Cobras Topple Tria Architecture

PLEASANTDALE -- The Cobras gave a sellout crowd a good excuse to leave early and catch the final innings of the Cubs / Houston game. Unfortunately, the Cubs faired no better than Tria that night. Both teams lost.

Yellow Shirt homered twice and drove in five runs to help the Cobras rout Tria Architecture 22-4. His skin tight shirt tucked into his white pants did nothing to slow down his bat. Yellow's 3-run shot in the first sailed over Jeff Sandberg's head and was lost in the swampy waters at the edge of the field. The ball disappeared along with any semblance of Tria defense. By the time all the throwing and fielding errors were behind them, the Cobras were ahead by 8 runs.

"It was one of those nights where everything they hit hard fell in and everything they hit soft dropped just out of reach," Tria manager Perry Romanowski said. "I'm sure we'll do better next week, although we may have to joggle the lineup."

Tria pitcher and GM Jim Petrakos (0-1) was rocked for 22 runs in 4 innings of work. His performance was hampered by a number of factors including bad calls by the ump, slippery fingers in the field and the red hot Cobra bats. Petrakos took a liner in the chest during the 4th inning but finished the inning. He is not expected to miss his next scheduled start on June 2.

Tria Architecture hasn't surrendered as many runs since a May 2006 loss to the Redcoats.

"We just need to get back into the swing of things," said right fielder Ron McGrath. McGrath finished the night 1-3 with a double and run scored.

While the offense wasn't stunning there were some notable performances. Speedy center fielder, Allen Valdes went 2-2 with a walk and a run scored. Catcher Tom Kikta had 2 hits in 3 plate appearances. Sandberg's gimpy ankle didn't slow him down as he knocked in an RBI and scored a run in the third. Longtime Tria infielder Tom Szurgot also managed to get an RBI but was off a little from his career average.

"With the new kid, the business, and the dog, I just haven't had the time to focus on my hitting," explained Szurgot. "Once I get a few more swings under my belt, I'll be back to my old form."

On the defensive side, the 3rd and 5th innings were Tria's best. They constricted to Cobra's offense keeping them scoreless on 2 hits. Second baseman Brian Fei managed to connect with first baseman Jim Gould for 2 put-outs on the night.

"When we got to the ball and didn't make a throwing or catching error, we got them out," said Fei.

Tria's next game is June 2 at 6:20 pm.

In hibernation

This blog is in hibernation until next season. Overall, it was a pretty lousy year. We didn't hit, we didn't catch and we didn't win many games. But wait 'til next year. Once I make it into the joggling hall of fame I can focus on my softball game, and maybe kickball, euchre and volleyball. So much to do.

Stats going into the final game

Player	AB	R	Hits	2B	3B	HR	BB	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG
John Barakat	18	3	12	1	0	0	0	6	0.667	0.667	0.722
PerryRoman	28	11	16	4	0	1	0	11	0.571	0.571	0.821
Jim Petrakos	38	8	20	3	0	1	0	7	0.526	0.526	0.684
Jim Gould	32	6	19	0	0	0	0	9	0.594	0.594	0.594
Jeff Sandburg	12	1	6	0	0	0	1	3	0.500	0.538	0.500
Allen Valdes	27	9	15	3	1	0	0	4	0.556	0.556	0.741
Joey Vasilevski	27	8	13	1	0	1	1	8	0.481	0.500	0.630
Tom Balsitis	28	3	13	1	0	0	0	5	0.464	0.464	0.500
Pudd	23	5	11	1	0	0	0	4	0.478	0.478	0.522
Brian Fei	17	2	8	2	0	0	0	4	0.471	0.471	0.588
Mike Larocco	25	6	11	1	0	1	0	4	0.440	0.440	0.600
Tom Szurgot	37	7	16	1	0	0	3	5	0.432	0.475	0.459
Ron McGrath	20	2	7	0	3	0	1	2	0.350	0.381	0.650
George Stefos	26	5	10	0	0	0	0	7	0.385	0.385	0.385
Tom Kikta	27	3	9	0	0	0	0	2	0.333	0.333	0.333
Ray Denardis	6	2	2	0	0	0	1	0	0.333	0.429	0.333
Eddie	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000	0.000	0.000

Category leaders are in Red.

Big game tomorrow

Tough loss last week and let me apologize for missing it. However, there will be no more of that even if it means missing a night of joggling.

$1 Walk Night

Just a reminder for tomorrow's game, each walk (BB) that you take is worth $1! Last game we paid out $2 for walks taken by Joey V and Ray.

Victory is ours!!!

Well gents we finally did it. While it has seemed that the chances of us winning a game were worse than a film critic making it out of an emergency room, the hemorrhaging has finally stopped. We won!!! Yes, victory. V-I-C-T-O-R-Y, victory. We were up, we were down but in the end, we collared those North Beach Outlaws. Like Superman tossing a continental landmass out to the Kuiper Belt, we struggled mightily but emerged victorious winning 14-12..

On the offensive side we had a few of our own men of steel. Sure Hands Allen dominated, scoring three times on three hits including two doubles. GM Jim also had a great game with four hits in five at bats raising his batting average to just over this guy’s weight. Yours truly was fortunate enough to have 4 seeing-eye singles that knocked in 4 runs.

At the bottom of the order, Rapid Ray had three key hits and scored twice. Have you ever seen a guy run around the bases so fast? Can you say The Flash? Alright maybe more like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. In one inning we scored 6 times with two outs! It felt like the top of the ninth inning at last Saturday’s Cubs/Sox game. Is Goose Gossage back on the Cubs? Let me be the first to say, Dempster has got to go!

On the defensive side, we were about as solid as the foam lining on the space shuttle. But we avoided our typical 9+ run inning disaster and held them to a mere 12 runs. This was primarily due to the most quality pitching effort to date by Kitka. Of the 12 scored, only 3 runs were earned. Nice job Tom.

In the field, Pudd strutted his stuff at third making nifty grabs of some screaming missiles hit his way. He was so hot I hear the government has contacted him to see if he will be available to snag some of the North Korean nuclear ICBMs that might be coming our way. And of course none of those plays would’ve amounted to anything if Jim “the backstop” Gould hadn’t been there at first base to corral the throws. Great work guys!

If you haven’t seen them, check out the stats. We’ve got ten players with batting averages better than every player that is going to the All Star Game. They must not have our phone numbers.Our next game is Thursday, July 6. Please let GM Jim know if you’re going to be able to make it.

Stats updated

Check out the stats they've been updated.

I've got a recap of last week's game written but I've saved it on a different computer. Look for a posting Wednesday!!

The triple threat

The Triple play. What are the odds? During the 2000s, the chances of seeing a triple play in a given inning has been less than 1 in 10,000. That's about the same odds as an asteroid hitting the earth. It's also about the same odds as you catching AIDS by having PV intercourse with someone of unknown AIDS status who's got purple needle marks up and down their arms.

And yet, despite the near impossibility of an asteroid strike or one of our team members contracting AIDS, we somehow managed to get caught in a Triple Play. It was a sight to behold. Congrats to all who participated. You have something to remember for the rest of your softball career. Although, to be fair that ump should've made it more clear that he saw the guy catch the ball. Isn't there some rule that says mutes can't be umpires? Perhaps there's a rule that says joggling isn't allowed in a marathon. Stupid rules!

We actually played a pretty good game last week. We plated 2 runs in the first inning even though we had 2 outs and then we got 4 in the third inning again with 2 outs. After three, we were ahead 6 to 2 and it looked like were finally going to win one.

Alas, we came undone in the fourth inning. They blasted a barrage of hits that made us feel like a Londoner on September 15, 1940. When the bloodbath was over they scored 11 times to put us in a hole 6 - 13. It was a bit like watching the Cubs play the Tigers. We even pulled a Cubs classic by walking a guy with the bases loaded.

But despite a dazzling double play turned by our shortcenter, shortstop and first baseman, and our best offensive output of the season, it wasn't enough. We ended up losing 11-16. Dam!

Tonight we have a 7:45 game. Unfortunately, I'm enjoying sunny weather, copious amounts of booze and some southern hospitality here in South Carolina so I won't be able to attend. Please let Jim P. know if you'll be there.

Now go out there and kick some ass. We'll eventually win one of these games. Why not make it tonight's?

June 7 game wrap-up

What can I say? This is shaping up to be a tough season. We played 2 games last week and didn’t fare well in either. In the first game we held our opponents to a mere 17 runs. And most of these were scored in just a couple of the innings. It was actually a game through the first three innings. Then somehow the wheels fell off. It was as if numen himself was conspiring against us.

The hands of our normally sure-handed outfield suddenly turned igneous. Balls were going through their metacarpi more often than flashes bouncing off little Shiloh Pitt. Just like those gratuitous shots, it was painful to see. The infield stopped most balls but the opponents were apparently infused with the speed force outrunning many more than they should have.

Our offense showed a little spark in the second inning with 4 hits and 2 runs. The game was actually close. We scored another 3 in the 4th inning to tighten the gap to about 8-5. Then our opponents shelled us with 9 more runs, putting the thing out of reach. Our great plays were overshadowed by some really lucky opponents. It seemed every ball they hit landed exactly where we weren’t. Go figure.

The second game was a joke. I for one am prepared to protest. Who the hell in their right mind would restart a game called on account of rain where it left off? No where in the official rules of softball could I find anything about restarting a game where you left off. Ridiculous!!

Is it any wonder that we ended up losing when we had to start down 13-1? It was an outrage! We was robbed. We are going to remember this come playoff time.

It is good to know that while the games themselves were tough losses, the trip to the bar was anything but. For those who went, there was lots to learn. Did you know that Arabs have connections? True story. Just don’t try to buy a car from them. I never really caught why, it just sounded like a bad idea. And for those of you ordering chicken, don’t ask the waitress if her breasts are breaded. They are. Finally, if you’re tired of dating alcoholics, strippers and tight-jeaned waitresses, you might consider dating dudes. At least that was the contention of one recent college grad, who incidentally is looking for a job.

Congratulations to this week’s offensive player of the week Tom Szurgot. He went 4 for 4 and scored 3 runs in the two games. We just might have to move him to the clean-up spot next week.

That’s it for now. See you all tomorrow. And let’s make tomorrow the first win of the season.

On Becoming Bonds

One of the biggest challenges our team faces is that our opponents keep scoring a lot more runs than us. Despite stellar pitching these foes somehow continue to find holes in our otherwise tenacious defense. Of course, while we have moments of greatness, we also have those ultra-rare, momentary lapses where we bobble a ball or overthrow the cut-off guy. Perhaps a way to combat this is to score a lot more runs.

Here’s an article that gives some tips on how to hit the softball. Very basic but good

Here’s another article that gives some more advanced tips on slow pitch softball.

The best defense is a great offense.

The other option is to ask Szurgot what he's doing.

The Stats - Sorted by batting average

Player	AB	R	Hits	2B	3B	HR	BB	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG
John Barakat	16	3	11	1	0	0	0	6	0.688	0.688	0.750
PerryRomanowski	23	9	14	3	0	1	0	11	0.609	0.609	0.870
Jim Petrakos	33	8	20	3	0	1	0	7	0.606	0.606	0.788
Jim Gould	27	5	16	0	0	0	0	8	0.593	0.593	0.593
Jeff Sandburg	11	1	6	0	0	0	0	3	0.545	0.545	0.545
Allen Valdes	24	8	13	2	1	0	0	4	0.542	0.542	0.708
Joey Vasilevski	23	8	12	1	0	1	1	6	0.522	0.542	0.696
Tom Balsitis	23	3	11	0	0	0	0	4	0.478	0.478	0.478
Pudd	19	3	9	0	0	0	0	4	0.474	0.474	0.474
Brian Fei	17	2	8	2	0	0	0	4	0.471	0.471	0.588
Mike Larocco	25	6	11	1	0	1	0	4	0.440	0.440	0.600
Tom Szurgot	33	7	14	0	0	0	3	5	0.424	0.472	0.424
Ron McGrath	18	2	7	0	3	0	1	2	0.389	0.421	0.722
George Stefos	22	5	8	0	0	0	0	5	0.364	0.364	0.364
Tom Kikta	23	3	8	0	0	0	0	2	0.348	0.348	0.348
Ray Denardis	6	2	2	0	0	0	1	0	0.333	0.429	0.333
Eddie	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000	0.000	0.000

*Team category leaders are in Red

Double Header tonight

As you've all heard from JP, we're playing 2 tonight. That means we have a pretty good chance of winning at least one of them. Think defense. Softball is a simple game. You catch it, you throw it and you hit it. If we do those things well tonight, we can't lose.

Close but no cigar - Game 5/24/06

Our defense last week really shaped up. The outfield was stellar with Allen, Mike and Ron each making some acrobatic grabs of the screaming liners launched their way. Joey V and Jim G connected with a half dozen put-outs and the Grey Goons were stymied most of the night.

On the offensive side we had are most prolific output yet. We bagged 2 runs in the first, exploded for 5 in the second, and plated 4 more to finish the game with 11. Unfortunately, the Grey Goons moved across 12 so we lost by one. A heartbreaking loss to a team we could’ve beaten.

And that was one of the most encouraging things about the game. For the first time in this rookie coach’s career, it looked like we could actually be competitive. No longer are we the tiny Davids in a league full of towering Goliaths. No longer are we the Plutos in a solar system of Jupiters. We’re not planarian in a pond rife with trout.

We are the mighty pillars of Tria Architecture. And the rest of these bush-league hacks are in for an unpleasant surprise.

Game Tonight!

Alright team, game time tonight is 6:30 pm and then another at 9:00 pm.

Hopefully the rain will hold off. I never put much stock in what the weather people say anyways. See you tonight.

The schedule & results

Current Record (1 - 10)

Date	Monday	Wednesday	Thursday	Result
1-May	7:45			Rainout
8-May	9:00			Loss
11-May			7:45	Rainout
15-May	6:30			Loss
24-May		6:30, 9:00		Loss,Rainout
1-Jun			9:00	Loss
7-Jun		6:30, 7:45		Loss, Loss
12-Jun	6:30			Loss
19-Jun	7:45			Loss
26-Jun	9:00			WIN!!
6-Jul			6:30	Loss
12-Jul		6:30		Loss
17-Jul	9:00
26-Jul		6:30
31-Jul	6:30

Upcoming Schedule

Well team, I heard that we didn't fare so well last time out. No matter. We're still working out all the kinks. I'm sure come play-off time we will get it all together. As long as we're still besting everyone in the "fun" category, we're doing fine.

Tomorrow, we have a double header so get some extra sleep tonight so you'll be good and rested. If you're doing any Internet dating tonight just finish quickly and don't stay over. The White Sox won't be in the playoffs until October so you've got plenty of time to work that angle. Championships are never won in May!

There is some rain in the forecast but hopefully the "experts" are wrong and it'll stay dry enough to play. Stay tuned.

Please let Jim P. know if you are going to make the game. See you tomorrow.

Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky

Fellow Softballers,

As you might have seen from the general manager's message , tonight's game (5/11) has been rained out. Go home and concentrate hard on winning our next game. If we all do it for 5 solid minutes at 7:44 this evening, I know we can muster a win next week.

See you soon.

Perry, 44

Game 1 - The Redcoats Are Coming!

Well team, the night started off so promising. We looked sharp in our brand new jerseys designed by Tria client Eich's Sports.

The other team looked like a bunch of plump tomatoes. Who the hell told them they looked good in red?

We had 13 of the mighty Tria Architecture Softballing Crew show, and we needed everyone of them. The redcoats launched a barrage of blasts in the first inning that would've caused the fleet of even the great John Paul Jones to buckle. The first eight men walked up to the plate and proceeded to hit left and right and center and all over the dam field. Our heads were spinning and we were only 10 minutes into the game. The inning mercifully came to an end but not before they had 6 more hits and scored 4 more runs. The start was brutal.

Our second time at bat proved more fruitful with Brian F knocking in the first RBI of the season. First bagger, Jim G, legged out a single, was moved over by Joey V, and Brian's fielder's choice got us on the board. A hit and a couple fly balls later made the score 1-12. The Redcoats were worried.

Sure they got back the run in the next inning, but it was only one! We held those bastards down like Ethan Allen did at Fort Ticondaroga. And they barely squeaked across another run for the next three innings. Our defense was holding!

The offense on the other hand was a bit weak. A lazy hit here and there but not much to write about. We were shooting arrows at steel lined tanks. It was futile. Hell, we were making the Cubs offense look good.

In the end, the Redcoats blasted through our defenses once again plating another 9 runs to win the game 2-21. What can I say, it wasn't good.

But there were some bright spots. Joe V, the slick fielding short stop made some dazzling plays. And Jim G was a regular backstop over there at first, picking off everything thrown at him. The outfielders made a couple of great grabs and how can we forget the artful pitching of Jim P.

On offense Mike L got a hit every chance he could and so did Ron M. Most everyone else kept their average at .500 so things aren't all bad. Next game we'll have more chances and really crank up that score.

That game will be this Thursday, May 11th at 7:45pm. Please let Jim P know if you are going to be there or not. Unfortunately, nuptual obligations require that I miss this one. General manager Jim P. will have the lineup so look to him for your position.

Good luck team. We'll get those blasted Redcoats in the playoffs!

PS. Thanks to all our great fans who came out to cheer us on.

Coach's Message

Alright team, this year we're going to have a heck of a season. We're gonna be playing old time softball. We'll hit, we'll catch, and gosh darn it, we're gonna have fun.

I know I'm new to the team, but this is a new season, a new team. This is the Tria Architecture Softballers!

We may not win, but we'll have more fun than the rest of those panty waste teams.

As coach, my guiding principles for the team are as follows.

1. Our number one goal is to have fun. Let's be realistic. Winning is fun but we aren't gonna win every game. We are going to make mistakes. We just aren't the most talented team in the league. But we all know how to play and we all know how to have fun. If we are losing, we're gonna have fun anyway. Life could be worse.

2. Playing time is divided up as evenly as possible. Everybody is treated fair. If you show up, you play. If you sit out some of the game one day, you won't be sitting out the next. If I screw this up, you make sure I hear about it.

3. You show up if you say you will. We need enough guys to field a team. You're on this team because we want and need you. If you're not going to be able to make it, tell us early so we can fill in your spot. No Forefits this Season!!

4. We go out after the games. You're already out of the house tonight. Don't wuss out after a tough game. Champs is a short ride away and you aren't going to get a lot more opportunities to hang out with your buds. We might even get Basha to tell tales of dating a stripper. Live life now. Go home to sleep and watch tv when you're old!

That's it. Check back here often for important team messages.

Now let's get out there next game and kick arse.

The Season Begins

Welcome to the Official Tria Architecture Softball Blog!

Here you will find recaps of the games, pictures, anecdotes, messages from the coach and even the general manager.

This is also the place to post words of encouragement, affirmations and talk Smack! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them here for everyone to enjoy.


The motley crew that played the first game