The Bruins opened their 2003 baseball season at Niantic-Harristown.   Although the weather was great and the team played great, the umpire (we only had one) rained on our parade.  Or as they say in the movies, “we was robbed”!!   The score book says we lost 3-1.   But the ump said he didn’t see 2^nd baseman Joey Huddleston tag out a runner and then make the double play to first (even though the “tagged” runner started walking back to the dugout); called a balk on pitcher David Wasser who picked off a runner at 3^rd base when Wasser did not balk (after Wasser had almost picked off the same runner the pitch before); and then called out Grant Bitzer in the top of the last inning as the 3^rd out when Bitzer, hitting with 2 out and 2 on, had beat out a throw to first on a hit that had scored Danny Schafer and was scoring John Von Behren.   All of this gave the home team 2 extra runs, and the 3-1 lead going into the last inning and squelched our 2-out last inning rally which had 2 runs starting to go into the book with the heart of our order coming to bat.     Maybe we just saw these plays differently.

A big congratulations goes to the TEAM.   The coaches put “TEAM” in capital letters because the 9 guys who showed up to play, played as a TEAM.   They talked to each other; hustled, supported each other; and never gave up even to the last. The coaches were very, very  proud of this TEAM.

Hats off go to all of the players. Starting pitcher Tom Newell pitched a fine four innings, striking out 7 batters and only giving up 3 hits.   Newell also hit the ball well with a big double in the 6^th in the left-center field gap and two other flyballs (which unfortunately were caught).  Relief pitcher David Wasser, after catching for four innings, pitched a fine 2 innings, striking out 3 batters and only giving up 3 hits. Wasser also made a good throw down to shortstop Tyler Casper in the 1^st to gun down a stealing base runner.   Newell, who went to catch for Wasser, made a “play of the day” catch of a high foul pop behind the plate in the top of the 5^th. Although probably not sure where the ball was, Newell stuck out his glove and found the ball!!

First baseman John Von Behren had a great day at the corner. In the 2^nd inning he made an unassisted out on the first batter’s grounder and made a great catch in foul territory of the 2^nd batters curving foul pop (shades of 2002!).  Von Behren also had one of the three Bruins hits with a bloop single to right in the 5^th and reached on an error in the top of the 7^th with a sharp hit to the left of the infield. Huddleston, in addition to his “double” play, turned a good 4-3 putout in the 3^rd and set up the Bruins only run with a single in the 2^nd which put Dhabalt in scoring position. Shortstop Tyler Casper, in addition to making the tag to get the stealing runner in the 1^st, had a fine 6-3 putout in the 5^th and almost made a great diving catch on a slippery, sandy field in the 4^th. Third baseman Grant Bitzer held the runners tight on 3^rd, making a great tag on the pick off only to see it erased by the balk call.   Bitzer also had the 2-out hit in the top of the last inning that was going to score two runs until the ump erased us from the game.  Left fielder Blaine Yates-Frederich didn’t get any action in left, but drew a walk and put a bat on the ball two other times when at the plate. Center field Trey Dhabalt scored the Bruins only run when he drew a 1-out walk in the 2^nd, advanced to 3^rd on Huddleston’s hit and scored on a passed ball.   Dhabalt also had a great hit deep in the hole to short in the 6^th only to be thrown out by a hair on a good defensive play. Right fielder Danny Shafer got the key 2-out walk in the top of the last inning, advancing on  a passed ball and again when the 1^st baseman muffed the throw on Von Behren’s hit, and was scoring for the Bruins when Bitzer was called out at first.