Gold Country Buzzards

Gold Country Ol' Buzzards Game Report #11

Game: June 30, 2013

Buzzards beat Red Sox in hot one, 14-6

On the hottest day of the year with temperatures reaching 102° in Auburn , the game(y) Buzzards were ready at James Field to take on the 45+ Red Sox team. In the midst of this hot spell, it makes it hard to remember that last Sunday was cool and cloudy with rain pending.

The Red Sox (2-8) are a new 45+ team that does travel with a boisterous fan group. The hot-hot weather and a shortage of able bodied Buzzards for the game required a serious sports supplement. Dave 'Evy' Everingham, one of the best legal supplements known for a baseball team, was acquired for the game. Evy has helped us in a pinch before versus the Dodgers.

The Sox started the game with righty Louie 'Cool' Hernandez #55. On the hill for the home team Buzzards was the undefeated starting pitcher, Rick 'Salmo' Salmeri #7 (3-0). Versatile Salmo has been the starting catcher for the last several games.

The Buzzards struck first with two runs in the bottom of the first frame. With one out, Dan 'Wookie' Wukmir hit a soft liner up the middle for a single. Next, Evy laced a double to deep left field. Wookie, racing from first base, thought he would be sent home on the hit and was hitting high gear heading toward third when the stop sign abruptly went up with the relay throw coming in. Wook slammed on the ol' brakes after rounding third and stopped in time to see the cut-off throw coming to third. Wook's slide back to the bag beat the tag, but the infield ump with a terrible angle, called him out.  The home plate ump said after the inning that the manager should have appealed the play and he would have over-ruled it. That's a first.

With two outs now and Evy at second, a wild pick-off play allowed a hustling Dave to score the first run. Up next the clean-up hitter, Barry 'Crush' Forman, hit a hard grounder that was misplayed by the second baseman for an error. Kelly 'KG' Garcia then dropped in a short single to left-field putting runners at first and second. On the next pitch, Norm 'Burner' Tucker hit a liner to deep left-field for a base hit driving in Barry for the second run to make the score 2-0 after one inning.

The Gold Country gang busted-out for eight runs in the third inning. Evy started it with a base hit to center-field. Crush was then walked on four pitches. Up next, KG got to first on a booted play by the first baseman to load the bases. One out later, clutch Steve 'Cookie' Cook singled to right on a 3-2 pitch knocking in two runs. Batting next, Mike 'Big Mac' McCabe singled to right-center putting runners at the corners.

Wookie ran for Mike and then stole second base. Salmo then earned a seven-pitch walk to load the bases again with Ol' Buzzards. After a force-out at home for the second out, Taylor 'Welzy' Welz smashed a liner to center-field to score two runs. Welzy stole second before Wookie hit a deep one to the opposite field. The left fielder ran a long way to not make a fabulous catch. Wook cruised in with a two bagger that scored two.  Batting for the second time that inning, Evy singled for the second time to knock in Wookie to end the scoring.

The Buzzards led 10-0 after three digs and it appeared this might be a quick 10-run mercy-rule type of game. There was some early Red Sox grumbling regarding aggressive base running and the Buzzards racing to an early mercy-rule beat down of the visiting team.

The Red Sox scored a run in the fourth inning with a lead-off double followed by a single. The Sox scored five more in the next frame to tighten-up the game at 10-6 after five. Three walks, two hits and an error was the recipe for the five run burst by the Red Sox and it put some spunk back into their loud fan club.

After being quiet for a couple of innings, the Buzzards scored again in the sixth to add a little cushion to the score. With one out Wook walked and stole second base. Evy then sent a liner into center for a quick run-scoring single.

In the seventh frame the Buzzards pulled away with three more runs to make the score 14-6. Tucker started the inning with an infield hit. A collision followed at first base with Norm tumbling and landing hard face-down. It did not look good as it was happening, but all was ok when he got up, straightened the helmet and took the bag. After all of that, Burner was wiped out by a double-play two pitches later. Norm does lead the team in collisions at first base.

So, the three runs came with two outs starting with Big Mac getting hit in the hip by a non-working curve ball. Cookie ran for Mike. Salmo then singled sharply to left-field putting Buzzards at first and second. Dave 'Mumbles' Kelley, batting next, stroked a single to right-field to load the bases. Kelly then ran for Kelley. Up next, Gregg 'Surf Dawg' Novotny was nailed by a wayward fast-ball in the chest. A loud hollow thump could be heard from the hit. Chest pain, anyone? Ouch. Surf Dawg has had the 'real thing' chest pains followed by appropriate surgery several years ago, so this was just a show-and-tell bruise for after the game.

The hit batter scored Cookie from third and reloaded 'em for Welz. Taylor then clubbed the 0-1 pitch on a line into center to score Salmo and KG.

The Red Sox put up a fight, but scored no more runs in the nine inning contest as the 2 hour and 50 minute game came to a close with the final score 14-6.

Buzzard pitching worked well and spread the innings over three hurlers to work the oven-like conditions. Salmo was supposed to throw just two or three innings, but he was so efficiently mowing 'em down that he threw into the fifth before running out of gas. The pitch counts were 9, 6, 7, and 12 before a longer fifth frame. Rick faced 19 batters in throwing 48 pitches (32 strikes & 16 balls). The Red Sox scored five runs (3 earned) on five hits, two walks and a hit batter with three strike 'em outs against Salmeri.

Surf Dawg relieved Salmo and threw the six outs of the fifth and sixth innings. Gregg threw 41 pitches (20 strikes & 21 balls) to 12 batters. He uncharacteristically walked three batters, but held the Sox to no runs on one hit with a strike-out. Big Mac pitched the final three innings without giving up a run and earned the save. Mike threw 26 pitches (20 strikes & 6 balls) to 10 batters. McCabe gave up three hits and struck out one in the dominating performance.

The Buzzard offense struck for 17 base hits and was effective in scoring 14 runs. The hit club for the game included (in batting order): Welzy-2, Wookie-2, Evy-4, Crush-1, KG-2, Burner-2, Cookie-1, Big Mac-1, Salmo-1, and Mumbles-1. The ribbies were courtesy of: Burner-1, Cookie-2, Evy-2, KG-1, Surf Dawg-1, Welzy-4 and Wook-2. The Buzzard-eyed walkers were: Barry, Dan, Mike and Rick. The following Buzzards took one for the team or had slow reactions: Big Mac, Mumbles and Surf Dawg have new bruises. David was nailed in a bad spot in the second inning when he turned away from an inside fastball and got struck hard in the butt crack for an extra special feeling on the way to first base and an interesting spot for a bruise.

Everingham disappointed the team when he made an out in the bottom of the eighth. It took a semi-amazing back-handed catch by the right fielder to finally get Evy out. Dave was 4-for-5 against the Red Sox. In his previous Buzzard game this season, Evy singled and walked. The Buzzards were just used to Evy getting on base every time he comes to the plate.

The Buzzard defense looked good even in the high heat. The nine-inning affair had five strike-outs leaving 22 opportunities for put-outs. There were four fly ball outs. KG had two nice catches in center-field, Salmo had a huge catch of a sizzling, sinking liner to right-field with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth. And Barry ended the game with a good catch looking into the sun in center-field in the ninth inning.

There were three double-plays to end Red Sox rallies. In the first inning, a Welzy to Cookie to Big Mac (6-4-3) looked good; in the seventh and eighth innings more 6-4-3 plays worked with Evy to Wookie to KG. Those double-plays do bring smiles to a pitcher’s face. The good defense and excellent pitching held the young Sox to six runs. Another nice, yet hot victory for the Ol’ Buzzards.

No game next week due to the Independence Day holiday. The next game is July 14th against the Dodgers at 10 am at C-Bar-C Park in Citrus Heights. Since we beat the Dodgers (9-2) in that nice come-back win on May 5th at James Field 7-4, they have not lost a game and beat the Miners last week. Beware of the Buzzards.

Buzzard Note #1: Dean Perkins had successful bicep tendon reattachment surgery on his left arm on Friday at the Kaiser Medical Center in Roseville. He is already up and teaching math at Sierra College for the summer, but can’t carry much. The arm is bent and in a half-cast for another week and a half and then rehab. Deano will be unable to play again this season, but we will likely see him at future games as a valuable coach.

Buzzard Note #2: It appears we will be on the radio again this year. KAHI 950 AM preliminarily has put us on the schedule for August 11th at 2 pm following the Oakland A’s game on the station. The game is at James Field against the Miners. Circle that date and bring the family. BBQ is planned for after the game. More info to come.