The face says it all: a cross between fatigue and perhaps, a faint trace of disbelief. Could the Blues really end up with their first tie? Joe C wouldn't learn the outcome until well after the final out, but following seven long innings, Oxford successfully avoided losing their ninth game of the season.
Offensively and defensively the Blues kept their collective head in the game, and a sympathetic umpire even allowed it to continue past the usual seven o'clock finish. Iain pulled off a big catch in right center, Ned scooped up almost everything at shortstop and contributed a home run, while Ninell scored her first run since joining the team. The lead see-sawed back and forth between the two opponents until the sixth, when some heads up base-running inspired by "Crazy Legs" Taylor evened the score at eleven.
Suddenly short a third baseman, the final inning began somewhat tensely with the Bombers at bat, but Robert maintained his steely resolve on the mound and Andy subbed in for Joe C, who snuck off the field to catch a train. Down a player and out of time, the Blues held off the Bombers nonetheless, and headed to 81st and Amsterdam with pride intact. Jared tried dodge photo duty by "forgetting" his camera, but luckily, I brought mine for him.
Locating it took much longer than expected, but after weeks of searching in earnest, the vehicle that could become the Bluesmobile was spotted on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It will likely take a fair amount of work to convert the "Jingle Benz" into a suitable team shuttle, but with a list price of $1,500 (including a free pizza), even slumping ticket sales at the North Meadow ballpark shouldn't deter management from making the right call.
In other news, the Blues were handed their second victory of the 2009 season when the CP Lions forfeited at the last minute on the first of the month. Never a team to rest on their laurels, the Blues decided to make the most of the weather and an available field, beginning with batting practice, and later, a full-team scrimmage. Unfortunately, the Evil Blues prevailed.
A shutout it wasn't. But with last-minute substitutions, a swampy outfield, and Telerep's merciless offense aligned against them, the Blues struggled in Central Park and finally had to admit defeat after four frustrating innings. Their opponents came out swinging from the top of the first, quickly putting six points on the board. The Blues weren't able to answer until the bottom of the second inning when a few solid hits from Andy and Ebin brought in enough runs to keep things interesting. Telerep wasn't content to simply maintain a lead however, and set about proving how well they could bat by sending the game ball on repeated trips deep into right. Things got ugly. On the plus side, Jared, who continues to shoot better and better photographs was there to offer encouragement and document much of the action. Dejected and perhaps longing to change into dry socks, most of the team headed back to their respective apartments much earlier than usual. In spite of the loss, four Blues and one dedicated fan made it to Jake's where they discussed, among other things, the intro songs they'd like to hear during the walk from the dugout to home plate. Guess who picked "Tubthumping."
The face says it all: a cross between fatigue and perhaps, a faint trace of disbelief. Could the Blues really end up with their first tie? Joe C wouldn't learn the outcome until well after the final out, but following seven long innings, Oxford successfully avoided losing their ninth game of the season.
