Our Schedule

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

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

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

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!

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...

...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

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.