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People In Sports

Cyber world vibrates as Cape baseball stuns Salesianum

Alex McCoy pitches complete game, Griffin Kammerer homers
April 15, 2014

None and done - I was at the Milton Little League parade April 12 where unwavering and opinionated former student and now grandfather of Little Leaguer W.C. Clark asked me, “What chance does the Cape baseball team have at Salesianum today?" and I told him, "None! Sallies beat Sussex Central 18-2 and Central beat Cape 9-5. Cape has good players, but chemistry is not there yet; not to mention no consistent pitching, and they tend to kick the ball around a little.” I told him, "Sallies will score at least 10. If Cape can score 11, they have a chance.” The cyber world started to vibrate late that afternoon. Cape had upset Salesianum 5-3 by putting up all five runs in the top of the first, highlighted by a Griffin Kammerer two-run dinger. Then junior left-hander Alec McCoy went the distance, scattering five hits using mostly his fastball to pick up the first win over Sallies in baseball that anyone can remember.

Serious gas! - Chaz Moore threw out the first pitch April 12 at the opening of Milton Little League. He threw a seed to catcher Matt Newcomb that popped the glove. I was very impressed, said to Chaz, “Man, you’ve got some serious gas,” to which Chaz replied, "That ain’t me!” “I’m talking about your fastball," I said.

Big Little Dog Man - I was sitting on a 3-foot concrete wall outside Temple’s Geasey Field, where a college women’s lacrosse game was going on, when this little guy with a little dog and Temple tee “This is our city” attempted to enter the no-canine-admission facility with his banned bandanna dog. He was told no dogs and gave the college kid much grief, saying, “Show me the sign and I’ll obey it, but there’s no sign. Show me the sign.” I jumped in: "It's not like it’s a real dog.” The guy stared me down. I told him, “I’ll be on you like a poodle on a beach ball,” then I returned to being “mostly miffed” that I was in Philly watching and caring about a women’s lacrosse game.

Monkey suit - Anything shirt, tie and jacket I call a Monkey Suit. Let me add that I can be in a gym of mirrors for a hour and never look at myself. I saw my Men’s Wearhouse reflection last Thursday night at a Pennsylvania banquet and tried to beat myself up like a calico on catnip. "The Man in the Mirror" is just not me; maybe my only phobia is the fear of actually being the guy looking back at me.

Snippets - Orioles color analyst Jim Palmer when talking about being a pitcher said, "'The Red Badge of Courage' is to be able to throw all your pitches on a 3-2 count.” Actually "The Red Badge of Courage" refers to the blood on the head of a wounded soldier and comes from American author Stephen Crane, not to be confused with the Headless Horseman's terrified victim, Ichabod Crane, in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" written by Washington Irving, now that’s a "Red Badge." Sports people mix and match stuff all the time and no one notices and no one cares. Phillies' middle infielders Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley have played 1,030 games together as a double-play combination.

Little old white dude holding a cardboard sign on Sunday morning at Wilmington Wawa: “Please Help” I gave him $2 and he said, "God bless you,” and meant it. "Better than the second collection at Mass," I said and meant it.

The Phillies, with the worst announcers by a country cubit behind Baltimore and Washington, are starting a “Sundays with Schmidt” feature. Didn’t anyone tell them that Schmidt could hit but has a wet-dishrag personality? They keep looking for the next Richie Ashburn.

I live an upside down social life, sleep at night and prowl in the morning. I also believe in an upside sports life, the best stories are down low, from Little League parades up through high school sports. The best coaches are also down low, not to mention the best parents because once the kids turn 18 parents are on their own – see how I flipped that?

Cape lacrosse is at Sallies on Tuesday. The Vikings have no chance to beat them. It worked for baseball, so why not try it again? The Cincinnati Bearcats women's lacrosse team has a black coach and several black players. I saw them lose to Temple, but they laid down their share of hits. Go on now, git!

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