by Pete

A TALE OF TWO SEASONS Manager's Corner

After a promising 6-2 second-place spring season, The Beat sputtered into last place in the summer with a disappointing 3-5 record. Following a resurgent 18-8 thrashing of Mars on September 23 to even our second half record at 3-3, our bats fell back to sleep in the final two weeks as we lost an unsoftball-like 5-4 nailbiter to the Other Guys and were blown out 12-5 by the Renegades. Losing our second game of the summer in week 7 to the revamped Other Guys, whom we had defeated four games in row since August 1999, told the tale of the summer which was marked simply by a lack of offense. This was evidenced by our anemic .385 team batting average, which was down markedly from the giddy heights of the spring.

In spite of the regression on offense, we played exciting, well-pitched defensive games this summer and can take some comfort that we could easily have won 5 or 6 of them. We won and lost games by one run and lost two by only two runs. We may have hit a rough patch, but the summertime Beat was never dull.

This is a positive we can take into spring 2001. Everyone on this team should know that we can hit at the C-league level because we've done it before, as recently as our first 8 games in the spring when we combined for a powerhouse .503 team BA and 121 runs that was reminiscent of our last title in 1995 in double-D. We have no weak links on defense and our pitching rotation of veterans Kevin "Special K" Austin and Dennis "OB" O'Brien was strong.

Overall, we made progress as we finished the year 2000 with a combined record of 9-7. This is the first time since 1997 that we finished a full year over .500 and only our second winning season in C since we entered in spring 1996. Indeed we have been on a steady climb since we had to radically revamp the club after the departure of the Spoons and several veteran stalwarts following the '97 season. In the three years since then, we've finished 5-11, 8-8 and now 9-7. That's steady progress. This is something to be proud of as championship teams are not built overnight. And its particularly true given the comings and goings of key players such as all-world slugger John "The Bomber" Palmer, who returned to the team after a 4-year absence and sparked us in the spring and then, just like that, moved to Las Vegas in July.

As an added twist, our division improved this summer due to an infusion of better pitching, younger, more athletic players on the aging Other Guys and a revitalized Mars, which rebounded from a woeful 0-7-1 mark in the spring to upset Nicoya in one game and tie with us at 3-5 in the cellar "misery loves company." The Renegades, formerly known as the Hit Men, fell from a springtime division championship in C-6 to a mediocre 4-3-1 record in the second half so we can take some comfort there. The lesson learned is that C-league is more competitive for a reason, as teams constantly retool and go up and down in the won-loss column. Besides, in an 8-game season, there's very little margin for error.

Following the final out of the cold finale, The Beat repaired to sidelines to perform its ritual Brass Beat ceremony, in which the gold prize is awarded to the player considered by his predecessor to personify gritty team spirit as well as outstanding performance. Mark "MSG" St.Georges, the only 2-time Brass Beat winner, presented the icon to second-year man Gunnar Rosenquist. Gunnar, our highly-vocal first-string catcher and part-time outfielder, stood among the leader board in seven offensive categories, showed an ability to take the extra base, and was on the receiving end of numerous successful plays at the plate, including two in the same inning against C-7 champion Nicoya in a tense 7-5 loss in week five of the summer. Well-deserved congratulations go to the G-man, who has quickly made himself an invaluable part of our deliciously complex Beat chemistry.

The Old Guard Pete, "Special K", "Gym", and O.B.

In the year 2000, The Beat assimilated several solid new players and solidified a tight defensive game with veteran holdovers Greg "Lukie" Lukoski, Mike "Pizza Man" Weiss, BJ Bateman and Jim "The Thrill" Colletto, who ran down most everything in the outfield. Slugging walk-on Dave Maxion, who we discovered in a pre-season practice game with the Silver Streak in March, also appeared among the leaders in seven categories. Dave solidified the middle infield at shortstop with second baseman Brian Arcuri. Dave and Brian, who are both blessed with rifle arms, combined on many exciting double plays throughout the season. In fact, when former manager and team founder Jim "Leather" Harvey visited the team in mid-August, he singled out Dave and Brian for their flashy infield play.

Luki brought aboard his friend Javier Urdiales, who fit in well with the team and earned a larger role as the year wore on due to a quick bat and versatility at catcher, pitcher and outfield. On the recommendation of Dave Maxion, rookie Dan Romero was signed in the Summer and showed some flashy glovework in our often-depleted outfield. We look forward to seeing Dan's legendery bat come alive for us next spring.

On offense, the sweet-swinging Colletto won his first full-year batting title with a .535 average and led the team with 22 RBIs. As usual, the Cottonmouth King MSG logged in with a solid .527 mark and once again led the team in hits and runs. With Palmer gone, St. Georges widened his standing as the all-time team leader in the latter two categories. Despite missing several games in the summer, Donnell "Big Daddy" Moody was again a monster in the middle of the lineup as he led the team in slugging with a 1.028 mark and extra base hits with 12. D hit .500 and was second on the team in RBIs with 20. Kevin Austin had a fine season at the plate as he moved back into the leadoff spot in the summer, hitting .500 for the full year and was among the leaders in 5 categories. Brian (.600), Greg (.450, HR, 9 RBI) and BJ (.400) all had stellar offensive springs, but fell victim to the team-wide slump in the summer. Pizza Man, who missed much of the spring, came on strong in the latter part of the summer, and finished with a respectable .429 average that was more befitting of his breakthrough offensive performance in 1999.

All the Young(er) Dudes... "G-Man", "Lucky Lukie", "B.J.", "Pizza Man", "The Thrill"

Yours sincerely hit .458 despite my usual summer swoon, which I'd like to offer up to my younger troops as the axiom that the reflexes and bat speed involved in hitting a softball are not something that leaves you as you get older. In fact you can get better with age although, I've done better, and I got bit by the summer bug too. The ball only comes in at about 10 MPH so it's a matter of selectivity more than anything. Go to the cages, come take more BP when we have practices during the season, be patient, learn what your best pitch is, use the entire field, and get in a groove. It can be tough to hit a softball with a spin on it in the Potrero wind, but it beats the shit out of trying to hit a fastball.

On the mound, Special K and OB continued their C-league mastery, mixing pitches and keeping mighty hitters off-balance. Inasmuch as it can be said that keeping an opponent under 10 runs is the gold standard in softball, Kev finished out at 7-6 with 1 save and a 7.89 era. OB, who missed most of the summer season, logged a 2-1 mark with a save an 8.69 era. My dilemma as manager was determining how to give these two talented twirlers enough time to maximize effectiveness. I must confess that timing the pitching change is still a learning process for me, as most observers of the season-turning game 3 loss to the Other Guys (and friends) will attest. It worked to perfection in the exciting 8-7 win over the Renegades in game 4.

All in all, it was an exhilarating roller coaster of a season, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I hope you, ballplayers and fans of The Beat alike, will agree. I want everybody on this team back next year. With this cast of characters, I think we have the talent to come back strong in the spring and win our first C-league title. Regardless of that, because championships aren't everything, I want to tell The Beat fan base that this is a great group of guys to play ball and hang out with a couple of times a week for 8 months.

However, I must admit to being burnt out for this year and am looking forward to a 4-month rest. Hope you all have a healthy and enjoyable offseason and come back strong for spring training in February. I'll be bugging you all for dues after the first of the year.

Where the hell did 2000 go?

The 2000 Beat Top: Mike, Dave, Kev, Pete, Donnell, John, B.J., "M&M", Bottom: Gunnar, Denny, Greg, Jim, Mark, Brian,

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