Playing their fourth game in 8 days, the Irvine Cubs' bats once again led the way tonight in the Cubs' 10-4 win over the Astros in the first game of the Semi-Final round of the Irvine City Championship -- a game that was closer than the final score indicated.
Mario was the perfect lead-off hitter tonight -- and led off three separate innings. He looked at a lot of pitches, worked counts, and finished 3 for 3 with three runs scored. Mario added great baserunning, stealing an extra base after one of his hits when the pitcher dropped a throw-in from one of his fielders. Kaden walked twice and scored both times. Michael, who reached base all three times up, drove in four runs and scored twice, ripped a bomb down the right field line, dusting the chalk for an inside the park home run which gave the Cubs the lead that they would not relinquish. Sean hit the ball hard twice with a single, a run-scored and an RBI on the night. Anon hit the ball hard, scored a run and drove one in. Kanade ripped a hard single to left and scored during the key 5-run outburst in the third inning. Matthew B. hit the ball hard all three times up, did some great situational hitting in the third, driving in Kanade from third and moving Anon to second with a ground ball (just what the coaches asked for) and hit a rocket to right field in the fifth. Wyatt hit the ball hard three times, with two singles -- the second a key two-out hit that drove in a run -- and almost a third hit in the fifth inning. Matt L. walked once, Brandon barely missed another hit on a good play by the Astros shortstop, and Zach put some good swings up in two at-bats.
On defense, special recognition goes to our catchers -- often the forgotten men out there. Our catchers know they are "brick walls" and think of their body as impenetrable force fields. One of our catchers, who shall remain nameless, in full gear, got things started even before the game began in the dugout, creating a force-field of sorts (I can't say more, because what happens in the dugout stays in the dugout). In the first inning, Sean got things started by throwing out a potential base-stealer at third (actually two, but only one was called). Michael and in particular Kaden also did a good job blocking pitches to keep runners from advancing. Nice job, catchers.
In addition to our catcher, Mario made two very nice plays at third base, Kaden made a nice play at pitcher on a hard hit grounder, Matthew caught three pop ups at first base, and Anon made two nice plays at second -- fielding a smash grounder in the third inning (with his stomach getting an assist) and snagging a hard liner in the fourth inning -- a play that saved two runs and the Cubs' momentum. Zach and Brandon each tracked down balls in the outfield.
It was testing week last week in the Irvine Public Schools. On the mound in this game, our pitchers were all tested, and all passed the test. Kaden started us
off, survived the first inning where two seeing-eye "swinging bunts" led to minimal damage, and then closed things out in the second and part of the third. Mario closed out the third and fought hard in the fourth inning to overcome a couple of defensive challenges behind him. Michael came in, took a few batters to find his release point, closed out the fourth, and then threw shutout innings in the fifth and sixth to close out the game. All in all our pitchers scattered seven hits and showed good toughness in overcoming adversity to finish each outing strong. Nice job.
Awards:
Energy: Matt L.: Matt had a nice steal of second -- and was on his way to a steal of third too, but thought better of it when saw Wyatt standing on the base and hustled back to second. Matt also ran hard in our pre-game and post-game workouts.
Effort: Wyatt. His 2-3 at the plate was impressive. But even more impressive than those great results was the effort he gave at the plate. His second hit was a key two-out RBI single and required him to run hard down the line to beat it out. In fact, he hustled hard all three times he hit the ball.
Focus: Mario. In addition to his three hits, three runs scored, stellar play at third, and good pitching, the highlight of the game was a subtle one -- taking the extra base when the pitcher dropped a throw-in from his fielder. Mario had rounded first after a single, was anticipating the play, and when the opportunity arose, exploded to second base. In a two-second play, it showed energy, effort and most obviously, focus. Nice job.
Physical Toughness: Anon. Coaches tell players to put their bodies in front of ground and block the ball with their chests and stomach if there is a bad hop. Players then think to themselves, "easy for you to say." Well, Anon got himself in front of a hard ground ball, fielded it with the help of his stomach, and recorded the out. Excellent toughness.
Mental Toughness: Kaden, Mario and Michael: Each had challenges on the mound, and each battled through them. Pitching is a unique position -- out there on an island. It requires many skills, but perhaps the most important: a short memory. Nice jobs, pitchers.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
ILLC Game 3 (May 19) vs. A's
On a beautiful Wednesday night in Irvine, the Cubs' bats, gloves and arms all came together in a command performance 11-2 victory over the A's. With the win, the Cubs closed out the opening round of the Irvine City Championship with a perfect 3-0 record and a #1 seeding heading into the semi-final round.
On offense, the 11 runs scored was the Cubs highest output of the season. The hitting started in the bottom of the first inning, when the Cubs, undaunted by a 1-0 deficit, let loose the lumber ... errrr, composite aluminum. Kaden, Michael, Sean and Anon each reached base and scored, with RBIs provided by Sean, Anon and Matthew. The Cubs blew the game open in the third, with Michael, Sean, Anon and Kanade scoring -- with Kanade's run coming after his beautiful drag bunt for a hit, getting him all the way to third (and 4/5th of the way to home) on a throwing error.
In the bottom of the fourth, Brandon ripped a mighty blast, his second hard-hit ball of the game, and made his way around the bases, finishing with a slide worthy of Baryshnikov (see photo left) -- a play that the spectators all scored the same way: Home Run. Kanade and Matthew rounded out the scoring in the fifth inning -- 
with Kanade stroking a double and Matthew ripping the ball and also making his way around the bases in what was uniformly scored as a home run (see photo right). Mario, Sean, Matthew and Kanade each had two hits. Wyatt hit the ball hard in his first at bat, and Matt L and Zach put some good swings on the ball. In addition to the hitting, our baserunning was crisp, with lots of extra bases taken when the opportunity arose. A true offensive explosion.
On defense, Kaden got things started with the first batter, snagging a hot line drive back to the box for the first out. Anon, Wyatt and Mario all made nice plays in the infield. Matt L., Brandon, Zach and Kanade all ran down balls in the outfield, and Matthew B. made his usual stellar plays at first base.
Of special note was a play which in the scorebook just reads "3-1" but was in fact one of the most beautiful defensive plays of the season which required three plays to know their responsibilities, communicate and execute. And all three did.
It was a softly hit ground ball to the right side -- the "Bermuda Triangle" of the baseball diamond because balls get hit there and sometimes never get out. But the Cubs executed to perfection. (See photo left)Matthew, playing first base, saw that Anon, playing second, would not be able to get to the ball in time to get the speedy runner out. So Matthew called for the ball and charged to get it.
Kaden, at pitcher, reacted instantly, knowing that once the ball got by him, his responsibility was to cover first and he sped to first, taking the proper angle. Anon, hearing that Matthew called for the ball, knew his job then was to back up the toss to first and he charged immediately to his spot behind the bag (see photo above right). And then, without missing a beat, Matthew fielded the ball, turned, made a perfect toss to 
Kaden on the run, who caught it and stepped on first for the out, with Anon right behind him (see photo below left). Major league teams work on that play for hours and hours 
in spring training and still, during the season, you see them mess it up when the pitcher forgets to cover, or the first baseman lets the ball go through, or the second baseman forgets his job.
The Cubs executed that play better than the pros do. Perhaps most impressive is that the Cubs considered the play routine and thus could not understand why their coach was jumping up and down and making a scene clapping and whooping it up for just a regular 3-1 putout (see photo right).
On the mound, the combination of Kaden, Mario and Michael combined to hold the A's to just two runs, scattering three hits and striking out eight. A great effort on the mound.
Awards:
Energy: Kanade, who (1) while on second base, taking an aggressive secondary lead in first inning, drew a throw on a routine grounder to shortstop, allowing our batter to reach first; (2) made it all the way to third on a perfect bunt; and (3) ripped a double and had scored within two pitches.
Effort: Brandon: his home run was not just the result of good hitting, but more importantly, maximum effort getting around the bases.
Focus: Mario: great pitching and solid hitting.
Toughness: Sean, who took a ball off the eye in warmups and didn't miss a beat.
On offense, the 11 runs scored was the Cubs highest output of the season. The hitting started in the bottom of the first inning, when the Cubs, undaunted by a 1-0 deficit, let loose the lumber ... errrr, composite aluminum. Kaden, Michael, Sean and Anon each reached base and scored, with RBIs provided by Sean, Anon and Matthew. The Cubs blew the game open in the third, with Michael, Sean, Anon and Kanade scoring -- with Kanade's run coming after his beautiful drag bunt for a hit, getting him all the way to third (and 4/5th of the way to home) on a throwing error.
In the bottom of the fourth, Brandon ripped a mighty blast, his second hard-hit ball of the game, and made his way around the bases, finishing with a slide worthy of Baryshnikov (see photo left) -- a play that the spectators all scored the same way: Home Run. Kanade and Matthew rounded out the scoring in the fifth inning -- 
with Kanade stroking a double and Matthew ripping the ball and also making his way around the bases in what was uniformly scored as a home run (see photo right). Mario, Sean, Matthew and Kanade each had two hits. Wyatt hit the ball hard in his first at bat, and Matt L and Zach put some good swings on the ball. In addition to the hitting, our baserunning was crisp, with lots of extra bases taken when the opportunity arose. A true offensive explosion.On defense, Kaden got things started with the first batter, snagging a hot line drive back to the box for the first out. Anon, Wyatt and Mario all made nice plays in the infield. Matt L., Brandon, Zach and Kanade all ran down balls in the outfield, and Matthew B. made his usual stellar plays at first base.
Of special note was a play which in the scorebook just reads "3-1" but was in fact one of the most beautiful defensive plays of the season which required three plays to know their responsibilities, communicate and execute. And all three did.
It was a softly hit ground ball to the right side -- the "Bermuda Triangle" of the baseball diamond because balls get hit there and sometimes never get out. But the Cubs executed to perfection. (See photo left)Matthew, playing first base, saw that Anon, playing second, would not be able to get to the ball in time to get the speedy runner out. So Matthew called for the ball and charged to get it.
Kaden, at pitcher, reacted instantly, knowing that once the ball got by him, his responsibility was to cover first and he sped to first, taking the proper angle. Anon, hearing that Matthew called for the ball, knew his job then was to back up the toss to first and he charged immediately to his spot behind the bag (see photo above right). And then, without missing a beat, Matthew fielded the ball, turned, made a perfect toss to 
Kaden on the run, who caught it and stepped on first for the out, with Anon right behind him (see photo below left). Major league teams work on that play for hours and hours 
in spring training and still, during the season, you see them mess it up when the pitcher forgets to cover, or the first baseman lets the ball go through, or the second baseman forgets his job. The Cubs executed that play better than the pros do. Perhaps most impressive is that the Cubs considered the play routine and thus could not understand why their coach was jumping up and down and making a scene clapping and whooping it up for just a regular 3-1 putout (see photo right).
On the mound, the combination of Kaden, Mario and Michael combined to hold the A's to just two runs, scattering three hits and striking out eight. A great effort on the mound.
Awards:
Energy: Kanade, who (1) while on second base, taking an aggressive secondary lead in first inning, drew a throw on a routine grounder to shortstop, allowing our batter to reach first; (2) made it all the way to third on a perfect bunt; and (3) ripped a double and had scored within two pitches.
Effort: Brandon: his home run was not just the result of good hitting, but more importantly, maximum effort getting around the bases.
Focus: Mario: great pitching and solid hitting.
Toughness: Sean, who took a ball off the eye in warmups and didn't miss a beat.
Monday, May 17, 2010
ILLC Game 2 (May 17) vs. Rangers
Tonight, the Irvine Cubs got off to a strong start, relaxed a bit and learned a valuable lesson, and then finished strong to win the second game of the Irvine City championship first round over the Rangers, tying their highest offensive output of the season, 10-5.
On offense, our table-setter, Mario, reached base all three times, with two walks and a single, and scored twice, showing great speed and awareness on the bases. Kaden also did his job to perfection in the number two slot, as he walked, singled and scored three times. Sean, in the clean up spot, did what a cleanup hitter should do, and then some, going 3-3 with 3 RBI and scored 3 times (see photo left). Michael, who batted third, had two hits, two RBIs and scored once. Matthew B. singled and drove in a run. Kanade walked, showed great speed on the bases, scored and had an RBI. Brandon rocked a base hit to the left side. 
Zach walked twice and showed good focus and speed on the bases (see photo right). Wyatt hit the ball hard on a ground out to short, Anon hit the ball hard twice and Matt L. put up a couple of good at bats. On the bases, Sean stole two bases on one pitch and and later scored from second on a single wild throw, and Zach motored around the bases as well.
On defense, our pitchers were encouraged before the game to throw strikes and let our defense shine.
To back up those words, Anon made two nice plays at second base, one for a 4-3 putout (see photo right) and another getting the lead runner on a 4-6 assist to Sean covering second. Michael got things started in the first inning, catching two humpback liners at shortstop, drawing oooohs and ahhhhs from the crowd and helping Kaden to a remarkable 6 pitch first inning. Michael later made a very nice play on a ground ball to shortstop for the assist as he fired the ball to Matthew for the putout on a speedy runner. 
Sean made a nice play on a pop up at shortstop (see photo left) and Wyatt made a nice play on a ball at second base. In the outfield, Zach and Kanade each ran down a couple of balls and got them into the infield.
On the mound, Kaden shut down the opposition, throwing three amazing shutout innings in only 34 pitches, striking out 5 -- exactly what the Cubs needed. Sean did his job, throwing strikes, getting routine ground balls, and giving up no earned runs. Mario came in and closed things out, striking out the side in the fifth inning and finishing the sixth inning for the save.
Awards:
Energy: (1) Michael, for getting our defense started with two diving plays at shortstop, causing the ESPN-sound DA-DA-DA .... DA-DA-DAAAAAH to go off,(2) Brandon, for beating out another base hit and (3) Zach, for his work on the bases, and his speed in Centerfield tracking down a hit and making a perfect throw to second base to put a play on a runner trying to stretch a hit into a double.
Effort: Kaden, getting 9 outs on 34 pitches, not to mention scoring 3 times in three at bats. That is efficient work.
Focus: Sean, who came up with runners on base and delivered each time with efficient at bats to drive in runs -- even when the opposition threw a little chin music his way.
Toughness: Matthew, who took a ball of the shin in warmups, but stuck it out to do yeoman's work at first base.
Teamwork: Anon who made a big personal sacrifice to come to the game for the team. Thank you, Anon!
On offense, our table-setter, Mario, reached base all three times, with two walks and a single, and scored twice, showing great speed and awareness on the bases. Kaden also did his job to perfection in the number two slot, as he walked, singled and scored three times. Sean, in the clean up spot, did what a cleanup hitter should do, and then some, going 3-3 with 3 RBI and scored 3 times (see photo left). Michael, who batted third, had two hits, two RBIs and scored once. Matthew B. singled and drove in a run. Kanade walked, showed great speed on the bases, scored and had an RBI. Brandon rocked a base hit to the left side. 
Zach walked twice and showed good focus and speed on the bases (see photo right). Wyatt hit the ball hard on a ground out to short, Anon hit the ball hard twice and Matt L. put up a couple of good at bats. On the bases, Sean stole two bases on one pitch and and later scored from second on a single wild throw, and Zach motored around the bases as well.On defense, our pitchers were encouraged before the game to throw strikes and let our defense shine.
To back up those words, Anon made two nice plays at second base, one for a 4-3 putout (see photo right) and another getting the lead runner on a 4-6 assist to Sean covering second. Michael got things started in the first inning, catching two humpback liners at shortstop, drawing oooohs and ahhhhs from the crowd and helping Kaden to a remarkable 6 pitch first inning. Michael later made a very nice play on a ground ball to shortstop for the assist as he fired the ball to Matthew for the putout on a speedy runner. 
Sean made a nice play on a pop up at shortstop (see photo left) and Wyatt made a nice play on a ball at second base. In the outfield, Zach and Kanade each ran down a couple of balls and got them into the infield. On the mound, Kaden shut down the opposition, throwing three amazing shutout innings in only 34 pitches, striking out 5 -- exactly what the Cubs needed. Sean did his job, throwing strikes, getting routine ground balls, and giving up no earned runs. Mario came in and closed things out, striking out the side in the fifth inning and finishing the sixth inning for the save.
Awards:
Energy: (1) Michael, for getting our defense started with two diving plays at shortstop, causing the ESPN-sound DA-DA-DA .... DA-DA-DAAAAAH to go off,(2) Brandon, for beating out another base hit and (3) Zach, for his work on the bases, and his speed in Centerfield tracking down a hit and making a perfect throw to second base to put a play on a runner trying to stretch a hit into a double.
Effort: Kaden, getting 9 outs on 34 pitches, not to mention scoring 3 times in three at bats. That is efficient work.
Focus: Sean, who came up with runners on base and delivered each time with efficient at bats to drive in runs -- even when the opposition threw a little chin music his way.
Toughness: Matthew, who took a ball of the shin in warmups, but stuck it out to do yeoman's work at first base.
Teamwork: Anon who made a big personal sacrifice to come to the game for the team. Thank you, Anon!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
ILLC Game 1 (May 14) vs. Orioles
A walk-off win. Extra innings. A combined one-hitter. Overcoming a three-run deficit. Defensive heroics. A violent collision. A rollicking barbeque. On Friday night, the Irvine Cubs packed all of that excitement and more into just one game, edging the Orioles in extra innings in thrilling walk-off fashion, 4-3 to open up the Irvine City Championship first round.
It's hard to know where to begin with this one. The Cubs' pregame talk was again about mental toughness and overcoming adversity, and after falling behind 3-0 in the third inning, the team came through with a least a half-dozen plays to keep them in the game and claw their way to victory.
On the hill, our pitchers Kaden, Sean, Mario and Michael combined to hold the Orioles to one hit over seven innings. Not one batted ball left the infield. Kaden pitched 2 1/3 innings, striking out 5. Sean pitched 2/3 of an inning, struck out one and gave up no earned runs. Mario pitched one inning and gave up no runs, working his way out of a second and third jam. Michael pitched the final three innings, giving up no runs and striking out 5.
In the field, the Cubs combined routine plays with stellar ones to keep the score close while they waited for the bats to explode. The leader of the defense was Matthew B (the B stands for "Ball-Magnet") at first base. Matthew started with a nice play on a ground ball in the second, beating a fleet-footed runner to the base for the unassisted putout. In the top of the six, after the Cubs had worked back to tie the score in the bottom of the fifth, Matthew prevented what looked like a likely leadoff double and possible triple when we faded back on a towering, twisting pop-up and caught it reaching way back over his head in a seemingly impossible kinesiological position (if it were a yoga pose, I think it would be called "upward facing dog"). Matthew followed that up the next inning, in the top of the seventh, by making a nice stop on a smash down the line for another unassisted putout -- a ball that had it got by him would have been a lead-off triple. But the highlight play for Matthew -- the play that was the turning point of the game, took place in the top of the fourth. The Orioles had just scored 3 in the third and were leading 3-0. They had gotten runners on second and third with just one out. A base hit would score 2 and leave the Cubs facing a 5 run deficit. Things looked bleak. The Cubs needed a spark. And that's when then the ball found the ball magnet again. The Orioles hitter lined a smash that seemed destined to make it to right field and drive in two. But Matthew, with cat-like reflexes and a quick cross-over step, darted to his right, reached up and snagged the liner as it was about to go by him, recording the out and saving two runs. Mario then struck out the next hitter, preventing any runs from scoring, and in the bottom of the frame, the Cubs, fired up by the defense by Matthew, put two runs on the board to start their comeback and put doubt into the minds of the opposition. Great job, Matthew.
The rest of the defensive effort helped stem the tide as well. Mario made two nice defensive plays -- recording an unassisted tag-out on a runner at third after fielding a ground ball and catching a pop-up and surviving a collision in the fifth inning (more on that below). Anon made a nice play at second base to record a force out at second.
However, one of our best defensive plays (actually it was four separate nice plays in succession) came at an unexpected moment -- and wound up being one of the differences in the game. Following an errant throw, the Orioles scored their three runs. It was a tough moment for the Cubs. For some other teams who lack focus and mental toughness, the results of the play could have been four runs allowed, not three. But the combined efforts of Brandon, Kaden and Michael saved the day. Seeing the errant throw, Brandon hopped on his horse in right field and ran down the ball with great speed (nice play number one). Brandon then fired the ball right to the cut-off man, Kaden (nice play number two). Kaden then turned glove-side and quickly fired the ball to home (nice play number three). At home, Michael caught Kaden's perfect throw, blocked the plate perfectly, and applied the tag to the fourth runner, getting him out by a whisker (nice play number four). Had any link in that chain not functioned perfectly, that runner would have been safe. Had that runner been safe, the Cubs would have lost 4-3 instead of winning 4-3. By showing focus and mental toughness even at the toughest of moments, the Cubs defense worked together to help save the day.
Offensively, it took the Cubs' bats a while to get going. In fact, through 3 and two-thirds innings, the Cubs did not have a hit, had had only one baserunner and had not hit the ball out of the infield. But with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, trailing 3-0, Kaden got things started with a hard single. Michael followed Kaden with a double to right-center field, driving in Kaden and foreshadowing future events. Sean then followed up with a single to drive in Michael. Suddenly it was 3-2 and the tide continued to turn. In the bottom of fifth, Kanade got things started with a single (in his prior at bat, Kanade had missed extra bases by an inch on a hard smash just foul down the third base line). Matthew B. hit into a fielder's choice, replacing Kanade on first. Matthew B. then stole second and third and coiled on third base, like a cheetah waiting to pounce. On a pitch in the dirt, Matthew exploded off of third base, beat the pitcher, who was covering home, by five feet, and scored the crucial game tying run. Zach, who was at the plate, announced to the umpire that the score was now tied 3-3, and the Cubs could feel things going their way. Zach, Mario, Anon and Matt L. each hit the ball well and Wyatt and Brandon each had productive at bats, putting good swings on the ball.
Of course, the offensive highlight came in the bottom of the seventh. Kaden led off and worked a walk. Michael was due up next and the Orioles pitching coach took a visit to the mound. During that visit, Michael met with his third base coach and told him he saw a lot of room out in right field. Then, on the first pitch, Michael drove a rocket down the line in right field that landed safely and rolled into the corder. Kaden took off like a shot from first base and never looked back. Kaden rounded second, rounded third and slid into home before the ball had made its way back into the infield, scoring the winning run in dramatic walk-off fashion, 4-3. The Cubs players mobbed Kaden and Michael at home plate as the Cubs fans went wild in the stands.
After a team meeting, the wild celebration re-adjurned just a few feet away at the Dove Creek barbeque pits and picnic tables. The team-barbeque-turned-victory-celebration was a great event. Thanks to everyone who worked hard to make it such a success, especially our grillmasters Alex A., Jeff L. and Rafael C., as well as Bobbi A. for organizing and coordinating things. A great night on lots of fronts.
Awards:
Energy: Michael: Michael went 2 for 2, walked, doubled and tripled in the game-winner, finished with two RBIs and scored a run, caught two innings behind the plate and pitched three shut-out innings to close out the game.
Effort: Kaden: In addition to his 2 and 1/3 innings on the mound, his three innings behind the plate at catcher, Kaden scored two runs, including the game winner, coming all the way around from first, giving maximum effort.
Focus: Brandon: Although he was playing right field and the ball was hit only a few feet in front of home plate, Brandon stayed focused, knowing that just because the ball isn't hit to you doesn't mean you won't be in the play. When a throw got loose down the right field line, Brandon stayed alert, ran it down and hit the cutoff man, all of which helped lead to gunning out a player at home plate -- saving a run that made the difference between winning and losing.
Mental Toughness: Sean: He battled on the mound in the third and fourth inning. But when he came up with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, he knew the rule: what happened in the past is passed -- what matters is right now. His two-out single drove in Michael with the Cubs second run, keeping the momentum going. If Sean hadn't gotten that hit, the Cubs would have lost.
Physical Toughness: Michael and Mario: Their collision in the field on a pop up was violent. After the play, both stumbled a few feet and then collapsed briefly to the grass. It looked like a scene from a war movie, with people calling for ice and medics, and morphine and transfusions and helicopters swirling around to evacuate the wounded (well, just ice and no helicopters but a little poetic license is allowed). Yet each of them continued to play, with Mario hitting in the bottom half of the inning and Michael pitching and then driving in the winning run the next inning.
Yoga Award: Matthew, for inventing his new pose "upward-facing dog." Let me know if you need a patent attorney.
It's hard to know where to begin with this one. The Cubs' pregame talk was again about mental toughness and overcoming adversity, and after falling behind 3-0 in the third inning, the team came through with a least a half-dozen plays to keep them in the game and claw their way to victory.
On the hill, our pitchers Kaden, Sean, Mario and Michael combined to hold the Orioles to one hit over seven innings. Not one batted ball left the infield. Kaden pitched 2 1/3 innings, striking out 5. Sean pitched 2/3 of an inning, struck out one and gave up no earned runs. Mario pitched one inning and gave up no runs, working his way out of a second and third jam. Michael pitched the final three innings, giving up no runs and striking out 5.
In the field, the Cubs combined routine plays with stellar ones to keep the score close while they waited for the bats to explode. The leader of the defense was Matthew B (the B stands for "Ball-Magnet") at first base. Matthew started with a nice play on a ground ball in the second, beating a fleet-footed runner to the base for the unassisted putout. In the top of the six, after the Cubs had worked back to tie the score in the bottom of the fifth, Matthew prevented what looked like a likely leadoff double and possible triple when we faded back on a towering, twisting pop-up and caught it reaching way back over his head in a seemingly impossible kinesiological position (if it were a yoga pose, I think it would be called "upward facing dog"). Matthew followed that up the next inning, in the top of the seventh, by making a nice stop on a smash down the line for another unassisted putout -- a ball that had it got by him would have been a lead-off triple. But the highlight play for Matthew -- the play that was the turning point of the game, took place in the top of the fourth. The Orioles had just scored 3 in the third and were leading 3-0. They had gotten runners on second and third with just one out. A base hit would score 2 and leave the Cubs facing a 5 run deficit. Things looked bleak. The Cubs needed a spark. And that's when then the ball found the ball magnet again. The Orioles hitter lined a smash that seemed destined to make it to right field and drive in two. But Matthew, with cat-like reflexes and a quick cross-over step, darted to his right, reached up and snagged the liner as it was about to go by him, recording the out and saving two runs. Mario then struck out the next hitter, preventing any runs from scoring, and in the bottom of the frame, the Cubs, fired up by the defense by Matthew, put two runs on the board to start their comeback and put doubt into the minds of the opposition. Great job, Matthew.
The rest of the defensive effort helped stem the tide as well. Mario made two nice defensive plays -- recording an unassisted tag-out on a runner at third after fielding a ground ball and catching a pop-up and surviving a collision in the fifth inning (more on that below). Anon made a nice play at second base to record a force out at second.
However, one of our best defensive plays (actually it was four separate nice plays in succession) came at an unexpected moment -- and wound up being one of the differences in the game. Following an errant throw, the Orioles scored their three runs. It was a tough moment for the Cubs. For some other teams who lack focus and mental toughness, the results of the play could have been four runs allowed, not three. But the combined efforts of Brandon, Kaden and Michael saved the day. Seeing the errant throw, Brandon hopped on his horse in right field and ran down the ball with great speed (nice play number one). Brandon then fired the ball right to the cut-off man, Kaden (nice play number two). Kaden then turned glove-side and quickly fired the ball to home (nice play number three). At home, Michael caught Kaden's perfect throw, blocked the plate perfectly, and applied the tag to the fourth runner, getting him out by a whisker (nice play number four). Had any link in that chain not functioned perfectly, that runner would have been safe. Had that runner been safe, the Cubs would have lost 4-3 instead of winning 4-3. By showing focus and mental toughness even at the toughest of moments, the Cubs defense worked together to help save the day.
Offensively, it took the Cubs' bats a while to get going. In fact, through 3 and two-thirds innings, the Cubs did not have a hit, had had only one baserunner and had not hit the ball out of the infield. But with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, trailing 3-0, Kaden got things started with a hard single. Michael followed Kaden with a double to right-center field, driving in Kaden and foreshadowing future events. Sean then followed up with a single to drive in Michael. Suddenly it was 3-2 and the tide continued to turn. In the bottom of fifth, Kanade got things started with a single (in his prior at bat, Kanade had missed extra bases by an inch on a hard smash just foul down the third base line). Matthew B. hit into a fielder's choice, replacing Kanade on first. Matthew B. then stole second and third and coiled on third base, like a cheetah waiting to pounce. On a pitch in the dirt, Matthew exploded off of third base, beat the pitcher, who was covering home, by five feet, and scored the crucial game tying run. Zach, who was at the plate, announced to the umpire that the score was now tied 3-3, and the Cubs could feel things going their way. Zach, Mario, Anon and Matt L. each hit the ball well and Wyatt and Brandon each had productive at bats, putting good swings on the ball.
Of course, the offensive highlight came in the bottom of the seventh. Kaden led off and worked a walk. Michael was due up next and the Orioles pitching coach took a visit to the mound. During that visit, Michael met with his third base coach and told him he saw a lot of room out in right field. Then, on the first pitch, Michael drove a rocket down the line in right field that landed safely and rolled into the corder. Kaden took off like a shot from first base and never looked back. Kaden rounded second, rounded third and slid into home before the ball had made its way back into the infield, scoring the winning run in dramatic walk-off fashion, 4-3. The Cubs players mobbed Kaden and Michael at home plate as the Cubs fans went wild in the stands.
After a team meeting, the wild celebration re-adjurned just a few feet away at the Dove Creek barbeque pits and picnic tables. The team-barbeque-turned-victory-celebration was a great event. Thanks to everyone who worked hard to make it such a success, especially our grillmasters Alex A., Jeff L. and Rafael C., as well as Bobbi A. for organizing and coordinating things. A great night on lots of fronts.
Awards:
Energy: Michael: Michael went 2 for 2, walked, doubled and tripled in the game-winner, finished with two RBIs and scored a run, caught two innings behind the plate and pitched three shut-out innings to close out the game.
Effort: Kaden: In addition to his 2 and 1/3 innings on the mound, his three innings behind the plate at catcher, Kaden scored two runs, including the game winner, coming all the way around from first, giving maximum effort.
Focus: Brandon: Although he was playing right field and the ball was hit only a few feet in front of home plate, Brandon stayed focused, knowing that just because the ball isn't hit to you doesn't mean you won't be in the play. When a throw got loose down the right field line, Brandon stayed alert, ran it down and hit the cutoff man, all of which helped lead to gunning out a player at home plate -- saving a run that made the difference between winning and losing.
Mental Toughness: Sean: He battled on the mound in the third and fourth inning. But when he came up with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, he knew the rule: what happened in the past is passed -- what matters is right now. His two-out single drove in Michael with the Cubs second run, keeping the momentum going. If Sean hadn't gotten that hit, the Cubs would have lost.
Physical Toughness: Michael and Mario: Their collision in the field on a pop up was violent. After the play, both stumbled a few feet and then collapsed briefly to the grass. It looked like a scene from a war movie, with people calling for ice and medics, and morphine and transfusions and helicopters swirling around to evacuate the wounded (well, just ice and no helicopters but a little poetic license is allowed). Yet each of them continued to play, with Mario hitting in the bottom half of the inning and Michael pitching and then driving in the winning run the next inning.
Yoga Award: Matthew, for inventing his new pose "upward-facing dog." Let me know if you need a patent attorney.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Game 12 (5/4) vs. Astros
On this perfect evening for baseball, the Irvine Cubs needed a win to secure the AAA league championship. Leaving nothing to chance, the Cubs' bats, in the best outing of the season, exploded for 3 runs in the first inning, 8 runs in the first 3 innings, finishing with 3 triples and two doubles as the team never looked back in a 9-2 win over the Astros. The win -- the Cubs fifth in a row -- nailed down the league Championship on the last day of regular season, and set off a wild celebration that the Cubs have not seen since 1908 -- the last time the Chicago Cubs won a World Series.
The bats tonight were the stars. Sean (see photo left) ROCKED not one but two triples (the second of which almost knocked over the fence it hit so hard), scored all three times he was up, and drove in two.
Kaden CRUSHED a double (see photo right) and a triple, both shots leaving the crowd gasping, scored twice (NASA replays show him scoring a third time) and drove in a run. Anon BLASTED a ground rule double on one hop over the left-center field fence (see photo left),
had another single, drove in two and scored once. Michael singled twice, scored twice, had two RBIs and was robbed of extra bases in his last at bat. Wyatt SMACKED a single to left field on one of the hardest hit balls of the night (see photo below right). 
Mario singled once and scored once. Matthew hit a key ground ball to drive in a run in the key third inning. Kanade laid down a beautiful drag bunt. Zach popped out on a nice play by the Astros shortstop. Matt L. put up a great at bat, fouling off a tough pitch and then hitting a towering pop up that the second baseman had to scamper to grab. Brandon put up a couple of good at bats as well. The bats were afire tonight.On defense, Wyatt made a fine catch on a twisting pop-up at second base. Anon's new nicknamne is "Hoover" because he was like a vacuum cleaner at second base, snagging everything that came his way. Mario helped his cause while on the mound, catching a pop-up and getting an assist. Kaden made a nice running catch on a pop-up from the mound as well.
On the mound, Kaden, Mario and Sean combined for 12 strikeouts, giving up only 4 hits over 6 innings. Kaden got things started, striking out three. Mario got a strikeout as he handled some middle-inning relief. Sean pitched the final three shutout innings, striking out 8 and slamming the door shut. Great job pitchers, and great effort from catchers Sean, Michael and Kaden on a hot night.
Awards:
Energy: Entire Team. From the first pitch to the last, the Cubs came ready to play tonight.
Effort: Entire Team. From the first pitch to the last, the Cubs gave maximum effort tonight.
Focus: Entire Team. This game was the culmination (so far) of a season of hard work, dedication and most importantly, focus.
Thanks to Coach David for the incredible Shirts prepared for the Cubs, highlighting each player and our three concepts of Energy, Effort and Focus. Thanks again to everyone who has helped so much this season, including Coaches David N. and Jeff S., Bobbi A. as team mom, Celestine M. as scorekeeper, Kathy L. as pitchcounter, Craig B. and Tom M. as volunteer umpires, and Amy S. our official photographer.
Congratulations, Cubs. 2010 Central Irvine Little League AAA CHAMPIONS!!
Now, on to the ILLC and then the aptly-named Tournament of Champions!!
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