Rockwell Park

 

Some weeks, Cougar artistry is a finger painting mess that wouldn’t even make it to a refrigerator door.   Other weeks, we paint with such emotion and energy, like a vibrant and chaotic Pollock.  And once in a while, our brushstrokes hit the canvas so perfectly that we paint a crisp and complete masterpiece like Rockwell. 

Tuesday night was a Rockwell.

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The week leading up to the game was anything but smooth.  You see, we roster 18 players, and while that might sound like plenty for 10 lineup spots, the numbers kept shifting.  Players dropped out, others came back in, and the lineup bounced around like a paintbrush with no steady hand.  In the end, we needed three subs just to fill our diamond canvas.

It was a paint-by-numbers kind of night.  We placed our players, one by one, subs and regulars, into the ten best spots to complete the picture.  And somehow, in doing so, we created a work of art.

Every game, the Cougars step up to the plate holding a heavy-metal paintbrush — swinging not just for hits, but to leave our mark on the mural we make together every Tuesday night. 

This week, three guest artists joined us, and each one brought their own flair. They added to the story and helped us stretch our mural a little further.

Jim O’Brien, the retired captain of our longtime rival Chicken Shack, got to wear the Cougar Green. OB is a Howard Park legend.  We battled his Shack squads in some of our most intense, hard-fought games for 15 years. But on Tuesday, we stood on the same side of the field—and the dugout just felt stronger. One thing OB has always said is that he wanted to play until he turned 60. That dream came true on Tuesday, and OB showed up big time.  He used to play for the Shack Red and, after today’s blog, he will be widely read.

Jason Bobis, our Aussie slugger, was in town visiting his brother Jeff and family.  He lives on the other side of the world, but whenever he visits, he becomes an international superstar because he delivers every single time.  Tuesday was no exception.  The Outback man showed off his talents right in front of us.

Nick Danielsen, in his Cougar debut, became our first player literally born into the team. His dad, JD, has been a Cougar cornerstone since the beginning. Nick was born during our second season in 2009.  On Tuesday, he was wearing his dad’s 2011 Cougar championship shirt, only it fits him perfectly now. Nick was born with Cougar green flowing through his veins.

So there we were—three new brushstrokes on the Cougar canvas. One longtime rival turned teammate, one world traveler turned ringer, and one legacy who literally grew up at the park. 

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From the very start, it felt like we were sketching something special. Every single run we scored came after two outs. That’s not luck. That’s Cougar persistence and resilience. 

1st Inning

Cougars were the visitors and had first bats.  Andy painted our first tally with a bold swing that left a white streak across the blue Van Gogh sky for a home run.  

Tito’s answered by laying down their own base coat. A couple of hits found green, and a run scored. We held them there, stopping their charge with a sweet catch by Big Ball Jimmy in left field and two infield plays by CharleyRads and John to JD at first base to close out the inning.

All tied 1-1.

2nd Inning 

No colors were added, just blank space. We went quietly down 1-2-3.

Tito’s splashed in more color. A single, a liner, and a double added two shaded diamonds in their scorebook.  It could have been more but Crawdaddy chased a hit down in right to prevent further damage.  Father and son duo, Andy and John, turned a force, and Big Ball Jimmy took to the skies for two more graceful fly-outs. They scored two, and we trailed by two.

Tito’s up 3-1

3rd Inning

Bobi hustled out an infield single, the kind of effort that adds texture to the piece. Nick Danielson followed with his debut single, and his dad, JD, stood at first to welcome his son with a proud fist bump. CharleyRads then smashed a grounder and smeared the first base line by sliding safely under the tag.  With Boom coaching third base like a conductor guiding an orchestra, Nick crossed home—his first Cougar run. 

Three straight Tito’s singles darkened the frame—another run scored. Big Ball Jimmy caught a flare, but a booming double added yet another RBI. With two  runners on base, Andy snatched a line shot and flipped it to his dad for a glorious double play, ending the scene. 

Tito’s up 5–2

4th Inning 

Big Ball Jimmy led off with a shot to short center, beating the throw. JD followed with a single to the left side, echoing his son’s earlier hit. But that was all we could manage—paint left unused on the palette, strokes left unmade.

Tito’s found canvas with a leadoff single, but our defense painted a pristine frame. CharleyRads caught a fly at third, Andy snagged another in foul territory with an over the shoulder catch, and who else but Jimmy to seal the inning by catching the big ball in left field. 

Cougars still down by 3

 

5th Inning

Crawdaddy chopped a single to short, and OB drew a walk. Charley then hammered a single off the first baseman's foot.   The first baseman retrieved the ball and fired it to the plate as Patrick was charging home.  Crawdaddy had a clean hard slide, and the catcher could not hold on to the ball.  Brad, our favorite man in blue, nearly called him out before spotting the bobbled ball, which made his arms fly wide—safe!  Then, Jason followed with a towering double down the left line—two RBIs!  Andy lasered a double to left center, and John punched a single up the middle for yet another run. Five runs total, and we led 7–5. A masterpiece of a half-inning.

But Tito’s had their own brush.  They have been in the league almost as long as our 18 years and have a similar makeup with old and young.  They will never give up. Tito’s started with three straight hits—single, single, triple—and tied the game at 7. Another RBI single made it 8–7. Jimmy snagged another fly, and a plate-step violation gave us an automatic out. Andy cleaned up the inning with a quick catch and throw to JD to end the frame, down just one. The mural was showing some smudges.

Tito's 8  Cougars 7

6th Inning 

We went down quietly, 1–2–3. The brush was dry. The colors didn’t mix. A blank spot in the painting.

Our defense returned to form. John fielded a liner, Andy threw to JD, and Big Ball Jimmy finished with another catch in left. Three quick outs, no new colors added.

Tito's 8  Cougars 7

7th Inning 

Down by a run in the top of the last inning, It looked like this painting might go unsigned.  This inning made me think of the Bob Ross line he would say before a big, bold stroke was needed, “Ok, here is your bravery test.”  After two quick outs for the Cougars, we needed bravery from a few heroes.  With the pressure on, OB stepped in and, with Monet-like calmness, he flattened the ball to left center and punctuated his hit with a first pump.  CharleyRads followed with a triple by tagging the ball like a graffiti artist.  OB and all of his six decades of competitiveness were flying from first to home.  His headfirst dive into home plate just ahead of the tag had the flourish of dirt spraying everywhere.  

That run had Diamond Dave coloring the scorebook with a smile, as he once secured an enormous masterpiece victory over Shack a decade ago with his own clutch RBI hit.  Then Jason, thousands of miles from home, came up to the plate with the go-ahead run just 60 feet from home.  He stroked another hit down the line to take the lead. Andy and John went back-to-back up the middle and we layered on two more runs. We scored four in all. Cougars up 11–8.

Tito’s was ready to fight back in their last bats.  The Cougars got one quick Andy to JD forceout. Tito’s responded by roping a line shot single. The next batter hit a looping liner to right, but Crawdaddy raced to the line and, with a sensational slide under the ball, secured the second out. Another Tito’s single made it 11–9. Yet another single followed, and tension dripped like wet ink.   The winning run came up to the plate. OB, playing catcher and taking his natural role as a leader, sensed the need to slow things down.  OB strolled to the mound to have a chat with Martini.  After the brief visit and a diversionary pickoff move, Martini launched the ball high in the air. The batter bashed it to short center, and John cradled the Clincher to clinch the victory.   The brush lifted. The mural was complete. 

Final score: 11–9. Cougars win!

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Not every game is a masterpiece.

But this game—this was one for the ages.  Another canvas hung in the Cougars’ memory museum.

Tuesday night was pure Americana.  The kind of night that unfolds under the lights of a dusty diamond to watch ballplayers give all their hustle and heart while their loyal fans cheer.

For one memorable night, Howard Park became Rockwell Park.

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Watch OB slide into home plate for the tying run!

https://bit.ly/HeadfirstOB

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Highlights 

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Full Game Video

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Scorebook

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Schedule

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Results

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Standings

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