11/5: Cobras now have a Facebook page. Check it out: "Minneapolis Cobras Baseball" on Facebook.

10/13: End of the Year Cobras party was held at Casa de Gossard. Nearly all Cobras were present and a good time was had by all. Rob cooked some giant burgers with onions in them, Deets left early, Mason told a Delmon Young/stripper story, Natron weighed the pros and cons of retirement, KT ignored everyone and just played with the baby, and Davis showed up in "I'm gonna go to the bar and find somebody to drop a face baby on after this" clothes. And wherever Adrian was, he fell over. Check back soon for "Cobras Fall Updates."

8/24: Congratulations to the 3 Cobras All-Tournament players

Mike Davis

Mason Reinhart

Matty Germar

8/22: The end finally came for the Cobras as they lost 7-3 to the St Paul Shamrocks on Sunday. With the loss the Cobras claimed 3rd place in the Class "A" Tourney, their best finish since 2003 and 2nd best finish ever. The Cobras pounded out 14 hits against Shamrock pitching, but just couldn't get enough clutch hits when it counted, banging into 4 double plays. Taking a 3-1 lead to the 8th, the Shamrocks scored 4 in the 8th and 2 in the 9th for the final score. All in all, it was an amazing run for the Snakes, as they ended the tournament with the most wins and runs of any team. Congratulations to the Minnetonka Millers for winning their 10th overall State Tournament. Thanks to all the Cobras fans for your support of the team. We'll be back next year to do it again.

8/21: In game two of the day, the Cobras crushed Air Freight Unlimited 10-4. Cobras start with another 3 run first and the game was never really in doubt. Cobras starter Luke Beresford was throwing pretty slowly, especially early in the game. This slowness was really screwing up the Air Freight hitters timing. A 6 run fourth blew the game open for the Cobras, the biggest hit coming on a Mike Davis double down the right field line plating three. After that, the Cobras kind of put it in cruise for a while. Beresford pitched 6 great innings allowing 2 earned runs. John Wengenroth pitched two quick innings after him. Andrew Beltowsky pitched a not-so-quick inning, but was the recipient of a ridiculous defensive play to end the game. With two outs and the bases loaded, the Air Freight hitter hit a deep drive to left center. Matt Rink raced back, scaled the wall, and robbed the would be grand slam to end the game. Oddly enough, 5 innings earlier, Kahtan Al-Kaissy robbed a homerun in right field, although his rob gets less style points since he turned around 12 times, took his hat off, and did the hokey pokey before he caught the ball. Mason Reinhart hit another HR, Bryan Lippincott shuffled over from the Concordia dorms to get 2 hits, and everybody kept glancing up in the stands to see if Joe Mauer had snuck in to watch his brother play. Also I figured the Air Freight side would be littered with QuickSwings. Apparently I was wrong. Cobras keep playing today at Noon, at Dunning against the St Paul League Champion Shamrocks. Come on out and watch all you Cobras faithful. We need your help!!

8/21: Cobras pound out 18 hits in beating Stockmen's Irish, the #1 seed from the Skyline League 10-6. Cobras scored 3 in the 1st on a Mike Davis HR, and pretty much kept hitting the whole game. Nate Broehm went a solid 5 innings after returning from brewery tours in Atlanta, and Matty Germar got the 4 inning save. Mason Reinhart also homered for the Cobras, Davis was 3-4 with 6 RBI's, and Brian Jensen was 4-4 with a couple of doubles, and pretty much everybody was lining the ball around the yard. A good team win.

8/16: In a high blood pressure inducing game, the Cobras held off St Louis Park 7-6 to advance to the combined tourney portion of the tourney beginning Saturday. Cobras bats got off to a hot start jumping out to a 5-0 lead on a 2 run single by Brian Jensen, a 2 run single by Kevin Truax, and a Sac Fly by Matty Rink. Park answers with 3 of their own, but the Cobras pushed the lead to 7-3 on a single by Kahtan Al-Kaissy, and an RBI groundout by Rob (Purple Nurple) Gossard. Matty Germar was a bulldog on the mound, throwing CG #2 of the tournament. With the Cobras leading 7-6 in the 9th with a runner on 3rd, Germar buckled down to retire the last hitter on a deep fly to left. Then he did a whole lot of fist pumping and chirping, and hopefully his left arm did not fall off in the process. Adrian yelled really loudly and fell over. Matt Rink was caught boning his bat in the 4th. Hopefully he bought his bat flowers afterward. Mike Davis got his weekly conditioning in, sprinting after (and narrowly missing) numerous pop ups down the right field line. Cobras get a couple days off and then will be back in action Saturday at Noon against Stockmen's Irish at Dunning Field in St Paul. Hopefully this time around the Dunning grounds crew won't consist of:

1.) A guy with a shovel

2.) A mopey teenager

3.) A baby in a stroller

4.) A homeless man

8/15: A 6 run first propels the Cobras into the next round, as they eliminate Al's Gators 12-5. In spite of scoring 12 runs, the Cobras left a mountain of people on base, as they tallied 11 hits, 10 walks, and 3 hit by pitches. John Wengenroth picked up his first career State Tourney win throwing all 9 innings, and only allowing 1 earned run. Mike Davis, Matt Rink, Mason Reinhart, and Kahtan Al-Kaissy had two hits, and everybody except KT was on base at least once. Rob Gossard was hit in the nipple with a pitch, and his nipple is all swollen and black and blue, and he will gladly show it to you if you ask. Adrian was questioned about why it always mentions that he falls over on the website, and then promptly fell over to help illustrate. Mick Sawinski admitted that he had been a face baby at one time. There was a disagreement between the Gators and the umpires near the end of the game that caused a loud "CHRIST!!!" to come from a Gator directed toward the guy running the tourney. Cobras will now "host" St Louis Park on Monday at Parade Stadium, with the winner advancing to the combined Eastside/Westside tourney beginning Saturday at Dunning Field in St Paul. Time to get things done.

8/14: Cobras lose a tough one to the Pub 2-1. Pub hits a walk off double in the 9th to account for the final score. Luke Beresford was terrific on the hill, going the distance, but wound up being the hard luck loser. Brian Jensen and Kevin Truax had 2 hits apiece, but the Cobras managed only 5 hits overall, and were unable to take advantage of their scoring opportunities. Cobras will try to regroup in an elimination game against Park National rival Al's Gators at Noon on Sunday at the Vet.

8/13: Cobras take down SLP 4-3 in a terrific opening round game. Matty Germar was in CG friday mode, and it showed as he pitched around serious damage from a dangerous Park lineup. Mason Reinhart and Rob Gossard had 3 hits for the Cobras, Mike Davis was pitched around all night, Kevin Truax had the game winning RBI, Matt Rink broke Gnarkill, and Brian Jensen stranded a village on the basepaths and got a small shaming from Kevin Hoy afterwards. But the game belonged to Germar who was loud and excited when he recorded the final out, prompting some SLP'ers to want him to tone it down. Matty G does not chill out. Cobras resume action today with league rival Lyon's Pub at 3:00 at Veterans Field.

8/11: Cobras get a decent practice in at Bryn Mawr, although they had to hit in the cages since the fields were completely filled with lesbians having seriously competitive ultimate frisbee practices. Al-Dollar said some foolish things, Matt Rink struck out trying to hit on a hot softball girl who was lost, Bryan Lippincott is an unintentional cockblocker, and Adrian fell over. All in all a productive night.

8/9: Cobras lose to the Minnetonka Millers 6-2 in a tune-up game before the State Tournament. Not much is known about this game since the webmaster wasn't there, but we do know that John Wengenroth pitched 6 strong innings, the Cobras missed a lot of opportunities at the plate, Matty Germar played a strong Centerfield, and Adrian fell over playing first base. Good tune up against one of the best teams in the state to help get ready to play another one of the best teams in the state on Friday.

8/6: Finally!!!

 After a 2 year hiatus, the Cobras made it back to State on Friday with a 6-5 win over the Angels in the deciding game of the series. Mike Davis opened up the game by launching a 2 run homer, but after that the Angels pitcher settled down. After the Angels took a 4-2 lead, the Cobras got 1 back in the 6th, and then in the 7th scored the tying run on a Davis single, the go ahead run on a Dan Thompson infield hit, and, what turned out to be the game winning run on a Johnny Camp hit-by-pitch-in-the-shoe. The Angels got 1 back on an unearned run in the 8th, but in the 9th Matty Germar was able to induce a fly out to left with a runner on second to end it. Nate Broehm was solid on the mound, throwing 6 innings and allowing two earned runs. Davis led the Cobras with 3 hits, and was also hit in the heart with a fastball, which is unusual (He was OK). Kevin Truax had two, Matt Rink had good at bats, and Mick Sawinski was an unsung hero, getting on base and starting rallies. Kahtan Al-Dollar was sending drunken text messages from WE Fest wondering the score. Special thanks to the "Goon Squad" for being loud and obnoxious, having at-bat music, and for the rampant homosexual undertones between all of you for Matt Rink.

Also, a great deal of respect goes to the Minneapolis Angels and their fans. The Angels played a really terrific series, which made for an entertaining brand of baseball, and were gracious in defeat. Hats off to you all. We'll see you next year.

With the win, the Cobras advance to the 2010 Class A State Tournament (Westside Version), where they will open up Friday August 13th, against St Louis Park, 7:00 PM at Veterans Field in Minnetonka.

8/5: Cobras pound out 12 hits and tie the best of three series with the Angels 8-3. Johnny Camp was stellar on the mound again for the Cobras, pitching all 9 innings, and making the Angels beat the ball into the ground all night. Camp finished the 9th with a flourish, striking out the 2-3-4 hitters after the bases were loaded with nobody out. The first 5 batters in the Cobra lineup accounted for 10 hits, including 3 doubles, a triple, and a majestic home run by Mike Davis that sailed into the night. Catcher Rob Gossard stifled the Angels running game, throwing out 2 of 3 attempted base stealers. Do or die for both teams tonight, with a still angry Cobras team looking for their first State Tournament berth since 2007. Game time is 7pm. The Matt Rink Fan Club will be in attendance. Should be fun.

8/4: Cobras lose a tough one, dropping the opener of the series to the Angels 10-8 in 10 innings. Both teams hit the ball all over the yard, and in spite of the loss, it was a pretty entertaining game. Bryan Lippincott hit his first Home Run as a Cobra, and the Cobras made a nice comeback, tying the game at 8 after being down 7-1. The Angels plated 2 in the 10th on 2 walks and a well placed single, and the Cobras couldn't respond, stranding the tying run on first in the bottom half of the inning. Now it's do or die time, and some Cobras are pretty angry and fired up for game 2, scheduled for 8:30 at Parade tonight.

8/2: Cobras lose to Coon Rapids 8-1 in a playoff tune-up. The bats were quieted by a good Coon Rapids pitching staff, but the Cobras got some swings in against a quality opponent. Josh Fossan took the loss for the Cobras but got his work in and was solid. Mike Davis killed Face Baby 1. The humidity was humid. Adrian fell over. Al-Dollar got fined a lot. A truck with a meth lab in it drove through the parking lot after the game. That's about it. Cobras take on the Angels in Game 1 of the best of 3 series Wednesday at 6:15 at Parade Stadium.

8/1: Cobras will play the Angels in the 2/3 series beginning 8/4. The winner earns the right to go to the state tournament.

7/29: Update: Cobras pick up a game with Coon Rapids, Monday 8/2 at 7:30 PM at Wintercrest Park in Coon Rapids.

7/28: Cobras win 5-4 in 8 innings in what can only be described as a really weird game all around. With the win the Cobras secure a bye in the first round of the Park National League Playoffs. Matty Germar, in his first start since being activated from the DL, pitched 8 gutsy innings, allowing 8 hits while striking out 4 Metro Merchants. The day started poorly for the Snakes as the Merch plated 1 in the first on a wild pitch and 2 in the second on a routine grounder that hit a clump of crud and bounced over SS Bryan Lippincott's shoulder. Trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the 6th, the game started getting weird. With 2 outs, Kahtan Al-Dollar laced a RBI single to make the score 4-2. Rob Gossard then singled to put runners on the corners. Then the Merch pitcher was called for a balk on a pick off attempt. Kahtan, standing at 3rd at the time, had to be shoved home because he didn't understand that Everybody got to move up a base on a balk. 4-3. Pinch Runner Mick Sawinski then moved to 3rd on a wild pitch, and scored on another wild pitch. 4-4. After Germar retired the Merchants 1-2-3 in the top of the 7th, the Cobras loaded the bases on a Mike Davis double, and walks to Matt Rink and Brian Jensen, and Lippincott had a 3-0 count on him, but was eventually retired by the Merchants pitcher. After Germar cruised through the top of the 8th, the Cobras loaded the bases again with 2 outs. With Matt Rink up, the Merchants pitcher just sort of stopped pitching mid-wind up. The result was the first walk off Balk in Cobras history, and plate umpire Larry Gallagher was visibly angry as he left the field, remarking that that was a stupid way to lose a game. Cobras will be the #3 seed in the playoffs, and will open the playoffs on 8/4 at 6:15 at Parade Stadium.

7/27: Cobras game vs Minnetonka canceled after two innings due to heavy rain. Kahtan slid around in the puddles during the rainstorm. The Millers seemed delighted over this. Huge league game tonight at Parade vs the Metro Merchants. If the Cobras win, they take 3rd place in the conference and earn a bye to the 2 of 3 playoff series.

7/26: Cobras take one on the chin from a tough Coon Rapids team 14-3. Mike Davis hit a monstrous home run in the 1st with a face baby, and Bryan Lippincott has decided to never get out again going 4-4. Matty Germar made a return from the abyss and collected 2 hits on the night, but the Redbirds knocked the ball around pretty well and cruised to the win. Some highlights of the night:

• Kahtan had 12 passed balls
• Kahtan threw the ball over the pitcher's head 3 times
• Kahtan broke his bat and sulked
• Joey Rollwagen inexplicably sprinted over to cover first base on a foul ball to the backscreen
• Matt Rink did a little dance after a foul ball was just out of his reach
• Matty Germar went to left field with his phone in his pocket, then ran back, and asked a certain Cobra to hide it, so as not to incur a fine. After the game, he asked the Cobra if he had "the thing" like it was drugs or something.
• A certain left arm is feeling better.

Cobras return to action tonight at Veterans Field against the Minnetonka Millers. Game time is 7:30

7/22: Cobras finish out an amazing week with a 6-5 win over the Angels on Thursday night. With the win the Cobras have defeated the top three teams in the Park National in 4 nights and vaulted themselves into 3rd place in the league with a chance at 2nd, depending on the cooperation of the Metro Merchants. Nate Broehm was solid on the hill for the Cobras, allowing 3 runs in 4 innings, while the Cobras plated 2 in the 3rd, and 4 in the 4th. John Wengenroth came in and pitched well, helped out by a stellar double play with the bases loaded to keep the score at 6-4. Kahtan Al-Kaissy then came in and shut the door on the Angels, freezing the last batter with a fastball on the inside corner. Bryan Lippincott led the Cobras with 3 hits, and a diving stop to begin the aforementioned double play, Mason Reinhart had two, and the Cobras generally made life tough for the Angels pitcher, taking walks and fouling off a lot of pitches. The win puts the Cobras at 11-6 in conference and gives them a chance to secure a bye in the upcoming playoffs with a win wednesday over the Metro Merchants. Cobras will be doing a little scoreboard watching until then, as a Merchants win over the Gators on Monday, coupled with a Cobras win over the Merchants on Wednesday would put the Cobras into 2nd place to end the season. After the game, Adrian showed off his new bald head, complete with a giant hairy spot that he had missed behind his ear. Kahtan was fined a lot, and took approximately 30 minutes explaining a fine and was subsequently fined for fining for too long. Nearby, the Angels were whooping and hollering at something, which was too much for the Iraqi Redneck to handle, so he started whooping and hollering too, like a moose giving a mating call. Cobras have the weekend off to reflect on the week, but will be back on Monday at Wintercrest Park in Coon Rapids against the Class B power Coon Rapids Redbirds at 7:30.

7/21: Momentum continued. Playing like the best team in the Park National for the 2nd straight game, the Cobras take it to the Warriors 8-2. At 14-1 in league play, the Warriors came in with a well deserved reputation as one of the best teams in the state. With that in mind, the Cobras played as if they were looking to regain the same status. The star of the game was Johnny Camp. Camp, in his 1st start of the year, was fantastic on the mound, throwing a complete game, scattering 8 hits, and keeping the dangerous Pub lineup at bay. The 6th and 7th innings really showed Camp's makeup, as he worked out of serious jams, while only allowing 1 run. The offense was led by Bryan Lippincott, Mike Davis, and Matt Rink, who each had two hits, and again, everybody had good, productive at bats, against 2 better than average pitchers. The Cobras play their most important game of the year on Thursday against the Angels at 8:30 at Parade Stadium.

7/19: Cobras play one of their best all around games of the year, throttling a very good Gators team 12-6. Luke Beresford was terrific on the mound, scattering 9 hits over 6 innings with only one walk, letting the defense make plays behind him. Andrew Beltowsky finished up the 7th. The offense was on crush mode all night, getting 13 hits and 8 walks off of Gators pitching. Kahtan "Mister Dollar" Al-Kaissy and Brian Jensen had 3 hits, Bryan Lippincott and Mason Reinhart had 2 apiece, and everybody else had some really good swings against one of the top pitching staffs in the state. Base umpire had a rough game, but definitely won the staring contest vs the Gators dugout in the 4th inning. Cobras will try to ride the momentum of this big victory to Wednesday where they will meet the 1st place Minneapolis Warriors at 7:00 at the Cobras only appearance at Fort Gay in 2010. Just as a reminder, that game is 7:00 PM, not AM.

7/16-7/18: Nick Bell Classic-Cold Spring, MN:

The Cobras didn't do much to help their reputation in Cold Spring, losing twice and getting a game canceled due to tornado lurking nearby. In game 1, the Cobras had their annual meeting with the Brainerd Bees. The Bees shamelessly slapped Texas Leaguers all over the ball yard, and capitalized on some walks and errors to blast the Cobras 16-6 in a game ended by the 10 run rule. Mike Davis and Brian Jensen were both 2-2 in the game. Saturday's game with Bemidji was moved back and then eventually canceled because of weather, but a few Cobras took advantage of the off day with some bass fishing, bar hopping, and drawing the interest of some of St Cloud's drunkest, least scrupulous women. On Sunday the sun popped back out and the Cobras played the host Cold Spring Springers. A 6 run 3rd doomed the Cobras, who otherwise didn't play badly, as they took the loss 7-4. Mason Reinhart had 3 hits on the day for the Cobras, while John Wengenroth pitched well in relief. Cobras get no time to lick their wounds as a huge week in league play begins with Al's Gators on Monday at Parade Stadium.

7/14: Cobras get a measure of revenge, taking down the Rats 7-6 on an extremely muggy "re-make" night at Parade Stadium. Cobras jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 2nd on a Sac Fly by Kevin Truax, and a 2 out single by Bryan Lippincott. Rats tie the game in the top of the 3rd on a bunch of bunts and errors. Cobras respond with a big 5 run 4th where they batted around to take a 7-2 lead. Rats answered in top of the 5th with 4 to make it close, but Johnny Camp came in and shut the door, throwing the final 2 1/3 innings for the save. Kahtan Al-Kaissy battled through the first 4 2/3 innings to get the "W". He hit some guys, walked some guys, and struck out some guys. Cobras managed 12 hits on the night against the Rats pitcher who was determined to throw his curveball 60% of the time. Mike Davis led the Snakes with three hits, a night after spanking the ball all over the yard against the U18 All Stars/Future Bonus Babies. Lippincott, Dollar Factory Al-Kaissy, and Mason Reinhart each chipped in with 2 hits apiece. Adrian fell over. Cobras will be up in Cold Spring for the annual Nick Bell Invitational over the weekend, playing Brainerd, Bemidji, and the host Cold Spring Springers, and possibly fishing for basses during down time and trying to avoid catching ringworm from a foster cat. Gametime Friday is 8:30 PM.

7/11: The Cobras split two games today, beating the Richtown Bombers 7-2, and losing to the Mpls Angels 7-5. Before game 1, Mike Davis went behind the shed and threw up intentionally. This is apparently really good luck because the Cobras struck early when Matt Rink's 2 out single made the score 1-0 and never looked back, scoring in 5 different innings, and taking a 7-0 lead until the 7th when the Bombers would plate 2 for the final score. Matt Rink was 4-4 on the day for the Cobras, including his league leading 7th triple. Brian Jensen hit a 2 run home run, and just about everybody else got into the action as well. Nate Broehm was dominant on the hill before tiring a little in the 7th, and the defense behind him was stellar, turning 3 double plays. In game 2, walks and a tiny strike zone hurt the Cobras, as the Angels only managed about 5 hits on the day. The Angels had a 7-3 lead going into the 7th, but the Cobras cut it to 7-5 and had the bases loaded, but new Cobra Bryan Lippincott's liner was snared by the Angels leftfielder to end the game. The Cobras now stand at 7-6 and in 4th place in the league. Next game is Wednesday 7/14 at Parade vs the Rats in a game that Kahtan would call a "rain check" game. In related news, Kahtan is a dollar factory.

7/7: Cobras and Rats rained out tonight.  This game will be made up on July 14 at 6:15 at Parade.

7/5: The Cobras and Warriors meet again for the second time in a week.  The weather would not hold off as only 4 innings of baseball were completed.  This game will be re-started and made up on July 21 at the dreaded "Fort Gay".

6/29: Cobras lost to the Warriors 11-2 tonight.  It was a closer game than the score indicates.  Some very weird things happend.

6/26 - 6/27 - Stockmen's Invitational Tourney
The Cobras win their first game of the tourney 8-7 over a very scrappy and young Roosters team.  Crafty righthander John Wengenroth pitches a complete game, scattering 10 hits over 7 innings.  Dan Thompson put the Cobras ahead for good in the 6th when he hit the second ever bases clearing single in Cobras history.  Mason Reinhart added 2 RBI and Mick Sawinski was on base three times scoring two runs.
In the Cobras second game of the tourney, they played the host Stockmen's team on Saturday night.  The Cobras put up a 3 spot in the first, but couldn't muster anything after that and lose 6-3 in a rain shortened game.  Mason hit a bomb, and Dan Thompson added the other 2 RBI. 
The Cobras played Rosetown on Sunday in the Third Place game.  Rob Gossard made his return to the mound and ended up getting the win.  Matt Rink accounted for all three Cobras runs, driving in the first and scoring the next two.  John Wengenroth hit a seed in the sixth that put the Cobras ahead 3-2, which is how the game ended.  Overall a pretty good weekend for the Cobras, back above .500. 
On a side note, Kahtan Al-Kaissy accomplished his goal for the weekend while drinking heavily up in Ely.  Nice Job to him!

6/24: The Cobras beat the Gators tonight 10-6.  The Cobras started out the game scoring two runs in the first, both with two outs.  The Gators took the lead scoring 3 in the third, but the Cobras responded in the fourth with 4 and never looked back.  The Gators kept things interesting, loading the bases in the 7th on a few walks mixed with a hit, but Kahtan Al-Kaissy shut the door with a strikeout to end the game.  Nate Broehm threw a solid 6 innings for the win.  Kahtan led the Cobras with 3 RBI, while Matt Rink scored 3 runs with his enormous fan club watching.  Overall, good game for the Cobras.  Next up: Stockman's Tournament this weekend with two games Sat. 2pm & 8pm.  Should be fun!

6/22: There don't seem to be any easy wins in the Park National this year.  The Cobras beat the Bluesox tonight 8-7 in extra innings.  Joey Rollwagen pitched decent through 5 innings, but had trouble throwing the ball to 1B and there were 4 unearned runs that resulted in those bad throws.  The Crafty righthander John Wengenroth came in and pitched three pretty good innings for the win.  The Cobras plated the winning run in the bottom of the eighth when Dan Thompson hit home Kevin Truax from third.  Rink hit yet another triple, and Adrian scored a run while pinch running and did not fall over.  The win moves the Cobras into 5th in the Park National and above .500 in league play for the first time this season.  Next up, Albert's Gators (Also known as Fat Alberts to a certain wife on our team) at 8:30 on Thursday night at Parade Stadium.

6/21: In a game where it was tough to get anybody out for either team, the Cobras come back from down 13-7 in the final two innings to win the game 14-13.  It was back and forth for the first three innings, and the Lakers extedned their lead in the 5th to 13-7.  The Cobras scored three times in the 6th and 4 in the seventh, all with two outs, with big hits from Rink, Deetz, Kahtan, Johnny Camp and Luke.  Nate Broehm was summoned to the mound with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 7th and two outs, and he earned the save in one pitch with a harmless groundout to SS.  Nice comeback win for the Snakes.

6/18: Wow. Really? In one of the least impressive (as far as quality of baseball) league games in Cobras history, the boys were literally mauled to death by the pandemic causing, disease infested Rats, losing 4-2 on a beautiful friday night at Parade. (On an actual serious note, it was a well played game by the Rats. They made the plays that needed to be made, and their 2nd pitcher made numerous Cobras hitters look much less than good with a nasty, disappearing curveball. Quality win for them.) Now back to the ugliness. Some of the factors that lead to the teams 4th loss in league play were: a definate lack of energy and/or enthusiasm, very little timely hitting (2 runs in 7 innings usually isn't enough), multiple defensive miscues (both physical and mental), and some absolutely terrible baserunning. What do all of these things add up to? BAD BASEBALL! Let's hope we can get things going in the right direction with a W against the Lakers monday night at 8:30 @ Parade!

6/16: In a pitchers dual on a muggy June night, the Cobras squeak out a 2-1 victory over the very Rocks team that put up 16 runs vs. the Cobras on Sunday.  Matty G got the complete game win, but failed to get the "CG shutout wednesday" win, giving up 3 hits, walking 2, hitting 1 batter, while striking out 2.  The only run he gave up was unearned.  In his words, "ugly, but effective". When Kahtan wasn't creeping out young girls in the parking lot, he was catching fly balls and getting an RBI groundout.  "Sweet" Johnny Camp drove in the run that put the Cobras ahead for good with a single, while Dan Thompson and Matt Rink each had two hits. Next up for the Cobras is a friday night league game at Parade against the always dangerous, bubonic plague carrying River Rats. Watch out for them!

6/14: Game tonight vs Angels CANCELLED due to the City of Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Department leaving the historic and picturesque Parade Stadium sprinkler system on all night AGAIN! Make up date will be announced asap.

6/13: The Championship Game of the Cannon Falls Tourney featured two Park National teams, and could've have easily been played at NEAF instead of an hour away.  The Cobras fail to hit in the first 5 innings, while the defense didn't play very well either.  New Cobra Nico Balcos started on the hill and pitched well enough to keep us in the game for three innings. After that it got a bit ugly.  Cobras fall to the Rocks 16-5 in a game they were never really in from the get go.  Up next, Vs. the Angels at Parade Monday at 8:30.

6/12: Winners bracket game at Cannon Falls proved to be an offensive break out for the Cobras, beating a young Kasson team 21-8.  On the day: 21 Runs, 17 hits, 8 Cobras got hits, and 8 Cobras scores runs.  Crafty right hander John Wengenroth threw plenty of strikes to get the CG win on the hill. Cobra pin-up model Matt Rink was "GNARKILLING" the ball all over the yard, smoking 3 doubles and a single, and Joey Rollwagen and Nico Balcos each had great games at the plate.  Mason hit a bomb, Kahtan caught two fly balls, and Mick Sawinski made another dazzling defensive play.  Next up, Championship game at 5pm Sunday in the Cannon Falls Tourney.

6/11: Game tonight vs Gators is cancelled due to the field being a soggy, saturated sponge. At this moment, currently scheduled to play in Cannon Falls tomorrow morning at 10 am. We shall see. Go away rain!

6/9: Cobras gut out a tough win in a well played game by both teams in the opening game of the Cannon Falls tourney, beating the host Bears 4-2. Cobras starter Nate Broehm was "Strasburgesque", dominating on the hill through 6 innings. Khatan Al-Kaisy pitched well in his two innings of relief, and Luke Beresford was Joey Nate for the save. Dan Thompson and Matt Rink paced the Cobras offense, both with 2 big hits, and there were numerous dazzling defensive played made in the infield (Mick Sawinski, Deetz, JC). The Cobras actually trailed 2-1 going into the 9th, but a nice 3 run rally marked by some timely clutch hitting proved to be the difference. Also, new guy Nico Balcos was looking downright filthy out in the bullpen. Very nice win!

6/7: Cobras leave way too many runners on base and gift wrap a league win for the Merchants, losing 4-2. Merry Christmas.

6/6: The Cobras squeaked one out on a beautiful sunday afternoon, blanking the Bombers 1-0 in 8 innings at The Cathedral of NAFE. Wrong-armer Matt Germar backed up his bold claim of "cg shutout sunday" by going the distance, allowing only 4 hits and 0 walks while fanning 8 Bombers batters. After the game he stated that "he was the blind squirrel that found a nut"? Nice win with quality defense.

6/3: New guy Mike Davis made his Cobras debut by smacking two doubles and a single as the "good guys" hung on to defeat the feisty Whitebeartownship Mullets 7-6 in a 9 inning tilt somewhere near Wisconsin. O C Matt Germar returned to action, hurling three scoreless innings of relief after being sidelined for three weeks with an undisclosed mental "condition", and was promptly called a "$&@%*!# psycho" by the head mullet after striking out the last mullet batter to end the game. Little did he know. Good team win.

6/1: Cobras lose a tough game to the Bloomington Bandits 7-6. For the second straight game a 5 run first inning hurts the Cobras. The Bandits, a scrappy team filled with young kids who run well, took advantage of the Cobras in the first, scoring their runs on many bloopers and stolen bases. Their starting pitcher had a no hitter until Kahtan Al-Kaissy broke it up in the 5th. In the 6th, the Cobras plated 6 runs, and had the bases loaded until Mason Reinhart hit into a double play which was poorly called by an umpire who decided not to move from home plate. The Cobras had a runner on 2nd in the 7th, but Johhny Camp flied out to deep left to end the game. Brian Jensen and  Kahtan Al-Kaissy had 2 hits to pace the Cobras, and after the 1st inning Kevin Truax, Joey Rollwagen, Niko Balcos, and Natron did a good job keeping the Bandits off the bases. Next up is the White Bear Township team on Thursday at 7:00.

5/27: Cobras lose to Sport & Spine 6-2. A 5 run first and a patchwork lineup dooms the Cobras who managed only 5 hits on the day. Not really much else to add. Outside of the long 1st inning the game took about 55 minutes. Cobras are off until after Memorial Day which is appropriate since May killed us.

5/26: Victory, at last. After some serious sputtering the last two weeks, the Cobras finally got the monkeys off their back, defeating the Blue Sox 7-4 for their first league victory. The Cobras jumped out to an early 7-0 lead and never looked back. Everybody hit the ball well, and Kahtan Al-Kaissy pitched 5 solid innings before giving way to Nate Broehm, who got the save. Cobras have little time to savor the victory, as they are back in action Thursday against St Paul Sport & Spine.

Game Highlights:

• The cathedral that is North East Athletic Field was locked until 15 minutes prior to game time. Nice.
• The infield grass was long enough to hide a baseball in. Also nice.
• The game was delayed 47 times by people kicking soccer balls over the right field fence and into play
• Brian Jensen swung and missed at a ball while hitting infield
• Matt Germar named all his bats. They sounded like names you might give a racehorse. Personally, I liked "Get behind me Satan."
• Rob Gossard is still on the DL with "whatthehelldoidowiththisbaby-itis"

 

***5/22:***

Congratulations to Rob and Jane Gossard as after 2 straight months of labor they welcomed Madeline Jean Gossard into the world. For those who aren't sure, this is a baby baby, and not another dog. Little Madeline was born with an instant affinity for dogs whose faces look smashed in, and Rodeo Cheeseburgers. Welcome to the world.

5/24: Cobras continue to struggle, losing 7-4 to the Lakers on Monday. Lakers strung together 3 in the first as they took advantage of Kevin Truax's control issues. Truax settled down after that, but the Lakers still managed to plate a couple runs thanks to bloopers and stolen bases. Johnny Camp had 2 hits for the Cobras and Dan Thompson hit the ball well, but it wasn't enough. The Cobras drop to 0-2 in the league for the first time in their history. Snakes will try to turn it around on Wednesday against the Blue Sox at the Cathedral that is NorthEast Athletic Field.

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5/22: Defensive mistakes kill Cobras as they lose 8-6 to the St Paul Mudhens at Dunning Field. John Wengenroth pitched a complete game for the Cobras, but his defense didn't help him out much. The Mudhens were an improved team from last year and it showed. But after a rain delay and a really super long fixit job by the Dunning grounds crew, consisting of one guy with a bucket of sand, one casual observer, and one baby in a stroller, the Cobras at least got 5 at bats against live pitching out of the day. League game #2 vs the Lakers comes up Monday at Parade Stadium.

5/20: An 8 run 4th dooms the Cobras in St Louis Park as they lose 11-2. Starting pitcher Joey Rollwagen kept the Park hitters off balance for the first 3 innings with his submarine style delivery, and his willingness to plunk every 3rd batter in the butt. In the 4th, many walks and a grand slam accounted for 8 quick runs. The Cobras got 2 in the 9th on a Matt Rink triple to account for the scoring. Kahtan Al-Kaissy had 3 hits for the Cobras, but also forgot it was his turn to bat once. Dan Thompson also hit the ball well. Cobras resume play Saturday against the St Paul Mudhens at Dunning Field.

5/17: Cobras lose a nail biter to the Rocks 4-3. With Matty Germar nursing a sore hammy, Kahtan Al-Kaissy got the start on the hill, pitching a solid 4 innings until Nate Broehm finished up. Cobras took a 2-1 lead in the 4th. Brian Jensen doubled home Dan Thompson and then scored himself on an error. The Rocks strung together a few hits and scored 3 in the bottom of the 4th inning, which also included a scary moment when the Rocks leadoff hitter was hit in the face with a fastball which apparently resulted in some broken orbital bones. We wish him a speedy recovery. The Cobras threatened in the 7th when Kevin Truax doubled home Rob Gossard, but Mason Reinhart grounded to 3rd to end the threat. Cobras have a couple of days off before taking on St Louis Park on Thursday at Dakota Field.

5/16: Cobras lose to Minnetonka 5-0. Cobras manage only 2 hits on the night and kick the ball around a little bit in the infield. League opener vs the Rocks is Monday @ 8:30 PM.

5/12: Cobras and Cannon Falls rained out. Also, Friday night's game with the Princeton Panthers is also canceled due to lack of field availability. The Cobras will attempt to get another non-league game in vs the Minnetonka Millers, sunday night at 7:30 at Veterans Field in Minnetonka.

5/8: On a chilly Wisconsin night, the Cobras beat the New Richmond Millers 7-3 before a crowd of nearly 65 at the newly revamped Citizens Field. Cobras set the tone early putting up a 3 spot in the first, led by Dan Thompson's lead off double, Mason Reinhart's RBI double, and Matty Germar's 2 out RBI single. After that, the temperatures began dropping rapidly, but the Cobras still managed to squeak out 4 more runs throughout the game thanks to some based loaded walks and hit batsmen. Matty Germar was dominant on the hill, allowing 1 run on 2 hits with 9 strikeouts in 6 innings. Nate Broehm and Brian Jensen finished up on the bump. The Cobras are off until Wednesday when they travel down to John Burch Park to take on the Cannon Falls Bears at 7:30.

Game Notes:

• Johnny Camp got lost and arrived in the 4th inning, and then proceeded to verbally assault the webmaster for excluding him from the Blaine highlights.
• Goose showed up in the 5th inning dressed like a Hamline Piper
• Citizens Field has a new fence since the last time we were there. This makes the field more attractive looking, but unfortunately nr ow the large tree in right field is no longer in play
• Face babies were mentioned just a little.

5/4: Cobras suffer their first loss of the year, 7-3 to the Blaine Fusion. Blaine pitchers were throwing hard for the early season and it showed, as the Cobras managed only 5 hits on the game. Rob Gossard threw the first 6 innings, allowing 7 runs on a variety of infield hits and well placed liners. Brian Jensen finished up and looked kind of wild in the process. Luke Beresford led the Cobras with 2 hits and 2 RBI's, Mason Reinhart and Adrian had hits, and Brian Jensen had a double and a run scored. After the game, Mason told the "director's cut" version of the Face Baby story which took approximately 32 minutes to tell. The Cobras have a couple of days off to lick their wounds until Saturday when they travel to New Richmond, WI to take on the New Richmond Millers. There may be a fence dedication, and there may be snow. It's difficult to predict. Game time is 7:30PM.

5/2: The Cobras opened up their season in fine fashion, beating Pine Island 4-2, in a crisp game that lasted just over 2 hours. The good guys plated 2 in the 3rd, on a RBI groundout by Brian Jensen, and a wild pitch, and added 2 more in the 4th on a monstrous 2 run bomb by Matt Rink. This marks the third consecutive year Rink, who has obviously recovered from his torn taint, has homered on opening day. Nate Broehm, Matty Germar, and Kevin Truax were all sharp on the hill, throwing 9 innings, while striking out 13, walking only 2, and giving up only 3 hits. The offense managed 12 hits total on the day, 3 each by Jon Rasmussen, (who is not allowed to not play), and Johnny Camp, in his Cobra debut, and 2 by Matt Rink and new Cobra Adam Easterbrook (who also forgot to wear a helmet during one AB).  Adrian, not in attendance, fell over with joy. The Cobras will try to continue their winning ways on Tuesday when they travel to Blaine, to take on the Blaine Fusion. Game time is set for 7:30.

Note: Cobras set single game broken bat record with 5 today. Not sure if that's a good thing.

 

4/26: With the first game looming in 6 days, the Cobras are finishing up their preseason practices, and looking forward to getting out and playing some baseball. Experts believe, with a renewed attendance commitment, that this could be the best Cobras team in years.