You couldn't ask for a better pairing of hurlers anytime in the over-62 division than the contest on Tuesday evening (June 4)
between the Arachnids, speedy, underhand whipping, late-ball-plunging righty Wayne Nicholson and the Americans' right-hander,
Mike Kane, he of the very quick hummer and slippery sinker

And nobody had to apply for a better one because we got it on Tuesday as the two clubs played eight innings and left Schenectady's B-diamond
with darkness descending and with a 3-3 tie smudging their records. That being 4-1-1 for the first-place Spiders and 3-2-1 for the third-place
Americans.

There was more than good pitching: There were two late-inning katzenjammers (German, for "cats in distress"). In the first, the Americans screeched when
the umpire initially ruled that first baseman Jim Porter's steal of second in the seventh inning was an out. That would have been the inning's
third out, with the score tied at three, denying Jim a shot at scoring the game-winning run.

But Jim and the Americans charged that he could steal the base because Wayne pitched from the set, not the stretch position. The Spiders replied
that the rule, created in the off-season, says that there can be only one theft of second per inning per team regardless of the pitcher's position. Mike
Kane, who had made it to third and scored, had the first Americans' theft.

The umpire, Doug, who did a fine job behind the plate, especially for a taut game with late breaking pitches all night, looked uncertain, and not
particularly keen on deciding the game on a new rule.

To the rescue ran the CDMSBL Commissioner John Reel, who happened to be playing right field for the Arachnids. John raced to the small knot of
players raising contending voices and arms between home and first. Much like the Roman Forum, with Cicero and the boys, about 64 BC.

In that knot, Jim Porter argued that he wouldn't have tried to steal second if the pitcher's position didn't matter. John waved his arms, quieting voices,
and said, "This is it. For the last time and for the future," in the over-62s, there's only one steal of second per inning per team regardless of the pitcher's position.

Then, he added a Solomon-like touch: because of the confusion, because there was no real play involved, the runner would go back to first.
and there would still be two outs. Wayne whiffed the next batter, ending all debate, and the two sides, knowing they had a good game going despite
their differences, agreed to go one more inning, the eighth, to see if somebody could win.

Neither did, though there was a moment: the home team Americans claimed they coulda or mighta snagged another run
but for a disputed call at first. Left fielder Anthony Torre, who'd singled earlier, hit a spinning, hard-to-catch, infield roller and, after
he'd beaten the throw to first, he made what the Spiders said was too wide a turn toward second and was tagged out.
Tony and his teammates, wounded wolves all, howled. The Spiders got the call.

But the Americans put the next two batters, Jesse Braverman and Jim Kostantakis, on base, after which your scribe hit a
sharply bounding ball to the left, one that had to have had "left field" inscribed on it.

Except the Spiders' shortstop Stefan Koutsakis, who had a fine night (2-for-4 at the plate, scoring two runs), nabbed that ball
at the northern end of his glove and started a game-ending double play to secure the game's tie and this batter's bad night's sleep.

Actually, there were far more good plays by both clubs than disagreements, highlighted by that fine pitching. Between the two clubs,
there were a total of 62 at-bats and only 15 hits. (For a .242 mark.) Wayne, and his seventh-inning reliever, T.J. Scorsone, held the Americans
to a 7-for-31 night and Mike was nearly as good all by himself, allowing only 8 hits in 31 at-bats.

The Americans beat the undermanned Anachrids 11-1 in the two team's first game of the season in April. The next contest, on July 8th,
should be another lively affair.

Lively's good. Lively's always good.

-Mike Hart




-- Edited by mikehart on Sunday 9th of June 2024 08:38:26 PM