The 1906 season ended like the previous ones with the Reds and the Blues winning their respective league championships. The Reds had a final tally of 114 victories, a 16 win dropoff from last year, when nearly every position player was injured at some point during the season. One exception was MVP Dexter Jones who posted a new walk record with an incredible 195 bases on balls. Pitching aces Lou Ellis and Tom Saunders had slight off years, but George Bentley came to the rescue with a 19-3 record and a 2.76 ERA and won the Best Pitcher Award. In the Blue League Herman Augustus of the Maroons won the HR and RBI title. Bradley Duckworth of the Leafs was the league's best pitcher with a 16-8 record and a 2.93 ERA. Curiously no single pitcher in either league won 20 games.
The Con Cup ended in a Reds' four game sweeo. Although all of the games were close, the result was never in doubt, as the Blues never led in any of the four games.
Dienstag, 14. Februar 2012
Dienstag, 7. Februar 2012
82.) May 1906, Montego Bay, A day in a park
My train arrived at Montego Bay Central at 2.30 pm. It was only ten minutes late and I had one hour left before the start of the game. Most of us know Montego Bay as 'the Golden City' and when you approach the city by train you cannot help finding it a very fitting moniker. There are lots of yellow and white buildings rimming the beachfront and spreading out from the sea inwards through the narrow gap between Long Hill and Green Pond (only heaven knows why a mountain had been named so). These two steep, wooded hills seem to guard the entrance to the city, or they used to when it was a small town. Now Montego Bay has a population of over 100,000 and is rapidly filling up the land beyond said mountains.
A lovely city it is, but when you head eastward from Central to the Mount Salem section you become aware of the grimmer side of Montego Bay with four or five-storey houses lining the streets. The bulidings are mostly in bad repair, dark, and with broken windows, that seemed like mournful eyes to me. But the streets were full of people, lots of families, children everywhere, and they, the people that lived here were in the same sorry state, impoverished and somewhat lethargic. Later I learned that only a couple of years ago this neighborhood, called East City, was very respectable one. Middle class people residing in those same houses, but by and by house ownwership changed and the new landlords found it more profitable to fill the houses with twice as many low income people, collect the same rent and save on the maintenance work.
Montego Bay has two senior league ballgame clubs; the Blue Sox in the Blue League and the Pirates in the Red League. Curiously both clubs' ballparks are within a quarter mile in Mount Salem which borders the East City section. Today's game was at Pirate Park, home of , (you guessed it!), the Pirates. It is the lesser of the two clubs, because Blue people outnumber the Reds in this city by about two to one. The Red-Blue conflict may haves mellowed in every day life during the last decades, but regarding the ballgame it is very much alive. Neither club has won any championship, but the little Pirates, for some reason, have been the better ballclub in most years since league play started in 1890.
Pirate Park, some Monteagans say, is to be either loved or loathed. There is a general shabbyness and carelessness in this place. Weed growing in the pavement cracks, garbage left between the seats from yesterday's game, broken benches, little things like that may annoy you when you watch a game here. For my part I have always liked the place and the today's game promised to be a good one. I happened to sit next to a gentleman, some 70 years old and dark-skinned and during the game we chatted a little about Pirate Park and the Pirates ballclub.
'I go to every Pirate game, son. I'm retired with lots of time on hand. It's a disease, an incurable one and when the Pirates are out of town I even go to Sox game now and then or take the trip to Lucea to watch the Maroons.'
He was accompanied by two ladies of the same age, one was his wife, the other her sister, as it turned out. They remained silent, while their male companion was quite talkative.
'There is one thing about the Pirates you've got to comprehend, son. It's all about the team. Name the best Pirate player ever, tell me one single name now! You hesitate? That's because there isn't any! Good players are send away and good young ones are picked up to replace them, every year the same and still we've got a respectable team here every season, it's like a miracle. The Sox burn their money and we got the wins. Funny isn't it? It amuses me to no end!'
Then he laughed which could easily be taken as coughing though.
Today game was against the Mandeville Railroaders. As everywhere the Railwaymen had a sizable number of supporters in this park. Railway workers all over New America felt a strong affinity to the team and came to support them wherever they played. They were easily recognizable by their gray caps, that were frantically waved when the team entered the playing field or scored a run.
The Pirates had a wonderful April, winning 17 games while losing only 9 and finding themselves in first place ('Wont last, son, trust me!' my neigbor warned me). And on this Wednesday afternoon an excellent crowd of 8323 was at hand. The grandstands were almost filled, as the park officially seats 10,000 patrons. They saw a neatly played game that the Pirates won 6-3. Spanky Nelson, the Pirate starting pitcher threw a clever game striking out 10 in eight innings, he gave up only 4 hits, alas 3 of them were homeruns. As a player I sometimes wondered if the Montego Bay fans cared about winning at all. The spectators' mood appeared to not change noticebly, win or lose.
When I mentioned this to my neighbor, he smiled: 'We don't want to finish last, that's all, that makes us happy and you want to be happy for the rest of your life, the Sox, they're happy if they win and therefore are the miserablest bunch you can imagine, understand me, son?'
I honestly tried to understand. Life, happiness, the ballgame, losing and winning, all this belongs together in a way that is more mysterious than you would conventionally assume.
And I'm still trying.
A lovely city it is, but when you head eastward from Central to the Mount Salem section you become aware of the grimmer side of Montego Bay with four or five-storey houses lining the streets. The bulidings are mostly in bad repair, dark, and with broken windows, that seemed like mournful eyes to me. But the streets were full of people, lots of families, children everywhere, and they, the people that lived here were in the same sorry state, impoverished and somewhat lethargic. Later I learned that only a couple of years ago this neighborhood, called East City, was very respectable one. Middle class people residing in those same houses, but by and by house ownwership changed and the new landlords found it more profitable to fill the houses with twice as many low income people, collect the same rent and save on the maintenance work.
Montego Bay has two senior league ballgame clubs; the Blue Sox in the Blue League and the Pirates in the Red League. Curiously both clubs' ballparks are within a quarter mile in Mount Salem which borders the East City section. Today's game was at Pirate Park, home of , (you guessed it!), the Pirates. It is the lesser of the two clubs, because Blue people outnumber the Reds in this city by about two to one. The Red-Blue conflict may haves mellowed in every day life during the last decades, but regarding the ballgame it is very much alive. Neither club has won any championship, but the little Pirates, for some reason, have been the better ballclub in most years since league play started in 1890.
Pirate Park, some Monteagans say, is to be either loved or loathed. There is a general shabbyness and carelessness in this place. Weed growing in the pavement cracks, garbage left between the seats from yesterday's game, broken benches, little things like that may annoy you when you watch a game here. For my part I have always liked the place and the today's game promised to be a good one. I happened to sit next to a gentleman, some 70 years old and dark-skinned and during the game we chatted a little about Pirate Park and the Pirates ballclub.
'I go to every Pirate game, son. I'm retired with lots of time on hand. It's a disease, an incurable one and when the Pirates are out of town I even go to Sox game now and then or take the trip to Lucea to watch the Maroons.'
He was accompanied by two ladies of the same age, one was his wife, the other her sister, as it turned out. They remained silent, while their male companion was quite talkative.
'There is one thing about the Pirates you've got to comprehend, son. It's all about the team. Name the best Pirate player ever, tell me one single name now! You hesitate? That's because there isn't any! Good players are send away and good young ones are picked up to replace them, every year the same and still we've got a respectable team here every season, it's like a miracle. The Sox burn their money and we got the wins. Funny isn't it? It amuses me to no end!'
Then he laughed which could easily be taken as coughing though.
Today game was against the Mandeville Railroaders. As everywhere the Railwaymen had a sizable number of supporters in this park. Railway workers all over New America felt a strong affinity to the team and came to support them wherever they played. They were easily recognizable by their gray caps, that were frantically waved when the team entered the playing field or scored a run.
The Pirates had a wonderful April, winning 17 games while losing only 9 and finding themselves in first place ('Wont last, son, trust me!' my neigbor warned me). And on this Wednesday afternoon an excellent crowd of 8323 was at hand. The grandstands were almost filled, as the park officially seats 10,000 patrons. They saw a neatly played game that the Pirates won 6-3. Spanky Nelson, the Pirate starting pitcher threw a clever game striking out 10 in eight innings, he gave up only 4 hits, alas 3 of them were homeruns. As a player I sometimes wondered if the Montego Bay fans cared about winning at all. The spectators' mood appeared to not change noticebly, win or lose.
When I mentioned this to my neighbor, he smiled: 'We don't want to finish last, that's all, that makes us happy and you want to be happy for the rest of your life, the Sox, they're happy if they win and therefore are the miserablest bunch you can imagine, understand me, son?'
I honestly tried to understand. Life, happiness, the ballgame, losing and winning, all this belongs together in a way that is more mysterious than you would conventionally assume.
And I'm still trying.
Montag, 6. Februar 2012
81.) Liberty City , Im Mai 1906, Eine Reise nach irgendwo
Mit der Saison 1905 ging auch mein Vertrag bei den Port Antonio Clippers zu Ende. Ich also wieder das, was wir hier 'free agent' nennen, das heißt ich gehöre keinem Club und kann selbst bestimmen bei welchen Club ich für die Saison 1906 unterschreibe. Das klingt gut, aber es stellte sich während der nächsten Monate heraus, daß es nicht gut war. Ich hatte keinen Vertrag und es gab niemanden, der mir einen Vertrag anbot. Nicht durch den Winter, nicht im Frühjahr, auch nicht zu Beginn des Frühjars-Trainings, und auch nicht zu Beginn der Saison im Aptril. Ich blieb arbeitslos.
Ich hatte einige Junior-Liga Angebote, die miserabel dotiert waren und ich sah nicht ein nochmal in der Unterliga zu vegetieren und darauf zu warten, daß sich im Mutterklub jemand verletzt und ich als Ersatz hochgerufen werde. Meine 1905 Saison war gut gewesen, ich bin ein Senior-Liga Spieler. Ich weiß es und ich kann es!
Keine Arbeit heißt kein Geld und viel Freizeit. Anne-Mary hatte seit einigen Jahren eine gute Stelle am Mathäus-Hospital in Liberty City, wir waren nicht arm, aber ohne meine Arbeit und mein Gehalt als Ballspieler mußten wir uns in vielen Dingen umstellen uns sparen. Und das ging nicht ohne Probleme. Es lag also eine gewisse Spannung in unserer Familie. Ich hatte natürlich viele Kontakte in den vielen Jahren in der Ballspiel-Liga gewonnen. Es waren Spieler und Manager uns Coaches, die ich besuchte oder denen ich schrieb, aber auch diese Bemühungen führten zu nichts.
Anfang Mai beschloß ich eine Reise zu unternehmen. Gegnüber Anne-Mary und gegenüber mir selbst, begründete ich sie damit alte Freunde zu treffen um vielleicht in persönlichen Gesprächen etwas zu erreichen. Mein Gott, ich war fast bereit auch einen Junior-Liga-Vertrag anzunehmen, aber auch dort waren nun im Mai alle Plätze besetzt. Ijn Wahrheit wollte ich den Spannungen zu Hause entgehen und ffür ein paar Wochen frei zu sein. Ich wollte durch Neu-Amerika reisen und mir die großen und kleinen Orte ansehen und Ballspiele als Zuschauer geniessen. Ich war in meiner Karriere unendlich vielm gerreist, wieviele Nächte habe ich in Zügen verbracht? Aber das waren gehetzte Reisen, als Mannschaft sind wir durchs Land geeilt von Einem Ballpark zum anderen. Um das Spiel drehten sich unsere Gedanken, das Ballspiel stand im Mittelpunkt und drum herum rotierte alles andere: die Städte, die Hotels, die Ballprks, die Gesichter in der Menge, die wie eine Masse schienen und nur manchmal nahm man sie als Menschen war. Mal ein enttäuschtes Gesicht und dort ein glückliches, dann ein verzweifeltes, ein spöttisches oder eines der Bewunderung.Wir Ballspieler, wir leben in einer immer länger sich hinziehenden Kindheit, einjer Zeit des Spiels und wir erzeugen Gefühle , wir bewegen die Herzen der Menschen, geben Freude und verursachen Trauer und wir Unschuldigen ahnen oft so wenig davon. Es ist unser Geschäft, unser Beruf unser Talent und unser Glück.
Am 2ten Mai bestieg ich in Liberty City den Zug nach Montego Bay.
Ich hatte einige Junior-Liga Angebote, die miserabel dotiert waren und ich sah nicht ein nochmal in der Unterliga zu vegetieren und darauf zu warten, daß sich im Mutterklub jemand verletzt und ich als Ersatz hochgerufen werde. Meine 1905 Saison war gut gewesen, ich bin ein Senior-Liga Spieler. Ich weiß es und ich kann es!
Keine Arbeit heißt kein Geld und viel Freizeit. Anne-Mary hatte seit einigen Jahren eine gute Stelle am Mathäus-Hospital in Liberty City, wir waren nicht arm, aber ohne meine Arbeit und mein Gehalt als Ballspieler mußten wir uns in vielen Dingen umstellen uns sparen. Und das ging nicht ohne Probleme. Es lag also eine gewisse Spannung in unserer Familie. Ich hatte natürlich viele Kontakte in den vielen Jahren in der Ballspiel-Liga gewonnen. Es waren Spieler und Manager uns Coaches, die ich besuchte oder denen ich schrieb, aber auch diese Bemühungen führten zu nichts.
Anfang Mai beschloß ich eine Reise zu unternehmen. Gegnüber Anne-Mary und gegenüber mir selbst, begründete ich sie damit alte Freunde zu treffen um vielleicht in persönlichen Gesprächen etwas zu erreichen. Mein Gott, ich war fast bereit auch einen Junior-Liga-Vertrag anzunehmen, aber auch dort waren nun im Mai alle Plätze besetzt. Ijn Wahrheit wollte ich den Spannungen zu Hause entgehen und ffür ein paar Wochen frei zu sein. Ich wollte durch Neu-Amerika reisen und mir die großen und kleinen Orte ansehen und Ballspiele als Zuschauer geniessen. Ich war in meiner Karriere unendlich vielm gerreist, wieviele Nächte habe ich in Zügen verbracht? Aber das waren gehetzte Reisen, als Mannschaft sind wir durchs Land geeilt von Einem Ballpark zum anderen. Um das Spiel drehten sich unsere Gedanken, das Ballspiel stand im Mittelpunkt und drum herum rotierte alles andere: die Städte, die Hotels, die Ballprks, die Gesichter in der Menge, die wie eine Masse schienen und nur manchmal nahm man sie als Menschen war. Mal ein enttäuschtes Gesicht und dort ein glückliches, dann ein verzweifeltes, ein spöttisches oder eines der Bewunderung.Wir Ballspieler, wir leben in einer immer länger sich hinziehenden Kindheit, einjer Zeit des Spiels und wir erzeugen Gefühle , wir bewegen die Herzen der Menschen, geben Freude und verursachen Trauer und wir Unschuldigen ahnen oft so wenig davon. Es ist unser Geschäft, unser Beruf unser Talent und unser Glück.
Am 2ten Mai bestieg ich in Liberty City den Zug nach Montego Bay.
Dienstag, 31. Januar 2012
80.) Die Saison 1905
Die 1905-Saison
Das Jahr 1905 brachte die beste Mannschaft in der Liga-Geschichte des Ballspiels in Neu-Amerika hervor. Die Roten aus Liberty City gewannen die unglaubliche Zahl von 130 Spielen! Nur 32 Spiele gingen verloren. Damit brachen sie ihren eigenen Rekord von 121 Siegen aus dem Vorjahr. Alle Werfer waren vorzüglich. Heraus stach wieder einmal Tom Saunders (27-3, 2.31), der zum vierten Mal hintereinander zum wertvollsten Werfer der Roten Liga gewählt wurde. Aber auch Lou Ellis (10-6, 2.97), Ken Bitner(19-6, 3.47) und Gary Bentley (21-5, 3.45) waren nicht weit dahinter. Outfielder Matt Snavely war bester Schlagmann der Liga mit .366. Infielder Rick Hunt und Tom Andrus waren die Leistungsträger einer Mannschaft, die selbst etablierte Stars wie Ray Hitt und Bradley Monteith in die Reds-Junior Mannschaft schicken konnte. In dieser Mannschaft war Werfer Gary Jone mit 23-1, 2.24 der beste in der Geschichte der Junior-Liga und ein Kandidat für die Roten in der Senior Liga im Jahr 1906.
46 Spiele hinter den Roten beendeten die Weisssocken aus Liberty City die Rote Liga an zweiter Stelle mit 84-78. Tum ersten Mal seit 1894 landeten sie wieder auf einen besseren Platz als den fünften (von acht). Ihr bester Spieler war 3rd baseman Dan Schneider. Die meisten Homeruns schlug Jason Boyd von den Morant Bay 59ers mit 38.
In der Blauen Liga gewannen die Blauen aus Liberty City mit zehn Siegen Vorsprung über die Lucea Maroons die Meisterschaft. Ihr Werfer David Alkire war der überragende Spieler mit 25-5, 3.01. 1B Martin Radke, OF Zane McGrath und OF Neville 'Swan' Fults waren die beste Schlagmänner. Die zweite Saison mit mehr als 20 Siegen in einer schwachen Mannschaft verzeichnete Bradley Duckworth mit 21-10, 2.97, für die fünft-platzierten Halfway Tree Leafs.
Im Oktober trafen sich also die Roten und die Blauen zu dem klassischen Con Cup Finale. Zum dreizehnten Mal seit Ligagründung in 1890 stehen sich die Rivalen gegenüber und selten waren die Rotn größere Favoriten als dieses Jahr. Von den 12 vorigen Con Cup matchups der Roten und Blauen, gewannen die Roten neun Mal.
In the first game of this year's series the two premier starting pitcher of each side locked their horns. David Alkire of the Blues and Red Tom Saunders struggled heroically and fought to a scoreless draw after nine innings after which the Blues let that single, deciding run slip through in the bottom of the ninth. The next day saw another close encounter that went to 12 innings and was won by the Blues 7-4 with two Red homeruns by David Lowry went for aught.
In game 3 the Blues scored early and held onto their lead to win 4-2 eventually. So it's 2-1 Blues.
David Alkire started game 4 on short rest and faced Gary Bentley, who kept the Blues hitless through 6 innings. His teammates had already opened up a 4-0 lead against a tiring Alkire, when Don Schrader hit a HR to foil Bentley no-hit bid in the 7th. The score now 4-1 Reds and so it remained The Con Cup is tied at 2 each.
To the Red's dismay Saunders had to skip his start in game 5 because of injury, instead Lou Ellis was slated to oppose the Blues' Lloyd Outlaw, 26-year-old, big (6-3, 235) rookie, who had a good, but not a great season. Outlaw was rocked and rattled by 8 runs in the 3rd inning, enough for an 8-5 Reds win. Reds lead 3 games to 2.
Tom Saunders started game & for the Reds, but he obviously was not in top form giving up 4 runs in 5 innings. That hardly mattered though, as leftfielder Terry James hit a grand slam and a lot of other Blue pitches were hit hard . The result was a 10-5 Red win and another Con Cup championship for the Liberty City Reds.
Im Oktober trafen sich also die Roten und die Blauen zu dem klassischen Con Cup Finale. Zum dreizehnten Mal seit Ligagründung in 1890 stehen sich die Rivalen gegenüber und selten waren die Rotn größere Favoriten als dieses Jahr. Von den 12 vorigen Con Cup matchups der Roten und Blauen, gewannen die Roten neun Mal.
In the first game of this year's series the two premier starting pitcher of each side locked their horns. David Alkire of the Blues and Red Tom Saunders struggled heroically and fought to a scoreless draw after nine innings after which the Blues let that single, deciding run slip through in the bottom of the ninth. The next day saw another close encounter that went to 12 innings and was won by the Blues 7-4 with two Red homeruns by David Lowry went for aught.
In game 3 the Blues scored early and held onto their lead to win 4-2 eventually. So it's 2-1 Blues.
David Alkire started game 4 on short rest and faced Gary Bentley, who kept the Blues hitless through 6 innings. His teammates had already opened up a 4-0 lead against a tiring Alkire, when Don Schrader hit a HR to foil Bentley no-hit bid in the 7th. The score now 4-1 Reds and so it remained The Con Cup is tied at 2 each.
To the Red's dismay Saunders had to skip his start in game 5 because of injury, instead Lou Ellis was slated to oppose the Blues' Lloyd Outlaw, 26-year-old, big (6-3, 235) rookie, who had a good, but not a great season. Outlaw was rocked and rattled by 8 runs in the 3rd inning, enough for an 8-5 Reds win. Reds lead 3 games to 2.
Tom Saunders started game & for the Reds, but he obviously was not in top form giving up 4 runs in 5 innings. That hardly mattered though, as leftfielder Terry James hit a grand slam and a lot of other Blue pitches were hit hard . The result was a 10-5 Red win and another Con Cup championship for the Liberty City Reds.
Donnerstag, 26. Januar 2012
1. Oktober, 1905
Die Roten gewannen das siebte Spiel.
Dann gewannen sie auch den Con Cup im Jahr 1903
Und im Jahr 1904.
Und im Jahr 1905 gewannen sie 132 Spiele in der regulären Saison. Eine Leistung, die New America den Atem raubte.
Meine Karriere war auf Sparflamme, eine Serie von 1-Jahresvertragen in Mandevelle oder Port Antonio. Ich war ein Reisender geworden, In der Ballspiel-Sprache " a journeyman". mit bescheidenem Gehalt. Ich bin 33. In diesem Alter wird man nicht mehr besser. Man versucht sich einzureden, daß Erfahrung wichtiger ist als junge Beine. Oder ist Erfahrung der Beginn der Fäulniss?
Dann gewannen sie auch den Con Cup im Jahr 1903
Und im Jahr 1904.
Und im Jahr 1905 gewannen sie 132 Spiele in der regulären Saison. Eine Leistung, die New America den Atem raubte.
Meine Karriere war auf Sparflamme, eine Serie von 1-Jahresvertragen in Mandevelle oder Port Antonio. Ich war ein Reisender geworden, In der Ballspiel-Sprache " a journeyman". mit bescheidenem Gehalt. Ich bin 33. In diesem Alter wird man nicht mehr besser. Man versucht sich einzureden, daß Erfahrung wichtiger ist als junge Beine. Oder ist Erfahrung der Beginn der Fäulniss?
Sonntag, 4. Dezember 2011
78.) Liberty City, Oct 6th, Between Six and Seven
Drei zu drei.
3 Siege für die Roten, 3 Siege für die Blauen.
Bis zu diesem Punkt sind wir also gekommen, jetzt im Oktober 1902.
Sechs Ballspiele in acht Tagen, eine Woche und ein Tag herrscht das Con Cup-Fieber in Liberty City und in ganz Neu-Amerika. Vor uns, morgen, liegt das Siebte Spiel. Das ist eine sportliche Veranstaltung, aber noch mehr ist es eine Legende, eine vielbesungene, ein jedes Jahr von neuem ersehntes Geschenk.
Welch unglaubliche Stimmung, gestern, nach dem Ende des sechsten Spiels herrschte! Die Blauen hatten gesiegt. Ein wenig ereignisreiches Spiel eigentlich, aber nach dem letzten Out legte sich ein Raunen über den Ballpark, kein Jubel, kein Jauchzen der Sieger. Ein Raunen, das von einer unheimlichen Stille abgelöst wurde. Die Stille währte während sich die Zuschauer langsam aus dem Stadion hinausdrängten und sie verlor sich dann irgendwo draußen in den Straßen der Stadt.
Es war eine Stille des Staunens, es war die Gewißheit gewordene Hoffnung auf ein Siebtes Spiel. Es war das betäubene Gefühl an einem außerordentlichen Geschehen teilgenommen zu haben, das was in alten Zeiten ein Walten genannt wurde.
Die Blauen hatten die Roten wieder an den Rand des Abgrunds gedrängt und damit die Welt in Staunen versetzt.
Those mighty Reds! Their legendary swagger has disappeared. The over-overwhelming favorites of this or any year's Conciliation Cup are left at the edge of the cliffs clinging on with cramping fingers, staring down to the anger, the oblivion, the endless taunts that are lurking beneath them.
Through the regular season they strode proudly, a team unmatched and essentially untested. Too powerful, too arrogant, too rightfully arrogant I might add, they were set up to win big and unbeknowst to them in the end to fail grandly. Ten, fifteen, twenty games ahead, they made themselves the sitting duck at which resentment and ill-will could so easily be aimed.
Not one soul would have been surprised had they swept away the Blues four games to none. No sane mind would have blamed the Blues for this kind of result.
Those Blues, that won the Blue League championship on the season's last day. Their starting rotation in disarray because of this. They had to be on their toes all season long, at their heels the hound dogs of the "land"-clubs. Those methodical, serious Blues had no time for boasting or early celebrations like their Red brothers. They had to work hard every single day, every game and every pitch. Forever tinkering with that Old Blue Machine, that sometimes was sputtering and in danger of blowing up. But the engineers of the ballgame, Matt Olson, Wes Tate and the others labored dilligently to have the Old Blue Machine churn out that one single win more than what their competitors could manage. They succeeded and found themselves to be the underst-dog against the gleamingly-armored Red team in the Con-Cup.
Game one pitted the Reds' ace David Alkire against Jon Palmer, a 24-year old kid with one complete season and a couple of coffees under his belt. Palmer smoothly shifted from the coffee table to the dinner table, grabbed everything within reach and left the Red predators starving. The final bill showed a 6-3 Blues win.
Game two stuck at 2-2 after 6 innings and remained so for the next some 15 innings. During that 21 inning odessy through nothingness, the Blues let the Reds run against the wall numerous times. The final tally of stranded red baserunners stood at 60, when they pushed one of their own home from 3rd at last.
The next six games were a series of strikes and counterstrikes as if both teams had secretly agreed to resolve the matter in game number seven. Of course each contest was fiercely contested, an assortment of Red knights struggling to keep a band of journeyman in check with halfway success only.
3 Siege für die Roten, 3 Siege für die Blauen.
Bis zu diesem Punkt sind wir also gekommen, jetzt im Oktober 1902.
Sechs Ballspiele in acht Tagen, eine Woche und ein Tag herrscht das Con Cup-Fieber in Liberty City und in ganz Neu-Amerika. Vor uns, morgen, liegt das Siebte Spiel. Das ist eine sportliche Veranstaltung, aber noch mehr ist es eine Legende, eine vielbesungene, ein jedes Jahr von neuem ersehntes Geschenk.
Welch unglaubliche Stimmung, gestern, nach dem Ende des sechsten Spiels herrschte! Die Blauen hatten gesiegt. Ein wenig ereignisreiches Spiel eigentlich, aber nach dem letzten Out legte sich ein Raunen über den Ballpark, kein Jubel, kein Jauchzen der Sieger. Ein Raunen, das von einer unheimlichen Stille abgelöst wurde. Die Stille währte während sich die Zuschauer langsam aus dem Stadion hinausdrängten und sie verlor sich dann irgendwo draußen in den Straßen der Stadt.
Es war eine Stille des Staunens, es war die Gewißheit gewordene Hoffnung auf ein Siebtes Spiel. Es war das betäubene Gefühl an einem außerordentlichen Geschehen teilgenommen zu haben, das was in alten Zeiten ein Walten genannt wurde.
Die Blauen hatten die Roten wieder an den Rand des Abgrunds gedrängt und damit die Welt in Staunen versetzt.
Those mighty Reds! Their legendary swagger has disappeared. The over-overwhelming favorites of this or any year's Conciliation Cup are left at the edge of the cliffs clinging on with cramping fingers, staring down to the anger, the oblivion, the endless taunts that are lurking beneath them.
Through the regular season they strode proudly, a team unmatched and essentially untested. Too powerful, too arrogant, too rightfully arrogant I might add, they were set up to win big and unbeknowst to them in the end to fail grandly. Ten, fifteen, twenty games ahead, they made themselves the sitting duck at which resentment and ill-will could so easily be aimed.
Not one soul would have been surprised had they swept away the Blues four games to none. No sane mind would have blamed the Blues for this kind of result.
Those Blues, that won the Blue League championship on the season's last day. Their starting rotation in disarray because of this. They had to be on their toes all season long, at their heels the hound dogs of the "land"-clubs. Those methodical, serious Blues had no time for boasting or early celebrations like their Red brothers. They had to work hard every single day, every game and every pitch. Forever tinkering with that Old Blue Machine, that sometimes was sputtering and in danger of blowing up. But the engineers of the ballgame, Matt Olson, Wes Tate and the others labored dilligently to have the Old Blue Machine churn out that one single win more than what their competitors could manage. They succeeded and found themselves to be the underst-dog against the gleamingly-armored Red team in the Con-Cup.
Game one pitted the Reds' ace David Alkire against Jon Palmer, a 24-year old kid with one complete season and a couple of coffees under his belt. Palmer smoothly shifted from the coffee table to the dinner table, grabbed everything within reach and left the Red predators starving. The final bill showed a 6-3 Blues win.
Game two stuck at 2-2 after 6 innings and remained so for the next some 15 innings. During that 21 inning odessy through nothingness, the Blues let the Reds run against the wall numerous times. The final tally of stranded red baserunners stood at 60, when they pushed one of their own home from 3rd at last.
The next six games were a series of strikes and counterstrikes as if both teams had secretly agreed to resolve the matter in game number seven. Of course each contest was fiercely contested, an assortment of Red knights struggling to keep a band of journeyman in check with halfway success only.
Dienstag, 22. November 2011
77.) June 17th, 1902, Liberty City, Reds bleached 2-1
Tuesday, 17th game: Our starter Keith Harvey was fabulous! Hes always had decent stuff, but a lack of control used to be his undoing and helped him to a over 6 ERA. Today he surprised us with an 8-inning 1-tun performance. After 9 innings the score was 1-1, I led off the 10th with a single and evetually scored whar proofed to be the winning run, as Robison held thr Reds scoreless in the bottom of the 10th. Great stuff!!
76.) June 16th, Liberty City, 15-5 loss
We arrived here in Liberty City from Old Harbor at noon. In the afternoon the Reds beat us good 15-5, I came in in the 8th and got a hit. Otherwise a game to forget. Looking forward to tomorrows game!
Mitteilung des Herausgebers
Zu diesem Zeitpunkt bricht der Bericht Ucheks ab, um dann ca 2,5 Jahre später erneut einzusetzen. Aus anderen Quellen kann ich diese Geschehnisse rund um Uchek aus dieser Zeit rekonstruieren:
Kurze Zeit nach der letzten Nachricht erfährt er von seinem trade zu den Liberty City Reds. Er unterschreibt einen hoch dotierten Vertrag.
In seinen zwei Jahren mit den Reds erreicht er beide Male den Con Cup. Im Jahr 1900 gewinnt er das Finale, allerdings ist er während der gesamten Zeit nur der back-up catcher.
Im November 1898 wird sein zweiter Sohn Joseph geboren.
Im Jahr 1901 spielt er bei den Mandevelle Railroaders als starting catcher. Ebenso beginnt er das Jahr 1902 mir den Railroaders. Im Juni 1902 setzen seine Nachrichten wieder ein.
Kurze Zeit nach der letzten Nachricht erfährt er von seinem trade zu den Liberty City Reds. Er unterschreibt einen hoch dotierten Vertrag.
In seinen zwei Jahren mit den Reds erreicht er beide Male den Con Cup. Im Jahr 1900 gewinnt er das Finale, allerdings ist er während der gesamten Zeit nur der back-up catcher.
Im November 1898 wird sein zweiter Sohn Joseph geboren.
Im Jahr 1901 spielt er bei den Mandevelle Railroaders als starting catcher. Ebenso beginnt er das Jahr 1902 mir den Railroaders. Im Juni 1902 setzen seine Nachrichten wieder ein.
Montag, 12. September 2011
75.) October, 15, 1898, Montego Bay, A letter from Ran (part 2)
His letter continues thusly:
Let me talk to you now about a matter that matters. No beating about the bush: I bought a majority stake in the St Andrew Brothers ballclub! Thats right Im an owner now, so behave, you pall-playing peasant! The academic crowd of St Andrews that had been running the team got tired of it. All those engineers, schoolmasters and dermatologists noticed at last that a team without patrons inhales a lot of money and exhales hot air only. You saw it yourself the weekday crowds were usually weak (my apologies for all stupid puns youre encoutering here!) and downright puny. And thats affordable to a certain point only.
I didnt get the club for a song exactly, but lets say, for a garland of songs. My old man loaned the dough, at market rates, my friend. But thats alright. You know big daddy and his brilliant offspring Ran were sometimes at odds in the past , regarding my aptitude for the business way of life. So I go it on my own now running this little sweat-shop of a ballclub.
Lets hope Im not the one sweating blood or money in the futere, because the first challenge thats to be met is finding a place to play for the 1900 season. The University of St Andrew chose to terminate the lease of the Brothers ballpark!
This cozy little field of play with the Girls Dorms walls as the left field fence will stay in my heart, if not in my wallet. The Regents are convinced they need the space to expand the campus facility, so be it.
Whence now, youll ask. I got at least two options: stay in North Liberty City, ask the city council for a suitable lot and money to build a new ballpark (in the Half Way Tree section possibly) or move the ballclub to another lovely town like Falmouth, the gentry there is said to be keen for a ballclub. That ahs to be decided before the 1899 starts, what would you prefer?
Beside this I wanted to ask you to join in this enterprise as a bench coach (or should I rather say Assistant Manager?) for this club and take over the rein in two yearss time. I need someone that I have complete trust in. I understand that you were lucky that quite a lot of pitches hit your bat last season, so youre probably not in the mood to retire. If youre after all, let me know at once!
Not to forget the most important news: Rachel and I decided to marry. Each other, in case you wonder! Youll get an invitation for the festivities shortly.
My best kisses to Anne-Mary and little Jacob and regards to you
Ran
Let me talk to you now about a matter that matters. No beating about the bush: I bought a majority stake in the St Andrew Brothers ballclub! Thats right Im an owner now, so behave, you pall-playing peasant! The academic crowd of St Andrews that had been running the team got tired of it. All those engineers, schoolmasters and dermatologists noticed at last that a team without patrons inhales a lot of money and exhales hot air only. You saw it yourself the weekday crowds were usually weak (my apologies for all stupid puns youre encoutering here!) and downright puny. And thats affordable to a certain point only.
I didnt get the club for a song exactly, but lets say, for a garland of songs. My old man loaned the dough, at market rates, my friend. But thats alright. You know big daddy and his brilliant offspring Ran were sometimes at odds in the past , regarding my aptitude for the business way of life. So I go it on my own now running this little sweat-shop of a ballclub.
Lets hope Im not the one sweating blood or money in the futere, because the first challenge thats to be met is finding a place to play for the 1900 season. The University of St Andrew chose to terminate the lease of the Brothers ballpark!
This cozy little field of play with the Girls Dorms walls as the left field fence will stay in my heart, if not in my wallet. The Regents are convinced they need the space to expand the campus facility, so be it.
Whence now, youll ask. I got at least two options: stay in North Liberty City, ask the city council for a suitable lot and money to build a new ballpark (in the Half Way Tree section possibly) or move the ballclub to another lovely town like Falmouth, the gentry there is said to be keen for a ballclub. That ahs to be decided before the 1899 starts, what would you prefer?
Beside this I wanted to ask you to join in this enterprise as a bench coach (or should I rather say Assistant Manager?) for this club and take over the rein in two yearss time. I need someone that I have complete trust in. I understand that you were lucky that quite a lot of pitches hit your bat last season, so youre probably not in the mood to retire. If youre after all, let me know at once!
Not to forget the most important news: Rachel and I decided to marry. Each other, in case you wonder! Youll get an invitation for the festivities shortly.
My best kisses to Anne-Mary and little Jacob and regards to you
Ran
Freitag, 9. September 2011
74.) 15.Oktober 1898, Montego Bay, A letter from Ran (part 1)
Today I got this letter from my old friend Ran Bramble:
C.D., you little bastard!
How come I havnt heard from you for a long time? I understand youre a family man now, but does that mean you have to kick old friends like me in the ass? Rachel and the guys, even Monty and Margret ask whats the matter with you and if you still exist and I say I only meet him in the papers ballgame boxscores and that means he still plays ball and therefore he seems to exist after all.
I expected you would come down here to LC for the Con Cup watching your in-law Monty play, but who was the no-show?
I know, it sounds like a cliche, but you missed something. You would think the Con Cup cant get any bigger. It can! But describe it, I cant. There have always been wild crowds, but they became even wilder and denser this year. Finally a Reds-Blues Con Cup again, after a three year interlude with teams from the land. That aint no real Con, boys!
At 9 am the Lib was so full of people that you couldnt see your own feet, and then it became worse by the hour. All the way from the Old Port up to the Stadium, a giant mass of people on the Lib like a huge beehive, no like a thousand beehives. The sound and the sights were tremendous! And people got crazier than ever before.
For instance, there was a band of six old ladies, Blue ladies. I mean real old ladies, their hubbies are certainly six-feet-under for twenty years already. And these gray gals were chanting Blue fight songs with their chirpy voices on the top of their lungs, even those with the dirty words, and they enjoyed themselves to no end. Or this group of girls, real girls this time, in their mid-teens perhaps, some ten of them, all in Red, scarves, hair beads, wrist bands and all, during the parade to the stadium, when the Reds players passed them, they would cry and scream, or shriek incessantly, Im not exaggerating here, CD, for the full ten minutes, all ten of them, with their mouths and their eyes wide open. Occasionally catching a breath of course and immediately pressing out the air in an ear-piercing way. I couldnt make out which of the Reds was their main object of adulation, maybe Irwin Carter or Johnny Gamble, he seems to have a way with the ladies, maybe someone else. Certainly not Paul Clarke, this old vulture, with a hunchback. This guy remains a riddle I wont ever solve. He looks like the middle-aged man, to whom the doc would sternly suggest to have some physical exercise. Despite of this hes the best ballgame pitcher of our times. I recall that you also have a deep dislike for him as a person (and a opposing pitcher naturally). I also loathe him, he has this bookish look, thats not bad youd say, we both, CD, are bookish people too, but his face is different, it is a dirty-bookish face and from what is rumored its a perfect reflection of his character.
Talking of crazy people, you could see hundreds of them during the Con Cup week. One situation comes to mind now: its after the sixth game, the Blues been beaten for good, the patrons streaming out of the stadium, filling the streets around the ballpark. Half of them, the Reds fans, boisterous, excited and jubilating. The other half, the Blue fans, as youd expect saddened and beaten down, heading home as quickly as possible. Among them these youths , maybe twenty of them, not exactly the nice, polite, good-family boys, but more the rough sort, the struggling ones. Theyre clad all blue, from their caps down to their shoestrings. Teir heads down, gazing on the asphalt, shoulders dropped, all silent, absent-minded it seemed. I followed them awhile with my eyes, sadness seemed to have a cultivating effect on them, I even noticed them mumbling apologies after bumping into someone. As they were heading down the Lib, at once this group stopped still and and suddenly they shouted in unison "Bluuuuuues wiiinnnn!!!" , their heads were raised, they looked up to the evening sky and howled to heaven again: "Bluuuuuues wiiiiinnnnn", like orphaned wolves, they repeated this five times, then they dispersed and I lost them.
C.D., you little bastard!
How come I havnt heard from you for a long time? I understand youre a family man now, but does that mean you have to kick old friends like me in the ass? Rachel and the guys, even Monty and Margret ask whats the matter with you and if you still exist and I say I only meet him in the papers ballgame boxscores and that means he still plays ball and therefore he seems to exist after all.
I expected you would come down here to LC for the Con Cup watching your in-law Monty play, but who was the no-show?
I know, it sounds like a cliche, but you missed something. You would think the Con Cup cant get any bigger. It can! But describe it, I cant. There have always been wild crowds, but they became even wilder and denser this year. Finally a Reds-Blues Con Cup again, after a three year interlude with teams from the land. That aint no real Con, boys!
At 9 am the Lib was so full of people that you couldnt see your own feet, and then it became worse by the hour. All the way from the Old Port up to the Stadium, a giant mass of people on the Lib like a huge beehive, no like a thousand beehives. The sound and the sights were tremendous! And people got crazier than ever before.
For instance, there was a band of six old ladies, Blue ladies. I mean real old ladies, their hubbies are certainly six-feet-under for twenty years already. And these gray gals were chanting Blue fight songs with their chirpy voices on the top of their lungs, even those with the dirty words, and they enjoyed themselves to no end. Or this group of girls, real girls this time, in their mid-teens perhaps, some ten of them, all in Red, scarves, hair beads, wrist bands and all, during the parade to the stadium, when the Reds players passed them, they would cry and scream, or shriek incessantly, Im not exaggerating here, CD, for the full ten minutes, all ten of them, with their mouths and their eyes wide open. Occasionally catching a breath of course and immediately pressing out the air in an ear-piercing way. I couldnt make out which of the Reds was their main object of adulation, maybe Irwin Carter or Johnny Gamble, he seems to have a way with the ladies, maybe someone else. Certainly not Paul Clarke, this old vulture, with a hunchback. This guy remains a riddle I wont ever solve. He looks like the middle-aged man, to whom the doc would sternly suggest to have some physical exercise. Despite of this hes the best ballgame pitcher of our times. I recall that you also have a deep dislike for him as a person (and a opposing pitcher naturally). I also loathe him, he has this bookish look, thats not bad youd say, we both, CD, are bookish people too, but his face is different, it is a dirty-bookish face and from what is rumored its a perfect reflection of his character.
Talking of crazy people, you could see hundreds of them during the Con Cup week. One situation comes to mind now: its after the sixth game, the Blues been beaten for good, the patrons streaming out of the stadium, filling the streets around the ballpark. Half of them, the Reds fans, boisterous, excited and jubilating. The other half, the Blue fans, as youd expect saddened and beaten down, heading home as quickly as possible. Among them these youths , maybe twenty of them, not exactly the nice, polite, good-family boys, but more the rough sort, the struggling ones. Theyre clad all blue, from their caps down to their shoestrings. Teir heads down, gazing on the asphalt, shoulders dropped, all silent, absent-minded it seemed. I followed them awhile with my eyes, sadness seemed to have a cultivating effect on them, I even noticed them mumbling apologies after bumping into someone. As they were heading down the Lib, at once this group stopped still and and suddenly they shouted in unison "Bluuuuuues wiiinnnn!!!" , their heads were raised, they looked up to the evening sky and howled to heaven again: "Bluuuuuues wiiiiinnnnn", like orphaned wolves, they repeated this five times, then they dispersed and I lost them.
73.) Oct 1st, Montego Bay, The End of Season
Diese Spiel brach uns das Genick. Wir gewannen das nächste in extra innings und verloren das folgende in extra innings. aber dieses Spiel war das Ende der Saison für uns. Wir spielten die letzten 20 Spiele ordentlich zu Ende. Der Vorsrung der Reds blieb, wurde nicht größer, aber auch nicht kleiner. Dabei war es die beste Pirate Saison in der Geschichte. Die Fans, der Manager, der Besitzer waren zufrieden. Ich war es nicht und viele meiner Mannschaftskameraden auch nicht. So ist es.
Ich selbst hatte die beste Saison meiner Karriere, ber jetzt unmittelbar nach der Saison war es die Enttäuschung der Verlierer, die Stärker war. Und der Zweite ist doch der erste Verlierer, nicht wahr?
Ich selbst hatte die beste Saison meiner Karriere, ber jetzt unmittelbar nach der Saison war es die Enttäuschung der Verlierer, die Stärker war. Und der Zweite ist doch der erste Verlierer, nicht wahr?
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