April 9, 2006 Recap

Dirty Steamers earn first win against flat Donkeys

Potbellied rookie powers team to victory

SAN JOSE -- The Reservoir Donkeys, up 2 games to none in the current series, went down in a blaze of flyouts to the Dirty Steamers 12-9 on Sunday, April 9.

Reservoir Donkeys lead series 2-1

11/40	1	2	3	4	5		6	7	8	9	F
	3	1	1	0	2		0	1	4	0	12
	0	0	4	2	0		2	0	0	1	9
Dirty Steamers						Reservoir Donkeys: Return of the Donkey Show
Leland Yow Kevin Kuzmiak Torance Matsui Greg Lynas Nick Collins Jason LaRose Danny Menee Tito Bernal Brandon Hamilton						Brian Simas Greg Minor Ryan Ledee Ed DaRosa Cav Manning Joel Stauffer Soonam Chowdhury Rob Flores Skillz Davis

In contrast to the previous two games, the Steamers started the scoring off with 3 in the top of the first, helped by a hard, clean Kuzmiak double that broke his string of 8 consecutive outs. Over the next two innings, with the help of timely 2-strike hits, that 3-0 lead grew to 5-0.

In the bottom of the 3rd the Donkeys plated their first 4 runs, benefitting from and victimized by shoddy baserunning--with Davis and Minor aboard, Ledee cracked an RBI double, but failed to notice Minor had put the brakes on at third! With Ledee hung up in a pickle, Minor decided to break for home. Steamer SS Collins' throw home glanced off Menee's glove and into his throat--though fortunately the catcher was OK, no out was recorded. The next hitter, DaRosa, smacked a 2-run double but got picked off near 2nd base--costing the Donkeys the gift out they'd been afforded.

The bottom of the 4th gave the league two classic BAD ASS moments. Stauffer grounded to the right side. 3B Kuzmiak (who by loss of a bet was decked out in the frilly half-shirt sported by Flores in a similar situation last year) and SS Collins both went for the ball and ended up colliding--Kev's exposed belly bouncing violently off the body of Collins and forcing him into a poor, off-balance throw that got away, putting Joel on first and both teams in hysterics. ("It's still jiggling!" commented one player as the next hitter Chowdhury batted.) A few hitters later, 1B Bernal went in pursuit of a Minor popup near the bag; he missed it, both legs gave out and Bernal went down very awkwardly. Though it looked like his playing days were over just like that, Big Tits bounced up, nothing injured but his pride as the league's sides split.

Back to game action. In the 5th, after an RBI triple by LaRose and a puss-RBI single by Bernal gave the Steamers a 7-6 lead, the league was forced to vacate Montague Elementary due to a scheduled 1PM Vintage Baseball League game. Everybody packed up and headed a mile southeast to vintage Columbus Park--well, almost everybody; Ledee was not among the BAD ASSes who made the voyage.

Those who did were treated to oceans, not lakes, in the basepaths left over from previous rains--it took the league nearly half an hour to even make the field appear to be acceptable but in actuality, the sawdust/woodchips laid were little more than a cosmetic improvement; anybody running between home and second did so with extreme caution.

The Donkeys continued to put men on base but could do little to bring them home; when the resurgent, exposed lefty-hitting Kuzmiak unloaded a pitch over the wall onto Walnut Street in the 7th, the game was knotted at 8. Pumped when the Donkeys loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom half but failed to bring home a single run, the Steamers got four more and led 12-8 going into the final frame. But the game was not over.

Bottom 9, one out. Davis--who'd ripped the cover off the ball all day but had but one hit to show for it in 4 tries--grounded a single to buck. Simas then blooped one to the high grass in center; when CF Matsui was slow to field it Davis booked it for third and was safe as Simas took 2nd. In stepped Minor. He belted one down the LF line, scoring Davis easily. Simas, however, heard someone send him and took off for home--a move that proved unwise when LF Lynas easily gunned him out at the plate! The BAB rook was not at all pleased at what had just transpired.

DaRosa's subsequent popout to 3B Kuzmiak--the third time he'd done so today--ended the game, and any hopes of a Donkey sweep.

GAME NOTES:

Kuzmiak went from consecutive Small Penises and a 1-for-12 in the last two weeks to 5-for-6 with a HR and BAD ASS of the Day honors this week. He did all his offensive damage from the left side and played a fine third base as well, prompting some to opine he should play full-time in the frilly shirt.
LaRose's superb play at buck short and Lynas' 9th inning assist earned them both Gold Gloves.
Manning's 1-for-5, no RBI performance, and Ledee's disappearing act earned both Donkeys Small Penises.
The usually "tow-up" Montague field was in exemplary condition today--which should have foreshadowed the eventual boot BAB would get. Instead, the self-absorbed BAD ASSes assumed the field was beautified for them.
Late-arriving DaRosa, unable to get loose for the day's action, got the hat trick--three popouts to Kuzmiak at third base--even with the beloved PowerCell.
Separate father-and-son combos watched the action at each field.
There were no strikeouts of either variety on the day.
Bernal, Collins and Hamilton all got their first W's of 2006; Flores, Manning and Minor their first L's.
As the Donkeys put together their 9th inning comeback attempt, Hamilton could be heard in loud support of his Steamers. Issue was, he did so while posted in front of the Donkey dugout--Flores and Davis angrily sent the perplexed DH away.
Chowdhury returned to the Donkey lineup--with a recently-acquired shiner. I chose to be the one person to not press him for details.
The last 5 spots of the Donkeys lineup produced but one RBI.
Minor finished 4-for-6 with 3 RBI, and teammate Stauffer went 4-for-5 with 2 runs for the Donkeys, who were without SS Bryan Bush and 1B Greg Sacramento.
The Steamers were minus OF's Nick English and Dave Del Real. LaRose, though just 2-for-5, led the Steamers with 3 RBI.
There will be no game on Sunday, April 16 as BAB commemorates Easter. Do not show up. JD

* Players of the Week *

BAD ASS of the Day

Kevin Kuzmiak, Steamers

5-for-6, HR, great D at 3B

Gold Glove

Jason LaRose, Steamers

Great D at BS

Greg Lynas, Steamers

Key OF assist

Small Penis

Cav Manning, Donkeys

1-for-5, no RBI

Ryan Ledee, Donkeys

Split midway thru game