CANNONS CRASH CNMSBL PLAYOFF PARTY
Take Two of Three in Opening Weekend “A” Action; Get Glastonbury Next
Manchester/Marlborough, CT (AP)—In April many pre-season publications, professional prognosticators and parlor room pundits picked the West Hartford Cannons to win the 2006 CNMSBL A Division Championship. What wasn’t to like about this battle-tested ball club, a team that last season went 19-6 on the way to its first B Division title? The Cannons had all the pieces necessary to compete at this level and complete the regular- and, more importantly, post-season puzzles: a solid core of returning players with playoff experience; hitters, like Tom Luby, Chris Barsa and Leo Dionicio, who have become household names to diamond devotees; a heady defense led by catcher Steve Markie and the dynamic Gold Glove duo of Kevin and Mike McGann; a handful of hurlers—most notably Mike Patenaude, Ed Poland and Mike Calabrese—unmatched on any roster; and a hugely successful front office led by Manager Matt Celio and Assistant Manager Mike Weber who compiled an impressive 29-17 record (.630 overall winning percentage, .714 post-season) in their two previous seasons at the helm. Throw in several highly-touted free agent recruits, namely now-perennial MVC pick Jason Maule, to round out the roster as well as a frenzied fan base and the Cannons went from being not only the sexy pick but the smart pick in the eyes of many insiders. However, a disastrous regular-season marred by Mother Nature (three rainouts), a stilted schedule (West Hartford was off for a month mid-year) and the bite of the injury bug all contributed to inconsistency and a twelve-game skid that shook the very foundations of this storied franchise. Sexy and smart had suddenly become a sinking ship that only James Cameron and Leonardo DiCaprio could love. In August few had the seventh-seeded Cannons winning the title or even winning a single game in the playoffs, but that few included thirteen crimson-clad ball players who, despite decidedly ominous odds, still felt like favorites. This high-caliber collection shocked the second-seeded Manchester Cubs with a seventh-inning comeback (winning 5-4) and throttled the third-seeded Marlborough Athletics (a 13-4 victory) on Saturday then valiantly fought the fourth-seeded Bristol Phoenix for seven innings before faltering (a 5-4 heart-breaker) on Sunday, advancing to the loser’s bracket on the final weekend of A Division action. Surprise! The playoffs are a party and, like on-field Owen Wilson’s and Vince Vaughn’s, these Cannons crashed, creating bracket chaos while sending shockwaves throughout the state of Connecticut and the entire baseball world.
West Hartford (4-14) traveled to Manchester (14-4) as heavy underdogs against an opponent that was 4-0 versus them in the '06 regular-season but the Cannons had battled against the Cubs all year long, losing twice by scores of 2-1 on the road—once in extra innings—then dropping a double dip at Cannon Yards, 9-6 and 4-2 without some of the team’s top-flight talent. Manager Emeritus Andy Borst said earlier in the week, “It’s tough for a team to beat another five times in a row,” and his words proved to be prophetic on the field of play. Cannons’ staff stalwart Patenaude took the mound for the twelfth time in the post-season and demonstrated again that he is the Ponce de Leon of pitchers with yet another age-defying performance. Manchester managed two early runs against the left-hander but West Hartford responded with a pair of runs in the third off of Mike Kakalow as Poland scored on a Dionicio single and Markie moved Luby home on a “small ball” ground out to the right side to tie things at two. The Cannons applied additional pressure courtesy of Maule’s legs as he singled, stole second and scored on a passed ball following a Luby hit giving West Hartford a 3-2 lead in the fifth. Patenaude (7 IP, 4 R, 2 ER, 10 H, 1 K, 1 BB) saw solid defense behind him throughout much of the contest—highlights included a double play ending with a pick by first baseman M. McGann in the third, a diving stop by third baseman Calabrese that kept runners at first and second in the fourth and a caught stealing by catcher Markie in the fifth—but the lead disappeared in the sixth on three singles sandwiched around a Calabrese error at third. After a fantastic back-handed play by Luby ended the inning with West Hartford down just one, fireworks followed in the Cannons clubhouse as the generally jovial Calabrese questioned Patenaude for publicly calling him to task for the misplay. Heated words were exchanged before Luby, “the Heart of the Cannons” whom Cal later referred to as “the Godfather,” stepped in and settled both players down. With a single at-bat left Celio implored the offense to deliver a decisive blow and plate a pair of runs and the team responded to this request. Maule singled—his third straight hit—and stole second. Poland followed with a walk and Maule stole third against reliever Eddie Harris, allowing the Cannons’ two-hitter to move into scoring position without a throw on the next pitch. With the infield playing in to protect the slim advantage Luby slapped a single up the middle to score both runners and the Cannons reclaimed the lead in dramatic fashion. Patenaude (1-0) worked a 1-2-3 seventh behind a pair of Calabrese plays holding on for a 5-4 win and a date with the Marlborough A’s (who knocked off Newington) at West Field.
West Hartford, who two weeks earlier ended their losing streak against Marlborough (13-7), struck early and often for runs against A’s starter Keith Echevarria getting three in the first on a lead-off double by Maule, an RBI double from Luby and a two-out two-run error that scored the Cannons’ shortstop and Dionicio, who had singled to center. Calabrese, making his second post-season appearance in as many years, allowed two runs in the home half of the first on a Steve Garvie single and a Jack Noack home run over the short left field fence but the Cannons offense was just getting warmed up as West Hartford batted around in the second, spurred by five consecutive hits from Poland (double, run), Maule (run), K. McGann (RBI, run), Luby (double, RBI, run) and Dionicio (RBI, run). More two-out offense ensued as a two-run flare to left by M. McGann gave the Cannons an 8-2 lead that all but broke the A’s spirit. Calabrese (7 IP, 4 R, 4 ER, 8 H, 1 K, 1 BB) and Change-Up Nation had more than enough of a cushion to comfortably cruise to victory, allowing single runs in the second and seventh while facing just two batters over the minimum in between. The Cannons added two in the third on a K. McGann sacrifice fly to center—which Elias Sports Bureau later confirmed was the first in his five-year career—and a Luby double, his third in three consecutive plate appearances. Maule slugged a solo shot in the fifth—his fourth hit and run scored in as many at-bats—sparking controversy as Marlborough claimed the center fielder was not eligible for post-season play (management proved the slugger played in 75% of the team’s games this season, more than enough to meet the league’s 40% participation rule for playoff eligibility). Dionicio tripled home Luby in the seventh and scored on a Markie single to end the offensive onslaught—the thirteen runs scored were the most by the Cannons in A Division play and represented more than one-fifth of the total scored by the team during the entire 2006 regular-season (62 over eighteen games), moving Calabrese (1-0) and the Cannons into Sunday’s winner’s bracket against Bristol who defeated top-seeded Glastonbury, 3-2. Borst added after the drubbing, “Too much is never enough (perhaps a poorly veiled reference to Markie’s sixth-inning stolen base with an eight run lead). These guys told us we’d struggle for a few years at this level and questioned whether we would even be in the A Division next season. I think this is a statement game for us and it goes a long way toward announcing our true abilities to the rest of the league. The Cannons are for real and we are here to stay.”
Sunday’s game against Bristol saw a bracket-busting seven- versus four-seed match-up and was the first meeting between the two teams due to regular-season rainouts. The Phoenix seemed skeptical that the Cannons had arisen from the ashes of a last-place finish but the Cannons proved that they belonged on the CNMSBL’s biggest stage giving Bristol and starter Dave Bidwell—the Hartford Twilight League’s all-time wins leader and a member of the CNMSBL since 1993, when many members of the Cannons we still in high school and college—all that they could handle. Patenaude, fresh off his 111 pitch performance just twenty-four hours prior, headed to the hill and was effective though not overpowering, giving up two runs in the second on three hits and two walks. The Cannons exploded for three runs in the top of the third on back-to-back singles by the McGann brothers, a Poland RBI single (the superstar was sidelined with a leg injury but still batted for Patenaude) and a two-out two-run Luby knock that gave West Hartford a one-run advantage, 3-2. The Cannons’ lefty ace was touched for two runs in the home half of the third on four hits and a walk to start the inning but escaped further damage when Luby gloved a line-drive at short and gunned the lead runner at third for a dramatic double play that kept things close. Both starters battled out of repeated jams over the course of the contest as Patenaude (6.1 IP, 5 R, 3 ER, 10 H, 1 K, 8 BB) stranded runners in scoring position in each of the first six innings. Once again West Hartford came back in the final frame showing the character that has become synonymous with Cannons Baseball over the past six campaigns, especially in post-season play. Maule led off the seventh with a hit to left and never slowed from the moment he left the box until he slid safely into the soft dirt at second just ahead of the throw. Poland, clearly in pain at this point, hit a slow roller to shortstop that his bad leg prevented him from beating out: however, he successfully advanced Maule to third with one down. With the contact play on, Maule scored on Luby’s ground out to short to knot the game at four. Finally showing signs of fatigue after tossing 242 pitches over the weekend, Patenaude (1-1) walked two of the first three batters he faced—he struck out Nate Archibald in between—and Celio brought in relief pitcher Poland to preserve the tie, hoping to force extra innings. Poland (0 IP, 1 BB) produced a come backer to the mound but threw high to a leaping Luby who was covering second, loading the bases. Dane Cook patiently took five-pitches working a walk that forced in the winning run and gave Bristol a 5-4 victory moving them to the Championship game next Saturday afternoon. West Hartford Manager Celio spoke with reporters after the two days of games: “I’m really proud of our performance as a team this weekend. Everybody came up big. We played hard, we were poised out there and I think we put the rest of the league on notice. Our goals haven’t changed at all since April and we’re still going to be playing ball on the final weekend of the season while four teams are going to be watching on television. We’re not settling and we’re not satisfied with third place. The title is right there for the taking and this is not a spot that will intimidate us in any way [having won from this same position last season].”
To paraphrase Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band, the playoffs “ain’t nothing but a party.” Now all West Hartford has to do this weekend is move when they feel that groove. With three wins on Saturday and Sunday the Cannons can bring the house to its feet and then bring it crashing down. To be the best the West Hartford Cannons (4-14, 2-1) will have to beat the best as they square off against the top-seeded Glastonbury Marlins (18-4, 1-1) on Saturday morning (10:00 a.m.) at Manchester Community College. The winner advances to a two-game series against the Bristol Phoenix that will determine this season’s 2006 CNMSBL A Division Champion. In order to capture the crown the Cannons will have to do the unprecedented: defeat the top four seeds on successive weekends. Though the task at hand is daunting, West Hartford dreams of being like Anthony Michael Hall’s Farmer Ted of Sixteen Candles fame: the freshman geek that goes to a senior party and goes home with the Prom Queen. We told you dudes the Cannons were hot. Hot, Ted the Cannons are legends! The final round games have been sold out for months but standing room only tickets will be available to the public thirty minutes before each contest. Follow the simulcast on the web at whcannons.blogspot.com.
Cannons News and Notes: Dionicio’s triple against Marlborough was the team’s first of the season; Luby had 8 RBIs in three games and leads the Cannons with 31 for his post-season career…he and Poland were the team leaders with 9 each during the regular-season…Luby passed Poland (28) for the most hits in Cannons’ playoff history with 29 and Borst (17) for the most playoff runs scored with 19; Maule had seven stolen bases on Saturday and Sunday (5 of his own and 2 while pinch running for Poland)…as was the case in the regular-season, he leads the team in 9 of 13 offensive categories…Maule has scored 19 of the team’s 84 regular- and post-season runs in 2006 (22.6%); K. and M. McGann were responsible for scoring or driving in 7 of the Cannons’ 22 runs; the team batted .386 over the first three games of the post-season after hitting just .259 in the regular-season; six of the ten Cannons who have made at least one plate appearance in the playoffs are averaging .385 or better (Barsa, Dionicio, Luby, Maule, K. McGann and Poland); the team averaged 13 hits and 7.3 runs per contest during the first weekend of post-season play, up from 7.2 hits and 3.4 runs in the regular-season; Markie and Poland will miss Saturday’s games due to their gridiron coaching commitments…Borst and Patenaude will replace them in the line-up; Calabrese, Celio and M. McGann made post-game Mexican Mudslides with the ice that Poland used to sooth his sore leg; Calabrese soiled himself on Sunday following a hard day of drinking; ballot boxes for the 2006 Cannons Awards closed at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, August 18…management appreciates all who voted and the winners will be announced at the team’s End-of-Year Extravaganza in early October.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
NATIONAL TREASURE: CANNONS SHOW "HART" IN SWEEP OF NATS
Hartford Handcuffed By Poland, Patenaude; Playoffs Start Saturday
West Hartford, CT (AP)—Sequels sell. Six of the ten highest grossing movies of all time—Shrek 2; Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace; Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest; Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith; The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; and Spider-Man 2—are blockbuster follow-ups to films that struck a chord with audiences, sparking their imaginations in some special way. Action, adventure, special effects and, overwhelmingly, character studies in the classic themes of good versus evil and following through with something to its fruition against immeasurable odds are the norm. Hollywood couldn’t hold a candle to West Hartford on Sunday where the 2006 regular-season closed with a rematch of last season’s A and B Division Titleholders in front of a sold out Cannon Yards crowd. This time, in Basebrawl II: Champions Collide Harder, Shrek foiled the Fairy Godmother, the Fellowship smote Sauron and Spidey defeated Doc Ock all in one as the Cannons showed signs of why they were CNMSBL dark horse favorites four months ago, neutralizing the Nationals (7-13) by scores of 5-4 and 6-2 for their first series sweep and third win in four games going into Saturday’s double elimination playoffs. This was a sequel of small proportions compared to the highly-anticipated August release that West Hartford plans to put into post-production over the next two weekends as they bank on the box office bonanza that comes with back-to-back Championships. Get your red on, Cannon Nation!
On a sunny seventy-nine degree day at the Yards, the Cannons found themselves in the reversed role of visitors—the Nationals were unable to secure UOH Stadium for the season’s swan song—but responded right away on Red Day (both teams and the umpiring crew were clothed in crimson) behind the big bats at the top on the line-up. Jason Maule, returning to the Cannons after a two-week playoff run in the Hartford Twilight League, reached on a two-base error by right fielder Miguel Santiago to lead things off and soon scored on a Tom Luby single to make it 1-0 West Hartford. Ed Poland made his fourth start of the season and had his best stuff working early, holding the hard-hitting Nationals scoreless through the first three frames and “Houdini-ing” his way out of a bases loaded jam in the third with two plays at the plate and a fielder’s choice to end the inning. Conversely, the Cannons bolstered their lead in the third as Maule walked, Poland was hit by a pitch and both runners moved up a base on a balk by pitcher, former All-American and Major League farmhand Basilio Ortiz. Catcher Steve Markie laced a two-out two-run double to left off of Ortiz giving Poland a 3-0 pad. The right-hander relinquished a run in the home half of the fourth on a single and stolen base by M. Santiago and a base hit by his brother Antonio but was able to escape further damage by striking out the side in the frame for his team-leading twenty-first strike out. The Cannons added two more runs in the sixth on singles by Mike Weber—the 1000th hit in Cannons franchise history—and Mike McGann, scoring Markie and Chris Barsa after a well-placed sacrifice bunt by Kevin McGann moved them into scoring position and West Hartford held a 5-1 lead going into the home half of the sixth. The Nats touched Poland (7 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 8 H, 3 K, 3 BB, 1 HBP) for two runs on a walk, a single and an error but were unable to add to their total as M. McGann made a solid play at third on a low line drive and Poland produced a pop to left on his 100th pitch of the game for the third out of the inning. After the Cannons failed to score in the top of the seventh, Poland (1-3) surrendered a home run to Brown Cacavale and a single to Ortiz but stranded him at third with a no-doubt fly ball to left that Andy Borst camped under and confidently corralled for the third out and a 5-4 Cannons victory. The soft-spoken Poland, who took a tie into the seventh inning against Hartford on Father’s Day (June 18) before losing, said after the game, “It feels good to go out there and get a win for us. The defense was solid, the offense is starting to really come through in the clutch and the pitching seems to be regaining some of that early season dominance that makes us so tough. We’re a better team than we were back in June and I think we can definitely make some noise over the next few weekends. I certainly wouldn’t want to face us in an elimination game.”
Mike Patenaude was the “two” in the Cannons’ one-two pitching punch and he arguably threw his best game since the second Sunday of the season (at Manchester), allowing just two earned runs while earning his first A Division victory (a hard luck 1-6). West Hartford was once again able to strike early and often for two-out runs against an opponent, with the bottom part of the line-up providing some much-needed pop. M. McGann had a one-out single in the top of the second followed by a Weber walk. Borst—who the Nats referred to as Dirty Dude and Celio latter described as a cross between Ichiro and Johnny Knoxville’s Ringer—battled to a 3-2 count against pitcher Texas Ranger "T.R." Walker and then blooped a two-run double in front of a fast-charging Cacavale in left to give West Hartford the lead while at the same time demoralizing Hartford defensively. Patenaude was lights out through the first four frames allowing just three hits and two base runners into scoring position while throwing an economical thirty-nine pitches (he tossed just sixty-nine over the entire seven innings). The Cannons tallied two runs in the fifth on a lead-off double by Maule, his team-leading sixth of the season, a Poland single, a Luby run-scoring fielder’s choice, a Barsa hit by pitch and an RBI rip to right by M. McGann—one of four hits on the day for the third baseman—that made the score a comfortable 4-0 for the cruising fifty-year-old left-hander. Although Patenaude allowed a pair of runs in the home half of the fifth on a lead-off walk to ninth batter Paul Pierce, a double by Will Farrell and a two-out 0-2 single to Ortiz—who had three of the six hits against the Cannons ace—West Hartford was able to get the runs right back in the following frame against relief pitcher Abierto Rosado. Patenaude reached on an error—he was also 2-4 on the day—and scored on Poland’s two-out single in front of a diving Walker in center. Luby moved Poland to third with a line drive hit and Barsa ripped an RBI base knock for a 6-2 Cannons lead, the most run support Patenaude had received all season and more than enough on this Sunday for West Hartford to secure the sweep. Patenaude (7 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 K, 3 BB) allowed just a two-out seventh inning double to Farrell the rest of the way and with the playoffs starting the Cannons are streaking like Frank the Tank of Old School fame. “We’re starting to come together in all fazes of the game,” said a pleased Patenaude after the wins. “We showed what kind of team we can be when we play solid defense and put up some runs. We got solid contributions from everybody out there today and that is what has made us successful in the past. We’re playing with the consistency and confidence that has been a trademark of Cannons Baseball over the past few seasons. I’m excited about our prospects in the upcoming playoffs.”
The Cannons had their Cannes Film Festival wins in this weekend’s sequel, taking the Palme d’Or with a sweep of the Nationals. But it is now mid-August, the Academy Awards of the CNMSBL is post-season play and Oscar is the much sought after A Division Championship. In West Hartford they believe they’ve got a Godfather, Part II on their hands: that rare instance when a big-budget sequel is equally as outstanding as the classic original—the 2005 title—and deserving of all the accolades afforded it. Next up for the Cannons are the Cubs of Manchester (14-4) on Saturday, August 19 (site and time TBD). Both teams are amidst season-high winning streaks and a victory goes a long way toward telling West Hartford and the rest of the league whether or not the Cannons are ready for the bright lights of the proving ground known as the playoffs. Ticket packages for the double elimination tournament go on sale Tuesday, August 15 at 12:00 p.m. and can be purchased by phone at 1 800-CANNONS or by computer at whcannons.blogspot.com.
Cannons News and Notes: Maule finished the regular-season as the Cannons leader in nine of thirteen offensive categories (hits, doubles, home runs, fewest strike outs, runs, average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and on-base + slugging percentage); Luby and Poland tied for the 2006 team lead in RBIs (9); six Cannons finished the regular-season with ten or more hits (Barsa, Leo Dionicio, Luby, Maule, K. McGann and Poland); Patenaude pitched 54 innings this season, almost double the next highest total (Poland with 29); Weber nearly made a spectacular play on a foul ball against the left field fence that popped out of his glove when he crashed into the yellow protective covering on the enclosure, prompting Luby’s response of “It’s a good thing there’s padding there”…reporters were unsure if Luby meant Weber’s mid-section or the wall; Poland is the team’s all-time leader in batting average (.426), on-base percentage (.512), slugging percentage (.667) and on-base + slugging percentage (1.179) among players who qualify (a minimum of 80 regular-season at bats required); Luby is the Cannons career leader in home runs (10) and RBIs (67) and is tied for the team lead in doubles with Matt Celio (22); Celio leads the team with 108 hits in his six-season Cannons career…Weber, Luby and Poland look to join Celio in the 100 hit club in 2007; with 35 at-bats this season Weber became the team’s all-time leader in that category (280); Borst is the lifetime leader in triples (5), walks (39) and runs (67); the team scored an average of 3.4 runs per game and surrendered an average of 6.1 runs per contest during the '06 regular season...West Hartford had 130 hits on the season and gave up 149; Mike Calabrese contacted Cannons World Headquarters late Monday and has scheduled a mid-week meeting with management to discuss his status for the playoffs; polls for the 2006 Cannons Awards are now open—four sets of votes have already been cast—and ballot boxes will be available until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, August 18.
Hartford Handcuffed By Poland, Patenaude; Playoffs Start Saturday
West Hartford, CT (AP)—Sequels sell. Six of the ten highest grossing movies of all time—Shrek 2; Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace; Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest; Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith; The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; and Spider-Man 2—are blockbuster follow-ups to films that struck a chord with audiences, sparking their imaginations in some special way. Action, adventure, special effects and, overwhelmingly, character studies in the classic themes of good versus evil and following through with something to its fruition against immeasurable odds are the norm. Hollywood couldn’t hold a candle to West Hartford on Sunday where the 2006 regular-season closed with a rematch of last season’s A and B Division Titleholders in front of a sold out Cannon Yards crowd. This time, in Basebrawl II: Champions Collide Harder, Shrek foiled the Fairy Godmother, the Fellowship smote Sauron and Spidey defeated Doc Ock all in one as the Cannons showed signs of why they were CNMSBL dark horse favorites four months ago, neutralizing the Nationals (7-13) by scores of 5-4 and 6-2 for their first series sweep and third win in four games going into Saturday’s double elimination playoffs. This was a sequel of small proportions compared to the highly-anticipated August release that West Hartford plans to put into post-production over the next two weekends as they bank on the box office bonanza that comes with back-to-back Championships. Get your red on, Cannon Nation!
On a sunny seventy-nine degree day at the Yards, the Cannons found themselves in the reversed role of visitors—the Nationals were unable to secure UOH Stadium for the season’s swan song—but responded right away on Red Day (both teams and the umpiring crew were clothed in crimson) behind the big bats at the top on the line-up. Jason Maule, returning to the Cannons after a two-week playoff run in the Hartford Twilight League, reached on a two-base error by right fielder Miguel Santiago to lead things off and soon scored on a Tom Luby single to make it 1-0 West Hartford. Ed Poland made his fourth start of the season and had his best stuff working early, holding the hard-hitting Nationals scoreless through the first three frames and “Houdini-ing” his way out of a bases loaded jam in the third with two plays at the plate and a fielder’s choice to end the inning. Conversely, the Cannons bolstered their lead in the third as Maule walked, Poland was hit by a pitch and both runners moved up a base on a balk by pitcher, former All-American and Major League farmhand Basilio Ortiz. Catcher Steve Markie laced a two-out two-run double to left off of Ortiz giving Poland a 3-0 pad. The right-hander relinquished a run in the home half of the fourth on a single and stolen base by M. Santiago and a base hit by his brother Antonio but was able to escape further damage by striking out the side in the frame for his team-leading twenty-first strike out. The Cannons added two more runs in the sixth on singles by Mike Weber—the 1000th hit in Cannons franchise history—and Mike McGann, scoring Markie and Chris Barsa after a well-placed sacrifice bunt by Kevin McGann moved them into scoring position and West Hartford held a 5-1 lead going into the home half of the sixth. The Nats touched Poland (7 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 8 H, 3 K, 3 BB, 1 HBP) for two runs on a walk, a single and an error but were unable to add to their total as M. McGann made a solid play at third on a low line drive and Poland produced a pop to left on his 100th pitch of the game for the third out of the inning. After the Cannons failed to score in the top of the seventh, Poland (1-3) surrendered a home run to Brown Cacavale and a single to Ortiz but stranded him at third with a no-doubt fly ball to left that Andy Borst camped under and confidently corralled for the third out and a 5-4 Cannons victory. The soft-spoken Poland, who took a tie into the seventh inning against Hartford on Father’s Day (June 18) before losing, said after the game, “It feels good to go out there and get a win for us. The defense was solid, the offense is starting to really come through in the clutch and the pitching seems to be regaining some of that early season dominance that makes us so tough. We’re a better team than we were back in June and I think we can definitely make some noise over the next few weekends. I certainly wouldn’t want to face us in an elimination game.”
Mike Patenaude was the “two” in the Cannons’ one-two pitching punch and he arguably threw his best game since the second Sunday of the season (at Manchester), allowing just two earned runs while earning his first A Division victory (a hard luck 1-6). West Hartford was once again able to strike early and often for two-out runs against an opponent, with the bottom part of the line-up providing some much-needed pop. M. McGann had a one-out single in the top of the second followed by a Weber walk. Borst—who the Nats referred to as Dirty Dude and Celio latter described as a cross between Ichiro and Johnny Knoxville’s Ringer—battled to a 3-2 count against pitcher Texas Ranger "T.R." Walker and then blooped a two-run double in front of a fast-charging Cacavale in left to give West Hartford the lead while at the same time demoralizing Hartford defensively. Patenaude was lights out through the first four frames allowing just three hits and two base runners into scoring position while throwing an economical thirty-nine pitches (he tossed just sixty-nine over the entire seven innings). The Cannons tallied two runs in the fifth on a lead-off double by Maule, his team-leading sixth of the season, a Poland single, a Luby run-scoring fielder’s choice, a Barsa hit by pitch and an RBI rip to right by M. McGann—one of four hits on the day for the third baseman—that made the score a comfortable 4-0 for the cruising fifty-year-old left-hander. Although Patenaude allowed a pair of runs in the home half of the fifth on a lead-off walk to ninth batter Paul Pierce, a double by Will Farrell and a two-out 0-2 single to Ortiz—who had three of the six hits against the Cannons ace—West Hartford was able to get the runs right back in the following frame against relief pitcher Abierto Rosado. Patenaude reached on an error—he was also 2-4 on the day—and scored on Poland’s two-out single in front of a diving Walker in center. Luby moved Poland to third with a line drive hit and Barsa ripped an RBI base knock for a 6-2 Cannons lead, the most run support Patenaude had received all season and more than enough on this Sunday for West Hartford to secure the sweep. Patenaude (7 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 K, 3 BB) allowed just a two-out seventh inning double to Farrell the rest of the way and with the playoffs starting the Cannons are streaking like Frank the Tank of Old School fame. “We’re starting to come together in all fazes of the game,” said a pleased Patenaude after the wins. “We showed what kind of team we can be when we play solid defense and put up some runs. We got solid contributions from everybody out there today and that is what has made us successful in the past. We’re playing with the consistency and confidence that has been a trademark of Cannons Baseball over the past few seasons. I’m excited about our prospects in the upcoming playoffs.”
The Cannons had their Cannes Film Festival wins in this weekend’s sequel, taking the Palme d’Or with a sweep of the Nationals. But it is now mid-August, the Academy Awards of the CNMSBL is post-season play and Oscar is the much sought after A Division Championship. In West Hartford they believe they’ve got a Godfather, Part II on their hands: that rare instance when a big-budget sequel is equally as outstanding as the classic original—the 2005 title—and deserving of all the accolades afforded it. Next up for the Cannons are the Cubs of Manchester (14-4) on Saturday, August 19 (site and time TBD). Both teams are amidst season-high winning streaks and a victory goes a long way toward telling West Hartford and the rest of the league whether or not the Cannons are ready for the bright lights of the proving ground known as the playoffs. Ticket packages for the double elimination tournament go on sale Tuesday, August 15 at 12:00 p.m. and can be purchased by phone at 1 800-CANNONS or by computer at whcannons.blogspot.com.
Cannons News and Notes: Maule finished the regular-season as the Cannons leader in nine of thirteen offensive categories (hits, doubles, home runs, fewest strike outs, runs, average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and on-base + slugging percentage); Luby and Poland tied for the 2006 team lead in RBIs (9); six Cannons finished the regular-season with ten or more hits (Barsa, Leo Dionicio, Luby, Maule, K. McGann and Poland); Patenaude pitched 54 innings this season, almost double the next highest total (Poland with 29); Weber nearly made a spectacular play on a foul ball against the left field fence that popped out of his glove when he crashed into the yellow protective covering on the enclosure, prompting Luby’s response of “It’s a good thing there’s padding there”…reporters were unsure if Luby meant Weber’s mid-section or the wall; Poland is the team’s all-time leader in batting average (.426), on-base percentage (.512), slugging percentage (.667) and on-base + slugging percentage (1.179) among players who qualify (a minimum of 80 regular-season at bats required); Luby is the Cannons career leader in home runs (10) and RBIs (67) and is tied for the team lead in doubles with Matt Celio (22); Celio leads the team with 108 hits in his six-season Cannons career…Weber, Luby and Poland look to join Celio in the 100 hit club in 2007; with 35 at-bats this season Weber became the team’s all-time leader in that category (280); Borst is the lifetime leader in triples (5), walks (39) and runs (67); the team scored an average of 3.4 runs per game and surrendered an average of 6.1 runs per contest during the '06 regular season...West Hartford had 130 hits on the season and gave up 149; Mike Calabrese contacted Cannons World Headquarters late Monday and has scheduled a mid-week meeting with management to discuss his status for the playoffs; polls for the 2006 Cannons Awards are now open—four sets of votes have already been cast—and ballot boxes will be available until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, August 18.
Monday, August 07, 2006
GORILLA KILLA
West Hartford Moves Major Monkey from Back with Win Over Marlborough
West Hartford, CT (AP)—Ninety days. Three months. Thirteen Sundays. It had been exactly that long since the West Hartford Cannons were able to call themselves winners. Way back on Sunday, May 7, the Cannons defeated the Newington Capitals 7-4 in the second game of the 2006 CNMSBL season. One weekend, one win and already-high expectations elevated to all-time levels. However, since then the team took the field six times—three holidays, two rainouts, a bye, an appearance in the West Hartford Memorial Day Parade and several parties were interspersed—and all six times West Hartford was swept by the opposing ball club. The Cannons had ceased to fire and what started as a capuchin on their back grew to resemble King Kong as the losing streak stretched on and the calendar turned again, and again, and again. Hard fought contests, heartbreak, blowouts and blown opportunities all played a part in the twelve-game slide that sent the Cannons (2-14) spiraling into the cellar of the CNMSBL A Division. Sunday, August 6 was about redemption. It was about respect. It was about rediscovering those winning ways, even if for a single game. And as the end of the regular-season quickly approaches, so too comes the reckoning: Cannons players, management and fans have known all along that the team from West Hartford will be a real threat when the playoffs begin later this month. This weekend’s win over third-place Marlborough (11-7) serves as a resounding clarion of the Cannons potential to persistently pose problems in post-season play with solid pitching and an increasingly potent offense. Confidence was never lacking in West Hartford but now the Cannons seem re-committed to challenging for the A Division Championship. CNMSBL, consider yourselves warned.
Back within the friendly confines of Cannon Yards, West Hartford had a familiar face on the mound in the form of Mike Calabrese, the 2005 Patenaude Pitching Award winner and the only Cannon arm to amass a victory this season (Calabrese had been unavailable to the team since the June 11 match-up with Marlborough for what Cannons management described simply as “unspecified personal reasons”). Cal, though far from dominant, was effective in his first outing in nearly two months, allowing a single run in the first, two in the second and three in the fifth as he began to show some signs of fatigue (he finished throwing 108 pitches in six-plus innings of work). The Cannons vastly improved offense provided some much-needed pop in Game One (the team average just 2.58 runs per game over the first twelve contests but put up an average of 5.5 per game against first place Glastonbury last weekend) scoring in bunches early and in the clutch late. Kevin McGann led things off in the home half of the first with a single, moved to second on Ed Poland’s walk—one of two the slugger had on the day and his team-leading sixth of the season—and scored on a Tom Luby single down the left field line that knotted the game at 1. Poland was forced at third on a Steve Markie fielder’s choice but West Hartford was able to push three two-out runs across on RBI singles from Calabrese and outfielder Chris Barsa (part of a four-hit Sunday for the 2005 Offensive Player of the Year)—A’s centerfielder Shannon Doherty tried to shoot Markie at the plate but overthrew catcher/manager Paul Sciano and a hustling Calabrese beat the throw to home for a 4-1 lead. Marlborough sent eight men to the plate and scored a pair of runs in the following frame but the Cannons bounced right back with two of their own on Andy Borst’s single to start the second, Poland’s second base on balls, a Luby RBI hit and a run-scoring single from Leo Dionicio that extended the lead to 6-3. Calabrese settled down and was able to escape further damage—despite allowing lead-off runners in six of seven innings—until the fifth when the A’s tied things on two walks and three singles to knot the game at 6. In several contests during the losing the streak the Cannons held leads, often late, and lost but Luby showed why he is referred to as “the Almighty” with a one-out solo shot to left that reclaimed the lead for Calabrese (2-2) and the Cannons. Markie had a base hit and Dionicio—substituted in as a two-out runner for the catcher—stole second and scored without a throw after Calabrese singled, attempted a delayed steal and slid back safely into first, just beating the tag of first baseman Bryant Kobylarz. Calabrese (6+ IP, 6 R, 6 ER, 9 H, 1 K, 6 BB, 2 HBP) walked the first two batters he faced in the seventh and manager Matt Celio called on the right-hander Poland to close things out (Poland had started three games and relieved in another during Calabrese’s absence). Poland (Save, 1 IP, 0 R, 0H, 0 K, 0 BB) induced a double play ball to Cal at second and got Anheuser Busch on a grounder to Luby at short to end the game and the twelve-game skid, securing the 8-6 Cannons win. Luby—3-4 in the first game—called it a “veal piccata-driven victory,” referring to the team’s annual Italian-Fest that had taken place on Friday evening into the early hours of Saturday morning. “It’s been a tough road but, playing for the third consecutive Sunday, you can really see some of the bats coming around,” Assistant Manager Mike Weber told Tina Cervasio between games as a drooling and lovelorn Mike McGann looked on. “Getting Cal back out onto the field definitely provided a spark. We’ve worked hard as a team to get to this point but it was encouraging to see how some of our favorite fans—Mrs. Luby, Cel’s Dad, the Mancer and the Cannons kids, just to name a few—have stuck by us through the difficult times. Cannon Nation is still behind us one-hundred percent and we expect to give them much more to cheer about over the next few weekends.”
Game Two found Mike Patenaude perched on the pitchers mound as the left-hander looked for his first victory of the 2006 campaign. Patenaude, who has pitched well enough to win on several occasions, ran into the same trouble—run support—that has plagued him for the better part of two seasons since the addition of Calabrese. After easily getting two consecutive outs in the first frame Patenaude loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk and pushed a runner across the plate with his second free pass of the inning. The Cannons came right back against A’s staff ace Pete Rozsa—lefty Keith Echevarria was scheduled to pitch the nightcap but was passed over when West Hartford took the opener—as Poland doubled and scored on an error by shortstop Buddy Bell that allowed a hustling Dionicio, playing centerfield for the first time in his Cannons career, to reach base safely (during the game the “Horny Heartthrob from Hispaniola” said of his outfield experience, “I don’t play out there just because I’m black. Management doesn’t understand that we’ve got Willie Mays in center,” to which Calabrese replied, “Yeah, Willie Mays Hayes” of Major League fame who is described on the official film website as a player “who runs fast enough to steal a lot of bases but can't hit very well.” Barsa added, “At least now we know we can hide Leo’s glove in the outfield instead of at third base.”). Patenaude (0-6) allowed another run in the second on a Busch single and a Steve Garvie RBI double that would prove to be the difference. The Cannons managed only two more hits—a Barsa double in the second and a Dionicio single in the seventh—against Rozsa, who five-hit West Hartford when he faced them back in June. Patenaude (7 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 9 H, 3 K, 6 BB) gave up two insurance runs in the seventh on a hit and three walks and suffered another hard-luck loss after going 9-4 in the 2005 regular- and post-seasons. “Mike is giving us quality starts but we just haven’t scored enough runs for him,” said Manager Matt Celio in his post-game press conference. “It’s got to be frustrating for him as a pitcher and I know it’s tough for us as a team. Fourteen runs in six starts (2.33 runs per game) and only a single run in four of those performances puts MP in a position where he needs to be nearly perfect. In contrast, Cal has fifteen runs of support in his two wins. For today anyway we’ve got to look beyond individual accolades and be happy how we got a win in Game One. I’m pleased with the improvements we’ve made offensively over the past few weekends—especially since we’ve been short-handed at times—and our pitching has been there throughout but we still need to be more consistent and put up at least four or five runs per game come playoff time.” Celio then added angrily, “Rumor has it that we want to head back down to the B Division next season (this in reference to a conversation that Luby had with members of the Marlborough team in the Cannon Yards parking lot post-game). I can tell you all unequivocally that the Cannons will be in the CNMSBL A Division in 2007 and we look to have two titles under our belts by the end of next August. It’s on like Donkey Kong, b***h. Print that in your papers.”
The proverbial primate has been purged from the Cannons posterior. Perhaps the comments made about the Cannons anticipated drop in divisions will serve as a springboard to success for the team from West Hartford. Winning in August is a wonderful thing but it is winning in late August that is the team's primary objective and the Cannons cannot be satisfied with this one victory. It’s time for the Cannons to make monkeys out of the rest of the CNMSBL A Division and that starts this Sunday against sixth-place Hartford, a team decimated by injuries to its pitching rotation. If the Cannons continue to play baseball like they are capable of they could evolve into first-round favorites in the playoffs. And that would not only be evolutionary but revolutionary for post-season prognosticators. This Sunday’s games, rescheduled to Cannon Yards, start at 10:00 a.m. and standing room seats are still available at 1 800-CANNONS or whcannons.blogspot.com.
Cannons News and Notes: With their hits on Sunday Dionicio (2) and Poland (1) moved into a second-place tie on the 2006 regular-season hit list with 12 each (Jason Maule leads the team with 14); Dionicio is the only Cannon to play in all sixteen games this season (K. McGann has played in 15); Luby had the Cannons 100th hit of the season with his single in the second inning of Game One (his three hits give him 91 for his Cannons regular-season career)...his home run in Game One was the tenth of his career, good for first place on the Cannons all-time regular-season list (the shortstop also leads the team with 5 post-season homers); Barsa’s four hits raised his average from .154 to .258 and his two doubles moved him into sole possession of second place on the team with 3 (Maule: 4); Borst wore Weber’s cup when he replaced Markie at catcher in the fifth inning of Game Two but claimed, “He won’t mind…it’s not going right on my b***s;” Calabrese improved to 10-3 (9-3 regular-season, 1-0 post-season) as a pitcher for West Hartford; Mancer Mojo came into play in a big way as Original Cannon John Mancini attended his first game of the 2006 season, the Game One victory; the eight runs scored against Marlborough were a season-high for West Hartford; the Cannons batted .467 in the first game (14-30) but only .120 in the second game (3-25); the team’s season batting average, on-base and slugging percentages continued to climb (batting improved from .246 to .254, on-base from .301 to .306 and slugging from .319 to .332); the team continued its success on Sundays following Italian-Fests, having never dropped both ends of a double header after the annual gathering; Celio and M. McGann both barfed after a night of drinking with Poland and his pal Jim Beam on Saturday evening/Sunday morning (the younger McGann also met with 2005 Cannons Fan of the Year recipient and former flame Marybeth Smiley on Sunday evening...terms were not disclosed); Calabrese and Markie earned their playoff eligibility on Sunday all but setting the Cannons playoff roster in stone (Troy Barber can still become eligible by playing in both games against Hartford).
West Hartford Moves Major Monkey from Back with Win Over Marlborough
West Hartford, CT (AP)—Ninety days. Three months. Thirteen Sundays. It had been exactly that long since the West Hartford Cannons were able to call themselves winners. Way back on Sunday, May 7, the Cannons defeated the Newington Capitals 7-4 in the second game of the 2006 CNMSBL season. One weekend, one win and already-high expectations elevated to all-time levels. However, since then the team took the field six times—three holidays, two rainouts, a bye, an appearance in the West Hartford Memorial Day Parade and several parties were interspersed—and all six times West Hartford was swept by the opposing ball club. The Cannons had ceased to fire and what started as a capuchin on their back grew to resemble King Kong as the losing streak stretched on and the calendar turned again, and again, and again. Hard fought contests, heartbreak, blowouts and blown opportunities all played a part in the twelve-game slide that sent the Cannons (2-14) spiraling into the cellar of the CNMSBL A Division. Sunday, August 6 was about redemption. It was about respect. It was about rediscovering those winning ways, even if for a single game. And as the end of the regular-season quickly approaches, so too comes the reckoning: Cannons players, management and fans have known all along that the team from West Hartford will be a real threat when the playoffs begin later this month. This weekend’s win over third-place Marlborough (11-7) serves as a resounding clarion of the Cannons potential to persistently pose problems in post-season play with solid pitching and an increasingly potent offense. Confidence was never lacking in West Hartford but now the Cannons seem re-committed to challenging for the A Division Championship. CNMSBL, consider yourselves warned.
Back within the friendly confines of Cannon Yards, West Hartford had a familiar face on the mound in the form of Mike Calabrese, the 2005 Patenaude Pitching Award winner and the only Cannon arm to amass a victory this season (Calabrese had been unavailable to the team since the June 11 match-up with Marlborough for what Cannons management described simply as “unspecified personal reasons”). Cal, though far from dominant, was effective in his first outing in nearly two months, allowing a single run in the first, two in the second and three in the fifth as he began to show some signs of fatigue (he finished throwing 108 pitches in six-plus innings of work). The Cannons vastly improved offense provided some much-needed pop in Game One (the team average just 2.58 runs per game over the first twelve contests but put up an average of 5.5 per game against first place Glastonbury last weekend) scoring in bunches early and in the clutch late. Kevin McGann led things off in the home half of the first with a single, moved to second on Ed Poland’s walk—one of two the slugger had on the day and his team-leading sixth of the season—and scored on a Tom Luby single down the left field line that knotted the game at 1. Poland was forced at third on a Steve Markie fielder’s choice but West Hartford was able to push three two-out runs across on RBI singles from Calabrese and outfielder Chris Barsa (part of a four-hit Sunday for the 2005 Offensive Player of the Year)—A’s centerfielder Shannon Doherty tried to shoot Markie at the plate but overthrew catcher/manager Paul Sciano and a hustling Calabrese beat the throw to home for a 4-1 lead. Marlborough sent eight men to the plate and scored a pair of runs in the following frame but the Cannons bounced right back with two of their own on Andy Borst’s single to start the second, Poland’s second base on balls, a Luby RBI hit and a run-scoring single from Leo Dionicio that extended the lead to 6-3. Calabrese settled down and was able to escape further damage—despite allowing lead-off runners in six of seven innings—until the fifth when the A’s tied things on two walks and three singles to knot the game at 6. In several contests during the losing the streak the Cannons held leads, often late, and lost but Luby showed why he is referred to as “the Almighty” with a one-out solo shot to left that reclaimed the lead for Calabrese (2-2) and the Cannons. Markie had a base hit and Dionicio—substituted in as a two-out runner for the catcher—stole second and scored without a throw after Calabrese singled, attempted a delayed steal and slid back safely into first, just beating the tag of first baseman Bryant Kobylarz. Calabrese (6+ IP, 6 R, 6 ER, 9 H, 1 K, 6 BB, 2 HBP) walked the first two batters he faced in the seventh and manager Matt Celio called on the right-hander Poland to close things out (Poland had started three games and relieved in another during Calabrese’s absence). Poland (Save, 1 IP, 0 R, 0H, 0 K, 0 BB) induced a double play ball to Cal at second and got Anheuser Busch on a grounder to Luby at short to end the game and the twelve-game skid, securing the 8-6 Cannons win. Luby—3-4 in the first game—called it a “veal piccata-driven victory,” referring to the team’s annual Italian-Fest that had taken place on Friday evening into the early hours of Saturday morning. “It’s been a tough road but, playing for the third consecutive Sunday, you can really see some of the bats coming around,” Assistant Manager Mike Weber told Tina Cervasio between games as a drooling and lovelorn Mike McGann looked on. “Getting Cal back out onto the field definitely provided a spark. We’ve worked hard as a team to get to this point but it was encouraging to see how some of our favorite fans—Mrs. Luby, Cel’s Dad, the Mancer and the Cannons kids, just to name a few—have stuck by us through the difficult times. Cannon Nation is still behind us one-hundred percent and we expect to give them much more to cheer about over the next few weekends.”
Game Two found Mike Patenaude perched on the pitchers mound as the left-hander looked for his first victory of the 2006 campaign. Patenaude, who has pitched well enough to win on several occasions, ran into the same trouble—run support—that has plagued him for the better part of two seasons since the addition of Calabrese. After easily getting two consecutive outs in the first frame Patenaude loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk and pushed a runner across the plate with his second free pass of the inning. The Cannons came right back against A’s staff ace Pete Rozsa—lefty Keith Echevarria was scheduled to pitch the nightcap but was passed over when West Hartford took the opener—as Poland doubled and scored on an error by shortstop Buddy Bell that allowed a hustling Dionicio, playing centerfield for the first time in his Cannons career, to reach base safely (during the game the “Horny Heartthrob from Hispaniola” said of his outfield experience, “I don’t play out there just because I’m black. Management doesn’t understand that we’ve got Willie Mays in center,” to which Calabrese replied, “Yeah, Willie Mays Hayes” of Major League fame who is described on the official film website as a player “who runs fast enough to steal a lot of bases but can't hit very well.” Barsa added, “At least now we know we can hide Leo’s glove in the outfield instead of at third base.”). Patenaude (0-6) allowed another run in the second on a Busch single and a Steve Garvie RBI double that would prove to be the difference. The Cannons managed only two more hits—a Barsa double in the second and a Dionicio single in the seventh—against Rozsa, who five-hit West Hartford when he faced them back in June. Patenaude (7 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 9 H, 3 K, 6 BB) gave up two insurance runs in the seventh on a hit and three walks and suffered another hard-luck loss after going 9-4 in the 2005 regular- and post-seasons. “Mike is giving us quality starts but we just haven’t scored enough runs for him,” said Manager Matt Celio in his post-game press conference. “It’s got to be frustrating for him as a pitcher and I know it’s tough for us as a team. Fourteen runs in six starts (2.33 runs per game) and only a single run in four of those performances puts MP in a position where he needs to be nearly perfect. In contrast, Cal has fifteen runs of support in his two wins. For today anyway we’ve got to look beyond individual accolades and be happy how we got a win in Game One. I’m pleased with the improvements we’ve made offensively over the past few weekends—especially since we’ve been short-handed at times—and our pitching has been there throughout but we still need to be more consistent and put up at least four or five runs per game come playoff time.” Celio then added angrily, “Rumor has it that we want to head back down to the B Division next season (this in reference to a conversation that Luby had with members of the Marlborough team in the Cannon Yards parking lot post-game). I can tell you all unequivocally that the Cannons will be in the CNMSBL A Division in 2007 and we look to have two titles under our belts by the end of next August. It’s on like Donkey Kong, b***h. Print that in your papers.”
The proverbial primate has been purged from the Cannons posterior. Perhaps the comments made about the Cannons anticipated drop in divisions will serve as a springboard to success for the team from West Hartford. Winning in August is a wonderful thing but it is winning in late August that is the team's primary objective and the Cannons cannot be satisfied with this one victory. It’s time for the Cannons to make monkeys out of the rest of the CNMSBL A Division and that starts this Sunday against sixth-place Hartford, a team decimated by injuries to its pitching rotation. If the Cannons continue to play baseball like they are capable of they could evolve into first-round favorites in the playoffs. And that would not only be evolutionary but revolutionary for post-season prognosticators. This Sunday’s games, rescheduled to Cannon Yards, start at 10:00 a.m. and standing room seats are still available at 1 800-CANNONS or whcannons.blogspot.com.
Cannons News and Notes: With their hits on Sunday Dionicio (2) and Poland (1) moved into a second-place tie on the 2006 regular-season hit list with 12 each (Jason Maule leads the team with 14); Dionicio is the only Cannon to play in all sixteen games this season (K. McGann has played in 15); Luby had the Cannons 100th hit of the season with his single in the second inning of Game One (his three hits give him 91 for his Cannons regular-season career)...his home run in Game One was the tenth of his career, good for first place on the Cannons all-time regular-season list (the shortstop also leads the team with 5 post-season homers); Barsa’s four hits raised his average from .154 to .258 and his two doubles moved him into sole possession of second place on the team with 3 (Maule: 4); Borst wore Weber’s cup when he replaced Markie at catcher in the fifth inning of Game Two but claimed, “He won’t mind…it’s not going right on my b***s;” Calabrese improved to 10-3 (9-3 regular-season, 1-0 post-season) as a pitcher for West Hartford; Mancer Mojo came into play in a big way as Original Cannon John Mancini attended his first game of the 2006 season, the Game One victory; the eight runs scored against Marlborough were a season-high for West Hartford; the Cannons batted .467 in the first game (14-30) but only .120 in the second game (3-25); the team’s season batting average, on-base and slugging percentages continued to climb (batting improved from .246 to .254, on-base from .301 to .306 and slugging from .319 to .332); the team continued its success on Sundays following Italian-Fests, having never dropped both ends of a double header after the annual gathering; Celio and M. McGann both barfed after a night of drinking with Poland and his pal Jim Beam on Saturday evening/Sunday morning (the younger McGann also met with 2005 Cannons Fan of the Year recipient and former flame Marybeth Smiley on Sunday evening...terms were not disclosed); Calabrese and Markie earned their playoff eligibility on Sunday all but setting the Cannons playoff roster in stone (Troy Barber can still become eligible by playing in both games against Hartford).
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
GOLIATH DOWNS DAVID
Fish Fry Cannons; CNMSBL Playoff Pairings Close to Complete
Glastonbury, CT (AP)—The Old Testament battle between David and Goliath (First Book of Samuel 17: 1-58) is one of the best-known, most-loved and oft-told “tales” in The Bible. For forty days the mighty Goliath challenged the opposing Israelites for a foolhardy foe to fight him. David, who was not even old enough to serve in the army, convinced King Saul that he could single-handedly defeat the Philistine. After turning down an offer of the king's own armor, which was too big for him, David went down to the creek, selected five suitable stones and the rest of the story is legend. He killed Goliath with a single perfectly-accurate shot and upon seeing their hero defeated, the heavily-favored Philistine army made a disorderly retreat giving the Israelites, then in hot pursuit, a much-needed victory. Davey and Goliath, the stop-motion animation children’s program that aired from 1960-1975, was a show about a boy and his dog—his canine “conscience”—and in each episode the boy, Davey, experienced some form of moral conflict that required resolution. Drawing upon the guidance of others and his own beliefs, Davey came away from each experience having learned a valuable moral and life lesson. Unfortunately West Hartford’s foray against first-place Glastonbury (15-3) did not result in the so-called storybook ending. The Philistinesque fish in the form of the Monaco Ford Marlins caught the Cannons (1-13) by scores of 15-4 and 11-7 at Dolph Finn Stadium on Sunday. Although the David versus Goliath theme that is so prevalent in athletic events—"Do you believe in miracles? Yes!"—and films (Hoosiers, Rocky, et al.) did little to change the Cannons fortunes in the win-loss column, on this day Davey did learn a valuable lesson after all: baseball is about having fun and for the first time since the May 7 victory over Newington the ball club from West Hartford appeared to enjoy themselves out on the diamond. The Cannons are way past the point of moral victories having lost twelve straight games but victories in morale are another story entirely and can go a long way toward presaging a team’s postseason perspective. Winning the CNMSBL A Division Championship as the tournament’s seventh seed would be an effort of biblical proportions but like David the Cannons believe and that, Cannon Nation, is the first step.
The Cannons cast the first stone in their initial at-bat as Mike Weber singled home Tom Luby, who also had a base hit, but failed to do any further damage as Matt Celio fouled out to first to end a bases loaded rally. Mike Patenaude returned from a one-week layoff and took his customary perch on the pitcher’s mound in Game One. Monaco Ford’s high octane offense inflicted some early damage against the left-hander, scoring three runs on an error and three singles but West Hartford bounced back in the top of the second. Patenaude, Andy Borst and Kevin McGann all singled consecutively to start the frame—McGann’s hit plated Patenaude—and Leo Dionicio came through with a two-out two-run double to put the Cannons back on top, 4-3. The Marlins managed to put five additional runs on the board in the home half of the second and the Cannons cooled considerably at the plate (Celio reached on an infield hit in the third representing the team’s lone base runner the rest of the way) while the defense uncharacteristically failed Patenaude (5 IP, 13 R) as Glastonbury got five in the fourth and ended things on a two-run blast to left in the home half of the fifth for a 15-4 victory. An exhausted Patenaude (0-5) explained after the games, “I didn’t have my best stuff today but our bats are starting to come around and if we can eliminate some of the errors we should have an unforgettable August.”
It was during Game Two when the Cannons found that youthful relish that has been noticeably absent over recent weeks. The players had a quick closed-door meeting between contests and decided to shake things up, placing players at new positions while at the same time shuffling the batting order and the results were encouraging to say the least (Ed Poland was even overheard exhorting the team with the chorus from the Bobby McFerrin hit “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”). Luby took the mound in Game Two and miffed the Marlins early on with a constant diet of fast balls, allowing only a single run to score in the bottom of the first (along with Luby’s first A Division pitching performance, the Cannons started Weber behind the plate, Mike McGann at first following a hamstring injury, Poland at second, Dionicio at shortstop, Patenaude at third, Celio in left, Borst in center and K. McGann in right after he took a hard chop off of the chin in the Opener). West Hartford got things going offensively in the top of the third on three straight singles from Weber, Celio and K. McGann and all three scored on a line drive double by Poland to put the team on top, 3-1, but the Marlins mounted a comeback in the home half of the third, scoring three against Luby to reclaim a one-run advantage. In the fifth, Celio led off with a single, K. McGann followed with a base hit (both players had four hits on the day) and Poland came up big again in a two-out situation with a three-run blast into the left field bleachers for his second home run of the season, sixth RBI of game and a 6-4 Cannons lead. Monaco managed another run in the fifth but West Hartford immediately answered back with a Weber base hit (one of three hits on the day for the Cannons’ Assistant Manager) and a two-down double from Celio to the left field fence that scored pinch runner Borst, making the score 7-5. According to Reese Bobby, Ricky Bobby's father from Talladega Nights fame, “It’s the fastest who gets laid and the fastest who gets paid,” prompting the slow-footed Celio to say, “So, that explains why I’m so broke and why I'm not getting any.” With a two-run lead and a tiring Luby (5+ IP, 11 R) the Fish found their stroke and scored six runs off of the right-hander and relief pitcher Poland (1 IP) for an 11-7 final but the team was encouraged in post-game press conferences. “Everybody gave one-hundred percent today and we had a lot of fun in that second game,” Luby (0-1) stated. When asked about the team’s chances as the calendar approaches August “the Heart of the Cannons” had this to say: “We’re in all of the ball games. All we need is a couple of big hits here and there, a couple of clutch pitching performances and we’re just as good as anybody. I think we’re going to be a tough out in the playoffs.” Weber echoed these sentiments: “This is what we were looking for. The final scores, especially in the second game, aren’t really representative of all the positives we can take away from today. We were just like kids out there and that is what this game is all about. We’re starting to hit the ball and more importantly everybody has smiles on their faces. Everyone is thinking positively at this point. Even though we were short-handed again our core guys were successful. We had fun and our confidence is climbing. That’s what brings victories at this time of year.” The “Latin Lothario” Dionicio added, “We are going to be super-dangerous in the playoffs. Other teams are going to be overconfident against us, the real anaconda is going to come out of the Amazon River and we are going to kill people. I love this game!”
So Sunday saw yet another late-inning opportunity for victory slip away from the Davids of the A Division. But the Cannons still have a few stones left to sling and it is expected that moral victories will soon turn to more victories. At the moment—there are still two Sundays left in the regular-season—it looks likely West Hartford will open the double-elimination tournament against the second-seeded Manchester Cubs (12-4) who are coming off a sweep of Bristol (if the playoffs started today the match-ups would be as follows: Glastonbury Marlins: Bye; West Hartford Cannons v. Manchester Cubs; Hartford Nationals v. Marlborough Athletics; Newington Capitals v. Bristol Phoenix). The final playoff push begins this Sunday at Cannon Yards against the Marlborough A’s (10-6)—or as Dionicio describes them, “the Marlborough A-holes.” No one expected this team to be 1-13 entering August but Manager Celio maintained the confidence that seems to be coursing through the veins of all Cannons: “We’re the most dangerous 1-13 team ever assembled. We’re a difficult draw for any of the teams in this league. This weekend built some character and gave us a little of that Cannons swagger back. I know we are up to the challenge.” As in the book of Revelations, when the second seal was opened a red horse appeared and its rider held a great and mighty sword. Now is the time for the red-shirted Cannons to wage war against the rest of the CNMSBL. Single-seat tickets and standing room only seats are available at the Cannon Yards box office, by phone (1 800-CANNONS) or by e-mail (whcannons.blogspot.com).
Cannons News and Notes: With three hits on the day Weber reached ninety-five for his career (Luby is at eighty-eight); for the first time in over forty years of playing baseball, Patenaude played third base (Dionicio was so impressed with Patenaude’s play that he repeatedly serenaded the team with his rendition of “Losing My Position,” a take-off on the 1991 R.E.M. classic “Losing My Religion”); Poland’s six runs batted in gave him eight for the season, moving him ahead of Jason Maule (7) for the team lead; Borst, after taking batting instruction from Dionicio and Poland during recent weeks, stated that he will “never strike out again;” Dionico, K. McGann and Poland all topped the ten-hit total for the 2006 campaign on Sunday; the team batting average improved from .234 to .246—the team was 17 for 53 (.321) against the Marlins—while the slugging and on-base percentages topped the .300 mark (.301 and .319 respectively); the eleven runs scored were the most in a double header since West Hartford joined the A Division (the seven runs in a single game ties the team high in the Week One win against Newington); in retaliation for the fact that Connecticut is in the throes of a heat wave, Luby beaned weatherman and local radio/television personality Joe Furey; Dionicio plans to bring a southern European exotic dancer to this Friday’s Italian-Fest 2006 at Cannons World Headquarters…the “Caribbean Cut-Up” claims she will also “bring her two good friends, her left and right breasts;” pitcher Troy Barber is considering shutting down for the remainder of the 2006 season so he can undergo surgery on his right arm; Celio and Patenaude earned their playoff eligibility, joining teammates Chris Barsa, Borst, Dionicio, Luby, Maule, K. McGann, M. McGann, Poland and Weber (the team hopes to get Mike Calabrese and Steve Markie eligible against Marlborough this weekend).
Fish Fry Cannons; CNMSBL Playoff Pairings Close to Complete
Glastonbury, CT (AP)—The Old Testament battle between David and Goliath (First Book of Samuel 17: 1-58) is one of the best-known, most-loved and oft-told “tales” in The Bible. For forty days the mighty Goliath challenged the opposing Israelites for a foolhardy foe to fight him. David, who was not even old enough to serve in the army, convinced King Saul that he could single-handedly defeat the Philistine. After turning down an offer of the king's own armor, which was too big for him, David went down to the creek, selected five suitable stones and the rest of the story is legend. He killed Goliath with a single perfectly-accurate shot and upon seeing their hero defeated, the heavily-favored Philistine army made a disorderly retreat giving the Israelites, then in hot pursuit, a much-needed victory. Davey and Goliath, the stop-motion animation children’s program that aired from 1960-1975, was a show about a boy and his dog—his canine “conscience”—and in each episode the boy, Davey, experienced some form of moral conflict that required resolution. Drawing upon the guidance of others and his own beliefs, Davey came away from each experience having learned a valuable moral and life lesson. Unfortunately West Hartford’s foray against first-place Glastonbury (15-3) did not result in the so-called storybook ending. The Philistinesque fish in the form of the Monaco Ford Marlins caught the Cannons (1-13) by scores of 15-4 and 11-7 at Dolph Finn Stadium on Sunday. Although the David versus Goliath theme that is so prevalent in athletic events—"Do you believe in miracles? Yes!"—and films (Hoosiers, Rocky, et al.) did little to change the Cannons fortunes in the win-loss column, on this day Davey did learn a valuable lesson after all: baseball is about having fun and for the first time since the May 7 victory over Newington the ball club from West Hartford appeared to enjoy themselves out on the diamond. The Cannons are way past the point of moral victories having lost twelve straight games but victories in morale are another story entirely and can go a long way toward presaging a team’s postseason perspective. Winning the CNMSBL A Division Championship as the tournament’s seventh seed would be an effort of biblical proportions but like David the Cannons believe and that, Cannon Nation, is the first step.
The Cannons cast the first stone in their initial at-bat as Mike Weber singled home Tom Luby, who also had a base hit, but failed to do any further damage as Matt Celio fouled out to first to end a bases loaded rally. Mike Patenaude returned from a one-week layoff and took his customary perch on the pitcher’s mound in Game One. Monaco Ford’s high octane offense inflicted some early damage against the left-hander, scoring three runs on an error and three singles but West Hartford bounced back in the top of the second. Patenaude, Andy Borst and Kevin McGann all singled consecutively to start the frame—McGann’s hit plated Patenaude—and Leo Dionicio came through with a two-out two-run double to put the Cannons back on top, 4-3. The Marlins managed to put five additional runs on the board in the home half of the second and the Cannons cooled considerably at the plate (Celio reached on an infield hit in the third representing the team’s lone base runner the rest of the way) while the defense uncharacteristically failed Patenaude (5 IP, 13 R) as Glastonbury got five in the fourth and ended things on a two-run blast to left in the home half of the fifth for a 15-4 victory. An exhausted Patenaude (0-5) explained after the games, “I didn’t have my best stuff today but our bats are starting to come around and if we can eliminate some of the errors we should have an unforgettable August.”
It was during Game Two when the Cannons found that youthful relish that has been noticeably absent over recent weeks. The players had a quick closed-door meeting between contests and decided to shake things up, placing players at new positions while at the same time shuffling the batting order and the results were encouraging to say the least (Ed Poland was even overheard exhorting the team with the chorus from the Bobby McFerrin hit “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”). Luby took the mound in Game Two and miffed the Marlins early on with a constant diet of fast balls, allowing only a single run to score in the bottom of the first (along with Luby’s first A Division pitching performance, the Cannons started Weber behind the plate, Mike McGann at first following a hamstring injury, Poland at second, Dionicio at shortstop, Patenaude at third, Celio in left, Borst in center and K. McGann in right after he took a hard chop off of the chin in the Opener). West Hartford got things going offensively in the top of the third on three straight singles from Weber, Celio and K. McGann and all three scored on a line drive double by Poland to put the team on top, 3-1, but the Marlins mounted a comeback in the home half of the third, scoring three against Luby to reclaim a one-run advantage. In the fifth, Celio led off with a single, K. McGann followed with a base hit (both players had four hits on the day) and Poland came up big again in a two-out situation with a three-run blast into the left field bleachers for his second home run of the season, sixth RBI of game and a 6-4 Cannons lead. Monaco managed another run in the fifth but West Hartford immediately answered back with a Weber base hit (one of three hits on the day for the Cannons’ Assistant Manager) and a two-down double from Celio to the left field fence that scored pinch runner Borst, making the score 7-5. According to Reese Bobby, Ricky Bobby's father from Talladega Nights fame, “It’s the fastest who gets laid and the fastest who gets paid,” prompting the slow-footed Celio to say, “So, that explains why I’m so broke and why I'm not getting any.” With a two-run lead and a tiring Luby (5+ IP, 11 R) the Fish found their stroke and scored six runs off of the right-hander and relief pitcher Poland (1 IP) for an 11-7 final but the team was encouraged in post-game press conferences. “Everybody gave one-hundred percent today and we had a lot of fun in that second game,” Luby (0-1) stated. When asked about the team’s chances as the calendar approaches August “the Heart of the Cannons” had this to say: “We’re in all of the ball games. All we need is a couple of big hits here and there, a couple of clutch pitching performances and we’re just as good as anybody. I think we’re going to be a tough out in the playoffs.” Weber echoed these sentiments: “This is what we were looking for. The final scores, especially in the second game, aren’t really representative of all the positives we can take away from today. We were just like kids out there and that is what this game is all about. We’re starting to hit the ball and more importantly everybody has smiles on their faces. Everyone is thinking positively at this point. Even though we were short-handed again our core guys were successful. We had fun and our confidence is climbing. That’s what brings victories at this time of year.” The “Latin Lothario” Dionicio added, “We are going to be super-dangerous in the playoffs. Other teams are going to be overconfident against us, the real anaconda is going to come out of the Amazon River and we are going to kill people. I love this game!”
So Sunday saw yet another late-inning opportunity for victory slip away from the Davids of the A Division. But the Cannons still have a few stones left to sling and it is expected that moral victories will soon turn to more victories. At the moment—there are still two Sundays left in the regular-season—it looks likely West Hartford will open the double-elimination tournament against the second-seeded Manchester Cubs (12-4) who are coming off a sweep of Bristol (if the playoffs started today the match-ups would be as follows: Glastonbury Marlins: Bye; West Hartford Cannons v. Manchester Cubs; Hartford Nationals v. Marlborough Athletics; Newington Capitals v. Bristol Phoenix). The final playoff push begins this Sunday at Cannon Yards against the Marlborough A’s (10-6)—or as Dionicio describes them, “the Marlborough A-holes.” No one expected this team to be 1-13 entering August but Manager Celio maintained the confidence that seems to be coursing through the veins of all Cannons: “We’re the most dangerous 1-13 team ever assembled. We’re a difficult draw for any of the teams in this league. This weekend built some character and gave us a little of that Cannons swagger back. I know we are up to the challenge.” As in the book of Revelations, when the second seal was opened a red horse appeared and its rider held a great and mighty sword. Now is the time for the red-shirted Cannons to wage war against the rest of the CNMSBL. Single-seat tickets and standing room only seats are available at the Cannon Yards box office, by phone (1 800-CANNONS) or by e-mail (whcannons.blogspot.com).
Cannons News and Notes: With three hits on the day Weber reached ninety-five for his career (Luby is at eighty-eight); for the first time in over forty years of playing baseball, Patenaude played third base (Dionicio was so impressed with Patenaude’s play that he repeatedly serenaded the team with his rendition of “Losing My Position,” a take-off on the 1991 R.E.M. classic “Losing My Religion”); Poland’s six runs batted in gave him eight for the season, moving him ahead of Jason Maule (7) for the team lead; Borst, after taking batting instruction from Dionicio and Poland during recent weeks, stated that he will “never strike out again;” Dionico, K. McGann and Poland all topped the ten-hit total for the 2006 campaign on Sunday; the team batting average improved from .234 to .246—the team was 17 for 53 (.321) against the Marlins—while the slugging and on-base percentages topped the .300 mark (.301 and .319 respectively); the eleven runs scored were the most in a double header since West Hartford joined the A Division (the seven runs in a single game ties the team high in the Week One win against Newington); in retaliation for the fact that Connecticut is in the throes of a heat wave, Luby beaned weatherman and local radio/television personality Joe Furey; Dionicio plans to bring a southern European exotic dancer to this Friday’s Italian-Fest 2006 at Cannons World Headquarters…the “Caribbean Cut-Up” claims she will also “bring her two good friends, her left and right breasts;” pitcher Troy Barber is considering shutting down for the remainder of the 2006 season so he can undergo surgery on his right arm; Celio and Patenaude earned their playoff eligibility, joining teammates Chris Barsa, Borst, Dionicio, Luby, Maule, K. McGann, M. McGann, Poland and Weber (the team hopes to get Mike Calabrese and Steve Markie eligible against Marlborough this weekend).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)