Day 6 Friday Championship

The championship of the camp featured Treuel's Trolls against Johnson's Jackals.  The Trolls' Manager was Ralph Treuel, a long time pitching coach and minor league manager in the Sox orgainization.  Their coaches were Al Bumbry and Luis Tiant, who split duties over the week.  The Trolls had been favored with their lineup of 30 somethings and older players who could still play.

Haber started for the Jackals and pitched a gem.  Timely hitting by the Jackals and some walks doomed the Trolls.  By the time Luti came in and shut down the Jackals, the damage had been done and the Trolls could not overcome the 5-1 lead.  A player told me after the game that a few of the Trolls could not believe they couldn't do better against Haber.  Their manager asked them how many walks Haber had given up.  "None" was the answer.  "That's the difference."

At the bar, one of the campers asked me how our team had done.  "Not so well," I replied.  "We finished 7th overall." "Did you have fun?"  "Oh, man," I said, "This was one of the best times of my life."  He responded,  "I wish my team had had more fun."  "What team were you on?", I asked.  "The Trolls; we came in second." He lamented that because they had been so dominant in the early games, everyone expected them to win so there was a ton of pressure on them.  I have to admit that once we were 2 and 4, I started having more fun because there was no chance of us competing for the top spot.

I was really happy for the Jackals and Haber, Zazulak, Jackson and Moore.  They were older guys with no pedigree but a lot of heart.

Friday night Tom Lynch, a fomer attorney who now resides in Senatobia, Mississippi, Reg Godin, Paul Best and I went to Outback for dinner.  We were waited on by Super Heather.  She had more piercings than years of college but planned to change that around.  She did a great job and we encouraged her scholastic pursuits.  Tom was an iron man for the week.  He caught 34 innings: