by K	The One that got Away Beat loses 8-7 nail-biter to Rhinos

In an attempt to get back in the win column before the playoffs, The Beat put up a good fight, but in the end came up short to lose the final regular season game 8-7 to the Rhinos. Missing the stalwart leadership of manager Pete Wenner, the team’s lackluster offense of late stranded eight runners in scoring position. The Beat continues to look for its lost bats that averaged nearly 17 runs in the first 5 games, but only 6 per game in the last 3. 

With veteran Denny O’Brien making his first start on the mound this summer, The Beat hoped to stake O.B. to a big lead in the top of the first (along the lines of the 8-run bat-around in the first inning of the last Rhinos game). Jacque Wilson led off the game with a clean single but was followed by 2 outs, the second of which forced Jacque at 2nd base. Jim “the thrill” Colletto answered the call in the four spot with a double to right that might have scored the speedy Wilson, but this time no runs crossed. In a harbinger of things to come, an infield popup ended the threat with runners on 2nd and 3rd.

Final C7 Summer 2001 Standings Team W L T PCT Pts GB x - The BEAT 5 2 1 .687 11 – Nicoya 4 4 0 .500 8 1.5 Rhinos 4 4 0 .500 8 1.5 The Other Guys 3 4 1 .437 7 2 H.G.A 3 5 0 .375 6 2.5

O.B. worked through the bottom of the 1st allowing only one hit. Following a deep fly to center by the leadoff hitter, Jim Colletto made the defensive play of the day with an incredible stab of a hard chopper up the 1st baseline for the 2nd out. A quick single and another deep fly ended the inning.

The Beat was first to put a mark on the board with singles by Steve “Hink” Hinkebein, “B.J.” Bateman, and g.Gunnar Rosenquist to load the bases. Shortstop Mike “Pizza Man” Weiss drove a fly ball to the outfield for an excellent sacrifice fly advancing all runners and scoring Greg Lukoski from third. But for the second straight inning, runners were stranded on 2nd and 3rd as an infield grounder ended another Beat rally.

(The remainder of the Rhinos offense will have to rely on my rather foggy memory as the Rhinos brazenly absconded with their half of the score sheet.) The bottom of the Rhinos’ order answered the Beat’s single run by driving grounders up the middle as they parlayed a string of hits into 4 quick runs to put them up 4-1. 

With the momentum in the Rhinos’ favor, The Beat’s top three went down in order in the top of the 3rd. In contrast, the top of the Rhinos’ bounced back from their 1st-inning fly ball death to plate a couple more runs. 

Just as it was looking bad for our heroes, fate took over in the 4th. Colletto lined a single up the middle. With 1 out, Hink lined a shot to right field that bounced between the right-fielders legs and rolled for a single and 3-base error scoring 2. 

O.B. came back to set the Rhinos down in order in the bottom of the 4th as the defense adjusted to the Rhinos’ drives up the middle and countered with a rover for the bottom half of the order. The momentum seemed to be turning.

Gunnar led off the 5th with a walk. Following 2 quick outs, Jacque reached on a fielding error by Rhinos’ 2nd baseman moving Jacque and Gunnar to 2nd and 3rd. Visibly rattled by what should have been the 3rd out, the Rhinos hurler walked Kevin Austin on 4 pitches to load the bases, then followed with the same to Mark St.Georges giving MSG the 1 RBI he needed to take the team RBI title. But just as it looked like they were finally mounting a good rally, the Beat shot themselves in the foot once more. An outfield fly ended yet another threat, this time with the bases packed. 

The Rhinos picked up another run in the 5th stretching their lead to 7-4, but the Beat came right back where they left off the previous inning. Brian Arcuri led off with a single. With 1 out, Jav Urdiales, batting for Lukoski, lined a single that befuddled another Rhinos outfielder scoring Arcuri and moving Jav to 3rd on the error. B.J. came up with a looping ball up the middle that bounced off the back of a centerfielder from the game on Jackson #1. The Rhinos outfielders froze on the play while the speedy Bateman motored all the way to third before the ball was picked up. Gunnar followed with a grounder to second that scored Bateman to tie the game. A single and a walk put 2 more runners on base before a weak popup to the pitcher short-circuited another rally. But the Beat had struck a mighty blow tying the game at 7 entering the bottom of the 6th inning.

In the bottom of the 6th, the Rhinos placed a runner on first on a chopper up the middle. Then, the unimaginable happened. The next batter hit a grounder to Mike Weiss at short. The ball took a high hop and ricocheted off of Pizza’s chest for his first error of this long season. Ultimately, the play led to the Rhinos 8th run and the Beat had only one chance left to get it back.

Austin led off the top of the 7th with a sharp grounder down the 3rd baseline. The Rhinos 3rd baseman turned in their play of the day making a diving grab and throwing Austin out at 1st. With 1 out, MSG and Colletto singled, but 2 popups ended the team’s last chance with the tying run on 2nd. 

It was a 7-inning battle that left the Beat wide-eyed and frustrated wondering how, with so many opportunities, this one got away. 

Return of the Beat Gestalt

Revived is the mystery of the Beat Gestalt. Does this team need to be an underdog to win the big game? If that’s the case, the perfect opportunity lies ahead as the Beat rides a 2-game losing streak into the playoffs against the 8-0 Mindless Ones. 

It was just 4 years ago in the summer of ’97 that the Beat carried a 5 game winning streak and a #1 ranking into the last 2 games of the season. That Beat team was blown out by HGA and these very same Rhinos and, at 5-2-1, let their first chance of a C-league title slip through their fingers. 

This year the team jumped out to a similar 5-0-1 start and #1 ranking. By shutting down their partners in 1st place, the Other Guys, in week 5, the 2001 Beat posted it’s biggest win since the ’97 team set down the 1st place Cool Dudes (the Dudes only loss of the season) to take over 1st for themselves. The 5-2 win over the Other Guys all but sealed the season for the Beat. The Beat may have struggled late against the early season bottom-dwellers Nicoya and Rhinos who came on strong in the second half; but challenger Other Guys completely tanked losing their last 4. 

So what’s the biggest difference between this year’s team and the one in 1997 (aside from the fact that the current team is the most talented group to ever wear the gray and black)? We won the division. That gives us the unique opportunity to play again when it really counts and make up for the last two losses. 

Cal Ripken recently said “good teams learn from adversity.” The adversity of the last couple of games held many lessons. As division champs, we have the talent and the personnel to learn from those lessons and take our play to a completely new level. So warm up those bats boys, the playoffs are drawing near!

The Post-Game

Following the game, the team gathered around for the annual presentation of the Brass Beat award. The Brass Beat is the team’s “Willie Mac Award,” given for inspiration and hard work on and off the field; the winner should represent the “heart and soul” of the Beat. Last year’s winner, G-man, presented the award. Gunnar lauded runners-up praise for the excellent seasons put in by Greg Lukoski, B.J. Bateman, Brian Arcuri, and Jim Colletto. He then announced his selection for the 2001 Brass Beat, none other than Pizza Man, Mike Weiss. 

After years of waiting, Mike finally moved into the starting shortstop position this summer and, with Brian’s help at second, closed house on the middle of the infield with his great range and excellent play. Mike has become possibly one of the greatest softball shortstops to play in S.F. City league (and we’ve been watching local shortstops for 15 years now). To Mike, the presentation was bittersweet following the loss, but he is more than deserving of the honor. 

Mark St.Georges scored the highest offensive honors for the year, wrapping up another batting title, and leading the team in hits, RBIs, On-Base Percentage, and placing in a 3-way tie for the team lead in runs scored. We’ll wrap up the season and all the stats following the playoffs. 

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