This weekend, the Palfinger Italia's faced off against Crochetta. Tied at the top of the standings, this weekend was big. Two wins would put us in great position in the playoff hunt, given that the rest of the league were all sitting around the .500 mark. The first game went as most first games go, long and somewhat boring. We won 10-0, beating them in 8 innings. The second game, however, is what I would consider a defining game for Reggio.
We were set to go up against a foreign pitcher whose background was intimidating. He had pitched 7 years in the big leagues. For what teams I don't know, but he was dominating Serie A as expected. He didn't throw very hard, and obviously age had taken some of his stuff, but he knew how to pitch. He held runners well, and had complete control of the game. Josh didn't have his best stuff, but battled and kept us in the game. Going into the 9th inning, we were down 3 -1. Crochetta's starter was out, and their reliever was a big righty who threw mostly changeups and curveballs.
We started the inning off with a single. The next batter struck out, but turned the lineup over to the top. Thomas layed down a beautiful bunt, making it first and second with one out. Our number two hitter, Taio, popped up to shallow right field, making it first and second with two outs. Standing in the dugout, I had a sense something good was about to happen. I had deja vu of last year, when we beat Modena in the last inning with 4 triples. Our three hitter walked, and with the bases loaded, Paul stepped to the plate. He then walked on 4 pitches, making the score 3-2 with two outs.
I was on deck, but I had a feeling I wasn't going to hit. Claudio had been swinging the bat well, and I was hoping this was his time. On a full count, he hit a ball over the center fielders head to drive in the winning runs. We all went crazy, and stormed the field. In the celebrating, Claudio got punched in the face. Needless to say, it was a great time. There is nothing better than a walk off win.
So we were able to take two, putting us at 7 and 1. It's games like those that really bring a team together, and we celebrated like a team after the game. Everybody had done their part, and that's the beauty of baseball. Plus, one day a week builds up a lot of anticipation. It's almost as if we are playing American Football. This upcoming week, we will play on Sunday against Poviglio, who is last in the division at 1 and 7. This doesn't mean that are to be taken lightly. It's baseball, anything can happen.
Off the field, this week seemed to have officially started summer. The center has come to life, with concerts, art shows, markets, and other events being hosted what seems like everyday. This has both positives and negatives. The positives are obvious, more people and more events means more fun. The negatives, well that's a little more complicated. For example, outside of our building we can park wherever the lines are blue. We have a permit to park in the center, so there is plenty of parking. We have been parking on one side of our building pretty much all year, being that it is the closest and move convenient.
After the game on Saturday, we pulled up to the apartment and parked in this area. We wake up the next day to see our car missing, and around these parking spots are caution tape. Our car had been towed, but we had no idea why. I called Paul who called Graziella, and we found out that because of a bike tour going through the center they had blocked off that parking. Obviously, it would have been nice to know this ahead of time, but towing the car just seemed to make more sense. We ended up having to pay 100 euro to get it back. Italian policies can be ridiculous sometimes, but sometimes things just happen that you can't do anything about. So this week should consist of baseball responsibilities and a lot of time spent in the center of Reggio Emilia. With some trips planned for later in the month, budgeting is in order. All in all, things are going smoothly, baseball and life in general.
Lastly, I hope all the mothers had a great Mothers Day. Remember, if you have any questions or comments feel free to email me at marmo.mike@gmail.com. This week, Tuesday, starts the featuring of the blog on www.Mister-Baseball.com. Check out www.ReggioBaseball.com for more write ups, stats, and general information about our team. Thanks for the continued support, and talk to you soon.
We were set to go up against a foreign pitcher whose background was intimidating. He had pitched 7 years in the big leagues. For what teams I don't know, but he was dominating Serie A as expected. He didn't throw very hard, and obviously age had taken some of his stuff, but he knew how to pitch. He held runners well, and had complete control of the game. Josh didn't have his best stuff, but battled and kept us in the game. Going into the 9th inning, we were down 3 -1. Crochetta's starter was out, and their reliever was a big righty who threw mostly changeups and curveballs.
We started the inning off with a single. The next batter struck out, but turned the lineup over to the top. Thomas layed down a beautiful bunt, making it first and second with one out. Our number two hitter, Taio, popped up to shallow right field, making it first and second with two outs. Standing in the dugout, I had a sense something good was about to happen. I had deja vu of last year, when we beat Modena in the last inning with 4 triples. Our three hitter walked, and with the bases loaded, Paul stepped to the plate. He then walked on 4 pitches, making the score 3-2 with two outs.
I was on deck, but I had a feeling I wasn't going to hit. Claudio had been swinging the bat well, and I was hoping this was his time. On a full count, he hit a ball over the center fielders head to drive in the winning runs. We all went crazy, and stormed the field. In the celebrating, Claudio got punched in the face. Needless to say, it was a great time. There is nothing better than a walk off win.
So we were able to take two, putting us at 7 and 1. It's games like those that really bring a team together, and we celebrated like a team after the game. Everybody had done their part, and that's the beauty of baseball. Plus, one day a week builds up a lot of anticipation. It's almost as if we are playing American Football. This upcoming week, we will play on Sunday against Poviglio, who is last in the division at 1 and 7. This doesn't mean that are to be taken lightly. It's baseball, anything can happen.
Off the field, this week seemed to have officially started summer. The center has come to life, with concerts, art shows, markets, and other events being hosted what seems like everyday. This has both positives and negatives. The positives are obvious, more people and more events means more fun. The negatives, well that's a little more complicated. For example, outside of our building we can park wherever the lines are blue. We have a permit to park in the center, so there is plenty of parking. We have been parking on one side of our building pretty much all year, being that it is the closest and move convenient.
After the game on Saturday, we pulled up to the apartment and parked in this area. We wake up the next day to see our car missing, and around these parking spots are caution tape. Our car had been towed, but we had no idea why. I called Paul who called Graziella, and we found out that because of a bike tour going through the center they had blocked off that parking. Obviously, it would have been nice to know this ahead of time, but towing the car just seemed to make more sense. We ended up having to pay 100 euro to get it back. Italian policies can be ridiculous sometimes, but sometimes things just happen that you can't do anything about. So this week should consist of baseball responsibilities and a lot of time spent in the center of Reggio Emilia. With some trips planned for later in the month, budgeting is in order. All in all, things are going smoothly, baseball and life in general.
Lastly, I hope all the mothers had a great Mothers Day. Remember, if you have any questions or comments feel free to email me at marmo.mike@gmail.com. This week, Tuesday, starts the featuring of the blog on www.Mister-Baseball.com. Check out www.ReggioBaseball.com for more write ups, stats, and general information about our team. Thanks for the continued support, and talk to you soon.
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