Thursday, May 22, 2008

Box Score: Heritage Tools (Senate) vs. DHS

Below is the box score for the Senate Softball League game between the Heritage Tools and Department of Homeland Security.

Heritage Tools Clobber Homeland Security, 40-19

Margaret Daly sprinted the last five blocks to the field, Derek Hunter took a cab from New Orleans to Baton Rouge to catch a plane to Reagan connecting with a 20-minute layover in Houston, and BD came off the DL to help prevent a forfeit. But with BMac, BPhil and Diane Uh pouring in as reinforcements, the Heritage Senate League Tools obliterated the Department of Homeland Security by a score of 41-19.

The Tools went to a four-female lineup after taking a 20-3 lead in the second inning, but our ferocious females did not let up, each reaching base well over 50% of the time.

  • Bluey paced the offense with an 4-for-5 night at the plate and nearly flawless (what happened on that liner in the 5th, pal?) defense in left-center and at short.
  • Wiley Westall, pimping for the ladies like Needham at the 2005 intern game, homered (yes, HOMERED!) and held down the hot-corner like a star.
  • Brian Bickerton doubled in his second time at bat and withstood two collisions with the overeager TSA employee playing short for DHS.
  • Heath Hall, BPhil and Needham all homered -- more than a few times.
  • Hunter and BMac also hit the ball a long way and raced their way to second in their patented fashions.

After the game, the Tools met up with the Supply Sliders for revelry at Armand's where BPhil learned something he should have learned in 6th grade.

NPR's Blog Notes Heritage-CAP Softball Rivalry

NPR's Bryant Park Project has a laugh at Think Tank Softball:

Little League season is upon us, and an article by Scott Ganz of the American Enterprise Institute caught my eye recently. Its argument about the positive impact of youth participation sports was interesting, but the description of the co-author was what got me thinking. The author, as it happens, also coaches the Institute's softball team.

Wait, AEI's softball team? Does Richard Perle call his homers like Babe Ruth? Does neocon godfather Irving Kristol give a rousing pre-game speech? (I need hitters, not quitters!!!) I'm not sure, but a bit of lunchtime searching revealed that think tanks from left to right aren't just engaged in the battle of ideas. They've also got their own softball league.

Just imagine the trash talk when the liberal Center for American Progress takes on the righties at the Heritage Foundation. I'm sure it's all erudite and perhaps even peer-reviewed, though. Things really got interesting when I found their flickr photostream. . .

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Darling, Needham Power Tools to Division Lead

The Heritage Tools took over sole possession of the Whigs Division in Think Tank Softball last night. The team has dominated its opponents during the first three games of the season thanks to the play of several people. Brian Darling leads the team with 14 RBI and shares the home run lead with Heath Hall at three. Mike Needham has 11 runs and Derek Hunter has three triples.

Box Score: Heritage Tools vs. Commerce

Below is the box score for last night's Heritage Tools game against the Commerce Department. The Tools won, 26-14, and improved to 3-0 on the season.

Tools Top Commerce in Battle of Undefeateds

Sarah Smith saved the day with a sprint to the field moments before Heritage's Capitalist Tools were about to suffer a forfeit. Think Tank Softball rules mandate at least two women start a game. Smith battled for a parking spot and made a run for the field -- arriving as the other team called on Heritage to forfeit. Smith (who finished 4-for-5) promptly stepped into the batter's box and hit a single.

The Tools and Department of Commerce entered the game tied for the division lead at 2-0. Despite having the minimum nine players (compared to 11 for Commerce), the Tools improved to 3-0 on the season with a 26-14 victory over Commerce.

League rules state that if you play short one girl, then you take an automatic out and can only field nine players. The Tools' auto-out made the second out of the first inning as the team exploded for six first-inning runs. The game tightened after the bottom of the second (7-6) before the Tools scored 13 runs in the top of the third. The auto-out position made two of the three outs in the third inning.

Stars of the game were:
  1. Mike Needham with a Grand Slam, and a 4-for-5 day.
  2. BPhil with a monster 5-for-5 outing with two home runs.
  3. Heath Hall with two home runs, a triple and a double.
BD, Adrianson and Sarah Smith all went 4-for-5. Wiley Westall and Izzy Ortega went 3-for-5 and Margaret was robbed on a few solid hits. Overall, the Tools were 33-for-45 at the plate!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Box Score: Heritage Tools vs. Roosevelt

Heritage's Capitalist Tools topped the Roosevelt Institution on Tuesday to improve to 2-0 in Think Tank Softball. The box score for the Tools is below.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

CAP Acknowledges Heritage's Softball Dominence

During a panel discussion on hate crimes today at Heritage, Mark Agrast of the Center for American Progress noted his think tank's defeat at the hands of Capitalist Tools earlier in the week.

Box Score: Heritage Tools vs. CAP Left Fielders

The defending league champion Capitalist Tools won the first game of a long season of games in the Think Tank Softball League against the Center for American Progress (CAP) on Tuesday. A recap and box score are below.

The Tools entered the top of the seventh inning clinging to a 16-14 lead and exploded for nine runs. The platoon of Mike Needham and Chuck Roman pitched in for 7-for-8 at the plate and quite a few interesting plays at shortstop. Brian McNicoll showed that he still has a hot bat with a 2-for-2 performance. Heath “HR” Hall pitched in for an excellent outing and Alec Aramanda had a diving (maybe falling down) catch in the outfield. Derek Hunter nearly hit for the cycle with a single, double and triple. Izzy Ortega had a good game at the plate and Wiley Westall pitched in with a clutch hit in the top of the seventh to spur on a rally. Mike Spiller and Alex Adrianson combined for a perfect 4-for-4 out of the No. 9 slot, and Nick Reid “batted” 11th in the lineup. The women were excellent with Stacie Smith making better throws to the pitcher, Heather Hogue hitting well in her last two at bats and Ashley Turner going 3-for-4.

Sorry to the players that showed and didn’t get in the game. This was a “must win” for us and we will be more liberal with playing time against teams that are not at the talent level of CAP.

This was the toughest game we will play in the first half of the season, so relax and know that we have beaten the big bad CAP.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Capitalist Tools Top CAP's Left Fielders, 25-15

Heritage's Capitalist Tools picked up where they left off last season. Think Tank Softball's defending champions defeated the Center for American Progress by a score of 25-15 tonight on the National Mall overlooking the U.S. Capitol. The victory over the arch-rival liberal think tank was sealed with a clutch hit by Wiley Westall in the top of the seventh.

Play Ball! Think Tank Softball Begins Today

Today marks the start of the 2008 Think Tank Softball League as The Heritage Foundation kicks off the season on a beautiful spring day in Washington, D.C. Last year's league champion, the Capitalist Tools, take on arch-rival Center for American Progress tonight. Heritage's Sliders face the German Marshall Fund of the United States this week.