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MBC Misc Game Reports

Manchester A’s      13      @      16      Birmingham Bulldogs

Sunday September 18th 2005

By Ian Marginson

The first post-season game of the year for the A’s proved to be a thrilling match-up. The Birmingham Bulldogs and the A’s putting out just enough players to make a game. The fact that both sides were way down on numbers not detracting from the quality of the game.

Both teams led off at the top of the first in spectacularly poor fashion. All three batters for both sides striking out against the starting pitchers, Reynolds for the Bulldogs, and Dave McNeilage for the A‘s. Only Bulldogs leadoff man S Brotherhood left the batters box heading in the right direction. After the A’s Catcher Dave Gaskell, in his first game behind the plate, dropped the third strike and was forced to throw the runner out at 1^st base.    0 - 0

The top of the second saw cleanup hitter Jim Gunn strike-out leading off the inning. Ian Marginson becoming the first base runner of the game, after what could be the longest single on record. Landing just inside the LF fence. A Catchers interference call on 3^rd baseman Tony Wolstenholme saw him force Marginson over to 2^nd. Corner outfielders Yobert Pino and Eduardo Wulff took their free walks offered, the latter scoring the lead runner. Skipper Chris Jackson struck out, and Dave Gaskell hit into the 4-3 grounder to close out the inning leaving the bases loaded.

In reply, Reynolds led off with a walk for the home team, before M Cartwright was thrown at 1^st by  new A’s SS Roger Young, who had just been called up to ‘The Show’ from the affiliate Eagles. Another free walk saw G Griffiths reach base safely, just after a Wild Pitch had moved the lead runner to 3^rd. Seven hitter P Hanscomb then scored Reynolds with his hit to CF, although Griffiths tried to follow him home, but was tagged out at the plate by Gaskell after an pinpoint relay by CF Jackson and 2B Marginson. J Harris made it a fourth strike-out for D McNeilage to close out the inning after another walk was issued, to D Green.    1 - 1

A first pitch leadoff double by D McNeilage started the third inning. Young made his only trip of the day to 1^st base courtesy of a walk, both runners stealing a base, McNeilage coming home on an error by the Catcher,  to leave Jim Gunn to bring home Young with a Sac-hit. Marginson’s base on balls negated by the next two hitters flying out to the infield.

Brotherhood led off the bottom of the third with a full count single to LF, before Hudson struck out for the second time in two at bats. Brotherhood then came home on 3Baseman J Chalk’s double, who in turn came home on Reynolds single to CF. Two quick outs saw the inning ended with Reynolds stranded on base, but the two runs that had scored were enough to tie the game up.    3 - 3

Only Jackson reached base for the A’s in the top of the fourth.

The Bulldogs then accelerated away from the A’s, by scoring four runs, on only two hits. After Green had reached on Jim Gunn’s only error of the season at 1^st base. An error which in backing up the play saw Yobert Pino throwing his arm out, and having to be replaced by Rob Dipper. Brotherhood managed to reach base on the dropped third strike. Hudson doubled to bring home Green, and then Chalk smashed his second pitch back over McNeilage’s head, and over the CF fence for a three run homer.     3 - 7

Young flew out to commence the fifth, then Gunn walked and came home on Marginson’s first Home Run of the season. Wolstenholme followed them around the bases, after reaching with a double and finally scoring on an error. Two more strike outs closing out the inning.

The bottom of the fifth was where McNeilage decided to get mean. It took him just eight pitches to see off the Bulldogs batters in order.    6 - 7

Gunn brought home McNeilage in the sixth, with Gunn scoring on another Wolstenholme hit. All the action not stopping Reynolds from striking out three more batters.

Thirteen pitches saw the end of three more batters in order, leaving the score at   8 - 7 to the A’s.

Ed Wulff led off the inning with an infield hit, and wasted no time at all in stealing his way across to 3^rd, whilst Jackson was striking out for the third time today.  Gaskell then sacrificed himself to bring home Wulff, before McNeilage added himself to the strike out list to close out the half inning.

A change in the outfield saw Jackson replaced in the line up by Sean McNeilage. Wulff giving up his LF spot to move over into Centre. McNeilage soon found himself in the action, chasing a ball hit over his head. The batter making his way to 3^rd on the play. Marginson’s only defensive play of the day ended with the runner scoring and the batter reaching second after the throwing error. And to top the poor inning for the A’s, McNeilage, not being backed up by his fielders started to tire, having to be replaced by SS Young in a straight swap. After the first batter he faced singled to left. Young seemed to have taken control. Two soft hit grounders in succession  were picked up by the pitcher to make the outs at 1^st.  Brotherhood then smoked his first pitch to the LF fence, before Hudson finally got the speed of the pitching, and launched his second pitch over the fence to clear the bases. Chalk was next up, and decided to go one better, and hit his second Homer of the game, leaving Young wondering what he had done wrong. Reynolds stroked another double before Young’s nightmare would end with Wolstenholme catching Cartwright’s pop fly.    8 - 16

The Bulldogs then proceeded to undo some of their good work by  letting three runners in a row reach on errors. All three runners came round to score,  the latter on another sac, this one by  Dipper. Wulff ended the inning, unable to beat out another infield hit.

Young showed why he was brought in to close it out in the bottom of the inning. SS Griffiths led off with a single to LF, and was moved to 2^nd with Hanscomb’s grounder to new SS D McNeilage. With Green now at the plate, Griffiths decided to take off for 3^rd, not banking on Gaskell lasering the ball over for Wolstenholme to make the tag for the second out. Green rolled over with another weak hit ball, which Young picked up and threw to 1^st for his seventh put out of the game.    12 - 16

The ninth inning brought the final chance for the A’s to keep the game alive. An already injured Sean McNeilage led off the inning with a walk. A’s manager invoking the final out rule. Wulff being the final out before McNeilage, replaced him on the base pads because the A’s had used all their substitutes. Wulff again did not hang around long. Stealing his fourth and fifth bases of the day to end up at 3^rd. Wulff then came home on Gaskell’s first hit of the day. With the slow running Gaskell pinned at 1^st, neither D McNeilage nor Young could capitalise. Both batters pop flying to the infield to end the A’s comeback, and the game    13 - 16.

Both teams played excellent ball in this game, in great spirits. Coupled with good umpiring, saw a great ballgame all round.

Combined A’s Stats For The Weekend

MBC Old Timers   11      @      12      MBC Kiddiewinks

Sunday July 31st 2005

[This MBC match up was first played in 2003 where the Old Timers ran out comfortable winners; the Kiddiewinks had been biding their time waiting for revenge.]

With the Kiddiewinks, led by SS Rob Denham having home field advantage, Old Timers SS Dave Gould led off the game. Dave came home on Roger Young’s Double to LF, after himself reaching on a four pitch walk. Roger then sat down the first three Kiddiewinks batters with only ten pitches to end the inning 1 - 0.

Only Old Timers skipper Chris Jackson  managed to get on base in the top of the second inning, which included a nice catch in RF by John ?????????, and once again Young blanked the Kiddiewinks batters, to leave both halves of the inning scoreless. 1 - 0

The Roger Young show continued in the top of the third. Young being the only batter to reach base, with an infield single, and making it over the plate courtesy of  two Wild Pitches by Pitcher Martyn Gough, book-ending an error by Catcher Adam Pickles. Young again managed to blank the youngsters, and was on his way to three perfect innings, before incumbent 2B Ian Marginson booted the batted ball towards second base, instead of picking it up and throwing to 1B whilst looking for the third out. Young recovered to close out his third inning with no score. 2 - 0

Kiddiewinks reliever Liam Dickinson struck out his first two batters, before their defence fell apart behind him. An error by Denham saw Rob Weinbrock reach safely, and then steal his way to second. Then Marginson reached after his fly-ball was dropped in LF, Weinbrock scoring on the play. Marginson moved to 2^nd on a passed ball, and then stole 3^rd and was then brought home on another error by Denham, with the runner reaching 2^nd. Tony Wolstenholme closed out the inning by flying-out to Denham.

The Kiddiewinks then started to stage a comeback. With one out, Dickinson and Denham reached on consecutive singles. Dave McNeilage reached on an infield error, scoring Dickinson, and moving Denham to 3^rd. McNeilage stole 2^nd, and moved to 3^rd, as Catcher Jim Gunn allowed a passed ball, Denham scoring on the play, before Pickles struck out and a fly-out by Gough sealed the inning. 4 - 2

One run scored for the Old Timers in the top of the fifth, before the Kiddiewinks went on the offensive in the lower half of the inning. Four walks by Old Timers reliever Alejandro Molina, combined with some fine dance moves at 3B by Wolstenholme, saw the home team score four times, and two runners left stranded without giving up a single hit in the inning. 5 - 6

Although leadoff in the sixth inning for the Old Timers, Weinbrock reached 1^st on a walk, only three batters reached the batters box. Weinbrock over ran 2^nd base whilst stealing for the first out of the inning, in a moment of comedy. The next two batters were then overpowered by reliever Dave McNeilage, who registered two strike-outs to close the top of the inning with no score.

Closer Paul Fagan made the early move to the mound in the bottom of the inning, and registered two strike-outs, and then a fly-out to 2B Marginson in shallow RF. But not before the Kiddiewinks added another run, scored by Sean McNeilage, after he had reached with a single to LF. Yasu Oyama carding the RBI after he mimicked S McNeilage by lining a hit to LF. 5 - 7

A single for Wolstenholme and Young’s second double of the day started the top of the seventh just as the Old Timers wanted, and were quickly followed by two walks, for Morley and Gould. All four runners scoring, the last on Weinbrock’s SacFly to CF for the first out. Marginson then laid down the perfect Sac Bunt down the 1^st base line, only the signal was somewhat lost in translation, as base runner Yobert Pino stayed glued to the bag at 3^rd. Pino was then picked off stealing home to end the inning.

The Kiddiewinks regained their lead swiftly. Hits by the McNeilage brothers, Gough and Oyama, along with a walk for Dave Gaskell scored three more runs for the youngsters. A strike-out and another infield fly-out along with a sharp unassisted put out at 1st by Pino shut the door on the free scoring ankle biters!  9 - 10

Two walks in the top of the eighth inning brought home Fagan to tie it up. Rich Morley running into the tag between 2^nd and 3^rd base with no force to end the inning.

Although leadoff for the Kiddiewinks Denham reached all the way round to 2^nd after an error at SS by Gould. They then failed to capitalise and good teamwork by the fogeys saw the next three batters sat down in sequence, including an unusual 1-4-3 play. Fagan knocked down the come backer to the floor, and Marginson came in to pick it up and throw the runner out at 1^st. A fly-out to SS followed by a 6 -3 grounder meant Gould could leave the diamond with his head held high, redeeming his earlier error. 10 - 10

With the scores tied, the Old Timers resisted the pressure put on them by the youngsters closer Denham. Gunn failed to reach, but a double by Jackson, was followed by Jackson scoring on the single by Weinbrock to take the lead once more. Marginson then lined the ball straight to new SS Gough, and Fagan hit a come backer to Pitcher Denham, who threw out the old hurler at 1^st base.

Leadoff man Gough then stroked the ball just short of Young in LF, who dived over the ball trying to make the catch, leaving Gough to round 1^st, and make his way to 2^nd base as Jackson picked up the pieces. Dave Gaskell’s appearance at the plate produced a walk, and he promptly stole 2^nd, making him the potential winning run. Fagan then levelled the playing field by striking out S McNeilage, and forcing Oyama to ground into a 6-3 play. The tying run had made it home on a WP, leaving the winning run on 3^rd and 2 out in the bottom of the ninth! Dickinson left no time for the drama to build, however, as he struck his first pitch just over CF Jackson for the game winning single. 11 - 12

Many thanks to all who turned up on the day, and played the game in great spirit, and especially to all 8 players who offered to umpire an innings (or 2 - Dave Gaskell).

My apologies to the Kiddiewinks corner outfielders John and Tom for not knowing you surnames.. I’ll try harder next time!

Thanks to Roleen McNeilage for once again helping out by doing the scoring, and to Chris, Roj, Rob, and the rest of the management team for setting it all up. Hopefully this is something we can repeat in the future. See you all Sunday.

Ian J. Marginson

Old Timers Joint MVP	Roger Young                   Strong Hitting and 3 shutout innings
Old Timers Joint MVP	Rob Denham                   Kept us in the game all the way through!
Old Timers Bone Head	Rob Weinbrock               Baserunning
Old Timers Bone Head	Rich Morley                    Baserunning
Old Timers Bone Head	Yobert Pino (Running) / Paul Fagan (Basecoaching)  Failing to send runner on SacBunt

Kiddiewinks Joint MVP	Sean McNeilage            Strong Defence        OBP .500 as a leadoff hitter
Kiddiewinks Joint MVP	Tony Wolstenholme      Are you sure you’re over 25!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kiddiewinks Bone Head	Adam Pickles                Do I really need to explain!!
Kiddiewinks Bone Head	Martyn Gough               Because I’m sick of him being at the top end of this box!!