Championship!

A big fat tear rolls down my cheek as I write this. Fall kickball is over.... for now. The only thing keeping me sane is I know I get to party it all up with y'all dec 5 at the end of season party. Something to look forward to!

As always, the finals were interesting and entertaining. The Uniballs had a tough matchup against the top seeded team, Free Ballers, but came through with an upset! It was a tough game and a final inning win. I wasnt able to watch but I heard the Ball Busters put up their usual good show and knocked Balls Deep out of the tourney. And before we get started on the final game, I wanna give big props to Steve and Robb from Ginger Balls who each single-handedly reffed a game all by themselves. not an easy job fellas.

Then the championship game. IT was deja vu all over again! I was brought back to the original Uniballs v Ball Busters championship game last fall, the tight competition, the extra innings and the Ball Busters coming through in the end. This game was a little different. Not as tight. no extra innings. But the Ball Busters still came out on top. Their offense was strong- they might be one of the few teams that could consistently beat us on the bunt. And we couldnt put a dent in their defense. WE had like 4 innings without anyone on base. 3-up 3-down. And we finally found their weak spot, but it was too late. We scored a run but couldnt pull it off in the end. It was an especially memorable game for me. I got myself good and knocked down, rolled over and muddy. (I kinda got in the way of their superhuman base runners) But it seemed to knock some sense into me. After the knockout I was able to get on base, slide for the first time and score a run. maybe I should get bowled over more often. I did slide a second time, but it was neither as successful nor as cool looking. (I'm assuming my first slide looked cool). On the second attempt I didnt quite reach the base and ended up crawling to it. But still ended up safe somehow.

My parting message to the Ball Busters... just wait, we'll get our ringers back and then we'll see what happens...

SCOREBOARD
2:30
Ball Busters (9?) vs Balls Deep (?)
Free Ballers (4) vs Uniballs (5)

3:30
Ball Busters (5) vs Uniballs (1)

SUPERLATIVES
Team most likely to get dirty.... Ball Busters
Team most likely to not show up to ref... Wrecking Balls
Team most likely to be drunk on the field.... Balls Deep
Team most likely to be hungover and drunk on the field.... Ball Busters
Team most likely to climb trees.... Free Ballers
Team most likely to play well in the dark.... Free Ballers
Team most likely to play flip cup.... Free Ballers, Balls Deep
Team most likely to have their name on the championship trophy.... Ball Busters, Uniballs
Ginger Balls
Uniballs
Team most likely to sing disney tunes... Ball Busters
Catcher most likely to talk trash.... Brandon
Kickballers most likely to ref.... Kyle and Steve
Pitchers with the best curve ball... Adam and Jose
Drunkest ref.... Brandon
Best throws from third to first... Gabe

WORD UP FROM THE CAPTAINS (The Captains Corner)
Uniballs
we got our name on a trophy! per usual. way to step it up team! I think it was the cookies.

OVER HEARD... (The Gossip Corner)
Its the end of the season, so I'm a free agent... (one player pimpin himself out to the Uniballs)

Rob can take home the trophy. He urned it.

I feel like Im sunburnt. Maybe you're windburnt from running so fast?

Quit being so good. Break a leg. (one Uniballer to the Ball Busters)

Play Offs!

Play-offs games have been quite entertaining. I reffed the Balls Deep-Wrecking Balls and I think the fact that both teams stayed very hydrated played a strong part. I had fun in my game too- and I have to say I think the Ginger Balls are the most fun team to play (sorry other teams). Its good clean fun (except for when my teammate nearly, accidentally knocks out the catcher). Good competition.

things to look forward to....
1. Final games! Wrecking balls and Ginger bals please come on and ref (we need you and of course want to see you lovely faces)
2. End-of-season Par-Tay!
3. flip cup tourney at said party. start practicing your game at liffeys on sunday
4. charity raffle at the party- make you feel good about partying

SCOREBOARD
Balls Deep () vs Wrecking Balls (1?)
Ginger Balls(4) vs Uniballs (5)

SCHEDULE
2:30
Uniballs vs Free Ballers
Balls Deeps vs Ball Busters

3:30
Championship game!

WORD UP FROM THE CAPTAINS (The Captain's Corner)
Uniballs
A little change up in our positioning and bam! dont try to bunt. we will not tolerate.

OVERHEARD... (The Gossip Corner)
the 1st base coach needs a beer. STAT!

Is it bad that I'm heckling my own players?

I should drink 20 jack and cokes before every game

Gio, you play better when you're hungover

We need a team anesthesiologist

If he's gonna be sniffing my ass the whole way up, Im gonna fuck with him.

James knows what he's doing... until he doesnt.

Jacqui, stop flirting with the catcher

This is kickball, not watchball.

el fin

So moving up the games was a good idea. we all played in sunlight this time. I caught most of the Balls Deep vs Free Ballers game which was intense. I thought it would be a no scoring game, but that last inning proved me wrong. THere was a slight delay of game when a Free Baller (Mike it think?) kicked a foul ball into the trees- nd by into the treee" I mean stuck in the branches 30 feet above our heads. Attempts were made to shake the tree and a baseball was lost in an attempt to hit it down. In the end, a baseball bat and a scrappy tree-climbing freeballer freed the nested ball. The ball for the most part remained on the field after that. I too survived the game, though boo'ed and heckled as a ref. Whatever peeps. I'm there on a volunteer basis. As all the refs are.

important messages:
1. come watch the playoffs! also come ref the playoffs. Captains- you're responsible for making sure your team represents ref-wise. Players, if you captain asks you to ref, do it. You play kickball, you knw the rules.

2. look out for news about the end-of-season party..... coming up.

SCOREBOARD
November 8
2:30
Balls Deep (0) vs Free Ballers (2)
BallBusters (2) vs Wrecking Balls (2)
3:30
Uniballs (5) vs Ginger Balls(4)

STANDINGS
1st - Free Ballers
2nd - Ball Busters
3rd - Balls Deep
4th - Uniballs
5th - Ginger Balls
6th - Wrecking Balls

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
November 15
2:30 Balls Deep vs Wrecking Balls. (refs: gingerballs and uniballs)
3:30 Uniballs Vs Ginger Balls. (refs: ballsdeep and wreckingballs)

November 22
2:30- winners of Nov 15 games vs Free Ballers and Ball Busters
3:30- Championship game.
WORD UP FROM THE CAPTAINS (The Captain's Corner)
Uniballs
see, we play better in the light.

Free Ballers
It was a great game by both teams all around. A low scoring battle until the last inning. That's when the mighty Jose Canarte came up to kick with 2 runners on base and hit a 2 run double. Being the heads up player that Jose is, he realized no one was covering third and made a break for it where he made it in safely. These 2 runs proved to be enough to win the game as stellar catches by George Evans and a kick from the outfield to get a player out at second by Kristina Bakowski capped off an amazing game and win.

OVERHEARD....(The Gossip Corner)
so i lost my little cheat sheet which had all my good quotes on it. we'll see if it turns up. all i can remember is...

"shake it like you're masturbating"

Whistling in the Dark

It got darker. and darker. and darker. then we were playing in the dark. apparently kickball is affected by daylight savings. there is, however, an easy solution: move the games up earlier. and thats what we gonna do! games are now at 2:30 and 3:30. from here on out. for one more day. because thats how long the season is.

props to the pastry chef on the Ball Busters who baked a mean apple crisp. (though it did not influence my reffing calls, good or bad)

things to look forward to:
November 15: Playoffs! (and yes, your team will make it)
November 21: End-of-Season Party (and yes, you'll make it)

SCOREBOARD
3:30
Wrecking Balls (6) Vs Ginger Balls (12)
Ball Busters (6) Vs Balls Deep (2)
4:30
Uniballs (2) Vs Free Ballers (6)

SCHEDULE
Nov 8
2:30
Free Ballers Vs Balls Deep
Wrecking Balls Vs Ball Busters
3:30
Uniballs Vs Ginger Balls

WORD UP FROM THE CAPTAINS (The Captain's Corner)
Uniballs
I'm sure if we got to play a 6th inning we would have won.
Adam F, Rob- way to bring it in full costume.

Ginger Balls
A solid performance from our kickers, led by James' HR and 3 RBI day. We lost 2 players to injured quads, but hopefully lots of ice will have them ready to go against Uniballs next week!

OVERHEARD.... (The Gossip Corner)
"Dude, you play better in the dark!"

"The wristband saved my life!"

First Two Games

I missed opening day. My bad. wedding in California. But i felt like I got my moneys worth this weekend. Kickball party and then double headers. whew. My only words of wisdom are:
1. be nice to your refs. they are volunteering. They could be at the bar. Yu got a beef with a call? talk to your captain.
2. Ref. everyone. each team. And rotate the job through. dont make the same people ref over and over agin (unless they want to). never reffed before? its easy- all you gotta do is call: safe/out, fair/foul, ball/strike. if people arent nice to you, refer them to #1 (above).
3. Come to parties. drink, give to charity, meet your leaguemates. It's totally dope.

SCOREBOARD
Oct 1
3:30
Free Ballers(?) Vs Wrecking Balls (?)
Ginger Balls (1) Vs Ball Busters (3)
4:30
Balls Deep (6) Vs Uniballs (5)

Oct 25
2:30
Wrecking Balls (1) Vs Balls Deep(5)
Uniballs (1) Vs Ball Busters (5)
3:30
Free Ballers (4) Vs Ginger Balls (4)
Wrecking Balls (?) Vs Uniballs(?)
4:30
Free Ballers (4) Vs Ball Busters (2)
Ginger Balls (4) Vs Balls Deep (5)

NEXT WEEK'S SCHEDULE
Nov 1
3:30
Wrecking Balls Vs Ginger Balls
Ball Busters Vs Balls Deep
4:30
Uniballs Vs Free Ballers

WORD UP FROM THE CAPTAINS (The Captain's Corner)
Uniballs
First off, I take the blame for our first two games. COuldnt make the first one and the second one I wasnt warmed up. But you all rocked it. Big shout outs to Bill, Tameka and Jodi who had some clutch catches and to Greg who knows how to run the bases.

Balls Deep
Balls Deep is never bringing the cooler again..

Ginger Balls

We put up a great effort in this week's double header, especially coming back from a 4-1 deficit to tie Freeballers, thanks to Robb's clutch RBI single in the 5th inning. Our rally fell short against Balls Deep, with a 3 run rally that left the tying run on 3rd base. Next week, we will remember to score some runs in the beginning of the game too :)

I'm especially proud of our balanced attack - everyone got on base in each game, and 7 different players scored runs.

OVERHEARD...(The Gossip Corner)
"I thought you'd be hungover from the beer pong tournemanet" -uniballs team member to the Ball Busters "We're still drunk!" -Ball Busters

"He's the one we don't make fun of" -Balls Deep player to his teammates

and i saw a kicker give a flower to the other team's catcher. the catcher threw it aside. she's taken, buddy.

I'm back!

after a bit of a hiatus, I've decided that my blog is just too missed and I need to start on up again. how else will you know the scores, the standings and the gossip? First off, welcome to all the new kickballers out there! Without you the season wouldnt have happened. Prepare yourself for some hardcore and potentially muddy games. I should also probably introduce myself, Meghan, one of your social chairs. You may have recognized me as the girls with a glass of wine (dont worry I do like beer, it was just a wine kind night for me) shouting out about the beerpong tourney at Stella's on Saturday. Speaking of the party.....

My debut this season was at the midseason party. Crazy, I know, but thats what we get for a short season + rain. Things started off a little slow, (big thanks to Therese for starting the party) but got good and strong. Beer pong tourney was fierce. Big props to the BallBusters for providing several of the teams (including the winning team- hey guys what were your names, again? I'll give you a shout out). Another big shout out to Vanessa and Brianna (i think i got it right?) for being the only all girl team to enter the beer pong tourney! The winners (1st and 2nd place) went home with some pretty sweet prizes- gift certificates to restaurants around town. And we raised a little money for our charity, LifeHaven, a temporary shelter that provides a safe and nurturing environment for homeless pregnant women and women with young children (www.lifehaven.org). We will be having both a beerpong AND a flip cup tourney at the end of season party. Come with $10 to enter and you'll feel good- from giving to charity and drinking beer.

The Godfather Returns

You may or may not know but we were blessed last game day. Blessed by the founder, the godfather of New Haven kickball: Dean Hosgood. Over a year ago his dream came to fruition- and look at us now! He came to Liffey's and said that this was how he hoped kickball would be.

In other news, I got a new camera! So hopefully my photos will be better! On the downside, in figuring out the workings I deleted all the field pics and many of the bar pics. oops. Got a few more in after I realized my mistake.

Gear up for the mid-season party July 18th!
at Stella Blue's
204 Crown ST
6p- onward
free beer!
Beer-pong Tournament for Charity! Find a party and get practicing.....

Scoreboard
Balls Deep (3) vs Freeballers (0)
Uniballs () vs Testicle Innuendo()
Los Cojones (3) vs Wrecking Balls (0)

Next Week (July 12)
3:30
Field 1: Sofa Kings vs Free ballers
Field 2: Uniballs vs Wrecking Balls

4:30
Field 1: Los Cojones vs Censored Innuendo

Word Up from the Captains (The Captain's Corner)
Balls Deep
Balls deep pulled out a win 3-0 over the freeballers. Solid team defense kept the freeballers out of the scoring column

Sofa Kings
Sofa Kings won our game 100-0. =)

Uniballs
Well it was ladies night on the field. Kaitie came in with a clutch catch as pitcher (the innuendos had a few bunters). Terri had a key RBI (or is it RKI?). Though I have to give a shout out to our boy Craig who did some fancy, high-felootin' base running.

Overheard...(Gossip Corner)
"I wasn't sure I was sweating because it was hot or if I was sweating alcohol."