| Des Plaines Grapes Girls Softball |
PLAYOFF GAME DES PLAINES GRAPES 8 - Melrose Park 5
AWESOME. The Grapes beat Melrose Park in the first game of the playoffs to advance to the final game. I am so
proud of you girls. This is the team I know you can be. You looked sharp today and hit the CRAP out of the ball.
You girls played so well today. This is The Grapes team that we all know you can be. Let's do it again on Tuesday
and take First Place for the season and First Place for the Playoffs.
I had a good feeling today. The girls were all at the game early taking batting warmups, and fielding warmups and
they looked really good.
So Melrose Park loads the bases in the top of the first and they only get one run. That was nice. It shut them
down and we got some momentum.
Then Michelle comes up to bat and leads off with a BOMB HOME RUN over the center fielders head. Can you
believe Michelle came in second on the team with 4 Home Runs this season. And she did it all swinging lefty.
That set the tempo for the whole game. Then Carissa says "OK I CAN DO THAT TOO" and she hits a BOMB
TRIPLE, Kim Morales gets a hit. Megan gets a hit. Katilyn walks and Jade hits a LINE DRIVE DOUBLE that scored
2 runs. So now we are up 4-1. And the momentum stayed our way the whole game.
Melrose pitched 4 different girls against us. We just had one and she pitched her heart out today. Megan did a
great job in the heat going all 7 innings. Awesome.
Defensively we were solid with good plays in the infield. The throws were accurate and we didn't throw the ball
around too much. The outfield did their job too. Zoe made a nice play in left field to hold a girl to a single.
At the plate Michelle went 1 for 2 with a HOME RUN and she scored twice. Carissa went 2 for 3 with a TRIPLE and
a DOUBLE. Kim Morales went 2 for 3 with a nice TRIPLE, she tried to stretch it into a HOMER but Melrose made a
nice play at the plate. Megan went 2 for 2 and was hit by a pitch and she scored 2 runs. Katilyn went 1 for 2 with a
nice DOUBLE. Jade went 1 for 3 with a DOUBLE. Zoe struggled a bit at the plate today but I know she'll be ready
for Tuesday. Kim C. went 1 for 3. Darcy went 1 for 3 and Nicole contributed what she could.
Melrose is a good team. You ladies played with lots of effort, and great attitudes. It was a joy to watch. I know your
parents and fans were excited too.
So let's put it all together one more time and beat Norridge on Tuesday.
Game 15 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 11 - Des Plaines B Electric 12 Date 7-25-08
We gave this game away. You girls are WAY better than what you showed for the first 4 innings. The defense was
real sloppy. I'll chalk this up as a bad game. And I don't get it. You girls were ripping the ball in batting practice
and your defense has been pretty solid lately. Oh well, just an off game I guess.
You girls are a great team. And it has been fun being your coach. I hope I did an OK job.
The hitting has been fantastic. We have outscored our opponents 222-95. The hitting has really been awesome
this year. You ladies are really fun to watch. However, this game was not fun to watch until the 5th inning. I know
we'll be back for the playoffs though.
And Katie Suerth really has your number. It took a while before the bats woke up. But when we did hit the ball it
was HARD.
Eileen pitched a nice game. Michelle and Kim Morales both had HOMERS.
Michelle continues to rip the ball lefty. She went 2 for 3 with a HOMER and she scored 3 runs. Carissa went 2 for
3 and scored once. Kristine went 1 for 3 with a DOUBLE and scored 2 runs. Kim Morales hit well going 3 for 4 with
a DOUBLE and a HOMER. Katilyn went 1 for 4. Jade hit the ball REALLY hard today but it was just right at them.
Gigi went 2 for 4 with a DOUBLE welcome back from Australia Gigi. Kim C. went 1 for 3 and was hit by a pitch.
Eileen had a nice day at the plate going 2 for 3 and scored 3 runs to help her cause.
Most of you girls hustle out to your positions and I appreciate that and this next comment is not directed to you.
Nothing irks me more than lack of effort, and all I know is that if I was walking out to my position and my coach ran
out next to me on the field and said "This is how you hustle. C'mon let me see you hustle out" I would have been
embarrassed , I would have ran my butt out to my position the rest of the game and I would have said "Sorry
coach I won't walk again"
But instead I get a couple silent "F YOU's", and they still walk out to their spots. Unbelievable. The lack of effort
and lack of respect for adults that a couple of these girls have at times, is pretty sad.
There's a couple attitudes on this team that I'm not going to miss at all.
Oh, well that's off my chest now.
It has been a great season. I have watched some of you get much better at the game of softball and that makes it
all worth it. We finished with a great record and I think we will do pretty well in the playoffs. It has been a pleasure
being your coach and I thank you for the opportunity.
I know that you had other commitments. Work, other sports, vacations. We had a decent amount of practices but I
would have liked to have had more, and better attendance. I personally enjoy the practices more than I do the
games. We could have tightened things up a bit, and more girls could have gotten more batting instruction.
I only wonder what we could accomplish with batting if I could have you girls every day for 2-3 months like the
coaches do in High School. The improvement I saw with some of you, even after just the first hour of working on
your swing was amazing. I saw dramatic improvement with some of you, even in the limited time that we had. Your
swings are better, and more powerful. Keep it up.
I hope to keep working on batting with a few of you in the off season.
A special thanks to the parents who come out and support the team you guys are awesome.
Thanks to John Cruz and Joe Cerrone for their help coaching.
Thanks to Greta for keeping the book and my Dad for helping me at practices.
It's off to the playoffs at Forest Park next weekend.
Game 14 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 21 - Hiawatha 8 Date 7-24-08
Well the Grapes faced THE GRUNTER in this showdown. Hiawatha had a girl that is a very fast pitcher and she
grunts when she throws. After her first practice pitch I saw about 6 of our girls cower in fear like they just heard a
ghost clanging some chains in a dark silent room.
But despite the grunting the Grapes had a nice win. Eileen pitched the whole game and did a nice job.
Defensively Katilyn had a real nice game at second base with 6 outs. Kim C made a nice catch in center. Kim
Morales made anice catch in left field and Michelle made a nice catch in center.
At the plate Michelle went 2 for 5 with a DOUBLE and scored 3 runs. Daniella went 2 for 4 with a walk and scored
3 runs. Kristine went 3 for 5 and scored 2 runs. Kim Morales hit well going 3 for 5 with and DOUBLE and a TRIPLE
and scored 2 runs. Katilyn went 1 for 3 with 2 walks and scored 2 runs. Jade went 1 for 4 with a DOUBLE and
scored 2 runs. Carissa weet 2 for 3 with 2 TRIPLES and scored 3 runs, nice job Carissa. Kim C. went 2 for 4 with
a DOUBLE and scored a run. Eileen went 1 for 3 and scored a run. And Chelsea wwent 1 for 3 and scored a run.
This game was kind of boring but a good win for the GRAPES.
Game 13 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 16 - Hiawatha Red 2 Date 7-22-08
NICE GAME. The bats were hot, the fielding was top notch, and the pitching was excellent.
Megan pitched 3 flawless innings. They went down 1,2,3 all three innings that she pitched. She had 5 strikeouts
and no walks. Great job Megan. Then Eileen came in to close out the game. Eileen hasn't pitched for a while in a
game situation but did a great job. Our pitchers only gave up ONE WALK for the entire game. If you don't walk
people you win games and we won this one nicely.
In the field we looked really good. Krissy had nice day at short. Carissa caught a nice ball in center. Katilyn made
a couple real nice plays at second. Jade played a solid first base. Our outfield got the ball in quickly and we did
not have any throwing errors. Michelle and Megan teamed up to catch the game. Megan did a real nice job for her
first time behind the plate. She put a real nice tag on a runner that was trying to score. Michelle was a little under
the weather, but toughed it out and caught half the game.
This was a nice clean game. We need to play like this if we want to win the playoffs. Michelle led off the first inning
with a line shot that rolled to the fence. She was easily able to hoof it around the bases for a HOME RUN. Michelle
went 1 for 3 with a HOMER and she walked twice and scored 2 runs. Carissa went 3 for 4 with a DOUBLE and
scored 2 runs. Kristine hit the ball really hard and went 3 for 4 and scored 2 runs. Kim Morales went 1 for 3 and
scored a run. Katilyn hit the ball really hard and was robbed twice by the Hiawatha defense. She walked twice and
scored a run. Jade had a nice game at the plate going 2 for 2 and walked twice and scored 3 runs. Megan went 1
for 3 with a walk and scored 2 runs. Zoe went 1 for 2 with 2 walks and scored 2 runs. Kim C. went 1 for 4 and had
2 RBIS. Eileen went 2 for 2 with 2 walks and scored 2 runs.
The best thing about batting today was the girls were patient and waited for good pitches to swing at. When you
do that, you tend to hit the ball well, and they did today.
Awesome job GRAPES.
PS I screwed up on the score. I thought we were up by 15 for slaughter rule but it was only 14 WHOOPS. Sorry
Krissy you could have batted one time.
As far as batting goes. We hit the ball hard today. Michelle led off the first inning with a line shot that easily rolled
to the fence. She got all the way around the bases easily for a HOME RUN. On the day Michelle went
Game 12 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 16 - Forest Park 8 Date 7-15-08
Well I'll say this. This was a much more exciting game vs Forest Park than the first one. Right off the bat Daniella
hits a 3 run homer in the first inning. Then in the 3rd inning Kristine hit a 2 run homer. The bats were pretty lively
tonite. And thank God the flies weren't as bad as they were the night before.
We also mixed things up a little bit. The batting order was completely different and we had some girls playing in
new positions. I thought it would be nice to mix it up after the tense game that we had the previous night.
Megan battled on the mound and made a few nice defensive plays. At times the defense backing her up was a
little rough, but we managed to hold on, and have a nice 7th inning at the plate to secure the win.
Megan led off, and walked twice and scored twice. Katilyn batted second and she went 1 for 3 with 2 walks and
scored 2 runs. Zoe batted third and she walked twice and scored a run. Darcy batted 4th and she went 1 for 4
with a walk and scored 2 runs. Daniella went 2 for 4 with a HOMER and scored 2 runs. Michelle batted 6th and
went 3 for 5 with 2 DOUBLES. Kim C. had a nice game at the plate going 3 for 4 and scoring a run. Kim Morales
had a nice day at the plate going 4 for 4 with a DOUBLE and she scored 2 runs. And Kristine went 2 for 5 with a
HOMER and scored a run.
On defense Zoe played shortstop for the first time and did a nice job. Then she moved over to first base and did a
nice job over there too. Kristine tried a little 2nd base. Daniella tried caught for 4 innings. Katilyn played
centerfield. We mixed things up a bit and it was nice to see people playing in different positions.
Kim C. caught the game ending fly ball.
Thanks to John Cruz for all your help so far this year. It's been nice coaching with you. Also thanks to Greta for
keeping the book and Mom & Dad for helping to bring the water.
The season is winding down. 3 games next week and then the playoffs. Keep it up girls and we a good shot of
winning this league for the 2nd year in a row.
Game 11 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 9 - Norridge 11 Date 7-14-08
Bummer, bummer, bummer, bummer. We had em and gave it away in the 7th inning again. That's twice with
Norridge we had the lead in the 7th inning and lost.
Great parent turnout though. Thank you so much for coming out and supporting the girls even with the vicious
biting flies that flew off with about a pound of my leg. You parents are awesome. I try to be pretty fair with my
subbing and sitting. Some girls sat more than others this game. So if your daughter was one of them today, bear
with me. It will all work out in the end.
Megan pitched really great for 6 solid innings. She is really pitching well this year. But you can't walk 4 people in
the 7th inning and expect to win. You just can't do it. Pitching is so tough. All eyes are on you but whatever it
takes, you have to reach deep down and get the job done. Good job anyways Megan, it was just one bad inning
at the wrong time.
AND, the defense was a little sloppy too. Some grounders could have been fielded. Some pop ups could have
been caught. It all adds up in the end. You may think one little error doesn't mean much, but it keeps the inning
going for the other team and lets more of their batters come up to hit.
Michelle caught a nice game. Threw out a couple people and really takes control from behind the plate. She also
went 2 for 2 with 2 walks and scored 2 runs. Carissa went 2 for 4 with a double and scored 2 runs. Kristine went 2
for 3 with a TRIPLE that came just short of the fence. She was also very embarassed that she tripped over 3rd
base and wiped out or she could have had a homer. So of course I had to write about that. Katilyn went 1 for 2
and scored a run. Kim Morales went 2 for 3 with a DOUBLE. Zoe walked and scored a run and Darcy walked 3
times and scored 2 runs.
Kim C. is really showing me a lot of effort this season. She is really trying hard to get better at batting and fielding,
she almost caught a really tough ball in center-field today. Keep it up Kim C. You are doing great.
I know there was a lot of frustration with the umpire. And I agree that his strike zone is crazy sometimes, and
maybe he missed a few calls. But it's not his fault we lost the game.
Game 10 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 27 - River Grove Rockets 12 Date 7-9-08
Now this was GRAPE softball at it's finest. We hit the crap out the ball today. You girls put yesterdays game
behind you and came out swinging. Awesome.
As most of you know. I love everything about batting and hitting. I played ball for 25 years. I love hitting a softball
and watching it fly. I love the sound the bat makes. I love watching a good hard hit. I love teaching others how to
hit better. I love watching hitting videos and analyzing swings. I love batting practice and I even compliment the
other team when they hit a nice ball.
So to see someone hit one over the fence at Maine West was one of my goals this summer. There were definitely
a couple girls that wanted to do it real bad. We have a couple girls that were capable and were willing to put in
some time on getting their swings better this summer.
So low and behold. It finally happened. A ball went over that 200 foot fence and the place went nuts.
KRISTINE CHECEA HIT A HOMER OVER THE FENCE
I knew someone would do it and Kristine Checea was the one. She hit a bomb over the center-field fence. You
could see her grinning ear to ear as she did her home run trot. I am so happy for her. The stands went nuts, the
players went nuts, and I about leapt out of my sneakers. That was so cool.
Take a look at her swing analysis on the HITTING section and you can see all the hard work that she has put into
improving her swing. We worked on the inward turn, the stride, keeping her lead arm and the bat in the same
plane and rotating her shoulders and hips properly. Well she put it all together and hit a DINGER. Awesome job
Krissy. Now that you hit one, the next one will be even easier. Give that girl some M&M's.
Who will be the next girl to clear the fence? I know Katilyn wants it bad. We have 3 more home games.
Another offensive highlight was Kim Morales who went 6 for 6 with 3 DOUBLES
and a TRIPLE. Way to hit Kim.
Everyone on the team had at least one hit. Here are the offensive highlights.
Michelle went 3 for 5, stole 7 bases and scored 4 runs. Carissa went 3 for 5 with a bunch of RBI's and she scored
4 runs. And this was with a heart monitor taped to her side. Way to tough it out Carissa. Kristine went 5 for 6 with
a HUGE HOME RUN over the fence and she scored 6 runs and had 5 stolen bases. Megan went 3 for 6 with a
DOUBLE and a bunch of RBI's. She is playing with a back brace on.
Megan and Carissa played hurt today and did a great job. Way to tough it out girls.
Jade went 2 for 4, walked twice and scored 4 runs. Katilyn went 4 for 6 and scored 2 runs. Kim Morales had a
great day. She went 6 for 6 with 3 DOUBLES and a TRIPLE and she scored 2 runs. Zoe went 1 for 3 and scored a
run and Eileen went 3 for 5 and scored a run.
So everyone had at least one hit and everyone scored at lest one run. How cool is that. That is a great team up
and down the batting order.
Coach Joe Cerrone and Coach John Cruz were aggressive with the base runners and it paid off.
This is the team that I know you can be.
Megan pitched the whole game. It took her a couple innings to find her groove and she continues to pitch well.
River Grove hit the ball pretty well. They hit some shots that rolled to the fence. The outfield did a decent job
getting the ball in quick. The infield was pretty solid too.
All in all this was a great game. We kept hitting inning after inning and never let up until we hit that 15 run
slaughter rule. Awesome game girls. Let's have more games like this one.
Game 9 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 11 - Des Plaines B Electric 9 Date 7-8-08
The GRAPES beat our arch rivals B Electric in a close game. I am going to bite my tongue in my comments on this
game. Let's just say, I love our team and I am blessed with nice parents, nice kids, and nice coaches.
But now the highlights. Michelle worked real hard on pitching over the holiday weekend and started the game for
us. She did a good job considering she has not pitched in over 2 years. Then Megan came in (wearing a back
brace) and she closed out the game. Megan had 9 strikeouts and except for one inning, we shut B Electric down
pretty well.
I thought our defense was a little sloppy and lazy. This game should not have been this close in my opinion. We
had a few errors and they had a couple nice hits to capitalize. But in the end we won.
Katie Suerth pitched a real good game for them. We had some trouble hitting against her. We scored 10 runs off
of Kristie in the first 3 innings, but only one run off Katie in the last 4 innings. Michelle went 2 for 2 with 2 walks
and scored 2 runs. Carissa went 1 for 2 with a double and 2 walks and scored a run. Gigi went 1 for 4 with a nice
TRIPLE to get 2 RBI's. Gigi left for Australia and will be back for the playoffs. Kim Morales went 1 for 4. Katilyn
walked and scored a run. Jade walked a and scored a run. Our sub Nicole went 2 for 3 and scored 2 runs. Megan
walked 3 times and scored 3 runs.
Overall this was a great win. It's like the Bears vs. the Packers. It's a rival between us and the other Des Plaines
team and I'm glad we won.
I did not think we played up to our potential. You girls are much better than what you showed in this game. But
that's OK. We all have an off game every once in a while, so I'll just chalk this one up as an off night.
Game 8 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 20 - Hiawatha Red 5 Date 6-31-08
First off our thoughts and prayers go out to Megan. She was on third base and tried to steal home on a passed
ball. As she slid it looked like the tag hit her in the head or something. Her head hit the ground real hard and the
paramedics were called. They took Megan off on a stretcher and rushed her to the hospital. The hospital did
some tests including a CAT SCAN. When she called me later, she said that she has whiplash but there are no
broken bones. So we all wish Megan a speedy recovery. And of course like any team player, she sounded
anxious to get back on the field to help out her team.
Thank you John Cruz for going with her to the hospital, and thank you Peter and Cathy Checea for arranging
everything else. It makes it so nice to coach when I have awesome parents helping out.
Secondly, guess who hit her first GRAND SLAM home run. Yep, Michelle Marlega hit a bomb over the right
fielders head for a GRAND SLAM HOME RUN. And she is doing all this LEFTY. Way to go Michelle. Hello Maine
West and Coach Rothstein. What were you thinking all season. This girl is hitting the $&*# out of the ball lefty and
all you guys have her do is bunt. Don't get me started on the lack of hitting on the JV team this year. AHHHHH that
drove me crazy. Anyway, on this summer league, letting her take a rip at the ball is really screwing with the
defense. They don't know how to play her.
We started scoring alot more runs when we toned down the aggressive running a little bit. We started off
aggressive like we always do, but after getting 3 or 4 girls tagged out it made sense to change strategy and let
the girls hitting shine through. And there is not a better team in the whole league right now as far as
hitting goes. Up and down the line up we are hitting the ball hard. I LOVE IT.
Michelle went 3 for 5 with a GRAND SLAM and a DOUBLE and scored 3 runs. Carissa went 3 for 4 and scored
twice. Carissa did a nice job moving up to the number 2 batter spot. Kristine went 2 for 5 and scored twice. Kim
Morales went 1 for 2 with 2 walks and scored twice. Eileen 1 for 2 with a nice hard ground ball hit, she also walked
twice and scored 3 runs. Megan went 2 for 3 before she got hurt and had to leave the game.
Katilyn continues to rip the ball going 3 for 3 and scoring twice. She is hitting the ball really hard. John paid Katilyn
a nice compliment today. "Katilyn, you swing like a man." Gigi went 2 for 3 with a TRIPLE over the right fielders
head and scored 3 runs. Another girl who is really starting to hit well is Kim Christoffel, WOW. She went 3 for 4
with 3 really nice hits and scored 2 runs. And Darcy went 2 for 3 and also scored 2 runs.
Defensively Darcy made a real nice catch in right field. And Gigi caught another nice game.
Megan and Eileen teamed up again to get the win.
I also want to thank the coach from the other team in helping out when Megan got hurt.
Nice game girls.
Game 7 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 16 - Hiawatha Gold 1 Date 6-30-08
The steroids that I have been giving Katilyn and Kristine apparently kicked in for this game. Katilyn hit 2 balls
within spitting distance of clearing the fence and Krissy also hit 2 balls just shy of going over that Maine West
fence. (I'm kidding about the steroids)
So Katilyn wound up going 3 for 4 with a HOMER, a TRIPLE, and a single. Kristine went 4 for 4 with a HOMER, a
TRIPLE and two singles. All their balls were hit hard. Kristine even made a girls hand hurt so much the coach had
to come out and see if she was OK.
The coach from the other team after the game kidded with me "So, what are you giving the girls steroids now?"
That's how hard we were hitting the ball.
Someone this year will put it over the fence. Who will it be?
On top of that Michelle goes 4 for 4 as well. 2 beautiful drag bunts and a line drive down the third base line and a
hard grounder down the first base line. And this is all swinging lefty. Aside from bunting, she was swinging righty
up until this summer. She has worked hard at it and your lefty swing is coming along so nicely Michelle.
So between Katilyn, Kristine and Michelle they went 11 for 12 with 2 HOME RUNS, 2 TRIPLES, and 7
singles. And they scored 9 runs. NICE JOB!!!!!
Take a guess at which 3 girls called me for extra batting practice last week
and have also done extra batting practice with me all summer so far.
Take a guess at which 3 girls always want batting warmups before the
game.
Take a guess at which 3 girls have had the most batting practice so far this
summer and do the batting drills no matter how stupid the drills may seem.
Take a guess at which 3 girls have worked the hardest on their swings over
the last month.
Hmmmmm, let me think. Oh yeah. Katilyn, Krissy and Michelle. What's the old saying "Practice makes perfect"
I'm just so happy that all their extra effort and hard work really payed off big time in this game and I hope the
hitting continues for the rest of the season. All their games won't be as great as this one, but with more practice,
comes more great games.
I'm being a little sarcastic but there is also alot of truth to what I'm saying. If you want to get good at something you
have to work hard at it. These 3 girls have been working hard and putting forth extra effort this summer on batting
and it really showed this game. I'm very proud of them. Keep it up.
Kim Morales went 1 for 2 with a triple and scored a run. Megan went 1 for 4. Carissa went 1 for 4. Gigi went 3 for
4 with a DOUBLE and scored 2 runs. Kim C. went 1 for 2 and scored 2 runs. Darcy walked twice and scored twice.
Kim C. and Darcy have also made most of the practices and have been working hard on their batting too. I'm very
happy to see them getting on base. I'm very proud of you two girls.
Megan pitched a wonderful 4.5 innings and Eileen came in relief to close the deal. Megan took a line shot off her
leg and a liner right back at her. And all this with a borrowed mitt. Good job Megan.
Defensively the Grapes made their plays. Kim Morales had real nice scoop at first. We made a couple force outs
at home with the bases loaded. The throws were accurate. Good job defense.
You girls looked really tough today. Keep it up.
I also have to thank our fill in third base coach Cathy Checea who rose to the occasion and filled in for
an inning at 3rd base until John could get there.
Game 6 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 6 - Norridge 7
This was a great game. Real close the whole time. Norridge edged it out in the bottom of the 7th to get the win.
The worst thing was the mosquitos. They were bad.
FIRST OFF. I'm still ticked off at one of the umps calls. And it takes a lot to get me mad. Kristine hit a BOMB, I
mean a BOMB with a capital B. This ball clears the right fielder by 40-50 feet. Then it bounces a couple times. By
now Krissy is on her way to second and the ball is easily 100 feet past the right fielder. So it rolls onto an asphalt
area close to 300 feet away from home plate. AND THE UMP CALLS IT A GROUND RULE DOUBLE. You have got
to be kidding me. The ball winds up 400 feet from home plate and Krissy gets a friggin double. What a joke. It took
all the will power in the world for me to limit my words to "That sucks".
But anyway. Eileen and Megan teamed up to pitch a great game. Norridge could hit well and we held them to only
7 runs. We gave up a few too many walks at the wrong time, though. We can't walk 3 people in the bottom of the
7th with a 2 run lead and expect to win many games. Also I assumed that girls knew about intentional walks but
apparently they don't.
With a tie ball game, in the bottom of the 7th, no outs, and runners on 2nd and 3rd, we want to load the bases so
we can get a force at home. The only runner that matters is the girl on 3rd. She is the winning run. So the next
time that situation comes up, we have to execute the intentional walk better.
And Norridge's pitcher was the fastest we have faced this year. She was good.
Thanks to Chelsea and Daniella for helping us out. Chelsea went 2 for 3 and Daniella went 1 for 3 with a home
run and made a real nice catch in left field.
Michelle went 3 for 4 with two nice bunts and a line shot up the middle. The lefty swing is coming along nicely and
all your hard work at practice is paying off. Eileen went 2 for 2 with 2 walks. Kristine went 1 for 4 with a double. Kim
Morales went 2 for 3. Megan went 3 for 4 with a TRIPLE. Carissa went 1 for 4. Katilyn hit the ball real hard a few
times and the defense made some great plays.
Defensively Michelle gunned down a girl who took too big of a lead. Katilyn grabbed a nice grounder up the
middle. Carissa did a nice job playing 3rd (Not her regular spot) Krissy played a solid shortstop. Our throws were
good, our hitting was good. We got nabbed on a couple aggressive base running attempts.
We got beat but we'll get em next time.
Game 5 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 16 - River Grove Rockets 1
This Grapes team is fun to watch. Massive hitting, aggressive base running and excellent defense. The Grapes
just dominated the River Grove Team. Their coach started to get angry because of all the throwing errors his
team was making. BUT the reason they were throwing the ball around so much is because you girls ran circles
around them Great job.
The play of game was in the 4th inning. We were up 10 to 1. A girl on River Grove hits a great ball to the right
center gap. They had to be thinking "Ok this is our break, now we can get back in this game." So the girl rounds
first and heads to second. Zoe was playing center field and cut the ball off perfectly and fielded it clean. As the
runner is rounding second Zoe fires the ball to her cut off Katilyn at second base. Right then I thought to myself
"We got her, she is dead at 3rd" And sure enough Katilyn throws a PERFECT STRIKE to Michelle at 3rd who puts
the tag on. OUT AT 3RD. That just squashed any hopes the River Grove had. That was an awesome display of
defense.
Megan pitched another wonderful game. A few walks in the first inning led to their only run. Then Megan found
her groove and shut them down real nice. Keep up the good work.
Gigi had another nice day behind the plate. Krissy played a nice shortstop and Kim and Zoe played first base
really well with Zoe making a double play to end the game.
And if that isn't good enough. We hit the $&#% out of the ball today. Katilyn hit her first HOME RUN and would
have had a second home run if not for a nice catch by the left fielder. Katilyn went 2 for 3 and scored 3 runs. Gigi
also hit a HOME RUN on her way to going 3 for 4 with a TRIPLE and scoring 3 runs. Kristine went 2 for 3 and
scored 2 runs. Kim Morales went 3 for 4 and scored 2 runs. Kim is really hitting well so far this season. Good hard
line drives right up the middle. Megan went 2 for 4 and scored 2 runs. Carissa went 2 for 3 and scored 3 runs.
And Zoe went 1 for 3 and scored a run.
All the batting practice is paying off girls. Lets keep it up.
Way to dominate GRAPES. That was a fun game to watch and coach. Keep up the good pitching Megan.
Game 4 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 15 - Hiawatha Predators 0
I have 5 words to describe this game. "Megan Taylor and Aggressive Running".
Great, wonderful, awesome job pitching Megan. Only 2 walks and 9 strikeouts for our first shut out. That's what we
want to see. Keep it up. And our girls ran circles around them, taking extra bases and making them throw the ball
around.
Put it this way, we needed 2 runs to win by slaughter rule. Michelle walked, stole 2nd and took 3rd on an
overthrow. 2 pitches later she stole home on a wild pitch for one run.
Then Kristine reaches first on a dropped third strike, steals 2nd, 3rd, and home and we win without even getting a
hit. Good aggressive base running did the trick.
At the plate we did real well. Michelle went 2 for 3, scored 3 runs and had 6 stolen bases. Eileen went 2 for 4 and
scored a run. Kristine went 2 for 4 with a TRIPLE and scored a run. Kim Morales went 2 for 3 with a DOUBLE, 3
stolen bases and scored a run. Darcy went 1 for 2 and scored twice. Megan went 1 for 1, with 2 walks and scored
all three times. Carissa went 3 for 3 with a HOME RUN and 5 RBI'S, way to go Carissa. And Katilyn scored a run.
We still have too many pop ups though. Let's think line drives ALL THE TIME ladies.
On defense Kim C. made a great catch in right field. Gigi did a real nice job behind the plate. Our infield was real
solid today and the outfield did their job well. Stop the ball and get it in.
Overall a real nice game. You ladies came to play ball today. I like it.
Game 3 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 9 - Melrose Park 15
Well we started off a little rough in this game. Melrose hit the ball well and we could not catch up. That being said,
The Grapes played pretty well. On offense Michelle went 2 for 3 with a nice drag bunt, and scored a run. I saw
every JV game this year and never saw Michelle get thrown out stealing. Yet this catcher had a gun and threw her
out at 2nd. My hats off to the Melrose catcher. Eileen went 1 for 3 and scored a run. Kristine went 1 for 3 with a
TRIPLE and had 2 RBI's. Gig went 2 for 3, scored 2 runs and had an RBI. Kim Morales went 2 for 3 with a
DOUBLE and RBI and scored a run. Megan hit a real nice inside the park HOME RUN and had a single to go 2
for 3. Carissa went 1 for 3. Jade went 1 for 2 and scored a run and Katilyn in her first game back from vacation
went 2 for 2 and scored 2 runs (Even with bad sunburn blisters)
On defense we threw the ball around a little too much. And our pitchers gave up 9 walks in total. I'd like to see that
walk number get down to 2 or 3 per game but it's early in the season and I have faith in you pitchers. Keep
throwing strikes. Pitching is SO HARD sometimes. You are the center of attention and all eyes are on you. I know I
did it for 20 years. But have faith in yourself you guys can do it. Throw them strikes and let your defense do their
job.
Michelle and Gigi did a good job behind the plate. Katilyn played a nice second base. Zoe had a nice catch in left.
Michelle, Kim and Kristine made some nice plays in the infield. And overall I thought the defense was pretty
decent. Just watch throwing the ball around too much.
I think the next time we face Melrose we'll kick their butts.
Game 2 Highlights
I will not be commenting on this game. It was the most boring game I have ever seen. I laughed when Krissy said
"Carl should I just strike out so we can get this inning over" It was more enjoyable watching the grass grow, and I
think all of you would agree. I would rather lose a close game than win another game like this by walks and
slaughter rule.
Game 1 Highlights
No comments on this game
AWESOME. The Grapes beat Melrose Park in the first game of the playoffs to advance to the final game. I am so
proud of you girls. This is the team I know you can be. You looked sharp today and hit the CRAP out of the ball.
You girls played so well today. This is The Grapes team that we all know you can be. Let's do it again on Tuesday
and take First Place for the season and First Place for the Playoffs.
I had a good feeling today. The girls were all at the game early taking batting warmups, and fielding warmups and
they looked really good.
So Melrose Park loads the bases in the top of the first and they only get one run. That was nice. It shut them
down and we got some momentum.
Then Michelle comes up to bat and leads off with a BOMB HOME RUN over the center fielders head. Can you
believe Michelle came in second on the team with 4 Home Runs this season. And she did it all swinging lefty.
That set the tempo for the whole game. Then Carissa says "OK I CAN DO THAT TOO" and she hits a BOMB
TRIPLE, Kim Morales gets a hit. Megan gets a hit. Katilyn walks and Jade hits a LINE DRIVE DOUBLE that scored
2 runs. So now we are up 4-1. And the momentum stayed our way the whole game.
Melrose pitched 4 different girls against us. We just had one and she pitched her heart out today. Megan did a
great job in the heat going all 7 innings. Awesome.
Defensively we were solid with good plays in the infield. The throws were accurate and we didn't throw the ball
around too much. The outfield did their job too. Zoe made a nice play in left field to hold a girl to a single.
At the plate Michelle went 1 for 2 with a HOME RUN and she scored twice. Carissa went 2 for 3 with a TRIPLE and
a DOUBLE. Kim Morales went 2 for 3 with a nice TRIPLE, she tried to stretch it into a HOMER but Melrose made a
nice play at the plate. Megan went 2 for 2 and was hit by a pitch and she scored 2 runs. Katilyn went 1 for 2 with a
nice DOUBLE. Jade went 1 for 3 with a DOUBLE. Zoe struggled a bit at the plate today but I know she'll be ready
for Tuesday. Kim C. went 1 for 3. Darcy went 1 for 3 and Nicole contributed what she could.
Melrose is a good team. You ladies played with lots of effort, and great attitudes. It was a joy to watch. I know your
parents and fans were excited too.
So let's put it all together one more time and beat Norridge on Tuesday.
Game 15 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 11 - Des Plaines B Electric 12 Date 7-25-08
We gave this game away. You girls are WAY better than what you showed for the first 4 innings. The defense was
real sloppy. I'll chalk this up as a bad game. And I don't get it. You girls were ripping the ball in batting practice
and your defense has been pretty solid lately. Oh well, just an off game I guess.
You girls are a great team. And it has been fun being your coach. I hope I did an OK job.
The hitting has been fantastic. We have outscored our opponents 222-95. The hitting has really been awesome
this year. You ladies are really fun to watch. However, this game was not fun to watch until the 5th inning. I know
we'll be back for the playoffs though.
And Katie Suerth really has your number. It took a while before the bats woke up. But when we did hit the ball it
was HARD.
Eileen pitched a nice game. Michelle and Kim Morales both had HOMERS.
Michelle continues to rip the ball lefty. She went 2 for 3 with a HOMER and she scored 3 runs. Carissa went 2 for
3 and scored once. Kristine went 1 for 3 with a DOUBLE and scored 2 runs. Kim Morales hit well going 3 for 4 with
a DOUBLE and a HOMER. Katilyn went 1 for 4. Jade hit the ball REALLY hard today but it was just right at them.
Gigi went 2 for 4 with a DOUBLE welcome back from Australia Gigi. Kim C. went 1 for 3 and was hit by a pitch.
Eileen had a nice day at the plate going 2 for 3 and scored 3 runs to help her cause.
Most of you girls hustle out to your positions and I appreciate that and this next comment is not directed to you.
Nothing irks me more than lack of effort, and all I know is that if I was walking out to my position and my coach ran
out next to me on the field and said "This is how you hustle. C'mon let me see you hustle out" I would have been
embarrassed , I would have ran my butt out to my position the rest of the game and I would have said "Sorry
coach I won't walk again"
But instead I get a couple silent "F YOU's", and they still walk out to their spots. Unbelievable. The lack of effort
and lack of respect for adults that a couple of these girls have at times, is pretty sad.
There's a couple attitudes on this team that I'm not going to miss at all.
Oh, well that's off my chest now.
It has been a great season. I have watched some of you get much better at the game of softball and that makes it
all worth it. We finished with a great record and I think we will do pretty well in the playoffs. It has been a pleasure
being your coach and I thank you for the opportunity.
I know that you had other commitments. Work, other sports, vacations. We had a decent amount of practices but I
would have liked to have had more, and better attendance. I personally enjoy the practices more than I do the
games. We could have tightened things up a bit, and more girls could have gotten more batting instruction.
I only wonder what we could accomplish with batting if I could have you girls every day for 2-3 months like the
coaches do in High School. The improvement I saw with some of you, even after just the first hour of working on
your swing was amazing. I saw dramatic improvement with some of you, even in the limited time that we had. Your
swings are better, and more powerful. Keep it up.
I hope to keep working on batting with a few of you in the off season.
A special thanks to the parents who come out and support the team you guys are awesome.
Thanks to John Cruz and Joe Cerrone for their help coaching.
Thanks to Greta for keeping the book and my Dad for helping me at practices.
It's off to the playoffs at Forest Park next weekend.
Game 14 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 21 - Hiawatha 8 Date 7-24-08
Well the Grapes faced THE GRUNTER in this showdown. Hiawatha had a girl that is a very fast pitcher and she
grunts when she throws. After her first practice pitch I saw about 6 of our girls cower in fear like they just heard a
ghost clanging some chains in a dark silent room.
But despite the grunting the Grapes had a nice win. Eileen pitched the whole game and did a nice job.
Defensively Katilyn had a real nice game at second base with 6 outs. Kim C made a nice catch in center. Kim
Morales made anice catch in left field and Michelle made a nice catch in center.
At the plate Michelle went 2 for 5 with a DOUBLE and scored 3 runs. Daniella went 2 for 4 with a walk and scored
3 runs. Kristine went 3 for 5 and scored 2 runs. Kim Morales hit well going 3 for 5 with and DOUBLE and a TRIPLE
and scored 2 runs. Katilyn went 1 for 3 with 2 walks and scored 2 runs. Jade went 1 for 4 with a DOUBLE and
scored 2 runs. Carissa weet 2 for 3 with 2 TRIPLES and scored 3 runs, nice job Carissa. Kim C. went 2 for 4 with
a DOUBLE and scored a run. Eileen went 1 for 3 and scored a run. And Chelsea wwent 1 for 3 and scored a run.
This game was kind of boring but a good win for the GRAPES.
Game 13 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 16 - Hiawatha Red 2 Date 7-22-08
NICE GAME. The bats were hot, the fielding was top notch, and the pitching was excellent.
Megan pitched 3 flawless innings. They went down 1,2,3 all three innings that she pitched. She had 5 strikeouts
and no walks. Great job Megan. Then Eileen came in to close out the game. Eileen hasn't pitched for a while in a
game situation but did a great job. Our pitchers only gave up ONE WALK for the entire game. If you don't walk
people you win games and we won this one nicely.
In the field we looked really good. Krissy had nice day at short. Carissa caught a nice ball in center. Katilyn made
a couple real nice plays at second. Jade played a solid first base. Our outfield got the ball in quickly and we did
not have any throwing errors. Michelle and Megan teamed up to catch the game. Megan did a real nice job for her
first time behind the plate. She put a real nice tag on a runner that was trying to score. Michelle was a little under
the weather, but toughed it out and caught half the game.
This was a nice clean game. We need to play like this if we want to win the playoffs. Michelle led off the first inning
with a line shot that rolled to the fence. She was easily able to hoof it around the bases for a HOME RUN. Michelle
went 1 for 3 with a HOMER and she walked twice and scored 2 runs. Carissa went 3 for 4 with a DOUBLE and
scored 2 runs. Kristine hit the ball really hard and went 3 for 4 and scored 2 runs. Kim Morales went 1 for 3 and
scored a run. Katilyn hit the ball really hard and was robbed twice by the Hiawatha defense. She walked twice and
scored a run. Jade had a nice game at the plate going 2 for 2 and walked twice and scored 3 runs. Megan went 1
for 3 with a walk and scored 2 runs. Zoe went 1 for 2 with 2 walks and scored 2 runs. Kim C. went 1 for 4 and had
2 RBIS. Eileen went 2 for 2 with 2 walks and scored 2 runs.
The best thing about batting today was the girls were patient and waited for good pitches to swing at. When you
do that, you tend to hit the ball well, and they did today.
Awesome job GRAPES.
PS I screwed up on the score. I thought we were up by 15 for slaughter rule but it was only 14 WHOOPS. Sorry
Krissy you could have batted one time.
As far as batting goes. We hit the ball hard today. Michelle led off the first inning with a line shot that easily rolled
to the fence. She got all the way around the bases easily for a HOME RUN. On the day Michelle went
Game 12 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 16 - Forest Park 8 Date 7-15-08
Well I'll say this. This was a much more exciting game vs Forest Park than the first one. Right off the bat Daniella
hits a 3 run homer in the first inning. Then in the 3rd inning Kristine hit a 2 run homer. The bats were pretty lively
tonite. And thank God the flies weren't as bad as they were the night before.
We also mixed things up a little bit. The batting order was completely different and we had some girls playing in
new positions. I thought it would be nice to mix it up after the tense game that we had the previous night.
Megan battled on the mound and made a few nice defensive plays. At times the defense backing her up was a
little rough, but we managed to hold on, and have a nice 7th inning at the plate to secure the win.
Megan led off, and walked twice and scored twice. Katilyn batted second and she went 1 for 3 with 2 walks and
scored 2 runs. Zoe batted third and she walked twice and scored a run. Darcy batted 4th and she went 1 for 4
with a walk and scored 2 runs. Daniella went 2 for 4 with a HOMER and scored 2 runs. Michelle batted 6th and
went 3 for 5 with 2 DOUBLES. Kim C. had a nice game at the plate going 3 for 4 and scoring a run. Kim Morales
had a nice day at the plate going 4 for 4 with a DOUBLE and she scored 2 runs. And Kristine went 2 for 5 with a
HOMER and scored a run.
On defense Zoe played shortstop for the first time and did a nice job. Then she moved over to first base and did a
nice job over there too. Kristine tried a little 2nd base. Daniella tried caught for 4 innings. Katilyn played
centerfield. We mixed things up a bit and it was nice to see people playing in different positions.
Kim C. caught the game ending fly ball.
Thanks to John Cruz for all your help so far this year. It's been nice coaching with you. Also thanks to Greta for
keeping the book and Mom & Dad for helping to bring the water.
The season is winding down. 3 games next week and then the playoffs. Keep it up girls and we a good shot of
winning this league for the 2nd year in a row.
Game 11 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 9 - Norridge 11 Date 7-14-08
Bummer, bummer, bummer, bummer. We had em and gave it away in the 7th inning again. That's twice with
Norridge we had the lead in the 7th inning and lost.
Great parent turnout though. Thank you so much for coming out and supporting the girls even with the vicious
biting flies that flew off with about a pound of my leg. You parents are awesome. I try to be pretty fair with my
subbing and sitting. Some girls sat more than others this game. So if your daughter was one of them today, bear
with me. It will all work out in the end.
Megan pitched really great for 6 solid innings. She is really pitching well this year. But you can't walk 4 people in
the 7th inning and expect to win. You just can't do it. Pitching is so tough. All eyes are on you but whatever it
takes, you have to reach deep down and get the job done. Good job anyways Megan, it was just one bad inning
at the wrong time.
AND, the defense was a little sloppy too. Some grounders could have been fielded. Some pop ups could have
been caught. It all adds up in the end. You may think one little error doesn't mean much, but it keeps the inning
going for the other team and lets more of their batters come up to hit.
Michelle caught a nice game. Threw out a couple people and really takes control from behind the plate. She also
went 2 for 2 with 2 walks and scored 2 runs. Carissa went 2 for 4 with a double and scored 2 runs. Kristine went 2
for 3 with a TRIPLE that came just short of the fence. She was also very embarassed that she tripped over 3rd
base and wiped out or she could have had a homer. So of course I had to write about that. Katilyn went 1 for 2
and scored a run. Kim Morales went 2 for 3 with a DOUBLE. Zoe walked and scored a run and Darcy walked 3
times and scored 2 runs.
Kim C. is really showing me a lot of effort this season. She is really trying hard to get better at batting and fielding,
she almost caught a really tough ball in center-field today. Keep it up Kim C. You are doing great.
I know there was a lot of frustration with the umpire. And I agree that his strike zone is crazy sometimes, and
maybe he missed a few calls. But it's not his fault we lost the game.
Game 10 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 27 - River Grove Rockets 12 Date 7-9-08
Now this was GRAPE softball at it's finest. We hit the crap out the ball today. You girls put yesterdays game
behind you and came out swinging. Awesome.
As most of you know. I love everything about batting and hitting. I played ball for 25 years. I love hitting a softball
and watching it fly. I love the sound the bat makes. I love watching a good hard hit. I love teaching others how to
hit better. I love watching hitting videos and analyzing swings. I love batting practice and I even compliment the
other team when they hit a nice ball.
So to see someone hit one over the fence at Maine West was one of my goals this summer. There were definitely
a couple girls that wanted to do it real bad. We have a couple girls that were capable and were willing to put in
some time on getting their swings better this summer.
So low and behold. It finally happened. A ball went over that 200 foot fence and the place went nuts.
KRISTINE CHECEA HIT A HOMER OVER THE FENCE
I knew someone would do it and Kristine Checea was the one. She hit a bomb over the center-field fence. You
could see her grinning ear to ear as she did her home run trot. I am so happy for her. The stands went nuts, the
players went nuts, and I about leapt out of my sneakers. That was so cool.
Take a look at her swing analysis on the HITTING section and you can see all the hard work that she has put into
improving her swing. We worked on the inward turn, the stride, keeping her lead arm and the bat in the same
plane and rotating her shoulders and hips properly. Well she put it all together and hit a DINGER. Awesome job
Krissy. Now that you hit one, the next one will be even easier. Give that girl some M&M's.
Who will be the next girl to clear the fence? I know Katilyn wants it bad. We have 3 more home games.
Another offensive highlight was Kim Morales who went 6 for 6 with 3 DOUBLES
and a TRIPLE. Way to hit Kim.
Everyone on the team had at least one hit. Here are the offensive highlights.
Michelle went 3 for 5, stole 7 bases and scored 4 runs. Carissa went 3 for 5 with a bunch of RBI's and she scored
4 runs. And this was with a heart monitor taped to her side. Way to tough it out Carissa. Kristine went 5 for 6 with
a HUGE HOME RUN over the fence and she scored 6 runs and had 5 stolen bases. Megan went 3 for 6 with a
DOUBLE and a bunch of RBI's. She is playing with a back brace on.
Megan and Carissa played hurt today and did a great job. Way to tough it out girls.
Jade went 2 for 4, walked twice and scored 4 runs. Katilyn went 4 for 6 and scored 2 runs. Kim Morales had a
great day. She went 6 for 6 with 3 DOUBLES and a TRIPLE and she scored 2 runs. Zoe went 1 for 3 and scored a
run and Eileen went 3 for 5 and scored a run.
So everyone had at least one hit and everyone scored at lest one run. How cool is that. That is a great team up
and down the batting order.
Coach Joe Cerrone and Coach John Cruz were aggressive with the base runners and it paid off.
This is the team that I know you can be.
Megan pitched the whole game. It took her a couple innings to find her groove and she continues to pitch well.
River Grove hit the ball pretty well. They hit some shots that rolled to the fence. The outfield did a decent job
getting the ball in quick. The infield was pretty solid too.
All in all this was a great game. We kept hitting inning after inning and never let up until we hit that 15 run
slaughter rule. Awesome game girls. Let's have more games like this one.
Game 9 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 11 - Des Plaines B Electric 9 Date 7-8-08
The GRAPES beat our arch rivals B Electric in a close game. I am going to bite my tongue in my comments on this
game. Let's just say, I love our team and I am blessed with nice parents, nice kids, and nice coaches.
But now the highlights. Michelle worked real hard on pitching over the holiday weekend and started the game for
us. She did a good job considering she has not pitched in over 2 years. Then Megan came in (wearing a back
brace) and she closed out the game. Megan had 9 strikeouts and except for one inning, we shut B Electric down
pretty well.
I thought our defense was a little sloppy and lazy. This game should not have been this close in my opinion. We
had a few errors and they had a couple nice hits to capitalize. But in the end we won.
Katie Suerth pitched a real good game for them. We had some trouble hitting against her. We scored 10 runs off
of Kristie in the first 3 innings, but only one run off Katie in the last 4 innings. Michelle went 2 for 2 with 2 walks
and scored 2 runs. Carissa went 1 for 2 with a double and 2 walks and scored a run. Gigi went 1 for 4 with a nice
TRIPLE to get 2 RBI's. Gigi left for Australia and will be back for the playoffs. Kim Morales went 1 for 4. Katilyn
walked and scored a run. Jade walked a and scored a run. Our sub Nicole went 2 for 3 and scored 2 runs. Megan
walked 3 times and scored 3 runs.
Overall this was a great win. It's like the Bears vs. the Packers. It's a rival between us and the other Des Plaines
team and I'm glad we won.
I did not think we played up to our potential. You girls are much better than what you showed in this game. But
that's OK. We all have an off game every once in a while, so I'll just chalk this one up as an off night.
Game 8 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 20 - Hiawatha Red 5 Date 6-31-08
First off our thoughts and prayers go out to Megan. She was on third base and tried to steal home on a passed
ball. As she slid it looked like the tag hit her in the head or something. Her head hit the ground real hard and the
paramedics were called. They took Megan off on a stretcher and rushed her to the hospital. The hospital did
some tests including a CAT SCAN. When she called me later, she said that she has whiplash but there are no
broken bones. So we all wish Megan a speedy recovery. And of course like any team player, she sounded
anxious to get back on the field to help out her team.
Thank you John Cruz for going with her to the hospital, and thank you Peter and Cathy Checea for arranging
everything else. It makes it so nice to coach when I have awesome parents helping out.
Secondly, guess who hit her first GRAND SLAM home run. Yep, Michelle Marlega hit a bomb over the right
fielders head for a GRAND SLAM HOME RUN. And she is doing all this LEFTY. Way to go Michelle. Hello Maine
West and Coach Rothstein. What were you thinking all season. This girl is hitting the $&*# out of the ball lefty and
all you guys have her do is bunt. Don't get me started on the lack of hitting on the JV team this year. AHHHHH that
drove me crazy. Anyway, on this summer league, letting her take a rip at the ball is really screwing with the
defense. They don't know how to play her.
We started scoring alot more runs when we toned down the aggressive running a little bit. We started off
aggressive like we always do, but after getting 3 or 4 girls tagged out it made sense to change strategy and let
the girls hitting shine through. And there is not a better team in the whole league right now as far as
hitting goes. Up and down the line up we are hitting the ball hard. I LOVE IT.
Michelle went 3 for 5 with a GRAND SLAM and a DOUBLE and scored 3 runs. Carissa went 3 for 4 and scored
twice. Carissa did a nice job moving up to the number 2 batter spot. Kristine went 2 for 5 and scored twice. Kim
Morales went 1 for 2 with 2 walks and scored twice. Eileen 1 for 2 with a nice hard ground ball hit, she also walked
twice and scored 3 runs. Megan went 2 for 3 before she got hurt and had to leave the game.
Katilyn continues to rip the ball going 3 for 3 and scoring twice. She is hitting the ball really hard. John paid Katilyn
a nice compliment today. "Katilyn, you swing like a man." Gigi went 2 for 3 with a TRIPLE over the right fielders
head and scored 3 runs. Another girl who is really starting to hit well is Kim Christoffel, WOW. She went 3 for 4
with 3 really nice hits and scored 2 runs. And Darcy went 2 for 3 and also scored 2 runs.
Defensively Darcy made a real nice catch in right field. And Gigi caught another nice game.
Megan and Eileen teamed up again to get the win.
I also want to thank the coach from the other team in helping out when Megan got hurt.
Nice game girls.
Game 7 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 16 - Hiawatha Gold 1 Date 6-30-08
The steroids that I have been giving Katilyn and Kristine apparently kicked in for this game. Katilyn hit 2 balls
within spitting distance of clearing the fence and Krissy also hit 2 balls just shy of going over that Maine West
fence. (I'm kidding about the steroids)
So Katilyn wound up going 3 for 4 with a HOMER, a TRIPLE, and a single. Kristine went 4 for 4 with a HOMER, a
TRIPLE and two singles. All their balls were hit hard. Kristine even made a girls hand hurt so much the coach had
to come out and see if she was OK.
The coach from the other team after the game kidded with me "So, what are you giving the girls steroids now?"
That's how hard we were hitting the ball.
Someone this year will put it over the fence. Who will it be?
On top of that Michelle goes 4 for 4 as well. 2 beautiful drag bunts and a line drive down the third base line and a
hard grounder down the first base line. And this is all swinging lefty. Aside from bunting, she was swinging righty
up until this summer. She has worked hard at it and your lefty swing is coming along so nicely Michelle.
So between Katilyn, Kristine and Michelle they went 11 for 12 with 2 HOME RUNS, 2 TRIPLES, and 7
singles. And they scored 9 runs. NICE JOB!!!!!
Take a guess at which 3 girls called me for extra batting practice last week
and have also done extra batting practice with me all summer so far.
Take a guess at which 3 girls always want batting warmups before the
game.
Take a guess at which 3 girls have had the most batting practice so far this
summer and do the batting drills no matter how stupid the drills may seem.
Take a guess at which 3 girls have worked the hardest on their swings over
the last month.
Hmmmmm, let me think. Oh yeah. Katilyn, Krissy and Michelle. What's the old saying "Practice makes perfect"
I'm just so happy that all their extra effort and hard work really payed off big time in this game and I hope the
hitting continues for the rest of the season. All their games won't be as great as this one, but with more practice,
comes more great games.
I'm being a little sarcastic but there is also alot of truth to what I'm saying. If you want to get good at something you
have to work hard at it. These 3 girls have been working hard and putting forth extra effort this summer on batting
and it really showed this game. I'm very proud of them. Keep it up.
Kim Morales went 1 for 2 with a triple and scored a run. Megan went 1 for 4. Carissa went 1 for 4. Gigi went 3 for
4 with a DOUBLE and scored 2 runs. Kim C. went 1 for 2 and scored 2 runs. Darcy walked twice and scored twice.
Kim C. and Darcy have also made most of the practices and have been working hard on their batting too. I'm very
happy to see them getting on base. I'm very proud of you two girls.
Megan pitched a wonderful 4.5 innings and Eileen came in relief to close the deal. Megan took a line shot off her
leg and a liner right back at her. And all this with a borrowed mitt. Good job Megan.
Defensively the Grapes made their plays. Kim Morales had real nice scoop at first. We made a couple force outs
at home with the bases loaded. The throws were accurate. Good job defense.
You girls looked really tough today. Keep it up.
I also have to thank our fill in third base coach Cathy Checea who rose to the occasion and filled in for
an inning at 3rd base until John could get there.
Game 6 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 6 - Norridge 7
This was a great game. Real close the whole time. Norridge edged it out in the bottom of the 7th to get the win.
The worst thing was the mosquitos. They were bad.
FIRST OFF. I'm still ticked off at one of the umps calls. And it takes a lot to get me mad. Kristine hit a BOMB, I
mean a BOMB with a capital B. This ball clears the right fielder by 40-50 feet. Then it bounces a couple times. By
now Krissy is on her way to second and the ball is easily 100 feet past the right fielder. So it rolls onto an asphalt
area close to 300 feet away from home plate. AND THE UMP CALLS IT A GROUND RULE DOUBLE. You have got
to be kidding me. The ball winds up 400 feet from home plate and Krissy gets a friggin double. What a joke. It took
all the will power in the world for me to limit my words to "That sucks".
But anyway. Eileen and Megan teamed up to pitch a great game. Norridge could hit well and we held them to only
7 runs. We gave up a few too many walks at the wrong time, though. We can't walk 3 people in the bottom of the
7th with a 2 run lead and expect to win many games. Also I assumed that girls knew about intentional walks but
apparently they don't.
With a tie ball game, in the bottom of the 7th, no outs, and runners on 2nd and 3rd, we want to load the bases so
we can get a force at home. The only runner that matters is the girl on 3rd. She is the winning run. So the next
time that situation comes up, we have to execute the intentional walk better.
And Norridge's pitcher was the fastest we have faced this year. She was good.
Thanks to Chelsea and Daniella for helping us out. Chelsea went 2 for 3 and Daniella went 1 for 3 with a home
run and made a real nice catch in left field.
Michelle went 3 for 4 with two nice bunts and a line shot up the middle. The lefty swing is coming along nicely and
all your hard work at practice is paying off. Eileen went 2 for 2 with 2 walks. Kristine went 1 for 4 with a double. Kim
Morales went 2 for 3. Megan went 3 for 4 with a TRIPLE. Carissa went 1 for 4. Katilyn hit the ball real hard a few
times and the defense made some great plays.
Defensively Michelle gunned down a girl who took too big of a lead. Katilyn grabbed a nice grounder up the
middle. Carissa did a nice job playing 3rd (Not her regular spot) Krissy played a solid shortstop. Our throws were
good, our hitting was good. We got nabbed on a couple aggressive base running attempts.
We got beat but we'll get em next time.
Game 5 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 16 - River Grove Rockets 1
This Grapes team is fun to watch. Massive hitting, aggressive base running and excellent defense. The Grapes
just dominated the River Grove Team. Their coach started to get angry because of all the throwing errors his
team was making. BUT the reason they were throwing the ball around so much is because you girls ran circles
around them Great job.
The play of game was in the 4th inning. We were up 10 to 1. A girl on River Grove hits a great ball to the right
center gap. They had to be thinking "Ok this is our break, now we can get back in this game." So the girl rounds
first and heads to second. Zoe was playing center field and cut the ball off perfectly and fielded it clean. As the
runner is rounding second Zoe fires the ball to her cut off Katilyn at second base. Right then I thought to myself
"We got her, she is dead at 3rd" And sure enough Katilyn throws a PERFECT STRIKE to Michelle at 3rd who puts
the tag on. OUT AT 3RD. That just squashed any hopes the River Grove had. That was an awesome display of
defense.
Megan pitched another wonderful game. A few walks in the first inning led to their only run. Then Megan found
her groove and shut them down real nice. Keep up the good work.
Gigi had another nice day behind the plate. Krissy played a nice shortstop and Kim and Zoe played first base
really well with Zoe making a double play to end the game.
And if that isn't good enough. We hit the $&#% out of the ball today. Katilyn hit her first HOME RUN and would
have had a second home run if not for a nice catch by the left fielder. Katilyn went 2 for 3 and scored 3 runs. Gigi
also hit a HOME RUN on her way to going 3 for 4 with a TRIPLE and scoring 3 runs. Kristine went 2 for 3 and
scored 2 runs. Kim Morales went 3 for 4 and scored 2 runs. Kim is really hitting well so far this season. Good hard
line drives right up the middle. Megan went 2 for 4 and scored 2 runs. Carissa went 2 for 3 and scored 3 runs.
And Zoe went 1 for 3 and scored a run.
All the batting practice is paying off girls. Lets keep it up.
Way to dominate GRAPES. That was a fun game to watch and coach. Keep up the good pitching Megan.
Game 4 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 15 - Hiawatha Predators 0
I have 5 words to describe this game. "Megan Taylor and Aggressive Running".
Great, wonderful, awesome job pitching Megan. Only 2 walks and 9 strikeouts for our first shut out. That's what we
want to see. Keep it up. And our girls ran circles around them, taking extra bases and making them throw the ball
around.
Put it this way, we needed 2 runs to win by slaughter rule. Michelle walked, stole 2nd and took 3rd on an
overthrow. 2 pitches later she stole home on a wild pitch for one run.
Then Kristine reaches first on a dropped third strike, steals 2nd, 3rd, and home and we win without even getting a
hit. Good aggressive base running did the trick.
At the plate we did real well. Michelle went 2 for 3, scored 3 runs and had 6 stolen bases. Eileen went 2 for 4 and
scored a run. Kristine went 2 for 4 with a TRIPLE and scored a run. Kim Morales went 2 for 3 with a DOUBLE, 3
stolen bases and scored a run. Darcy went 1 for 2 and scored twice. Megan went 1 for 1, with 2 walks and scored
all three times. Carissa went 3 for 3 with a HOME RUN and 5 RBI'S, way to go Carissa. And Katilyn scored a run.
We still have too many pop ups though. Let's think line drives ALL THE TIME ladies.
On defense Kim C. made a great catch in right field. Gigi did a real nice job behind the plate. Our infield was real
solid today and the outfield did their job well. Stop the ball and get it in.
Overall a real nice game. You ladies came to play ball today. I like it.
Game 3 Highlights DES PLAINES GRAPES 9 - Melrose Park 15
Well we started off a little rough in this game. Melrose hit the ball well and we could not catch up. That being said,
The Grapes played pretty well. On offense Michelle went 2 for 3 with a nice drag bunt, and scored a run. I saw
every JV game this year and never saw Michelle get thrown out stealing. Yet this catcher had a gun and threw her
out at 2nd. My hats off to the Melrose catcher. Eileen went 1 for 3 and scored a run. Kristine went 1 for 3 with a
TRIPLE and had 2 RBI's. Gig went 2 for 3, scored 2 runs and had an RBI. Kim Morales went 2 for 3 with a
DOUBLE and RBI and scored a run. Megan hit a real nice inside the park HOME RUN and had a single to go 2
for 3. Carissa went 1 for 3. Jade went 1 for 2 and scored a run and Katilyn in her first game back from vacation
went 2 for 2 and scored 2 runs (Even with bad sunburn blisters)
On defense we threw the ball around a little too much. And our pitchers gave up 9 walks in total. I'd like to see that
walk number get down to 2 or 3 per game but it's early in the season and I have faith in you pitchers. Keep
throwing strikes. Pitching is SO HARD sometimes. You are the center of attention and all eyes are on you. I know I
did it for 20 years. But have faith in yourself you guys can do it. Throw them strikes and let your defense do their
job.
Michelle and Gigi did a good job behind the plate. Katilyn played a nice second base. Zoe had a nice catch in left.
Michelle, Kim and Kristine made some nice plays in the infield. And overall I thought the defense was pretty
decent. Just watch throwing the ball around too much.
I think the next time we face Melrose we'll kick their butts.
Game 2 Highlights
I will not be commenting on this game. It was the most boring game I have ever seen. I laughed when Krissy said
"Carl should I just strike out so we can get this inning over" It was more enjoyable watching the grass grow, and I
think all of you would agree. I would rather lose a close game than win another game like this by walks and
slaughter rule.
Game 1 Highlights
No comments on this game
Coach Cathy
| GRAPES WIN IT ALL !!!!! We Are The Champions |
| GRAPES WIN 9-7 AGAINST NORRIDGE TO WIN CHAMPIONSHIP AND CARL GOT SOAKED !!!!! |
You girls did it. How cool is that. You won the championship. Norridge beat us twice during the season, but tonight,
you girls were all superstars. TWO YEARS IN A ROW WE WON FIRST PLACE !!! AWESOME !!!
Boy it feels great. I couldn't be prouder of you girls. WOW. Here it is, midnight, and I am still pumped up about it.
And the fan turnout was awesome. There were people that didn't even have kids on the team that were in the stands
rooting us on. How cool is that. Thank you fans.
The guy that ran the tournament, Bob, came up to us after the game and said. "Girls, I want to congratulate you.
You played great. First off, you beat Melrose Park Sunday. Melrose had not lost a game all season. Then
they played in a sectional tournament and won that. They played in regional tournament and won that.
Then Melrose went to South Bend, Indiana and if they would have won that they would have gone to
Delaware for the National Title. AND YOU GIRLS BEAT THEM. That makes The Grapes one of the best
teams in the STATE OF ILLINOIS"
I couldn't have made up anything cooler than what he said.
He also said he was VERY IMPRESSED with our hitting. See, all that hard work and batting practice pays off ladies.
Megan pitched her heart out again. I got a little nervous in the last inning. But she struck out a girl for the 3rd out
and the place went nuts. The parents were excited, the girls were excited, the coaches were excited, it was fantastic.
I LOVE WINNING. You ladies are all winners and remember, in life you can do whatever you put your mind to.
Michelle caught a great game. It was hot and she toughed it out. At the plate she went 1 for 1 with a single and she
walked twice. She stole 2 bases and scored 2 runs. It's real nice when she gets on base, because she is such a
threat. She will steal on any little mistake and is so quick, you don't have a chance to throw her out. Great season
SHORTY, your left hitting is getting really good.
Carissa didn't get much action in the outfield today. So she saved that energy for batting. She went 2 for 3 with two
nice singles. She had 1 nice RBI and apparently was the leader in the plot to dump water over my head. NICE JOB
CARISSA, I was surprised, and wet, after that dousing. You were a clutch player this year Carissa. You hit the ball
when we needed it. It was real nice getting to know you and your dad.
Krissy played a solid shortstop. Good fielding and good throws and good tags. You were solid at shortstop all
season Krissy. At the plate tonite she went 2 for 3 with 2 nice singles. She also scored a big run by stealing home on
a passed ball. It was really nice getting to know you, and your Mom & Dad better this summer. I really like your family.
Kim Morales plated a nice 3rd base tonight. She did well there for both games of the playoffs. At the plate Kim
walked and scored a big run. Kim hit the ball really well this year for the Grapes. She had the highest batting
average on the team, Nice job Kim.
Megan hit a HOME RUN and walked twice to help out her team at the plate, as well as pitching a fantastic game. She
also made some nice defensive plays at pitcher during the tournament. She had quite a few grounders hit to her
that she fielded cleanly and got the outs. I think Grandma was your good luck charm.
Katilyn made 6 putouts from 2nd base. She played really well there tonite and all season. And at the plate she
continued to hit the ball hard going 2 for 3 with 2 really nice hard hit balls. She also stole a base and scored a run.
Katilyns hitting and her batting swing has really gotten powerful and nice this summer. She has put alot of time into it
and it has paid off. Good job buddy.
Jade played a really nice 1st base. She caught everything that was thrown at her and made a couple put outs on
her own. At the plate Jade went 2 for 3 and she scored a run. She really started hittiing the ball hard at the end of
the season. It was nice getting to know you and your dad a little better.
Kim C. (Most Improved Player) continued to play well. She went 2 for 3 and scored 2 runs. WOW this girl really
improved this summer. Plus, the neat thing was that I could see it in her eyes, "SHE WANTED TO GET BETTER, she
wanted to field better, she wanted extra batting practice". I love that, when a girl really wants to get better and is
willing to work at it with me. It makes coaching worth it. Great season Kim C.
Gigi came back from Australia and got Strep throat and 2 ear infections. So she had to stay in bed this past
weekend. She told me it was driving her nuts to not be at our game against Melrose. You could not tell she was sick
the way she played tonite though. She caught a great fly ball in center field which would have been a big hit for
Norridge. And then at the plate she went 2 for 3 with a CLUTCH TRIPLE with the bases loaded to score 3 runs. You
are a really nice girl Gigi, it was fun getting to know you this season. Keep up the good work.
Darcy tried her best tonight. She had a walk and a stolen base. This season, the cue to get Darcy fired up was "Get
mad, pretend you are getting really mad at somebody and then take it out on the ball when you hit it." It worked
sometime. Darcy, just like Kim C. made most of the practices and really worked hard to get better. Nice season
Darcy.
And finally Zoe. She had alot of action in right field tonite. She fielded the balls cleanly and made nice throws into
the cutoffs. Zoe went 1 for 3 at the plate with a real nice hit up the middle. Zoe also made most of the practices this
season and worked hard to improve on her outfield ability. It was nice getting to know you and your Mom this year.
So all in all, I loved this win. I loved this season. I admit it, I am competitive, even at times a little tense. One thing I
know is that it's alot more fun winning than it is losing.
It's always a little sad for me after the season is over. You put everything you have into it, and then it's over. It sure
is nice going out on top again. I hope to see all of you again sometime, maybe at Maine West, or a BBQ or on the
softball field, or wherever. I know I made some new friends this summer. There is always a special bond when you
have a good team and good parents.
Hopefully some of you girls made new friends this year too. That's what it's all about.
If any of you ever need a DJ for a wedding or a party, I'm your guy. My best friend and I have started a DJ business
and we are set up to do backyard parties, weddings, corporate functions, or anything else where a DJ is needed.
Also, if any of you parents ever want to upgrade your life insurance, that's what I do for my day job. Give me a call
and I'll take care of you. We also offer annuities and long term care insurance.
Best of luck to all of you.
Coach Carl
you girls were all superstars. TWO YEARS IN A ROW WE WON FIRST PLACE !!! AWESOME !!!
Boy it feels great. I couldn't be prouder of you girls. WOW. Here it is, midnight, and I am still pumped up about it.
And the fan turnout was awesome. There were people that didn't even have kids on the team that were in the stands
rooting us on. How cool is that. Thank you fans.
The guy that ran the tournament, Bob, came up to us after the game and said. "Girls, I want to congratulate you.
You played great. First off, you beat Melrose Park Sunday. Melrose had not lost a game all season. Then
they played in a sectional tournament and won that. They played in regional tournament and won that.
Then Melrose went to South Bend, Indiana and if they would have won that they would have gone to
Delaware for the National Title. AND YOU GIRLS BEAT THEM. That makes The Grapes one of the best
teams in the STATE OF ILLINOIS"
I couldn't have made up anything cooler than what he said.
He also said he was VERY IMPRESSED with our hitting. See, all that hard work and batting practice pays off ladies.
Megan pitched her heart out again. I got a little nervous in the last inning. But she struck out a girl for the 3rd out
and the place went nuts. The parents were excited, the girls were excited, the coaches were excited, it was fantastic.
I LOVE WINNING. You ladies are all winners and remember, in life you can do whatever you put your mind to.
Michelle caught a great game. It was hot and she toughed it out. At the plate she went 1 for 1 with a single and she
walked twice. She stole 2 bases and scored 2 runs. It's real nice when she gets on base, because she is such a
threat. She will steal on any little mistake and is so quick, you don't have a chance to throw her out. Great season
SHORTY, your left hitting is getting really good.
Carissa didn't get much action in the outfield today. So she saved that energy for batting. She went 2 for 3 with two
nice singles. She had 1 nice RBI and apparently was the leader in the plot to dump water over my head. NICE JOB
CARISSA, I was surprised, and wet, after that dousing. You were a clutch player this year Carissa. You hit the ball
when we needed it. It was real nice getting to know you and your dad.
Krissy played a solid shortstop. Good fielding and good throws and good tags. You were solid at shortstop all
season Krissy. At the plate tonite she went 2 for 3 with 2 nice singles. She also scored a big run by stealing home on
a passed ball. It was really nice getting to know you, and your Mom & Dad better this summer. I really like your family.
Kim Morales plated a nice 3rd base tonight. She did well there for both games of the playoffs. At the plate Kim
walked and scored a big run. Kim hit the ball really well this year for the Grapes. She had the highest batting
average on the team, Nice job Kim.
Megan hit a HOME RUN and walked twice to help out her team at the plate, as well as pitching a fantastic game. She
also made some nice defensive plays at pitcher during the tournament. She had quite a few grounders hit to her
that she fielded cleanly and got the outs. I think Grandma was your good luck charm.
Katilyn made 6 putouts from 2nd base. She played really well there tonite and all season. And at the plate she
continued to hit the ball hard going 2 for 3 with 2 really nice hard hit balls. She also stole a base and scored a run.
Katilyns hitting and her batting swing has really gotten powerful and nice this summer. She has put alot of time into it
and it has paid off. Good job buddy.
Jade played a really nice 1st base. She caught everything that was thrown at her and made a couple put outs on
her own. At the plate Jade went 2 for 3 and she scored a run. She really started hittiing the ball hard at the end of
the season. It was nice getting to know you and your dad a little better.
Kim C. (Most Improved Player) continued to play well. She went 2 for 3 and scored 2 runs. WOW this girl really
improved this summer. Plus, the neat thing was that I could see it in her eyes, "SHE WANTED TO GET BETTER, she
wanted to field better, she wanted extra batting practice". I love that, when a girl really wants to get better and is
willing to work at it with me. It makes coaching worth it. Great season Kim C.
Gigi came back from Australia and got Strep throat and 2 ear infections. So she had to stay in bed this past
weekend. She told me it was driving her nuts to not be at our game against Melrose. You could not tell she was sick
the way she played tonite though. She caught a great fly ball in center field which would have been a big hit for
Norridge. And then at the plate she went 2 for 3 with a CLUTCH TRIPLE with the bases loaded to score 3 runs. You
are a really nice girl Gigi, it was fun getting to know you this season. Keep up the good work.
Darcy tried her best tonight. She had a walk and a stolen base. This season, the cue to get Darcy fired up was "Get
mad, pretend you are getting really mad at somebody and then take it out on the ball when you hit it." It worked
sometime. Darcy, just like Kim C. made most of the practices and really worked hard to get better. Nice season
Darcy.
And finally Zoe. She had alot of action in right field tonite. She fielded the balls cleanly and made nice throws into
the cutoffs. Zoe went 1 for 3 at the plate with a real nice hit up the middle. Zoe also made most of the practices this
season and worked hard to improve on her outfield ability. It was nice getting to know you and your Mom this year.
So all in all, I loved this win. I loved this season. I admit it, I am competitive, even at times a little tense. One thing I
know is that it's alot more fun winning than it is losing.
It's always a little sad for me after the season is over. You put everything you have into it, and then it's over. It sure
is nice going out on top again. I hope to see all of you again sometime, maybe at Maine West, or a BBQ or on the
softball field, or wherever. I know I made some new friends this summer. There is always a special bond when you
have a good team and good parents.
Hopefully some of you girls made new friends this year too. That's what it's all about.
If any of you ever need a DJ for a wedding or a party, I'm your guy. My best friend and I have started a DJ business
and we are set up to do backyard parties, weddings, corporate functions, or anything else where a DJ is needed.
Also, if any of you parents ever want to upgrade your life insurance, that's what I do for my day job. Give me a call
and I'll take care of you. We also offer annuities and long term care insurance.
Best of luck to all of you.
Coach Carl
| Pizza Party At The Beacon Tap Outside Patio Friday, August 15th at 7:00 PM Bean Bags, Volleyball, and Karokee |