OAKLAND A’s & SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS FANTASY

2005 BASEBALL LEAGUE
FROM THE STANDS

Washington Park at Burlingame High School

APRIL 10, 2005
Jim Realini

Kansas City A's 13 Oakland A's 5 in Game #1

    The A’s got this triple-header weekend off to a rip snortin’ start Sunday morning.  Mark Fitzpatrick picked up for a wounded Sil Krevocheza and pitched four and a third shut out innings to cool off the Oakland boys.  Mark came in with no outs and bags loaded to shut down Oakland on four pitches giving up only one ER in the fifth.  Dave Jemes started for the Oakland A’s and gave up 7 hits with 5 K’s, Matt Amaro finished up for the Oakland team.

     Al Henderson with a long double to right and Gordie Yost’s bases loaded double to center led the Oakland hitters.  Dave Jemes started the game with a diving catch of a short pop-up to the pitchers’ mound that he deftly turned into a double play.  John Chase turned in a sweet unassisted double play in the top of the fourth to end a Kansas City threat.  Purcell Hall momentarily inspired Oakland in the bottom of the fourth with some nifty running, beating out a dribbler then on the next play taking an uncovered third base.

     The big story in this game was the heads up play and timely hitting by the Kansas City A’s.  KC led off the game with five straight hits by Alexander, Macias, Calloway, Zimmerman, and Fitzpatrick jumping to a quick 3-0 lead.  Pat Macias also contributed a well-hit double deep into right field.  Mike Byron ended the 2^nd inning spearing a line drive to third.  Byron and Greenfield broke Oakland’s back with two bases loaded singles to left and center in the 5^th driving in two RBI’s each.  Fitzpatrick’s diving sliding play to make an out at first and Zimmerman’s game saving throw from deep in the shortstop hole behind 3B were two of the defensive gems that made KC’s day.

San Francisco Giants 13 Fresno Giants 1 in Game #2

        The San Francisco Giants (…can’t you just hear Renell beltin’ out that name?) played their long awaited opening game beating the Fresno Giants 13-1.  Joe Gagliardo was reunited with his ’05 camp roomie Jim Realini to throw 6 steady innings for the win with Mark “G-man” Gemello finishing up for the hold.  Mark Bruzzone was amazing for the Fresno Giants striking out 8, but he walked a few too many to go along with the “spotty” fielding support Fresno provided.

        San Francisco showed some “rust” in the first inning when the third baseman booted the ball and the shortstop picked it up and threw wild to first base.  This was not how the day went for SF though.  San Francisco turned in 3 DP’s to back their mound men, but the seasons’ best play was staged mid-game by the Giant infielders.  G-man, Gags, the Count (Dave Montellato) and Vaughn Chagonjian (catching) teamed up for the rare, but fitting for a triple-header, 1-6-3-2 TRIPLE PLAY.

        Dave Montellato’s fearsome reputation at the plate apparently intimidated the Fresno boys into some aberrant plays in the field turning Dave’s four RBI’s into unearned runs, however, Mark Bruzzone did make a brilliant Derek Jeter like save near home plate that almost nipped off a San Francisco run.

        Tom McHale wearing his new “lucky” batting helmet and Joe Gagliardo led SF with 2 hits each and four RBI’s.  Matt Schmuck had a two hit day for the Fresno Giants.

San Jose Giants 7 New York Giants 4 in Game #3

        The late game was marked by some intense, but good-natured rivalry between the good friends on both teams.  Bud Abbott and Lou Costello would have enjoyed the game and maybe found some new material for “Who’s on First?”  Mike Simon (battery-mate Angie) with five steady innings combined with Tom Sanfilippo’s four to make the New York Giants flail away harmlessly until a last inning rally fell short.  The NY Giants used multiple pitchers using multiple strategies to confuse and obfuscate just about everyone accept the San Jose guys who made some timely hits around the many walks Chilly, Shafer, and Parson’s squeezed into their pitching over nine innings. Frank Weishaar squeezed in a few batters also for the NY Giants.

        Matt Schmuck was caught napping halfway to 2B on a flyball to CF and Terry Lee sent the fly he caught to 1B, winning the appeal against Schmuck for a neat F-8 double play.  JC Penney made some plays in honor of Barry Berman by keeping himself a safe and uninjured distance from any pop-fouls near the plate.  The NY Giants according to commissioner Rob Weber apparently set a new record for how many different ways you could try to pick off Moochy Hughey at 2B at one point.  After watching his teammates make some pretty strange plays around the infield, Greg Terra provided a much needed reminder of how the game is supposed to be played by cutting down a speeding JR Riley at 3B with a laser throw that skipped in from Right Field.

        Both Simons, Schmuck, Miller, Bennett, Moochy, Tom Sanfilippo, and JC Penney got hits for the San Jose Giants.  MacAusland and Haines “57” led NY with 2 hits each, while Shafer, Marks, and Terra each had one.  Terry Lee had a big double to center, but the loudest hit of the day goes to Dennis Horn’s long double to left field to inspire a last ditch rally snuffed by Angie Simon’s unassisted put-out at second to end the game.

Reminder: Next weeks’ games are back at Riordan High School; also, regular players do not forget to tell your coach by Wednesday Night if you are going to play are you will stand a good chance of losing your spot on the team for the weekend to a pool player.