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San Francisco Angels Wood Bat Baseball Team Game Reports- Early 2005 May NorCal Road Trip 2005 Fairfield Tournament April Road Trip to Orange County January Winter League Champions
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overall record: 22-10 league: 14-4 tournament: 2-2 overnight: 6-3 home: 3-1, road: 8-5 a-m 9-3, n-z 2-3
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"All the News in Fits" |
Home |
July 2005 |
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Recent Results: Sunday July 24 Monterey Bay Sox 1 Angels 0 Saturday July 23 Angels 3 Monterey Bay Sox 0 Lance Stevens throws 8 shutout innings, David Reichardt closes. Monterey Bay Sox 3 Angels 2 Sox get walk-off win by hometown cheat call at 1st base, returning Angel Tex Oksen takes complete game loss and goes ballistic on cheater. Marin Merchants 4 Angels 1 (split squad) Tony Brandi pitches 1-1 tie into 7th, falters, leaves, no pick-up, loses well-played Rural League single elimination playoff game. Sunday July 17 Maxim Yankees 5 Angels 3 Saturday July 16 Angels 9 Bay Area Giants 1 Angels 5 Bay Area Giants 1 Friday July 15 West Coast Black Sox 5 Angels 1 Angels 2 West Coast Black Sox 0 Sunday July 10 El Cerrito Athletics 3 Angels 1 Angels 7 El Cerrito Athletics 1 Non-league, 11:30am, at Cerrito Vista ParK. El Cerrito Wednesday July 6 Palo Alto Oaks 4 Angels 0 Non-league, 7pm, at Baylands, Palo Alto NBC Western Regional Qualifying Tournament A double elimination tournament held in the San Diego area. The Angels win the championship in four straight games. We now join the 46-team NBC Summer Baseball World Series in Wichita, Kansas August 1-14.
Game#4- Monday July 4- Barona Field (east of San Diego) Angels 7 San Diego Waves 6 (10inns) Ever-improving catcher Derek Luque (SF City College) goes 5-for-6; singles in winning run in 10th inning against insurgent Waves. Prediction: Luque will end up hitting over .400 for the summer. Conclusion: Good talent is overlooked by the Division I fetishists! Game#3- Sunday July 3- Barona Field Angels 7 Long Beach Saints 2 Mound wizard Matt Flaherty (SF State) pitches 7 strong innings and outfielder Ryan Stevenson (Lewis-Clark State) shows off high-quality hitting skills in dominant win over strong collegiate team. "Stevenson has been a big lift for us. He does all the little things, too, like a pro veteran." - Manager Contreras Game#2- Saturday July 2- Alliant University Angels 8 San Diego Mavericks 1 Relentless veteran pitcher Lance Stevens (SF State) glides to victory with hitting help from powerful but inexplicably-overlooked first baseman Andres Gonzales (Sonoma State/Odessa JC), who is 4-for-5 with two singles, a triple, and a homerun. Conclusion: Andres should be playing pro ball right now. What's the matter with the scouting system! Game#1- Friday July 1- Carlsbad High School Angels 4 San Diego Waves 3 Angels squeeze by a very strong Waves team with dominant pitching by Richard Navarette (El Camino College) and Joey Cress (Brevard- North Carolina).
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"We play the game with total effort!"
July 23 & 24 - Two Squads! Monterey Those Angels headed to Wichita played a 3-game series with the Monterey Bay Sox at Monterey Peninsula College. The Bay Sox beat California Coastal League opponent Santa Barbara Foresters (37-9) three times in the last six games. The Bay Sox may be headed to Wichita too, as a result of their 3rd-place finish in the recent regional qualifier in Santa Barbara.
All four teams in the Coastal League may be going to Wichita- if they can afford it! The way it works seems to be like this: 1. Santa Barbara Foresters- seem to have an automatic berth, or maybe a pending invite. 2. San Luis Obispo Blues- won the NBC Regional Qualifier in Santa Maria during the 4th of July weekend. 3. Salinas Packers- will finish in the top three of the four-team league, and will get the league berth by default since the Forester & Blues are already in the tournament, and so are - 4. Monterey Bay Sox- finished in 3rd place in the NBC Regional Qualifier in Santa Barbara during the 4th of July weekend. The host Foresters won the tournament, but see (1) above. The Delta Toros finished in 2nd place, but apparently they can't go.
See the chart at left for our web intern HotDogg's analysis of the geographic breakdown of the NBC tournament. ("Near Kansas" means Missouri & Oklahoma too. )
Split Squad at Fairfield!- Tim Luque (phone 650-248-4371) and family led a split squad Angels team to a single elimination game Saturday July 23 in the Rural League playoffs. The Rural League Site has information about the playoffs. The Angels finished in 2nd place in the Rural League with a 16-4 record, edged out for 1st place by the 17-3 Novato Knicks.
The Angels are now officially entered in this weekend's playoffs . Tim Luque is covering the $234.20 overdue balance in league fees. Full credit as reimbursement to the Angels for costs of running the league's calball.com web site was not recognized because the league needs hard cash to pay playoff & sectional costs and the officers of the SRL have undervalued the effort.
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Cancellation: July 7-10 No Santa Barbara NBC Tournament games. Click here for the tournament's bracketing.. Click here for tournament scores.
We didn't pay the fee in time or firm up our participation in this NBC regional qualifier tournament with some high quality competition. The Forester's boss Bill Pintard says to us "No way, sweetie!" We were pushed aside in favor of the Monterey Bay Sox. Pintard doesn't mention SoCal Fire's entry into the tournament even though they have two NBC Wichita berths practically in their pocket already. And of course, the Foresters themselves already have a berth set up in their 4-team California Coastal League. .
We should overlook any Foresters hokum and note that one of the "pushovers" in their tournament, the Delta Toros, beat the Foresters 3-1 in the first game of this tournament (Thursday July 7) - ending Santa Barbara's 16-game win streak.
The Toros (Los Medanos College summer club) swept through the winner's bracket and are in the championship, awaiting the results of a Sunday morning loser's bracket game between the Monterey Bay Sox and the Foresters. The Foresters would have to win all three of Sunday's games to grab the tournament trophy.
This is not an overwhelming task for one of the country's best summer collegiate teams. The Foresters are headed to Cuba at the end of the month, and then to Wichita. If you want to join the team for Cuba, it costs $2,800 for the ride- expect to sit on the bench- qualified players call the Foresters office to express your interest.
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Sunday June 26 at Stanford Diamond- Santa Barbara wins the Best of the West championship! - see the Maxim Yankees website.
The Final Four
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Laney College, June 11 SCROGGINGS INJURED
Angels slugger Chris Scroggings (pictured below) suffered a severe foot sprain while delivering the tie-breaking single in the 13th inning of the Angels 4-3 win over the Oakland Expos at Laney College on Saturday June 11. He reported a popping sound and pain in the top of his foot at his ankle, but did manage to limp to first base after his base hit up the middle scored Angels' runner Russell Graham (Contra Costa College). Graham had bunted his way on, going headfirst with a Full Kent slide into first and then popping up and gliding to second base on a wild throw by the pitcher. Graham runs unusually fast.
Scroggings' double in the 8th inning had tied the game 3-3.
The Expos loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the 12th inning. Angels' right fielder Paul Keck was called in to give up the winning run but instead he struck out the side, leading to Scroggings' winning single the following inning.
Keck is a former star catcher at Chabot College who hit .459 in 2004 and is now playing for NAIA powerhouse Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho.
The win gave the Angels' a 12-4 league record with a crucial league doubleheader Sunday against the fledging Marin Merchants. The Angels are still in contention for a league championship, which is expected to require 15-17 wins in a 20-game schedule, although the Novato Knicks have a higher winning percentage. |
Golden Gate Park, May 28 & 30 Angels Sweep at Beautiful Big Wreck
Angels' Johnny Browing delivers pitch to a Lake County Red Hawk batter. Browning threw five innings in Saturday's 2nd game 5-2 win after the Angels took the first game 9-3.
Look at Golden Gate Park's beautiful scenery and tell me the
field shouldn't be maintained in top shape out of respect for
the game, visitors, residents, city athletics, our slick mayor,
in a word- motherhood!
On Sunday, the Angels lost 5-1 to the Maxim Yankees. Working back from a hairline fracture to his throwing arm last summer, Robert Salini (Sonoma State, shown at left) fired over 80 pitches into the 6th inning, when the Yankees got their first hit and scored the winning runs.
On Memorial Day, the Angels then returned to Big Rec to pummel the Oakland Expos with 17 hits in a 10-5 win and a white flag no-pitchers-left forfeit. The homeless Expos should change their name to the Gnats! Splat! (They'll be ready for us at Laney next week.) |
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Filthy!
Above: Dirty Derek Luque, catcher, is quickly moving beyond the community college pipe bat game. When he started with the Angels, he occasionally looked like he was playing pachinko behind the plate, but now both his hitting and defensive efforts are earning respect from the team's veterans- and from the opposition.
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Weekend of May 21-22: Angels Gain Split With Knicks |
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Angels' Chris Scroggings (SF State) meets pitch by Novato Knicks' Ryan McClelland (Sonoma State), as Django Brudnick (Indiana Tech) leads off second. |
The San Francisco Angels romped to a 14-2 second game victory Sunday afternoon at Golden Gate Park to earn a split in an early-season doubleheader confrontation with their league rivals, the Novato Knicks. With a deliberative pace, Angels' starter Matt Flaherty scattered five hits in seven innings for the complete game victory.
The Knicks' Ryan McClelland had pitched nine innings for a 7-1 victory in the first game. McClelland allowed 6 hits and struck out 9 Angels hitters.
Both teams now have identical 5-1 league records. |
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The Poor Man's Jake Peavy |
Angels Off to Good Start Despite Roster Instability
The Angels won three out of four this past weekend at Golden Gate Park, running their overall record to 11-6, and their Rural League (AABC Stan Musial) league record to 5-1. The Angels broke away from the Bay Area Giants on Saturday, after the day had started with a close contest. On Sunday, the Angels were outmatched by the Novato Knicks in the first game, but held steady in the second to walk away with an easy victory.
Scoring 36 runs in the four games, the Angels drew 37 bases on balls and hit batsmen. The games provided the players with real game batting work, and several players showed improvement in their offensive skills- keeping the hands back, making solid contact with the wood bat, being selective about pitches. Some of the veteran players provided leadership in showing less experienced players the value of patience at the plate. Higher OBP leads to more runs.
The Angels have had some frustration landing a couple of key spots in the lineup and pitching rotation. There are more teams at the 18 and under kiddie level because scout and agent wannabes like to have rotisserie-like fun with "development leagues." There are also more summer wood bat collegiate teams. But the current Angels players are taking up the slack with surprisingly persistent efforts at self-improvement. |
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Angels Sweep Giants Ahead of Sunday's Battles Against the Red Menace
On Saturday May 21, the Angels swept the Bay Area Giants 5-1 and approximately 16-5 in a league double-header at Golden Gate Park's big wreck Big Rec Graham diamond. Located in one of the premier locations in the universe, the condition of the field is a disgrace to civilization and is known to undermine the self-esteem of our Creator. Mankind will be punished for this, somehow.
Making cameo appearances on this bright warm day were veteran centerfielder Keian Davis (Sonoma State) and his entourage of fans, and one Charlie Cutler (Lowell HS) who has played at Big Rec before. |
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Davis went 1-for-2 before returning to his busy social calendar, while Cutler stayed the whole day, going 4-for-7 plus two hit-by-pitches, a walk, and three stolen bases. The 4-for-7 reduced his 2005 batting average slightly, but he should be able to build it back up when he plays with the 18 year olds this summer.
Catcher Derek Luque (San Francisco CC) also reached base seven times for the Angels. |
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Grateful guests at Alan Witt Park in Fairfield included third baseman Jake Holt and left fielder Damien Broadnax. |
Angels Win Four Games on NorCal Road Trip
The Angels swept the Fairfield Indians 12-7 and 12-6 at Alan Witt Park in Fairfield on Sunday May 15. The Angels won two out of three on artificial turf in Redding against the host Colt 45s on Friday and Saturday. The mix of veterans and younger college players provided solid mound performances by Craig Alaniz, Alex Sowyrda, Robert Salini, Matt Flaherty, Lance Stevens, Johnny Browning and Tony Brandi (22 games, 108 innings for Contra Costa CC).
Our team's trademark strength is the acrobatic infield defense, led by Jake Holt, Mike Ryan, and Young Daddy Django Bungadee Brudnick Whttington. Our improving offense up-and-down the lineup launched homeruns over the short-fence fields: Dan Andersen, Matt Cozzolino, Jake Holt, Damien Broadnax, and Mike Ryan. |
Tony Brandi and his remarkable legs went the distance against the Indians. |
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Celebration! Tens
of thousands of San Franciscans ran through the streets on Sunday May 15 to
celebrate the Angels' victories this weekend.
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Brad Shannon awaits pitch in live 3D game action at Big League Dreams sports park in Redding on Friday May 13. The municipal facility opened in 2004 with faux-stadium softball diamonds, in-line hockey, volleyball courts, and batting cages. The Angels played three games at Pawtucket Stadium, a duel-use baseball-softball artificial turf field. They won the 8:30pm Friday game, then split the Saturday 8:30am doubleheader. On Sunday, they swept the Fairfield Indians 12-7 and 12-6. |
On Friday night, the mound was in the nouveau portable big league style, but then Colts management said it was too high and the pitchers tripped on it. In fact, Angels reliever Robert Salini was too high. He was a blur to the Redding hitters who tripped on his trademark pitch, The Towering Inferno, so they fearfully switched to a retro portable bp style mound Saturday. |
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Bungadee Fan Club on May 14, a warm day in Redding |
intense game preparation |
throwing off the pancake |
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Click here for itinerary for May 13-15 weekend trip... Redding-Waters-Davis-Fairfield... (the weekend travel went according to plan) |
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Scroggings (SF
State) was recruited back to the Angels by veteran player
Mike Ryan, to help the effort at building for success
against the "premier" summer collegiate teams on the West Coast.
Ryan himself was contributing to that effort with a .356 batting
average and 33 rbis in 28 games.
John
McClaren, the City, the USA, Total World Harmony®, God,
ever-spreading-consciousness, advanced intergalactic
civilization, wondrously sublime pulsating nature Itself,
Saturday,
the Angels defeated the Novato Knicks 4-0, on a three-hit,
7-inning shutout by lefty
Offensively,
the Angels struck first in the top of the first against
McClelland when #3 hitter
Mike Ryan's gaping double to left center scored
The
Angels' win gave them a semi-final game at 1pm Sunday against
the Fairfield Indians. Former San Diego Padres organization pro
John "Worm" Herbert (USF) started for the Angels but was
lit up and had to be removed in the 2nd inning. Game over, since
Fairfield's veteran pitcher Will Mosley was wily mostly. 
Another
wily pitcher,
The
Bluish Whacks Toy With the Angels
