Struggling along

Sorry for the lack of updates, but I've missed two of the previous three games. One chasing my kid around and the other for work.

The Second Stringers have won just one of our last three games. The Mules hung one on us on Thursday night, dropping us to 3-6 with just three games left to play. We play league-leading Budweiser next. That should be fun.

Another loss

The Second Stringers fell to 1-4 with an 18-13 loss on Thursday night.

DOB wasn't in the house. Too busy being a single Dad this week to make it out.

We'll try again next week.

Another beatdown

Optimism was flowing out of the Second String Music Second Stringers' dugout following Thursday's 19-9 loss to One.

"Hey, at least it was only the 10-run rule this week," one Second Stringer said.

This is what it has come to for the former power brokers in the Quincy Park District Division V ranks. Pushed up a level by the powers that be in the QPD to Division IV, the Second Stringers were able to compete. Now in this hybrid Division III/IV mashup, the Second Stringers seemed to be outmatched.

Things were OK for your diamond heroes through the third inning. A home run by Kriss Kross (Yes, an honest-to-goodness, over-the-fence dinger to right field — the Second Stringers' first of the season.) gave the Second Stringers a 6-3 lead.

One finally got its offense going in the fourth and put a six-spot on the board for a 9-6 lead. But with the bottom of the Second Stringers' lineup getting it done, the Second Stringers pulled back to make it 9-8 after four.

To absolutely no one's surprise, DOB led the charge for the Second Stringers. His RBI single up the middle made it a 9-7 game in the bottom of the fourth. It was his second RBI base hit of the game.

He never got another chance to hit though.

The restaurant boys — playing without the Dreamy One — pushed home 10 runs in the top of the fifth inning. The Second Stringers had enough left in their tank to scratch out a run in the bottom of the inning.

The Second Stringers are now 1-3 on the season. As the weeks rolls by, the Second Stringers' Week 2 win over the Mules is starting to look more and more like Chaminade's upset over Ralph Sampson-led Virginia nearly 30 years ago.

The Second Stringers will get back to action next Thursday at 6 p.m. against Knapheide at Moorman Main.

Road kill

After the big win over the Mules, who I was told were undefeated last season in winning Division III, we had a special visitor to our game this week against Budweiser.

Our version of Mark Cuban, Hitman Hart, and his lovely bride, SheyFey, made an appearance to see how their investment in the Second Stringers is paying off. At least the new ownership brought booze because the Second Stringers needed it.

The old Budweiser frogs or maybe Spuds McKenzie could have given the Budweiser squad a better game than the Second Stringers did. The beer vendors smacked us around to the tune of a 23-8 defeat that didn't even last four full innings.

The highlights for the Second Stringers were few. Cory in the House did manage a three-run inside-the-park homer at Moorman Main. And that was about it.

After watching the Mules reach the Division IV home run limit last week, the Second Stringers are hoping for a triples limit to be installed by the time they next cross paths with the Suds Suckers. Budwesier had no less than 12 triples (and I'm not exaggerating). The Bud runners were in constant motion.

The tone for  the game was set in the top of the second inning when DOB was once again robbed by the boys in blue. He was called out on a 6-4-3 double play. DOB is deaf in one ear, but he clearly heard his foot hit the bag well before the first basemen come up with the ball. As usual, the crack QPD umpiring crew (come on, Dollar Bill!) saw it differently and called him out.

It was a huge letdown that the Second Stringers never recovered from.

Now 1-2 on the season, the Second Stringers are back in action next week against the One crew. It's a 9 p.m. start. Looking forward to taking on former TV pretty boy Tyler Tomlinson, current pretty boy "Stone Cold" Dylan Austin and NOB Nation in that one.

Upset City!

It may only be the second week of the season in the Quincy Park District Division IV Thursday night softball league, but the Second Stringers pulled off what might be the biggest upset of the season.

For some reason (the reason being that slow-pitch softball is dying a slow death) there are only two leagues on Thursdays now in the Gem City. As a result, you have teams like ours mixed in with legitmate teams who actually know what they're doing.

At Wavering on Thursday night, we ran into one of those teams — the Midwest Mules.  The Mules are legit players, even the catcher-turned-pitcher with the sweet mullet had a cannon for an arm — not too mention a pretty wicked knuckler when he pitched.

The Mules also had the ability to hit the ball out of the park whenever they wanted to. The were some bad Mamma Jammas.

Yet, they were no match for the Second Stringers. Instead of trying to hit the ball out with every swing of the bat like the Mules seemed to be doing. The Second Stringers decided to Punch and Judy their way around the bases. When the Mules' last batter hit a ball of the scoreboard, your diamond heroes were walk-off winners in the oddest way possible, claiming a 15-12 victory that sent shockwaves through the standings.

The Mules scored half of their runs via the long ball — with their three home runs brining in six runs. Other than that, they basically hit the ball right at people. Nick the Quick made a huge play in the bottom of the seventh while patrolling second base. He ranged to his right and snagged a ground that took the wind out of the Mules' sails.

Unlike last week, we didn't have anyone nearly die either — an added bonus.

The Second Stringers hit the ball solidly up and down the lineup. In his role in the double leadoff spot, DOB went 3 for 4. Some will say that DOB nearly got thrown out at first from left field. Hogwash, DOB says. He was safe by a half mile.

Now 1-1 on the season, the Second Stringers are back in action next Thursday at 7 when they play Budweiser/SSB at Moorman Main.

2012 Lid Lifter

The newly rebranded Second Sting Music Second Stringers made their Quincy Park District Division IV debut Thursday night at Moorman Main.

Long-time followers of the blog are asking? What in the heck is Second String Music. It's a sweet music shop that former Demons/TapOut star Hitman Hart owns with former Demons/TapOut groupie SheyFey.

As he does every off-season, Kriss Kross goes groveling for sponsors. The Hitman coughed up 50 bucks and wound up making the best sports franchise purchase in the history of beer league softball. We have sweet new shirts with the Second String logo on the front.

The team got off to a great start against Entrup, too, scoring 10 first-inning runs. However, the Second Stringers couldn't make the lead hold and wound up dropping a 24-19 decision to fall to 0-1 on the season.

In case you didn't know, slow-pitch softball continues to die a slow death in the Gem City. There are eight teams in our league this year and there are just two Thursday night leagues. The Second Stringers are lumped in with teams they have no business playing. Ever since that magical championship season at the Division V level in 2007, the powers that be have had it in for the Demons/TapOuts/Second Stringers.

That was never more evident than in the third inning when DOB was absolutely robbed the new home plate umpire. With Frank off playing in a mini golf tourney somewhere, they had some guy that looked like Glen Jacobs behind the plate. And I'm talking pre-Dr. Isssac Yankem DDS/Kane Glen Jacobs. He looked like the guy who was a "baller" at Quincy College and Northeast Missouri State.

DOB roped a ball down the left-field line that the left fielder couldn't handle. The left fielder wound up kicking the ball into foul territory and the new Jim Joyce of Division IV called it foul. Then Joyce rung up DOB on a pitch that was an obvious ball.

DOB was able to bounce back and go 2 for 4 with 3 RBI in spite of the shady officiating done at his expense.

The Drywallers drilled the ball all game long. Josh took one off the sternum in the fourth inning at second base, while Kriss Kross nearly died on a comebacker to the mound to end the top of the sixth inning.

The Second Stringers did hit the ball well. Nick the Quick is already in midseason form, while the svelte Zach Attack also got it done at the dish.

The Second Stringers will try to make their new ownership group proud next Thursday at 8 against the Midwest Mules at Upper Moorman. Word on the Mules is that they'll probably kick our tails.

Can we please bring back the Merry Beavers?

Season wrap-up

Guess I ought to get around to wrapping up the 2011 season.

We split our last two games to finish at 7-5. Not a bad season for a bunch of old men. I think we tied for third place.

Sorry I didn't update as regularly down the stretch.