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Joe Senser's Softball
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POST-GAME BAR RECORD BROKEN
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Joe Senser's Softball
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ROSEVILLE, MN- Like last week, things started well for Joe Senser's softball, as Christian Peterson had a 3-run homer to cap off a nice 5-run top of the first. Unfortunately, the other team got a chance to bat as well. By the end of the first, Senser's was down 6-5, and that lead would prove to be insurmountable as the team could only manufacture one more run en route to a 5-inning, 21-6 loss. "Man, that's pretty sad when you're second in the lineup and only get up twice in a game," shortstop Dan Hinrichs said after the game. Peterson's home run was the only extra-base hit out of the nine hits that game for the team. "The wet newspaper stiffened up a little bit on that AB," Peterson said when asked about his bomb.
If the wheels had been slowly coming off during the first game, they were blown all over the freeway at the start of the second game, as the opposition plated 12 men in the top of the first. "Man, my arm was getting tired throwing in so many balls," outfielder Ryan Thomas said after the game. "At first I was tossing them overhand, and slowly the arm angle went down until I was practically submarining them back to the infield." Potential manager Eastside was not having a very good time on the bench during the inning. "This is like a nightmare," he was overheard saying in between four-letter words. "Just when you think it can't get any worse, it does." Right when he said that- base hit. Then an error. Another hit. A walk. A dinger. A boot. Another hit. "My God, this is horrible," he said to the #1 fan, Jayme Forstrom. "I can't believe you're losing this bad to those guys," Forstrom told Eastside and Hinrichs during the top of the first. "You're like, half their age." Perhaps telling of the first inning, Eastside asked Jayme to "just go to Senser's now and order me a basket of chicken fingers, with extra barbecue sauce." To the team's credit, the blue did bounce back to make a game of it. Brette Hjelle got tough on the mound, shutting down the opposition without a run in four of the next six innings. Patience at the plate and a few strings of base hits got Senser's within 12-8 after the 3rd. However, by the bottom of the 7th, even the umpire was having fun at the team's expense. "21-10, looks like you guys need to get some runs," the man in red said to the dugout. The team responded with six runs- not enough to win, but enough to salvage pride. "At least we took 'em the distance," Hinrichs quipped after the game. Kevin Jost made his inaugural appearance of the year, getting a couple hits and a couple runs, and made his presence felt at the bar.
Post-game ceremonies were particularly well-attended, as the majority of the team and three fans made it to the bar. Pete Fanucci paid up for the two pitchers he owed for two double-play grounders (Click here for Skip Caray's call of Fanucci's second DP groundout), and, as has been the case the previous two weeks, Mike Kennedy started in on the unemployment cracks. "Hey, thanks Mike, thanks for that pitcher that Pete bought with my help," patting his back at the same time. "At least our tax money is coming directly back to us here, in the form of beer," Tim Bruns responded. Eastside also blew the whistle on Fanucci, claiming he intentionally hit into those double plays in order to make sure the bases weren't loaded when he got up to the plate, thus robbing him of a chance to back up his grand slam guarantee. "This is my A-Rod year, I need to be in a position to crank out big RBI's. $252 million might not be enough to keep me around next season, especially when I've gotta be digging balls out of the dirt at first base. That error I saved Hinrichs will probably earn him another mil on his contract next year, and I want it." Immunity challenges abounded at the bar last night, and ironically, the first two of the six Senser's names called were Mike Dirksen and Eastside, the manager and the person contemplating a managerial coup. Dirk spun first...five bucks. Then East...zonk. Other zonks went to Fanucci and Kennedy (ironically, the two MVMP's thus far), and winners were Thomas ($5) and Forstrom (free drink). The debate is wide open for when the managerial switch might take place- Eastside feels it should be next week, whereas Dirk feels that he has won immunity for another game. "I'm hangin' by a thread here, guys," Dirksen bemoaned after walking over the undulating hills of right field. Disputed move of the night went to Jeremy Kletzin, whose round of Bananas in Pajamas "shots" went over like a fart in church. "Here's Kletzin, a St. John's linebacker and our biggest power hitter, going to get a round of shots," Fanucci said. "I'm thinking, Three Wise Men, Dead Nazi, something tough. Then out comes the waitress with eight tall glasses of this frozen stuff with whipped cream on top. I was pissed they forgot to put f--kin' umbrellas in them." (They were pretty tasty though.) Almost on cue, Mike Biebl added, "Now your whole team looks like a bunch of manp---ies. You can bet that other team each has a bottle of Wild Turkey sitting in front of them."
Next week's tilt takes place at 8:00 on Field 4. "Get used to the high bar tab now," Eastside said. "'Cuz after next week, we'd be taking infield practice at this time." The gauntlet has been thrown down- can Dirksen manage his way to a victory and save his job?
Swelvax Player of the Week:
Ryan Thomas. Went 5-for-6 for the second consecutive week, scored three runs, made countless great plays in left center, and won five bucks on the Senser's wheel of fun.
MVMP of the Week, presented by Mike Biebl:
Pete Fanucci. Batted 1-for-5 and grounded into two double plays, taking over the team lead in GIDP's. Also zonked on his wheel spin.
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