July 28, 2014 rockets split in Cincinnati with Yorkville yaks, rained out Sunday

Good morning baseball fans, it’s a beautiful day in Portland.  The Portland rockets finished the regular season this weekend with a trip to the Cincinnati area. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes you are rained out.  Such was the case on this rocket roadtrip.  In aurora Indiana at south Dearborn h.s. the rockets did the splits vs the Yorkville yaks. Coach larry hornback is an entertaining gent.  We waxed em good, win 10-0 in 6 inn in game 1. dan bollenbacher  a 2 hit shut out. 7 ks in 77 pitches, coach hornback asks if dan has ever played pro ball.  We are all amazed he has not been signed.

Dan is 6’5 250 lb and he is country strong all day long. He can bust ya with 90 + heater or he can carve you up with a lock em up slider.  Steady and a grinder and he is that guy that wants the ball.  This is his 7^th year as a rocket.  Today is his birthday. Happy birthday to dan and also to our favorite rocket guy, don maloy.

Each rocket starter had at least one hit, Dalton tinsley , Justin Marrero and TJ Lindstrand with 2 hits.

Game 2 and tyler Reynolds on the mound.  Tyler is a rocket success story. He is solid every time out.  Lefthander from Muncie south and with family on hand, he mixes speeds and is that crafty lefthander who just gets you out, never walks people. Sat he walked 1 gave up 5 hits and got beat 5-2.  this happened to be the most disappointing game in some time. With a 10 game win streak and on a roll, this game we mustered but 4 hits, and made 3 errors and more mental errors than any game this season.

Rockets led 2-1 in the 6^th on a Justin Marrero scoring geoff bowers from 1^st.  Marrero at third saw the pitcher take his time in the windup, Marrero breaks for home. Now the pitcher quickly steps off to throw to plate, this after starting his slow windup. Of course it’s a balk, but the umps who played years ago for coach hornback did not see it .  Marrero is out and our fortunes change. Umpire david Disdro, basketball coach at east central h.s. is a good friend of coach teagle from jay county. They scrimmaged in Portland last year I believe.

Rockets pick off a runner at 1^st get the runner at 3 rd, throw the ball to the backstop and the merrygo round gave me a headache. Rockets win streak done at 10. but we get to play Sunday in Cincinnati vs. the chiefs. 

This the club beat 2 years ago to win the regional and advance to the world series in new york.

And then it rained. We had 18 rockets in our dugout and played one inn. Our man mitch on the mound. But the rain came again after one inn. Game called.

During the delay, we visited with Don Groundhog Johnson. Mr. Johnson gave me his negro league baseball card. He is 88 years old and at all the games.  He played in the negro leagues with the Chicago American giants, the phialdelphia stars the Baltimore elite giants, and the Detroit stars in the 1950s .  don was nicknamed “groundhog” for the way he hugged the ground as he scooped up ground balls.

Tune in for his interview aug 21 before Cincinnati reds broadcast on fox network.

Don’t look now but this is the last week of july.

Rockets finish regular season with a 25-11 mark.

This weekend is a highlight of our season, the world baseball congress tournament will begin fri. at runkle-miller field. At present Portland will host the ft wayne jackers, the summit city sluggers and the lake erie buckeyes from Cleveland.  More info on the tournament should be finalized this day.

Special thanks to all those who drove down Sunday for the chiefs game.  Many made the drive to cinci just to get rained out and drive back

Rockets finish season 25-11

One special note I personally would like to share.  Road trips are a great time to share as a team. We usually find a steak house and sit together for a good meal.

So many times I can recall ray miller pulling out a $100 bill and taking care of the boys.  Later mom would slip me a hundred and tell me to feed the boys. $100 wont do it anymore, but Saturday nite we ate at the maverick grillplace.  As we finished up, I noticed coach tinsley and myself did not receive our check. It was picked up by bollenbacher and Marrero;  a first- someone other than my folks had bought my sat. nite meal,  I was choked up and I say thanks guys, love ya in Portland.

Wbc info will be coming in today, check www.leaguelineup/worldbaseballcongress for more updates.