gods (depending on her tennis schedule)
On Field 2 it was Team Wagner vs. Team Kamrass
Team Wagner defeated Team Kamrass 21-11 on Wednesday Night in a five-inning affair. Team Kamrass scored one run in the top of the first, but Team Wagner responded with 12 runs and another six runs in the second and didn’t look back.
Landon Hawkins continued his campaign for Rookie of the Year and maybe more with another HR over the LCF fence. The Hiudt Brothers, Anton Loon, Mark Levine, and Brad Wagner contributed to the offensive output.
Michael Askin, Loon, Hawkins, and super sub-Marc Simons made key defensive plays, while Corey Norris pitched another great game.
Rumor has it that Brad Wagner was kidnapped by Steve Sax, Chuck Knobloch, or Mackey Sasser since the last game.
Team Wagner, the 2nd half champ, takes on the 1st half champ, Team Grefer, next Wednesday. The game will air on Netflix, with Joey Chestnut and Kobayashi on the call
On Field 3 Team Fogel took on Team Wolf
Team Fogel won, but that’s all we know since neither captain sent in an update.
Finally on Field 4 it was Team Tenenholtz vs. Team Solomon
Rick for the winners:
Team Tenenholtz was missing their Hall of Fame pitcher, Howard Schwartz, on Wednesday night as they faced Team Solomon. In Howie’s place, Randy Broyles came out of retirement to take on the streaking visitors, who had won their last three games.
The game started out as a pitching duel as the always tough Ken Groh battled against Broyles and kept Team Tenenholtz off the base paths except for a couple of singles until the fourth inning. Led by Jack Cohen, who the manager reinserted in the lineup after giving him two weeks off to party with his twin sister on the occasion of her wedding, five of the first six batters reached base and scored. Cohen led the team with three hits and scored twice, including another run in the fifth as Team Tenenholtz added another two runs. He also knocked in two more runs in the 6th to give his team a 10-3 lead. Broyles pitched a great game and had two hits on his way to the victory. Also contributing were Brian Goldberg, who played his usual stellar defense, and Jeremy Spiegel, who reached base twice, scored one and had a couple nice defensive plays.
So for Wednesday as Brad mentioned for the overall LEAGUE title we have Team Wagner vs. Team Grefer on Field 2 while over on Field 4 we have Team Kamrass vs. Team Brafman in the play in game. Both games start at 6 so please come out and cheer on the winners (or the losers) bracket
League notes:
Please remember to sign up for the Oy Vey 5K this November. Once again all of the money raised goes back to the JCC and its athletic program (Blue Jays, men’s hoops and of course softball)
A tip of the hat to Brag Wagner who was named one of the co-chairs of the J-Classic which is celebrating it’s 30th anniversary this year. More details to come from Brad and Rick on that.
Happy anniversary to Eric “The Mouth of the Midwest” Gruen and long time player and supporter of the league Billy Kahn this week.
Happy birthday to former JCC legend Jeff Cohn
As all captains know it’s never easy to find subs. It’s especially hard when guys miss games due to their wives taking their kids to see Megan “All about that Bass” Trainor on Wednesday night. That might be the first time that guys have missed due to concert baby sitting.
Baseball is a funny game. The Reds who can’t beat a drum have now won 9 in a row dating back 4 seasons vs. the Astros. The Marc Brafman version of the Astros fan would be beside himself knowing that a great team like the Astros can’t beat the Reds. Also before his big game on Wednesday night Elly had 61 extra base hits, 61 walks, and 61 steals.
It should be a fun college football season and since the 4th or 5th best team in college football paid over $20 million dollars in NIL money this year I can’t wait to hear the excuses when OSU comes up short once again.
See everyone Wednesday. Remember the live goat and daughter sacrifices will take place around 5:50 on Field 4.
Marc