On a picture perfect Sunday morning the action was as hot as the sun was bright. A couple of upsets, which JCC softball is known for, were in play. Since I can’t remember who was playing on what field we will start with Jeremy for Team Fogel:
On a beautiful fall Sunday morning, Team Fogel tried to carry their momentum over from a strong end to the regular season into the post-season tournament. Falling behind 3-0 in the top of the first inning, The Men in Black brought their sticks out to tie the game back up with some strong hitting in the bottom half. In a constant tug-of-war over the lead through the beginning and middle innings, the difference in this game was some strong defense and timely hitting from Team Fogel.
Errorless games have been the theme this year, and though there were some botched plays in the field leading to prolonged innings, both Sam Klinkowitz and Scott Friend made dazzling plays that would’ve been on Sports Center if this league got any media coverage. Coming up clutch at the plate was Matt Miller, who drove in six runs on a three-run inside the park home run and a double just over the first base bag to plate three more.
Closing it out in the top of the 7th, Team Fogel won by a score of 18-13. Two more to take the crown. #JustWin
Next up is Roger for Team Harris:
TEAM HARRIS 19
TEAM GREFER 13
Not sure of the score, but this is close enough….lol
EDITOR’S NOTE……captain GRIFF HARRIS didn’t report the stats like he was supposed to……
TEAM HARRIS opened the tournament literally with a bang!
Against a depleted TEAM GREFER, who started with nine players and ended with only eight players due to an injury, TEAM HARRIS brought out the big bats and had six homeruns, three off the bat of DAN “THE MAN” BERNSTEIN.
After the first one cleared the fence, he reached first base and headed back to the bench. What I’ve been told is in some leagues, you don’t have to run the bases. The next two dingers, he knew better.
“I didn’t even get all of it,” the OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY graduate stated after one of his homeruns. He also added a single and a triple as part of his five for five game.
Other hitting stars were aplenty…..RYAN MARCUS….PATRICK FELDMAN……GRIFF HARRIS…..JZ ZEIDENSTEIN……RYAN BAUM….sub, MICAH KAMRASS….EVAN WEISSER and finally, STU WEINSTEIN all contributed on the offensive side.
The only name (player) not doing a thing offensively was ROGER ROSENTHAL.
“I stunk today. I’m glad my teammates picked me up. These Sunday morning games aren’t to my liking, but that’s no excuse. I stunk!”
WEINSTEIN won his second game in a row and looked good again as he took over for regular starter MARK WEISSER who is somewhere in the world….who knows where?
On defense, HARRIS played a flawless LCF to lead the defense.
“We didn’t make it easy on ourselves, but stayed with it and came out on top. I have to give credit to TEAM GREFER as they were playing shorthanded and gave us all we could handle. We’re not winning pretty, but we’re winning and we hope to continue doing it for two more games,” HARRIS said post-game.
TIDBITS…..
*ROGER ROSENTHAL actually drove to the game without getting one of his many rides from BRAD WAGNER…….
**MARC BRAFMAN not only played a game on Wednesday night, but he also attended a concert and rumor has it that after the concert, he went to an all night disco in the Clifton area…….he got home at 2 a.m……..what one of these stories is NOT true?…..lol
***Bad day for the UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN football team on Saturday, but BAMA fan MARC BRAFMAN wasn’t too bad on me……
****quote of the day…….”I hate it that I like you.”…..said by RYAN BAUM to ROGER ROSENTHAL…….
*****FINALLY, hockey season is right around the corner…..I know everyone in the league is looking forward to that……well maybe a few are…..you know who you are!
Rick T hits third:
“JCC Softball, man.” That was the only comment Captain Tenenholtz had for the media after their victory over Team Wolf. Missing their hall of fame pitcher, Howie Schwartz, and their primo defender, Brian Goldberg, the odds looked long for the 4 seed before the game. But super sub, John Ruben, pitched a gem and Scott Berge filled in at 3B to solidify the defense in a great team win.
“I learned a few good lines on our recent vacation in Maine,” Captain Tenenholtz told his team after the game. “That game was a Wicked Pissah! Sometimes, things fall your way and today was one of those times.” If you don’t know what a “Wicked Pissah” is, ask Rothstein…or Corey Norris.
The game was close after one with Tenenholtz taking a 2-0 lead, but the bats were on fire in the second as they put up a 13-spot. Wolf came back in the 3rd inning to cut the deficit to 15-5, but Tenenholtz added 5 of their own in the bottom of the third to make it 20-5. Ruben was solid after that and Team Tenenholtz played (mostly) good defense despite a bright sun to notch a 21-5 victory in five innings.
Of note:
- For Team Wolf, Captain Wes played his usual stellar defense including a beautiful diving grab of a line drive by Mike Rothstein. He also had a home run and three RBI’s.
- Tait Cunningham had four hits and scored four to lead the Tenenholtz offense.
- Scott Berge, Mike Rothstein, Yitz Creeger, Bryce Anslinger and John Ruben each had three hits.
Team Tenenholtz moves on to face Team Harris on Wednesday. ESPN has decided not to carry the game, opting instead for a high school women’s pickleball match between Clark Montessori and the School for Creative and Performing Arts. Rumor has it that WMKV, the flagship station of the Maple Knoll Village retirement home, will carry the audio.
And finally on field 4 it was the upset of the year as Team Buttermaker (Brafman) beat #1 seed Team Wagner.
Just like in the movie the Bad News Bears, Team Brafman won their second game in a row after going 0-18 in the regular season by beating Team Wagner 19-11 (or something like that) “I have never lost faith in my team,” Captain Brafman said post game. I knew we were better than we had played all season and having a healthy Jeff “The Natural” Weisbrot and Jerry, Eppy and David “The Dr. of Style” Weil continue to find the fountain of youth we are playing well at the right time.
Just like on Wednesday night, Team Brafman started off fast scoring 5 or 6 runs in the top of the 1st. Eric “the mouth of the Midwest” Gruen, Jamey “Smokin” Drennan, Weisbrot and Harry “Hood” Meisner all got big hits. Stellar defense from Steve Shapiro at 3rd and Cam Kirzner at SS helped keep Wagner at bay. Later in the game both Gruen and Meisner hit homers as did Weisbrot to build on the lead. Eppy laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt and Eric “Spuds” Zied helped at the plate and was fantasic on the mound. Three outstanding plays on defense stood out for Team Brafman. Capt. Brafman battled the sun stuck his glove up and made a nice backpedaling catch on a ball off the bat of Dan Hiudt, (75% luck 25% skill on that one). Steve Shapiro made 2-3 great catches at 3rd and in the bottom of the 7th, Drennan made a running diving catch, got up and threw to first to complete an 8-3 DP. A big tip of the cap to D-Sol for subbing for us behind the plate as he was stellar all game. As Eppy’s friends who were watching the game said “Are these the same guys you have played with all season?”
For Team Wagner, Anton and Daniel Hiudt each hit homers and Zach Hiudt played a good game in the outfield at I believe 3 different spots.
Team Brafman looks to continue their run vs. a potent Team Fogel lineup on Wednesday night. “I love the fact that my team has to keep changing their plans for Wednesday night,” Brafman said. “Let’s hope we have two more wins in us.”
The game will be on ESPN8 with Cotton McKnight and Pepper Brooks on the call with sideline reporter Kate Veatch chiming in.
So to recap, in the semifinals on Field 1 it is Team Harris vs. Team Tenenholtz and on Field 2 Team Fogel vs. Team Buttermaker (Brafman).
Reminder that both games will start at 5:45!