(from Adam) After a quick dispute over potential bat-stealing by a jerk attempting a George Clooney circa-E.R.-days look, we were able to start the game. Through some of Megan’s previous scouting of the team, we were somewhat apprehensive of the Northern Lights. This feeling soon ended as our hot bats gave us an early lead. Although the opposing team did find a way to rally on us, we pulled off a little rally of our own by shutting them out in the final two innings of the game. Highlights included Tony’s inside the park homerun, although I am sure he will get around to touching 2nd base at some point; Pat smashing a ball to the fence and then nearly running on top of Megan to complete the homerun; and generally good catches by everyone. Jenny also had to battle tree and fence to catch foul balls next to third, but was undeterred. The TRT tradition of getting hurt returned with Megan and Adam getting the most beat up. The game ended in a 10-12 loss, but come on!! Is it really a loss if the team DOESN’T lose by the ten-run rule, gets to go to Old Chicago after the game, and still has more fun than the other team? I think we all know the answer…. Next week is the ultimate battle for 2nd to last place. Fans should take note.

P.S. (from Bic) I might add that we’ve made some “progress” in the TRT injuries. We’ve moved from “ordinary” pulled muscles, scrapped knees, and bruised fingers/toes to dislocated shoulders. Yes, despite his shoulder popping out (and immediately back in), Adam managed to make a sweet catch, denying Northern Lights all-star shortstop a third consecutive hit. Ice, ice baby.

(from Adam) A perspective from the mound... This was the game to decide 2nd to Last Place. A very important game that would give the TRT bragging rights 9 months until next season to defend the 2nd to Last Place title—ever so coveted in the Roseville Co-Ed D league. RLC started the scoring with their first 7 batters reaching home plate. Things looked dire, but from that point on, the Tigers started to really play. In the most competitive and influential game of the season, the scoring went back and forth as the lead changed almost with each inning. Each Tiger gave it his/her all including a collision between Bic and Caleb in the outfield resulting in both getting the wind knocked out of them and Caleb somehow holding onto the ball. Megan had some clutch pop-fly catches in the outfield. And although there were some close dust-flying plays at the bases that did not go in the Tiger’s favor, we held our resolve. We were also fortunate to finally play our friend, Scrubs, who if you recall from the last game schemed to get a new bat from Caleb. He strutted his stuff at the plate, called for time to kick dirt, and generally threw himself around like a big-man. His antics might have been distracting if not for Mark’s advice from 1st to “Ignore the player! Don’t worry about him. Just throw your pitch.” This advice proved worthy as the pitches finally started to fall in for strikes resulting in Adam’s first 2 strike-out game, both of which came at the end of an inning. Tension filled the air and the stands as the TRT fans kept up their unwavering support. In the bottom of the 6th inning down by 5 runs, the TRT strung together some hits and a few walks to come away with a victory from Tony’s hit to the outfield that brought Pat (albeit, stumbling) home to a 20-19 victory. Cheers and high-fives ensued. Will the Tigers be able to ride this wave of energy to a win on the last game of the season? Fans….next week and your support will only tell.

(from Bic) "We are the champions, my friend..." Well, maybe not the champs, but we WON!!! The battle for Second to Last place see-sawed for the entire game. After several lead changes (Including their 7-1 lead after the first-Anyone else think we were done? Yeah, Pat's with me) and a couple of ties, we went into the last inning tied 14-14. Somehow they managed to score 5 runs. However, the Tigers came roaring back with some smart at-bats (i.e., Walks-Who could pass up the 2-fer deal?!?) and timely hits to win the game 20-19 with no outs. As usual, we played a drama-filled game, highlighted by Adam's homerun in the first, Caleb and Bic's near-death/heart-stopping/concussion-inducing collision in left (Yeah, that hurt), our opponent's Pig Pen player's ("Welcome to the world of the walking wounded") game-stopping mishaps, and Pat's go-ahead run of "Let's roll in the dirt and do a somersault while rounding third" to win the game. Aaahh, the agony and the ecstasy of being a Tiger....On a side note, that Bloomin' Onion (not to mention steak) at Outback was awesome...Anyhoo....Great win, TRT. As usual, thanks fans. Pool party next week. BYOB.

(from Mark) Tensions ran high for the Tigers as we approached the last game of the season. We were playing the team that the team we beat last week ("Scrubs" and the RLC) had their only win against. We were playing for 2nd to last place in the league. Let's just say winning isn't everything. But it was not all bad. Adam chalked up a couple more strikeouts. Mary made some great plays at home. Dale and Caleb ran into each other to make a Hawley sandwich but Dale came up with the catch. We had some good hitting and base running that got us 4 runs. We wanted our third win badly but making up a 23 run deficit is hard for even the best teams. As we raised our hands at the end of the game shouting "pool party" I think we realized that there's more to life than Co-Rec D-League Softball. But don't tell Bic that. She played in the next game on the side of the Cheeseballs. And rather well for someone with a rib injury. The game was between the two teams that had given us our only two wins playing each other for the battle for second to last place. If the Cheeseballs won, the Tigers are in second to last. If "Scrubs" and his band of RLC outlaws won, the Tigers are at the bottom. I don't know if it was Bic's help or the cheering of a few drunk Tigers but the Cheeseballs pulled it out and we finished SECOND TO LAST! Believe the hype! Mary's cake turned out to be accurate after all! The Tigers did what most people would have thought was impossible. And an extra special thanks goes to Mary for the pool party, the food and the cake. As someone who does not work at Transfer Road, I would like to just say I would much rather play with you than the PTC Windchill team any day. I don't care if you have a broken finger, broken ribs, dread playing softball every week, fall down trying to run the bases, make every catch, miss every catch, get strikeouts, make amazing catches and miss tagging someone out at home, are Mary's brother, are married to Bic, are divorced, have a nipple ring, whatever. You are all invited to my party on Saturday, September 13th! Much like the much talked about CD that still does not exist, y'all are Tha Shitz!

(from Bic) SECOND TO LAST. How sweet it is. Let’s savor the honor, the legacy we’ll be able to pass on to future offspring. And if all goes well, this will help us to forget last night’s debacle. I’m thinking that the horde of gnats did not help things much. Five gnats in each eye aren’t helpful. Unraveling, broken gloves aren’t helpful. An exceptionally good hitting night for Green Machine isn’t helpful. And oh yeah, errors aren’t all that terrific either. No matter. We ended the season with some post-game alcohol revelry at the field and at Mary’s (Some people might want to work on their cheering—“Dr. Ngo, Dr. Ngo” isn’t all that great a cheer). Some terrific stats include a broken finger, bruised ribs, torn ACL, and lots of other scrapes and bruises (And softball is a “no contact” sport!). Here’s to a fun-filled season of BW3, Old Chicago, Green Mill, Rice Krispe Treats, Turbo Oven, Diet Coke in the cake, Shark Hunting, Raft Standing, No throwing me in the pool and Tigers fans! See you at next year’s try-outs. GO TIGERS!!