Homers 5 1 3 1 3 2 2 17
Cassini Grounders 1 0 0 6 3 2 3 15
Due to an unexpected exhibition soccer match at the Rose Bowl, the Homers
played at Loma Alta Park in Altadena and beat the Cassini Grounders 17 to 15.
Despite the near-last-minute change in venue, the Homers had a good
turnout, which was fortuitous because the Cassini Grounders had a rather poor
one. Playing for the boys and girls in blue were Scott (LF), Richard (SS),
Cheryl (RF/C/1B), Jeff (C/RF/1B), Allan (1B/RF), Tim (LCF), Annette (2B),
Robb (3B), Ellen (RCF) and Earl Higa (P/3B/SS) in his Homer debut. Traded
for a bucket of balls (used) were Ron (LF), Sue (2B), Amy (RF), and
Holly (C/3B), though Sue was traded back in the 5th following the desertions
of Annette and Ellen. After trying in vain to teach Samantha and Isabelle
the secrets of fencing, Hannah and Taylor resigned themselves and their
pupils to watching the game peacefully. Amy, Scott, Robb, Jeff, Sue, Ron,
Holly, Samantha, Cheryl, Isabelle, Tim, Earl, and Richard made quite a
showing at Crown City after the game, with Earl gracefully suffering through
his Homer hazing by doing the chicken dance every time a Homer recapped the
story of Jeff's heading the ball for a grand slam. Next time, buddy, the mitt
goes on the hand, and the cap goes on the head.
Play of the day goes to Cheryl, who in the seventh inning had the misfortune of playing first base with Richard at shortstop. The leadoff batter grounded a ball to Richard, who threw it three feet over her head. The runner tried to advance to second, but Cheryl retrieved the ball quickly and threw to Richard covering the base, who chased the runner almost back to first before firing the ball at Cheryl's feet and past her. The runner rounded second and went for third, but again Cheryl retrieved the ball quickly and gunned it to Earl at third, who tagged the runner out and immediately began CPR on the unfortunate soul. Scott made some difficult plays in left look rather easy, and Annette and Robb made some nice stops at second and third base, respectively.
Offensively, no Homers hit a home run, but Richard got the taunt of the day. After hitting a ball in front of Amy in right, Richard, before rounding first base, yelled, "Make the play, chick!" and trotted for second. Amy, heeding the little yellow signs that declared right field a "mole-free zone", got that sixth finger in the way and fired the ball perhaps five feet in the air, where it bounced the rest of the way to the infield.
Next week's game is Tuesday, July 16, on field H2 against Planet X, a good team to whom Mary has been talking a lot of trash, so we'd better play well to back her up.
For anyone interested, Raul, the original Homer manager, dug up an old team photo, which has been added to the web page under the 1992 link. 1993 was a big transition year for the Homers, with only Jeff, Scott, and Richard still active from before then.