Gold Country Buzzards

Gold Country Ol' Buzzards Game Report #20

Championship Game: September 15, 2013

Buzzards beat Reds in title game, 9-3

The Gold Country Buzzards are Champions of the World of Sacramento NABA men's baseball. By finally defeating the Reds in a NABA finals' game, the Ol' Buzzards captured the 2013 crown for the 55+ division. On a nice afternoon in a breezy Davis, the 90° temps made for an excellent day to play a championship game on one of the best baseball fields in the region at Playfields Park.

The pitching match-ups for the 20th and last game of the year had the Reds sending their shifty, right-handed ace, Robert 'Ponytail' Stormont #30 to the mound to take on the Buzzard righty, Dave 'Evy' Everingham #21. Evy had only pitched five innings for the Buzzards this season, so the start was a little surprising to the team. With the hurler-horses in the Buzzards' stable limited due to sore arms and car problems in Seattle, Evy was the skipper's pick to take-on the tough Red Legs.

The Reds are managed by Carlos Zamora and the team is mostly made-up of the best players, over 50 year olds, in and from the Sacramento Mexican leagues. Carlos recruits well and he usually has one of the top teams in whichever age division the Reds have played. The Reds were playing in their new, snazzy red jerseys with a white Cincinnati Reds' logo on the front, plus names and numbers on the back with gray pants for their second time. The new look for the playoffs was quite a contrast from their white pants and white vests with red pin-stripes and red sleeves for the last seven-plus years.

The title game started at 2:30. Both teams went 1-2-3 in the first inning, but the Reds did it in a different way. The first runner was aboard via an infield throwing error. After several close pick-off throws, the first-base umpire called-out Armando 'Rabbit' Hurtado on another nice pick-off move by Evy to Pete 'Baron' Von Zboray at first base with the quick slap tag on the diving-back runner.

The next batter struck out, before Steve 'Shortstop' Moreno scalded a liner down the left-field line for an apparent double. It appeared to a couple of Buzzards, especially to catcher, Rick 'Salmo' Salmeri, that Steve had missed first base on his race to second. Since time was called after the play, Evy waited until time was in, before stepping off of the rubber and throwing to first to appeal the missed bag on the hit. The umpire emphatically called the out to end the first inning in dramatic style and to the howls of the Reds' bench.

The Buzzards jumped on the scoreboard first in the second inning with a nice big crooked number - 5. With one out, Tom 'TK' Keatley beat out an infield single that included a loose ball rolling into the Buzzard dugout to put TK at second. Up next, the Baron hit a high bouncer for an infield single putting runners at the corners. 'Blue' Barry Forman followed with a fielder's choice to second that scored TK with the first run. Batting next, Norm 'Burner' Tucker slashed a single up-the-middle, putting runners at first and second.

Up next, Gregg 'Surf Dawg' Novotny slapped a 1-2 pitch on a line into center field for a single to load the bases for Taylor 'Welzy' Welz. The Baron ran for Surf Dawg at first base. With two outs, Welzy blasted the 2-0 delivery to the gap in left-center field to score Blue Barry and Burner, the recent Burning Man vets of 2013. Barry's hair still has a hue of blue.

The second inning, two-out rally continued with Dan 'Wookie' Wukmir at the plate after both runners moved-up on a wild pitch to put two runners in scoring position with the Buzzards up by just three runs. On a 1-2 pitch, and after fouling-off a couple of pitches to the left, Wookie lined a sharp single to the gap in left-center to drive in the Baron and Welzy and take a 5-zip lead. The first and third outs of the inning were by naughty Buzzards, caught stealing second base by the catcher, Gilberto Banuelos, throwing strikes to the second base bag.

The defenses held until the Reds battled back with three runs in the top of the fifth frame. Four straight hits to open the inning followed by a two-run(?) fielder's choice with an errant throw on a potential double-play. A good job by the Reds' player, that Gilberto again, to interfere with the play by getting in the way of the throw. As the runner from first base, Gil did not slide on the play, but turned into the infield grass, which was the same side of the bag the covering shortstop, Welzy, moved to make the throw. No interference call by any of the three umps, even on appeal, and no double-play. The score after 5½ innings was close at 5 to 3 in favor of the Buzzards with the Reds getting the calls after the first inning.

The Ol' Buzzards then added a quick run in the bottom half of the fifth. Evy doubled toward the right-field line with one out. After a strike-out, TK then ripped an 0-1 curveball to right field for a single to score Evy from second to make the score 6-3. In the sixth dig the Buzzards scored two runs to widen the lead to 8-3. Blue Barry led-off with an infield single. Burner followed with a flare to left for a base hit putting two runners on. Surf Dawg, batting next, singled sharply to right field to drive in Blue from second. Up next and with the fourth hit in a row, Welzy sliced a liner to right-center that knocked in Burner from third to end the scoring. The inning ended on a controversial trap-catch by the shortstop for an inning ending double-play.

With runners at first and third, Evy hit a sinking liner to the left-side of the infield. Moreno made a good play just to get in front of it and he appeared to trap the ball, not catch it. The sound of the ball hitting the ground and flying dust made the catch appear to be clearly a trap. After the catch(?), the throw to third base doubled-up the Baron as he was crossing home plate. After an appeal by Wookie, all three umps huddled for quite a while before calling the trap a catch to kill the big Buzzard rally.

While shutting out the Reds since the fifth, the Gold Country gang scored once more in the seventh inning. The third consecutive scoring inning started with an infield single by Charles 'CJ' Jackson. CJ was robbed earlier by an unbelievable diving catch in the third dig. Hugo 'Highlight Reel' Lopez playing a deep left field ran full-speed toward the fence as soon as the ball left CJ's bat. The screaming liner was headed to the fence when Hugo, running hard, leaped high with his back to the field and made a back-handed snag of the ball as it passed him before landing hard in the out-stretched dive position on the dirt warning track, next to the fence with the ball firmly in the glove. Wow. One of the best catches of the season for sure, and it took a double away from Charles.

After the infield hit, CJ then stole second base and moved to third on a ground-out. With the Baron at the plate, CJ scored on a wild pitch that caromed off of the short backstop and away from the catcher. Blue Barry later walked on a full-count, but the scoring ended with the one run. The score after seven was 9-3, Buzzards.

The pitching held up with Everingham going the distance and the defense did its job through the rest of the 2½ hour game to hold the Reds to no more runs. The Reds only threatened a couple of times and, except for the three runs in the fifth frame, got only two runners to second base and one to third during the rest of the game.

On the final out, a high pop-up to Welzy in short left field, the celebrating began with jumps, hugs and high-fives among the very happy Ol' Buzzards. With the final score: Buzzards 9 and the Reds 3, the 2013 baseball campaign ended on the highest note.

After the Buzzard-team congratulations in the infield concluded, the teams lined up to slap some skin and say - good game. Both teams then lined up on the foul lines for the individual plaques and team plaque awarded by the League Commissioner, Barry Spiller. Photos followed before the beer drinking began in the parking lot shade.

What a way to end a great season - by knocking off an old nemesis on the same field as the heart-breakers of 2009 and 10. Well done - 2013 Ol' Buzzards.

Buzzard pitching was fabulous. The El Dorado Hills battery of Evy on the mound and Salmo behind the plate paid golden dividends as Dave threw effectively, limiting the number of pitches to 106, for the nine-inning battle. That low pitch-count basically allowed him to finish the game with Welzy warmed-up, just in case, in the ninth.

The pitch count for each inning was: 1st-8, 2nd-12, 3rd-6, 4th-14, 5th-22, 6th-9, 7th-5, 8th-13 and 9th-17. Evy faced 35 batters in throwing the 106 pitches (75 strikes & 31 balls). Dave gave up three runs on eight hits with no walks and seven timely strike-outs. Everingham needed 28 outs to put away the Reds.

The extra out was necessary in the fourth dig when a strike-out of Moreno on an outside pitch, that he threw the bat at, bounced off of the backstop and rolled away from Salmo, to allow Steve to take first base without a throw. Gilberto then grounded-out to end that inning.

The Buzzard offense used 15 timely hits to score the nine runs. The hit club for the game included: the Baron-1, Blue Barry-1, Burner-2, CJ-1, Evy-1, Surf Dawg-3, TK-3, Welzy-2 and Wookie-1. The ribbies were courtesy of: Blue Barry-1, Surf Dawg-1, TK-1, Welzy-3 and Wookie-2. The runs scored were accounted to: Blue Barry-2, Burner-2, CJ-1, Evy-1, Surf Dawg-1, TK-1 and Welzy-1. The base stealers were CJ and Welzy, while the only walk of the game was issued to Blue Barry in the seventh inning.

As an example of the effective offense, the Buzzies had four consecutive base hits for runs twice during the game, in the second and sixth innings. And seven out of the first eight got on base in the second inning to send a strong message to the Reds and to Ponytail on the mound. The Reds made numerous outstanding leaping and diving defensive plays to rob multiple Buzzards of hits during the game.

From the great catch of Welzy's rocket shot to deep center field to open the game, followed by Gilberto's laser arm display, and a mix of other defensive gems and traps, showed the Reds were fighting hard all game and conceding nothin' to the Buzzards even late in the game.

Ironically, Steve Moreno at shortstop got hurt on the second to the last play of the game and season. On a Baron hit flare to short left, Moreno ran back and then jumped back to make a twisty, remarkable back-handed catch. However, on the leap his right hamstring went 'boing' before he made the catch and then landed awkwardly in a heap on the grass while still hanging onto the ball. He needed help to leave the field.

The Buzzard defense was solid, minus some wild throws to first base. There was only one fly-ball out to the outfield. It was late in the game as the first out of the eighth to Keatley in center field. The rest of the outs were made in the infield. Welzy had a busy afternoon at short with five put-outs and three assists, Cookie, playing second base, came through with two put-outs and five nice assists, while the Baron at first had nine put-outs and two key assists.

Some defensive oddities in the game were: the missed base by Moreno in the first inning and subsequent appeal of the double resulted in a 7-4-1-3 play in the books for the third out. Blue Barry, Cookie and Evy got the assists, with an assisted assist to Salmo, who insisted on the appeal, as the defensive player with the best view of the play.

And with 16 assists and 20 put-outs made in the infield, surprisingly, not a single ball was hit to Wook at third. Paul 'Youngin' Lee in right field and Blue Barry in left also did not see much action in the field and had no put-outs. Everingham had six assists and four put-outs from the mound to continuously demoralize the Reds with his excellent glove work on hot smashes up-the-middle.

There was only one Buzzard double play, an Evy caught hot-liner to end the seventh, with an easy double-up of the runner at first. Clearly, Evy was the player of the game by combining the excellent pitching with spirited defense, to go along with the seven strike 'em outs. Super Dave also had the only extra-base hit of the game with his double to right field in the fifth. Just an awesome and necessary display of outstanding ol' baseball skills in the NABA championship game. Great game, Evy.

It was a good day and year to be a Buzzard. Thanks to all.

Buzzard Note #1: Late in the game, Barry Spiller attempted to place the box with the winner’s plaques next to the Buzzard dugout. Diane, keeping score, saw the box and told Barry to remove it until the game was over. No bad karma or ju-ju allowed. Many Buzzards remember the winner’s box showing up in the Reds dugout several years ago, while the Buzzards were down by five runs in the ninth inning of the second championship-series game in 2010. After the Buzzards saw that box delivered, the team scored six runs with two outs to take that game and send that series to its third game. After the game, the Reds performed prayers and other acts over the box to rid that cardboard container of any lingering curse before the next game.

Buzzard Note #2: A team party will be announced soon. In the celebratory haze at Davis, the announcement to turn in the orange jerseys for cleaning and repair was forgotten. Please bring the orange vests to the Buzzard gathering.

Buzzard Note #3: An interesting batting tip was in the Sac Bee on Monday from Hunter Pence after hitting his fourth homer in four days in LA. Brett Pill, the Giants rookie, said he asks for hitting advice from Posey and Pence. Pill said, “Buster gives me something (technical), but Hunter is all, 'Just try to kill the ball.”