News and Announcements
Our Team Statistician/Photographer, Jerry Amaro!!!
Posted by Vernon Amaro at Mar 19, 2005 4:00PM PST
( 0 Comments
)
Who's That Quiet Guy With The Clipboard...?
Without my brother, Jerry -- whom I started this team with many, many years ago -- I doubt that I could keep up with a lot of the fun, yet time-consuming, things that are shared here on our team website. He is the calm influence in the dugout that keeps things well-recorded for our league stats section, and he is the keen eye behind the camera that takes the many shots of our various games and group activities. And so, without further adieu, I'd like to finally introduce our visitors to someone whom I consider a very integral part of our team -- a sentiment, I'm sure, that is felt in equal measure by all of Heavy Metal Softball's team members....
Without my brother, Jerry -- whom I started this team with many, many years ago -- I doubt that I could keep up with a lot of the fun, yet time-consuming, things that are shared here on our team website. He is the calm influence in the dugout that keeps things well-recorded for our league stats section, and he is the keen eye behind the camera that takes the many shots of our various games and group activities. And so, without further adieu, I'd like to finally introduce our visitors to someone whom I consider a very integral part of our team -- a sentiment, I'm sure, that is felt in equal measure by all of Heavy Metal Softball's team members....
MVP Ballot Results for Visalia's Fall 2004 Men's D-Red League
Posted by Vernon Amaro at Dec 19, 2004 4:00PM PST
( 0 Comments
)
Gentlemen (And Ladies!), The Winner Is...!!!
Finally, here are the results, in short summary, of the MVP balloting that took place recently in which most of you participated. A special thanks to all who voted by replying to my repeated e-mail messages (remember, tournament MVPs will still be selected using our time-honored offensive points system). Fourteen Heavy Metal Softball regular members were eligible to vote this time, having participated in the Visalia City, Men's D-Red, fall 2004 league. In order of highest cumulative point total, with adjoining number of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place votes, here is this league's MVP and the rest of the worthy contenders:
League MVP: Lee Garcia (34 total points -- 5 first place votes, 3 second place votes. Excellent cheer for the long, cold holidays, buddy!!!)
1st Runner-Up: Frank Fletcher (30 total points -- 4 first place votes, 3 second place votes, 1 third place vote. Great offensive stats, as always, big guy!)
2nd Runner-Up: Adam Goltz, Vern Amaro (13 total points, tie -- Adam: 1 first place vote, 2 second place votes, 2 third place votes; Vern: 3 second place votes, 4 third place votes. Great league effort, Adam! To those who voted for me -- thanks!)
3rd Runner-Up: Art Tabacco (11 total points -- 2 first place votes, 1 third place vote. Another great league effort -- simply "a work of Art"!)
4th Runner-Up: Rich Avery (6 total points -- 1 second place vote, 3 third place votes. Your enthusiasm was contagious, Utility Man!)
5th Runner-Up: Nelson Vieira (1 total point -- 1 third place vote. A fine job, despite juggling playing and umpiring!)
In the interest of integrity and not wanting to violate any trust, I kept meticulous records of all the oral and online ballots that I received from the 12 regular members who decided to vote. Despite repeated reminders and for reasons of his own, Wes Avery did not give me any response and, thus, did not affect any of the above results, though he remained eligible to receive MVP votes and have them posted. Roy Aguayo declined to vote, stating he felt that he did not play enough games to make a fair decision. Cruz Onsurez, Mike Lujan, and Anthony Sousa -- all of whom helped fill in a game or two (thanks, guys!) -- were technically eligible to receive MVP votes and have them posted, but they were not asked to vote. Once again, let these be some words of warning: Rule #1 -- If a player decides not to participate in the balloting to determine our league MVP, he will remain unqualified to receive this honor, despite perhaps receiving the most cumulative points (the honor will be bestowed upon the next eligible player in line). This rule has been instituted to enforce fairness with the outcome of the voting -- in other words, as you give, so shall you receive. Two other rules also affect a player's MVP eligibility: Rule #2 -- At least half the games of a league/tournament must be played; and Rule #3 -- The agreed-upon league/tournament participation fee must be paid. I'm sure everyone can see the need for such rules. I, myself, voted for who I thought were three deserving men. Because I am the ballot collector and, also, because the results could possibly hinge upon my final selections, I always believe it is wise to make clear my own personal choices for MVP, hopefully without offending any of my other close friends on the team, who already know that only three choices can be given. My votes, in order, were: Frank Fletcher (1st place vote); Lee Garcia (2nd place vote); and Art Tabacco (3rd place vote). I will not give any specific reasons for my choices (none of us have to), but I will say that I really appreciated these men for the contributions they made during this league. In all actuality, everyone on this team is deemed valuable, both on and off the field. I hope all of you will understand this personal feeling of mine, and why I have such a difficult time revealing my selections. But I feel I must. No other selections from specific team members will be revealed unless one of you is curious and wants to inquire, in which case, I'll gladly let you know. And to the seven people who gave me consideration this time around, once more, a sincere thanks to all of you.
As I have mentioned a time or two before, I would really like to promote even more team spirit within the ranks of our regular members at the start of next year's spring season. "Things Will Be Extremely Alive in 2005!" is what I have been saying. I don't have any new ideas at present, but, in retrospect, the perpetual MVP plaque, our "Circle of Honor" award, was eventually unveiled at our initial team meeting back on February 29th, bearing the names of past recipients, and is to be kept in the current MVP's home until another deserving player is selected (enjoy the 1st place trophy, also, Lee -- it's yours to keep!) Also, Heavy Metal Softball's fence banner eventually graced our dugout at every opportunity during the October Bash tournament and the just-completed fall Visalia league, letting others know boldly who we are and to take notice of what we stand for -- team spirit, first and always, followed by hard play and sportsmanship. Not to be left off the list, the "O-fer" shirt was a good source of well-intentioned laughs throughout the year -- stress-release being a necessity on any hard-playing team. And finally, our first-rate Heavy Metal Softball website kept everyone abreast of the latest news and team activity, as well as continuing to show team and individual player pride. I hope the above-mentioned "spirit" list was a source of good-feeling for everyone, as I know they were for me. With all this said, please pay attention to your future e-mail for news concerning next year's spring Tulare league and more than just a tournament or two. After conferring with Nelson and Rich sometime in the near future, I hope to play a tournament at least once a month, or at least one every two months. Stay tuned! And lastly, I sincerely wish all of you a wonderful holiday season with family and friends -- may you get a long, narrow, 34-inch package under the tree!
And that's a wrap (Christmas, that is!) for now, folks....
Finally, here are the results, in short summary, of the MVP balloting that took place recently in which most of you participated. A special thanks to all who voted by replying to my repeated e-mail messages (remember, tournament MVPs will still be selected using our time-honored offensive points system). Fourteen Heavy Metal Softball regular members were eligible to vote this time, having participated in the Visalia City, Men's D-Red, fall 2004 league. In order of highest cumulative point total, with adjoining number of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place votes, here is this league's MVP and the rest of the worthy contenders:
League MVP: Lee Garcia (34 total points -- 5 first place votes, 3 second place votes. Excellent cheer for the long, cold holidays, buddy!!!)
1st Runner-Up: Frank Fletcher (30 total points -- 4 first place votes, 3 second place votes, 1 third place vote. Great offensive stats, as always, big guy!)
2nd Runner-Up: Adam Goltz, Vern Amaro (13 total points, tie -- Adam: 1 first place vote, 2 second place votes, 2 third place votes; Vern: 3 second place votes, 4 third place votes. Great league effort, Adam! To those who voted for me -- thanks!)
3rd Runner-Up: Art Tabacco (11 total points -- 2 first place votes, 1 third place vote. Another great league effort -- simply "a work of Art"!)
4th Runner-Up: Rich Avery (6 total points -- 1 second place vote, 3 third place votes. Your enthusiasm was contagious, Utility Man!)
5th Runner-Up: Nelson Vieira (1 total point -- 1 third place vote. A fine job, despite juggling playing and umpiring!)
In the interest of integrity and not wanting to violate any trust, I kept meticulous records of all the oral and online ballots that I received from the 12 regular members who decided to vote. Despite repeated reminders and for reasons of his own, Wes Avery did not give me any response and, thus, did not affect any of the above results, though he remained eligible to receive MVP votes and have them posted. Roy Aguayo declined to vote, stating he felt that he did not play enough games to make a fair decision. Cruz Onsurez, Mike Lujan, and Anthony Sousa -- all of whom helped fill in a game or two (thanks, guys!) -- were technically eligible to receive MVP votes and have them posted, but they were not asked to vote. Once again, let these be some words of warning: Rule #1 -- If a player decides not to participate in the balloting to determine our league MVP, he will remain unqualified to receive this honor, despite perhaps receiving the most cumulative points (the honor will be bestowed upon the next eligible player in line). This rule has been instituted to enforce fairness with the outcome of the voting -- in other words, as you give, so shall you receive. Two other rules also affect a player's MVP eligibility: Rule #2 -- At least half the games of a league/tournament must be played; and Rule #3 -- The agreed-upon league/tournament participation fee must be paid. I'm sure everyone can see the need for such rules. I, myself, voted for who I thought were three deserving men. Because I am the ballot collector and, also, because the results could possibly hinge upon my final selections, I always believe it is wise to make clear my own personal choices for MVP, hopefully without offending any of my other close friends on the team, who already know that only three choices can be given. My votes, in order, were: Frank Fletcher (1st place vote); Lee Garcia (2nd place vote); and Art Tabacco (3rd place vote). I will not give any specific reasons for my choices (none of us have to), but I will say that I really appreciated these men for the contributions they made during this league. In all actuality, everyone on this team is deemed valuable, both on and off the field. I hope all of you will understand this personal feeling of mine, and why I have such a difficult time revealing my selections. But I feel I must. No other selections from specific team members will be revealed unless one of you is curious and wants to inquire, in which case, I'll gladly let you know. And to the seven people who gave me consideration this time around, once more, a sincere thanks to all of you.
As I have mentioned a time or two before, I would really like to promote even more team spirit within the ranks of our regular members at the start of next year's spring season. "Things Will Be Extremely Alive in 2005!" is what I have been saying. I don't have any new ideas at present, but, in retrospect, the perpetual MVP plaque, our "Circle of Honor" award, was eventually unveiled at our initial team meeting back on February 29th, bearing the names of past recipients, and is to be kept in the current MVP's home until another deserving player is selected (enjoy the 1st place trophy, also, Lee -- it's yours to keep!) Also, Heavy Metal Softball's fence banner eventually graced our dugout at every opportunity during the October Bash tournament and the just-completed fall Visalia league, letting others know boldly who we are and to take notice of what we stand for -- team spirit, first and always, followed by hard play and sportsmanship. Not to be left off the list, the "O-fer" shirt was a good source of well-intentioned laughs throughout the year -- stress-release being a necessity on any hard-playing team. And finally, our first-rate Heavy Metal Softball website kept everyone abreast of the latest news and team activity, as well as continuing to show team and individual player pride. I hope the above-mentioned "spirit" list was a source of good-feeling for everyone, as I know they were for me. With all this said, please pay attention to your future e-mail for news concerning next year's spring Tulare league and more than just a tournament or two. After conferring with Nelson and Rich sometime in the near future, I hope to play a tournament at least once a month, or at least one every two months. Stay tuned! And lastly, I sincerely wish all of you a wonderful holiday season with family and friends -- may you get a long, narrow, 34-inch package under the tree!
And that's a wrap (Christmas, that is!) for now, folks....
Fall 2004 End-of-Season Categorical Leaders -- Tuesday Men's D-Red
Posted by Vernon Amaro at Nov 24, 2004 4:00PM PST
( 0 Comments
)
Some Bragging Rights From Our 2004 Visalia City League Campaign!!!
At the end of each league season, some recognition is always given to those individuals who contributed to the team in some way. The following categories -- most real, some intended for a few laughs -- are mostly from the offensive part of softball; some are just plain offensive! (Have a little sense of humor, guys! Don't get defensive. Get it -- "defensive"! Oh, never mind....) So, for what it's worth, here we go:
Visalia City League, Tuesday Night, fall 2004
8-1 record: 1st place!!! (trophy)
OFFENSIVE CATEGORIES --
Most Plate Appearances: Frank Fletcher (38)
Most At-Bats: Rich Avery (36)
Most Runs: Frank Fletcher (21)
Most Singles: Vern Amaro (19)
Most Doubles: Lee Garcia (5)
Most Triples: Frank Fletcher, Lee Garcia, Adam Goltz, Manuel Romeiro (tie, 2)
Most Home Runs: Art Tabacco (2)
Most RBIs: Rich Avery (16)
Most Walks: Frank Fletcher (6)
Most Sacrifices: Donny Aguiar (2)
Highest On-Base Percentage: Frank Fletcher (.684)
Highest Slugging Percentage: Manuel Romeiro (.882)
Highest Batting Average: Frank Fletcher (.645)
Most Hits: Vern Amaro, Frank Fletcher (20)
Most Single-Game Points: Kurt Chambers (23)
Most Offensive Points: Frank Fletcher (112)
DEFENSIVE CATEGORIES --
Most Put-Outs: Manuel Romeiro (25)
Most Assists: Lee Garcia, Art Tabacco (21)
Most Errors: Art Tabacco, Nelson Vieira (7)
Highest Fielding Percentage (infield): Vern Amaro (1.000 [no errors!] -- "Gold Glove Award")
Highest Fielding Percentage (outfield): Donny Aguiar (1.000 [no errors!] -- "Gold Glove Award")
Highest Fielding Percentage (utility): Rich Avery (1.000 [no errors!] -- "Gold Glove Award")
Most Defensive Points: Lee Garcia (24 -- 5 put-out pts. plus 21 assist pts. minus 2 error pts.) (Reminder: +1 point for a put-out, +1 point for an assist, -2 points for each error. In other words, errors "take away" from your overall offensive/defensive effort!)
All of which leads to, if the above stats were used primarily in making our choices...
Most Valuable Player (Visalia City League, Tuesday Night, fall 2004): Lee Garcia (34 total points; by team ballot vote)
And for our "special" categories...
Most Non-Appearances (regular members): Wes Avery (5) (Donny, Kurt, Manuel and Nelson were a close second, tied with 3; Adam, Gene, and Art took third, tied with 2. Some others also were considered, even though their physical bodies actually made it to the games!)
Perfect Attendance (regular members): Vern Amaro, Rich Avery, Frank Fletcher, Lee Garcia, and, of course, our team statistician/photographer, Jerry Amaro (All 9 games; gold stars to all of you!)
Most Memorable Performance: Art Tabacco (During our final game, Art decided to utilize a little-used offensive tactic -- which the initiated have termed "delayed-run response" -- to momentarily confuse the other team's defense in the midst of a double play opportunity he was caught in. Performed to near-perfection, Art momentarily caused an almost surreal, suspended-animation reaction to his seeming disregard for getting to first base after he grounded to the infield, leaving the atmosphere around Plaza 1 eerily expectant and hushed. Obviously borrowed from an intense study of the "Matrix" trilogy, this exacting mind-body discipline was carried out in a near seamless fashion, even as Art started seemingly to carry his bat back towards the dugout. Then, in what can only be described as an unnatural burst of inhuman speed in the opposite direction towards first base, Art made his bold move. But, unbeknownst to those witnessing the scene, Wackos had a couple of "agents" on their team and handily thwarted his bid. The present lingering image of Art's distorted face as he turned around to face his Heavy Metal brethren -- a picture of torn emotions frozen in time -- pretty much, in my opinion, sealed his nomination for this category. From now on, our team will forever honor his selfless action by giving him the name "Neo" from this day forward -- or should it be "Keanu"! In the name of fun, Art, I hope you got a laugh from my imaginative meandering here. If not, then I guess there is no hope for mankind. But -- alas -- there is another....)
Greatest Increase in Batting Average from Last League (Tulare, 2004; minimum 5 games): Art Tabacco (+.222, from .320 to .542) (Every player but one -- not to be mentioned here -- was eligible for this recognition. A very welcome sign!)
Biggest "Plunge" in Batting Average from Last League (Tulare, 2004; minimum 5 games): Kurt Chambers (-.014, from .469 to .455) (Can I say it now? He's the one! He's the one! But if that's the only "plunge" on the whole team, then I can say I'm quite satisfied with our whole team's effort this campaign!)
Best Player Quote: "Hotter than a pig's ass!" (very astute game assessment made by Kurt Chambers -- don't ask me where he comes up with these "good ol' boy" analogies!)
Best Acting Performance by a Player/Manager: Drum roll, please...Vern Amaro!!! (3rd time in a row! A three-peat! Amazing! This is for impersonating, once again, the second baseman/shortstop/catcher -- and spokesperson -- of a pretty darn-good softball team! By the way, were there any other eligible candidates on the team?)
Heavy Metal Softball rocks!!! First place! You've been a great bunch of guys to play side-by-side with, men! All kidding aside, I was really proud of our efforts, most especially the consistent team attitude displayed. I tip my cap off to all of you, as I know some of you come to play despite conflicting personal schedules, various aches and pains, balancing family and friends, and putting up with my managerial decisions. Y'all ready for more in the spring Tulare league? I'll see what I can stir up and let you know at a later date. Have a nice winter time-off from the team, stay hungry if playing other sports, and keep some future tournaments in mind as we rest our bats and put away our gloves for Heavy Metal Softball...for awhile! In the meantime...keep rockin', guys!
At the end of each league season, some recognition is always given to those individuals who contributed to the team in some way. The following categories -- most real, some intended for a few laughs -- are mostly from the offensive part of softball; some are just plain offensive! (Have a little sense of humor, guys! Don't get defensive. Get it -- "defensive"! Oh, never mind....) So, for what it's worth, here we go:
Visalia City League, Tuesday Night, fall 2004
8-1 record: 1st place!!! (trophy)
OFFENSIVE CATEGORIES --
Most Plate Appearances: Frank Fletcher (38)
Most At-Bats: Rich Avery (36)
Most Runs: Frank Fletcher (21)
Most Singles: Vern Amaro (19)
Most Doubles: Lee Garcia (5)
Most Triples: Frank Fletcher, Lee Garcia, Adam Goltz, Manuel Romeiro (tie, 2)
Most Home Runs: Art Tabacco (2)
Most RBIs: Rich Avery (16)
Most Walks: Frank Fletcher (6)
Most Sacrifices: Donny Aguiar (2)
Highest On-Base Percentage: Frank Fletcher (.684)
Highest Slugging Percentage: Manuel Romeiro (.882)
Highest Batting Average: Frank Fletcher (.645)
Most Hits: Vern Amaro, Frank Fletcher (20)
Most Single-Game Points: Kurt Chambers (23)
Most Offensive Points: Frank Fletcher (112)
DEFENSIVE CATEGORIES --
Most Put-Outs: Manuel Romeiro (25)
Most Assists: Lee Garcia, Art Tabacco (21)
Most Errors: Art Tabacco, Nelson Vieira (7)
Highest Fielding Percentage (infield): Vern Amaro (1.000 [no errors!] -- "Gold Glove Award")
Highest Fielding Percentage (outfield): Donny Aguiar (1.000 [no errors!] -- "Gold Glove Award")
Highest Fielding Percentage (utility): Rich Avery (1.000 [no errors!] -- "Gold Glove Award")
Most Defensive Points: Lee Garcia (24 -- 5 put-out pts. plus 21 assist pts. minus 2 error pts.) (Reminder: +1 point for a put-out, +1 point for an assist, -2 points for each error. In other words, errors "take away" from your overall offensive/defensive effort!)
All of which leads to, if the above stats were used primarily in making our choices...
Most Valuable Player (Visalia City League, Tuesday Night, fall 2004): Lee Garcia (34 total points; by team ballot vote)
And for our "special" categories...
Most Non-Appearances (regular members): Wes Avery (5) (Donny, Kurt, Manuel and Nelson were a close second, tied with 3; Adam, Gene, and Art took third, tied with 2. Some others also were considered, even though their physical bodies actually made it to the games!)
Perfect Attendance (regular members): Vern Amaro, Rich Avery, Frank Fletcher, Lee Garcia, and, of course, our team statistician/photographer, Jerry Amaro (All 9 games; gold stars to all of you!)
Most Memorable Performance: Art Tabacco (During our final game, Art decided to utilize a little-used offensive tactic -- which the initiated have termed "delayed-run response" -- to momentarily confuse the other team's defense in the midst of a double play opportunity he was caught in. Performed to near-perfection, Art momentarily caused an almost surreal, suspended-animation reaction to his seeming disregard for getting to first base after he grounded to the infield, leaving the atmosphere around Plaza 1 eerily expectant and hushed. Obviously borrowed from an intense study of the "Matrix" trilogy, this exacting mind-body discipline was carried out in a near seamless fashion, even as Art started seemingly to carry his bat back towards the dugout. Then, in what can only be described as an unnatural burst of inhuman speed in the opposite direction towards first base, Art made his bold move. But, unbeknownst to those witnessing the scene, Wackos had a couple of "agents" on their team and handily thwarted his bid. The present lingering image of Art's distorted face as he turned around to face his Heavy Metal brethren -- a picture of torn emotions frozen in time -- pretty much, in my opinion, sealed his nomination for this category. From now on, our team will forever honor his selfless action by giving him the name "Neo" from this day forward -- or should it be "Keanu"! In the name of fun, Art, I hope you got a laugh from my imaginative meandering here. If not, then I guess there is no hope for mankind. But -- alas -- there is another....)
Greatest Increase in Batting Average from Last League (Tulare, 2004; minimum 5 games): Art Tabacco (+.222, from .320 to .542) (Every player but one -- not to be mentioned here -- was eligible for this recognition. A very welcome sign!)
Biggest "Plunge" in Batting Average from Last League (Tulare, 2004; minimum 5 games): Kurt Chambers (-.014, from .469 to .455) (Can I say it now? He's the one! He's the one! But if that's the only "plunge" on the whole team, then I can say I'm quite satisfied with our whole team's effort this campaign!)
Best Player Quote: "Hotter than a pig's ass!" (very astute game assessment made by Kurt Chambers -- don't ask me where he comes up with these "good ol' boy" analogies!)
Best Acting Performance by a Player/Manager: Drum roll, please...Vern Amaro!!! (3rd time in a row! A three-peat! Amazing! This is for impersonating, once again, the second baseman/shortstop/catcher -- and spokesperson -- of a pretty darn-good softball team! By the way, were there any other eligible candidates on the team?)
Heavy Metal Softball rocks!!! First place! You've been a great bunch of guys to play side-by-side with, men! All kidding aside, I was really proud of our efforts, most especially the consistent team attitude displayed. I tip my cap off to all of you, as I know some of you come to play despite conflicting personal schedules, various aches and pains, balancing family and friends, and putting up with my managerial decisions. Y'all ready for more in the spring Tulare league? I'll see what I can stir up and let you know at a later date. Have a nice winter time-off from the team, stay hungry if playing other sports, and keep some future tournaments in mind as we rest our bats and put away our gloves for Heavy Metal Softball...for awhile! In the meantime...keep rockin', guys!
No Repeat For Defending Champs In "The Bash" This Year
Posted by Vernon Amaro at Oct 16, 2004 5:00PM PDT
( 0 Comments
)
Unfortunately, "October Bash" Not A Re-Hash Of Last Year....
First, I want to thank all of Heavy Metal Softball's current players for their effort, help, and cooperation during our second campaign to re-capture this championship, as eventful, yet unsuccessful, as it turned out to be. But we'll live and play another day. One man, as we all well know, does not make a team. But a team -- a "real" team -- does make each participant a man, figuratively-speaking, for all practical purposes. Here are the final tournament statistics for those who are interested, a short summary of each game's highlights, and an invitation to all Heavy Metal Softball enthusiasts to play maybe one more this year....
"October Bash" Tournament Summary --
Tournament Record: 2-2 (fourth consecutive time making playoffs)
Team Statistics (alphabetically):
Roy Aguayo -- 2 for 8; .250 BA; 15 points.
Donny Aguiar -- 6 for 13; .462 BA; 17 points.
Vern Amaro -- 6 for 12; .500 BA; 22 points.
Rich Avery -- 6 for 9; .667 BA; 25 points.
Wes Avery -- 7 for 13; .538 BA; 32 points.
Kurt Chambers -- 5 for 12; .417 BA; 22 points.
Frank Fletcher -- 6 for 11; .545 BA; 26 points.
Lee Garcia -- 4 for 8; .500 BA; 12 points.
Adam Goltz -- 4 for 10; .400 BA; 15 points.
Gene Hitt -- 5 for 11; .455 BA; 21 points.
Art Tabacco -- 8 for 13; .615 BA; 29 points.
Nelson Vieira -- 4 for 9; .444 BA; 32 points.
Tournament MVP: Wes Avery (32 points; .538 BA -- tiebreaker used)
Manager's Award (new!): Nelson Vieira (32 points; .444 BA) and Art Tabacco (8 for 13; 7 singles; 1 triple; 5 RBIs; 5 runs; .615 BA; many well-played defensive stops; 29 points. Because we use offensive points only as the criteria for tournament MVP, I will continually honor our agreed-upon selection process. But if we could cast a ballot for the player who contributed the most of himself this tournament, then your balance of steady offense, determined defense, and balanced team attitude, Art, would have received my vote. You remained mostly low-key and anonymous throughout this event -- and don't misunderstand me, that's good. Keep up the steady progress, O' Superstitious One!)
Tournament Team Batting Average: .508 (64 for 126; higher than our championship tournament, but we only averaged 11.5 runs/game this time compared to 16.4 runs/game last year.)
Game 1 Highlights: Won 18-14 against "Traviosos". This is always a key game and eventually turned out to be a great motivator for the next game. This was a good-hitting, decent-playing opponent. We learned that we need to smack the ball early and often or risk getting smacked back in return. Judging by the score of our second game, I liked the way we returned fire in this close win. Players of note were Wes Avery, who went 3 for 4, with 2 singles, 1 triple, 3 RBIs, 2 runs, .750 BA, 15 points; Frank Fletcher, who went 3 for 5, with 1 single, 2 doubles, 2 RBIs, 3 runs, .600 BA, 15 points; and Art Tabacco, who went 2 for 4, with 1 single, 1 triple, 3 RBIs, 2 runs, .500 BA, 13 points. Also, I'd really like to thank Donny Aguiar for his willing (and successful) fill-in job at pitcher -- thanks, buddy! You know not everyone wants to readily take on that position. I'm sure everyone will agree with and support my personal appreciation. But I wouldn't let on too much with, "Yeah, I've pitched a little..."!!!
Game 2 Highlights: Won 14-4 (run-rule) against "It's All Good". This game should have (but, alas, did not) defined our strategic attitude for the remainder of the day -- get a variety of hits from everyone involved, play solid infield/outfield defense, keep our collective feet on the backs of our opponents until the last out, stay hungry and together, and end it very early, with little or no casualties (besides aching old body parts!) We came together well as a team during this game. Players of note were Nelson Vieira, who went 1 for 2, with 1 sacrifice, 1 double, 3 RBIs, 1 run, .500 BA, 11 points; Lee Garcia, who went 2 for 3, with 1 single, 1 triple, 2 RBIs, 1 run, .667 BA, 10 points; Donny Aguiar, who went 3 for 3, with 3 singles, 1 RBI, 2 runs, 1.000 BA, 9 points; and Rich Avery, who went 2 for 3, with 1 single, 1 double, 1 RBI, 2 runs, .667 BA, 9 points.
Game 3 Highlights: Lost 18-8 (run-rule) against "Bleacher Bums". For some reason, our bats went sort of silent this game. We hit, but we were more like "Lighweight Metal" than "Heavy Metal". Mostly singles, with Rich providing 2 of the 3 extra-base hits. Possibly, we were getting a little lethargic after a game wait and a lot of energy expended during the previous game -- who knows. Our opponents hit very well, going for the big hits, which hurt us often. Nevertheless, we made the playoffs. But then again, maybe some of us were already looking ahead and forgetting about the game in front of them. This can be sometimes dangerous psychologically -- I personally believe it always is. The mental aspect of sport is so crucial for keeping up momentum. Using hindsight, this game was the beginning of the end for us. We should have come out confident, but we didn't show it. Players of note were Rich Avery, who went 2 for 3, with 1 double, 1 triple, 2 RBIs, 2 runs, .667 BA, 14 points; and Wes Avery, who went 2 for 3, with 1 single, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 run, .667 BA, 7 points.
Game 4 Highlights (playoff game): Lost 16-6 (run-rule) against "Total Kaos". Should have been our name during this contest, though it wasn't really contested at all. I cannot put my finger on what was exactly going on, but it wasn't about the game being played. Very disappointed with some of the things I witnessed. Several players I talked to were emotionally affected, as well as myself, though I tried hard not to let on -- unsuccessfully, I might add. If it happens again, I'll definitely address it. For now, it's best that we just forget about this game and move on. But a playoff game?! Talk about ill timing! My philosophy of "Let it flow, then let it go" was severely tested for hours afterward and through the remainder of the weekend. Lee Garcia, however, was very inspirational -- you can always play on my team, good buddy! Players of note were Nelson Vieira, who went 2 for 3, with 1 single, 1 towering HR, 2 RBIs, 1 run, .667 BA, 11 points; Kurt Chambers, who went 1 for 3, with 1 triple, 2 RBIs, 1 run, .333 BA, 9 points; Art Tabacco, who went 3 for 3, with 3 singles, 2 runs, 1.000 BA, 7 points; and Wes Avery, who went 1 for 3, with 1 single, 1 RBI, 2 runs, .333 BA, 7 points.
Comments: Overall, I was mostly pleased with Heavy Metal's performance, especially our ability to score in bunches through the first two games. Consistent scoring every inning will continue to be the emphasis, as always, in future tournaments, as well as developing speed in the outfield and making the plays needed in the infield. But more important than all of these is the gauge, or measuring stick, of our attitude, composure, growth, and individual patience with me, your manager. When things are going good, nothing is really said or acted out negatively, at least not in open conversation. But when things start taking a somewhat downhill slide, however, the softball pundits and offensive/defensive decision nay-sayers begin to immediately come out of the woodwork, or, shall I say, dugout -- everyone knows who they are. All I can say is for everyone to work diligently to keep a consistent positive attitude flowing throughout our endeavors together. Or -- dare I say more -- let me know directly of your newly-changed perspective and flagging personal resolve to help out our team. I'll never hold it against you if Heavy Metal Softball's future continues without you. All I know is that I continue to love to play softball -- or most any sport, for that matter. At my age, it still is as strong as ever and even more important to me. And what better way to do it than playing with friends. Please, don't ever mistake this admission for a "soft" outlook on my part. My passion is real and strong in all things I do. It's just more understanding now, several years removed from a very enlightening truck accident that could have possibly taken my life, as well as my wife's. Life's too short to spend on petty things -- I try to constantly look at the bigger picture that spreads so much wider and taller from behind my own individual photograph....
First, I want to thank all of Heavy Metal Softball's current players for their effort, help, and cooperation during our second campaign to re-capture this championship, as eventful, yet unsuccessful, as it turned out to be. But we'll live and play another day. One man, as we all well know, does not make a team. But a team -- a "real" team -- does make each participant a man, figuratively-speaking, for all practical purposes. Here are the final tournament statistics for those who are interested, a short summary of each game's highlights, and an invitation to all Heavy Metal Softball enthusiasts to play maybe one more this year....
"October Bash" Tournament Summary --
Tournament Record: 2-2 (fourth consecutive time making playoffs)
Team Statistics (alphabetically):
Roy Aguayo -- 2 for 8; .250 BA; 15 points.
Donny Aguiar -- 6 for 13; .462 BA; 17 points.
Vern Amaro -- 6 for 12; .500 BA; 22 points.
Rich Avery -- 6 for 9; .667 BA; 25 points.
Wes Avery -- 7 for 13; .538 BA; 32 points.
Kurt Chambers -- 5 for 12; .417 BA; 22 points.
Frank Fletcher -- 6 for 11; .545 BA; 26 points.
Lee Garcia -- 4 for 8; .500 BA; 12 points.
Adam Goltz -- 4 for 10; .400 BA; 15 points.
Gene Hitt -- 5 for 11; .455 BA; 21 points.
Art Tabacco -- 8 for 13; .615 BA; 29 points.
Nelson Vieira -- 4 for 9; .444 BA; 32 points.
Tournament MVP: Wes Avery (32 points; .538 BA -- tiebreaker used)
Manager's Award (new!): Nelson Vieira (32 points; .444 BA) and Art Tabacco (8 for 13; 7 singles; 1 triple; 5 RBIs; 5 runs; .615 BA; many well-played defensive stops; 29 points. Because we use offensive points only as the criteria for tournament MVP, I will continually honor our agreed-upon selection process. But if we could cast a ballot for the player who contributed the most of himself this tournament, then your balance of steady offense, determined defense, and balanced team attitude, Art, would have received my vote. You remained mostly low-key and anonymous throughout this event -- and don't misunderstand me, that's good. Keep up the steady progress, O' Superstitious One!)
Tournament Team Batting Average: .508 (64 for 126; higher than our championship tournament, but we only averaged 11.5 runs/game this time compared to 16.4 runs/game last year.)
Game 1 Highlights: Won 18-14 against "Traviosos". This is always a key game and eventually turned out to be a great motivator for the next game. This was a good-hitting, decent-playing opponent. We learned that we need to smack the ball early and often or risk getting smacked back in return. Judging by the score of our second game, I liked the way we returned fire in this close win. Players of note were Wes Avery, who went 3 for 4, with 2 singles, 1 triple, 3 RBIs, 2 runs, .750 BA, 15 points; Frank Fletcher, who went 3 for 5, with 1 single, 2 doubles, 2 RBIs, 3 runs, .600 BA, 15 points; and Art Tabacco, who went 2 for 4, with 1 single, 1 triple, 3 RBIs, 2 runs, .500 BA, 13 points. Also, I'd really like to thank Donny Aguiar for his willing (and successful) fill-in job at pitcher -- thanks, buddy! You know not everyone wants to readily take on that position. I'm sure everyone will agree with and support my personal appreciation. But I wouldn't let on too much with, "Yeah, I've pitched a little..."!!!
Game 2 Highlights: Won 14-4 (run-rule) against "It's All Good". This game should have (but, alas, did not) defined our strategic attitude for the remainder of the day -- get a variety of hits from everyone involved, play solid infield/outfield defense, keep our collective feet on the backs of our opponents until the last out, stay hungry and together, and end it very early, with little or no casualties (besides aching old body parts!) We came together well as a team during this game. Players of note were Nelson Vieira, who went 1 for 2, with 1 sacrifice, 1 double, 3 RBIs, 1 run, .500 BA, 11 points; Lee Garcia, who went 2 for 3, with 1 single, 1 triple, 2 RBIs, 1 run, .667 BA, 10 points; Donny Aguiar, who went 3 for 3, with 3 singles, 1 RBI, 2 runs, 1.000 BA, 9 points; and Rich Avery, who went 2 for 3, with 1 single, 1 double, 1 RBI, 2 runs, .667 BA, 9 points.
Game 3 Highlights: Lost 18-8 (run-rule) against "Bleacher Bums". For some reason, our bats went sort of silent this game. We hit, but we were more like "Lighweight Metal" than "Heavy Metal". Mostly singles, with Rich providing 2 of the 3 extra-base hits. Possibly, we were getting a little lethargic after a game wait and a lot of energy expended during the previous game -- who knows. Our opponents hit very well, going for the big hits, which hurt us often. Nevertheless, we made the playoffs. But then again, maybe some of us were already looking ahead and forgetting about the game in front of them. This can be sometimes dangerous psychologically -- I personally believe it always is. The mental aspect of sport is so crucial for keeping up momentum. Using hindsight, this game was the beginning of the end for us. We should have come out confident, but we didn't show it. Players of note were Rich Avery, who went 2 for 3, with 1 double, 1 triple, 2 RBIs, 2 runs, .667 BA, 14 points; and Wes Avery, who went 2 for 3, with 1 single, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 run, .667 BA, 7 points.
Game 4 Highlights (playoff game): Lost 16-6 (run-rule) against "Total Kaos". Should have been our name during this contest, though it wasn't really contested at all. I cannot put my finger on what was exactly going on, but it wasn't about the game being played. Very disappointed with some of the things I witnessed. Several players I talked to were emotionally affected, as well as myself, though I tried hard not to let on -- unsuccessfully, I might add. If it happens again, I'll definitely address it. For now, it's best that we just forget about this game and move on. But a playoff game?! Talk about ill timing! My philosophy of "Let it flow, then let it go" was severely tested for hours afterward and through the remainder of the weekend. Lee Garcia, however, was very inspirational -- you can always play on my team, good buddy! Players of note were Nelson Vieira, who went 2 for 3, with 1 single, 1 towering HR, 2 RBIs, 1 run, .667 BA, 11 points; Kurt Chambers, who went 1 for 3, with 1 triple, 2 RBIs, 1 run, .333 BA, 9 points; Art Tabacco, who went 3 for 3, with 3 singles, 2 runs, 1.000 BA, 7 points; and Wes Avery, who went 1 for 3, with 1 single, 1 RBI, 2 runs, .333 BA, 7 points.
Comments: Overall, I was mostly pleased with Heavy Metal's performance, especially our ability to score in bunches through the first two games. Consistent scoring every inning will continue to be the emphasis, as always, in future tournaments, as well as developing speed in the outfield and making the plays needed in the infield. But more important than all of these is the gauge, or measuring stick, of our attitude, composure, growth, and individual patience with me, your manager. When things are going good, nothing is really said or acted out negatively, at least not in open conversation. But when things start taking a somewhat downhill slide, however, the softball pundits and offensive/defensive decision nay-sayers begin to immediately come out of the woodwork, or, shall I say, dugout -- everyone knows who they are. All I can say is for everyone to work diligently to keep a consistent positive attitude flowing throughout our endeavors together. Or -- dare I say more -- let me know directly of your newly-changed perspective and flagging personal resolve to help out our team. I'll never hold it against you if Heavy Metal Softball's future continues without you. All I know is that I continue to love to play softball -- or most any sport, for that matter. At my age, it still is as strong as ever and even more important to me. And what better way to do it than playing with friends. Please, don't ever mistake this admission for a "soft" outlook on my part. My passion is real and strong in all things I do. It's just more understanding now, several years removed from a very enlightening truck accident that could have possibly taken my life, as well as my wife's. Life's too short to spend on petty things -- I try to constantly look at the bigger picture that spreads so much wider and taller from behind my own individual photograph....
Congratulations to Nelson Vieira -- Heavy Metal's Newest League MVP!!!
Posted by Vernon Amaro at Sep 14, 2004 5:00PM PDT
( 0 Comments
)
Smiles All Around At Recent Award Presentation!!!
After our first league game to begin the Visalia Fall 2004 league campaign, Nelson Vieira was presented with the coveted Heavy Metal Softball "Circle of Honor" MVP plaque and 2nd place trophy from our previous stint in the Tulare Spring 2004 league. Here he is, with team manager, Vern Amaro, in front of our new team fence banner, receiving his just rewards. MVP! MVP! MVP! -- you deserve it, big guy!
After our first league game to begin the Visalia Fall 2004 league campaign, Nelson Vieira was presented with the coveted Heavy Metal Softball "Circle of Honor" MVP plaque and 2nd place trophy from our previous stint in the Tulare Spring 2004 league. Here he is, with team manager, Vern Amaro, in front of our new team fence banner, receiving his just rewards. MVP! MVP! MVP! -- you deserve it, big guy!
Seasons
Sponsors
