Commish to Investigate Potential Gambling Scandal in MBC Win Over Dow

Quinn looking nervous at post game news conference answering questions about his outing

MBC's Saturday's win over Dow was tainted by speculation that big time gamblers had influenced the outcome of the game. MBC won the game 7-4, but talk was buzzing through talk radio that perhaps a member of MBC's pitching staff was shaving points.

Nick Salle was impressive throwing four innings cruising to a 7-0 margin. Nick yielded just two hits and struck out two. He was followed by Quinn Burcham who suspiciously yielded three runs on five walks, no hits involved. Immediately after the game talk was flying about whether Quinn had tanked his performance for big money coming from Vegas.

Commenting after the game Quinn said "talk of point shaving is way out of line. I knew we could win, and would win easily. What you have to understand is that I had sat out the first four innings and had not gotten any at-bats. I was worried that we would eight run this team prior to me getting a chance to swing it". And swing it he did. In his only at bat, Quinn belted a tremendous shot to center for a double.

MBC started hard and early again leading the game off with singles by Nick Salle, Alex Mitchhell, Tino Peleti and Stuart Fairchild. With one run in and the bases loaded, Mitchell Smith, Nick Reeves and David Becker all singled to make the score 5-0 MBC.

MBC played limited add on. The third inning started by Adam Hithorne walking. Mitchell Smith single him to second and he scored on Spencer Hogger's single. In the fifth Tino started thing off by being hit (after going 6-6 in his last six at bats). Russell Madche singled him to third and he scored on Ethan Clements ground out.

After Quinn made the score interesting with his suspicious outing, Russell Madche came on to put out the fire. Ever day Russell made quick work of the Dow team with no hit relief for the rest of the game.

Get Back on Bellevue

Last year in our final tournament the Bellevue Squad beat us 2-1 in the championship, and they have "gloated" over this for a year. On Friday night we finally got the chance to play them again, and it was a different story with MBC winning 13-5.

It was an impressive display, a close, hard fought back and forth game, and then it appeared Bellevue ran a bit short on pitching. At that point MBC cruised to victory.

Ethan Clements pitched great on three days rest, going three innings yielding four runs and striking out two. He had some trouble in one inning with drizzling rain. Rain seems to follow Ethan to the mound lately. Tino relieved him for and inning and two thirds and was unhittable, yielding just one hit, one run - BUT walking five. In a bases loaded jam in the sixth, Russell Madche came in and threw a magic double play ball and let the air out of the Bellevue squad.

Offensively it was Tino's night. Tino hit an RBI single in the first, and later scored on Ethan's single. Tino doubled home two in the second and hit a solo home run in the fifth and a two run homer in the sixth. That counted as a 4 - 4 night with five RBI and three runs scored.

Of course Tino had help, Ethan stayed hot with a 2-3 night with 2 RBI, Nick Reeves had two hits and Spencer Hogger, Stuart Fairchild, Quinn Burcham, Adam Hinthorne and Nick Salle added hits.

Fantastic Finish Against Mercer Island

A fire was finally lit under the overworked and overplayed MBC team last night. Playing their seventh game in seven days, MBC had to travel to Mercer Island to finish a game that was in a week long rain-delay.

The good news was MBC had a 4-2 lead and the bases loaded with only one out, the bad news was - this good fortune did not last long.

MBC was retired via two at bats to start the game and give Mercer Island a lift. That lift carried over to their half of the third as they surprised Stuart Fairchild and the groggy MBC defense with five runs to take a three run lead.

MBC tried valiantly to get some offense going as Stuart settled down and began mowing his way through the Mercer Island line-up. It wasn't until the sixth that MBC got on the board.

Quinn Burcham walked to lead things off and Spencer Hogger followed with a hit. Coach Cougan then nearly exploded in his third base coaching box when Mercer Island picked off Bubba Galush (see 14 year old write ups AND 13 year old write-ups) who had been sent in to pinch run for Quinn. After calm was restored, Ethan Clements singled and Nick Reeves walked to load the bases. A walk to Nick Salle, and a beaning of Mitchell Smith plated two runs but that was all MBC would get in the Bubba Galush shortened inning.

Down one run in the seventh MBC went to work again. David Becker reached first on a poor play by their shortstop, but was forced out at second on Stuart's ground ball to short. The good news was a hustling Stuart did avoid the double play. Stuart then stole second setting up Spencer Hogger for his Mookie Wilson moment. With two out and little hope to spare, Spencer squibbed a ball just out of the reach of the pitcher and a charging third baseman tried to make a bare handed grab and throw to first. His throw went off the first baseman and a hard running Stuart scored all the way from second to tie the game.

Spencer then stole second and all hope turned to Ethan who squared one up and drove it over the left fielder's head for a double to give MBC the lead. He was followed by Nick Reeve's double into the gap in right center for the much needed insurance run.

MBC then held their breath as Stuart went out and retired the Islander's to secure the win.

MBC Loses to Vipers

I hope to be able to write about this soon

Another Unearned Disaster, That We Earned!

As if that headline makes any sense! I guess you have to see it to understand it. Make no mistake, we are a very good team. Only a very good team could lose 10-5 to the high flying Shockers. The Shockers are a very good team, but from what I saw last night, and from what I have seen all season; we can play with anyone in this league, when we show up to play.

Last night was a tough one. We crushed some balls very well, but they either went right to Shockers, or the Shockers made Willie Mays like catches (sorry Quinn) in center field. Routine plays that we make all the time, we bumbled, but that is not, nor will not be the norm. The distressing thing I keep seeing, is when we are making mistakes, some of us still feel that we can magically make miracle throws to overcome damage that is already done. This is when the game really smacks you down.

The Shocker jumped out early, building on our mistakes and limiting us to just three hits. That was the story. We still hit the ball very well, but some nights the hits are just not there. That will even out over the year. Our defense was spotty, but that was just one night, that will not keep this team down.

I remain optimistic that this team will get to the play-offs and that Hartman Park in Redmond was built for this team - Great things are a coming - Stay pumped - Stay ready!

Quinn and Riley Shut Down Bandits

MBC played great on Monday night under the lights beating the Bandits 10-2. The game featured MBC's third contest against the pitcher they nick named "the Beast" as 13 year olds. He was a fierce as ever on the mound, but too much pitching over two years had taken its toll on his arm and he could only go two innings.

Meanwhile, Quinn Burcham was un-hittable last night, really. The Bandits had just one hit, a muffed bunt. This no-hitter flirtation was hard to notice. Quinn was so un-hittable that he walked or beaned 7 hitters in his three innings, but good defense and throwing strikes when needed kept the Bandits at bay.

Riley Duffy started out un-hittable as well throwing to both sides of the body to the first few batters he faced, but settled in nicely and threw three innings of no hit relief walking only one.

Our rusty/dusty unused gloves were finally produced last night. Two great catches in the outfield by Nick Salle and Stuart Fairchild. Nick raced deep into the darkness to run down a would be extra base hit, and Stuart made a wonderful recovery on a ball he could not pick up early to race back and stymie a Bandit rally. The play of the night belonged to Nick Reeves who back handed a sharp shot waaaay up the middle and threw immediately to a stretching Ethan Clements with a pirouette throw.

MBC started quickly against the fireball throwing Beast. Walks to Keenan Heller and Spencer Hogger set the stage for Stuart "Mr. Reliable" Fairchild's RBI single. Spencer then scored from third on Ethan's tough ground out.

Keenan stroked a two out single in the second to get things going. After a walk to Spencer, Tino Peleti clutched up with a two out single up the middle to score Keenan and chase the Beast from the game.

The hard throwing Beast was replaced by a dazzling knuckle ball pitcher that baffled the MBC hitters until Nick Salle launched an 0-2 knuckle ball into the trees in right for a big home run. Keenan followed with his second hit of the night and scored on Quinn's single.

MBC played add on in the fifth when Adam Hinthorne singled and scored on Nick Salle's second hit of the night.

In the sixth, MBC put the game away. A tiring knuckle ball pitcher walked Stuart and Quinn to start things off and their shortstop then booted a potential double play ball. That proved fatal as Nick Reeves walked to plate a run, Adam and Riley drove in runs with infield grounders and Nick Salle pounded out his third hit to give MBC a walk-off eight run mercy ending.

Life Long Friends

Above Tino and former MBC standout Campy Queen
Below, Nick Reeves and Keenan, not sure which is which


One of the best things that I have received from baseball is the lifelong friends that one makes during one's playing days. For me, it seems my closest and dearest friends are those that I played ball with over the years.

Old timers on this team may remember Coach Bishop. We met 36 years ago in the locker room at Seattle University. I, seeing Mark in baseball gear, introduced myself to Mark and began years of hearing the minutia of his life. I caught him for three years, and then a few summers after eligibility was up in the local semi-pro leagues. What a wonderful blessing to still work and see someone everyday who has a photographic memory of each and every game you played years ago.

It has also been a special treat for me this year to coach the son of a former teammate. Bill, "Billy" to me, or "Mr. X" or just "X" as he was dubbed years ago by us older wise cracking upper class men during his impressive freshman debut into college baseball.

I am lucky to have sources, deep within the rosters of old team mate parents on this club, who have pictures from the vault of these young player's early careers.

What I want to pass onto you guys for this summer is this, sometime during a game, or practice, as you are hanging in the dugout, take a good look at your teammates. Drink in the moment, pause and see your fellow teammates. Remember the moment, treasure the moment. Bond with these guys because someday, whether you stay in constant touch or simply come across one of these guys thirty years from now, remember how much fun you had together playing baseball