Notes: "Really, we are competing against each other..."

Hard to tell the teams apart in this series
By Beth Sass / hereforthesass.blogspot.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Sass team is finally facing their favorite team in the BFL, Mockball Madness. All rules about fraternizing with the opponent have been temporarily suspended.

“Well, SBGF no doubt would protest this greatly, but we’ve got a few distraction ploys in place to keep him from noticing,” Dawn said, with a sly grin.

Both teams have gathered in one bullpen. This is convenient, because former Sass pitcher B. Looper is now with Mockball Madness, and the Sass bullpen refuses to give him up.

“He’s ours. He always will be ours,” Sass relieve M. Guerrier said, “There’s no getting around it. He was our brother, and changing uniforms doesn’t change that.”

Beginning with the first game last night, Dawn and Nick were seen together in the dugout--switching dugouts every half-inning to be with the team at-bat. Beth was seen meandering between the dugouts, clubhouses, and bullpens.

The clubhouses are also a place of camaraderie. While each person has their own locker in their proper locker room, player wander in and out of the different locker rooms, playing cards together, telling stories, and generally hanging around.

“This is the most fun I’ve ever had in a series,” confided Sass shortstop C. Guillen, well-known in the BFL as the best card player, “I’ve been learning new tricks and hints, and it’s great to play against new people with new strategies.”

Do you hear the pitchers sing? Mockball pitcher B. Arroyo (who the Sass tried to sign in the off-season, but Mockball got him first) has already recorded one album while he was playing with the Empire of Insufficient Good in Boston, before finding a friendlier home. When Arroyo came to town, Guerrier got a hold of him right away.

“I’ve always enjoyed playing the guitar, so I thought it would be fun to play with Arroyo,” Guerrier said. Arroyo and Guerrier got together for a short jam session when Mockball got to town late Sunday.

“He’s awesome. I know a lot of people dabble with guitar playing, and many of them are good, but Matt here, he could’ve been a superstar if he hadn’t chosen baseball,” Arroyo said.

Since Guerrier is a relief pitcher and must be in the bullpen during games, Guerrier and Arroyo have taken over the visiting bullpen--all the other relievers have moved to the home bullpen--where they play music. On days when Arroyo needs to throw a bullpen session, he will do it to the accompaniment of Guerrier on guitar, and Guerrier will warm up to the accompaniment of Arroyo. The other starting pitchers have taken to hanging out with Arroyo and Guerrier during games.

Guerrier and Arroyo took over the visiting manager’s office, since Nick prefers to share offices with Beth and Dawn, and have turned it into a recording studio during this series.

Johnson throws a tantrum, Part XXIII: Part of the Sass’s plot to distract SBGF from knowing what is happening with the current Mockball/Sass series was to offer a trade to Goesboom! of Go Boom! Sass pitcher R. Johnson has been offered to Go Boom! in favor of Go Boom! player B. Myers.

“Oh, SBGF won’t approve it, even if Goesboom! does,” said Johnson, dismissively. “There’s no way they can trade me for just one player. I’m an elite superstar. Myers is just a hack kid.”

Johnson also said that he’s quite certain that the Sass did this only to distract SBGF. As Johnson is definitely not liking the openness between the two teams, he said he was debating telling SBGF about the antics, anyway. He declared that this was only a distraction, and this type of playing around was not allowed in the BFL.

“He thinks we’re not serious?” Beth said, with a raised eyebrow, “Well, let him be surprised, then.”

More to the DL The Sass were happy to welcome pitcher B. Halsey to their team when Sass reliever J. Mateo went on the DL. Because of the starting rotation problems, Halsey will be inserted into the rotation, and will pitch today with Sass starter K. Benson, to show him the way.

“I’m super excited to be here,” Halsey said, “It’s an honor to join such a well-run organization. The minute I walked into the clubhouse, I felt like I’d come home for Christmas. The guys were all slapping me on the back, welcoming me. I got hugs from both Dawn and Beth. I’d never met these people before, and suddenly, I can’t imagine life without them.”

Mateo reported to the Sass rehab facility in Nice, and reported the weather was “beautiful” and that Sass outfielder R. Baldelli’s cooking was “fantastic!”

The Sass might be sending another pitcher out there today, as Sass pitcher T. Ohka strained his rotator cuff. He will be evaluated today. Baldelli, while not pleased that a teammate has been injured, said that if it happens, cooking meals for men born in the Eastern seaboard of the US, Japan, Dominican Republic, and Australia would be extremely challenging and rewarding.

“Why do the good pitchers have to get hurt? We have a whole mess of pitchers we’d love to bench, but Ohka’s been solid all year. Why him?” Beth said, obviously frustrated.

When told the news, DLed Sass pitcher G. Balfour just shook his head sadly.