Babe Ruth - 2009 PSW Regionals, Game #3

Saturday, August 8, 2009
Eureka Babe Ruth Field, Eureka, CA

La Crescenta          1 0 0  0 0 7  5 – 13 13 2
Somervile-Yaqui (AZ)  0 0 3  0 0 0  2 –  5  5 1

La Crescenta       ab  r  h rbi
White ss            3  3  2  0
Okimoto 2b          2  2  1  2
Sullivan c          4  1  3  5
Tavizon cf,lf       3  1  1  1
Alonso 3b           5  0  3  1
Ha rf               3  1  0  0
Boeke lf,p          4  2  2  0
Wang p,cf           3  0  0  0
 - Marquis ph       0  1  0  0
Rea 1b              3  1  1  1
 - Cook ph          1  1  0  0
Totals             31 13 13 10

Somervile-Yaqui    ab  r  h rbi
Rosas cf            2  1  1  0
 - Beltran ph       1  0  0  0
Lopez 2b            3  2  1  0
Gonzales ss         4  0  1  2
Estrada c           4  0  3  1
Aguirreberrena 1b   3  0  0  0
Aguilar 3b          2  0  0  0
Miranda rf          2  0  0  0
Villegas p,3b       3  0  0  0
Esparza lf          2  1  0  0
 - Magana ph        1  1  0  0
Totals             27  5  6  3

E–La Crescenta Alonso (1), White (1); 
Somervile-Yaqui Lopez (1). 
2B–La Crescenta Alonso (1,off Aguilar); 
Somervile-Yaqui Lopez (1,off Boeke), Estrada (1,off Boeke).
3B–La Crescenta Tavizon (1,off Aguilar).  
Sac–Okimoto (1,off Villegas), Sullivan (1,off Villegas).
SB–La Crescenta Sullivan (2,2nd base off Aguilar/Estrada,
3rd base off Aguilar/Estrada)

Pitchers

La Crescenta    IP  H  R  ER  BB  SO
Wang*          2.0  0  3   3   5   3
Boeke (W)      5.0  6  2   1   0   5

Somervile-Yaqui IP  H   R  ER  BB  SO
Villegas*      5.1  5   2   3   5   1
Aguilar (L)*   0.2  7  11  10   3   0
Gonzales       1.0  1   0   0   1   0

*Wang pitched to 3 batters in the 3rd inning; Villegas 
pitched to 2 batters in the 6th inning and Aguilar pitched
to 5 batters in the 7th inning.

WP–Somervile-Yaqui Aguilar (1).
Balk—La Crescenta-Boeke (2).
PB—La Crescenta-Sullivan (2).  

Scoring Summary
Top 1st: La Crescenta
- J. White singled to left field
- C. Okimoto sacrificed White to second base
- R. Sulivan singled to left J. White scored.
Bot 3rd: Somervile-Yaqui
- E. Esparza walked
- M. Rosas walked
- I. Lopez walked, T. Boeke relived B. Wang
- T. Boeke balked home Esparza.
- J. Estrada singled to right, scoring M. Rosas
- T. Boeke balked home I. Lopez. 
Top 6th: La Crescenta
- B. Alonso singled to left
- T. Ha walked
- A. Aguilar relived F. Villegas
- T. Boeke singled to right
- B. Wang reached first on a fielder’s choice, B, Alonso
out at home.
- N. Rea reached first on a throwing error by I. Lopez, 
B. Wang out at second base, T. Boeke scored.
- J. White singled to left, N. Rea to third, J. White 
advancing on the throw.
- N. Rea scored on a wild pitch by Aguilar, J. White to 
third.
- C. Okimoto walked and advanced to second on defensive 
indifference
- R. Sullivan singled to left field, scoring J. White and C. 
Okimoto, R. Sullivan to second on throw
- C. Tavizon triples to left field, R. Sullivan scoring
- B. Alonso doubles to left field, C Tavizon scores.
Top 7th: La Crescenta
- T. Boeke singles to right center field, steals second and
third base
- C. Marquis walked
- J. Cook reaches first on a fielder’s choice, T. Boeke 
scores, Marquis to second
- J. White walked
- C. Okimoto singled to left field, C. Marquis and J. Cook
scoring
- A. Gonzales relived A. Aguilar
- R. Sullivan singled to left field scoring J. White and 
C. Okimoto.
Bot 7th: Somervile-Yaqui
- A. Magana reached first on fielding error by J. White
- I. Lopez doubled down the left field line
- A. Gonzales singled down the right field line, scoring 
A. Magana and I. Lopez.

Babe Ruth - 2009 PSW Regionals, Game #2

Friday, August 7, 2009
Eureka Babe Ruth Field, Eureka, CA

Tri Valley      0 0 0  1 3 0  0 – 4 6 1
La Crescenta    0 0 0  0 0 0  1 – 1 1 4


Tri Valley         ab  r  h rbi
Soltis cf           3  0  0  0
Anderson 3b         3  1  1  1
Sprugasci p         3  1  1  0
Dronkers 1b         4  0  0  1
Fernandez rf        3  1  2  1
Allman lf           3  0  0  0
 - Piscoty ss       0  0  0  0
Franco 2b           2  0  1  0
Jackson c           3  0  0  0
Pluschell ss        1  0  1  0
 - Robbins lf       2  1  0  0
Totals             27  4  6  3

La Crescenta       ab  r  h rbi
Okimoto 2b          1  0  0  0
Ha rf               2  0  0  0
 - Marquis ph       1  0  0  0
Sullivan 3b         3  0  0  0
White ss            2  1  0  0
Tavizon lf          3  0  0  0
Alonso c            3  0  1  1
 - Tremain pr       0  0  0  0
Boeke 1b,p          3  0  0  0
Wang cf             1  0  0  0
 - Moscicki ph      1  0  0  0
Cook p              1  0  0  0
 - Rea 1b,lf        1  0  0  0
Totals             22  1  1  1

E–Tri Valley-Jackson (1); La Crescenta-White (1), Boeke (2),
Ha (1). 
2B–Tri Valley-Anderson (1,off Cook); La Crescenta Alonso 
(1,off Sprugasci).
HBP–La Crescenta-White (1,by Sprugasci). 
Sac–Soltis (1,off Cook), Anderson (1,off Cook).  
CS–Okimoto (1,2nd base by Sprugasci/Jackson), Boeke (1,2nd
base by Sprugasci/Jackson).
SB–Tri Valley-Sprugasci (1,2nd base off Cook/Alonso); 
La Crescenta-White (1,2nd base off Sprugasci/Jackson).

Pitchers

La Crescenta   IP  H  R  ER  BB  SO
Cook (L)      5.0  5  4   3   2   4
Boeke         2.0  1  0   0   0   2

Tri Valley        IP  H  R  ER  BB  SO
Sprugasci (W)    7.0  1  1   1   2   5

PB-Tri Valley-Jackson (1); La Crescenta-Alonso (1)
HBP–Tri Valley-Sprugasci (1,White).  

Scoring Summary
Top 4th: Tri Valley
- V. Fernandez singles to left field
- K. Franco singles to right center field, Fernandez scores
on fielding error by Okimoto on relay.
Top 5th: Tri Valley
- N. Robbins reaches first on fielding error by Boeke
- C. Soltis sacrifices Robbins to second
- R. Anderson doubles to right center field, scoring Robbins
- R. Anderson balked to third by Cook
- J. Sprugasci walks and steals 2nd base
- J. Dronkers hits into a fielder’s choice to short, Anderson 
scored
- V. Fernandez hits a single to center field, Sprugasci 
scores.
Bot 7th: La Crescenta
- J. White hit by a pitch and steals 2 base
- B. Alonso doubles to center field, scoring White.

Babe Ruth - 2009 PSW Regionals, Game #1

Thursday, August 6, 2009
Eureka Babe Ruth Field, Eureka, CA

La Crescenta    0 1 0 1 0 1 1 – 4 9 1
Eureka          1 1 0 0 0 0 0 – 2 2 1

La Crescenta ab r h rbi Okimoto 2b 2 0 2 2 Ha rf 4 0 0 0 Tavizon lf/p 4 0 1 0 Alonso p/3b 3 0 0 0 - Moscicki pr 0 1 0 0 Sullivan c 3 1 1 0 White ss 3 0 1 1 Boeke 3b,1b 4 1 1 0 Wang cf 4 1 1 0 Rea 1b,lf 2 0 2 1 Totals 29 4 9 4 Eureka ab r h rbi Raxa cf 4 1 2 1 Ables ss 2 0 0 0 Kirk c 3 0 0 0 Stone p 3 0 0 1 Snipes 3b 3 0 0 0 Swanson rf 0 1 0 0 Masten lf 2 0 0 0 - Crews ph,lf 1 0 0 0 Savage 1b 2 0 0 0 - Crews ph,1b 1 0 0 0 Maples 2b 2 0 0 0 - Martin ph,2b 1 0 0 0 Totals 24 2 2 2

©Rich Bickel/Times Standard La Crescenta's #21, Ted Boeke, slides safely into home in front of Eureka's Matt Kirk to score the tying run in the fourth inning.

E–La Crescenta Alonso (1); Eureka Snipes (1).
2B–La Crescenta Sullivan (1,off Stone), Boeke (1,off Stone), 
White (1,off Stone); Eureka Raxa (1,off Alonso)
3B–Eureka Raxa (1,off Alonso).
HBP–Swanson (1,by Alonso).
SF–Stone (1,off Alonso).
CS–Okimoto (1,2nd base by Kirk/Maples).
SB–La Crescenta Sullivan (1,2nd base off Stone/Kirk);
Eureka Ables (1,2nd base off Alonso/Sullivan), Swanson
(1,2nd base off Alonso/Sullivan).

Pitchers

La Crescenta   IP  H  R  ER  BB  SO
Alonso        4.0  2  2   2   5   6
Tavizon (W)   3.0  0  0   0   4   5

Eureka         IP  H  R  ER  BB  SO
Stone (L)     7.0  9  4   4   5  12

WP–La Crescenta Alonso (1), Tavizon (1); Eureka Stone (1).
HBP–La Crescenta Alonso (1,Swanson).

Scoring Summary
Bot 1st: Eureka
- D. Raxa tripled to deep center
- K. Ables walked and stole second base
- Z. Stone hit a sacrifice fly to left field, D. Raxa scored
Top 2nd: La Crescenta
- R. Sullivan walked, J. White walked, Nolan Rea walked, 
C. Okimoto walked, scoring Sullivan.
Bot 2nd: Eureka
- D. Raxa doubled to right center field
- E. Savage walked, D. Raxa hit a double to the right
Top 4th: La Crescenta
- T. Boeke doubled to right center field
- N. Rea singled to right field, scoring Boeke
Top 6th: La Crescenta
- B. Wang singled to right center field
- N. Rea singled to center field
- C. Okimoto singled to second, scoring Wang
Top 7th: La Crescenta
- B. Alonso drew a walk, Moscicki pinch ran
- R. Sullivan reaches first on a fielder’s choice, Moscicki 
safe at second on throwing error by Snipes.
- J. White doubles to right center field, scoring Moscicki.

This is Our Year!

Whew, boy! Hey-hey! Cubs Win! Cubs Win!! Cubs Win!!!

Day one of the 2009 MLB campaign and the Cubs are in first place with a 4-2 victory over the Houston Astros! A lead-off home-run from Soriano, coupled with "staff ace" Zambrano hurlig 97 pitches over six innings (his control wasn't too bad, 6 Ks to only 3 walks) to get the win, followed by closer Kevin Gregg's first save as a Cub (despite giving up 2 hits and an earned run) made for an exciting opening day game.

Wrigley, a photo by rpongsaj on Flickr.

I know it is too early to start thinking about the playoffs, and after the Cubs collapsed the last two Octobers -- I don't have any right to be optimistic, but despite my common sense, I know this is going to be our year! But, with a rotation that features Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, Ryan Dempster, and Rich Harden, the Cubbies will have one of the better starting rotations in the division. I think keeping the starting pitchers healthy will be the key to a successful 2009 season.

Now, I wouldn't be a true Cubs fan if I didn't have a grumble or two, so the one thing I am disappointed about is that Sam Zell and the Tribune Company still own the team. The franchise has been on the auction block for nearly two years, but it looks like the Ricketts family will be the owners sometime this Spring, but the fact that Zell is still in charge is a huge disappointment (maybe more so than the playoff collapse against the Dodgers last October).

At any rate, there is light at the end of the ownership tunnel (finally!) As Tom Ricketts, a native Chicagoan and life-long Cubs fan, stated goal is to “...win a World Series and build the consistent championship tradition that the fans deserve.”  The change in ownership can't come too soon for me.

On the field side of the equation, I am sad that we lost Derosa and Wood.  I know why the Cubs let Kerry go, but really hope that Fontenot will be able to step up and replace Derosa at second base--our losses are Cleveland's gains... That said, the acquisition of Bradley, Gregg and Miles during the off season should be interesting. Jim Hendry is either going to look like a genius, or a complete fool.  I know Bradley was a headcase in Los Angeles (and everywhere else really too), but he can produce offensively, and if Lou can get his head straightened out, so much the better. Overall, I'll say that, on paper, the off-season's plusses certainly outweigh the minuses.

Some offensive tweaks, for a team that had the best 2008 regular season record in the National League, coupled with five Cubs' starters who can be dominant, and a combination of Marmol and Gregg closing out the late innings, means we should be in very good shape this year!

I hate to say World Series title contender in April, but 90 wins should lock up the Central Division and if the bullpen can step up and save some wear-and-tear on the starting rotation, the 101 year drought will be over. I know this is going to be our year!

That is of course, if we can get past the Curse of the Billy Goat, damn you Billy Sianis! Why did you have to go and bring a goat to the World Series?!

Remembering Poppy Day

This past weekend, while I was out running errands with my daughter, she received a small red flower from a man in front of the grocery store (after I made a small donation into his collection bucket). The gentleman wished us a happy Poppy Day, and my daughter turned to me and asked if she got presents for Poppy Day (obviously confusing these gentlemen with the men who ring the Salvation Army's bells at Christmas time).

Never one to miss the opportunity to give one of my children a civics lesson, I explained to her that the armistice ending The First World War ("The Great War") was signed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month: November 11th, 1918. I told her that we celebrate this day to honor all of the men and women who have served our country in the military, and that is why she had a long, four-day weekend.

When she asked me, "Why did the men give us a flower?" I told her that these flowers, poppies, grow all over the fields of Flanders (in northern Belgium), where so many of the men who were killed in that war are buried. I told her about the famous poem that commemorates the sacrifice of these men "In Flanders Fields" and while she can only barely comprehend these notions, she understood that the Poppy was symbolic and she proudly wore the flower on her dress the rest of the day.

After having this conversation with my daughter, it struck me that not enough people really know or understand the meaning of the poppy (as a symbol of this day) nor what our vacation day actually commemorates.

To most Americans, Poppy Day is better known as "Veterans Day" honoring all of America's Veterans. Europeans commemorate November 11th as "Armistice Day", while citizens of the Commonwealth know 11/11 as "Remembrance Day", and in Poland armistice day is also celebrated as that country's independence day.

Given that so many countries celebrate this day as a way to honor those who have served their countries as well as those who are serving, how is it that our children (and many of us) have come to "forget" the day's meaning? I could blame the usual cast of characters, our educational system, our consumer-oriented culture, generational changes, or a hugely unpopular war that makes it passé to remember Thomas Jefferson's admonition that "Liberty needs to be watered regularly with the blood of tyrants and patriots."

What is missing isn't a physical space or thing. There are monuments and reminders in nearly every corner of our towns, states and nations commemorating the sacrifices of the men and women in our military. The content of what these men and women have done is certainly not lacking. In fact with the election of the United States' first African-American president (and all of the historical comparisons drawn by our media) there is quite a bit of content and context to accompany these physical objects commemorating our veterans.

The actions that bind the content and these objects together are what are missing. When I was a child all of my friends knew what the poppy stood for. Our grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, and teachers made sure we knew why they wore poppies to church on Sunday or on Veteran's Day. Our pastors recalled the sacrifice made by others when they called upon us for two-minutes of silent remembrance. We knew why we flew our flags on these days and we watched as military color guards raised their flags to half-mast.

Certainly, these actions still happen. But my daughter's question made me realize that they are no longer part of our society's lexicon. The ritual associated with these actions does not exist any longer. Which if not shameful, is at least a shame.

Nearly 10 million military personnel died during The First World War. The poem, "In Flanders Fields", was written by a Canadian military physician, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, to commemorate just one of those deaths. He penned these words on May 13, 1915, in the trenches on the battlefront -- one day after he witnessed the death of his friend Lieutenant Alexis Helmer:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

No matter if you are a hawk or a dove, for or against our current military policies, as you enjoy your day off from work or school, as you curse when you walk to the mailbox only to recall that today isn't a mail day, or hear the mournful wail of a far off bugle playing Taps at a ceremony honoring the service of those men and women who ensure our security, past and present...

Please put a poppy in your lapel, display your flag, or stop and observe 2 minutes of silence at 11:11 A.M. today and let us remember those who gave their "last full measure of devotion" -- in Flanders Fields, and elsewhere.