Regular readers will recall the June article titled ‘Happy’s Looks for Unique Triple Play’, in which the Investors Group Yew Bat tournament, the Canadian National Oldtimers event, and the Komoux Masters Real Baseball League championship were all in the headlights for Happy’s Source for Sports Islanders. Winning all three titles was a possibility, but with Father Time nipping at several heels on this team, it was a slim possibility.
After losing to the Victoria team in the 35+ division of the Yew Bat, and then flying to Edmonton for the Nationals and losing a couple of one-run games on the ‘A’ side, the triple play possibility was long gone.
And to make things worse, the team played uninspired ball through the last half of the local schedule, even (heaven forbid!) forfeiting a couple of games down the stretch for lack of players. Ouch.
However, baseball in September in Comox can be a much different game than the warm, sunny vacation-filled days of August. The games become less frequent, the games go from seven innings to nine innings, and the games attract a full bench of players. Suddenly the regular season only matters in that it determines the playoff order.
The last Sunday in September, after a rainout the week before, saw the final game of the season. The defending champs, Fisher Realty Blue Jays, were rested and ready to keep their title for another year. The Islanders, having miraculously snuck past the Investors Group Athletics in the quarter-final game but then cruised through the semifinal, were ready.
The rain delay was a blessing for Happy’s as it allowed several guys to finish up their moose-hunting trips and get back to the real important business of September! The delay was a negative for the Jays, as they had played only a couple of games since early August.
The weather was still a big issue on Sunday morning. A few guys spent several hours making the field playable – Jake Plante and Dale Greene as always, and Tim McDonald and others were there making it work.
The 12:30 p.m. game started on time and the weather held off – not one drop of rain fell. But the Blue Jays, leading 2-1 after one inning for their only lead of the game, were praying for the skies to open up by the third inning as Happy’s started hitting and never stopped.
A 21-hit barrage included: Davey Odamura 4-for-4 with two doubles, two runs, two RBIs; Greg Grieve 3-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI; Tim McDonald 3-for-4, one double, one run and an RBI; Andy Marinus 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Buck Briggs 2-for-4 with a double (yes, read it again, a double!).
Mike Caton went 2-for-4 with two RBI. And Ron Carter went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Seven veterans leading the way – two of them over 50, the other five over 55. Father Time had a real bad day!
On the mound, Andy Marinus led with the way with a strong five-inning/two-run outing, followed by Darrrel Ostgard for two innings (just one run) and Mike Caton (no runs) closing the final two innings in a 9-3 Happy’s win.
– Komoux Masters Real Baseball League
