Reminder: Game Tonight @ The Navy Base Against Finkel

Tonight will be our first of two games at the Navy Base this week; our second game will be on Thursday (at the Navy Base) against the Outlaws. We will have both Jay Harper and Jay-Bird in the line-up tonight so hopefully with the Jays back we will be back on track-not that we are a bunch of high-maintenance-headcase athletes who need to see the Jays before we unleash our full potential but it will be interesting to see what happens.

Let me or Donn know if you plan on being at tonight's game. Finkel is always a tough group for us but I gotta feeling tonight's going be a good night!

Fighting Fabers no match for McWhaley bats!

It’s been awhile since McWhaley’s seen the winner’s circle. Their season started off really well with a convincing win over The Good, Bad & Ugly. Since then, struggles at the plate, roster changes and overall sucktitude (yes, that is a word) have played equal roles in McWhaley’s demise. When asked to get his thoughts on how the season was progressing and what he thought the team needed, co-captain Jim Trabert said, “The bottom line is everyone is trying too hard to be perfect and beating themselves up for mistakes which lead to nothing but frustration for everyone.” “Everything will come, we just need to be patient,” he added. The other co-captain, Donn Ilagan, could not be reached as he was throwing a football somewhere.

Last night, McWhaley took the field against The Fighting Fabers of Finkel and Altman. Unfortunately, The Fighting Fabers were not as interesting or funny as the Fighting Fabers of the Delta Tau Chi Fraternity from the movie Animal House. Actually, they should have been ashamed to associate themselves with such a great movie.*

The game was played at Johnson Hagood Stadium where just two day prior, McWhaley received its 3rd loss of the season to HGH-driven Turner Padgett. Manager Emily Pearson won the coin toss and secured McWhaley’s spot as the Home Team. Interestingly enough, the fact that McWhaley had the last bat in the game didn’t even matter.

In the first inning, The Fabers drew first blood with a solo HR to center field by a player who could only be described as a cross between Steve Buscemi and the Vulture baby from Bugs Bunny cartoons.
That was the only run The Fabers would score for a while. When McWhaley came up to bat, left fielder Jay Harper, matched Vulture Buscemi’s home run with a home run the hard way, legging one out for an in the parker. After 1, the score was tied 1 – 1. Harper’s in the park home run was just the spark McWhaley needed to get their bats going again. The Fabers managed to score two more runs in the next two innings, but the runs were no match for the 7 runs McWhaley racked up in the bottom half of the same two innings.

McWhaley’s defense also stepped up their intensity and held Faber to just one run after the third inning. Unfortunately for Faber, their defense wasn’t as lucky. McWhaley piled on 7 more runs in the game including a 3 run home run blast by new acquisition, Dain “Don’t call me Dane Cook or I will kill you” Reardon. Dain was supposed to play earlier in the week with McWhaley, but due to unforeseen circumstances (he didn’t know that the games were being played in Johnson Hagood) he didn’t make the game. When the last out was recorded, McWhaley came away with win #2. Final score Fabers 4 – McWhaley 15.

“This winning thing is fun,” Jim Trabert said when asked about the game. Co-Captain Donn Ilagan, could not be reached for comment as he was holding a football for place kicks.

McWhaley’s next game is against Young Clement Rivers and unfortunately, they will have to go back to the field they hate the most – the Navy Base.

McWhaley Roster for last night’s game
Jay Harper – Left Field
Maggie Mullen/Melanie Mason – Right Field
Jay Alexander – Short Stop
Andre Ilagan/Bryant Pearson – Left Center Field
Donn Ilagan – 1st Base
Jay Jones – 3rd Base
Jim Trabert – Right Center Field
Graham Irvin – 2nd Base
Matt Cavender/Dain Reardon – Short Out Field
Karen Clark – Catcher
Blake McKie – Designated Hitter

* The Fighting Fabers didn’t take their name from the college in the movie Animal House. The Corporate Complex where Finkel and Altman is located is called Faberplace.

The McWhailers Are Back On Track!

The McWhailers brought home a well deserved and needed victory-topping those Fighting Fabers 15-4!
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Special Report: Ilagan's Contract-Garage and the Current State of Your McWailers by Bobby Barnwell

There’s much hub-bub around the Charleston Law League Water-Coolers today about the current slide the McWailers are on (having dropped three games in a row) and the amount of money head-coach Donn (with 2 “N”s) Ilagan was getting paid for his contract. I spoke with McWailers GM/Co-Captain Jim Trabert about Ilagan’s contract and if perhaps the fans aren’t getting what they wanted. Here’s a portion of our conversation:

BB: A lot of the fans are complaining that your Skipper Donn Ilagan is paid too
much for the McWailers to have a losing season.

JET: Is there a
question here? Or are you just trying to lament about something you know nothing
about? Look, Donn makes a fair and modest income for his services with the team;
we worked out a deal with Borass (Scotty Borass-Donn’s agent, not to be confused
with the other Scott Boras-the big league agent) and Donn which we all thought
was fair. As for the fans, they need to understand something about law league
softball, it takes time for a team, especially one as unique as this one to come
together and besides the McWailers have lost to some tough opponents on the
front end of the season. Be patient, Donn will look like a genius by the end of
the season.

BB: So what about the reports that Donn was playing
with a football at the last game.

JET: (Deleted Expletive)
Bloggers, they are making this into much more than it is. It is only natural (to
want) to throw a football when you are playing on a converted football field.
Ask anyone that used to play at old Candlestick Park, they will tell you; the
desire to throw or catch a football is unmatched-look at Bo
Jackson.

BB: What does Bo Jackson have to do with
this?

JET: Exactly, you don’t know Bo. And since I know, that you
don’t know what I know, I know that you don’t know Bo. Now get out of my office
this interview is over.

BB: But I have more questions.

JET: I am sure you do. Why don’t you go talk to Donn, he has today
off.

Garage Mahal

So I took Trabert’s advice and just like Kenny Rogers (when he rocked, way before he did “Islands in the Stream”), I decided to “just check in to see what condition my condition was in” and to get to the bottom of this. With an undisclosed figure and contract we have no idea how much Donn Ilagan is making, but just how modestly is Ilagan living? Check out this picture I surreptitiously took with my Crackberry as I walked up the drive to his house. My editor made me block out the plates but I want all of the fans out there to know, Donn Ilagan has a 2 Ferrari garage. And Jim Trabert has the nerve to call this modesty. I am not sure what I call it but it is not modesty. And if Skipper Don Ilagan doesn’t turn the McWailers around soon, I doubt he will be able to maintain this “modest” lifestyle.

The McWailers have a chance to prove themselves tomorrow evening against the Fighting Fabers, so we'll see what Donn "Modest-Mouse" Ilagan has up his sleeve.

Message From Donn: Last Night's Game & The Next Couple of Weeks Schedule

There's really not much to say about last night's game. A lot of us haven't been hitting like we did in the first game. I know personally, I haven't hit very well. Consistency is key, but I'm sure you all know that as well.

We're off next week (which may or may not be a good thing) Games resume Monday, 6/15 against Turner Padget (we should beat them) and Wednesday 6/17 against Finkel. From what I remember about Finkel, they have a decent team. I want to say they are almost as good as Buist Moore as far as hitting goes.

The good thing about these two games is the fact that we WON'T be playing at the Navy Base. We'll be at Johnson Hagood (The Citadel's football field). Game time for both games is 6:30

McNair drops first game of the season

The Machine came screeching to a halt last night at the Navy base losing their first game of the season to the Fighting Fabers of Finkel 7-18.The series between the two teams is now even at 1-1. (Photo compliments of JET)

Re-Cap:
The game was a text-book pitcher’s duel until the 4th inning as McNair scored once in the first inning on an RBI-single by Capers and F-Cubed finally scored one to tie the game in the 3rd inning. McNair scored two-runs in the 4th inning on an RBI-single by “Baby-Face” Bolden and an RBI-single (reached 2nd base on an error) by JET. F-Cubed would answer with 5-runs in the bottom of the 4th as Ryan, Brian, Ed, & Trip (Oh My!) rounded the bases.

In the 5th inning, the Machine had 3-up, 3-down as Finkel pulled away scoring 7-runs in the bottom of the inning. McNair would add 2 more runs in the top of the 6th as Jay-Bird hit a two-RBI, double. Things looked promising as Bolden reached first but JET would ground out to end the inning. Finkel added 5 more runs in the bottom of the 6th. Turner hit his second-single of the night in the top of the 7th; Cody hit his first RBI-Triple (scored as a single) of the Season bringing home the Afterburner and Rosie would repay the favor knocking in Cody from third.

Dug-Out:
“It was definitely a humbling experience, we made small mistakes that cost us big tonight” said Machine’s Coach Trabert. He continued, “I know the Finklers were out for blood, but we still just did not hit the ball.” When asked about Big Daddy Joel not being in the line-up, Trabert responded, “Joel will be on the D. L. for a while, I will let him decide when he wants to come back. He was missed in the line-up tonight, but the fact remains this is a team effort, it’s not just one person out there (jokingly) although, I am sure Jay-Bird would beg to differ-he (Jay-Bird) was definitely our work horse tonight." The Machine’s GM and Owner, Tom McTighbrenner commented simply (about the game) to the AP, “This was an opportunity for improvement”. No doubt, shake it off McNair!

Next Game:
The Machine will return to the Navy Base next Tuesday (June 19th) to face Pierce, Hearns.

Go Mighty McNair!

Reminder: Game Tonight Against Finkel @ the Navy Base!

McNair returns to the Navy Base tonight to face the lone sailor, Finkel (Altman is no longer associated with their team) at 6:30 pm. The Machine is 1-0 all-time against Finkel, scratching out a 15-13 win over F&A last season. (Photo courtesy of the National Archives)

Stats:
McNair is currently one of four unbeaten teams in the league: Buist-Moore, McNair, Rosen and the Solicitors. McNair has scored 56 runs and allowed 30 (+26) in the first two games.

Finkel is ranked 7th with a 1-1 record. They have allowed 25-points against and scored 22-points this season losing to Nexsen, Pruet 18-14 and beating Parker/Carlock by 1 (8-7). Go Mighty McNair!

The Machines' guns were blazing against the Public Defenders last night!

McNair improved to 2-0 for the season, defeating the Public Defenders 20-11 last night at the Navy Base. Congratulations to the team for another well deserved win!

The Machine will return to the Navy Base next Monday to face Finkel. Please drop me a line if you can make the game!

Go Mighty McNair!