Rivalrous Reflections

Let's double-dip it folks, here's a brief recap of Rivalry Week:


It seems only fitting, with the Lakers and the Celts squaring off in the NBA Finals once again, that DcCityball too, renews some old rivalries in its first (hopefully annual) Rivalry Week.
We saw some old-time match ups that brought back memories of Dave Roberts, pink t-shirts, Dudley Thunderheats and Gold-dots, 12 teams, and a single, solitary Field # 5 -- the place where it all began.

Back in the Spring/Summer season of 2005, I was coming off my sophomore year of undergrad and was in need of some supplemental summer employment, seeing as I was making a cool 8 dollars an hour as a research assistant for the university. From there, you know the story(ies).

The league has come a long way since then, in several ways -- the league has exploded to 32 teams, we've since switched to the Trump high compression ball, Adams Mill is finally gone, and the Myoclonic Jerks, 0-12 in their first season, are now playoff staples. The point being: this league has history.

This Rivalry Week, obviously, meant more to the league fixtures than the new squads, but we hope, a few seasons from now, each team will have a meaningful match-up to look forward to (yes, i ended with a preposition...eat me). So, from the colorful Gang Green v. Blue team, to the cinematic Ligers v. McKlovin, this weekend featured some of DcCityball's best battles of the year.

As per your vote, the Rivalry Week Game of the Week, by a wide margin, was the Return of Ron match up ODB v. Pourhowzers. While ODB had an early offensive outburst, they were unable to keep pace with the white-hot 'Howzers, who eventually cruised to a comfortable win. Scary moment of the game: 2nd basewoman Maggie Cross left in the top of the first with a head injury following a collision on a Ron Murdock double. Despite the ensuing emotional buzz which permeated the game, this umpire thought the play was clean on both sides, with an unfortunate result. Frankly the game was a little more heated and a little less fun than I had anticipated/hoped, but it was a well-played game and that's what counts.
Of course, IntheVicinity wishes a speedy recovery to Cross.

In other news, The Swingers, just one week before their match-up with the Pourhowzers, dropped their first game, falling to the Masterbatters. The game was there for either team to take, but the Masterbatters strung hits together when the Swingers could not. Still, next week's Swingers v. 'Howzers game should be a classic.

Possibly the scoop of the week: The Bayside Tigers suffered a very rare regular season loss to the new-look Perfect Strangers. Is their chance to repeat as summer champs in jeopardy??? We shall see.

Anyway, there would be much more to report, but half the games I was scheduled to do resulted in forfeits...so, the moral of the story: stop forfeiting...you're killing my blog, goddammit.

In off the field news, I do now, in fact, have my very own Topps baseball card, thanks to the Pourhowzers, and there will be autograph signings, upon request, behind the backstop of Field #5 folling the 4:15 game this Sunday.

Finally, both IntheVicinity and DcCityball would like to welcome its newest member into the softball family, our new summer league umpire, Gang Green's own John Macey (sp?). Welcome, John, and prepare for tennisracquetmaplesyrupporcupinelighterfluid hazing.

That's gonna do it for this post. Good luck to our teams next week, and get ready for the Playoffs Spectacular, complete with in-depth preview and your's truly's pick's's. Seacrest out.

-Play ball!