It's within our grasp!

After posting an 8-5 victory Friday night and a 20-5 pounding of Southside Tavern Monday night, Hofbrau has taken a commanding 3-0 QML finals series lead. Hoffy is now one win away from an unprecedented 5th consecutive title.

Game story on games 2 and 3 to follow.

Putting Southside away won't be easy, but Hoffy is looking to put together one more 7-inning effort and finish what it started.

GAME 4, TUESDAY NIGHT, 9:00 p.m. at KINCAIDE. THE TROPHY WILL BE THERE. WILL YOU?

Hoffy Draws First Blood in Finals Opener

In another classic dog fight (Sorry Michael Vick) between Hofbrau and Southside Tavern, Hoffy took the opener of the QML championship series, 12-10.

Things were going smoothly for the 4-time defending champs as they held a 6-1 lead going into the bottom of the 6th. That's when things got interesting as Southside lit it up for 8 runs in the inning to take a 9-6 lead.

Like Tom Brady leading a game winning drive, Hoffy kept its cool and went to work in the 7th for another dramatic come from behind victory. With the bases loaded and one out, Glen Bosse (last year's Hoffy playoff MVP) crushed a grand slam to give Hofbrau the lead. Bosse led the Hoffy attack with 5 rbi. Hoffy added an insurance run to take a 12-9 lead into the bottom of the seventh.

Offensive highlights for Hoffy included Franklin batting his natural righty for the first time this season and crushing a home run that may have just landed.

Southside got one run back in the bottom of the 7th before the talented Hoffy outfield closed the door with great catches from Polanco and Tom Fratolillo to end the game.

GAME 2 FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18 AT KINCAIDE

Other noteworthy news from Game 1:

* 2 hits each from Dave "Josh" Brolin, Mark Free, Joey Butts and Harp Sing.

* Mark Free giving Joey Butts scary flashbacks by yelling "plenty of room" on a fly out.

* The Bosse family (Glen and Jon specifically) keep the strikeout beers flowing

* T-Frat staying red hot at the plate, including a scorching line drive thud off of Jack's back.

and the highlight of the entire evening:

* Scotty "The Game" Logan showing up with a coffee in his hand, slicked back hair, t-shirt and sneakers. The Game then borrowed Mike Berry's cleats and provided a key rbi in the 7th.

We're baaack!!

Hofbrau advanced to its fifth consecutive QML finals appearance with a 15-7 win over Big Times to sweep the semifinal series.

The game was a continuation from last week's rain shortened game 3.

Team Hoffy must now wait for the winner of the Southside-Paddy Barry's series. PB had jumped out to a 2-1 series lead. Southside responded with a 29-8 pounding of Paddy Barry's to even the series and force a deciding game 5 Tuesday night.

Rain suspends game 3 of semis

After taking games 1 and 2, team Hoffy looked to stay perfect in the post season last night against Big Times.

The game got off to a late start due to a game 3 slugfest between Paddy Barry's and regular season champs Southside Tavern. League officials are still investigating a rumor that the over-under for the game was 67.

When the field was finally cleared after Paddy Barry's taking a 2-1 series lead, Big Times drew first blood with two runs in the top of the first. Hofbrau responded with three in the bottom of the first, capped by a towering home run to right by Hoffy shortstop Franklin. We don't know where it officially landed, but next week I plan to contact the owner of the house and ask if we can put a maroon and gold seat in his yard to comemorate the spot.

Hoffy exploded for 8 more runs in the bottom of the second, highlighted by clutch 2 out hits from Tommy Frat and Jim Dennis. Nelly Feliciano provided another to addition to the highlight reel by rounding the bases on what looked like a double to center field.

The rain then intensified to the point where both teams agreed it was enough. The game stands 11-2 Hofbrau in the top of the third inning. Big Times up with a runner on first and one out. The batter at the plate has a 2-2 count.

Hofbrau sweeps Swingers in opening round

Team Hoffy started its championship quest last week with a 2-0 series win over The Swingers.



Game 1 was suspended due to rain with Hoffy up 5-4 in the fourth inning. When play resumed Friday night before the start of Game 2, Hoffy stormed out of the gate, plating 7 runs in the inning enroute to a 13-5 victory.



The teams got right back into it with the 4-time defending champs completing the sweep with a hard-fought 11-6 victory. One area where Hofbrau is noticeably weak is keeping the scorebook. So the stat details are sketchy (like Mike B's scoring technique), but my spies tell me that Ramon and Polanco (double and HR) and Mark Free, Glen Bosse, Greg Harper (3 hits each) come up big in the clutch.


The best news for Hoffy in the playoff run is the return of outfielder Tom Fratolillo. Fresh from his honeymoon, the steady influence hasn't lost a step in right field and has restored the deepest outfield in the league.

We Talkin 'Bout Playoffs

Team Hoffy begins its quest for a 5th consecutive QML title with a 2 seed and drawing The Swingers in the first round.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3-eavMSBnk

The kings of swing played Hofbrau tough during the regular season and will no doubt be ready to bring their A-game in the second season.

GAME 1 TUESDAY NIGHT, 9:00 AT KINCAIDE

Hofbrau goes all out in 10-2 win over Shockers

Team Hoffy improved to 18-2 on the season with a 10-2 victory over the Shockers last night at Perkins Field.

Outfielder Joey Butts brought back visions of Rodney McCray http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK1gd1RNCJI crashing into the outfield wall with a full sprint into the thorns in left field that left him battered and bloodied. Teammate Mark Free may be summonsed before the Kangaroo Court for yelling "plenty of room" mere seconds before the horrific crash.

Other highlights included Hoffy centerfielder Nelly Feliciano crushing a home run into the tennis courts in left field and Joey "blood and guts" Butts hitting the tennis court fence in left.

The Streak Ends

"It happened! It happened!" Jim Lampley after a George Foreman last round ko of Michael Moorer.

Hoffy's record setting 68-game regular season winning streak came to an end last night in a 7-6 extra inning loss to Big Times. Veteran ace Bobby Geraghty played the role of dragon slayer with his usual blend of hitting the corners and changing speeds to keep the Hoffy bats just a little bit off balance.

Team Hofbrau led 3-1 after 2 innings, but Big Times put up a run in the third and three more in the fourth, taking advantage of sloppy defense by the defending champs. Geraghty held the Hoffy bats at bay, retiring 6 of 7 batters in the 5th and 6th.

Hoffy outfielder Dave Brolin delivered another clutch hit in the bottom of the seventh, knocking in the tying run with one out on a double down the left field line. Big Times took thelead for good in the top of the eighth. A pop fly behind the pitchers mound landed fair when Hoffy ace Steve Lannan fell in a depression behind the mound, then threw the ball wide of second to allow runners on first and third. Lannan's claim after the game that he didn't call the fly was met with every bit as much sarcasm as you'd expect.

Glenn Bosse led off the bottom of the 8th with a single, but that was it as Geraghty retired Mike Yocco, Mark Free and Joe Bosse on fly outs to end the game.

Hoffy reacted to the loss by congratulating a gritty Big Times squad led by the classy veteran. They then reverted to old-school, new-school drinking challenges dominated by Jon Bosse dismantling his uncle in a Bud Light pony race (I'm pretty sure that's another QML first).

Next up for Team Hoffy is a pivotal showdown with Southside Tavern with first place in the balance.

Hoffy hangs on to improve to 16-0

"Great teams learn not only from a loss, but also a win." Anonymous....or a fortune cookie somewhere.

Hoffy overcame a tight challenge from Game Time Cuts, 8-4 to run their record to 16-0. The game was close throughout as the normally consistent Hofbrau offense could not convert scoring chances. Outfielder Dave Brolin broke the game open for good with a 2-run triple with 2 outs in the bottom of the 6th inning. Greg Harper closed out the game in the 7th, when Hoffy took advantage of a base running mistake and ended the game with a double play force out on a fly to left.

The win also marked the return of The Game, who went 2-3 with 2 rbi and showed no rust whatsoever at the hot corner.

The lesson learned from this game is that nothing is owed team Hoffy. It's going to take a full effort every game to defend the title.

BREAKING NEWS: THE GAME IS COMING BACK!

It has been confirmed that Scotty Logan a.k.a The Game is back in the Hoffy lineup after an unscheduled hiatus (that's break for all you dipshits).

In a conference call press conference, The Game did not take any questions, but merely stated "The Game is back." and will do his talking on the field.

Logan also hinted he is laying the groundwork to find out who voted for him the strikeout leader poll ( a self-vote apparently been ruled out ).

Hoffy cruises to victory amid "Batgate"

Team Hoffy improved to 14-0 with a 21-3 victory over Malachy's Bulldogs. The defending champs poured it on for 14 runs in the second inning behind a monster 2-run homer from Franklin after Nelly almost ran into an out in a run down where every Malachy's player except for the first baseman touched the ball.























Providing the comic relief of the night was some guy who wears #3 and catches part time. The unidentified player, sporting an old-school Hofbrau shirt struck out swinging in the 4th and dropped a foul ball down the third base line. At least one teammate grabbed his blackberry and googled David Ortiz's eye doctor. He did make amends by becoming the first player this season to immediately provide the strikeout beers.








The game was peppered by relentless jawing from the second place Southside Tavern club, who were noticeably absent for the post-game refreshments at the wall. Instead of being satisfied with their own position in the league, they cackled questions of Hoffy's bats after scorching hits from perennial sluggers Nelly, Franklin, Polanco and Glenny. Sad....kinda like the Lakers admitting their inferiority complex by pointing out that they are now 2 championships behind the Celtics.

Karate Man bleed on the inside!!

Get well wishes to Tommy Fratt as he recovers from a karate injury. Rumors are circulating that it was a chick who did it to him, but my money is on the sneaky-skilled kid from the Seinfeld episode. Let's just hope Cobra Kai doesn't enter a team next year.

Hoffy continued its run with a 23-4 win over Hancock Tavern Monday night. Bill Wysocki made QML history by hitting for the cycle in his first four at bats. Mike Yocco snapped out of a mini-slump with three hits and 3 rbi. Every Hoffy starter recorded at least one hit.

We got a lotta drinkin' to do!!

Hits and beer...that's why I'm here.

Like Mark Twain said.."reports of my death are greatly exaggerated."

Team Hoffy is making a bid toward an unprecedented 5th straight QML title with an 11-0 start. It hasn't been easy, but El Hoffy has done it with an interesting mix of salty veterans (Glenny, Stevie, Harper, JD), new blood (Franklin, Joe C., Joey Butts, Mark) and returning icons (Polanco).

I'm working on getting updated stats posted. The only problem is the piss poor book keeping in the games I missed. Apparently no one on the team paid attention during the "for those of you scoring at home" moments from Ned Martin and Bob Montgomery. I'm not asking for perfection, but at least put down HOW the guy got on base.

Anyway, with that whine off my chest, one stat I noticed on a steady increase is strikeouts. What's more, the 30-pack donations are coming from names like T-Frat and The Game. For those of you who still owe the beer, a few pointers:

1. A beer ball counts for 2 strikeouts (provided of course that Solo cups are included)

2. You are not allowed to bring any strikeout beers home with you. (The 'Mark' rule from a couple of years ago)

3. Any chick beer such as Bud Light Lime or Mich Ultra will result in a 2 30-pack penalty. The same penalty goes for any beer that our fathers drank (Schlitz, Moosehead, Ballantine).

Until the next post, remember the words of Van Earl Wright....."Whatever you do. Keep it smooth".

CORRECTED HOFBRAU SOFTBALL 2009 SCHEDULE

4/28 Hancock Tavern 25-4
5/1 Swingers
5/7 Shockers
5/8 Malachy's
5/11 Team Awesome
5/18 Game Time Cuts
5/19 Big Times
5/26 Southside Tavern
5/29 Paddy Barry's
6/5 Above Ground Pools
6/11 Fallon Ambulance O'Rourke 6:15
6/15 Hancock Tavern Perkins 6:15
6/16 Swingers 7:45
6/19 Shockers 9:00
6/26 Malachy's 9:00
6/30 Team Awesome 7:45
7/6 Game Time Cuts O'Rourke 6:15
7/10 Big Times 7:30
7/14 Southside Tavern 7:45
7/17 Paddy Barry's 7:30
7/21 Above Ground Pools O'Rourke 6:15
7/31 Fallon Ambulance 9:00

ALL GAMES AT KINCAIDE UNLESS NOTED IN RED