Right Field - Peter, Paul, and Mary
Saturday summers, when I was a kid
We'd run to the schoolyard and here's what we did
We'd pick out the captains and we'd choose up the
teams
It was always a measure of my self esteem
Cuz the fastest, the strongest, played shortstop and
first
The last ones they picked were the worst
I never needed to ask, it was sealed,
I just took up my place in right field.
Playing...
Right field, it's easy, you know.
You can be awkward and you can be slow
That's why I'm here in right field
Just watching the dandelions grow
Playing right field can be lonely and dull
Little Leagues never have lefties that pull
I'd dream of the day they'd hit one my way
They never did, but still I would pray
That I'd make a fantastic catch on the run
And not lose the ball in the sun
And then I'd awake from this long reverie
And pray that the ball never came out to me
Here in...
Right field, it's easy, you know.
You can be awkward and you can be slow
That's why I'm here in right field
Just watching the dandelions grow
Off in the distance, the game's dragging on,
There's strikes on the batter, some runners are on.
I don't know the inning, I've forgotten the score.
The whole team is yelling and I don't know what for.
Then suddenly everyone's looking at me
My mind has been wandering; what could it be?
They point at the sky and I look up above
And a baseball falls into my glove!
Here in right field, it's important you know.
You gotta know how to catch, you gotta know how to
throw,
That's why I'm here in right field, just watching the
dandelions grow!
The Names have been changed to Protect the Errorists
Sunday, November 28, 2004
27 NOV 2004
ONES :
Pitch : Kitty, 1st : Guppy, 2nd : Princess, 3rd : Sandman, SS : Money, Outfield : TS, TK, Rube, Horfun
TWOS :
Pitch : Rickey, 1st : Beyonce, 2nd : Geok, 3rd : Indiana, SS : DT, Outfield : TH, Swat, Jason, NewGuy
Game 1 : ONES 5 : TWOS 11
Game 2 : ONES 7 : TWOS 8 (5 innings)
Rickey declared his was sick on always being on the losing team (that he picks), so he handed the mantle over to Guppy to pick the teams for this day. Suprisingly and totally against his nature, Guppy picked 2 very fair teams, with an equal balance of hitting, defence and positional players. We only had to make ONE trade to fully even out the teams, which was brother for brother, TK for TH.
Game one started well, with both teams showing tight defence and aggressive hitting. TH again showed off his pinpoint-accurate-spray-hitting, placing TyCobbesque singles between the fielders on both sides of the field. Both teams were showing strong defensive plays to hold the scores tied at 1 apiece till the top of the 4th, when DT hit a 2 RBI HR over the Rube (It was the taunting). The ONEs rallied back to even the score to 5 by the 7th, but the TWOS pulled ahead with some monster hitting from their lineup to bring the final score to 11-5. Highlight reel play of the game was by Rickey at the mound. Kyle hit a slow grounder to Rickey's feet, though Rickey fubbed the play, he stayed with the ball and made a spectacular fully-stretched-diving throw to Beyonce at 1st to get the Kitty out. There was no need to do a slow-motion replay of it, because the original play was already in slow motion, with Rickey even making the "ooooo--aaaaaa--wwwwwww-rrrrrrr--ggggg------hhhhhhhh" sound while he threw the ball and the air was expelled from his lungs from the impact with the ground.
The second game was closer than the first with the TWOs are home. With the pressure of getting swept, the ONEs put up strong hitting and defense to hold the TWOs to only a 2 run lead by the 8th. The ONEs rallied at the top of the ninth to take the lead by 1 run, 7-6, placing the pressure back onto the shoulders of the TWOs. With the meat of the lineup coming up to bat Rickey-Jason-TH, the TWOs were not worried. Playing cautiously, Rickey got the signal for a basehit, the strategy being to let Rickey steal 2nd, then bunt Jason to get Rickey to 3rd, and let TH-Gav work their magic. Rickey complied with the instructions given and got on base, Jason got on base, and with runners on first and second, TH smacked an opposite field line-drive to bring in both runs and win the game.
(Note : Rickey tried to repeat his fully-stretched diving throw from the first game, in the second game. This time, he made a spectacular underhand toss to second, but due to the immense momentum and the upward motion, the ball carried 20ft over the 2nd baseman's head, and into the outfield. Goes to show that there should only be ONE greatest play of the game)
Gold Glove : DT
Biggest Bat : TH
Best Play : Rickey
DY play of the day : Indiana
Pitch : Kitty, 1st : Guppy, 2nd : Princess, 3rd : Sandman, SS : Money, Outfield : TS, TK, Rube, Horfun
TWOS :
Pitch : Rickey, 1st : Beyonce, 2nd : Geok, 3rd : Indiana, SS : DT, Outfield : TH, Swat, Jason, NewGuy
Game 1 : ONES 5 : TWOS 11
Game 2 : ONES 7 : TWOS 8 (5 innings)
Rickey declared his was sick on always being on the losing team (that he picks), so he handed the mantle over to Guppy to pick the teams for this day. Suprisingly and totally against his nature, Guppy picked 2 very fair teams, with an equal balance of hitting, defence and positional players. We only had to make ONE trade to fully even out the teams, which was brother for brother, TK for TH.
Game one started well, with both teams showing tight defence and aggressive hitting. TH again showed off his pinpoint-accurate-spray-hitting, placing TyCobbesque singles between the fielders on both sides of the field. Both teams were showing strong defensive plays to hold the scores tied at 1 apiece till the top of the 4th, when DT hit a 2 RBI HR over the Rube (It was the taunting). The ONEs rallied back to even the score to 5 by the 7th, but the TWOS pulled ahead with some monster hitting from their lineup to bring the final score to 11-5. Highlight reel play of the game was by Rickey at the mound. Kyle hit a slow grounder to Rickey's feet, though Rickey fubbed the play, he stayed with the ball and made a spectacular fully-stretched-diving throw to Beyonce at 1st to get the Kitty out. There was no need to do a slow-motion replay of it, because the original play was already in slow motion, with Rickey even making the "ooooo--aaaaaa--wwwwwww-rrrrrrr--ggggg------hhhhhhhh" sound while he threw the ball and the air was expelled from his lungs from the impact with the ground.
The second game was closer than the first with the TWOs are home. With the pressure of getting swept, the ONEs put up strong hitting and defense to hold the TWOs to only a 2 run lead by the 8th. The ONEs rallied at the top of the ninth to take the lead by 1 run, 7-6, placing the pressure back onto the shoulders of the TWOs. With the meat of the lineup coming up to bat Rickey-Jason-TH, the TWOs were not worried. Playing cautiously, Rickey got the signal for a basehit, the strategy being to let Rickey steal 2nd, then bunt Jason to get Rickey to 3rd, and let TH-Gav work their magic. Rickey complied with the instructions given and got on base, Jason got on base, and with runners on first and second, TH smacked an opposite field line-drive to bring in both runs and win the game.
(Note : Rickey tried to repeat his fully-stretched diving throw from the first game, in the second game. This time, he made a spectacular underhand toss to second, but due to the immense momentum and the upward motion, the ball carried 20ft over the 2nd baseman's head, and into the outfield. Goes to show that there should only be ONE greatest play of the game)
Gold Glove : DT
Biggest Bat : TH
Best Play : Rickey
DY play of the day : Indiana
Friday, November 26, 2004
The periodicals
I apologise for the oversight, but we'll try and count up the rest of the roster not listed in the other writeups. Please let me know if I have missed anyone. There are no prerequisites, no minimal attendance.
Joanna [The Slugger] Yong
Jo's the younger cousin of Chris and due to the influence of Chris' sister (who started the softball craze in the family), Jo took up softball from her sec school days. She has since excelled in the sport, taking up a starting position as a shortstop on the National Team. She still comes occasionally, when the demands of varsity and national training does not call on her. Besides being an outstanding defensive shortstop, she has a powerful bat and she won acclaim for this by being awarded the "female slugger award" at the 2001 IFG (when she was still an JC student playing for the FARTS).
Jo-Tsze
One of the oldest periodical, Jo-Tsze has been making guest appearences long before many of the current players, in fact he would probably classify as first generation. A Kent Ridge Hall alumni, he was the first among the KRians to make his mark on SAS, and he has also set the standard that the rest of them try to follow. An outstanding utility player, Jo-Tsze comfortably slots into any position in the infield or outfield and defends it with skill. Famous for his slap-pull hits, 3rd basemen have been known to take a step or two backwards when Jo-Tsze is at the plate.
Dean Hooker
Dean was one of the 3 US embassy players who honored us with his presence. An outstanding all round player. Dean will forever be remembered for making a bare-handed pickup and throw at third base that helped us win the IFG tournament. If he had not made that play, there would have not been the Legend hit because the other team would have won. He has since left Singapore to take up a similar position in the embassy in Surinam
Tom Meredith
Also known as "The Dictator" because of his strong command of the outfield. Tom was a regular for the last year he was in Singapore. He may not have had the speed of Ted or the power of Kyle, but he more than made up for it with intuitive positioning and clever sprayhitting. Tom was also the go-to guy if you needed a Vias to enter the US. Sadly, he's left us for the embassy in Korea.
Glen
Another embassy official fondly remembered. Glen brought something to the ball field that had never been seen before (and will probably never be seen again). SPGs. A starting shortstop (well, that's where he goes when his number is called), Glen has left us for the acrid sands of Afganistan. His official cover being that of an economic advisor, though we all know that he is actually CIA, and his real mission is to find AND kill Osama.
Sarub [Gunz] Pathak
If a sniper shot you in the head from 200m, you'd die. If Gunz threw a ball at your head from 200m, you'd die too. A terrific arm, Gunz can throw the ball further than most people can hit. And not just with power, but with accuracy too. His periodic appearance on the ball field is a welcome sight, and everyone wants him in centerfield. You actually see cautious baserunning when Gunz gets a hold of the ball, as he's been known to throw out runners trying to steal that extra base. Coming from a cricket background, he has an amazing bat as well, combining a powerful stroke with deadly accuracy to place the ball in gaps for a homerun.
Mok [Horfun] MeiFung
An undergrad with aspirations towards south-east asian history, Horfun earned her name because her "angmoh" supervisors (ie Kitty & Windmill) could not pronounce her dialect name properly. She looks likely to follow in the footsteps of Geok and Lloyd, with no softball background, she has shown tremendous improvement since coming down regularly for the last few months.
Jason/Diana
Our newest regulars. They have yet to earn a nickname, but we will not seperate their writeups. Coming from a tennis playing background, both Jason and Diana showed excellant handeye coordination during their first game and have improved at a startling rate. They both have good bats, making the kind of clean contact and single basehits that we all fondly remember doing when we were young. They have also staked their claim in the field as well, making great plays to aid the team in defense.
Andy Cowan
A new Canuck in our regular lineup. Andy reminds us of an "angmoh" version of the Ipoh Assassin. He shows up, gets the job done and sits down. Gratefully, he has not started calling canadian rules foullines nor foulplays. With a good bat, glove and arm, Andy has the potential to make a serious dent in saturdaysoftball history. He doesn't make mistakes nor does he make flashy plays, and his bat always get him on base. We're all waiting for his first bonehead play (it's the SAS disease, everyone gets it) so that we can give him a deserving nickname.
Aaron [JAL] Koh
Words cannot describe fully the player formerly known as Aaron. But lets start with "can't hit, can't catch, can't drink". Aaron was a shortlived SAS member who followed Misty out one day, and led Misty out on several others. Aaron disappeared to the paradise shores of Koh Samui, where he is now running a resort, undoubtedly brimful of invisible JAL attendants. He has been unanimously voted "The Worst Player at Saturdaysoftball", just pipping Little John for that honour.
John [Little John] Team
Little John was a business undergrad when he stumbled upon our bunch on the NUS field. With no prior experience, John quickly started coming every week and has slowly improved over the years. Mostly playing right field or catcher, John is famous for his commando scarf and his shadow plays - catching and taggin out an unsuspecting player not running home.
Joanna [The Slugger] Yong
Jo's the younger cousin of Chris and due to the influence of Chris' sister (who started the softball craze in the family), Jo took up softball from her sec school days. She has since excelled in the sport, taking up a starting position as a shortstop on the National Team. She still comes occasionally, when the demands of varsity and national training does not call on her. Besides being an outstanding defensive shortstop, she has a powerful bat and she won acclaim for this by being awarded the "female slugger award" at the 2001 IFG (when she was still an JC student playing for the FARTS).
Jo-Tsze
One of the oldest periodical, Jo-Tsze has been making guest appearences long before many of the current players, in fact he would probably classify as first generation. A Kent Ridge Hall alumni, he was the first among the KRians to make his mark on SAS, and he has also set the standard that the rest of them try to follow. An outstanding utility player, Jo-Tsze comfortably slots into any position in the infield or outfield and defends it with skill. Famous for his slap-pull hits, 3rd basemen have been known to take a step or two backwards when Jo-Tsze is at the plate.
Dean Hooker
Dean was one of the 3 US embassy players who honored us with his presence. An outstanding all round player. Dean will forever be remembered for making a bare-handed pickup and throw at third base that helped us win the IFG tournament. If he had not made that play, there would have not been the Legend hit because the other team would have won. He has since left Singapore to take up a similar position in the embassy in Surinam
Tom Meredith
Also known as "The Dictator" because of his strong command of the outfield. Tom was a regular for the last year he was in Singapore. He may not have had the speed of Ted or the power of Kyle, but he more than made up for it with intuitive positioning and clever sprayhitting. Tom was also the go-to guy if you needed a Vias to enter the US. Sadly, he's left us for the embassy in Korea.
Glen
Another embassy official fondly remembered. Glen brought something to the ball field that had never been seen before (and will probably never be seen again). SPGs. A starting shortstop (well, that's where he goes when his number is called), Glen has left us for the acrid sands of Afganistan. His official cover being that of an economic advisor, though we all know that he is actually CIA, and his real mission is to find AND kill Osama.
Sarub [Gunz] Pathak
If a sniper shot you in the head from 200m, you'd die. If Gunz threw a ball at your head from 200m, you'd die too. A terrific arm, Gunz can throw the ball further than most people can hit. And not just with power, but with accuracy too. His periodic appearance on the ball field is a welcome sight, and everyone wants him in centerfield. You actually see cautious baserunning when Gunz gets a hold of the ball, as he's been known to throw out runners trying to steal that extra base. Coming from a cricket background, he has an amazing bat as well, combining a powerful stroke with deadly accuracy to place the ball in gaps for a homerun.
Mok [Horfun] MeiFung
An undergrad with aspirations towards south-east asian history, Horfun earned her name because her "angmoh" supervisors (ie Kitty & Windmill) could not pronounce her dialect name properly. She looks likely to follow in the footsteps of Geok and Lloyd, with no softball background, she has shown tremendous improvement since coming down regularly for the last few months.
Jason/Diana
Our newest regulars. They have yet to earn a nickname, but we will not seperate their writeups. Coming from a tennis playing background, both Jason and Diana showed excellant handeye coordination during their first game and have improved at a startling rate. They both have good bats, making the kind of clean contact and single basehits that we all fondly remember doing when we were young. They have also staked their claim in the field as well, making great plays to aid the team in defense.
Andy Cowan
A new Canuck in our regular lineup. Andy reminds us of an "angmoh" version of the Ipoh Assassin. He shows up, gets the job done and sits down. Gratefully, he has not started calling canadian rules foullines nor foulplays. With a good bat, glove and arm, Andy has the potential to make a serious dent in saturdaysoftball history. He doesn't make mistakes nor does he make flashy plays, and his bat always get him on base. We're all waiting for his first bonehead play (it's the SAS disease, everyone gets it) so that we can give him a deserving nickname.
Aaron [JAL] Koh
Words cannot describe fully the player formerly known as Aaron. But lets start with "can't hit, can't catch, can't drink". Aaron was a shortlived SAS member who followed Misty out one day, and led Misty out on several others. Aaron disappeared to the paradise shores of Koh Samui, where he is now running a resort, undoubtedly brimful of invisible JAL attendants. He has been unanimously voted "The Worst Player at Saturdaysoftball", just pipping Little John for that honour.
John [Little John] Team
Little John was a business undergrad when he stumbled upon our bunch on the NUS field. With no prior experience, John quickly started coming every week and has slowly improved over the years. Mostly playing right field or catcher, John is famous for his commando scarf and his shadow plays - catching and taggin out an unsuspecting player not running home.
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Where are they NOW?
THE ROSTER : Where are they Now??
ALVIN [the Guppy] HEW
The fish has been caught, cleaned and gutted. Guppy has comfortable settled down into the life of a good husband and a doting father. Jeffery "lil guppy" Hew is the latest addition to the softball family, and with so many doting "uncles". He'll be throwing, hitting and fielding better than his dear ol' dad before he turns 10
KYLE [Hello Kitty] Latinis
They would never need a DNA test to prove Mina is Kyle's daughter. A potential heart-breaker and armbreaker, Mina joined the Latinis family 3 years ago and has warmed our hearts ever since. A sad thing happened to the Kitty in Cambodia. He was involved in a motorcycle accident, with major surgery to follow. Little did the Kitty know, that the bastard that crashed into his bike, also stole his bat. He then did a reverse-Ruth, moving from the big bat to the pitching mound, where he believes that everything he throws is a strike.
LLOYD [Chief Wahoo] YEO now known "The Cheetah"
Lloyd has run a very successful softball programme in Montfort Sec. So successful, that his Montfort kids have taken present saturdaysoftball team and spanked them silly. If you ask a saturdaysoftball player, "who's your daddy?", they'd say "Lloyd's kids"
MARTIN [The Flamingo/Contrary] BAZLYLEWICH
Repatriated. Though he has promised to return, we have had nary a sighting of this famous canuck since he departed from our shores to pursue his further studies. We eagerly await his return. Softball has never been the same without Canadian rules. His Halloween and Canadian Day parties are still whispered in reverance to the ears of the new blood.
GOH [Jugs] GEOK YIAN
Geok left for the sunny skies of Hawaii to study advanced surfing, Burmese epigraphy and slacking. She comes back annually for holidays and everytime she comes back, she gets better and better. Sure proof that they grow a better weed over in Hawaii. She has been back for the last couple of months, awaiting her visa to enter Burma and she has been outstanding at second base and has burned Money many a time when he comes in shallow for "a girl" at bat.
CHRIS
Missing in Action
JOHN [Indiana] MIKSIC
John had a quadruple bypass. John came back. John is fitter than before. John is stronger than before. John is a better first baseman than before. John does gymnastics at shortstop. John eats healthy, lives healthy and distills the best vodka this side of the galaxy. Proof that age and a quadruple bypass are no barriers to living and feeling young. We should all be ashamed.
BRIAN FARRELL
Retired
ANTONY [Nigel, Tuquo, Kiwi] KENNEDY
Missing in Action
RICHARD [Big Dick] NG
Big Dick came back to Singapore for a year during the 2003-4 season because he ran out of money. He made a wad of cash trading oil futures but ultimately decided that the frozen shores of Canada held too much appeal(plus he made enough to retire again). During his return he played some fine outfield and he proved that some people never lose their bats. We're looking forward to his next return.
CHRIS [the Gimp] YONG now known as "The Legend"
Chris had successful knee surgery to repair the torn ACL. He came back with the biggest hit of saturday softball history to win the first and only championship trophy. With the score tied, bottom of the ninth, 2 outs, and 2 strikes on him, Chris hit the ball, so far they have yet to find it, to win the IFG finals with a solo home run. Chris hitting has deproved tremendously since then, and that hit can only remain in legendary status. Chris has now taken Coach's place at all time shortstop, because he can't hit anymore.
DAN [the Naked Savage] YANG now known as "DY would've had that"
"DY would've had that" is the war cry of all 3rd basemen and catchers alike. No player has exhibited the range and speed in the field, and though we lost DY to the gloomy skies of boston. We still remember him fondly and await his return with baited breath. DY also got married in the last year, but the heavy ball and chain has not slowed his step down one bit, though the whip marks are pretty obvious. Interestingly enough, the year that he moved to Boston, they won the world series. Maybe his arrival appeased the angry spirit of the Babe. Either that or the bosox were ashamed that DY had more hustle than all of them combined.
DAN [Coach] CROSSWELL now know as "The New Coach"
Somewhere in the last 2 years, we lost the coach. He was abducted by aliens and they cleverly substituted him with an exact replica. He looks like coach, smells like coach, but doesn't sound like coach. No doubt the advanced beings could not replicate the personality that went into the "old" coach. The fields are quiet now after a fubbed play. The drinking halls are silent. His legacy is only passed by word of mouth. We remain, his loyal fans.
FRANCK [Weebles] WIEBE
Missing in Action
TOH [Agent of Satan] HEAN now known as "The Ipoh Assassin"
The Ipoh Assassin is working in HR down in the tall buildings along Shenton Way during the day, and romancing our 2nd basewoman at nights and on the weekends. In the past few years he has become the most reliable outfielder we have, making left field his personal kingdom. In addition, he has become a dangerous hitter, no more cans of corn, but power hitting combined with pinpoint accurate placement.
GAVIN [Michelangelo] GAY now known as "Flash/Swat"
Gavin can kill you with his pinky! That's all I dare say.
GINO [the Shark]
Who the hell can tell what's going on with the Shark? Last time we heard, he got married and his wife was having contractions. Of course Gino being Gino he was on the ball field when his wife was giving birth.
ANTHONY [Bo Gangles] TAY now known as "Hassie"
The new moniker sprang from his propensity to remove his shirt and run the bases with his locks in the wind at the slow motion replay speed of a baywatch trailer. Hassie has moved from NUS over to SMU, but this has not dampened his desire to play SAS. It was Emily that did it. He is now the father of a wonderful daughter, whom he dotes on. Our best AND only switch-hitting pitcher, Hassie has retired from rightfield to claim his place on the mound. He is our very own Wakefield, pitching knuckleballs that are so unpredictable even our best hitters can't read it. Strangely, when he bats right, he hits to right field, when he bats left, he hits to left field, though he always gets on base (must be all that beach running)
TED [Cannibal] WONG now known as 'The Sandman"
Ted continues to put people to sleep. It is something about his personality, and the gasses he distributes. Working hard at SGH during the week, Ted spends his weekends patrolling the outfield making his patented catches or fills in admirably in the infield when needed. He is still a shortstop at heart, but since the other 2 shortstops can't play any other positions, Ted has graciously conceded that place.
XIAO [Cy Young] YANG
Missing in Action
CHEE HOW
Missing in Action
FABIAN [the Fab]
Fab has returned to Europe to work, but he returns every year or so to show us that Frenchmen can sometimes play baseball
ALVIN [the Guppy] HEW
The fish has been caught, cleaned and gutted. Guppy has comfortable settled down into the life of a good husband and a doting father. Jeffery "lil guppy" Hew is the latest addition to the softball family, and with so many doting "uncles". He'll be throwing, hitting and fielding better than his dear ol' dad before he turns 10
KYLE [Hello Kitty] Latinis
They would never need a DNA test to prove Mina is Kyle's daughter. A potential heart-breaker and armbreaker, Mina joined the Latinis family 3 years ago and has warmed our hearts ever since. A sad thing happened to the Kitty in Cambodia. He was involved in a motorcycle accident, with major surgery to follow. Little did the Kitty know, that the bastard that crashed into his bike, also stole his bat. He then did a reverse-Ruth, moving from the big bat to the pitching mound, where he believes that everything he throws is a strike.
LLOYD [Chief Wahoo] YEO now known "The Cheetah"
Lloyd has run a very successful softball programme in Montfort Sec. So successful, that his Montfort kids have taken present saturdaysoftball team and spanked them silly. If you ask a saturdaysoftball player, "who's your daddy?", they'd say "Lloyd's kids"
MARTIN [The Flamingo/Contrary] BAZLYLEWICH
Repatriated. Though he has promised to return, we have had nary a sighting of this famous canuck since he departed from our shores to pursue his further studies. We eagerly await his return. Softball has never been the same without Canadian rules. His Halloween and Canadian Day parties are still whispered in reverance to the ears of the new blood.
GOH [Jugs] GEOK YIAN
Geok left for the sunny skies of Hawaii to study advanced surfing, Burmese epigraphy and slacking. She comes back annually for holidays and everytime she comes back, she gets better and better. Sure proof that they grow a better weed over in Hawaii. She has been back for the last couple of months, awaiting her visa to enter Burma and she has been outstanding at second base and has burned Money many a time when he comes in shallow for "a girl" at bat.
CHRIS
Missing in Action
JOHN [Indiana] MIKSIC
John had a quadruple bypass. John came back. John is fitter than before. John is stronger than before. John is a better first baseman than before. John does gymnastics at shortstop. John eats healthy, lives healthy and distills the best vodka this side of the galaxy. Proof that age and a quadruple bypass are no barriers to living and feeling young. We should all be ashamed.
BRIAN FARRELL
Retired
ANTONY [Nigel, Tuquo, Kiwi] KENNEDY
Missing in Action
RICHARD [Big Dick] NG
Big Dick came back to Singapore for a year during the 2003-4 season because he ran out of money. He made a wad of cash trading oil futures but ultimately decided that the frozen shores of Canada held too much appeal(plus he made enough to retire again). During his return he played some fine outfield and he proved that some people never lose their bats. We're looking forward to his next return.
CHRIS [the Gimp] YONG now known as "The Legend"
Chris had successful knee surgery to repair the torn ACL. He came back with the biggest hit of saturday softball history to win the first and only championship trophy. With the score tied, bottom of the ninth, 2 outs, and 2 strikes on him, Chris hit the ball, so far they have yet to find it, to win the IFG finals with a solo home run. Chris hitting has deproved tremendously since then, and that hit can only remain in legendary status. Chris has now taken Coach's place at all time shortstop, because he can't hit anymore.
DAN [the Naked Savage] YANG now known as "DY would've had that"
"DY would've had that" is the war cry of all 3rd basemen and catchers alike. No player has exhibited the range and speed in the field, and though we lost DY to the gloomy skies of boston. We still remember him fondly and await his return with baited breath. DY also got married in the last year, but the heavy ball and chain has not slowed his step down one bit, though the whip marks are pretty obvious. Interestingly enough, the year that he moved to Boston, they won the world series. Maybe his arrival appeased the angry spirit of the Babe. Either that or the bosox were ashamed that DY had more hustle than all of them combined.
DAN [Coach] CROSSWELL now know as "The New Coach"
Somewhere in the last 2 years, we lost the coach. He was abducted by aliens and they cleverly substituted him with an exact replica. He looks like coach, smells like coach, but doesn't sound like coach. No doubt the advanced beings could not replicate the personality that went into the "old" coach. The fields are quiet now after a fubbed play. The drinking halls are silent. His legacy is only passed by word of mouth. We remain, his loyal fans.
FRANCK [Weebles] WIEBE
Missing in Action
TOH [Agent of Satan] HEAN now known as "The Ipoh Assassin"
The Ipoh Assassin is working in HR down in the tall buildings along Shenton Way during the day, and romancing our 2nd basewoman at nights and on the weekends. In the past few years he has become the most reliable outfielder we have, making left field his personal kingdom. In addition, he has become a dangerous hitter, no more cans of corn, but power hitting combined with pinpoint accurate placement.
GAVIN [Michelangelo] GAY now known as "Flash/Swat"
Gavin can kill you with his pinky! That's all I dare say.
GINO [the Shark]
Who the hell can tell what's going on with the Shark? Last time we heard, he got married and his wife was having contractions. Of course Gino being Gino he was on the ball field when his wife was giving birth.
ANTHONY [Bo Gangles] TAY now known as "Hassie"
The new moniker sprang from his propensity to remove his shirt and run the bases with his locks in the wind at the slow motion replay speed of a baywatch trailer. Hassie has moved from NUS over to SMU, but this has not dampened his desire to play SAS. It was Emily that did it. He is now the father of a wonderful daughter, whom he dotes on. Our best AND only switch-hitting pitcher, Hassie has retired from rightfield to claim his place on the mound. He is our very own Wakefield, pitching knuckleballs that are so unpredictable even our best hitters can't read it. Strangely, when he bats right, he hits to right field, when he bats left, he hits to left field, though he always gets on base (must be all that beach running)
TED [Cannibal] WONG now known as 'The Sandman"
Ted continues to put people to sleep. It is something about his personality, and the gasses he distributes. Working hard at SGH during the week, Ted spends his weekends patrolling the outfield making his patented catches or fills in admirably in the infield when needed. He is still a shortstop at heart, but since the other 2 shortstops can't play any other positions, Ted has graciously conceded that place.
XIAO [Cy Young] YANG
Missing in Action
CHEE HOW
Missing in Action
FABIAN [the Fab]
Fab has returned to Europe to work, but he returns every year or so to show us that Frenchmen can sometimes play baseball
Sunday, November 21, 2004
20 Nov 2004
ONES :
Pitch : Swat/Rickey, Catch : Scooterboy, 1st : Beyonce, 2rd : Geok, 3rd : Rickey/Swat/Sandman/Dasuki, SS : Money, Outfield : TS/Sandman/Gunz/Dasuki/Swat/Cheetah
TWOS :
Pitch : Dasuki2/Kitty, Catch : Rube/Kitty, 1st : Indiana, 2nd : Princess, 3rd : DT, SS : Salehin, Outfield : TH, TK, Ironman, Dasuki2, Rube, Kitty, Horfun
Game 1 : ONES 8 : TWOS 14
Game 2 : ONES 1 : TWOS 11 (3rd Inning Mercy)
Back to our normal Saturday Softball game of 1s and 2s. Rickey picked the teams, and it looked pretty even, with ONEs at home. For a change, we played at the legend corner. There must be some kind of magic at that corner, because everyone seemed to be hitting for the fences. The illusion of the short porch was irresistable to all of the usual big bats, and the not so usual big bats too. Everyone was trying to hit the track for a homerun, and the closest must have been TH's hit, that landed a couple of feet short. The longest hit belonged to Gunz, who smacked a long centerfield liner. That drive would have hit the track if he hit it along the line. Rube had the best hit of the game, hitting a deep opposite field hit into right center for a grandslam home run in the second game. TH deserves honorable mention for his pin-point spray hitting, placing the ball with delicate finess over the heads of the infielders. His accuracy advanced runners and brought in several runs.
The TWOs exhibited some of the finest infield defense ever seen on Saturday Softball, with both sides of the infield showing mad defensive skillz. If the ball was hit in the infield, the batter was out. Didn't matter if the batter hit it to 1st, 2rd, 3rd or short, there were no gaps. The highlight reel play was made by DT and Salehin, combining to take the runner out at 3rd. With Money on 3rd. over-eager to score, DT fielded a short bunt down the 3rd base line, he faked a throw to 1st, turned to check the runner at 3 and fired to Salehin, who read the play excellantly to cover 3rd and he made the tag to get Money out. Indiana and Princess likewise showed perfect communication on the right side of the infield to get the other highlight reel play. Indiana fielded a blooper over his head, he scoped the spinning bounce and made a blind toss to first and Princess was there to take the ball to get the runner out.
The ONEs looked stronger on paper, but it seems (from past trends) that the team with more of Lloyd's kids always wins. And the TWOs had 3 of lloyd's kids. I think we have finally found the replacement for DY. Salehin is an excellant infielder with a good singles bat.
Pitch : Swat/Rickey, Catch : Scooterboy, 1st : Beyonce, 2rd : Geok, 3rd : Rickey/Swat/Sandman/Dasuki, SS : Money, Outfield : TS/Sandman/Gunz/Dasuki/Swat/Cheetah
TWOS :
Pitch : Dasuki2/Kitty, Catch : Rube/Kitty, 1st : Indiana, 2nd : Princess, 3rd : DT, SS : Salehin, Outfield : TH, TK, Ironman, Dasuki2, Rube, Kitty, Horfun
Game 1 : ONES 8 : TWOS 14
Game 2 : ONES 1 : TWOS 11 (3rd Inning Mercy)
Back to our normal Saturday Softball game of 1s and 2s. Rickey picked the teams, and it looked pretty even, with ONEs at home. For a change, we played at the legend corner. There must be some kind of magic at that corner, because everyone seemed to be hitting for the fences. The illusion of the short porch was irresistable to all of the usual big bats, and the not so usual big bats too. Everyone was trying to hit the track for a homerun, and the closest must have been TH's hit, that landed a couple of feet short. The longest hit belonged to Gunz, who smacked a long centerfield liner. That drive would have hit the track if he hit it along the line. Rube had the best hit of the game, hitting a deep opposite field hit into right center for a grandslam home run in the second game. TH deserves honorable mention for his pin-point spray hitting, placing the ball with delicate finess over the heads of the infielders. His accuracy advanced runners and brought in several runs.
The TWOs exhibited some of the finest infield defense ever seen on Saturday Softball, with both sides of the infield showing mad defensive skillz. If the ball was hit in the infield, the batter was out. Didn't matter if the batter hit it to 1st, 2rd, 3rd or short, there were no gaps. The highlight reel play was made by DT and Salehin, combining to take the runner out at 3rd. With Money on 3rd. over-eager to score, DT fielded a short bunt down the 3rd base line, he faked a throw to 1st, turned to check the runner at 3 and fired to Salehin, who read the play excellantly to cover 3rd and he made the tag to get Money out. Indiana and Princess likewise showed perfect communication on the right side of the infield to get the other highlight reel play. Indiana fielded a blooper over his head, he scoped the spinning bounce and made a blind toss to first and Princess was there to take the ball to get the runner out.
The ONEs looked stronger on paper, but it seems (from past trends) that the team with more of Lloyd's kids always wins. And the TWOs had 3 of lloyd's kids. I think we have finally found the replacement for DY. Salehin is an excellant infielder with a good singles bat.
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Saturday Afternoon Softball Roster 2000-Present
As Coach has written such a marvelous introduction to the beginnings
of the game including interesting write up of players past, Rickey and I have taken upon ourselves to update the list of players who have graced the NUS fields every Saturday. We'll
try to write the players as they have shown up through the years, but otherwise, there is no method to the madness, and no particular order
to the list. Others will be added soon, as well as lists of top five
homers and classic games. We understand that they've been players who've made an occasional appearance who are not mentioned here or new regulars, like Gunz Horfu, Jason/Diana, Joanna, Teck Piaw, Aaron...etc, and we'll be working on a third chapter to this series to try to accomodate all those who are missing from the rosters so far. We're also working on a SaturdaySoftball who's where now, where we'll take the players listed in Coach's writeup and give them a "where are they now" update.
Tim (Rickey) Barnard
A southerner (from Kentucky via Alabama) who doesn't seem to work
much, on the field or off. Tim, or Rickey as he's fondly known, moved
to Indonesia to teach English and has rarely left SEAsia since. He is
nicknamed after the great Rickey Henderson, one of the fastest base
runners of all time. Our Rickey, however, is so slow his run to first
could be construed as "delay of game". He can turn a homerun into a
double. If his feet moved as fast as his mouth, perhaps he would have
more base hits. Rickey is a member of the semi-legendary "Sonic Boom
Brothers", along with Guppy.
Karl (The Rube) Krummel
From the backwater of Illinois comes this hillbilly scholar. The Old
Rube was famous for coming to ball still drunk from the previous
night's reveille, Rube has always been known to have one of the
biggest bats on the team, cranking opposite field liners deep into the
outfield. Hustling for every ball, running to cover bases and throws,
he's the hardest worker on the field since DY. We thought we saw the
last of him when his exchange program ended, little did we know we
couldn't get rid of him that easily. Currently a PhD student the "NEW"
Rube is much the same, with a bigger bat and a (slightly) cleaner
constitution. He will be around for some time.
Alirio (The Generalissimo) Melendez
A former starting shortstop for the under-18 Venezuelan National Team,
Al has used his golden glove and HR bat to bring Saturday Softball to
a whole new level of play. He is our MBP. Our resident doctor, Al got
his MD from a university in the former Soviet Union while on a
communist scholarship after his baseball career was cut short by a
freak throw that nearly blinded him. Many on the team want to meet his
cousins, and drink the $12 rum.
Dan (the Man) Collison
An ex-Navy Aviator, Dan was one of the biggest bats to grace the
field. He smacked 4 outstanding home runs when SaturdaySoftball joined
the Singapore Baseball League as the Tigers. A good guy to have behind
you in a fight, Dan's the best person to deal with the cricketers when
they intrude on our field.
Adam (Mr Furious) Delisse
Adam is remembered for many things. 1. Eka, 2. His temper, 3. Eka's
Chilli, 4. Being the ONLY guy on the field Coach has ever said "sorry"
to, 5. Yelling at Paul.
(Princess) Linda (The Law-RBI Machine) Low
Her arrival brought our softball team a touch of class. She's been
known to burn outfielders if they pull in too shallow by smacking the
ball over their heads. The best arm we have at second base, she only
throws at one speed. The RBI Machine is our resident lawyer for when
the Rube gets into trouble. Recently she's been getting undivided, and
personal, boyguard (not typo) services from the Ipoh Assassin
(formerly known as the Agent of Satan).
Toh (Tan brother no. 2) Sen
A very recent addition to our numbers, he's improved tremendously from
an unknown who's never played before, to one of the stalwarts in the
outfield. Constantly giving his elder brother a good run for his money
not only on the field, but also at bat, he's recently taken to the LF
position becoming the next Agent of Satan.
Toh (Tan brother no. 3) Ken
The third and youngest Tan brother, he came with a softball background
from having represented his college. He's become quite a regular over
the months, and he has a silent, unassuming assassin. He makes the
plays without being too flashy.
Paul (Fubar/Nomar/Money) Peters
His first nickname came during the tournament he managed; the second
because he would like to play short for the Sox, and the third
because...well, he's money. A good middle infielder, he dreams of
making double plays at second, but rarely seems to pull it off. He has
a terrific arm when he doesn't think about throwing; otherwise the
ball hits a magical spot 20 meters beyond first. Much like his dating
game.
Thaddeus (The Monk) Hoo
Appearances can be deceiving. Looking like a bald muscle-head, and
often acting like one, The Monk is one of the most brilliant minds
ever to pick up the bat. A pretty good right-fielder, he has found
his niche playing catcher. Making great tags at home and protecting
the plate - if the ball comes in The Monk is like a brick wall
stopping the runner dead. With the bat he is the "junk man", somehow
he gets on base no matter how lame the hit.
Dom (Scooterboy/Seven)Thangaperakasa
What time is it? What time is it? Dom rides a scooter. Dom pitches.
Dom's a previous all-star cricket player who finally saw the light.
Dom's always home by seven. A pleasant guy who brightens the day with
his choice of shorts, "Seven" has developed into a fine fielder as
long as Tan Brother #2 is not there to bump into him.
Li (Beyonce) Hongyan
Joining us from more organized teams, Hongyan is the ultimate team
player. An excellent firstbase man (woman), her glove and arm in the
outfield are legendary, particularly when the lights are dimming. She
may scowl at you, but deep down she's nice. Just whisper to her in
German to calm her down. According to scooterboy she can dance with
the best.
David (Cool Papa) Teague
Dave's past is perhaps best left for discussion over drinks at Joe's
(followed by gasps of amazement). Coming from the frozen tundra of
Minnesota, Dave can take control of a game with his speed or glove. He
is among the fastest to every play Saturday Softball, but suddenly
becomes deaf when base coaches yell at him to hold at second or third.
Cool Papa is known for his arm, easy laugh, and smokin' bass lines.
Lin Yu (Pian Zhe)
Originally coming along with the Kent Ridge crew of the late 1990s,
the Pian Zhe is the quickest to ever hold a bat in Saturday Softball.
This diminutive Mathematics teacher is our "trickiest" player. She can
reach first faster than Ichiro, making every defense nervous,
resulting in hurried throws and blown plays.
Roeland (the Windmill) Stuelmeijer
Not much of a fielder, except in his own mind, this Dutchman can crank
homers to any corner of the field. Not one to back down, he is also
known for picking a fight with the Coach early in his career. To this
day he and the Coach will argue about anything, even when they are in
agreement.
Joyce (Irish/Aussie Magnet) Bohnke
Coming to us from the US Air Force, this Chicago Irish woman never met
an Aussie she didn't like until she bumped into Saigon Misty. Known
for her Monk-influenced homer, Joyce could drink with the best, get
into an argument with the Rube, and still meet up with English postman
for a wedding. Last seen with Elvis at a chapel in Vegas, Joyce is now
terrorizing Air Force generals in Hawaii.
Matt (Spam/Saigon Misty) Underwood
The one that got away. Misty spends his days mass-mailing the team or simply clicking "reply-all". A terrific batsman, he once hit 3 back-to-back-to-back opposite field homeruns against the bishan crew in a friendly. He's never been known to catch the ball at first base, but it's never been his fault. The Misty moniker was bestowed on him when he bailed tears when Mr Furious departed. Misty has since left us for the communist shores of Vietnam, though he does occasionally pop round for a chicken burger or 2.
Nigel (Nigeypooh)Cheah
A great batter, and a fine glove, all handphones should be kept away
from this guy. The villain (or hero) behind the famous handphone mercy
game (one of the top five all time classics), he disappeared on us for
a few years but is now back with a vengeance.
of the game including interesting write up of players past, Rickey and I have taken upon ourselves to update the list of players who have graced the NUS fields every Saturday. We'll
try to write the players as they have shown up through the years, but otherwise, there is no method to the madness, and no particular order
to the list. Others will be added soon, as well as lists of top five
homers and classic games. We understand that they've been players who've made an occasional appearance who are not mentioned here or new regulars, like Gunz Horfu, Jason/Diana, Joanna, Teck Piaw, Aaron...etc, and we'll be working on a third chapter to this series to try to accomodate all those who are missing from the rosters so far. We're also working on a SaturdaySoftball who's where now, where we'll take the players listed in Coach's writeup and give them a "where are they now" update.
Tim (Rickey) Barnard
A southerner (from Kentucky via Alabama) who doesn't seem to work
much, on the field or off. Tim, or Rickey as he's fondly known, moved
to Indonesia to teach English and has rarely left SEAsia since. He is
nicknamed after the great Rickey Henderson, one of the fastest base
runners of all time. Our Rickey, however, is so slow his run to first
could be construed as "delay of game". He can turn a homerun into a
double. If his feet moved as fast as his mouth, perhaps he would have
more base hits. Rickey is a member of the semi-legendary "Sonic Boom
Brothers", along with Guppy.
Karl (The Rube) Krummel
From the backwater of Illinois comes this hillbilly scholar. The Old
Rube was famous for coming to ball still drunk from the previous
night's reveille, Rube has always been known to have one of the
biggest bats on the team, cranking opposite field liners deep into the
outfield. Hustling for every ball, running to cover bases and throws,
he's the hardest worker on the field since DY. We thought we saw the
last of him when his exchange program ended, little did we know we
couldn't get rid of him that easily. Currently a PhD student the "NEW"
Rube is much the same, with a bigger bat and a (slightly) cleaner
constitution. He will be around for some time.
Alirio (The Generalissimo) Melendez
A former starting shortstop for the under-18 Venezuelan National Team,
Al has used his golden glove and HR bat to bring Saturday Softball to
a whole new level of play. He is our MBP. Our resident doctor, Al got
his MD from a university in the former Soviet Union while on a
communist scholarship after his baseball career was cut short by a
freak throw that nearly blinded him. Many on the team want to meet his
cousins, and drink the $12 rum.
Dan (the Man) Collison
An ex-Navy Aviator, Dan was one of the biggest bats to grace the
field. He smacked 4 outstanding home runs when SaturdaySoftball joined
the Singapore Baseball League as the Tigers. A good guy to have behind
you in a fight, Dan's the best person to deal with the cricketers when
they intrude on our field.
Adam (Mr Furious) Delisse
Adam is remembered for many things. 1. Eka, 2. His temper, 3. Eka's
Chilli, 4. Being the ONLY guy on the field Coach has ever said "sorry"
to, 5. Yelling at Paul.
(Princess) Linda (The Law-RBI Machine) Low
Her arrival brought our softball team a touch of class. She's been
known to burn outfielders if they pull in too shallow by smacking the
ball over their heads. The best arm we have at second base, she only
throws at one speed. The RBI Machine is our resident lawyer for when
the Rube gets into trouble. Recently she's been getting undivided, and
personal, boyguard (not typo) services from the Ipoh Assassin
(formerly known as the Agent of Satan).
Toh (Tan brother no. 2) Sen
A very recent addition to our numbers, he's improved tremendously from
an unknown who's never played before, to one of the stalwarts in the
outfield. Constantly giving his elder brother a good run for his money
not only on the field, but also at bat, he's recently taken to the LF
position becoming the next Agent of Satan.
Toh (Tan brother no. 3) Ken
The third and youngest Tan brother, he came with a softball background
from having represented his college. He's become quite a regular over
the months, and he has a silent, unassuming assassin. He makes the
plays without being too flashy.
Paul (Fubar/Nomar/Money) Peters
His first nickname came during the tournament he managed; the second
because he would like to play short for the Sox, and the third
because...well, he's money. A good middle infielder, he dreams of
making double plays at second, but rarely seems to pull it off. He has
a terrific arm when he doesn't think about throwing; otherwise the
ball hits a magical spot 20 meters beyond first. Much like his dating
game.
Thaddeus (The Monk) Hoo
Appearances can be deceiving. Looking like a bald muscle-head, and
often acting like one, The Monk is one of the most brilliant minds
ever to pick up the bat. A pretty good right-fielder, he has found
his niche playing catcher. Making great tags at home and protecting
the plate - if the ball comes in The Monk is like a brick wall
stopping the runner dead. With the bat he is the "junk man", somehow
he gets on base no matter how lame the hit.
Dom (Scooterboy/Seven)Thangaperakasa
What time is it? What time is it? Dom rides a scooter. Dom pitches.
Dom's a previous all-star cricket player who finally saw the light.
Dom's always home by seven. A pleasant guy who brightens the day with
his choice of shorts, "Seven" has developed into a fine fielder as
long as Tan Brother #2 is not there to bump into him.
Li (Beyonce) Hongyan
Joining us from more organized teams, Hongyan is the ultimate team
player. An excellent firstbase man (woman), her glove and arm in the
outfield are legendary, particularly when the lights are dimming. She
may scowl at you, but deep down she's nice. Just whisper to her in
German to calm her down. According to scooterboy she can dance with
the best.
David (Cool Papa) Teague
Dave's past is perhaps best left for discussion over drinks at Joe's
(followed by gasps of amazement). Coming from the frozen tundra of
Minnesota, Dave can take control of a game with his speed or glove. He
is among the fastest to every play Saturday Softball, but suddenly
becomes deaf when base coaches yell at him to hold at second or third.
Cool Papa is known for his arm, easy laugh, and smokin' bass lines.
Lin Yu (Pian Zhe)
Originally coming along with the Kent Ridge crew of the late 1990s,
the Pian Zhe is the quickest to ever hold a bat in Saturday Softball.
This diminutive Mathematics teacher is our "trickiest" player. She can
reach first faster than Ichiro, making every defense nervous,
resulting in hurried throws and blown plays.
Roeland (the Windmill) Stuelmeijer
Not much of a fielder, except in his own mind, this Dutchman can crank
homers to any corner of the field. Not one to back down, he is also
known for picking a fight with the Coach early in his career. To this
day he and the Coach will argue about anything, even when they are in
agreement.
Joyce (Irish/Aussie Magnet) Bohnke
Coming to us from the US Air Force, this Chicago Irish woman never met
an Aussie she didn't like until she bumped into Saigon Misty. Known
for her Monk-influenced homer, Joyce could drink with the best, get
into an argument with the Rube, and still meet up with English postman
for a wedding. Last seen with Elvis at a chapel in Vegas, Joyce is now
terrorizing Air Force generals in Hawaii.
Matt (Spam/Saigon Misty) Underwood
The one that got away. Misty spends his days mass-mailing the team or simply clicking "reply-all". A terrific batsman, he once hit 3 back-to-back-to-back opposite field homeruns against the bishan crew in a friendly. He's never been known to catch the ball at first base, but it's never been his fault. The Misty moniker was bestowed on him when he bailed tears when Mr Furious departed. Misty has since left us for the communist shores of Vietnam, though he does occasionally pop round for a chicken burger or 2.
Nigel (Nigeypooh)Cheah
A great batter, and a fine glove, all handphones should be kept away
from this guy. The villain (or hero) behind the famous handphone mercy
game (one of the top five all time classics), he disappeared on us for
a few years but is now back with a vengeance.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
New Awards
In light of the recent spat of extraordinary plays and hits during the last few Saturday Softball Games, I feel that we should make specific awards for each game. The awards will be decided by committee (which means whoever shows up at Joe's after ball), and listed after the Game Results.
MBP : Most Bueno Player (Overall best player of the game)
GG : Golden Glove (Best Defensive player of the game)
BB : Slugger (Best Offensive player of the game)
BP : Best Play (Best play of the game)
DY : DY award (For most hustle shown)
MBP : Most Bueno Player (Overall best player of the game)
GG : Golden Glove (Best Defensive player of the game)
BB : Slugger (Best Offensive player of the game)
BP : Best Play (Best play of the game)
DY : DY award (For most hustle shown)
15 Nov 2004
ONES :
Pitch : Cheetah/Kitty, Catch : Andy/Guppy/Little John, 1st : Coach, 2nd : Geok, 3rd : Ironman/TH/Rickey, SS : DT, Outfield : TH, TS, Andy, Ironman, Nigeypooh, Scooterboy
TWOS :
Pitch : Swat, Catch : Monk, 1st : Indiana, 2nd : Princess, 3rd : Salehin, SS : Money, Outfield : Jason, Diana, Horfun, TS, Sandman, Beyonce, Rube
Game 1 : ONES 15 : TWOS 14 (12 innings)
Since the new chappies had already won the series on Saturday, the 2 games scheduled for Monday were cancelled, and we played our usual ONEs and TWOs instead (making the teams much more even I would say). The most amazing thing happened, the players formerly known as "the oldies" were hitting the stuffing out of the ball. And previous MBPs from the series seemed to have "lost" their gloves. Now if "the oldies" had hit this way on Thursday and Saturday, they would have comfortably won the series, or at least lost with some dignity instead of the sweep. Brilliant weather and a fantastic turnout led to a really excellant game enjoyed by all. Sandman's acrobatics in centerfield were highlight reel quality, but former MBP Salehin proved that fasting made him faster, but eating slowed down his glove. Former MBP Beyonce was also constantly caught out of position (maybe that glove only works in the dark), and it seemed that everyone on the TWOs were purposely pulling the ball to test these 2. Probably another reason for the strong batting performance put up by both teams was because of the consistant pitching. Pitchers on both teams were now putting the ball past the plate and letting their defence do the work, rather than trying fancy smancy pitching. It was classic public holiday softball with the score yoyoing from ONEs to TWOs, with the game going into extra innings with the score tied at 10-10 at the bottom of the ninth. Good defense held at attempts any runs, but a 2 out rally at the top of the 12th saw the TWOs scoring 4 runs to take a comfortable lead. Would this be Saturday Softball without any drama? The ONEs provided the drama, by scoring 3 runs at the bottom of the 12th. With runners on 1st and 2nd, a outfield-not-in-position-and-shortstop-with-back-to-field-ball-hanging-over-the-plate pitch by Kitty gave Indiana all the ammunition he needed to smack a fly ball into centerfield for both runners to score and the ONEs to take the win.
Both teams retired to Joe's for a hearty post-series luncheon of pies and beer. 62 pies were consumed. 32 steak and guinness, 10 steak and mushroom, 3 chicken and mushroom, 1 cornish pasty, 5 beef and cheese, 9 blueberry and 2 apple. All in all, a fantastic weekend.
Pitch : Cheetah/Kitty, Catch : Andy/Guppy/Little John, 1st : Coach, 2nd : Geok, 3rd : Ironman/TH/Rickey, SS : DT, Outfield : TH, TS, Andy, Ironman, Nigeypooh, Scooterboy
TWOS :
Pitch : Swat, Catch : Monk, 1st : Indiana, 2nd : Princess, 3rd : Salehin, SS : Money, Outfield : Jason, Diana, Horfun, TS, Sandman, Beyonce, Rube
Game 1 : ONES 15 : TWOS 14 (12 innings)
Since the new chappies had already won the series on Saturday, the 2 games scheduled for Monday were cancelled, and we played our usual ONEs and TWOs instead (making the teams much more even I would say). The most amazing thing happened, the players formerly known as "the oldies" were hitting the stuffing out of the ball. And previous MBPs from the series seemed to have "lost" their gloves. Now if "the oldies" had hit this way on Thursday and Saturday, they would have comfortably won the series, or at least lost with some dignity instead of the sweep. Brilliant weather and a fantastic turnout led to a really excellant game enjoyed by all. Sandman's acrobatics in centerfield were highlight reel quality, but former MBP Salehin proved that fasting made him faster, but eating slowed down his glove. Former MBP Beyonce was also constantly caught out of position (maybe that glove only works in the dark), and it seemed that everyone on the TWOs were purposely pulling the ball to test these 2. Probably another reason for the strong batting performance put up by both teams was because of the consistant pitching. Pitchers on both teams were now putting the ball past the plate and letting their defence do the work, rather than trying fancy smancy pitching. It was classic public holiday softball with the score yoyoing from ONEs to TWOs, with the game going into extra innings with the score tied at 10-10 at the bottom of the ninth. Good defense held at attempts any runs, but a 2 out rally at the top of the 12th saw the TWOs scoring 4 runs to take a comfortable lead. Would this be Saturday Softball without any drama? The ONEs provided the drama, by scoring 3 runs at the bottom of the 12th. With runners on 1st and 2nd, a outfield-not-in-position-and-shortstop-with-back-to-field-ball-hanging-over-the-plate pitch by Kitty gave Indiana all the ammunition he needed to smack a fly ball into centerfield for both runners to score and the ONEs to take the win.
Both teams retired to Joe's for a hearty post-series luncheon of pies and beer. 62 pies were consumed. 32 steak and guinness, 10 steak and mushroom, 3 chicken and mushroom, 1 cornish pasty, 5 beef and cheese, 9 blueberry and 2 apple. All in all, a fantastic weekend.
The morning after
The torch has been passed. The new generation of softball players have proven their worth, they have showed their steel. They have taken the old folks out to the ballpark and handed them a can of whupass to go with their dentures. The nursing home in Florida awaits. As Paul so tactfully put it "What else is there to play for". What else is there to play for for the oldies? They not only lost, they lost badly. They were swept under the rug, they were humiliated and disgraced by a decisive 4 game win. Their bats were laid to rest, their gloves dismantled, their pride.... their pride and their hearts have been stomped on.
The new generation certainly played well, no doubt about it. Though the odds seemed overwhelming for them to win, they stuck it out, played good fundamental softball, and won the day (or days). The oldies proved once again (after the ghost of Lloyd's Kids) that swinging for the fences gets you nowhere, that singles can win the game, that pride cometh before the fall, that no victory is assured, that the ball is round, the bat is round and if you don't hit the ball square, you will pop up. Experience does not always win over youth, speed kills and if the redsox can win the world series, anything can happen.
As a "legendary" player from the second generation, I must say I'm proud of the new guys. There are no more "new" and "old" players. The lines have been blurred. Everyone is a Saturday Softball Player. The legacy carries on. That is the finest thing about our game, players may come and go, but the spirit lives on.
Now if only someone can get us on the Inter Faculty Tournament so that we can win another medal and put the other ghost to rest.
The new generation certainly played well, no doubt about it. Though the odds seemed overwhelming for them to win, they stuck it out, played good fundamental softball, and won the day (or days). The oldies proved once again (after the ghost of Lloyd's Kids) that swinging for the fences gets you nowhere, that singles can win the game, that pride cometh before the fall, that no victory is assured, that the ball is round, the bat is round and if you don't hit the ball square, you will pop up. Experience does not always win over youth, speed kills and if the redsox can win the world series, anything can happen.
As a "legendary" player from the second generation, I must say I'm proud of the new guys. There are no more "new" and "old" players. The lines have been blurred. Everyone is a Saturday Softball Player. The legacy carries on. That is the finest thing about our game, players may come and go, but the spirit lives on.
Now if only someone can get us on the Inter Faculty Tournament so that we can win another medal and put the other ghost to rest.
13 Nov 2004
Game 3 :
The oldies were all psyched up to win and not allowed themselves to be swept. They badly needed this win and it showed when they got up to bat in the first inning, taking a 3 run lead from the first few batters. Then Cool Papa showed up, and it all fell apart. There was too much pressure on the oldies and they sucummbed to it. The newbies yet again put up an amazing display of singles hitting, advancing their runners slowly but surely, taking it base by base to score. The newbies had tied the score by the bottom of the 2nd, and the oldies just disintegrated. The score and mood were reflected by the oldies bats, all their bats were down, no one could hit, and even when they did, their liners were plucked out of the sky by Rube at 3rd or the Tan brothers, respectively at RF and LF. The oldies defense could do nothing as hit after hit fell from the sky, blooped into the most inaccessible locations.
Final Score : New Chappies win : Old Foggies lose
Game 4:
The oldies final chance to deliver the goods, can they pull off the miracle? Oldies took home, though on retrospect, they played in the wrong field, the oldies should have moved either to the old school corner (Where it all started) or to the legendary corner instead of our usual corner. Instead, they chose to lay their diamond on the new school corner. They paid the price for it, dropping down to a 11-2 lead by the fourth. The newbies outfield certainly earned their pay that evening, running down every ball and killing every rally. The oldies bats were silent, the players subdued. Then it rained. The baseball gods looked down upon us and decided to give their older worshippers a chance. The cleansing rain fell from the skies, washing away the oldies pain and misery, washing away the 3 game loss and literally washing away the 11-2 lead from the newbies. The oldies came out with a vengence. This was old school ball. This was how ball was played every saturday, come rain or shine, saturday softballers took the field, we played through rain and snow and sleet, we played if there were 8, we played when there were 28, we played every saturday. The rain came down thick and hard, soaking gloves, misting up glasses, flooding boots. The newbies had never experienced games in this weather, because the recent trend of saturday softball is to call the game when it dripped from the sky. The oldies rallied to 14-13, one run behind, 3 more innings to go. Then the rain stopped, and the rally collapsed. Rube - Windmill - Cool Papa, came up to bat, and the newbies took back a comfortable buffer to 18-13. The oldies, feeling the inevitable loss, rallied hard one more time, their bats making one last cry for victory. They were stopped, short, by just one person. One left fielder, playing with barely any light remaining, plucked every ball from the sky, catching 4 balls in a row(the newbies elected not to hit at the bottom of the 8th) to execute the coup de gras, hammering the final nail into the coffin of the old foggies.
MBP : Beyonce
Final Score : New Chappies 18 : Old Foggies 13
The oldies were all psyched up to win and not allowed themselves to be swept. They badly needed this win and it showed when they got up to bat in the first inning, taking a 3 run lead from the first few batters. Then Cool Papa showed up, and it all fell apart. There was too much pressure on the oldies and they sucummbed to it. The newbies yet again put up an amazing display of singles hitting, advancing their runners slowly but surely, taking it base by base to score. The newbies had tied the score by the bottom of the 2nd, and the oldies just disintegrated. The score and mood were reflected by the oldies bats, all their bats were down, no one could hit, and even when they did, their liners were plucked out of the sky by Rube at 3rd or the Tan brothers, respectively at RF and LF. The oldies defense could do nothing as hit after hit fell from the sky, blooped into the most inaccessible locations.
Final Score : New Chappies win : Old Foggies lose
Game 4:
The oldies final chance to deliver the goods, can they pull off the miracle? Oldies took home, though on retrospect, they played in the wrong field, the oldies should have moved either to the old school corner (Where it all started) or to the legendary corner instead of our usual corner. Instead, they chose to lay their diamond on the new school corner. They paid the price for it, dropping down to a 11-2 lead by the fourth. The newbies outfield certainly earned their pay that evening, running down every ball and killing every rally. The oldies bats were silent, the players subdued. Then it rained. The baseball gods looked down upon us and decided to give their older worshippers a chance. The cleansing rain fell from the skies, washing away the oldies pain and misery, washing away the 3 game loss and literally washing away the 11-2 lead from the newbies. The oldies came out with a vengence. This was old school ball. This was how ball was played every saturday, come rain or shine, saturday softballers took the field, we played through rain and snow and sleet, we played if there were 8, we played when there were 28, we played every saturday. The rain came down thick and hard, soaking gloves, misting up glasses, flooding boots. The newbies had never experienced games in this weather, because the recent trend of saturday softball is to call the game when it dripped from the sky. The oldies rallied to 14-13, one run behind, 3 more innings to go. Then the rain stopped, and the rally collapsed. Rube - Windmill - Cool Papa, came up to bat, and the newbies took back a comfortable buffer to 18-13. The oldies, feeling the inevitable loss, rallied hard one more time, their bats making one last cry for victory. They were stopped, short, by just one person. One left fielder, playing with barely any light remaining, plucked every ball from the sky, catching 4 balls in a row(the newbies elected not to hit at the bottom of the 8th) to execute the coup de gras, hammering the final nail into the coffin of the old foggies.
MBP : Beyonce
Final Score : New Chappies 18 : Old Foggies 13
Friday, November 12, 2004
Saturday Afternoon Softball 2004 Jersey
I finally found a guy who had the right sizes and inventory to make Jerseys for us (remember the sizing fiasco from the last time I tried to make jerseys for the team). The original name was going to be SARS for Saturday Afternoon Recreational Softball, but several players found it offensive, so I shortened it to SAS for Saturday Afternoon Softball (cos the baseball gods know we don't play softball recreationally). The back comes with your very own nickname and personal number. There are two flavours for the jerseys, the cheaper Mizuno model (pictured) and the more expensive Rawlings (being shipped to Singapore). The Mizuno comes in a lighter mesh material and white piping, and the Rawlings is a heavier thicker material with no piping. Otherwise, the logos and colour are exactly the same.
11 Nov 2004
Since there were about 13 people per team, we decided to playwith 3 outfielders and 2 rovers, and sit out 2 people per inning. I won't post up the positional rotation as it kept changing with sitouts, but you can check the player roster in the preview of the series.
Game 1 :
Pitch : Swat, Catch : Rickey, 1st : Indiana, 2nd : Geok, 3rd : DT, SS : Coach, LF : TH, CF : Sandman, RF : Cheetah, Rov : Gil
You'd think with the lineup like that the series would already be in the bag. Can the team can any dreamier? Could you hear the new chappies quivering in their boots. Can you hear Beyonce saying "this is so unfair, the teams are so unbalanced". Would you think, "hey, might as well pack up and go home, pick 1s and 2s instead". Well....
As befits their seniority, the old chappies started the game at home, taking the field first. You could hear the sighs of resignation and wows of "look at that team", when the Oldies took to the field. It was a scary sight. Shutting down the newbies in the first inning, it looked like the oldies would soon dominate the game. That was not to happen. The ghost of overconfidence (And lloyd's kids) were not put to rest after all. The newbies took a 2-0 lead in the 3rd inning, with good solid singles hitting. The oldies, swinging for the fences got nowhere with bloop popups and infield grounders which were easily put away by Salehim, one of lloyds kids. Finally tying the score in the 4th, the oldies felt that theie time had come, time to show the newbies a thing or two about classic saturday softball. But no, it didn't happen. The newbies rallied hard from the tie and won the game with a 6-2 score. Fundamental single hitting by the newbies won the day and the first game. The ghost of lloyd's monfort kids have come back to haunt the oldies. Dom pitched a classic game for the win, and stellar defence from Salehim at 3rd base got him the MBP
Final Score : New Chappies 6 : Old Foggies 2
Game 2 :
Winning team took the field first. By this time, the newbie's ranks have been severly buffered by the arrivals of Rube and Cool Papa. The oldies were lost in dismay, their morale having taken a harsh beating from the loss of the first game. Starting the second game at bat, the oldies quickly put 2 runs in. It looked like things had finally turned around, but it was not to be. The newbies clawed their way back at their at bat to 2-1, and for the 2nd and 3rd innings, the oldies offense just stopped short. Both innings, with none out, bases loaded, the oldies failed to score. giving up 3 outs to strand the runners on base. A good string of 3 hits followed by 3 chokes at bat. The oldies need to relook their batting lineup. The newbies again put up a masterful display of hitting fundamentals, taking singles and extra base hits to swoop to a 5-3 lead by the 4th. TH picked up the mantle for the oldies and stepped up to hit a gigantic opposite field HR over Andy's head to bring the score back to 5-4, but his efforts were in vain. The newbies crushed the oldies spirits with a 11-6 win.
Final Score : New Chappies 11 : Old Foggies 6
The series continues on saturday with game 3 and 4.
Honorable mention, DT suffered a severe case of knoblochitis, making the worst throws in the history of mankind, the ball never coming close to first base.
Game 1 :
Pitch : Swat, Catch : Rickey, 1st : Indiana, 2nd : Geok, 3rd : DT, SS : Coach, LF : TH, CF : Sandman, RF : Cheetah, Rov : Gil
You'd think with the lineup like that the series would already be in the bag. Can the team can any dreamier? Could you hear the new chappies quivering in their boots. Can you hear Beyonce saying "this is so unfair, the teams are so unbalanced". Would you think, "hey, might as well pack up and go home, pick 1s and 2s instead". Well....
As befits their seniority, the old chappies started the game at home, taking the field first. You could hear the sighs of resignation and wows of "look at that team", when the Oldies took to the field. It was a scary sight. Shutting down the newbies in the first inning, it looked like the oldies would soon dominate the game. That was not to happen. The ghost of overconfidence (And lloyd's kids) were not put to rest after all. The newbies took a 2-0 lead in the 3rd inning, with good solid singles hitting. The oldies, swinging for the fences got nowhere with bloop popups and infield grounders which were easily put away by Salehim, one of lloyds kids. Finally tying the score in the 4th, the oldies felt that theie time had come, time to show the newbies a thing or two about classic saturday softball. But no, it didn't happen. The newbies rallied hard from the tie and won the game with a 6-2 score. Fundamental single hitting by the newbies won the day and the first game. The ghost of lloyd's monfort kids have come back to haunt the oldies. Dom pitched a classic game for the win, and stellar defence from Salehim at 3rd base got him the MBP
Final Score : New Chappies 6 : Old Foggies 2
Game 2 :
Winning team took the field first. By this time, the newbie's ranks have been severly buffered by the arrivals of Rube and Cool Papa. The oldies were lost in dismay, their morale having taken a harsh beating from the loss of the first game. Starting the second game at bat, the oldies quickly put 2 runs in. It looked like things had finally turned around, but it was not to be. The newbies clawed their way back at their at bat to 2-1, and for the 2nd and 3rd innings, the oldies offense just stopped short. Both innings, with none out, bases loaded, the oldies failed to score. giving up 3 outs to strand the runners on base. A good string of 3 hits followed by 3 chokes at bat. The oldies need to relook their batting lineup. The newbies again put up a masterful display of hitting fundamentals, taking singles and extra base hits to swoop to a 5-3 lead by the 4th. TH picked up the mantle for the oldies and stepped up to hit a gigantic opposite field HR over Andy's head to bring the score back to 5-4, but his efforts were in vain. The newbies crushed the oldies spirits with a 11-6 win.
Final Score : New Chappies 11 : Old Foggies 6
The series continues on saturday with game 3 and 4.
Honorable mention, DT suffered a severe case of knoblochitis, making the worst throws in the history of mankind, the ball never coming close to first base.
ONEs vs TWOs WORLD SERIES preview
This weekend is a special occasion. Thursday is a public holiday, Saturday we have our normal game, and Monday is a public holiday. Which means 3 days of softball fun, with a 1 day short rest between games.
To celebrate this occasion, SARS have decided to play a best-of-seven, fixed teams world series. ONEs vs TWOs, to take the title of all time SARS champion (till the next long weekend holiday).
The original plan called for the usual random 1s and 2s selection, with the teams selected on Thursday to remain the same throughout, with drafts taking place on Saturday and Monday to accommodate new arrivals.
However, Swat came up with a better plan. We split the teams according to Saturday softball "age". Basically old school vs new school. Taking 2000 as the cut off point, more appropriately taking Rickey as the cut off man. Pitting pre-rickey against post-rickey. It would be a great way to see how much the old foggies have regressed and how the new chappies have progressed.
The teams looked like this.
Old Foggies : Coach, Indiana, Geok, Cheetah(The originals), DT, TH, Swat, Sandman, Gil, Mary(The next generation), Rickey(Pivot Point), with the addition of Jason and Diana (to make up the numbers)
New Chappies : Rube, Money, Princess, Cool Papa, Beyonce, TS, TK, Andy, Scooterboy, Monk, Horfun, Lloyd's kids( Salehim, Sean, Ironman), Nigeypooh(He was the real pivot point, but we decided to let the new chappies have him)
Let the games begin.
PLAY BALL!!!
To celebrate this occasion, SARS have decided to play a best-of-seven, fixed teams world series. ONEs vs TWOs, to take the title of all time SARS champion (till the next long weekend holiday).
The original plan called for the usual random 1s and 2s selection, with the teams selected on Thursday to remain the same throughout, with drafts taking place on Saturday and Monday to accommodate new arrivals.
However, Swat came up with a better plan. We split the teams according to Saturday softball "age". Basically old school vs new school. Taking 2000 as the cut off point, more appropriately taking Rickey as the cut off man. Pitting pre-rickey against post-rickey. It would be a great way to see how much the old foggies have regressed and how the new chappies have progressed.
The teams looked like this.
Old Foggies : Coach, Indiana, Geok, Cheetah(The originals), DT, TH, Swat, Sandman, Gil, Mary(The next generation), Rickey(Pivot Point), with the addition of Jason and Diana (to make up the numbers)
New Chappies : Rube, Money, Princess, Cool Papa, Beyonce, TS, TK, Andy, Scooterboy, Monk, Horfun, Lloyd's kids( Salehim, Sean, Ironman), Nigeypooh(He was the real pivot point, but we decided to let the new chappies have him)
Let the games begin.
PLAY BALL!!!
The History of Saturday Afternoon Softball
This was written by Coach in 2000. I've backposted this, as it seems apt since we've decided to split our teams along those who were around before 2000 and those after.
Rickey and I are getting around to write the post rickey lineup which will be posted after the World Series.
SECTION ONE:
THE ORIGINS OF OUR GAME
Six years ago, an intrepid baseball evangelist set out to bring the Grand Ol' Game to the idolater Singaporeans, still held in thrall by their infatuation with the unregenerative game of soccer—a legacy of their great misfortune of having been ruled by the British. At least that is one of the creation myths.
Others argue the origins of our softball association lay in the psychological need for North American expatriates to distance themselves from their voluntary exiles in Asia by playing the game of their youths. The Singaporeans are merely unwitting tools; their labor and enthusiasms manipulated to serve the selfish needs of disingenuous Westerners.
Another school maintains the Saturday afternoon gatherings serve precisely the opposite function—as a vehicle to build cross-cultural awareness and social bonds.
Naturally the cynics dismiss all these needlessly complex colonialist, neo-colonialist, and post-colonialist interpretations. For them, Saturday softball means a little exercise which provides the rationale—if one is required—for drinking beer.
As always the case, truth resides in an admixture of all the various views.
Our Struggle for a Place in the Sun
Putting the genesis discussion aside, all the participants must derive some profit from playing because our Saturday game has survived, even prospered. It has not always been easy. A number of misguided people and groups conspire to deny us our little pleasures.
First, we face the constant struggle to beat off incursions of soccer players. They constitute only a nuisance factor. More troubling are the white-clad practitioners of a primitive form of our game, the cricket players. Since they cannot muster the same kind of ardour for their game [who could?] that we do for ours, the infrequency of cricketers on the field renders them a minor annoyance.
The weather offers a determined adversary. But not really. Some of our most memorable games took place during downpours. Others would argue fair weather in Singapore is worse than foul. Many players—even stalwarts—wilt under the hot mid-day sun, retreating into the Faculty Club to suck beers while the rest "play two."
A truly cosmopolitan crowd
Aside from the constant worry we may not have a field, until 1999 the other concern centered on lack of bodies. It used to be a case either of feast or famine—too many people or not enough. Too many means batters face a picket line of five or six outfielders; too few means we make one field dead or even play double-or-nothing. But the game must always go on; and it always has.
The most interesting feature of the demographics is its international composition.
Baseball is, of coarse, the quintessential American game. But the number of Americans has always been dwarfed by Canadians. For long periods of time, Americans were even outnumbered by Saskatchewaners. The register lists six players from Canada's version of Kansas.
Some of the funniest moments have come from watching Europeans run the bases. There is something about having to stop on the base that defies European logic. For a period, a large cohort of Swedes played regularly. Sadly, their numbers are now exhausted. Other Euro-weenies came from England, Scotland, Germany, France, Italy, and Norway. Our games have also attracted a fair number of Antipodeans—and happily, none of the Australians ever came back.
Until the last two years, attempts to proselyte the natives generally failed. That is not to say important converts were not made. Some of our Singaporean players are no longer neophytes; in fact, they are old veterans [who can also hold their own in sophisticated discussions of the latest action in major league baseball]. But faith and good works finally paid off. Presently we have a solid bedrock of Singaporeans—ranging from former NUS varsity players to kids recruited [or is it conscripted] in a neighborhood school.
And finally there is our representative from the People's Republic; but some suspect he is actually from Neptune.
Future Trends
Unlike the major leagues, our baseball assembly has no labor problems; no bloated superstars demanding special attention; no megalomaniac owners; no strong-arming citizens to fork out hundreds of millions to build new stadiums so wealthy suits can enjoy seven innings in the comfort of a luxury box. Instead, we pick our teams each week based on a chaotic lottery system of counting off 1s and 2s; but it almost always ensures pretty even teams. Although the gulf in skill levels between experienced baseball players and newcomers can be very wide, for the most part that gap has narrowed significantly over time. Quite often some pretty damn good softball is played out there. Some players have shown remarkable improvement in skills and fundamentals; others come out every week and, despite their best efforts, will always be our league's version of Mario Mendoza. But nobody really cares. All we want is one corner of a field, a sunny day with a slight breeze from the north-east, twenty people who want to play ball, and the assurance the Faculty Club is still selling the cheapest beer in Singapore. That ain't too much to ask, is it?
SECTION TWO:
Some interesting observations on pick-up softball gleaned from Robert Smith, Baseball in the Afternoon: Tales from a Bygone Era (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993). Old Bob perfectly describes our Saturday afternoon tilts.
Softball, which developed from what was known in the early years of the [20th] century as "indoor baseball" (played mostly by girls), never attained the national stature or even so much as an inkling of the mystic quality assigned to our national game—partly, of course, because it never became more than mildly professionalized and largely because it demanded no such superlative physical skills or attainments—no ninety-mile-an-hour pitches, no four-hundred-foot home runs. But despite Little League and Babe Ruth League that helped herd so many of the nation's young (not all of them willingly) onto baseball diamonds, softball has become our true sandlot version of the game. Because it can be adapted to smaller fields and more informal equipment and can be engaged in with equal fervor by old and young, it can be played almost anywhere by men and women of almost any age, with no uniforms more specialized than a suitable marked cap, a T-shirt with a team emblem, an old pair of pants, and a set of sneakers.
Actually, softball resembles original baseball more closely than the official game does. The ball is nearly the same size....The pitcher was still required to "pitch" (i.e. toss) the ball to [the "striker"], although ...the rules permitted him to try to deceive the striker. Earlier, the pitcher had been almost a nonentity, sometimes called the "server," and it was deemed decidedly unsportsmanlike for him to try to keep the striker from getting "his hit," as the game did not really start until the ball had been struck into fair ground....The catcher, first called "behind," stood a few yards behind the batter and received many pitches on the bounce....The only full-time infielder was the shortstop, who was indeed a shortstop, for he was charged with protecting all the field inside the baselines...and behind the pitcher. The three basemen, while they might handle balls hit within their reach, were usually positioned with one foot on the base, ready to lay a gentle tag on any enemy runner who might approach.
The same spirit usually informs the game, with rivalries muted by friendship and neighborliness....Often a softball game is a standard preliminary to a major beer party, with both teams equally involved in the after-game festivities. So while there are no minstrels to sing the glories of the game, or philosophers to elucidate its mysteries, and certainly no historians to magnify its heroes, it does feed rich satisfaction into the veins of plain folk throughout the land....But at least we have been spared the glut of statistics that sometimes seem to make up the real game of big-time baseball, rather than the record of wins and losses. And the celebrations after softball victories are usually enjoyed, by players and spectators alike, in each other's company. Softball heroes and heroines are all too obviously fashioned from the common clay.
When softball suddenly came into my life, it was like a rebirth....I soon discovered that this game was baseball all over again—only modified enough to suit part-time performers with a little rust beginning to gather in their joints. Of course, young people play it, too, for it was a true neighborhood game, requiring not nearly so much room as baseball and no expensive equipment. Rivalries were never bitter. As in my boyhood, one day's teammate might be the next day's enemy. There were no titles to pursue, no averages to compile, no standings to keep track of.
The little eccentricities, however, actually added merriment to our contests, which were never allowed to descend into mortal combat. Who won or lost the bloody game was not a point to brood on—or for that matter even remember. A week after the season ended, I couldn't recall the outcome of more than one or two of the games. And two months later I had forgotten them all. [Our softball games] always represented the spirit that originally informed the game of baseball in those ancient afternoons. It was not a religious experience. Not a sacred one. Not a tournament of knights-errant. It was fun.
SECTION 3: THE ROSTER
ALVIN [the Guppy] HEW
Big Al comes to Singapore by way of Newfoundland and Toronto. A one-man low-lights film, the Guppy never fails to add to our collection of Alphonse and Gaston clips of butchered plays. Hew is also remembered for adding a new term to the baseball lexicon. After yet another futile turn at first base, the Coach banished Al to right field in the middle of an inning. Reminiscent of Bobby Valentine's botched replacement of Ricky Henderson in the 1999 NLCS, Al's unceremonious removal came to be referred to as "being Valentined." On offense, Al is renowned for his "swinging bunts"—sure to elicit great peals of laughter. But that's Al's game.
KYLE [Hello Kitty] Latinis
Latinis would be a strange cookie in anybody's box of Animal Crackers. Given his east coast Stallone verbalizations and California laid-back persona, it is appropriate Kyle comes from Kansas. The same internal contradiction dogs his hitting—Latinis either cranks one or hits a weak dribbler to third. After a stretch of playing pepper with the third baseman, Latinis was christened "Hello Kitty." He now receives plaintive meows whenever he steps to the plate. Kyle is also famed for his outlandish apparel. Just when everybody figured he had reached the depths, he wore a full suit of thermal long johns—naturally with the arms cut out to display his tats. And remember we are playing on the equator.
LLOYD [Chief Wahoo] YEO
Sometimes referred to as Ouppy [to the Coach's Andy], Yeo never saw a baseball before he started coming out to play while finishing his honors year at NUS. He now ranks among our most consistent players. A true devotee of the Game, Lloyd has built a softball program from less than scratch at Monfort Secondary School. And to his credit, he started rooting for Cleveland because of their legacy of ineptitude. He has no difficulty arguing away their October swoons.
MARTIN [The Flamingo/Contrary] BAZLYLEWICH
Martin is the sole survivor of the Saskatchewan Six. A power hitting lefty, Bazylewich usually is an offensive force. It is his defense than gets him in trouble. When he varied on his familiar theme of a ground ball through the legs at third by lifting a leg he earned the tag "Flamingo." Martin is also known as the Contrary. Whatever the line of argument, even if he agrees with you, invariably he assumes the opposing view.
GOH [Jugs] GEOK YIAN
Geok is another of our Singaporean stalwarts. Despite playing each and every week, her game still defies analysis. Always well dressed in either her Orioles or Astros garb, at least she always looks good. Sometimes called Jugs—no not for that; because K victims have to buy a jug of beer—Geok has sharply reduced her strike out totals. A sad development for the rest of us.
CHRIS
One of Lloyd's recruits, Chris is now a veteran in good standing. She has shown steady improvement in all phases of her game. Like Geok, a second sacker, she always matches the old pro in coming attired in fine MLB threads. Chris also acts as Lloyd's GM and bench coach at Monford.
JOHN [Indiana] MIKSIC
No, John isn't a Hoosier. The Indiana moniker stems from the fact Miksic is a major leaguer in the archaeology circuit. Since Miksic owns baseball cards from his childhood in rural Ontario County, New York older than the Coach, you got to know John is our oldest player. But age has done little to erode his skills and less to diminish his enthusiasm and love of the Game. The silk-handed Miksic is noted for his adept picks at first; some might compare his play to Frank Chance. Miksic knows who he is; but missed seeing him play by a couple years.
BRIAN FARRELL
After years of frustration watching a succession of GMs trade away great talent, Farrell gave up on his Expos when they traded a promising second baseman for a young untested pitcher. You got it. The pitcher was Pedro Martinez. Fortunately he plays the game better than he reads major league talent. An original founding member, Farrell is a pretty good center fielder and a consistent line drive hitter. Farrell's real strength rests in his presiding over debate in the Faculty Club. He claims never to have lost an argument; and nobody is going to contest the point.
ANTONY [Nigel, Tuquo, Kiwi] KENNEDY
One of the most popular players left us at the end of 1999. Nigel looked to be a lifer in Singapore; he could not leave until he finished his dissertation. Against all odds, he finished it [kind of] and got a posh job in Perth. Sadly, his career was as short as his doctoral candidacy was long. Now a free agent, he might even return to the league; but with much diminished value. Famed for his McGwire-like belts, Tuquo also dressed nearly as badly as Latinis. Where Latinis wears VC headdress, the Kiwi, being a Kiwi, could never master wearing a baseball cap.
RICHARD [Big Dick] NG
One day Richard was taking his kid Niko to the Rec Complex and he spotted us playing. An old softballer, he asked if he could join. Thereafter he was a regular—when he was not catching shots off his thumb in left field. Richard got sick of Singo and left a lucrative job as a currency trader [I never knew him to report gains] to test the waters in Toronto. He landed on his feet. As far as the Big Dick goes, only his wife knows for sure.
CHRIS [the Gimp] YONG
Chris blew his knee; but postponed surgery until he could use the time off. A versatile player, Chris plays pitcher, shortstop and first base with equal skill. How much skill is open to interpretation. Despite being a Yankee fan, the Gimp is one of our most popular guys.
DAN [the Naked Savage] YANG
Not to dwell on attire, but looking good is an important part of baseball. Nobody noticed until we started taping games, but Dan looks like he is playing without any drawers. A talented pitcher and middle infielder, Dan has plenty of pop in his bat.
DAN [Coach] CROSSWELL
Crosswell is a crusty old throwback type. One of the founders and chief proselytizer, Coach has been responsible for recruiting many of our players. And because he is constantly yelling instructions, he is also probably responsible for running as many away—including his wife. Coach usually plays all-time shortstop. Despite having lost four or five steps, he argues his stellar defense helps balance the teams. The real reason is he can't hit any more. Although a history professor, Crosswell is universally known as Coach. He thinks the appellation comes from his managing the Singapore under-19 baseball team. In reality, he reminds everybody of Coach from Cheers.
FRANCK [Weebles] WIEBE
Wiebe played with us for a couple years before moving on to Jakarta and San Francisco. He still routes his flights to Asia through Singapore so he can play. Despite his posturing, Wiebe is another Kansan. Wiebe is best remembered for two things. First, he invented the "tumble weed" play in one of our after softball two-hand touch games. Second, he was the only guy who would argue with Farrell.
TOH [Agent of Satan] HEAN
Another one of our Singaporean fateful, Toh Hean is most noted for his ability to flag down flies in the gap. A frequent victim of his glove-work, Latinis is convinced Toh Hean is in league with the devil. As a hitter, Toh Hean has more peaks and valleys than I-70 through Pennsylvania. He goes through spells when you can't get him out; then he lapses back into periods of hitting cans of corn.
GAVIN [Michelangelo] GAY
His nickname has nothing to do with the great Renaissance artist's sexual preferences. Gavin's unique stance at the plate reminds you of the statue of David; but unlike DY, Gavin wears pants. Gavin has turned into a threat at the plate. In the first game of 2000, he hit a dramatic three run homer with two out to knot the score in the bottom of the ninth; his team eventually won in extra innings.
GINO [the Shark]
Gino is so far out there, he makes Latinis look mainstream. When you look into Gino's eyes you see nothing; that's why he is called the Shark. But you know whatever is going on behind those lifeless eyes can't be good. Always guaranteed to do the unexpected—carry the bat to first base; run to first via the pitching mound; turn a triple into a single. One day when we were comparing notes on our misspent youth, we asked Gino if he even misbehaved as a kid in China. The response was shocking, even for the Shark. "Once I tried to kill my teacher," he said in deathly seriousness. Hit her over the head with a chair; then fled to the hills. The man is always a revelation.
ANTHONY [Bo Gangles] TAY
A product of Penn and a Phillies fan, Tay is a professor of economics. A Wilber Wood wannabe, Tay usually patrols right field. His pursuit of flyballs is always an adventure; frequently highlighted with some Steepin' Fetchit soft-shoe. That is not to suggest he is fleet afoot. You could time him going to first with a sundial.
TED [Cannibal] WONG
Like Alvin, Ted is another Sino-Canuck. But that is where the comparison ends. Wong has as many circus catches to his credit as Alvin has boners. And Ted generates surprising power from his small frame. An anaesthetist by profession, Wong is frequently seen wondering around in a zombie-like daze. No, he is not dipping into his own drugs; he suffers from acute sleep deprivation from working ungodly hours. Strange a medical man calls himself the Cannibal. Also eccentric is his number—66. He would add another 6 if we would let him.
XIAO [Cy Young] YANG
A frequent participant, Xiao Yang offers steady defense and a pretty decent bat. Her handle does not originate from an arm like the famed Buckeye Cyclone but rather from Ang Mos confusing her name.
CHEE HOW
Chee How has not been tagged with a nickname. This is suggestive of his steady play and a nagging lack of idyiosyncracies. Like Toh Hean and Gavin, Chee How has illustrated continuous improvement in his softball skills. In one memorable game Chee How robbed Bazlylewich of two home runs, once with the bases loaded.
FABIAN [the Fab]
Our lone consistent Euroweenie, Fabian comes from Grenoble, France. Although new to the Game, the Fab brings plenty of athleticism. He may have initially thought the Game was too easy. He hit a home run in his first game. He now proves the ancient wisdom of the Game, the longer you play, the harder it gets. Fabian also covers a lot of ground in the outfield.
Rickey and I are getting around to write the post rickey lineup which will be posted after the World Series.
SECTION ONE:
THE ORIGINS OF OUR GAME
Six years ago, an intrepid baseball evangelist set out to bring the Grand Ol' Game to the idolater Singaporeans, still held in thrall by their infatuation with the unregenerative game of soccer—a legacy of their great misfortune of having been ruled by the British. At least that is one of the creation myths.
Others argue the origins of our softball association lay in the psychological need for North American expatriates to distance themselves from their voluntary exiles in Asia by playing the game of their youths. The Singaporeans are merely unwitting tools; their labor and enthusiasms manipulated to serve the selfish needs of disingenuous Westerners.
Another school maintains the Saturday afternoon gatherings serve precisely the opposite function—as a vehicle to build cross-cultural awareness and social bonds.
Naturally the cynics dismiss all these needlessly complex colonialist, neo-colonialist, and post-colonialist interpretations. For them, Saturday softball means a little exercise which provides the rationale—if one is required—for drinking beer.
As always the case, truth resides in an admixture of all the various views.
Our Struggle for a Place in the Sun
Putting the genesis discussion aside, all the participants must derive some profit from playing because our Saturday game has survived, even prospered. It has not always been easy. A number of misguided people and groups conspire to deny us our little pleasures.
First, we face the constant struggle to beat off incursions of soccer players. They constitute only a nuisance factor. More troubling are the white-clad practitioners of a primitive form of our game, the cricket players. Since they cannot muster the same kind of ardour for their game [who could?] that we do for ours, the infrequency of cricketers on the field renders them a minor annoyance.
The weather offers a determined adversary. But not really. Some of our most memorable games took place during downpours. Others would argue fair weather in Singapore is worse than foul. Many players—even stalwarts—wilt under the hot mid-day sun, retreating into the Faculty Club to suck beers while the rest "play two."
A truly cosmopolitan crowd
Aside from the constant worry we may not have a field, until 1999 the other concern centered on lack of bodies. It used to be a case either of feast or famine—too many people or not enough. Too many means batters face a picket line of five or six outfielders; too few means we make one field dead or even play double-or-nothing. But the game must always go on; and it always has.
The most interesting feature of the demographics is its international composition.
Baseball is, of coarse, the quintessential American game. But the number of Americans has always been dwarfed by Canadians. For long periods of time, Americans were even outnumbered by Saskatchewaners. The register lists six players from Canada's version of Kansas.
Some of the funniest moments have come from watching Europeans run the bases. There is something about having to stop on the base that defies European logic. For a period, a large cohort of Swedes played regularly. Sadly, their numbers are now exhausted. Other Euro-weenies came from England, Scotland, Germany, France, Italy, and Norway. Our games have also attracted a fair number of Antipodeans—and happily, none of the Australians ever came back.
Until the last two years, attempts to proselyte the natives generally failed. That is not to say important converts were not made. Some of our Singaporean players are no longer neophytes; in fact, they are old veterans [who can also hold their own in sophisticated discussions of the latest action in major league baseball]. But faith and good works finally paid off. Presently we have a solid bedrock of Singaporeans—ranging from former NUS varsity players to kids recruited [or is it conscripted] in a neighborhood school.
And finally there is our representative from the People's Republic; but some suspect he is actually from Neptune.
Future Trends
Unlike the major leagues, our baseball assembly has no labor problems; no bloated superstars demanding special attention; no megalomaniac owners; no strong-arming citizens to fork out hundreds of millions to build new stadiums so wealthy suits can enjoy seven innings in the comfort of a luxury box. Instead, we pick our teams each week based on a chaotic lottery system of counting off 1s and 2s; but it almost always ensures pretty even teams. Although the gulf in skill levels between experienced baseball players and newcomers can be very wide, for the most part that gap has narrowed significantly over time. Quite often some pretty damn good softball is played out there. Some players have shown remarkable improvement in skills and fundamentals; others come out every week and, despite their best efforts, will always be our league's version of Mario Mendoza. But nobody really cares. All we want is one corner of a field, a sunny day with a slight breeze from the north-east, twenty people who want to play ball, and the assurance the Faculty Club is still selling the cheapest beer in Singapore. That ain't too much to ask, is it?
SECTION TWO:
Some interesting observations on pick-up softball gleaned from Robert Smith, Baseball in the Afternoon: Tales from a Bygone Era (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993). Old Bob perfectly describes our Saturday afternoon tilts.
Softball, which developed from what was known in the early years of the [20th] century as "indoor baseball" (played mostly by girls), never attained the national stature or even so much as an inkling of the mystic quality assigned to our national game—partly, of course, because it never became more than mildly professionalized and largely because it demanded no such superlative physical skills or attainments—no ninety-mile-an-hour pitches, no four-hundred-foot home runs. But despite Little League and Babe Ruth League that helped herd so many of the nation's young (not all of them willingly) onto baseball diamonds, softball has become our true sandlot version of the game. Because it can be adapted to smaller fields and more informal equipment and can be engaged in with equal fervor by old and young, it can be played almost anywhere by men and women of almost any age, with no uniforms more specialized than a suitable marked cap, a T-shirt with a team emblem, an old pair of pants, and a set of sneakers.
Actually, softball resembles original baseball more closely than the official game does. The ball is nearly the same size....The pitcher was still required to "pitch" (i.e. toss) the ball to [the "striker"], although ...the rules permitted him to try to deceive the striker. Earlier, the pitcher had been almost a nonentity, sometimes called the "server," and it was deemed decidedly unsportsmanlike for him to try to keep the striker from getting "his hit," as the game did not really start until the ball had been struck into fair ground....The catcher, first called "behind," stood a few yards behind the batter and received many pitches on the bounce....The only full-time infielder was the shortstop, who was indeed a shortstop, for he was charged with protecting all the field inside the baselines...and behind the pitcher. The three basemen, while they might handle balls hit within their reach, were usually positioned with one foot on the base, ready to lay a gentle tag on any enemy runner who might approach.
The same spirit usually informs the game, with rivalries muted by friendship and neighborliness....Often a softball game is a standard preliminary to a major beer party, with both teams equally involved in the after-game festivities. So while there are no minstrels to sing the glories of the game, or philosophers to elucidate its mysteries, and certainly no historians to magnify its heroes, it does feed rich satisfaction into the veins of plain folk throughout the land....But at least we have been spared the glut of statistics that sometimes seem to make up the real game of big-time baseball, rather than the record of wins and losses. And the celebrations after softball victories are usually enjoyed, by players and spectators alike, in each other's company. Softball heroes and heroines are all too obviously fashioned from the common clay.
When softball suddenly came into my life, it was like a rebirth....I soon discovered that this game was baseball all over again—only modified enough to suit part-time performers with a little rust beginning to gather in their joints. Of course, young people play it, too, for it was a true neighborhood game, requiring not nearly so much room as baseball and no expensive equipment. Rivalries were never bitter. As in my boyhood, one day's teammate might be the next day's enemy. There were no titles to pursue, no averages to compile, no standings to keep track of.
The little eccentricities, however, actually added merriment to our contests, which were never allowed to descend into mortal combat. Who won or lost the bloody game was not a point to brood on—or for that matter even remember. A week after the season ended, I couldn't recall the outcome of more than one or two of the games. And two months later I had forgotten them all. [Our softball games] always represented the spirit that originally informed the game of baseball in those ancient afternoons. It was not a religious experience. Not a sacred one. Not a tournament of knights-errant. It was fun.
SECTION 3: THE ROSTER
ALVIN [the Guppy] HEW
Big Al comes to Singapore by way of Newfoundland and Toronto. A one-man low-lights film, the Guppy never fails to add to our collection of Alphonse and Gaston clips of butchered plays. Hew is also remembered for adding a new term to the baseball lexicon. After yet another futile turn at first base, the Coach banished Al to right field in the middle of an inning. Reminiscent of Bobby Valentine's botched replacement of Ricky Henderson in the 1999 NLCS, Al's unceremonious removal came to be referred to as "being Valentined." On offense, Al is renowned for his "swinging bunts"—sure to elicit great peals of laughter. But that's Al's game.
KYLE [Hello Kitty] Latinis
Latinis would be a strange cookie in anybody's box of Animal Crackers. Given his east coast Stallone verbalizations and California laid-back persona, it is appropriate Kyle comes from Kansas. The same internal contradiction dogs his hitting—Latinis either cranks one or hits a weak dribbler to third. After a stretch of playing pepper with the third baseman, Latinis was christened "Hello Kitty." He now receives plaintive meows whenever he steps to the plate. Kyle is also famed for his outlandish apparel. Just when everybody figured he had reached the depths, he wore a full suit of thermal long johns—naturally with the arms cut out to display his tats. And remember we are playing on the equator.
LLOYD [Chief Wahoo] YEO
Sometimes referred to as Ouppy [to the Coach's Andy], Yeo never saw a baseball before he started coming out to play while finishing his honors year at NUS. He now ranks among our most consistent players. A true devotee of the Game, Lloyd has built a softball program from less than scratch at Monfort Secondary School. And to his credit, he started rooting for Cleveland because of their legacy of ineptitude. He has no difficulty arguing away their October swoons.
MARTIN [The Flamingo/Contrary] BAZLYLEWICH
Martin is the sole survivor of the Saskatchewan Six. A power hitting lefty, Bazylewich usually is an offensive force. It is his defense than gets him in trouble. When he varied on his familiar theme of a ground ball through the legs at third by lifting a leg he earned the tag "Flamingo." Martin is also known as the Contrary. Whatever the line of argument, even if he agrees with you, invariably he assumes the opposing view.
GOH [Jugs] GEOK YIAN
Geok is another of our Singaporean stalwarts. Despite playing each and every week, her game still defies analysis. Always well dressed in either her Orioles or Astros garb, at least she always looks good. Sometimes called Jugs—no not for that; because K victims have to buy a jug of beer—Geok has sharply reduced her strike out totals. A sad development for the rest of us.
CHRIS
One of Lloyd's recruits, Chris is now a veteran in good standing. She has shown steady improvement in all phases of her game. Like Geok, a second sacker, she always matches the old pro in coming attired in fine MLB threads. Chris also acts as Lloyd's GM and bench coach at Monford.
JOHN [Indiana] MIKSIC
No, John isn't a Hoosier. The Indiana moniker stems from the fact Miksic is a major leaguer in the archaeology circuit. Since Miksic owns baseball cards from his childhood in rural Ontario County, New York older than the Coach, you got to know John is our oldest player. But age has done little to erode his skills and less to diminish his enthusiasm and love of the Game. The silk-handed Miksic is noted for his adept picks at first; some might compare his play to Frank Chance. Miksic knows who he is; but missed seeing him play by a couple years.
BRIAN FARRELL
After years of frustration watching a succession of GMs trade away great talent, Farrell gave up on his Expos when they traded a promising second baseman for a young untested pitcher. You got it. The pitcher was Pedro Martinez. Fortunately he plays the game better than he reads major league talent. An original founding member, Farrell is a pretty good center fielder and a consistent line drive hitter. Farrell's real strength rests in his presiding over debate in the Faculty Club. He claims never to have lost an argument; and nobody is going to contest the point.
ANTONY [Nigel, Tuquo, Kiwi] KENNEDY
One of the most popular players left us at the end of 1999. Nigel looked to be a lifer in Singapore; he could not leave until he finished his dissertation. Against all odds, he finished it [kind of] and got a posh job in Perth. Sadly, his career was as short as his doctoral candidacy was long. Now a free agent, he might even return to the league; but with much diminished value. Famed for his McGwire-like belts, Tuquo also dressed nearly as badly as Latinis. Where Latinis wears VC headdress, the Kiwi, being a Kiwi, could never master wearing a baseball cap.
RICHARD [Big Dick] NG
One day Richard was taking his kid Niko to the Rec Complex and he spotted us playing. An old softballer, he asked if he could join. Thereafter he was a regular—when he was not catching shots off his thumb in left field. Richard got sick of Singo and left a lucrative job as a currency trader [I never knew him to report gains] to test the waters in Toronto. He landed on his feet. As far as the Big Dick goes, only his wife knows for sure.
CHRIS [the Gimp] YONG
Chris blew his knee; but postponed surgery until he could use the time off. A versatile player, Chris plays pitcher, shortstop and first base with equal skill. How much skill is open to interpretation. Despite being a Yankee fan, the Gimp is one of our most popular guys.
DAN [the Naked Savage] YANG
Not to dwell on attire, but looking good is an important part of baseball. Nobody noticed until we started taping games, but Dan looks like he is playing without any drawers. A talented pitcher and middle infielder, Dan has plenty of pop in his bat.
DAN [Coach] CROSSWELL
Crosswell is a crusty old throwback type. One of the founders and chief proselytizer, Coach has been responsible for recruiting many of our players. And because he is constantly yelling instructions, he is also probably responsible for running as many away—including his wife. Coach usually plays all-time shortstop. Despite having lost four or five steps, he argues his stellar defense helps balance the teams. The real reason is he can't hit any more. Although a history professor, Crosswell is universally known as Coach. He thinks the appellation comes from his managing the Singapore under-19 baseball team. In reality, he reminds everybody of Coach from Cheers.
FRANCK [Weebles] WIEBE
Wiebe played with us for a couple years before moving on to Jakarta and San Francisco. He still routes his flights to Asia through Singapore so he can play. Despite his posturing, Wiebe is another Kansan. Wiebe is best remembered for two things. First, he invented the "tumble weed" play in one of our after softball two-hand touch games. Second, he was the only guy who would argue with Farrell.
TOH [Agent of Satan] HEAN
Another one of our Singaporean fateful, Toh Hean is most noted for his ability to flag down flies in the gap. A frequent victim of his glove-work, Latinis is convinced Toh Hean is in league with the devil. As a hitter, Toh Hean has more peaks and valleys than I-70 through Pennsylvania. He goes through spells when you can't get him out; then he lapses back into periods of hitting cans of corn.
GAVIN [Michelangelo] GAY
His nickname has nothing to do with the great Renaissance artist's sexual preferences. Gavin's unique stance at the plate reminds you of the statue of David; but unlike DY, Gavin wears pants. Gavin has turned into a threat at the plate. In the first game of 2000, he hit a dramatic three run homer with two out to knot the score in the bottom of the ninth; his team eventually won in extra innings.
GINO [the Shark]
Gino is so far out there, he makes Latinis look mainstream. When you look into Gino's eyes you see nothing; that's why he is called the Shark. But you know whatever is going on behind those lifeless eyes can't be good. Always guaranteed to do the unexpected—carry the bat to first base; run to first via the pitching mound; turn a triple into a single. One day when we were comparing notes on our misspent youth, we asked Gino if he even misbehaved as a kid in China. The response was shocking, even for the Shark. "Once I tried to kill my teacher," he said in deathly seriousness. Hit her over the head with a chair; then fled to the hills. The man is always a revelation.
ANTHONY [Bo Gangles] TAY
A product of Penn and a Phillies fan, Tay is a professor of economics. A Wilber Wood wannabe, Tay usually patrols right field. His pursuit of flyballs is always an adventure; frequently highlighted with some Steepin' Fetchit soft-shoe. That is not to suggest he is fleet afoot. You could time him going to first with a sundial.
TED [Cannibal] WONG
Like Alvin, Ted is another Sino-Canuck. But that is where the comparison ends. Wong has as many circus catches to his credit as Alvin has boners. And Ted generates surprising power from his small frame. An anaesthetist by profession, Wong is frequently seen wondering around in a zombie-like daze. No, he is not dipping into his own drugs; he suffers from acute sleep deprivation from working ungodly hours. Strange a medical man calls himself the Cannibal. Also eccentric is his number—66. He would add another 6 if we would let him.
XIAO [Cy Young] YANG
A frequent participant, Xiao Yang offers steady defense and a pretty decent bat. Her handle does not originate from an arm like the famed Buckeye Cyclone but rather from Ang Mos confusing her name.
CHEE HOW
Chee How has not been tagged with a nickname. This is suggestive of his steady play and a nagging lack of idyiosyncracies. Like Toh Hean and Gavin, Chee How has illustrated continuous improvement in his softball skills. In one memorable game Chee How robbed Bazlylewich of two home runs, once with the bases loaded.
FABIAN [the Fab]
Our lone consistent Euroweenie, Fabian comes from Grenoble, France. Although new to the Game, the Fab brings plenty of athleticism. He may have initially thought the Game was too easy. He hit a home run in his first game. He now proves the ancient wisdom of the Game, the longer you play, the harder it gets. Fabian also covers a lot of ground in the outfield.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
06 NOV 2004
ONES :
Pitch : Kitty, 1st : Monk, 2nd : Geok, 3rd : Guppy, SS : Money, LF : Rube, CF : Sandman/Beyonce, RF: Monk/Guppy, Rov : Horfun
TWOS :
Pitch : Rickey, 1st : Windmill, 2nd : Princess, 3rd : Indiana, SS : DT, LF : TH, CF : Cool Papa, RF : TS, Rover/catch : Andy
Game 1 : ONES 14 : TWOS 4(mercy in 3 innings)
Game 2 : ONES 11 : TWOS 24(mercy in 7 innings)
MBP : Cool Papa
Two back to back mercy games. Were the teams uneven? Was it good hitting or bad defence? Was it multiple homeruns or multiple fielding errors? Well, a little of both. There were some great individual plays and some not-so-great plays. There were some fine extra-base hitting, and some not-so-fine bloopers that turned into singles. There were some massive hits that sailed past fielders heads, and some not-so-massive hits that sailed past fielders heads because they stood too shallow. The infield didn't get much action that day, but when they did, their performance (on both teams) were stellar. Honorable mentions to Windmill's unassisted double play, fielding a hard ground ball down the first base line, tagging the runner, and still having the presence of mind to run to first to take the batter out And Indiana's Jeteresque behind the back play, deep in the hole, off a fast grounder and the throw to take out the batter. Cool Papa was outstanding in centerfield. Even though he was tired AND hungry, he still ran down the hits, and held many many batters to 1st with his strong throws to 2nd. Rickey called him the castrator because he cut off so runners from extra-base hits.
On another note, We had our first mid-game storm off this year. The rube, through a combination of fielding errors and poor batting, worked himself up into an adamesque frenzy and he walked off the field of play after his at-bat in the 3rd inning (slow grounder to SS) with nary a word. Attempts to contact him was not possible, as he switched off his phone.
Pitch : Kitty, 1st : Monk, 2nd : Geok, 3rd : Guppy, SS : Money, LF : Rube, CF : Sandman/Beyonce, RF: Monk/Guppy, Rov : Horfun
TWOS :
Pitch : Rickey, 1st : Windmill, 2nd : Princess, 3rd : Indiana, SS : DT, LF : TH, CF : Cool Papa, RF : TS, Rover/catch : Andy
Game 1 : ONES 14 : TWOS 4(mercy in 3 innings)
Game 2 : ONES 11 : TWOS 24(mercy in 7 innings)
MBP : Cool Papa
Two back to back mercy games. Were the teams uneven? Was it good hitting or bad defence? Was it multiple homeruns or multiple fielding errors? Well, a little of both. There were some great individual plays and some not-so-great plays. There were some fine extra-base hitting, and some not-so-fine bloopers that turned into singles. There were some massive hits that sailed past fielders heads, and some not-so-massive hits that sailed past fielders heads because they stood too shallow. The infield didn't get much action that day, but when they did, their performance (on both teams) were stellar. Honorable mentions to Windmill's unassisted double play, fielding a hard ground ball down the first base line, tagging the runner, and still having the presence of mind to run to first to take the batter out And Indiana's Jeteresque behind the back play, deep in the hole, off a fast grounder and the throw to take out the batter. Cool Papa was outstanding in centerfield. Even though he was tired AND hungry, he still ran down the hits, and held many many batters to 1st with his strong throws to 2nd. Rickey called him the castrator because he cut off so runners from extra-base hits.
On another note, We had our first mid-game storm off this year. The rube, through a combination of fielding errors and poor batting, worked himself up into an adamesque frenzy and he walked off the field of play after his at-bat in the 3rd inning (slow grounder to SS) with nary a word. Attempts to contact him was not possible, as he switched off his phone.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
30 October 2004
First Game:
We played Kent Ridge in a friendly.
Final score: 25-2.
All hit well, and fielding was fine. Game only lasted 4 innings, before the young learners scurried off in fear of the thunder and lightening (weather, not our hitting). The ghosts of Cheetah's offspring have (hopefully) been put to rest.
Second Game:
Those that remained played (Hassie, Saigon Misty, and Rube took off for Joe's). We got in 4 solid innings before the skies opened up. Teams were haphazardly chosen, based on who was standing in an area of the field. But, we will call them 1s and 2s for convience sake...
Ones: 1B: TS, 2B: The Law, SS: TH, 3B: Rickey, LF: Nigey Pooh, CF: TK, RF: Monk
Twos: 1B: Indiana, 2B: Burma Girl, SS: Money, 3B: Fye, LF: Swat, CF:Beyonce, RF: Scooter Boy
Pitch (all time): Kitty
Score: 6-16 (Twos won)
Solid hitting from the Twos was the story of the game. The visitor from Chiang Mai hit some nice booming home runs, and even Beyonce hit a homer into the cricket crowd. Swat made a nice "Wille Mays over the shoulder" catch on a Rickey hit.
We played Kent Ridge in a friendly.
Final score: 25-2.
All hit well, and fielding was fine. Game only lasted 4 innings, before the young learners scurried off in fear of the thunder and lightening (weather, not our hitting). The ghosts of Cheetah's offspring have (hopefully) been put to rest.
Second Game:
Those that remained played (Hassie, Saigon Misty, and Rube took off for Joe's). We got in 4 solid innings before the skies opened up. Teams were haphazardly chosen, based on who was standing in an area of the field. But, we will call them 1s and 2s for convience sake...
Ones: 1B: TS, 2B: The Law, SS: TH, 3B: Rickey, LF: Nigey Pooh, CF: TK, RF: Monk
Twos: 1B: Indiana, 2B: Burma Girl, SS: Money, 3B: Fye, LF: Swat, CF:Beyonce, RF: Scooter Boy
Pitch (all time): Kitty
Score: 6-16 (Twos won)
Solid hitting from the Twos was the story of the game. The visitor from Chiang Mai hit some nice booming home runs, and even Beyonce hit a homer into the cricket crowd. Swat made a nice "Wille Mays over the shoulder" catch on a Rickey hit.
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