Blues Top Topps, 2-1

Game 8: Blues 2, Topps 1

Frederick Douglass Field

August 4, 2014

Ryan DeRentz homered in the second, all the offense the Oxford Blues (6-2) needed to beat Topps - a baseball card company - by the score of 2-1. In the last of the sixth, Blake Ratcliff made a diving catch in left field to save the game.

"Sweet Baby Jesus," Coach Repino said after Blake made the catch. Repino pitched a complete game and only allowed 1 run, greatly improving his ERA after the 25 runs he surrendered in the game earlier this summer against the Seyfarth Sluggers.

"Good pitching, Rob," Dave said. "You looked liked Cy Young out there."

The Blues improved to 6-2 on the season with two games left to play.   The Topps batters hit towering home runs which were either caught, or hit to the wrong part of the field, creating an out.

There were many children running on the field obstructing play throughout the game, but the umpire bought them all ice cream which distracted them from the grown-ups on the field.

"I'd do it for the kids anyway," said the ump.

Blake LF

Max LC

Tim RC

Dave 3B

Jeremy RF

Julie SS

Rob P

Ryan C

Erin 1B

Jessica 2B

Ryan and Blake Ride the C Train Home After the Game (Julie in reflection.)

Oxford Blues Beat Watchtell Raiders, 9-4

Game 7: Oxford Blues 9, Watchthell Raiders 4

Thomas Jefferson Field

July 28, 2014

The Blues scored three runs in the first inning and never looked back as Zach Haynes won his second start of the season, leading the Blues to defeat the Raiders by the score of 9-4. The Blues are now 5-2 and another visit to the playoffs looks promising.   Max Sinsheimer homered (again) and Dave, Julie, and even I contributed offense.   Zach arrived to the game without shoes, but quickly ran down the street, and returned with Fila's he purchased for $25.

"There's a place selling shoes in any five block radius in NYC," Haynes said. "I'll also be able to use these playing basketball."

After the game, the Blues gathered at the bar to celebrate the victory and admire the tote bag that Soho Press made for Coach Repino's novel that will be published in January.

"I will use this bag to pick up my fresh produce from the CSA," Tim said.

Max LC  HR VINE

Blake SS  VINE

Tim LF

Zach P

Dave 3B

Julie RC

Jeremy RF

Sara 1B

Jessica 2B

Jenny C

Rob EH

Blues No Match for Seyfarth Sluggers, Lose 25-8

Game 6: Seyfarth Sluggers 25, Blues 8
Harlem River Park
July 21, 2014

The Blues (4-2) were trounced by the Seyfarth Sluggers by the score of 25-8, but the squad still managed to play the full seven innings. Max and Blake made their infield debuts at third base and SS respectively.

"Probably not the best idea I've ever had," Coach Repino admitted after the game.

"Wonder if these guys are hiring" Blues Legal Council Blake Ratcliff muttered aloud.

"Does it look like I am working in the UK office," first basewoman Sara McNamara asked Max and Blake. "Then why are you airmailing it to me?"

Max homered and Julie went 3/3. The Blues will have to regroup if we face these lawyers again in the playoffs.

Rob P
Max 3B
Blake SS
Tim LF
Julie LC
Jeremy 2B
Ryan RC
Sara 1B
Chris RF
Jenny C

Blues edge Penton, 5-4, improve to 4-1

Game 5: Oxford Blues 5, Penton 4
Riverside Park

July 14, 2014

6:00 PM

Report by Tim Allen, Special to the Blues Blog

In a tense game certainly more thrilling than anything we saw in Brazil over the past month*, the Blues (4-1) managed to overcome Penton’s four-run first inning and hung on to defeat the specialist publishers 5 to 4 in Riverside Park. The park’s dangerous field, which includes a low outfield wall notorious for leaving former Blues players battered and bloody, threatened to become even more treacherous as storm clouds rolled in during the final two innings. Zach Haynes scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh, however, and the Blues’ solid defense saved the day, finding a third out with a Penton runner in scoring position on second base.

Coach Robert Repino was reported to have foregone his usual “1-2-3-BLUES!”cheer in favor of a Bastille Day-appropriate “Allez les bleus!” Repino would neither confirm nor deny these allegations.

Catcher Jenny Doster, noted Francophile, was cautioned by the umpire for the haughty French-accented laugh she emitted as each Penton player approached the plate. “Don’t worry, guys,” she said later. “They’ll have to kick me out of this league before I stop taunting the other teams.”

The win gave the Blues a record of 4-1-0 and left the team half of a game out of first place.

The game also marked the final appearance of co-manager* and all-star Dave D’Adonna as an official Oxford Blue.  We wish him tons of luck in his new position and hope that we haven’t seen the last of his infield prowess. Stay Blue, Dave, stay Blue.

*Editor's Note: This is a reference to the World Cup, the international soccer tournament that was played in Brazil this past summer.

*Editor's Note: For an account of Dave's managerial prowess, see here.

Robert (P)

D’Addona (SS)

Coe (3B)

Haynes (LC)

Allen (RC)

Fergus (LF)

DeRentz (RF)

Chesnutt (2B)

McAuliffe (1B)

Doster (C)

Blues Show No Mercy, Defeat Bluewolf 17-5

Game 4:  Oxford Blues 17, Bluewolf 5

Morningside Park

July 1, 2014

Report by Taylor Coe, Special to the Blues Blog

Oxford Blues trounced Bluewolf with a resounding 17-5 victory on a muggy afternoon in Morningside, improving their record to 3-1 on the season. Rob Repino turned in a solid effort at the mound, painting the inside of the plate to great effect, and Kate Cooney started in right field in her Blues debut.

"I got on base!" Kate said.

Game ball went to Joe Cognard, thanks to stellar defensive performance at the hot corner and a 3-run opposite field blast that nearly had Bluewolf outfielders picking through the underbrush out past the track in right field.

Chris Reid doubled twice in the offensive assault. The Blues offense, however, was all-around impressive, batting around the order in the third to knock in 9 runs.   

“I don’t think this has ever happened!” said Coach Repino.

With that cushion of insurance runs, the Blues offered up solid defense for the rest of the game and mercy-ruled Bluewolf in the sixth. 

Blake (SS)

Tim (LF)

Taylor (LC)

Joe (3B)

Rob (P)

Sarah (1B)

Chris (RC)

Jessica (2B)

Jenny (C)

Kate (RF)

Oxford Beats Norton....At Softball

Game 3:  Oxford Blues 11 Slammin Seagulls 9
Central Park's Great Lawn
June 25, 2014

Zack Haynes pitched a complete game and broke a tie with a 3-run home run in the 5th as the Blues (2-1) defeated publishing rivals Slammin' Seagulls 11-9.  Haynes, in his first game back since becoming a father, said he would be giving his game ball to his daughter Georgia.

"I'm hoping she might be the Serena Williams of softball," Haynes said.  "Or at the very least not work in publishing."

Blues Legal Council Blake Ratcliff hit a double in the top of the sixth when the Blues collected six insurance runs, all of which were necessary as the Blues defense faltered in the 7th. 

"You were very close to catching that ball," Blues Rookie Taylor Coe observed to me later.

Max (LC)
Tim (RF/EH)
Taylor (3B)
Blake (LF)
Dave (SS)
Ryan (1B/EH)
Jeremy (EH/RF)
Julie (RC)
Zack (P)
Erin (EH/1B)
Rob (EH)
Sarah (2B)
Jenny (C)

Blues Win First Game of the Season

Game 2: Oxford Blues 11, Conifer 5
Harlem River Park #2
June 16, 2014

Oxford Blues (1-1) won their first game of the season against the financial services firm Conifer, which only fielded 8 players. The Blues benefitted from only having to get two outs in certain innings, as the penalty to Conifer for coming to a game short-staffed.   The Blues hit and fielded well, led by Max Sinsheimer's double and HR, and good defense from Blues rookies Julie Fergus and Taylor Coe.   The game ended with an out at the plate as Blues Veteran Catcher Jessica Chesnutt put the tag on an overly optimistic base runner.  This contest was only slightly overshadowed by the US-Ghana soccer game, but congratulations to Coach Repino for assembling a squad of 11 on the evening of such a momentous sports event.

"Could be the Super Bowl, moon landing, doesn't matter," Coach Repino said. "The Blues are always ready to play."

Max (LC)
Julie (LF)
Taylor (3B)
Dave (SS)
Ryan (EH/RC)
Tim (1B)
Jeremy (RC/RF)
Chris (RF/EH)
Rob (P)
Jessica (C)
Sarah (2B)