Will Miss You Boss

Sorry I'm late with this one guys, but before I move on to other blogs I want to remember one of my all time favorites James Gandolfini

 who died last week, on my birthday of all days, at the age of 51. Waaaaaaaay too young. 

As everyone knows, Gandolfini brilliantly played Tony Sopranos on one the greatest TV shows of all time. The Sopranos

Beside his outstanding acting ability, what I liked most and found most interesting about him was that in real life he was the complete polar opposite of the vicious crime boss killer he played on TV. He was known as soft spoken, humble, and low key. A mark of an excellent actor is diversity. He will be missed. Can't believe he's gone and what hurts most is that it was on my birthday. Crazy

Ironically, I've sometimes been called Softball's version of Furio Giunta from the legendary TV show the Sopranos for my legendary relentless collection skills up in Inwood. So as a last tribute from Softball Furio check out one of my favorite scenes from the show below


As Furio would say "Stupid fucking Game". It's not more than just a game

Miss you boss.

Very Good Blowout

In softball winning by a very large margin is called a blowout. Besides the victory there are other positives to a blowout:

• Release Stress - in blowouts you let out tension and relax Hence, the term laugher.
• Clean out your closet - more playing time for young, new, or reserve players/pitchers. Empty your bench.
• Savings - rest your banged up and veteran guys. 
• Confidence - slump busters

In business Blowouts refer to big sales where consumers can :

• Relax
• Clean out their closet and buy new stuff
• Save Money
• Shop with confidence that they are getting a new deal.

Today the Insider announces that his newest Sponsor Paragon Sports 

(click on Ad in upper right hand corner of this website) is holding a huge baseball glove blowout sale. Insider recommended. Excellent value and quality.

P.S. It took 6 years, but i finally have a B96 sponsor. Started from the bottom now we here.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

"No man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a peace of the Continent, as any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee." Ernest Hemingway For Whom the Bell Tolls

"For Whom the Bell Tolls" is one of the best book I ever read. 

• Great Writer
• Written mostly in Cuba
• Main Character bones a girl named Maria and earth moves
• The famous and pivotal scene of the execution of various fascist figures is drawn from events that actually took place in Ronda in 1936. In Ronda, some 500 people, allegedly fascist sympathizers  were thrown into the surrounding gorge by a mob. As most of you know my last name is Ronda, without the H, and my softball mob follows me (and sometimes wants to throw me in a gorge) Cool coincidence. Do mistake coincidence with fate.
• Ultimate Sacrifice
• Hell even Metallic named a song after it

(OK I admit I barely know who Metallic is, yes Blonde Metallic made the Blog)

For Whom the Bell Tolls is the perfect theme for this softball analysis. If you notice the song begins with the ominous tolling of bells followed by the driving guitar riffs that suggest the end is coming soon. So I will begin there, as when I consider the predicament of the Big Apple League, I can’t help but hear the final lines of this song, suggesting that the reality of the divisive effect of illegal pitching cannot be denied forever:

Now they will see what will be

Blinded eyes to see

For whom the bell tolls

Time marches on

The Bell is now Tolling for the Big Apple Softball League. The league is experiencing its own version of a Civil War as its well documented incidents of :

1.    Violence, 

2.    Political Alliances, Manipulation, and Ideological Differences, and 

3.    Controversy, 

that are dividing and destroying the league. This past weekend yet another incident that was based and escalated on illegal pitching occurred. Insider sources have confirmed the following transpired during the Cardinals and Sports NY contest:

• In the 5th inning of Game One, The Cardinals forfeited as Cardinals pitcher Ramesh was ejected for excessively arguing balls and strikes. The Umpire informed Ramesh he would now only talk to Cardinal Manager and at that point Ramesh continued to argue. Forfeit called. Note: Ramesh was called illegal during the game while throwing a knuckler.
• In the 5th Inning of Game Two Sports New York manager Larry Bryan was ejected for excessive arguing and he and other Sports NY players refused to leave the field. Forfeit called.
• Sports NY Pitcher Parker was called illegal in the first inning and had 4 illegal pitches called. Parker by far leads the league in illegal pitches called against. No action has veer been taken.
• The 10 innings were played in 3 hours and 30 minutes and a player involved in the game off the record told me "it was the worst 10 innings of softball of my life"

This was the 3rd forfeit called in the last two weeks of game action because of behavior stemming from anger over illegal pitching. Coincidence or fate. Worse yet it is reality. Make no mistake the Softball War is here. War is ugly. It's a goon fest, on all levels, regardless of A96 or B96 street macroeconomic or social status.

This all remind me of another famous Hemingway quote from the book " "Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today…All of war is that way."

Message to the League : Do something today. Now will never come again. All the problems are based on the pitching. 

• All the Anger. 
• All the Venom. 
• All the Lying. 
• All the Hate.

You either follow 10 man modified rules or you don't. It's clear that virtually every team in this league has lost any semblance of continence. There is no self-restraint, no moderation, hell there is very little modified pitching anymore and that what is causing incident after incident after incident.Recidivism to the fullest.

The league is dying and any league I play in that dies diminishes me, because I am involved in softball kind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for all of us in this league."