Game 0: May 4, 2005 Greenwood Park: BADGERS @ Redwood EXHIBITION
Baseball again already!
Tummy creeping out over your hip-huggers again? Time to get fit and active running around and chasing a ball. Badger baseball is back again!
Once again, we will be playing every Wednesday night, starting with an exhibition game on Wednesday, May 4, at Greenwood Park, which will be our home field once again.
Our three fields this year will be Greenwood Park (Dundas & Greenwood) and Riverdale Park (Broadview, south of Danforth), which you will remember from past years, plus an intriguing new field, Stanley Park.
Here's Bob Walton's description: "Stanley Park is a fine diamond on King St, south side, just east of Strachan (and west of Bathurst). It reminds me a bit of Moss Park and as Brian Colpa describes it
'It is an open field, no fences, generally the infield is shale/crushed gravel, has dugouts on each side, is accessible by TTC,and has parking on the street next to it.' " A west end field! Hallelujah!
Fees for this year will once again be $20 for the season. Best ongoing deal in the city!
Dave Landry is developing the schedule once again, and you will have it as soon as I do. No week off this year.
The TAL website may be undergoing revisions soon. I will continue to maintain the Badger page at http://wayneon.ca/badgers/index.html, so go there often for schedules, scores and standings.
But hey, it's baseball time! I gotta tell you, I like the look of the lineup who have indicated they're on for Badger ball this season. With a lineup like this, I think we can win it all! And this time I mean it!
Wayne
Your humble servant is now Rules Secretary for the league, which is what happens to you when you have too many opinions.
This year's rulebook is appended below with new rules in bold. This will do for now, pending the major rewrite of the TAL rulebook which I am going to do one of these days in my spare time.
No real changes this year, except that we have required every team to carry a first aid kit, but we have clarified a few things:
We are going to specify a standard distance between bases, and a minimum distance that the pitcher must stand from the batter. The actual numbers will be determined after we take some measurements during the exhibition games.
We have finally made it clear that when a game is cancelled (after four innings have been played), the winner is the team leading at the end of the last complete inning.
We have specifically forbidden the first baseman from obstructing the runner by standing on the baseline, which was never really permitted, but often a problem.
At first base, which is always supposed to be a double bag, we have clarified that the fielder must play the inner bag. The runner may touch either bag, but if she touches the inner bag, she is considered to have turned for second, and may be tagged out if she over-runs the base. We have clarified that normal tag-outs are permitted at first base.
At home plate, we have specified that tag-outs are NOT permitted. Once a runner crosses the 'commit' line, he must run home, but may not be tagged out.
We have also elaborated and clarified the ground rule at Greenwood, but the substance of the rule has not changed.
And then there's the ball. Ah yes, the ball. You will recall that, following a serious accident during a game last year, a couple of teams insisted that we play with a much softer ball, and that some other teams, including us, were not at all happy about using such a spongy ball.
After much discussion, we have not yet reached a consensus on what ball we are using, much less discovered a source for such a ball. The 'very soft ball' faction insist that they can come up with a ball which will be acceptable to the 'it's gotta feel like a baseball' faction, but research continues. We are going to have to sort this one out soon. So far, the league is intact, but the 'very soft ball' faction are adamant that they will not play with a ball that they have not approved, and so far they have nixed both the Worth grey dot and a RIF Class 10. Stay tuned.
Parks
Greenwood Park is at Greenwood and Dundas (southwest diamond)
Riverdale Park is on the west side of Broadview, between Danforth and Gerrard (north diamond)
Stanley Park is on King St, south side, just east of Strachan (and west of Bathurst).
BADGER SCHEDULE 2005
All games are on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.
Parks
Greenwood Park is at Greenwood and Dundas (southwest diamond)
Riverdale Park is on the west side of Broadview, between Danforth and Gerrard (north diamond)
Stanley Park is on King St, south side, just east of Strachan (and west of Bathurst).
Game 0: May 4, 2005 Greenwood Park: BADGERS @ Redwood EXHIBITION Baseball again already! |
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Game 1: May 11, 2005 Greenwood Park: Opera 21 @ Badgers 9
But it was hot when I left the house! |
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Game 2: May 18, 2005 Stanley Park: Badgers 12 @ Opera 24
What's that smell? |
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Game 3: May 25, 2005 Riverdale Park: Badgers 12 @ Bain Bantams 6
Badger has arrived! |
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Game 4: June 1, 2005 Greenwood Park: Bain Bantams 24 @ Badgers 7
Bantams rediscover their championship form. |
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Game 5: June 8, 2005 Greenwood Park: Toronto Life 11 @ Badgers 8
Badgers blow an early lead and then can't pull the trigger. After five games played, Badgers are 1 and 4. |
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Game 6: June 15, 2005 Riverdale Park: Badgers 18 @ Toronto Life 7
Game called after six innings on account of rain. Badgers finally show up! |
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Game 7: June 22, 2005 Greenwood Park: Redwood 9 @ Badgers 27
Badgers start to adapt to the bounceball. |
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Game 8: June 29, 2005 Greenwood Park: Remnants 0 @ Badgers 7 (default)
No remnant of Remnants. Scratch Badgers do workups in the heat. |
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Game 9: July 6, 2005 Riverdale Park: Badgers 16 @ Toronto Life 7
Shorthanded Toronto Life show too little too late. |
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Game 10: July 13, 2005 Greenwood Park: Badgers 13 @ Redwood 3
Heat wave ground rule: No running. After 10 games played, Badgers are 6 and 4. |
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Game 11: July 20, 2005 Stanley Park: Badgers 11 @ Remnants 29
Badgers are unable to match Remnant's needle-sharp hit placement. |
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Game 12: July 27, 2005 Greenwood Park: Remnants 20 @ Badgers 16
Badgers keep it close but lose concentration at the end. |
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Game 13: August 3, 2005 Greenwood Park: Badgers 7 @ Redwood 0 (default)
Mavericks don't show up, but Badgers do, and so do a horde of hemiptera (aphids). Next week: Ladybugs! |
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Game 14: August 10, 2005 Riverdale Park: Bain Bantams 20 @ Badgers 28
Badgers shake up the batting order. A change is as good as a rest. |
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Game 15: August 17, 2005 Stanley Park: Badgers 19 @ Opera 20
Badgers throw a scare into the number one team. Playoff preview? Badgers conclude the regular season with a record of 8 wins and 7 losses. |
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Practice: August 17, 2005 Stanley Park Fraternizing with the enemy. |
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Semifinal: August 31, 2005, Stanley Park: Badgers 10 @ Opera 16
Opera advance to the Final. Badgers make them work for it. |
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Final: September 21, 2005, Stanley Park: Remnants 16 @ Opera 8 |
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After two weeks of rain delay and permit confusion, the Final game is played under the lights in the autumn gloom. The coveted Toronto Arts League Trophy for 2005 finally goes to the always classy Remnants. |
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