Red Wings to March in July Fourth Parade

The Red Wings will gather at Greene's Field at 8:30 on Monday, July 4 and prepare to march in the Needham Fourth of July Parade. The parade will leave Greene's at 9:00 and should arrive at Memorial around 10:00. Parade route:

Red Wings should wear jersey and hat. Shorts are fine.

If you are around and can make it, it'll be a lot of fun. If not, no worries.

I will bring trophies for those who have not received them.

See you there!

What a Season!

The AA League Championship Game between the Owlz and the Red Wings will go down as one of the best ever played in Needham Little League history. I heard this from several observers who have been around Needham baseball for a long, long time. The quality of play on the part of both teams, the way the game played out... You just don't see it very often from 9 and 10-year-olds. It was great baseball!

While the Red Wings came out on the short end of a 6-4 extra-innings thriller, and finished the season in second place, there is absolutely nothing I'd take back about the game. I have no regrets. We played our hearts out and, as a team, played our best baseball of the season. I am a proud coach.

The Patsios Family was very kind to host us on Sunday for a festive end-of-season cookout. It was a great way to wrap up what has been an amazing season of baseball. Between games of pickle and wiffle ball, Coaches Gage, Patsios, Shapiro, and I presented awards to our Red Wings. We spoke briefly about each player. I will try to remember more or less what we said.

• The Greek God of Walks Award: Alejandro Diaz. Kevin Youkilis, before he established himself as one of Major League Baseball's premier hitters, spent a few years bouncing back and fourth between Pawtucket and Fenway. What the Red Sox loved about Youkilis during this time was his plate discipline. He had the potential to be a great hitter one day, but at that early point in his career he was already one of the best on-base guys in baseball. His nickname was "The Greek God of Walks." Alejandro practices the same kind of plate discipline. All season, he has made great decisions at the plate. He lays off pitches outside the zone, but always swings at the ones he can hit. As a result, he gets himself on base. He keeps the inning alive, keeps the line moving, and scores runs. Alejandro is our Greek God of Walks.

• The Six Tool Award: Will Dorion. A good all-around baseball player is called a five-tool player. He is a player that excels at each of the five tools of baseball: hitting for average, hitting for power, throwing, fielding, and running. I believe there is a sixth tool of baseball that is just as important as the other five--maybe more important. It's attitude. Will is an excellent all-around baseball player. He's a great hitter, he is reliable anywhere in the field, and he has emerged as one of the better pitchers in the league. He has the five tools. But one of the most impressive parts of his game is his attitude. Will is mentally tough and he is all about team. He's the guy you want in a pressure situation. He's the guy who always has something positive and encouraging to say to a teammate. Every coach in the world wants a guy like Will on the team.

• The Future Francona Award: Drew Patsios. Baseball is a thinking man's game. On the surface the game may seem simple: you throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. But take a closer look, and you see there's a whole lot more going on. Some players thrive on the thinking part of the game. They imagine all the different scenarios is a given situation: With a 1-run lead and a man on third with one out, do you pull the infield in and play it home to prevent the run or go for the easier play at first and get the sure out? Does it depend on what part of the order is due up? Does it depend on how your pitcher is throwing? These are the kinds of things Drew thinks about. He has quite an impressive baseball IQ for a young player. I am certain that if none of the coaches were able to make it to a game, Drew would step up and manage the team to victory.

• The David Ortiz Award: Sam Berezin. Big Papi needs no introduction. Time and time again, Red Sox fans have rejoiced in the heroics of a guy whose smile is big as his bat. Red Wings fans have also rejoiced in the heroics of a guy whose smile is as big as his bat: Sam Berezin. Sam's swing is all power, like Papi's (only I think much better mechanically). I don't know of any other AA player besides Sam who has hit two home runs in one game. Like Papi at Fenway, there's nothing more exciting than watching Sam step in with runners on base in a close game.

• Mr. Clutch Award: Parker Kirstein. Baseball statisticians say there is no such thing as clutch hitting. They say that if you play the game long enough, eventually you will get lucky and hit that walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth with two strikes and two outs. But when that sort of thing happens over and over again, can you really call it luck? Parker Kirstein is living proof that clutch hitting is real. How many times have we seen him tie the game up or put us ahead with one swing of the bat? The Red Wings came from behind to win more than their share of nail-biters during the regular season and especially in the playoffs. In almost every case, Parker played a key part knocking in the runs that made the difference. There was no luck involved. Parker is a great clutch hitter.

• Jason Varitek Award: Noah Schwartz. Jason Varitek is not a very good hitter anymore, but the Sox keep him in the lineup because pitchers love to pitch to him. He does his homework. He knows what each pitcher should throw to each batter in any count. Pitchers feel more confident and more relaxed when he's behind the plate. There's a reason he holds the record for most no-hitters caught. Noah is the Jason Varitek of the Red Wings. All season our pitchers have felt very comfortable with Noah catching. He offers a steady target for every pitch, stops nearly everything, frames pitches, and hustles after the few that do get past him. He's got a bright future behind the plate.

• Cy Young Award: Jack Morgan. The Cy Young Award goes to the best pitcher in the American and National Leagues. It's no surprise that our Cy Young winner is Jack Morgan. We heard the same comment from every team we faced this year with Jack on the mound: "that kid's the best pitcher we've seen all season." He was consistently dominant. Not a single run all season--earned or otherwise--crossed the plate on his watch. A 0.00 ERA for the season! Cy Young himself never came close to that. By the end of the season Jack was probably throwing in the low 60s, and he could command. How many 9 or 10 pitch innings did we see from him? It became routine. Most importantly, though, Jack was a leader in the dugout and an excellent teammate, always supportive, always cheering on the other guys. Jack was not only a great player himself, but he made the guys around him great, too.

• Hustle Award: Eric Gage. If no one else showed up and we had to play only one guy in the field, Eric could handle it. If he wasn't striking guys out, he'd cover the rest of the diamond. This guy is the very definition of hustle. We saw it over and over again. Going after every pop foul at first or third. Ranging everywhere. He'd rather put himself on a stretcher than give up an out. Eric has the drive and the smarts, but also the speed to make good on it. He was a beast on the base paths for us, regularly scoring from second on balls that didn't make it out of the infield and from first on balls that did. You can't help but be inspired by this guy. He plays the game the way it's supposed to be played.

• Joe DiMaggio Award: Josh Shapiro. Joe DiMaggio had the longest hitting streak in Major League history -- 56 games in 1941. I don't know how many other games he hit in that season, but I'm willing to bet that our Josh Shapiro hit safely in a higher percentage of games. Josh hit safely in 12 out of the 15 games we played (including playoffs). That's 80% if my math is right. Amazing! There's only one way to achieve that kind of consistency at the plate: hard work. At every practice and warming up before every game, we all saw how hard Josh worked to improve his swing. What we didn't see was the hours he put in between practices. We didn't see the extra batting practice he took every week in addition to the work he did at Red Wings practices. Josh, like every great hitter, is truly dedicated to his craft.

• The Carl Yastrzemski Award: Tom Berkley. In Major League Baseball, a hitter earns the Triple Crown if he leads the league in batting average, RBI, and home runs. Carl Yastrzemski of the Red Sox was the last player to win the Triple Crown. He did it back in 1967, and no one has been able to do it since. It is a very difficult distinction to achieve because it requires a hitter to hit very well for average and hit with a lot of power at the same time. Like Yaz in '67, Tom hit very well for average this season and also with a good deal of power. He put in a lot of time outside of Red Wings practices working on his swing.  He took extra batting practice on his days off. He worked very hard at it because one of his favorite things in the world (besides sliding) is to swing the bat and crush the ball.

• The Vladimir Guerrero Award: Micah Bernat. Orioles DH Vladimir Guerrero is one of the most aggressive hitters in baseball history. All he wants to do is hit the ball. So he swings at almost everything, and he can hit almost anything. As aggressive as he is, he does not strike out much. He hits. That's Micah. When he steps into the box, the only thing he wants to do is hit the ball. He's not thinking about who's on the mound or even what the count is. He just wants to put wood on the ball--and he's got the bat speed and vision to do it. Keep swinging away, Micah! You've always got the green light as far as we're concerned.

• Jose Oquendo Award: Kenny Crossman. Jose Oquendo was one of the best utility players in Major League history. A utility player is a guy that can play many different positions and plays wherever the team needs him. One day he might play shortstop. The next day he might play right field. Jose Oquendo played every position but catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. He could do this because of his excellent fielding skills and the fact that he was ambidextrous (he could throw and catch equally well with both hands). In fact, he had a custom-made glove that he could wear on either his right or his left hand. Kenny is our Jose Oquendo. He played everywhere for us. As a manager, you love to have a player who is happy and successful in any role. That's Kenny. When we needed him to catch for us, he was there, behind the plate, steady target. When we needed him at third base, he was there, glove down, quick scoop and fire to first. Center field? No problem. He'd line it up and make the catch. He could do it all, and he did it all happily. Whatever it took to help the team. Kenny is the ultimate team player.

• Cal Ripken Award: Alex Kaplan. "Iron" Cal Ripken holds the Major League record for consecutive games played--2,131 games in a row. Alex has not been alive long enough to play 2,131 games in a row, but something tells me he'll surpass that number eventually. The kid loves baseball, and that's the best kind of baseball player there is. He loves to hit, eagerly plays any position on the diamond--just loves every minute of it. He was often the first guy to arrive at practice and one of the last to leave. We've never seen him without a smile on his face. Up by two runs or down by five... It didn't matter, he just wanted to be there in the game doing whatever he could. It is not surprising then the phenomenal improvement Alex made between April and June. When you love the game, you work hard at it, when you work hard it it, you get very good at it. It has to start with the love, though. Alex definitely has the love.

Wings fans, it was a special season. 13-2, so many thrilling come-from-behind victories, playing for the AA Championship. As a coach, I am grateful for all of the success we were able to enjoy as a team. But, I am most grateful to have had the opportunity to spend my spring with such a great group of boys and crew of coaches. Everybody made new friends, everybody supported each other, and everybody had a lot of fun, and that's the only reason we play this game.

Wings Advance to League Championship Game

The Express had enjoyed an impressive playoff run powered by top-notch pitching, solid defense, and an explosive lineup.  Well-coached and battle-ready, they strolled onto Eliot Field with every intention of stepping right over the Red Wings on their way to Saturday's AA Championship Game.

But they would have to get past Wings starting pitcher Jack first. That would not be easy tonight, as Jack's fastball looked lively as ever and the young righty was hitting his spots. He struck out the leadoff guy with three pitches and got the next batter to ground to third, where Tom scooped and fired to first for the out. He struck out another to end a quick top of the first.

Eric led off the Wings' first with a walk. Tom walked as well, and just like that, there were two on with nobody out. Some nifty work at shortstop, though, would rain on the Wings' parade. Will hit a hot ground ball to short. The shortstop got a glove on it, had the presence of mind to tag Eric on the way to third, and then threw to first to get Will. The Express pitcher would strike out another to end the inning.

Jack had some help to get three outs on short order in the top of the second. He got the first batter to pop up to shallow right field, where second baseman Eric, ranging back, made a nice grab. He got the next to ground softly to first where Will scooped and stepped on the bag. Jack took care of the third out on his own, a full-count backwards K.

Parker got things going in the bottom of the second with a single to left. Jack moved him over with a single of his own, and Micah drove him in with a single up the middle. The Wings were on the board first. 1-0.

Top of the third. Jack continued to throw dominant stuff, and struck out the side. Nothing fancy, just fastballs. Hard. Low in the zone. Untouchable.

In the Wings' third, Drew sparked a rally with a one-out single hit hard to left. Eric singled next on a line-drive to right, and the Wings had two aboard with one out. Tom jumped on a fastball in and hit a rocket, but it found the glove of the Express shortstop. Will hit a shot up the middle, but the pitcher made a nifty snag to end the inning. Can't do anything about great defense. Still 1-0, Wings.

Top of the fourth. Jack stayed in his grove and retired the side in order. He would finish his start with four shut-out innings, striking out 8 and allowing only one base runner on a walk in the first. A masterpiece.

Parker led off the bottom half of the fourth with a single. Jack walked. Two on with nobody out for Alejandro. The team leader in walks, Alejandro simply had refused all season to be tempted by anything out of the zone. Excellent plate discipline. But, when challenged in the zone, he also knew how to respond. He took a big cut at a fastball over the heart of the plate and launched it into left center field for an RBI single. Wings were now up by 2. Josh would move Alejandro to second with a hard shot up the first base line. Unfortunately the Express first baseman would beat him to the bag by a quarter step. A great hustle, though. Micah then drove in one more with a single to left to put the Wings up by 3. Alex put himself on for the second time tonight with a single up the middle to put runners on the corners with two gone. Ken knocked one hard up the first base line, but the first baseman got to it and stepped on the bag to end the inning. Wings 3, Express 0.

The Express were bound to strike back, and with the top of their order due up in the fifth, the time seemed to be right. Tom came out to relieve Jack. The flamethrower had his usual stuff, but the Express were patient and worked two walks. Then their clean-up hitter sent a 2-2 fastball to the gap in left center for a double that scored two. The Wings sent Will to the hill next. He got the first batter he faced to ground up the middle. Ranging left, Eric had to dive to get his glove on it. Then, quick to his feet, he made a dash to the bag at first. The runner beat him by a hair, but the play was the very definition of hustle. A run scored, and the game was tied. Will battled valiantly, though, and struck out the next three to get the Wings out of the inning.

3-3 after four and a half.

This was familiar territory for Red Wings. They needed a late-inning rally to beat the Knights in the first round and the Mets in the second round. They would need to come back again tonight in order to come out ahead and advance to the AA Championship Game.

Noah, as always, understood the situation perfectly. He needed to make the pitcher work. Trouble was, the pitcher was throwing strikes, so Noah knew he couldn't work the count. Instead, he decided to swing away. Smart. With a 1-2 count, he fouled off three in a row and then sent the next one into left field for a double. A brilliant at-bat! Next, Drew would be hit by a pitch, and Eric would walk to load the bases for Tom. Tom took a big cut at the first pitch he saw and sent it past the shortstop into left field for a 2-run double. The Wings were back on top 5-3. There would be more. Will walked to set the table for Parker. Parker sent one up the first base line. The first baseman was there to make the play, but another run scored making it 6-3, Wings. With two outs, Josh would single, but since he was the ninth batter, the inning would be over.

Will returned to record the save in the top of the sixth. He shut the lights out, retiring three of four batters faced and ushering his team along to the Needham Little League AA Championship Game. 6-3 was the final score.

Congratulations to the Red Wings for a very exciting playoff run! We have now earned the chance to play for the Needham Little League title next Saturday at Greene's.

Tonight's win was typical Red Wings baseball. Every single player made good contact at the plate against some very strong Express pitching. We were consistently solid in the field, and our pitching, as usual, was excellent. Clutch hitting and our never-give-up attitude helped us overcome a tough Express rally late in the game. The coaches could not be more proud of our guys for hanging in there.

The game ball went to Jack. Four innings of shut-out, no hit pitching, outstanding play at first base, and a perfect night at the plate--1 for 1 with 2 walks and a run scored. The Hustle Award went to Eric for his spectacular stop at second base and tremendous effort to get to the bag at first.

The Red Wings will take on the Owlz for the AA Championship this Saturday, June 18 6:00 at Greene's. This will be a lot of fun!

Wings Advance on Usual Formula: Pitching, Defense, Clutch Hitting

In their previous match-up, the Red Wings were all over the Mets 13-2. The Mets had played three games in four days, and by the time they took the field to face the Wings, they had burned through their pitching staff. This time around, both the Mets and the Red Wings would have all of their pitchers rested and available. Rumors had been circulating throughout AA ballparks of a lights-out righty on the Mets' staff who, late in the season, had been shutting down some of the best hitters in the league.  He had been dominant in the Mets' 6-0 first round victory. The Red Wings knew this would be a very different kind of game than their first meeting.

Red Wings starting pitcher Eric came out throwing fire and struck out the Mets' leadoff guy. But a lineup like the Mets was not going to go down quietly. The next two batters would single. A couple more would earn walks. Eric showed good poise to strike out two more and kill the rally, limiting the Mets to only two runs.

In the Wings' half of the first, Tom singled on a hard shot to left. The left fielder made a good stop and throw to hold Tom at first. Will walked to put two on with one out. But the Wings' threat would end there. The Mets' starter was throwing dominant stuff, and he had great support in the field behind him.

2-0, Mets after one.

The Wings looked to work the count and make the Mets' fireballer throw as many pitches as possible. Easier said than done, but Alejandro put in an outstanding effort, laying off what looked to him like ball four after forcing 7 pitches. Strike was called, but this is exactly the kind of at-bat the Red Wings needed from him. Josh also worked the count full, fouled one off, and then connected to send one up the middle. The pitcher got a glove on it and fired to first to end the inning. The Wings did not put any runs up but smart at-bats forced many more pitches than the Mets would have liked.

Still down 2-0, Will took the mound for the Wings in the third, and he was sharp. Very sharp. He struck out the heart of the Mets' order--an inning of backwards Ks.

In the bottom of the third, Micah knocked one up the middle, but the pitcher put leather on it and he was out at first. With one out, Alex singled to left, and it looked like the Wings might get something going. Noah stepped in and worked the count full. Like Alejandro's at-bat an inning earlier, this one was an epic battle. Strike three was on the outside corner. Noah had to swing. He did what he could to put wood on it, but it was a very tough pitch. Noah succeeded in making the Mets' starter work, though, and the Wings' dugout could sense that he was starting to tire. Drew would make him work again, forcing six pitches, and even though he went down swinging, he did his part to set the Wings up for a big fourth.

Will owned the top of the fourth, striking out the side again and leaving no daylight for the Mets to pick up any insurance on their slim 2-run lead. He finished with 6 Ks over two innings of no-hit, shut-out ball.

Will was on fire at the plate as well. With two out in the bottom of the fourth, he ripped the first pitch he saw and sent it to deep left field for a double. With the way the Mets' starter had been pitching, their 2-run lead had looked more like a 10-run lead, but with one swing of the bat, Will brought the mighty Mets right back down to earth. A tense silence fell over their dugout as Sam stepped in. Yes, Sammy Whammy, Grand Sam, the Big Bang, Mr. Clutch. Sam fell behind 1-2, fouled one off, took a ball low, and then took a big swing at a 2-2 fastball. He crushed it, launching it over the shortstop into gap in left center--an RBI double, and the Wings were on the board, 2-1. With the tying run on second, Parker, who has been on an absolute tear during the second half of the season, drove the first pitch he saw over the head of the center fielder, way back and nearly onto the playground. A triple to score Sam and tie the game. The Wings' dugout erupted, but the inning wasn't over yet. Jack was not satisfied just to tie the game. He wanted to win it right then and there and proceeded to send the 1-0 pitch into left field for a single and what would be the winning run. Wings 3, Mets 2.

For Jack, a job well done at the plate, but there was still the business of protecting the Wings' lead for two more innings. That would be Jack's job, too. The closer took the mound in the fifth and struck out the side with 12 pitches. He had dominant stuff working for him and looked quite comfortable with a 1-run lead in his pocket.

The Wings went hunting for insurance in their half of the fifth. Josh walked to put himself on with nobody out. Micah would work a walk as well, and the Wings were threatening. Alex hit a hard line drive to short, but the Mets' shortstop was there to make the catch. Noah would walk, too, but with the bases loaded, the Mets' reliever got himself and his team out of the jam. 3-2 Wings going into the sixth.

The game was now in Jack's hands as he stared in at the heart of the Mets' order. He was throwing a searing fastball and locating it, and the Mets couldn't touch him. He struck out the side, all three looking, on 13 pitches for the save and the win.

The final score: Red Wings 3, Mets 2.

Another hard-fought win for the Red Wings and a great effort all around. The game ball went to Parker for his heroics at the plate. He tied the game with a triple in the fourth and then scored the winning run. The Hustle Award went to Noah for working the count in the third and doing his part to force as many pitches as possible out of the hard-throwing Mets starter.

With the win tonight, the Red Wings advance to the National Division Championship Game Monday at Eliot. We will be playing for the National Division title and a chance to play for the Needham Little League AA Championship next Saturday, June 18. We will take on the Express, with their arsenal of hard-throwing pitchers and punishing lineup. This will be a lot of fun!

Practice Moved to Tonight 6:00 at Eliot

The Red Wings' practice has moved to tonight, 6:00 at Eliot. I apologize for the inconvenience and really appreciate your continued flexibility and patience.

Wings Survive Surging Knights

The Charlotte Knights are living proof that a team's win-loss record means absolutely nothing once you take the diamond. Last week, the 10-1 Red Wings barely outlasted the 1-10 Knights in a 7-6 tug-of-war. Now they would meet again in the first round of the playoffs, with the Cinderella Knights poised for the upset of the year.

But Red Wings starting pitcher Tom wanted nothing to do with that storyline. After giving up two full count walks to start the inning, Tom settled in to strike out the side on 9 pitches. He seemed to have kicked the playoff jitters and found the strike zone. And he had a blazing fastball working for him.

The Knights would send a flame-thrower of their own in the bottom half, and the Wings were unable to get anything going with the top of their order in the first.

No score after one.

Top of the second, Tom struck out two and got the third to ground softly to first, where Jack scooped and stepped on the bag to end the inning.

Parker led off the Wings' half of the second with a monster shot to the gap in left center. He absolutely crushed it and sent it almost all the way onto the Eliot playground. The center fielder got to it eventually and made a great throw in to hold Parker at third. A leadoff triple. Josh brought Parker in with a shot up the middle for a single. Wings 1, Knights 0.

Tom struck out two looking and got another to ground softly again to Jack at first to retire the side in the top of the third. Tom would finish with 3 shutout innings and 7 Ks.

In the Wings' half of the third, Ken launched one into center field, a one-out single. Micah filled the count and fouled one off. Then another. Then another. Nine pitches into the at-bat, he took a cut at a fastball low in the zone, a great pitch. He would go down swinging, but what a battle! With two gone, Ken would move into scoring position on a single off the bat of Eric. Tom hit one hot to the shortstop who threw to get the force at third to end the inning. A lot of fireworks, but no runs. Still 1-0, Wings.

The Knights would put together some fine hitting in the fourth. Will entered the game in relief with one out, two in, and the bases loaded. He did well to strike out two of three batters faced and get the Wings out of a tough fourth inning. When the dust finally cleared, the Knights would have the lead, 3-1.

Perhaps an upset was in the making after all. The Wings certainly expected a tough game, but I don't think anybody expected to be down by two this late. They were determined to chip away, though, and battle their way back into it. Not a single player in the Red Wings' dugout was ready to give up.

Will worked a lead-off walk in the bottom of the fourth. Sam hit a hard line drive, but it found the glove of the Knights' third baseman. One away. With one on, Jack worked a walk and moved Will into scoring position for red-hot Parker. Parker smashed one that should have got through into left field, but the Knights' shortstop made a spectacular stop and got the lead runner at third. Two down. The inning now rested on the capable shoulders of Alejandro. Alejandro knew he had to be patient and lay off any pitch he could. That's exactly what he did, and worked a walk to keep the inning alive for Josh. With two outs and the bases loaded, Josh connected on a fastball over the heart of the plate. He hit it hard, but that pesky Knights' shortstop put leather on it to get his team out of a huge jam. The Knights' dugout erupted. No damage, and the score remained 3-1, Knights.

Will returned to pitch the fifth and was spectacular. In one of the most dominant single innings of pitching we have seen this year, Will struck out the side, all looking, with 10 pitches. Note to any Red Wings' opponent: don't make this guy mad.

Bottom of the fifth. Red Wings still down by 2. Drew would lead off. The Wings needed something--anything--to get them started. Drew was the man to do it. He took a big swing at a 2-1 fastball and sent it over the head of the second baseman. He was on with a single and nobody out. Alex would move Drew into scoring position with a walk, Noah would earn another free pass, and just like that the bases were loaded for Ken. Ken looked at one and then sent the next up the middle for an RBI single. 3-2, Knights. The Wings were clawing their way back into it, but with two out there was no room for error. A perfect situation for leadoff man Eric, who knows how to work the count and get on base. He took strike one and then three balls. The 3-1 pitch was close. Ball four, take your base! called the umpire, and the Wings' dugout exploded with cheers. Tie game! And there would be more. Tom walked in another run, Will singled in two more, and then Sam, the ninth batter, rocketed a triple into left field that scored another. Six runs in all, and the Wings were on top to stay, 7-3.

Jack came out in the sixth to close, struck out the side, and put round one of the playoffs in the books. The Red Wings would earn a trip to the semifinals, where we are set to take on the Mets this Friday at Eliot.

Tonight's game ball and Hustle Award went to... The whole Red Wings team! Every game is a team effort, but this one relied on every single player doing his job to swing at good pitches and lay off pitches out of the zone, to get on base and keep the line moving, to get outs and keep the Knights off the scoreboard, and to make smart decisions on the base paths. Most importantly, tonight's win was only possible because nobody--not a single Red Wings player--gave up when we were down late in the game. Congratulations to the Rochester Red Wings!

Wings Finish Regular Season Strong, Ready for Playoffs

The Mudcats had put on a hitting clinic in their previous game, a 16-14 slugfest over the second-place Diamond Jaxx, who feature some of the best pitching in the league. 16 runs! The Red Wings knew they would have their hands full at Greene's Field tonight.

Leadoff man Eric came to the plate to get things started. He worked a walk, and so would Tom and Will to set the table for Sam. The Wings' dugout filled the air with chants of "Grand Sam!" and "Sammy Whammy!" Sam took two big swings and made good contact on the third to drive in Eric and put Wings on the board early. Unfortunately, Sam would be out at first as a result of some excellent Mudcat defense. Jack walked to load the bases again for Parker, who walked in another run. 2-0, Red Wings, with one down in the first. Bases loaded. Alejandro stepped in next. He connected with the first pitch scoring Will from third to make it 3-0, Wings. Alejandro was out at first as the pitcher was somehow able to put his glove on his shot up the middle, but it was a great effort to drive in the run. Runners on second and third and two out for Josh, who came out first-pitch swinging and knocked one into center field for a 2-run single. Wings 5, Mudcats 0. Up next was Drew. JD took three balls and then clocked one to to left field. The third baseman made a good catch, though, to end the inning.

Starting pitcher Will took the mound with a 5-run lead to preserve.  After a leadoff single, he settled in to strike out the side, two looking and one swinging. A quick, efficient inning for Will. His fastball had great velocity and he seemed to be commanding it with ease.

5-0, Red Wings after one.

Alex, fresh off a two-hit performance earlier in the week, stepped in to lead off the top of the second. He worked a full count. The payoff pitch was a fastball over the outside portion of the plate and down in the zone. A very tough pitch and probably unhittable, but with two strikes, he knew he had to swing. A good, smart at-bat. Noah would do battle next. He wasted no time, swinging at the first pitch he saw and launching it into center field for a single. With one on and one out, Ken shot one up the middle. It was red hot, but the pitcher got leather on it and fired to first. It was a productive out, moving Noah into scoring position for Micah who got all of a fastball and smashed it into left field for a single. Unfortunately, though, some good Mudcat pitching cut the rally short there, and the Wings were unable to get any across the plate.

Will returned to the hill for the bottom of the second and promptly fanned the side. 3 Ks, 14 pitches in the inning. Nobody could touch him.

Still 5-0 in the top of the third. Tom launched a rocket to right, but the right fielder was there and made the catch. One down. Will then singled to left. One on, one out for Sam, who absolutely crushed one to deep, deep left center. Every fan in the stands was thinking four bags at the crack of the bat, and so was Sam. He rounded third and the throw came in--what a throw! Sam slid into home and the umpire made the call through a cloud of dust. "Out!" A great hit for Sam, a great throw from center field, and a great play by the Mudcats catcher. Good baseball all around. Will scored ahead of Sam to make it 6-0, Wings.

Will made quick work of the Mudcats again in the bottom of the third. He got one to pop up to the mound, and got some excellent defensive support from Eric at second base for another. The lefty second baseman backhanded a hard ground ball and threw to Sam at first for the out. These guys were making it look easy. The last out was all Will, a four-pitch K to complete three scoreless innings. Will had 7 Ks on the night, very consistent mechanics, and an untouchable fastball working for him. An excellent outing for the young hurler.

The Mudcats pitcher retired the Wings in order in the top of the fourth. In the bottom half, the Wings sent Parker to the mound. He got one to ground softly to first where Jack recorded the unassisted out. He struck out two others. No threat in the fourth as Parker continued to exhibit dominant stuff.

Top of the fifth. Drew led off. With a full count, he clocked one, straight up the middle, for a single. This guy is seeing the ball very well these days, taking good swings, and it's paying off for the Red Wings. With a runner on first and two out, Ken took a big swing at the first pitch. He sent it hard up the first base line, but the Mudcats first baseman got a glove on it and put an end to the inning.

The bottom of the fifth would belong to Tom. He struck out one, fielded a chopper to the mound and threw to first for another, and got the third looking. His fastball had excellent velocity and he was commanding. One more shutout inning for the Wings.

With two on in the top of the sixth Tom would contribute at the plate as well. He put good wood on the first pitch and crushed it--all the way back to the fence in center field, a 2-RBI triple for the young slugger. Will followed with a double that he sent deep to left field. Tom would score, putting the Wings up 9-0.

Closer Jack came out to seal the deal in the last of the sixth. He struck out the side looking to put the exclamation mark on a very successful 10-1 regular season for the Red Wings.

Tonight's game ball went to Will, who pitched three shutout innings and was perfect at the plate: 2-2, 2B, BB, RBI, 2 runs scored. The Hustle Award went to Parker for his outstanding baserunning in the first inning. Caught in a pickle between second and third, he retreated to force the throw to second and then made a break for third. The shortstop overthrew third and he was safe. Textbook.

The playoffs begin on Sunday. The Red Wings take on the Knights, 2:00 at Eliot. The Knights nearly handed the Red Wings our second loss of the season, taking us all the way to the wire in a tight 7-6 nail-biter earlier this week. Forget the regular season records. Everybody's 0-0 to start the playoffs. This game will be tough.

Wings Squeak by Knights

The Charlotte Knights had won only one game so far this season but had lost an unbelievable series of one-run or two-run  heartbreakers to the league's best. The perpetual not-quite David to the Goliaths of the National Division, the plucky Knights had to believe that maybe, just maybe, the Law of Averages would favor them this time around.

But Red Wings starting pitcher Micah didn't believe in any Law of Averages. All he believed in was throwing strikes. Which is exactly what he did to retire the first three batters he faced. He struck out the first two looking and got the third to pop up to short where Will made the catch to end the inning.

The Knights returned the favor in the bottom of the first, and we had a pitchers' duel on our hands.

In the top of the second, Micah got the first batter he faced to ground softly to the mound. He scooped it up and fired to first baseman Jack for the out. Micah got the next batter to do the same but took care of business himself and tagged the runner for the unassisted out. He closed out the inning with a four-pitch backwards K. All told, Micah struck out three, allowed only one baserunner, and zero runs, while throwing a grand total of 22 pitches over two innings of work. Not a bad day at the office.

Parker led off the second for the Wings. He'd been swinging a hot bat over the last three or four games and he was not about to cool off tonight. He sent the second pitch he saw into center field for a single. Jack went back-to-back with a single to right. Alejandro was hit by a pitch, and just like that the Wings had the bases loaded with nobody out. Josh was more than happy to cash the check, cranking the second pitch of his at-bat into center field for a single. Parker would score from third, and the Wings were on the board first. "JD" Drew was up next. He looked ready to crush one. And crush one he did! Right over the third base line and in the air to deep left field. It looked fair from the Red Wings dugout, but unfortunately the Red Wings dugout did not have the authority to make the call. "Foul ball!" was the call from the umpire. Had it been fair, it would have cleared the bases. No such luck this time. Noah's shot to right field did stay fair for a single and it brought in another run. Next, Ken shot one up the middle, but the Knights' pitcher made a great play to knock it down and fire to first to end the inning. 2-0, Wings after two.

Josh came out of the Red Wings bullpen in the third. He proceeded to strike out the side with great command of his fastball. His third K was most impressive--a four-pitch affair in which the batter looked at strike three buzzing flat, low in the zone, and straight over the plate. Just a beautiful pitch.

Micah lit the fuse in the third with a single to left. He knew he would not have a chance to hang out there at first base for long as he watched Sam step into the box. Watching Sam step in is like watching Big Papi step in. You just know something big's going to happen. Something big did happen: Sam launched an RBI triple to deep right center. An absolute bomb. 3-0, Wings. Still nobody out. Tom walked. Will singled to bring Tom into scoring position and Sam across the plate. 4-0, Wings. Tom would score from second on a productive ground ball off the bat of Parker and some gutsy baserunning. 5-0, Wings.

Jack took the hill in the fourth, and he struck out the side with 10 pitches. Dominant stuff from the flame-throwing righty.

The Wings went down in order, and the score remained 5-0 through four.

The Wings seemed to be cruising until the fifth when the Law of Averages reared its ugly head. The Knights are just too good a team to put up five 0s in a row. The Wings sent Alex out to pitch the fifth and contend with the top of the Knights' order. A combination of great hitting and several costly errors in the field put the Knights right back in the game, and then in command of the game with a 6-5 lead. Alex needed to find a way to stop the bleeding. The crafty right-hander got one batter to ground to short where Parker made a great throw for the out at first. Then, he ended the inning with a dramatic six-pitch strikeout. Alex did well to limit the damage to six runs and keep his team in it.

Bottom of the fifth and down by one, the Wings needed a run. Noah led off and was hit by the first pitch. Micah was also hit, and the Wings had two on with one out. And who would step to the plate next? None other than Sam, Sammy Whammy, King of the Clutch. Darn right he would deliver--a shot in the air to deep center field. He was thinking extra bases right out of the box and rounded first, but a great throw in to second from the center fielder forced him to retreat. That didn't matter, though. Noah scored from second, and Micah, with a phenomenal bit of hustle and excellent baserunning instincts, took off from first and never looked back. He beat the throw to the plate and the Red Wings' dugout erupted in cheers. Sam's 2-RBI single put the Wings back on top 7-6.

With a slim one-run lead, the Wings sent Parker to the mound to close it out. The hard-throwing righty took care of business, striking out two and getting one to ground to Jack at shortstop who executed a flawless 6-3 put-out. Three quick outs for the save.

After a tough fifth inning in the field, when a 5-0 vanished before their eyes, the Red Wings refused to give up. They believed in themselves, they were confident, they did not panic. Each player just went out and did his job the best he could. The rest took care of itself. A very exciting win for the Red Wings.

There were many heroes tonight. Sam, with his clutch hitting yet again. Parker with his dramatic save. But the winning run was all about Micah's speed and smarts on the bases. Micah also shut down a very good Knights lineup for two scoreless innings as our starting pitcher. Tonight's game ball went to Micah. The Habit Award was also his for his hustle and courage on the base paths.

With the win tonight, the Red Wings clinched the top seed in the playoff tournament. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, though, we have one more regular season game against an excellent Mudcats squad on Thursday at Greene's.

Possible Playoff Scenario

The Red Wings have two regular season games left to play, as does most of the rest of the league, so it's too early to be certain of our playoff schedule, but if the regular season were to end today with the National Division standings remaining as they are, the Red Wings would be the first seed in the playoff tournament. Here's how this scenario could play out:

National Division First Round
Knights at Red Wings
Sunday, June 5 2:00-4:00 PM
Eliot

If the Red Wings win...

Practice
Tuesday, June 7 6:00 PM
Eliot

National Division Semi-Finals
Hot Rods or Iron Pigs at Red Wings
Friday, June 10 6:00 PM
Eliot


If the Red Wings win...

Practice

Saturday, June 11 12:00-2:00 PM

Eliot

National Division Championship Game

??? at Red Wings

Monday, June 13 6:00 PM

Eliot

If the Red Wings win...

Practices

Two or three nights between Tuesday, June 14 and Friday, June 17  5:30-7:30 PM

Eliot

Little League AA Championship Game

??? at Red Wings

Saturday, June 18 6:00 PM

Greene's

If the Red Wings win...

March in 4th of July Parade

There will also be a AA All-Star Game Monday, June 20 6:00 PM at Greene's. 

Very important note: I am putting this scenario out there only to provide some advanced notice to help families with scheduling and planning. I do not want the boys to be talking or even thinking about the AA Championship Game, the 4th of July Parade or even our first round game right now. That would be getting way, way ahead of ourselves. The Red Wings are a good team and we've had a successful regular season, but there are lots of other good teams who have had successful regular seasons.  And there are always a few surprises in the playoffs--teams that did not seem very strong suddenly start to come together and play at a different level in the playoffs. We should take nothing for granted. We could very easily lose in the first round. If we do, I will be perfectly happy with the way this season has gone. We've had a lot of fun, learned a lot, made new friends--everything that Little League baseball is about. The playoffs, as far as I'm concerned, are icing on the cake. The games are more competitive in the playoffs, and the players get more intense--I won't pretend otherwise--but it still has to be about fun. That's the only reason we play this game. 

So, whenever the opportunity arises, please try to manage the boys' hype and expectations around the playoffs. For example, when Tom says, "Dad, we're going to dominate the playoffs!" I usually say something like this: "There are lots of good teams just like us, some that have improved a lot since we played them, and some excellent teams we didn't play yet. We'll work hard, do our best, and have fun with it. If we win, we win. If we lose, we lose. Who cares. I'm just glad we get to play some more baseball." Mostly, I want to avoid setting the guys up for a major disappointment if we lose and keep them focused on what's most important: work hard, do your best, have fun.

Wings Battle Back to Beat Express

The talented Rock Round Express, in third place with a 4-3 record, were looking to improve to 5-3 and gain a game on the second place Diamond Jaxx, who dropped a close one to the Mudcats earlier Monday morning.

But they would have to get past starting pitcher Eric and his red-hot Red Wings first. After a leadoff single, it was smooth sailing for Eric in the top of the first. He struck out the next two and got the third to fly out to center field, where Micah made a nice grab on the run to end the inning.

The Wings could not get anything going in the bottom half. No score after one.

In the second, Eric struck out one and got some excellent defensive support for the other two. The second batter of the inning hit a long single and tried to stretch it to two. The runner on second, however, did not move to third, so he had to retreat to first. Seeing this develop, Noah, the quick-thinking catcher, after backing up the throw to the mound, fired to first for the out. This was just smart baseball. The final out of the inning was a fly ball to Parker at shortstop. He was screened by the runner moving to third, so he had to move out of position and then back underneath to make the catch. Not an easy play, but Parker managed to haul it in. The Express got one in, though, and were up 1-0 after one and a half.

That lead would not last as the Wings put together a very productive second inning. Jack cranked a leadoff double. Parker knocked him in with a double of his own. Tie game. But the Wings were hungry for more. Alex would make it back-to-back-to-back doubles with a shot up the middle that scored Parker, and the Wings would take a 2-1 lead. Alejandro and Drew both worked two-out walks to keep the line moving and put runners on first and second. Alejandro's walk would prove costly for the Express when Noah launched a deep single to left. Showing some blazing speed on the basepaths, Alejandro scored from second to make it 3-1, Wings.

But the Express would claw their way back in it, putting up two runs in their half of the third. After three, it was all tied up at 3 runs apiece. Eric did his job well tonight, eating up innings and putting the Wings in a good position to win. The Wings' starter struck out five and scattered three hits over three innings.

The Wings would regain control of the game in the bottom of the third. Eric, Tom, and Will put together three consecutive walks to load the bases for Sam. Yes "Grand" Sam, Sammy Whammy, The Big Bang--whatever you want to call him. He hit a rocket to deep left, a 2-RBI double, and with one swing of the bat the Wings were back on top 5-3. Jack would join the party next and single in Sam. 6-3, Wings. Parker would send another bomb to deep left field for a double and bring in Jack. In all, this Wings' rally produced 4 runs and gave the Wings a 7-3 lead.

Noah came out to pitch the top of the fourth and he was throwing bullets. He struck out one and benefited from a play you'll see on Sports Center for weeks to come. Third baseman Eric ran down a shallow infield fly, made the catch, then immediately turned and sprinted for the bag. Great instincts. The runner had indeed left third but was only a few steps toward home. Eric turned on the jets and beat the runner back to third for the unassisted double play. It's impressive enough to have the presence of mind to look back to third after running down the shallow pop-up. But Eric also had the speed to cover the check his brain had written. Brilliant baseball!

Micah made some noise in the bottom of the fourth with an infield single and a great hustle up the line. Unfortunately he would be stranded there. Still 7-3, Wings after four.

Will would come out of the bullpen for the fifth. The Express are still wondering what hit them. He attacked the zone from the first pitch, striking out their clean-up hitter in dramatic fashion. After filling the count, he watched strike three, a blazing fastball about knee-high. Will got the next one looking and then fanned another to bring the Wings an inning closer to victory.

Sam launched a gargantuan triple to deep left center in the fifth. It was a beauty. But, unfortunately that was all the Red Wings could muster, and Sam was stranded at third.

Top of the sixth. 7-3, Wings. It was up to closer Jack to put this one in the books. It would take him only 12 pitches to retire the side--in order, three Ks, two backwards. This is the definition of "lights out." He was supported by some excellent work behind the plate by Josh who offered a steady target for two innings (catching for Will as well) and putting his glove on nearly every pitch.

7-3 was the final. This was classic Red Wings baseball: pitching, defense, and clutch hitting. Speaking of clutch hitting, tonight's game ball went to Sam, whose 2-RBI double in the third put the Wings on top for good. The Habit Award went to second baseman Tom for being down for every pitch.

Tomorrow night, the Knights come to Newman. Beware! They are a much better team than their 1-8 record indicates. These guys will be tough.

Wings Firing on All Cylinders

The Rockhounds' offensive juggernaut had put up more than their share of crooked numbers, and a peek at their lineup Friday night would indicate that they were not ready to slow down anytime soon. Their 2-4 record did not do justice to the hurt they have put on opposing pitchers. Just ask the Charlotte Knights, who two nights earlier were on the receiving end of 10 Rockhound runs.

After a rainout on Monday and a hard-fought loss on Wednesday, the Red Wings were eager to return to the diamond. Did they have an answer for the stacked Rockhound lineup? Were they ready to light some fireworks of their own?

Leadoff hitter Eric looked ready. The switch hitter, now batting righty, dug in, took ball one, and then was hit by a pitch. The look on his face was not one of pain but disappointment. He wanted to crush the ball, but instead he would have to settle for a free trip to first base. Once he found his familiar spot at the south corner, though, it was all good. He's all about helping the team any way he can.

With on one and nobody out, Tom worked a full count. The payoff pitch was a fastball right in his wheelhouse, and he got all of it, sending it clear back to the basketball court behind the left field stands. The two-run homer put the Wings on top 2-0.

The Wings sent Tom to the hill in the bottom of the first. He struck out the first batter but put himself in a jam with three consecutive walks. He was throwing fire but pitching into deep counts until he settled down, found his command, and struck out two in a row to end the inning and escape without damage. Two Ks in a row would become 8 Ks in a row as Tom would strike out the side in the second and third innings and keep the Hounds off the board through three.

The Red Wings put together a big inning in the second. Ken worked a leadoff walk. With one on and one out, Eric, batting righty again, turned on a fastball and hit a laser shot to left field that was good for a double. Runners on second and third for Tom. With a rip up the third base line, Tom brought in Ken. 3-0, Wings, with runners on the corners. Will rocketed a 2-run triple to deep left field, his team-leading third triple of the season. That brought Jack to the plate. Jack sent the 0-1 pitch up the middle for a single, scoring Will. Four runs in, two outs, and one on for the hot-hitting Parker. Parker looked at two strikes, took a big swing at the third, and hit the cover off it. It was a beauty, traveling all the way past the fans in left center and rolling across the pavement of the basketball court. A two-run dinger for Parker put the Wings up 8-0.

Still 8-0 in the top of the third, Alex led off smashing a single up the third base line. He would reach third on a  single off the bat of Tom but would be stranded there.

Parker and Josh would both single to put two on with one out in the fourth, but the Hounds' pitcher would work out of the jam. Still 8-0.

Josh took the mound in the bottom of the fourth. He was sharp in his first inning of work this season two days earlier. Today, he looked even better. He got one to ground to second, where Will made a nice backhanded stop and fired to first for the out. He struck out another, and got another to ground to second again where Will threw to Parker covering the bag for the force. These guys were putting on an infield clinic, and Josh took care of business on the mound to preserve the comfortable 8-1 lead.

The Wings went down in order in the top of the fifth. Josh returned for the bottom half, and struck out the first batter he faced with three pitches. Jack came in to relieve Josh and closed out the inning with two consecutive Ks on a grand total of 7 pitches.

After five, it was 8-3, Wings. But the Wings wanted more in the sixth. Tom walked, Will singled, and Jack walked to load the bases with nobody out for Parker, who singled in two runs to put the Wings up by 7. Josh would bring in another run with a hot ground ball to the second baseman, who made a good play to put a glove on it. Josh nearly beat the throw with a great hustle up the line. Alejandro then worked the count full and fouled two off. He laid off ball four and worked another walk to keep the inning alive. Alejandro has been beating pitchers with his eye--swinging only a good pitches--but by the looks of his swing, he will soon be beating pitchers with his bat, too. Alex stepped in next and hit a hard shot up the middle for a single, his second of the night. This kid's making great contact. Alex would score on a long single that Ken absolutely crushed. This ball traveled to deep left center, but the center fielder made a great throw to get it in, and Ken was forced to hold up at first. Can't argue with an RBI single, though. Drew was poised to add another when he came out swinging at the first pitch. He hit it hard, a line drive right up the middle. With a ball hit this hard, you're thinking extra bases right out of the box. Unfortunately, the Hounds' second baseman made a great play to get to it and knock it down. He made a good throw to first, barely beating a good hustle by Drew. Robbed.

But the Wings put 4 up in the sixth, and found themselves with a healthy 12-3 lead.

The Wings sent Eric, the lefty, to close the game. This was not a save opportunity, but Eric had not had much work of late due to the rain and schedule conflicts, so it was good to get him throwing some. He grew sharper as the inning progressed, and struck out the last two batters he faced with seven pitches. Dominant stuff there at the end.

Final score: Wings 12, Hounds 4.

Everything seemed to be working well for the Wings tonight. The pitching was effective across the board, the bats were producing, and the fielding was superb. An excellent all-around team effort.

The game ball went to Josh, who has made great strides as a pitcher in just a few short days. He ate up the middle innings for us tonight and improved his mechanics and velocity considerably as the game went on. He also contributed at the plate going 1-2, with two walks and an RBI. Drew earned the Habit Award for being down for every pitch in the infield.

The Red Wings take on the Express next, 6:00 on Monday with an optional batting beginning at 5:00.

Optional Batting Practice Added Before Monday Night's Make-up v. Express

The Red Wings have reserved Eliot Field for the two hours prior to our showdown v. the Express on Monday night.

We will hold an optional batting practice from 5:00 to 5:30 and then at 5:30 we will continue with our regular warm-up routine.

The field belongs to the Red Wings for the entire 4:00-6:00 time slot on Monday, so if you want to arrive even earlier and work in some infield, batting, or pitching reps, feel free. I will arrive at 5:00 to lead the batting practice.

With the rain and all the make-up games, we have not been able to take advantage of our originally scheduled weekend practice times. I figured it might make sense to squeeze in some extra batting practice for those who want to take some swings with a coach around. If you can't make it, no worries at all.

Pigs End Wings' Streak

On paper, the Iron Pigs at 0-4 seemed an unlikely candidate to spoil the Red Wings' bid for a perfect regular season. But baseball games aren't played on paper. What counts is how you swing the bat, throw the ball, catch the ball, and run the bases. The Iron Pigs showed up at Newman ready to do all of that--and do it well.

The Red Wings would have to begin the game with only eight players. Four more were expected to arrive after they finished up a soccer tryout. They would eventually trot down the hill at Newman with an inning and a half left to play, but for most of this one, the Wings would have to play a man down.

Top of the first, the Iron Pigs came out swinging and loaded the bases with three consecutive singles. A fourth single brought in a run, but Wings starting pitcher Parker would settle in to retire the next three batters, two with a backwards K and one at the plate to end the inning and save a second run. Catcher Noah was alert and in position to make the catch and get the force. Parker did well to limit the damage to one run.

Alex led off for the Wings and ripped one up the third base line. It was a hard shot, but the third baseman made a nice grab and threw across the diamond to get Alex by half a step at first. Two batters later Parker singled up the middle. One on and two out for Sam. The slugger was swinging for the Newman Woods and got a good chunk of one, but the Pigs' pitcher got a glove on it to end the inning. 1-0, Pigs.

The Pigs put two on in the top of the second, but once again Parker battled, retiring the next three batters to nail the inning shut. He had some good infield support from Alex at second base, who scooped and stepped on the bag to get the force at second for out number two.

Alejandro worked a full-count walk in the bottom of the second with two outs. Ken showed good patience and  battled to a full count as well but went down swinging at a tough shoulder-high fastball. Still 1-0, Pigs.

Parker pitched to two batters in the third, the last one going down looking at a searing fastball. That would be the end of Parker's outing. It was a good night for the young hurler: 4 Ks while allowing only one run to cross the plate. His mechanics were consistent through more than 60 pitches and he had great velocity.

Josh came out of the bullpen (first base, actually) to relieve Parker and quickly went to work on the middle of the Iron Pigs' order. He got one to ground softly to short and another to ground softly to the mound. Josh charged it. Noah called for the throw home, which was right on target, and Noah was able to lay down the tag. Inning over.

The Pigs did manage to get one in, though. 2-0, Pigs after two and a half.

The Wings were back to the top of the order in the third. Alex led off and was hit by a pitch. He would score on a double launched by Sam to deep right field. 2-1, Pigs.

Josh returned to the hill for the fourth to face one batter, who he promptly retired on a ground ball to short. Noah came in from second base to relieve Josh and proceeded to pound the zone. He helped his own cause, securing the second out of the inning by tagging a runner half way between third and home. A heads-up play.

The Wings sent Alex in to get the last out of the inning, which he recorded striking out the second batter he faced with three pitches. The Pigs scored twice in the inning before Alex shut the lights out. 4-1, Pigs.

The Wings went down in order in their half of the fourth. Alex took the hill again in the fifth and struck out one before he would give the ball and the game over to Will. It was a solid inning-plus of relief for Alex who struck out two, killed the Iron Pigs rally, and kept the game within reach. The Pigs were up 4-1 when he exited, but it could easily have become a much larger deficit.

The umpire asked Will how many warm-up pitches he needed. "I don't need any," he replied. He was ready, fresh off the soccer pitch where, just moments before, he had been baffling defenders with his crafty footwork. Now, he would try to baffle the Iron Pigs with his humming four-seamer. Will got right down to business and closed out the fifth, retiring the only two batters he faced with impressive efficiency.

The Wings added a run in the bottom of the fifth. Tom walked. Will singled up the middle moving Tom to third. Tom saw the ball had not returned to the pitcher and he took advantage, making a sudden break for home. The throw was not in time and Tom was safe. Very alert baserunning. 4-2, Pigs.

 Will retired the side in order in the sixth and brought the Wings to their final at-bat.

With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Drew dug in. He had been taking beautiful swings all evening--now, he just needed something to drive. After taking a couple of monster swings, he settled down and took three balls in a row. The game was down to the last strike. The Wings' dugout was chanting "J.D! J.D!" Drew looked over and gave a confident smile.

The 3-2 pitch was a good one--good velocity and about chest-high. It was a must-swing situation and Drew took a good swipe at it. Unfortunately, he did not manage to connect this time. Soon, though, this guy's going to knock the cover off of a pitch like that. Just a matter of time.

Final: Iron Pigs 5, Red Wings 2.

Perfect seasons don't happen in baseball. It's just not that kind of game. On any given Wednesday evening, an 8th place team can beat a 1st place team. That's what's great about it.

The eight players who started this game fought hard, stayed focused, and played some very good baseball. As a team, we played better tonight than we have during some of our rather lopsided victories. We didn't end up on top this time, but that's the way it goes. There's still a whole lot of baseball to play this season.

The game ball went to Alex, who recorded some critical outs during the fourth and fifth innings to keep the game close. He also made key contributions at the plate with a single and a run scored.

Our Habit Award went to Josh and Noah. Josh for stepping towards the target on his throw to the plate, and Noah for calling for the ball. They combined to get the out at home, saving a run and getting the Wings out of a difficult third inning.

The Red Wings take on the Rockhounds next, this Friday at Eliot. See you there!

Wings Prevail in Pitcher's Duel

The Bulls and the Red Wings both arrived at Eliot Field last night with a perfect 5-0 record through the first three weeks of the season. The Bulls were atop the American Division by a game, and the Wings were leading the National Division by two. Both teams featured an arsenal of hard-throwing pitchers, exceptional defense, and an impressive group of hitters who had done more than their share of damage to both divisions.

The Bulls were coming off an astounding 20-0 victory the night before. The Red Wings had won their Saturday afternoon game with pitching and defense. This one promised to be a battle for the ages.

One complete inning was already in the books. Back on May 7, our game was interrupted by a thunderstorm at the top of the second inning. Both starting pitchers looked razor-sharp before the rain delay. In the Red Wings' half of the first, Sam and Tom managed to threaten, each rocketing singles up the middle, but the Bulls starter was able to get out of the inning unscathed. The Wings sent Jack to the hill. He displayed a dominant fastball, striking out one and getting two to ground to first where Will recorded the unassisted outs.

Flash forward two weeks, and we were ready to pick up where the Bulls and Wings had left off. Top of the second, no score. Parker led off with a single. The Bulls had their ace on the mound, and he was firing bullets, yet Ken showed great poise and managed to put himself on base with a full-count walk. Two on and two out for Micah. Micah put good wood on the first pitch and smashed a screamer in the general vicinity of the Bulls' shortstop, who amazingly got some leather on it and flipped to third for the force that ended the inning. A lot of excitement, but no runs. Scoreless through one and a half.

Jack would remain the starter for the Wings. He took the hill and promptly got right back to the business of scorching batters with his smoking fastball. He struck out the side with impressive efficiency. Three up, three down. No score through two.

The Bulls retired the Wings in order in the top of the third. Jack struck out the side in the bottom half. No score through three.

Tom stepped in to lead off the top of the fourth. He connected on the first pitch and sent a shot up the middle into center field. It was good for a single. One on, nobody out. Jack worked a walk and Will was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out for Parker. Parker sent a pitch on the outside corner to right, and Tom scored from third. Jack made a good effort to follow Tom but was tagged out on a close play at the plate.

The Wings were on the board, 1-0.

A pair of crack plays at shortstop helped the Red Wings out of the fourth inning. Parker ranged into shallow left field to haul in a fly ball and then lunged for a hard line drive by the next batter. Jack struck out the third looking.

The Red Wings threatened again in the fifth. Alejandro, who seems to be developing a knack for getting on base, worked a leadoff walk. Ken kept the line moving with a full count walk of his own to put two on with nobody out. Micah made very solid contact again, launching a line drive up the middle, but fell victim to some excellent glove work by the Bulls' pitcher. One down. Drew showed great discipline at the plate, laying off three balls and making the pitcher work. With the count full, he took a strike on the outside corner. Two down. It was up to Alex to produce some insurance for the Red Wings. He worked the count full and then hit a laser to the shortstop who made a spectacular backhanded stop and flipped to third to get the force. Inning over. Good at-bats throughout, but the Red Wings could not get anyone across the plate in the fifth, and the score would remain 1-0, Wings.

Three innings of work under his belt (plus the one back on May 7), and Jack was showing so signs of slowing down. In fact his velocity and command seemed to be improving with each inning. Throwing only 13 pitches in the fifth inning, he struck out the heart of the Bulls order and delivered the game into the final inning.

Eric led off the sixth a rocket up the middle, but the pitcher stabbed it and fired to first for the out. The next two batters would go down in order, dashing any hopes of insurance for the Red Wings as they enter the bottom of the sixth.

There was only one question circulating in the Bulls' dugout: who would come out to pitch the sixth? That same question was on the mind of Red Wings managers. There was a slim one-run cushion and no margin for error against the Bulls' powerhouse lineup. Yet, the Wings remained confident. They had reason to be.  Will was warming in the Wings' bullpen with a fastball sharp as a Samurai's blade. Eric, the flame-throwing lefty, was also available. And Jack, who had only thrown 57 pitches, was well under his limit and still exhibiting dominant stuff.  This was every manager's dream: three of the league's best pitchers at your disposal and only one inning left to survive.

It was Jack who got the ball. He had been in a zone all evening--why mess with that? If he ran into trouble or if he reached his pitch count, then we could send Will or Eric to finish the job.

Jack took the mound and promptly threw two strikes by the Bulls' leadoff hitter. The third strike, though, met solid wood and bounded towards Parker at shortstop. Parker scooped it and fired to Sam at first. Well-executed, but the runner was safe by half a step. A leadoff single for the Bulls, and an ominous silence fell over the Wings' dugout.  With the top of the Bulls lineup just three batters away, the tying run at first and nobody out, Jack knew what he had to do: lock in and throw strikes. He did just that. With nine pitches he retired the next three batters--three Ks for the save, the win, and the first complete game shutout by any AA pitcher this season.

This was a classic pitcher's duel, but no pitcher's duel is really a duel between pitchers only. In this case, Jack was supported by an outstanding performance behind the plate by catchers Ken and Josh. Both offered steady targets all evening and stopped just about every pitch. Consistently solid play in the field kept Jack's pitch count down. And, of course, no matter how good the pitching is, you can't score a single run from the mound. Tom's single and Parker's RBI double in the fourth combined to produce the Wing's only run. It was enough.

The game ball went to Jack, who pitched the complete game, recording a team-record 14 Ks. Parker earned the Habit Award for being down for every pitch at shortstop.

Today's Game v. Diamond Jaxx is Cancelled

The rain wins this one. The Town has closed all AA diamonds. I'll let you know as soon as we reschedule.

Enjoy your evening off!

Wings Cool Hot Rods

The Hot Rods came to Greene's with ambitions to move up from their third-place spot in the National Division. Powered by an explosive lineup, the Hot Rods had been swinging hot bats through the first two weeks of the season. The Red Wings entered the contest with some of the league's best pitching. It was a classic matchup between power on the hill and power at the plate.

Both teams were eager to resume play after a week's hiatus due to rain. Greene's Field was dry, and the sun was trying to poke through dense cloud cover as first pitch approached. No additional rain in the forecast threatened this game. The stars seemed to be aligned for some baseball.

In the top of the first, Eric worked a leadoff walk. Tom walked as well, and the Wings had two on with nobody out. Josh knocked a single to right to load the bases. Early production was exactly what the Wings needed to get out ahead of the Hot Rods, and Josh set us up to do just that. Unfortunately, the Hot Rods' pitcher found his rhythm with the next three batters and retired them in order.

Parker got the start for the Wings this afternoon, his first of the season. As expected, the hard-throwing righty came out pounding the zone. He got the first batter to ground softly to first. Eric scooped it and stepped on the bag for the unassisted out. The Hot Rods, though, would not go down without a fight. They loaded the bases with one out and looked poised to take an early lead.

Parker, however, had something in store for the next two batters. He struck them both out--one looking and the other swinging. No contact, no damage. That's how to work out of a jam. Red Wings 0, Hot Rods 0.

Alex led off the second for the Wings and worked a walk. Alejandro worked a walk of his own, and Micah did the same. Excellent patience at the plate by all three to load the bases with nobody out. With the table set, Eric ripped one up the third baseline, and Alex came in from third to score. An RBI single for Eric, and the Wings were on the board, 1-0. Tom followed with a 2-RBI double to put the Wings up by three.

Parker struck out the side in the second to keep the Hot Rods scoreless through two frames. His fastball had good zip today and the Hot Rods were having trouble putting any wood on it. Ken once again put in two solid innings behind the plate stopping just about everything and making Parker's strikes look like strikes.

Sam clocked a single to left to get things started for the Red Wings in the third. With two on, Alex made good contact, but the Hot Rods' pitcher made a nice grab and threw him out at first. Alejandro kept the line moving with his second walk of the game. He put himself on base every time up this afternoon. With the bases loaded, Micah stepped in and sent a screamer up the first baseline that somehow ended up in the first baseman's glove. Solid contact but he wouldn't be rewarded with the base or an RBI.

The Red Wings went to the bullpen in the third sending Tom to the hill. He settled in right away, striking out the first two batters with six straight strikes. He struck out three of five batters faced with a blazing fastball that  he commanded well. Wings 3, Hot Rods 0.

Drew sparked a fourth-inning rally that would add some insurance to the Wings' lead. He showed some good patience against a tough Hot Rods pitcher and put himself on base with a walk. He would come around and score the first of two Red Wings runs in the inning.

Because Greene's Field would only be available until 4:00, the managers of both teams agreed to limit the game to four innings. The bottom of the fourth would be the last chance for the Hot Rods. Eric and Micah combined to close out the game and save the 5-0 victory. To keep Eric available in case we would need him Sunday against the Bulls, the managers limited Eric to 20 pitches and then sent Micah to the mound. Eric got the first out and put Micah in good position to earn the save. Micah struck out the only two batters he faced to seal up the Wing's fifth win of the season.

Every player made an important contribution to this win. Our pitchers combined for our first no-hitter of the season, we made plays in the field look routine, and we showed excellent patience and productivity at the plate.

The game ball went to Parker, our starting pitcher, who threw two innings of no-hit ball. He struck out five and displayed consistent mechanics throughout. Sam earned the Habit Award for being down for every pitch on both sides of the infield--at shortstop and then at first base.

The Red Wings will take on the Bulls tomorrow at Eliot in the much-anticipated continuation of their rainout two weeks ago.

Saturday's Optional Practice at Newman Now Cancelled

I thought we might have a chance to play tonight given the relatively dry morning we had. That is, until I visited Newman around 1:30 this afternoon and saw that the infield was more sea than land. Sure enough, the Town closed Newman as well as all the other diamonds. We're due for more rain tomorrow and possibly Saturday. I just don't see Newman drying out anytime soon.

Our 12:00-1:00 optional practice Saturday is the only item on the Red Wings' weekend agenda that would be affected by the flooding at Newman. Rather than deal with the speculation and the last-minute notification, I'm thinking we should just keep it simple and cancel Saturday's optional practice. It's highly likely the field won't be playable, and we have the game v. Hot Rods an hour later at Greene's.

I am much more confident that Greene's will be dry enough to play on Saturday. We will make every effort to get this game in. I will arrive at Greene's at 1:30 on Saturday in hopes of finding some space there to warm-up. Please join me if you can. We will start the game promptly at 2:00 since we only have the diamond until 4:00.

So, the Red Wings' weekend schedule will be:

• Saturday 2:00 game v. Hot Rods at Greene's (1:30 warm-up).
• Sunday 6:00 game v. Bulls at Eliot (5:30 warm-up).

Hot Rods Rain Date Scheduled for Saturday

It's settled. Finally. We will make up Tuesday's rainout v. the Hot Rods this Saturday 2:00 at Greene's. We won't have a full squad for this one, but it looks like we will have enough to field a team. The Hot Rods currently occupy third place in the National Division and have put up impressive numbers offensively so far this season.

Saturday's game against the Hot Rods begins a stretch of three games in three days for the Red Wings. On Sunday, we face the Durham Bulls, the league's other unbeaten team. The Bulls are an excellent ball club, very well-coached with some of the league's best pitchers and a lineup that can do some serious damage. Sunday's game promises to be our toughest challenge yet.

On Monday, it doesn't get any easier. We face the Diamond Jaxx, who at 3-1 currently sit in second place, one game behind the Red Wings in the National Division standings. This is not the same Diamond Jaxx team we scrimmaged at the end of spring training. They will have their ace pitcher and their two hottest hitters--all three of whom were absent for our last meeting in April. Do not be fooled. This is a very, very good team.

Three games, three days, three tough opponents. This will be a challenge, but we're ready for it. Now all we need is some sun.

Tonight's Game Cancelled

The Town has closed all fields this afternoon. I will let you know when we reschedule our date with the Hot Rods.

Hopefully, we will have better luck for Thursday's match-up with the Express. I will keep you posted.

If you haven't already, please let me know if your son is interested in tomorrow's session at Frozen Ropes. So far, it looks like we have:

     Tom
     Alejandro
     Ken
     Noah
     and maybe Parker

I still have room if anyone needs a ride.

Showdown v. Undefeated Bulls to Resume Sunday May 22

We were rained out in Week One. Then, we were interrupted by thunder and lightning an inning into our rain date.

Now, we have settled on a second rain date: this coming Sunday evening, May 22 at Eliot. 5:30 warm-up, 6:00 first pitch. Hopefully, the third time's a charm and we finally get this one in.

The Durham Bulls sit atop the American Division with a perfect 4-0 record. The Rochester Red Wings lead the National Division, also undefeated at 4-0. A scoreless inning is already in the books. We will resume this battle at the top of the second, nobody on, nobody out, everybody at the edge of their seats...

Optional Wet Weather Practice Added

There's quite a bit of rain expected this week, especially Tuesday, when we are slated to take on the Hot Rods at Greene's. Thursday's game v. The Express at Newman is no guarantee either. We may get lucky and get both games in--we're due for some luck with the weather--but odds are at least one of these games will be rained out.

So, in an effort to beat the weather, I have scheduled another optional session at Frozen Ropes. I figure if we can't play outside, we might as well get some good reps inside. We have a lane reserved from 5:00-6:00 on Wednesday, May 18. We'll work on some hitting and fielding.

This is completely optional. If your son is available and interested, email me.

Wings Tame Mets' Bats

The Mets' lineup was responsible for 32 runs during the first week of the season, and they looked poised to add to that impressive total when they strolled down the hill to the Newman diamond.

But Wings starter Will showed some swagger of his own in the first inning, retiring three of five batters faced--two on three-pitch Ks and the third on a fly ball to first base, which Jack hauled in to put a quick end to the inning.

Leading off the Wings' half of the first, Eric worked a walk. He would move to third on a single by Jack, and Sam drove him in on a monster double to right. Will cleared the bases with a rocket to deep center for a triple, and the Wings found themselves on top 3-0 with one out. Josh drove in Will with a single, and Noah moved Josh to third with another single. The Mets got out of the inning with a double play, though, and the Wings would be held at 4.

Will continued to throw heat and command well in the second. He struck out one, stabbed a chopper up the middle and gunned the runner down at first for another, and got the third to fly out to first baseman Jack.

The Wings were unable to get much going in the bottom of the second and the score would stay 4-0, Wings, after two.

Will retired three of four batters in the third, capping a gem of a start: 3 innings pitched, 0 runs, 4 K, 0 BB. He displayed good consistent mechanics, got himself into a nice groove, and put the Wings in good position to come out with a win. Noah, as usual, was rock-solid behind the plate, offering a steady target and stopping just about everything.

The Wings added three more in the bottom of the third. Tom led off with a double to left and scored on Jack's single to right. 5-0, Wings. Will, Josh, and Noah then hit consecutive singles that brought in two more runs. 7-0, Wings.

Micah took the mound in the fourth and commanded his fastball. He struck out one, and got two to ground out--one to first unassisted and one to Eric at second base who made a nice play to scoop it and fire over to Will at first. Every pitcher appreciates a reliable infield, and the Wings were making everything on the ground look routine.

The Wings would enjoy another big inning in the bottom half of the fourth. "J.D." Drew got things going with a full-count leadoff walk. This kid has a great feel for the strike zone. He just doesn't swing at bad pitches. Period. Parker worked a walk next, and then Alex would load the bases with the third straight walk. Tom singled and drove in two. Will launched one into right field for a double and drove in another two. Josh hit the third of his three singles on the night and brought Will in. Josh has a a bit of a hitting streak brewing, having hit safely in every game we have played so far.

The Wings entered the fifth up 13-0 and sent Tom to the hill. Tom had a smokin' fastball and commanded it, striking out two and benefiting from some excellent defensive support at second by Eric, who put his glove on a screamer and threw to first for the out.

Micah smashed a single to right center in the fifth, but the Wings were unable build on that and the score would remain 13-0.

Wings closer Parker took the mound to nail it down in the sixth. It would not be easy. He had to contend with a Mets' rally that produced two runs and loaded up the bases for more. He was cool as ice, though, and just focused on making his pitches. He got the next batter to ground softly to the mound. Parker scooped it and flipped it to Ken who got the force at home. A heads-up play by both Parker and Ken to save the run.

From there, Parker got the next batter to ground softly to first and then struck out another to close out the game. Final score: Wings 13, Mets 2.

The game ball went to Will, who pitched three scoreless frames and nearly hit for the cycle. He finished with a single, double, and triple in three at-bats. Not a bad day's work for the young slugger. Alex earned the Habit Award for being down and ready for every pitch during his two innings at third base.

Another phenomenal team effort for the Red Wings. We were productive at the plate, putting up 13 runs on 14 hits, we made some excellent plays in the field, and we pitched effectively through all six innings. Good baseball all around!