Big Fish Recap 10/29/09 - Victory

Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy…..Right! That is our team motto and we needed to follow through on that in a much needed must win game against the East Coast Believers if we were going to contend once again for a title this year. The team felt confident going into the game with a full roster and boasting a youthful yet 4oth Birthday celebrating Oil Can Spragues back in the line-up after a one game sabbatical.

The team was looking to put away the Believers early and reduce Mad Dog’s ERA since we inflated it a bit during his last outing against the Sharks. However, the thought of “Mercy” had crept into our mindset after our debate on the Dojo and it slowed down the teams play in the first inning. The East Coast Believers said a prayer and they came answered as we had some shaky defense in the first inning and relented a 2 Run lead. However, Capt. Tucci gathered the troops and called on the fans in the stand to get the team amped up and rolling like we are capable of.

With a little help from afar Scott “Smokey” Kluge sent down a ‘Victory Drum” that could be heard beating through ought Red Bug Lake Park and it was just what the team needed but most importantly what the Swami needed to get back that killer instinct.
The Birthday boy himself got the bats started ripping a double to center field and becoming the first player in Cobra Kai history over the age of 40 to record a double. The team rallied after that and the Victory Drum could be felt deep down in our souls. “I was a bit distracted starting the game after witnessing an incredible ping-pong marathon game but once I heard the victory drum it was all business and I knew the Kai’s were ready for a big win” The Swami was quoted with after the game.

Koko wore his Don Mattingly Underoos this game as he was playing a gold glove game at 1B eating everything up hit his way and even gunning down a runner at 2B that decided to test his arm. “I have never seen such intensity from Koko and that is just what the Kai needed” Said Johnny Blaze after the game. Well, the Believers would take out their frustrations on the team as our Hot hitting Left Fielder Miguel Blanco got beamed in the head for turning a double into a triple. However, he is a Cobra Kai so he stayed in the game and kept fighting.

Speaking of taking out frustrations, DonJuan was able to amazingly increase his league leading OBP % to .918 even though he had been the victim of a vicious serve losing a hotly contested Ping-Pong match right before the game 29-27 at the Kai’s Clubhouse. Roundhouse Reger also continued his hot bat punishing the Believers Outfield for 3 Doubles Friday night.

The defense clamped down after a shaky beginning and held the Believers to 2 runs after the Swami got in his groove and began attacking and snagging everything hit to the outfield. “I don’t know what it is about that drum, but every time I heard it I knew something good was going to happen to the team” The Swami said at the post game conference.

Overall, it was a great game for the Kai and put us back on our championship way. However, not all was perfect for the Kai as the Birthday boy himself our 40 year old 3B Spargues got taken down for a strikeout in the 5th inning. “I know my eyes aren’t deceiving me, it’s just that I started to get worried about that pie in the face moment I was scared was coming and I shifted my attention too much” Spragues said after the game. Well, the team did take mercy on the 40 year old and decided not to unleash the pie on him since Capt. Tucci was worried about hurting Spargues already questionable vision.

Well, the Team looks to continue our winning ways this Friday against the Del Taco Beans.

Big Fish Recap 10/21/09 - NO MERCY!

NO MERCY!!!

The Debate has been raging in my head ever since I saw our schedule this week. The Win less East Coast Believers Church.

Do we continue the Cobra Kai motto of Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy on these poor just trying to spread the good word of the Lord church movers or do we take it a notch down?

My initial thought is to go at them full speed ahead. I am just not wired to let up in an athletic competition. I want to go all out or else it is not worth it. However, coming off our drubbing by our newest hated team THE Sharks....I feel like we should have a different perspective?

That was one of the ugliest games I have ever taken part of. And for Elliot, Spragues, and Regs I will spare the three of you any details. By the way....Sprague's I think You now lead the team in ERA after you conveniently were AWOL for the past game pulling your own Mad Dog Move.

Regardless, I believe it was more a matter of us playing not to lose and just waiting to get shell shocked which eventually happened. As, I have always said sometimes in life it's usually a matter of perspective. If you look for something hard enough you will usually find it. I think we were looking for a beat down and we were not our usual team because we were expecting an annihilation and that is what we got. Just like whenever you go out to dinner with a person of a certain religious descent........I mean a South Floridian.......I mean a food critic they are usually walking into the restaurant waiting to critique and break down the service and/or food.

Well, that food and or waiter does not have a chance in hell. Any place you go you can find something wrong......and if you look for it hard enough you will find it. This Cheese is not melted perfectly......My Lettuce is not green enough.....these fries are not crispy enough.....etc....etc...etc....I pounded my glass of water immediately when I sat down and the waiter took a whole two minutes before he noticed.....Brutal!

The same goes for sports. If you go into a game thinking we are going to get smoked, well the first thing that goes wrong just sets the tone and the game starts to implode. Did you ever notice in the old days that always happened to us? We would have that one inning where one thing would go wrong and then our collective heads would start to hang and we just expected a bunch of things to go wrong and they almost always did leading to that 11 run inning we would give up. How come we would give up all those runs in one inning and then hardly any the rest of the game? Well, Momentum can work both for you and against you.

Usually, we would come roaring back and gain our own momentum driven inning as well. I think once the Swami diagnosed this problem he helped us conquer that demon and his absence Friday may have lead to that, but that is besides the point. Maybe it was a lack of team community on the dojo and that is largely my fault for not perpetuating more discussions on the dojo. But we had no life from the get go Friday. I know the Sharks are the Sharks and we can hate on them all we want which is entirely debatable subject. However, do we remember that feeling this Friday and take out our anger on the Church group or play with empathy since we know how much that game sucked?

Personally, I thought we needed to loosen up and just try to have fun Friday and score a few runs and make small strides. However, the East Coast Believers have had happen to them every game this year what happened to us Friday. So, My question to the Dojo is do we go at them full force? Yes, it is their job to stop us. And, I felt the same way Friday. At first I wanted to make an errant throw that hit one of the Sharks but then I remembered I am a Man and it is my job to stop them not theirs to give in. But at some point enough is enough? But what is that point? That is my question.

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Big Fish Recap 10/7/09 - Back On Track

Well, in case you didn’t know by now the Cobra Kai’s motto is Strike First, Strike Hard, and No Mercy. The team operates best when we follow that one simple message. “I pulled the troops together and told them we need to re-assert ourselves after last week’s travesty and pull it together” the Swami said after the game.

Mad Dog’s family decided to give us a another shot and they came to watch him record his 232 all time win pulling him into 3rd place all time at Red Bug Lake park. Well, He came out hurling stifling Tetra Tech hitters all night holding them to 1 run and improving his team leading ERA to 4.82. Oil Can Sprague’s has the next closest ERA with his holding steady at 19.6. Well, the Mad Dog didn’t want to leave anything to chance so as our leadoff hitter reached base to start the game the Mad Dog wanted to set the tempo early and demanded a steal to get the game going. Well, Keith stole second successfully and it worked by getting in the other pitchers head forcing him to walk 4 of the next 6 batters and that’s when you could feel all the momentum swing in our favor.

Everyone reached base on this night and the team was crushing the ball like we are so capable of on a nightly basis. “I was getting scared for their fielders we were hitting it so well. I was on second base when Regs crushed one past me and I swear I could hear the seams whirring in the wind just like the sweet sound of a Johnny Blaze rant” Spragues said after the game.

Capt. Tucci was resting his tender foot but that didn’t stop him from coaching one of his finest victories yet. I instructed the team to go for the knockout punch right away and that is exactly what we did. The first inning outburst proved to be too big of a blow for Tetra Tech to overcome as they fought like a wobbly bleary eyed prize fighter after we landed a huge right hook to start the bout. The game was sealed for our batters in the bottom of the 4th when Sully ripped a two out double to bring the score to 14-1 and taking every last breath out of the Tetra Tech Jets.

The team was missing our veteran mainstay at 1st Base Koko whom was traveling down south for a scouting mission so the team was unsure as to how the defense was going to hold up. However, despite missing Mr. America Koko himself, the fielding was spectacular behind a great outing from Mad Dog. Johnny Blaze was up to usual patrolling of the left side of the field and the team turned two crushing double plays. Blaze even perfected his rolling throw out to second base.

Overall, it was one of our best games of the year as we had a total team effort and took down Tetra Tech improving our record to 3-2 and looking to claim our second title in three seasons. DonJuan did extend his on base streak to 18 games and the team looked great.

The Kai’s also got back on track at Gators as this is where Capt. Tucci stepped it up and help the team put down a record breaking 42 pitchers to get us back on our winning ways even at Gators.

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