October 20th saw O'Donoghues pub play host to the the annual Baseball Ireland awards night.The place was packed out....well it was a small room but we moved out into the bar area.There was enough people to warrant more space.
As the drink flowed as did the shit talking and annecdotes of a pretty awesome season.There was a reasonable turn out and all teams were represented.And so that
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Irish National baseball team stateside
The National team headed to New York to take part in a few exhibition matches.
the results were:
v NYC Thunderdogs 6-11
v Rockland Astros 4-13
v New City Outlaws 7-10
v FDNY 1-5
this was a tough slog as they were playing every second day and had training in between.Our boys play hard.
Well done lads.
There was a write up on their game against the FDNY team in the Irish Examiner that you can clock here
and heres the TV spot for the Irish Heritage night that the FDNY game was part of.
i want to do a TV spot for everything i am involved with in the future.Everything.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Eight Men....In?
Im all over the place here so ill start with the last two weekends games.Ideally i woud do these chronologically but hey thats just not my style.And not having internets in my house restricts me
Sunday July 1st: Black Sox V Spartans B @ Corkagh Park
on a rainy ass sunday we trek out to Corkaigh Park park for the last in our three regular season meetings with The Spartans.A good team and a team i respect.The dudes on the Spartans were pretty much the first dudes i worked with in winter training and they helped me out a lot.That aside this is baseball and this is my team playing them.Game on.
With the national team over stateside we were without a few guys as were they.Victor was taking the place of Bren so automatically we had respect for him.We like giving Bren a hard time.He gets cocky otherwise.
We were the away team so we were up batting first.wwe were also a man short so we had the automatic out which sucks.unfortunately it's something we're all too used to.Victor put me in first which was a first so up i go.
Pitching was Scotty Karnes.This dude can throw some serious heat.Unfortunately this AB i was definitely on the recieving end of that heat and struck out swinging.As usual i was furious with myself and went about burying my bat repeatedly in the grass.If i could channel that frustration into my swing i'd be hitting some pretty sweet numbers.
Let me sidetrack here and explain something.Fielding a team of 8 players means that for every time we we go through our order(the 8 batters) we get an automatic out as in its as if a palyer went up and struck out.
It fucking blows as we have had games we could have won if we were able to field a legal team.I don't know if people don't care or what but if someone bails on us we get fucked and fucked royal.This was one of those times.
In the third inning the Spartans scored seven runs.SEVEN FUCKING RUNS!i contributed to that with an error that should have been an easy out(cue smashing my bat off the ground when i got back to the bench) but Eamonn got chill and came back strong.We got screwed 9-6 this game.We beat this team 13-2 and 12-7 before.Thats when we had subs and someone actually able to keep score.now we barely have base coaches.This is fucked.But i guess this is reality.Shit happens in this sport and you got to shake it off but on this wet and grey day in Clondalkin thats the last thing i could do.I was bummed out.We fought hard to get back some runs but our last out was the automatic one and we had two runners on base.Fuck it.
Scotty deserved the win as he pitched a hell of a game but still.
Saturday July 8th:Black Sox V Mariners @ Black Sox Park
I rolled up early to this to watch the A game.Its always good to watch the A league ganes as you learn things from people that have been playing for a long time and you can incorpoate into your own game.Primarily i was looking at basereunning today and seeing how the short stop and basemen hold the runners.I was also coaching third base so was more involved than i thought i'd be.
the A team played a blinder.Sal was throwing balls to second you could hang your laundry on and Woody was on fire.A dude got a solo homer off Woody but he shook that off real quick and struck the next batter out.It's been said you gotta learn to have a short memory in baseball.i hope i get to learn that skill.im still thinking about mistakes i made in previous games.Woddy doesn't suffer from that.Dude picked up a total of 9 strike outs that game.Champion behaviour.
With an A win the B team were pumped....until the roster was being put together.We only had seven players.FUCK!Seven became eight when eamonn was able to stay and play his second game of the day.Thats trooper shit right there.
Away team again so we were up to bat first.First up,me.yikes.I stepped into the box.Usual adrenaline running through me.Stop And Think playing in my head but im concentrating on the pitcher.The wind up.The release.BAM!i get dinged on the top of my left cleat.I nearly fall on my ass but compose myself and take my base.Anyway i can get there right?I steal second and am stoked.A ball is hit over to the outfield but is caught.In this instance i need to go back to second base and tag up.In this instance i forget this because i'm an idiot and before i can get back im tagged out.I'm the first out and i feel like shit.We end up getting three runs in by the end of the inning but it should have been four.I;m an asshole.
We take the field and Victor has me palying third base which i never usually play.I kind of feel it awkward but he's the boss and you do what the boss says.This aint no democracy.Glen Poor was pitching this game and to see him work is awesome.He's got command over his pitches and you can see he's up there having fun.First batter struck out and the second batter hit a grounder my way.I charged it scooped,settled myself and,if i don't say so myself,threw a pretty perfect ball to Brian on 1B.inning over we headed to bat.
The pitcher was getting into a groove more and our guys were getting struck out or fly ball were being snagged.This time when i step up to bat BAM! again.This time the other foot.At least this dude is hitting me on even sides.I take my base.I'm stealing second but this time the throw from the catcher is faster and i have to Pete Rose my ass into second
I kinda overshoot it but i'm on the base thats whats important.What's not on is my Get The Most shirt is covered in shit.Dirty work yadda yadda yadda.I manage to steal third on the next couple of pitches but the side gets retired with me on third.I want that run goddamnit!
This is where things take a dip.as what happened in the Spartans game we kinda lose ourselves and end up causing us a lot of runs.This was a mix of good hitting on the Mariners front and some errors on the infield of which i have a share.They score five runs and we're chasing.this goes on till the top the 7th and im up.I see the pitch i'm getting is a,not going to hit me and b,looking kinda good so i swing.I connect and i take off.I see no one is getting it so i'm able to run to second base.A DOUBLE!sweet.I steal third on the catcher losing the ball and i'm amped to score a legit run.up steps Boomer and he delivers.I'm home.
This rally is going awesome.we have two runners on base and we are trailing 10-7.This is it!we can do this.Oh wait,no we can't cause of the automatic out.Cock it!That remains the final score and our last batter goes down swinging.It's a loss yeah but we battled back hard to get to 10-7.We battled hard.We shake hands and congratulate the other team but again,this is bitter.
We could have won this one and got a clean sweep of The Mariners but it wasn't to be.Its that auto out thats killing us and we know it.But what can we do?We can think it over and shake it off.We got bigger fish to fry,the Hurricanes on the 8th of August.They're undefeated this season but give me eight other dudes and we'll do the business.Do the business for real.
todays Black Sox were
1. #19 Glen Poor
2. Eamonn Gordon
3. #51 Brian Connolly
4. #6 Wayne O'Donohue
5. Chris Mahon
6. #55 Justin Turner
7. #26 Kevin Dillon
8. Victor Del Rosal
9. WE DIDN'T FUCKING HAVE ONE!
Lets go Black Sox!Get the most!
Sunday July 1st: Black Sox V Spartans B @ Corkagh Park
on a rainy ass sunday we trek out to Corkaigh Park park for the last in our three regular season meetings with The Spartans.A good team and a team i respect.The dudes on the Spartans were pretty much the first dudes i worked with in winter training and they helped me out a lot.That aside this is baseball and this is my team playing them.Game on.
With the national team over stateside we were without a few guys as were they.Victor was taking the place of Bren so automatically we had respect for him.We like giving Bren a hard time.He gets cocky otherwise.
We were the away team so we were up batting first.wwe were also a man short so we had the automatic out which sucks.unfortunately it's something we're all too used to.Victor put me in first which was a first so up i go.
Pitching was Scotty Karnes.This dude can throw some serious heat.Unfortunately this AB i was definitely on the recieving end of that heat and struck out swinging.As usual i was furious with myself and went about burying my bat repeatedly in the grass.If i could channel that frustration into my swing i'd be hitting some pretty sweet numbers.
Let me sidetrack here and explain something.Fielding a team of 8 players means that for every time we we go through our order(the 8 batters) we get an automatic out as in its as if a palyer went up and struck out.
It fucking blows as we have had games we could have won if we were able to field a legal team.I don't know if people don't care or what but if someone bails on us we get fucked and fucked royal.This was one of those times.
In the third inning the Spartans scored seven runs.SEVEN FUCKING RUNS!i contributed to that with an error that should have been an easy out(cue smashing my bat off the ground when i got back to the bench) but Eamonn got chill and came back strong.We got screwed 9-6 this game.We beat this team 13-2 and 12-7 before.Thats when we had subs and someone actually able to keep score.now we barely have base coaches.This is fucked.But i guess this is reality.Shit happens in this sport and you got to shake it off but on this wet and grey day in Clondalkin thats the last thing i could do.I was bummed out.We fought hard to get back some runs but our last out was the automatic one and we had two runners on base.Fuck it.
Scotty deserved the win as he pitched a hell of a game but still.
Saturday July 8th:Black Sox V Mariners @ Black Sox Park
I rolled up early to this to watch the A game.Its always good to watch the A league ganes as you learn things from people that have been playing for a long time and you can incorpoate into your own game.Primarily i was looking at basereunning today and seeing how the short stop and basemen hold the runners.I was also coaching third base so was more involved than i thought i'd be.
the A team played a blinder.Sal was throwing balls to second you could hang your laundry on and Woody was on fire.A dude got a solo homer off Woody but he shook that off real quick and struck the next batter out.It's been said you gotta learn to have a short memory in baseball.i hope i get to learn that skill.im still thinking about mistakes i made in previous games.Woddy doesn't suffer from that.Dude picked up a total of 9 strike outs that game.Champion behaviour.
With an A win the B team were pumped....until the roster was being put together.We only had seven players.FUCK!Seven became eight when eamonn was able to stay and play his second game of the day.Thats trooper shit right there.
Away team again so we were up to bat first.First up,me.yikes.I stepped into the box.Usual adrenaline running through me.Stop And Think playing in my head but im concentrating on the pitcher.The wind up.The release.BAM!i get dinged on the top of my left cleat.I nearly fall on my ass but compose myself and take my base.Anyway i can get there right?I steal second and am stoked.A ball is hit over to the outfield but is caught.In this instance i need to go back to second base and tag up.In this instance i forget this because i'm an idiot and before i can get back im tagged out.I'm the first out and i feel like shit.We end up getting three runs in by the end of the inning but it should have been four.I;m an asshole.
We take the field and Victor has me palying third base which i never usually play.I kind of feel it awkward but he's the boss and you do what the boss says.This aint no democracy.Glen Poor was pitching this game and to see him work is awesome.He's got command over his pitches and you can see he's up there having fun.First batter struck out and the second batter hit a grounder my way.I charged it scooped,settled myself and,if i don't say so myself,threw a pretty perfect ball to Brian on 1B.inning over we headed to bat.
The pitcher was getting into a groove more and our guys were getting struck out or fly ball were being snagged.This time when i step up to bat BAM! again.This time the other foot.At least this dude is hitting me on even sides.I take my base.I'm stealing second but this time the throw from the catcher is faster and i have to Pete Rose my ass into second
I kinda overshoot it but i'm on the base thats whats important.What's not on is my Get The Most shirt is covered in shit.Dirty work yadda yadda yadda.I manage to steal third on the next couple of pitches but the side gets retired with me on third.I want that run goddamnit!
This is where things take a dip.as what happened in the Spartans game we kinda lose ourselves and end up causing us a lot of runs.This was a mix of good hitting on the Mariners front and some errors on the infield of which i have a share.They score five runs and we're chasing.this goes on till the top the 7th and im up.I see the pitch i'm getting is a,not going to hit me and b,looking kinda good so i swing.I connect and i take off.I see no one is getting it so i'm able to run to second base.A DOUBLE!sweet.I steal third on the catcher losing the ball and i'm amped to score a legit run.up steps Boomer and he delivers.I'm home.
This rally is going awesome.we have two runners on base and we are trailing 10-7.This is it!we can do this.Oh wait,no we can't cause of the automatic out.Cock it!That remains the final score and our last batter goes down swinging.It's a loss yeah but we battled back hard to get to 10-7.We battled hard.We shake hands and congratulate the other team but again,this is bitter.
We could have won this one and got a clean sweep of The Mariners but it wasn't to be.Its that auto out thats killing us and we know it.But what can we do?We can think it over and shake it off.We got bigger fish to fry,the Hurricanes on the 8th of August.They're undefeated this season but give me eight other dudes and we'll do the business.Do the business for real.
todays Black Sox were
1. #19 Glen Poor
2. Eamonn Gordon
3. #51 Brian Connolly
4. #6 Wayne O'Donohue
5. Chris Mahon
6. #55 Justin Turner
7. #26 Kevin Dillon
8. Victor Del Rosal
9. WE DIDN'T FUCKING HAVE ONE!
Lets go Black Sox!Get the most!
Saturday, May 19, 2012
intro/bust
Let me catch you up.
This year i got my finger out and got myself hooked up playing with a team.Actually scratch that.This year i got my finger out and got myself hooked up actually playing baseball.Why baseball?When i was a kid NBC used to be on the standard cable package and they showed a lot of MLB games.Being a kid and watching Toronto playing the Pirates was such a big deal.I had obviously been exposed baseball through tv and film but to be watching actual games was unreal.I was a Blue Jays fan when i was younger as i had a Jays hat that my dad had gotten for me when he was visiting my uncle that summer.I have a lot of love for that team but i'm a through and through Phillies fan.That was kind of through my love for bands from Philadelphia(Atari,Rain On The Parade) but also cause...well they rule.I mean look at Chase Utley's hair!
This was easy enough to arrange as i knew Baseball Ireland were doing Winter training in preparation for their season starting.Sweet.
I had a glove as i picked one up last time i was in the states so with a somewhat basic knowledge of the rules and a hopeful attitude i headed to the first training.It was taking place up in St.Benildus gym in Stilorgan.Being indoors was kinda good as we all know Ireland isn't terribly conducive to outdoor activities in Februry.I was was kind of nervous being the only person who hadn't played before.Especially when the first dude i talked to had being playing 14 years....WHAAAAT?
Turns out everyone was awesome and was patient with me and helped me out.I also learned why everyone hates the ladders.Fucking left foot,right foot bullshit.
Each training was better than the last and was quickly becoming the highlight of my week.I also got more confident in throwing and was actually getting better.i was getting used to the movements and getting ripped in the thigh area from taking ground balls.it still kills when you're in that position for an extended period but damn thats a good burn.We also got to make use of the pitching machine.
Now this ruled.I wanted to use a batting cag e when i was in Japan but for whatever bullshit reason that never happened.This was my first experience at batting and needless to say i didn't fair too well.20 balls and i think i connected with two.That shit was fairly slow as well.I got better eventually but batting still fucks me.I get frustrated and my form gets worse.Bren has been getting in my head to ditch this habit and it's working but still.Im looking for more Ty Cobb and a little less Bill Bergen(1).This will come with time right?RIGHT?
Through talking to the very righteous Mr.Peter Kavanagh of the Dublin Hurricanes i got introduced to Brendan Scott of the Dublin Black Sox.They played out Shanganagh Park,now named Black Sox park.Now the beauty of playing this sport in Ireland means if you want to play you can play.Plus he obviously observed my raw natural talent.and that has was how i came to be playing for the Black Sox.
As training was coming to an end i was looking forward to starting the season.I also knew the next time i would see the dudes i was friendly with i would facing them on the field.And so with that the season began.
LETS GO SOX!
For deets on Baseball in Ireland hit up Baseball Ireland . Theres fixtures and standings up there.
1.Ty Cobb has the highest recording batting average of.366 while Bill Bergen has the lowest BA at .170 after 3028 career at bats.
Batting average is the number of hits you have divided by your number of at bats.See maths is fun.
This year i got my finger out and got myself hooked up playing with a team.Actually scratch that.This year i got my finger out and got myself hooked up actually playing baseball.Why baseball?When i was a kid NBC used to be on the standard cable package and they showed a lot of MLB games.Being a kid and watching Toronto playing the Pirates was such a big deal.I had obviously been exposed baseball through tv and film but to be watching actual games was unreal.I was a Blue Jays fan when i was younger as i had a Jays hat that my dad had gotten for me when he was visiting my uncle that summer.I have a lot of love for that team but i'm a through and through Phillies fan.That was kind of through my love for bands from Philadelphia(Atari,Rain On The Parade) but also cause...well they rule.I mean look at Chase Utley's hair!
This was easy enough to arrange as i knew Baseball Ireland were doing Winter training in preparation for their season starting.Sweet.
I had a glove as i picked one up last time i was in the states so with a somewhat basic knowledge of the rules and a hopeful attitude i headed to the first training.It was taking place up in St.Benildus gym in Stilorgan.Being indoors was kinda good as we all know Ireland isn't terribly conducive to outdoor activities in Februry.I was was kind of nervous being the only person who hadn't played before.Especially when the first dude i talked to had being playing 14 years....WHAAAAT?
Turns out everyone was awesome and was patient with me and helped me out.I also learned why everyone hates the ladders.Fucking left foot,right foot bullshit.
Each training was better than the last and was quickly becoming the highlight of my week.I also got more confident in throwing and was actually getting better.i was getting used to the movements and getting ripped in the thigh area from taking ground balls.it still kills when you're in that position for an extended period but damn thats a good burn.We also got to make use of the pitching machine.
Now this ruled.I wanted to use a batting cag e when i was in Japan but for whatever bullshit reason that never happened.This was my first experience at batting and needless to say i didn't fair too well.20 balls and i think i connected with two.That shit was fairly slow as well.I got better eventually but batting still fucks me.I get frustrated and my form gets worse.Bren has been getting in my head to ditch this habit and it's working but still.Im looking for more Ty Cobb and a little less Bill Bergen(1).This will come with time right?RIGHT?
Through talking to the very righteous Mr.Peter Kavanagh of the Dublin Hurricanes i got introduced to Brendan Scott of the Dublin Black Sox.They played out Shanganagh Park,now named Black Sox park.Now the beauty of playing this sport in Ireland means if you want to play you can play.Plus he obviously observed my raw natural talent.and that has was how i came to be playing for the Black Sox.
As training was coming to an end i was looking forward to starting the season.I also knew the next time i would see the dudes i was friendly with i would facing them on the field.And so with that the season began.
LETS GO SOX!
For deets on Baseball in Ireland hit up Baseball Ireland . Theres fixtures and standings up there.
1.Ty Cobb has the highest recording batting average of.366 while Bill Bergen has the lowest BA at .170 after 3028 career at bats.
Batting average is the number of hits you have divided by your number of at bats.See maths is fun.
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