Game 3: Veterans Explode for Jeans, Wild Card in Sight

After a rainout last Sunday, the Blue Jeans on Fire defeated the Bodegas Unidas de Brooklyn 19-9 in eight innings of play. Original Buttermilk League slugger Kevlar swatted three towering home runs and journeyman interleague figure Dewey logged a key defensive play to help the Jeans improve their record to 2-1.

Despite an even distribution of power, speed and brains among this Sunday's teams, the early innings belonged to the Jeans, who drilled 16 of their runs in the first three innings. The Jeans' Sam lobbed two shutout innings before allowing up five runs in the third and three runs in the fourth. The Bodegas continued to scrap for the duration of the game, but could not crawl out from beneath the Jeans' hogpile of runs.

This Sunday marked Kevlar's debut in the Buttermilk's fourth season. A key player in all previous seasons, Kevlar was dogged by personal commitments and apparently, a regimen of steroids and cross-training that helped him hit the shit out three 14 m.p.h. high-arc pitches which landed somewhere near where all the world music bands play in the summertime.

Shortstop Dewey was called up from the New England League to help set a league record for most family connections by playing in a game alongside his daughter while playing against his daughter's boyfriend, his son-in-law and two guys that live in the house owned by his other daughter and son-in-law. Though not part of official game play, Dewey's wife, daughter and grandchild did watch from the bleachers, which just added to the complexity of Dewey's performance.

An unknown variable from the get-go, Dewey turned in an outstanding defensive effort at short and a more than respectable day at the plate. He earned the award for the game's best defensive play for an over-the-shoulder falling catch that looked certain to sideline him for at least the rest of the game, if not the entire ride back to Massachusetts. Instead, Dewey jumped back to his feet and helped start a hotbox that turned a spectacular single out into a double play--at a crucial moment in the game.

Also on retainer: Canadian League firebrand Brent and girlfriend Susan, who turned in a one-day appearance. Like Kevlar, Brent was on the roster during the inaugural Buttermilk season. He later departed for Toronto and graduate school, where he received his Masters of Funk in Knocking Long Balls and Staying True to the Twinkies, Das All That Matters Yo. (Congratulations on earning this degree.) Our Canadian export hit at least one homer, though stats are scarce because the statistician batted behind Brent in the order.

Regardless: On behalf of the team, Brent, it was great to see you. Thanks for coming down.
One self-indulgent note: This reporter would like to congratulate himself for hitting his first Buttermilk League home run. It's been four long years and a lot of anxiety-choked triples.

Field conditions were optimal this week, much like they were in Game Two. The weather was warm and sweaty, but not too humid. The field was bone dry for perhaps the first time this season. In left field, a game of full-contact, no-pads tackle football didn't disrupt our game too much. Those men, however, had filthy mouths and I for one am not going to let Greg hear that kind of language again.

The bar scene was mild, yet still rewarding. Though Dewey did not make an appearance as rumored on this very blog, Alex did have the dollar High Lifes at his side. Colleen, who flew solo at the bar last week when the rain scared off every other player in the league, was joined by about a dozen Buttermilkers who listed as Dave did a marvelous impression of co-workers that is still cracking this reporter up.