Fat Black Pussycat Crosses Ship's Path

Bad luck hung over the bar when we crossed the path of the Fat Black Pussycat. We were doomed when we had to walk under a ladder and step on a crack just to get inside the bar. So, it's no surprise that they beat us "13" to 5.

Rich knocked on wood and managed to pull out a win to start the match. We lost some tough matches after that, until Mindy showed up with her 4-leaf clover and scored a win in the final S501 match. In Cricket, Fred scored a C3 to win the opening match, and we managed to split the round 3-3. Searching for a lucky horseshoe, we juggled the lineup for D501. However, among some of the McDonald's runs, someone must have spilled some salt, because things went downhill from there. Fred/Jen and Holly/Mindy both had chances to win their D501 games, but got just edged out. And then I broke the mirror in the bathroom, leading to the unluckiest of all matches in which Meredith and I nearly had our midget tossed. Luckily, Meredith rubbed her rabbit's foot and managed to double-in just before they slammed the door in our face.

Someone remember to bring the Pink Hearts, Yellow Moons, Orange Stars, Green Clovers, Blue Diamonds, Purple Horseshoes and a Leprechaun for next week's home match against the Imports.

Props:

Fred - For likely maintaining his spot on the All-Star list.

Ship Sinks O'Hanlon's on Opening Day / Fred Ibarra makes the All-Star List

There is nothing like Opening Day. The excitement in the air, freshly cut grass on the field, a sense of hope and opportunity and the feeling that all things are possible. The young rookies getting their first taste of the show and the seasoned veterans hoping for one last shot at glory. And what really kicks ass is when you win, which we did.

While it took some time to get used to, the new lineup seems to be working for the squad. In an exciting game that went into the bottom of the ninth all tied up, we pulled out a 10-8 victory to kick off the Spring 2002 season. We tied each of the first two round 3-3, with Jen scoring a victory in her first game ever, and Rich / Holly sweeping Cricket to keep the match tied going into Doubles 501. And then, just like Kirk Gibson and Bobby Thomson, we knocked one out of the park to win it. And then, unlike Gibson and Thomson, we went out to a piano bar and sang "Sweet Caroline".

Props:

Holly - A sweep! She's a Yankee Doodle girl.
Meredith & Jen - Solid starts for the rookies, with 2 wins and 214 combined AS points.
New York Magazine - For bulletin board material.