When Mad Dogs Bite

Mad Dogs 13, Wood 7

June 19th, 2011

Courtesy of Guest Writer David Aubuchan

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Oakland.

Home of the Athletics.

Home of Billie Joe Armstrong.

And now, home of the 27th meeting between the Mad Dogs and the team now known as Wood at Raimondi Field.

Once league rivals, the Mad Dogs and Wood now only pass longing stares across divisional lines. Since the inception of this good-natured rivalry, the Mad Dogs are in possession of the Series lead, one Wood ex-girlfriend, and more of Jevon’s secret handshakes than with any fellow Wood teammate.

It was a rag tag bundle of Wood coming together on a beautiful Sunday afternoon - with the notable exception of its trusty manager, Brandon “sometimes I grow a mustache and pretend I’m the captain of old Iron” Sides. One couldn't help but notice a distinct lack of pre-game angst, mid-game tension, and post-game admonishing as Frank Bauch stepped to the helm and did an admiral job leading the team.

JohnLanahan was handed the pearl to start the game, and despite handing out more free passes than an off-duty stripper on the corner of Broadway & Columbus, strung together a strong effort through six innings.

The D came to the rescue on a number of occasions to include two unconventional double-plays. The first started on a drive up the third base line that ended with Jevon laying on his stomach yelling “I got his shoe!” In an odd bit of coincidence, the pre-game love session J-Bone had with the Mad Dogs started and ended with a game of “I got your nose”. Put it in the books as 5 unassisted 5-2-5-2.

The second DP fulfilled Frank’s long time goal of successfully back-dooring a guy rounding 3rd base too aggressively. After a standard 4-3 to get the ball

rolling, the crafty Bauch, keen to notice a man’s vulnerability, shot the baseball equivalent of Rufinol across the diamond to catch the Mad Dog unawares for the 4-3-5-2 Double Penetr... I mean play.

approximation of Wood's fifth inning double play

Despite Wood keeping it close through six, the wheels fell of the Lanahan train to K-ville and the offense didn’t show up until too late. When walks weren’t the order of the day, bombs were.

Mike Moyer made his debut to the team a memorable one by going 2-3 at the dish as well as climbing more fences than an illegal with a bad habit of forgetting things back in Mexico while patrolling left field.

Pitching in relief, Ricky Ballgame pitched a solid three innings, two moon shots and one balk of baseball allowing Wood to claw back a few runs and regain some respectability with the final tally coming to 13-7.

GameKudos to Moyer Sr., proving what clutch really means by bring an ice chest full of beer to help soothe the wounds of a tough loss.

Next up a tough game versus the Benders at Raimondi. Be there.