Game 1 - Cat's Meow 7 Toe Jamz 5

In other news, we had a great turn-out on Sunday, but still couldn't pull
out a victory as we fell 7-5 to Cat's Meow. In case you didn't hear, Cat's
Meow is actually Chris' Baby Cakes, a power team from last year, under new
sponsorship. I think we were all a little surprised by the smaller kickball
this year. Don't worry, a new Toe JamZ practice ball is being ordered and
additional practices will be scheduled....

We all got a little scare as Matt and Laura collided in the outfield,
causing Laura to collapse in a heap. She regained consciousness quickly and
is now fine. Matt's thumb survived the impact with Laura's nose and is also
fine. Let's remember to call the ball out there, kids. Also, rookie Jim
Perry managed to injure his leg during the controversial hit to the head
play. The swelling has gone down and he is expected to play this weekend,
though his status is officially day-to-day.

Game 2 - Thrillho 8 Toe Jamz 4

A rough start to SKA season two continued for the ToeJamZ on another
rain-soaked Sunday afternoon. After week-one's injury-riddled game, the
ToeJamZ were looking for a morale boost and a victory over ThrillHo, a
less-than-intimidating looking team, but one that had posted a solid 12 to 2
victory in week one. Things looked good early as ToeJamZ took a slim 2-0
lead but that lead proved difficult to hold. By the middle of the game, all
was knotted at 2. The teams traded runs in a fast-paced game, with ThrillHo
building a lead and ToeJamZ whittling it away. The seventh inning proved
decisive, however, with ThrillHo tacking 3 runs onto their 1 run lead,
deflating the ToeJamZ. The bottom of the ToeJamZ order put up a fight in
the home half of the seventh, but it was too little too late as the ToeJamZ
fell victim to their own defensive miscues and a puzzling inability to
generate offense.

Game 3 - Toe Jamz 13 South Side Saints 2

Toe JamZ break out of early season funk with 13-2 romp!

Team Toe JamZ broke out of it's early season slump in dramatic fashion this Sunday, combining an offensive explosion with a return to the fine defensive form that characterized last year's edition of the JamZ. Things looked dicey at the start as traffic jams all over town caused three players to be late. It looked at first as though only 8 Toe JamZ would take the field in the bottom of the first but Joe "Big Unit" Ebeler made a dramatic entrance just in time to bat in the top half. Toe JamZ jumped out to an early lead, scoring 5 runs before the overmatched South Side Saints could muster even one. Excellent defense helped the Unit out of trouble more than once, leaving numerous Saints on the bases. Dan "Donut Man" Heaton stepped up to record several outs in left field, Daryl "Big Pimpin" McQuinn stepped in to solidly fill the void at first as regular JamZ first baseman, Pretty Boy Robbinz languished in bridge traffic. Laura "lo'mo'fo" Nelson moved to short and combined with Amy "I don't really think I need a nickname" to provide a true "web gem" of a play -- a stumbling, kicking pick up and a toss to third to force out a Saint as Knepper fell to her knees on the bag. It doesn't have to be pretty to be an out.

The Toe JamZ went in to the top of the seventh looking for insurance runs to slam the door on a suddenly surging Saints squad and keep the now 5-2 game in hand. One of the greatest Toe JamZ offensive explosions ever ensued as the ToeJamZ kicked, scrambled, and boomed home one insurance run after another. The inning featured a potent mix of speed, power, and aggressive, smart base running. The Toe JamZ legged out infield hits, including rookie Kiki Vaughan's graceful ball avoidance maneuver on the first base line. The Big Unit dropped an RBI hit into an unprepared Saints outfield. In the midst of it all, rookie Jim Perry launched a Saints-crushing three-run homer -- the first Toe JamZ home run of the young season -- to put the game completely out of reach.

Game 4 - Toe Jamz 11 Pepper's Red Hot Chili's 8

Team ToeJamZ managed an 11 to 8 win over Pepper's Red Hot Chilis and their
ringers brought in from Thrillho to fill out their game-day roster.
Frankly, I have no respect for a team that can't put 8 people on the field
for kickball but ToeJamZ consented to play the game as real -- after all, we
had 13 people ready to play. ToeJamZ came out of the box like a b*tch,
staking rookie pitcher Jim Perry to an early 3 run lead. Peppers/Thrillho
made things tense by putting up runs of their own in the first two innings
to pull ahead by one run, helped along by a solo shot by a Thrillho player.
By the middle innings ToeJamZ settled down in the field with Pretty Boy
RobbinZ recording outs with his typical flair on his birthday and mid-season
reinforcement Mike "the Leg" Lorentz playing solid in right. ToeJamZ broke
out with big innings in the 6th and 7th to take the lead and then break the
game open. Fill-in leadoff man Dan "the Donut Man" Heaton was once again
lightning on the base paths, streaking all the way to third on a bunt, only
to have the play called back with some questionable officiating. The Donut
was involved in more controversy later in the game, advancing home in the
top of the 7th on an overthrow, he slid to beat the throw at the plate but
could have walked in, taking his base on the overthrow. Pepper's' pitcher
and third basemen boiled over, arguing the play with the ump. The run stood
and the ToeJamZ rally continued. The Peppers showed signs of life in the
bottom of the 7th, turning their anger and some ToeJamZ miscues into base
runners to make the final score 11 to 8.

Game 5 Sasquatch 9 Toe Jamz 8

A skeleton crew Toe JamZ team put forth a strong effort but went down in a heartbreaking extra-inning loss 9-8 to the mighty Sasquatch team. The Toe JamZ, visitors this week, jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, sparked in part by the return of leadoff man Matt "Speedy" Huelskamp and the efficient offensive production of surprise starter Carolina "the Colombian Crusher" Perry, playing in her first-ever kickball game. The big hits came out later as Mike "the Leg" Lorentz booted a three-run homer over the head of the Sasquatch left-center fielder to give the JamZ a 5-2 lead. The outfield heeded the call of their absent spiritual leader, Daryl "Big Pimpin'" McQuinn, and held strong as nothing dropped in the outfield, a phenomenon highlighted by Emily "Half" Nelson's impressive running catch to contain the Sasquatch threat in the late innings. Unfortunately, Sasquatch stole a page from the Toe JamZ' playbook and turned the bunt game against the JamZ, managing to execute it even more efficiently. Sasquatch tied the game in the bottom of the 6th and again in the bottom of 7th to send the game to extra frames. Things started out well for the JamZ in the top of the 8th as rookie pitcher Jim "and Tonic" Perry turned his frustration into the longest Toe JamZ home run ever kicked. The ball shot into deep center field, rolling almost to the big tree in center. The JamZ continued to threaten, putting the next two kickers on base, before a triple play ended the threat. In the bottom of the 8th, Sasquatch loaded the bases on bunts and drove in two on a line drive, stealing one from the Toe JamZ.

Game 6 Toe Jamz 6 The Odoyle Rules Squad 2

Team Toe JamZ evened the record at 3-3 with a 6-2 win over the overmatched Odoyle Rules Squad. Toe JamZ pitcher Joe "Big Unit" Ebeler returned to the playing field from Alaska in dramatic, last-minute fashion to pitch a solid outing as the JamZ defense backed him up with solid play. The offense did its part with production coming from up and down the lineup. A two-out walk by Amy "why won't anyone ever use my first name" Knepper started off a rally in the middle innings that led to the go-ahead run crossing the plate for the JamZ. Toe JamZ runners were practically skipping from base to base, their confidence against the Odoyle defense was so great. Well, actually that was just Knepper again with the skipping, but you get the picture. Daryl "Big Pimpin" McQuinn, while still filling his role as spiritual leader of the outfield, chipped in with two key base hits, helping the Toe JamZ overcome their newfound propensity to hit into the fielder's choice.

Game 7 Toe Jamz 4 Recess Warriors 3

Toe JamZ Beat Recess Warriors in a Thriller!
Toez overcome bad calls, take down 5-1 team.

The Toe JamZ continue to peak at the right time, responding to a situation
that allowed no room for error with a mistake-free performance. The Toe
JamZ lineup was missing two key power sources with the absences of Mike "the
Leg" Lorentz and "Jungle" Jim Perry and a consistent female component in Amy
Knepper, continuing the team's "not a lot of girls" woes. The
always-imposing Recess Warriors stood at the other side of the field,
menacing in their red shirts but strangely quiet, perhaps burned out by
their weekly practices, but still willing to throw an occasional elbow at
third baseman Kiki's head or simply stand in the base path and throw a block
on dre (dubbed a "b*tch who can run" by the Warriors' first baseman). Their
tight defense combined with some blown calls by the ump to keep the Toe JamZ
offense in check, but their own offense proved no better, and even wasted
opportunities -- Pretty Boy Robbins was able to double off the same base
runner twice in the game. By the 7th inning, the score was knotted at 3,
with two of the Toe JamZ runs scored by the feet of Matt "Speedy" Huelskamp.
The top of the seventh was tense with the Recess Warriors threatening to
rally with two outs. The Toe JamZ defense held solid though, anchored again
by excellent outfield play by all four Toe JamZ outfielders -- Emily "Half"
Nelson, Matt "Speedy" Huelskamp, Daryl "Big Pimpin'" McQuinn, and Andy
"Baysayboo" Struckhoff, who recovered from an early fly ball to the face to
make several key catches. Big Pimpin started a rally in the bottom of the
seventh, reaching first with one out and making it to second on a sacrifice.
Soon the bases were loaded with Speedy and Dre reaching second and first,
respectively, with two outs and Joe "Big Unit" Ebeler at the plate. While
debating whether to try the squeeze play, the Unit instead first hit a hard,
streaking liner down the third base line, foul, but straight at the head of
the go-ahead run. Big Pimpin' made a quick duck to avoid being flattened.
Finally, the Unit launched a booming kick to center field. The ball got out
there fast and proved too much for the center fielder. Big Pimpin' crossed
the plate with his hands in the air, a defining image for the Toe JamZ
season.

Game 8 Toe Jamz 4 Superfoots 3

The Toe JamZ won again this Sunday, dispatching the Superfoots in a quick 45-minute game. The Toe JamZ looked sharp for a second straight week and ran their season record to 5 and 3 after and 0 and 2 start. A good turnout for the last game of the season made things look promising from the start, with the Toe Jamz outnumbering the Superfoots 15 to 8. However, the Superfoots did show impressive range in the field, limiting the Toe JamZ usually potent offense to just four runs provided in part by the timely hitting of lightning-quick leadoff man Matt "Speedy" Huelskamp, dre, and Mike "the Leg" Lorentz. Sharp hits by Kiki Vaughn and others were smothered by the mobile 'foots defense. Adventurous base-running was again a hallmark of the game as The Leg was hopelessly distracted by the 'foots' second baseperson and Amy "I already have a nickname: it's Amy" Knepper finally earning a new moniker -- "Frolic". The Toe JamZ stout defense and sharp pitching performances by both Toe JamZ hurlers, Joe "Big Unit" Ebeler and Jim "Admiral" Perry, made those four runs hold up, however, as the Toe JamZ cruised to victory.

Excitement is high going into postseason play as the Toe JamZ appear to be peaking at the right time. The Toe JamZ flashed some of their potential tournament strategy in Sunday's game, with liberal substituting forming an "outfield by committee" approach and the debut of a potential new pitcher/catcher battery -- the "no bunt" set.