Thank You!

It's only been a couple of days and I am missing the MudCats already! With two days to think about this season and the untimely ending, to which I was not expecting to happen when it did, I have had chance to think about many things. Most I will save for our end of season party, but a few things I wanted to tell you all.

First, I would like to thank all of you for your support for the MudCats this season. We had the best cheering section in the league. Thank you for being there for the boys. I hope you all had as much fun as the boys and coaches did.

I would also like to agree with Brett's statement that there are some talented Tarheels around us. Thank you so very much to Erin for all the wonderful pictures and videos taken throughout this season. Erin, your work adds so much to this experience for all of us. My kids would be asking from the time we got home from games, "do you think the pictures and blog are up yet". To which I would have to say, "no, I think Ms. Erin is still trying to corral "The Hammer" in from wall ball at WR". Win or lose, we all would be checking on the hour to see if those fabulous pictures from the previous game had been posted. You did a fantastic job Erin. Thank you for the hours you spent taking and editing those pictures. We all appreciate you and your talent.

To the coaches, I meant to thank you guys after the game and express my gratitude for all of your work with these wonderful guys this season. I know they appreciate it, maybe not as much now as they will when they are older and have had many coaches after us. They will appreciate what great coaches you were and great men you are. There are not many out there as good as you guys. You each have a wonderful way of working with and teaching these boys. You guys were the best staff in the league. I wish we had three more years together down there on the ML field. I hope you had as much fun as I did.Thank you Matt, Jamie and Adam. Thanks to Rob and Brett for their help on the field during practices as well. You guys were a big help!

Speaking of Adam, as usual he fails to give himself any credit. His last blog left out any mention of himself as part of the team "graduating" to the next level. I got to know Adam 3 springs ago as Asher and Gavin joined the MudCats together with Brenner. As you all know he is a tremendous writer with a great wit and humor and a terrific knowledge of the game. What most of you don't know is all of the other things he does to make the team tick. He provides an amazing update for me from each game, complete with stats on each player, both hitting and fielding down to the numerous positions each player played complete with chances, put outs, assists, etc. He charted where each player's hits went in the field. Prior to each game he would go through the opponents line up and give me a spray chart of where each player hit the ball in each at bat in our previous game against them. He keeps the "straightest" score book in all of West Raleigh the land (learned the strike through from Adam)! He actually coached 3rd and first this year while keeping the score book at the same time. Between games he had to listen to me go over each player on what they were doing well and what they needed to work on, what we should cover in practices, and the list goes on and on. I didn't imagine 3 years ago that I would become so dependent on someone other than my wife, Liz. She calls Adam my "baseball wife".  My daughter Regan calls him her "favorite coach of all time". That one hurt a little :-) I call him a good friend and a great asset to the MudCats. Thank you Adam for all you've done for me and the MudCats over the past 3 seasons.

Finally, I would like to thank my wife, Liz. She puts up with me and my incessant baseball discussions.  Between Mudcat games and practice and hitting instruction she doesn't see much of me during the season. I appreciate the sacrifices she makes that allows me to do what I love doing...coach. Thank you Liz! And thank you to the other coaches wives as well for allowing your men to be out there with me and the boys!

Thanks again to you all! It was my pleasure to coach your sons and to get to know each of your families. You are a great group and I will miss you as we move "up the hill". Once a MudCat, always a Mudcat!

Many thanks!

Sean

We will miss you Mudcat blog...

Being a die hard NC State fan, it is often difficult for me to swallow my pride and admit that there are some really talented Tar Heels around me.  Before we joined West Raleigh Baseball and the Mudcats last summer, I knew at least of one of them very well (since we had been married for ten years at that point)... but Erin's love of photography was only just beginning to take shape at that point and I really could not have imagined how far her skills would develop in just two short years. 

At the same time I was getting to know Erin the photographer, I was introduced to a coach named Adam.  He was a friendly guy full of baseball knowledge and with a son who could be the poster child for poise, effort, character and determination.  As the season got underway and all of the players and parents got to know one another, we completed a few practices and were getting ready for our first game.  As an aside... It was quickly becoming apparent to Erin and I that Channing was very fortunate to have been drafted by the Mudcats.  With an all star roster of coaches, lead by the Godfather of (and most well respected head coach at) West Raleigh Baseball, I told Erin that Channing was getting more baseball and leadership instruction in his first practice as a Mudcat than I had in over 12 years of playing organized baseball.  It was also at this point that we first read one of the Mudcat blog posts.  I can remember clearly thinking that this was no ordinary parent, no HR Director turned kids baseball critic, but we still did not know what we had.

Fast forward a couple of games into last season when I passed along a link from our blog to my die hard Tar Heels fan/brother-in-law Zach.  Within about 15 minutes of sending the link I got a call back from him... asking me if that was "The" Adam Lucas?  After a short tutorial and some internet research on Tar Heels athletics and sports writing, I began to understand exactly how lucky we were.  Adam is one of the most well known and respected sports writers covering UNC.  He has been trusted by players and coaches in Chapel Hill since the days of Ty Cobb, ok...maybe not that long (oh that was embarrassing... thanks for calling me out Jay).  He publishes one of the most read online sports publications and has authored numerous books on his beloved Tar Heels.  At the same time, he somehow makes the time to scribe thorough, thoughtful, fun and entertaining blog posts after each and every Mudcats game. His posts have been forwarded to grandparents and relatives all over the country and have been read and re-read by Mudcats players time and time again.  And though I know it is probably killing Adam to receive praise for what he thinks is a minor contribution (I am guessing that he could write about twenty pages in the time is has taken me to write these three paragraphs), it is the least that this Wolfpack loving father could do.  Thank you for sharing your gift for writing with our Mudcat family and for giving your time on and off the diamond so willingly.  We will miss our web gems and game highlights sorely and know that unless we draft the son of someone like Rick Reilly, we won't soon replace your blog posts. 

... that is... unless you have any interest in getting some really nice photos of Asher in action next season... perhaps we could convince you to make a couple of guest writing appearances on the Mudcat blog next season... once a Mudcat, always a Mudcat!

Game 16: Scrappers 8, Mudcats 2

The 2013 season came to an untimely end on Nowell Field, as the Scrappers pulled off an 8-2 victory over the Mudcats to eliminate the 'Cats from the postseason.

The tone was set early, as the Scrappers put three quick runs on the board in the top of the first. That was a lead they never relinquished, as the All Black offense just never kicked into gear--continuing a trend that began in the final game of the regular season.

The 'Cats finished the year with 12 scoreless innings in the final three games (all losses). Compare that to the six-game winning streak just before that, when the Mudcats totaled just 10 scoreless innings in those half-dozen games. The two runs in Saturday's loss were a season low, as were the seven hits. It was the third straight game that the 'Cats were held to single-digit hits--the only three games all season that they didn't notch at least ten.

It doesn't seem possible, but the defeat ends the Minor League season for the Mudcats, even though it seems like it just started a couple days ago. When Asher started playing West Raleigh baseball way back in the fall of 2010, Andrew and Jenn DiMeo--who were essentially the Godfathers of our Minor League experience--told us that the three years on Nowell Field were by far the best baseball-playing years we would get to watch. On the Rookie League field, it starts to feel more like "real" baseball, but in the Minor League you can still spot a dad tying his son's shoe, and they're still kids.

That was probably the best piece of advice we received (even better than, "Always vote for black pants for the team uniform because they are much easier to keep clean"). But there are a few other things I think I'd want to know if I was the parent of a West Raleigh six-year-old:

1. These are the best years of your kid's baseball-playing life. Go to practice. Go to games. Let your kid hang around and play wall ball if he wants.
2. No one ever wins the raffle.
3. No matter how good you think your six-year-old is, he could have the absolute perfect at-bat, do everything completely perfectly, have a textbook swing...and still hit a routine grounder to the second baseman. This is not because you are a bad parent or have given him bad instruction. This is because he is six years old.
4. The chemistry of the team and how much fun they have in the dugout is largely dependent on the attitude of the eight-year-olds on the team.
5. I don't care what anyone says, I think blue shorts look just fine with black-and-red jerseys. Now decide if you think it's a good idea to take fashion advice from some guy who writes a blog.
6. Your team's best draft pick will unquestionably be the kid whose mom takes great pictures.
7. At some point in your son's baseball career, it will be better to be the home team. But at this age, it's better to be the visiting team, put runs on the board early, and let momentum carry you the rest of the way.
8. There will be innings and games and days when you think your kid is not very good. Keep in mind that you are comparing him to the very best 6-8 year-old baseball players in this area and maybe in this state. If you put your kid on the field in any other league, you would instantly see how good he is and have a renewed appreciation for the level of play in West Raleigh.
9. No matter how much you think you are going to make it through the last postgame speech of your kid's Minor League career, the head coach is almost certain to say or do something that turns you into mush.
10. That moment when you are hugging your son in the parking lot after his last game in the Minor League is going to be here way faster than you think, and it'll hurt when it gets here.

The game ended the career for a handful of Mudcat players and coaches. They are as follows:

Coach Matt: A two-year All Black coach who was indispensable this year in the first-base coaching box and in the outfield defensively. Also the unquestioned Czar of the Soft Toss.
Coach Sean: At our first team meeting last year, we were interrupted by someone--I have no idea who he was--who had apparently been coached by Coach Sean in a previous year and happened to be passing by the concession stand, where we were meeting. I don't remember the exact connection, but I do remember that before he walked away, he turned to the team and said, "You are lucky to have this guy as your coach." He was right. Every player on the Mudcats over the last two years improved over the course of the season. You're not supposed to get this kind of coaching--or this type of commitment and time devoted to the team--in 6-8 year-old baseball.
Luke: In his first year as a Mudcat, Luke was always positive and was extremely flexible defensively, playing a variety of positions. His bat was a big part of the 'Cat offense that was so potent throughout most of the season.
Hayden: Also a one-year Mudcat, Hayden became a valuable defensive cog behind the plate and caught fire offensively in the second half of the season.
Quenten: Burst onto the scene in his first season in West Raleigh. Quenten became one of the Mudcats' most consistent outfielders, where you could count on him for at least one web gem per game in center field.
Colin: Played two years as a Mudcat, spending significant time both at third base and in the outfield. A dangerous hitter who sprayed line drives all over the field. In two years, I don't think I ever heard Colin say anything negative about anybody.
Brenner: One of the three three-year Mudcats. After the draft in 2011, I remember Coach Andrew telling me, "I think I picked your shortstop (Gavin), second baseman (Brenner) and first baseman (Asher) for 2013." That's exactly how it worked out. Brenner was a fixture at the top of the order this year and keyed several big innings with his line drive stroke. A great teammate who you knew was always on your side.
Gavin: I have watched Gavin play a lot of baseball games over the past three years. In some ways, I think I take him for granted. Just know that an eight-year-old is not supposed to do what he does on the baseball field. I pretty much expected him to have the kind of offensive and defensive season that he had this year--which was, of course, phenomenal. But I wasn't sure if he could play that way without becoming too impressed with himself, because sometimes that happens. For Gavin, it never did. He was a great influence in the dugout and a solid leader on the field.
Asher: Probably the shortest first baseman in baseball history. Maybe also the toughest. And cutest. And best...oh, sorry, looks like Stephanie grabbed control of the keyboard for just a second. I don't know why Asher has such a great attitude and plays so hard in every second of every game. I just know that he didn't get it from his jerk dad. But I do know that I've had so much fun watching him play these last three years, I miss it already, and I think I'm going to wear my Mudcats shirt tomorrow.

Saturday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
Gavin hit a solo homer to center.
Score after one inning: Scrappers 3, Mudcats 1

Second inning
Quenten tagged a homer to center leading off the inning.
Score after two innings: Scrappers 3, Mudcats 2

Saturday's Web Gems

• In the first inning, Asher made a somersaulting catch of a pop foul behind first in shallow right.
• Brayden ended the first by snagging a hard-hit fly ball to right-center. 
• Colin stabbed a hard line drive to third, then snapped a throw to Brenner at second to double off the runner. 
• Jackson made a pair of nice back-to-back plays at pitcher, knocking down two consecutive ground balls--the first ending the fourth and the second leading the fifth--and then keeping his head, gathering the ball and firing to first to record the pair of outs.
• Cameron had to go back to the fence to retrieve a leadoff hit in the first, and when the runner got too aggressive, threw a strike to Gavin covering second, who made the catch and applied the tag to get the out.
• Will made a terrific catch on a ball that was crushed to left in the sixth. 

Saturday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Scrappers	3	0	4	1	0	0	8	8
Mudcats	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	7

Game 15: Bats 5, Mudcats 3

The hitting woes from Saturday carried over to Tuesday, and the Bats played stellar defense while taking advantage of a handful of Mudcat miscues, propelling the Bats to a 5-3 win in the first game of the Minor League tournament.

The Bats jumped on the scoreboard early with a pair of quick runs, and seemed to ride that momentum throughout the rest of the game. Their defense--which finished second in the league to the Mudcats in fewest number of runs allowed--changed several innings, including quality plays in the third, fourth and fifth that limited the All Blacks to just three runs over that stretch despite a handful of hard-hit balls.

Offensively, the 'Cats were only marginally able to improve on Saturday's eight-hit performance, as they mustered nine against the Bats. The 17 hits over the last two games are fewer than the Mudcats had in five individual games this season. And while the late-game defense was stellar, there were too many errors in the early going, as the 'Cats committed six errors in the first four innings alone, leading directly to four of the five Bats runs.

The loss puts the Mudcats in the losers' bracket, and means the schedule going forward gets a little complicated. The next game will be Saturday at 1 p.m. against the loser of tomorrow night's Scrappers-Lookouts tilt. A win in that game would make it a two-game weekend, because the 'Cats would turn around and play Sunday at 3 p.m. The full tournament bracket can be found online here.

Tuesday's Mudcat scoring plays
Third inning
Channing swatted a perfectly placed triple with one-out in the third, then scored on Hayden's RBI single.
Score after three innings: Bats 3, Mudcats 1

Fourth inning
The Mudcats picked up a couple of two-out runs, as Asher reached on a grounder to the left side, and then Gavin lifted a home run to right field.
Score after four innings: Bats 5, Mudcats 3

Tuesday's Web Gems

• With a runner in scoring position and two outs in the first, Brenner stopped a hard shot to second and threw to first for the out.
• With a runner on first in the third, Jay cut off a ball deep in the left field corner and did an excellent job of holding the runner to just two bases and preventing a run from scoring. That turned out to be a run-saving play...
• ...Because on the next hitter, with two runners in scoring position and two down, Quenten stabbed a line drive in center to hold the Bats scoreless in the third.
• With a runner on second and one out in the sixth, Asher made a diving catch of a pop fly hit over his head at first base.

Tuesday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Bats	2	1	0	2	0	0	5	11
Mudcats	0	0	1	2	0	0	3	9

Game 14: Bees 11, Mudcats 3

The Bees gave the Mudcats a taste of their own medicine on Saturday evening, playing airtight defense and cruising to an 11-3 win. The victory gave the Bees the top seed in the postseason tournament, which begins Monday, and sent the Mudcats to the second seed. The All Blacks will open tournament play on Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m. against the Bats.

The tone for a defensive battle was set early, as the Mudcats 1, 2 and 3 hitters were retired in order for the first time this season. The 'Cats also went scoreless in three straight innings for the first time this season, a streak that eventually stretched to four straight innings (the first four of the game) before the All Blacks broke through in the fifth with a pair of runs. By then, though, the hard-hitting Bees had already built a six-run lead, and the Mudcats--who mustered a season-low eight hits--could never get any closer.

Stay tuned for more information on tournament week practices. The next game will be Tuesday at 5:30 against the Bats, with pregame at 4:30. For the purposes of your Minor League tournament bracket projections, the final seedings are as follows:

1 Bees
2 Mudcats
3 Lookouts
4 Thunder
5 Bulls
6 Scrappers
7 Bats
8 Riverdogs

The full tournament bracket can be found online here.

Saturday's Mudcat scoring plays
Fifth inning
Gavin led off with a single, moved to second on Quenten's single, and scored on Colin's RBI single. Cameron drove in Quenten with a hard shot to third.
Score after four and a half innings: Bees 6, Mudcats 2

Sixth inning
Will led off with a double, and Hayden came through with an opposite-field RBI single.
Score after five and a half innings: Bees 11, Mudcats 2

Saturday's Web Gems

• Channing made a nice play in right-center in the first inning, running under a deep fly ball to make the catch.
• On the first batter of the second, Quenten glided to a hard liner and snagged it on the fly in center.
• Gavin made what was probably the defensive play of the year in the third, throwing his body completely horizontal to the ground to spear a sinking liner a breath before it hit the ground, then hopping up and firing to first to double off the runner. Thanks to Nacole, we even have video of this play, which was taken--as you will soon see--in the middle of a rainstorm:

Saturday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Mudcats	0	0	0	0	2	1	3	8
Bees	0	1	3	2	5	X	11	14

One more day

With one game to play, the Minor League seeding possibilities and tournament pairings look this way. Seedings that are already locked in are bolded:

1 seed: Winner of Bees-Mudcats
Plays Riverdogs on Monday at 5:30 p.m. in first game of tournament

2 seed: Loser of Bees-Mudcats
Plays Bats on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in first game of tournament

3 seed: Lookouts
Plays 6 seed on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in first game of tournament

4 seed: Thunder/Bulls/Scrappers (in order of likelihood)
Plays 5 seed on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in first game of tournament

5 seed: Bulls/Scrappers/Thunder
Plays 4 seed on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in first game of tournament

6 seed: Scrappers/Bulls/Thunder
Plays Lookouts on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in first game of tournament

7 seed: Bats
Plays loser of Bees-Mudcats on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in first game of tournament

8 seed: Riverdogs
Plays winner of Bees-Mudcats on Monday at 5:30 p.m. in first game of tournament

Game 13: Mudcats 20, Riverdogs 1

Sensational Mudcat defense paved the way again, as the 'Cats captured their sixth straight victory with a 20-1 win over the Riverdogs on Wednesday night. The 19-run margin of victory was by far the biggest in the Minor League this season.

And despite all that offense--every Mudcat scored at least one run and ten different batters had a hit--it might have been the defense that was the story of the game. The 'Cats have now allowed just four runs in the past 21 innings. Again on Wednesday, they did it against a hot offensive team, as the Riverdogs had scored 33 runs in their past two games and were riding a two-game winning streak. But they did not have a runner reach second base until the fifth inning and did not score until the sixth.

At the plate, the All Blacks had one of their most complete efforts in the season, as the win marked the first time this year that the Mudcats scored in every inning. The 22 hits were a season-high for a five-inning performance and the second-most in any game this year--and that's with two of the five offensive innings being limited by the run rule.

Stickers galore were handed out, as there was a backlog from the previous game. Unfortunately for Coach Sean, several Mudcats have already caught on to the idea of earning interest and are regularly compounding interest on their stickers. Unfortunately, Coach Regan became the first Mudcat ever to have a sticker deducted for her flagrant disregard for the baseball gods in the sixth inning (her transgression was so egregious that it cannot be repeated here). As penance, she will have to join the pregame dance party with Asher on Saturday.

With the win, the Mudcats are assured of finishing no worse than second, which means they will open tournament play on either Monday, May 13, against the 8 seed, or on Tuesday, May 14, against the 7 seed. The next game will determine that seeding, as the winner of Saturday's 5 p.m. start against the Bees (4 p.m. pregame) will claim the Minor League regular season title and earn the top seed for the tournament.

Wednesday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
It started with the top of the order, which had a phenomenal night, as Brenner, Asher and Gavin combined to go 10-for-10. Brenner led off with a single but was thrown out at second due to Coach Adam making the first of a boatload of mistakes for the game. Asher singled and stayed anchored to first base while ignoring Coach Adam. Gavin doubled, putting runners on second and third for Quenten. His grounder to short scored Asher, and then Luke's hard-hit ball to the right side scored a pair.
Score after one inning: Mudcats 3, Riverdogs 0

Second inning
Brayden roped a leadoff single and moved to second when Channing hustled out a ball up the middle. A fielder's choice put runners at the corners, and then Hayden singled in Brayden. With two outs, the Mudcat offense kicked into gear. Jackson singled in two with a line drive to left and hustled all the way to second. Brenner singled in Jackson. Asher singled to center, putting runners at the corners for Gavin, who doubled in Brenner.
Score after two innings: Mudcats 8, Riverdogs 0

Third inning
Colin led off with an opposite-field single and moved to second on Luke's single. Cameron blasted an RBI double, and Channing recorded a one-out RBI single.
Score after three innings: Mudcats 10, Riverdogs 0

Fourth inning
Jay led off and rumbled all the way to second, flashing great wheels and incredible hustle. Jackson singled to the left side. With runners on first and second, Brenner and Asher ripped back-to-back RBI singles, and Gavin clubbed a two-run single to deep left. Colin's grounder to short scored Gavin and invoked the five-run rule.
Score after four innings: Mudcats 15, Riverdogs 0

Fifth inning
The first four 'Cat hitters reached base, with Luke going all the way to second as the leadoff man, Cameron singling him to third, Brayden driving in a run with a hard-hit single, and Channing smacking a run-scoring single to left. Hayden collected an RBI single and then Brenner finished the game's scoring with a two-run single to center.
Score after five innings: Mudcats 20, Riverdogs 0

Wednesday's Web Gems

• With a runner on first and one out in the top of the first, the most dangerous Riverdogs hitter lined a would-be single to center. But Quenten charged in, scooped it up, and fired a laser to Brenner covering second, who fielded the short hop and stayed on the bag to get the force.
• With a runner on first and one away in the second, Gavin smoothly gobbled up a grounder up the middle, stepped on second, and fired to Asher stretching at first for the inning-ending double play--the Mudcats' third inning-ending double play in the last four innings.
• That play started a stretch of eight straight outs retired by the Mudcat defense, including a series of solid plays all around the infield, featuring two straight good plays by Jackson at pitcher.
• Channing stepped in at pitcher in the fifth and made a nice backhanded stop up the middle.
• Cameron made a nice catch of a fly ball at third base in the sixth inning. The play itself was nice, but what made it even nicer was that Cameron hauled in the fly ball while absorbing a solid form tackle from Channing, who was trying to force a fumble. 

Wednesday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Riverdogs	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	5
Mudcats	3	5	2	5	5	X	20	22

Do NOT approach a 20-pound groundhog

As you might have heard recently, West Raleigh had a small rabid fox problem. This was such an important pressing issue that WTVD included a story on the fox for at least a week on its 11 p.m. newscast.

However, this could be just the beginning of the invasion of our local baseball fields by crafty animals bent on destroying America's pastime. Don't believe me? Check out this story from New Jersey, which, I kid you not, is headlined, "Groundhog terrorizes Bridgeton Little League." This is a real story.

The groundhog in question is some kind of mutant super-groundhog that weighs in at 20 pounds. An umpire had to jump in and save the day by distracting the evil groundhog, which was intent on chasing innocent children around the field. What happened next should strike fear in all our hearts and must be quoted directly due to the incredible nature of this story:

<<Bridgeton Little League President T. Carl Hemple intervened to save Dennis (the umpire). 

"Then he started chasing me," said Hemple. "Man, was he big. He must have weighed 20 pounds.">>

Now, I am assuming here that the "he" in question is the groundhog and not the umpire, because if the umpire only weighed 20 pounds, I think we know why he was unable to detain the groundhog.

<<The groundhog gained on Hemple, who went to his car, jumped inside and locked the doors. 

"The groundhog went under the car," said Hemple. 

He decided to start the car.>>

This is utterly fantastic and if no one has video of this, then someone in Bridgeton needs to be very disappointed in themselves. So the groundhog is chasing the Little League president across the parking lot, and the quick-thinking president manages to get a big enough lead to jump into his car and--this is key--lock the doors. Because you don't want the gargantuan 20-pound groundhog to open the car door with his fuzzy mutant paw.

We then have the sentence, "He decided to start the car," which I assume means the Little League president started the car, but given what we know about how devious this groundhog was, I don't think we can rule out that the groundhog started the car in an effort to smoke out the president and get him to unlock the doors.

Like me, I assume you're all breathlessly waiting to know what happened next.

<<The groundhog escaped the roar of the motor and headed for the Bridgeton Sports Hall of Fame.>>

NOT OUR TROPHIES IN THE BRIDGETON SPORTS HALL OF FAME!

The Little League president, presumably from the safety of his locked car, called the police, and they "arrived in two minutes." They got one of those "sticks with a loop" around the groundhog's neck, and if you have ever seen an angry 20-pound groundhog, then you know exactly what happened next: according to the story, "It broke the loop." Which led Fearless Little League President T. Carl to say, "I'm telling you, it was big." We were able to find this action photo of the groundhog in question.

Eventually, the police officers were able to get the groundhog into a cage, where it was carted away. Fearless Little League President T. Carl then emerged from his car, and presumably was asked why he and the umpire (no word on whether he was also locked in the car) were the only folks able to run interference on this ill-intentioned groundhog. He responded by saying his coaches had training for everything involving kids, "But not groundhogs. Not animals coming out of the woods."

I strongly feel that West Raleigh needs to include Groundhog Defense in next year's coaching clinic. And if you don't agree, then read this bone-chilling update to the story: the 20-pound groundhog has escaped from the animal shelter. You read it right, folks: the Bridgeton Groundhog is on the loose. When the vet in charge of the shelter showed up for work on Sunday morning, no doubt wearing body armor to repel the advances of the 20-pound groundhog, he was greeted with a mystifying sight:

<<The cage was empty, but secured.>>

And what was inside that cage, you ask? Good question. The actual quote from the vet is as follows: "Inside was an empty can of cat food."

Yes, there is a very good possibility that the 20-pound groundhog has innocent cat hostages. The mutant groundhog left no sign of where it might be headed. Fearless Little League President T. Carl could not be reached for comment, probably because he was locked in his car.

For all we know, the mutant groundhog could be headed towards West Raleigh as we speak. If you see this baseball-loving giant groundhog at the game tonight, DO NOT APPROACH IT. Run to your car, lock your doors and hide all your trophies.

Down the stretch they come

Just seemed like a fitting title with the Kentucky Derby today.

It might be that you're trying to plan your next three weeks. Or maybe you're just one of those people who fills out eight different NCAA Tournament brackets and likes knowing all the possibilities. Either way, we wanted to take a look at the standings with two games remaining in the regular season. There are two key links for this exercise:

The current West Raleigh Minor League standings through 12 games

The postseason bracket

So far, the seedings look this way:

No. 1 seed: Bees or Mudcats.
Mudcats could be 1 seed if: They win out, or they win one game and Bees lose out.

No. 2 seed: Bees/Mudcats/Lookouts
Mudcats could be 2 seed if: Bees win out and Mudcats beat Riverdogs

No. 3 seed: Lookouts clinch at least the 3 seed with a win over Bulls OR Scrappers
Mudcats could be 3 seed if: Lookouts win out, Mudcats lose out, and Mudcats lose a yet-to-be-determined tiebreaker.

No. 4 seed: Bulls/Scrappers/Thunder

No. 5 seed: Bulls/Scrappers/Thunder

No. 6 seed: Bulls/Scrappers/Thunder

No. 7 seed: Likely Bats/Riverdogs

No. 8 seed: Bats/Riverdogs

So the most likely slots for the Mudcats are the 1 seed or 2 seed. The 1 seed faces the 8 seed on Monday, May 13, at 5:30 p.m. The 2 seed plays Tuesday, May 14, at 5:30 p.m.

You can rule out playing in the 4-5 game on Thursday, May 16, but there is always the chance that we could have a practice that day.

So I'm certain all of you now know this by heart and will have this committed to memory before practice tomorrow.

Game 12: Mudcats 9, Lookouts 3

Coming off Friday's shutout, the Mudcats turned around and once again pulled off a season first on Saturday: they beat the Lookouts, 9-3, and had a defensive web gem in every single inning--the first time that has happened this year. Of course, it shouldn't have been a surprise, because in the pregame huddle, when Coach Sean asked the team who was going to get a web gem, he was greeted with a chorus of "ME!"

One other thing he was greeted with was an American Bandstand wannabe:

Note Jackson and Cameron getting into it and showing some sweet moves of their own.

Unfortunately, the Lookouts wanted to settle the game with baseball rather than dance moves. However, that turned out to play right into the 'Cats' hands, as they played one of the most complete games of the season and earned a regular season split with the Lookouts.

In front of a sellout crowd that included Coach Andy (who was secretly hoping Coach Sean would tire out so he could pitch), the 'Cats continued their solid defensive play and have now allowed just three runs in the last 15 innings of play. Not coincidentally, the defense has led to a season-high five-game winning streak.

After allowing two first-inning runs to the hard-hitting Lookouts (who came into the game averaging a dozen runs per game and had scored at least seven in every game this year), the 'Cats locked down the defense and allowed just three runners as far as second base in the final five innings. The Mudcats also benefited from two double plays, bringing the double play total to four in the past two games.

Because Official Sticker Kingpin Regan was sadly not in attendance (perhaps trying to avoid Coach Andy), stickers were not handed out. This is either because Official Sticker Kingpin Regan rules with an iron hand with the stickers...or because Coach Sean was too tired to walk to his car to get them. Whatever the reason, when the stickers are handed out, everyone will get one for the win, and Coach Matt awarded a special hustle sticker to Jay for backing up every play at first base from right field.

The 'Cats hit the practice field Sunday at 5 p.m. The next game is Wednesday at 5:30 against the red-hot Riverdogs.

Saturday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
Asher slapped a one-out single up the middle, raced to third on Gavin's long single, and then scored on Quenten's sacrifice fly.
Score after one-half inning: Mudcats 1, Lookouts 0

Fourth inning
Asher lined a leadoff single to center and moved to third on Gavin's deep single. Quenten smoked an RBI single. Colin lifted an RBI double to left-center. Luke scored a pair with an opposite-field RBI single. After Cameron put runners on first and second with a hard shot to the outfield, Brayden finished the scoring with an RBI single the other way.
Score after four innings: Mudcats 6, Lookouts 2

Fifth inning
In a prototypical two-out Mudcat rally, Brenner reached on a fielder's choice. Asher singled to right-center. Coach Sean tried to throw off Gavin by narrowly avoiding a balk, but then grooved a fastball that Gavin smashed onto the batting cage in center field for a three-run home run.
Score after five innings: Mudcats 9, Lookouts 1

Saturday's Web Gems

• Will set the defensive tone early by grabbing a sinking liner in left field in the first inning.
• Channing caught a hard-hit liner in right-center in the second that helped turn what could've been a Lookout threat into a scoreless inning.
• Asher fielded a ground ball on the first base line in the third, applied the tag, and then brought the pain to the unsuspecting baserunner. 
• With a runner on second in the fourth, Luke made a leaping one-handed catch of a line drive in left-center.
• Later that same inning, Brenner made a nice play backing up on a pop fly in shallow right, ranging far behind his second base position to make the catch.
• Brenner started a trend with an inning-ending double play in the fifth. With a runner on first, he snagged a line drive back to pitcher, then threw to first to double off the runner.
• Suitably inspired by Brenner, the 'Cats decided to raise the ante in the next inning, turning a game-ending 4-6-3 double play. It started with Luke smoothly scooping up a grounder, then flipping to Gavin at second, who fired a rocket throw to Asher at first to nab the runner by half a step and end the game.

Saturday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Mudcats	1	0	0	5	3	0	9	15
Lookouts	2	0	0	1	0	0	3	9

Game 11: Mudcats 9, Bats 0

The Mudcats did something historic on Friday night--they posted a 9-0 shutout win of the Bats. The stellar defensive performance forced us into the team record books. After consultation with Mudcat Historian and former general manager Jenn, we have determined it's the first Mudcat shutout since May 16, 2009--when the current eight-year-olds were four years old and when even Coach Sean was a little younger. The shutout was the first in the Minor League this year and just the eighth shutout at West Raleigh this year in any age group.

"That was a great defensive game," Coach Sean told the team. He also mentioned it was the first shutout he had ever seen in the Minor League, but unfortunately, Minor League records are not quite as complete as Mudcat records, so we have no way of knowing for sure--other than Coach Sean's memory, which of course is infallible.

The defense began early, as the 'Cats held the Bats without a hit over the first three innings. That gave the offense time to chug into gear. Perhaps limited by the lack of pregame dancing, the All Blacks scored just one run in the first two innings. But after getting an energy boost from a few eight-year-olds, the Mudcats exploded for seven runs in the third. Atypically, the big inning was not powered by big hits, but instead was a succession of singles. That enabled the Mudcats to show off their hustling on the basepaths, as six different 'Cats scored all the way from second on a single.

That was more than enough offense, but the All Blacks made sure it would hold up by turning another sweet defensive trick in the fourth: the Bats loaded the bases with no outs but got zero runs, as Quenten's unassisted play at third base snuffed out the threat. The runner he doubled off at third base was the only Bat who reached third all game.

Everyone received a sticker for the win, and then everyone also received a sticker for the solid team-wide defensive effort. Coach Jamie awarded Brenner an extra sticker for his hustle on the bases that got him all the way to third and put him in position to score one of the three runs Brenner plated on the day.

There's not much time to savor the historic performance, as the 'Cats play again on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. against the Lookouts, with pregame at 2 p.m.

Friday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
Brenner led off with a single, then hustled to third on Asher's single, where he scored on Gavin's rocket that was knocked down by the pitcher.
Score after one inning: Mudcats 1, Bats 0

Third inning
For the third time this season, the 'Cats scored seven runs in a single inning. The inning was ignited at the bottom of the order, where Will, Jay and Jackson all reached to lead off the frame. With the bases loaded, Brenner's grounder to third scored the first run. Asher's single scored Jackson all the way from second. Gavin's single plated Brenner, and then Quenten singled in Asher. The parade of singles continued with Luke's two-out hit up the middle, and Cameron and Brayden also came through with two-out hits to complete the scoring.
Score after three innings: Mudcats 8, Bats 0

Fifth inning
Brenner led off by smoking a ball down the third base line and hustled all the way to third. Asher's sacrifice fly to center scored Brenner.
Score after five innings: Mudcats 9, Bats 0

Friday's Web Gems

• The standout defensive plays began early. With a runner on first and one out in the first, Gavin ranged across the middle to spear a line drive.
• The very next hitter hit a line drive bullet to center, but Quenten grabbed it on one hop and fired to second for the force to end the inning.
• Gavin backed up Brenner, picked up a hot shot, and threw to first for the first out of the second.
• Will ranged to his right to snag a line drive at pitcher on the next play.
• Quenten turned an unassisted double play in the fourth. With the bases loaded, he gloved a hard line drive, then stepped on third to double off the runner.
• The leadoff Bat in the fifth smoked a hard drive to right-center, but Cameron limited him to a single by firing the ball in from the outfield.
• Brenner started the second double play of the game. With runners on first and second, he caught a line drive at pitcher, then threw to Asher at first to double off the runner.

Friday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Bats	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5
Mudcats	1	0	7	0	1	X	9	15