Where are they now?  Click www.DummyChannel.com to see what the old Josh Gibson Bombers Manager is up to!

 

UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND LEAD-OFF HITTER BRANDON HOWARD IS ABOUT TO TAKE OFF AGAINST CAL BERKELEY.  BRANDON PLAYED WITH THE JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS IN SUMMER 2006. click pic

FUTURE PROSPECT CHRIS RAMIREZ click pic below

MARCH 15, 2007 - BREAKING NEWS!  JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS' OWN ZACK WATERFIRE GETS HIS FIRST COLLEGE BASEBALL AT-BATS. 

In Florida for spring training, Swarthmore College freshman, Zack Waterfire, got his first opportunity to play on Wednesday, March 14, 2007.  In a game against  Mount St. Vincent of New York, young Zack had 4 hits in 5 at-bats, 2 RBI's and 2 runs scored-1 stolen base---in a losing cause.  When asked what he attributed his success to, ol' Zacko smiled and said--"no dad pressure".  

MARCH 20, 2007 - UPDATE!!!! IN THE NEXT TWO FLORIDA GAMES (AFTER FIRST OPPORTUNITY REPORTED ABOVE), YOUNG WATERFIRE GOES 1 FOR 3 AND 0 FOR 3---WHEN ASKED WHAT HE ATTRIBUTES HIS RECENT SLIDE, SLUMP, INABILITY TO GET ON BASE TO, HE DOESN'T SMILE-- AND SAYS, "THAT'S BASEBALL--WITH OR WITHOUT THE OL' MAN AROUND"...

SOMETHING EVERY ATHLETE IN THE WORLD SHOULD SEE. Click pic below.

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GOT AN OPEN MIND AND A FEW SPARE MINUTES, CHECK OUT WWW.DUMMYTV.COM.  IT'S ONE OF THE PLACES OLD EX-FOOTBALL PLAYERS WHO TRY TO COACH BASEBALL GO TO KILL SPARE TIME WHEN THEY GET RUN OFF THE DIAMOND.

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CONGRATULATIONS TO MR. MAGOWAN, MR. SABEAN AND COMPANY.  EXCELLENT FINISH. NOW IF THE YELPING DOGS WILL LEAVE ONE BARRY ALONE SO THAT THE TWO BARRYS CAN DO THEIR BEST--THESE GIANTS WILL SEE YOU IN THE PLAY-OFFS.  THE 2007 GIGANTES ARE LOOKING PRETTY DOGGONE GOOD;  A NICE COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE, BASEBALL SAVVY, POWER AND SPEED.  BONDS, ZITO, CAIN, KLESKO, DURHAM, ROBERTS, AURILLA, MOLINA, VIZQUEL...A HEALTHY LOWRY AND MORRIS--TO NAME A FEW "DIFFERENCE MAKERS"--  MAKE ANYTHING POSSIBLE. 

QUESTIONS STILL TO BE ANSWERED: WILL BENITEZ STAY AND PLAY CLOSER TO HIS POTENTIAL...OR WILL HE GO---AND WILL WE FIND A SOLID "CLOSER"?  CAN THE BULLPEN BE CONSISTENT? 

YOUR SF GIANTS ARE STARTING TO LOOK...."DAMN GOOD".

OH--AND LET US NOT FORGET COACH BOCHY. OUTSIDE OF DUSTY BAKER OR LOU PINELLA, HE'S EXACTLY WHAT THE GIANTS NEED. HIS REPUTATION AS A NICE MIX OF COACH-IN-CHARGE AND PLAYERS' COACH GIVES REASON TO EXPECT THAT WE JUST MIGHT FIND OURSELVES IN THE WORLD SERIES IN 2007.

CLICK PIC OF "THE BEST" BELOW

IF I HAD MY WAY,  BONDS WOULD KEEP PLAYING BASEBALL UNTIL HE HIT 800 HOMERUNS.

JOSH GIBSON BOMBER MANAGEMENT SALUTES GARY SHEFFIELD FOR BEING A STAND-UP GUY.  HERE'S HOPING ALL BALL-PLAYERS STICK TOGETHER AND TELL THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, THEIR KOMODO-DRAGON BUTT-BIT BOSS, BRONSTEIN--AND HIS SQUIRRELLY LITTLE MINION  DIRT-BOOK WRITERS--TO TAKE A HIKE... CONGRESS--DON'T YOU HAVE MORE PRESSING THINGS TO TEND TO--LIKE GETTING OUR KIDS BACK HOME. CONGRESS BELONGS IN BASEBALL LIKE BARRY BONDS BELONGS IN THE WHITE HOUSE--(ACTUALLY, HE MIGHT DO A BETTER JOB) 

"The (players) association told us this is just a witch hunt. They don't want us to talk to them. This is all about getting (Bonds). If this was legitimate and they did it the right way, it would be different, but this a witch hunt. They're just trying to collect a lot of stuff that doesn't make any sense and throw the (bleep) against the wall.     "GARY SHEFFIELD

ART WASHINGTON -MANAGER OF THE JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS, CHAMPIONS OF THE SAN FRANCISCO SEMI-PRO WOOD BAT LEAGUE - SUMMER 2006.

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YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE CHAMPIONS OF THE SAN FRANCISCO WOOD BAT SUMMER LEAGUE 2006.   IF YOU COULD'VE SEEN QUICK-THINKING, QUICK REFLEXES ANTHONY RODRIGUEZ'S HEADS UP RUN-AT-HIM PLAY TO NAIL THE AGGRESSIVE SF MEXICO TYING RUNNER TRYING TO GET HOME FROM THIRD!  IF YOU COULD'VE SEEN MARCUS REED DIVING FOR BALLS IN CENTER FIELD AND BLASTING ONE OF HIS MANY "CLASSIC MARCUS" CROCKER-AMAZON HOMERUNS!  IF YOU COULD'VE SEEN BEN ADMUNDSON'S DECIDING-GAME-SAVING, SPECTACULAR ALL-OUT RUN AND SHOE-TOP CATCH!  IF YOU COULD'VE SEEN FRANKLIN ESCOBAR MAKING STOP AFTER STOP AFTER STOP OF HARD GROUNDERS TO HIS HOT-CORNER THIRD BASE POSITION--AND ACROBATIC GUN-DOWNS AT FIRST--OH, AND MR. ESCOBAR'S SKYWARD, SLOW-SAILING MAJESTIC HOMERUN!  IF YOU COULD'VE SEEN RENE NICA MAKING PLAYS OUTFIELD, INFIELD, THIRD-FIRST-SECOND BASE---WHEREVER HE PLAYED---AND HITTING HIS ROCKET HOMERUN TO START US OFF!  IF YOU COULD'VE SEEN LEFT-HANDED PAR-EXCELLENCE PITCHER ROBERT ENRIQUEZ ON THE MOUND DEALING--AND AT FIRST BASE, BACK-HANDING A HARD GROUND BALL AND BEATING THE TEAM SF MEXICO RUNNER TO FIRST FOR THE OUT--A  PLAY THAT WOULD MAKE JT SNOW PROUD!  IF YOU COULD'VE SEEN RYAN PEREZ PITCH MASTERFULLY TO START THE FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AND HIT TWO DOUBLES...BOOM! BOOM!..TO HELP GET THE BOMBERS THERE!  IF YOU COULD'VE SEEN ANTHONY ELMORE'S RAW POWER AS HE HIT MEMORABLE HOMERUN BLASTS FROM HIS #4 LINEUP POSITION AS CLEANUP HITTER OVER THE SEASON!  IF YOU COULD'VE SEEN CHRIS CASEY USE HIS SPEED, SIZE AND STRENGTH TO RUN DOWN BALLS IN THE OUTFIELD AND FIRE IN;  TO TURN A SINGLE INTO A TRIPLE WITH THE FORCE OF HIS WILL, SPEED, DETERMINATION AND BASE-STEALING SAVVY!  IF YOU COULD'VE SEEN RODNEY DUARTE BAT AND WORK THE BASES LIKE A PRO!  IF YOU COULD'VE SEEN YOUNG KARL MOBERG STEP UP WITH THE VETS AND GAIN THEIR RESPECT WITH HIS BIRTH-BORN POWER AND COORDINATION, AND HIGH-SKILL LEVEL OF PLAY.  IF YOU COULD'VE SEEN OUR ALL-AROUND MOST VALUABLE PLAYER, JAY ALMENDRAL, AT SHORTSTOP/INFIELD-OUTFIELD (EARLIER IN SEASON JAY WAS A COMMISSIONER JACK WOLF PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR A SEED GUN-DOWN FROM DEEP CENTER OF A RUNNER GOING HOME)!!! AND JAY ON THE MOUND WHERE HE CLOSED OUT THE CHAMPIONSHIP!!! IF YOU COULD'VE SEEN CATCHER CLIFF BERRY'S HOMERUN. AND IF YOU COULD'VE SEEN AWINN SWANN AND PAUL AND RAFFI AND DONALD WILLIAMS AND NICK PETRICK AND ZACK "PURE SPEED" WATERFIRE!!!   IF YOU COULD'VE HEARD BASEBALL KNOWLEDGEABLE JESSE JUAREZ DISCREETLY COACHING THE COACH TO MAKE RIGHT MOVES, RIGHT TIME.  IF YOU COULD'VE SEEN---I MEAN...IF YOU COULD'VE ONLY SEEN THE MAGIC, THE MAGIC, THE MAGIC!! OF DARWIN "MAGIC" TELLEZ PITCH TWO, TWO, TWO!!! MASTERFUL NINE INNING GAMES IN THE SPAN OF A MERE 4 DAYS! UNFREAKING BELIEVABLE!! NO JOKE, PEOPLE---IT WAS NOTHING SHORT OF MYTHIC PROPORTION AND HOLY GHOST INSPIRATIONAL--TWO NINE INNING WINNERS IN 4 DAYS!!! --HALLELUJAH!!!  AND BY VIRTUE OF HIS LIFE-ALTERING PERFORMANCE, "MAGIC" TELLEZ IS OUR CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES MVP!  

IF YOU COULD'VE ONLY SEEN!!!...

...LIKE ME, YOU WOULD HAVE HAD YOUR MIND ABSOLUTELY BLOWN AND YOU WOULD HAVE HAD ONE HELLUVA GREAT BASEBALL EXPERIENCE.  ONE YOU'D NEVER FORGET.  I GUARANTEE YOU... I NEVER WILL.  IN ALL SERIOUSNESS--THANKS, FELLAS.  YOU'VE MADE MY LIFE THAT MUCH RICHER.  MY GREATER HOPE IS THAT, TO SOME MEASURE, THE JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS HAVE DONE THE SAME FOR YOU.

AW

JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS SUMMER 2006 - GREAT GROUP OF FUN-LOVING, TALENTED SEMI-PRO BASEBALL PLAYERS.

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 CONGRATULATIONS TO OFFICER DARWIN "MAGIC" TELLEZ.  THE JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS ARE PROUD AND APPRECIATIVE OF OUR ACE PITCHER'S RECENT COMPLETION OF A GRUELING, DISCIPLINED, HIGHLY SELECTIVE SIX MONTH TRAINING PROGRAM WITH THE OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT; ONE OF THE MOST EXACTING IN THE NATION (mentally as well as physically).  HERE'S WISHING MR. TELLEZ GOD'S BLESSINGS AND GREAT SUCCESS.  

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First picture: Officer Darwin Tellez is second from left in the first row just above. He's the cool one who looks like he just pitched the better part of a shutout in his last outing.---August 19, 2006. Click picture to view Officer Tellez ceremony-.-Mayor Jerry Brown.  In second picture, Officer Tellez stands with proud members of his family.

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Zack Waterfire, who helped create the Josh Gibson Bombers and who has played on every Bomber team from the first pitch, recently left to attend prestigious Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. Things aren't  quite going to be the same without him. We wish Zack well.  We wish Zack great success.  You can click on this Bomber's picture to get some idea of who he is.   

NOTICE: THE JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS BASEBALL CLUB HAS CHANGED/EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS---AND WE HAVE NOT ADJUSTED STATED GOALS AND POLICIES.  THAT WILL BE ADDRESSED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

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SAN FRANCISCO RECREATION AND PARK DEPARTMENT
16 PLUS AGE & ADULT WOOD BAT BASEBALL LEAGUE----SUMMER SEASON--2006
PLAY OFFS---CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES---SUMMER---2006
DAY	DATE		VISITOR-TEAM	HOME-TEAM		DIAMOND	TIME
WEEK-THIRTEEN---FIRST ROUND--PLAY OFFS
WED	AUG-30
THUR	AUG-31	GA-1	EXCELSIOR PIRATES	S.F. MANAGUA	H	CROCKER ONE	7:00PM
SAT	SEPT-2	GA-2	CROCKER CARDINALS	JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS	H	CROCKER ONE	10:00AM
SAT	SEPT-2	GA-3	WINNER GAME-1	WINNER GAME-2	F	CROCKER ONE	1:30PM
WEEK-FOURTEEN----CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
WED	SEPT-6	GA-4	JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS	BAYAREA ALL-STARS	H	CROCKER ONE	7:00PM
THUR	SEPT-7	GA-5	WINNER GAME-4	SO. SF MEXICO	H	CROCKER ONE	7:00PM
SAT	SEPT-9	GA-6	SO. SF MEXICO	WINNER GAME-4	H	CROCKER ONE	10:00AM
SAT	SEPT-9	GA-7	EXTRA CHAMPIONSHIP	GAME--SUMMER	F	CROCKER ONE	1:30PM
TUES	SEPT-12		MANDATORY MANAGERS MEETING----FALL SEASON		CROCKER OFFICE		7:00PM
			TEAM FEES--MANDATORY PAYMENTS DUE
			TEAMS MUST BE PAID IN FULL--TO PLAY IN FALL SEASON--AT MANAGERS MEETING
WED	SEPT-20		THIRD SEASON--BEGINS	FALL WOOD BAT LEAGUE		CROCKER ONE	7:00PM
PLAY OFF--GAMES----SPECIAL PLAYING RULES
	EACH GAME----FULL NINE-[9] INNINGS--OR--THREE-[3] HOURS----TO WIN
	BASEBALLS----FOUR-[4] NEW WILSON A1010-PRO-SST--DONATED
	EACH TEAM----TWO-[2]-NEW QUALITY BASEBALLS]
	OFFICIALS----TWO-[2]----$70.00  EACH TEAM
	MASTER TEAM--PLAYER ROSTER--ONLY----NO PICK UP OF PLAYERS
	PLAYERS MUST HAVE PLAYED DURING SUMMER--2006
	JACK J----OFFICIAL PLAY OFF SCOREBOOK
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES----SPECIAL PLAYING RULES
	EACH GAME----FULL NINE-[9] INNINGS----TO WIN
	BASEBALLS----FOUR--[4] NEW WILSON A1010-PRO-SST--DONATED
	EACH TEAM----BRING TWO--[2-NEW-QUALITY- BASEBALLS
	OFFICIALS----TWO-[2]----$70.00  EACH TEAM
	MASTER TEAM--PLAYER ROSTER--ONLY----NO PICK UP OF PLAYERS
	PLAYERS MUST HAVE PLAYED DURING SUMMER--2006
	JACK J----OFFICIAL CHAMPIONSHIP SCOREBOOK

click the website below---and watch the video about 2 minutes in. crocker amazon has the occasional dust-up...but these guys are out of control.  we aren't so bad after all.

http://video.msn.com/v/us/v.htm?g=6160d1ac-c6fe-427c-aefa-ae7d5fc2e63c&t=&f=&p=

BOMBERS:  WE HAVE 3 GAMES LEFT IN THE REGULAR SEASON. LET'S TRY TO BE THERE AT LEAST ONE HALF HOUR BEFORE GAME-TIME.  45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR WOULD BE BETTER, TO MAKE SURE PROPER WARM-UP AND EASE OF MAKING LINE-UP CARD CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED.  ALSO, A DEFINITIVE HEAD-COUNT WILL BE PURSUED. CALL, RETURN CALL, OR EMAIL TO INFORM AS TO WHETHER OR NOT YOU WILL BE PLAYING. 

NEXT GAME:  THIS SATURDAY AUGUST 19, 2006 AT CROCKER AMAZON #1.  PLAYERS SHOULD BE THERE BY 9:15 AM FOR A 10:00 START.  CATCHERS, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A STRAP AND CUP! 

JERSEYS WILL BE COLLECTED AT THE END OF THE LAST REGULAR SEASON GAME, SEPTEMBER 26, 2006.  MATCHING PANTS AND JERSEYS WILL BE PROVIDED FOR THE PLAY-OFFS, SHOULD WE MAKE THEM. (A FEW PLAYERS HAVE BOMBER STRIPED PANTS AND WILL BE EXPECTED TO PROVIDE THOSE.)

adjusted schedule to end of wood-bat league season

[CORRECTED-6.6.06]						UPDATED-7.28.06--1:00PM]
DAY	DATE	CODE	VISITOR-TEAM	HOME-TEAM	H	DIAMOND	TIME	GA
WEEK-TEN
WED	AUG-9	6-4	BAY AREA ALL-STARS	JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS	H	CROCKER ONE	7:00PM	35
THUR	AUG-10	1-7	S.F. MANAGUA	EXCELSIOR PIRATES	H	CROCKER ONE	7:00PM	36
SAT	AUG-12	2-6	SO. S.F. MEXICO	BAY AREA ALL-STARS	H	CROCKER ONE	10:00AM	37
SAT	AUG-12	3-5	CROCKER CARDINALS	S.F. INDIOS	H	CROCKER ONE	1:30PM	38
WEEK-ELEVEN
WED	AUG-16	6-3	BAY AREA ALL-STARS	S.F. INDIOS	H	CROCKER ONE	7:00PM	39
THUR	AUG-17	1-2	S.F. MANAGUA	SO. S.F. MEXICO	H	CROCKER ONE	7:00PM	40
SAT	AUG-19	7-4	EXCELSIOR PIRATES	JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS	H	CROCKER ONE	10:00AM	41
SAT	AUG-19	7-3	EXCELSIOR PIRATES	CROCKER CARDINALS	H	CROCKER ONE	1:30PM	42
WEEK-TWELVE----RE-SCHEDULED LEAGUE GAMES
WED	AUG-23	6-3	BAY AREA ALL-STARS	CROCKER CARDINALS	H	CROCKER ONE	7:00PM	31
THUR	AUG-24	7-2	EXCELSIOR PIRATES	SO. S.F. MEXICO	H	CROCKER ONE	7:00PM	32
SAT	AUG-26	4-1	JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS	S.F. MANAGUA	F	CROCKER ONE	10:00AM	33
SAT	AUG-26	5-4	S.F. INDIOS	JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS	H	CROCKER ONE	1:30PM	34
WEEK-THIRTEEN----RESCHEDULED GAME--AND--PLAY OFFS
WED	AUG-30	3-2	CROCKER CARDINALS	SO. S.F. MEXICO	H	CROCKER ONE	7:00PM	12
THUR	AUG-31	GA-1	SIXTH PLACE	THIRD PLACE	H	CROCKER ONE	7:00PM	1
SAT	SEPT-2	GA-2	FIFTH PLACE	FOURTH PLACE	H	CROCKER ONE	10:00AM	2
SAT	SEPT-2	GA-3	WINNER GAME-1	WINNER GAME-2	F	CROCKER ONE	1:30PM	3
WEEK-FOURTEEN----CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
WED	SEPT-6	GA-4	WINNER GAME-3	SECOND PLACE		CROCKER ONE	7:00PM	4
THUR	SEPT-7	GA-5	WINNER GAME-4	FIRST PLACE		CROCKER ONE	7:00PM	5
SAT	SEPT-9	GA-6	FIRST PLACE	WINNER GAME-4		CROCKER ONE	10:00AM	6
SAT	SEPT-9	GA-7	EXTRA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME			CROCKER ONE	1:30PM	7
TUES	SEPT-12		MANAGERS MEETING-THIRD SEASON-FALL SEASON		CROCKER OFFICE		7:00PM
			TEAM FEES-PAYMENT DUE----AT MANAGERS MEETING
WEEK-ONE			TEAMS MUST BE PAID IN FULL--TO PLAY IN FALL SEASON--AT MANAGERS MEETING
WED	SEPT-20		THIRD-SEASON-BEGINS	WOOD BAT FALL SEASON		CROCKER ONE	7:00PM
THUR	SEPT-21					CROCKER ONE	7:00PM
SAT	SEPT-23					CROCKER ONE	10:00AM
SAT	SEPT-23					CROCKER ONE	1:30PM
	FALL LEAGUE  RULES
		NEW BASEBALLS----THREE-[3]--NEW QUALITY PRO STYLE BASEBALLS----EACH GAME
		EACH TEAM----BRING TWO [2] GOOD USED BASEBALLS----EACH GAME
		OFFICIALS----ONE[1]----EACH GAME----$35.00----EACH TEAM
		SCOREBOOK----MAINTAIN GAME SCORESHEET----TURN-IN TO JACK J----EACH GAME
		ALL LEAGUE GAMES----TWO AND HALF HOUR-[2 1/2]-TIME LIMIT--COMPLETE INNING
		ALL LEAGUE GAMES----BEGINS ON TIME----AS PER PRINTED SCHEDULE
	PLAY OFFS---CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
		BASEBALLS----FOUR-[4]--NEW WILSON A1010-PRO-SST----DONATED
		EACH TEAM----BRING TWO-[2]-NEW-QUALITY-BASEBALLS
		OFFICIALS----TWO-[2]-----$70.00 EACH TEAM
		MASTER TEAM-PLAYER ROSTER--ONLY----NO PICK UP OF PLAYERS
		PLAY OFF GAMES----THREE HOURS----TO WIN
		CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES----FULL NINE INNINGS----TO WIN

NOTE: POSTED AUGUST 11, 2006-- THE LAST SANDLOT SUNDAY HOSTED BY THE JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS FOR THE SUMMER SEASON OF 2006 WILL TAKE PLACE ON SUNDAY AUGUST 20, 2006.  

SANDLOT SUNDAY AUGUST 20, 2006 JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS "SANDLOT SUNDAY" BASEBALL CONTINUES AT CROCKER AMAZON PARK IN SAN FRANCISCO--ALL WELCOME TO COME AND PLAY  - COME AND PLAY BASEBALL ON SUNDAY AUGUST 20, 2006 AT CROCKER AMAZON,  MEET AT FIELD #1.  A SANDLOT SUNDAY PICK-UP GAME/OR PRACTICE WILL BE PLAYED/HELD AT 5:00 PM.   SANDLOT SUNDAY, WE MAKE TEAMS FROM AVAILABLE PLAYERS AND PLAY BASEBALL. ALL PLAYERS WELCOME. CALL 650-726-5526 OR 650-303-1597 TO LET US KNOW IF YOU'LL JOIN US. --OR JUST SHOW UP--.

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IT CAME UP

An INFIELD FLY is a fair fly ball (not including a line drive nor an attempted bunt) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when first and second, or first, second and third bases are occupied, before two are out. The pitcher, catcher and any outfielder who stations himself in the infield on the play shall be considered infielders for the purpose of this rule.

When it seems apparent that a batted ball will be an Infield Fly, the umpire shall immediately declare "Infield Fly" for the benefit of the runners. If the ball is near the baselines, the umpire shall declare "Infield Fly, if Fair."

The ball is alive and runners may advance at the risk of the ball being caught, or retouch and advance after the ball is touched, the same as on any fly ball. If the hit becomes a foul ball, it is treated the same as any foul.

If a declared Infield Fly is allowed to fall untouched to the ground, and bounces foul before passing first or third base, it is a foul ball. If a declared Infield Fly falls untouched to the ground outside the baseline, and bounces fair before passing first or third base, it is an Infield Fly.

On the infield fly rule the umpire is to rule whether the ball could ordinarily have been handled by an infielder_not by some arbitrary limitation such as the grass, or the base lines. The umpire must rule also that a ball is an infield fly, even if handled by an outfielder, if, in the umpire's judgment, the ball could have been as easily handled by an infielder. The infield fly is in no sense to be considered an appeal play. The umpire's judgment must govern, and the decision should be made immediately.

When an infield fly rule is called, runners may advance at their own risk. If on an infield fly rule, the infielder intentionally drops a fair ball, the ball remains in play despite the provisions of Rule 6.05 (L). The infield fly rule takes precedence.

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BOMBER  INFORMATION CONTINUES BELOW THIS "GUEST" WEEK POST.  POST WORTH READING. BASIC, BUT GOOD STUFF. CONCISE.  *Posting is prompted by an after Sandlot Sunday discussion with several Josh Gibson Bomber baseball players. I don't agree with all said, but basically good for analytical thought/discussion.

Author Unknown---but thanks for temporary use. *I edited out a few negative comments--as our younger players don't need suggested limitations. The only limitation I acknowledge is not trying. (A.W.)*

Ted Williams and Babe Ruth,
 two of the greatest hitters ever.

Hitting a baseball is a tricky thing for most people. It just so happens that pitching a ball from 60 feet, 6 inches at upwards of 100 mph and trying to hit it squarely with your bat is right at the limits of human ability. Amazing how it worked out that way.

4 Keys: Mechanics, Coordination, Relaxation, Confidence

Learning proper hitting technique will NOT make you a Major Leaguer.  Mark McGwire with bad form will hit better than a forklift operator, regardless of how good his form is (unless the forklift operator is Barry Bonds).  What proper hitting technique WILL do is help you maximize your own potential, whatever that may be. If you have the natural talent, proper hitting technique can make you that much better. Good hitters are born. Great hitters are made.

While I feel like I understand proper hitting technique, I have come to the conclusion that I don't have the natural talent to become a Major League baseball player. And that's why I'm making web sites about hitting instead of playing third base for the Yankees.

Listen to Your Body

The first step in becoming a better hitter is figuring out what kind of body you have. What natural tendencies does it have? Everybody is built differently. Some people are big, some are small. Some are fat, some are thin. Some are flexible, some are not. Some have stronger arms, others have stronger legs. Figuring out how your body is constructed, determining your physical strengths and weaknesses, and adjusting your swing accordingly will enable you to hit the ball with more consistency and with more power.

Pick up a bat. Swing it naturally. Don't try to emulate one of your idols. Just take a good swing, and swing the bat in the way that feels most comfortable to you.

Different configurations of bones, tendons, and muscles from person to person mean that one hitter delivers his strongest swing differently than the next. When you swing, your body naturally accommodates your individual physical idiosyncracies and produces the strongest, smoothest, most fluid motion that you're capable of. How did you swing the bat? With your arms? Did your hips open up? Did you shift your weight forward? Did you upper-cut? Did you follow through with one arm or two?

You've got to learn the mechanics of your bod so that, when you learn a bit more about hitting, you can decide what needs to be corrected and what can be corrected. Being aware of how your body naturally swings a bat will enable you to determine which hitting style you naturally subscribe to and perhaps the one you should pursue.

The Hitting Styles

There have been three dominant hitting styles in the history of baseball: Early Weight-Shift, Rotation, and Modern Weight-Shift. Most Major Leaguers use one of these three styles.
 

	Early Weight-Shift	Rotation	Modern Weight-Shift
form	lunging forward into pitch, weight continues moving forward	weight equal throughout swing. rotate on central axis, power from torso	weight shifts forward, converted into hip rotation, lead arm dominant, pulling the bat
strengths	plate coverage, consistent contact	more power, high/inside pitches	consistent contact, moderate power, low/outside pitches
weaknesses	no power	strikeouts, low/outside pitches	less power, high/inside pitches
students	Ty Cobb, Pete Rose, Wade Boggs	Ted Williams, Jose Canseco, Mo Vaughn, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Mark Maguire, Albert Pujos	George Brett, Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Thomas, Manny Ramirez

In the early days of baseball, due to the "softer" balls, expansive parks, and stubborn philosophy used at the the time, emphasis was on consistent contact and not striking out. And the best way to achieve this was with the early weight-shift system. Hitters would stride into the pitch, almost bunting the ball, and then continue the motion forward by running to first base, hoping to beat out the resulting infield grounder. Today, with an emphasis on home runs and power, very few players use the early weight-shift style. But Pete Rose and Wade Boggs, two of the most recent early weight-shifters, led their league in hits almost every year.

Eventually, fans wanted more home runs, and managers realized that they could win ballgames with a more explosive offense. In the 1940's, Ted Williams perfected the rotation method. He would keep his weight back and, using his whole body, whip his bat through the strike zone. He would pull any pitch over the strike zone, particularly inside pitches. Williams became one of the best hitters ever. The rotation method is still popular today, used most often by bigger hitters who swing for the fences. Unfortunately, these hitters aren't blessed with the eye of Ted Williams, and they regularly lead the league in strikeouts.

In the 1960's, coaches developed the modern weight-shift system. Sacrificing a bit of power for more consistent contact, these hitters would maintain higher batting averages while hitting more doubles and triples. A few of today's modern weight-shifters like Ken Griffey Jr. and Frank Thomas happen to be big and strong enough to hit home runs as well.

A few "hybrid" players, like Rod Carew, Mike Schmidt, and Will Clark, had the reflexes and coordination to adjust their style as the pitch was coming. They'd recognize the pitch and use the style that enabled them to hit the ball most effectively. Most people simply don't have the physical ability to do this.

There are still others who develop unique styles that work best for their unique body types. Mark McGwire used his tree-trunk base and mammoth arms to fling the bat around using his wrists. Gary Sheffield cocks his bat like a madman to prepare his wrists for explosive action.

I've studied them all (approaches to hitting), and I see some things I believe in one method and some in another - and some things are good for one player and not for another. The basics are the basics, and we all have to teach those, but after that you have to tailor it to the individual.

- Dusty Baker

Play around with other hitting styles if you like. Try to swing like your favorite Major Leaguers. But in the end, stick with what works best for you. You will find that you are most successful if you hit the way your body tells you to. Bret Barberie, ex-Montreal Expo infielder, once said that he modelled his hitting style after George Brett, Don Mattingly, and several other idols. Who is Bret Barberie? Exactly. Bret Barberie had the natural talent to get to the Major Leagues, but if he had swung the bat like Bret Barberie, maybe we would know who he was. But probably not. He sucked.


Choose a Bat

The law of physics governing baseball bats is F = ma, where F = resulting force, m = mass and a = acceleration. We can affect the amount of force generated by either changing the mass (weight) of the bat, or the acceleration of the bat (bat speed).

If you lighten the bat, the amount of mass is lower, but the amount of acceleration (or bat speed) is greater. Conversely, if the bat weighs more, mass is increased, but acceleration (bat speed) is decreased. Either way, the same force is applied to the ball, so the weight of the bat doesn't seem to make much difference. Regardless of the bat in your hand, you're only going to hit the ball as far as your natural ability will allow you to.

In general, you should start with a light bat and swing successively heavier ones until you need to start modifying your swing to get the bat around. If you can still swing the bat naturally, you have found the bat that is probably the right weight for you.

Using a lighter bat will increase bat maneuverability, making it easier to make fine adjustments to the bat's motion (i.e. to adjust for unexpected speed or movement of the ball) during your swing. This means, assuming you're keeping your eye on the ball, that you'll hit a few balls more squarely and foul off a few you might not have touched before. The increased bat maneuverability will mean more consistent contact. So when in doubt, or if you're slumping, go lighter to give yourself a bit of an edge.

However, using a lighter bat also means that you have a smaller sweet spot to work with. And any ball missing the sweet spot won't be getting out of the infield. In that sense, a heavier bat will give you more room for error.

In effect, the better you are, the more you can gamble with heavier bats. Incidentally, Babe Ruth used the heaviest bat in history, at 46 ounces. Mo Vaughn uses a 36-ouncer. Bobby Bonilla also used a heavy bat, but he sucked. Most Major Leaguers use a bat in the 31- to 32-ounce range.

I think length is just a matter of preference. Play around with different lengths until you find one that feels right. Keep in mind that a longer bat puts more weight out further from the hands, which in effect makes it heavier to swing than a shorter bat of the same weight.

Grip is also a matter of preference. Generally, thick handles are better for bat control, and thin handles are better for power. Some people like big knobs (like Sammy Sosa), others like tapered grips.

A starting player needs to learn to make contact with the ball and hit close to the sweet spot of the bat before performance differences in the bats become an important factor.

- George Manning, Louisville Slugger bat engineer

Today’s bats are lighter than those of the past. They have larger barrels and thinner handles. Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron used similar bat models but the Babe’s bat weighed 42 ounces while Aaron’s was just 33 ounces. Ruth used a 36” and 42 ounce bat with a medium handle and medium barrel. Hank Aaron used a bat similar to Babe Ruth’s except his was 35” long and weighed 33 ounces. Mickey Mantle used a medium handle and a small to medium barrel, at 35” long and 32 ounces. Roger Maris used a medium barrel with a medium handle.

I'm not even going to get into the whole aluminum vs. wood argument because, if you're reading this article, chances are that you won't need to hit with a wood bat for a while. But try it sometime. You will instantly notice that a wood bat is balanced differently and that balls come off of it differently, so it might take a bit of practice to get it down. But if you learn to hit well with wood, you will murder the ball with metal.

Your Stance

Regardless of which hitting style you use, there are certain batting stance fundamentals common to them all.  Position yourself far enough away from the plate so that your best swings will bring the sweet spot of the bat across the center of the plate. If you kill inside pitches, move closer to the plate. If you kill outside pitches, move farther away. For hard throwers, stand further back in the box, behind the plate. For junkballers, stand in front of the plate.  Most hitters hit with an even stance. Positioning your feet even to the plate gives your body a stable platform to hit with. Some players prefer an open stance, with their front foot behind the back foot, opening their body up to the pitcher. This allows them to minimize head turn and see the pitch better. Others prefer a closed stance, so that the opening of the legs opens up the rest of the body when the swing begins. Regardless of how you stand, your feet usually shift and line up as you step into your swing, so the position of your feet before the pitch is just a matter of preference.  Grip the bat as you would in mid-swing, at the point of contact. That is how you should grip your bat from the beginning of your swing. Keep your hands firm, but not so tight that the bat is immobile. As you swing, your hands will be making fine adjustments to your bat's position in the strike zone. Tight hands will prevent these adjustments. The angle at which you hold your bat can make a difference. If it's flat (parallel to the gound), you might have a hard time realigning it to hit a low pitch. If it's straight up (perpendicular to the ground), you might have a hard time realigning it to hit a high pitch. Most hitters prefer to keep it somewhere inbetween (at about 45 degrees) so that a minimum amount of realignment is required on any given pitch. Again, find what's comfortable and effective. Some coaches make hitters keep their back elbow up, while others make them keep it down. Does keeping your elbow pressed against your body restrict movement? Does your raised elbow come down when you swing? Do what's comfortable.

Clear Your Mind

While on deck, swing a heavy bat to loosen up. Watch the pitcher to gauge his speed. Assess the entire game situation before you step in the box. How many outs are there? Who is on base?  Take a deep breath, relax your body, and clear your mind. As Crash Davis says in Bull Durham, don't think. The more you think, the more you psyche yourself out. Even your decision to swing at or take a pitch should be instinctual. Have confidence in your natural ability, and let your endless hours of practice guide your bat through the strike zone. Think while you're on the toilet. Tinker with your swing while you're practicing. Don't think or tinker when you're in the batter's box. See the ball, and if it's a good pitch, hit it.

Confidence  

Confidence makes you a better hitter. What is confidence? Confidence is knowing that success is possible or even likely. Where does confidence come from? Knowledge of past success. That's why it's so important to play as much baseball as possible and suck up the bad times. It's the good times which make you grow and stick with you forever.

Watch the Ball

It may seem obvious, but you need to watch the ball so that you know where to swing. Watch it out of the pitcher's hand so that you can gauge it's speed (like Ted Williams and Tony Gwynn), see its spin (like Joe Morgan), or watch to see if his hand is straight or turned as it releases the ball.  Your brain analyzes the ball's movement out of the pitcher's hand and then calculates where the ball WILL BE as you start your swing so that your bat is in the right place at the point of contact. That is why vision, concentration, coordination, and experience are all important when it comes to reading pitches. Most great hitters anticipate fastballs and react to off-speed stuff when necessary. They trust their hands to make any necessary adjustments to off-speed pitches. One of the keys to Barry Bonds' success is his uncanny ability to identify a pitch as soon as it leave the pitcher's hand. He seems to know what's coming every time and takes a full hack on every pitch.

Wait for your Pitch

Early in the count, be selective. Wait for a pitch in your zone. If you see it, be ready to cream it. If it's not there, let it go. Ted Williams and all the great hitters who have the natural talent to rely on their ability to instantly recognize and crush a particular kind of pitch have the luxury of waiting for something very specific. In 2002, Barry Bonds told broadcaster and former Cy Young Award winner Rick Sutcliffe that he had reduced the strike zone to a tiny hitting area, and that's all he looked at. "It's about the size of a quarter." In 1986, Williams told Don Mattingly and Boggs, "until I got to two strikes, I looked for one pitch in one area, about the size of a silver dollar."  Don't be afraid to take a walk. In beer league softball, everyone wants to get their cuts in. but in competitive baseball, take advantage of pitches outside of the strike zone and take your free pass to first base. You're just as likely to score from first base whether you walk or single.

To me, on-base percentage is important, more so than walk ratio or home runs. If you're on base, you can do something. You can manufacture runs. You get on base, everything else goes up. I've always wanted a .500 on-base percentage. I've always had one around.430 or .440. I should be able to get on base, if I'm patient enough.

- Barry Bonds, 2002

Later in the count, you have to be a little more protective of the strike zone. Remember it's always better to make any kind of contact and hope for the best than it is to strike out looking. Figure out what your strengths are. Figure out what kinds of pitches you hit well. Then get a bit more selective, especially early in the count. That will make you better.

Your Swing

As the pitch comes, a slight hitch will prepare your body for an explosive swing. It could be a big leg kick like Many Ramirez or Ruben Sierra, or a small one like Jeff Bagwell of Chipper Jones, but just make sure that it doesn't screw up your balance when you swing or catch you in an awkward position when the pitch changes speeds. Figure out the kind of movement that works for you to get everything going.  At this point, the particulars of your hitting style come into play. Regardless of which style you use, your head should remain as still as possible for the duration of the swing. A pitched ball is difficult enough to hit without giving it extra perceived movement by moving your head around more than you have to.  You should be holding the bat firmly, but don't squeeze it. Your grip will naturally tighten as you swing.

He understood clearly what he was doing when he batted, despite his habit of saying, "I just keep swinging," when people asked him the secret of hitting home runs. Once, seriously discussing his batting, he said, "I swing as hard as I can, and I try to swing right through the ball. In boxing, your fist usually stops when you hit a man, but it's possible to hit so hard that your fist doesn't stop. I try to follow through the same way. The harder you grip the bat, the more you can swing it through the ball, and the farther the ball will go. I swing big, with everything I've got. I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can."

- Robert Creamer about Babe Ruth, from Babe

Your swing should be more or less level, although a slight uppercut is natural and perhaps even beneficial. Watch yourself in the mirror, or have a friend watch you, to make sure that you're not golfing it or hacking downwards. An ideal swing will pass through the same plane that the pitch normally crosses the plate on. Consistently swinging that way will result in more frequent, more solid contact since small errors in timing (swinging a hair early or late) will still leave a part of the bat, albeit probably not the sweet spot, in the path of the pitch.  Hopefully, you'll have the natural coordination to hit the ball right on the sweet spot of the bat. Anything less will result in a weakly-hit ball and/or painful vibration. The sweet spot on a wood bat is only about four inches long, or the width of your hand. The PERFECT spot is the size of a pencil eraser, and the home run comes off that point.  If you are swinging a metal bat, you won't easily sense when you are hitting the ball just right, meaning, on the sweet spot. Before switching to wood bats you might want to test your own ability to consistently hit the sweet spot. Place an eight-inch long strip of white surgical tape lengthwise on the barrel of your metal bat. With a felt pen make a vertical line on the tape the width of two fingers from the end of the barrel, then four inches further along mark another line - between these lines is the sweet spot of your bat. The balls that strike it will mark the tape. When the ends of the tape remain nice and white and the middle section is black with hits you are ready to start hitting with wood.  If you're good enough that you can place your hits, inconspicuously look to see how the other team is fielding you. Look for holes. Figure out where their crappy fielders are playing. Where you hit it can be just as important as how hard you hit it.

Slumps

Everyone, eventually, will get into a slump. You feel like you can't see the ball, and line drives go right into people's gloves. There is some statistical evidence which suggests that slumps are actually caused my natural ebbs and flows of physical strength and acuteness (call it your biorhythm), while others argue that hot and cold streaks are random statistical events which are bound to happen with any consistent level of performance. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Keep in mind that the loftier your goals, the greater the chances of a prolonged slump. Hitters who try to poke singles will be able to succeed more consistenty, thus avoiding prolonged slumps. Players who swing for the fences will be streakier. While many major leaguers go 20 or more straight at bats without a hit each season, Tony Gwynn never went more than 14 straight at bats without a hit in his entire career.

As everyone knows, baseball players are very superstitious. Players who are struggling start talking about how they need to go out and find something to break their slump. And often enough it comes out something like this: 'Oh my God, I'm 0-for-20. I'm going to get the ugliest girl I can find and have sex with her.'

- Jose Canseco, from Juiced

Mark Grace has suggested finding the "fattest, gnarliest chick you can uncover" (Grace called it "throwing himself on the grenade" for the good of the Cubs). There is no statistical evidence that this works. The key to getting out of a slump is to get back to the fundamentals. Strip yourself of any extraneous habits you may have picked up while at the plate. And lower your goals a bit. Concentrate on seeing the ball and making good contact with it.

Exercises

Go to the batting cages. Practice form, and know your limits. I also like swinging with each arm before I start taking regular cuts, with a weight on the bat if I'm feeling tough. This builds strength and improves coordination.  The first few pitches you see are really the only opportunity you have to practice adjusting. After those first few, hitting straight pitches at the same speed to the same spot can put you in a dangerous comfort zone. When you find yourself falling asleep, take a breather. Ever been fooled/shocked when a ball comes out of the machine wrong and cuts inside or curves down? Get used to it. That's how real pitching is. It's important that you mix up your batting cage hitting with some variation (i.e. pitches that change speed and location around the strike zone) so that you can practice adjusting. If the machines are adjustable, move the ball around the strike zone a bit. If you can already hit fastballs down the middle, try spending more time working on weaknesses that opposing pitchers might discover and exploit.

Now, it's one thing for a hitting coach to recognize a hitter's deficiencies; it's a far rarer thing for a hitter himself to recognize his deficiencies, and possess both the desire and ability to significantly improve.

- Rob Neyer, 2001

And get as much practice with live pitching as you can. There's no substitute for the variation in speed and location that live pitching can offer. As much fun as it is to stay in there hitting all day, only hit as long as you can maintain your proper form. If you get tired and start modifying your swing to keep up with the pitching machine, any swings you take are counterproductive. Try swinging a heavy bat or your normal bat with a weight on it. This will strengthen your wrists. Remember to swing hard to build explosinve strength. Loosely throwing a heavy bat around your body is counter-productive, developing the wrong muscles and screwing up your mechanics. Natural strength is something you are born with.

Lou Gehrig was probably stronger in the upper body than anyone playing major league baseball today, even with weight training and all.

- Bill James, 1985

Lifting weights and/or using steroids to bulk up might make you stronger but will not, as some are led to believe, necessarily make you a better hitter. It might even be bad for you.

The snapped tendons in his knee... I don't know how many times I have seen that in various sports, where if a player tears one of them then the next year he will tear the other one, too. I know of four cases where that's happened, and I have to think there is a genetic reason for it. The explanation of the doctors was that Jones was just too strong; when he stopped himself suddenly in mid-stride he tore the tendon. "If you've seen his thighs, you know what I mean when I say they are monstrous," said Dr. Phillip Marone. "The quadricep was stronger than the bone to which it's attached. It actually pulled the patella away from the bone..."

- Bill James, 1991 (on Philadelphia outfielder Ron Jones)

There is a photograph of Jimmie Foxx looking at Ted Williams' skinny arms, wondering where all that power came from. Williams generated power by using his whole body, especially his hips. Think of other great hitters like Stan Musial, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Andre Dawson - all had great power and relatively normal bodies. None spent his spare time pumping iron. Which brings us to Dean Palmer, who missed most of last year with a ruptured bicep tendon suffered when he swung so hard that he pulled his overdeveloped muscle off the bone. This misguided approach also plagues the efforts of Juan Gonzalez, Jose Canseco, and Mark McGwire - big men who go one and off the DL and who will be full-time DHs long before their time because of all the time the spend in the weight room.

- Glen Waggoner, 1996

If you must lift weights, be careful. Doing it wrong will make your muscles tighter and your swing less fluid. And it could also lead to other problems, like torn muscles or a bad back.

Keep a stress ball around to squeeze. They help strengthen your grip.

Stretch. Not just before games, but all the time. Flexibility helps more than lifting weights. Ken Griffey Jr. is not the strongest player in the Major Leagues, but he is one of the most flexible. Joe DiMaggio was also very flexible.

Bounce a ball continuously on the sweet spot of the bat. This will improve coordination, and, if you do it long enough, wrist strength. It'll also help you find out exactly where the sweet spot is.

Another great exercise to increase your coordination is to play with a smaller ball (i.e. a golf whiffleball) and a thinner bat (i.e. a broomstick). Trying to hit the smaller balls squarely will force you to really watch the ball in order to make solid contact. Transferring that kind of vision and coordination back to regular balls and bats will help you significantly.

Watch Major League baseball games. Examine how your favorite players hit. Study their style, and learn their strengths and weaknesses.

Play competitive baseball. Learn the situations. Practise handling pressure.


Conclusion

With intelligent practice and game experience, you will improve as a hitter. More frequent contact and more power will come. Keep in mind that you need the a certain amount of natural ability to be a hitter, and you have to be truly gifted to be a Major Leaguer. Fewer than one in a million men are capable of powering a ball 450 feet against major league caliber pitching. It is for that reason that we find their actions so thrilling, and will always want to identify them as heroes.

Stay within yourself. Recognize your own potential, and then maximize it. Above all, keep it fun.

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JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS JUNIOR GIANTS PLAYS FIRST GAME ON JULY 7, 2006. AGE RANGE 14-18.///////// GAME 1: Friday 7/7/2006@ BALBOA (Sundberg)5:30pm Helen Wills All-Stars at Josh Gibson Bombers/////////// GAME 2: Wednesday 7/12/2006@ BALBOA (Sundberg)5:30pm Josh Gibson Bombers at Vikings///////// GAME 3: Friday 7/21/2006@ BALBOA (Sweeney)5:30pm Inland Taipans at Josh Gibson Bombers///////// GAME 4: Wednesday 7/26/2006@ CROCKER # 2 at 5:30pm Josh Gibson Bombers at BVHP HITZ///////// GAME 5: Friday 8/4/2006@ BALBOA (Sweeney)5:30pm HP Jr. Giants at Josh Gibson Bombers///////// GAME 6: Wednesday 8/9/2006@ CROCKER # 2 at 5:30pm Josh Gibson Bombers at Cobras///////// GAME 7: Friday 8/18/2006@ BALBOA (Sundberg)5:30pm Sox at Josh Gibson Bombers

 JOSH GIBSON BOMBER JUNIOR GIANT PLAYERS:   FOR ALL GAMES  LISTED ABOVE, PLEASE ARRIVE NO LATER THAN 5:00 PM.  HELPFUL IF YOU CALL AND LEAVE MESSAGE--"WILL BE THERE" OR "WON'T BE THERE": 650-726-5526 OR 650-303-1597

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AS PROMISED, FOR PLAYERS INTERESTED IN GIVING THE PROS A GO, BELOW ARE LINKS TO SITES WITH INFORMATION ON TRYOUTS--DATES, LOCATIONS, TEAMS--click address links below to get to sites

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/official_info/about_mlb/tryout_club.jsp

MAJOR LEAGUE GENERAL OPEN TRYOUTS SCHEDULE: http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/official_info/about_mlb/tryout_us.jsp
                                                                                
MAJOR LEAGUE OPEN TRYOUTS FOR EACH BASEBALL TEAM (HIT MLB CLUBS IN MENU ON LEFT AND GET A LIST OF SPECIFIC TEAMS AND THEIR TRYOUT SCHEDULES.  GOOD LUCK, GENTLEMEN:  http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/official_info/about_mlb/tryout_club.jsp

GOLDEN BASEBALL LEAGUE
                 http://www.goldenbaseball.com/playerform.aspx?SecID=128

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COMMENTARY/SUMMARY GAME #4 AND GAME #5:  -  #4 Game ball for the Bomber loss to Indio goes to Raffi, who got stronger as a pitcher as the error-plagued game went on.  (more to come) #5 Game ball for close 8 to 9 hard fought loss to the powerful Managua team goes to Franklin Escobar. (more to come)

COMMENT/SUMMARY GAME #3 - Tough 6-5 last-inning loss to SF Mexico that was an exciting, fairly well-played game.  This week's game ball goes to Darwin "Magic" Tellez for an absolute marvel of a pitching job done on his return to the mound after a long time away. (more to come on this and other games--soon) 

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JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS LOOKING FOR A FEW COLLEGE-LEVEL SKILLED BASEBALL PLAYERS OR SERIOUS HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL PLAYERS OVER 16 TO PLAY ON WOOD BAT SUMMER LEAGUE TEAM IN SAN FRANCISCO.  IF YOU ARE NOT INCLINED TO SHOW UP FOR AND/OR NOT CALL/RETURN CALLS, PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND.  CAN VIEW SCHEDULE OF JOSH GIBSON BOMBER GAMES BELOW.  FOR THOSE WHO CAN COMPLY, CALL 650-303-1597 OR 650-726-5526.  ALSO, SEE  "SANDLOT SUNDAY" AT CROCKER AMAZON PARK INFORMATION--POSTED BELOW WOOD BAT SCHEDULE.

POSTED MONDAY JUNE 5, 2006 - SUMMER BASEBALL FOR WOOD BAT LEAGUE BEGINS JUNE 10, 2006.  SCHEDULE BELOW:

COMMENTARY/SUMMARY GAME #2, BOMBERS VERSUS CARDINALS - It was a good day at the ball-park.  The weather was great; fog burned off--sun shining--little to no wind at the 10am start.  The turnout of quality baseball players could not have been better.  This week's game ball goes to NICK PETRICK. Nick started the game on short notice and held the very capable Cardinal hitters to 2 hits through four innings. The Bombers won the long game 8-4 with time being called in the eighth inning. **(More to come.)  

SORTA SUMMARY GAME #1 - Josh Gibson Bombers played Zack Farmer's much improved Excelsior Pirates; young Zack has done his work and the team he's put together looks like a winner.  The game-ball for the Josh Gibson Bombers first outing goes to Anthony "A-Rod" Rodriguez.  A-Rod has been one of the steadiest members in support of the Bomber effort to field a competitive semi-pro baseball team; he's also been one of the team's most valuable players.  On this day when the Bombers had trouble getting untracked, short-stop/second baseman A-Rod took over at catcher (when veteran/regular catcher, Franklin Escobar, had to leave for an important annual event) and did a fine job behind the plate and as on-the-field leader.  Down 6 to 0, A-Rod's determination spear-headed a late-game rally to bring the Bombers within one last at-bat of possibly catching the Pirates.  Things were looking pretty good at the bottom of the eighth when the game was, unfortunately, called because of time limit.  The Pirates ended up with one more at-bat---and in the last part of the game the Bombers had momentum and were whacking the ball and getting around the bases pretty regular.  //////On this first day, the team had a disorganized, hectic start.  A few "usuals" did not show up and others arrived just at start of game.  The dreaded forfeit was avoided by a Blessing of new players who showed up and helped the team present a line-up.  Thanks to the "new guys", who distinguished themselves in this first-game-of-the-season effort.  We'll start with "Raffi"--who promises to be one heck of an addition to the team with his speed, solid left-handed pitching and quick bat.  "Chris" who stepped in and impacted things immediately with a display of solid skills in the field and at bat.  "Jimmy", who will get the opportunity to show more of his talents in games to come.  Thank you.  ////// Bomber good fortune: Big things are expected with the addition of one of league's most powerful hitters and experienced veterans, Lex Robins.  Lex did an excellent job stepping in as our starting pitcher on very short notice. Lex is a natural leader and we expect that the team will be enhanced by that asset over the course of the season.  Anthony Elmore is back with the team...last time we saw him he hit a base-clearing GRAND-SLAM for the Bombers.  Need we say more.  Paul--thanks for showing up to help the cause.  We hope you don't let baseball go just yet--and we hope to see you with us in future games./////The core of our team promises to keep us moving forward as each contributed to the late game run-up on the Pirates...Welcome back core players:   Nick Petrick, Franklin Escobar, Anthony Rodriguez, Ryan Perez, Zack Waterfire, Awinn Swann... /////Next week we should have more of our regulars contributing.  If everyone shows up on a regular basis, the Josh Gibson Bombers of summer 2006 should be able to do some damage.

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THE JOSH GIBSON BOMBER BASEBALL CLUB WOULD LIKE TO THANK THOSE PEOPLE FROM CYPRUS(cy), BRITAIN(uk), GERMANY(de), TAIWAN(tw), CANADA(cn), HONG KONG(hk), FRANCE(fr), ARGENTINA(ar), AUSTRALIA(au), NEW ZEALAND(nz), JAPAN(jp), SEYCHELLES(sc), MEXICO(mx), RUSSIAN FEDERATION(ru), CHINA(cn), ITALY(it), SINGAPORE(sg), SOUTH KOREA(kr), THAILAND(th), FINLAND(fi), SPAIN(es), IRELAND(ie), ROMANIA(ro), NORWAY(no), NETHERLANDS(nl), GREECE(gr), SWEDEN(se), BRAZIL(br), SLOVAK(sk), BELGIUM(be), DENMARK(dk), HUNGARY(hu), SWITZERLAND(ch), ESTONIA(ee), PAKISTAN(pk), VIETNAM(vn), AUSTRIA(at), INDONESIA(id), CROATIA(hr), PORTYEUGAL(pt), MIT, US MILITARY, NASA--THANK YOU ALL FOR CHECKING OUT OUR WEBSITE. SOME OF YOU SEEM TO BE FOLLOWING THE PROGRESS OF OUR GAMES, OUR PLAYERS...OR OUR OFF-THE-WALL WEBSITE. KEEP COMING BACK.

WE ARE INTERESTED IN EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF PLAYING TEAMS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES, SO PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO EMAIL IF YOU HAVE A TEAM, SIMILAR INTEREST, QUESTIONS--OR COMMENTS.  WE'D LOVE TO MAKE YOUR ACQUAINTANCE.  email: worldball@joshgibsonbombers.com

"ON BEHALF OF JOSH GIBSON BOMBER MANAGEMENT, I SAY, EMPHATICALLY:  STOP THE DAMN WITCH HUNT OF BARRY BONDS!  THE STATUS QUO GATE-KEEPER PACK OF BACK-BITING, SNEAKY WOLVES YIPPED AND YELPED AND BROUGHT DOWN JACK JOHNSON. THE STATUS QUO GATE-KEEPER PACK OF BACK-BITING, SNEAKY WOLVES SCHEMED AND DREAMED AND STOLE MUHAMMAD ALI'S BEST YEARS AS A FIGHTER.  THE STATUS QUO GATE-KEEPER PACK OF BACK-BITING,  SNEAKY WOLVES WOULD NOT LET JOSH GIBSON PLAY.  2006, THEY ARE AT IT AGAIN--WILLING TO IGNORE ANYTHING RESEMBLING FAIRNESS AS THEY YIP AND YELP AND YAP AND WHINE AND SCHEME TO BRING DOWN BARRY BONDS.  UNLESS YOU DO TO EVERY PRO BASEBALL PLAYER WHAT YOU ARE SCHEMING TO DO TO BARRY, YOU ARE DIRTY DISHONEST LYING BACKROOM CONNIVING THIEVES. BACK OFF DOGS, AND LET THE MAN PLAY BASEBALL."  

                                                                                                     ART WASHINGTON - GM JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS BASEBALL CLUB

*BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW EXACTLY WHO DID WHAT WHEN, THE ONLY FAIR SOLUTION IS TO GO FROM NOW.

**the preceding views in no way represent the views of the players who come out and play for the Josh Gibson Bombers Baseball Club.  The views expressed are strictly views of Bomber ownership and management.

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FALL/WINTER-LEAGUE (HELL, SPRING LEAGUE NOW)--HOPEFULLY, WE WILL PLAY SOON.  KEEP CHECKING WEBSITE, BUT KNOW THAT WE WILL CALL YOU THE MINUTE IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE ON.  THANKS FOR HANGING IN THERE.  HOPE YOU'RE GETTING SOME WORK IN HERE AND THERE ON YOUR OWN.

A more detailed account of the game against the mighty Managuas is forthcoming.  The guys who were there played a solid game once things settled down.  We were short on players, but not short on guys who came to play.  Was a good day of baseball.  We still owe Nick Petrick a pearl for his outstanding work on the mound a couple of games ago.  

ADVANCE NOTICE AND REQUEST:  2005-2006 FALL-WINTER BOMBERS, PLEASE BRING A CHANGE OF JERSEY FOR THE FIRST PLAY-OFF GAME.  JERSEYS MIGHT BE COLLECTED AT THE END OF ANY GAME ONCE THE PLAY-OFFS START.  IT WILL SAVE A LOT OF PHONE-CALLS AND TRYING TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS. TRUST ME, IT IS NOT FUN CHASING DOWN JERSEYS.  IF SOMEONE WANTS TO PURCHASE A JERSEY, MY COST WAS $65.00 FOR JERSEYS/$35 FOR PANTS.  WE WILL GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION AND YOU CAN HAVE A BOMBERS JERSEY MADE UP AT SPORTS GRAPHICS WHERE I HAD THE JERSEYS DONE.  FOR THOSE WHO BORROWED PANTS, PLEASE RETURN THEM. SOME FELLOWS HAVE MORE THAN ONE PAIR AND IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED IF THEY WERE RETURNED.    

UPDATE POSTED FEBRUARY 12, 2006 - Josh Gibson Bombers Versus San Jose Brewers, February 11, 2006:  Jason Laxson did the near impossible in pitching a full nine innings after five weeks of no baseball to lead the Josh Gibson Bombers to a solid 9-4 win against the formidable San Jose Brewers. Number 15 also had two hits in four at bats, drove in three runs and scored twice. It was a game-ball day for JL.  Mr. Laxson's superb command on the mound was backed up by a team of young men who played hard; who played with purpose. It was fun to watch.  Starting with catcher Franklin Escobar, who has emerged as the steady leader of this group as the season moves toward play-offs and those who can be relied on distinguish themselves from those who won't even take the time to return phone-calls, these Bombers play with spirit, mutual support and a lot of cool, quiet confidence. It is an absolute joy to come to the ballpark and hang out with this season's collection of great guys.  With a few exceptions, the defense on this day was tight as Dick's hatband. Jay #24, who can play any position on the field and moved from being perfect at third to making a highlight-reel sliding catch toward the left field foul line on one of his many defensive gems, typified the team-wide effort.  On offense, Jay#24's hard line drives drove in three runs and put him in position to score twice.  Justin "Coop" Cooperman was rock-solid at second base and showed his versatility by stepping in at center-field in the later innings to make challenging fly-balls look easy and routine with his smooth, confident ball-hawking.  On offense, Coop scored and moved runners along with his smart at bats.  Ryan Perez played first base with flare and hit an emphatic double in the sixth inning that capped the three-run rally that put the Bombers ahead for the rest of the game.  Nick Petrick expertly handled duty at both first and third on defense while hitting a door-closing double in the eighth inning that scored two important Bomber runs.  Donald Williams was marvelous in the outfield and on the bases where he executed a clinic steal of second base in the fifth inning just before he had to leave the game for work.  A-Rod Rodriguez moved from warm to hot over the course of the game, gaining the winning form he had five weeks ago toward the end of this game.  A-Rod hit, stole, scored a run and played his usual good defense at short.  Zack Waterfire's patience and eye at the plate had him gain base all four times he was up.   Zack stole and scored a run. Josh Shuster-Lefkowitz worked his skill at second base on defense and on offense made a heads-up advance to second on a throw that got away from the catcher for barely an instant.  High-school sophomore, Awinn Swann,  did his young self proud with three confident at bats and solid patrol duty in right field.  Full circle to Franklin Escobar who got on base a perfect four for four with two hits and a steal. Franklin also scored twice and managed  a fine game from behind the plate.      

UPDATE FEB.12, 2006:  LAST GAME BEFORE PLAY-OFFS - BOMBERS VERSUS THE TALENTED  MANAGUAS:  SATURDAY FEBRUARY 18 AT 1:30 PM ON CROCKER AMAZON #1.  LET'S ALL SHOW UP,  DO OUR BEST AND HAVE SOME FUN, GENTLEMEN.  LET'S PLAY LIKE IT MIGHT BE THE LAST GAME WE EVER PLAY IN OUR LIVES.  WITH THE PRESENT STATE OF THE WORLD--THAT IS NOT A RIDICULOUS SUGGESTION...UNFORTUNATELY. 

                                                                            AND!

                                                  THE RAIDERS HIRE ART SHELL!!!!

Josh Gibson Bomber SHAMAN Weather Report:  Friday FEB. 10 NO RAIN, DAMMIT!     Saturday FEB. 11 NO RAIN!!!.   

A-ROD HAS BROKEN EVERYTHING STANDING  IN HIS ROOM WHILE CONFINED TO SWINGING THE BAT INDOORS!

RYAN P HAS BECOME AN ACE RIGHT-HANDED PITCHER AND BATTER! (RY'S A NATURAL LEFTY; WORKED RIGHT SIDE FOR SOMETHING TO DO)

FRANKLIN IS STARTING TO SPROUT FEATHERS FROM DUCK-WALKING IN THE RAIN TO KEEP HIS CATCHER'S SQUAT STRONG!

DON-LEEZY AND BIG JOE HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH THE GHOST OF JOSH GIBSON IN AN EFFORT TO GET THE TEAM BACK ON THE FIELD!

DARWIN PUT OUT AN ALL-POINTS BULLETIN (APB) ON THE RAIN-CLOUD MONSTER!

NICK AND JOSH HAVE BEEN EATING NOTHING BUT PIZZA!  (HEY, EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS)

JASON AND JAY HAVE DEVELOPED BMT (BASEBALL MENTAL TELEPATHY) FROM PLAYING CATCH IN THEIR MINDS!

MARCUS IS WORKING FIVE---FIVE!! JOBS TO KEEP FROM LOSING HIS MIND FOR LACK OF BASEBALL!

AWINN HAS CHANGED HIS NAME TO NORAIN! 

ANTHONY ELMORE IS PLAYING WINTER BALL WITH THE YANKEES IN PLACE OF GARY SHEFFIELD! (EVERYBODY THINKS IT'S HE'S SHEFFIELD)

ZACK'S FEET ARE BLISTERING FROM ALL THE DANCING! 

ALL THE REST OF US ARE HOPING!

WOOD-BAT SEMI-PROS: HERE WE GO.  LET'S BE AT FULL STRENGTH FOR THE LAST OF THE SEASON.  THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME CHANCE IN THE WINTER OF 2006 TO PLAY SOME OF THE BEST SEMI-PRO BASEBALL PLAYERS IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA. IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD, DOGGONIT!  A CHANCE TO GET SOME CHARACTER-BUILDING BASEBALL PLAYING IN. A CHANCE TO---MY GOD--SHOW THE WORLD THERE'S MORE UP HERE THAN JUST BARRY BONDS AND THE GIANTS!  THERE'S BOMBERS AND BREWERS AND BLENDERS AND ANGELS AND KAI KOPP'S CARDINALS AND SF MEXICO AND VICTOR'S SAN FERNANDO'S--AND THE MIGHTY MANAGUAS! 

THE BREWERS AND THE MANAGUA TEAMS ARE BOTH EXCELLENT SQUADS. SOLID. THEY WILL PUT A SERIOUS WHOOPIN' ON YOU IF YOU COME OUT HALF-STEPPIN'.  LET'S COME OUT PSYCHED OUT OF OUR MINDS!  TAKE A LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE. LET'S GET THE SIGNS. COME READY TO SEE JUST HOW GOOD WE CAN BE. CAN'T ABSOLUTELY CONTROL THE OUTCOME OF ANYTHING,  BUT CAN CONTROL WHETHER OR NOT WE DO OUR BEST.  STRETCH, WARM UP--NO UNNECESSARY INJURIES 'CAUSE WE'RE TOO OLD AND TOO PROUD, OR TOO YOUNG AND TOO----. ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEAS OR THINGS THEY ARE NOT HAPPY WITH, GIVE A CALL. NO ONE'S GETTING PAID SO WE SHOULD ALL AT LEAST BE HAVING FUN. AND GETTING BETTER.   

SEE YOU ON THE BALL-FIELD, GENTLEMEN. REMEMBER, THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY!

   650-726-5526/650-303-1597

WEEK-FIFTEEN[8]----LEAGUE 
WED JAN-25 MANAGUA MEXICO H RAIN OUT 7:00PM
THUR JAN-26 ANGELS CARDINALS H CROCKER ONE 7:00PM
SAT JAN-28 BREWERS BOMBERS H RAIN OUT 10:00AM
SAT JAN-28 SAN FERNANDO ANGELS H RAIN OUT 1:30PM

WEEK-SIXTEEN-----LEAGUE 

WED FEB-1 CARDINALS MANAGUA H CROCKER ONE 7:00PM
THUR FEB-2 ANGELS MEXICO H CROCKER ONE 7:00PM
SAT FEB-4 ANGELS BREWERS H CROCKER ONE 10:00AM
SAT FEB-4 MANAGUA BOMBERS H CROCKER ONE 1:30PM

WEEK-SEVENTEEN---LEAGUE--&--PLAY OFFS 

WED FEB-8 MEXICO SAN FERNANDO H CROCKER ONE 7:00PM
THUR FEB-9 CARDINALS SAN FERNANDO H CROCKER ONE 7:00PM
SAT FEB-11 GA-1 SIXTH THIRD H CROCKER ONE 10:00AM
SAT FEB-11 GA-2 FIFTH FOURTH H CROCKER ONE 1:30PM

WEEK- EIGHTEEN PLAY OFFS 
WED FEB-15 GA-3 WINNER GA-1 WINNER GA-2 CROCKER ONE 7:00PM
THUR FEB-16 GA-4 WINNER GA-3 SECOND CROCKER ONE 7:00PM
SAT 
SAT 

WEEK- NINETEEN PLAY OFFS--CHAMP SERIES 
WED FEB 22 GA-5 WIN GA-4 FIRST H CROCKER ONE 7:00PM
THUR 
SAT FEB-25 GA-6 FIRST WIN GA-4 H CROCKER ONE 10:00AM
SAT FEB-25 GA-7 EXTRA CHAMP GAME F CROCKER ONE 1:30PM

----------------------------------

Posted Friday December 16, 2005:  Bombers who showed up played the full nine innings with no letup.  No matter what else, that is always an absolute pleasure to witness.  The SF Mexico team had some of their most experienced players on the field for the game.  The Bombers were without some of their veteran regulars but the young fellows who showed played a fine game of baseball right through the last out.  In the end, the no-quit youngsters with veteran leader at catcher, Franklin Escobar, lost the game against a good SF Mexico team on Wednesday December 14, 2005.  The final score was 8-4, with the Bombers down 6-0 until the last few innings. Nick Petrick did a great job on the mound, going a full 7 innings and into 8 before his arm started to tire a little. Nick's ability to  keep the hard-hitting Mexico team from ever getting truly untracked speaks volumes for his determination. The SF Mexico team ten-run ruled us the last game---and has done so with a number of other teams, as we've come to understand.  So---GREAT JOB NICK!  APPRECIATED.  Josh Shuster-Lefkowitz stepped in halfway through the 8th to spell his lifelong buddy, and did a fine job of closing things out. Josh had one of the best stops and spin-around throws to first from his second base position that we've seen this season before he took the mound.  In another "best play" scenario, one of the best catches in the outfield of the year for the Bombers, if not THE best, was made by usual infielder Donald Williams.  Donald made a last minute acrobatic leap to grab a sure extra bases line drive that was curving hard toward the line.  Less speed, height, athleticism--that catch does not get made.  Donald also had excellent contact at the plate for the game. Great game for Donald Williams.  Franklin Escobar was our leader  on the field and in the dugout.  His encouragement and example of staying at it helped keep the team from ever giving an inch to the tough Mexico team.  Franklin had is customary solid game behind the plate and hit well on offense. But mainly, he refused to let the team get down.  Result, the team scored 4 runs in the latter innings and left knowing that they could play straight up against their opponents.  A-Rod added to his highlight reel of excellent work at short-stop on defense and smart at bats and base-running on offense.  Awinn Swann keeps improving every game.  Only a sophomore in high school, Awinn made a nice catch in right field and made good contact at the plate.  Good game, young Awinn.  Powerful Joe Ford did well at first base and kept his threat alive to hit another one out of the park. Zack Waterfire patrolled center field and did a good job catching fly balls in the patchy lighting of Crocker in need of lights.  "Nixon", a favorite of the coach who sometimes plays with the Bombers, was veteran-solid at third base.  Big THANKS to Nixon,  as without him agreeing to play with NO NOTICE so we'd have 9 players, the team would've had to invoke the "nightmare emergency contingency"---the "NEC" would've had their manager playing; a last ditch emergency that is definitely a nightmare.  Finally, all got better, no one got hurt, all played a good game--and forced the Mexico team to deal with a group of fellows who came to play.  The nightmare emergency contingency manager was proud of his team.  Doggonit, there might be a little football attitude working with some of the players yet!  100 percent effort from the second you step on the field until the second you step off.  Can't go wrong with that goal.   ALWAYS fun to watch.            

NEXT LEAGUE GAME: THURSDAY JANUARY 5, 2006 7:00 PM ON CROCKER AMAZON FIELD #1. WE PLAY SF BLENDERS. CALL IF ANY QUESTIONS.  650-726-5526/650-303-1597

  Posted November 30, 2005 -  Just got a notice from league commissioner Jack Wolf to turn in official team roster for balance of season.  As we make no assumptions, we need to hear from players as to whether or not they are able to make most of the games for the balance of the season...and if they will be playing with the Josh Gibson Bombers.  This is the last opportunity for players to sign on with the teams of their choice for the balance of the season.  A player might want to look at what they want and what the Bombers are this year---and make their decision based on what suits them best. We encourage players to look over the Bombers schedule to see if they can make most of the games. If after considering, a player decides that his talents and interests work better for another team (or if he won't be playing), we'd appreciate it if he'd let us know. If we do not hear from a player... if we can't reach him and he does not return phone-calls or emails, he will not be included on the roster.  For those who hold Bomber jerseys, we expect that all jerseys will be turned in upon a player's decision not to continue with the fall/winter team.   Thank you  650-726-5526/650-303-1597

FOR THOSE WHO DECIDE TO STAY AND PLAY,  LET'S  COME TO THE BALLPARK DETERMINED TO DO ALL WE CAN TO WIN EVERY GAME WE CAN FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON.  WE ELIMINATE THE LAPSES IN JUDGEMENT, FOCUS AND AWARENESS OF GAME SITUATION--AND THAT ESPECIALLY APPLIES TO THE COACH--WE WILL WIN.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL FROM THE JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS.  

FULL SCHEDULE FOLLOWS GAME RECAPS

GAME RECAPS

POSTED SUNDAY DECEMBER 11, 2005:  FINALLY, THE JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS KEEP FOCUS.  RESULT?  THEY WIN.  --  Before anything else is said, a sincere thank you goes to the young men who came to play baseball on Saturday December 10, 2005.  They did themselves and the game proud. There was no doubt from the moment the players started to show up and warm up that they were in the ballpark to give it their best.  Darwin Tellez, Joe Ford, "Jay" #24 at Third Base, Ryan Perez, Jason Laxson, Franklin Escobar, Oscar the "Guest" Catcher, Donald Williams, Awinn Swann, Anthony Rodriguez, Justin Cooperman, Zack Waterfire, Marcus Reed. They came to play, and play they did. The Bomber baseballers won the game with a score of something like 10-2 (All final scores to be posted, soon).  The Cardinals are a good team with a roster full of talented players. They beat the Bombers in the last meeting. This day, the Bombers played closer to their potential. That...with the addition of  a few exceptional players... made the difference. Images: Shortstop "A-Rod" Rodriguez--ball hit--quick start...diving, twisting,--parallel to ground, body sacrificed, snag/slide on infield dirt...up quick, under control.  To first for out. To second for double play. Pretty. //  Second Base Justin "Coop" Cooperman--ready, anticipating...always in the right place. nothing gettable gets by; Dartmouth will be improved by his mental and physical quickness next year. //Starting Catcher Franklin Escobar--Steady, solid behind the plate. On offense, power.  Every at bat offered potential homerun. Long double---runs score.//Ace Starting Pitcher Darwin "Magic" Tellez--They swing, but seldom have solid contact.  Ball on the ground. Ball in the air. Swing late. Swing early/off balance. Swing after it drops. Back off to have it cross plate. STRIKE! No idea what may come next. He's a "pitcher".  Magic. And they tell us he's a first rate outfielder on another team. //Pitcher-Outfield-First Base-Coach Ryan Perez--This game First Base. Third Base Coach. Versatile, knowledgeable, under control. Cool and calm. Relax, Ryan had it covered. Whatever it was. //Outfield-Infield Donald Williams--Moved fast and smooth. Loves to play--it shows. Hits and gits...drove in early run.//First Base-Designated Hitter Joe Joe Ford--Always solid contact. Hit ball HARD! Big man who moves. Knows well how to play First Base. //Centerfielder Marcus Reed--Bombers in-house pro. Played and coached like the veteran pro-caliber player he embodies. The Josh Gibson Bombers are a much better team with Marcus Reed. //Starting-Relief Pitcher Jason Laxson--Left-handed veteran who knows exactly what he's doing. Jason took this game over at 5 innings, and kept tight control through the end. Jason's the team's other ace. //Catcher-Third Base-All positions "Jay"--Damn fine baseball player that any team is lucky to have.  Jay threw rockets from third to first to stop a few guys from even trying to make first base.  Seriously, guys stopped on the way. If he doesn't have a nickname, someone may take to calling him "No Chance".  That is the case if he gets the ball any time before the batter gets to base. Jay hits like he throws. //Catcher "Oscar"--Bombers were happy to have him play with them this day. Oscar's a regular on another team. Drove in important early run. Unfortunately, Oscar will be exhibiting his considerable skills against us...soon. //First Base-Catcher-Third Base Awinn Swann--Talented young high school player who gives all when he gets the opportunity.  We intend to give Awinn as many opportunities as we can.  His talent and determination demand that we must. No question, Awinn's a future star if he keeps getting to the field. //Outfielder-Assistant Manager Zack Waterfire--Excellent throw from left field to gun down player at home plate.  Along with Marcus Reed and Donald Williams in outfield---everything that went up in the air out there this game---got caught coming down. Nice job of getting on base, running the bases and scoring on offense. //All in all, this was the best outing of the year.  Let's keep showing up and giving it our best, gentlemen.  Win lose or draw---nobody gets out of a game with us easy.  Efforts appreciated---the more-gray-in-beard-moving- slower-every-damn day "usta be" management.      

posted november 20, 2005: score was 5-4, angels. candidly---while a few fellows deserve special mention and ALL played a good competitive game, we let a fellow named mingo beat us. he got into the head of some of our players and caused them to lose focus...at the worst time.  next time we see ol' good spirited baseball loving mingo, we don't hear him.   hats off to all---special mention goes to justin cooperman, anthony rodriguez, and zack waterfire for having an exceptional game; and to darwin tellez for an EXCELLENT job of pitching.

JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS VS SAN JOSE BREWERS ON NOVEMBER 5, 2005.   ABOVE ALL-- A SPECIAL THANKS TO A GREAT BUNCH OF GUYS:  THE JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS WINTER LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM MEMBERS WHO ACQUITTED THEMSELVES WELL IN A TOPSY-TURVY GAME THAT OFFERED LEAD CHANGES, TIMELY HITTING, SOLID PITCHING, HEROES, NO VILLAINS, UPS, DOWNS, FRUSTRATION, EXCITEMENT, AND JUST ENOUGH ERRORS TO END UP WITH ALL LOOKING TO THE NEXT TIME.  FIRST OFF---BIG JOE FORD AND ROCK STEADY FRANKLIN ESCOBAR...YOU FORGOT TO PICK UP YOUR PEARLS!  BRAND NEW BALLS BALLS STILL IN WRAPPING...FOR CREATING A COUPLE OF THOSE BIG MOMENTS THAT GETS EVERYBODY JACKED UP.  CONGRATS ON YOUR HOMERUNS, GENTLEMEN.  FRANKLIN'S BLAST GOT THE TEAM STARTED...AND BIG JOE CLOBBERED A BALL IN THE 8TH FOR A 2 RUN DEAL THAT PUT THE TEAM AHEAD UNTIL THE BOTTOM OF THE NINTH.  ANTHONY "A-ROD" RODRIGUEZ--HATS OFF FOR A CLUTCH, TIMELY DOUBLE IN THE 5TH TO PUT THE TEAM AHEAD 5-3.  ' KNOW WE'RE ALL TIRED OF THE SAME OLD SONG, BUT IT'S TRUE---THIS IS ANOTHER GAME WE SHOULD HAVE WON.  INFIELDERS, LET'S GET IN FRONT OF THOSE BALLS, BUTT DOWN, GLOVES IN THE DIRT, AND A DETERMINATION THAT WE WILL NOT LET A SHOT GET BY.  NO OLE'S.  BASIC FUNDAMENTAL STOP-THE-BALL-FIRST-AND-FOREMOST.  NEXT TOPIC-- AGGRESSIVENESS ON THE BASES IS EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT.  NO DOUBT.  WE'LL TAKE THE RISKS AND ACCEPT THE OCCASIONAL OUT. BUT LET'S NOT GIVE OUTS AWAY BECAUSE OF LACK OF ATTENTION, CARELESS DRIFTING ON THE BASES---OR ON THE PART OF US COACHES...BAD OR INATTENTIVE BASE-COACHING.  FINALLY - LET'S REMIND ONE ANOTHER THAT ALL EQUIPMENT...FOR OUR TEAM AND OUR OPPONENTS...MUST BE OUT OF THE PLAYING AREA.  WITHOUT GETTING SPECIFIC, A YOUNG PLAYER BROKE HIS ANKLE PRETTY BAD.  ALL OF US WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY MISERABLE IF SOMEONE--ON OUR TEAM OR THEIRS--GOT INJURED BECAUSE WE DIDN'T INSIST THAT EQUIPMENT ALWAYS BE OUT OF ALL AREAS WHERE PLAYERS MIGHT RUN.  BACK TO THE GAME - RAFAEL, A NEW PITCHER WHO STARTED THE GAME WAS A WELCOME ADDITION FOR THE DAY--HOPE YOU KEEP COMING BACK, YOUNG MAN.  DARWIN TELLEZ DID HIS USUAL EXCELLENT JOB ON THE MOUND WHEN HE CAME IN AFTER FOUR AND KEPT THE GAME MANAGEABLE TO THE END. JOSH SHUSTER-LEFKOWITZ...YOU'RE ON IT, KID.  HEAR YOU WERE A HERO AT THE PLATE WITH A CRUCIAL HIT AT A CRUCIAL TIME TO KEEP YOUR TEAM IN IT.  APPRECIATED.  AND THANKS TO THE REST OF THE TEAM FOR HOLDING DOWN THE FORT AND SUPPORTING THE PLAYER COACHES  WHO DID A GREAT JOB IN MANAGING THE TEAM FOR THE GAME AGAINST THE WELL-PRACTICED BREWERS.  JOEY BLAS, WE'RE GOING TO MISS YOU, MAN.  HOPE YOU GET BUSY PLAYING DOWN THERE IN TEXAS RIGHT AWAY...AND COME BACK TO PLAY IN SAN FRANCISCO WHEN TIME AND CIRCUMSTANCE PERMITS.  ANY TEAM WILL BE ENHANCED BY YOUR  TALENTS.  AND WHILE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT OF THANKS... THANKS JOEY, FRANKLIN AND DARWIN FOR DOING A GREAT JOB AS MANAGER--PLAYERS FOR GAME.  SOUNDS LIKE EVERYONE HAD FUN, GOT A LITTLE BETTER, PLAYED HARD...AND IS DETERMINED TO BUILD ON THE GOOD.  TO ALL BOMBERS--OUR NEXT GAME IS NOVEMBER 19, AS WE HAVE A BYE FOR THE 12TH.  KEEP AN EYE OUT, AS WE MAY SCHEDULE A PRACTICE GAME IN THE INTERIM.  IN THE MEANTIME, HERE'S HOPING YOU GET ALL THE PLAYING AND PRACTICE IN THAT YOU CAN!     

LOTTA GOOD PLAY IN SPITE OF WEEK 4 ten-run ruled loss--OCTOBER 20, 2005, Bombers vs SF Mexico.  A lot of new faces showed up for game 4. Friends of friends---and in some cases, friends of friends of friends. Unfortunately, a few old tried and true showed up late, or could not make the game.  Lesson to semi-pro managers on cold, traffic-crowded evening games in San Francisco, "Don't put your lineup card together before you arrive at the field--no matter who has committed to being there."  Don't care if you're running all over trying to find new white balls so they can be seen in the foggy half-lit, gopher-holed Crocker field. Don't care if you're calling two and three times to a communication-challenged player with him having no clue that you hate the damn phone and have just as little time to be on it as he does--maybe less.  Probably less.  He brings his glove, spikes, bat---and you bring--hell--most of your day and evening and a car full of equipment, refreshment and telephone numbers being called right up until game time.  Never mind how much you dislike going into grocery stores in search of water that isn't storebrand bland or a snack that will taste okay, but not harm or offend because it's just too damn unhealthy. Never mind that you--after having navigated waters you'd just as soon have stayed out of to arrive at the game and field a team with no shows, late shows and new faces--are called over by someone's young, smart, pretty sister in the stands to "chat".  She starts out sweet but ends up channelling Mike Tyson because her brother isn't getting enough "action" in his position in the outfield.  Walking away, I checked my ears in spite of the chain-link fence between us. Maybe next week we'll try him out at infield before she brings the whole family.  All kidding aside, there was a lot of good baseball played by the Bombers. First mention goes to Awinn Swann.  The George Washington High sophomore played his first-base position like a linebacker. It was an absolute joy to watch his all-out play.  Thanks to solid long-time Bomber Ryan Perez for his good night of pitching. The Bombers found a savvy, veteran player in "Victor" who showed last week's UFO'd Bombers you CAN catch balls in the dark.  Look forward to seeing Victor's other skills. Infielder/pitcher Josh Shuster-Lefkowitz was all hustle at catcher.  He stepped in for regular catcher, Franklin Escobar, and gave full effort all night.  His reward was one of the most exciting plays of the game.  Josh scrambled after a passed ball, and the player on third broke for home plate.  In an all out heads up effort, Josh grabbed up the ball as he was sliding away and tossed it perfectly to Jason Laxson, the pitcher, who was on his job covering home.  They nailed the fella.  Good job, Josh/Jason.  Joey Blas hit the ball hard and speared a hot line drive on defense to serve notice that he'll be ready to play when he, unfortunately, leaves the team to relocate to Texas. We can just imagine the kind of ballplayer young Demarco Blas will be in about 15 years.  Dr. Physics (Rog), our resident guide to the subatomic world, laid down a perfect squeeze-play bunt to bring in a do-or-die game-continuing run in the 7th inning.  "Doc Physics" put icing on the cake with a hard run to first and a "safe" call.  A-Rod Rodriguez has hit his stride the last few games and is playing superbly at the plate and in the infield.  Donald Williams: All we have to say is--with Mike Tyson in your corner, we're expecting nothing less than Ozzie Smith in the infield next game.  To all who came out, thank you.  In spite of the outcome, it was one of the more fun games we've had.  Everybody felt loose and easy.  Everybody played---even if not as much as they'd have liked to.  Umpire Mr. Vega, who's seen it all, actually came up and mentioned how much he enjoyed the game.  It was a spirited night of guys just playing baseball.  Every body got a little work in; got a little better. 

WHACKY WEEK 3--OCTOBER 12, 2005, Bombers vs Crocker Cardinals: "We was robbed---by ourselves".  "If errors were dollar bills, we'd have the payroll of Steinbrenner's Yankees."  "Somebody put a handle on that baseball!"  "Uhh, you mean we have to play defense, too?"---- The Bombers came out bombing. Everybody was hitting.  Jason Laxson pitched  a gem of a beginning. Opposition up, opposition out.  Opposition grumbling. Nothing got out of the Bomber infield---and the cool, confident Bomber infielders kept the Cardinals from getting to home plate.  First three innings, the Bombers were scoring runs and sayin' uh uh to everything the Cardinals tried to do.  Got so bad for a minute, the frustrated Cardnials started fighting with each other.  Bombers even helped stop that.  And this was all done while the San Francisco fog slopped over everything like a heavy white-onion soup.  Then the fog lifted, the night became clear---and a big chunk of the Bomber team became a bunch of Stevie Wonders. Except, there was nothing wonderful about the result. In a word, the wheels didn't just wobble, they exploded.  'Was a train wreck AND a jail-break.  The bickering Cardinals busted out--"they hit us here, they hit us there--they hit us damn near every-where--and nobody was catchin'".  Even with the atmosphere cleared up, Jason Laxson still managed to keep most balls hit as routine, manageable outs.  But they weren't "routined" or managed.  Outfield, infield...everything hit got down, got past, got thrown back to the guy in the second row of Crocker's cold-night empty bleachers.  Or so it seemed.  In reality, the Bombers held the lead through most of the game.  It changed hands a few times.  The Cardinals ended up winning. We believe the score was 8-7 (final score will be confirmed by League Commissioner, Jack Wolf).  On the positive side---and there was a lot of positive (it's just that losing the way the Bombers did calls for some "venting")--a bunch of Bombers had good a good game:  Donald Williams was one of the standouts for the Bombers.  Young man's finding his stroke at the plate to go with the obvious speed he posesses.  Donald has a fine arm and exhibited such from left field, then center.  Franklin Escobar is easy to take for granted because of his steady excellent job behind the plate.  Very little gets by Mr. Escobar---fog or no fog.  There's a rumor ol' Franklin might be called to try it from the other side--as a pitcher.  It comes from a rumor that he was a pretty good pitcher in high school---and college.  Third baseman/pitcher Nick Petrick had an active night in the hot corner--with a few "almost" highlight reel plays at 5.  Nick pitched a cool closing couple of innings that would've gotten him a save and Jason a win---if the defense had a little more..."good fortune".  Anthony "A-Rod" was the one infielder who played like the sun was shining.  Don't think A-Rod had a bad catch or throw the whole game.   In all fariness to the outfield, the lights at Crocker are a scandal.  All balls up in the air above the lights...which are not well "light-arranged"...disappear, like little white UFO's.  Gone.  And when they appear again, they are just about to land.  Guess you could say the Cardinals "UFO'd" us.  Waterfire did have one helluva throw from left field to sure-handed Nick Petrick at third to gun down one of the Cardinal aliens---after his UFO had landed in left---and scrambling, stumbling-like-a-drunkard ZDubya finally found it.  Alex Tellez held down right field and is expected to get back into his old baseball shape in the next couple of weeks.  Young Awinn Swann turned a nice play at second base; have to get eager-to-learn catcher Awinn more time behind the plate.  Enough.  We'll catch the rest of the guys next week. Next week will have a lot of heroes.  No doubt.  Let's just hope that most of them are playing for the Josh Gibson Bombers.  This rambling ain't half bad.  Fun, actually.  Takes a little of the sting offa losing a game the Bombers shouldda won---not really.

WEEK 2--OCTOBER 8, 2005,  Bombers versus Managuas:   'Was the best of times, was the worst of times.  Josh Gibson Bombers won the first game of a double-header behind the pitching of Jason Laxson.  It was a tight game for much of the way with the opposition "Victor" Team leading for a large portion of the contest.  A fun moment in the game was watching Bomber newfound cleanup hitter, Franklin Escobar---hit a homerun to get the Bombers going. In the end, the core Bombers won the morning.   The second game was a loss.  The Managuas are a fine team in any shape, form or fashion. Combine them with the core of the "A's"--you've got a veritable powerhouse.  The Bombers played the powerhouse.  And on this day the team was well managed by Ed Gutierrez, son of the original Managua skipper, Mr. Marvin Gutierrez.  Ed 's accomplished handling of the team indicates that the Managuas will compete for championships long into the future.   Taking nothing from the Managuas, it must be said that--in this chronicler's opinion--the Josh Gibson Bombers did a good job of beating themselves (must be acknowledged, however, that Big Al Matuus hit one of his classic ice-breaking homeruns to start the Managuas rolling).  Runs were given away on defense. On offense, a number of mental mistakes were made...led by a coach who just didn't seem able to keep his head fully into the game.  We suggest the aforementioned coach get proper sleep the night before a double-header, or get help coaching.  Darwin Tellez did his usual fine job on the mound, going a long way to overcome occasional bouts of lack of focus that afflicted the team at various times over the course of the afternoon.  Hurried throws, well-meaning as they are, will more often than not gift a double from what would have been a close call at first base---if not a dead-bang, straight up "out".  Second base is "scoring position".  Gotta make the opposition earn it.  On the positive side--even with the problems, the Bombers still went a good chunk of the game 0-0 before the wheels started wobbling.  Deserving of acknowledgement:  Anthony Elmore made a number of fine catches in the outfield. "Dan" was solid as a rock at first base...and hit the ball hard at the plate.  Joe Ford was no less effective when he stepped in to spell Dan.  Nick Petrick had a warning-track double that woke the Bombers up enough to mount a comeback near the end of the game.  Anthony "A-Rod" Rodriguez showed how balls should be gathered in--and thrown with control and accuracy to first base--in the latter part of the game.  Josh Shuster-Lefkowitz played a tenacious short-stop and second base on defense after being away for a pair of Bomber games.  Josh also had a timely hit in the team's spirited bid to catch the Managua's before the Bombers ran out of innings. Welcome back Josh.   New Bomber "Jay" served notice that he is a hitter and a good infielder with line shots in the first game; getting the attention of the Managuas--who gave him a spirited "Managua" welcome.  Let nothing shake your focus, Jay.   Donald Williams complimented his serviceable duty in the outfield with smooth work at second base in the infield.  Zack Waterfire's heads-up play on a dropped ball strikeout turned  his "K" into a triple with a stolen base to second--and a hustle to third base on an escaped throw.  The fact that Zack was not driven home with no outs---at third...says something about how the Bombers played some of the game.  Squeezeplay, coach?  Hopefully, the Bombers' hard-hitting Joey Blas will be there the next time the Bombers meet the Managuas.  That, combined with more focus---and more sleep for the coach...should make for a more competitive game.  Looking forward.  It must be added---"thanks" to the Managuas for playing Chris Ramirez and Jerome Bright; two young teens  who are bound to bring many exciting moments to baseball fans for a long time to come.  With the knowledge being gained from playing with the Managuas and learning from baseball master Danny Bright, the sky is the limit for young Chris, young Jerome.  Keep those grades up, fellas...and let nothing distract you from what you know is right and true. You are both destined for great things. So it is written. So it shall be.

SPOTTY ACCOUNT OF JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS VERSUS CALIFORNIA ANGELS--OCT. 1: WEEK ONE IN A NEW LEAGUETHINGS GOT OFF TO A SLIGHTLY ROUGH, BUT GOOD START. THE SAN FRANCISCO ANGELS AT FULL STRENGTH ARE GOLIATH PERSONIFIED. APPARENTLY, HOWEVER, A LOT OF THEIR PLAYERS DID NOT GET THE MEMO ABOUT LAST WEEK'S GAME---SO THE BOMBERS PLAYED A SHORT-HANDED TEAM OF SCRAPPY ANGEL REPRESENTATIVES. THEY WERE LED BY TALENTED MANAGER-PLAYER EDGAR GARCIA. THE ANGELS HAD A RUSTY BUT VERY EXPERIENCED AND HARD-TO-HIT NEW PITCHER ON THEIR MOUND---JAYSON LAXSON.  LAXSON'S SURE TO BE A FORCE IN THE LEAGUE AS THE SEASON PROGRESSES.  AGILE ANGEL VETERAN SHORT-STOP/THIRD-BASEMAN MIKE RYAN CHOSE TO GO WITH EIGHT AGAINST OUR NINE FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF INNINGS.  IT WAS A MARVEL TO WATCH ONE MAN PLAY TWO POSITIONS (SHORT AND THIRD), BUT OUR SHOTS DOWN THE THIRD BASE LINE FINALLY CONVINCED MIKE TO ADD A NON-ANGEL TO FILL OUT HIS NEEDED NINE.  FOR THE JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS, THE GAME WAS A REVELATION OF NEW YOUNG TALENT THAT PROMISES GOOD THINGS IN THE FUTURE. WE FOUND A GIFTED CATCHER IN THE MAKING IN YOUNG AWINN SWANN, A SOPHOMORE AT LINCOLN HIGH.  PICKING UP RIGHT WHERE HE LEFT OFF,  DARWIN "MAGIC" TELLEZ PITCHED A FULL NINE-INNING WELL DESERVED WIN. ROUGH LEAGUE START OR NOT,  BOMBER ACE TELLEZ MASTERED ALL ANGEL BATTERS HE FACED. JOEY BLAS HAD THE HARDEST HIT OF THE DAY TO DRIVE IN A FLURRY OF EARLY RUNS.  ANTHONY "A-ROD" RODRIGUEZ HAD AN EXCEPTIONAL DAY AT THE PLATE AND ON THE BASES, HITTING HIGH-PERCENTAGE LINE DRIVE "SHOTS", STEALING AT WILL---AND SPEEDING HOME WITH THE SLIGHTEST OPENING TO REGISTER RUNS. ZACK WATERFIRE STARTED THINGS OFF WITH A DOUBLE, KNOCKING IN A-ROD...BEFORE CLEANUP HITTER JOEY BLAS DROVE IN ZACK AND DARWIN WITH A FIRST AT BAT TRIPLE.  NICK PETRICK WAS IMPECCABLE AT THIRD BASE ON DEFENSE.  NEW PLAYERS DONALD WILLIAMS AND JOE (FULL NAME TO COME) HAD GOOD CONTACT AT THE PLATE AND DID STELLAR WORK ON DEFENSE.  ANTHONY ELMORE, ONE OF THE MOST NATURALLY GIFTED ATHLETES IN THE LEAGUE, SHOWED GLIMPSES OF HIS EXCEPTIONAL TALENT WITH FEATS LIKE DOGGONE NEAR THROWING OUT A FAIRLY SPEEDY RUNNER AT FIRST BASE WITH A ROCKET SEED FROM CENTERFIELD.  LAST TIME WE SAW ANTHONY, HE HIT A GRAND SLAM TO GIVE THE BOMBERS SOME DEGREE OF DIGNITY IN A GAME THEY LOST. NEW YOUNG PLAYER PAUL(FULL NAME TO COME) PLAYED A SOLID RIGHT FIELD FOR ALMOST THE FULL GAME AND HAD GOOD CONTACT AT THE PLATE.

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POSTED NOVEMBER 16, 2005 - THIS SATURDAY, WE START THE SECOND HALF OF THE WOOD-BAT LEAGUE SEASON.  0-0 IS THE APPROACH WE'RE TAKING HERE.  ALL ROSTERS MUST BE SET WITH PLAYERS DECLARED AS "REGULARS" FOR THEIR RESPECTIVE TEAMS.  WE WILL BE OFFICIALLY SIGNING PLAYERS AS OF NOVEMBER 19, 2005.  ALL PLAYERS SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE THAT FOLLOWS GAME RECAPS TO DETERMINE IF THEY CAN MAKE THE GAMES.  IF THERE ARE GAMES THAT WILL BE A PROBLEM, THE MANAGER SHOULD BE INFORMED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT ADJUSTMENTS CAN BE MADE. IT HAS BEEN FUN. IT PROMISES TO BE EVEN MORE FUN FOR THIS SECOND HALF SLATE.  WE ARE BLESSED WITH A GOOD GROUP OF GUYS--AND SUPPORTING FAMILY MEMBERS---WHO MAKE IT AN ABSOLUTE JOY TO BE THERE COME GAME DAY.  THANK YOU.   WIN, LOSE OR DRAW---LET'S ENJOY EVERY SECOND.  LET'S ENJOY EVERY BIT OF IT.  BASEBALL, FELLAS... A CHANCE TO LEAVE ALL OUR PROBLEMS, ALL THE CRAP, THE IRRITATIONS, TROUBLES, THE BULLSHIT...ALL THE REST OF IT OUTSIDE THE PLAYING FIELD. BASEBALL, FELLAS,  LET'S LIVE FULLY IN THE MOMENTS WE'RE OUT THERE. LET IT WASH OVER US LIKE A FRESH SPRING RAIN.  NOTHING ELSE MATTERS FOR THAT PRECIOUS NINE INNINGS.  IF WE DO IT RIGHT, IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT. 

A NOD TO MR. ROBERTO LOPEZ FOR HIS QUARTER CENTURY OF SERVICE THRU HIS BELOVED SAN FRANCISCO ROBERTO CLEMENTE LEAGUE. ALL THE LINING AND DRAGGING OF THE FIELDS IN EARLY MORNING DARKNESS AND SWEAT YOU'VE GIVEN.  IT IS APPRECIATED. HERE'S HOPING YOU CAN KEEP IT GOING FOR A QUARTER CENTURY MORE. A PIECE OF THIS AWARD SHOULD GO TO YOU, SIR.

Smoltz honored with Clemente Award
By Mark Newman
HOUSTON -- John Smoltz, who never really wanted to leave Minute Maid Park this month in the first place, made an ironic return Tuesday to accept the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award before Game 3 of the World Series.  The presentation happened 16 days after Smoltz and his Atlanta teammates were el iminated by the Houston Astros in an 18-inning National League Division Series game that was the longest in postseason history. "Truly a little bit of irony here, coming back to this stadium," Smoltz said. "I'd seen enough in 18 innings, but this is the greatest trip of my life." Commissioner Bud Selig and Roberto Clemente Jr. joined Smoltz at the podium to present this award, which has been given annually since 1971. In 1973, the award was named in honor of the legendary Hall of Famer, who died in a plane crash on Dec. 31, 1972, while on a humanitarian mission to assist earthquake victims in Nicaragua. Smoltz and his wife, Dyan, who joined him for the ceremony, formed the John and Dyan Smoltz Foundation in 1997 to support their many philanthropic endeavors, including the Kings Ridge Christian School in the Atlanta area. Established in 2001, Kings Ridge has received more than $1 million from the foundation, and Smoltz, a co-founder of the school, has raised nearly $4 million personally. Smoltz's earliest community             endeavors date back to 1992, when he began associating himself with the Atlanta Food Bank and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. With the Food Bank, he has helped raise money through golf tournaments and silent auctions. He also continues to support them with his "Strike Out Hunger" program. With every strikeout he records, he donates $100. During his days as a closer, Smoltz renamed the program "Close Out Hunger." With every save, he made a donation.  In addition, twice a year, he signs autographs for fans who donate $20 or bring 20 canned goods to select Braves games. Since beginning these programs in 1997, he's raised over $300,000 and 70,000 pounds of food.  With Children's Healthcare, Smoltz has hosted a celebrity-amateur golf tournament. The tournament has raised more than $1 million over the past 13 years. There are many days in which he will simply stop by hospitals and spend time with sick children. He said his favorite such experiences come when there aren't any television cameras or media members detailing his visit, and his peers have recognized him in the past with the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award in 2002 and '03.  Tuesday's recognition, Smoltz said, is the pinnacle of his baseball career from an individual standpoint. He also was accompanied by his father, John, who flew in from Michigan. Smoltz's brother was there as well. All of them would have loved to have seen Smoltz on the mound for a sixth World Series and first in this decade (he appeared in 1991, '92, '95, '96 and '99), but this moment may have exceeded any of those indelible memories in the grand scheme of things. "I can't thank the Roberto Clemente family enough," Smoltz said, calling the late Hall of Famer and award namesake an "icon." "As players, you all know who Roberto Clemente is and what he did and how he did it. But truly I've gotten a chance to achieve some incredible successes. The [1996] Cy Young Award, a [1995] World Series championship, and I'm not saying this because you're here or I'm not saying this because the Commissioner is here, this truly is the greatest award ... that a player can achieve and accomplish. And I mean that. It goes above those awards because it has the opportunity to affect so many people.  "This is who I am, this is how I was raised by my Dad. My wife has given me the amount of time and sacrifice with our four children, and I truly can say when I received this news that it was the greatest time in my 18-year career so far."
Roberto Clemente's widow, Vera, was unable to attend but said, "My congratulations to John Smoltz on his selection. ... His performance on the field and dedication and commitment to the community truly embody the spirit of this award."  Roberto Jr. told Smoltz at the head table: "It's not about being a great player, because everyone knows that already, but this honor is for you as a family, as a person, a special person. And for us, it's a great honor to be very happy that you are the recipient of this award ... and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being that special person."  Responding to those comments, Smoltz said, "I thank you for modeling what your Dad had incredibly endowed in baseball. And like you said, everyone knew how great a baseball player he was. But everybody gets to see with each recipient. I feel like of the 700 and some baseball players, to be the one chosen to represent that, I will do, in the times that I feel like it gets very difficult, this will remind me what an incredible award it is.  And I thank everybody who had a part in it. Commissioner, thank you for baseball, and John Hancock [the award's sponsor] for representing us. I hope to carry on the legacy in the honor of your father. I thank you very, very much." Every Major League team selected a Roberto Clemente Award recipient who was then eligible for the national award, and those 30 nominees were announced by Major League Baseball on Sept. 7 as part of Roberto Clemente Day in baseball. A panel of dignitaries including Selig and Vera Clemente then selected the award winner.  "I want to say when I reviewed the voting and the 30 people who won for their individual clubs, I mean it really makes you proud to be the commissioner," Selig said. "The qualifications of the other 29 were just remarkable, but John, I have to say to you, it is a great honor because yours really stood out and it stood out after looking at a marvelous, marvelous group."  Then he told Smoltz: "Sincere congratulations on a life well done."  Smoltz is the first Atlanta Braves to receive the award since Dale Murphy in 1988, and that former Braves great was recognized in Smoltz's acceptance.  "My whole career, it's never been about trying to achieve something like this; it's who I am," Smoltz said. "And it's what I believe the Atlanta Braves and baseball players in general represent. Negative sometimes sells and sometimes gets attention. And I can honestly say that this is a tribute to my teammates and myself and the Braves organization for giving me a chance to shine and make a difference.  "I get blessed to be with some great charity organizations, and because of that name on my back and the name on the front of my chest, I hope to represent it with what I consider the living guide that I played with. Dale Murphy is the guy that I think best exemplifies what baseball is about on and off the field, and I got a chance to play with him.  "Seeing everything about Roberto Clemente and hearing [my name associated with this award] just sends chills to know that I'm going to have this in my house, and have it a lot higher than the Cy Young, I can tell you right now."  Mark Newman is enterprise editor for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

AN ASIDE: THE JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS SPONSOR PULLED HARD FOR CHICAGO TO BEAT HOUSTON TO BECOME WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS! WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE MAKEUP OF THAT TEAM FROM GM TO MANAGER AND THROUGH THE PLAYERS ON THE FIELD. CONGRATS TO GM KEN WILLIAMS, EXCELLENT MANAGING TO MANAGER OZZIE GUILLEN!

GREAT JOB WHITE SOX!

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Josh Gibson Bombers Past History

GAME SATURDAY OCTOBER 5, 2005.  JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS VS SAN JOSE BREWERS.  1:30 AT CROCKER AMAZON #1.   VETERAN TEAM LEADERS JOEY BLAS, FRANKLIN ESCOBAR AND DARWIN TELLEZ ARE COACHES/MANAGERS FOR THE GAME.  ALL PURE BASEBALL PLAYERS. FINALLY GOT RID OF THE OLD EX-COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYER WITH THE OCCASIONAL "AIN'T GOT A CLUE" GEORGE BUSH FACE AT THIRD BASE---FOR A DAY(BUT HE'S A PRETTY SMART FELLA, AND HE'S GETTIN' THERE).  GOOD LUCK  TO ALL AND HAVE FUN. SPEAKIN OF OL' GEORGE--- THE NEW ENGLAND TEXAN'S HAVIN' A BIT OF TROUBLE THESE DAYS, EH.  BETCHA HE'S WISHIN' HE WAS STILL OWNER OF HIS OLD TEXAS RANGERS TEAM.  AHH BASEBALL... BEATS BEIN' LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK--AND A DOUBLE-HEADER ON SUNDAY, EH MR. PRESIDENT. 

NOTICE OCT. 21, 2005:  AS OF THIS MOMENT, THERE WILL BE NO TEAM PRACTICES OR SANDLOT SUNDAYS FOR THE BALANCE OF THE MONTH OF OCTOBER.  ALL PLAYERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO GET WORKOUTS IN DAILY IF POSSIBLE---OR AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE.  A NUMBER OF TEAM MEMBERS TAKE BATTING PRACTICE AT THE CAGES IN REDWOOD CITY AT MALIBU GRAND PRIX.  YOU CAN LOOK IT UP IN THE PHONE BOOK OR ONLINE.  THERE ARE OTHER TEAMS IN THE WOOD-BAT LEAGUE AND TEAMS WHO PLAY ON SUNDAY IN THE ROBERTO CLEMENTE LEAGUE, WHERE SOME OF OUR MORE EXPERIENCED PLAYERS MIGHT HOOK UP TO GET SOME SERIOUS WORK. WE'RE A YOUNG TEAM WITH A LOT OF TALENT AND THE POTENTIAL TO SURPRISE SOME FOLKS.  MAKE THAT PERSONAL COMMITMENT TO GET BETTER EVERYDAY, AND WE'LL SEE YOU ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 29, 2005 AT 10:30 AM AT CROCKER AMAZON. DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR NEED TO DISCUSS ANYTHING. WE LIKE OUR FELLAS---EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ON THIS BOMBER TEAM--AND ARE OPEN TO HELPING TEAM MEMBERS DEVELOP IN ANY WAY WE CAN.  650-726-5526/650-303-1597          

FALL/WINTER 2005 

Josh Gibson Bombers are in the process of putting their team together for the exciting San Francisco semi-pro fall wood-bat league. It was requested that a roster be presented at the meeting on Tuesday September 20, 2005 by all teams who will be participating in the newly formed league. To date, the Bombers have assembled a solid core of players who have committed with baseball dedicant enthusiasm to the team. We are proud to have Anthony "A-Rod" Rodriguez, Ryan " Lefty" Perez, Franklin "Rock-Steady" Escobar, Joey "Ball Crusher" Blas, Anthony "Grand Slam" Elmore, Nick "Never Rattled" Petrick, Josh "Sure-Hands" Lefkowitz-Shuster, Darwin "Magic" Tellez, and Zack "Bullet" Waterfire as the base that we will build on.  Experienced baseball players who can reasonably compete with players ranging from high school standouts to college caliber players (with a few of the league's participants being of MLB professional level skill, experience and ability--at some point in their career) are welcome to give a call and see if you might be a good fit for our super-hero squad. We need one 99% mistake-free infielder, one run-like-a-deer-catch-anything-within-a-country-mile outfielder, one home-run hitting machine hitter who can power 420 feet with wood out of  deep Crocker-Amazon center field, and one can't-be-hit-by-Barry-Bonds-himself pitcher. Everything else, we have. Contact: 650-303-1597/650-726-5526   

"SANDLOT SUNDAY" PLACE AND TIME: CROCKER AMAZON FIELD # 2 AT 4:00 PM.   ALL BASEBALL PLAYERS ABOVE THE AGE OF 16 WELCOME.  ON A "SANDLOT SUNDAY", WE CHOOSE UP SIDES FROM PLAYERS WHO SHOW UP, AND PLAY BASEBALL. IT'S SIMPLE, STRAIGHT-FORWARD "OLD SCHOOL" SANDLOT STYLE BASEBALL.  IF YOU CAN, GIVE A CALL SO WE HAVE SOME IDEA WHO AND HOW MANY PLAYERS WE WILL HAVE. BUT IF YOU JUST SHOW UP...FINE.  CONTACT:  650-303-1597/650-726-5526 *Sandlot Sundays" players under age 18 must be signed off by a parent or guardian. Players participate at their own risk.

JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS JUNIOR GIANTS TEAM WILL MEET AT CROCKER AMAZON BETWEEN 8:15 AND 8:30 AM ON SATURDAY AUGUST 20.  WE WILL LEAVE FOR UKIAH AROUND 8:35 TO ARRIVE FOR OUR FIRST GAME AT 11:30 AM. THE TRIP IS ABOUT 2 HOURS 15 MINUTES.  WE WILL STAY OVERNIGHT AS OUR FIRST GAME ON SUNDAY IS AT 9:00 AM.  SCHEDULE BELOW CLARIFIES ALL.  DIRECTIONS TO UKIAH ARE BELOW THE SCHEDULE. QUESTIONS, PROBLEMS CALL (650) 303-1597

 Starting from: San Francisco International Airport SFO, San Francisco, CA
Arriving at: 560 Park Blvd, Ukiah, CA 95482-3701
Distance: 128.0 miles Approximate Travel Time: 2 hours 15 mins

Your Directions
1. Start going toward the AIRPORT EXIT - go 0.1 mi
2. Take ramp onto US-101 NORTH toward SAN FRANCISCO - go 1.1 mi
3. Take the I-380 WEST exit toward SAN BRUNO - go 1.9 mi
4. Take the I-280 NORTH exit toward SAN FRANCISCO - go 5.9 mi
5. Take fork onto CA-1 NORTH toward 19TH AVENUE/GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE - go 0.5 mi
6. CA-1 NORTH becomes JUNIPERO SERRA BLVD - go 0.5 mi
7. Bear on 19TH AVE[CA-1] - go 3.4 mi
8. Continue to follow CA-1 NORTH - go 3.4 mi
9. CA-1 NORTH becomes US-101 NORTH - go 109.1 mi
10. Take the CENTRAL UKIAH exit toward E PERKINS ST - go 0.2 mi
11. Turn on E PERKINS ST - go 0.7 mi
12. Turn on N STATE ST - go 0.1 mi
13. Turn on W SMITH ST - go 0.5 mi
14. Continue on N BARNES ST - go 0.1 mi
15. N BARNES ST becomes PARK BLVD - go 0.3 mi
16. Arrive at 560 PARK BLVD, UKIAH, on the
When using any driving directions or map, it's a good idea to do a reality check and make sure the road still exists, watch out for construction, and follow all traffic safety precautions. This is only to be used as an aid in planning.

Your Full Route Your Destination
The Stadium is a bit hidden. When you get to this address, which is a Church, there is a long parking lot to the left of the Church. The Stadium is at the back of the parking lot behind the Church.
(707) 489-7498. Call if you get lost in town and we will send someone out to find you.
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JULY 6, 2005 JOSH GIBSON BOMBERS JUNIOR GIANTS

PRACTICE EVERY TUESDAY THROUGH AUGUST 16 AT 5:00 PM ON CROCKER AMAZON #1 OR #2 FIELD.    GAME SCHEDULE: ALL GAMES ON WEDNESDAY AT 5:00 PM.

JULY 6TH ON CROCKER AMAZON #4 VS WALDENHOUSE PS.    JULY 13  ON CROCKER AMAZON #1 VS BVHP BLASTERS   JULY 20 ON BALBOA SUNDBERG VS MRC BOILERMALERS     JULY 27 ON BALBOA SWEENEY VS JAMESTOWN    AUGUST 3 ON BALBOA SWEENEY VS ALICE CHALMERS    AUGUST 10 ON CROCKER AMAZON #1 VS WALDENHOUSE PS    AUGUST 17 ON BIG REC GRAHAM FIELD VS HELEN WILLIS                                                                       QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL 650-726-5526 OR 650-303-1597

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BOMBERS WOOD BAT SEMI-PRO PLAYERS: BALANCE OF JULY - AUGUST SCHEDULE

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While our Giants are hangin' in there and showing off some promising new talent, Giants games aren't near as much fun without Mr. Barry Bonds. Here's wishing Mr. Bonds a full and fast as possible recovery.   His excellence is missed.
 

TRIBUTE TO LEGENDS