But I digress. Your Dirtchickens came away with a split last weekend, and while it was by no means the end of the world, the team's disappointment was evident. The day started in as promising a fashion as Barnard's Bombers could possibly have hoped for. Dan Hoffman continued to be the polar opposite of his Plattsburgh State self, chucking his blazing fastball past Saranac hitters at will and nailing down another CGSO. The bats were there in force, if not from all of the usual suspects. Dave Davidson followed up a CVBL Player of the Week performance with a somewhat more subdued showing versus Post 1618, but the always-solid play of the Rivers twins and a yeoman effort from Jason Kaplan served to pick up the slack. Not to be outdone by his teammates' exploits in the early innings, Michael Jack Bergman provided an italicized exclamation point for the victory with a shot to left-center that cleared the curvature of Earth's surface and may therefore still be in the air as we speak. The 13-0 victory was remarkable only for its particular lopsidedness; the 'Hens came in hoping to take Bujold to task, and they did just that.
Game two just didn't seem right from pitch one. The bats were a little off, Bergman didn't seem loose early, the defense lost some of the luster it had held for the previous three games (particularly at shortstop), key fans had nasty cases of the sniffles; the sum total of these parts was the perfect recipe for a trap game, and that's exactly what ended up happening. Sure, there were a few bright spots for C. R. Tunes; D'Hood, for example, appears to improve his hitting with every at-bat in much the same way that he improves his crimefighting with every ninja roll. Bright spots aside, however, the fact is that the Mudhens split a doubleheader that they desperately wanted to sweep. Mike Bergman's succinct analysis is all that is needed: if the Mudhens could beat Bujold, and beat him badly, then they should have beaten Baker, plain and simple.
Be that as it may, hope springs eternal in Mudhens Country, and next weekend's twinbill promises to be one of the most electric the Champlain Valley and its Baseball League has seen this season. That's right, Henheads, it's the Battle of Plattsburgh, Round Two: the 'Hens vs. the Cards to decide the best birds in the 'Burgh. The neutral venue of Wilson field, the marquis names appearing in each lineup, and possible appearences by celebrities such as Common Council candidate Theresa Bennett are sure to lend the tilt a circus atmosphere. And here's the kicker: CR Tunes can sweep these guys. They did it to Altona. They fought valiently during the last Plattsburgh split. Everyone knows that Plattsburgh is stacked, but what isn't realized is that between the Roommates, the Rivers twins, and the Davidson/Bordeau Air Show, the Mudhens are, too. So come on down and join the capacity crowd sure to attend Sunday's festivities. CVBL baseball doesn't get any better than this.
MUDHEN ROUNDUP !
MAYBE THEY DO THE SAME KIND OF TEST AT HOME - After the travesty that occured during the last Saranac Sunday, the Mudhens made sure to have each and every bat's circumference tested prior to the outset of twinbill #2. Bitterness, though, still runs deep among the players. One Mudhen was particularly peeved with Roger being robbed of a hit last time out: "If I were them, I'd be more worried about the fact that I was getting knocked around by a guy in his late 40s."
NOW IF BOUYEA WOULD HAVE JUST COME AND WATCHED... - While tensions may run high between the teams as a whole, CR Tunes/Saranac matchups also serve as a chance to reunite Mike Bergman and Kyle Rock, two longtime standouts for the Brockway Fighting Mechanicals. The two always manage an amiable chat, catching up on current events and exchanging old war stories about the boys in blue and gold. Oh, for the days of the Jar, the Box, and Tyrell's wheels.
RAFFLE RALLY - Alpha 'Hen Roger Barnard was pleased as punch with the outcome of last weekends 50/50. The fundraiser generated a full 53 damn dollars in support of Mudhens baseball, an excellent take for a single weekend. "And we weren't even at home!" pointed out Roger, his mullet flossing with joy. Well done, 'Hensiacs!
FOR SHAME - An otherwise excellent fan atmosphere was sullied somewhat on Sunday when longtime Mudhens follower Grace Bergman inexplicably cheered following an Aaron Judd strikeout. Speculation as to the motive behind the incident ran the gamut from the accidental to the sinister (she was cheering because his name was Aaron). On a happier note, the cookies she brought were excellent.
SHOTS FORTHCOMING - Several Mudhens fans have contacted the website designers concerned at the somewhat low number of pictures available in the Action Shots section (0). The website, therefore, is pleased to announce that the situation will improve dramatically following next weekend's games, provided of course that somebody actually remembers to bring a digital camera this time. In fact, a somewhat unusual level of cooperation from the players might result in additional headshots on the Roster page as well. Stay tuned, web junkies!