by Pete

What Jinx? Beat Exorcises HGA Beat Bats Wake Up in Opener, Sock it to Grimies in 18-4 rout. Beatniks finally break 3-year HGA jinx.

The confident Beat scraped some pungent crap off their backs with an 18-4 drubbing of HGA that ended three years of futility against a nemesis that to say the least "has always pissed the shit out of us," said manager Peter Wenner. "We've never understood how they've consistently managed to beat us with the kind of team they have." That is, to be exact, 6 times in 7 games including a disputed tie since the Beat entered C-league in 1996.

Then there's the attitude. Despite having to put up with the usual histrionics from Grimy manager Robert Finney, who stomped around like a mental patient during the onslaught, complaining about umpiring decisions and frantically making changes as the roof caved in around him, the Beat jumped out to 14-0 third inning lead and never really looked back.

Mark St. Georges went 3 for 3 and drove home 6 RBIs and Mike "Pizza Man" Weiss chipped in with a 2 for 3 day and 4 ribbies to pace what had been an anemic offense in exhibition season in this Saturday's surprising onslaught. The new-look defense was air tight with no errors charged against it for the first time in recent memory.

"St. Georges you're a motherfucker!" wrote Greg Lukoski on MSG's game ball during the loose post-game party. Indeed the "cottonmouth king" claimed later that "Yeah I had something to prove hitting eighth in the lineup. Got pretty pissed when Pete said I was going down there after going 0-for in the exhibition season."

Mark keyed a relentless Beat offense, which had been a managerial worry in the pre-season. Standout performances up and down the lineup included a 3 for 4 day by Big Daddy Donnell Moody who was "made whole" with the "new" Brass Beat from Wilfred Spoon in a pre-game ceremony, a 2 for 4, 2 RBI performance from Brian Arcuri, and a 3 for 3 breakout by pitcher Kevin Austin, who once again had the hitters off-balance for 4 frames with a knuckleball that danced unpredictably in the Jackson wind. OB made his Spring Debut by shutting down HGA in order in the last of the fifth before the game was called by the umps.

Despite the post-game jubilation, it a bittersweet win in the face of the departure of rookie hitting-sensation Steve Harper, who will head back east next week to take care of family business, and in his brief time with the club impressed Kevin Austin as "the best catcher we've ever had as far as handling pitchers." Steve was indeed a positive influence in bolstering the confidence of the two emotional Beat pitchers and was an offensive catalyst this day with a 2 for 3 afternoon, 3 runs scored and 2 RBIs. His Bunyan-esque batting practice clouts and home run to straight-away center field at Jackson 1 in the first exhibition against Hammertime had Pete dreaming of a lineup with "the best power hitter on the Beat since John Palmer left three years ago." He will be missed. The Beat is hopeful that Steve will find his way back to The City and take back the sixth spot in the lineup later this Summer.

After a scoreless first, the Beat broke out on top 5-0 in the top of the second. With one out, Harper singled and Mike "Don't call me Joey" Buttafuso took advantage of an error on the first baseman to put runners on second and third. This set the stage for the first of St. Jorge's 2-run singles, which the part-time tennis player punctuated with a Monica Seles-style grunt as the opposite-field liner screamed over the second-baseman's head. Kevin followed by scorching a double down the third base line. After a walk to EP Chris Young, an RBI fielders choice by Pizza, and a walk to Wenner, starting shortstop Brian Arcuri lined an opposite field single to score two more for a 5-run lead.

HGA went down quietly in their half of the second before the Beat administered a brutal ass-kicking in the top of the third. The Beatniks loaded the bases with none out on walks to lefty outfielders Jim Colletto and BJ Bateman sandwiched around a single by the clean-up hitter Moody. Steve singled sharply up the middle for the 6th and 7th runs followed by an RBI base on balls to Butts. MSG then made it 10-0 with his second 2-RBI single. Chris singled and the Pizza Man lined a 2-run base hit into left center to up it to 12. Pete singled in Chris and Lukie plated Pizza to leave the stunned (maybe stoned) Grimies in a huge 14-0 hole.

Like a wounded bear, the Huge Grimy Assholes fought back with 4 runs in the bottom of the third as Austin suddenly appeared rattled after the long top of the third and a suddenly shrill Jackson wind. Back-to-back singles followed by back-to-back walks, a double and single led to 4 quick runs with one out. With OB hurriedly warming up in the bullpen, the Beat turned a professional Butts-to-Arcuri-to-Moody double-play to end the threat.

Like a prophet the catcher Harper told his pitcher "Not to worry, we'll get 4 back", which the Beat promptly did in the top of the fourth capped off by St.Georges' third two-RBI single.

Austin escaped a small jam in the bottom of the fourth and OB, appearing like Banquo's Ghost after a long Winter's hibernation in Humboldt county, slammed the door shut on the punchdrunk HGA in the bottom of the fifth to end it. The blues called it because of the 15-run rule, but the baffled Finney had "given" the Beat an extra run in the 3^rd inning Beat blitz.

"I've never seen you guys hit like that before," the HGA manager was heard to have said as the victors shook hands with the vanquished following the game.

Come to think of it, it's been a long time since we've seen it.

A big test awaits on April 10 as The Beat take on the mighty Hammertime, winners of an efficient 10-1 rout of Nicoya, after a second week bye.

View The BEAT's 1999 Final Batting Statistics

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