What's in a name?

Among the many posts I've written, I've managed to come up with a fun little fact for y'all.

Check out the names of the managers in this league. Have you ever seen so many one-syllable names among a large group?

Bob, Chris, Dave, Hal, Jack, Joe, Ken, Mike Rick, Shea. 10 out of the 12!

Adam and Andy are the outcasts.


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I don't believe what I just saw...

As many of you know, I adore NHL 2010. It is quite possibly the best video game ever created. Well, as part of this amazing game, you can play with other guys online and control only your created skater/goalie. You form a team and get thrown into a league and play against other teams.

Last night, my team was in an unbelievable game. We were tied 1-1 after regulation and headed to overtime. And overtime. And more overtimes. The game would not end. By the NINTH OVERTIME - yes 9! - we were exhausted. It was the equivalent of four whole games. There were a combined 157 shots on goal.

Then I witnessed the most unreal thing of my video-game career. Video of the game-winner, shorthanded, 19:45 into the 9th overtime after the jump. No. 10 on the Flyers is me...




WOW! Can you imagine if you were the other team how you would feel if you lost a game in the ninth overtime like that??

We began the game at 12:19 AM and ended at 1:59 AM. It was thrilling and tense and exciting and insert any adjective here.

Wow. Just wow. I had to show you guys that. You're welcome.
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Heartbreaking

South Vineland 8
Suffern 6
F/9


The blown call at the plate that cost Suffern the win.


Ken, at the back of the line, and Mike, in front of him, look distraught.

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Extra-inning drama in West Deptford!

Wow. It will be hard to put into words what took place tonight in West Deptford, N.J. Our boys from Suffern were in the losers' bracket finals against Delaware. The winner advances to the championship with a spot in the Senior League World Series on the line.

Ken's boys blew two early leads and the teams went into extra innings tied at 7-7. In the top of the eighth, though, Suffern was not fond of fundamentals. Two walks, an error, a wild pitch and a poor relay on a sacrifice fly gave Delaware an 8-7 lead.

Enter Ken, with the inspirational speech of a lifetime. After the jump, of course.


"We took them into the locker room (between innings)," Ken said. "And we just fuckin' got them all jacked up."

Suffern led off the bottom of the eighth with a walk. A pinch-runner was then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. The next batter grounded out to second, advancing the runner to third.

Two outs. Down one. The 3-hole hitter at the plate. If you were at the plate, would you be shaking? I think I would.

Ken calls time and goes over to speak to his batter, who was batting below .100 in the tournament. He tells him he's due. Man, does he know how to get his team motivated.

What happens next? On the first pitch, A WALK-OFF TWO-RUN HOME RUN! Are you kidding me!? Walt Disney couldn't even script this!

But, wait! As Suffern is going nuts and celebrating, Delaware asks for an appeal at third base. The umpire rules safe! Suffern goes nuts!

"Best moment of our lives," said assistant manager Mike, who apparently ranks this higher than the Giants' Super Bowl victory over the Patriots.

The championship is tonight at 5 p.m. at West Deptford. Suffern faces South Vineland, which won 9-4 earlier in the tournament against our boys.

For more on tonight's game, click here.

To follow the game live, click here.
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One of our very own is a "State Fucking Champ"

No, not everyone can be Chase Utley and a World Fucking Champion. Some people (re: Mets fans) have to settle for the next best thing.

Being a State Fucking Champion.

Ken, manager of the 16&U Suffern (N.Y.) All-Star team, led his lil' young'ns to a state title Tuesday night with an 11-7 win over Throgs Neck (N.Y.).

In the photo, the third person from the left, hidden, I believe is Ken. I think I can tell by his pale ass arms that I saw every day for 2.5 years in college.

After the jump, check out how inspirational Ken was in the big win.

After blowing an early 3-0 lead, the Suffern boys trailed 6-3 in the second inning. Fuming, Ken gathered the team in the dugout and fired them up.

"Everyone needs to get their heads out of their asses and play the ball we know we can play," he said. "Let's get this lead back, play some defense and watch (pitcher) Dom work his magic."

Lo and behold, Suffern responded with two in the third and four in the fourth to take a 9-6 lead!

The rest was history. Heading into the bottom of the seventh and final inning with an 11-7 lead, our favorite manager (besides Charlie Manuel) gathered the boys again! Cue the speech:

"You guys are three outs away from being state champs," Ken exclaimed. "STATE FUCKING CHAMPS, get it done."

After that, is there any surprise they got it done? Aw, hell no. A 1-2-3 inning and Suffern won. Ken got an ice bath and left the field gleeming, knowing he'd accomplished more than the previous 23 Mets teams.

"I knew even when we were down that we would win," Ken said afterward. "This team has will, losing is not an option for us."

With assistant coaches little brother Travis and Mike from our league, Ken and the Suffern boys head to South Jersey for the Eastern Regionals. They play the winner of Connecticut and Maryland on Saturday at 10 a.m. at West Deptford. Yep, West Deptford. I encourage all of you to be there.

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