Cougar Scouting Report - Week 3

We play Grandpa's tonight at 6:45pm and I will be out at the practice field at 6:00pm. Lipinski is in charge of beer and we can head to my place after the game.

Grandpa's is atop the leaderboard with a 2-0 record and they are averaging 9 runs a game this year. They have beaten two of the top teams in the league so far by scores of 6-5 (SLAM) and 12-5 (Miller Time).

Last year, Grandpa's finished up with a 9-4 record and also averaged 9 runs a game.

Beginning with tonight, Grandpa's begins a three game stretch against teams that were either in the bottom of the standings in 2008 (Cougars and Gulliver's) or are a rookie team this year (Marauders). After opening the season with victories over two of the best teams in the league, the entire Grandpa's team is looking at tonight as a welcome relief. I overheard that Grandpa's is looking to play 5 innings and get over to their favorite Glenview watering hole before 8:00pm.

Not so fast. The Cougars have demonstrated that we can play with these guys. We have played two solid games with our runs per game average at 12. We have given up 10.5 runs per game on defense (not bad considering some bizarro play).

Our matchup last year with Grandpa's came on the heels of our big victory over the Beavers. We took Grandpa's a full 7 innings and kept the game close until the 7th. We were behind 10-6 going into the 7th and then they found every hole and pummeled us for 10 runs. We scored one in the bottom of the inning and the final score was 20-7. It was a much closer game than the final score revealed.

It is guaranteed that they do not remember playing us and they definitely have not seen how we have improved (nor do they have a scouting report). We are the home team and are on field 1 (north field). Let's catch them by surprise tonight by holding them scoreless in the first inning and by coming out strong in the bottom of the 1st.

Play angry and no gifts!

P.S. From what I heard a few days ago, it sounds as if we have at least defendant appealing a KC ruling last week (in fact, he may be appealing two violations). There will also be one other accusation for an infraction that happened after the postgame (the accused can call himself out or I will do it for him).