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Fall 2003 End-of-Season Categorical Leaders -- Division "D"
Posted by Vernon Amaro at Nov 28, 2003 4:00PM PST
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Some Bragging Rights From A Tough 2003 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:
Most Plate Appearances: Frank Fletcher (33)
Most At-Bats: Rich Avery (30)
Most Runs: Frank Fletcher, Gene Hitt (tie, 17)
Most Singles: Donny Aguiar (14)
Most Doubles: Vern Amaro, Rich Avery, Frank Fletcher, Art Tabacco (tie, 3)
Most Triples: Rich Avery, Wes Avery, Kurt Chambers, Gene Hitt (tie, 2)
Most Home Runs: Nelson Vieira (2)
Most RBIs: Joe Machado (15)
Most Walks: Gordon Caudle (7)
Most Sacrifices: Rich Avery (2)
Highest On-Base Percentage: Donny Aguiar (.882)
Highest Slugging Percentage: Gene Hitt (1.000)
Highest Batting Average: Donny Aguiar (.882)
Most Hits: Gene Hitt (17)
Most Single-Game Points: Joe Machado (31)
Most Offensive Points: Frank Fletcher (91)
Most Valuable Player (Visalia City League, Division "D", fall 2003): Gene Hitt (27 total points; by team ballot vote)
And for our special categories....
Most Non-Appearances: Adam Goltz (7; was he the "new" guy at our last couple of games?!) (Donny was a distant second with 4; Art took third with 3. Some others also were considered, even though their bodies actually made it to the games! Chuck Johnson would have won this category with 9, but he took himself out of the running by personally electing himself after the first game! This is a cardinal player no-no.)
Perfect Attendance: Vern Amaro, Rich Avery, Gordon Caudle, Frank Fletcher, Lee Garcia, Nelson Vieira (All 10 games; gold stars to all of you!)
Most Memorable Performance: Donny Aguiar (14 hits in a row! After finally getting an out while pursuing his 15th hit, he promptly started a new streak of one hit in a row and was never to be seen again for the rest of the league season! Manager's suspicion: A blatant attempt to keep his batting average above .800 so he'd be asked to play again next year. Nice try, Donny, but you made the mistake of playing for a shrewd man with a keen, perceptive mind. I'll be waiting for the two phone calls you never made and a sincere, written apology via e-mail. An alternative will be to kiss my foot or my bat, both of which were ailing me throughout most of this league! Now, give me a loud "Yes, sir!" so I can hear you all the way from Visalia!)
Worst Memory Award: Either Rich Avery or Kurt Chambers -- maybe even me! (Depending on who lost the beginning-of-the-league bet between the two above-mentioned team members! Since I can't remember the particulars myself ["Manager's Syndrome" -- sometimes fatal!], I also have a very good chance in this category! Did either one of you two gentlemen remember "the Bet"? Did anyone pay up? I've got just about every offensive statistical category listed in this article, so I know somebody won something at my bringing it up here. The winner needs to let the rest of us know how the loser took it!)
Best Acting Performance by a Player/Manager: Drum roll, please...Vern Amaro!!! (For impersonating the shortstop/second baseman and spokesperson of a pretty darn-good softball team!)
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 we played in a very tough league. Y'all ready for more next year? I'll see what I can stir up in early 2004 and let you know. Have a nice off-season, stay hungry, and keep more tournament championships in mind as we rest our bats and put away our gloves for awhile. In the meantime...keep rockin', Heavy Metal!
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:
Most Plate Appearances: Frank Fletcher (33)
Most At-Bats: Rich Avery (30)
Most Runs: Frank Fletcher, Gene Hitt (tie, 17)
Most Singles: Donny Aguiar (14)
Most Doubles: Vern Amaro, Rich Avery, Frank Fletcher, Art Tabacco (tie, 3)
Most Triples: Rich Avery, Wes Avery, Kurt Chambers, Gene Hitt (tie, 2)
Most Home Runs: Nelson Vieira (2)
Most RBIs: Joe Machado (15)
Most Walks: Gordon Caudle (7)
Most Sacrifices: Rich Avery (2)
Highest On-Base Percentage: Donny Aguiar (.882)
Highest Slugging Percentage: Gene Hitt (1.000)
Highest Batting Average: Donny Aguiar (.882)
Most Hits: Gene Hitt (17)
Most Single-Game Points: Joe Machado (31)
Most Offensive Points: Frank Fletcher (91)
Most Valuable Player (Visalia City League, Division "D", fall 2003): Gene Hitt (27 total points; by team ballot vote)
And for our special categories....
Most Non-Appearances: Adam Goltz (7; was he the "new" guy at our last couple of games?!) (Donny was a distant second with 4; Art took third with 3. Some others also were considered, even though their bodies actually made it to the games! Chuck Johnson would have won this category with 9, but he took himself out of the running by personally electing himself after the first game! This is a cardinal player no-no.)
Perfect Attendance: Vern Amaro, Rich Avery, Gordon Caudle, Frank Fletcher, Lee Garcia, Nelson Vieira (All 10 games; gold stars to all of you!)
Most Memorable Performance: Donny Aguiar (14 hits in a row! After finally getting an out while pursuing his 15th hit, he promptly started a new streak of one hit in a row and was never to be seen again for the rest of the league season! Manager's suspicion: A blatant attempt to keep his batting average above .800 so he'd be asked to play again next year. Nice try, Donny, but you made the mistake of playing for a shrewd man with a keen, perceptive mind. I'll be waiting for the two phone calls you never made and a sincere, written apology via e-mail. An alternative will be to kiss my foot or my bat, both of which were ailing me throughout most of this league! Now, give me a loud "Yes, sir!" so I can hear you all the way from Visalia!)
Worst Memory Award: Either Rich Avery or Kurt Chambers -- maybe even me! (Depending on who lost the beginning-of-the-league bet between the two above-mentioned team members! Since I can't remember the particulars myself ["Manager's Syndrome" -- sometimes fatal!], I also have a very good chance in this category! Did either one of you two gentlemen remember "the Bet"? Did anyone pay up? I've got just about every offensive statistical category listed in this article, so I know somebody won something at my bringing it up here. The winner needs to let the rest of us know how the loser took it!)
Best Acting Performance by a Player/Manager: Drum roll, please...Vern Amaro!!! (For impersonating the shortstop/second baseman and spokesperson of a pretty darn-good softball team!)
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 we played in a very tough league. Y'all ready for more next year? I'll see what I can stir up in early 2004 and let you know. Have a nice off-season, stay hungry, and keep more tournament championships in mind as we rest our bats and put away our gloves for awhile. In the meantime...keep rockin', Heavy Metal!
Heavy Metal Wins Championship!!! ("October Bash" Recap!)
Posted by Vernon Amaro at Oct 6, 2003 5:00PM PDT
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It May Not Have Been "King Of The County," But Our Second Tournament Of The Year Sure Was A Good Alternative!
Hey, guys!
Who feels bad that we didn't get to play in the "King of the County" tournament? I know, I feel the same way -- who cares! What a blast we had, didn't we?!!! I knew that I had selected a great bunch of players many weeks ago, but what I didn't know was what our competition would be like for this particular tournament, an alternative to the above-mentioned cancelled one. And what competition! Barring our first game disappointment, we really did play against some very good teams, our opponents in the championship game -- "Inconsistent" from Chowchilla -- being more than just a strong local team. Great job, men! I can't express in words here how proud I was of our team...and you all know that's a tough feat for me to do! All I can say is -- let's do it again! Oh, a special thanks to Nelson for helping me at a crucial time the night before. Thanks, buddy! To the rest of you guys: We did okay, didn't we! I thank you all for your effort, help, and cooperation. One man, as we all well know, does not make a team. But a team, a "real" team, does make each participant a man. All right, all right, Vern, get on with it! 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 regulars (and new ones!) to play some more this year....
"October Bash" Tournament Summary --
Tournament Record: 5-1 (third consecutive time making playoffs, only this time, we end up with a championship!)
Team Statistics (alphabetically):
Roy Aguayo -- 3 for 16; .188 BA; 12 points.
Donny Aguiar -- 10 for 19; .526 BA; 45 points.
Vern Amaro -- 9 for 18; .500 BA; 26 points.
Rich Avery -- 6 for 19; .316 BA; 36 points.
Wes Avery -- 14 for 20; .700 BA; 75 points.
Kurt Chambers -- 8 for 20; .400 BA; 41 points.
Frank Fletcher -- 12 for 20; .600 BA; 62 points.
Lee Garcia -- 4 for 16; .250 BA; 12 points.
Gene Hitt -- 9 for 16; .563 BA; 47 points.
Manuel Romeiro -- 2 for 10; .200 BA; 7 points.
Art Tabacco -- 10 for 19; .526 BA; 71 points.
Nelson Vieira -- 9 for 16; .563 BA; 64 points.
Tournament MVP: Wes Avery (75 points; great hitting -- oh, great play at first!)
Tournament Team Batting Average: .464 (97 for 209; lower than our last tournament, but we still are averaging 16.4 runs/game! Mind you, I'm not upset with this!)
Game 1 Highlights: Won 7-0 (forfeit) against "Who Cares". Obviously, there were no highlights -- unless you count everyone on our team showing up quite punctual (gold stars, guys!). Our opponent's name was summarily deemed very appropriate. Thus, our team began to feel a little apprehension that this just wasn't going to be our day. How wrong we found ourselves to be!
Game 2 Highlights: Lost 8-12 against "Deez Nuts". This is always a key game and eventually turned out to be a great motivator for the rest of the day. This was a good-hitting opponent. We learned that we need to smack the ball early and often or risk getting smacked back every game. Judging by the score of our third game, I liked the way we responded to this loss. Players of note were Art Tabacco, who went 2 for 3, with 1 single, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 1 run, .667 BA, 13 points; Wes Avery, who went 3 for 3, with 2 singles, 1 double, 1 RBI, 2 runs, 1.000 BA, 10 points; and Donny Aguiar, who also went 3 for 3, with 2 singles, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 run, 1.000 BA, 8 points.
Game 3 Highlights: Won 18-17 against "Scrubs". This game defined our attitude for the rest of the day -- get a variety of hits, score many runs, and keep our composure through a late inning rally by the other team. We came together as a team during this game. Players of note were Frank Fletcher, who went 2 for 4, with 1 single, 1 HR (grand slam!), 4 RBIs, 2 runs, 3 bonus points (GS), .500 BA, 20 points; Wes Avery, who went 3 for 4, with 2 singles, 1 double, 3 RBIs, 3 runs, .750 BA, 16 points; and Art Tabacco, who went 2 for 4, with 1 double, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 2 runs, .500 BA, 16 points.
Game 4 Highlights (1st playoff game): Won 22-19 against "Bad News". We really let the hits rip in this game! We had 58 at-bats, 24 hits of every variety, and we were even patient enough to walk 6 times! And we weathered another late inning comeback to help strengthen our team psyche. Good way to start a run through the playoffs! Players of note were Wes Avery, who went 4 for 6, with 3 singles, 1 triple, 3 RBIs, 3 runs, 3 bonus points (4/4), .667 BA, 21 points; Art Tabacco, who went 2 for 4, with 1 walk, 1 sacrifice, 1 single, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 1 run, .500 BA, 18 points; and Rich Avery, who went 2 for 5, with 2 triples, 4 RBIs, 2 runs, .400 BA, 18 points.
Game 5 Highlights (2nd playoff game): Won 21-14 against "Unknowns". Probably our most consistent hitting game of the day. Team average was .610 (25 for 41). Everyone contributed offensively in some way. Players of note were Nelson Vieira, who went 3 for 3, with 1 single, 1 sacrifice, 2 triples, 5 RBIs, 3 runs, 1.000 BA, 23 points (I created a monster!); Art Tabacco, who went 4 for 4, with 3 singles, 1 double, 4 RBIs, 2 runs, 3 bonus points (4/4), 1.000 BA, 20 points; and Wes Avery, who went 3 for 4, with 2 singles, 1 double, 3 RBIs, 4 runs, .750 BA, 18 points. I'd also like to recognize Donny Aguiar (3 for 3), Frank Fletcher (3 for 4), and Kurt Chambers (3 for 4), who all had multiple hits to keep our Heavy Metal train going and on the track.
Game 6 Highlights (Championship game): Won 13-12 against "Inconsistent", a high rec, out-of-town team. And with plenty of firepower! But what a storybook ending for our team.... Here's the recap -- bottom of the seventh, three runs down, hope dimming, but there's still a glimmer. Two outs, two runs have scored. And then...Casey...no, Rich Avery...comes to bat! The crowd is hushed, tension fills the air. The pitch is delivered, and Rich swings...popping it straight up! But the softball gods, who have favored us all day, favor us one more time -- the ball is not caught! One more chance. The pitch, the swing...Cubs win! Cubs win!...I mean, Heavy Metal wins!!! Our first championship in two tries this year! Great job, men! And way to go, Rich -- "Mr. Clutch"! Players of note for this final game were Nelson Vieira, who went 2 for 2, with 2 walks, 1 triple, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 3 runs (the winning one!), 1.000 BA, 21 points (see, I told you I created a monster!); Frank Fletcher, who went 3 for 4, with 2 singles, 1 double, 1 RBI, 3 runs, .750 BA, 12 points; and the rest of the team, who banded together all day to produce a deserving tournament championship! Believe it or not, we produced only 12 hits this game, our lowest output of the day, but they were timely and seemingly prayer-answered. We must lead good lives, men! And a final, special thanks to Christina and Olivia, who supported us throughout the day! I've got t-shirts for you two fine ladies, also. I know this point is already pretty obvious, but did we have fun, gentlemen?!!!
Comments: The following statements are a repeat from previous tournament comments. Overall, I was very, very pleased with Heavy Metal's performance, especially our ability to score in bunches. 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 this time was our attitude, composure, and individual patience with me, your sometimes strategy-ridden, details-concerned manager. Thanks, guys. Oh, in regard to the humor -- without it, I doubt if we would have been in balance as much as we showed consistently all day. You don't know how proud I am of you crazy guys. It was fun. And, remember, that's all that I had asked for....
Hey, guys!
Who feels bad that we didn't get to play in the "King of the County" tournament? I know, I feel the same way -- who cares! What a blast we had, didn't we?!!! I knew that I had selected a great bunch of players many weeks ago, but what I didn't know was what our competition would be like for this particular tournament, an alternative to the above-mentioned cancelled one. And what competition! Barring our first game disappointment, we really did play against some very good teams, our opponents in the championship game -- "Inconsistent" from Chowchilla -- being more than just a strong local team. Great job, men! I can't express in words here how proud I was of our team...and you all know that's a tough feat for me to do! All I can say is -- let's do it again! Oh, a special thanks to Nelson for helping me at a crucial time the night before. Thanks, buddy! To the rest of you guys: We did okay, didn't we! I thank you all for your effort, help, and cooperation. One man, as we all well know, does not make a team. But a team, a "real" team, does make each participant a man. All right, all right, Vern, get on with it! 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 regulars (and new ones!) to play some more this year....
"October Bash" Tournament Summary --
Tournament Record: 5-1 (third consecutive time making playoffs, only this time, we end up with a championship!)
Team Statistics (alphabetically):
Roy Aguayo -- 3 for 16; .188 BA; 12 points.
Donny Aguiar -- 10 for 19; .526 BA; 45 points.
Vern Amaro -- 9 for 18; .500 BA; 26 points.
Rich Avery -- 6 for 19; .316 BA; 36 points.
Wes Avery -- 14 for 20; .700 BA; 75 points.
Kurt Chambers -- 8 for 20; .400 BA; 41 points.
Frank Fletcher -- 12 for 20; .600 BA; 62 points.
Lee Garcia -- 4 for 16; .250 BA; 12 points.
Gene Hitt -- 9 for 16; .563 BA; 47 points.
Manuel Romeiro -- 2 for 10; .200 BA; 7 points.
Art Tabacco -- 10 for 19; .526 BA; 71 points.
Nelson Vieira -- 9 for 16; .563 BA; 64 points.
Tournament MVP: Wes Avery (75 points; great hitting -- oh, great play at first!)
Tournament Team Batting Average: .464 (97 for 209; lower than our last tournament, but we still are averaging 16.4 runs/game! Mind you, I'm not upset with this!)
Game 1 Highlights: Won 7-0 (forfeit) against "Who Cares". Obviously, there were no highlights -- unless you count everyone on our team showing up quite punctual (gold stars, guys!). Our opponent's name was summarily deemed very appropriate. Thus, our team began to feel a little apprehension that this just wasn't going to be our day. How wrong we found ourselves to be!
Game 2 Highlights: Lost 8-12 against "Deez Nuts". This is always a key game and eventually turned out to be a great motivator for the rest of the day. This was a good-hitting opponent. We learned that we need to smack the ball early and often or risk getting smacked back every game. Judging by the score of our third game, I liked the way we responded to this loss. Players of note were Art Tabacco, who went 2 for 3, with 1 single, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 1 run, .667 BA, 13 points; Wes Avery, who went 3 for 3, with 2 singles, 1 double, 1 RBI, 2 runs, 1.000 BA, 10 points; and Donny Aguiar, who also went 3 for 3, with 2 singles, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 run, 1.000 BA, 8 points.
Game 3 Highlights: Won 18-17 against "Scrubs". This game defined our attitude for the rest of the day -- get a variety of hits, score many runs, and keep our composure through a late inning rally by the other team. We came together as a team during this game. Players of note were Frank Fletcher, who went 2 for 4, with 1 single, 1 HR (grand slam!), 4 RBIs, 2 runs, 3 bonus points (GS), .500 BA, 20 points; Wes Avery, who went 3 for 4, with 2 singles, 1 double, 3 RBIs, 3 runs, .750 BA, 16 points; and Art Tabacco, who went 2 for 4, with 1 double, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 2 runs, .500 BA, 16 points.
Game 4 Highlights (1st playoff game): Won 22-19 against "Bad News". We really let the hits rip in this game! We had 58 at-bats, 24 hits of every variety, and we were even patient enough to walk 6 times! And we weathered another late inning comeback to help strengthen our team psyche. Good way to start a run through the playoffs! Players of note were Wes Avery, who went 4 for 6, with 3 singles, 1 triple, 3 RBIs, 3 runs, 3 bonus points (4/4), .667 BA, 21 points; Art Tabacco, who went 2 for 4, with 1 walk, 1 sacrifice, 1 single, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 1 run, .500 BA, 18 points; and Rich Avery, who went 2 for 5, with 2 triples, 4 RBIs, 2 runs, .400 BA, 18 points.
Game 5 Highlights (2nd playoff game): Won 21-14 against "Unknowns". Probably our most consistent hitting game of the day. Team average was .610 (25 for 41). Everyone contributed offensively in some way. Players of note were Nelson Vieira, who went 3 for 3, with 1 single, 1 sacrifice, 2 triples, 5 RBIs, 3 runs, 1.000 BA, 23 points (I created a monster!); Art Tabacco, who went 4 for 4, with 3 singles, 1 double, 4 RBIs, 2 runs, 3 bonus points (4/4), 1.000 BA, 20 points; and Wes Avery, who went 3 for 4, with 2 singles, 1 double, 3 RBIs, 4 runs, .750 BA, 18 points. I'd also like to recognize Donny Aguiar (3 for 3), Frank Fletcher (3 for 4), and Kurt Chambers (3 for 4), who all had multiple hits to keep our Heavy Metal train going and on the track.
Game 6 Highlights (Championship game): Won 13-12 against "Inconsistent", a high rec, out-of-town team. And with plenty of firepower! But what a storybook ending for our team.... Here's the recap -- bottom of the seventh, three runs down, hope dimming, but there's still a glimmer. Two outs, two runs have scored. And then...Casey...no, Rich Avery...comes to bat! The crowd is hushed, tension fills the air. The pitch is delivered, and Rich swings...popping it straight up! But the softball gods, who have favored us all day, favor us one more time -- the ball is not caught! One more chance. The pitch, the swing...Cubs win! Cubs win!...I mean, Heavy Metal wins!!! Our first championship in two tries this year! Great job, men! And way to go, Rich -- "Mr. Clutch"! Players of note for this final game were Nelson Vieira, who went 2 for 2, with 2 walks, 1 triple, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 3 runs (the winning one!), 1.000 BA, 21 points (see, I told you I created a monster!); Frank Fletcher, who went 3 for 4, with 2 singles, 1 double, 1 RBI, 3 runs, .750 BA, 12 points; and the rest of the team, who banded together all day to produce a deserving tournament championship! Believe it or not, we produced only 12 hits this game, our lowest output of the day, but they were timely and seemingly prayer-answered. We must lead good lives, men! And a final, special thanks to Christina and Olivia, who supported us throughout the day! I've got t-shirts for you two fine ladies, also. I know this point is already pretty obvious, but did we have fun, gentlemen?!!!
Comments: The following statements are a repeat from previous tournament comments. Overall, I was very, very pleased with Heavy Metal's performance, especially our ability to score in bunches. 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 this time was our attitude, composure, and individual patience with me, your sometimes strategy-ridden, details-concerned manager. Thanks, guys. Oh, in regard to the humor -- without it, I doubt if we would have been in balance as much as we showed consistently all day. You don't know how proud I am of you crazy guys. It was fun. And, remember, that's all that I had asked for....
Spring 2003 End-of-Season Categorical Leaders -- Division 1
Posted by Vernon Amaro at Aug 16, 2003 5:00PM PDT
( 0 Comments
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Something For Everyone (And Then Some!!!)
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!) So, for what it's worth, here we go:
Most Plate Appearances: Rich Avery, Gene Hitt (tie, 43)
Most At-Bats: Rich Avery (40)
Most Runs: Gene Hitt (20)
Most Singles: Gene Hitt (20)
Most Doubles: Vern Amaro, Frank Fletcher, Gene Hitt, Joe Machado (tie, 2)
Most Triples: Rich Avery (5)
Most Home Runs: Joe Machado (3)
Most RBIs: Frank Fletcher (22)
Most Walks: Frank Fletcher (4)
Most Sacrifices: Vern Amaro (2)
Highest On-Base Percentage: Vern Amaro (.619) (Jerry Amaro had a perfect 1.000 for his single season at-bat and Eddie Sousa had .667, but a minimum of 5 games must be played.)
Highest Slugging Percentage: Joe Machado (.923)
Highest Batting Average: Vern Amaro (.622) (Eddie Sousa had .667, but a minimum of 5 games must be played.)
Most Hits: Vern Amaro, Gene Hitt (tie, 23)
Most 4-Hit Games: Gene Hitt (2)
Most Single-Game Points: Frank Fletcher (31)
Most Offensive Points: Frank Fletcher (113)
Most Valuable Player (Tulare City League, Division 1, spring 2003): Vern Amaro (32 total points -- 6 first place votes, 2 third place votes -- as voted by his teammates. Thank you!)
And for our special categories....
Most Non-Appearances: Eddie Sousa (8; was he the new guy at our last double-header?) (Loyal was a close second with 5; August took third with 4)
Perfect Attendance: Roy Aguayo, Jerry Amaro, Vern Amaro, Rich Avery, Gordon Caudle, Frank Fletcher, Lee Garcia, Gene Hitt, Nelson Vieira (All 10 games; gold stars to all of you!)
Most Memorable Performance: Joe Machado (In Game VII, Joe played his first game as a new father. He proceeded to go 4 for 4, with 2 singles, 2 HRs, 5 RBIs, 2 runs, 1.000 BA, and 3 bonus points for an individual total of 27 offensive points. But good things, as always, never seem to last. In Game VIII, he went 1 for 5, with 1 double, 2 runs, .200 BA and 6 offensive points. Joe went home, never to be seen again for the rest of the season.... Joking aside, once again congratulations, Joe! We all know there are bigger things in life than softball. By the way, I might be needing some pointers in the production category -- making children, mind you, not hits and runs!)
Most Games Lost In A Row: Heavy Metal Softball! (6; we all take the credit for this record, gentlemen -- let's not try to break it!)
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. Y'all ready for more? I'll see what I can stir up and let you know. My tentative plans are to play a league in the fall, preferrably in Visalia. In the meantime...keep rockin', Heavy Metal!
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!) So, for what it's worth, here we go:
Most Plate Appearances: Rich Avery, Gene Hitt (tie, 43)
Most At-Bats: Rich Avery (40)
Most Runs: Gene Hitt (20)
Most Singles: Gene Hitt (20)
Most Doubles: Vern Amaro, Frank Fletcher, Gene Hitt, Joe Machado (tie, 2)
Most Triples: Rich Avery (5)
Most Home Runs: Joe Machado (3)
Most RBIs: Frank Fletcher (22)
Most Walks: Frank Fletcher (4)
Most Sacrifices: Vern Amaro (2)
Highest On-Base Percentage: Vern Amaro (.619) (Jerry Amaro had a perfect 1.000 for his single season at-bat and Eddie Sousa had .667, but a minimum of 5 games must be played.)
Highest Slugging Percentage: Joe Machado (.923)
Highest Batting Average: Vern Amaro (.622) (Eddie Sousa had .667, but a minimum of 5 games must be played.)
Most Hits: Vern Amaro, Gene Hitt (tie, 23)
Most 4-Hit Games: Gene Hitt (2)
Most Single-Game Points: Frank Fletcher (31)
Most Offensive Points: Frank Fletcher (113)
Most Valuable Player (Tulare City League, Division 1, spring 2003): Vern Amaro (32 total points -- 6 first place votes, 2 third place votes -- as voted by his teammates. Thank you!)
And for our special categories....
Most Non-Appearances: Eddie Sousa (8; was he the new guy at our last double-header?) (Loyal was a close second with 5; August took third with 4)
Perfect Attendance: Roy Aguayo, Jerry Amaro, Vern Amaro, Rich Avery, Gordon Caudle, Frank Fletcher, Lee Garcia, Gene Hitt, Nelson Vieira (All 10 games; gold stars to all of you!)
Most Memorable Performance: Joe Machado (In Game VII, Joe played his first game as a new father. He proceeded to go 4 for 4, with 2 singles, 2 HRs, 5 RBIs, 2 runs, 1.000 BA, and 3 bonus points for an individual total of 27 offensive points. But good things, as always, never seem to last. In Game VIII, he went 1 for 5, with 1 double, 2 runs, .200 BA and 6 offensive points. Joe went home, never to be seen again for the rest of the season.... Joking aside, once again congratulations, Joe! We all know there are bigger things in life than softball. By the way, I might be needing some pointers in the production category -- making children, mind you, not hits and runs!)
Most Games Lost In A Row: Heavy Metal Softball! (6; we all take the credit for this record, gentlemen -- let's not try to break it!)
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. Y'all ready for more? I'll see what I can stir up and let you know. My tentative plans are to play a league in the fall, preferrably in Visalia. In the meantime...keep rockin', Heavy Metal!
Breakdown of MVP Ballot Results for Tulare's Spring 2003 Division 1 League
Posted by Vernon Amaro at Aug 16, 2003 5:00PM PDT
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)
Let's Have A Drum-Roll, Please!
Finally, here are the results, in short summary, of the MVP balloting that took place recently in which most of you participated. All who voted indicated that this will be the way our league MVPs will be selected from now on into the future (tournament MVPs will continue to be selected using our offensive points system). Fourteen Heavy Metal Softball members were eligible to vote this time, having participated in the Tulare City, Division 1, spring 2003 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: Vern Amaro (32 total points -- 6 first place votes, 2 third place votes. Thank you!)
1st Runner-Up: Gene Hitt (26 total points -- 2 first place votes, 5 second place votes, 1 third place vote. Great job!!!)
2nd Runner-Up: Frank Fletcher (15 total points -- 2 first place votes, 1 second place vote, 2 third place votes. Mister Offense!!)
3rd Runner-Up: Rich Avery (10 total points -- 1 first place vote, 1 second place vote, 2 third place votes. Good man to have around!)
4th Runner-Up: Roy Aguayo (7 total points -- 2 second place votes, 1 third place vote. Old school rules!)
5th Runner-Up: Nelson Vieira, Joe Machado (3 total points, tie -- both had 1 second place vote. Young bucks in the house!)
6th Runner-Up: Lee Garcia (2 total points -- 2 third place votes. An all-around "original member" that can always be counted on!)
7th Runner-Up: Gordon Caudle (1 total point -- 1 third place vote. Somebody loves ya, Gordy!)
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 10 players who decided to vote. Despite repeated reminders and for reasons of their own, Wes Avery, August Faria, and Eddie Sousa did not give me any responses and, thus, did not affect any of the above results, though they remained eligible to receive MVP votes and have them posted. I, myself, voted for three very deserving men, after a majority consensus was finally reached that voting for an MVP would be our future way to go. Because the results turned out favorably in my direction, I want 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 could be given. My votes, in order, were: Frank Fletcher (1st place vote); Gene Hitt (2nd place vote); and Rich Avery (3rd place vote). I am doing this mainly because I feel a little awkward in having kept records of the ballots and just so happen to be this league's elected MVP. I hope all of you will understand this feeling and why I choose to reveal my selections. No other selections will be revealed unless one of you is curious and wants to inquire, in which case, I'll gladly let you know. To those who voted for me, a great thanks once again.
As I have mentioned a time or two before, I would like to promote even more team spirit within the ranks of our members and, eventually, will be ordering a perpetual MVP plaque that will bear the names of past and current recipients (please read all the news articles!), which will be kept in the current MVP's home until another deserving player is selected. Also, a Heavy Metal Softball fence banner is being looked into (thank you, Roy and Christina!) that will grace our future dugouts, 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 sportmanship. Stay tuned!
And that's a wrap, folks....
Finally, here are the results, in short summary, of the MVP balloting that took place recently in which most of you participated. All who voted indicated that this will be the way our league MVPs will be selected from now on into the future (tournament MVPs will continue to be selected using our offensive points system). Fourteen Heavy Metal Softball members were eligible to vote this time, having participated in the Tulare City, Division 1, spring 2003 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: Vern Amaro (32 total points -- 6 first place votes, 2 third place votes. Thank you!)
1st Runner-Up: Gene Hitt (26 total points -- 2 first place votes, 5 second place votes, 1 third place vote. Great job!!!)
2nd Runner-Up: Frank Fletcher (15 total points -- 2 first place votes, 1 second place vote, 2 third place votes. Mister Offense!!)
3rd Runner-Up: Rich Avery (10 total points -- 1 first place vote, 1 second place vote, 2 third place votes. Good man to have around!)
4th Runner-Up: Roy Aguayo (7 total points -- 2 second place votes, 1 third place vote. Old school rules!)
5th Runner-Up: Nelson Vieira, Joe Machado (3 total points, tie -- both had 1 second place vote. Young bucks in the house!)
6th Runner-Up: Lee Garcia (2 total points -- 2 third place votes. An all-around "original member" that can always be counted on!)
7th Runner-Up: Gordon Caudle (1 total point -- 1 third place vote. Somebody loves ya, Gordy!)
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 10 players who decided to vote. Despite repeated reminders and for reasons of their own, Wes Avery, August Faria, and Eddie Sousa did not give me any responses and, thus, did not affect any of the above results, though they remained eligible to receive MVP votes and have them posted. I, myself, voted for three very deserving men, after a majority consensus was finally reached that voting for an MVP would be our future way to go. Because the results turned out favorably in my direction, I want 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 could be given. My votes, in order, were: Frank Fletcher (1st place vote); Gene Hitt (2nd place vote); and Rich Avery (3rd place vote). I am doing this mainly because I feel a little awkward in having kept records of the ballots and just so happen to be this league's elected MVP. I hope all of you will understand this feeling and why I choose to reveal my selections. No other selections will be revealed unless one of you is curious and wants to inquire, in which case, I'll gladly let you know. To those who voted for me, a great thanks once again.
As I have mentioned a time or two before, I would like to promote even more team spirit within the ranks of our members and, eventually, will be ordering a perpetual MVP plaque that will bear the names of past and current recipients (please read all the news articles!), which will be kept in the current MVP's home until another deserving player is selected. Also, a Heavy Metal Softball fence banner is being looked into (thank you, Roy and Christina!) that will grace our future dugouts, 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 sportmanship. Stay tuned!
And that's a wrap, folks....
Our Team's League MVP Lineage: Heavy Metal Softball's "Circle Of Honor" Recognition
Posted by Vernon Amaro at Aug 16, 2003 5:00PM PDT
( 0 Comments
)
Past And Present League Most Valuable Players -- Real Heavy Metal Men!
Heavy Metal Softball league MVP Circle of Honor plaque recipients:
1990 -- Division 10, Tulare League (spring): Gene Hitt
(by team ballot vote; 1st place trophy recipient)
1991 -- Division 9, Tulare City League (spring): Frank Fletcher
(by team ballot vote; 1st place trophy recipient)
1994 -- Division 8, Tulare City League (spring): Vern Amaro
(by team ballot vote; 1st place trophy recipient --
I promptly gave it to my brother, Jerry,
our pitcher, whom I believed deserved it just as
well)
(1994 featured two halves to the season)
1994 -- Division 7, Tulare City League (spring): John Souza
(by team ballot vote; 1st place trophy recipient)
1995 -- Division 5, Tulare City League (spring): Frank Fletcher
(by team ballot vote; 1st place trophy recipient)
1999 -- Division 5, Tulare City League (spring): Frank Fletcher
(169 offensive points; team received 1st place shirts)
2000 -- Division 5, Tulare City League (spring): Gene Hitt
(138 offensive points; team received 1st place shirts)
2001 -- Division 2, Tulare City League (spring): Vern Amaro
(103 offensive points; no team award)
2002 -- Division 3, Tulare City League (spring): Frank Fletcher
(146 offensive points; 3rd place trophy recipient)
2003 -- Division 1, Tulare City League (spring): Vern Amaro
(32 total points; by team ballot vote; no team award)
2003 -- Division "D", Visalia City League (fall): Gene Hitt
(27 total points; by team ballot vote; no team award)
2004 -- Thursday Night, Tulare City League (spring): Nelson Vieira
(42 total points; by team ballot vote; 2nd place trophy recipient)
2004 -- Men's D-Red, Visalia City League (fall): Lee Garcia
(34 total points; by team ballot vote; 1st place trophy recipient)
2005 -- Thursday Night, Tulare City League (spring): Frank Fletcher
(37 total points; by team ballot vote; team received 1st place shirts)
2005 -- Men's D-Red, Visalia City League (fall): Art Tabacco
(28 total points; by team ballot vote; no team award)
2006 -- Wednesday "B", Tulare City League (spring): Paul Lawrence
(31 total points; by team ballot vote; team received 1st place shirts)
2006 -- Men's D-Red, Visalia City League (summer): Mike Lujan
(113 offensive/defensive points; no team award)
2007 -- Men's D-Red, Visalia City League (spring): Frank Fletcher
(105 offensive/defensive points; no team award)
2007 -- Men's D-Blue, Visalia City League (summer): Steve Stafford
(34 total points; by team ballot vote; no team award)
Heavy Metal Softball league MVP Circle of Honor plaque recipients:
1990 -- Division 10, Tulare League (spring): Gene Hitt
(by team ballot vote; 1st place trophy recipient)
1991 -- Division 9, Tulare City League (spring): Frank Fletcher
(by team ballot vote; 1st place trophy recipient)
1994 -- Division 8, Tulare City League (spring): Vern Amaro
(by team ballot vote; 1st place trophy recipient --
I promptly gave it to my brother, Jerry,
our pitcher, whom I believed deserved it just as
well)
(1994 featured two halves to the season)
1994 -- Division 7, Tulare City League (spring): John Souza
(by team ballot vote; 1st place trophy recipient)
1995 -- Division 5, Tulare City League (spring): Frank Fletcher
(by team ballot vote; 1st place trophy recipient)
1999 -- Division 5, Tulare City League (spring): Frank Fletcher
(169 offensive points; team received 1st place shirts)
2000 -- Division 5, Tulare City League (spring): Gene Hitt
(138 offensive points; team received 1st place shirts)
2001 -- Division 2, Tulare City League (spring): Vern Amaro
(103 offensive points; no team award)
2002 -- Division 3, Tulare City League (spring): Frank Fletcher
(146 offensive points; 3rd place trophy recipient)
2003 -- Division 1, Tulare City League (spring): Vern Amaro
(32 total points; by team ballot vote; no team award)
2003 -- Division "D", Visalia City League (fall): Gene Hitt
(27 total points; by team ballot vote; no team award)
2004 -- Thursday Night, Tulare City League (spring): Nelson Vieira
(42 total points; by team ballot vote; 2nd place trophy recipient)
2004 -- Men's D-Red, Visalia City League (fall): Lee Garcia
(34 total points; by team ballot vote; 1st place trophy recipient)
2005 -- Thursday Night, Tulare City League (spring): Frank Fletcher
(37 total points; by team ballot vote; team received 1st place shirts)
2005 -- Men's D-Red, Visalia City League (fall): Art Tabacco
(28 total points; by team ballot vote; no team award)
2006 -- Wednesday "B", Tulare City League (spring): Paul Lawrence
(31 total points; by team ballot vote; team received 1st place shirts)
2006 -- Men's D-Red, Visalia City League (summer): Mike Lujan
(113 offensive/defensive points; no team award)
2007 -- Men's D-Red, Visalia City League (spring): Frank Fletcher
(105 offensive/defensive points; no team award)
2007 -- Men's D-Blue, Visalia City League (summer): Steve Stafford
(34 total points; by team ballot vote; no team award)
2008 -- Men's D-Blue, Visalia City League (spring): Steve Stafford
(24 total points; by team ballot vote; no team award)
2008 -- Men's D-Blue, Visalia City League (summer): Frank Fletcher
(84 offensive/defensive points; no team award)
2009 -- Thursday Men's, Tulare City League (spring): Steve Stafford
(29 total points; by team ballot vote; team received 1st place shirts)
2009 -- Thursday Men's, Tulare City League (summer): Wes Avery
(117 offensive/defensive points; no team award)
It is my wish that this ongoing list of individual player achievement be maintained for the life of our softball organization, when, on that sad but inevitable future date, we all decide to hang up our worn cleats, store away our favorite bats, and pass along our venerable gloves to a much younger generation. May they enjoy the game, as well as the friendship bonds created, as much as our much older generation expresses these now.
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