Storm Splits

Game 1 - In Which Storm Returns to Form

After a disappointing start to the season against the A’s, Storm looked much more like the team they’ve been in the past in the first game of the doubleheader. The defense was crisper, and the pitching was fantastic, as Storm allowed only one run in the first four innings, and eight runs in the whole game. 

Many Storm players returned to form at the plate as well. Joey hit two home runs and drove in five. Jeff, Lance, Brad, and Brian all had three hits. Craig, who was smacking home runs on the first night, had a productive first game of this doubleheader. He recorded five hits including a solo home run.

Storm also welcomed two players who played their first games of the season. They both looked like they were playing in midseason form, not playing their first games in 667 days. Dave was brilliant on defense, making beautiful backhand plays at both first and second, and making a nice stretch to pick a throw from third out of the dirt. Rene was swinging the bat like he’s been in training the entire layoff. He hit a home run on his first swing of the season. He hit a second home run later in the game. He also made a beautiful running catch on a foul ball. This was a little costly as he came up limping, but he hit his second home run after the play, so it didn’t affect his offense.

The game wasn’t perfect for Storm. The home run out derby officially started as Bob knocked a solo home run out. Al was apparently reminiscing about the days he had his bike, and was dreaming of riding around lakes when strike three bounced off the centre front of the mat. 

Overall, Storm looked like the team that has had so much success over the past few years.

Boxscore
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Total
Storm	3	1	6	0	8	1	2	21
Hanet	0	0	1	0	4	2	1	8

Game 2 - In Which Storm Decides it’s Easier to Use the Mercy Rule than Actually get Three Outs

The headline pretty much says it all. Storm looked like a different team than in the first game. Balls bounced off people, went through people. Strange events started happening early. In the bottom of the first, Joey was flummoxed by the new pitcher for Hanet and let two pitches bounce off the mat. Then he took an incredibly awkward swing, chopping the ball into the ground foul on the first base side for his first strike out of the season.

Craig made a nice play picking up a ground ball in the outfield and gunning out a runner at second. He made a great attempt on another play. A ball was hit high and hard into the gap between Craig and Bob. Craig closed the gap quickly. TOO quickly. He ended up overrunning the ball slightly and reaching back over his head to try to catch the ball. The ball just missed his glove and his momentum took him to the ground. Instead of running after the ball, he put his head down in the grass and stayed there. Rumour has it, he started weeping into the ground, but this writer was too far away to verify this claim. 

Bob was a triple short of the cycle, but he only got to bat three times. Joey left him stranded in the on deck circle to end the game. Craig was also a triple short of the cycle, and he also only got to bat three times. He would have batted after Bob. But he didn’t. Because the game ended. 

Storm is going to need to find a way to maintain their stamina through both games of doubleheaders as they proceed in the season!

Boxscore
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Total
Hanet	4	6	6	6	5	x	x	27
Storm	6	4	2	4	0	x	x	15

On the Field Again!!!

 

Winter can be a hard time for baseball fans and those who enjoy playing recreational slo-pitch. It is a long dark period with very little light. But winter, followed by a season lost to covid, followed by another winter, followed by a delayed start to the season, well, that’s like the Winter from Game of Thrones. Except without the Night’s Watch, dragons, and a plucky female assassin to help you ward off the White Walkers.

661 days after their last playoff game (thanks Joey for doing the math), Storm finally took to the field. There was bound to be some rust after such a long layoff, and it certainly showed up throughout the evening.

Game 1

In the top of the first, Kevin was in a very generous mood, and when a high fly ball was hit to him, he volleyed it over the fence for a four-base award to the A’s. Storm didn’t let it get them down as they responded with four straight singles to start their first at bats of the season. Al knocked in two on a double and the Storm ended the first up 3-2.

Mike started the second with Storm’s first strikeout of the season, but Jeff hit a two out triple and was cashed in by Bob as Storm was able to add another run to their lead.

Craig led off the third with a solo home run (with Duran out of the lineup, solo shots were free for the taking!). Storm held onto a 5-4 lead after three.

The A’s put up four runs in the top of the fourth. That was also the inning where Storm forgot they were playing slo-pitch and started hitting like they were up against Jacob deGrom. Storm put up zeroes in the fourth through sixth innings, going down in order in the fourth and fifth. Managing just two baserunners in three innings is not how you win in slo-pitch.

Jeff pitched a scoreless fifth, but then seemed to forget it was a game, and treated the sixth more like batting practice as the A’s notched six runs.  The inning only ended because of a home run out.

The A’s had a big lead in the seventh, but Storm remembered how to hit, and started chipping away at the lead, until the A’s called in a time limit rule with two outs. It was a frustrating end to the game, but it saved Brad the indignity of being the third out and going 0 for 4, so there’s that.

Boxscore
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Total
A’s	2	0	2	4	0	6	1	15
Storm	3	1	1	0	0	0	4	9

Game 2

Storm was looking for revenge and to get back at the A’s in game 2, but, things didn’t quite work out. Storm was blanked in five out of seven innings in slo-pitch. It really must have been Jacob deGrom hurling for the A’s, especially in the sixth inning when Lance and Kevin struck out. Storm only managed runs in the third and fourth innings, where Storm managed the maximum six, leaning heavily on Craig’s three run homeruns in each inning.

There was plenty of rust on both sides of the ball for the opener for Storm, but there are plenty of games ahead, and it was great being out playing ball again.

Interesting note: The last time Storm lost a season opener was 2013. The last time Storm lost the first two games of the season was… sometime before 2008, but the team’s google calendar with results only goes back to 2008, and I don’t get paid enough to find the season records before then.

Boxscore
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Total
Storm	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	12
A’s	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	21

We're Back!!!

 

With Covid-19 restrictions ready to lift, the WMSPL will finally be able to get the season under way July 7th..

The Website has been updated with the 2021 Storm Schedule.

If anyone needs their email forwarding changed please let me know. Or if you have any questions please reach out.

Anyway, lets go out and have a great year not staying at home. 

Whitby Men's Slo-Pitch League still going strong 40 years on

Columnist Taylor Retter provides brief history of league

Forty years ago, a loaf of bread cost 30 cents according to Statistics Canada, the Happy Meal made its debut, and the Whitby Men’s Slo-Pitch League (WMSPL) played its first game.

The league was formed in 1979 with four teams, which represented the subdivisions they supported. They were Otter Creek, Pringle Creek, College Downs, and West Lynde.

Now, there are 12 teams and more than 180 players who meet up 38 times a season to catch up and play ball.

The season features a league tournament and is capped off by playoffs and an awards banquet.

But for some players, this league is about more than just showing up to see who can run the fastest, or hit the most home runs.

George Clay, pitcher, is the longest-tenured player in the WMSPL, and has been dutifully playing for 33 years.

He first gave it a shot after hearing from some friends about a league that was close to home and well-organized — but stayed for the quality of play and the connections he made.

“I’ve made a number of friends in the league. It doesn’t matter what team I play against; I have friends on every team in the league at this point,” Clay said.

And those connections span beyond just casual post-game conversations or friendly chirps across the field.

“One of the great pleasures I get is that both of my boys play on the team with me,” Clay said. “A number of the players on the team I’ve coached in their minor careers, and it’s a family. That’s what we say about these teams, they’re family.” 

And while he says he only signs one-year contracts, Clay is waiting for his body to tell him to retire and plans to continue to play as long as he can with his friends and family … much to the chagrin of every team they have to play against.

He has nothing but praise for the league and wishes it success in the next 40 years.

“I hope it continues to grow the way it has, that it continues to be a fun place for people to enjoy the game. They just have to follow the pattern of what they’ve been doing for the last 40 years, and I have no doubt the success will continue.”

And how has the league changed since his first game?

“It’s gotten a lot younger, a lot more competitive. Everyone plays to win, but if you don’t win you can come back and play the next night and it’s all good,” he said.

And the players have been coming back, as evidenced by the fact the average player in the league has 8.6 years of WMSPL experience, and the league average age is 43.8. The Storm takes the trophy for longest average tenure, with 13.9 years, which makes sense considering their average player age is 47.

This year's teams were supported by: Awakened Life Chiropractic and Wellness Centre, Swiss Chalet, Broadway, All Organic GreenThumb, Hanet Plastics, IG Wealth, RE/MAX Crossroads Realty, Creative Harbour, Mantis Investigation Agency, CMD Electric Ltd. and Sidewalk360.

This year everyone received custom hoodies and the annual year-end banquet was elevated by a live band, “Two for the Show,” as players celebrated the 40th anniversary of the league.

Are you looking to be a part of the next 40 years of Whitby slo-pitch history? Head to www.wmspl.com for more information or to join a team for the 2020 season. Who knows, you might just become part of the next playoff championship team.

Written by: Taylor Retter who is a Carleton University journalism graduate and daughter of a player in the Whitby Men’s Slo-Pitch League. Written for Durhamregion.com

2019 Playoff's Day 2, Offensive drought ends Storm’s season

After raining down runs against Greenthumb and Coulas on Saturday, Storm’s bats lost their thunder. Storm did not score in the first three innings, spotting the Falcons to a 9-0 lead. This should not have been insurmountable. Storm seemed to wake up in the 4th and scored five runs. Suddenly they were right back in the game. In the 6th, Brian led off with a triple. That’s right, a triple. This looked like a promising start. However, Brian must have used up all the gas in his tank, because two batters later he would be thrown out at home trying to score on a fly ball to right. Storm added a run in the 7th, but it wasn’t enough. Storm only scored in two out of seven innings. That’s not how you win in slo-pitch.

There were some good defensive plays. Craig made a fantastic running catch in the outfield, and Duran made a couple of nice catches in the outfield, and a really nice play running from second to make a grab in foul territory in short right field.

After winning the regular season for the 5th straight season, Storm fell short in the playoffs for the 2nd year in a row. There’s always next year.

Better Luck next year Storm. Congratulations Falcons!!

HR's: None
HR Out's: None

Boxscore
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Total
Falcons	2	7	0	2	1	1	1	14
Storm	0	0	0	5	0	0	1	6