Things Got Bad & Ugly Last Night-McWhaley Drops Another & Next Game Info!

I’m not sure if it was the three weeks we’ve had off, the missing players (due to the weather, traffic caused issues for a few players getting to the field and the darkness caused “happy-nappy” for a handful of others) or if it was the looming storm that became an ever more present and possibly dangerous distraction but we lost last night. We hung with the GBU until their yellow softball became quite invisible in the pitch-darkness of the clouds and adding insult to injury, once they started winning, GBU regressed back to being just the “Bad and the Ugly” side of über-competitiveness.

You are probably asking yourself: Why on Earth (and the Navy Base) did we continue to play? Unfortunately, we were playing a woman and an attorney down so quite frankly (read: automatic out every time that person comes up in the line-up), we should have forfeited (although we did have both a woman and attorney show at the end of our five-innings of play) we were barely had ten players at game time-thanks Renee for bringing your stuff and changing from fan to player so quickly.

“And the Thunder Rolls”
Look I knew that despite the dark, looming clouds that looked as though they were straight out of a Garth Brooks video, GBU was pushing us to play through the weather to the top of the fifth (so they could get a complete game in) and to be honest, I wanted to get that complete game in as well because (for the record) the process of rescheduling the game and then starting the game from where we left off- being we were a considerable number of runs behind them-would have became a huge hassle (for Donn) and I know they would have cried foul when we didn’t have the exact same line-up of people at the make-up game. That being said, personally I wanted to get the game over with because of GBU’s inability to maintain a certain level of comity on the softball field. I know, I know, the young lion has grown up and yadda, yadda, but honestly, it is, as it has always been, just a game.

Just as shocking as the lightning
We will be making up our game against Seekings’ team (the Usual Suspects) tomorrow night at Orange Grove! Dain is flying back to town tomorrow and I am playing to his vanity to get him to come out and play but regardless, I think it time for us to get back into our groove. Donn will run the show tomorrow night as I expect to be sipping martinis while flying to South Africa for the World Cup aboard my G-5 (everyone should dream) or I could very well be chained to my desk with actual duties to complete tomorrow. Either way, forget last night’s game and get out there tomorrow and play some great ball.

-Trabert

Reminder - Game Tonight and Wednesday!

Just reminding all of you about our game tonight at the Navy Base. We're playing Good, Bad and Ugly. Game time 6:30.

I've heard from some of you, but not all. Please let me know if you are going to be there.

Also. Our make up game against Usual Suspects (Mike Seekings team), will be this Wednesday. Let me know if you can make it to that one as well. I haven't been told which field, but it's a safe bet that it will be Orange Grove.

Thanks!

Donn

McWhailers reach .500

McWhailers had a tight game with the Outlaws until the 6th Inning when we broke 5-all tie and went on to win with a final score 12-5!
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Reminder Game Tonight @ the Navy Base vs the Outlaws

Let either Donn or myself know if you can play tonight! See you there 6:30 pm!

McWhailers School Finkel 12-5

The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round and the McWhailers are back to old form
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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!

McWhailers Barely Survive Hell-Week As CarlAngus Puts 19 Runs On The Board To Our 6

Donn's recap an exercise in modesty: "Good news about the game last night...Jay-Bird hit a home run in his return to the McWhailers' lineup. Bad news is we lost.

Our next game is at the Navy Base against Finkel on Tuesday 6/1-game time is 6:30.

Please let me know if you can make the game. Thanks! Donn

(What Donn so modestly left off this recap is that he too went yard-see video!)

Reminder Game Tonight @ The Citadel Against Colonel Angus!

Keeping with the tradition of the “long grey line” at the Citadel, I thought this skit apropos especially since the team we’re playing owes their name-sake to Colonel Angus! See you tonight! Johnson-Hagood Stadium (Citadel’s football stadium)!

Game Tonight @ the Navy Base Against "The Mayhem" & Motivational Music from Rock Sugar Courtesy of Jay-Bird!

Jay-Bird said he can't make it for tonight's game but he wanted me to post this inspirational music Rock Sugar's "Don't Stop the Sandman" to get everyone ready for the beginning of the new season tonight at the Navy Base against the "Mayhem".

Happy Christmas from all of us from the McWhalers!

I know many of you would have expected The Pogues & Kirsty McColl performing "Fairytale of New York"but I found this performance by Coldplay which I thought was great-due to the sing-along by the crowd!

Sometimes I Think Jay-Bird Looks Just Like This @ Short-Stop!

I've always enjoyed the nicknames players have attached to their careers in sports and from what I have been hearing, Jay-Bird is known as "The Short-Stop" around the Charleston Law League! I said it on Monday, when I see a ball hit towards short and Jay-Bird's glove lowers to the ground, I get this grin, as if I know something clever that no one else knows, but truth is, we all know, that batter is toast.

(Photo courtesy of JayAlexander.com)

Tomorrow Night's Game Against Rosen For The Championship!

Tomorrow is the championship game at Parkshore (6:15 PM) and who would have thought that we would be playing in it??? Great game to all of you who played last night. For those of you who who didn't play last night, my apologies and we'll try to get you in the game tomorrow.

(Photo courtesy of BacktotheEighties.com)

Even though I'd love to win tomorrow, if we don't it's not a big deal. We've come further in the playoffs with any team we've fielded and we've had fun doing it. In the same breath, I'll say we've come this far so why not win it? I'm going to steal a line from the movie Young Guns II when Billy the Kid says "I shall finish the game, Doc." Cheesy, I know - but it's quite fitting.

I emailed Chip Bruorton at Rosen and he agreed to a game time start of 6:15; for the last time this Lawyer's League season - please let me know if you are going to be able to make it.

Let's finish the game.


Donn

J.I.C. You Didn't Get The Miller's Crossing Reference

Here is a short clip from the film, where the line “The old man is still an artist with the Thompson”.

McWhaley Is Headed to the Championship Game!

McWhaley Wins 15-12 over the PD's Office and we're headed to the Championship game on Wednesday against Rosen!

Highlights

As Terry put it in the movie, Miller's Crossing, "It seems the old man is still an artist with the Thompson" and if you were at the game last night the same thing could be said for the "Big Dawg" Dawes as the PD's office came in thinking he had no power but then it would appear that Dawes is still in artist with the softball bat hitting three doubles and a single. It could have been four doubles but he was thrown out at second as he tried to stretch one out. Dain parked one even after being heckled by the other team's ladies. Bryant parked one. The ladies (Mel, Karen and Ann) are swinging the bat well. Although Harper had a bit of an off game he made up for it with his defense. Jay Jones finally started getting the hits he wanted. Jim and Ann, the dynamic duo, played to their usual high level. Jay-Bird notched a couple of doubles and with an assist from Jim turned a beautiful double-play.

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Reminder Game Tonight @ Orange Grove (6:15 PM) vs the Public Defender's Office!

Just a reminder that we play the Public Defenders at Orange Grove tonight. Game time is supposed to be 6:15.

Thanks!

Donn

Correction: It Was "The Magic Man" Jay-Bird Who Hit The Homer

All right, so we've beat this horse a few times, but for yours truly, it never gets old and since we have to print a correction, we might as well have fun with it.

Correction: Jay-Bird (Alexander) hit a home-run tonight not Jay-Harper. Jay-Bird also set a new standard as being the only pitcher to be hit in two-games straight, tonight's hit was from Harper, which we think will leave a mark.

(Photo courtesy of the real magician from San Francisco, Jay Alexander.com)

McWhaley Continues On To The Semi-Finals Defeating The Usual Suspects-23-6

What a great night for the McWhaley Squad as we poured it on Seekings and the Usual Suspects! Final Score 23-6!

Highlights
Dain parked two home-runs, Jay-Harper parked one, Dawes was 3 for 4 and Karen got a hit! Holy schinolie!

Next game will be Monday night! Let either Donn or I know if you can make it.
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McWhaley Plays Tonight 6:15 PM @ Orange Grove and the GBU Write-Up!

McWhaley will play tonight against Commissioner Mike Seekings team, The Usual Suspects. The game will be at Orange Grove, start time is 6:15 pm. If we play with the same intensity and ability as we did last night we will have a great chance of beating this team tonight; we had them during the last game we played but let them slip away, let’s keep the momentum and bring home another win tonight. Please send either Donn or myself an e-mail if you can make it tonight.

Game vs GBU
Last night was a great example of the team firing on all cylinders: communicating, being in position and keeping cool even under pressure from the other team and heckling from their fans. As I thought about the game last night, the way our team played reminded me of all of those old adages Coach John Wooden used to say, “Be quick, but don’t hurry.” “It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it.” “It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” And in response to the folks from GBU wanting to argue each call ”Sports do not build character. They reveal it.”

Highlights
We came out strong last night scoring six runs in the first inning, which kept GBU behind the “eight-ball” for the rest of the game-an early lead is something that we have struggled with all season-defensively we were outstanding as we held GBU’s “new and improved” line-up to naught for the first three innings. Offensively, Jay-Bird went yard with a three-run homer but this win was a team effort as every base hit that advanced runners into scoring position helped to pile it on as McWhaley brought home our first Playoff victory!
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Mc Whaley Advances After a 12-3 Routing of GBU

We haven't heard back from the Commish yet but bring you gear tomorrow just in case we have a game
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Playoff Schedule is Released-McWhaley Plays Monday @ Orange Grove v the Good Bad (& Ugly)

From the League Commissioner: "If the hour was not so late, I might wax poetic about what a great season it has been and how the full moon contributed to Turner’s first round bye (and first appearance in the playoffs since David Cobb was a Little Leaguer), but rather I will just post the games for Monday. Please start as close to 6:15 as you can. Note that home teams are designated. I will send out a rules memo later."


McCarlock (H) v. Rosen Navy Base

Solicitors (H) v. Outlaws Parkshore

Good Bad (H) v. McWhaley Orange Grove *GBU was the first team we played and the first team we beat this season (22-12) so our chances look pretty good on Monday. (Click the tag at the bottom of the post and it will take you to Donn's write-up about the game).

If you win on Monday, be prepared to play second round games on either Tuesday or Wednesday. Usual Suspects & Buist Moore will play a winner of first round on Tuesday. Turner will play PDs on Tuesday. Pierce (and others) will play on Wednesday. I am out of town starting at 7 tomorrow morning. I will be checking my e-mail—good luck—be good sports--MSS

(Photo "Rugby Players", 1929 by artist Max Beckmann, courtesy of Max Beckmann)

Haynesworth Gave McWhaley a Reality Check This Evening

The HSB squad gave us a reality check this evening in the form of one really bad bat around inning and a basic understanding that although this is a team sport if you have one star (err, "Stretch") firstbase-person, they can make your whole infield look good. But as mentioned, the young lady playing first base was not their only good player, they hit the crap out of the ball and we came out flat. There was a lot of distractions tonight (i.e. the music coming from the b-ball courts or for yours truly, the smell of HSB grilling out brats) regardless, we need to block those distractions out, keep our chins up and play our game.

Not that we made numerous errors or people didn't play well, we just didn't play to our potential (I know, my bad about the triple negative): part of that rests on the shoulders of each player, part of that is Donn and my fault in the coaching department. Trust me; we're not going to let it happen again. On a positive note: Ann and Jim are excellent additions to the team, which I don't think we've mentioned here yet and we appreciate their "utility ability". Also, it was good to see Big Daddy Joel Warren back out on the field and it seems he hasn't lost a step.

Playoff Game

We should know about the approaching playoff game by Friday. The date is in stone, Monday, August 10th, we just don't know who we are playing as of yet.

Lesson we should take from tonight's game: don't beat yourself mentally before the game even begins. As soon as I heard someone say, "Oh, this game really doesn't matter, we're already in the playoffs"; I knew we would not play to our potential. Let's turn it around and get some rest this weekend and come our strong on Monday.

(Photo courtesy of the Muy Guy)

Oh That's No Glitch! McWhaley Plays A 12th Game Tonight @ Orange Grove Field!

Due to a glitch in the system, we have our twelfth game tonight against Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd (no spell check, I am right, you are wrong, they really don’t use any commas in their name) at the Orange Grove field. Let me or Donn know if you can make it.

Last night, the McWhalers completed the rain-delayed game from last week, promptly shutting down our old rival the Motley Crue 9-5 in just two innings of work. Great job gang! See you out there tonight!

The Commish Puts Nelson Motors to a Vote from the League

The Commissioner has decided to put the fate of Nelson Motors in your hands allowing a league vote as to whether NM should be out of the league or allowed to stay. Nelson Motors forfeited five games this season, I believe the league rules allow three. Honestly, this is much a do about softball but alas, this was an entertaining part of my morning.

I thought about including the e-mail and just changing the names of those on the list, but with all of the disclosures attached to e-mails these days (and since we McWhalers try to maintain a certain level of comity), I decided it best to just give you an idea of what was communicated via e-mail as a professional courtesy to those involved.

The Set-Up

Motley Crue was supposed to play Nelson Motors tonight but with a total of five forfeits (an expulsionary league violation) Motors was out (they were just unaware; evidently Motors missed the meeting about being kicked out of the league for excessive forfeits) and the Crue's contact responded with the proverbial cat out of the bag e-mail informing them (Motors) the Crue was playing their make-up game against us tonight per the Commissioner.

The Juice

Now here is where it gets good: Motors responds back to the Crue with a bit of attitude using the old "Oh we will see about that!" firing off the next e-mail to the Commish, "So since we forfeited 5 of our games so we are out of the league. We paid our money so we cannot play our last game and so you told Motley Rice to schedule a make up game??" (Syntax aside, I think I would have been a little less "in-your-face" in my e-mail to the Commissioner because he responded with the following: "Of course, you are kidding. The biggest firm in the Southeast no-shows for a season and now wants to play?! I am happy to put it to a vote of the league, but I don't like your chances." As well as attaching all of the e-mail correspondence between the three parties below his comments. Finally, some excitement in the morning. By all means, leave your opinion-thumbs up or down in the comments section.