We Are The Slugs

A premature ending

2011-07-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

By Ed Fletcher

In a Slugs first, Thursday’s game ended with the game being called off after All-Star shortstop Dustin offered the umpire some healthy eating tips.

The umpire, who refused to give his name for this report, had previously taken out his frustration over his inability to see the strike zone by ejecting Dustin.

“I’m incredulous,” stated utility player Kevin Yamamura. “It makes no more sense than that budget they just passed.”

The league promised to look into the matter.

“I hope they do a better job of looking into it than Pakistan did with finding Osama Bin Laden,” said Kathy Fairbanks.

The game was called just as the Slugs -- who were in the mitts of a one-game win streak -- were poised to mount a furious comeback against Dirty Deeds. Pitcher Erin McGuire had settled in after some early control problems and the bats were about to come alive.

“We had them right where we wanted them,” said manager John Kepley. “Next time, it will be settled on the field.”

Slugs victorious!

2011-04-21T23:30:00.000-07:00

It took three games, but the Slugs got their first win of the season Thursday, an 11-7 conquest of Dirty Deeds.

The Slugs batted around mid-game after a slow start and built up a cushion of several runs.

That was a good thing, because the Deeds started to hit in the last couple of innings. They closed the gap but could not erase the Slugs advantage in Thursday's nightcap.

“We stayed focused, played within ourselves, and finally gave Coach Kepley the win he deserves,” infielder Nancy Fairbanks said.

The Slugs’ success came as every team member wore pink Susan G. Komen wristbands in honor of Sarah Lillis, the wife of Slugs standout Ryan Lillis.

Dan Smith made a strong 2011 pitching debut and also had a good night at the plate. Dustin Nicolodi pounded the ball and played a tight shortstop, battling the infield’s bumper crop of weeds.

Catcher Juliet Williams snared a foul pop behind the plate and had a key hit.

The team celebrated its victory at the Tallac. More than 15 players attended the festivities, where refreshments and pizza were served.

Dribblers:

Thursday’s game included the first 1-5-3 double play in Slugs history.

Katherine Skorupski’s sister, Elizabeth, of Dayton, Ohio, attended the game and cheered on the Slugs.

The Slugs face always-tough SoCals Force next week at 6:30 p.m. next Thursday.

Slugs getting closer to first W

2011-04-15T16:03:00.000-07:00

Confronting bumps, bruises and a shoebox-sized strike zone, the Slugs came up just short Thursday against the Isotopes.

It was a particularly painful night for the Smith-Dugan household. First baseman Dan Smith had to leave the game after a softball slammed into his shin, causing a huge contusion. Later, catcher Molly Dugan took a throw off the shoulder, forcing Coach John Kepley to once again go to his bench.

Pitcher Erin McGuire got squeezed all evening but never stopped battling. The Isotopes capitalized on the situation, taking walks on fine-looking pitches.

The Isotopes scored a few runs in the first innings. But the Slugs fought back with a seven-run rally. Key hits came from Mark Martin, McGuire, Melody Gutierrez, Ed Fletcher and others.

The atom variants later pulled ahead despite some Slugs defensive magic. Outfielder Katherine Skorupski caught a line drive, catcher Judy Lin snared a foul pop, and second-baseman Gutierrez laid out to stop a grounder from going into right field.

The Slugs went down quietly in the home half of the last inning, with a final score of 11-7.

“Victory was so close I could taste it,” Coach Kepley said after the game. “But I smell a win coming on.”

Game notes:

Smith spent the rest of the game icing his shin under the supervision of team nurse Mackenzie Yamamura and is listed as day-to-day. (Wait a sec: Who was that playing some tough D at the Y Friday morning??)

The Slugs had fans Thursday – Kevin Yamamura’s parents and 2029 prospect Finn Yamamura.

The Slugs play league newcomers Dirty Deeds next Thursday at 7:30.

Slugs get it started for 2011

2011-03-31T22:47:00.000-07:00

Slugs softball returned for a 10th season Thursday, as the seasoned squad fell to the Chestnuts despite some spirited play.

Kicking off the 2011 campaign, Slugs rookie Dustin Nicolodi delivered a two-run blast and Kevin Yamamura made the highlight reel with a fully extended catch in center field.

“The mounds of newly cut grass cushioned my dive nicely,” Yamamura said.

The Slugs' offense came to life in the bottom of the third. With two out and Jim Miller on second after a 10-foot hit, the team cut loose.

A key smack came from Kathy Fairbanks, who stepped to the dish after the ‘Nuts pitched around Nicolodi. She made them pay with a two-RBI single to right.

The Slugs set the Chestnuts down in order in the next inning. But that was a close as they got, as the youthful ‘Nuts tacked on a few more runs and won 18-9.

Game notes:

Coach Kepley said nine runs were the most the Slugs had ever scored against the team of teal.

Two rain-outs delayed the Slugs' season debut. On Thursday, game-time temperatures were in the 70's.

The Tallac was the venue for post-game pizza, drinks and a Giants 2-1 Opening Day loss. "161-1 is still pretty good," Ahmed Ortiz said.

Slugs Win! SLUGS WIN!!

2010-08-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

Slugs schedule - Fall 2009

2009-08-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

July 30 7:30 p.m. Slugs at Socals
August 6 6:30 p.m. Papi Flanagan's at Slugs
August 13 6:30 p.m. Slugs at University of Phoenix
August 20 8:30 p.m. Slugs at Loose Change
August 27 7:30 p.m. Murph's Red Rocket at Slugs
Sept. 3 9:30 p.m. Slugs at Majority Rules
Sept. 10 7:30 p.m. Chinchillas at Slugs
Sept. 17 8:30 p.m. Socal's at Slugs

Slugs beat SoCals

2009-08-01T13:56:00.001-07:00

By Jim Miller

Slugs correspondent

Five years of futility ended convincingly Thursday as the Slugs knocked off longtime rival SoCals, stunning the barstool bashers 9-6.

Clutch two-out hitting, stingy defense, and timely automatic outs improved the Slugs to 2-and-20 lifetime against SoCals and began the fall 2009 season on an up note.

“Slugs beat SoCals!” a joyous Coach John Kepley yelled afterward in a series of cell phone calls to friends, family, and a confused housewife in Bavaria.

Erin McGuire’s pitching kept the SoCals hitters off-balance and she snared a shot back through the box.

Other stellar defense came from Ryan Lillis, who turned three doubles plays, and Mackenzie Yamamura caught a popup in her third base debut.

On offense, Ahmed Ortiz went 3-for-3 and drove in some runs. Kepley posted the team’s only extra-base hit and keen-eyed Judy Lin walked and singled. In the bleachers, Kevin Yamamura’s parents provided moral support.

With two outs and the game tied 6-6, Ellen Chrismer punched a shot up the middle and drove home her dribbler-hitting husband for the go-ahead run. A pair of insurance runs followed.

As the Slugs took the field for the final half inning, few at a tense Tahoe Park were unaware that SoCals had won every matchup since the Bush-Kerry campaign, including some agonizing come-from-behind victories.

Not this time. SoCals’ lack of women spotted the Slugs a first out. Two quick outs followed and the victorious Slugs headed to the Tallac.

“We hit the ball all over. It was awesome!” McGuire noted in her post-game remarks.

Squibs: Katherine Skorupski played the entire game at second base…Kathy Fairbanks tweaked her shoulder during pre-game warmups and is listed as day-to-day…A dead battery kept Dan Smith from the game and Molly Dugan had a migraine…Left-handed slugger Ed Fletcher attended a mixer for the Sacramento Black Journalists Association but joined the Slugs at the bar…Juliet Williams returned from budget duty and played…The Slugs play Papa Flanagans next week.

Slugs to play for title

2009-07-12T10:53:00.000-07:00

Another thrilling comeback victory Thursday assured the Slugs a shot at the Summer League softball championship.
Left-fielder Ahmed Ortiz beat out an infield hit to knock in the go-ahead run in the top of the last inning in the 7-6 triumph over E's: The Big Bad Bumpy's. Solid defense in the bottom half locked down the team's sixth victory against one loss. The 6-1 Slugs will face the Bumpys again on July 23 (a make-up from the June 4 rain out) for the title and the coveted t-shirts.
The late-game thrills followed an heroic come-from-behind effort that featured, once again, contributions throughout the line-up:
* -- Two huge plays at first by Jim Miller, scooping two low throws and making an acrobatic leg tag up the first-base line.
* -- Cat-like fielding at third by Erin McGuire filling in for Ryan Lillis who missed the game to be with his family.
* -- Alert outfield play that prevented numerous extra bases by cutting off line drives and making quick, smart throws into the infield.
* -- Molly Dugan's adept snag of a foul tip behind the plate that slowed a Bumpy's rally.
* -- Speedy baserunning by Kevin Yamamura who scored from first on an outfield hit.
* -- Smart managing by Skipper John Kepley (he hadn't had a drink in four days) who noticed the opponents had slipped a sixth man into the field in violation of the rules.
Kepley reveled in the stunning comeback, but said he would use the off week to develop a championship game strategy. Stay tuned.

Slugs unbeaten streak stretches to 4

2009-06-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

Slugs Skipper John Kepley called it the second greatest Slugs game of all time.
Lanky left-fielder Ahmed Ortiz opined that it showed the Slugs have "the collective heart of a champion."
If nothing else, the Slugs fourth straight win in the summer campaign -- a 10-9 comeback thriller over the St. Damien's Beard Correctly Punctuated Softball Team -- was a total team effort.
Consider:
* -- Kepley's stunning stop of short-hop line shot for a key out to halt the go-ahead run from scoring.
* -- Ellen Chrismer's nonchalant grab of a testy shot to right field.
* -- Erin McGuire's steady pitching through adversity.
* -- Ryan Lillis' towering grand slam to bring the good guys and gals within two during the eight-run fourth inning comeback.
* -- Several female Slugs showed patience at the plate to draw walks during the comeback.
* -- Jim Miller's long-legged and crafty base-running produced the game winner after a textbook slide at the plate.
* -- Even the old man at first emerged from a season-long slump to go two for two with a pair of RBI.
Slugs held a 1-0 lead early, but fell behind 9-1 after a Slugs-like inning that has been rare this season. "The Comeback" in the bottom of the fourth tied it at 9. The Slugs held firm in the top of the fifth and then declared victory after time expired with Miller's slide-off game winner.
In the end, the Slugs were 4-0, leading the league and walking on air.
The team is guaranteed at least a .500 season after a devastating opening campaign that now seems like ancient history.

Slugs notes: With at least a 4-4 season guaranteed, at least two Slugs will have to make good on pre-season challenges. Vegetarian Chrismer will devour a hamburger from "Burgers and Brew." Kepley will join her but eat a non-meat burger that includes some ingedient we can't even pronounce, let alone spell...

Summer schedule

2009-05-19T07:19:00.001-07:00

May 21, 7:30 "University" of Phoenix Diploma Mills at Slugs

May 28, 9:30 Slugs at Papi Flanagan's

June 4, 6:30 E3's: The Big Bad Bumpy's at Slugs

June 11, Bye No game this week

June 18, 7:30 St. Damien's Beard Correctly Punctuated Softball Team at Slugs

June 25, 8:30 Slugs at "University" of Phoenix Campus Strip Mall Profiteers

July 2, 6:30 Papi Flanagan's at Slugs

July 9, 9:30 Slugs at E3's The Big Bad Bumpy's

July 16, Bye. No game this week.

Slugs Win!!!

2009-05-15T22:36:00.000-07:00

By Ed Fletcher
Slugs correspondent

Slugs manager John Kepley awoke, in a panicked rush, sweat dampening his brow.
His mind cloudy, spinning, hazy.
It seemed so real. Had the Slugs just crushed an opponent 16-2? Was it a dream? For that matter, was his recollection of an 0-8 embarrassment just a nightmare?

As the haze began to clear, ever so slightly he realized the pounding in his head was hangover - but was it victory shots, or shots to forget.

As he reached for his cell phone on his bed stand, he realized he was still wearing his glove from the night before.
And if he needed further confirmation, dragging ass to the bathroom he noticed the fresh tattoo blazoned across his forehead reading: “Yes John, you are 1-0, just in case your too drunk to remember.”

For the entire Slugs team, if last season was a nightmare. Thursday night was a wet dream.
The Slugs displayed strong defense and opportunistic hitting in route to an offense outburst the Slugs hadn’t seen in years.

“If felt really good to get off the snide,” said Slugs leadoff hitter Jim Miller. “Last season was such a disgrace.”
The highlight of the game was a flair into left the had nearly every fielder touching the ball and ended with center fielder Kevin Yamamura jumping in front of his wife, the second basewoman, to record an out at second.

“It was a great play,” said Ryan Lillis. “I just hope that Kevin gets out of the dog house soon.”
Mackenzine Tysell Yamamura said she wouldn’t let the fact that Kevin will have to find a dog house to sleep in mar the good evening.

While the excitement still ran high, pitcher Erin McGuire urged the team to not get too happy with themselves.
“It was clear our opponents were a little rusty and we had an 0-8 bashing to warm up,” McGuire said. “Let’s just stay humble and see where the season takes us.”

Season of woe continues

2009-04-18T08:21:00.000-07:00

Not with a bang, but with a whimper the slug-less Slugs fell 9-2 to Schrute Beet Farms Thursday, their fifth straight loss in the Spring campaign.

The Slugs battled gamely with solid (sometimes eye-popping) defense only to fall victim to an old nemesis: run scoring.

Kevin Yamamura chased down numerous shots in short center, while hurler Erin McGuire turned in her usual flawless game in the field.

A high point was Ryan Lillis' triple (actually it was a double and a half) that scored a run and left the usually sure-footed Lillis bloody and temporarily sprawled at the feet of the Farmers' shortstop.

The Farmer boys sent three towering shots deep over Lillis' head in left field (D-league, you say?) .

More significantly, the Slugs offense remains in winter hibernation, prompting skipper John Kepley to urge individual Slugs to take personal responsibility by going to the batting cages to find their stroke.

One wag in the coed locker room grumbled that the rest of the league appears to be getting younger (the so-called Benjamin Button factor), while the Slugs' roster follows the natural order of things.

Slugs notes: The prospect of an 0-8 campaign does not please Kepley, who noted between Marlboro Lights that a Slugs squad has never had a winless season...Lillis was listed as probable for this week's game against SoCal's after getting treatment for his knees from the team's crack medical staff....Usually loquacious lefty Ellen Chrismer was silenced by some sort of ailment, which made calling for fly balls in right problematic...Thursday's game marked a return to Luigi's after a short hiatus, but team members followed up with hard liquor at Tallac Lounge.

Slugs slide to fourth loss

2009-04-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

The rebuilding year continues for the struggling Slugs.

But progress now is not only within reach for the lovable gastropods, it is palpable.

The bats finally came alive in game 4 of a tough Spring campaign as the club dropped a heartbreaker, 11-10, to Majority Rules. Buoyed by towering home runs from Ed "Fast Eddie" Fletcher and Ryan "Don't call me Lily" Lillis, the Slugs roared to a four-run lead but fell to some timely two-out hitting from Majority Rules in the final at-bat.

There were many positive signs: clutch pitching from Erin "I have a new tattoo" McGuire, sage back-up managing from Jim "The Quiet Man" Miller, solid line-drives from newcomer Kathy "Lefty" Fairbanks and relatively sound fielding from all concerned.

Manager John Kepley, in Kansas on a recruiting trip, planned to study game films before this week's match-up with 10 batters/10 balls.

Slugs Notes: MRI tests were negative on McGuire's spleen, plastered by a thrown softball as she made it into third base...Trainers said Ahmed "I'm back" Ortiz received non-specific "treatment" for general muscle soreness after chasing down numerous blasts in left field...The Slugs can still post a .500 record if they win out...

Slugs Spring 2009 Schedule

2009-04-03T19:13:00.000-07:00

Slugs remaining schedule, Spring league 2009:

April 9
7:30 - 10 Batters/10 Balls

April 16
6:30 - Schrute Farm Beets

April 23
8:30 - SoCals

April 30
6:30 - Boats and Hoes

Lacking Slugs News...

2009-03-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

Former Coach Tam has hacked into the Slugs blog to post something, anything.

"The blog shouldn't go dormant just because I skipped town," raged the former coach. "Who won the Socals game last week? How will I get all my Slugs gossip without regular updates on the blog?"

There have been no posts to the blog since August 31st, the start of the fall season.

Hoping to inspire active members of the team to get back to blogging, Keith posted this bit of inspiration.
Ready to join the team, even if he doesn't have enough teeth to take on the Luigi's crust, Charley Margolis poses in his Slugs uniform onesie. Says proud father and former Slugs infielder, Jason Margolis "we're already working on hitting the cut-off man."

All Slugs should be working to hit the cut-off man.

Our Schedule

2008-08-31T00:33:00.000-07:00

Here are our fall opportunities for victory. Some of you will call it our schedule.

All opportunities/games are at Tahoe Park.

Sept. 4 - 7:30 at Loose Change

Sept. 11 - 8:30 vs. Hydrohaulics

Sept. 18 - 8:30 at SoCal's Force

Sept. 25 - 7:30 vs. Sub Shack Attack

Oct. 2 - 7:30 vs. Chocas

Oct. 9 - 8:30 vs. Loose Change

Oct. 16 - 9:30 at Hydrohholics

Slugs Kick Ass for Coach Tam's Last Game

2008-08-08T17:56:00.000-07:00

Matt slid, or rather dove into home and made us all realize we could be more committed.

Team photo. Ahh sweet victory.

After a few victory shots and cupcakes. Patron and frosting. Yummm.

Slugs beaten by Chinchillas

2008-07-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

Apparently chinchillas aren't just good for making fur coats. Erotic Chinchillas at least are pretty decent at softball. On Thursday the Chinchillas defeated the Slugs.

The final score was 9-5.

Kevin was the player of the game for making some excellent catches. Nick made some great plays at 3rd too. Erin was amazing as usual and hit the ball right where they weren't every time she came up to bat.

But, it wasn't enough.

Coach Tam no longer has to shower at the truck stop.

Slugs on a Roll

2008-07-05T10:16:00.000-07:00

Heading into Thursday night's game, the Slugs were a little worried about their chances again the Schrute Beet Farm. But, the Slugs were just plain wrong. Perhaps it is a sign of greatness to worry even when it is unnecessary. Let's go with that. The Slugs defeated the Beet 11-4...or maybe it was some other margin that involved a 4, like maybe 14-5. Two days later it's all a bit of a blur.

There was solid pitching from Dan, excellent fielding by Kevin, Molly and others...and everyone's bats were hot (well except Coach Tam who kept hitting it straight to the woman at first). It was an all-around strong performance from the Slugs.

Let the truck stop watch begin. The Slugs are now 3-0. But they can't rest. Next week they take on Benny's Boozers. This team has played in the league before, under a different name. They now have sponsorship and fancy uniforms. Oh, and as of last week at least they were undefeated. Be strong little Slugs, be strong.

Game Off!

2008-06-26T21:02:00.001-07:00

The image here may be a little hard to read...but the AQI in downtown Sacramento is now 177. It is officially "unhealthy." The official league message machine says the 8:30 and 9:30 games are canceled.

The games probably would have been canceled sooner, but the sensor at T street appears to have stopped working at 1:00, when the AQI was only 115 (technically "unhealthy for sensitive groups"). So, the league proclaimed the air quality was "good." That of course was before the inversion layer settled in on the valley and forced the smoky air close to ground level. At 7:00 the sensor finally updated and it was at 177, well above the threshold for unhealthy.

It Sure Looks Unhealthy...

2008-06-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

...but it's currently only "unhealthy for sensitive groups."

That haze we all see in the air is smoke from wildfires burning all over the state. The great Central Valley is like a giant bowl...and are we ever in the soup. The smoke is trapped, and we're stuck with it. In the air quality world, the issue is something called PM2.5, aka particulate matter, aka tiny particles of dust and soot that can lodge deep in a person's lungs. As of 2:33 this afternoon, the air quality meter closest to O'Neil field reads 115. According to the Air Quality Index that puts the air at "unhealthy for sensitive groups."

In short, it may look worse than it is. Now, Slugs are sensitive creatures. But the league is convinced we're tough, healthy adults. That means the game is on. "If the AQI goes above 150, I will be calling the league again to beg for our game to be canceled," said Coach Tam.

Truck Stop Visit Causes Softball Gods to Smile

2008-06-24T15:26:00.001-07:00

The fueling station at the Sacramento 49rs Travel Plaza is called Liquid Gold, and perhaps that should be slugger Ed Fletcher's new nickname. Fletcher started last Thursday's Slugs v Master Batters game off right with back to back home runs to right. Poor Kim, on base both times Fletcher sent it deep was forced to scurry around the bases with a sweaty man right on her heels.

It all started earlier in the day when Coach Tam visited the aforementioned Travel Plaza to interview truckers about diesel prices. Tam was offered a ride in one trucker's rig and was told by another one that she shouldn't have any trouble getting people to talk to her. She ended those interviews quickly. But the time the coach spent at the fabled I-80 landmark appears to have paid off. Getting hit on by sweaty truckers with 100 oz beverage containers seems to have been just what Coach Tam needed to do to make the Slugs bats golden again.

If the Slugs go 0-8 or 8-0 in a single season the coach has to shower at the Sacramento 49rs Travel Plaza. Coach Kepley did this once 3 years ago after a flawless season, and if not for a late season win in the spring Coach Tam would have had to do the same but with a greater sense of shame.

Victory against the Master Batters was sweet for the Slugs who beat the lame-named team 18-7. And the best part was the amazing batting of every single Slugs player. Ed Fletcher was a standout, but all Slugs made the team proud. For the first time in recent memory they made it through their entire lineup in a single inning. It was glorius.

This week the Slugs meet St. Damien's Beard at O'Neil's field. That is, if the thick layer of smoke blanketing the Sacramento region blows on out before 9:30 Thursday night. At the moment it is unsafe for anyone to breathe outdoors.

Slugs Start Win Streak!

2008-06-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

Starting a win streak, is that like the first annual company picnic. Ehhh. Whatever. The Slugs are on a roll. After a very tough spring, the Slugs are quite happy to be in the D2 league thank you very much (even if some of the teams have sponsors and snazzy uniforms).

On Thursday the Slugs met the ERMinators. It was a team of environmental consultants who were new to the league, but not new to softball. The core of the team had played for 5 years in a Rancho Cordova league before making the switch to the Sacramento City League. The Slugs were motivated, but so were the ERMinators.

Initially the league mandated "community bats" slipped up the Slugs, that and the other teams inability or unwillingness to throw strikes. Thanks to Erin's pitching the Slugs were only down by 5 runs in the 3rd inning, when Coach Tam tried to give a motivational speech. It wasn't particularly motivational, but the Slugs kicked into gear anyway. Katherine drove in the tying run, and then it was all over for the environmental consultants.

Final score: 6-5

Victory, sweet sweet victory.

After the game, former Coach Kepley suggested it wasn't too early to start the "Truck Stop Shower Watch." After all, the Slugs own D-2 and this is only the beginning of a win streak. Perhaps Kepley suggested the truck stop showers, because he wouldn't be the one donning the flip flops.

Summer Schedule

2008-06-07T12:47:00.000-07:00

There are 8 games in the summer season, no bye's and (aside from Benny's Boozers) a bunch of teams that have never played in the city league before. Let me just say up front, I expect us to kick some real ass this summer. Also, please note several of the games will be played here:

View Larger Map

O'Neil Field is at Southside Park. They don't allow amplified sound, but I've been notified by the league that there is an exception for theme songs...rather, we can't muster enough amplification to be a problem.

WIN 06/12/08 - 8:30 PM - O'Neil Field - Slugs (H) vs ERMinators

WIN 06/19/08 - 8:30 PM - Tahoe Park - Slugs (A) vs Master Batters

SMOKED OUT 06/26/08 - 9:30 PM - O'Neil Field - Slugs (A) vs St. Damien's Beard

WIN 07/03/08 - 9:30 PM - Tahoe Park - Slugs (A) vs Schrute Farm Beets

SMOKED OUT 07/10/08 - 8:30 PM - O'Neil Field - Slugs (H) vs Benny's Boozers

LOSS 07/17/08 - 7:30 PM - Tahoe Park - Slugs (A) vs Erotic Chinchilla

07/24/08 - 6:30 PM - O'Neil Field - Slugs (H) vs Wags Hags

07/31/08 - 9:30 PM - Tahoe Park - Slugs (H) vs ERMinators

08/07/08 - 8:30 PM - O'Neil Field - Slugs (H) vs Benny's Boozers

08/14/08 - 7:30 PM - Tahoe Park - Slugs (A) vs St. Damien's Beard

Slugs Break Curse

2008-05-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

Maybe all the Slugs needed was triple digit temperatures, maybe it was the pre-game popsicles, maybe it was the fact that their opponents had a shell crew, maybe it was the re-shuffled themes songs, but last night one thing was undeniable: the Slugs bats were hot.

The game started like many Slugs games this season - just one run in the first inning. Another one came in the second inning, but the Bad News and Review Bears had already amassed 10 runs. It was starting to look hopeless again. But then something magical happened, the Slugs offense came alive. They got something like 11 runs in a single inning. With at least a couple of people on base, Ed Fletcher hit a bomb into right field. It was gone gone gone.

Then, the Slugs hit the field and immediately shut out the Bears (in part thanks to a Kepley unassisted double play - also know as sacrificing his body to get an interference call). The Bears at bat had barely started and it was already over. The Slugs added 3 more runs in the next inning, and held strong on defense - securing their first victory of the season.

"I almost cried," said Coach Tam. "Thank God I don't have to shower at the truck stop."

The win was followed by victory popsicles, a couple of victory cigarettes, and victory shots of Jager.

For those of you tracking our playlist at home, here are the new theme songs:
Mark Martin - Crazy Train
Tamara Keith - All Things Considered Theme
Juliet Williams - Lose Yourself
Katherine Skorupski - Here it Goes Again
Ryan Lillis - Let's Get it On

Slugs Rock Their Way Into an 0-6 Record

2008-05-08T21:34:00.000-07:00

Perhaps we shouldn't have rolled out all of our curse breaking tools on the night we were to play Loose Change. This is the team that's gone undefeated this season, the team with 41 runs heading into tonight's game, the team sponsored by a bank whose roster seems to have benefited from the sub-prime mortgage meltdown (like maybe they recruited some jobless buff mortgage brokers or something). The Slugs lost. I'm not sure of the score, something like 5-12. But that's not the point.

Tonight, the Slugs got their groove back. Many of the ladies wore skirts. And we looked hot, if I may say so myself. Better yet, each Slug had a theme song (see below for complete play list). Our defense was nearly flawless, and we put together several excellent runs where multiple Slugs got on base and some even made it home. Against any other team this would have meant victory. So, next week we must do it all again. We will defeat Beer 30 and they won't even know what hit them.

And for those of you who would like to download the Slugs nearly winning playlist to your ipod, here goes...

Rockin' and Bumpin' With the Slugs: (win a prize if you can match all the Slugs with their songs)

Oriole's Magic
The Distance
Still Fly
Cheeseburger in Paradise
Brick House
This Fire
Baby Elephant Walk
Star Spangled Banner (Live at Woodstock)
Molly's Chambers
Get Low
U Can't Touch This
Take No Prisoners (Megadeth)
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Walk This Way (Run-DMC with Aerosmith)
Runnin' Down a Dream
Rump Shaker
Eye of the Tiger
The Final Countdown

Our Bat Problems Could be Over...

2008-04-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

...or only getting worse. I just learned from reading the blog of Tuesday night team (and friends of the Slugs) The Luck Dragons that next season there will be a dramatic change for D league co-ed softball. We won't be able to use our own bats anymore. The league will be providing bats. They no doubt have tired of constantly updating the banned bats list. So...Goodbye Ultimate Weapon. Goodbye yellow bat. Goodbye brand new pink bat, green bat, and burgundy bat. It's the end of an era.

I plan to begin lobbying the league right away to make sure they supply bats in the appropriate weights for our needs. If you have a strong preference, please let me know. I will send a list of weights and lengths to league director Ron right away. He certainly hasn't requested that info, but I'll make sure he knows where the Slugs stand anyway.

Slugs Continue Winless Streak

2008-04-25T11:38:00.001-07:00

The Slugs game last night against the Bad News and Review Bears at Tahoe park set a record...but not the good kind. For the first time in Slugs history the team went scoreless. More than halfway through the game, the team had only one hit. It came from Jim Miller who had to leave the game early. There were some beautiful fly balls hit directly to some very speedy muscle bound dudes in the outfield. There were some well hit grounders that found their way into fielders gloves. And there were straight up strike outs. It wasn't pretty. After 55 minutes of play, the Slugs made it to base just 5 times. The Bears had 5 runs.

"The really depressing thing is our defense was solid," said a rather glum Coach Tam. "5 runs isn't insurmountable. But it is if your bats are as cold as ours were."

Sometime in the 4th inning, the word "curse" started to cross the lips of several Slugs. There is simply no other explanation. The Slugs are cursed.

After the game, in an attempt to exorcise the demons in the team's bats, team members put all the bats on grass and formed a circle around them. It was a modification of the team's usual post-game ritual of forming a circle around the game's MVP, counting to 3 and shouting "Slugs!" This time the team formed a circle and former Coach Kepley yelled "I am going to destroy all of you if you don't start fu**ing performing." Then he counted to 3 and the whole team shouted "slugs." As they stepped away, the Slugs noticed a 7 year old (or maybe she was 4) standing in a nearby dugout with a shocked looked on her face. Former Coach Kepley saw no need to apologize. This is softball and sometime softball requires a little profanity.

There are many ideas circulating to help the Slugs break their curse. They include: getting really drunk before the next game (it worked for Beer:30), recruiting the shortstop from the SoCal's Force and burying the broken red bat in center field in the middle of the night.

Coach Tam is immediately calling on all female Slugs to wear athletic skirts to the next game. "We won the last game where we all wore skirts, so it's worth a try," she said. "Secure men are also encouraged to wear skirts. They're on clearance at Target this week." Even former Coach Kepley said he would support this plan despite his conviction that skirts shouldn't be allowed in softball.

Goodbye Harrison

2008-04-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

Slugs utility outfielder Harrison Sheppard recently (OK it was a month ago but this blogger is slow) left the Slugs and Sacramento for sunny Southern California, Reseda actually. Harrison is really crying behind that smile. This photo was taken at his final post-game Luigi's outing. We miss you already!

From the Coaches Corner: Calling the Ball

2008-04-23T15:40:00.001-07:00

Hey Slugs - As someone who has suffered a little vocal paralysis in the outfield, I thought it might be good to go over some general rules of thumb for calling a fly ball. For starters, staying silent when a ball is headed for you (as I have been known to do) isn't a good idea. Calling a ball if you're going to catch it minimizes injury risk and maximizes the number of outs we get...all good things.

1. Call it if you’re going to catch it. This claims the ball. First person to call it has priority. Be confident here. It’s doubtful that there’s anyone on the team who hasn’t dropped a ball, so don’t worry about that. Physical errors will happen, but it’s frustrating to have balls drop because of miscommunication. Also, calling it greatly reduces the chances of someone concentrating on the ball barreling into you.

2. Defer to the person calling the ball. If someone else calls it and you didn’t, let them have it. Move out of the way in the direction opposite to which you heard them.

3. Don’t call someone off if they’ve called it. See rule Number 2. We don’t want to deny anyone the opportunity to make a catch if they’ve called it.

4. Don’t call it if you’re in doubt. See rule Number 1. Only call it if you’re going to catch it. If you have a marginal shot at catching it, you don’t want to discourage someone who has a better shot.

5. Be loud and clear. Generally, “MINE!,” “I GOT IT!,” or “BALL!” will get the job done. You can also yell “HELP!” if something goes awry so someone with a better angle can jump in. Yelling anything else usually results in confusion. And you have to be loud enough to be heard by people running at full speed, with heart pounding and breathing heavily.

6. If two people call it at the same time: Priority in the OF goes to the CF. If the CF isn’t involved, LF has priority. In the infield, SS has priority. But remember, this is only if two people call it at the same time. If the RF calls it before the CF, it’s still the RF’s ball. If it’s between the IF and the OF, it’s typically much, much easier for the OF to catch the ball because they’re not running backwards. But really, our problem has rarely been too many people calling the ball, and this is a little confusing - so focus on 1-5 and we'll make some serious strides.

-Coach Tam

(beware, this may become a recurring feature on slugssoftball.blogspot.com)

That's it, the Slugs are just unlucky

2008-04-18T10:11:00.001-07:00

Perhaps it was a sign. Before the first pitch was ever thrown, one Slug was already down. In a scene reminiscent of the famous "Kepley ball to the head incident" or the slightly less dramatic "Ellen ball to the head incident" Coach Tam took one on the top of the head. Kevin and Kepley were tossing the ball when all of the sudden it seemed very clear to everyone except Tamara that an errant toss was headed straight for Tamara's crown.

After falling to the ground, crying and laughing simultaneously and correctly identifying how many fingers Ed was holding up, Tamara said, "this is why I won't get my big break reporting in Baghdad. I have absolutely no self preservation instinct."

Despite the pre-game incident, the Slugs were feeling good headed into their match against Beer 30. It was one of the player's birthdays and Beer 30 arrived smelling like beer. Though that may have all been radiating from one particular player. The birthday boy was so utterly smashed he was left out of the lineup. Meanwhile, the Slugs had followed Coach Tam's advice arriving at Tahoe Park sober. It seemed like a distinct advantage.

The Slugs played valiantly, with conviction and enthusiasm. There were solid hits, and some excellent fielding. There were also a few missed plays and a couple of questionable calls. But, heading into the final inning Beer 30 was up by just 2, not a problem for the Slugs. Unfortunately, with momentum on their side, tragedy again struck the Slugs. This time it was Molly.

After hitting a glorious shot up the middle, and making it safely to first base Molly was struck in the ribs by a quick moving throw. It all happened in a split second. Molly was over running the bag, as you're supposed to do when a ball intended to get her out, instead struck her down. The strike to Molly's ribs knocked the wind out of her. She was up within moments grabbing her side and hurrying the hell off the field. She wouldn't return to the game, but it wasn't long before she was back on the bench, bruised and cheering for the Slugs.

A Beer 30 player was also injured running to home plate (piling on the runs against the poor losing Slugs). It's unclear whether it was a hamstring pull or some sort of calf cramp but it looked very painful.

So, the Slugs continue their losing streak...determined not to let it last long. Next week everyone will be carrying rabbits feet, 4 leaf clovers and wearing dirty socks. Whatever it takes to turn this season around.

Shocking news: Slugs lose to Socals...again

2008-04-14T15:13:00.000-07:00

For the winless Slugs, losing to the powerhouse Socals wasn't as disappointing as one might think. Why? Because it was actually a very good game. Despite being matched against the best team they're likely to see all season, the Slugs played better than they have against lesser opponents.

There was solid play all around, with a big shout out to the ladies of second base and Kim in the outfield. Nick hit one real deep and worked his cardiovascular system a bit more than it would have preferred. New Slugs men Ryan and Mark also did an excellent job in the field and at the plate. And Judy Lin deserves credit for tagging out a player at home plate...never mind he thought the inning was over. Judy was on her game and made sure he was really really out. With an assist from Ryan in the outfield and more than one infielder, this was the Slugs first right field to home double play.

Obsessive former coach Kepley had all kinds of strategies and excel spreadsheets, but I (Coach Tam) would argue the real difference between this game and our previous losing efforts was the tone on the bench. We focussed on our fellow players, cheered them on and kept the energy high throughout the game. We need to do that with every game. So, repeat after me "fire it up big cheese!"

Red Bat Competition

2008-04-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago the little red bat, let out its final yelp with Erin McGuire at the plate. As she hit the ball somewhere into the outfield, the bat hit a sour note. Back in the dugout she inspected the bat, long a favorite of Slugs women and some men. There was a crack, a big clear one. The little red bat was no longer legal to play.

Which leaves a question...

What should we do with the little red bat?

Should we get it bronzed? Perhaps dipped in copper? Could it be an award...to the player with the best hitting record this season?...to the player who goes to the cages the most? Should it be awarded each week to the player with the best hit, or the worst?

Slugs, please leave your ideas here by posting comments. The person whose idea is chosen by the coaching staff gets a free Jaeger shot after our next win (if you're into that kind of thing).

Copper Thieves Strike Tahoe Park

2008-03-24T20:18:00.000-07:00

I was going to write up a full report on the copper theft at Tahoe Park - but it seems Slugs outfielder and Sacramento Bee reporter Ed Fletcher beat me to the online presses. I won't speculate about whether he got a tip from last night's game announcement e-mail...but let's just say Ed is all over this story. When I went to google to find more information about the copper theft problem, Ed's story was one of the first to come up (see below).

I did speak with league director Ron today who said he was hoping the lights would be back up and running in time for this Thursday's game...but I must say he didn't sound entirely confident. He said he would call me on Thursday to let me know for sure. But for now Slugs please plan to be at Tahoe Park on Thursday at 7, rain or shine. If the lights still aren't working we should have a good 30-40 minutes of daylight/dusk to throw the ball around before heading to Luigi's.

Copper wire theft puts pause in softball season

By Ed Fletcher (courtesy without permission of the Sacramento Bee)

The latest victim of local copper thieves is coed "D" league softball. The thieves didn't steal the ball. They stole the copper wire from the field lights at Tahoe Park's softball field. No lights, no games.

And so, Tahoe Park's Luck Dragons will have to wait in their quest for perfection.

"We started the season with two victories and are riding an eight-game winning steak," said Brian Brokaw, a member of the reigning Tuesday night champions. "We're hopeful that these crooks won't steal our momentum."

The theft occurred sometime last week between the Tuesday evening games and Thursday night matchups, said Hindolo Brima, a spokesman for Sacramento's city parks department.

He said the field should be game-ready by Thursday. Replacing the wire and fortifying the access panel will cost up to $12,000, Brima said.

For a complete story, see Tuesday's Bee.

Practice Makes Perfect...

2008-03-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

6 hearty Slugs braved confusion last Thursday and found the Sandlot batting cages, nestled between distribution centers and other nondescript warehouse buildings in West Sacramento. Once there, the Slugs burned through 15 tokens, showing the automatic slow pitch softball pitching machine who's boss. Katherine brought her new bat. It's pink, which thrilled Coach Tam and caused former Coach Kepley to grumble something like "grrr, pink shouldn't be allowed in softball."

Slugs Practice, Slugs Lose, Slugs Practice More

2008-03-19T17:40:00.001-07:00

Thanks to global warming, it was an unseasonably warm March afternoon when the Slugs gathered in Tahoe Park for their first practice of the year. It was a joint practice with the Solid Gold Hits and and the Luck Dragons...but if attendance determines success, the Slugs kicked butt. And, in fact, in a scrimmage game with the Slugs vs everyone else, the Slugs dominated.

If only the Slugs could have kept the magic flowing when they took on Majority Rules a week later. It turns out the Majority did rule in this case. The Slugs looked a little rusty out there. They missed a few easy outs and their bats were tepid at best.

And then in the ultimate insult, Majority Rules showed up at Luigi's fine pizza establishment...the Slugs' official post-game hang out. There was almost a rumble but thankfully Luigi (not his real name) had reserved a table for his beloved Slugs. The Amber Bock and Bud Light were cold, the pizza was incredibly hot and the pain of defeat quickly faded.

The Slugs have a bye this week, but they won't be idle. The Slugs are heading to the indoor batting cages in West Sacramento for some serious batting practice.

The Managers Meeting...and a snap analysis of our schedule

2008-03-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night's mandatory managers meeting featured the typical detailed explanation of league rules from Ron, the league director. Actually, he read the rules word for word, occasionally asking us if we had questions. Mostly there were a lot of blank stares.

But, Ron got really animated when directing our attention to Rule 6 in the banned bats guide. It is illegal to alter a bat. Who knew softballers were so serious. Apparently some people try to used banned bats by painting them to look like other bats. Or they open up the bat and put stuff in it, or take stuff out. Clearly this is a level of sophistication well beyond that ever attempted by the Slugs.

Well, Slugs, let me tell you...don't even try it. Ron told us a story about an altered banned bat that happened last year over at "the complex." A female batter went up to the plate with an altered banned bat. It was perhaps painted or taped over. She swung and hit the bit exceedingly hard straight into the face of the poor pitcher, who Ron says "broke every bone in her face. She's still going through surgeries and will be disfigured for life." And as if the guilt wasn't bad enough, the batter was banned from softball for 2 years. Not just Sacramento softball, ALL softball. The owner of the bat got an even stiffer sentence: 10 years. Can you imagine being banned from softball for a decade?

The next 3 months...a snap analysis.

Our schedule looks pretty darned good. There are actually quite a few bye weeks - more time for us to practice, or compete at eating dollar hot dogs at Rivercats games. Also, I believe we have just one 6:30 game, which means we should have excellent attendance all season long.

We only face the SoCal's Force once in the whole season. That means we have to beat them straight out of the gate if we want those league champion fleeces we've heard so much about. We take on the Bad News and Review Bears twice. They're good. We shouldn't take them for granted. We also face a team called Majority Rules. I haven't seen them before, but based on their number on the phone list and their name, I surmise they work in the Assembly.

Start stretching out those arms now Slugs. Try running to improve your cardio...and make sure to do whatever it takes to avoid serious injuries of any kind.

Spring Season Schedule

2008-03-06T14:58:00.000-08:00

Slugs - please bookmark this page. Better yet, plug all these dates and times into your Outlook, blackberry, PDA, trapper keeper, or little black book right away.

All games this season are at Tahoe Park...and as always, we're playing on Thursdays.

03/13/08 - 7:30 Majority Rules V Slugs

03/20/08 - Bye

03/27/08 - 7:30 Loose Change V Slugs

04/03/08 - 9:30 Slugs V SoCal's Force

04/10/08 - Bye

04/17/08 - 9:30 Slugs V Beer:30

04/24/08 - 7:30 Slugs V SN&R Bears

05/01/08 - Bye

05/08/08 - 6:30 Loose Change V Slugs

05/15/08 - 8:30 Slugs V SN&R Bears

05/22/08 - Bye

05/29/08 - 8:30 Beer:30 V Slugs

The outdoor temp is above 60...it must be time for softball

2008-02-08T09:01:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again. Coach Tam just got the letter in the mail from the league announcing it's time to sign up for the next season of softball. The Slugs will be playing on Thursday nights again. No word yet on potential opponents, or the exact start date of the season.

If you are a Slug and not just a casual reader of this blog (there are probably about 3 non-slugs readers), please immediately send Coach Tam your address and cell number.

There's a lot to look forward to this season. The "Ultimate Weapon" will be back for a repeat appearance, coach Tam acquired a pink bat bag, and many Slugs have been seen training, swimming to strengthen their shoulders and running to work on speed and agility.

Chrismer Shines at the Helm

2007-10-26T15:29:00.001-07:00

By Jim Miller

All her life, baseball fanatic and Slugs OG Ellen Chrismer has had a dream: to manage a softball game.

She got her wish Thursday, displaying equal parts Earl Weaver and Billy Martin in skippering the Slugs to a 10-0 pounding of the visiting Backseat Drivers.

The Slugs’ airtight defense set the tone. A standout performance came from pitcher Erin McGuire, who allowed only a handful of base runners and made several assists.

Ed Fletcher continued his power surge, launching a home run during a first inning when the Slugs batted around. Christa Hunter hit a mastodonic shot to left that went for a double.

The Drivers, fielding several new players since the last time they faced the Slugs, tried to make a little mischief midway through the game.

With Matt Coldwell on first, Mackenzie Yamamura hit a pop-up that the second baseman “dropped” right next to the bag. The umps didn’t buy it and denied the attempted double play.

The win came despite an unusually lean Slugs’ bench feeling the effects of Las Vegas debauchery, Southern California fires, and Peruvian vacations..

Next week, the Slugs close out another successful season against the DPMG Sliders. It’s Parents Day at the yard, so if the folks live nearby, bring them along!

Game time is 8:30 and Coach Tam will be back at her post.
Mackenzie Yamamura waits on deck as Christa Hunter crosses home. Some infield fly intrigue soon followed.

A Win, Finally

2007-10-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

The Slugs showed up at Tahoe Park Thursday night in desperate need of a win over Loose Change. They had sunk to third in the league standings after painful back-to-back losses to the SoCals and Bad News and Review Bears. And win they did, final score 13-8 (or maybe 9). The key to their winning ways: excellent defense.

Loose Change came ready to play, bringing their A team. In fact, they seemed to have stocked their ranks with heavy hitters since their last meeting with the Slugs. "Loose Change in fall league, is way better than Loose Change in spring league," said the home plate umpire. He followed by saying "The Slugs have improved a lot too."

The team of bankers must have been taking advantage of their predictable work schedules to practice because in the opening inning their bats were hot. Two of their men hit fly balls into neighboring sports fields. The Slugs also made a couple of silly errors.

After the first inning, as they prepared to bat, the Slugs resolved to turn things around. There were some amazing catches. Melody at second base knocked a hard line drive out of the sky. Aided by her chest, she made the catch beautifully. And in the final inning Kevin made a catch that can only be described as a SportsCenter play of the day. He dove through the air, rolling and extending mid-air to get his glove in just the right spot. "It was a thing of beauty," said one bystander. "The batter was in shock," said Coach Tamara who was playing catcher at the time.

In fact, the Slugs latest victory was indeed a thing of beauty.

Next week - 10/25/07 7:30 Backseat Drivers V Slugs

Another Slugs Cinema Spectacular

2007-10-15T18:23:00.001-07:00

Bad News - the Bears beat the Slugs

2007-10-14T21:07:00.000-07:00

We need to find a pitching machine that sends out crazy spin throws. Anyone know of batting cages with a tweaked out pitcher? The Bad News and Review Bears pitcher sure knows how to throw some wild balls, hiding his pitching hand behind his glove so opposing batters can't see his grip on the softball.

But, blaming the opposing pitcher for the Slugs showing last Thursday night, perhaps overlooks a larger issue: defense. The Bears weren't remarkable hitters, but by the start of the final inning they were up by 11. We weren't making catches that we normally make. Balls popped out of gloves in the infield. Balls found holes in the outfield. And this writer learned a valuable lesson, the hard way.

It's a little thing called "the two step rule." According to this rule, when catching a high fly ball in the outfield, if you think you're right under it, take two big steps back. Of course I didn't come to understand this rule fully until a fly ball was coming right to me, and then all of a sudden I heard Ahmed saying "it's going over your head get back." By then it was too late. So, we're just going to call that a learning moment.

Despite the pain of this loss, the Slugs shouldn't feel deflated. The Bad News and Review Bears are a solid team, with good players...and we weren't having our best night. But, you Bears better watch out. The Slugs will be back in the spring, prepared to kick some spin balling ass.

And just to get us in the mood, here's a short video.
The Slugs Cheer:

Photos by Harrison:

SoCal's Victory...another perspecitve

2007-10-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

By Ed Fletcher, lefty outfielder

As the mighty SoCal Force settled into their usual bar stools after their Oct. 4 game verses The Slugs the collective sigh of relief was so powerful tavern owner Bill Farrell stumbled, nearly impaling himself on the Pabst Blue Ribbon tap.

Up 15-3 after two innings, SoCal, (4-0) held off a late Slugs charge (do Slugs charge?) to escape with a 15-12 victory.

While Thunder Dan, the usual left fielder, just smiled contently, Mike the pitcher yelled exuberantly.

“I just love beating those guys, especially that black guy who yells a lot, but occasionally drops catchable balls,” Mike said.

Mike added that the plane ticket was “so worth it.”

“I’m not sure how our U.S. Team will do, but beating that team was like winning Olympic Gold,” said Kim, a former SoCal regular who now lives and trains in Chula Vista, home of the National Softball Team’s training site. “I didn’t think it would be so close.”

Jen, who sat out the game so she could smoke Marlboro lights, said next game she’d play just so she could shut the Fletcher guy up himself.

A mile and half away the Slugs coped with the defeat.

Fletcher kept muttering about the catch he made (in foul territory) and the ball he dropped (in fair ground).

“That’s the best darn ‘D’ league team you’ll ever see,” said coach Tamara, trying to put a positive spin on the loss.

Tamara pointed out that SoCal’s had a roster stacked with former D-league All-Stars and their $200 payroll makes it hard for small-market teams to compete.

The team also seemed to respond to Farrell’s threat to fire the manager, if the team didn’t bring back the championship cotton t-shirts.

One slug, who asked to be identified as The Mad Planner, between shots of Jack Daniels was already planning for the next match up.

“This time,” he said. “We won’t put our game plan on the Internets.”

* all names except those that are accidentally correct are made up

Slugs Rally, but Come up Short

2007-10-07T19:11:00.000-07:00

By Jim Miller, Utility Infielder, Outfielder, Sliding Maniac and slugssoftball.blogspot.com contributor

The Slugs suffered their first defeat of the fall campaign Thursday, falling to So Cal Force after putting a late-inning scare into the overachieving D-Leaguers.

But for some arcane rule about not being able to catch a ball anywhere you can catch a ball, the Slugs would have won 12-8 instead of losing 15-12, according to a slugssoftball.blogspot.com analysis.

The Slugs’ balanced attack featured standout performances from Erin, who posted five RBI’s, Kevin, and Ahmed. On defense, Ed, Katherine and Matt made terrific plays.

The squad was down 15-3 after two innings, with So Cal’s putting up 13 runs in the second. Most of So Cal’s offensive outburst came after an ump ruled that Ed had gone out-of-bounds when he made a great catch off the bat of The Really Big Guy.

But the Slugs came back with four runs in their half of the second and exploded for five in the bottom of the fourth. The final out came with the tying runs on base.

Next week, the Slugs face some fellow media types, the Bad News and Review Bear Bears.

Note from Coach Tam to the SoCal's: Jim let you off easy in this post...but Ed "Fancy Pants" Fletcher is promising some game analysis of his own.

Preggers!

2007-10-04T23:20:00.000-07:00

...well, not really. But there sure were a lot of rumors flying around 925 L Street and they carried all the way to Tahoe Park.

Here's how it all started:

After checking out the weather report, I sent an e-mail to the team encouraging them to bundle up for tonight's game. There was going to be a serious chill in the air and I wanted to make sure they were warm. Here's the full text of the message:

"Hey Slugs - Please do your very best to arrive at Tahoe Park at 7:45 tonight. The game is at 8:30, but Kepley does have some super secret strategy to discuss with you...and we need plenty of time to warm up. It may be pretty chilly out there...so I will not be wearing a skirt (as if most of you care), and I would advise you to wear layers or something. Please advise if you will be late, or if your status has changed. It looks like we're going to have a full team there tonight.

-- Coach Tam (and apparently team mom)"

Little did I know, that upstairs in the Bee capitol bureau, this simple sign off (team mom) would be taken as an announcement of much bigger news. According to various account, upon receiving the e-mail, Judy proclaimed "Oh my gosh, I didn't realize Tamara was pregnant!"

Of course, I am not pregnant. And Judy quickly realized that "team mom" is a reference to someone who tells the team to bundle up and brings orange slices and Gatorade to games. Judy's misunderstanding was overheard by Kevin, who e-mailed Kepley and told Mackenzie, and by the time we all made it out to Tahoe Park the news had spread far and wide. And, kind of like the game of telephone, it was twisted and contorted to a point where it had seriously become a pregnancy rumor. Team, let me just tell you, there's no need to be on "bump watch." Unless there is an unfortunate accident, I will not be the first lady slug with a bun in the oven.

But a more reliable rumor has it a recently-former male Slug may be expecting. And I'm betting that kid will be an excellent infielder.

Slugs vs DPMG Sliders...the movie

2007-09-29T11:21:00.001-07:00

Slugs V Backseat Drivers. Backseat Drivers leave wondering what hit them.

2007-09-23T19:14:00.001-07:00

The Slugs and the Backseat Drivers have met 3 times on the Sacramento D League Softball Field. In the first two meetings, the Slugs should have won, but they didn't. The Drivers' pitcher shook up the Slugs hitting. He pitched inside and seemed to put a strange spin on the ball. The Slugs were stumped, he had them psyched out. At first they blamed it on their hitting. They went to the cages, even bought a rather expensive new bat on e-bay.

Those things helped, but so did former Coach Kepley's patented "Super Secret Strategy For Defeating the Backseat Drivers. " Because non-Slugs read this blog (hi scorekeeper dude!), we will not reveal the strategy here. But, let's just say the SSSFDBD doesn't include cheating, and it totally works.

When the Slugs came out for their second rematch this past Thursday at Tahoe Field, they were ready. The Backseat Drivers were missing one of their top female players, but they were still up for a battle. Little did they know the Slugs would be bringing so much heat. The Slugs figured out how to hit against their pitcher, and they hit it to where there were no defenders. There was also a lot of solid defensive play.

Final score: something like 13-2.

Cute and Functional

2007-09-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the great delay in posting on this topic...

Two weeks ago, 4 lady Slugs wore skirts to the game against Loose Change. The intent was to look cute, perhaps lull the other team into thinking we weren't very good, and mostly to upset former coach Kepley. Well, it seems to have worked on all fronts.

As you can see from the above photos, Judy, Tamara, Ellen and Erin totally rocked the skirts. Judy went for the '80s style mini with leggings (a smart move on a chilly night), Erin wore a tennis skirt, and Ellen and Tamara wore jog skorts. All of the women reported playing better in the skirts. There was a certain freedom of movement, maybe a bit of feeling that we needed to prove ourselves. Our bats were hot, and we ran like hell.

The skirts were such a success, Coach Tam wore hers again in the game against the dreaded Backseat Drivers. "It makes me faster," she said. "I am going to keep wearing my run skirt to softball as long as the weather allows." She said she may even start bringing her pink water bottle again too.

Fall Schedule

2007-09-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

Rumor has it the Slugs kicked some *itten *at a** on Thursday. Rock on Slugs.

Let's keep the good times going in the fall season. This season we're back in the D league...no D2 for the dominant Slugs. We'll be joined in the league by our old rivals the SoCal's Force, which is a sure sign we're in the good league this time around. We also welcome the Bad News In Review Bears, another media team. Clearly, we have to prove we are the superior media team. Here's our upcoming schedule:

09/13/07 8:30 Loose Change V Slugs
09/20/07 7:30 Slugs V Backseat Drivers
09/27/07 6:30 Slugs V DPMG Sliders
10/04/07 8:30 SoCal's Force V Slugs
10/11/07 6:30 Slugs V Bad News and Review Bears
10/18/07 7:30 Slugs V Loose Change
10/25/07 7:30 Backseat Drivers V Slugs
11/01/07 8:30 DPMG Sliders V Slugs

Slug, say hello to the LAO

2007-08-27T21:25:00.000-07:00

When members of the Slugs arrived for their 8:30 game vs the Oddballers, most of us saw a familiar face, Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill. Since many of us cover the capital, Hill's budget break-downs are a regular event (sometime after the budget passes, shortly after the governor releases his January budget and again after the May revise). With her trademark short-cropped hair, Hill was immediately recognizable, even out of context, on a softball field. Well, immediately recognizable to almost all of the Slugs.

When a Slug we'll call udy-Jay in-Lay showed up, right around 8:15 someone pointed to the LAO and suggested she go say "hi." in-Lay covers the budget beat for a major newspaper, so this made sense. Problem is, in-Lay didn't recognize Hill. So she started up a conversation that could best be described as small talk. in-Lay was heard introducing herself, to which a somewhat confused Hill replied "I'm Liz."

That's when the whole team started cracking up, and coach Tam felt it was time to introduce the budget reporter to the budget guru. It turns out Hills was out at Tahoe Park to support the LAO softball team playing in a different league. We don't know where the above-photographed baby came from.

GAME NOTES...
The Slugs beat the Oddballers 16-4. The Oddballers had issues with asset allocation. They also complained about our adherence to the rules, rules they apparently didn't understand. Our bats were hot, particularly the Ultimate Weapon. Batting practice really paid off, even for those Slugs who didn't attend the practice.

It was a great practice, until...

2007-08-20T06:53:00.001-07:00

Ahhh. Memories.

2007-08-17T07:13:00.000-07:00

Oh, Slugs...remember what victory was like? Remember when I was talking about the league championship? Memories, all alone in the moonlight. I remember the memories.

We started the night listed as the top team in the D2 league, even ahead of Papa Flanagan's. But, Amara, the "Melrose Place" team had designs on our title. It seems they must have practiced since we last met, maybe even recruited some more players from the ol apartment complex.

A few game notes: Our bats were not hot, despite the arrival of the Demarini Ultimate Weapon. Coach Tam, writing in third person, is blaming the bye week. "We all felt a little rusty out there." She also thinks all that subbing at mid-game didn't allow us to hit our stride. Of course, our second half players did an excellent job, including Ed Fletcher, who made a superb catch in left field. Coach Tam also finds herself missing former shortstop and traitor Chris Bryce (pictured above at left), and she's also seriously wishing Christa would hurry up and return from summer vacation.

I'm adding a little audio supplement to get you all amped up for the next game. Click here to hear Judy with her famous Slugs cheer.

In other news, the Slugs have some new fans.

Last night, there were two senior citizens rocking trucker hats and fancy pants watching our game very intently. What better to do after the early bird special at Denny's. But, I swear I saw them laughing at us at one point. Still, it was excellent to have some spectators who are not our spouses, children or parents.

Practice, Practice Practice:
We're getting together this Sunday at 5:00 to rekindle our bats. If fields are available, we'll also do a few drills, including a "pickle" drill. I will be renting out the slow pitch softball cage at the Davis batting cages at Playfields Park for a full hour starting at 5 PM. Please be there on time so we can all get in plenty of swings. After practice, we'll retire to Woodstock's fine pizza and beer.

The All-league championship:
Because of our "successful softball season" the city has invited us to play in an all-league tournament. This year's tournament is September 15/16. I think it will cost us $200-ish, and I am going to suggest that we skip it. I am going to be out of town on the 15th and was hoping to catch an A's game on the 16th. Anyone up for an A's game instead?

Next Season - Starts the week of September 4. Sounds like everyone is in...but please let me know if you are not.

Slugs Have A Chance at League Championship

2007-08-04T14:59:00.000-07:00

It may be a little premature to discuss this, but our record is strong. At this time we have the second best record in the D2 league. The only team ahead of us is Papa Flanagan's. We beat them earlier this season and don't play them again. So, if we can win the rest of our games - or at least keep our record as good as Papa's we will win the league...earning 15 D-league champion T-shirts. Nothing pleases Mr. Gordon as much as a free T-shirt - so I for one really want this championship. Also, I suspect we might convince former coach Kepley to shower at the truck stop to celebrate.

08/02/07 Tahoe Park - Slugs V *itten *ats:
It was a depleted team that hit the field that night. Nearly half the Slugs were drinking in Mexico (is that where you are Ed or am I just writing fiction?) or attending the thrilling Capitol Beat conference in Phili. Those that did show, brought their A games.

Juliet and Coach Tam both had to contend with the home plate umpire. He asked Tamara if she would like to date his son - and wouldn't take no for an answer even offering up his son's salary level $92,000 a year. And with catcher Juliet, he was a little too protective of the game balls among other things.

Kevin had a superb game in left field. The fence robbed him of one catch, but otherwise he had a golden glove. The most outstanding catch was also the last out of the game. Liv, the *itten *ats catcher slugged perhaps the best hit of her career, over the head of short-stop Kepley. Kevin ran in to catch it, diving forward, rolling and coming up with the catch.

After the game Kepley was heard saying something to the effect of: "we would have beaten them by even more if not for all my errors." But that's hardly the case. He was the hard-working half of the night's most exciting double play, catching a line drive with a reach, then throwing the runner out at first before he could get back to the bag.

Other game notes - Mackenzie did some great fielding, Melody played well at first and second, Matt, Dan and Ahmed rocked.

Slugs Coach Mours Loss, and Celebrates...

2007-07-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

...end of requirement that she shower at the truck stop. There is a long-standing Slugs tradition requiring the coach to shower at the oddly-named Silver Nugget truck stop if the team goes undefeated. It was beginning to look like Slugs skipper Tamara Keith might have to start getting the flip flops ready as the Slugs started off the summer season with a stellar 2-0 record. But Backseat Drivers had a message for the Slugs last Thursday night "put away those flip flops."

Other than Ellen's stellar hitting, the rest of the Slugs had cold bats Thursday night. We just couldn't catch a break. How many of us hit a grounder to the first baseman? Coach Keith says: "I lost count, but I know he grabbed every single one of them." Our defense was totally solid, but without our usual good string of swings, we just couldn't defeat the Backseat Drivers. But, former coach Kepley says "It was close...and if we had kept playing a few more innings, we would have beat them."

Center fielder Ahmed Ortiz said many things after the game about learning moments, overcoming adversity, playing well as a team, etc...but this reporter was too upset about the loss to write down the quotes.

Frustrated by her own batting, Coach Keith went on an E-Bay rampage Friday night. She purchased a $90 bat (which totally kicks butt, just wait) and a special cover so she can use it at the batting cages without destroying it.

Any Slugs interested in hitting the cages some night this week?

Who's Your Daddy?

2007-07-13T00:32:00.000-07:00

By Neurotic D-Leaguer

When they took the field Thursday evening, the Slugs didn't know they would rally in the last inning for victory over Papa Flanagan's.

In fact, one Slug didn't even know this after playing in the game.

Before a record-setting crowd of seven for the 2007 season, the Slugs defeated Papa Flanagan's, moving their record to 2-0 in Summer League.

While Coach Tamara Keith served her second suspension of the year for bringing a pink water bottle to softball, the Slugs' good play extended up and down the available roster. From Jim Miller's dazzling outfield play and brilliant hitting in the lead-off spot to Ellen "Sproutsy" Chrismer's gritty game behind the plate, the home team kept it close all game before locking down the Flanaganses in the top of the last inning and coming back from a three-run deficit in the bottom half.

The game was so close that the Slugs' right fielder didn't realize her team had won.

"We won?" Judy Lin asked after the celebratory handshakes.

Her confusion might have resulted from ex-Slug-turned-turncoat Chris Bryce pitching and hitting cleanup for the Flanaganses, with a newfound Zen and needing only one shirt for the entire game. Or she just might be that confused all the time.

But she wasn't confused when a Flanagan hit a rocket shot to right in the last inning. Lin knocked her hat off like a pro, charged in and made a sweet one-handed grab. The roar of the crowd sounded like at least 10 people were there.

Lin joined an outfield of Ed Fletcher, Miller and Ahmed Ortiz that combined for nearly flawless play. Other defensive highlights were Christa Hunter snagging some wicked liners at third; shortstop John Kepley combining on a double play with Harrison Sheppard, who played a great game in his inaugural appearance at first; and Erin McGuire's usual outstanding pitching performance.

The only lowlights were another bite by the injury bug (this time a mosquito, not five wasp stings) and Matt Coldwell not showing up again. Kevin Yamamura, resting a sore Achilles' tendon, provided insightful analysis from the bench and expertly managed the baserunning in the decisive final inning.

What we do know is that the Slugs -- at 2-0, in first place, with momentum and improved teamwork, and Yamamura and Chrismer getting extra time from next week's bye to heal up -- are poised to rekindle the venerable Slugs tradition of the undefeated manager taking a shower at the 49'er Truck Plaza after the season.

Things are looking up already

2007-07-06T06:49:00.000-07:00

After a few touch and go hours, with the lineup in question, more than enough Slugs showed up for our first-ever bout with Amara. Amara is a solid team made up of residents of one apartment complex, so some on the bench started calling them the "Melrose Place" team. Coach Tam, having never watched more than 3 minutes of that fine evening soap, still agrees that it's an excellent nickname.

Lessons learned: Many of their women pack a lot of power with their bats. Many of their guys are also powerful hitters. Some are not. All of them appear to be getting a hang of the rules of D-B League Co-Ed Softball.

Things we learned about ourselves: hitting cutoffs is a good thing, and we did it well. Another thing we did well, backing each other up in the outfield, and calling flies when we had them. You all looked very solid out there. Also, it is critical to have a good pitcher. Erin, we love you.

Big thanks go out to Ed for bringing a cooler full of ice, and water. We needed it. Did that 106-degree day break some kind of Slugs softball record? I hope so...because we sure seasoned our jerseys with a heavy dose of sweat.

Then, I came home to a 90-degree house. It seems the Gordon AC is broken. :-( Perfect timing.

Next week: We take on a tougher opponent, with one hell of a pitcher. That is, Papa Flanagan's featuring the pitching/batting powerhouse of Chris Bryce. Fielders, you can't play this man too deep.

Mark your calendars - Papa Flanagan's V Slugs, 9:30PM (thank God), Tahoe Park

Summer Schedule

2007-06-30T16:59:00.000-07:00

Slugs - Please bookmark this post. Below is our summer schedule.

07/05/07 - 6:30 Amara V Slugs
07/12/07 - 9:30 Papa Flanagan's V Slugs
07/19/07 - Bye
07/26/07 - 9:30 Slugs V Backseat Drivers
08/02/07 - 7:30 Slugs V *itten *ats
08/09/07 - Bye
08/16/07 - 6:30 Slugs V Amara
08/23/07 - 8:30 Slugs V The Oddballers
08/30/07 - 8:30 Backseat Drivers V Slugs
09/06/07 - 7:30 *itten *ats V Slugs

Hit Your Cutoff!

2007-06-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hi Sluggies – Coach Tam here, posting from NYC…or JFK International to be more accurate.

Before our loss to Beer 30 becomes too faint a memory, I wanted to share some notes about the game. We could have won, seriously. Our bats were hot. We scored 6 or 7 runs in the first inning, and followed with another excellent showing later in the game.

Our problem is fielding. And it’s not even really a catching issue. The balls are only very rarely getting over our heads. We missed a few fly balls, but that’s normal, A-OK for D1 co-ed softball. We do a good job of getting our hands on the ball. BUT, then we sort of fall apart.

Fmr. Coach Kepley has been talking about this for years. “Hit your cutoffs,” he would say. “OK, sure. That makes sense,” I thought but it didn’t truly register until our game against Beer 30.

In most cases, if a ball comes to you in the outfield, you should throw it to the shortstop. Getting the ball safely into the infield is critical. It essentially stops the base runners in their tracks. Now, that base runner may be headed for 3^rd base, and throwing it to the shortstop isn’t going to get us an out. But 9 times out of 10, throwing it to third base from the outfield is going to lead to a run rather than an out. It’s really really hard to get that big ball accurately to third base. It doesn’t matter how good your arm is our how totally awesome out third basewoman is. We’re just inviting trouble. The 3^rd base case was merely an example. Throwing it to 2^nd base or home plate is just as perilous. Even, throwing it to third from first to catch an advancing runner is risky.

The point here is it’s very very easy to get caught up in the moment. You have the ball, you’re thinking “Oh crap, the runner’s taking an extra base, I shouldn’t let that happen.” It may hurt not to make the play…but until we get much much better at actually making the play, we will have more success just bringing the ball into the shortstop, getting it to the pitcher and stopping play…or stopping the bleeding whatever the case may be.

If we had been just a little smarter with our ball management, we could have beaten Beer 30. They were the top team in the league this season, and we had them scared. So, Slugs, be proud of your accomplishments, be very proud.

Please be kind to coach Kepley and kick the *itten *ats asses. Let’s finish this season off with another win.

Then, I am very much looking forward to next season, when we will take on some new opponents (including Chris), and start our reign as the champions of the D1.5 league (I am not yet willing to admit that we’ve been demoted to D-2, but the only other team from our spring league in this one is the dreaded Weezer doppelgangers themselves).

Slugs Beat Punker Emo Band

2007-06-08T09:46:00.001-07:00

We are the Slugs - we are mighty. Thanks to one very good inning, we have defeated the one team in the league with a record worse than ours.

Tahoe Park, June 7 - The Slugs were a little rusty after a bye week and a couple of tough injuries and it showed in the first inning. The team's bats were cold. Ice cold. 3 up, 3 down. Then out in the field it wasn't much prettier. There were missed grounders, overthrown balls and mental errors. "I was worried," said Slugs manager Tamara Gordon. "I was thinking, Oh Crap, we're going to lose to the one team the league director promised me we could beat."

Those concerns were misplaced. By the second inning the Slugs were beginning to show a little of their old spark. Then in the third inning, or maybe it was the fourth, the Slugs bats went wild. The Slugs sluggers could do no wrong. Suddenly the Slugs led by ten. There were a few tense moments at the bottom of the final inning as the *itten *ats tried to rally. But the Slugs held them to just a few runs, not nearly enough to knock down the 13 point lead the Sluggies had going in.

Notes about our opponents - (take note, we're playing them again on June 21 at 6:30)

Don't be fooled by their flashy uniforms...

Skinny jeans are the *itten *ats bottoms of choice.

As for footwear - they scoff a cleats...

Their pitcher prefers Doc Martins.

Watch out for their left fielder - he can really hit and catch...

Oh, sorry, wrong photo. That's a picture of Weezer. If you want to destroy my sweater...um I mean defense...pull the string as I walk away. Oh man, this is confusing.

Next Game - 06/14/07 vs Beer30 at 9:30 PM

Victory - So Close, Yet So Far Away

2007-05-14T16:20:00.000-07:00

By Ed Fletcher - Center Field

THURSDAY, MAY 10, TAHOE PARK -- Another mighty pop from a Slug bat sent the team into another hopping, clapping, cheering fit.

The ball landed safely and the swift-footed Melody Gutierrez – the tying run – rounded third base, heading for home in the bottom of the final inning. The home team had trailed all night long and as Beer 30 relayed the ball home, the team and its loyal fans knew they play at the plate would be closer than two Alabama cousins.

Could it be a two-out game-winning single?

The ball arrived home as if shot from a gun. The catch. A slide. A puff of dirt. And a call. “Out,” said the ump.

The two teams lined up and congratulated their opponents is what had been a spirited, hard-played game. The game, a bit testy after Ed Fletcher and some of the powerful yet vertically challenged opponents exchanged “harrumphs,” was over.

After the game, around a table full of the best pizza and worse beer in town, someone asked Gutierrez if she was disappointed in how the game ended.

“I remember the times we were happy to score three runs and counted the plays where we didn’t commit consecutive errors as a victory,” said Gutierrez, as she shook her head. “I’ll take a good game over getting our asses handed to us any day of the week. Any day of the week.”

“Foshizy,” added John Kepley, who just returned from his near victory smoke.

THIS WEEK 8:30 VS SOCALS
Erin says she and Chris are "hungry for a victory."

Rain rain go away

2007-05-06T10:59:00.000-07:00

After the driest winter on record, mother nature still found a way to rain-out our latest game. Snowpack in the Sierra is at 29 percent of normal. Forecasters are talking about drought. Then suddenly around 7PM Wednesday night, it starts to sprinkle. By 9:30 it was raining. Small drops, but steady rain. The game starts, even as the officials in blue make grumpy little faces that say "we desperately want to call this game off." Many Slugs refuse to sit on the bench. It's too wet, so they camp under a tree (thankfully this was not a thunderstorm). The drops grow more robust. We make it through an inning and a half, then just as Dan is about to get up for his first at-bat, the officials call it. The Slugs are rained out. I'm generally agnostic, but perhaps in this case God didn't want us to take on the *itten *ats without Erin and Chris.

I haven't heard from the league yet, but the ump was saying something about it being re-scheduled for sometime when it's 105 degrees and painfully sunny. It should give the "Neurotic D-Leaguer" to write-up a full scouting report.

Up next - 7:30 PM 05/10/07 Beer30 VS Slugs... rumor has it their captain got in a fight with one of their officials...so who knows what to expect with this one.

Slugs Win!

2007-04-20T07:54:00.000-07:00

More details to come...but in short WE WON! Here's our post-game victory photo:

Cages, anyone?

2007-04-15T20:12:00.000-07:00

Ellen and Coach Tam did a little scouting this afternoon. In the middle of a 7 1/2 mile run through Davis, we decided to stop by the batting cages at Playfields Park. While there, we learned that the cages are open until 9PM on Sunday nights. After completing our run, we picked up the bats at my house and went back to the cages for some batting practice.

It was a lot of fun, and I can tell you, I need much much more batting practice. So, what do you all think about renting out a couple of slow-pitch softball lanes in the evening on Sunday, April 29th? It's $25 for an hour of unlimited hits. If you're all lucky, Ira will fire up the margarita machine (it can also be used for non-alcoholic slushee beverages) for a little post-batting refreshment.

We came, we conquered...sort of

2007-04-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

Slugs, we played an awesome game. We were strong in the field, our bats were hot (well some of our bats were hot), our new bat was smokin'...and for five and a half innings the SoCals could nearly taste the bitterness of a loss. And then, suddenly in the bottom of the 6th they started swinging for the fences. It's taken several days, but I've come to peace with this. I mean, we can't be expected to position our fielders in the middle of puppy classes and soccer games and that's where they were hitting.

Our spring training clearly paid off. We were good out there. And all I can say is Loose Change watch out!

04/19/07 9:30 Slugs V Loose Change

PS - Thanks to Mackenzie and Kevin for hosting a wonderful post-game BBQ. Since our game this Thursday is so late, we may just have to skip straight to the beer.

1st Game and Team BBQ

2007-04-07T21:37:00.000-07:00

Our first game is this coming Thursday...and it's a 6:30 game, which means it is extra imperative that you e-mail Coach Tamara and tell her whether you can make it and if you think you might be late. Please arrive 30 minutes before game time so we can warm up and Coach Tamara can muddle her way through the lineup.

The Mackenzie and Kevin have kindly volunteered to host a team barbecue at their house after the game. It's the best night of the season for this gathering, because it's our only really early game. The Yamamuras will supply the burgers, vegi burgers and fixings. They're asking that the rest of us bring sides, chips, salsa, dip, salad and most importantly BEER and other beverages. I'll bring a cooler with me to the game so your food doesn't spoil. Also, there's a Raley's right by their house so we can pick stuff up on the way over. Please post a comment here to let us know what you plan to bring to the BBQ...and whether you can attend.

Slugs Rank D1

2007-04-05T21:44:00.000-07:00

The Slugs are playing in the big-boy league this season. Yes, the springtime Slugs are still technically in the Sac Rec D League. But this season we're in the D1 league. There's a D2 league for less talented teams, and folks we're not in it. We'll be taking on talented rivals including the SoCal's Force and the Kittenkats.

At the mandatory managers meeting tonight, I picked up our schedule (see below), a rule book and a very long list of banned bats. My efforts to get the league director to give us lots of late games worked. We only have one 6:30 game and several 9:30 games. Good news Christa, you can make it to some of our games after class. So, with such a rocking schedule, and some seriously tough teams to beat, I expect excellent attendance at our games. And please no napping or boozing it up before the late games. Napping could lead to an unexcused absence...and being drunk could get you suspended. That's another thing I learned at the managers meeting.

Here's the schedule:
04/12/07 6:30 Slugs V SoCal's
04/19/07 9:30 Slugs V Loose Change
04/26/07 Bye
05/03/07 9:30 KittenKats V Slugs
05/10/07 7:30 Beer30 V Slugs
05/17/07 8:30 SoCal's V Slugs
05/24/07 7:30 Loose Change V Slugs
05/31/07 Bye Can anyone say dollar dog night at the RiverCats?
06/07/07 7:30 Slugs V KittenKats
06/14/07 9:30 Slugs V Beer30

Season Start Date

2007-03-30T10:57:00.000-07:00

Just got off the phone with Ron at the city. Our season starts on Thursday, April 12!!! We have a managers meeting next week and he plans to hand out the season schedules at that time. I told him we had a preference for later games...he said he'd take that into consideration.

New Uniforms

2007-03-27T20:06:00.000-07:00

Because we have a bunch of new Slugs, it's time to get new uniforms. We'll be using the same logo as the last model (our little slug dude).

This time around I'm proposing we use the 100% sweatshop free American Apparel M434 Mélange JerseyShort Sleeve Gym T-Shirt. It's "a retro reinvention of the classic gym T-shirt."

Of course, we'll look much happier in our Ts than this moody man from the American Apparel website. This is a unisex shirt, which in theory should make us all look like hot models. The shirts will cost us $12.40 and will come with the slug logo on the front and a number of your choice on the back. Please check out the AE sizing chart and let me know what size shirt you need, and what number you'd like printed on the back. I am allowing duplicates, but please let me know if you object to sharing your number with another Slug. Please e-mail me your requests by April 1...so maybe we can get these shirts printed before the end of the season.

Also, I am ordering us all slugs baseball caps. They'll cost us $14 each...but since the league is cutting us a deal on league fees this season, it's almost like the hats are free.

We may just be the best dressed team in the league. Let's hope everyone else is so distracted by our sexiness that they let us kick their asses game after game.

Slugs Spring Training

2007-03-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

Well, Slugs...it can only go down hill from here. For those of you who didn't make it out to our first practice, we totally dominated. A big thanks to Nick, coach of the Solid Gold Hits. He reserved the field for us at Tahoe Park, organized fielding drills, batting practice, even brought little wiffle balls for extra hand eye coordination practice. Then we took the field for a scrimmage and your Slugs made the Solid Gold Hits glad they won't be playing on Thursday nights. We had solid fielding all around (though Kepley had the most SportsCenter moments at short), and our bats were hot! The final score was 9-4, I believe. I was statistician for the high school golf team, but my scorekeeping skills are lacking these days. It's a good thing the league pays some dude to sit on a stool behind the plate with a dry erase board.

For the record Coach Tam owes beer to the following Slugs who made it to practice:
Judy
Matt
Melody
John
Ira
Ed
Jim
Ellen
Harrison
Christa

Coming soon to the slugsblog... new uniforms? ...it's time to buy a big boy bat ...useful information about the start of the season, as soon as I get it from the league ...and the return of player profiles.