Monday night marked the first ever playoff game for the young married men of Greenville Oaks, and the only word that can be used to describe that first game is...
EPIC.
The game almost never happened due to a beautiful Monday afternoon giving way to some ominous clouds as the 6:30 hour approached. Amid much speculation that game 1 of the spring playoffs may not get underway due to rain, the powers that be decided that the show must go on.
The matchup featured the 4 seed Greenville Oaks and the 1 seed Chase Oaks. It was an intriguing matchup as the teams split the season series with one win a piece. Despite Chase Oaks having the better record, the teams matched up very well on paper. The teams had a similar mustache ratio, and they both had "Oaks" in their team name. The game really had all the makings for a great competition, but the crowd couldn't have expected the historic duel that specatators will be telling their grandkids about.
The game started out with rain just before the first pitch was thrown. Greenville won the toss, and they elected be the home team. Bryan Brokaw took the flat mound for the Green Oaks. Brokaw was coming fresh off two wins in his last two decisions, and the team hoped to ride that golden arm to their third straight victory.
The Chase Oaks jumped out early with their offense, as they posted 2 runs in the top of the first. Greenville answered quickly though as Mike Mabry belted a homerun in the bottom half of the first, which plated David Strickland and Dustin Swart to make the score 3 to 2 in favor of the Green Oaks.
The Chase Oaks scored 2 more in the top of the 2nd inning, and it gave the Chase Oaks the lead at 4 to 3. The rain really began causing problems for the Green Oaks defense, as they found themselves down 14 to 5 going in to the bottom of the fourth. It was key for the Greenville team to score runs in the bottom of the 4th, because once you finish 4 innings in softball, it can be declared a full game if they have to call it due to inclement weather.
With lightening flashing over head and rumbles of thunder beginning to pick up steam, the hopes of a first playoff win for the Green Oaks seemed to be fading with each passing second. The Green Oaks still had fight in them, however, and they broke out for 7 runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it 14 -12. Everyone held their breath when the inning ended to see if the game might be called as a steady rain begain to make field conditions a little sloppy. The game was not called, and the defenses began to take over.
The fifth inning led to two scoreless frames for both teams. In the sixth inning, Brokaw picked up the pace and held the Chase Oaks scoreless as the uniforms on both teams began to fully soak through. With the winds swirling in the bottom of the sixth, the Green put up a run to make the score 14 - 13 in favor of the Chase.
In the seventh, the Chase were again held scoreless for the third inning in a row, and it left it up for the Green to tie or win the game. With a runner on 3rd and 2 outs, Michael Shivers brokaw out with a big at bat and tied the score at 14 a piece, but that was the only run that the Green could score sending the game in to extra innings.
In extra innings, the batter starts his at bat with a full count. That means that batter only gets one pitch. At this moment, their was a heavy downpour, along with swirling winds and the occasional lightening flashing above. The game moved on.
In the 8th inning, the teams sloshed around in what was becoming a large mud pit and neither team was able to score any runs.
The ninth inning brought on more rain, but the clouds were beginning to break to the west and the sun was poking through. The teams were soaked, but each team managed to score a run in the inning which brought the score to 15 to 15. Randy Way drove in the big hit, and Cade Thompson scored the tying run as he ended up at third with his 2nd acrobatic slide into third of the game.
In the top of the 10th, the pitcher's rubber could not even be seen, and you couldn't even see the shoes of the batter standing in the batter's box. The game moved on though, and the Chase struck with 2 runs in the inning and only had one out.
With that, the umpire called the game due to unfit field conditions claiming that the field had become a safety hazard.
The game will resume in the top of the 10th inning next Monday night. Chase Oaks will finish their top of the inning, and Brian Edwards will lead off for the Green Oaks in the bottom of the inning.
Stay tuned...
Monday, May 3, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Greenville Clinches First Ever Playoff Birth!!!
For the first time in the history of the Greenville Oaks Church of Christ Young Married Mens' Softball Franchise, the team is going to the playoffs. Greenville took care of business on Monday night against FBC Carpenter with a score of 13 - 10. It has been an up and down Spring season for the ball club, but they fought back to win 4 of their last 5 games to finish the season 4-4 with sole possession of the fourth and final playoff spot."It was a great night four our team and our fans," mentioned Coach Bryan Brokaw after being pulled out of an infield celebratory pile (pictured above). "We have been met with a lot of adversity this year, but we have fought through a lot, and I credit our guys for fighting through a rough start and bringing us to where we are tonight," Brokaw added. "Those guys in that locker room are special, they are softball players, they are professionals. You can't ask for a better group, and I am just so proud of the way they played."
Brokaw clearly seemed overcome with emotion as the realization of being the youngest coach in the history of the DII Monday night Church league to take his team to the playoffs. In the early going of Monday night's contest, it looked like Greenville may have missed their opportunity.
In fact, after scoring 2 runs in the first, Greenville surrendered three runs and the lead in the bottom half of the inning. The Greenville bats looked like they might not show up as FBC Carpenter carried a 5 to 3 lead going into the top of the fourth, but Greenville batted around in the fourth and the team staked themselves to a 5 run lead. They would tack on 3 more crucial insurance runs in the last two innings, and the team held on in the final inning to win 13 to 10.
"It wasn't pretty," said the team captain and catcher Brian Edwards. "We made some mistakes in the field, but we always overcame those mistakes to get the outs."
The playoff schedule is set for next week, May 3rd. Greenville will take on the number one seed at 6:30 pm next Monday night on Field two at Ford Field. Tickets go on sale Tuesday morning at 8 am, and they are expecting tickets to sell out quickly.
Some quick end of the season awards...
Best Warning Track Power: Michael Shivers
Most Confused: Kurt Wasemiller
Best Eye at the Plate: Shane Spencer
Rookie of the Year : Tucker Pierson
Defensive Player of the Year: David Strickland
Best Base Runner: Dustin Swart
Nicest Wind Pants: Mike Mabry
Player of the Year: Tall Dr. Kellum
Best Mustache: Brian Edwards
Best Immitation Baseball Stance: Clay Platt
Healthiest Player: Cade Thompson
Best Spectator: Randy Way
Best Scholar: James Manley
Best One Hit Wonder: Shane Collins
Best Dives Without Making the Catch: John Garrett
Best Team at losing in the 9th inning: Texas Rangers
Most Well Rested: Blake Wattenburger
Best Rookie Pitcher: Grant Glover
And of Course...
Coach of the Year: Bryan Brokaw
Monday, April 19, 2010
Greenville Oaks Bounces Back to Take Late Game Part II
For the second straight week, the Greenville Oaks softball team had the 9:30 late game, and the script couldn't have been any different. After suffering a tough loss last week where the bats just didn't show up, the Greenville bats woke up on Monday night to post 17 runs on the scoreboard in just 4 innings, leading the team to their third victory of the season 17 - 5 over First United Methodist.
Greenville also flashed some stellar defense holding FUMC to only 5 runs, 5 of which were unearned. Brokaw took the flat mound for the Oakies, and the team gave up the fewest number of runs of the season.
Leading the charge for the offense was Dustin Swart who really got the bats going by hitting a ball in the top of the first that would have been a real homerun on our normal field two, but due to recent rains the game was moved to the more pitcher friendly field 3. Instead he had to settle for a really long double, but it set the tone for the evening's offensive effort by the rest of the team. Tucker Pierson added a 3 for 3 night as well keep the bats rolling.
Randy Way made his return from the Disabled List(paternity leave...fyi Strickland never missed a game), and he promptly tried to take the first 3 ball walk this season. Blake Wattenburger also made his return from the disabled list, after taking a couple of weeks off due to a freak roller blading accident.
Grant Glover provided the cheering section for the game, as he had relatives that drove all the way from Nashville to come to the game. Greenville fans actually outnumbered our oponents fans 3 to 1 so it was a big night for Greenville all around.
Greenville will get set for their last regular season game of the spring next week. Greenville will play at 7:30 next Monday night.
Greenville also flashed some stellar defense holding FUMC to only 5 runs, 5 of which were unearned. Brokaw took the flat mound for the Oakies, and the team gave up the fewest number of runs of the season.
Leading the charge for the offense was Dustin Swart who really got the bats going by hitting a ball in the top of the first that would have been a real homerun on our normal field two, but due to recent rains the game was moved to the more pitcher friendly field 3. Instead he had to settle for a really long double, but it set the tone for the evening's offensive effort by the rest of the team. Tucker Pierson added a 3 for 3 night as well keep the bats rolling.
Randy Way made his return from the Disabled List(paternity leave...fyi Strickland never missed a game), and he promptly tried to take the first 3 ball walk this season. Blake Wattenburger also made his return from the disabled list, after taking a couple of weeks off due to a freak roller blading accident.
Grant Glover provided the cheering section for the game, as he had relatives that drove all the way from Nashville to come to the game. Greenville fans actually outnumbered our oponents fans 3 to 1 so it was a big night for Greenville all around.
Greenville will get set for their last regular season game of the spring next week. Greenville will play at 7:30 next Monday night.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Greenville Rally Falls Just Short Against Christ the Servant
Greenville Oaks had the late game on Monday night, and their opponent Christ the Servant jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. In the fourth and final inning, it appeared that Greenville was going to rally when David Strickland worked a walk to lead off, Michael Shivers reached on a single down the left field line, and Clay Platt roped a "Bagwell Style" 3 run homerun out to left center. Unfortunately for Greenville, after Dusty Swart reached on a single, Shane Spencer hit into a fielders choice forcing Swart to be out at second. They threw to first base to try and get a double play on Spencer, but he successfully beat out the throw. In a terrible twist of fate, an unforseen hole jumped out and twisted Shane's ankle which forced him back into the field of play, and thus the first baseman applied the tag and gave Greenville their second out. With time running out and only one out to work with, Brokaw singled to the right side, but was out at second when Mike Mabry hit a scorcher that the short stop for Christ the Servant made an incredible play to complet the fielders choice at second. That third out ended the game, and thus the rally fell just short with the final score resting at...
Christ the Servant Lutheran - 29
Greenville Oaks Church of Christ - 4
One might think that this loss would be devestating inside the clubhouse, but thanks to recent lessons at church, spirits remained high as the teammates knew that when game is over, it all goes back in the box.
Player of the game: Jamie Manley
Thanks for being our only fan Jamie!
Greenville has the late game again next monday night.
Christ the Servant Lutheran - 29
Greenville Oaks Church of Christ - 4
One might think that this loss would be devestating inside the clubhouse, but thanks to recent lessons at church, spirits remained high as the teammates knew that when game is over, it all goes back in the box.
Player of the game: Jamie Manley
Thanks for being our only fan Jamie!
Greenville has the late game again next monday night.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Perfect Sweep for GO!!
Opening Day for the Texas Rangers has always been a sacred day in the Brokaw household. In fact, it happens to be a holiday every year at my office. My office administrator and I both take the day off to enjoy the sights and sounds of major league baseball. So you can imagine, when the Rangers came back from a 3-0 deficit this afternoon to win it in the ninth, I was a pretty happy camper. But when you throw in a sweep of a double header for the Greenville Oaks just hours follwoing the Rangers first vicotory......Heaven?
Yes it's true. The Greenville Oaks softabll team captured it's first and second win of the season on Monday night, and they were both down to the wire. Greenville captured their first win with a four inning slugfest with FUMC Blue, with the final score ending at 18-15. The second game shaped into a pitchers duel that left Greenville on the better end of a 9-7 score against Chase Oaks.
The wins push Greenville to 2 and 3 on the season, and it puts the team back in contention for a playoff run. The wins didn't come without some in game heroics from several members of the squad.
Just as the Rangers had Nelson Cruz, GO had...Michael Shivers. Shivers provided two offensive homeruns on the night. He had one for each game, and thus was named the night's MVP.
The team also welcomed some new faces to the team, as Kurt Wasemiller and Tucker Pierson joined the squad. Tucker not only provided a fresh face, but also became the first Greenville Oaks rookie pitcher to win his first start as he took the mound in the first game against FUMC. Kurt and Tucker now are undefeated in games in which they have played.
Shane Spencer made his first appearance of the spring. Spencer was coming of a 3 game stint on the D. L. suffering from some kind of disorder that causes your legs to swell and make your shorts look to small for you. Spencer got his first win of the season as he pitched a flawless game against Chase Oaks.
It was a team effort though, as the defense has begun to show some improvement over the last few weeks.
Randy Way and Brian Edwards held down the catching duties in platoon roles keeping the runners from steeling relentlessly. Edwards came into the game suffering from a terrible allergic reaction to an unknown substance. Way came into the game suffering from a pregnant wife. Both are listed day to day.
Grant Glover played the first game and contributed well, but a late game injury forced him to be on the 1 game D. L. and miss the second game. He is expected to be able to play next week.
David Stickland contributed some big time defense in the victory as they successfully completed a 6-4-3 double play in the second game to keep the defensive battle going.
Dustin Swart switched positions back over to 1st base, and fielded the position without error. Dusty continues to hit the ball really hard, and run really slow. He could probably lead the team on in-the-park-homeruns, but he usually only makes it to 2nd base.
Clay Platt continues to lock down the left field position making plays all over the field. He turned over a new leaf, however, as witnesses report that he did throw it to the cutoff man at least twice.
Cade Thompson came out and played a great third base for the club, despite the sun completely obscuring his vision. Third base was played well until Brokaw came in and messed it up. Cade continues his hot hitting spring, and he made a habit of going to the opposite field.
John Garrett and Mike Mabry continued to play solid outfield positions, and Mike Mabry continues to hit the ball very well. John added a great on base percentage and gives the team tremendous speed on the bases, and he also brings a healthy amount of panther pride to the squad.
Add all of that up, and you get a great night for the Greenville Oaks team. They get their first win, and they hand Chase Oaks their first loss of the season. GO will be back in action next Monday night and Christ the Servant, with the first pitch being thrown at 9:30 pm.
Yes it's true. The Greenville Oaks softabll team captured it's first and second win of the season on Monday night, and they were both down to the wire. Greenville captured their first win with a four inning slugfest with FUMC Blue, with the final score ending at 18-15. The second game shaped into a pitchers duel that left Greenville on the better end of a 9-7 score against Chase Oaks.
The wins push Greenville to 2 and 3 on the season, and it puts the team back in contention for a playoff run. The wins didn't come without some in game heroics from several members of the squad.
Just as the Rangers had Nelson Cruz, GO had...Michael Shivers. Shivers provided two offensive homeruns on the night. He had one for each game, and thus was named the night's MVP.
The team also welcomed some new faces to the team, as Kurt Wasemiller and Tucker Pierson joined the squad. Tucker not only provided a fresh face, but also became the first Greenville Oaks rookie pitcher to win his first start as he took the mound in the first game against FUMC. Kurt and Tucker now are undefeated in games in which they have played.
Shane Spencer made his first appearance of the spring. Spencer was coming of a 3 game stint on the D. L. suffering from some kind of disorder that causes your legs to swell and make your shorts look to small for you. Spencer got his first win of the season as he pitched a flawless game against Chase Oaks.
It was a team effort though, as the defense has begun to show some improvement over the last few weeks.
Randy Way and Brian Edwards held down the catching duties in platoon roles keeping the runners from steeling relentlessly. Edwards came into the game suffering from a terrible allergic reaction to an unknown substance. Way came into the game suffering from a pregnant wife. Both are listed day to day.
Grant Glover played the first game and contributed well, but a late game injury forced him to be on the 1 game D. L. and miss the second game. He is expected to be able to play next week.
David Stickland contributed some big time defense in the victory as they successfully completed a 6-4-3 double play in the second game to keep the defensive battle going.
Dustin Swart switched positions back over to 1st base, and fielded the position without error. Dusty continues to hit the ball really hard, and run really slow. He could probably lead the team on in-the-park-homeruns, but he usually only makes it to 2nd base.
Clay Platt continues to lock down the left field position making plays all over the field. He turned over a new leaf, however, as witnesses report that he did throw it to the cutoff man at least twice.
Cade Thompson came out and played a great third base for the club, despite the sun completely obscuring his vision. Third base was played well until Brokaw came in and messed it up. Cade continues his hot hitting spring, and he made a habit of going to the opposite field.
John Garrett and Mike Mabry continued to play solid outfield positions, and Mike Mabry continues to hit the ball very well. John added a great on base percentage and gives the team tremendous speed on the bases, and he also brings a healthy amount of panther pride to the squad.
Add all of that up, and you get a great night for the Greenville Oaks team. They get their first win, and they hand Chase Oaks their first loss of the season. GO will be back in action next Monday night and Christ the Servant, with the first pitch being thrown at 9:30 pm.
Monday, March 29, 2010
St Jude Alpha Puts GO in the Hurt Locker
The Greenville Oaks softball team resumed play on Monday night after have a week off to play in the snow. The week off came at a good time as the team was desperately needing to nurse some injuries from the first week. The game started at 6:30 pm which has its advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, sometimes it is difficult to get to the game on time because of traffic and other things that get in the way. On the other hand, sometimes it's nice to get home early enough from the game to watch The Hurt Locker for the first time.
The Greenville Oaks team fell short yet again on Monday night with the final score resting at 12 - 10. GO couldn't climb out of an early hole to catch the mighty Alphas of St Jude. The game did not go without some significant bright spots for GO, which held a team below 20 runs for the first time this season. The reason for this tremendous defensive turn around? Rookie pitcher Grant Glolver made his pitching debut for the fighting Oakies, and he pitched a tremendous gem. Although Glover struggled early in the game, he found his stride late in the game and managed to hold St Jude to one run in the last three innings.
He had help though. Sparkling plays in the field provided some fantastic defensive web gems. Everyone contributed on the defensive side, with John Garrett chasing down fly balls in right field, the powerful double play combination of Blake Wattenburger and David Strickland, and Brian Edwards holding runners from his catchers position. "It was a great team effort," said Coach Brokaw after the game. "We are disappointed that we didn't get the win, but we definitely can take away some positive things from this game."
On a side note, Coach Brokaw remains one of the few coaches in the metroplex to have not failed a drug test in the last two years. He also remains one of the few players ever to strike out looking in slow pitch softball.
One of the larger stories of the game was the return of Shane Collins. Just when it appeared that GO would have to play the entire game shorthanded. Shane came to the rescue in the first inning, and he later added a homerun to cut into the lead in the fifth inning.
Greenville Oaks begins the spring season at 0 and 3 for the first time in Spring League history for the team. They will attempt to break into the win column next week. Until next time, So long everybody.
The Greenville Oaks team fell short yet again on Monday night with the final score resting at 12 - 10. GO couldn't climb out of an early hole to catch the mighty Alphas of St Jude. The game did not go without some significant bright spots for GO, which held a team below 20 runs for the first time this season. The reason for this tremendous defensive turn around? Rookie pitcher Grant Glolver made his pitching debut for the fighting Oakies, and he pitched a tremendous gem. Although Glover struggled early in the game, he found his stride late in the game and managed to hold St Jude to one run in the last three innings.
He had help though. Sparkling plays in the field provided some fantastic defensive web gems. Everyone contributed on the defensive side, with John Garrett chasing down fly balls in right field, the powerful double play combination of Blake Wattenburger and David Strickland, and Brian Edwards holding runners from his catchers position. "It was a great team effort," said Coach Brokaw after the game. "We are disappointed that we didn't get the win, but we definitely can take away some positive things from this game."
On a side note, Coach Brokaw remains one of the few coaches in the metroplex to have not failed a drug test in the last two years. He also remains one of the few players ever to strike out looking in slow pitch softball.
One of the larger stories of the game was the return of Shane Collins. Just when it appeared that GO would have to play the entire game shorthanded. Shane came to the rescue in the first inning, and he later added a homerun to cut into the lead in the fifth inning.
Greenville Oaks begins the spring season at 0 and 3 for the first time in Spring League history for the team. They will attempt to break into the win column next week. Until next time, So long everybody.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
2 up 2 Down Down Down Down!
The Greenville Oaks Spring 2010 season is underway, and they got started on Monday night with a Double Header against Chase Oaks and Christ the Servant. When you check the box score you will see a story in the numbers that says that Greenville Oaks had a bad night on the field. In game one, Greenville dug themselves an early hole as they showed a some first game jitters. It proved to be a hole they could not climb out of, as Chase Oaks went on to win that game 20 something to 12.
The second game was a different story, but unfortunately a similar result. The Greenville Oakies jumped out to an early six run lead, and the defense managed to hold Christ the Servant to 2 scoreless innings to start. Unfortunately, the merry-go-round began for Christ the Servant, and they went on to steal game two 20 something to 8.
It is the first time that Greenville has started a season 0-2, but Coach Brokaw seemed to look on the bright side of things. "I was really proud of the way our team fought tonight," said Brokaw. "I look at these spring training games as practice for the real thing. We had a lot of great at bats tonight. The defense was a little spotty, and pitching was horrendous, but those are all things that hopefully we can get worked out before opening day."
Apparently no one told Brokaw that the season had actually started. Result: 2 losses.
However, the real story of the games were not the numbers that you will find in the box score. The real story lies in a rarely looked at side note in the game programs...The Injury Report. So for the first time in this blogs history, I present to you THE INJURY REPORT...
1) Shane Spencer - Did not play. Spouse suffering from a swollen jaw. Out for 2 weeks.
2) Blake Wattenburger - Played (knocked out of game 1). Knee contusion. After getting off to a great start, Blake took a screaming grounder right off the knee near the end of the first game. Listed as Day to Day.
3) James Manley - Played (Had to leave after game 1) James played a great game behind the plate as the catcher in game one, but due to a condition that is currently being called "spousal early morning drop off syndrome" he had to retire early. Listed as Day to Day.
4) Dustin Swart - Played. Dustin had to fight through a diagnosed tear of the groin muscle when he made a great lunging play at first base to get an out. He needed assistance from teammates in order to get out of the splits position. Listed as Day to Day.
5) Clay Platt - Played. Suffering through what is called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. This is an injury similar to something Jarrod Saltalamacchia suffered from last year when he couldn't quite throw the ball back to the pitcher. In Clay's case, Doctor's have begun to notice that his arm is so strong that he seems to have a mental block that does not allow him to hit a cutoff man. It is a hard diagnosis for a player, because it is not known what causes the problem. For now he is listed as day to day.
6) David Strickland - Played. Strickland ran into some problems with what is called an extreme case of cramps. Wait...I meant Charley Horses. I'm not sure what is was called, but he was clearly in pain, but managed to finish both games. Day to Day.
7) Cade Thompson - Played. Cade came in with a pre-existing issue that he carried with him through the off season. He has some cartilage issues in his knee that he fought through to finish both games. Day to Day. (Interesting note...Cade pitched to 3 batters tonight and had 3 walks.)
8) Mike Mabry - Played. Dealing with a tough case of roid rage. Day to Day. (Had the team's lone homerun.)
9) Bryan Brokaw - Played. You could see him literally getting older with every pitch. He started game 1 age 26. Ended game 2 27. Tough night for the pitcher. Day to Day.
10) John Garrett - Played. He has been diagnosed with a case of "Oops...I shouldn't have told him to go home." He struggled as third base coach, but he played a great game in the outfield. We'll call him day to day as well.
11) Michael Shivers - Played (reluctantly). Shivers is suffering from a mild case of emotional anxiety attacks. It started when, what appeared to be Dr. Kellum, hit a screaming line drive that breezed inches away from Mike's face. Needless to say, the entire event was a little too much for Shivers to handle. He couldn't figure out why a doctor and an elder would try to hurt him like that. With the appropriate medication, Shivers should be back next week. Day to Day.
12) Randy Way - Played. Dead arm. Randy even voiced concern that he may not be able to play at all before the games because he threw out his arm warming up. A little ice and heat, and he should be back next week. Day to Day.
13) Brian Edwards - No apparent injuries, but he did suffer from identity theft. The pitcher for Christ the Servant called himself Brian Edwards for the entire night. Questionable.
14) Grant Glover - The only player to make it through the evening without any injury. Clearly Grant's off season workouts paid off, as he clearly was the most well-conditioned athlete on the field. His only illness may be color blindness, as he has an inability to see the orange bag right next to first base. Probable.
Not that excuses are being made, but Greenville Oaks had the deck stacked against them on this night. With a week to lick their wounds, the team will be ready to take on the next challenge next Monday night at 7:30.
Update: Off season strength and conditioning coach Randy Way has been let go. No replacement has been named as of yet. Stay tuned...
The second game was a different story, but unfortunately a similar result. The Greenville Oakies jumped out to an early six run lead, and the defense managed to hold Christ the Servant to 2 scoreless innings to start. Unfortunately, the merry-go-round began for Christ the Servant, and they went on to steal game two 20 something to 8.
It is the first time that Greenville has started a season 0-2, but Coach Brokaw seemed to look on the bright side of things. "I was really proud of the way our team fought tonight," said Brokaw. "I look at these spring training games as practice for the real thing. We had a lot of great at bats tonight. The defense was a little spotty, and pitching was horrendous, but those are all things that hopefully we can get worked out before opening day."
Apparently no one told Brokaw that the season had actually started. Result: 2 losses.
However, the real story of the games were not the numbers that you will find in the box score. The real story lies in a rarely looked at side note in the game programs...The Injury Report. So for the first time in this blogs history, I present to you THE INJURY REPORT...
1) Shane Spencer - Did not play. Spouse suffering from a swollen jaw. Out for 2 weeks.
2) Blake Wattenburger - Played (knocked out of game 1). Knee contusion. After getting off to a great start, Blake took a screaming grounder right off the knee near the end of the first game. Listed as Day to Day.
3) James Manley - Played (Had to leave after game 1) James played a great game behind the plate as the catcher in game one, but due to a condition that is currently being called "spousal early morning drop off syndrome" he had to retire early. Listed as Day to Day.
4) Dustin Swart - Played. Dustin had to fight through a diagnosed tear of the groin muscle when he made a great lunging play at first base to get an out. He needed assistance from teammates in order to get out of the splits position. Listed as Day to Day.
5) Clay Platt - Played. Suffering through what is called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. This is an injury similar to something Jarrod Saltalamacchia suffered from last year when he couldn't quite throw the ball back to the pitcher. In Clay's case, Doctor's have begun to notice that his arm is so strong that he seems to have a mental block that does not allow him to hit a cutoff man. It is a hard diagnosis for a player, because it is not known what causes the problem. For now he is listed as day to day.
6) David Strickland - Played. Strickland ran into some problems with what is called an extreme case of cramps. Wait...I meant Charley Horses. I'm not sure what is was called, but he was clearly in pain, but managed to finish both games. Day to Day.
7) Cade Thompson - Played. Cade came in with a pre-existing issue that he carried with him through the off season. He has some cartilage issues in his knee that he fought through to finish both games. Day to Day. (Interesting note...Cade pitched to 3 batters tonight and had 3 walks.)
8) Mike Mabry - Played. Dealing with a tough case of roid rage. Day to Day. (Had the team's lone homerun.)
9) Bryan Brokaw - Played. You could see him literally getting older with every pitch. He started game 1 age 26. Ended game 2 27. Tough night for the pitcher. Day to Day.
10) John Garrett - Played. He has been diagnosed with a case of "Oops...I shouldn't have told him to go home." He struggled as third base coach, but he played a great game in the outfield. We'll call him day to day as well.
11) Michael Shivers - Played (reluctantly). Shivers is suffering from a mild case of emotional anxiety attacks. It started when, what appeared to be Dr. Kellum, hit a screaming line drive that breezed inches away from Mike's face. Needless to say, the entire event was a little too much for Shivers to handle. He couldn't figure out why a doctor and an elder would try to hurt him like that. With the appropriate medication, Shivers should be back next week. Day to Day.
12) Randy Way - Played. Dead arm. Randy even voiced concern that he may not be able to play at all before the games because he threw out his arm warming up. A little ice and heat, and he should be back next week. Day to Day.
13) Brian Edwards - No apparent injuries, but he did suffer from identity theft. The pitcher for Christ the Servant called himself Brian Edwards for the entire night. Questionable.
14) Grant Glover - The only player to make it through the evening without any injury. Clearly Grant's off season workouts paid off, as he clearly was the most well-conditioned athlete on the field. His only illness may be color blindness, as he has an inability to see the orange bag right next to first base. Probable.
Not that excuses are being made, but Greenville Oaks had the deck stacked against them on this night. With a week to lick their wounds, the team will be ready to take on the next challenge next Monday night at 7:30.
Update: Off season strength and conditioning coach Randy Way has been let go. No replacement has been named as of yet. Stay tuned...
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