Game #9: Scrappers 7, Mudcats 4 (7 innings)

The Mudcats and Scrappers have now played 12 regulation innings this year and have exactly five combined runs to show for it. Unexpectedly, after battling to a 1-1 tie through the first six on Saturday, the offenses woke up in the extra inning, as the two teams combined to score nine runs, with the Scrappers holding on for a 7-4 win.



Saturday's pregame festivities began at what felt like 5:30 a.m. That wasn't enough to prevent the Mudcats from either: A. Filming a rap video or B. Playing the Game That Has No Name But Involves Turning Your Hat Around When You Miss The Ball (informally called "The hat game"). If you're wondering, the idea is that every time you drop the ball, you turn your hat a quarter turn. Certain individuals have a very loose interpretation of "a quarter turn."

Meanwhile, some players took the opportunity to partake of the bounty in the dugout, which put most breakfast places to shame. Unfortunately, one Mudcat snacking on his pregame meal made the mistake of saying, "Don't put this in the blog." I think we all know what that means.

Given the early hour, it wasn't especially surprising that the Mudcats went through a scattershot round of pregame infield, thus proving the often-repeated theory that a perfect round of pregame infield often leads to shaky play in the actual game. Because once the game started, the All Blacks immediately fired off a 1-2-3 defensive inning and overall retired 12 of the first 15 All Navys that came to the plate.

"I like defense," Coach Andrew told the team after one particularly stellar inning.

"I like Doritos," replied Hayes, providing the type of non sequitur that only fans of the West Raleigh Mudcats would understand, and also illustrating that the association with the defensive player of the game award seems to be catching on.

"You guys made some great plays," Coach Andrew told the team after the game. "That one is on me. I made a couple of mistakes in that game, but you guys played awesome. And you hit the ball very well. The Scrappers made some great plays. You just have to shake their hands."

All players were awarded a helmet sticker for the solid effort. Zach (duh) and Christopher (diving tag at first) picked up extra stickers for outstanding individual efforts. Offensive player of the game honors went to Gavin, while Anthony picked up the defensive award and then got into the hot tub.

This weekend's three-game series continues tomorrow at 5.

Saturday's Mudcat scoring plays

Third inning
Gavin crushed a double to left, then ran the bases aggressively and was able to score on a fielder's choice.
Score after three innings: Mudcats 1, Scrappers 0

Seventh inning
Smiley led off with a double, which gave him a great vantage point to watch Zach hit. The best part about Zach coming to the plate: watch behind the fence. It looks like Waveland Avenue outside Wrigley Field out there, with numerous fans moving into position to try and catch a homer. They got their opportunity this time, as Zach launched his sixth homer of the season, this time to dead center. The scoring wasn't over, however, as Christopher doubled in JJ.
Score after seven innings: Scrappers 7, Mudcats 4


Saturday's Web Gems

• In the second inning, Gabe made a diving play of a pop-up at pitcher.
• In the third, Smiley covered a ton of ground to run down a pop-up, also at pitcher.
• Christopher made one of the toughest plays in the minor league, backing up and dealing with the slight drop behind the infield to haul in a pop fly behind shortstop.
• Showing the benefits of what happens when you work hard in practice, JJ played a flawless first base in the fourth inning.
• Anthony (brought to you by Doritos) ranged far to his right and got a force-out at second.
• Christopher showed good range at first base, then dove back to the bag to slap the tag on first base just before the runner arrived. It was the second time this season he's made that exact heads-up play.

Saturday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H
Scrappers	0	0	0	0	1	0	6	7	10
Mudcats	0	0	1	0	0	0	3	4	13

Asher

Practice--Flying blind

Something so incredible, so astonishing, so unbelievable that it had to be seen to believed happened on Thursday night at Pullen Park--the Mudcats went through a two-hour practice with no formal practice plan.

I know, I'm as surprised as you are. But it really happened.

Don't think there was no organization whatsoever. Coach Andrew had formulated a rough practice plan, but because Pullen Park was an unfamiliar environment, no one was quite certain what the state of the field might be. After all, we all remember the Great Kentwood Easter Egg Hunt on Monday. As it turned out, though, Proctor and Sons must have the field maintenance contract at Pullen Park, because the fields were in great shape.

Coach Jim made the mistake of arriving early to pitch to Christopher, which meant every Mudcat who arrived wanted to hit off the lefty. Eventually, after about half the team had taken their hacks against Coach Jim, Coach Rob took the 'Cats who had already hit into the outfield to shag some fly balls while Coach Andrew took over on the mound.

Apparently, the bright sunshine must have been getting to Coach Andrew, because he formulated a diabolical plan for the second half of the scrimmage. He installed Coach Tom as the head coach/full-time pitcher for one team, and picked Coach Adam as the head coach/full-time pitcher for the other team. Sides were chosen, and the teams went through a very even four-inning scrimmage. Highlights included Coach Adam pitching to Zach, JJ playing a slick first base, and the Fightin' JJ's using some dubious tactics to "win" the practice-closing relay race. Of course, there were also some shenanigans from the other team, as Coach Tom suspiciously got much better-looking and faster during the race.

You might notice that Coach Andrew does not appear to have a job description in the above scrimmage. He was very busy.

The next Mudcat event is Breakfast at West Raleigh on Saturday at 9 a.m., with pregame beginning at 8 a.m. Fans and players are encouraged to arrive hungry in the event that there might possibly be food on hand.

Game #8: Riverdogs 8, Mudcats 6

It has carefully not been noted on the blog that the Mudcats were riding a four-game winning streak going into Tuesday's game against the Riverdogs at Nowell Field. Jinxes being what they are, it just seemed like an unwise move. For just a moment, it looked like they had another comeback in them and planned to extend the streak. But a three-run Riverdog sixth was enough to break a 5-5 tie and drop the All Blacks to 4-4 overall.

"We know we can beat anybody," Coach Andrew told his team after helmet stickers had been awarded to everyone for a solid effort. "We've got four wins, and that shows us we know how to win. We've also got four losses, and we've learned lessons from each of those losses."



Tuesday's first lesson was taught by an alert grounds crew. Brief pregame showers meant the field necessitated some TLC from the Proctor and Sons maintenance division. Once everything was pristine--Gabe even took the time to make sure the foul line carefully split the base--the much-anticipated 'Cats vs. 'Dogs battle began.

The Mudcats looked a little listless in the early innings, perhaps unable to overcome their disappointment that Coach Lance of the Riverdogs was not wearing his yellow pants. GM Jenn quickly solved the malaise with a rapid-fire succession of oranges, apples, jelly beans and an apples/grapes mixture. If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, then based on his quantity of apples ingested Smiley should anticipate next visiting the doctor in approximately the year 2031.

The constant barrage of snacks eventually resulted in a five-run third inning, capped by a game-tying Zach three-run homer to center. The next three innings were very well-played, including some of the best defensive plays from both sides you'll ever see on Nowell Field. The Mudcats made three straight highlight-reel plays in the fourth; Riverdogs shortstop Blake responded by flawlessly playing a role in five of the final six Mudcat outs of the game.

"There were moments of amazing, absolute fun in that game," Coach Andrew said. Bountiful stickers were handed out, including one for each of the night's web gems, plus a sticker to Zach for his titanic home run. Zach also claimed the offensive player of the game award, while Charley earned defensive honors.

Wednesday is an off day, and the Mudcats return to the practice field (at Pullen Park) on Thursday.

Tuesday's Mudcat scoring plays

Third inning
Noah reached on a one-out fielder's choice and moved to second on Drew's one-handed single. Hayes and Smiley picked up back-to-back RBI singles, which brought Zach to the plate with two men on as the tying run. I think we all know what happened next. When last seen, his fifth homer of the season was bouncing off the batting cage in center field on one hop. The Riverdogs become the second team of the season to be victimized twice by Zach bombs, and it should be noted that unlike some other coaches who have been in similar situations, Coach Lance of the Riverdogs was one of the first people to congratulate Zach on his way around the bases.
Score after three innings: Mudcats 5, Riverdogs 5

Sixth inning
Drew completed a 2-for-2 day with a leadoff single. With one out, Smiley--who finished 3-for-3 with 2 RBI--ripped an RBI single to right.
Score after six innings: Riverdogs 8, Mudcats 6


Tuesday's Web Gems (You might want to get a snack, as it takes a while to list them all)

• On the game's first play, Hayes stayed with a grounder that took a tough hop and was able to make the play because he stayed down on it.
• Gavin picked up an outfield assist from center, throwing to Zach at second base.
• In the fourth, which included three straight web gems, Drew threw from his knees in center to get a force at second base.
• On the next play, after being perfectly positioned by Coach Sean, Anthony made a nice one-handed grab in left-center.
• To wrap up the inning, Charley (brought to you by Doritos) stayed down and backhanded a one-hop throw from third to preserve the tie game.
• To end the fifth, Asher chased down a long single to left and tossed the ball in to Zach, who turned and unleashed a perfect strike from the outfield grass to Smiley to cut down a runner unwisely trying to score from first. Smiley made the catch and sweep tag to complete the play.
• In the sixth, Anthony made a smooth backhanded diving play up the middle while playing second base and cut down the runner at first.

Tuesday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Riverdogs	4	0	1	0	0	3	8	17
Mudcats	0	0	5	0	0	1	6	11

Practice--Creeping Up

Monday evening's practice showed just a slight holiday hangover, as the Mudcats appeared somewhat dazed from a weekend spent tracking down the biggest and best Easter treats they could find. Practice began with a throwing competition, with the always impartial Coach Mike presiding. Drew, who is still figuring out the mechanics of his new short cast, won the first contest. This was especially impressive since there were some who thought that Coach Mike's strike zone might have been a little different for the 8-year-olds than it was for the 6-year-olds. I'm not saying it was rigged, just that some guys from the North Carolina State Fair stopped by and said they thought it looked fair to them. Then they wanted to know if Coach Mike would guess their weight and/or birthday. Following the brief interlude, Gavin won the second throwing contest--and let the record show that he won it outright, without any strike zone assistance.

The next segment of practice was devoted to stations, or as the returning 8-year-olds like to call it, "The part of practice where Coach Adam ticks us off." Tonight's reward was Easter eggs stuffed with...uh, I'm not sure what, because Asher ate his before we even pulled out of the parking lot. Judging by some careful investigation, I believe chocolate may have been involved. In the absence of Coach Tom, Coach Mike was put in charge of the calisthenics station, where the activity was folding Russell Wilson origami. Meanwhile, Coach Rob and Coach Jim dodged frisbee golf discs while hitting fly balls, and Coach Sean and Coach Andrew helmed the infield station. At the infield station, Coach Sean taught the importance of playing on your toes in the infield and "creeping" towards the hitter rather than standing flat-footed and waiting for the ball to arrive.

After a quick water break, the entire team assembled on the infield for some baserunning instruction, as the coaches continue to try and get the All Blacks to be even more aggressive on the bases. Specific attention was paid to the art of figuring out how far to go on a ball hit to the outfield and how to strike a balance between being aggressive and still leaving room to get back in case of a catch. The Mudcats were able to go through multiple different situations, and several even practiced the art of the slide, which was especially impressive considering the state of the infield.

Asher and Christopher were selected as team captains for the relay race for their dedication to form and focus. Christopher proceeded to select his dad for his team. Asher was given the choice of every coach in attendance and expressed a strong sense of family pride and love for his father by picking...Coach Andrew. In a related story, late night calls to the Chapel Hill police report that a six-year-old has been spotted wandering the streets. Christopher's team emerged victorious.

The next Mudcat event is a 5:30 game (4:30 pregame) against the Riverdogs on Tuesday.

Game #7: Mudcats 5, Bees 4

Perhaps the best way to sum up the recent Mudcat hot streak is this way: in the fourth inning of Wednesday night's game (you should make sure to check the pictures, while keeping in mind that almost every time Tonya wanted to take a picture, she had to tell Coach Mike to get out of the way, which was met with him saying, "Yes, honey, I would be happy to do that"), Hayes and Zach were standing side-by-side in the always-rowdy Mudcat dugout. As a side note, the Mudcat dugout has a rotating buffet during games that would make Golden Corral jealous. Keeping the scorebook is actually just an excuse to be close to the food.

Anyway, this was during one of the rare moments when the players were not eating anything. As the All Black leadoff hitter approached the plate, Leanne Coffin, the wife of Coach Jake (of the Bees), walked by the dugout. "Hey Zach, I've got to go to a PTA meeting," she said. "Don't hit a home run while I'm gone."

Of course, Zach had already hit a home run. The Mudcats were winning. The food was plentiful. Anything seemed possible.

I assume that is why Hayes watched Leanne walk away, then turned to Zach and with an absolutely serious face, said, "Is that your girlfriend?"

Yep, it's good to be a Mudcat these days. Wednesday's victory marked the first walk-off victory since the move to the all-black uniforms, with the 'Cats plating a two-out run on Noah's single in the bottom of the sixth to clinch the win. The Mudcats then celebrated by watching the grounds crew of Gabe, Smiley, JJ and Asher work on the field.

"It was an unbelievable team effort," Coach Andrew told the squad, which played hard despite the much-lamented absence of Charley and Gavin and the much-less-lamented absence of Coach Sean and Coach Tom. "You didn't just put mustard on the ball when you hit it. You put ketchup, mustard and Coach Rob's jalapenos."

The game marked the return of Drew to the lineup, as he played with a cast but still swung the bat one-handed and also played the newly invented "deep outfield" position, including one play on which he fired the ball in and prevented the Bees from getting an extra base. For his grass shot with one hand, he was awarded the offensive player of the game award. Smiley earned defensive player of the game after making a slick play at third base.

Coach Andrew was four games behind on stickers, which meant a veritable sticker festival at the postgame meeting. Everyone earned a giant team sticker for the front of their helmets, plus individual stickers for each of the past four victories.

Unless West Raleigh decides to schedule a makeup game for Easter morning at 9 a.m., the next Mudcat event is a practice at Kentwood on Monday at 5. Stay tuned for the Medical Minute tomorrow morning, as Drew's cast is scheduled to be removed and then sent to Cooperstown as the only 1.000-batting cast in history.

Wednesday's Mudcat scoring plays

First inning
Zach blasted a solo homer to left-center to plate the game's first run.
Score after one inning: Mudcats 1, Bees 0

Second inning
Christopher led off with a single to left. Brenner legged out a ground ball in the infield, and some Bee adventures in the infield scored Christopher.
Score after two innings: Mudcats 2, Bees 0

Third inning
Smiley (who as we all know is Norah's brother, and that is Norah with an H) reached on a fielder's choice. He moved to second when Zach roped a single, then scored on Anthony's single.
Score after three innings: Mudcats 3, Bees 0

Fifth inning
After going scoreless in the jellybean inning (the fourth) for the first time, the Mudcats got the run back in the fifth. Drew led off with a one-armed single, then advanced to third on a pair of fielder's choices, technically obeying doctor's orders by not sliding at either bag. Zach came through again with a two-out double that scored Drew.
Score after five innings: Mudcats 4, Bees 1

Sixth inning
After the Bees had mounted a furious comeback in the top of the sixth, the Mudcats had major incentive in the bottom of the inning. "If we win, we can dogpile!" Asher noted. JJ started the inning with a single, then was replaced at first by Christopher after the Bee outfield made a solid play getting a force at second. Brenner again hustled out an infield hit, moving Christopher to second. With two outs, Noah dropped a single into center and Christopher raced home with the winning run. In his postgame interview on ESPN, Chris gave credit to Rebecca (as Gabe would say, "Hayes's mom,") for her inspirational cheerleading on his dash to the plate and hoped the rest of the parents would work on a routine for the next game. The victory touched off a wild celebration that spilled onto the street, including some unexpected antics from the coaches (Coach Mike is in the blue shirt).
Score after six innings: Mudcats 5, Bees 4


Wednesday's Web Gems

• Hayes made a sliding catch of an infield pop fly in the first that helped preserve a scoreless first.
• Also in the first, Zach made an absolutely ludicrous diving, over-the-shoulder catch of a would-be double in the gap in left-center.
• In the fourth, Smiley (brought to you by Doritos and the brother of Norah) ranged across the middle of the diamond from his spot at third base, grabbed a hard ground ball, and made the throw to first look easy.

Wednesday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Bees	0	0	0	1	0	3	4	9
Mudcats	1	1	1	0	1	1	5	12

Game #6: Mudcats 6, Lookouts 4

Sunday's game began just a couple minutes early, not that anyone was running late and had to sprint down the hill...uh, no, not that one...here we go.

Once everyone was in place, after a few pointed texts and calls from GM Jenn informing "everyone" that they were late, the Mudcats posted a 6-4 victory over the Lookouts in a well-played game that had a little bit of everything. The last time these teams had met the outcome had not been close; this one was quite a bit different. But the All Blacks had just enough offense, as their 13 hits marked the third straight game with at least 13 hits--not coincidentally, all three of those games have been victories.

The game was truly a team victory, with contributions up and down the order. The Mudcats even had to battle back, as the Lookouts took a 3-2 third-inning lead that was quickly eliminated by a Zach bomb. The Lookouts had the potential tying and go-ahead runs on base in the top of the fifth, but the homestanding All Blacks retired four of the final five hitters to secure the win.

Zach claimed the offensive player of the game award with his three-RBI performance, while Gavin earned defensive player of the game after making a running catch of a line drive in center.

One incredible offensive statistic, especially considering we are talking about six-, seven- and eight-year-olds: the Mudcats have just three strikeouts in their last 149 at-bats. Consistently putting the ball in play and moving base runners has been an important part of the offensive surge.

A big week is upcoming--in addition to a game against the Bees on Wednesday, Drew is scheduled to have his cast off on Thursday.

Sunday's Mudcat scoring plays

First inning
For the sixth time in six games, Hayes led off the Mudcat first inning with a hit. This time, it was a single to right. He was forced at second on a nice play by the Lookout outfield on a fielder's choice off the bat of Smiley. Zach and Anthony ripped back-to-back singles, and Charley drove home Smiley with a hard-hit grounder to short.
Score after one inning: Mudcats 1, Lookouts 0

Second inning
JJ crushed a double to center that scored Gavin.
Score after two innings: Mudcats 2, Lookouts 2

Third inning
The third inning was the big inning for the Mudcats--with all of the scoring coming with two outs--as Gabe reached leading off the frame and advanced to second on a fielder's choice. With two down, Smiley lined a double to right, scoring Gabe. That brought up Zach, at which point the Lookouts decided to reposition their outfielders. But the adjustment didn't matter, as Zach crushed a high fly ball to center that easily cleared the fence for his third home run of the season. The Mudcat cheering section went crazy.
Score after three innings: Mudcats 5, Lookouts 3

Fifth inning
Spurred on by team-wide jellybeans that mysteriously appeared on the bench while the All Blacks were in the field, Hayes led off again, this time slapping a double to right. He moved to third on Smiley's single, then scored on Zach's hard-hit grounder to the left side.
Score after five innings: Mudcats 6, Lookouts 4


Sunday's Web Gems

• In the first, Gavin (brought to you by Doritos) speared a sinking liner in center field.
• In the second, JJ closed out the inning with a run-saving catch in left-center, as he collided with Kamikaze Asher but still managed to make the catch. Asher's overenthusiasm could perhaps be excused, as he was attempting to become the first baseball player who plays regularly at Boshamer Stadium to make a clean defensive play all weekend.
• In the fourth, the Mudcats used fantastic teamwork and communication to cut down former Mudcat Ben Penchuk--one of the fastest players in the league and on his way to a 3-for-3 day (six of the Lookouts' nine hits were courtesy of LB and Big Ben Hunt, both former Mudcats)--trying to stretch a double into a triple. Noah fired the ball in to Anthony, who never hesitated when turning to throw a bullet to Smiley at third, who applied the quick tag.
• Gabe made a nice running catch of a popup at pitcher, backing up and ranging over toward first base to retire the leadoff man.
• Nora made a one-handed shoestring catch of a foul ball in the stands, earning Coach Tom's Play of the Day award.

Sunday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Lookouts	0	2	1	0	1	0	4	9
Mudcats	1	1	3	0	1	X	6	13

Game: Mudcats at Bats Canceled

Practice--Physics lesson

Wednesday's practice began with a physics lesson...Hey, wait, where is everybody going?

Coach Andrew received a less than inspired reaction when he gathered a group of 6-8 year-olds around him and said, "How many of you guys know what physics is?" Given the blank stares that greeted him, he tried a different approach--"Does anyone know Newton's third law of motion?"

The best response went to Sticks, who replied, "I know who Cam Newton is." It turned out, even after a valiant effort from Coach Tom, who was trying to implement a new practice dress code, that Coach Andrew was talking about a different guy named Newton. The guy Coach Andrew was talking about apparently made some laws. I may be off just slightly because my transcription is a little fuzzy, but I think it went like this:


Motion...reaction...action...physics...science...loud noises.

Coach Andrew then demonstrated this law (every action has an equal and opposite reaction, there will be a quiz at the game on Saturday so bring your #2 pencils) by firing a tennis ball at the backboard, which was the first time any Mudcat has ever missed a shot at the basketball station. When he threw the ball gently, the ball trickled back to him. But when he fired the tennis ball, it came careening back into the crowd of Mudcats, sending them scattering for cover and making the rush hour traffic on Jenks Carpenter Road wonder why that man was throwing a tennis ball at a bunch of kids. Of course, Coach Andrew's lesson was an educational, vivid lesson for the children: physics is dangerous. Also, they learned they should never go near someone who is talking about physics. These are life lessons the boys will remember long after their baseball careers are over.

After the coaches finished hurling projectiles at the players, the All Blacks broke into five stations: basketball, tee, hurricane, soft toss, and live pitching. Elisa was in charge of picking the order of the players, which she allegedly did in alphabetical order. However, Anthony needs to file a formal protest because he somehow came after Zach.

Highlights of the stations included Christopher having his "best round of BP as a Mudcat," according to Coach Andrew, and Zach crushing the ball with such velocity that Coach Andrew had to display some slick moves.

Practice concluded with Virginia finding a lizard, which GM Jenn might want to check for in the car. The next Mudcat event is a game Saturday night at 5 p.m., with pregame beginning at 4 p.m.

Game #5: Mudcats 13, Bulls 6

Fans were treated to a doubleheader on Monday night at Nowell Field. Fortunately, only one result actually counted. In the first part of the season's initial meeting with the Bulls, the Mudcats were largely listless. They surrendered six runs in the first three innings, made some uncharacteristic defensive errors, and generated just four hits (although it should be noted that one of the outs was a titanic opposite-field shot from Zach that somehow found its way into the glove of the right fielder).

But in the fourth inning, the second game began. The Mudcat defense quickly burned through the Bulls in order, and Charley ignited a six-run bottom of the fourth that gave the All Blacks a lead they would not relinquish. The difference in the first three innings and the final three was glaring:

First three innings: six runs allowed, five errors, four hits, three runs scored

Final three innings: zero runs allowed, zero errors, 13 hits, 10 runs scored

"We played two games today," Coach Andrew said. "In the first game, we kind of stood around. In the second game, we looked like we wanted to play baseball."

It should be noted (and Drew did note it, quite loudly) that both GM Jenn and Neal (or, as Gabe would say, "Hayes's dad") were present for the first part of the game but absent for the second part of the game. A trusted collection of judges will determine whether they are allowed back onto the West Raleigh Baseball grounds. As you will recall, GM Jenn was also absent for most of Saturday's big win. I'm just saying...

Helmet stickers were awarded to everyone for the tremendous comeback. After making a slick play at catcher and also showing admirable toughness at pitcher, Gabe earned defensive player of the game. JJ, who somehow managed to be excited about Oreos despite already being on a sugar high (see below), earned offensive player of the game by going 3-for-3 with four RBI.

Stay tuned for potential practice news. The next currently scheduled Mudcat event is a 5:30 Friday game.

Monday's Mudcat scoring plays

Second inning
Charley led off with a single to center and moved to second on a fielder's choice. With two outs, he was still on second, but Gavin moved him to third with an infield single. That set up JJ for an important--and, as it turned out, costly--at-bat. Before his at-bat, a stranger known only as "JJ's Dad" by Gabe had promised JJ "Skittles and gum" if he hit a double. Suitably encouraged, mighty JJ strode to the plate...and hit a two-run triple. In a related story, soon thereafter the concession stand mysteriously ran out of candy. In case you need to know, the going rate for a triple is gum, Skittles and Big League Chew, and that same mysterious stranger was spotted handing the ransom to JJ through the outfield fence in the next inning.
Score after two innings: Bulls 5, Mudcats 2

Third inning
Again, the Mudcats did it with two outs. Hayes stretched a single into a double, which put him in perfect scoring position when Smiley smacked a single to right-center.
Score after three innings: Bulls 6, Mudcats 3

Fourth inning
This time, the Mudcats decided not to wait until two outs to start the rally. Charley sparked the offense with a leadoff double and moved to third on Brenner's single. Christopher's fielder's choice scored Charley. With one on, Gavin ripped the ball to third and everybody was safe, putting men on first and second for--yep, it's him again--JJ (brought to you by Oreos). Without any audible candy bribery from John (although he may have decided to keep it quiet due to NCAA regulations), the lefty laced the ball back up the middle, scoring Christopher. A fielder's choice loaded the bases for Gabe, who drove in the tying run with a hard-hit fielder's choice up the middle.

That left the game tied and bases loaded for Asher, at which point the defibrillator paddles had to be brought into the dugout for the scorekeeper. I therefore have no record of what happened next, so let's just say that in the car on the way home Asher alternatively described what happened next as, "A grass shot," "I can't believe I hit it over Garrett's head, who is really tall and really good," and, "I think that might have been good enough for a Cookout shake." Officially, it went down as a single, scoring JJ, giving the Mudcats a 7-6 lead, and justifying Asher's mom's decision to blow off the PTA meeting for the baseball game. But the scoring wasn't done. Hayes picked up his second single of the night, putting two runners on for Smiley, who blasted a double to the fence in right-center, scoring the golden wheels of Gabe and Asher (who punctuated the inning with a textbook slide into home, although the ball was nowhere close to home plate).
Score after four innings: Mudcats 9, Bulls 6, Scorekeeper Blood Pressure 185/130

Fifth inning
With the offense now rolling, Anthony led off with a hard-hit single up the middle. With one out, Brenner followed with a no-doubt grass shot to left. Christopher drove the ball up the middle for an RBI single, and Gavin lined a ball into left for another RBI single. JJ, who by this time had to be smelling the Oreos, picked up another RBI single. A single from Gabe loaded the bases for the red-hot Asher, who hit a tape-measure shot up the middle for an "RBI single."
Score after five innings: Mudcats 13, Bulls 6


Monday's Web Gems

• Charley made a heads-up play at pitcher in the first inning, grabbing a grounder up the middle and going to Anthony at second to force the lead runner.
• On the very next play, Christopher fielded a ground ball at first and then dove to the bag--the only way he could have beaten the runner--and slapped it just in time to get the out at first.
• Smiley showed lightning-fast reflexes by grabbing a line drive up the middle when he was playing pitcher in the third.
• Gabe came out from behind the plate and made a tough play on a dribbler up the first-base line during a 1-2-3 defensive fourth inning.
• In the fifth, back at pitcher, Gabe showed incredible toughness by knocking down a blistering line drive and staying in the game.
• Anthony made back-to-back highlight-reel plays in the sixth, snuffing any thought of a Bulls rally by first making a leaping catch of a fly ball in the middle of the diamond, then going back on a pop fly over his head and hauling it in for the second out.

Monday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Bulls	4	1	1	0	0	0	6	13
Mudcats	0	2	1	6	4	X	13	17

Notes on Offense

In case you needed some context for how good the Mudcat offense was in Saturday's victory, a couple quick notes as you go through your pregame routine before tonight's 5:30 first pitch against the Bulls:

The 16 runs scored by the Mudcats are the most scored in the Minor League by any team this year.

The 14-run margin of victory was the biggest margin of victory by any team in the Minor League this year.

The 16 runs were the most scored by a Mudcat team since a similar 16-run explosion on May 10, 2010.

Practice--BACK!!!

Sunday's practice was on the fence of happening most of the day. With a 5PM start time the Coaching staff was hoping that Kentwood would dry out enough to be playable. At 3PM, it was decided to go ahead. This turned out to be a great decision upon a sunny arrival. Coach Andrew declared it was the best he had seen Kentwood's infield. Many of the parents thought that was perplexing while watching Coach Jim use a bucket lid to move dirt into the puddle by home plate.

The All Blacks decided to take target practice at Coach Sean. The first round ended in a tie between Sticks and Stones throwing from the dirt. Anthony solely secured the second round. After a quick jog with Coach Sean the practice plan was announced: Ninja Tom station, Infield, and base running. Before breaking up Coach Sean had the honor to lead the chant. Coach Andrew informed everyone this would be a quick practice so everyone could get home to rest up for tomorrow's game. (It should be noted that practice did not end until after 6:50pm. Many think Coach Andrew thought practice was suppose to end at 8PM.)

Stations ran smooth and players were rewarded bubble gum for their focus. Neal was spotted in the parking lot preparing to take practice up a notch while changing into his cleats.  Gabe was unhappy that after Coach Andrew told everyone to switch he continued to talk with his group. Gabe had to remind Coach there was a tight schedule to follow.

Once the stations ended, a base running drill was next. Coach Tom worked on his Proctor voice while yelling "BACK!!!!" from third base. While waiting on their turns to run, it was noticed that the younger Mudcats were being taught the art of chest bumping. Lots of situations were practiced with Coach Jim's arm getting a work out.

Coach Tom noted that Noah and Gabe showed the most hustle during stations and the base running drill. This made them captains for the relay race. It was determined that two parents, coaches, etc could be picked for each team. There was some confusion when Gabe picked GM Jenn for his team since everyone thought he loaded up with Coach Tom and Neal. It was quickly determined that Gabe only wanted Neal to supply the ball for his team. Team Noah out ran Team Gabe.

The short practice ended with Noah leading the All Blacks Chant.

The Mudcats are next in action on Monday, April 11th at 5:30PM on Nowell field against the Bulls, pre-game at 4:30PM. We all hope our writer will return from his vacation to Florida by game time.

Game #4: Mudcats 16, Lookouts 2

In the most complete showing of the year by far, the Mudcats pounded out 20 hits, limited the Lookouts to just six, and scored in every inning but one on the way to a 16-2 victory.


The day began with team pictures under an overcast sky. While the Mudcats were posing for their glamour shots, apparently there were legions of workers hard at work on Nowell Field. After pictures, which for some reason included the always-coveted photo from the back, the teams arrived at Nowell for the 11:30 first pitch and discovered slightly less than ideal conditions. Thanks to the hard work of dads and coaches from both squads (Note: this is not a passive-aggressive way of praising myself, as I conveniently stood by and did absolutely nothing) the field was soggy but playable by the scheduled start time.


Given the results, we might want to consider watering down the field before every game. Sparked by Zach’s second homer in four games, the Mudcats posted three quick runs—enough to win the game, as it turned out—in the first inning. That was the start of an offensive onslaught that included at least one hit or an RBI from every member of the lineup. Eleven different Mudcats had a hit, and eleven different Mudcats drove in at least one run.

Just as impressive, perhaps, was the fact that there was never any noticeable dropoff, even with the big lead. After every run-scoring inning, the coaching staff sent the Mudcats back onto the field with this mantra—“It’s 0-0.” That’s exactly how they played defensively, limiting the Lookouts to just six hits and avoiding the bunched-together errors that have led to some big opposing innings in the past.
“I’m going to keep this short,” Coach Andrew told the team afterwards. “You were ready today. That’s the difference between good and great. You were absolutely ready to play and focused in every single inning.”

The squad began a new tradition by bringing in treats for the offensive and defensive player of the game. For his season-high 3 RBI, Noah was awarded Oreos as the offensive player of the game. Zach captured the defensive player of the game award—a giant bag of Doritos that looked gargantuan until it was put in Zach’s hands, at which point it looked like a trial size.

The next Mudcats practice is Sunday at 5 p.m. at Kentwood, with the next game slated for Monday at 5:30.

Saturday's Mudcat scoring plays

First inning
Smiley reached on a fielder’s choice, which gave him the perfect vantage point to watch Zach crush a ball over the left-center field fence. As Charley said the instant the ball hit Zach’s bat, “That’s gone.” The Mudcats weren’t content to stop with two runs, however, as Anthony followed the homer up with a single, moved to second on Charley’s single, and scored on Brenner’s single to left.
Score after one inning: Mudcats 3, Lookouts 0

Second inning
In the biggest inning of the day, JJ led off by hammering a single to left. Noah reached on a fielder’s choice, and both runners advanced on Gabe’s grounder to first. Asher drove in JJ (who was among several Mudcats with some impressively aggressive baserunning) with a groundout, and then Hayes dropped a perfectly placed RBI triple down the right field line. Smiley followed with a run-scoring single, and after a Zach double—with the Lookouts outfield playing almost with their backs against the fence—Anthony completed the scoring with a two-run single.
Score after two innings: Mudcats 8, Lookouts 0

Third inning
This time it was Christopher who initiated the scoring, picking up a leadoff single. Gavin reached on a fielder’s choice, and after JJ moved up both runners with a groundout, Noah tomahawked a high pitch into left-center for a two-run single.
Score after three inning: Mudcats 10, Lookouts 0

Fifth inning
Brenner led off and reached for the second time. Following some quick instruction from Coach Sean and Coach Jim, Christopher blasted a double to left that scored Brenner. Gavin picked up an infield single, then JJ collected an RBI single. Noah and Asher closed out the scoring with RBI groundouts.
Score after five innings: Mudcats 14, Lookouts 2

Sixth inning
Still playing aggressively, Charley and Brenner picked up RBI as the Mudcats put together their best baserunning performance of the young season.
Final score: Mudcats 16, Lookouts 2


Saturday's Web Gems

• Zach (brought to you by Doritos) made it look easy on the last out of the game, spearing a fly ball to left center.
• Smiley alertly tossed off the catcher’s mask, pounced on a dribbler in front of the plate, and made a strong throw to first to retire the Lookout hitter.
• Brenner’s hustle and solid outfield/infield communication helped limit the Lookouts to just a single on a ball that had been smashed to the fence.
• The defense was consistently solid at every position—in five of the six innings, the Lookouts never advanced a runner past second base.

Saturday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Mudcats	3	5	2	0	4	2	16	20
Lookouts	0	0	0	2	0	0	2	6

Practice--Buffalo stampede

Under threatening skies and with frisbee golf discs whistling overhead, the Mudcats practiced for the first time in over a week Friday night at Kentwood. The session began with a pair of throwing contests under the harsh judgment of Coach Neal, with Smiley, Hayes and Drew all showing impressive arms from a long-distance cone.

Next came the rhythm section of practice, during which the Mudcats proved indisputably that they are better baseball players than cheerleaders. Eventually, though, they got the hang of it, and will add a new element to their pregame routine tomorrow morning. For an added element of excitement, the day's outstanding leader will get the responsibility of leading the team cheer, which means they get to shout really loud, which is always a plus. Coach Andrew also revealed a giant new team sponsorship. The offensive player of the game will now receive Oreos, while the defensive player of the game will receive Doritos. All we need now is a footwear sponsor...and maybe a blog sponsor.

The All Blacks split into three groups for stations, with one ninja station with Coach Tom, one outfield/baserunning station with Coach Rob and Coach Jim, and one infield station with Coach Andrew. Gum could be earned at each station, and the coaches were largely in a generous mood with the gum (probably because it actually belonged to GM Jenn). Special recognition is due to the youngest group of Brenner, Noah, Gavin and Asher, who had perhaps their best round of infield of the year, with almost everyone serving as a vocal leader throughout the drill.

After stations, a lengthy period of practice was devoted to baserunning, which has been an occasional Mudcat bugaboo. Emphasis was placed on awareness on the bases, paying attention when running through first base in case of potential advancement to second, and tagging up at third base on fly balls to the outfield.

As a light rain began to fall, Coach Rob identified JJ and Asher as the two players who best exemplified the Mudcat goal of having fun at all times. That meant they served as captains for the relay. Because of the amount of gum earned, all coaches were eligible to be selected for the race. Asher wisely picked Smiley first, leaving his dad in the draft pool and ensuring Asher would not be getting any dessert after dinner. When the teams were selected, the highlights included Coach Andrew, Coach Rob, Cole, Luke, Coach Tom and Coach Adam sprinting around the bases, with JJ's team taking the victory.

The win entitled JJ to lead the team cheer, which is still a work in progress. Early incarnations were a little shaky. However, later versions of the cheer showed some real potential.

Team pictures take place tomorrow bright and early at 10 a.m., with pregame following at 10:30 and the first pitch slated for 11:30.

The Value of One Inning

In the wake of Monday's 13-10 loss to the Thunder, Coach Andrew identified one of the game's lessons this way: "It shows us we have to stay focused. There was a point in that game where we lost our focus, they started scoring some runs and it felt like we gave up."

He was referring to the six-run third inning posted by the Thunder, a frame that proved to be pivotal on the way to a 13-10 Mudcat defeat. More than just that one game, though, the big inning has been a Mudcat thorn since the fall.

In the 19 games played in the fall 2010 and spring 2011 season, the All Blacks have allowed 13 opponent innings with at least five runs. Not coincidentally, 12 of those innings have come in Mudcat defeats. More to the point, if those big innings had been removed from the game, six of the Mudcat losses would have turned into wins.

Of course, you can't always prevent a team from stringing together hits in coach-pitch baseball. It's not like you can go to the bullpen and bring in a fresh arm. But look at it another way: in eight of the Mudcat losses last fall and this spring, simply holding the opponent to half the runs they scored in their biggest inning would have resulted in a different outcome. That's not asking for a shutout. That's just, for example, holding the Thunder to three runs in Monday's third inning rather than six.

"In baseball," Coach Andrew reminded the Mudcats, "there's no clock. Time doesn't run out. So you have to be able to maintain that focus every time you go out on that field."

After a three-day break, the Mudcats hit the practice field again tomorrow night at 5 p.m. at Kentwood, followed by an 11:30 a.m. game on Saturday (preceded by team pictures at 10 a.m., so make sure to bring plenty of beads and trinkets to purchase the vast amount of stuff that will be available with your favorite player's picture on it).

College Wisdom

Given an off night from West Raleigh Baseball, we made the obvious choice last night to...attend a baseball game. Carolina hosted Winthrop (the Tar Heels won, 12-6, even without the aid of a Mudcat throwing out the first pitch), and after the game I ran into Jacob Stallings.

It's important to note here that Jacob Stallings is probably one of Asher's two favorite players on the current Carolina team. His dad, Kevin, is the head basketball coach at Vanderbilt but is better-known around Chapel Hill as a passionate Carolina baseball fan who thinks nothing of, say, making the nine-hour drive from Nashville to Tallahassee, Florida, this weekend for the UNC-FSU series. And not only does he make the drive, but it's clear there is nothing he would rather do. It is plainly obvious that Coach Stallings coaches basketball mostly to be able to support his baseball habit. Asher will tell you that Coach Stallings is also a lot of fun to play with at games, because he still remembers what it's like to have a six-year-old running around the house. Most of the time when Coach Stallings is at Boshamer you can find him making up some crazy baseball game with Asher, the rules of which are known only to them.

So we like Jacob a lot. Plus, he's a catcher, which means he gets to wear the catcher's gear, which automatically increases your coolness by a factor of four. Jacob has seen us around Boshamer a good bit over the winter, hitting in the batting cages and doing some throwing, and he is somewhat aware of West Raleigh Baseball and the fact that Asher really wanted to make a team this spring. So the first thing he said was, "How's Asher's baseball going?"

Since Jacob Stallings has been playing baseball for almost 20 years, and since he's very likely to be making it his profession when the major league draft comes around this June, I went into a detailed description of the Mudcats. I talked about the personnel, and I talked about this weekend's close losses (I was proud of myself for leaving out the part about the absurd scheduling), and I talked about Zach hitting a home run over the fence, which is still breathlessly discussed at our house on roughly the same level as other incredible feats of strength. Asher is more or less convinced that Superman wears Zach pajamas.

While realizing that Jacob did not actually want the full rundown on the Mudcats, I still thought I did a pretty fair job of detailing all the really important things that have happened this season--wins, losses, home runs, hits, errors, etc. Apparently, though, I left one thing out. Because all Jacob said in response was, "That's great. Is he having fun?"

Oh, that.

Well, yes he is. And his parents are, too. It's just that sometimes they get outsmarted by a college junior.

Game #3: Thunder 13, Mudcats 10

In yet another nailbiter, the Mudcats completed one tremendous comeback but couldn't finish off a second one, falling 13-10 to the Thunder on Monday night.

"We learned two valuable lessons tonight," Coach Andrew told the team after field cleanup duties were completed. "The first is to never give up. The second is to always stay focused."

That second point will be the topic of a more extensive post later this week. The first point was illustrated when the Thunder built a 10-1 lead in the top of the third. At that point, even the coaching staff was wondering if perhaps playing three games in three days might be a little too much to ask of a team of elementary schoolers.

Even then, the rally didn't begin immediately. In fact, trailing 10-1 in the bottom of the third, the Mudcats had two outs and no runs in. This was especially distressing because GM Jenn had a giant bucket of gum and had promised a piece for every player in every inning won by the All Blacks. The Thunder had already taken the first, with the two teams tying in the second. It looked like the third would be another no-gum inning.

Until, that is, the Mudcats came roaring back with nine unanswered runs over the next two innings, a stretch that saw seven different Mudcats cross the plate. The last three of those runs came in the fourth, tying the score at 10 and causing Jim Nantz to divert his attention from Butler-UConn pregame preparation to check The Ocho to see what was happening in Mudcats-Thunder. The vision that greeted him was a dugout full of Mudcats chomping on some crazy kind of gum that turned their mouths blue.

"There was a point in the middle of that game where it felt like we gave up," Coach Andrew said. "We lost our focus. But we came back."

Coach Andrew then brought up the famous old saying, "It's not over until the lady sings," which apparently came out of the same cliche book that contains the renowned sayings, "A picture is worth words," and "Caught between a rock and a place."

There was no singing on Monday, but there was also not quite enough scoring in the final two innings. Despite the Thunder win (sparked largely by former Mudcat Tyler Key), the entire squad earned back their sticker from Sunday (a loss so disheartening it wasn't covered by the blog) and earned a second sticker for Monday's effort, which included nine of the 10 Mudcat runs being scored with two outs.

There will be no practice and no game on Tuesday. There will be no practice and no game on Wednesday. There will be no practice and no game on Thursday. Parents and players experiencing withdrawal symptoms are advised to call 888-NEED-WRB, then go out into the yard and practice the haka. Depending on the proximity of your neighbors, the haka should only be practiced after dark.

Practice resumes Friday ("We we we so excited") at Kentwood at 5. Check back on the blog later this week for the Coach Andrew-assigned examination of what happens to the Mudcat record when you remove the dreaded one bad inning from each game.

To get you through the week, make sure to check the great game photos from Gabe's Mom (yes, her legal name) from the Saturday and Sunday games, plus Drew's party on Sunday.

Saturday's Mudcat scoring plays
Second inning
Christopher and Anthony led off the frame with back-to-back singles. Christopher moved to third on JJ's fielder's choice, which erased Anthony at second. Gabe picked up the evening's first RBI with a fielder's choice.
Score after two innings: Thunder 4, Mudcats 1

Third inning
Brenner started a one-out rally by continuing his red-hot hitting and reaching first, then moving to second on a single by Hayes. Smiley was retired on a ground ball to the pitcher, but an error in the Thunder infield scored Brenner. Charley lined a single to center, and then Zach crushed a run-scoring double. With runners on second and third, Christopher singled through the left side to bring in Charley, and then Anthony's opposite-field double scored two more. A Thunder misplay in the infield brought in the sixth Mudcat run of the inning, completing the biggest single-inning rally of the season so far.
Score after three innings: Thunder 10, Mudcats 7

Fourth inning
With an incredulous Nowell Field crowd on their feet, the All Blacks climbed all the way out of the 10-1 hole. Gavin singled to open the inning, and then a furious two-out rally began with Brenner roping a single down the third base line. Hayes picked up his third hit of the game with a single that scored Gavin, and then Smiley tied the game with an epic, nine-pitch at-bat that culminated in a two-run single.
Score after four innings: Thunder 10, Mudcats 10


Saturday's Web Gems

• Gavin picked up an outfield assist, gunning down a Thunder runner for a force at second.
• Zach started an inning-ending double play in the third base, grabbing a grounder, stepping on second and firing to first to complete the play.
• Zach made a diving stab of a pop fly in foul ground in the fourth inning.
• The Mudcats picked up back-to-back catches in the outfield in the fifth; the first by Charley and the second by JJ.
• Without having ever practiced the play, the Mudcats ended the Thunder sixth with a rundown that started with Brenner getting the ball in quickly from the outfield and Zach chasing down the runner.

Saturday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Thunder	3	1	6	0	1	2	13	19
Mudcats	0	1	6	3	0	0	10	17

Game #2: Riverdogs 14, Mudcats 6, First Pitches 2

Zach's mammoth home run was the highlight of Sunday's 14-6 loss to the Riverdogs. But the day included more than just a game at West Raleigh. A broad cross-section of current and former Mudcats attended Drew's party at Boshamer Stadium, highlighted by Sticks upstaging the UNC chancellor and becoming the first player ever to take the Boshamer mound while wearing all black. His first pitch was such a hit that it was memorialized on the official UNC website.

The Mudcats now lead all of West Raleigh, across all leagues, with two first pitches thrown this season. That is believed to be a West Raleigh record. It is worth noting that the Tar Heels are 2-0 when a Mudcat throws out the first pitch.

The All Blacks continue their rigorous early season schedule with a third game in three days Monday night at 5:30. GM Jenn made the very wise decision to avoid a midweek practice, which means after tomorrow night's game we will go three long days without seeing each other. Counseling will be available.

Game #1: Scrappers 2, Mudcats 1

In a defensive battle of historic proportions, the Mudcats dropped Saturday's season opener to the Scrappers, 2-1. The two runs allowed by the 'Cats were the fewest the team has allowed since a shutout of the Thunder on May 16, 2009 (at least, according to the records in the blog, which is generally recognized as historically infallible). The only current Mudcats who played in that game were Drew and Smiley; many of the other current Mudcats were probably watching Thomas the Train two years ago. The game was the lowest scoring West Raleigh Minor League game since at least last spring, marked the first errorless performance by the All Blacks since at least last spring, and was a significant improvement over the two fall contests against the Scrappers, which the Mudcats lost by a combined score of 28-7.

In recognition of the tremendous effort, Coach Andrew opened his postgame talk with a simple request: "Get your batting helmets out." The implications were clear, as he'd deemed it a sticker-worthy effort. After the preseason scrimmage, Coach Andrew had told the team he was less concerned about the scoreboard than he was about their focus and hustle. All were in abundance on Saturday on the immaculately groomed Nowell Field (courtesy of Proctor Grounds Crew, LLC).

The tone was set early, as on the second Scrapper batter of the game, Gavin speared a line drive in center field. Needless to say, for a play Coach Andrew called, "maybe the first time I've ever seen a 6-year-old catch a ball in the outfield in live action," Gavin was awarded a helmet sticker.

Unfortunately, the Scrappers were turning in some equally stellar defensive plays. They finished the game with three double plays, including double plays in three of the final four innings, as the Mudcats were never able to advance the potential tying run to third base.

Despite the 2-1 loss, Coach Andrew had high praise for his team. "You absolutely played to win today," he told them. The Mudcats (0-1) celebrated with helmet stickers for everyone, followed by cupcakes for everyone in honor of Drew's eighth birthday.

The challenge now becomes maintaining the same focus for games tomorrow and Monday. Thanks to the gentle guidance of the league administration, tomorrow's first pitch is at 3 p.m. Drew's party begins at noon, followed by him making one of the only one-armed first pitches in Boshamer Stadium history prior to the Carolina-Clemson game at 1 p.m. An abbreviated pregame will be held once the team arrives at Nowell Field.

Potential homework: given the intimidating all-black uniforms, everyone needs to memorize this. I don't know if it will help the Mudcats play any better, but it sure would look cool.

Saturday's Mudcat scoring plays
Fourth inning
Smiley led off with a perfectly placed line-drive triple down the right-field line. Charley followed him with the only Mudcat RBI of the day, picking up a run-scoring groundout to short.
Score after three and a half innings: Mudcats 1, Scrappers 0


Saturday's Web Gems

• Both Christopher and Zach made impressive scoops at first base.


• Gavin caught a low line drive in center field.


• Hayes saw his first extended action at shortstop and played flawlessly, including a heads-up forceout to Smiley at third in the first inning.


• Gabe made a diving catch of a pop fly at pitcher in the fifth inning.

Saturday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Mudcats	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	6
Scrappers	0	0	0	2	0	X	2	8