(Listen) Last time I played in something like this was back in ’79 (whew).  Ferenc of Pollo del Mar and DJ Cousin Mary of KFJC lined this one up and all the bands knocked it way out of the (menlo) park.  If you couldn’t be at the British Bankers Club in person or listen to the live broadcast, we have 3 songs from the event posted at http://trivalvesurf.com/2011/05/16/live-tracks-from-the-kfjc-battle-of-the-surfin-bands/ Enjoy!

The first year my daughter was on the roster of a tournament team, she was 9 years old and only saw garbage time on a team that one just 1 or 2 games all summer.  My friend Mike’s daughter had a similar experience on that same team, our girls represented the younger end of the spectrum and rode a lot of pine.  They’re now juniors at rival high schools, although the rivalry is mostly amiable when it comes to softball – CPS has won each of the last 7 matchups dating to their freshman seasons.  We see each other at the games, do some friendly razzing and catch up.

The same team has another of Nat’s former teammates, Haley (now a freshman) as their starting pitcher.  Nice girl, good athlete, I coached her on 2 summer teams, we’ve known the family for some years.  With Natalie pitching in the top of the first, Haley takes one the other way, slugging a long triple over the right fielder’s head.  Bottom half of the same inning with Haley on the mound, Natalie sends a bomb way over their centerfielder’s head for an 2 run double.  Win-win, I enjoyed seeing both kids having success.

Since we started documenting victories in 2008, here are the family records through 2010:

Natalie and Eric tied with 24 wins each, Rocky 18, Mary Ann 13

As of new years day 2011, I’m in the lead (probably the only time I can boast this) with 2 wins.

For as long as I can remember, my aunt Rosemarie (my mom’s sister) has baked Christmas cookies – a lot of Christmas cookies.  In fact, more cookies than you can imagine.  As part of this very large and sprawling family (my mom’s the youngest of 8, her brother alone has 10 children, and as good Catholics go, lots of nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great-grandchildren), she presented gift boxes of baked goods to just about every family, each containing 2-3 dozen cookies of various shapes, flavors and sizes.

Word got out that this would be Rosemarie’s final year of Christmas baking.  It was my mom who broke the news to us maybe a couple months ago.  For a little history, Rosemarie’s house was remodeled 40+ years ago, the kitchen was expanded to serve as her crafts workshop and food production area, so she means business.

We were all relieved to learn that the initial reports were in fact inaccurate, just as my brother stepped up to deliver a toast to acknowledge our aunt at the family gathering on Christmas night. Turns out my mom got the story wrong, Rosemarie decided to stop hosting Christmas Eve for the Ramos family at her house (another meal of epic proportion).

All is right with the world again. As word spread of the developments and conflicting reports, stock analysts warned of the potential impact to butter and sugar futures.

Long live Tallo’s cookies!!

Eric completed his first season of Juniors in NOLL SOLL baseball, the next level up from Majors where games are played on a larger diamond.  It is truly an understatement that the season had its ups and downs, the second game of the year saw one of our impactful veteran players go down with a season-ending injury, and another was injured to a lesser degree the same day.  To their credit, this group never gave up – through good times and bad, including one of the worst drubbings you could imagine.

I’ll hold on to certain memories of the season that involve my son.  In the very first game, with the Padres in the field in the top of the first inning, the Angel’s leadoff batter hit a line drive to the right side that Eric handled easily.  His other chances on defense were handled with equal aplomb as well that day, in spite of an opening day loss.  In their first meeting against the Reds, Eric stroked a two-run double down the left field line in another losing effort.

Also important, this season witnessed the fact that the post season provides a new set of opportunities, and what sometimes matters is when you get hot.  In their first playoff game, they jumped ahead of the Angels in the first inning and never looked back.  They also staked an early lead against the Diamondbacks which held up for their second improbable win.  The championship game of the double-elimination tournament took place on a Wednesday evening, facing a well-rested and powerful Reds team.  Again, the Padres jumped out to an early lead in the first, only to see their opponents chip away and take the lead midway through the game.  The comeback started immediately, aided by some incredible defense, and they earned a berth in the regional TOCs.

The Padres coaching staff provides a contrast to that of some of the other teams in the league.  Head coach Larry is somewhat soft spoken when compared to some of the younger, more intense coaches of other teams.  The manner in which he ran the team sometimes took getting used to, but even if his style may have come into question, there’s no way anyone would dispute his dedication and devotion.  Now that we’re sitting in the stands at a larger diamond, a bit further from the action, it’s not always clear to a spectator why a move is being made at a particular time.  Now it all makes sense, Larry had a great handle on pitch count, any one pitcher’s effectiveness, and strategy relative not only to the current game, but juggling things effectively in order to make sense for upcoming games.

Kudos

CPS softball played incredibly well this year, last night they were crowned NCS Division V champions, and deservedly so. The team played a total of 21 games since February, each a victory.  Some games were hard-fought, others blowouts, but in NCS play they ran the table and did not allow a run – remarkable. Last night they defeated a very talented team, St. Barnard’s of Eureka, 1-0.  It was classic softball, dominated by pitching and defense.  The Cougars scratched out a single run in the 4th inning, a razor thin margin of victory.  The game ended with St. Barnard’s runners in scoring position, the tying run at 3rd, the go ahead run 60 feet behind her, and Sadie striking out the side.

I’m very proud of my daughter and all the girls, here’s what we’ve had all season long:

A group of talented, competitive and dedicated young ladies who know the game, play it hard, and show respect toward the game, their opponents, and officials.  Everyone knows their role, accepts it and fulfills it for the greater good of the team.

An outstanding coaching staff, full of positive energy, equally well versed in instruction, strategy and motivation.

An enthusiastic and knowledgeable fan base consisting of students, alumni and parents.  The time spent together is always very enjoyable.

Team spirit.  To witnessed it firsthand is to know what I’m talking about.

An outfield that can run, catch and throw.  Witness the relay against Valley Christian, when a bomb to the wastelands of right center field beacme an out at 3rd base.  It hapened that way because the fielders didn’t give up, and they executed the way they’ve been taught.  In addition, these girls consistently did all the little things right. For example,  hustling into position to back plays up and keeping runners from advancing on errant throws.

An infield that turned many a hard shot into outs.  The other team hit the ball hard? No problem, we routinely gobbled up ground balls and line drives, retiring batter after batter.

On-field leadership. One word: Zoe.  To see her in action is to truly appreciate her talent.  A catcher that knows home plate belongs to her.

Pitching.  This is what we had that put us way over the top in our league and in NCS play.  Most teams have just one, a few teams have a pretty good one. Not us, we have two. We are blessed with a pair of hard throwing, accurate and cool-under-pressure pitchers.  They’re both sophomores, and both getting stronger with each progressing season.

A school that puts the right amount of support and emphasis on their athletic program.  CPS is typically not the place to go if a kid is looking to immerse in a highly competitive athletic program, that’s somewhere else.  The administration, faculty, staff and student culture allow for a rich balance of academics and athletics.

College Prep will now hang a softball championship banner in the gym for the very first time.

CPS alum Nick Masson (brother of senior 1B Helen) has been documenting the last several games, you can see more photo sets here.

Once again in April I led an intraterm offering at CPS.  I worked with a very talented group of kids, see for yourself here!

The 2010 CPS softball team accomplished a lot this year.  You don’t always believe the preseason predictions, but in this case, those who made them had an inkling.

And so it goes from year to year, certain teams are loaded with talented seniors, the next year their core has moved on.  CPS certainly benefited from the talent and experience of their upcoming graduates, and next year may be another story.  What remains is a strong and dedicated group, including 2 outstanding pitchers (ahem), a pair players that should continue to have a significant impact on the program. The season went along without too much drama, save for a scare against OMI on Senior Day.  Highlights would include the tournament win in Calistoga, and the 1-0 win over Marin Academy, no question our best played game of the year.

Contributions came from up and down the lineup, but our pitching absolutely set us apart from the rest of the pack, en route to a 19-0 record.  Over the course of the season,the 2 sophomores compiled some impressive stats:

Natalie Laber: 9 wins, 67 strikeouts, 0.52 ERA, 1.000 fielding percnetage

Sadie Oliver-Grey: 9 wins, 102 strikeouts, .080 ERA, 1.000 fielding percnetage

It’s on to NCS, Prep finds out about their draw Sunday May 23.

As long as my shoulder stays healthy, I paddle with the Oakland Renegades Dragon Boat team twice a week on Lake Merritt.  Pretty good stuff, check it out: oaklandrenegades.org

The Grand Avenue Business Association co-sponsored a street event on October 23 to celebrate the repeal of evening parking meter enforcement. One of the businesses celebrating on Merchant Appreciation Night was Piedmont Shell, where Trivalve set up to play at 6pm. Unfortunately, a small but persistent contingent of residents surrounding the intersection of Grand and Wildwood complained that there was a bit too much volume (we can’t help it) and we had to cut the set in half. But we cut through enough to attract the attention of a KTVU mobile unit, see the televised report here!