Eli Says ...

Play ball!

While there was a brief shower, it's not balmy and there's a little breeze, if we postpone The Finale, then next week could be worse. And it's not as bad out there as it will be in January!

If you want to play ball again before April, get out to the field!

This Sunday: The Final Game

We’re outlasting both MLB’s World Series and The World Series of Poker’s November 9.

We’re at 19, surely enough to end the season with 9 innings of Our Usual Thing.

Uncomfortably Dumb

No Game Today! In consultation with the BABL, it's been decided that, while not dangerous due to a wet field, it's not too bright to be trying to play while so cold and windy.

                         Temp. Feels Like

 9:00am            44 °F   37 °F

10:00am           47 °F   39 °F

11:00am           48 °F   41 °F

12:00pm           50 °F   43 °F

  1:00pm           52 °F   46 °F

Same time next week!

Plan to Play!

2pm, Saturday: puddling behind 1B but the mound and plate are tight and this field drains very well. It's likely to be chilly and windy, but that's October baseball!

2am, Sunday: no puddles, no crackheads. All infield is tight, but lumpy. Grab a rake and bring it or get there and grab a rake.

We're still on ... unless it's too stupid-cold. Charlie's bailed. Maybe he's the smart one? Email if you're out. BABL, get at Paul.

The question is the temp and winds (45 mph gusts, windchill.) A final determination will post between  8am and 8:15am.

 

    Time             Temp. Feels Like

 9:00am            44 °F   37 °F

10:00am           47 °F   39 °F

11:00am           48 °F   41 °F

12:00pm           50 °F   43 °F

  1:00pm           52 °F   46 °F

Find the long-johns. Popups will be fun!

No Drought on Sundays

... so no game this week. While we did have the numbers for today, they're too low to try to pull it together for the Monday holiday.

Gather your loved ones, decorate the house for Columbus Day, sing some traditional Columbus Day songs, enjoy a traditional Columbus Day feast ...


We've got 3+ more weeks to see if we can beat Mother Nature.

Yep ...

... we've hit 14 confirmed by Wednesday night which, over the last couple of months, seems to be the magic number to get us to 21 or so by the time Game Day rolls around. The rain seems to be coming late Saturday day and clearing for our game, while the hurricane is heading out to sea. So we're looking to go on Sunday, and not the Monday backup plan.

Update, noon on Thursday: ... and just after posting, we got to 15.

Mother Nature Wins Every Time

No game. With a mist still in the air and the field soft in several places, it's a good day to stay in and watch QB34, as Big Papi takes snaps for the Patriots.

We'll do Our Regular Thing next week and look to reschedule with the BABL after that.

We'll See

... in the morning. Forecasts still show the rain ending. The field drains very well. Both will be rechecked in the morning and the game will go on if the field can tighten and conditions made safe.

The notice typically goes up around 8:15am but will likely be earlier this week.

More Balls!

On Friday, 3 dozen more baseballs arrived. While the bench won't be as deep as in the last month or so, we've got a game going on tomorrow!

6 weeks left, through October. Maybe into November. We'll see. But maybe a couple more rainouts, too. So likely, we'll play 4 or 5 more games. Make this week one of them!

Play Ball!

Not only is it dry now, but the sun is peeking out. Though the sun may wane,  there looks to be no strong rain showers heading our way. Game on!

...and Kyle Y. is on his way up from Connecticut to make 18!

7+ Weeks Left ....

... and we've certainly got at least one more game. 18 for Sunday!

14 on Tuesday has been getting us 21-22, so 18 on Wednesday is right on target for another solid showing.

But 3 for next week, September 25? Where y'all going?? Maybe Eli, Ron, and I tag along?

There Goes The Mo' ...

... here comes the rain. And lightning and high wind gusts. Now heavier than they'd been forecasting, it looks like there's no escape, while they are using words like "torrential rain" and "severe thunderstorms". Sometime around 10:30 to 11:30 in Framingham. Better to not get caught out in for the sake of a game. Make nice to your loved ones this week so that you can abandon them next week!

So Far, Game On ...

There's talk of a cool front clearing out the humidity during the game. It may bring rain. Or not a drop. Best current guess, based on a lot of forecasts, is that it's going to be sporadic, if at all, and we're playing. And should it hit, it would be fairy light and quick and we can ride it out.

More forecasts to be checked in the a.m., with a final decision by about 8:15am. Go to bed!

Like Good Pastrami ....

... we're on a roll.

We're at 20 for this coming Sunday!

Friday 12:02am update: ... and now 21.

More Good Numbers!

We're at 19 for Sunday and we're on a roll!

Saturday, 11pm update: looking more like 22! Nice!

The Game Winner!

A classic dump-to-right swing by Charlie ... and legging out a double!

Best Supporting Actor Nominees: Eli Gronkowski (in green jersey)

and Trey, coming in to back up the plate.

Cheerleading and cinematography by Leslie B., with our eternal thanks!

... and 18 are on the active roster for the upcoming Labor Day Sunday game!

The Beginning of The Fall

Updated on Saturday, 1:22pm
Add Paul O. and Danny S. and the tally for Sunday is 21. Others expressing interest but not yet fully committing could have us near the ideal of 23! The Labor Day Sunday count is 18 ... and there are September callups are out there...

The moving vans have arrived at our Autumn home, as have the construction crews - only the first and last entrances to the parking area are open. It seems a little more lumpy than last we visited and there's grass on some basepaths, but ... there's no place like home.

The Shade Tree Rule:
One bench has shade, the other does not. Over 20 years, we've noticed that the Shade Tree team seemed to have an advantage, particularly in the later innings. The game will stop and the teams will switch benches if 1) The temperature is 76 degrees or higher (cuz, you know ... America) and, 2) The Shade Tree team is winning by 8 or more runs at the end of an inning, after the top of the fifth and through the 7th inning stretch, and 3) Someone calls it!

The Only Stat That Matters

Jim is in, too, making for 14 ... and he's wondering what's taking so long for you to join us!
Thursday, 1:20pm update: A softball teammate, Matt A., is expected to be in and we're at 15 ...
Expecting some regulars to get us over the top.
Don't make us call you out (Paul, Ed, Scott, Stephen G., Jeff ...)
 Thursday, 3:29pm update: ... and Jeff makes 16! We're going to get there...
Friday update: with a new recruit, another softball player, and the commitment-phobic, we'll get a game! And, with the new permit in hand, we've got a bonus Finale at our "summer home".
Saturday 2pm update: Ed makes 17 ...and we're already at 17 for August 28 and 16 on Labor Day Sunday.
 Saturday 5:44pm update: Trey has 2 more from his softball team ... 19.
Saturday 8:50 / Final Update: Hamlet makes it 20, a likely new recruit would be 21 ... play ball!

Perfect Storm

Forecasts are calling for local rain in the next half hour and continuing, albeit sporadically, until near noon. Perfectly timed to keep our numbers down and soak us at the field.

So, a bad morning to get out on the field. A good day for French Toast. And we'll try again next week.

Late's Not Great

More than half of those arriving last week were late. At 8:45am - the time when it is necessary to have all hands on deck in order to start the game on time at 9am - we were quite close to leaving the field for a team breakfast for those who were on time.

Certainly, we all oversleep, have trouble getting out the door, etc. Do not let that stop you from coming, no matter the time. We'd all be happy to see you at 10:30am! But the habitual tardiness - showing up every week after 8:45am - has got to stop!

No Attendance Taken, But ...

... of course there's a game! Play ball!

(And if you could explain why, at 6am on Saturday, this site had 147 hits, get in touch, thanks!)

Getting There

14. The number we've been at the last couple of Thursday nights that have gotten us to 19 by Sunday morn.

There's definitely baseball on Sunday - and no rain in the forecast! Dave C., Jason, Stephen G., Charlie, Paul, Maurice, Ron, David S., Trey, Ed, Howard, Kyle, Jim, Pat ...(insert your name here!)

That Magic Number

We're at 18 confirmed, though it seems that when we hit 15 or so, there will be 18 at the field. So we're looking good - as long as Mother Nature doesn't throw us a curve ....

Sunday, 2:07am update: we've had some rain, but the game is still on, as of now. A final decision will be posted near 7:15am.

3rd of July

...and then there were 18.

Send an update if your status changes, whether you're counted in now but are out or if you're not counted but plan to play.

Friday, 10am update: 19, with the likelihood of picking up an additional small smattering of players who are in another league but have an off-day.

Sunday, 1:00am: 20!

Yeah... No Game

If only - like it appears on the radar - it were actually raining now. But forecasters (Chs. 4, 5, 25, NECN) all say that by 8am, there will be widespread showers. Given that the numbers were already going to be crushed by the earliest start ever because of the short window of the permit, it's just not going to work today.


Future cancellations for 9am games (8am field prep / BP, all signed in by 8:45am) will be posted by around 7:15am.

"Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.” ~ Casey Stengel

The Sun's Up ...

.... the game's on - the last one at our "summer home" before our "road trip"!

Finally!

Officially, the latest date for Opening Day in our 20 years is upon us tomorrow!

Game time is 9:30am. In order for the game to start on time, your name must be on the sign-in sheet by 9:15am. Play ball!

Baseball: No Game, But ...

With a forecast that will suppress the numbers and it being Mother’s Day, it’s likely we’d not get 18, so the game is off and Opening Day will be next week. But ...

7:45am update:

... there’s a small window to get onto the field before the rain. I’ve thrown some BP, but have not pitched. So, just after 9am, I’ll be taking a bucket of balls to the hill to stretch out the arm. If anyone wants to stand in the batter’s box, there’ll be a helmet. Beyond that, I'm open to drills, etc. Once the rain comes - seemingly between 10am and 11am - we’ll get gone.

Final Practice

The permit ends at noon; the rain is holding off until the afternoon. Practice ball!

It's Official!

The permit was picked up today. Except for Memorial Day Weekend and the following weekend, we're at our usual "summer home". This week at 9:30, the time of First Pitch through May, we'll scrape off the rust - take BP, throw off the mound, try to remember how to catch a fly ball and pick up a grounder, and do some drills.

You'll get an email on Saturday if you've opted in. Otherwise, get in touch!

It Happens Every Spring

The bad news is that the only local airing of the 1949 comedy film, "It Happens Every Spring" coincides with Red Sox Opening Day on Monday at 4pm.

The mixed news is that a permit request has been submitted and I'm told that "it shouldn't be a problem", but it won't be released until the fields are made ready - likely in a week, possibly two.

The good news is that, yes, as soon as there is a Sunday with no snow - April 10? - we'll begin our 20th season by finding a patch of grass on which to throw and to see if we can remember how to catch a fly ball.

In a day or two, look for the annual opt-in email .... and play ball!