Chubby Gangsters vs. Foul Balls. Instant Classic.

Photos courtesy of Nick Sutton

Well this week was interesting, with all the time changes and shortened games. Not only did everyone still show up to play, but everyone showed up to have an awesome time. This week seemed to have a special air of fun in the... uh... air. You could have expected people to come out with the notion that the shortened games would seem rushed and tense, or others were just ready to get it over with and get to the bar. All in all though, Commissioner Brett Buttworth did a great job putting the best foot forward he could in such a short amount of time, and the entire night was a success. Speaking of success, this is a Chubby Gangster right-up! And since those two go hand-in-hand (at least so far this season), let's get down to the nitty gritty. Chubby's came out, as they will continue to do until someone decides not to man-up, chugging for the fences. The Foul Ball's captain, Jen Nardi, valiantly accepted the shot-gunning challenge, and while her excuse was that the High Life did her in, she just didn't have what it takes. And in all fairness, she said, "I'm awful at shot-gunning, but let's do it." Great attitude! So naturally the Chubby's were home and Foul Balls were up to bat first. It was a quick half-inning where the CG's quelched the FB's with their defense. When the Chubby's got up to bat though, it was a different story. In fact the first 6 kickers to get to the plate were able to reach safely. Matt "Doogie" MacDougall, Keith "I wish I could play kickball for a living" Morehart, Thane "the Pain Train" Osterdahl, Geoff "I pick things up and put them down" Morehart, Elizabeth "Better than most of your guys" Ricker, and Buster "Big Boss Man" Patterson. Now only 3 of those runners were able to score, but it seemed the game was over. Or was it?

It is no secret The Foul Balls and Chubby Gangsters have had some epic battles in the past. They are usually high scoring, but always high spirited. I can't speak for the FB's, or frankly the rest of the Chubby's, but I love playing the Foul Balls. They are absolute class personified, and always a ton of fun to play. With that being said, a quick 1st inning and a 3 run deficit was not going to keep them from fighting for this win. It seemed like they came out gunning for all the week spots. They were kicking bloops right over infielders heads that would fall just in front of the outfielders. They were laying bunts down that made it extremely difficult for the CG's to communicate and make effective plays. Luckily, after several solid plays in the field your beloved Chubby Gangsters were able to reign it in and keep the bleeding down to only one run.

The Gangster Blue teamed turned on their jets in the 2nd and the middle of their line-up decided they were going to shine. Andy "I'm surprised I even showed up because the Sabres lost" Kyser led off with a single. Though the kicker after him got out, the 6 kickers following all made it on safely. Emily "Too Many Choices" Cook showcased how a veteran does it. Eric "My wife is probably going to win a championship before I do" Olsen and Melissa "I've been playing for how long and never scored a run?" Rarick and Rodney "I get handsy when I drink" Huffman load the bases (Andy was forced out at 3rd somewhere in there and Emily scored on her own will). Up swaggers Mikey "I haven't lost my pants once this season" Nobile. He places a perfect ball in left field, maybe a foot away from the foul line, with the most ridiculous roll into foul territory to make it impossible for their outfielder to get to it fast enough. He was able to score 2 runs (including Melissa's first run EVER in her entire career... seriously!) and virtually put the game away.

The 3rd inning rolls around, and while Mikey and Emily are singing Third Eye Blind (who made the playlist? I thought it was awesome!), Geoff was able to handle their entire side, literally, by himself with 3 short pop-ups. The bottom of the 3rd saw Dave "I can sell your house" Tortolini, Doogie, and Keith get on base again. However, after 2 earlier outs put Thane in a situation where he had to plant a line drive instead of just kick away, an incredible catch by the FB's 2nd baseman put the game to rest. The final score was 8-1, but both teams shook hands and gave high-fives with smiles on their faces looking forward to the next match-up. Oh, and for those who are keeping track, Doogie is 4 for 4, with 4 H's and 4 R's this season.