The end

Of all the things I expected to find out in our first season in West Raleigh baseball, the one I absolutely, positively did not expect to learn is this: winning doesn't matter.

That's not how it was supposed to be. The reason we made the commitment to four practices/games per week was because winning does matter. We wanted real tryouts. We didn't want everyone to get a trophy. We wanted to keep score. We wanted to have a win-loss record at the end of the season.

We got all those things, and I am pleased to report that I don't believe anyone's growth was stunted from the emotional impact of having to accept losing a game or two. But we got something else that I don't think we expected: a real team.

At first, I thought the reason the Mudcats seemed to have such tremendous chemistry was because we were all thrown together four times per week. I thought maybe everyone who had to be together four times per week got along with each other. I thought all West Raleigh teams were like this, with shirt fairies and detailed practice plans and Google calendars.

But as we started seeing more teams, it became obvious that the fall 2010 Mudcats were unique. And around the midpoint of the season, it became clear that there's a difference between playing West Raleigh baseball and playing West Raleigh Mudcats baseball. The former is a crash course in serious baseball. The latter is a crash course in serious baseball...and how to be on a team.

It helped that the players genuinely seemed to like each other. I don't remember filling out a personality test during registration, but somehow the group that was assembled in the fall of 2010 fit perfectly.

Much of the credit has to go to the six returnees--Drew, Christopher, Anthony, Gabe, Smiley and Charley--who never seemed unwilling to help the new guys figure out what was going on. Making the jump from other rec baseball leagues to West Raleigh is like going from training wheels to riding a Harley. It would have been easy for the veterans to get frustrated. Outwardly, at least, they never did. As Coach Andrew said after the game, "At our first practice it was almost like we had two teams, and those two teams came together."

When our friends in Chapel Hill asked how the season was going, we gave glowing reviews. Knowing we went to West Raleigh seeking a certain level of competitiveness, their next question was almost always, "So, you're winning a lot of games?"

Well, no. And yes, the Mudcats lost on Saturday, falling 15-8 to the Riverdogs in the final game of the season for both squads. This time next week, I doubt I'm going to remember that score. But I know for sure I'll remember the scene 30 minutes after the final pitch, when a herd of Mudcats were still playing an impromptu football game near the concession stand. You couldn't help but look around, and when you did you noticed something: there was not a single Riverdog anywhere around...except for their head coach, who was sitting alone on a bench, watching the Mudcats play football, with the kids laughing and high-fiving as they decided who got to play quarterback.

Saturday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
Drew drove in Charley--who once again had two hits from the leadoff spot--with a fielder's choice.
Score after one-half inning: Mudcats 1, Riverdogs 0

Second inning
Anthony led off with a single, then moved all the way to third after the Riverdog infield had trouble handling a hard shot off the bat of J.J. Gabe's RBI single drove in Anthony.
Score after one and a half innings: Mudcats 2, Riverdogs 2

Fourth inning
Hayes singled leading off the inning, then motored all the way around to score on Smiley's hard-hit double. Smiley scored all the way from second, despite the protests of the splendidly-shod opposing coach, after an errant throw at first base.
Score after three and a half innings: Mudcats 4, Riverdogs 4

Fifth inning
Brenner started the rally by beating a close play at first. Tyler quickly gave the Mudcats two baserunners, and Charley drove home Brenner with a single to left. Three straight singles scored Tyler, and then Drew drove in a pair with another single.
Score after four and a half innings: Riverdogs 11, Mudcats 8


Saturday's Web Gems

• Christopher played a flawless first base, including three unassisted putouts.



• Anthony made a deceptively difficult play, backing up on a pop fly over his head and easily gathering it to end the first inning.



• Charley had a hand in all three outs in the second inning. He caught a pop-up for the first out, then threw to first twice in a row to retire the Riverdogs without a run.

Saturday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Mudcats	1	1	0	2	4	0	8	11
Riverdogs	2	0	2	7	4	X	15	16

Postseason Game #2--Bats 10, Mudcats 9

Sometimes you have to watch a long, drawn-out stretch of over two months in order to see an entire season unfold. But sometimes you can watch the whole darn thing in 90 minutes.

That's essentially what happened on Friday night at Nowell Field, as the Mudcats' 10-9 loss to the Bats summed up virtually everything about a season that has consistently been right on the edge of significant success. Consider the things the Mudcats did well: some of the best defense of the season, including terrific inning-ending plays in the first, second and third that left five Bat runners stranded through three innings. At the plate, 11 different Mudcats collected at least one hit. On the bases, the Mudcats ran aggressively, efficiently turning those hits into runs.

And yet, it wasn't quite enough. There were some defensive hiccups in the hated fourth, and the Bats made several terrific plays in the field to limit the Mudcat offensive production. What could have very easily been a 16- or 17-run performance was instead limited to nine.

"The difference was how many catches they made in the outfield," Coach Andrew said, while also pointing out that one of the key culprits for the Bats was a former Mudcat, which obviously explains his solid fundamentals. "The most important position on the field is the one where the ball is hit. I want you guys to remember that. Taking fly balls is just as important as hitting or taking grounders."

The game also showed some continued progress in the area of mental toughness. An early 3-0 Mudcat lead was swept away by the four-run Bat fourth. At times this year, it's taken a couple innings to recover from a bad defensive inning. Not this time. The Mudcats immediately posted five runs in the top of the fifth to take the lead right back. A four-spot for the Bats in the bottom of the fifth proved decisive, as a sixth-inning Mudcat rally fell just one run short.

Fittingly, there were stickers galore. The entire team earned a sticker, as did Christopher, Charley, LB and Hayes for defense. JJ also picked up a sticker for his ringing clutch single in the sixth, one of the hardest-hit balls of the season.

Friday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
Drew drove in Charley--who had two hits and scored two runs from the leadoff spot--to provide an early 1-0 lead.
Score after one-half inning: Mudcats 1, Bats 0

Second inning
As they did all night, the bottom of the order generated some offense. This time, they did it with two outs. Gabe singled and scored on a line drive double down the left-field line by Big Ben. Brenner singled Ben to third, and then Tyler picked up an RBI with a single to the right side.
Score after one and a half innings: Mudcats 3, Bats 0

Fifth inning
Gabe got it started again when he reached leading off the inning. Big Ben continued to swing a hot bat with another hard shot to left field. Brenner loaded the bases, and after Tyler was robbed by a nice play in center field, Asher drove in a run with a grounder up the middle. Charley plated two with a hard single to left, and Smiley completed the scoring with an RBI single up the middle.
Score after four and a half innings: Mudcats 8, Bats 6

Sixth inning
Only some solid infield play from the Bats kept this from being a bigger inning. Big Ben drove in LB with the inning's only run, but without a couple solid plays on the left side of the infield that turned potential hits into fielder's choices, this frame had the makings of a rally.
Final score: Bats 10, Mudcats 9


Friday's Web Gems

• Christopher ended the first with a diving catch of a pop foul.



• Hayes snagged a line drive in left-center in the second, then fired to second base to complete the inning-ending double play.



• With two runners on and the Bats poised to break open the game in the third, LB knocked down a tough line drive up the middle, then recovered to make the inning-ending force out.



• In the fourth, Charley recorded the first out at home of the season, alertly grabbing a grounder at his pitcher position and stepping on the plate to pick up the bases-loaded force.

Friday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Mudcats	1	2	0	0	5	1	9	15
Bats	0	0	2	4	4	X	10	15

Practice #21--Nope

See, this is what happens when you go against the blog. With four straight off days between tournament games, the Mudcats tried to hold practice on Thursday night. They should have known better. After all, the blog had already declared last week's practice to be the final practice of the season.

Lesson: don't mess with the blog.

At almost exactly the time Coach Andrew was within shouting distance of Method Road, the clouds dumped buckets of water on the field. Practice could have still been held, but the Mudcats would have had to wear water wings when running the bases. So the team decided to be flexible and reschedule practice for the cages at West Raleigh. And by "be flexible and reschedule practice" I mean, "Ask General Manager Jenn to send out a flurry of emails and reorganize everything."

So everyone rerouted and headed for West Raleigh. At approximately the moment Coach Andrew pulled into the parking lot, the clouds dumped buckets of water on the field. All games at West Raleigh were canceled, and the only game the Mudcats were able to play was a very muddy session of football.

Assuming weather allows (the blog decrees that Friday will be beautiful), the Mudcats will finally hit the field on Friday at 5:30 (pregame at 4:30).

EOS Tournament

To stay updated on the End of Season (EOS) Tournament check out the updated bracket. 

The seedings for the EOS tournament are:

#1 Scrappers

#2 Bees

#3 Thunder

#4 Bats

#5 Riverdogs

#6 Lookouts

#7 Bulls

#8 Mudcats

The Mudcats are in action Sunday, October 24th: Game at Noon, Thursday, October 28th: Practice at Method Road from 5-7 PM, Friday, October 29th: Game at 5:30PM, Saturday, October 30th: Game at 1:30PM, and Sunday, October 31st: Championship Game at 1:00PM and Closing Ceremonies following the Championship Game.

Postseason possibilities

As of this writing, the West Raleigh standings haven't yet been updated (they should reflect all teams having played 13 games). But the Bulls picked up a come-from-behind win over the Riverdogs tonight, giving them a one-game lead on the Mudcats with one game to play. However, the possibility of earning the seventh seed isn't quite over yet. Here's what we know with one game to play, starting with the Mudcat possibilities and then expanding out to take a look at the league at large.

The Mudcats will have either the seventh seed or the eighth seed. If the Mudcats earn the seventh seed, they will play Sunday (10/24) at 2 p.m., Thursday (10/28) at 5:30 p.m., and Saturday (10/30) at 9:30 a.m. If the Mudcats earn the eighth seed, they will play Sunday (10/24) at noon, Friday (10/29) at 5:30 p.m., and Saturday (10/30) at 1:30 p.m. Barring another bracket change, those are the only possible tournament game times, which means the Mudcats can't play on Tuesday (10/26) or Wednesday (10/27).

If the Bulls defeat the Mudcats on Saturday, the Bulls will be the seventh seed and the Mudcats will be the eighth seed.

If the Mudcats defeat the Bulls on Saturday...it will get complicated. The two teams will be tied, with identical 4-10 records. The first tiebreaker is head-to-head competition. The two teams split. The next tiebreaker is the record against the highest-finishing teams in the league. The best win for the Bulls is against the Thunder. The best win for the Mudcats is against the Lookouts. That means if the Thunder finishes higher than the Lookouts, the Bulls get the seventh seed. If the Lookouts finish higher than the Thunder, the Mudcats get the seventh seed.

The Thunder play the Bats on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. If the Thunder win that game, there is no mathematical way the Lookouts can catch them. That means the Mudcats get the eighth seed no matter what happens in the game against the Bulls on Saturday. But if the Bats beat the Thunder and the Mudcats beat the Bulls, attention will turn to the 3:30 Lookouts-Riverdogs matchup. If the Lookouts win that game, they finish higher than the Thunder and the Mudcats earn the seventh seed. If the Lookouts lose, they finish below the Thunder and the Mudcats earn the eighth seed.

So, to make it a little simpler:

Necessary outcomes in Saturday's games for the Mudcats to earn the seventh seed: Bats beat Thunder, Mudcats beat Bulls, Lookouts beat Riverdogs.

Any combination OTHER than all three of those outcomes: Mudcats earn the eighth seed.

Here's what we know about the rest of the league:

#1 seed: Scrappers
#2 seed: Bees
#3 seed: Thunder-Bats winner
#4 seed: Thunder-Bats loser or Lookouts
#5 seed: Thunder-Bats loser or Lookouts
#6 seed: Riverdogs
#7 seed: Bulls/Mudcats
#8 seed: Bulls/Mudcats

Game #13: Thunder 15, Mudcats 12

One of the best top-to-bottom offensive performances of the season wasn't quite enough to edge the Thunder, who got some terrific defensive plays to hold on for a 15-12 win on Wednesday night at Nowell Field.

"That's one of those games," Coach Andrew said. "Sometimes you play your heart out and win, and sometimes you play your heart out and lose. They made some great plays, and there's nothing you can do but shake their hands."

The Mudcats pounded out 18 hits, the most since October 9, but were thwarted by a Thunder defense that made multiple terrific defensive plays, including a probable two-run-saving grab of Anthony's line drive in the third and a game-ending double play when the Mudcats had the tying run at the plate. The entire lineup contributed offensively, with nine different players scoring at least one run and eight different players driving in at least one run. In a juggled batting order, Christopher had a hot night in the three spot, picking up a single, double and three RBI. LB added his first career three-hit game, and Charley also had a three-hit game.

Coach Andrew also shuffled the defense, going with a frequently shifting strategy that kept everyone on their toes. Several players in new positions--including LB at second, Luke's Brother at third, Smiley in left-center and Brenner at pitcher--made key plays.

Even after the Thunder jumped to a 4-0 lead after one inning, the game was a seesaw affair. The Mudcats battled back to tie the score at seven after four innings. The two-run fourth was keyed by an RBI double from Charley, who had a three-hit day. The offense continued to pour it on in the fifth, plating three runs to take a 10-7 lead going into the bottom of the inning.

But after surviving the dreaded fourth, which had been a bugaboo over the last couple of games, this time it was the fifth that turned out to be an opposing explosion. On a night when the Thunder took advantage of several swinging bunts that turned into hits, that wasn't the case in the fifth--it was simply the Thunder placing some line drives out of the reach of the Mudcats. When the Thunder scored eight runs to move ahead 15-10, it marked the third straight game in which an opponent scored at least six runs in one inning.

Somehow, though, you still felt like a rally was coming. Big swings by the bottom of the order generated a couple of baserunners, and the Mudcats were just one batter away from getting back to the top of the order when the Thunder first baseman speared Luke's Brother's line drive and turned it into a game-ending double play.

"We preach teamwork, and that was a great team effort," Coach Andrew said. "Everybody contributed on defense and at the plate."

All the Mudcats earned one sticker for the solid effort. A three-sticker promise is still in the air for Saturday's game against the Bulls. The postseason implications of the defeat are minimal. With the Bulls set to play tomorrow night, the Mudcats are still alive for either the seventh or eighth seed in the tournament, which begins on Sunday. It is possible that the Mudcats may not know their seeding immediately after their game on Saturday, because the answer could hinge on Saturday's 3:30 game. For scheduling purposes, the blog will be updated after tomorrow night's Bulls game with all the various postseason possibilities.

Wednesday's Mudcat scoring plays
Second inning
Anthony and JJ combined to give the Mudcats two runners on with just one out. LB drove in the first Mudcat run of the game with a sharp RBI single to the left side.
Score after one and a half innings: Thunder 4, Mudcats 1

Third inning
With the offense picking up some momentum, Charley led off with a single and moved to second on the first of two hits from Toothless Tyler, who is generating more bat speed because of the new-found wind through his missing front tooth. Gabe, who hit the ball as consistently hard as he has all year, made it three straight singles with an RBI shot up the middle. After a fielder's choice, Hayes drove in a pair with a rocket to left-center, with Coach Jim somehow managing to hold him at second. A fielder's choice moved Hayes to third, and Christopher drove him in with a single up the middle.
Score after two and a half innings: Mudcats 5, Thunder 5

Fourth inning
JJ led off with a single and moved to second on a fielder's choice. LB, who had a three-hit day, pounded the ball through the left side, moving JJ to third. Asher's fielder's choice scored JJ, and Charley's line drive single scored LB.
Score after three and a half innings: Thunder 7, Mudcats 7

Fifth inning
Gabe led off with a single and was replaced by Brenner on a fielder's choice. Hayes, Smiley and Christopher strung together three straight singles, with Christopher's shot driving in a pair. Anthony scored Smiley on a fielder's choice to complete the rally.
Score after four and a half innings: Mudcats 10, Thunder 7

Sixth inning
LB picked up a one-out single, and Asher reached on some defensive adventures at second base. Charley hit a long single that scored LB, and Tyler's line drive up the middle scored Asher.
Final score: Thunder 15, Mudcats 12


Wednesday's Web Gems

• LB very nearly turned a double play largely on his own, fielding a ground ball at second base and narrowly missing the tag on a runner going from first to second, then still having the presence of mind to throw to first and get the force there.



• Brenner stifled a Thunder outburst in the first, grabbing a ground ball at pitcher and firing to second base for the inning-ending force.



• Anthony dove in the hole in the fifth, keeping the ball in the infield and potentially saving a run. Anthony also combined with Drew on a smooth 6-4 putout in the fourth.

Wednesday's line score	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H
Mudcats	0	1	4	2	3	2	12	18
Thunder	4	0	3	0	8	X	15	21

Updated postseason possibilities

The bracket has been tweaked slightly, which means some changes to the previous post. Sorting out the top four seeds is fairly simple:

#1: Scrappers have already locked up the top seed
#2: Bees have already locked up the second seed
#3/#4: Bats and Lookouts will be in these two slots. Bats will be the third seed unless the Lookouts beat the Riverdogs AND the Bats lose to the Thunder (both games on Saturday).

The bottom half of the bracket is more complicated, partly because all four teams in the bottom half have two games remaining. The postseason picture will start to clarify tonight when the Mudcats take on the Thunder. Here's what we know about the Mudcats:

• The Mudcats could win out and finish with the same record as the Riverdogs in a tie for sixth, but they would lose the tiebreaker with the Riverdogs. The first tiebreaker is head-to-head competition; the two teams split this year. The next tiebreaker is the record against the top teams in the league, and the Riverdogs' win over the Scrappers would give them the edge in that tiebreaker. So, the Mudcats will either be seeded seventh or eighth.



• On Sunday, the Mudcats cannot play in the 4 p.m. game or the 6 p.m. game. This means they will play at either noon or 2 p.m.



• Barring another bracket change, the Mudcats will not play a game on Tuesday, Oct. 26, or Wednesday, Oct. 27.



• On Saturday, Oct. 30, the Mudcats will play at either 9:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m.