Ed Klieman scattered eight hits and struck out five and went 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs to lead the Silver Bats to a 7-3 victory Thursday at Hazel Park over the Grays in the 'Bats inaugural 70+ game of the Detroit MSBL -- whose president, Mike Juliano, and several players were featured in interviews before the game from Woody Woodruff of Channel 2 Fox News.
The top six Silver Bats in the order all reached base in the first inning off Steve Kosuda and five of them scored. The team added a run in the second and got one in the fifth off Robert Custard. The 'Bats collected 15 hits, though several were compounded by errors, and they stranded nine.
The Grays got a run back in the bottom of the first inning when John Lollio singled and came home on a double by Gary Parsons. They added a pair of runs in the fourth, as Klieman hit two batters and they ended up scoring on singles by Jim Carron and Custard. Klieman worked out of several jams and the Grays left a dozen guys on base.
The Grays, who lost their opener Tuesday to the Red Sox, had 13 players in the batting order and the Silver Bats batted 12.
Catcher Gregg Housey went 3-for-3 for the 'Bats and drove in two. Larry Paladino got two hits at leadoff and each of the first nine batters got at least one hit.
Gary Sovey pitched a strong game and got a save from Ed Klieman, while Fred Krause drove in three runs to pace the Silver Bats to a 7-6 nail-biter over the Red Sox in the 70+ Detroit MSBL at Kyte Monroe Park.
Sovey, who gave up two unearned runs in each of the second and third innings, gave up consecutive singles by Gerry Garcia, Dennis MacDonald and Gene Baratta and then a bases-loaded walk to Al Crosley in the sixth inning, prompting shortstop Ed Klieman to come in. After a fielder's choice out, Bob Homant grounded to first base to score the second run of the inning and put the Red Sox within a run. But after hitting the next batter, Klieman got Ron Forbes to ground out to end further damage and then retired the Sox 1-2-3 in the seventh.
Sovey, gave up two doubles among his seven hits and walked four. He helped his cause with an RBI single in the third after the bases were loaded by a single to Joe Miscavish, walk to Randy Root, and single by Mike Hendrie. Sovey also walked twice. Krause keyed the three-run opening inning with a two-run single off MacDonald and doubled in a run off him in the fifth. That proved to be the winning run, as the Silver Bats went to 2-0 and evened the Red Sox record at 1-1.
Other 'Bats RBI in the game were by Ray Lemanski, Spencer Kraft, and Jim Brake, his first MSBL RBI.
A TV cameraman from Channel 2 was on hand to get some footage to do with interviews the station got the previous week at Hazel Park, for a segment to be aired either this week or next.
Gary Sovey pitched a strong six-hitter through 5.1 innings but wound up with no decision as Ed Klieman came in to relieve and a couple hits allowed the tying run to score, but the Silver Bats scored three in the bottom of the inning off Steve Kosuda to defeat the Grays 5-2 at Kyte Monroe 1, upping their record to 3-0.
The 2-3-4 batters did most of the damage for the Silver Bats, Klieman, Fred Krause and Joe Miscavish, going 6-for-9 with two hits each and totalling five of the runs and three of the RBI. Randy Root and Sovey each drove in a run.
Kosuda seemed to get stronger as the game went on and wound up with 10 strikeouts, although the Grays' record fell to 0-3.
Silver Bats' second baseman Ray Lemanski left the game in the second inning after suffering chest pains. He took himself to Troy Beaumont Hospital where he was in ICU with a heart attack. He called later and was recovering nicely and said he may be out to the next game to keep score.
A misplayed popup compounded by a pair of bad throws scored two runs for the Red Sox in the fifth inning and Bob Homant ripped a line single to left for another run as they overcame a 5-2 deficit with three runs in a 6-5 triumph over the previously unbeaten Silver Bats.
Dennis MacDonald and Al Crossley each got one-out singles off Spencer Kraft in the decisive inning and William Wahl's popup to third went off a fielder's glove, then the toss to first skipped past the bag as a run scored, then the throw home was in the dirt and a second run scored to knot the score. Then Homant ripped his hit off reliever Ed Klieman.
Kraft, in his first pitching appearance in two years, gave up six walks in his 4.1 innings and eight hits, but all the runs off him were unearned and the Red Sox stranded nine runners. They scored three unearned in the second inning.
The Silver Bats got a pair of runs off MacDonald in the first inning and three unearned off him in the fourth. He went the distance, striking out four, walking for and scattering nine hits. The 'Bats left 11 runners stranded.
Steve Kosuda had four 1-2-3 innings and just one innings where the Silver Bats threatened, pitching a five-hit shutout as the Grays won their first game of the season with a 4-0 victory. The 'Bats got singles from Ed Klieman, Fred Krause and Gregg Housey in the fourth inning but weren't able to push a run across.
The Grays scored a pair of unearned runs in the second against Gary Sovey on a walk, sacrifice, single and two infield errors. They got two more runs in the fourth as Gary Roediger walked and Gary Parsons, Robert Custard and Rick Woodcock all singled.
With just nine players available and several playing out of position due to necessity, the 70+ Silver Bats couldn't overcome the pitching of Dennis MacDonald, collecting just three hits, and falling to the Red Sox 6-2 at Bicentennial Park.
MacDonald did walk four but struck out five, plus drove in two runs with a hit in the three-run third, when all runs were unearned due to two of the 'Bats five errors in the game. Gene Baratta also knocked in two of the Red Sox runs, one came home as a result of an error and Rick Delorme, filling a lineup spot on loan from the Gray, had an RBI.
A bases-loaded walk to Larry Paladino gave the Silver Bats a run in the fifth, but they stranded three in their biggest rally. Their other scored in the sixth on a dribbler down the first base line by Randy Root. While he was thrown out by MacDonald, Fred Kraus (two got two of the Silver Bats' three hits) just kept running from second and scored.
Gary Sovey pitched another strong game, with five of the six runs off him unearned. And he also got a gap single in the fifth and scored.
The 'Bats were missing a number of key players, mostly due to injury. Ed Harmon, who has missed all season, was at the game to watch and said he's handling his health issues and hopes to be back around Aug. 1. And Ray Lemanski expects to be out another week or so and then be back in the lineup after recovery from a heart situation. Standout pitcher/infielder/outfielder Ed Klieman missed with an ailing back and shortstop Sal Calcagno may be done for the year after hip replacement surgery. Furthermore, Don Dillon continues to be sidelined due to a pulled stomach muscle. Jim Brake played in the field for the first time this season and Wally Frontera played outfield for the second consecutive game hobbled by a pulled quad muscle.
Steve Kosuda, who doesn't usually give up many walks, walked four batters in the first inning and two singles as the Silver Bats scored three times and they held up in a 3-2 victory over the Grays.
Gary Sovey pitched another strong game for the Silver Bats, leaving in the seventh when the leadoff batter reached on an error and Ed Klieman came in for the save, which featured two forceouts at second base to the shortstop to finish things off.
The Grays had scored a run in the top of the first on a single to center by Gary Parsons after Curt Sylvester singled and took second on Robert Custard's ground out.
Then in the bottom of the inning Ed Klieman led off with a walk. Gregg Housey hit a bloop infield single. Joe Miscavish walked to load the bases. Then Randy Root walked to force in the first run. Spencer Kraft then did the same thing and the third run scored on Wally Frontera's single to center, although there was a force out at second base (balls to the outfield in 70+ are officially hits regardless of a force).
Parsons opened the Grays fourth with a single and came around to score on a series of ground outs. The 'Bats stranded 11 runners but lifted their record to 4-3. The Grays fell to 1-6-1.
Thursday the Silver Bats take on the 5-1-1 Red Sox.
The Red Sox overcame a 4-3 deficit in the top of the sixth inning with a four-run rally, then hung on to beat the Silver Bats 7-6 in their 70+ game at Hazel Park.
The decisive inning featured two hits, three walks, a hit batter and an error off Silver Bats starter Ed Klieman, with the hit-by-a-pitch coming with the bases loaded and the game tied 4-4. It appeared the batter stuck his elbow out over the plate to get hit but it was ruled OK. The umpires also made a controversial call that gave the Red Sox their three runs in the fourth -- a ground ball with the bases loaded that looked six inches foul down the first base line but was deemed fair, scoring three runs.
The Silver Bats scored lone runs in the second and fourth off Tom Richards and then two more in the fifth off Richards and Gerry Garcia, plus two in the bottom of the sixth of the six-inning, time-shortened game. The tying run was on third and winning run on first when Manager Garcia got the last two batters out.
Randy Root and Larry Paladino each had three hits for the Silver Bats. Paladino and Gary Sovey each knocked in two runs for the 'Bats, who were hoping to shave some space from the Red Sox lead in the three-team division. Instead, the 'Bats record fell to 4-4 and the Red Sox climbed to 6-1-1. Joe Miscavish of the Silver Bats reached base all four at-bats, but with one hit and three errors.
The 70+ Silver Bats pounded out 14 hits, including six in the three-run first inning and five in the four-run fifth, and fought off a Grays rally to win 8-5.
Although a couple of the hits were of a scratch variety, most were solid shots off starter Steve Kosuda (five innings) and Robert Custard (two innings).
Larry Paladino, batting at the bottom of the Silver Bats order, was 3-for-3 while leadoff man Ray Lemanski, No. 3 hitter Fred Krause, pitcher Gary Sovey and outfielder Roger Clark each got two hits, with Krause and catcher Gregg Housey getting two RBI. Sovey pitched a complete game and three of the five runs off him were unearned, including two in the last inning when the Grays took advantage of four infield errors. A hard running catch by center fielder Krause on Kosuda's line shot to center ended the game with two other runners on base. Other defensive gems by the 'Bats included a hard-running catch in the seventh by left fielder Clark and second baseman Lemanski's outstretched web catch near first base of Parson's blooper.
The Grays tapped Sovey for nine hits, but just one walk.
Fred Krause's bases-loaded double in the fifth inning off Gerry Garcia -- the third Red Sox pitcher -- cleared the bases and provided the needed margin of victory and the Silver Bats held on for a 10-9 triumph.
Pitcher Gary Sovey raised his record to 4-2, going the distance, and getting the last batter to pop to third to end the game with the bases loaded and tying run on third after the Red Sox had scored twice in the inning on a couple hits and some bonehead errors.
The Silver Bats had only 10 players and half were in need of courtesy runners but only three could get them. And much of the damage was done with the lower half of the order getting on base with hits, walks, hit batters, or errors.
The Red Sox jumped off to a 3-0 lead in the opening inning, keyed by league-leading hitter Gene Baratta's rbi double after singles by Tom O'Connor and Garcia. Then cleanup hitter Bill Wahl hit a two-run single to deep center.
Spencer Kraft got a one-out single to start the Silver Bat's second inning, followed by Dave Franklin's single and a walk to Jim Brake to load the bases. Larry Paladino's forceout at third scored the run. He hit another fielder's choice grounder to third in the five-run third to drive in another run, with Sovey and Randy Root singling in a run each; Kraft walking to force in a run; and Brake hitting a sharp two-out RBI single.
Krause, who was 4-for-4 and is tied for second in the league with 11 RBI, singled and scored for the Silver Bats in the fourth, with base hits by Greg Housey, Sovey, and Root moving him around to score. The 'Bats three-run rally in the fifth started when Franklin was safe on an error. Paladino was then hit in the back and Ray Lemanski singled to set up Krause for his big double.
The victory lifted the second-place Silver Bats' record to 6-4 in the 70+ division of the Detroit MSBL. The Red Sox remain in first with a 7-2-1 mark.
Robert Custard and Steve Kosuda combined on a three-hitter and two doubles by Gary Parsons were the big hits as the Grays blanked the Silver Bats 6-0 at Kyte-Monroe in their 70+ MSBL matchup.
Parsons doubled home two runs in the first inning off Gary Sovey, one of them unearned, and had an RBI double in the four-run sixth when three Silver Bats errors resulted in all those runs being unearned. Sovey went the distance, scattering nine hits and walking just one.
Spencer Kraft opened the Silver Bats' fifth with a solid single and Eddie Harmon, playing in his first game of the season after recovering from illness, walk. That's when Custard pulled himself from the game in favor of Kosuda, who got the next three outs, two on strikeouts. He had three more in the final two innings.
The Red Sox jumped on Spencer Kraft for six runs in the opening inning, getting six hits and three walks, and cruised to a 15-3 victory over the injury-plagued Silver Bats. Most of the hits in the inning were of the soft bloop variety, but Gene Baratta had a two-run double. Dennis MacDonald and Howie Wittenburg had RBI singles and Jim Hunter forced a run in with a bases-loaded walk.
Baratta also hit an RBI triple in the seventh off Gary Sovey and came all the way home on an errant throw to the plate, then Macdonald doubled and scored on a single. He pitched the whole game for the Red Sox, who have come close to wrapping up the 70+ title with an 8-2-1 record, to the 'Bats 6-6 mark with four games to go.
The Red Sox scored two unearned runs in the third and four runs in the fourth. Kraft, hampered by a groin injury, battled through and suffered from hobbled defenders whose injuries kept them from being able to catch some routine fly balls.
Ed Klieman continues to spark the Silver Bats with his speed at shortstop and running the bases. He was 2-for-3, with a double, single and walk, plus scored one of the three runs. Catcher Gregg Housey, playing hurt, singled in a run in the third and his courtesy runner scored and Joe Miscavish also singled and scored in the inning. Randy Root went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Joe Miscavish went 3-for-4, including a solo inside-the-park home run at Brother Rice Stadium, and drove in two runs in the Silver Bats' 9-1 victory over the first-place Red Sox. The 'Bats got two runs in the first inning off Dennis MacDonald, Miscavish's homer in the third, four in the fifth and two more in the sixth off him.
Leadoff batter Ed Klieman was 3-for-3, with a double and triple, plus a walk and RBI, and Gary Sovey not only pitched a masterful complete game, he also had two RBI, a single and a walk. Other runs were driven in by Fred Krause, Gregg Housey and Mike Hendrie, with one run scoring on an error.
The Silver Bats are still holding onto hope they can pass the Red Sox and take first place after their three remaining games.
Fred Krause hit a two-out double to the left field fence in the bottom of the seventh inning to score Ed Klieman from first and give the Silver Bats a 6-5 victory at Novi over the Grays.
Wally Frontera was called out at first on a close play to open the inning, then Jim Brake was hit in the back by a wild pitch from reliever Gary Parsons. Frontera ran for Brake and took second on a wild pitch. Larry Paladino's infield single sent Frontera to third and he came home with the tying run on a wild throw to first. Leadoff batter Klieman then forced Paladino at second, bringing up Krause who easily got the speedy Klieman to come around the bases for the decision.
Klieman and Krause had each scored in the first inning off Steve Kosuda on a hit and a walk. Bats starter Gary Solvey singled home Klieman and Randy Root's single knocked in Krause. But the Grays got those runs back in the second on RBI singles from Joe Masching and Jim Carron after a walk by Parsons and single by Andy Lukacs.
In the third, the Grays pushed three runs across with the help of some poor defense, including a dropped fly to right. Kosuda's two-out single started the damage and Gary Roediger sent a courtesy runner home with a long double to left. Then Parsons got the fly ball to left that scored a run instead of being an out, putting him on second from where he was able to score on a Lukacs hit.
Sovey survived the heat and humidity to shut out the Grays in the fourth and fifth and give way to Kleiman, who shut the opponents out the last two innings to earn the victory.
Kosuda gave up two runs to the Silver Bats in the bottom of the third. Klieman and Krause started the inning with singles and ironman catcher Gregg Housey singled home Klieman. Sovey hit into a double-play which scored the second run and then Kosuda held the 'Bats at bay until the sixth. Dave Pichan relieved but after one out and two walks Parsons came in to get the final batter to hit into a double-play, pushing the outcome to the seventh.
Shortstop Sal Calcagno, who wasn't in the 12-man batting order, got an RBI pinch hit single to right in the bottom of the sixth inning off Dennis MacDonald to score Wally Frontera from second base and give the Silver Bats an 8-7 victory over the Red Sox, moving them a half-game into first place ahead of the Sox, with both teams having to face the Grays in a rain makeups which will decide the season title.
The Red Sox held a 5-3 lead through three innings and got a run in the fifth to make it 6-3. But the Silver Bats rallied with a four-run bottom of the fifth off starter MacDonald, with the help of an infield error, to take a 7-6 lead. The Red Sox promptly tied it with a run in the top of the sixth, setting up the deciding close since there was a time limit.
Frontera reached on a one-out walk and Spencer Kraft's single put two runners aboard for Jim Brake -- who had two previous RBI on bases-loaded walks. But Calcagno, who had hip replacement surgery in June, delivered a solid single to right for his first hit of the season. It was the second consecutive walkoff victory for the Silver Bats in their last two games and pushed their record to 9-6 and dropped the Red Sox to 8-6-1.
Though he walked six and gave up 10 hits, some of the scratch variety, Silver Bats starter Ed Klieman went the distance for the victory, striking out three in the time-shortened game at Brother Rice. The Red Sox play their rain makeup game Monday night against the Grays, but the 'Bats makeup versus the Grays has yet to be scheduled.
Ed Klieman and Fred Krause combined to go 7-for-8, with five doubles, a triiple, six runs scored and six RBI to propel the 70+ champion Silver Bats to an 11-10 victory at Hazel Park over the Grays in a rain makeup game. Although the 'Bats were guaranteed to finish first even if they lost, they managed to hang on despite a couple Grays rallies in the six-inning, time-shortened game. The Silver Bats finished with a 10-6 record in the inaugural season, one and a half games ahead of the Red Sox and 4.5 ahead of the Grays.
The Grays, like all three teams, suffered from numerous injuries during the season and untilized two Red Sox to help them in their final game, John Bosch and Gene Baratta. Robert Custard started on the mound for them and was victimized by three errors in the second inning, allowing the Silver Bats to score seven runs for a 7-1 lead. But then he got the 'Bats our 1-2-3 in the third until giving way to Steve Kosuda in the fourth when the first three batters singled in a two-run inning. Arm-weary Kosuda gave up two runs in the top of the sixth which proved just enough for the Silver Bats to survive since the Grays kept coming back.
Gary Sovey, the Silvers' ace pitcher, went five innings for his sixth victory of the year, finally wilting in the fifth when the Grays score three runs. The final Grays rally came in the bottom of the sixth, with Eddie Harmon, sidelined most of the season due to health issues, walked the first two batters. That brought on Klieman (who had pitched six innings the night before for the 62+ Nationals). He gave up two hits and a walk, but an error helped and the Grays went on to score five times.
The Silver Bats had their post-season awards party at the Green Lantern immediately following the game. By player votes, Sovey was named the Most Valuable Player in a nearly three-way tie for first, with RBI machine Krause second and rally-starter Klieman third. Each team's top pitcher dominated the league in innings pitched, topped by Sovey's 67.1, then Kosuda at 65 and Dennis MacDonald of the Red Sox at 63. MacDonald and Sovey tied for the lead with six victories.
Klieman's .622 batting average was second to the .800 of Baratta, with Krause third at .611. Baratta's 20 RBI were tops, with Krause next at 18.
Overall the Silver Bats felt it was a good season and they hope the Detroit MSBL can find enough warm bodies to field a fourth team next year. Although every team has their stars, the 70s seems to offer an opportunity for others not so skilled to keep working on the sport they love. With Bosch setting the bar high at age 82, it gives incentive to others to still participate, as long as managers figure a way to let everyone play as the main consideration above the win-at-all-costs approach.
The Silver Bats would like to thank Detroit MSBL president Mike Juliano for his efforts in getting this division off the ground, with the help of Kosuda and managers Larry Paladino, Rick Woodcock and Gerry Garcia, plus the umpires who were willing to supply their time for all the 10 a.m. games. Somehow the many rainouts were mostly in the younger age divisions. It seemed not to rain as much in the mornings.
League members should always be thinking about recruiting new blood to all age divisions -- to the league and not just their teams. How many 70+ guys out there would probably like to play but don't realize there is an outlet? And 62 guys as well? It was nice that the league got some TV publicity this year on Channels 2 and 4.
And now for those wanting a few more weeks ball, Ken Tardivi will be organizing a fall ball season soon -- with multiple age brackets all lumped on the teams, so some of the old guys get to meld with the faster younger ones and see how they fit. Good luck to all and see you, hopefully, in the 2022 campaign.
Silver Bats Schedule