Bibliotechs 2008 Schedule

Serious Slow Pitch League, Western Division (5)

(All games on Thursdays at 5:30

MAGIC SOFTBALL: Concentrate and ask again

Q: Did the 2008 team (Noel Atkins, Noel's sister, Patsy Baudoin, Dan Belich, Beth Brennan, Ronnie Broadfoot, Alex Caracuzzo, John Delancey, Elissa Derby, Debbie Douglas, Darcy Duke, Bethanie Edwards, Jon Eichman, Charlene Follett, Carol Frederick, Steve Gass, Diane Geraci, Dana Goblaskas, Roshni Gohil, co-captain Jeremiah Graves, Ryan Gray, Rachel Grubb, Kathy Hamilton, Stephanie Hartman, Drew Hamlin, Neal Johnson, Virginia Johnson, Georgina Lewis, Kendra Lider-Johnson, Angie Locknar, Luc Lucas, Joe Martinez, Ted McSweeney, John Melczer, Rob Mitchell, Grace Mlady, Christine Moulen, Tony Moulen, Greg Padilla, Greg's friend Jim, co-captain Pat Page, Liz Phipps, Walter Powers, Dan Pribble, Carol Robinson, Carol Schweigert, Suzanne Sloan, Rick Smokovich, Will Soeiro, Nick Szydlowski, Theresa Tobin, Jos Wanschers, Bev White, Margaret Willison, Mat Wilmott, and Rob Wolfe) have an outstanding comeback season, and not only make the playoffs but win a thrilling quarter-final victory that still resonates down the halls of Bibliotech history, despite being eliminated, ultimately, in the semi-final round?

MAGIC SOFTBALL: It is certain

• May 22 Red SAAC's at Bibliotechs (W, 14-7)
• May 29 Bibliotechs at Clippers (W, 18-10)
• June 5 Bibliotechs at ATGC (L, 17-18)
• June 12 Bibliotechs at Straw Dogs (W, 6-4)
• June 19 Zoned-Out at Bibliotechs (W, 11-10)
• June 26 Bibliotechs at Red SAAC's (L, 10-11)
• July 10 Clippers at Bibliotechs (W, 15-8)
• July 17 ATGC at Bibliotechs (W, 14-13)
• July 24 RAINED OUT
• July 31 Straw Dogs at Bibliotechs (make-up game) (L, 3-7)
• July 31 Bibliotechs at Zoned-Out (second game of double-header) (W, 3-1)

*** PLAYOFFS ***

• Aug. 4 Red SAACs at Bibliotechs (W, 12-11)
• Aug. 6 RAINED OUT (Field 9)
• Aug. 7 RAINED OUT (Field 2)
• Aug. 8 Bibliotechs at Biohazards (L, 4-15)
• Aug.12 Straw Dogs beat Biohazards, 10-9

Here is the field map.

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

• May 22 - At one point in the Bibliotechs' Opening Day game against Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals Red SAACs team, the SAACs' pitcher jibed at the Bibs, after inducing an infield out, "File that in your card catalog!" It is actually kind of touching how young people hold on to the stereotypical ideas of libraries and librarians...especially when they are getting the metadata beaten out of them! Not only with titanic home runs from sluggers Szydlowski, Mitchell, and Broadfoot, but also with station-to-station rallies keyed by many contributors. It was a Bib-tacular way to start the new season; let's do it again!
• May 29 - Last Thursday saw a real clash of the titans as the Bibs clashed with (from what I hear) our oldest rival The Clippers. As one might expect in a collision of old foes the game was pretty even most of the way throughout with both teams trading blows back and forth. When it seemed that the Bibs were beginning to pull away some errant fielding - by certain players who shall remain unnamed, b/c it's not nice to speak ill of the dead - brought the Clippers back into the game. At which point Deb Douglas ripped a game-changing home run to right center field that blew the game wide open. Some serious lockdown defense and timely hitting in the late innings combined to carry the Bibs to a resounding 18-10 victory. - J. Graves
• June 5 - Poor field conditions. A visual labyrinth distracting the outfielders. Opposition that can disappear in the woods without a trace. Dan Pribble's fourth inning abandonment. Concern over rising gas prices. The confusion that is the ongoing saga of Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo. Any of these could serve as an excuse for the Bibs heartbreaking 18-17 loss at the hands of ATGC. But the Bibs don't make excuses. The Bibs figure out who was the goat and make them suffer until the next Bibs win and/or until a new Bib ascends to the role of goat. This week's goat had an impressive 0-3 day at the plate and managed to execute a perfect Tedy Bruschi form tackle on Ronnie that delayed his relay throw just long enough to allow the winning run to cross the plate. The goat shall remain nameless solely because I learned in a journalism class a while back to never mention yourself by name in anything you write. Aside from the aforementioned late-inning blunder, the Bibs played one heckuva game. The offense was rolling all day long with timely hitting and heads up base-running that picked apart the often befuddled ATGC defense, one could assume they were struggling to find their cut-off men amidst their own deceptive uniforms. On defense the Bibs played a pretty solid game given the less-than-stellar field conditions, distracting architecture and swirling winds in the outfield. Needless to say the Bibs were disappointed by the loss, but knowing that it took a major defensive gaffe for a team as good as AGTC to squeak away with a one-run win is a pretty clear sign that the Bibs are in good shape in the early goings of the season. - J. Graves
• June 12 - Tensions were high, sparks (and the occasional f-bomb) were a-flying and the Bibs were able to right the ship quickly and get back on the winning track with a morale boosting win over the Straw Dogs. All-in-all it was an eventful and satisfying evening. In what can only be defined as a rarity in this league, the game was largely controlled by each team's defense. Neither squad would give an inch in the field, but the Bibs were more than willing to take advantage of the three-quarters of an inch they were given by squeaking out a solid 6-4 victory. Mat "The Bat" Willmott continued his torrid home run streak despite suffering from what is being referred to (by me, that is) as a "destroyed hand." The rest of the Bibs also continued swinging hot bats, some of the hits fell, some didn't, but the Straw Dogs defense was able to prevent any of the Bibs patented "big innings of offensive kick-assedness." Luckily the Bibs defense and a great performance on the mound by Steve "I'd Come Up With an Amusing Nickname, but He Can Fire Me on a Whim" Gass helped slam the door shut and keep the Straw Dogs offense in check. - J. Graves
• June 19 - If you didn't have a crush on her before, you have no choice after this week's performance from Dana "Lil' D" Goblaskas. "Lil' D" came up with a big hit when the Bibs needed it most--in the bottom of the seventh with two outs and the game tied--Dana delivered with her third infield single of the day using her blazing speed to beat the throw and drive in the winning run to send the streaking Bibs to a climactic 11-10 victory over Zoned-Out. In addition to Dana's late inning heroics, the rest of the Bibs once again displayed the qualities that are making them a force to be reckoned with and (according to my bookie) an odds-on favorite to make the playoffs. A few defensive miscues early in the game were quickly rendered inconsequential with the Bibs usual flair for putting up runs in bursts and locking down the opposition's offense when it matters most. - J. Graves
• June 26 - With rainclouds and the All-Star break looming, the Bibs fielded an unusually shorthanded squad for the second go 'round with the Red SAACs. Despite the limited reserves, the Bibs showed up to play and put runs on the board in bunches and played the iron curtain defense we're all quickly becoming accustomed to. Unfortunately, a combination of highly questionable umpiring and the tenacity of the Red SAACs (seemingly willing to take a second beating from the Bibs before the season's midpoint) led to the opposition firing back with big hits when they needed them most. In the end the Red SAACs pulled ahead of the Bibs just in time to squeak out a well-fought 11-10 victory. - J. Graves
• July 10 - With the season's second-half underway and the Bibs' old nemesis, The Clippers, looking to gain a measure of revenge for the patented Bibs-Beatdown they received in week two the Bibs showed up to play with brand new jerseys (that can be viewed in any Webster's dictionary under bad-ass and/or awesome) and a large, enthusiastic flock of fans, but without our staff ace, slap-hitting sensation, team captain or any (oh yeah, I said ANY) of our first, second or third-string shortstops. These shortcomings would not be enough to stop a Bibs team that was ready to avenge the previous game's loss and start the season's stretch run on the right foot. Luckily, Steve "Big Drama" Gass showed up just in the nick of time and just happened to bring his A-Game on the hill. The rather haphazardly thrown together offense worked like a well-oiled machine up and down the lineup with Mat "The Bat" Willmott providing much of the offense to the tune of five RBI on the day and yet another mammoth home run from the clean-up spot. As always the Bibs defense was stellar, holding the Clippers in check throughout the game, despite two rather boneheaded plays by our fourth-string shortstop. Most impressive, however, was the way the Bibs turned it up a notch when "Big Drama" loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the seventh inning. The vaunted Bibs defense got out of the jam and brought the Clippers would-be rally to a screeching halt, thus propelling the Mighty Bibs to 15-8 win to start the season's second half. - J. Graves
• July 17 - "What the hell just happened?" - Some dude in camouflage... That quote was taken directly from one of the many befuddled members of ATGC's camouflaged clubbers following the Bibliotechs' gigantic eleven-run rally in the bottom of the fifth last Thursday. The rally came on the heels of an inning-ending double-play that got the entire Bibs bench fired up and immediately lit a spark---no, scratch that---lit a full-on forest fire under the Bibs and propelled the offense to unload on an unsuspecting ATGC. Big hits were delivered up and down the lineup with the two biggest coming off the bats of Nick "The Stick" Szydlowski and "The AleX-Factor" Caracuzzo...who both hit monster home runs. The biggest play of the game, however, came in the top of the seventh when Ronnie used his broad feet to run down a tailing line drive that would have given ATGC back the lead, but instead preserved the 14-13 win and turned into yet another addition to the Bibs highlight reel. - J. Graves
• July 31 - Rain threatened but ultimately held off as the bouyant Bibliotechs, assured of a playoff berth, hoped to overtake the division-leading Straw Dogs in game 1 of this day's twi-dusk double-header. The Dogs roared to a 5 run advantage in the first inning, but the Bibs settled down and started to come back with a furious rally of their own in the fifth and final frame of this abridged contest; unfortunately, they just ran out of game. In the nightcap, the Bibs took on old rivals Zoned Out from the Dept. of Facilities and eased them into the off-season with a quiet defensive gem. Next, the playoffs. Magic time!
• August 4 playoff quarterfinal - The Bibliotechs, the Library Staff Association's Task Force on Bat and Hat, having turned 2007's disappointing 3-7 season completely around in 2008, finishing with a 7-3 record and a solid second place position in the grisly and intractable Western Division of the MIT Summer Softball Serious Slow Pitch League, turned out in full pride, both players and athletic supporters! for the quarter-final playoff showdown against the Red SAAC's, representing biopharmaceutical start-up Molecular Insight, a team that had split with the Bibs during the regular season, and who were clearly coming on strong at season's end with their arsenal of Single Amino Acid Chelate technology, super-bats, and the Commissioner of the League playing on their team. The game started ominously for the Bibble-heads, as they quickly fell behind 8-1. Oh mama, could this really be the end? Not according to co-captain Jeremiah "Unstoppable" Graves, who lifted the team with a 3 run home run, putting them back within striking distance. The Bibs continued to make inroads, but the SAAC's likewise nibbled away, until the bottom of the final inning, with the Bibs facing an 11-8 deficit. With Maxine Nightingale's dance powerhouse "Get Right Back Where We Started From" pumping from the box, the Biblio-pack put together some hits and put one across to draw within 2. The ultimate situation stood at 2 on, 2 out, with slugger cum laude Mat "The Bat" Willmott at the plate. Breaths were held, fingers crossed, prayers delivered, and ritual cleansings performed. Mat hit an ungodly shot! over the head of the Commissioner in center field and stormed around the bases, just beating the throw home with a textbook slide for a game-winning, walk-off home run! Talk about clutch! Un-Bib-lievable! A day that shall live in famy! A game for the ages! Hallelujah and Ju-Bib-lee!

Updated on 090505