Oxford Blues Softball

ING Lions 14, Oxford Blues 7

2011-06-07T14:17:00.001-04:00

Game file not found.

Alliance Bernstein: 10, Blues: 7

2011-05-20T10:09:00.002-04:00

(This week's recap brought to you by Michelle Lipinski)

It was a sunny, temperate day when the Blues took home field at Central Park’s Great Lawn to battle Alliance Bernstein. This Alliance was an unknown entity, other than a 1-3 record and a fairly innocuous team name. Apparently, they are research-driven financial advisors.

The Alliance bats wasted no time and the Blues allowed two runs in the first inning, but came back quickly with three bottom-inning runs from the top of the order. That seemed to set the tone for the rest of the game—a back and forth battle with no end in sight. As usual, the Blues defense was strong, with some great plays by the Gator, David, and Brian, all of whom made it look easy in the infield, and some great outfield catches by Taylor and Coach Ozzi, among others.

The Alliance had a strong top of the line-up with some seriously scary hitters, and scored one or two runs every inning up until the end of the 5^th. By then, the score was 7-4, Alliance, and it looked like the Blues might not be able to recover. But the Blues mounted their attack at the top of the sixth, with two defensive innings of three-up, three-down. The Blues’ bats also came alive, starting with an impressive homerun by Taylor which caused the Alliance to run into another field’s outfield, and brought the Blues dugout to their feet. This Alliance was not impenetrable. The Blues bats gained back those three runs, and the game was tied in an exciting bottom of the 7^thrally.

The Blues kept pressuring the Alliance through a scoreless 8^th inning. Then stuff got real in the 9^th. The Alliance bats could not be silenced, and three runs were scored. Despite a valiant effort during the Blues’ last turn at the plate, including some impressive rips from Jessica and Alina, those three extra runs proved to be too much, and the final score went to the Alliance, 10-7.

And so the Blues fought hard, yet victory was denied—very much like the game preceding it. Things could have been worse. The Coaches, though not overjoyed, expressed pride in the team’s efforts. No one could walk from the field away feeling very much like a loser.

After the game, the Blues retired for their first visit to Jake’s for the season. On their way from Central Park West, a few Blues ran into a living legend. (Perhaps, after this chance meeting, we should question the innocuousness of a team that uses the word “Alliance” in its name.) The Legend’s words to us were studied, if brief: “May your bats live long and prosper, Oxford Blues.”

If you want to check out some pictures from the game, Coach Repino posted some here. They’re especially good if you happen to have a foot fetish. Of course, that’s a personal matter.

Debevoise & Plimpton: 15, Blues: 14

2011-05-06T09:44:00.006-04:00

After last year's shellacking in Morningside Park, D&P were hungry for a rematch against the Blues. They clearly wanted a win. But the Blues made them work for it. With several Blues players absent and some showing up late/leaving early, it wasn't the easiest game to manage. Players were asked to go outside their comfort zone in the field. Alina held it down at 1st base while Hurley moved back to his old stomping grounds in left field. And Jessica Chesnutt earned her rookie stripes behind the plate.

D&P got off to an early lead which had the Blues trailing 9-2 early in the game. But unlike your mom, the Blues do not go down easy. Battling back with smart hitting and hustle on the basepaths, a pair of 2-out rallies gave the Blues an 11-10 lead in the 5th.

D&P battled back with a few runs in the late innings, leaving the Blues with a 3-run deficit in the last inning. The Blues were able to make it interesting in the bottom of the 7th and brought the score to 15-14 with 2 outs and the tying run on base. There was no one the Blues would rather have at the plate than Joe "The Gator" Cognard, but alas, this one was not meant to be. But we all agreed that on the upside, we shot Osama right in his fucking eye.

After the game, there was a lot of talk about moral victory. And if such a thing exists (it doesn't), the Blues definitely earned it. Knowing they'd have to work extra hard to fill in for missing teammates, the Blues were all heart, making the smart plays and hustling for every single out.

Afterwards, the Blues headed over to the Bull Moose for some Cinco de Mayo/We Killed Osama celebrating. Seems like it was just a few days ago we were there showing this guy a good time in New York. (Seriously, who comes to NY for a weekend and spends it in a dive bar?)

Sharks: 8, Blues: 15

2011-04-21T14:43:00.013-04:00

How does one top a season like last year's 7-5 record? Now I know what you're thinking: With an 8-4 record. Well, smart guy, we're in publishing and we're not "good with numbers" and we "lack basic math skills". But one thing you don't need your fancy quadratic equation for is this: The Blues will lead the league in wins this year. Period. And they started that quest off right in Wednesday night's win against the Sharks.

Traveling to the unfamiliar territory of Harlem River Park, the Blues took the field as the lights came on. It took an inning or two to get back into the swing of things, but luckily (game ball recipient) Dave D'Addona hadn't lost a step and came through with the Blues' first hit of the season and made the first several outs on the field. Many attribute to this to his pre-season meal plan. But the Blues soon caught up, slugging their way to double digit runs off some speedy running by Coach Repino, the season's first homer by Taylor Pilkington (who also scored a soccer goal in right field), and smart baserunning all around.

After five straight innings of tight D by the Blues, Ninell caught the last out behind the plate. At which point, the Blues had technically mercied the Sharks, 15-3. But being the gracious competitors they are (plus it takes forever to get to Harlem), the Blues decided to finish the game out and spot the Sharks a few dignity runs. Final score: Sharks: 8, Blues 15, the first win for the new coaches, Ozzi and Repino.

Afterwards, the Blues promptly got the hell out of Harlem and headed to Gael Pub and with Ben Keene all the way in Asia, were allowed to leave at their own leisure.

Blues Blotter

2010-12-06T17:05:00.003-05:00

Blues Offseason News Blotter: November 06, 2010

Good times.

Blues name new Coaches:

Dan Ozzi and Robert Repino were named the new managers of the Oxford Blues, replacing Ben Keene and Tanya Laplante. When asked about the upcoming season, Ozzi simply screamed “LET THE REIGN OF TERROR BEGIN!!!!!!!!!!”

Former Blues Manager Flees Country:

Erstwhile Blues coach Ben Keene has fled the country for Asia under mysterious circumstances—his rumored destination is Thailand, known for its sex tourism industry (this is purely contextual information—draw your own conclusions).

Jeter tries out with Blues:
Derek Jeter was seen exiting Blues training facility Jake’s Dilemma Saturday night, after a tryout with new team managers Dan Ozzi and Robert Repino. Though the current Yankees captain declined to comment, sources within the Blues Organization say that as of yet, no decision has been reached. Reports had placed Jeter’s potential contract with the Blues in the range of $85 million over four years, plus free drinks after games.
Update: Jeter will not join Blues this season:
Said manager Dan Ozzi: “Unfortunately, Derek failed a portion of our physical exam which required him to eat a minimum of three chili bacon burgers within a half hour. Extra points would have been awarded if he also added fried eggs.” More news to follow.

Update: Jeter re-signs with Yankees, calls it “consolation prize:”

Said Jeter: “It would have been awesome to play beer pong with someone good for a change. A-Rod sucks.” Blues member Andy Fargnoli upon hearing the news: “It’s for the best. Everyone knows Minka Kelly and I had an on-again, off-again thing when I played high school football in Texas, and being on the same team would have just been too much for Derek to handle. There’s just too much history.”

Repino bitten by Radioactive Cliff Lee:

Mild-mannered Blues coach and pitcher Rob “R-Train” Repino was touring a Columbia University laboratory yesterday when a radioactive Cliff Lee which had escaped from its tank bit his hand, raising a suspiciously red, throbbing lump (that’s what she said?). This is probably nothing, but we’ll follow this story as it develops.

Update: Repino gains Super-Human Pitching Abilities:

“The Pocket Rocket” was seen throwing 130 mph softballs through a brick wall this morning. Dr. Curt Connors, a genetic specialist from the science lab Repino visited yesterday, said it probably has something to do with the radioactive Cliff Lee bite.

Update: Repino Vows Revenge on all Blues’ Foes:

After watching his “Uncle Ben”—Repino’s nickname for a former Blues coach (who has since fled the country for sex tourism related reasons and will remain unnamed)—lose a softball game because of Repino’s refusal to pitch after he was unpaid for the previous game, Repino has vowed revenge upon all batters, everywhere. Reportedly, Uncle Ben’s last words in America were: “Rob, with great pitching, comes a better chance to win games. Also, your infield is pretty good, so actually, don’t worry about it that much. But remember what I said about the pitching. Ok, my plane is about to take off.”

The Best of the Best

2010-07-28T02:18:00.004-04:00

This week's post was by Dan "And Another Burger for my Friend" Ozzi. —The Editors.

For whatever reason, the Blues have never been invited to play in The Yorkville Sports Association’s All Star Game. Perhaps it’s because there has never before been one. Or perhaps there has been and the Blues’ record was not good enough to qualify. Kind of like when you were 9 and weren't invited to that awesome birthday party at Discovery Zone that all your friends went to. (By the way, if you’re reading this, Eugene Peleshi, I still have not forgiven you!)

But 2010 being the Year of the Blues (and according to the Chinese Zodiac, the Housecat), the All Star game had Oxford representation from 3B Joe C. and 2B Michelle. Under the sage guidance of the EBGBs’ coach, Lipinski and Joe batted back to back in the lineup, going a combined 4 for 4 and touching the plate each time.

Down a few runs in the last inning, Michelle and Joe brought the Blues’ can-drink attitude to their all star team which came back to gain the lead. Not wanting to take any chances on a blown save, this prompted the manager to call in the Mariano Rivera of 3B closers, Joe C., to close out the game at 3rd. With one out to go, a grounder down the line allowed Joe to use his gator-like gatoring to gator the ball and gator it down to first base, ending the game in a win.

Their team was largely a sea of black and yellow, with players from EBGBs and Debevoise and Plimpton. But the Blues provided a much-needed touch of blue and white. All the league’s favorites were there, including… you know… That Large Guy on EBGBs, um… First Basewoman Repino Has A Crush On, uh… Big Calf Asian Guy. Well ok, we don’t know their names, but by the end of the game they knew ours! Several players even remarked at what an amazing rookie team the Blues are. After learning that we’ve been in the league for six seasons, there were awkward silences… and then fireworks. Maybe.

Brink of History, Part II

2010-06-29T13:55:00.003-04:00

To the best softball team in the least competitive co-ed division of the Yorkville Sports League:

I only have one thing to add to Coach Taylor's post. It seems strange five years down the road, but in the spring of 2006, we didn't know if the newly minted Oxford Blues would even return to defend their 1-11 record. Many of the Blues were moving on: team founder Al Cascio and manager-in-waiting Kyle Taylor were moving on to new jobs at new companies. We could always depend on KT to lead us on the field, and Al to send us semi-clad pictures of David Hasselhoff, but we needed someone to send out the emails, carry the team bag, and get everyone to the game on time.

I had a hunch that a couple of other Blues were better suited to the role than I was (a certain under-used utility player and dependable everyday catcher come to mind), but in the meantime, I had one talent to offer: my cubicle was next to Al's. When I finally volunteered for the job, Al pointed at me and hissed, "I f*@&ing knew you'd step up."

So I sent the emails, carried the bag and we got to our first game on time. And in the last inning we rallied for the win, what was then only our second victory ever. The following celebration provided a a worthy edit to the team mantra: have fun and drink beer, but you will always have more fun when you win. I wouldn't change anything about those early seasons (well, maybe one particular fly ball that was lost in the sun), but if we had made it to the playoffs? Wow...

So before you step on the field before tomorrow's historic game for our first-ever playoff berth, I'd like to leave you with the only sentiment I feel appropriate for the occasion: "I f*@&ing knew you'd step up." And I know you will again.

Let's go Blues.

On the Brink of History

2010-06-28T02:28:00.038-04:00

Blues Brethren,

You are about to embark on a historic mission. That mission is to take the Blues into their first ever post-season.

With your indulgences, I’d like to use a common quote once said by Will Smith’s character in the below average romantic-comedy Hitch. The quote is “You can’t always know where you are going until you know where you have been”. I normally cringe at such a cheesy line but in my mind it fits this moment very well . . .

*****************************************************************

“Don’t worry if you suck. It’s just an excuse to drink beer”

-Al Cascio, 2005 (aka The Godfather, Al Casanova, Skip)

Al Cascio was fond of sports and even more fond of drinking. One day he realized that four or five of his fellow OUPers were also interested in either sports, drinking, or both. So in the Spring of 2005 he went cubicle to cubicle, gathered support, started a petition, received funding, and started the Oxford Blues (named after the 1984 Rob Lowe movie) . The team started out small and consisted of a rag tag bunch of 10 or 12 wildly different characters. Their physical prowess was limited but that didn’t bother Al. His recruiting pitch focused more on the camaraderie and less on the competition. So the new team was established with the mantra: Have fun and Drink Beer.

(Al Cascio discussing team strategy with fellow Blue, Cathy Giffi)

2005

The first season was a competitive disappointment although the Blues did stick to their mission of fun and drinks. On the field, the Blues struggled to field a full team of 10 and were often “mercy ruled” by the fifth inning. They also were forced to play on a dust bowl in Hell’s Kitchen and make shift fields scattered throughout Harlem. However, the team held their heads high and went out for cheap pitchers of beer after every game, no matter the outcome.

Then one summer day in 2005, the Blues managed to earn their first ever victory. It was a nail-biter that ended with the opposing team, WFAN Radio, grounding out with the go-ahead run on base to end the game and give the Blues their lone win of the season by the score of 5-6. In the post game jubilation, the team realized that the Blues had become more than just a team of unathletic drinking buddies. This was something special.

(Winning "scorecard" from the Blues first victory)

From that point on, the team grew closer and closer. By the end of the season the teammates looked for other excuses to congregate and drink and so a Blues tradition was born, the Annual Softball Banquet at the Astoria Beer Garden. At the banquet, season highlights were relived, individual awards were handed out, and of course plenty of Czech beer was consumed.

(First annual Blues Banquet 2005)

During the winter the gang continued to stick together and organized trips to the Cheap Shots bar in the east village, Beer Pong competitions on the Upper East Side, and parties in Brooklyn at the apartment of a rookie catcher named Tanya Laplante.

2006

By the time the second season rolled around, the Blues had established themselves as a fun loving bunch and recruiting came easier. They now were able to consistently field a full team and so they looked to improve on their inaugural effort. They took a small step forward in the win column and earned three legitimate victories and one win via the forfeit. Things were headed in the right direction. Another advancement for the team was moving to the league's midtown division. This allowed the Blues to play closer to home and establish consistent uptown and downtown watering holes (Jake's Dilema and the Bull Moose).

(Blues team photo 2006)

2007

During the Spring of 2007 the word had really spread around OUP that the Blues were on the rise and were welcoming all newcomers just like in years past. However, because of the team’s new popularity the roster grew to over 25 players and coaches Matt Greene, Tanya Laplante, and Kyle Taylor had a bit of a problem. The Blues had always allowed everyone to participate, so for the first two games of the season they tried to stick to that principle by rotating players every two innings to accommodate everyone. This carousel of players didn’t allow anyone to get into a rhythm on offense or defense and resulted in two mercy rule losses and a restructuring of the team.

You see, the coaches realized that in order to accomplish rule #1 (Have Fun) the team had to be able to finish games, and therefore be competitive, and therefore limit the number of players per game. This was a controversial maneuver but the Blues were able to pull off the delicate balance of staying relevant on the field while avoiding the temptation to be ruthless with roster spots in the name of success.

(Blues at the Bull Moose 2007)

2008

The Blues lost a few key players during the off season between the 2007 and 2008. The first few practices in 2008 hosted a bunch of fresh new faces. This new mix of old and new Blues challenged the team to come together quickly, which they did. After a few games the team gelled and had one of their best after-hours seasons since the early days. There was ranch dressing chugging, countless rounds of Goldshlager shots, and an epic night of karaoke at the Bull Moose with the Blues, medical marketing's Team Bussy, and family and friends all the way from Germany. Unfortunately, the karaoke and fun didn’t translate into wins on the field. The team struggled early on and would finish the season with only one win.

(Blues team photo 2008)

2009

I moved away in the fall of 2008 and wasn’t on hand for the 2009 season but I stayed in close touch with the team. From all accounts, the 2008’s 1-11 season had zapped some of the enthusiasm from the four-year veteran players, including coach Laplante and newly promoted coach Ben Keene. Although the newer players were still optimistic and able to shrug off the tough losses, the weight of four years of defeat had worn down the remaining original players. When the team started out 1-7 and took a crushing loss to Telerep, the outlook was bleak. The team was able to party on valiantly but underneath the surface of cheap pitchers, beer pong, and hot wings, for the first time the franchise was in pain.

The next week the Blues earned a victory via the forfeit. After such a rough start to the season, most teams would probably take the cheap win and cancel the trip to the park. They might instead opt to go straight to the bar or maybe even go straight home and enjoy the night off. The Blues had other plans in mind. Even though they were dwelling in the bottom of the league with no chances for the playoffs, they decided to continue on to the scheduled field to practice hitting some balls and have a scrimmage.

Although there is no way of knowing for sure, I like to believe that the Blues spirit and decision to continue on to practice that day set the team on an upward swing from which they have not yet come down. After winning just just two legitimate games in the previous two years, the Blues would go on to finish their remaining four games with two wins (including a 21 to 1 blowout), one loss, and one tie. Most importantly, they would end the season on a positive note and create momentum for 2009.

(Blues team photo 2009)

2010

This year, the team has picked up where they left off in 2009 and they have broken just about every competitive record in franchise history. It has been a year of firsts including the first ever 6-win season, the first ever shutout victory, and the first ever walk off home run. With a 6-5 record and one game remaining, the Blues are also on the verge of their first ever winning season.

(2010 Blues in their B-Boy Stance)

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. . . So now that you know where the Blues have been, I hope that you are a little better equipped to take them further than they have ever been before.

I know you’ll go out there and give it all you have, but don’t forget to take a second to enjoy the moment for its place not only in Blues history but in your history.

Because what now seems like a single important softball game, will one day be part of the surreal and beloved time in your life when you played and partied alongside some of your greatest friends, in the greatest park, in the greatest city in the world.

Go Blues.

-KT

Bombers: 0, Blues: 12

2010-06-24T17:57:00.009-04:00

This week's recap was contributed by Taylor "Tater Tot" Pilkington. —The Editors.

Under the looming skies of Dewitt Clinton Park, the Oxford Blues recorded their third mercy rule and fifth win of the season over the REBAS Bombers by a score of 12-0. Although afternoon rains threatened to turn the infield to quicksand, not even Mother Nature could stand in the way of our intrepid heroes’ quest for victory. A little light landscaping, and the stage was set for athletic domination.

On the mound, The Pocket Rocket pitched a shutout as the Blues moved closer to clinching a playoff spot. Employing a vicious Vulcan changeup, Robtronic mowed down batters like Ozzi eating hamburgers (Jeopardy Category: Things that Happen Fast. Also a correct response: Dave’s lovemaking). Noted a source close to the Blues pitching staff: "The R-Train was making express stops today. All the way downtown, if you know what I mean. No seriously, he pitched really well. I mean, super-good, like the Michael Jordan of baseball, excluding that one time he actually did play baseball."

In truth, the game happened so quickly that it's hard to piece it back together. The Oxford bats were on fire. Dave hit an inside the park home run (aren’t they all really, in this league?) and got the game ball. Ben complained about the sorry state of large, corporate American breweries. Brian sacrificed his body to protect the unspoiled sanctity of left field. Michelle bulldozed through a player who tried to cover the plate without the ball. (Family members say he's resting comfortably at Mount Sinai Hospital; the closed-casket funeral will be held next Tuesday.) And Joe C. wore a new hat, a hot cherry red number to complement his position at the hot corner (Like David Lee Roth, a Blue knows that it’s not just winning, but looking good doing it that matters).

After the bloodbath was over, the team retired to the Bull Moose where, along with The Best Dressed Man in New York, they made merry for many hours. Amidst the festivities, Elyse solemnly pledged to stay out all night drinking before the end of the season. Plus, Coach Laplante, Oxford's daring leader, had more than one reason to celebrate; not only did she captain the brave Blues to a commanding victory (personally dealing the death blow by scoring the 12th and final run), she also celebrated her 21st birthday and attained the dizzying career heights of Executive Editor. This called for cupcakes! Many, many cupcakes.

Another day, another win for the Blues, and for some, another step closer to Immortality. In the words of Coach Taylor: "Booyah! The team's inspirational emails paid off. Blues are positioned for playoffs! Incredible."

Google: 14, Blues: 8

2010-06-22T11:18:00.005-04:00

There's something fishy about a club that turns up wearing the home team's uniform. And yet that's exactly what Google did on June 10th, right before they handed the Blues their fourth loss of the season. So for anyone who thinks that this search engine company is merely interested in "organizing the world's information," here's a little lesson: they like to win, too.

Playing to maintain their place at the top of Division III, Google took an early lead with eight runs after two innings. The Blues never gave up on defense, trying to keep the other team in blue and white from coasting to an easy victory, but their opponents hit hard and ran with speed. They had clearly earned their ranking. Ozzi and Taylor stopped most of the deep shots to center field, and Joe C made a catlike diving grab at third to rob them of another hit, and yet little by little, the run deficit grew as the night wore on.

On offense Brian swung the bat well as an Extra Hitter, and Dave scored off a solo homer to right field. Even playing a woman down though, Google didn't have many weak spots, and they held the Blues to two runs or less for six innings. Then, in the seventh, encouraged by Ozzi's massive wallop down the third base line, Oxford mounted a comeback. In the end they couldn't make up for a slow start, and left two runners on as time ran out.

So the fans that turned up to cheer for the Blues didn't see a win, but after a few pitchers of Long Hammer IPA (and at least one of Bud Light) at the Bull Moose, everyone remembered that there were still four games left in 2010.

Slammers: 15, Blues: 16

2010-06-07T13:21:00.011-04:00

With the team reporter calling out sick due to a non-sporting event at Radio City Music Hall, Blues fans will have to settle for a second-hand recap of Game Seven. They won't however, have to read about another crushing defeat at the hands of the CSTV Slammers. Coming from behind, Oxford improved their record to 4-3 with a walk-off, three-run home run from Ozzi.

Missing their regular third baseman at the start of the game, the first inning started off rough for the Blues defense. True to fashion, the Slammers quickly put six runs on the board to take the early lead. Never a team to go quietly though, Oxford responded with five of their own in their first at-bat. According to our embedded correspondent, "the other innings are a bit blurry." In spite of solid, largely error-free defense from the blue and white, CSTV hit really well and continued to score in the innings that followed.

Ozzi delivered his first homer (this time a mere solo shot) midway through the match to keep things interesting. Meanwhile, every batter was patient at the plate—waiting for good pitches and getting hits that resulted in runners and another score for the home team. In fact, the first six hitters in the lineup had an on-base percentage of .929. Not too shabby for the underdogs.

After five innings the Blues were trailing by nine. Then, fighting back with five more runs, they proceeded to hold the Slammers scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings. Going to bat at the bottom of the seventh, Oxford looked confident but remained down by four. Ebin (or should I say "Steady Ebbie") came up first and got on base with a double. One strike out later, Robert sprinted to safety down the first baseline, enabling Ebin slide into third by the skin of his teeth (or cleats). Michelle brought him home with an RBI and advanced Rob to second, who then scored on David's double from the third slot in the lineup. This brought Ozzi to bat with one out and two on and, well... you know how this one ends already. With a fourth Blues victory.

Capping off a big win, the team celebrated with cupcakes and beer pong domination courtesy of Taylor and Dave. Rae's photographs tell the rest.

RGI: 6, Blues: 18

2010-05-29T23:07:00.013-04:00

After playing a polite Game 5 against Fuel in Central Park, allowing their opponents to drop softballs into shallow left field, the Blues got serious last week. Taking the field on Randall's Island with a ten person squad, they fought back from a two run deficit in the first inning to prevail over RGI in six innings. A big thanks to ARTstormer Lucy for her help in right. Besides filling in on short notice, she contributed no less than two runs to the victory.

On defense the Blues got better as the game went on. After giving up four runs early on, they held RGI to just two more for the second half of the contest. Brian, stepping up to cover third base, channeled Ebin's magic glove and snagged a line drive, only to toss it to Taylor for an impressive double play. In center field, Ozzi robbed the team in black of another hit with a sliding grab, and quick thinking from Elyse in right and Michelle at second led to another clutch play when Robert tagged out a runner rounding third.

Once they warmed up at the plate, the Blues also came alive on offense. Patience at bat led to more baserunners, and errors from RGI turned singles into doubles and doubles into triples. With nearly everyone making contact with the ball, all of those runners had to go somewhere, and most of the time, they were able to get home. Taylor, too, somehow managed to score, in spite of getting caught in a rundown. Eight runs in the fifth inning finally gave Oxford a lead they could hold, and, as luck would have it, a walk in the sixth with the bases loaded resulted in their third win of the 2010 season.

Following the game a few Blues (too few, to be honest) ended up at the Subway Inn, swanky Midtown's finest dive bar. Here, debate raged about Taylor "Pilk" Pilkington's nickname, but the assembled Blues failed to reach a consensus, even after three rounds of beer. Shocking. And although he was spotted at the bar earlier in the evening, celebrations ended before anyone thought to order an 18 year single malt for Eddie Kay Thomas.

Blues: 6, Fuel: 11

2010-05-26T11:37:00.006-04:00

Some days are better than others. It's just a fact. Without going into too much detail, suffice it to say that May 11th could have been better for the Blues. The sky was overcast, the temperature unseasonably low, and worst of all, Fuel wasn't in the mood to roll over and hand Oxford it's third win of 2010.

Instead, they dropped the ball into gaps in left and center field, shouted encouragement to speedy baserunners, and then watched the Blues pop out at the plate, one batter after another. Not a pretty picture for fans of the blue and white. No photos were taken at the game on North Meadow, so I've posted an inspirational image from the 2006 Season, when the Blues were an occasional force to be reckoned with. That's former coach Kyle "Crazy Legs" Taylor pictured above, demonstrating a proper swing.

Following the upset, most of the team sauntered down to Jake's for cheap beer and nachos, the typical meal for depressed athletes. Beer pong was played, nicknames for Taylor "T-Bag" Pilkington were debated, and the waitress tried (unsuccessfully) to get Ozzi to drink a sweet tea vodka shot, but in general it was a tame night, even for a Tuesday. One coach left early. Fortunately, more good news will be appearing on this site very soon.

Blues: 9, Kings: 14

2010-05-18T20:44:00.010-04:00

What a difference an inning makes. After falling to the ING Lions, the Blues were looking to pick up another win on the field where they claimed their first victory of 2010. Unfortunately, DeWitt Clinton and the Kings had other plans. In an otherwise close contest, the fourth inning was the undoing for Oxford.

Several fans turned up to cheer for the away team on a warm Thursday evening, but their encouragement couldn't spark an offense that was quiet at the plate. Michelle crossed home though. And Brian did deliver a two run whopper in the third to give the Blues the lead, only to see that cushion erode as the Kings moved runners around the bases with single after infield single. Needless to say, some help in the form of a Grand Slam or even a couple of pop-ups from Columbia would have been welcome. Instead, both sides went scoreless in the fifth inning and then scored one each in the sixth. On the bright side, Jared did take some great photos, per usual.

Rather than return to the Bull Moose, the would-be Madison Marauders opted for a new watering hole on 50th Street, claiming the backyard patio for several hours. Pints of Dogfish Head and plates of burgers took the sting off another defeat, enabling the conversation to shift to subjects better suited to intellectuals. Like ant attacks. On next week's agenda: more innings.

Remaining Games

2010-05-17T11:04:00.001-04:00

RGI @ Oxford Blues

25 May 2010 (Tue) / 06:30 PM

Randall's Island - #41

CSTV Slammers @ Oxford Blues

02 Jun 2010 (Wed) / 05:30 PM

North Meadow - #11

Google @ Oxford Blues

10 Jun 2010 (Thu) / 07:30 PM

Dewitt Clinton Park - #2

REBAS Bombers II @ Oxford Blues

17 Jun 2010 (Thu) / 06:00 PM

Dewitt Clinton Park - #1

EBG Bees @ Oxford Blues

22 Jun 2010 (Tue) / 05:30 PM

East River - #8

IAC/Diller's Killers @ Oxford Blues

30 Jun 2010 (Wed) / 05:30 PM

North Meadow - #8

Blues: 4, Clarion Lions: 15

2010-05-07T11:03:00.007-04:00

Britt Daniel knows a thing or two about pithy lyrics (see, for example, "The Underdog"). He and his band Spoon also recovered from a disappointing setback early in their promising musical career. I mention this because Oxford suffered a tough loss in their third game last month. And after a pair of wins to start off the season, they could probably use some inspiration.

Turning up in Central Park without a full roster, the ING Clarion Lions nonetheless pounded out an impressive 15 runs against a defense that had given up less in the previous two games combined. The Lions hit with power, ran with speed, and held the Blues to just four runs in seven innings. Taylor's solo homer offered a brief glimmer of hope at the top of the third, but as the sun set over the Great Lawn the Oxford bats fell silent for good.

Jake's stepped in to ease their troubles afterwards, even on a Friday night. Although the Blues eventually claimed and held their place at the table, a long line of college kids meant that Jared and Rae had to wait to defend their beer pong title. Rae did her best to school the rookies, but Taylor and Dave held their ground and ended up winning. And winning again. Jared, who many assumed would be the secret weapon in the highly-anticipated doubles match up, was left to paparazzi duty the rest of the night.

Unfortunately for the Blues, Game Three would be the last for Rachael, a veteran catcher and right fielder who had played with more confidence since spring training. Apparently she was powerless against the siren's call of Kansas City. To be fair, it's not easy to think of another urban area with good barbecue and top-notch jazz. We wish her luck and hope to see her at this year's banquet. As for the rest of the team, to quote Mr. Daniel, "it can't all be wedding cake, it can't all be boiled away," but underdogs will survive.

Blues: 17, Debevoise & Plimpton: 5

2010-04-29T10:39:00.008-04:00

Back to back wins. As feelings go, it's a nice one to have, especially because it doesn't get old quickly. But the Blues, facing off against an old rival, did just that on a recent Wednesday in Morningside Park. In fact, after scoring eleven runs in the first inning, the team from Oxford continued to add to their lead until the umpire called the game early in their favor.

On the defensive side, Ebin made his inaugural appearance of the 2010 season by playing first base like Eddie Murray, while David managed to turn a double play at shortstop. Meanwhile, in the outfield, Elyse, Taylor, Ozzi, Brian, and Andy held big hitters to singles, when they got on base at all. It was a great effort from the whole dugout in spite of bad playing conditions.

As for the offense, it's worth noting that the plucky Blues ended up with one of the highest scoring innings in their relatively short history. Quite an accomplishment given the fact that their opponents have not been reluctant to pile on runs in the past. Taylor ultimately delivered the game-winning RBI—a hit heard round the league. The Blues did learn a valuable lesson that night, however: you can in fact wait too long for your pitch.

After the game most of the team headed to the Village Pourhouse (Uptown) for beer, food, and an enormous fishbowl full of rum. A few people even stuck around to take advantage of the $3 Natty Light can special. It was just like the good old days, only better. Rae kindly documented most of the proceedings, but be warned: some of the images are NSFW.

Blues: 18, Rats: 9

2010-04-21T10:57:00.009-04:00

It was bound to happen. After years of battling for respect from the bottom of the league, the Blues won another season opener—the second in franchise history—last Friday night. Playing on the road at a ballpark that hasn't been kind to them in the past, the team came out swinging and never looked back.

Rain threatened to cancel the game initially and the umpire was late to the field, but the Blues wore determined expressions in their dugout, and batted and fielded with resolve under the lights at DeWitt Clinton. With Robert as the leadoff hitter, Oxford brought in five runs in the first inning, five more in the third, and added six runs for good measure in the sixth. Ozzi, Joe C, and rookie David each swatted home runs past the NPG defense.

And the Blues looked good in the field, too, keeping the Rats from scoring more than three runs during any of their at-bats. Newcomer Taylor pulled down a few great catches in right field, Andy continued to play like an MVP in left, and Michelle made an impressive tag at second to stymie a double. NPG also learned an important lesson before the umpire called the game in favor of the visiting team: Nobody takes an extra base on The Gator.

Fittingly, all 14 athletes as well as three devoted fans wandered down to the Bull Moose to celebrate their victory and await the arrival of a missing coach. They arrived too late to order the burger special, but the Blues made the most of the evening anyway, inventing a new drink in honor of their pitcher. Will 2010 bring further success to the Madison Avenue Marauders?

And So It Begins

2010-04-16T07:41:00.012-04:00

It arrived without warning or fanfare. The annual trip to the Madison Square Garden of Queens was still fresh in their muscle memory. Talk of spending another night at Sunswick circulated online. The cleats at the bottom of my bag still had last year's mud on them. Practice would come soon enough.

But spring training is a luxury. Division III Co-Ed Softball doesn't wait for teams to be ready. Division III Co-Ed Softball tells you where to be, and when. Tonight the 2010 season begins for the Oxford Blues, about a week earlier than opening day 2009. And although they lost a few strong players in the off-season, several promising rookies have since joined the roster.

Adjustments have been made to the lineup, strategies have been discussed, and the rules have been reviewed. Now is the time for action. So, with the swine flu scare safely (temporarily?) behind us, and the first game but a few hours away, I will end with a phrase that should be music to the ears of any True Blue: Bring on the beer pong. Check out the schedule below for the first few games. Oh, and don't forget to stock up on Big League Chew.

Oxford Blues @ NPG Rats

16 Apr 2010 (Fri) / 07:00 PM

Dewitt Clinton Park - #1

Oxford Blues @ Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

21 Apr 2010 (Wed) / 05:30 PM

Morningside Park - #1-Softball

Oxford Blues @ ING Clarion Lions

30 Apr 2010 (Fri) / 07:00 PM

Great Lawn - #7

How Blue Can You Get?

2010-02-19T00:19:00.012-05:00

Eighteen months ago, a great softball player and one helluva determined coach had some words of wisdom for a team he was about to leave behind. "Run hard to first base," he said, "call out the pop flys, have fun, listen to Tanya, and raise a glass to toast the team whenever possible." For the most part, the scrappy little group of part-time athletes took his advice to heart, and as a result, pulled off some impressive wins in their fifth season for the Yorkville Sports Association. On the whole, we had fun, and yes, there was plenty of glass-raising too, most recently at the banquet.

The details of our evening in Astoria are a little fuzzy this far down the road, but fortunately someone had the good sense to write down last year's awards before distributing them to the appropriate member of the Blues. They appear below as a reminder of our achievements—collective and individual—and to inspire everyone to bring the same effort and attitude back to the softball diamond this summer. Season Six is knocking, and we've got a mediocre record to defend. My advice: get some shoe polish on your cleats, start eating like a champion, and keep listening to Tanya.

Fifth Annual Oxford Blues Coed Slow-Pitch Softball Awards
Catherine "Beer Pong" Rae—Best Postgame Performance
Rachael "Tubthumping" Zimmermann—Bench Player of the Year
Michelle "Not to brag, but I'm kind of an expert when it comes to douchebags" Lipinski—Position Player of the Year
Ned "I got digits" Sears—Slide of the Year
Joe "When's the next game?" Cognard—Grand Slam Crown
Brian "I'd rather be reading" Hurley—Utility Player Award
Dan "Where's the damn team van?" Ozzi—Team Player of the Year
Andy "Cal Ripken the 3rd" Fargnoli—MVP
Ebin "Beardo" Sandler—Silver Slugger
Iain "I thought you meant swing at the first pitch" Finlayson—The Al Cascio Memorial Award
Martin "Just call me Mike Piazza" Coleman—Gold Glove
Joe "Guess who didn't lose the bat bag?" Jackson—On Base Award
Elyse "Screw the outfield, I'm joining the circus" Turr—Most Improved Player
Ninelle "Make that a beer" Silberberg—Personal Achievement Award
Dayne "Is it football season yet?" Poshusta—Rookie of the Year
Robert "Laser vision" Repino—True Blue Award
Ben "Obama's speechwriter's got nothing on me" Keene—Heart Bleeds Blue
Tanya "Wait for your pitch" Laplante—Irrepressible Optimist Award

Blues: 9, IBI Destroyers: 8

2009-08-30T07:43:00.008-04:00

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.

All Stars: 1, Blues: 21

2009-08-19T10:55:00.011-04:00

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.

Blues: 7, Doft Punk: 11

2009-08-10T13:59:00.008-04:00

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.

Bombers: 11, Blues: 11

2009-07-23T21:20:00.011-04:00

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.

Blues Improve Record, Locate Bluesmoblie

2009-07-13T14:55:00.011-04:00

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.

Telerep: 16, Blues: 4

2009-07-08T13:08:00.006-04:00

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."

Pirates: 7, Blues: 3

2009-06-22T15:52:00.008-04:00

Fortunately for the Blues, June's wet weather finally took a night off last Tuesday. Unfortunately, the Pirates came to play, defeating an Oxford team that fought hard, but ultimately lost after seven innings on North Meadow's Field Seven. Both sides scored one run in the first inning, but the team in gray slowly pulled away by adding more points in the third, fourth, and fifth.

On the heels of an extremely tough loss the week before, the Blues showed real signs of improvement on defense, and yet their bats never quite came alive. Once again, Elyse demonstrated her speed and agility in right center, while both Ozzi and Andy made big catches deep in left field, preventing the Pirates from doing more damage than they surely wanted to at the plate.

After their defeat, the Blues passed on the chance for a scuffle, heading instead to Jake's to celebrate a birthday and replenish lost calories. In a nod to tradition, they indulged in Buck Hunter, multiple beer pong matches, at least three orders of wings, and two rounds of shots for a coach who hadn't planned to begin celebrating so early in the week. Photo evidence of the evening's highlights both on and off the field can be viewed here.

Diller's Killers: 22, Blues: 0

2009-06-15T21:51:00.012-04:00

In June of 1874, the Brooklyn Mutuals, one of eight original teams in the National League, defeated the Chicago White Stockings 38-1. Chicago managed to accumulate 2 hits and 36 errors before the game ended.

Last Thursday night, in a manner not unlike that of the nineteenth century White Stockings, the Blues fell to Diller's Killers on the new, "state-of-the-art" DeWitt Clinton ballfield. Mercifully, the rain that had threatened all afternoon held off for four innings—just long enough for IAC to mercy Oxford.

Three weeks off and wet conditions did not help the Blues, who had hoped to improve their record against an old rival. They struggled on the synthetic turf, allowing the Killers to punch holes in their defense while failing to score once, in spite of putting up 19 runs against the Kings in late May. Highlights were unfortunately few, but Joe C. played like a MVP at third, and Elyse, hot off the bench, made a remarkable catch on the run in right center.

The burger and beer special on 44th Street managed to lift spirits after a tough loss, and many of those who lingered at the Bull Moose soon began looking ahead to the next game. Others found solace cheering the Red Sox to victory over New York, playing pool, obsessing about Zach Galifianakis, or consuming copious quantities of hot wings. You know who you are.

The Weather

2009-06-11T10:34:00.007-04:00

Anxious to play after their first win of the '09 season, the Blues had to settle for an impromptu practice last Thursday and may be facing their second straight rainout tonight. If softball is in the forecast however, the Blues will face Diller's Killers at Dewitt Clinton, a field they loved to hate last year. The two games that have already been rescheduled due to weather are:

Oxford Blues @ IBI DESTROYERS 27 July 2009 (Mon) / 7:00 PM Queensboro Oval #1 (59th St. Field)
Avenue All Stars @ Oxford Blues 10 Aug. 2009 (Mon) / 7:00 PM Heckscher #1 (Central Park)

Blues: 19, Columbia Kings: 17

2009-05-26T18:34:00.012-04:00

There were times when a win didn't look likely, but patience at bat and determination on the field ultimately propelled the Blues ahead of the Kings last Thursday night in Central Park. Much like last season's win, this victory was another team effort with steady base hits that led to 8 runs in the second inning and 10 more in the third. Ozzi's final home run kept Columbia at bay until the umpire called the game (in Oxford's favor) just before 7p.m.

Andy distinguished himself at the plate and in left field, earning the first Game Ball of 2009, but again, everyone contributed to a contest that resulted in the second highest score put up by the Blues in franchise history. Dayne, Joe J. and Elyse all did their best in spite of extremely poor visibility in right field, Joe C. argued with the ump, making sure all of our runs were counted, and somehow, the first baseman didn't drop a pop fly that would be the game's final out. Jared (and Tessa) arrived somewhat late but snapped quite a few nice photos as did Ebin and Abigail using my camera.

Deciding to reward themselves with the hospitality of the Bull Moose Saloon, the Blues arrived to discover that karaoke has been moved to Wednesday nights. They managed to calm down with several pitchers of draft beer.

Blues: 9, Fuel: 10

2009-05-20T10:06:00.019-04:00

Everybody likes winning streaks. Impressive to behold and quite difficult to maintain, they are something that many teams aspire to and few achieve. Last Thursday night, on Manhattan's Upper West Side... Rae and Wright added two more wins to their beer pong record and doing so, extended a streak that stretches back to last season. The Blues, alas, were toppled by Fuel at the bottom of the seventh inning after rallying to break a 6-6 tie.

The last time these two teams met—back in the spring of 2006—the Blues left the field with heads held high, but it appears as if some rebuilding and favorable draft picks produced a more competitive opponent three years down the road. Their win did not come easily however. The Blues put the first point on the board, fell behind early on, tied the game at the top of the fifth, and took a 9-6 lead in the seventh. Rob went 3 for 4 at the plate (not half bad for a pitcher), Ozzi delivered a pair of RBIs, and Brian demonstrated the fundamentals of excellent baserunning with a textbook slide into third.

In spite of a couple of missed outs, the defense did their part too, holding Fuel to two consecutive scoreless innings. Ebin snagged a shot that came screaming down the first baseline, Dayne made a tough grab at right center, and, in a moment that will surely go down in the annals of softball, Andy and Robert pulled off an exceptional double play to escape a bases-loaded, no outs jam. Certainly a much closer contest than last season's Game Three.

Jake's cheap pitchers proved once again to be the salve that mends all wounds. Click on this handy link to see Rae's photo recap of the night.

Flashbacks and Predictions

2009-05-14T09:44:00.005-04:00

Waiting can be an agonizing activity. Often, to spare ourselves mental anguish, we use distractions to help pass the time. So, as we wait for yet another storm front to move across the New York metro area, I thought I'd post a couple of things to take our minds off of rain outs. First, a quick stroll down memory lane, all the way back to August 2008. The setting: Astoria's Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden. The occasion: A Blues Banquet. Because of a medical emergency, Andy couldn't attend last summer's celebration and the following speech had to be delivered in absentia.

Before I say anything else, I’d like to give a shout out to Brooklyn. Secondly, I hope that many good kielbasa jokes are made this evening—I’m disappointed to be missing them. To begin, I’m grateful to receive this award and the public recognition of my tremendous talent as well as the unparalleled contributions I’ve made to the team. But for the sake of next season, I had to go to Nashville for some experimental surgery on my injured wrist.

I was going to wait to tell everyone, but then I thought it was best to inform you all now: I'm getting a Terminator arm. Although the damage didn’t seem serious at first, doctors informed me that I was close to dying. Fortunately for the Blues, the prospect of playing one more season was all the hope I needed to live long enough to become part machine.

I will be donating my award to charity to contribute to this extremely important cause because with enough awards like this one, we'll be able to see an end to broken wrists within our lifetimes. Imagine a world where your grandchild says, “Pop-pop, what's a broken wrist?” and you reply, “What the deuce?!?! No, wait… sorry, that's history.”

Remember, TIME magazine called softball injuries this millennium's bubonic plague; I’m proud to be a spokesperson in the battle against this scourge. And sure, I’m fighting the good fight one-handed at the moment, but I still think that together we can win handily. Also without getting too partisan, everyone should know that if elected to office, John McCain plans on cutting all funding for broken-wrist research. What a bastard. Finally, I’d like to thank myself for my exceptional athleticism. I’d also like to thank my parents for giving me shoddy genes and God, for making my bones so very, very brittle. Oh, and if it weren’t for Ben, I wouldn’t have broken anything in the first place.

Shifting focus to the season ahead of us, I'd like to put to rest a rumor that's been overheard in the locker room on more than one occasion. In spite of any flimsy evidence to the contrary, the Blues Organization does in fact care about the well-being of its players. No, we don't have a team van, a trainer, or even a clubhouse, but I'm very proud to announce that we've nearly secured an official baker. She's an award-winning pastry chef and, as of Monday, the proud owner of a Cuisinart Stand Mixer, complete with 1,000 watts of mixing power! Because frankly, cupcakes (OK, OK and beer) are the only fitting way to commemorate our first win of 2009.

Blues: 5, CSTV Slammers: 13

2009-05-04T08:56:00.009-04:00

According to my copy of the Oxford English Reference Dictionary, progress can be defined as noun that means "development towards completion, betterment, etc.; improvement." And so, while I must sadly report of their loss to the CSTV Slammers on the lush lawn of the North Meadow, the Blues nonetheless personified this word last Thursday night in Central Park.

With six players donning jerseys for their first appearance of the 2009 season and a vacant infield position necessitating a move to shortstop for Hurley, the defense started off a bit shaky on Field #7. The top of the CSTV lineup didn't make things any easier either, rocketing Robert's pitches deep into the outfield, and in one case, clear into Field #8. The Blues weren't about to roll over and play dead however--quick reflexes from Michelle at second, and Ebin (that's his "magical glove" pictured above) in left field kept opposing batters to singles if they even reached a base at all. In fact, the Blues held the Slammers scoreless on multiple innings.

As predicted, the offense came alive in Game 2. Joe C., Michelle, and Ozzi each drove in RBIs to keep the heat on and the score close. Plus, except for an incident that may have involved some obstruction from a certain third baseman, the base coaches made sure that anyone with a chance to cross home plate knew when to run and when to wait. Unfortunately, Jared took the night off and no one in attendance had a functioning camera with them, so Ebin's photos from our last team practice will have to suffice this week.

After the game, a few new spectators joined most of the team at softball's home away from home on Amsterdam Avenue: Jake's Dilemma. The $10 pitcher of shots was somehow avoided--this time at least--and bleu cheese shooters didn't prove nearly as alluring to the dumb and daring, but in true Blue fashion, one competitor couldn't resist a beer pong challenge from Jake's charming clientele. Finally, let the record show that Rae does not have a bacon cold, and Ninell will drink an entire beer after our next game.

Oxford Blues: 0, EBG Bees: 12

2009-04-27T13:22:00.008-04:00

The Blues began the 2009 season on a deceptively cool Friday evening in Thomas Jefferson Park, where they faced off against one of the best batting orders in the league. A number of fans turned up to show their support, and although a victory wasn't in the offing this time, strong defense and a determination to go seven innings kept spirits high until the game's conclusion. Said resolve can be seen on the face of one Mr. Sears above, as well as the mugs of several other veterans in Jared's photo set. Afterwards, most of the team trekked down to Brady's on 82nd and Second Avenue for pizza and cheap beer.

Andy in left field, Brian in left center, and Iain in right center, valiantly held most of the Bees to singles and doubles, and in a particularly impressive team effort, the Blues handed their formidable opponents two scoreless innings. Unfortunately the field was unforgiving and their lineup was too deep to stymie completely. Joe C managed a couple of miraculous scoops nonetheless, and Robert on the mound (wearing eye black, or "mancara" I might add) wasn't about to let anyone take a base without collecting a strike or two along the way. Having tested themselves against an infield that apparently included Usain Bolt at shortstop, the Blues will look to score their first runs this week in Central Park.

Our first choice bar, Ship of Fools, was lousy with Yankee fans, but Brady's across the street had affordable pitchers and Big Buck Hunter. Needless to say, happiness prevailed on what could have otherwise been a somewhat disappointing opener. The dedicated few who lingered past midnight should be sufficiently prepared for whatever Thursday night has in store. Those who turned in early had better hope Ozzi brings the Big League Chew next time.

2009 Schedule

2009-04-19T00:52:00.006-04:00

After months of off-season training, weeks of speculation, a few false alarms, and an entire year to prepare ourselves mentally, we finally have a schedule. But here's the real news: the wait was worth it. Our patience has been rewarded with 11 (that's right, 11) games in Central Park. Plus, while we will almost certainly have several tough contests in late April and early May, a number of teams later in our season appear to be newcomers. Which translates into opportunity. An opportunity to improve our record. Now remember, by following some simple steps, winning a softball game can actually be accomplished quite easily. Step 1. Win a softball game. There is no Step 2.

Oxford Blues @ EBG Bees	24 Apr 2009 (Fri) / 06:30 PM	Thomas Jefferson Park - #3
Oxford Blues @ CSTV Slammers	30 Apr 2009 (Thu) / 07:00 PM	North Meadow - #7
Oxford Blues @ IBI DESTROYERS	04 May 2009 (Mon) / 07:00 PM	North Meadow - #7
Oxford Blues @ Fuel	14 May 2009 (Thu) / 05:30 PM	North Meadow - #7
Oxford Blues @ Columbia Kings	21 May 2009 (Thu) / 05:30 PM	North Meadow - #11
Avenue All Stars @ Oxford Blues	04 Jun 2009 (Thu) / 05:30 PM	North Meadow - #11
IAC/Diller's Killers @ Oxford Blues	11 Jun 2009 (Thu) / 05:30 PM	North Meadow - #11
Pirates 1 @ Oxford Blues	16 Jun 2009 (Tue) / 07:00 PM	North Meadow - #7
Telerep @ Oxford Blues	22 Jun 2009 (Mon) / 07:00 PM	North Meadow - #7
CP Lions @ Oxford Blues	01 Jul 2009 (Wed) / 05:30 PM	North Meadow - #7
The Bombers @ Oxford Blues	08 Jul 2009 (Wed) / 05:30 PM	North Meadow - #7
Oxford Blues @ Doft Punk	13 Jul 2009 (Mon) / 05:30 PM	North Meadow - #11

March Madness

2009-04-06T10:42:00.010-04:00

In anticipation of Opening Day, the Blues made the most of early spring by visiting our preferred batting cages not once, but twice in March. We also managed to assemble a successful practice in Central Park--remembering of course, to leave ourselves enough time to sample the wings at The Kinsale Tavern (they're of the small, mild, and more than $0.25 each variety).

Besides rumors of an official scrimmage next week, there's a good chance we'll be able to test our mettle again before meeting our first opponent of the 2009 season. No word yet as to whether the official "fight song," or hip hop-style heroic poem will be completed beforehand.

Finally, for those fans and teammates who haven't been able to join us thus far, photographic evidence of our collective commitment to winning can be found here. Dear Bull Moose Saloon: you've been warned.

Happy Blue Valentine's Day

2009-02-09T12:16:00.015-05:00

The weeks and months have flown by since the summer's "Night of a Thousand Beers" in rainy Astoria, Queens, but at long last I'm very happy to inform you that we're officially registered for another softball season, our fifth as a team. And although the Chinese Lunar Calendar may offer evidence to the contrary, we need only look within to find what we already know to be true: 2009 will be the year of the Blue.

As the adjacent photo demonstrates, we've all used the off-season to maintain a professional level of tolerance for moonshine and merriment, but let me hit you with some knowledge: those days of carefree camaraderie are numbered. That's right, Spring Training is almost upon us. Which means it's about time to stock up on glove oil, prepare the blender for some heavy mixing, and hit the weight room. Meanwhile, watch this space for an announcement about batting practice, and start visualizing victory. I can think of at least one, or two, hell, make that three people we owe it to.

Make no mistake: hard work and dedication, washed down with a pint or seven here and there will be the keys to our success. And remember, to borrow a phrase from the great Woodie Held, "Don't forget to swing hard, in case you hit the ball."

Oh What a Night...

2008-08-18T16:20:00.005-04:00

The 4th Annual 2008 Oxford Blues Coed Slow-Pitch Softball Banquet is in the books. It was a classic evening, following in the tradition of past banquets. As usual, a storm was brewing on the horizon while we traveled to Queens. Tanya and Catherine were the early heroes though and arrived in time to snatch up some dry tables.

We drank countless pitchers of Staropramen and munched on European grill fare until it was time for the awards. For those of you that missed it, here is the complete list of awards for this season. If you haven't received your award yet, I'll be dropping it off soon.

Kate "Chaw Time" Brown - Position Player Award
Joe "The Gator" Cognard - Comeback Player of the Year
Martin "M-Cole" Coleman - Al Cascio Memorial Award
Andrew "Flowing Locks" Fargnoli - Slide of the Year Award
Iain "Rounders" Finlayson - True Blue Award
Brian "Prison Break"Hurley - Gold Glove Award
Joe "Uh Oh" Jackson - Best Dressed Award
Ben "Banned from Bar" Keene - Most Improved Player Award
Tanya "Cakes" Laplante - Step Into the Spotlight Award
Michelle "Chelly Chell" Lipinski - Rookie of the Year Award
Dan "The Intimidator" Ozzi - Mr. Hustle Award
Catherine "What Should I Do?" Rae - Team Player of the Year Award
Robert "The Rocket" Repino - Cy Young Award
Ebin "Voice From Heaven" Sandler - Utility Player of the Year Award
Ned "St. Louis Slugger" Sears - Home Run Crown Award
Ninell "Silver Mountain in German is called…" Silberberg - Eagle Eye Award
Kyle "Hawaii Five-0" Taylor - Web Gem Award
Elyse "Turr-minator" Turr - On Base Award
Rachael "Did you know Bob Dylan's real last name is..." Zimmerman - Bench Player of the Year Award
Jared "Closing Time" Wright - Most Improved post-game Player Award

Although Andy was out of the state, he collaborated with Ben Keene to create an acceptance speech and Mr. Keene delivered it on his behalf. It was the funniest acceptance speech ever written and nearly killed Dan Ozzi. At the end of the awards, I was presented with a large frame of some lovely Blues photos from the past four seasons and autographs of actual Blues players (past and present). It was a great gift and I'd like to thank everyone that contributed to it.

After the awards ceremony, things went up a notch. There were loud Swingers quotes, wet shirts, the leaning tower of Ben Keene, dancing, and the epic trial of the People vs. Catherine Rae, who was indicted with soliciting relationship advice from a homeless man. She would later be acquitted of the charges as the jury found insufficient evidence that the man was homeless. For my emphatic feelings on the verdict, be sure to check out the video in Jared's photos.

Michelle also ended up with a fun batch of pictures. Ben claims to have some good photos but four days after the event they are still not available. It was a great night.

As for the future, there are rumors of another chance to play ARTstor next week in a post-season exhibition game. I'm flying out that day so I won't be able to attend. Although I won't be at the helm I'm compelled to leave you with a few last bits of advice in my final blog post for next week and beyond; run hard to first base, call out the pop flys, have fun, listen to Tanya, and raise a glass to toast the team whenever possible. Go Blues!

Coach: 10, Oxford Blues 8

2008-07-22T15:58:00.004-04:00

The Oxford Softball Blues finished their last game of the year on Monday evening with a close loss to Coach. The team started out strong by giving up only one hit in the first inning and putting the pressure on Coach right away. The Blues suffered a few errors and base running mistakes in the middle innings but were able to work around them. Overall, the defensive effort had a much crisper feel than games of the past. Relays from the outfield were on target and infield throws to first were sharp and confident.

The Oxford offense kept their bats level and racked up their hits with proper placement. In the bottom of the seventh inning they cut the Coach lead down to two runs and loaded the bases to give the team something to cheer for. The Blues also riled up Coach's comically intense captain we will refer to as Mr. "Two Dead!". The rally fell a little short but it was an exciting and tense end to the season.

Looking back, the game sort of served as a microcosm of the entire season. It started a little sloppy, we got it together and played tough after we settled down, there were a couple of heartbreaking moments, but in the end even though we lost we went out on a high note.

The Blues went to Jake's after the game to complete their perfect 12-0 season record of going out after every game this year. It's a record that the entire team and fan base should be proud of. Although the official record of 1-11 isn't that impressive, it should be noted that the team lost five of the eleven games by 3 runs or less.

The team took it up a notch for the season finale post game celebration. There were blue cheese shooters, beer pong battles, dancing, a boiler maker, and multiple rounds of Goldschlager.

With the 2008 regular season in the book, the Blues will now begin mental and physical preparations for the blowout that will be the 4th Annual Oxford Blues Softball Banquet at the Astoria Beer Garden on August 15th.

Michelle's pics from Jake's can be found here. Click on the photo above for a link to Jared's photos (which include a few from Friday's game).

CSTV Slammers: 13, Oxford Blues: 0

2008-07-21T10:19:00.004-04:00

The CSTV Slammers won our 13 team division last season for a reason. Their methodical line drive base hits up the middle were unstoppable and put them out to a quick lead. On the other side, the Blues were in a funk and failed to get a runner past second base during the entire shortened five inning game.

However, the quick finish gave the Blues enough time to have a team scrimmage (Iron Unicorns vs. Evil Blues) and prepare for tonight's (Monday) final game of the season against Coach on North Meadow field #8 at 5:30. Coach is 3-7-1 on the season so they are much closer to our competition level and it should be a close game.

There aren't any pictures from the game this week, possibly a blessing, so click on the photo above for Michelle's pics from the more important part of the night.

Translate This: 17, Oxford Blues: 10

2008-07-16T10:01:00.005-04:00

Tuesday evening's game started out well once again for the Blues. However, once Translate This got warmed up they showed why they are the fifth place team in the league by belting out Ruthian home runs. Oxford was solid, yet a little out matched, on offense and defense.

However, the Blues (motivated by Joe "What Bag?" Jackson's awesome blue kicks with blue laces) ran the bases better than their opponents. Even though we were aggressive on the base paths it was under control and I don't believe anyone was thrown out while going for an extra base. Translate This was not so much under control. They were thrown out at least twice while being greedy. Once, on the end of a double play that started with a leaping catch in center field by Kyle "KT" Taylor.

Our next two games are on back-to-back workdays, this Friday and Monday. We hope to see you all there for the furious end of the season. Thanks goes out to Michelle for taking these photos of the game.

We went down to the village after the game to enjoy some cold beers and watch mixed martial arts and the MLB All-Star game at the Slaughtered Lamb. While sitting next to this life-size rotating werewolf display, we discussed awful tooth-related stories and sleazy college friends.

Oxford Blues: 11, Telerep: 17

2008-07-14T10:05:00.005-04:00

Jared sent around a link to his always impressive photos from Thursday's game which included a succinct recap of the game.

Game 9

Through inning 5, a win. Considering that a fair amount of our games this season were over by inning 5, that's pretty confident play. But then in the 6th, Telerep found some holes and bust the game open. Final score, 11-17. I showed up late, and it's a sore memory anyway, so I've minimized game photos and maximized Jake's photos. Typical Blues bollocks, for hours & hours.

That sums it up pretty well. We continued to hit well as a team with the bottom of the lineup extending many rallies. Our defense improved since last week and was able to convert more of the "easy outs". There is still room to improve though and it seems like some extra chatter on the field might help everyone focus so that will be the goal for this week.

Here are a few of my photos before my camera died and also a great batch from Michelle.

Game 10 is Tuesday night at Chelsea Park at 5:30pm.

Oxford Blues: 17, Pirates: 19

2008-07-03T12:11:00.008-04:00

The Blues had their game faces on (see above photo) for Wednesday's game but the Pirates' narrowly won the shootout. They scored 19 runs, same as last year, to topple the Blues 19 to 17. The Blues were also racking up the hits and scored 10 more runs than they did last year against the Pirates. They scored in every inning but one to make it a compelling back-and-forth game.

In the top of the sixth inning the Oxford Blues scored five runs when they needed them most to tie up the game at 15 all. The Pirates went on to score four runs in the bottom half of the inning though to take the lead. The Blues threatened in the top of the seventh but only scored two runs to end the game.

The bats are hot and the Blues haven't scored that many runs since last June, 16 games ago. The fielding was a little shaky but that's easier to work on and will hopefully come together for the next game against Telerep on Thursday.

The team hit up the usual haunt and got in some good Buck Hunter/Beer Pong/Foosball action. Here are the pics with a few captions.

KT's photos

Rae Rae's photos

Michelle photos

P.S. Brian's contribution of "Chelly Chell" as a possible nickname for Michelle reminds me that we really need to work on making sure that everyone has a nickname. That could be the inspiration that pushes us back into winning territory.

Oxford Blues: 12, Scripps: 10

2008-06-24T09:22:00.007-04:00

After enduring some close losses in the last few weeks, the Oxford Blues earned their first win of the season on Monday night in Central Park. The forecasted rain did not arrive and the Blues put together an exciting come-from-behind victory to take down Scripps (media company that includes Food Network and HGTV).

The game got off to an even start with both teams trading runs to keep the score tied 4-4 after three and a half innings. In the bottom of the fourth inning, good hitting by Scripps allowed them to take a 9-4 lead. With their backs against the wall, the Oxford offense focused on simple base hits and were able to string together 8 runs over the next three innings.

At the same time, the Blues buckled down on defense. They allowed just one more run in the fifth inning. Then, with all of the pressure on them in the bottom of the seventh (and final) inning, they were able to protect a two-run lead by retiring the Scripps batters in order: one, two, three.

The victory was a true team effort and after the game the team carried the celebration to Jake's Dilemma on the UWS for some libations. For pictures of the game click here or on the photo above.

Next week, the Blues take on the Pirates on Wednesday at 5:30pm in the North Meadow of Central Park. Come cheer them on to another win.

SG Bank: 10, Oxford Blues: 2

2008-06-19T09:03:00.003-04:00

The Blues were more successful at having a good time at Jake's Dilemma last night than they were at home plate. That's not to say that the Blues were bad. The last two games have just raised the bar of expectations so that now the team will settle for nothing less than victory.

Even though we took a loss, it was apparent just how far our team has come in the last month. It was only three games ago that we were beat 30 to 8 in three and a half innings on the same field in the North Meadow. At that point we would have loved to keep the score close for a full seven inning game. Last night, we did just that but were still dissapointed. This could mark a real turning point for the team. No longer out to just keep the score close, we want a win! Monday will be a great opportunity for that win as we square off against Scripps, a team with only two wins since the beginning of last season.

As for our hitting, it was obvious that the Blues meakness at the plate had more to do with the opposing pitcher than any team slump. Other than Dan "Wizard of" Ozzi, who had a homerun and a single, the team was kept off balance by the SG pitcher's ability to mix up the speed of his pitches. We were also missing some extra thump in the lineup usually afforded by Ned and Joe C. *Injury Update* Joe C is hoping to come off of the DL in time for our game on July 2nd.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Blues put on a good performance. Rob was able to entice a ton of fly balls from SG Bank's mammoth hitters. While Brian Hurley again played a great left field and was able to track them down.

For some great pictures from the game and post game activities, click the photo above. Blues fan Tim Sachs even makes a cameo.

IBI Swingers: 9, Oxford Blues: 7

2008-06-13T09:47:00.010-04:00

The Oxford Blues followed up Game 4's close outcome with even more of a nailbiter on Thursday night. In fact, not only did the Blues play their first complete seven inning game of the season, but they also ended up going into their first extra innings game in franchise history. In the end, the Blues walked away with a 9-7 defeat but their heads were high due to a great performance, especially under pressure.

IBI jumped out to a three run lead in the top of the first but the Blues came right back in the bottom half of the inning to tie it up on a three run homer from Ned "The St. Louis Swatter" Sears. After that, Rob Repino (aka The Rocket aka Roba Chamberlain) took over and limited the Swingers to only six more runs over the next seven innings. His pitching mojo was getting it done and he finished with 4 (or 5) strikeouts. He also came up with two clutch RBI hits on his way to earning the honorary game ball. The Swingers scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning which proved to be the difference maker but the Blues have come a long way and are without a doubt on the verge of a victory.

As a team, the Blues played strong defense all over the field. Some memorable moments include:

Ben's catches with the sun in his eyes in right center field. He also sacrificed his knees again for the team which is becoming a motivational habit at Dewitt Clinton.

-Brian Hurley's catch on a deep fly ball to foul territory.

-Michelle's quick stops and solid glove at second base.

. . . and one of my favorites . . .

-On an errant throw to first base, the opposing runner made the turn to second to try for the extra base. Kate Brown ran to the fence to get the ball and got back to first base to tag the runner out. Heads up play and great hustle.

As if that wasn't enough, the team made their way to the Bull Moose Saloon once again for some wings and unforgettable karaoke. The medical and law marketing departments made an appearance and added to the ruckus. Also, my girlfriend's family from Germany attended to make it an international affair. Here are just a few of the hits that rang through Hell's Kitchen Thursday night. You guess the OUP performers.

ACDC - "Shook Me All Night Long"

Michael Jackson - "Billie Jean"

No Doubt - "Spiderwebs"

Gwen Stefani - "Let Me Blow Your Mind"

Neil Diamond - "Sweet Caroline"

Nena - "99 Red Balloons"

Dr. Dre - "Nuthin But a G Thang"

Finally, here are the photos:

Pictures from Steph's family

Pictures from Michelle Lipinski (and other random people who used her camera)

Dewitt Clinton game cancelled: Scrimmage, Singing ensues.

2008-06-10T12:19:00.004-04:00

Thursday's game was cancelled on site due to a couple of ponds on our infield. Since the other team, Coach, was already there we decided to have a scrimmage for a couple of innings. After they left, we had our own little practice and then headed to the Bull Moose Saloon as usual.

The bar atmosphere appeared the same but they have added a new twist to Thursday nights, Karaoke. Rob "The Rocket" started the night off with some Blues Brothers and Ebin quickly followed. We had to bring the whole team up for a group song towards the end of the night though. Luckily, Catherine was able to capture, among other great photos, a snippet of the musical magic on video. Here are some other photos of the night.

Oxford Blues: 8, Diller's Killer's: 11

2008-06-02T16:07:00.005-04:00

(click picture for game & beer pong photos)

After two rainouts and lots of disappointed softball players, the Blues finally played a game 4. Their patience was rewarded by a brilliant sunshiny day on the Great Lawn, surrounded by sunbathers and Frisbee players the ump tried to scare away with powerful flyballs (it didn’t work). But despite the interference of the crowd, the Blues played an amazing game!

They came out strong, scoring 2 runs in the first and shutting down Diller’s Killers. It was a rough 2nd inning for the Blues, when they allowed 7 runs to score, but that would be the last of the runs until the 6th. Robert “The Rocket” Repino shut down the Diller’s Killers for 3 straight innings. He was backed by an impeccable defense, most notably Michelle who was knocked off her feet after catching a ball at second, but still managed to hold onto the ball and get the out (see Jared’s action shot of this). In the meantime, the Blues put up 6 more runs, with most of them coming from Ned’s HR’s. It came down to the top of the 6th with the Blues up by one. Unfortunately, the Diller’s Killers staged a comeback and scored 3. The ump shut the game down after the 6th to allow the next game to begin, so the Blues were denied a chance at a comeback.

But they left the field with their heads held high, knowing that they played a solid game and feeling that things were finally coming together. They moved on to Jake’s Dilemma for well-earned cold pitchers of beer and some friendly games of beer pong.

Next game is Thursday. Now that the Blues can taste a win, there’s no stopping ‘em!

--Tanya, coach for a day

Oxford Blues: 8, EBG Bees: 30

2008-05-01T14:52:00.007-04:00

The loud mouthed "lawyers" busted out the whooping stick yesterday. The EBG Bees were on fire and even though they only hit a few balls that went over our heads, they still pounded out 30 runs in just three innings. The Blues once again had a nice two out rally though, this time at the top of the third inning. It's become a nice trend through the first few games of the season.

After the game we went to Jake's Dilemma for drink specials, wings, fries, and onion rings. We took out our competitive frustrations with foosball games and a Buck Hunter tournament. (Note: Ned Sears wanted to point out that we actually played the updated 'Big Buck Safari' version and not the traditional 'Buck Hunter' version that he was raised on)

2008 Schedule

2008-04-24T10:56:00.002-04:00

Here is our remaining schedule for the season:

Oxford Blues @ EBG Bees
30 Apr 2008 (Wed) / 05:30 PM North Meadow - #8

Translate This! @ Oxford Blues
12 May 2008 (Mon) / 06:45 PM Peter's Field - #1

CSTV Slammers @ Oxford Blues
20 May 2008 (Tue) / 07:00 PM Great Lawn - #4

IAC/Diller's Killers @ Oxford Blues
30 May 2008 (Fri) / 05:30 PM Great Lawn - #2

Coach @ Oxford Blues
05 Jun 2008 (Thu) / 06:00 PM Dewitt Clinton Park - #3

IBI Swingers @ Oxford Blues
12 Jun 2008 (Thu) / 06:00 PM Dewitt Clinton Park - #2

SG Bank @ Oxford Blues
18 Jun 2008 (Wed) / 05:30 PM North Meadow - #8

Oxford Blues @ Scripps
23 Jun 2008 (Mon) / 07:00 PM North Meadow - #8

Oxford Blues @ Pirates
02 Jul 2008 (Wed) / 05:30 PM North Meadow - #7

Oxford Blues @ Telerep
10 Jul 2008 (Thu) / 05:30 PM North Meadow - #7

Oxford Blues: 7, Richmond Events: 18

2008-04-22T12:13:00.009-04:00

The Blues started off hot yesterday with a five run first inning but once Richmond Events removed their erratic pitcher, they settled down and quieted the Blues bats. It was an odd game and lot of the team seemed a little bit off their game.

Even though we didn't get "mercy ruled" the game was still ended by the umpire after the fifth inning due to another game scheduled on our field just an hour after ours began. We all agreed that our comeback was inevitable if we only had a couple more innings.

We chalked the performance up to early season jitters and went down to 81st street for the pitchers and beer special at McAleer's. Since it was a Monday game, we didn't stay too late but a couple games on McAleer's new Buckhunter game did ensue.

The season schedule isn't official yet (even though we're in the second week!) but it looks our next game will be Wednesday, April 30th at 5:30pm against EBG Bees.

Blues 10, Debevoise & Plimpton 26

2008-04-16T09:20:00.010-04:00

The Blues' bats were alive last night but unfortunately so were D&P's. The high scoring affair bared much resemblance to last year's game with the law firm. However, last year's rally inning was topped by an even more spectacular performance on Tuesday night.

After falling behind 16 to 0 after the first to innings, the Blues put together their greatest single inning rally in team history. It all started with 2 outs and no base runners. The next 12 batters (Kyle, Joe C, Kate, Ben, Martin, Joe J, Elyse, Tanya, Robert, Andy, Kyle, Joe C) all got on base to bring in 10 runs and close the lead. Hard base running was the key and it turned many would be outs into ball bobbling errors. Click on the photo above to view Jared's awesome photos and captions.

Alas, the opposing team eventually pounded out another 10 runs and the game was cut short after the fifth inning due to the 'mercy rule'. The hitting was great though and it was a fun way to start the season. There were definitely some kinks in our defense but we're all up to speed now for Monday's game against Richmond Events. They are a new team in our league so no scouting report this week.

The post game libations took place at the Blues' home away from home, The Bull Moose Saloon. After last year's D&P game, the infamous Jingle Jugs made their debut on the wall behind the bar. Coincidentally, there was a different pair on display last night that drew responses from the male and female players alike.

The Blues are Ready for Action

2008-04-11T14:01:00.002-04:00

Our last practice of the preseason took place last night in the East Meadow of Central Park. The

temperature hit the mid 70s and we had a great turnout. Everyone seemed to have spring fever and we were eager to get in some BP (batting practice).

After practice, we caught the 6 train down to "The Back Page." It was nice to be in Manhattan again and be able to patronize a true sports bar. They were able to squeeze us into a long table at the back and although the service was a little slow, the cold beer and buffalo wings were delicious.

Our opening game will be this Tuesday, 6pm at Dewitt Clinton Park. We hope to see you all there. For directions click here.

Astoria Part II

2008-04-04T11:33:00.008-04:00

We were back at the cages last night for practice which this time included a little fielding. They gave us one cage which had the ball machine pointed at the ground so that we could field ground balls. It wasn't the same as being outdoors but it was nice to at least use our gloves and warm up our throwing arms.

We had much more time in the batting cages since it was reserved for an hour and a half, and we weren't late. Some players even tweaked their swing by using new grips.

Many of last weeks rookies were back, which is a good sign, as well as a few more new faces. Martin Coleman made an early bid for the Most Improved Player award with tenacious hitting and fielding.

Later on we decided it would be fun, in an ironic sort of way, to have some drinks at Applebee's. The food was good and the birthday song that they sang five times was interesting, but it turned out that they didn't serve pitchers of beer and for that I cannot forgive them.

Welcome to the Astoria Sports Complex!

2008-03-28T09:35:00.007-04:00

A group of 14 Blues maneuvered their way through a seedy parking garage last night to take some batting practice at the Astoria Sports Complex. The batting cage was great and although it liked to pitch the balls low and outside, it pitched them rapidly so everyone got a little workout. Many of the new Blues showed up and swung the bat well. Michelle Lipinksi put on a clinic and may have to be appointed to the newly created position of official team hitting coach.

After the cages we roamed the streets of Astoria, begrudgingly passing up an Applebee's, until we stumbled upon the Cup Diner and Bar. It was definitely more of a Diner than Bar but they accommodated us by serving crisp Sierra Nevada in large metal water pitchers. It was a fun time and we shared softball memories, places of birth, and favorite romantic comedy movies. Joe Jackson in particular dazzled everyone with knowledge of his hometown Austin, TX. Apparently it is where Dazed and Confused was filmed, Owen and Luke Wilson grew up, and it's a city with more culture than Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston combined. He also fiercely proclaimed his fondness for the movie Love Actually.

Spring Training has arrived

2008-03-20T13:26:00.003-04:00

Spring training has arrived so stay tuned for team trips to the batting cages or to the East Meadow in Central Park to throw the ball around and break in some gloves.

This also marks the opening of our recruiting season so if you see a new OUPer walking around the office pull them aside and preach the beauty of the Blues.

Late pics! Again!

2007-08-21T23:34:00.000-04:00

Sorries.

Banquet Pictures on Kodak

Blues Banquet 2007

2007-08-21T16:00:00.000-04:00

This year, the rain didn't stop us from going back to the place where the banquet tradition began, the Beer Garden. It was a stormy night in Astoria but once the showers passed, the pitchers started flowing and a fun time was had by all. Awards were passed out and infamous moments from the 2007 season were reinacted. By the end of the night, the conversations had moved from "why guys are jerks" to "why girls are naive" to physiologcial discussion that aren't fit to print here. Receiving special gifts were myself, a sharp new custom made Blues cap that will leave other office teams drooling, and Matt "Gang" Greene with a signed team ball and an amazing hand-crafted-wood-burned-plaque with the Blues logo. Click the photo above for the rest of the pics if you don't believe me. Farewell Mr. Greene, keep a couch open in Wisconsin for us. Everyone else, have a great offseason and get ready for the playoffs in 2008!

Game 12: Pirates-19, Blues-7

2007-08-07T21:58:00.000-04:00

Well, after a shakey first inning, our final game wasn't the nail-biter we were hoping it would be but it was still a lot of fun. The Pirates were a nice team to play and since it was a Thursday night game we were able to stay out a little later than normal. Which is probably why I have been in a daze since then and am only posting the recap now (Tuesday). All in all, it's been another great season and we'll see you at the banquet!

Oxford Blues: 4, EBG: 13

2007-07-31T11:03:00.000-04:00

That's a huge dude! The Oxford Blues ran into another law firm this season that apparently staffs ex-major league ball players. Even though the Blues fell to the EBG Bees, Ken and Rob did a great job of limiting their high powered offense to only 13 runs over 7 innings. Ken also had a good game at the plate with a solo homer to left field. That shot came right after Kyle "Crazy Legs" Taylor scored an error-laden inside the park home run by disregarding all fundamental base running rules. The defensive play of the game was made by outfielder Elyse Turr who made a spectacular catch while back peddaling in right field to track down a fly ball. The Blues are now 3-8 heading into their final game Thursday night against the Pirates (2-8).

A few more photos from Tuesday

2007-07-27T10:10:00.001-04:00

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Enjoy my absolutely stellar point-and-shooting from the Translate This game at Dewitt-Clinton.

Flickr

Oxford Blues: 6, Translate This: 18

2007-07-25T10:18:00.000-04:00

The story from last night's game is pretty much the same as it has been for the last few games. The Blues posted a few great catches (Ben's snag in right field), great defensive plays (Martin's back-to-back assists at second base), and some great hits but in the end our opponent apparently scored more runs than we did. The magic from last week's hitting streaks was not in the air last night but it was still a fun game and we ended up playing a full seven innings even though the mercy rule officially ended our game in the bottom of the fifth. I only have a few pics so I'll just post them all below. Remember to click the photos for full-sized action.

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Dan brought a super-secret sugary weapon to the game last night. In this photo he can be seen chokeing on a huge pinch of that weapon (BLC a.k.a. Big League Chew) while Martin, the grizzled old-school traditionalist who despises performance enhancing supplements, turns away in disgust.

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Joe C. mentally prepares for the game in silence. That is all.

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Matt Greene was released from the fake hospital yesterday afternoon just in time for the Blues game. The team welcome him back with make-believe warm wishes, which forced Matt to take a moment and reflect on his pretend illness.

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This is the only in-game photo that I have but I think it's fair to say that I managed to pack the excitement of at least 9 photos into this one shot.

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Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you . . . the jingle jugs.

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After the game, the team headed to the tried and true Bull Moose Saloon for libations. There was another encounter with the Norwegian pool shark but things stayed cool. As we sat there drinking, telling funny stories, and listening to great music on the jukebox it brought back some fond memories. Particularly the memories of one spectacular summer years ago. I believe it was the summer of '69.

Oxford Blues: A lot, Debevoise & Plimpton: A lot more

2007-07-18T09:41:00.000-04:00

The Oxford Blues lost last night to Devilnoise & Pimpleton (28-14), bringing their season record to 3-6. However, even though the Blues gave up the most runs since their second game of last season, it was one of the most glorious losses in Blues history, and that's saying something.

D&P came ready to hit and pounded the ball all over the field. Undeterred, the Blues got their bats going right out of the gate with a two run homer by the red hot Dan Ozzi in the bottom of the first. In the fourth inning everyone got in their groove and put the ball in play while hustling down the first base line. The effort resulted in a scrappy two-out rally which scored more runs and loaded the bases for Ozzi. Hitting instructor and right-center fielder Ben Keene, who had a magnificent shoestring catch earlier in the inning, pulled Dan aside and wisely told him to "hit a grand slam". Dan obeyed and sent a rocket out to left field clearing the bases.

In the fifth and final inning Andy Fargnoli, with disregard for his own personal safety, made a tough catch in foul territory while colliding with the chain link fence in left field. While the dugout collectively gasped, he jogged away unscathed and smiling as usual. The bottom of the fifth produced another rally for the Blues offense. Credit once again goes to everyone who hustled out their hits. Kate Brown had an especially great night at the plate going 3 for 3 which kept many innings alive.

Unfortunately we did not have a photographer on hand so the above picture is from our archives (a.k.a. Jared's flickr page). It's from the first game of the season which was also under the lights at Dewitt Clinton.

Highlights from the post game festivities at the Bull Moose Saloon include meeting a stubborn-loner-Norwegian-pool-fanatic and of course the set of jingle jugs that were on display behind the bar.

Diller's Killers 13, Oxford Blues 1

2007-07-16T09:35:00.000-04:00

The long week seemed to take it's toll on the Blues as they lost on Friday 13-1 to IAC/Diller's Killers. The generous strike zone by our least favorite umpire also did the Blues no favors. However, there will already be a chance to avenge that loss tomorrow at Dewitt Clinton Park, field #2 (7:30pm).

Some promosing notes from Friday's game were the Joe C. to Matt Greene to Kate Brown double play (5-4-3) and Dan Ozzi's second home run in as many games. It's great plays like those that keep the scrappy Blues coming back for more. See you tomorrow night!

Ain't No Sunshine

2007-06-27T17:17:00.000-04:00

Tonight’s game has been cancelled. Even though it looks like the rain will hold off for a while. I guess it’s pretty hot anyway so maybe this is a blessing. Anyway, we don’t have a game next week because of the holiday so our next game will be Friday, July 13th. The rest of our schedule is below, plus today’s game will be rescheduled. Have a nice 4th of July week!

Oxford Blues @ IAC/Diller's Killers 13 Jul 2007 (Fri)
05:30 PM North Meadow - #8

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP @ Oxford Blues 17 Jul 2007 (Tue)
07:30 PM Dewitt Clinton Park - #2

Oxford Blues @ Translate This! 24 Jul 2007 (Tue)
07:30 PM Dewitt Clinton Park - #2

Oxford Blues @ EBG Bees 30 Jul 2007 (Mon)
07:00 PM North Meadow - #8

Game 7: Telerep 21, Oxford 14

2007-06-21T11:32:00.000-04:00

"It's a beautiful day for a ballgame... Let's play two!" The famous words of Ernie Banks aptly described the mood of the Oxford Blues yesterday. On a sun drenched field, the Blues played their first ever game on the immaculate Great Lawn. We even had two photographers to capture the momentous occasion. Click on the photo above for a link to Jared's photos and the photo below for a link to Justine's photos. Don't for get to click on each pic once you get to their flickr pages to read the captions.

Although we were defeated, everyone enjoyed the game and some of the Blues faithful were even on hand to cheer on the team. There were many great plays yesterday but one that cannot go without mentioning is the catch of the year that was made by Glenn "Magic Glove" Mathes in right center field. Back pedaling to catch a fly ball and realizing that it would go over his head, Glenn turned his back to the infield at the last minute, took a couple quick steps to get deeper, stuck his glove straight up, and caught the ball as it came down directly over his head to get the third out of the inning. It was simply amazing and pandemonium qucikly ensued in the Blues dugout.

Game 6: Oxford Shuts out Scripps, 7-0

2007-06-14T09:34:00.000-04:00

The rumors were correct. The "59th St. Field/Queensboro Oval-#1" is actually a red clay field located directly under the Queensboro bridge. Unfortunately, our opponent did not have enough players to field a team so they had to forefeit which gives us an official win with a 7-0 score. The Blues made the best of the situation though and got in some batting practice on the dangerously slick field. Since there isn't much else to report, I'll leave you with the immortal words of the Red Hot Chili Peppers:

I don’t ever want to feel
Like I did that day
Take me to the place I love
Take me all the way

Under the bridge downtown
Is where I drew some blood
Under the bridge downtown
I could not get enough
Under the bridge downtown
Forgot about my love
Under the bridge downtown
I gave my life away

Game 5: Oxford-6, CSTV Slammers-14

2007-06-07T09:06:00.000-04:00

The Oxford Blues held their own against a good team on Wednesday to enter the last inning with a 6-6 tie. However, the CSTV Slammers were able to hit the gaps in the top of the 7th inning and produce 8 runs.

The Blues didn't hang their heads though and took pride in a solid outing with all around hitting throughout the order and tough defense. In fact, second baseman Matt "Mad Dog" Greene, pictured above with that crazy look in his eye, was so intense that he couldn't contain himself from exploding at the umpire with a profanity laced outburst. Although the play in question was actually a clean play, the expletive put fear in the hearts of CSTV.

Catharine Rae had a great game and with two outs and the bases loaded, drove in 2 runs in the 4th inning to tie the game back up.

Our next game is Wednesday, June 13th on a clay field located directly under the Queensboro bridge. I know that sounds like some sort of weird joke but it's true. I can't make this stuff up.

Blues 21, Tulane Green Machine 20

2007-06-04T14:49:00.000-04:00

With a dramatic three run rally in the bottom of the seventh, the Oxford Blues beat the Tulane Green Machine 21-20, improving to 2-2. Facing the Tulane alumni association's lineup of power hitters was no easy task, but the Blues relied on their trademark defense and responded with a newly-awakened offense, scoring a franchise record 21 runs.

The game was a nail-biter from start to finish, with both teams batting around around multiple times in the early innings. When Tulane jumped out to an unanswered 20-12 lead late in the game, things seemed a little grim for the Blues. On-field tensions hit their peak after a Tulane baserunner interfered with a double-play attempt, leading Captain Kyle Taylor to charge in all the way from centerfield to argue the non-call. On the Tulane bench, a call could be heard to slide "spikes up" in the future.

Still the Blues rallied again, only trailing by two as the game pushed into the seventh inning. Shortstop Dan "the Wizard" Ozzi and Taylor tied the game on third baseman Ken Foye's double. With one out, and the theme from "The Natural" playing, outfielder Andy Fargnoli hit a flair that fell in for a hit as the Tulane infield collided with one another, scoring Ken easily and winning the Blues the game. Pitcher Robert "the Rocket" Repino was given the game ball not just for pitching defense, but also for setting the tone for the offense from the leadoff spot. But it was a true team effort, with hits and RBIs up and down the lineup.

After the game, the Blues retired to McAleer's for beer and wings to watch the Yankees beat the Red Sox.

Game 3: Blues-3, AARRGHH-2, Other Dude-2

2007-05-18T12:10:00.000-04:00

The Blues played sharp ball yesterday and carried over their excellent defense from the end of Game 2 to allow AARRGGHH only 3 runs through seven innings. However a game winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning gave our new rival team the victory. It would only be a moral victory though, since they admittedly cheated which gave the Blues their first official win of the season.

Facing a forfeit due to lack of players before the game started, AARRGGHHH despicably grabbed a player from another field to fill out their mandatory 8 player roster. Their ringer ended up scoring half of their runs and ultimately won them the game. Afterwards, they acknowledged the foul and the technical loss.

The Blues had plenty to cheer about and even though their bats still haven’t heated up, their gloves have been red hot. Kate Brown played a stellar first base and earned this season’s first game ball. She was involved in one of the top plays of the game when Eric Stannard made a great stop on the line at third and threw a one hop rocket to first base which was scooped up by Kate. Eric “Ice Man” Stannard stayed cool in the tense bottom of the seventh and made another great play that would keep the game alive. With a tied score, two outs, and a runner on first and third, he got the 5-4 (third base to second base) force out to keep the game winning run from scoring.

The team headed to Jake’s Dilemma after the game to recap the tense action and come up with nicknames and at-bat songs for the players. Notable creations were Robert “the Rocket” Repino and Ben Keene’s new theme song, “Peaches” by the President of the United States of America.

Game 2

2007-05-11T11:22:00.000-04:00

Well, another game is in the books and although the final result was a 16-0 loss, the Blues kept their spirits high. This was due in part to an outstanding defensive performance in the last half of the game to hold SG Bank to 1 run in the last three innings. There were great catches in the outfield by Natanya and Glenn, solid fielding and throwing by the infield, and even an outfield assist from Andy “don’t-you-dare-tag-up-from-second-on-me” Fargnoli. Also helping to ease the loss was a generous gift from the umpire who allowed us to play all seven innings and gave us an extra out at the end so that we could get more batters in. We only have a couple of pics from yesterday and since there was no team photographer at the game they were both taken at the bar.

While at the bar, the topic of cinema came up and the team debated and then determined that Tim Buton directed a better Batman film than Chris Nolan, although Christian Bale played a better Batman than Michael Keaton. I found out that apparently I’m the only person who’s ever seen the movie Money Talks. We all learned that Martin has an unabashed man-crush on Michael Caine.

Our next game is Thursday at 7pm on the North Meadow in lovely Central Park. We’ll be playing “AAARRGGGHH!!!” who we faced off against last year and should be much closer to our level of competition than the last two teams.

Here's one last tip: running full speed, coming to a complete stop, catching the ball in an embarassingly awkard fashion, and then rolling on the asphalt is not recommended. If you are confused please see Dan Ozzi for a vivid reinactment.

Game 1

2007-05-04T10:06:00.000-04:00

The first game of the season is in the books and although we didn’t win (mercy ruled 15-2) there sure were a lot of us there! A record setting 27 players came out to the park. I think our opponent, Coach, either brought in some ringers or hit the weight room hard since last season. They didn’t look like the team we beat 8-7 last year. Highlights of the game include Joe C’s giant hit to right field which brought in our only two runs of the game and a 4th inning mini-rally by our second wave of players that got the Blues dugout roaring.

Afterwards, we moseyed on down to the Bull Moose Saloon and dominated their upstairs seating area. A good time was had by all. Especially those who stuck around for the 25 cent buffalo wings. Outstanding!

Check out Jared’s awesome camera skills and be sure to click on each picture instead of watching the slideshow so that you can read the captions.

Next game: Thursday, May 10th

Awaiting an Apology from President Bush

2007-04-25T12:17:00.000-04:00

After our first scheduled game of the season was rained out, our "second" first game of the season was postponed due to doofus related conditions.

Mr. Bush landed on the North Meadow Tuesday forcing us to wait another week for the first taste of regular season competition. Luckily, we were able to find a decent patch of dirt on the East Meadow and get some practice in. There was a nice turnout that included many new players. Hopefully next week's game will be played as scheduled but at this rate I wouldn't be suprised if more rain or a random attack by Mothra altered our plans.

North Meadow

2007-04-20T12:24:00.000-04:00

The North Meadow ballfields are located in Central Park between 103rd and 96th streets. We have five games there this year on fields 7, 8, and 11. They are well maintained and a treat to play on compared to some of our other fields. Note the actual grass in the photo from last year of Stefan rounding third! A basic map of the fields can be found here. For those of you who can't get enough of shoddy-interactive web tools, you can use centralpark.com's field finder (it might take a while for the high-res photos to load).

To get to the fields from work we usually catch the B train uptown to the 96th st stop.

2007 Schedule

2007-04-17T11:44:00.000-04:00

Here is the schedule for this summer. I think it's the best one we've had so far. There are six games in Central Park and even one on the Great Lawn. We also don't have any games all the way uptown. I'll send out the directions as the games approach but if you have any questions let me know. We've played about half of our opponents on this schedule last season so we may even be able to start some rivalries.

Oxford Blues @ Translate This! (Postponed)
17 Apr 2007 (Tue) / 07:30 PM
Dewitt Clinton Park - #3

Oxford Blues @ EBG Bees
24 Apr 2007 (Tue) / 07:00 PM
North Meadow - #8

Oxford Blues @ Coach
03 May 2007 (Thu) / 07:30 PM
Dewitt Clinton Park - #2

Oxford Blues @ SG Bank
10 May 2007 (Thu) / 05:30 PM
Peter's Field - #1

Oxford Blues @ AARRRGGGHHH!!!
17 May 2007 (Thu) / 07:00 PM
North Meadow - #7

Tulane Green Machine @ Oxford Blues
01 Jun 2007 (Fri) / 05:30 PM
North Meadow - #7

CSTV Slammers @ Oxford Blues
06 Jun 2007 (Wed) / 05:30 PM
North Meadow - #11

Scripps @ Oxford Blues
13 Jun 2007 (Wed) / 05:30 PM
59th St. Field/Queensboro Oval - #1

Telerep @ Oxford Blues
20 Jun 2007 (Wed) / 05:30 PM
Great Lawn - #2

Pirates @ Oxford Blues
27 Jun 2007 (Wed) / 07:00 PM
Peter's Field - #1

Oxford Blues @ IAC/Diller's Killers
13 Jul 2007 (Fri) / 05:30 PM
North Meadow - #8

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP @ Oxford Blues
17 Jul 2007 (Tue) / 07:30 PM
Dewitt Clinton Park - #2

DeWitt Clinton Park

2007-04-11T12:58:00.001-04:00

Here are the directions to DeWitt Clinton Park, where many of our games will be played.

The park is located on 11th ave between 52nd and 54th street. When leaving from the office, we usually walk over to 6th ave and catch the B or D train uptown to the 7th ave stop which is at 53rd street. Then we walk west four avenues to the park.

The M31 bus runs crosstown and will take you right to the field if you are coming from a farther away subway stop and want to save your legs.

Posting "Foul"

2007-04-06T14:12:00.000-04:00

It shames me to even have to mention this but posting personal photos of your pets is not allowed on the official Oxford Blues Softball blog. If you still can't fight the urge (Jared) to share pictures of your pets with others please find a more suitable outlet.

KT

TEST

2007-03-30T15:30:00.001-04:00

Hooray - I've figured out how to post from Flickr! This ~~is VERY important to me.~~ doesn't matter to me in the slightest.

Broken Mit

2007-03-30T15:00:00.000-04:00

Does anyone know where I can get my beautiful, old, worn-in mit fixed? The leather tie things are breaking and I don't think the webbing can stop a ball thrown by anyone older than 3.

First Practice!

2007-03-30T14:12:00.000-04:00

The long wait is over!

We had our first practice of the 2007 Oxford Blues softball season last night, at the traditional "spring training field" in Central Park at 97th Street(Okay, so it's more of a random dirt patch on the east side, but who's counting?). A good mix of new and old players were on hand to take batting practice, fielding, and witness the unveiling of Jared Wright's God-given talent at first base. And afterwards we retired to Blondie's on the East Side to discuss our favorite Al Pacino movie roles, another long-standing Blues tradition.

Let the 2007 season begin! We're winning the whole thing!

Softball Haiku

2007-03-22T17:28:00.000-04:00

My glove is oiled
My cleats and jersey are clean
When is the first game?

Just thought I'd mix it up a little. There's not much to write about in March.

-KT

Introduction

2007-03-20T17:10:00.000-04:00

This is the first ever Blues blog so I'm not sure where it will take us but I'm hoping we'll be able to post game recaps, news, and whatever else you want. Please feel free to add or comment on anything. For now, let's hope the snow melts and maybe we can head to the park next week.