Four double plays. After a hard-fought season that very well could've ended in a playoff berth, the Blues finished with a win. And yes, four double plays. Matched against a team with a better record, the Blues looked strong as they took the field, in spite of the fact that they would be closing out 2009 at a place that had thwarted their aspirations on past occasions. Fortunately, it was a different story on the 18th of August this year. Three innings of solid hitting and smart baserunning were complemented by excellent defense that held the Destroyers née Swingers scoreless during their final at bat. Ned at shortstop, Joe C. at third, and Robert on the mound kept their heads in the game, each contributing to the aforementioned double plays at first. Meanwhile, Brian, Andy, as well as Ozzi made some big catches in left, while Rachael, Ninell, Martin, and Joe J. quickly got the ball from right field to Michelle at second, keeping their opponents to singles. Inspired by a man with "the least marketable skill in America," Oxford also looked good at the plate, scoring five runs in the third to establish a lead they wouldn't give up. Although KT missed the chance to celebrate with his former teammates at the Bull Moose Saloon that night, he would do them proud three days later by ordering a gin and tonic at approximately 3am. Details from that outing including pictures, awards, and some final thoughts on statistics will appear in this space very soon. In the meantime, ponder the coincidence of this tag, spotted by Tanya in Midtown Manhattan on a rainy summer evening.
It almost happened too fast to appreciate. And yet, after three innings, the final score told a succinct, if somewhat implausible story: the Blues had trounced their opponents in a landslide victory on Central Park's Heckscher Field #1. Naturally, their excitement was difficult to contain, even though they themselves have been on the other end of the mercy rule this season.
The two teams seemed well-matched early on, with the All Stars only down 2-1 after the first inning. But when the Blues started swinging again at the top of the second, they took a huge lead and never looked back. Their offense was certainly helped by uneven pitching from the All Stars, but dual home runs from Ned and no less than a grand slam to right from Joe C were evidence of a strong desire to finish 2009 with some wins.
Ripping a line drive into left, Ozzi contributed to the effort as well, but the umpire was not amused by his attempt to carry Tanya the final few feet to home plate and kept Oxford from adding more than four runs in the third. The infield defense held strong however, and the athletes in blue and gray threw in the proverbial towel before the game was technically over. With daylight left and energy to spare, the Blues played a quick game of seven on seven by recruiting fans "Barefoot" Ashley Wells and Abigail "Yellow Pants" Rothberg who had braved the humidity along with Tim, Julia, and Carolyn.
An hour of free draft beer and well drinks paired quite nicely with the night's historic outcome, and Andy and Ned decided to prove that they weren't done winning by controlling one of the beer pong tables at Jake's for a solid four hour stretch. Once again, Rae documented it all in photographs, using the camera that she has avoided losing for almost the entire summer now.
Chasing a dream, the Blues stumbled on their way to an improved record in their tenth game of the season, ultimately falling to Doft Punk after seven innings. At times Oxford did show some real tenacity on the North Meadow, but three scoreless turns at the plate kept them from catching up with their opponents, who quickly took the lead with nine runs in the first two innings. To make matters worse, Jake's was closed for renovations, forcing the Blues to shake off their loss with beer pong and wings at the nearby Gin Mill. A couple of rainouts have extended the season until the week of the banquet, but will they be able to dust themselves off and finish 2009 on a high note? Ponder this while perusing Rae's photos from that night in mid-July.
Four double plays. After a hard-fought season that very well could've ended in a playoff berth, the Blues finished with a win. And yes, four double plays. 
