Bibliotechs 2009 Schedule

Serious Slow Pitch League, Offshore Division (6)

(All games on Thursdays at 5:30)

May 14     Red SAAC's at Bibliotechs      (L, 16-23)
May 21     Zoned Out at Bibliotechs       (W, 19-8)
May 28     Bibliotechs at Dawgs           (W, 28-5)
June 4     Bibliotechs at Compact Objects (W, 19-11)
June 18    Bibliotechs at Dana Farber Gangster Institute
               (RAINED OUT)
June 25    Bibliotechs at Red SAAC's      (RAINED OUT)
July 9     Bibliotechs at Zoned Out       (W, 37-3)
July 16    Dawgs at Bibliotechs           (L, 11-15)
July 23    Compact Objects at Bibliotechs (W, 18-16)
July 30    Dana Farber Gangster Institute at Bibliotechs
                                          (W, 31-3)
July 30    Game 2: Bibliotechs at Dana Farber Gangster
               Institute - make-up game   (W, 16-1)
Aug. 6     Bibliotechs at Red SAAC's      (W, 19-5)

Aug. 12    Semifinal:
                Biohazards at Bibliotechs (W, 10-9)
Aug. 13    Championship Final:
                Bibliotechs at ATG Dynamo (L, 14-24)

Here is the field map.

Contact co-captains Pat Page (258-7457, pagep@mit.edu) or Jeremiah Graves (253-2208, jgraves@mit.edu) for incentivization!

• May 14 - Despite dampness and lowering skies, there was a thrilling, even throbbing! turnout of Library staff and friends for the Bibliotechs' home opener against last year's quarter-final playoff opponents, the Red SAAC's. The SAAC's, likely hoping to avenge their playoff loss last year, raised a blister immediately, scoring 4 runs in the first inning, but the Bibs came back with 6 of their own in the bottom of the 1st, with big hits from Szydlowski and Page. It looked to be a seesaw battle, with titanic home runs off the SAAC's superbats being countered by the Bibs power (more from Szydlowski, Page, Willmott and Graves,) fleet-footedness, and defense. Unfortunately, they just couldn't make up the gap, and got dropped. Still, there were many encouraging aspects, and the rest of the season will no doubt reveal the full flowering of Bibliotech might. Lo!
• May 21 - The second game of the season saw temperatures hovering around 90, blinding sunlight hampering the sight of those on the right side of the field, multiple limbs skinned on the turf, and the libraries' side adding a well-earned "one" to the wins column. The mighty Bibs started up the offensive blitz quickly with big hits by Greg Padilla, Rick Smokovich, and Dan "The Welsh Spelling Is Prybil" Pribble, as well as two surprising infield hits by clean-up hitter Pat Page. The defense played valiantly despite the blazing sun, with Alex Caracuzzo providing a Gold-Glove-like performance at first and Steve Gass pitching a complete game that included a few key strikeouts. Holding Zoned Out to 8 runs and slamming out 19 of their own, the Bibs earned the victory and look to be in superb shape for the rest of the season. - D. Goblaskas
• May 28 - The Bibs continued their offensive onslaught this week despite chilly weather, depleted ranks, and some questionable field rulings regarding the fence and hedges in left field. The Bibs struck, and the Dawgs from Delta Tau Delta argued, early, with a first inning homer from Nick "The Stick" Szydlowski and a longball from Dan "The Beard" Pribble that cleared the fence but was ruled a double since it hit the heinous hedges. The hits just kept on coming as the game went on, with more homers from Ronnie Broadfoot and Rob Mitchell, an inspiring 3 for 4 run by lead-off hitter "Big J" Graves, and RBI's from, well, pretty much everybody. The Bibs defense was also on lock-down mode, with John Delancey making some sweet backhand grabs at second, Joe Martinez diving to snag a fly ball in right, and Drew Hamlin making an impressive tumbling play in the hot corner to rob a Dawg of a hit. Due to a chill in the air, this writer's reporting got a little hazy after the fourth inning, but while her pen was silent, the Bibs' bats were not, scoring 13 more runs to bring their grand total to 28. The Dawgs attempted a rally in the bottom of the seventh, but were only able to muster two runs, bringing their final tally to 5. Hip hip huzzah! - D. Goblaskas
• June 4 - The Bibliotechs celebrated their first game of this season on real grass with not only a head-first slide by - who else? - The J Man, but also with a satisfying win over the Dept. of Physics' Compact Objects. The Objects kept it close enough, but the Bibs had the answer every time, offensively and defensively. With their 3-1 record putting them solidly in 2nd place in the division, things are looking quite brilliant going into the bye week. Rest up, and prosper!
• July 9 - After a layoff of nearly a month, due to weather and holidays and other factors beyond human ken, the pent-up Bibliotechs unleased all that stoppered softball energy upon the wrong-place, wrong-time Zoned Out team, resulting in the highest-scoring, and greatest margin-of-victory, game in Bibliotech history. Notable even amidst the general barrage was the performance of co-captain "Big J" Graves, who hit _5 home runs in 5 at-bats!_ with a solo shot, a 2- and 3-run homer, and 2 grand slams accounting for over a third of the Bibs runs. The world has never witnessed such a display before!
• July 16 - Nor since. The battlin' Bibliotechs, having perhaps gotten it all out of their system in the previous week's game, came out flat against ancient nemeses The Dawgs of Delta Tau Delta. Although they scratched and clawed back from, at one point, a 13-4 deficit, they just ran out of ball game and fell short of a win. One bright spot: the sartorial elegance of co-captain Graves! See full story at http://jeremiahgraves.wordpress.com/2009/06/18/dealwiththedevil/
• July 23 - The gathering evening squall threatened ominously for this game, and even more ominous was the lead the Compact Objects took over the baffled Bibliotechs in the very first inning. The teams battled back and forth (home runs from Graves and Caracuzzo among the big blows for the Bibs) and finally caught up to the Objects in the final inning. With the game tied at 15 apiece, the C.O.'s scored a run in the top half of the 8th; the Bibs needed to get that back or go home empty. Then, in the bottom of the inning with 2 runners aboard, Bibliotech rookie Wes Austin went yard with a blast and the team walked off with an 18-16 win. The playoffs beckon, but the Bibs have still to play a double-header with the unknown quantity Dana Farber Gangster Institute, and then the last game of the season with the all-too-well-known antagonist Red SAAC's. The die is cast!
• July 30 - After a scare the prior week, the battling Bibs were in a take-no-prisoners mood for the double-header against the Dana Farber Gangster Institute. Biff! Bam! Pow! The hits were making like babies and heading out, way out! for the library legion. But the thing that is the Bibliotech hallmark, good defense, as exemplified by outstanding catches by Pribble and Broadfoot, is what really has secured them a playoff position, and it may take them all the way this year. There are still the Red SAAC's, and the last game of the regular season, to contend with.
• Aug. 6 - In a final game face-off between the Offshore Division's two powerhouses, the local hero Bibliotechs and Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals' Red SAAC's, with first place in the division and a quarter-final bye at stake, the Bibs were walking on sunshine! and, in the words of the League's Commissioner Shawn Hillier, "threw the book at" the SAAC's. It seemed like everything came together for the Bibs, in a symphony of offense and defense. There were many notable performances, but the much-coveted and seldom-bestowed Golden Haddock must go to Christine Moulen, with 2 hits and an outstanding pick of a deflected groundball with a throw to first that just nipped the runner. Congratulations to Captains Page and Graves for leading the team to an outstanding season! It's playoff time!
• Aug. 12 - This day's semi-final playoff game brought the born-that-way Bibliotechs face-to-face with the team that eliminated them from the playoffs last summer, the Whitehead Institute's Biohazards. The disciplined virus-mongers got off to an early lead against the Bibs, who immediately answered with power (and a nice throw-out at the plate) to stay close. Finally the library legends tied the game at 8 going into the final inning. The Biohazards scored a run in the top half of the 7th, so it was do or die for the Bibs, and they dood it! They loaded the bases, Joe Martinez singled to the opposite field to tie the game, and Ronnie Broadfoot likewise lashed an opposite-field single to bring in the walkoff winning run. O frabjous day! Of special note: Capt. Pat "The Lion In Summer" Page just about willed the team to this win, with the relay to get that out at the plate, with initiating an expertly executed run-down (with Alex Caracuzzo) between second and third, and with generally spectacular play at short. With this win, the Bibs go to the championship final game against the undefeated software behemoth ATG Dynamo team; this could be the culmination of 30 years of effort! Win or lose, it has been a great season. Go Bibs!
• Aug. 13 - Despite a rainbow in the sky, an amazing and inspiring fanbase, and all the will to win in the world, Friday the 13th fell on a Thursday for the Bibs this season, and they flamed out aspiring to win, finally, a championship in Serious Slow Pitch softball. Although to be sure some team stalwarts were out of town or out of action for the playoffs, the team that was out on the field was utterly capable of beating the strong ATG Dynamo contingent; it just was not in the cards. This season was like a great TV show - you didn't want it to end! Tune in next year, and, just like in the movie Spartacus we all can stand, one by one, and say, "I am a Bibliotech!"

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Updated on 090814