LEAGUE CHAMPIONS – TEAM WAGNER
winners/losers…….game reports to follow as they become available…………
game reports……
After giving up a three spot in the top of the opening frame, TEAM LEFTON roared back with seven runs of their own and never lost the lead in a game that featured a little bit of everything……
It was an overall team effort with everyone contributing in some form…..
Leading the way for the victors were game ball recipient BRAD GALLOP, playing only his second game of the season, with THE play of the game when while playing RF, backed up a bad throw to 1B to nail a runner (not to be named) trying to go to third base in what was a tight game at the time, also, made a fine catch on a wicked line drive and also contributed on the offensive side……
JEREMY FOGEL had a couple of key base knocks including a inside the park home run, while playing a solid LCF…..again….ending the game with a fine running catch…..
BOB PELBERG continued his hot hitting with a couple of key hits as well……….
Afterwards, Pelberg said, “I’m in a zone out there. I’m picking up the ball real well and hitting it where they’re not.”
Team captain JIMMY LEFTON managed a fine game in spite of ROGER ROSENTHAL yelling like a wild man, “What the f— are you doing?”…..Lefton just takes it like a man and let’s it go in one ear and out the other…….”I like his input, but sometimes it just gets to be too much for me. He needs to take more meds before games,” LEFTON said with a grin……
On the other side of the scoreboard, GRIFFIN HARRIS pounded two home runs over the LCF fence and played a solid LCF (what else would you expect?) and DAVID WERTHEIM had an inside the park home run and after wards yelled to former teammate ROSENTHAL, “Should I have walked instead?” in reference to the past two seasons when he hated taking walks……..
Also, DAVID WEIL collected two hits………EDITORS NOTE…..DAVID WEIL gave me a Dusty Baker bobblehead to put that last part in…..lol
leader 13
brafman 1
by marc brafman
It might have the Shirelles or maybe former Reds manager Vern Rapp who said, “Mama Said There Would Be Days Like This” and boy were they right about this game….
TEAM LEADER, behind the pitching of JAMIE “GREG MADDOX” KURTZER continually kept TEAM BRAFMAN off balance…..
“Give him credit. We hit the ball hard and on the ground most of the night, but they played well especially TAYLOR “MAY THE SCHWARTZ” be with you subbing at SS”, BRAFMAN said……
When the highlight of your game is post game when RANDY “TEX” BROYLES caught a ball out of play while holding a beer and not spilling any of it), you know it’s not your night…
Not all was lost as the defense played very well as a WAGNER to ZACKEEM to FELDMAN double play was turned and RYAN “THE HEBREW HAMMER” BAUM made a nice catch in RF…..
What little offense they had was by BROYLES, AARON “STRAIGHT OUTTA” COMPTO, JERRY “DOC” KIRZNER and BRAFMAN…….
“We look to get back on track next week,” BRAFMAN said simply after the game…….
solomon ? (w)
refer ? (l)……..no score was reported…….
by stu solomon
“It really showed the fortitude of our team to not have our starting pitcher and to play a really great team game,” captain STU SOLOMON said afterwards…..”It was a great all around game from TEAM CHARCOAL,” he added……
BRANDON WOLF, in his rookie year and his first pitching stint of the year had an amazing performance, throwing strikes and kept a good hitting team off balance….
Kudos also go out to GREG “GIG” FRANKLIN for his hitting and managing the game behind the plate…..
Offensively, timely hitting throughout the order, but in particular, SOLOMON, DUFF WOLF, DAVID SNYDER and MARK “WILDER” FRANKLIN….
On defense, SNYDER played an amazing 2B as usual…….
IN THE NEVER TOO LATE CATEGORY……..
EDITORS NOTE……this was turned in last week, but yours’ truly deleted it by accident……here it is…….
schwartz, h. 17
grefer 15………nine innings…..
by mike creemer
It was a beautiful night for softball in this match up 75 years in the making…….
The game saw three out of the park home runs with TYLER “SCOHEI” STANSBURY hitting two including a grand slam….after the game, he said, “When I played in the Japanese Winter League two seasons ago they always called me “Scohei” because I had “show hair”……
Other key hits for the victors came from “SILENT” MIKE ASKIN, ZACH “SOUNDS OF SILENCE” SWADNER, PETE “THE SULTAN” SOLTEZ, STEVE “Z” ZAWATZKY and NICK “NO I DON’T PLAY” DIPIANO….
Veteran DR. LARRY NEWMAN said during the contest, “It’s surprising anyone can play with all of these allergens in the air,”….
The turning point came in the top of the ninth when BRIAN “DUCK UNDER” GOLDBERG led off with a hit and ended up at second base, then MIKE “101” CREEMR tried to push bunt between the pitcher (MIKE GRAY) and first baseman, but GRAY made a good play and got GOLDBERG in a rundown, only to be able to escape the tag and get back to second base safely…..
KEITH “HOW OLD AM I” KOMBRINCK delivered a shot up the middle loading the bases which ended up leading to five runs……they survived by giving up three runs in the bottom of the inning….
BEN “BROD” RODRIGUEZ said during the rally, “I really didn’t see it. I was discussing a court case the whole time.”….
RONNIE “PICASSO” ROSE added, “When Harry Wright and I founded the Cincinnati Red Stockings in 1869, we threw the ball underhand also. Have you seen my painting of that?”….
Hall Of Famer HOWARD SCHWARTZ said in his post game interview, “I’m really proud of our team. It reminded me of when I swam against Mark Spitz in the Maccabi Games.”…….
schwartz, h. (w)
kamrass (l)…….no score was reported……..
by mike creemer
It was a much heralded meeting when TEAM SCHWARTZ, H. played TEAM KAM “R” ASS on Sun Field #1…..
The skies were overcast and so was TEAM SCHWARTZ in the opening frame with the “other” side plating five runs, all of them unearned…..
STEVE “Z” ZAWATZKY, playing 1B, said afterwards, “My glove was little too short. I’m sure you’ve heard that your “glove” was a little too short before.”….
But the troops rallied behind the bats of “SILENT MIKE” ASKIN, ZACK “SOUNDS OF SILENCE” SWADNER, PETE “THE SULTAN” SOLTEZ and “NO I DON’T PLAY” DIPIANO……
Said TYLER “SHOW HAIR” STANSBURY afterwards, “This was much like a game I played in the Mexican League a few years back.”
It was a back and forth game with TEAM SCHWARTZ taking a one run lead in the top of the 7th inning…..
Said both BEN “B-ROD” RODRIGUEZ and BRIAN “DUCK UNDER” GOLDBERG, “We weren’t paying attention. We were discussing a court case.”
TEAM KAM “R” ASS tied it up in the bottom of the inning……
Said team physician, LARRY NEWMAN, “Allergens can be really bad at this time of year, especially in the Ohio Valley.”…..GOOD TO KNOW DOC!!!!
In the top of the 8th inning, the victors loaded the bases and MIKE “101” CREEMER was patient at the plate and drew a walk to take the lead….
Said “101” afterwards, “You know I’m not salty or upset that I’m now a 12th rounder, but I’m glad I got a go ahead walk to put us ahead. That may by only RBI during my final season of JCC softball”……
Added teammate KEITH “HOW OLD AM I” KOMBRINCK, “These extra inning games are getting tough. I’m usually in bed by 8:30 p.m.”……
Hall Of Fameer HOWARD SCHWARTZ was on his game remaining CCC (calm, cool and collected) during the entire game…..”I thought Big Tom umpired a great game, much like when I swam against Mark Spitz at Maccabiah”……..
RON “PICASSO” ROSE phoned in front he Antiques Roadshow in New York where he was getting an appraisal of one of his paintings of SCHWARTZ…..”I forgot what we were talking about.”
Next week, TEAM SCHWARTZ plays some other team in the league, but does it really matter?
LEAGUE NOTES from the desk of MARC BRAFMAN……….
Congrats to RICK LEFTON on the graduation of the triplets (forgot to mention that last week)….
We now know why ROGER ROSENTHAL likes bobbleheads….It’s because when he holds them they make his hands look bigger….After the games while shaking hands with RANDY “TEX” BROYLES, BROYLES asked how it was possible that he could catch anything with hands that small……
STU “YENTA” SOLOMON reports that brothers TYLER and WES WOLF are close to getting engaged or maybe that is what SOLOMON hopes as besides being a captain that somehow got a super team this year is also a world renowned Match Maker…….
Hey dentists in the league……I’ve been told that if you need any of your smocks or vests cleaned that ADAM HELDMAN is the man to go to…….
The JCC would like to announce that they are starting a Go Fund Me page for JASON “THE MAD HUNGARIAN” FAUST to get a new glove since it looks like his is older than RON ROSE……
Nothing says JCC Softball more than the conversation that I engaged in pre-game with ANTON LOON and MIKE ROTHSTEIN where the three of us compared our physical problems in regards to softball, but that is what makes the league great, right?…..
And finally, It’s been a tough first half for a couple of guys who have lost their parents….when you see them, give them a pat on the back……HOWARD SCHWARTZ….JOEL KAHN….DAVE COHEN and MARK WEISSER…….We’re all thinking about you guys and families…..
EDITORS NOTE…..This last comment puts things in perspective when it comes to playing a game, eh?
ON A SAD NOTE……
As noted above, thoughts go out to MARK WEISSER and his family on the loss of his father this week………
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS CAN BE DIRECTED TO ME AT…..r.rosenthal1955@yahoo.com
THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULED GAMES……..
GAME REPORTS……better a little late than never, eh?
first one in…….
kamrass 11
brafman 10
by micah kamrass……..
While missing their two team leaders in hitting, TEAM KAMRASS defeated TEAM BRAFMAN, 11-10, in walk-off fashion……
Fresh off his return from Israel, DAVID “DANCING WITH THE STARS” SOLOMON proved prophetic in his quote from last week’s report by delivering the hit of the night with a three run triple to the fence…..he earned the game ball for the strong hitting and solid defense behind the plate….
ADAM “CRON-O-MATIC” CRONSTEIN continued his strong hitting this season as well with a monster shot that looked like it was heading for GREG “BIG GIG” FRANKLIN’S car, which he said was a “total coincidence”…..
JASON “THE MAD HUNGARIAN” FAUST got the team out of several jams with clutch pitching, including a key strikeout and a groundout to him with the bases loaded……
“I told BRAFMAN (MARC) this game would be revenge for him drafting a different pitcher this season. I love it when I’m right,” FAUST said afterwards…….
JARED “DEREK DIETRICH” KAMRASS came through with the walk-off sacrifice fly to score RAFI “VELOCIRAFTOR” GOLDFARB who utilized some nifty base running to reach home safely with the winning run….
“I’m basically YASIEL PUIG. We both had walk off hits tonight,” KAMRASS said…..
“I was thrilled to earn the win in my first nail-biter as a captain, which catapulted the team into second place and I’m excited to play TEAM HOWARD SCHWARTZ next week,” the captain said.
“It’ll be fun to see how my three games of being a captain experience match up against his approximately 737426482615485725274 games of experience” he added………..
by marc brafman……..
It was a heartbreaking loss and anyone who has played for TEAM BRAFMAN for the last 2 1/2 years knows that he has one rule that he preaches from before the season even starts…..that rule is when you catch the ball, run it in and call timeout and don’t throw it around…..
The captain needs to take his own advice as a terrible throw in the bottom of the 7th inning with the bases loaded allowed the winning run to score from third base…..
“It’s never fun to lose and it’s even less fun when you’re the reason your team lost”, a dejected BRAFMAN said after the game…..”I only talk about not throwing the ball around from before the season starts and why I didn’t think to take my own advice is something that I’ll think about the rest of the season.”
On the plus side, TEAM BRAFMAN battled back from a 7-1 hole to tie the game in the top of the 7th inning…..
The offense was led by PAT “SUNSHINE” FELDMAN, the SUNSHINE boys of JERRY “DOC” KIRZNER, BOB “SUNSET” FELDMAN and sub DOUG SANDOR who each had big hits in the comeback…..
ZACH “ZZ TOP” ZACKUM also had two hits and 2 RBI’s….ERIC “THE MOUTH OF THE MIDWEST” GRUEN also continued with a couple of hard knocks…….
On defense, RANDY “TEX” BROYLES made three tough plays on the mound….SANDOR turned two DP….AARON “STRAIGHT OTTA” COMPTON and SUNSHINE all had nice plays….PAT robbed DAVID “D-SOLE” SOLOMON on a long ball into the LCF gap, this after he clubbed a bases clearing triple……
Said FELDMAN post game, “I think David needs to take a p-test. I think he ate some hummus laced with the balk cream or clear when he was in Israel last week.”
schwartz, h. 17
grefer 15…….extra innings
by howard schwartz……
TYLER STANSBURY was the offensive star hitting two home runs over the fence and had seven RBI’s…..
For TEAM GREFER, MARK TENENHOLTZ was the hitting star going four for four with a home run over the CF fence….
MIKE CREEMER had a great defensive game behind the plate, several strong base hits and an incredible show of speed while tagging from third base with the go-ahead run……….
schwartz, t. 8
leader 7
by taylor schwartz……
The victors led 7-2 heading into the 6th inning when TEAM LEADER plated four runs to cut the lead to one run…..In the top of the 7th inning, ANTON LOON hit an inside the park home run to tie the game only to show the resiliency to rally back with back to back hits by JOSH KLEYMEYER and SCOTT “SHORTY” ADAMS and JEFF WEISBROT driving in the winning run…..
PHIL “COLLINS” GANSON brought the offensive firepower including a triple just short of the outfield fence……
MITCHELL “BOB” EVANS led the defense with several warning track catches in LF….DAN GREEN pitched a solid game……
“Overall a solid team performance,” TAYLOR SCHWARTZ said post-game……
JONATHAN “SUNFLOWER” SUSSMAN told reporters afterwards, “We’re 2-0 since I grew out my mustache. I’m not sure that’s a direct correlation, but Corky Miller would be proud……
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS CAN BE DIRECTED TO ME AT….r.rosenthal1955@yahoo.com
NOTES FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE….
off the desk of MARC BRAFMAN……..
CONGRATS go out to…….
Softball alumni FREDDIE WOLF and ALEX “BIG AL” LEFTON for finishing up law school and preparing to take the bar and getting into Ohio State University this fall respectively……Not sure why anyone would want to go to OSU, but that is for another day….
Also, for all the fathers who have kids graduating from high school…..BROOKE FOGEL, brother of JEREMY and daughter of JOEL, is the one I know for sure and I’m sure there are more…..
Who knew that DAVID “DP” SNYDER’s favorite singer was famed Jewish folk singer Debbie Freedman…..one of his biggest regrets in life is he didn’t get a chance to duet with her on the Alef Bet song…….
MARC BRAFMAN and ERIC GRUEN would like all of the softball league to save the date of June 10, 2039 as that is the date that Eric’s daughter Rosie and my son Jacob plan on getting married. For those of you who saw them on the bench this past game bickering about going to the playground (Rosie) vs. staying and watching the game (Jacob), they are well on their way to many years of happy marriage……
Finally, both JOEL “THE WRATH” KAHN and DAVID WEIL say that if they were making 25 million dollars they could hit better than Joey Votto…..I’ll leave it to the pitchers to prove that theory wrong the rest of the way……..
EDITORS NOTE……
KUDOS GO OUT TO MARC BRAFMAN FOR TAKING THE TIME TO DO THIS, BUT THIS
MUSKETEER IS STILL KEEPING AN EYE OUT ON THIS BEARCAT!!!!!
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS CAN BE SENT TO ME AT……r.rosenthal1955@yahoo.com