by Pete

The Beat Ends on Winning Note, Clocks Nicoya 11-6 The Beat comes back from Mars, knocks Nicoya off its back!

The theme of the Spring Season for The Beat could be characterized by resilience. In the season finale on June 5, the boys in gray came back from a 5-0 3rd inning deficit, belted Nicoya for 8 runs in the home half of the fourth, and coasted to a convincing 11-6 win. Finishing the Spring at 5 wins, 3 losses after a disappointing 1998, the loss of rookie batsman Steve Harper after game #1, a heartbreaking 7-6 loss to Mars the previous game, and the recent retirements of longtime Beat heroes Mike Buttafuso and John Palmer (again), The Beat tied for 2nd place in division C-6 with Mars, who were pounded relentlessly by Hammertime 16-1 following the Beat victory. It could be successfully argued by any decent debater that the Beatniks are indeed 2nd best, having upset the Hammers early on while the Martians were Hammered twice.

"Pizza Man" Mike Weiss delivered on this day, going 3 for 4 with a 2-run single to give the Beat a 7-6 lead, made several dazzling plays at shortstop, and won the game ball by unanimous consent. Mark "Cottonmouth King" St. Georges also went 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs, capping a remarkable first half by extending his team-leading totals to 12 ribbies and a .682 average. Ageless Dennis O'Brien pitched an 8-hit complete game in which he allowed only 2 earned runs.

The Beatniks looked flat at first, failing to score in the first two frames, and stranded 3 runners. Nicoya, who had handled The Beat pretty handily in its two previous C-league meetings, chipped away a 5-0 lead (4 unearned) in the middle of the 3rd as the gray & black made 5 errors and generally kicked the ball around. That is, with the exception of a diving stop on a 1st inning grounder by Pizza and some sure-handed play in right center by Brian Arcuri, who had been notified by the manger minutes before the game that he would play the outfield in place of the departed Palmer.

The Beat bats awakened in the bottom of the 3rd. OB lead off with an opposite field single and was replaced for the moment by courtesy runner G-man Rosequist. With one out 2nd baseman Kevin Austin doubled and Gunnar was held at 3rd base. MSG grounded to the shortstop who looked briefly at G before throwing to 1st for the out. Gunnar-man boldly took off for the plate and slid in just under the catcher's tag for the 1st run. That was the first auspicious Beat-favored call from OB's umpiring soulmate, Curtis "My Man". "Big Daddy" Donnell Moody scored Kevin from 3rd on the 1st of 3 critical errors by the portly Nicoya 3rd baseman, Carlos Guerrerro, Jr. Chris Young then cut it to 5-3 with an RBI-single.

Following a scoreless 4th, Nicoya eked out another run in their half of the 5th to make it 6-3. It could have been worse if Pizza Man hadn't cut off what seemed like a sure single behind the bag at second and flipped to Austin at 2nd for the force and 2nd out before an inning-ending fly out to Greg "Lukie" Lukoski.

Onto the bottom of the 5th, where The Beat broke it open. The party started when Kevin reached on a lead-off grounder that rolled up Guerrerro, junior's arm on the aborted throw. "The Kid" St. Jorges moved K-man to 2nd on his 2nd single of the day. Moody and Jim "The Thrill" Colletto followed with RBI singles to make it 6-5 before Chris walked to load the bases. Pizza delivered big time with a 2-run single to give the Beat a 7-6 lead, a lead they wouldn't relinquish. With runners on 1st and 2nd, Greg and Gunnar flied out. With 2 strikes, Denny blooped a miraculous hit down the right field line that just grabbed the chalk. 8-6. Brian reached on Guerrerro's 3rd error, an overthrow to 1st baseman Eric Ortega, and plated the 9th run. The hit parade continued on consecutive RBI-singles by Kevin and Mark. When the dust cleared (literally), it was 11-6 Beatniks.

Then the Beat pitching and defense took over. Ortega grounded another ball up the middle that Pizza Man snagged going to his left and threw "Ozzie-like" to D for the first out. On a play that nearly choked the manager, MSG slapped down Cesar Navas' sharp grounder and threw to D for the 2nd out. CY gathered in Jimmy Burgos' fly for the 3rd out. 1-2-3. Mojo workin' for the Obster. The Beat stranded singles-hitters Weiss and Lukoski in the bottom of the 6th to keep it status quo.

Onto the 7th. OB was tiring as the chatter with Curtis subsided and the ageless wonder appeared to labor. He got the catcher Jose Servellow on a grounder to Kevin at 2nd. Pitcher Carlos Guerrero the elder walked to get the Hispanic chatter buzzing before leadoff hitter Ruben Hernandez singled to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Manager Pete Wenner motioned to the stalwart OB to see if there was anything left. The veteran shrugged off the coach and proceeded to get Bermudez and Hansen to fly to Chris Young to end it. Nicoya seemed quietly respectful to the conquering Beatniks this time around.

In the happy postgame setting, the manager awarded the game ball to Pizza and congratulated The exultant Beat on a successful 1st half. "We could have folded early in this game and dropped to .500 after a promising 4-1 start and a meaningful 2nd game with Hammertime where we were routed. But we kept coming back and capitalized on Nicoya's mistakes. I'm proud of this team," said Pete.

View The BEAT's 1999 Final Batting Statistics

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