GAME #1: Disaster

Rogues 0 Brockville 10

This was ugly from the get-go. Cox got the start on the mound, and after the Rogues went in order in the top of the first, we started out well in the bottom half, getting 2 outs via K and ground out before a pop fly was dropped to prolong the inning. An ensuing base hit put Brockville's winning run across for the 1-0 lead. Copy and paste for inning #2, substituting dropped pop fly for mis-throw to first, and the Brockvillians are up 2-0 after 2. A couple hits in the third make it 4-0 before Cox settled in and pitched 2 scoreless innings.

Bottom 6, and after 3 runners got on, Cox came out and Musicka went in, faired little better as the Brockville batters poured it on, mercy-ing the Rogues 10-0 for their first game.

Defense will have to be better going forward if we hope to do anything in this tourney. Fortunately, the Exit A's lost 10-1 to the Guzzlers, meaning we're far from out of it. Look for more posts, and hopefully some pics, tomorrow.

M@

BMFL Tournament Preview: Rogues busting out the Fu Manchus for the weekend

Yup, once again it's the Blackburn Mens Fastball Tournament time, and honestly, no one really knows what to expect. Our results in this Tournament have varied significantly over the years, from losing 5-1 to the Valley Raiders in the 2002 Finals, to not winning a single game the following year, as well as 2007. We've made the semi finals twice, and have not made the Sunday playoffs several times as well. What will be different this time around? Well, facial hair for one. No less than 5 Rogues will be sporting the Fu Manchu mustaches this weekend.

The Tourney format is a little strange, but not too bad. A total of 9 teams are divided into 3 pools of 3. You play each Pool team once, and you play one inter-pool game for a total of 3 each. Since there are nine teams, one of the teams has to play TWO inter-pool games for a total of 4 round robin games, then have one of the inter-pool games randomly withdrawn. As luck would have it, that team is us. The top 2 teams from each pool move on to Sunday, where The 3rd ranked team plays the 6th ranked team, 4th plays 5th, and 1st and 2nd place teams receive byes. Then there's semi-finals against the top 2 seeded teams, then the finals. For the Rogues to win the tournament, it will take playing between 6 and 7 games this weekend.

ROUND ROBIN GAME #1

Rogues vs Brockville

Friday July 17th

7:45PM - Blackburn Arena Diamond

Far too little is known about the boys from Brockville. Billed as a team of "rec guys", Brockville is bringing their team to Blackburn Hamlet for the first time, and their first game is at 7:45 against the green and gray. The Rogues will be countering with 11 players for the Friday nighter, including pitchers Cox, Musicka, Wilson and Blakely, catchers Emmerson and Soucy, outfielders Edmunds and Fauteux and infielders Peters, Desjardins, and Dishaw. This, along with our last game against Exit A's, is a Pool game, (guaranteed to count) making it that much more important to win.

ROUND ROBIN GAME #2
Rogues vs Trend Arlington

Saturday July 18th
9:00AM - Queensway Diamond

Our second game features the Rogues taking on the guys from the Trend Arlington Fastball League in their first inter-pool game, which plays off of Greenbank Road in the west end. Rumour has it the TA guys have picked up Fitzroy Harbour's Bud Hanlon and Quyon Flyers' Matt Greer to pitch for them this weekend, which would be a coup for the team heading into this weekend's action. The Rogues would have their hands full with some tough pitching, but the TA bats will have to get the job done. Should be a great early morning battle.

ROUND ROBIN GAME #3

Rogues vs Stan's Diner
Saturday July 18th

1:00PM - Blackburn Arena Diamond

The other inter-pool game is against Stan's Diner, who won our only match against them this season 8-4. Stan's is a solid team, whose regular season record (5-10-1) is not indicative of their ability to win, mainly due to their ace Pierre Lalonde being out for most of the season. With his arm back in their rotation, the former Draughts should have a good run in the tourney this year. Our only other time facing this team in the BMFL Tournament was a 1-0 loss 2 years ago. Lalonde defeated Musicka in a classic pitchers duel. This game, or the Trend Arlington one this morning, will be randomly eliminated from our results.

ROUND ROBIN GAME #4
Rogues vs Exit A's

Saturday July 18th
9:00PM - Blackburn Arena Diamond

Another very important match-up, this game could be the deciding game based on how we do the rest of the way. The very last round robin game of the tournament, fates could be decided in the last inning of this one. We've only faced the A's once this year, in a game that was defaulted when they only had 5 regular players show. We played them anyways with 3 spares in their line-up, and tied 1-1. To give an indication of how our pitching was, all 4 hurlers made an appearance. The 9PM start, after completing their previous game by no later than 3PM, will mean the Rogues will be plenty full of beer and food by the time the captains meeting takes place.

So that's it. The fun starts Friday night at 7:45, and the Rogues will hopefully use the new-look facial hair to rally past some tough opponents and finish near the top of the standings by the end of Saturday. Look for updates and pictures on the Rogues website at http://roguematt.5u.com/rogues.

You Know What Really Grinds My Gears?

Ah, the first of possibly many things that somewhat kinda annoy me.

You Know What Really Grinds My Gears?

Bands that start their shows BEFORE their advertised start time!!!

I love The Watchmen. They are one of my all time favourite bands, I own all their records and have seen them numerous times. This past weekend was to be my 5th. Turns out it was my 4.5th time seeing them.

"Explain how!"

Ok, well, Hope Beach Volleyball was this weekend, and since I'm not a player, I normally wouldn't go. However, the Watchmen were the main attraction, set to go on stage at Mooney's Bay at 5:30. LIES!

I live about a 3 minues drive from Mooney's Bay, so I left home at 5:05, parked the car at Mooney's Bay parking lot and paid the meter at 5:11. I could hear, a few hundred feet away, the Watchmen rocking out to their classic song "Mister", mixed with what appeared to be new material!! COME ON!!! It's not even 5:30!! I grabbed my folding chair out the trunk and paced down the hill to the beach, trapsed around a bunch of stupid fences to find my way in, and paid $20 to get a wrist band. Walked in, grabbed a beer, made my way to the stage. Got a decent view from where I found a spot, avoided the mud pit, and enjoyed....their last 6 songs.

All things considered, they were 6 fantastic songs. "Absolutely Anytime", a fantastic acapella version of "Creeps Like Me" by Lyle Lovitt, "All Uncovered" ("Chicks and sensitive guys like this song", according to front man Daniel Greaves) "Stereo", then a quick break and "Holiday" and "I'm Still Gone" for the 2 song encore.

I was home by 6:10.

Beggers CAN be Choosers: Why I’m siding with Dany Heatley.

If you’re a constant reader of this Blog, you know that my extra-curricular activities are mostly things I’ve created, and managed. As the GM of a fastball team and a ball hockey team, and Founder and co-manager of a poker tour, I can often identify with what major league GMs have to contend with. So you’d be surprised to find that I actually agree with Dany Heatley’s side of things, and not Murray’s.

Let’s start where this all began, the day the stupid Sens fired the single greatest coach the Sens have ever had, in Craig Hartsburg. I mean the guy won GOLD with the Jrs! Then they up and promote this BASTARD Cory Clouston who walks into the dressing room like he OWNS the place, and just starts bossing everyone around! Ok, so the Sens haven’t lived up to their potential thus far. So they have a losing record. So they’re a longshot for the postseason for the first time in years. Does that give Clouston the right to tell Heater to try an improve his skating? Where does Clouston get the nerve to spread out the offense onto two potentially lethal powerplay units? How can Clouston possibly think he has the right to split up The Big Three and demote Heater to the second line, thereby improving the team’s overall offensive production. This ignorance shaved off 2 WHOLE MINUTES of ice time for #15. COME ON!!! Not to mention Clouston’s foolishment and lack of foresight cost the Sens a shot at John Tavares. Then Sens went 19-10-3 over the remainder of the year. They started looking like the team of old. A winner. No wonder Heatley wanted out.

So Heatley innocently, perfectly understandably, tells the media, "Hey. Guys. I want to play for another team." Well, can’t blame him there. I mean here's a guy who scores 50 goals when the team’s doing good. Who WOULDN’T want him? The contract? Peanuts for what you’re getting in return! If you’re a team who’s already doing well, and already has feeders on your top line who know how to pass to a guy with a wicked one-timer, this is a no-brainer. Apparently 28 other GMs CAN be wrong.

Which leaves us with the Edmonton Oilers. And really. Come ON! Have you seen this city? I’m sorry, but would YOU want to play in an arena labelled as one of the loudest in the NHL? The headaches would be unbearable. Maybe Heatley held out until after July 1st because he needed the extra $4 million to spend on Advil. Even if he might get a Rexall discount.

But there’s more. The Oilers are a young growing team who have some solid youth in Gagner, Cogliano and Nielson, you’ve got your skilled top forwards with Hemsky and Horcoff, you’ve just brought in a Cup winner in the Bulin Wall to backstop you for the next 4 years, and the D’s not terrible either with guys like Souray and Gilbert among others. Sure the team didn’t do much under Mac T, but under Quinn? Renney? Not to mention that the Oilers are rich in history and have a tradition of some of the greatest Championship Teams in NHL history, formed by some of the biggest and greatest NHL Superstars ever to play the game. Gretzky. Messier. Kurri. Fuhr. Oh man. Adding Heater to this mix (you lose Cogliano, but that’s ok) and you’ve got a recipe for a great club going forward. True. But here’s where Dany’s likely got some issue: What do you do AFTER the game in effing Edmonton? Build an Igloo? Go dog-sledding? What if Heatley wants to go buy some CDs and also needs a new pair of shoes? What if the West Edmonton Mall’s HMV and Payless Shoes are 8 miles apart? Have you seen this place? It's got carnival rides, you can go on submarine rides, it’s got an effing waterpark in it. Who needs it. Heater’s got ALL that money, and he’s gonna blow out a knee walking around that monstrosity?

Stupid Edmonton. City of Champions my ass.

Heatley’s a smart guy. He got a no-movement contract, so he can dictate where he wants to go. And through this entire development, Dany’s proven one thing that’s apparent with guaranteed contracts: Beggers CAN be chosers.

M@