Season 11

New teams / old teams:   For the third straight season, the Armadillos and No Tan Lines are in our division. Better L8 Than Never (the homerun crushers) and C-Dogs also return to the northeast Dawson field. This will be the Empty Pitchers' third straight season on the NE Dawson field, which Tempe reserves for its top teams. Congrats!

Rounding out the league will be Dobson Ranch HOA, one of the SE field's top teams the past two seasons, Arrowlane and Boston's Bar & Grill, neither of whom we know anything about. Our schedule gives us the advantage of scouting these two new teams before encountering them.

Aside from the teams we know nothing about, this looks to be a very balanced field, aside from Better L8 who have to be the favorites unless a team like the Pitchers decides to outhit Better L8.

Old rivals elsewhere
On the SE field: Warriors, Leftovers, Where's Home, Finish Strong, FR Ramrod and Black Sox.
On the NW field: 1st Round Draft and Saki Bombers
On the SW field: Jagerbombers, Rounders and TGFTW

New faces / old faces:   Chad has work to do Sunday nights scouting the NFL teams for the Jacksonville Jaguars, rendering him unavailable to play. Andrew, at Jessica's urging to get him out of the house, returns to action. The remainder of the roster remains the same.

On the field, look for more utility action from Jamie and Ted as Andrew holds down 3B while rehabbing / strenghtening his ankle. At the plate, it's time to buckle down and become a leaner, meaner offensive machine.

New look:   The team has looked for new uniforms but nothing yet has been decided. Regardless of the uniform in use, on October 17th, Courtney and Jamie will be celebrating their wedding weekend with softball (they get married on Friday the 15th in Sedona). All uniforms will have a slight tweak to them. Jamie's family will be in town attending the game and everyone should plan to join them for a quick drink and/or bite post-game.

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Feedback:  The Pterodactyl Listens

On Deck:  Better L8 Than Never 7pm - Away History: 0-1 L 2-17 Season 9 "Step right up to the plate and crack a hit. Yessir-ee, let's see what you can do!" "Look at this young man and gorgeous lady... wearing those matching white and blue outfits! "Whaddya say, sir and ma'am, would you like to win a free pitcher of beer? Just need two more people to step up and the four of ya can take whacks and make your way around each base... it's as simple as that! "Even if you lose, I got these pretty, stuffed animals that look like flying dinosaurs for you to take home. But if you get twenty runs, you're a winner!" Scouted: This team hits over all the fences - left, center and right. Jason will do his best to jam the batters and make them work for a good pitch to crush. Minimize the errors, keep the ball in front of the outfielders and relax at the plate. We can't outhit them power-wise, but we can outhit them to minimize their atbats. Pregame: For this first game, please arrive at 6:30pm and in addition to warming up your arms, grab a bat and take 20-30 good practice swings to shake the rust off... or it could be a very short night.

Regular Season Standings  (Avg Runs For/Against) 0-0  (   0 / 0   )   Armadillos 0-0  (   0 / 0   )   Arrowlane 0-0  (   0 / 0   )   Better L8 0-0  (   0 / 0   )   Boston's B&G 0-0  (   0 / 0   )   C Dogs 0-0  (   0 / 0   )   Dobson Ranch 0-0  (   0 / 0   )   Empty Pitchers 0-0  (   0 / 0   )   No Tan Lines

Upcoming Games

Arrowlane @ No Tan Lines
Next time your friend is asleep while sunning on a lawn chair on beach towel, use suntan lotion to create arrows on your friend's body.

Armadillos @ C Dogs
Last time the Dillos drilled and dinked hits towards a 13-7 victory. Did the ol' C Dogs learn any new tricks since then?

Boston's Bar & Grill @ Dobson Ranch HOA
On principal alone, one must side with a bar over an HOA. While one brings happiness to a community, the other brings hefty fees which are often mismanaged, unless the HOA provides a drunk bus.

Tibetan Mountain Monk says:
I have returned from the big city and am embarassed to admit, I have been having a heck of a time "passing" all this processed food.

I predict a tall tan beer, a strong arm lifting the beer, the beer being emptied, and an HOA member finding me passed out on someone's lawn.

Last week: 0-0
Total: 86-54

Known Travel

Sept 12th - Ruthie
Sept 19th - Connie and Ron
Oct 10th - Connie and Ruthie
Oct 17th - Connie and Ron

Darkness Dear Boy

Only the roar of a go-kart could drown out Ted's rocking last Friday at Fiddlesticks. Most common exclamation heard that night: "They don't serve beer here?"

Jamie did his best to sabotage Ron's Formula 1 run by delaying his start of the race, but his souped-up racer cruised around to take first place before running out of gas on the last lap. Who knew go-karts needed pit stops. Marlee blamed her non-first-place finish on her tires being worn.

Riddles of Raoul

I have land without mountians, rivers without water, and cities without people. What am I?
Highlight space between quotes for answer: "   A map     "

Sept 12th, 2010
Better L8 Than Never 17, Empty Pitchers 3

Gone: Marlee ( Sherri ) and Ruthie ( Vicky )

The good news: the Empty Pitchers improved from last time they played Better L8, by losing only 17-3 instead of 17-2. Jason pitched a masterful game giving up no homeruns, which hardly in pitcher can say in Tempe - especially after having faced them twice. Ted continues to make web gems in the outfield as well.

Box Scores
Ron	2-2, R
Connie	0-2
Jamie	2-2, RBI
Jami	0-2
Andrew	2-2, R
Courtney	2-2
Jason	1-2, R, RBI
Vicky	1-2, RBI
Keith	1-2
Sherri	0-1
Ted	0-1, pu
Sarah	0-1, K

The devasting news: In addition to losing by a combined 34-5 in our two meetings, Andrew was lost for the season on a headfirst dive into 3B, tearing his pec muscle. Fantasy softball fans around the Valley cringed and tied up local networks on Wednesday when the full injury was disclosed and available players cleared waivers.

Statistically, the was the first time in EP history the team has not batted through the order twice completely. The last time that occurred, the team was Last Call Clean All and it was a regular occurrence.

Better L8 played to crush and embarass us. The Empty Pitchers have been playing to have fun and win. While no doubt can be given that 100% effort was given by EP players, their approach and intensity will need to adjust in future matchups with Better L8 and similar teams. Swagger and bravado need to make occasional appearances.

Scouted:
One area EP showed bravado was on the basepaths, but unfortunately it had a negative effect. Better L8 arms arrived late to catch the force but their throws weren't too late to catch runners rounding bases. Yes, the blues missed two calls but EP needs to avoid losing any precious outs on the basepaths.

Fungos:
Plate perfection: Andrew, Courtney, Jamie and Ron - two of whom heeded the call to swing bats pregame to warm up; the rest of the team batted 3-11, so statistics suggest swinging a bat pregame is beneficial... Marlee was out-of-town at a seminar on the updated opti-grab... Ruthie was in St. Louis on special assignment with the Cardinals as a hitting coach specialist...

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from Andrew on Wed - Yesterday I spent the afternoon at the doctor's and waiting for xrays............I guess it's just part of the process. X-rays only look at bones. I guess they do that as standard procedure. I have no broken bones......now I have to schedule and get an MRI ......trying to get it done today. I'm pretty sure I have a substantial tear of my pec, guessing I'll be out for a while. I can't do anything with my arm extended more than about a foot away from my body. My entire biceps is showing bruising......looks kind of weird. fyi....while I was in the office, I had him look at my ankle/achilles.........just with a little feeling around he could tell I had a pretty good sprain of my achilles recently and he recommend some PT for that after we get my pec resolved. turning 40 sucks....

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Feedback:  The Pterodactyl Listens

On Deck:  Armadillos 6pm - Away Gone: Connie and Ron (no subs) History: 0-1 L 7-9 Season 9 W 12-11 Season 10 For the second consecutive matchup with the Armadillos, Connie and Ron will be gone traveling. Will Jason, for the second consecutive matchup, write the writeup? To get ready for a rematch with Better L8 and other tough foes such as No Tan Lines and Boston's, let's bring out the beat down stick this week. The Armadillos are a mirror image of us. We need to morph into a more ferocious beast... Scouted: Right here, right now - almost every batter took aim towards RF. It was a busy night for Chad.... Their pitcher tosses almost every pitch with backspin... their team keeps stats too in a separate baseball stat book - no need to snap a photo. Pregame: Watch some football, head to the field, grab a bat and take 20-30 good practice swings.

Regular Season Standings  (Avg Runs For/Against) 1-0  (  17 / 3     )   Better L8 1-0  (    17 / 3   )   Boston's B&G 1-0  (   15 / 8     )  C Dogs 1-0  (   22 / 16   )  No Tan Lines 0-1  (    8 / 15   )   Armadillos 0-1  (  16 / 22   )   Arrowlane 0-1  (     3 / 17   )  Dobson HOA 0-1  (     3 / 17   )  Empty Pitchers

Sunday's Scores

No Tan Lines, 22, Arrowlane 16
Better L8 17, EP 3
C-Dogs 15, Armadillos 8
Boston's 17, Dobson HOA 3

Upcoming Games

Dobson Ranch HOA @ C-Dogs
The HOA has leash laws? I don't think so. The penalty for leaving poop in someone's yard: collected poop can be collected and tossed over your backyard wall and into your pool. Ewwwww.

Better L8 @ No Tan Lines
Titans. Epic matchup.

Boston's Bar & Grill @ Arrowlane
The new kids on the block match up. Who has the right stuff and will be hanging tough at the games end? The winner will likely follow a step-by-step philosophy to winning.

Tibetan Mountain Monk says:
The results last week were predicted by a passing pigeon. This week I pass the task to a more trusted source: the workers on an ant hill:

Empty, C Dogs, Better L8 and Boston's.

Last week: 1-3
Total: 87-57

Known Travel

Sept 19th - Connie and Ron
Sept 26th - Sarah and Ted
Oct 10th - Connie and Ruthie
Oct 17th - Connie and Ron

New Empty Pitcher

Jason's friend, Jay, will play in Andrew's place this season until he is able to return in the spring. Welcome Jay!

Riddles of Raoul

For all the toughness spoken of this week, I offer this riddle:
How does a boat show affection?
Highlight space between quotes for answer: "   It hugs the shore     "

Sept 19th, 2010
Armadillos 12, Empty Pitchers 8
EP:    0   2   0   2   2   2   0  =  8
AM:   0   4   6   0   1   1   x  =   12

Gone: Ron, Connie and Sarah ( Katie )

Three days after Sunday night's game, nearly of the quarter of the twelve runners left on base are still unaccounted for. Search parties from both the team and City of Tempe are still looking. Cleo, Logan and Patches are working their noses overtime, trying to pick up any scents to determine their location before next Sunday's game.

Box Scores
Courtney	2-5, R, BB
Jamie	2-5, R, pu
Marlee	2-4, R, RBI
Jason	1-4, R, RBI
Jami	4-4, 2R, 2RBI
Ted	2-4
Ruthie	2-4, R, 2RBI
Jay	3-4, 2RBI
Katie	1-4
Keith	3-4, R

The Empty Pitcher's woes at the plate continued for the first three innings, scoring only two total runs. The Armadillos put together a good inning in the 2nd, grabbing four runs.

In the bottom of the 3rd, Jason was able to get two outs with runners on 1st and 2nd. At that point, Jason's focus drifted to his daughter's awesome pitching debut a few nights before. By the time Jason snapped out of it, he had walked two guys and two girls had automatically taken 1B without batting. With the bases loaded, a Dillo donged a shallow shot to the OF. Keith dove for the ball (Andrew style) but the ball bounced just short and then beyond, scoring three more runs.

The EP bats awoke the next three innings, scoring two runs in each. The EP defense held the Dillos to just two runs the next three innings. With two minutes left, the Pitchers came to the plate and loaded the bases for Jamie with two outs. The result: three more runners left on base and a win for the Dillos, who take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Scouted:
Backspin and more backspin from the 'Dillo pitcher. Solid defense all around and they continue to work RF more than LF at the plate.

Fungos:
Plate perfection: Jami... and Ruthie continues her mean assault with a stick on the Dillos, as she crushed hard shots in every at-bat... Katie made her EP debut after subbing for Friday's Free Agents, who won their opening game... In his EP debut in Andrew's place, Jay cracked three hits and knocked in several runs. Way to go, new guy!... Ruthie was called for obstruction running to 2B in this game causing a doubleplay (similar to Jamie and Keith in previous games). Make sure if you are going to be thrown out at 2B you veer off to the right... Jamie tried the hotdog / chip / soda combo for $3 and tried hot sauce on his dog with spicy mustard. Tasty!... The umpires fouled up two more close calls in as many games against the Pitchers... The elephant in the room: the Empty Pitchers have started 0-2 just once in season four and finished 4-3 (record keeping began in season three).

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Feedback:  The Pterodactyl Listens

On Deck:  Arrowlane 9pm - Home Gone: Ted ( ? ) History: First meeting No Tan Lines, 22, Arrowlane 16 Arrowlane 11, Boston's 8 Founded in 2002 as Plateau Motorsports, ArrowLane, LLC has become a noted shop for car enthusiasts in the Southwest. Based in Scottsdale Airpark, Scottsdale, Arizona our facility has allowed us to grow and succeed. The staff of ArrowLane is dedicated to their craft as well as helping our customers achieve their goals in all aspects of car ownership, racing, and enjoying their automobiles. All the details are provided by Arrowlane: race prep, maintenance, transportation, driver coaching, and hospitality. They take care of you every step of the way. Track support by our experienced ArrowLane crews will give you all of the necessary aspects of a great race weekend. Car reliability and safety - improved driver comfort and driving skills – finishing your event and placing well - we take pride in these goals for your racing experience. Scouted: We don't know a thing about Arrowhead except from their two games' scores, in which they know how to score runs. Their defense may be a little suspect but it'll likely require out-hitting them for the win. Pregame: Watch some football, head to the field, grab a bat and take 20-30 good practice swings.

Regular Season Standings  (Avg Runs For/Against) 2-0  (  19 / 5     )   Better L8 2-0  (   17 / 8     )  C Dogs 1-1  (    13 / 7   )   Boston's B&G 1-1  (   14 / 15   )   Arrowlane 1-1  (   10 / 15   )   Armadillos 1-1  (   14 / 18   )  No Tan Lines 0-2  (     6 / 15   )  Empty Pitchers 0-2  (     5 / 18   )  Dobson HOA

Sunday's Scores

The top team crushed the other top team, or is another team the other top team?

Armadillos 12, EP 8
C Dogs 19, Dobson HOA 7
Better L8 20, No Tan Lines 6
Arrowlane 11, Boston's 8

Upcoming Games

Armadillos @ Dobson Ranch HOA
First dogs overrun the homeowners association. Next up, battling leash laws on Armadillos. Have you tried leashing an armadillo?

No Tan Lines @ Boston's Bar & Grill
Black and tans at Boston's Bar & Grill are more fun to make than drink. Can you create a distinct line between the black and tan beers?

C Dogs @ Better L8
The league will be down to one undefeated team after this Sunday. Poor Better L8 has no top teams to beat up on in the season's second half.

Tibetan Mountain Monk says:
Tonight I dance with banshees to bring luck to the Empty Pitchers in their quest for the first win of season eleven. I've had minimal experience with the ladies so any advice you can send my way would be appreciated!

Dillos, Lines, Never and Empty!

Last week: 2-2
Total: 89-59

Known Travel

Sept 26th - Sarah and Ted
Oct 10th - Connie and Ruthie
Oct 17th - Connie and Ron

Riddles of Raoul

For all the toughness spoken of this week, I offer this riddle:
Other than being colors, what do the words orange, silver and purple have in common?
Highlight space between quotes for answer: "   There is no word in the English language that rhymes with them.     "

Sept 26th, 2010
Empty Pitchers 18, Arrowlane 12
AL:    1    4   4   3   0   0  =  12
EP:    0  11   1   2   4   x  =  18

Gone: Ted ( None )

Are the Empty Pitchers back? In seven of the past nine innings, the team has scored two or more runs, including a monstrous 2nd inning this week. In the field, the defense was top flight. All of this against a solid, Arrowlane team, a newcomer from the Kiwanis fields who won last season's tournament in a bumped up division.

Boasting a lineup of Mark McGuire-type batters and Sheena Easton-like battresses, the ball was flying off their bats. Marlee took much of the initial action, ripping liners out of the sky and creating a wall in front of all balls pounded on the ground.

Jami	3-4,  2R, 2RBI
Jay	1-4,  RBI
Marlee	3-4,  2R, 2RBI, BB
Ron	3-4,  2R, 2RBI, BB
Connie	2-4,  2R, 2RBI
Courtney	4-4,  4R, 2RBI
Jason	3-4,  3R, 2RBI, BB
Ruthie	4-4,  R, 2RBI
Keith	3-4,  R, 2RBI, BB
Sarah	0-3,  shocked by her surplus energy
Jamie	2-3,  R, 2RBI, pu

What Marlee stopped towards the right side, Courtney plucked out of the air like fireflies lighting the field for the late game. As the game wore on, Arrowlane decided to avoid our girls and aim up the middle, but there was Jay, doing his best Ted impression with several gazelle-like catches.

Arrowlane put five runs on the board and was feeling good when the arsenal was opened. Courtney got the inning rolling as half the lineup batted twice in the inning. While Courtney and Ruthie were teeing shots off to the outfield, Jason and Keith both drew two-RBI walks in the inning, which ended with a six-run lead for the Pitchers.

The Arrowlane defense could not be blamed for all the runs and the put their focus back into their bats as they dropped four and three runs across the plate over the next few innings, but it would not be enough as EP dropped several insurance runs across the plate

Fungos:
Jason had just one walk, a prerequisite for a win… Plate perfection: Courtney and Ruthie went a combined 8-8, 5R and 4RBI… EP batters took 4 walks, tying a team record set in a season seven 28-20 win over 1st Rd Draft in which Ruthie alone walked three times… Cleo and Patches returned to the dugout with the return of fall weather… The tide turned as EP got the benefit of a missed call at 3B as Jamie, on a relay from Ron, braced himself for impact (p=mv) instead of tagging the runner - but the blue called the runner out… The team planned to play with ten but Sarah's schedule freed up at the last moment!

Scouted:
Arrowlane belongs on Tempe's top fields. Their pitcher throws lots of backspin so keep your shots aimed on the ground. The shortstop makes some poor decisions with his throws when the game is in the later innings.

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Feedback:  The Pterodactyl Listens

Special Report:  Andrew's Injury from Andrew on Tues - Today the orthopedic doc recommended surgery within the next two weeks... and it is happening Thursday September 30th at 1:45pm. Two screws/anchors will be put into my arm and then the tendon sutured to the anchors. Over next 12+ weeks the tendon will re-attach around the suture and to the bone. My pec is torn and my biceps tendon is partially in my forearm right now. You won't see me diving again any time soon... On Deck:  Dobson Ranch HOA 6pm - Home History: First meeting This season: Boston's 17, Dobson HOA 3 C Dogs 19, Dobson HOA 7 Armadillos 20, Dobson HOA 5 Gone: None The origins of Dobson Ranch reach back to the early history of the east valley when it began as a cattle ranch and farming operation. Wilson Wesley Dobson emigrated from Canada to Arizona and began his cattle ranching and farming in 1886, which is 25 years before Roosevelt Dam was completed. He may have belonged to the Salt River Valley Water Users Association (SRVWUA) who pledged more than 200,000 acres of their land for the federal construction loan to build the dam. As many as 20,000 head of cattle roamed the land where Baseline Road stands. Phoenix’s economic base was built upon the 3 C’s; cotton, citrus and cattle. These staples of economic growth began to succumb to the need for residential developments. In the early 70’s, The City of Mesa purchased enough acreage from the Dobson family to complete a championship 18 hole municipal golf course. Also in the early 70’s, Continental Homes purchased 2,000 acres paving the way for Dobson Ranch which opened in October 1973. Scouted: We've followed Dobson Ranch HOA the past few seasons on the SE field. They can put up big numbers in a hurry. Do not take 'em lightly! Pregame: Watch some football, head to the field, grab a bat and take 20-30 good practice swings.

Regular Season Standings  (Avg Runs For/Against) 3-0  (   20 / 4     )   Better L8 2-1  (   13 / 9     )   Armadillos 2-1  (   16 / 14   )  No Tan Lines 2-1  (   12 / 13   )  C Dogs 1-2  (   11 / 12   )  Boston's B&G 1-2  (   13 / 16   )  Arrowlane 1-2  (   10 / 14   )  Empty Pitchers 0-3  (     5 / 19   )  Dobson HOA

Sunday's Scores

The winning teams on the NE field won by a combined 82-27.

Armadillos 20, Dobson HOA 5
No Tan Lines 21, Boston's 7
Better L8 23, C Dogs 3
EP 18, Arrowland 12

Elsewhere

Warriors 11, Proctor Doctors 4
Leftovers 15, Finish Strong 14
Black Sox 13, Team Ramrod 1
Where's Home 14, Cerveceros 8
Our Couch Pulls Out 25, Argyle Sox 0
Basis Loaded* 16, Maulers 2

* Amy Dalton's new team on Kiwanis field

Upcoming Games

Arrowlane @ Better L8 Than Never
With a matchup of the leagues tallest and bulkiest male hitters, ladies who love firefighter calendars ought to enjoy this one. As a bonus, Phx is expecting record high temps + early game = sweaty action.

Armadillos at Boston's Bar & Grill
Want a recipe for grilled armadillo eggs? Or what if the Armadillo bought Boston's and renamed it for itself?

No Tan Lines @ C Dogs
Leather is a material created through the tanning of hides and skins of animals, primarily cattlehide. Is a C Dog like a Sea Monkey, in which it's not really a monkey to get all worked up about?

Tibetan Mountain Monk says:
The banshees helped me to a 4-0 record last week. Raoul recommended some Elvis to get the legs and ladies movin'. May I recommend to all: The Memphis Record.

Dillos, Lines, Never and Empty for the 2nd straight week!

Last week: 4-0
Total: 93-59

Known Travel

Oct 10th - Connie, Marlee, Ruthie and Ted

Riddles of Raoul

Where does a bird go when it loses its tail ?
Highlight space between quotes for answer: "   The retail store     "

Sept 26th, 2010
Empty Pitchers 11, Dobson Ranch HOA 4
DR:    2   0   1   0   1   0  =  4
EP:    2   1   5   3   0    x  =  11

Gone: Keith and Ruthie ( None )

The Empty Pitchers returned to .500 with an impressive defensive outting and are now in position to finish with a winning record for a ninth consecutive season, though the feat will not be easy with three good opponents ahead: No Tan Lines, C Dogs and Boston's Bar & Grill.

The defense had a few bumps in the first inning on the left side of the infield. A one-hopper relay to 3B scooted past Jamie and into the dugout, allowing the baserunners to automatically advance to home and 3B respectively. Unfortunately, the girl's slide into 3B injured her back and she later left the game, a mighty blow as she was their best female.

Marlee	1-4,  BB, K
Ted	1-4,  R, pu
Courtney	4-4,  3R
Ron	3-4,  HR, 2R, 3RBI
Jami	1-4,  R, 2RBI, K
Jamie	2-3,  3R, RBI, BB
Sarah	1-3,  BB, K
Jason	3-3,  R, 4RBI
Connie	3-3,  RBI, BB
Jay	1-3,  K, pu

In the bottom of the first, Ted onside kicked/hit the ball, which the pitcher converted into a 1-6-3 doubleplay. With two down, Courtney belted her offering for a single and up came Ron. He sliced his first pitch over 1B and scampered around the bases to give the team a two-run lead.

Above: Dobson Ranch cattle keep the softball fields free of long grass on weekdays during the late 1800's and early 1900's.

Not to be outdone defensively with runners at 1st and 2nd in the top of the second, Jason fielded a grounder and threw to Jamie who converted the 1-5-3 doubleplay with Jami.

Beyond their two runs in the first inning, Dobson Ranch was never able to mount a consistent inning due to solid outfield play. It was a busy night for Connie, who injured her ankle earlier in the day playing soccer. DRHOA had numerous lefties in their lineup, which meant crickets for Courtney in LF.

EP got things rolling in the third and fourth innings with a mix of nice hits and booted plays by HOA infielders. The first three hitters of the 3rd inning, Ted, Courtney and Ron, singled, singled, doubled and all scored. Later in the inning with two outs, Jason doubled and reached third as Jamie caused an overthrow at 3B, allowing him to score. Connie knocked in Jason and Jay singled before Marlee got caught staring at glitter the pitcher secretly placed on the ball.

In the fourth, the team put together another nice run with two outs. Jami's single was able to move Courtney to 3B and Jamie was walked on three straight pitches, scoring Courtney. Sarah took a free walk because of the walk-a-guy-with-two-outs-rule and Jason delivered again, bringing both Jami(e)'s home. Connie singled to load the bases but the HOA pitcher induced a popup by Jay to end the inning, preventing further damage, but it was all the Pitchers would need to hold on to win.

Fungos:
Plate perfection: Connie and Jason (both 3-3) and Courtney (4-4 and jinxed now with an 8-8 tear over the last two games. She forgot to wash her shirt before this game - will she wash it before next game or let the shirt ride the hit streak out?)... Half the team batted 5 for 18 while the other half batted 15 for 17... Connie created tonight's lineup, which went through the order once and was one batter away from the feat a second time in the fourth inning... For the second straight game, the team drew four walks but also had four strikeouts, breaking the old EP record of two. Five fans in the stands.

Scouted:
Pitcher is a little wild with a funky spin. Their OF didn't get tested much. Their infield is capable but not top tier. Hard shots on the ground often had a greater than 50% chance of getting through to the outfield. At the plate, if it wasn't hit to RF it was up the middle with low liners. Most importantly, a friendly team.

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Feedback:  The Pterodactyl Listens

On Deck:  No Tan Lines 8pm - Away History: 1-0 S10: W 11-4 This season: No Tan Lines, 22, Arrowlane 16 Better L8 20, No Tan Lines 6 No Tan Lines 21, Boston's 7 No Tan Lines 20, C Dogs 2 Gone: Connie, Marlee, Ruthie, Sarah and Ted Don't be comofortable with the previous meeting's result - No Tan Lines was missing all but two of their regular players. Last season they still finished in first place with a 6-1 record, 6-1 and averaging 15 runs scored vs 7 runs given up - best in the division. This game will be a good test for the Empty Pitchers to determine their playoff mettle (medal?) (metal?) (meddle?). Consistent offense and defense or a really bad game by No Tan Lines should land the Pitchers the victory. Scouted: Of their two regulars, their guy at 3B doesn't hit deep. Their girl at 2B easily landed several shots over 3B and fielded some hot shots. Pregame: Watch some football, head to the field, grab a bat and take 20-30 good practice swings.

Regular Season Standings  (Avg Runs For/Against) 4-0  (   20 / 4     )   Better L8 3-1  (   17 / 11   )  No Tan Lines 3-1  (   14 / 10   )  Armadillos 2-2  (   10 / 11   )  Empty Pitchers 2-2  (   10 / 15   )  C Dogs 1-3  (   11 / 12   )  Boston's B&G 1-3  (   11 / 17   )  Arrowlane 0-4  (     5 / 17   )  Dobson HOA

The Empty Pitchers are creeping back up in the standings!

Sunday's Scores

The winning teams on the NE field won by a combined 82-27.

EP 11, Dobson HOA 4
Better L8 19, Arrowlane 4
Armadillos 14, Boston's 13
No Tan Lines 20, C Dogs 2

Southeast Field
Warriors 13, Where's Home 1
Black Sox 13, Ceveceros 9
Leftovers 13, CAS Proctor Doctors 12
Finish Strong 17, Ramrod 7

Elsewhere
Super Heros in Training 17, Basis Loaded* 0

* Amy Dalton's new team on Kiwanis field

Upcoming Games

Boston's Bar & Grill @ C Dogs
The question last week was whether it was wrong to tan dog hides. Well, Michael Vick's ribs got beat up pretty good that same weekend. So what will happen to Michael Vick as we ask whether it's ok to grill up some canine?

Armadillos @ Arrowlane
The battle atop the alphabetical standings is finally here. Can an arrow puncture the thick, shell-like skin of the armadillo? Sure it can. It's not a turtle!

Better L8 @ Dobson Ranch HOA
Dobson Ranch's chances for their first victory of the season look similar to the Arizona Cardinal's chances of reaching the Super Bowl this year.

Tibetan Mountain Monk says:
Two straight 4-0 weeks. I got a lot riding on the EP pick over Tan Lines. If correct I will reach 99 correctly picked, which is more significant in my spiritual world than 100 correct.

Boston's, Dillos, Pitchers and Never

Last week: 4-0
Total: 97-59

Known Travel

Oct 10th - Connie, Marlee, Ruthie, Sarah and Ted

Injuries

Jessica says Andrew's surgery went smoothly, he's in some pain but the docs have him on medicine to keep everything groovy.

Can You Hear Me Now? Ted's band Darkness Dear Boy has the following upcoming shows:
Wed Oct 6, 8pm: Bogeys in Tempe
Wed Oct 13, 8pm:Bogeys in Tempe
Fri Oct 15, 10pm: The Rogue Bar in Scottsdale

Riddles of Raoul

What has a foot on each side and one in the middle??
Highlight space between quotes for answer: "   a yardstick     "

Oct 10th, 2010
No Tan Lines 18, Empty Pitchers 5
EP:    0   0   2   3   0   0   =  5
TL:    4   2   6   1   5    x   =  18

Gone: Marlee ( Christine ), Connie ( Sherri ), Sarah ( Arlene ), Ruthie and Ted

Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups...

Jami	2-3,  BB
Keith	1-3,  R
Courtney	0-2,  RBI, sac
Ron	1-3,  2R, BB
Christine	3-3,  R, 3RBI
Jamie	0-3,  2pu, marriage...
Sherri	1-3,  RBI, 2pu
Jason	1-2,  pu
Arlene	1-2,
Jay	2-2,  R

Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups...

Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups... Passerby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups...

Fungos:
Plate perfection: Christine goes 3-3 with 3 RBIs... Christine also perfected our situation behind the plate when Katie got drunk and forgot to sub. Her mom, Arlene, was in the stands and stepped in behind the plate. Five fans in the stands.

Scouted:
Solid all around team, though it's likely they were amazed by the unusually large amounts of errors and pop-ups.

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Feedback:  The Pterodactyl Listens

On Deck:  C Dogs 7pm - Home History: 0-0 S10: Rained out - no make up This season: C-Dogs 15, Armadillos 8 C Dogs 19, Dobson HOA 7 Better L8 23, C Dogs 3 No Tan Lines 20, C Dogs 2 C Dogs 18, Boston's Bar & Grill 5 Gone: Connie, Keith (Andy ) and Ron Preview provided by Sun Yat Se, one of only two dogs to survive the sinking of the Titanic: Let us remember... It is documented that a passenger went below and released all the dogs from the kennels before Titanic disappeared below the waves. Some accounts speak of a Newfoundland that saved a woman's life by dragging her to a lifeboat before expiring itself. There are tales of Rigel, a Newfoundland belonging to the Titanic's first officer swimming in the freezing sea in a desperate attempt to find his master. Rigel's story goes on to say that he prevented the Carpathia from missing a lifeboat with survivors too weak to identify their location, by barking till someone heard him and the people were saved. This story suggests that three dogs were saved as Rigel apparently was taken on board the Carpathia and given medical attention and food. It should be remembered that the water temperature at that time was such that any human's or dog's survival was a miracle. Scouted: C Dogs have played like the Pitchers, beating up on teams they should (Dobson Ranch) and getting slaughtered by No Tan Lines and Never L8. Only difference - they beat up on the Armadillos. Jamie's younger brother, Andy, will sub for the guys and perhaps his wife, Vanessa, will see some action. Pregame: Don your bowtie or garter belt - the game will be Courtney and Jamie's first in married life. Postgame Drinks and a few bites afterwards to celebrate the wedding and hopefully a win. Bring your embarrasing questions for Jamie's parents.

Regular Season Standings  (Avg Runs For/Against) 5-0  (   19 / 4     )   Better L8 4-1  (   17 / 10   )  No Tan Lines 3-2  (   14 / 12   )  Armadillos 3-2  (   11 / 13   )  C Dogs 2-3  (   10 / 13   )  Empty Pitchers 2-3  (   12 / 17   )  Arrowlane 1-4  (   10 / 13   )  Boston's B&G 0-5  (     4 / 17   )  Dobson HOA

The Empty Pitchers are creeping back up in the standings!

Sunday's Scores

C Dogs 18, Boston's B&G 5
Arrowlane 19, Armadillos 16
No Tan Lines 18, EP 5
Better L8 16, Dobson HOA 3

Elsewhere
Warriors 18, Black Sox 14
Finish Strong 17, Ramrod 7
Basis Loaded* 12, Preferred Provider 7

* Amy Dalton's new team on Kiwanis field

Upcoming Games

Better L8 @ Boston's Bar & Grill
Closing time at Boston's Bar & Grill and Better L8 will drink 'em dry for last call.

Dobson Ranch HOA @ Arrowlane
There are no Arrow Lanes in Dobson Ranch but plenty of their signs have arrows.

No Tan Lines @ Armadillos
No Grill Lines as armadillo meat is skewered.

Tibetan Mountain Monk says:
I hear not only will Jamie's brother be in attendance, but so will Raoul's.

My picks this week to win are L8, Lane, Lines and Pitchers

Last week: 1-3
Total: 98-62

Known Travel

Oct 17th - Connie, Keith and Ron

Can You Hear Me Now? Ted's band Darkness Dear Boy has the following upcoming shows:
Wed Oct 13, 8pm:Bogeys in Tempe
Fri Oct 15, 10pm: The Rogue Bar in Scottsdale

Riddles of Raoul

What goes around the world but stays in a corner?
Highlight space between quotes for answer: "   a stamp     "

Oct 17th, 2010
C Dogs 17, Empty Pitchers 7

CD:    0   0   3   7   2   0   5  =  17
EP:    3   0   0   1   0   2   1  =  7

Gone: Ron ( Andy ) and Connie ( Vanessa )

The team started out hot. Jason's pitching and his back nine held a potent C Dog offense to just seven batters over the first two innings while the Pitchers dropped three runs across in the opening inning.

After a hit by Jason and a walk to Marlee, Keith hit into a fielder's choice leaving runnes at the corners for the Bride, who cracked an infield shot to notch her first married-life RBI.

Not to be outdone, the Groom strutted to the plate and sailed a shot over the pitcher to score Keith from second. Lacking a first dance in the wedding weekend's events, the groom danced his way from 1B to 3B after a wild throw by the 3B who had tagged third and tried to double up Jami at firstbase.

Not to be outdone and to show what can still be accomplished after several years of married life, the Groom's Brother belted a double to centerfield and the Groom came pterodactyling home.

Aside from Vanessa beating a quality infield throw from 3B to single and Jason smartly drawing the second of the team's three walks, the offense remained quiet until the brothers went to work again. The Groom missed by inches a slicing laser down the 1B line before drawing a walk. While not reaching base herself, Jami once again moved Jamie to 3B, setting up the former Gopher mascot for another RBI opportunity.

Channeling the focus of Kevin McHale, Mychal Thompson, Bronko Nagurski and Laurence Maroney while balancing the weight of married men everywhere, the Groom's Brother delivered another RBI shot sending the flapping Groom home. From there, the Pitchers did little to keep the game close. The best defense is a great offense to keep the other team off the field and like other nights this season, the team looked sluggish (like a wet sponge) at the plate.

Jason	3-3,  2R, BB
Marlee	2-3,  R, BB
Keith	1-3,  R, RBI
Courtney	1-3,  RBI
Jamie	3-3,  2R, 2RBI, BB
Jami	2-3,
Andy	2-3,  2RBI
Ruthie	1-3,  R
Ted	1-3
Vanessa	1-3
Saman	1-3,  RBI
Sarah	0-3,  Distracted

Fungos:
Plate perfection: Groom and Best Man-at-the-Plate (Jason), combining for 4R, 2RBIs and 2 BBs... Aliens cruelly continue to inhabit our baserunners during crucial innings for the third straight game... Secondbasewoman Marlee's favorite Pink Floyd album the last several weeks has been The Wall... Keith was the only OF to grab any flyballs from the air, while Ruthie got no action in RF... Ted played a solid 3B while Jamie covered SS for Ron... What was distracting Sarah? Her parents were in town celebrating their anniversary and wanted a few hours of privacy - at her place!... With the wedding weekend, both Courtney's and Jamie's family filled the stands.

Scouted:
Pitcher tosses good, hittable pitches with nothing fancy. Their only dreaded player is the one to dread - as he sent one over the fence in his first at-bat. Jamie and Marlee played shallow grass in following at-bats which led to a pop-up and grounder up middle for a double.

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Feedback:  The Pterodactyl Listens

On Deck:  Boston's Bar & Grill 8pm - Away History: First meeting ever This season: Boston's 17, Dobson HOA 3 Arrowlane 11, Boston's 8 No Tan Lines 21, Boston's 7 Armadillos 14, Boston's 13 C Dogs 18, Boston's 5 Better L8 21, Boston's 1 Gone: None Sadly, the Pitchers' streak of eight straight winning seasons ended with last week's loss, but that doesn't mean the team can't begin turning itself around starting with this game. A win this Sunday should provide a somewhat favorable first-round matchup in the playoffs and momentum. Boston's Bar & Grill got their only victory in week one over Dobson HOA, season eleven's whipping team. Boston's almost took one from the Armadillos. They look to be similar to the Pitchers. Perhaps the Pitchers can save some money with a bar sponsorship, such as The Tilted Kilt, but that will require patronage. Scouted: Scouting, schmouting... just play ball. Pregame: 6:30pm - Team meeting at the Tilted Kilt. Don't worry - we aren't emptying pitchers before the game. Postgame Sleep pretty darling do not cry... and I will sing a lullaby.

Regular Season Standings  (Avg Runs For/Against) 6-0  (   19 / 3     )  Better L8 5-1  (   16 / 9     )  No Tan Lines 4-2  (   12 / 12   )  C Dogs 3-3  (   14 / 12   )  Armadillos 3-3  (   14 / 14   )  Arrowlane 2-4  (     9 / 13   )  Empty Pitchers 1-5  (     9 / 15   )  Boston's B&G 0-6  (     4 / 17   )  Dobson HOA

Sunday's Scores

Better L8 21, Boston's 1
C Dogs, EP 7
Arrowlane 21, Dobson HOA 1
No Tan Lines 7, Armadillos 2

Elsewhere
Black Sox 18, Leftovers 1
Where's Home 15, FRRR 8
Cerveseros 15, Warriors 9
Proctor Doctors 13, Finish Strong 3
Basis Loaded 26, Tim 1

Upcoming Games

C Dogs @ Arrowlane
Shooting animals with arrows? Take dogs with you to help chase down the poor, wounded forest creature.

No Tan Lines @ Dobson Ranch HOA
Betcha didn't know the reason there are no tan lines in Dobson Ranch is because it's one of Arizona's few nudist communities.

Better L8 @ Armadillos
For the second straight week, the Armadillos play the late game. Armadillos are mostly noctural animals but you wouldn't have known by last Sunday's performance.

Tibetan Mountain Monk says:
Sadly, my only incorrect pick was the Pitchers, and that I can only blame on the the Pitchers. Make me right this week!

C Dogs, Tan Lines, Pitchers and Better L8 should be easy money in Vegas.

Last week: 3-1
Total: 101-63

Known Travel

None

More on Baserunning

Thanks Ted for this contribution:

Riddles of Raoul

Give it food and it will live; give it water and it will die. What is it?
Highlight space between quotes for answer: "   a fire     "

Wedding Snaps

Brides of Arizona Highways

Atop Oak Creek Canyon