The Woman who made me a Baseball Fan

My 103 year old Grandmother, Catherine Victoria (Cook) Cougan. She became a Met fan when the Yankees fired Casey Stengel and has remained a Met fan through thick and thin.

And if we played in the City, we could eat like this after the game

Just Like I Pictured It

Walking around New York on Monday I came across this field. Wouldn't it be great to play a game in the city?









The very first major league ballpark I visited was old Yankee stadium. I think it was 1961, the year of Maris. I was six years old. It was the coolest experience of my life and it changed EVERYTHING for me. You have to realize that prior to this trip baseball was a black and white thing for me. I had seen the game on TV (black and white)and had seen pictures in the paper (black and white) and read some books, mostly black and white photos. To walk into Yankee stadium and see the expanse of green grass, brown dirt, colorful signs everywhere and my goodness it seemed like each section of the bleachers was a different color. I stood there with my mouth open in awe of the site. I was hooked for life.

And I WAS a huge Yankee fan. Every time we played baseball I was Micky Mantle, or Tom Tresh or Moose Skowron. I had a cheap Yankee hat on my head every minute of the day. The year we left NY (1964) a neighbor who was a writer for the Times agreed to take my brother and I to the game on our last day in town. We were going to get to go to the locker room after the game and meet the players. His mother died unexpectedly the night before our visit and our trip, but not our move, was cancelled.

Magnolia Bans Black Sox

Defying a direct order from the commissioner of baseball, MBC played the apparent decedents of the 1919 Black Sox. The good news is that MBC prevailed, the bad news is we are still subject to possible disciplinary action.

Chris Luttinen pitched well for four innings and was rewarded by a strong offense which finally broke a close game open with a five run fifth inning. After Jimmy Sheldrup pitched a perfect sixth, the offense scored the game ending eighth run, to give MBC their FOURTH* mercy run game in a row.

The torrid hitting continued tonight. Ben Thomson (3-4) led off with a double and scored on Stuart Fairchild's (2-2 2 RBI) two out single. The teams traded runs and the lead until MBC put the game away with four runs in the fourth and five runs in the fifth.

Spencer Hogger and Mitchell Smith had two hits and Tino Peleti added three more (11 for his last 12). Peter Rakita and Andrew Kennedy also joined in on the hit parade.

Campy Queen had the best 0-3 night of all time as he scorched three balls, a line-out to right, and two screaming balls at the second baseman, but did manage to notch 3 RBI. My guess is that he is watching what young Daniel Queen is eating, or getting tips from the young superstar.

* Five mercy run games in a row, if you were to include US getting mercy runned! Just trying to keep us humble.

FYI

No one (not even Steve Queen) has had the nerve as yet, but just so you know, there is the ability to leave comments after each article. Simply click on the word comment below the article and type away.

Hot Hitting Continues Against the Gators

Breakfast of Champions

This team likes the heat. MBC pounded out 16 hits to beat the CVAC Gators 11-7 for their third win in a row. The victory improves the MBC 13’s to 5-3 in league.

Stuart Fairchild pitched five masterful innings before tiring in the sixth. Combining low fastballs with his tremendous change up Stuart held the Gators to two hits while striking out three. Nick Reeves came in to relieve and was stung by five seeing eye hits in a row but was aided by two tremendous defensive plays. First Ben Thomson fired a perfect strike to third to nail a runner who tried to advance on an infield single and then Campy Queen made a Roberto Clemente like toss home to nail a Gator trying to score from second base on a hit to right.

Sam Deane came on to close the game out in the seventh for the save.

This team is hitting like nobodies business. They notched 23 hits this weekend to hit .517 and score 24 runs.

MBC has a new murderers row in Tino Peleti (4-4, a double, triple and 2RBI), Stuart Fairchild (2-4), Campy Queen (2-4 a double 2RBI) and Mitchell Smith (2-4 2RBI). Ben Thomson (double), Nick Reeves (double), Andrew Kennedy (double) Spencer Hogger, Sam Deane and Keenan Heller all had hits and Peter Rakita hit a towering sacrifice fly.

Tino feeling somewhat weak after his Saturday performance and in the need for some extra protein, Tino ate a fire ant prior to the game. It sure put a fire in his bat. Both his triple and double bounced off the fence. Just so we all get the word, the league office has now come out against eating fire ants and will begin a new fire ant testing policy. So let’s all just say no to bugs!

MBC Bats Heat up with Warm Weather

The MBC 13’s came out firing on a warm Saturday evening. The team bashed out 17 hits en route to a five inning mercy rule victory over the Federal Way Titans. MBC won the game 13-4.

Tino Peleti threw a complete game, striking out four and walking as many against a hard hitting club.

Tino was also 4-4 (with a double and triple) and scored four runs. He was supported in the hit attack by Stuart Fairchild (3-4 4 RBI), Campbell Queen (3-3 3 RBI), Jimmy Sheldrup (2-2 with a double and triple) and Ben Thomson (2-4). Mitchell Smith had a single and an RBI as did Peter Rakita. Peter’s smash was a torrid two bouncer with a drawn in infield that sent the Titans third baseman to the hospital with a broken nose.

MBC Pulls to 500 in League with 14-2 Victory over Chaffey

Ever wonder what happens when a team makes all the routine plays, throws strikes, and puts the ball in play hard and never strikes out? They get rewarded with a big time win at home, and a post game BBQ!

Magnolia played such a game Saturday and the results were stellar. Errorless ball, RBI’s by ten different players; a well balanced offense and superb defense. It was a thing of beauty.

Chris Luttinen mowed for three innings and he gave the ball to his pitching twin Stuart Fairchild who mowed for three more. The defense made all the plays and got us into the dugout for our Saturday afternoon hit fest.

Nick Reeves led the way with a 3-4 game. Campy Queen of the new stance responded with a 2-3 game and Jimmy Sheldrup IS back (.417 over his last 5 games) with a 2-3 game. Tino, AK and Keenan all had hits as did Ben Thomson. Ben almost sent us all home earlier but his long bases loaded two out blast was run down by a fine catch in the right center gap by an impressive center fielder.

Coach Cougan was not able to stick around too long at the post game BBQ. He had to leave early before little Neko the wonder dog was trampled by the BBQ crowd. But as Coach Cougan left he thought he saw an Italian Supermodel beckoning a star shortstop with her charms and her entourage up on the Magnolia tennis court hill.

Why is this Italian Supermodel interested in Keenan?????