BASEBALL WEEKLY 1.4 - QUICKSAND

Whats the biggest fear in baseball? Striking out? Making an error? Dropping the ball and costing your team the game - which has happened to me more than once. Spiders? Bees?

I bring this up because the vastly underrated football movie “The Replacements” features a scene with the fictional Washington Sentinels discussing their fears during a team meeting when the starting QB - played by Keanu Reeves - brings up his fear of quicksand - but not the kind you find on the banks of the Amazon or canyons of New Mexico but the kind of quicksand of sporting failures piling up on each other so fast until you look up and no matter how hard you fought you are stuck in place and looking up for help.

One of the bigger surprises so far has been the 0-3 start by the South Metro Saints. Picked by many in the pre-season poll to be most improved or make the biggest jump as yet to leave the starting blocks. In three games they have only crossed the plate two times, losing a close game to Rosemount, a laugher to St Croix and a shocker to Veseli.

“Pitching is on track, and while Terry Knop is doing his part at the plate, the rest of the bats haven’t woken up yet and everyone’s gripping the bat a little tight right now. Just need a crooked number to get things rolling (hopefully)” said Saints manager Wade Peterson.

Sunday verses Veseli, the Saints were making good contact but nothing was falling or breaking their way, even just missing a game winning homer in the seventh. That’s the breaks. But working on the little things - that are actually big - like base running and defense can make the difference in a close game. Peterson still has faith in his squad to turn things around with a solid pitching staff still in place - they could make an Apple Valley run like last season.

For the second straight season, Apple Valley has fell short of it’s bushel. Starting out the season 1-2 with two bad losses to Rosemount and the RC Rockets. But twenty four hours later got revenge on the Rockets with their first win. The A’s were also a favorite to make the jump from AA Champion to AAA competitor. But just three games in no need to panic in the land of Tyus and Tre Jones. Tim Scott is back and ready to anchor the large staff again.

Chris Kalina wishes he had large pitching staff, his squad is dealing with attendance issues as Capital City is sitting at 0-4. But that is not too shocking as Kalina has built a team with ballplayers who play on multiple teams during the summer. While they may have talent and win you some ballgames - will they show up? This year the answer has been “No.”

“Where oh where is Nate Ackman?” Said Kalina and he ponders his future schedule that features games against Tonka Bay, Rockford and Minnoka. “Zapf’s injury is also killing us.” Zapf some can argue is the Cannons ace - twice beating the Mammoth over the years and winning some big games. But without Ackman, James Zapf the heavy burden has been passed to Fed rookie Jeremy Laird - who leads the league in earned runs. If Kalina can get his big weapons to show up the Cannons can be loud and make some boom the rest of the summer. 

Take advice from Josh Stoll who managed the Apple Valley A’s from the nils to the AA Championship last season.

“We started the 1-4 last season, and shifted the focus from the season as a while to taking each individual game as it came. The goal was now to just to 1-0 on Game Day and that became more manageable than “running the table” and we finished 13-5 over the remaining games, to a mid seed in the AA bracket to ripping off six in row coming out of the loser bracket to win the AA title.”

Other teams are also having rough starts, Red West already had to move two games because the lack of participation and the games they have played haven’t been kind. St. Paul Senators are off to a rough start, dropping it’s first four. And another big shocker as been the Milltown Outlaws sitting on a donut and four L’s. But the manger takes the blame on himself -

“Mostly blame me, the schedule maker. We have started the season against the toughest South teams. Missing our Catcher - Paulson - to injury and have played all our our games so far with players playing out of position due to injuries and attendance.” said Paul Jesh

Attendance, issues, premature scheduling, injuries, bees, spiders…whatever is ailing your team in May will hopefully not turn into quicksand and sink your season come June or July. This is the Federal League after all - we have some seen some weird things over the years. As Stoll reminds us - 

“Learn from the losses, evaluate how/why things will be different going forward, have attainable season long goals but ultimately find a way to break that up in something manageable. Then all is left is to play hard, have fun, and let the chips fall where they may.”

In the movie, Keanu Reeves character battles his inner demons and quicksand, wins the game and gets the cheerleader in the end. In real life - there are no cheerleaders who look like Brooke Langton in the parking lot outside of Greenfield Park, but there is a group of guys who will gladly step in the box with you every game and that’s doing more than most. Because seriously who wants to step in the box when you are facing a Jim Brower or Matt Meyer? I’d rather take my chances with bees and spiders. 


FEDERAL LEAGUE SCORES AND UPDATES
(May 12 - 18)

Rosemount moves to 4-0 in the East with a big win over Apple Valley 9-1. Cliff Christopherson got the W in five innings of work, striking out ten and only walking one. Mark Hanson went 3-4 with a double and an RBI for the Pipers. Ryan Walker had two hits and two driven in for Rosemount. Herman Soloman got the loss for the A’s, but did strike out six in four innings.

Also in the East, the Mammoth won 17-3 over the RC Rockets. Tom Corcoran made an appearance going 4-4 with three triples, a homer and five runs batted in. Casey Johnson also had three hits for East Metro with three RBIs. Ken Wangler got the win.

Rockford takes down the improved Minnetonka Mustangs 9-3. Eric Hendrickx had three RBIs for the Railsplitters, Lance Reynolds got the win throwing six innings with no walks and two strikeouts. Todd Haag had three hits, Jeremy Loretz had three runs scored.

St Michael jumped all over Red West 12-2 in North action. Mike Mickelson went 3-3 with a run and two RBI’s, in classic Mick fashion he also got beaned twice. Dan Bluff went six innings for the win, striking out ten and zero walks. 

The Rockets improved to 2-2 defeating Apple Valley in the first of a weekend double dip. Zach Reidberger threw a complete game one-hitter while striking out eight for RC. The A's got their revenge the following day with help from Chris Reese and Derek Bonser with two hits each. Paul Bissonette drove in two in the 8-4 win. The best news for Apple Valley is that Tim Scott made an appearance after a year long injury - Scott threw one inning, striking out the side. Colin Warren also got back on the bump for the Rockets, another good sign for him and his ballclub.

Talking about great pitchers Jim Brower made his first start of the season at Greenfield, going three innings in the win and striking out eight against the Capital City Cannons. Brower was also effective at the plate going 3-4 with two runs and two RBIs. Nate Jackson also had three hits for Tonka Bay in the 14-2 win.

Trevor Stolhanske goes 2-2 with a double and drives in four as Lakeville is all over St Patrick 15-4. Then Lakeville traveled to Lonsdale to take on the Jokers and we saw the return of Matt Meyer. Meyer went 4-5 with a homerun and four RBI. Meyer also came in relief and ended up with the win as he pitched 1.2 innings and fanned three. What a return for Meyer who was out all last season with an injury.  

Overall, it’s good to see great players in the league like Colin Warren, Tim Scott and Matt Meyer who all had a tough 2024 dealing with injuries and setbacks able to return so fast this season and make their mark early. Wish them all great health going forward. 

Scott Angus is now 2-0 with another complete game victory - this time over South Metro. Angus, who played with Apple Valley last year, has found a home in Veseli. Pitching the Vulcans to a 3-1 victory. Veseli improves to 2-2 in the South.

Other action around the league - the Saint Paul JTs take on the Saint Paul Senators for the Capital Cup, with the JTs pulling out a 5-1 win at McMurray Field. Ben Schroeder went all seven and shut out St Michael in a Grays 5-0 win. Al Weeman went all seven to help New Market top Milltown 5-3. Scott Lyden doubled twice for the Northerns. Hastings won 15-2 over Northfield. St Anthony over Minnetonka Mustangs 8-5, Waconia 13-3 over the Chaska Voyageurs, Burnsville over Eden Prairie 6-3.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: May 12-18

Matt Meyer (Lakeville)
4-5, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R / Win, 1.2IP, 3 K

Tom Corcoran (East Metro)
4-4, HR, 3 Triples, 5 RBI, 4 R, 13TB

Zach Riedberger (RC Rockets)
Win, CG, 0 ER, 1 H, 8 K

Mike Mickelson (St Michael)
4-6, 2 RBI, 2 HPB, 1 R