It's Not The Super Bowl, and It's Not Indianapolis, But .....

Team 3-C-Cliburn will play in the Ponce championship game on Friday morning in Fort Myers in the Terry Park main stadium.  We won two games today by scores of 10 to 5 and 5 to 4 to finish with a record of 6 wins and 2 losses.  However, that left us in a tie for second place with the team managed by Arnie Beyeler -- a team we split with in two games.  So the team to play in the championship game was chosen by a coin flip tonight at the awards dessert session.  Head's won the championship contest for Team 3-C-Cliburn.  We will oppose Rick Knapp's team that finished at the top of the standings with a 7 and 1 record, their only loss coming to us Wednesday morning when we won by a score of 8 to 5. 

To today's games.  This morning we beat the team managed by Victor Rodriguez by a score of 10 to 5.  The game was close throughout until we added three runs in the top of the sixth (the final inning) to get a 10 to 5 lead and hold on for the win.  Our fielding, which has been good after a shaky start on Monday, was very strong again today.  I pitched the final two innings - pitching well and giving up no runs - and was 1 for 2 at bat with an rbi.  In a see-saw afternoon game, we ended up winning by a score of 5 to 4 against Stu Cliburn's team.  They went ahead 2 to 0 with a run in each of the first two innings.  We tied it up in the third but they scored in the fourth to go ahead by a score of 3 to 2.  We scored 2 in the fifth and one in the sixth to take a 5 to 3 lead into the bottom of the final inning.  A hit and hit batter put two of their runners on base with one out.  Their next batter hit a ball over our left fielder's head -- with all runners taking off.  One run scored, but a perfect throw by our left fielder - David Remy - followed by a strong and accurate relay throw by shortstop Steve Abbuhl to the catcher got the second  runner -- and tieing run -- out at home plate.  The batter ended at third base with two outs and the score now 5 to 4.  The next batter hit a hard ground ball down the third base line, where our third baseman Brian Ronholm made a backhand stop and threw the batter out at first base to secure the victory.  Quite an exciting game and a finish that qualified us for the coin flip for the championship game.  I was 1 for 2 at bat and had a sacrifice fly. 

Tonight at the awards dessert (if you can have an awards dinner you should be able to have an awards dessert -- where only dessert and coffee are served) each team coach announced a winner of the Spirt of Ponce award and the team's Most Valuable Player award.  Team 3-C-Cliburn's spirit award went to George Borababy who was, I think, the most improved player on our team this week and a very encouraging and supportive teammate.  Brian Ronholm won the MVP -- pitching nearly shut out ball each day, making all the routine and several special plays in the field and hitting soldily all week.  Two very well earned awards.

A couple of notes:  On Wednesday our 72 year old pitcher Dave Wheeler was pitching to our 71 year old catcher Joe Neville with the batter at the plate 75 year old Skip Schatz.  The youngsters won that battle.  Skip, who has come to the Ponce camp for 12 of its 13 years of existence, announced tonight that he is "retiring" but looks forward to coming back to see games next year.  He was given his team's spirit and MVP awards and a standing ovation.....Victor Rodriquez said that Jose Iglesias, the young top shortstop prospect in the Red Sox system, is ready to play defense at the Major League level but still needs to work on his hitting and likely will play in Pawtucket for the year... Several coaches from other teams are puzzled that the Red Sox don't have someone set for the shortstop position, wondering how they can have such a big payroll but still have such a key position unsettled going into camp.....Steve Liddle said that he thinks very highly of Nick Punto who played a number of years for the Twins and whom the Sox picked up this winter.  He said he is a very valuable utility player....Three players on my team this week -- Evan Katz, Scott Collentro, and Rich Brouillette -- are here this week from Groton, Massachusetts.  They play senior baseball in a league centered in Lowell MA.  Evan was a childhood friend of Dan Beckhard in Brookline MA and Dan now lives in the DC area and is a long-time Ponce player and a key member of our team this week.  He first encouraged Evan to come to the camp some years ago and Evan has since recruited Scott and Rich.  Evan works as a financial officer in Ayer MA (home of Don Rzasa and Vicki Franz) for the Shirley-Ayer School District.

Finally, in response to inquiries about the fantastic Chapstick Cosy -- it is a holster for a chapstick with a hook that can hang on a belt loop.  Some people apparently are thinking I have hung the Chapstick Cosy to my uniform and have taken it to the field.  They are asking if I am applying chapstick during lulls on the field (there are plenty of those during Ponce "action.")  But no, that would be wrong -- disrespecting both baseball and chapsticks.  I have, instead, attached the Chapstick Cosy to my equipment bag and apply the chapstick, as needed, discretely in the dugout.  Hope that clears things up.

More tomorrow after the big game.  We will be a big underdog even though we beat them on Wednesday.  We did not face their two best pitchers then and, like the Patriots this weekend, they will be seeking revenge for a devastating loss that stood in their way of an undefeated season.