2009 Centennial Conference Playoff Preview or "P-Day"

John Steinbeck traveled the country with his poodle, Charley, and wrote about his interactions with every day Americans along with his observations about the country and its people in his 1960 book “Travels with Charley”. Steinbeck in large measure was disappointed with what he observed but he was not heading to see a baseball game which makes all the difference. By contrast, I was driving from Connecticut to see your Fighting Diplomats with my dog Summy (“Summer” when addressed formally) play against the Fords of Haverford College in Pennsylvania. My travels with Summy, a beautiful young puggle, would take me through New York City and the stretch in New Jersey where the massive refineries display industrial might while serving as a poster for the industrial age In America I offered to Summy that we were traveling through the economic history of the country as we navigated through the Big Apple with its manifestation of the Information Economy as stocks ,bonds, options, futures and resources are moved with the stroke of a keyboard based on models comprised of invisible bits and bytes. Even baseball players are evaluated here using models to project their future contributions. We continued on through Jersey and the symbols of the industrial age and we were heading to Lancaster Pa after driving through miles of rolling farms of the Amish where the agrarian economy still flourishes. As we headed south to Haverford I concurred with Summy that although the economy and thus our daily lives as Americans had changed over the past hundred and fifty years or so-- there was one constant through all these stages of evolution -baseball. And we can count on one thing that we have learned from the esteemed philosopher Yogi Berra who taught us that good pitching always beats good hitting. and vice versa.
Arriving in Haverford for the second game this week between the Fords and Diplomats, I learned that the first game had become contentious. It seems a Haverford player had crashed into the Diplomat catcher with perhaps a bit too much enthusiasm e near the conclusion of the game that had been pretty much already decided. And a subsequent pitch to a Ford was deemed “too close” and a “bench clearing chat” ensued. As Haverford was founded by Quakers I am struggling to ponder what counts as trash talk for Quakers—what does Quaker trash talk sound like?… do they use the conjunctive tense erroneously? Well anyway it appeared Summy and I were in store for a game with a little extra intensity.
The Diplomats jumped out quickly on a 2 run home run by Bill Murray and Shea added a homer of his own ( see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpCpuJHTSBA and the Diplomats cruised to an easy 6-2 win and no further bench clearing discussions were held .
After the game as Summy and I drove through the farms of the Amish on the way to Lancaster it seemed as if the past 100 years of economic evolution had not made an impact on the life there. Horses were stilling pulling plows in the field and people were furiously doing chores as the sun gently set on the fertile land. It was a gorgeous ride through these farms which had just turned green. Baseball had its origins in fields just like these I mentioned to Summy, who agreed it was beautiful As Summy and I settled in for the night in Lancaster, we knew the next day was forecast to be a bright sunny spring day .and a great day as we were going to see a doubleheader against Swarthmore.
Your Fighting Diplomats had been forced to jam a lot of games in a tight schedule due to rainouts. Their game vs. the Messiah Falcons was cancelled to handle the conference schedule. This was much to my dismay as I had been eagerly waiting to anoint them with a new nickname. (Suggested by helpful reader Andy Bohjalian)

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you,……………Your 2009 Messiah Complex!

And there is more! We could have discussed the Messiah closer—who would not want the job of getting saves for Messiah! Alas, we were rained out (btw when was the last time you said the word “Alas” out loud?—I think it is time to bring it back and we ought to pronounce it with an English accent a lass!)
Anyway, please for give that little digression. Your Fighting Diplomats swept the Garnet of Swarthmore on the basis of a game winning base hit by Andrew Hanson seen here:(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwdLZVNAbRM&feature=channel_page
And the fine shutout pitching of sophomore Brendan McCreary shown here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX40CKnk9Xs&feature=channel
Shea had a fine day as well adding a triple shown here along with 3 other hits on the day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG7uArf8IgI&feature=channel

Next up was a doubleheader with the Diplomats hosting the vaunted Blue Jays of Johns Hopkins. This day did not turn out as well as the Diplomats were swept. Adding to this disappointment is long time reader’s recall, is that last year the Blue Jays beat the Fighting Diplomats for the conference title. The 2008 Blue Jays went on to come within one strike of winning the Division 3 title so they were indeed a top quality team In short, this day was not the finest moment of the season but as we get to discussing the playoffs, the Fighting Diplomats will have a chance to go head to head with this rival and jump over this big hurdle.
Going into the final week of the season the Diplomats beat York College handily and then journeyed to Westminster Md. to face the Green Terror of McDaniel in their final conference games. The Diplomats took care of business including 7 RBI’s on the day by Shea with a 3 run HR and this bases loaded double seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGG42dydQ3s

Brendan McCreary continued his fine work and closed out game 1 with this strikeout: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUycN8Niupo&feature=channel_page

The last scheduled game took place yesterday at Stevenson College in Maryland. Tied at 4 in the ninth with 2 out and a runner on second ,Shea banged a double off the wall in left to drive in the gamer and was knocked in himself by Nick Rolnick to cement a 6-4 win . Thus going into the playoffs we are on a 4 game win streak and 7 of the last 9. Diplomat nation has good reason to be encouraged and hopeful.
The Fighting Diplomats are the #3 seed and play their first game at Johns Hopkins on Friday while Number 1 seed Ursinus hosts # 4 seed Haverford. The winners play Saturday and the losers play Saturday knocking out a team in the double elimination tourney. The team 2-0 coasts into Sunday while the teams with 1 loss battle it out for that makes it to Sunday where the winner of the loser’s bracket game will need to win twice against the 2-0 team.

But this is no ordinary game for the Fighting Diplomats as they now have a brief but awkward history with the Blue Jays losing handily the last 5 times they have played. The Blue Jays nickname fits the Johns Hopkins persona as they are cocky, loud and confident players bordering on arrogance. To their credit they back it up and are indeed a formidable foe. When the Diplomats arrive (Invade?)there are likely to be 50 Hopkins players dressed in their blue and white making a lot of noise.
The impressive Hopkins offense is led by Todd Emr who is a 5th year senior. Todd graduated last year but not finding employment he enrolled in graduate school at JHU and as he had taken a redshirt year his freshman year he is still eligible to play baseball this year. Todd is in fact a terrific hitter and has demonstrated this time for the past several years winning conference player of the year this season. This playoff game however will hear your faithful correspondent offering some comments about this situation while he patrols 3rd. Comments like “Hey Todd, why cant you graduate and not get a job like the rest of the seniors in college?” yeah it is goona be tough out there….
But as we approach “P-Day” I think there are parallels to be made with another big invasion back in 1944. Readers likely aware that Field Marshall Erwin Rommel was handed the responsibility to defend the French coast against the Allied invasion that everyone expected. Touring his troops, Rommel was discouraged to learn a majority of his soldiers were mostly POW’s or refugees from Russia. Rommel observed these refugees were hardly willing to die for Germany. These men were simply relieved to not be freezing and starving in a prison camp in Siberia. Rommel knew he did not have their hearts and minds committed to winning. To compensate, Rommel wanted to use technology and lace the shores with land mines and the waters with bombs to prevent the landings. Debates and arguments with other German commanders put him at odds with the ones who argued against him to let the Allied invasion land and then attack. Mobility and attack where they land they argued against Rommel. Rommel knew if the Allies got a beachhead they would never be removed and the war, which he already had serious doubts about, would be lost. Rommel needed the men to care deeply and he knew they were not up to the task. Additionally he did not know where the invasion would occur. Although we know now the Normandy beaches were the focus of the invasion, British intelligence has used spies and other means to help convince the German High command the invasion was to come at the closest point across the English Channel, Calais, a long way from the beaches-too far to move the troops in a timely enough fashion to thwart the invasion.

Across the English Channel General Eisenhower was spending long days organizing logistics and plans to direct the largest invasion in the history of man. Daily conflicts with his co invasion force the British made this job even more difficult as Churchill had long advocated an attack from the Balkans. Finally on May15, 1944 a meeting at St.Paul’s school at Hammersmith, London occurred where the complete invasion plans for Operation Overlord were revealed to all the senior commanders and Churchill ended the meeting with a nod to Eisenhower, and a sentence : “I am hardening toward this enterprise”. What it meant was that after all the rancor and disagreements there was only one goal now… one purpose… to devote themselves fully to the success of Operation Overlord. Eisenhower had their hearts and minds.
General Omar Bradley quipped “In war, there are no runner ups”.
Noted French manager Napoleon, who was known to love the spotlight playoff action, opined that “Glory may be fleeting, but obscurity is forever”

And that brings us to where we are now: Your Fighting Diplomats are invading the Blue Jays down in Baltimore.

Last year I wrote a story about my high school coach and how he focused on preparing players mentally. “My job is to get the players to play with unconscious confidence” he would say. His view was that practice helped the body “know what it had to do” and the mind just had to allow it to happen. “Trust your arm” he used to say. “It knows what to do.” He was also a white guy who could dance if that offers any further insight into him.



Just like Eisenhower had the hearts and mind committed to his goal so must our Fighting Diplomats. This journey actually began last year in this same tournament, on the very same field we are invading Friday. After the loss last year, despondent players committed themselves to get better. Hours of weight lifting were endured. They worked for hours hitting, throwing, running, and playing when tired or hurt. A huge effort to perform at one’s best was undertaken by these fine young men going in Homewood Park. New Coach Adam Taylor worked right alongside the players and helped them build a belief in themselves. Taylor has reinforced the player’s belief that they can perform as we witness the many fine moments during this journey, in the field, on the mound at the plate and on the base paths.

My high school coach would tell players “you have it in you …now just let it happen. Today is the day all that work is going to play off –you are entitled to play well- you have earned the right to expect it --today will be your best day against our toughest opponent. I expect everyone to play their best game this season- I know you have it in you”. This is also how Taylor has approached this battle. The Diplomats have a chance to face the bully in the bully’s backyard. Now is the time to show tenacity and determination. Not everyone has a chance to face up to a demon and conquer it –we at Diplomat nation welcome the opportunity. And players love playing in a game like this –each pitch seemingly has an impact on the outcome of the game and each play is a chance to direct the outcome in your favor -what a great game to experience!
Our coach is a man who is coaching the hearts and minds along with the arms and legs.
Coach Taylor has gotten his players to believe. He has their hearts and minds and the players will be ready to invade Hopkins and play their best. And now we approach the game. I think our guys have it them to win. They surely have had many great moments and plays over the course of the journey of this season. Every player has found a way to contribute. When they take the field they know in their hearts and minds they are going to win and they will do it.

Several summers ago, my family I and took some vacation time at Normandy and we went to Omaha beach. The beach was very tranquil with sea gulls flying overhead, a child with a kite ran along shore and the waves were gently lapping at the shore. We have all seen movies about the attack at Omaha Beach most notably the opening scene from "Saving Private Ryan”. But try as you might, when you are there it is so peaceful it is hard to imagine the carnage that took place there at dawn on June 6, 1994. But as your eyes gaze up the hill you still can see bunkers and reinforced concrete shelters where soldiers protected themselves while firing on the invaders. Then when you reach the summit over the hill are the graveyards where thousands of crosses adorn the graves of those brave soldiers who gave their life that day. It is a very solemn place. And you see the inscriptions of these soldiers most of whom were 18, or 19, or 20 and you realize you are indeed on sacred ground. Then you silently thank them for their sacrifice that has contributed to our nations safety and well being And you ponder today that our young men will have the privilege of playing a game tomorrow that they can put in all the hearts and minds and bodies can give—but without the risk of a violent death. Yes we are blessed to be part of this country with men who gave their lives for us.
Now ----Let's play ball!



-Your faithful correspondent

A Team of Destiny: 2009 Battle at Gettysburg

Some historians suggest that history repeats itself, but Mark Twain offered the argument that history rhymes. While watching the April 10^th game where the Gettysburg Bullets hosted Your Fighting Diplomats, I was astounded by the uncanny resemblance to the Confederate army and its fate with that of the Gettysburg team. Additionally, the Northern Army and the Fighting Diplomats have an eerie similarity as well

The Beginning

July 1, 1863: Elements of the two armies collide on Oak Hill Ridge during the early morning hours. The fighting escalates during the day as more Union and Confederate troops reach the field. By 4pm the defeating Union troops are defeated and retreat through Pennsylvania College (now Gettysburg College) and directly over what is now the baseball field and into town where many are captured. The remnants of the Union army rally however at Culp’s Hill and at higher ground at Cemetery Hill with General Hancock in command. General Lee would later regret not pursuing the Union Troops once he had them on the run. Some historians regard to failure to attack the Union at Cemetery Hill to be the Confederates greatest missed opportunity.

April 10, 2009. With the game being played in the shadows of Oak Hill Ridge where Diplomat fans standing along the first base line can see directly the monuments commemorating the battle, the Fighting Diplomats strike first with a run in the first but the Bullets strike back immediately. Taking the mound for the Fighting Diplomats was Mike Duranti, a switch from a different expected starter that observers would compare to President Lincoln changing command of the Union Army from Major General Hooker to Major General Meade. Duranti ran into problems almost immediately giving up 4 hits to the first five batters and the aptly named Bullets of Gettysburg took a 2-1 lead. In the second inning, 4 more hits and an error padded the Bullets lead to 5-1. The Fighting Diplomats showed some life when freshman catcher Blue Wells ripped a line drive over the left field fence toward Oak Ridge Hill to cut the Bullet lead to 5-2. In the bottom half of the third the Bullets continued their assault with two more hits and an error and expanded the lead to 6-2. However the Bullets left three men on in their half of the third -a failure that Gettysburg coach John Campo would later regret. Bullet observers would later regard the failure to break the game open in the third would be the Bullets greatest missed opportunity.

The Middle

July 2, 1863 The main strength of both armies has arrived by the morning hours. General Lee lodges an attack against Meade’s left and right in an attempt to displace Meade’s army from its strong position. Longstreet’s assault against the Union left makes good progress but is eventually checked by Federal reinforcements. On the Union right, Ewell’s confederate troops are able to seize part of Culp’s hill but elsewhere are repulsed. It was on this day that the 20th Maine volunteer infantry exhibited extraordinary courage in battle. Under heavy attack for hours by the Confederate 15th of Alabama regiment led by General Hood on a ridge called Little Round Top, the Maine regiment ran out of ammunition. Led by Joshua Chamberlain, they ran downhill charging the confederates with fixed bayonets … routing the Confederates.

April 10, 2009 Mike Duranti returns to form and starts to mow down the Bullets while the Diplomats threaten and manage to score two runs narrowing the Bullets lead to 6-4 entering the 7^thinning. Coach Taylor calls in reinforcements and Brendan McCreary comes in for Duranti and shuts down the Bullets in two innings with his fastball and curve. (See Brendan get a called strike 3 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFlZm8f0J7M )

The Ending

July 3, 1863 While Ewell renews his efforts to seize Culp’s hill. Lee turns his main attention to the union center. Preceded by a two hour artillery bombardment approximately 12,000 Confederate infantry attempt to break the Federal lines at Cemetery Ridge. Despite extraordinary courage, the attack later called Pickett’s charge is repulsed with heavy losses. East of Gettysburg, Lee’s cavalry is also checked in a large cavalry battle. Crippled by heavy casualties, Lee can no longer continue the battle and begins to withdraw to Virginia. Below is an artist version of Pickett’s charge.

April 10^th 2009 At the end of the 8^th inning, coming off the field Coach Taylor calls his team together to address his troops at Gettysburg:

“Four innings and 5 runs ago, our players brought forth upon this field a new determination, conceived in defense and dedicated to the proposition of scoring runs to make the game equal.

Now were engaged in a great tight game, testing whether our team or any conference team can thrive”.

The Fighting Diplomats understood this “address” to be motivational as well as a bit of a stretch on of the Civil War metaphor your faithful correspondent has been portraying. And we head to the 9th down 2 runs:

We quickly give up two outs and have Matt Will on second with Shea at the plate. Not wanting to give Shea a fastball they toss a slow curve at his back and the ball nestles snugly between his shoulder blade putting the tying run on first and Jason Anderson striding to the plate for his date with destiny. Jason responds like Joshua Chamberlain down to his last bayonet. Jason drives a shot to right center that scores Matt Will and brings Shea in scoring position. The Bullets make a pitching change just like General Lee shifting his resources on his final day. A new pitcher, Mike Sweeney comes in to face junior Nick Rolnick. Coach Taylor insets speedy Drew Atkins to run for Jason. Nick responds with a base hit on the first pitch scoring Shea and we are tied!!!. The tide has turned. Much like the North who needed three days to assert themselves the Fighting Diplomats have come alive at just the right time. Bill Murray now faces Sweeney with a chance to put the Diplomats ahead. Bill, too, takes a page from the 20^th Maine regiment and drives a base hit scoring Drew Atkins and we have the lead ! —all this with 2 outs. Sweeney gets the third out and Gettysburg comes in for their last at bat trailing now for the first time in the game. As you read above, the Confederates lined up 12,000 soldiers who demonstrated the most extraordinary courage in an effort to change the course of their fate and so it would be with the Gettysburg Bullets. They can only be respected as a team that will fight to the end. They get a misplayed fly ball and a short throw on an infield grounder to put runners on first and third for the Bullets with two outs. As Bullet outfielder Drew Roy strode to the plate onlookers began to ponder the courage of Confederate Brig. Gen. Lewis A Armistead. His brigade made the deepest penetration of the Northern defense during Pickett’s charge and achieved the " High Water mark of the Conferacy", arguably representing the closest the South ever came to its goal of achieving independence from the Union via military victory. And Drew Roy’s at bat would mark the closest the Bullets would be for victory over the Fighting Diplomats. Drew responded with a base hit and tied the score and added a nod to acknowledgement for General Armistead as he rounded first tying the game. McCreary would get the next out and we go to the 10^thinning.

The Diplomats got a runner to third on the basis of Blue Well’s sharp single to center but failed to score. Coach Taylor made another substation bring in closer Chris Miller to handle the Bullets. Miller took the mound with the game on the line and was told by Coach Taylor to “trust your stuff” as “you have what it takes to get these guys out”.

Chris throws with an unorthodox angle and is tough to hit against and took the Bullets 1-2-3 bringing us to the 11^{th inning ...} Shea leading off.

^{The baseball gods have been watching intently and observed the first pitch hit Shea. The baseball gods hate walking a leadoff hitter about as much as anything and rank hitting the guy right behind that in their hierarchy of sins. Observers of the baseball gods as much as expected them to usher Shea around to score. Drew Atkins was next and dropped a beautiful sacrifice down putting Shea in scoring position with one our. A ground out to third brought up Bill Murray with his second chance at knocking in the go ahead run. And succeed he does as Bill drives a single to center scoring Shea and we lead 8-7 after 10 and half innings.}

Chris Miller takes the ball the 11^th and shuts down the Bullets and the Fighting Diplomats go home a winner as the Bullets trudge off the field.

Epilogue

July 4, 1863 The two armies observed one another on July 4^th but the fighting has essentially stopped and Lee and his troops walked back to Virginia. The chances for the Confederacy were basically deemed all but over and Vicksburg fell the same day. Confederate bonds dropped precipitously in price when word of the loss reached Europe. Many soldiers must have wondered about their fates as they trudged home. Why would the randomness of battle select some soldiers but not others? Surviving soldiers must have speculated about their destiny to survive such battles perhaps inferring they survived to serve some greater purpose.

April 11^th, 2009 After winning two games coming from behind, the Fighting Diplomats were eager to play against Johns Hopkins. But rain forced a postponement as players began to wonder if this 2009 team were indeed a special team of destiny. Many players are finding ways to contribute and everyone is playing with confidence. The team is seeing the result of their year long efforts manifest itself on the field with clutch hits and great defensive plays. And when the team finds ways to win, even when the circumstances are grim they are indeed on the magical mystery tour and headed to a brighter destiny.

Forging a Team Identity

Your Fighting Diplomats returned home from Florida not quite sure of their identity. Games vs Denison where the team hit and pitched very well, were offset by losing to the Rhodes Scholars in a game that could have been won with better pitching and defense. The team was groping in part because of the loss of senior leadership in the field as sure handed shortstop Andrew Hanson was out with an injury to his quadriceps and Shea was out with a ripped ACL. But a baseball field is a tough place to find out who you are as the game demands players to play with confidence. Any doubt that seeps into players head spreads like an Ebola infection and the downward spiral we have all seen starts to create havoc and losses. But while Coach Taylor has not been seen singing the old Beatles hit "While my self doubt gently seeps" he has been focusing on helping the team evolve. Would it be a team that pitches well, make every play in the field and drives the ball? Or would it be team that gives the opponents numerous chances to score and fail to get the hit when needed. These questions would be answered as Your 2009 Fighting Diplomats entered conference play.

The first week of conference play began with two wins vs Washington ( Md) Shoreman. The Shoreman are traditionally weak in baseball but they do count Linda Hamilton (the actress in The Terminator) among their graduates. Arnold seemed to be on their side as the Shoreman battled hard and had the lead after 6 innings in game one but the Fighting Diplomats showed some grit coming back in the 7th to earn a win. Sophomore second baseman Matt Will gave a preview of good things to come with some big plays in the field and Andrew returned to play SS and contributed a key hit.

They say nature abhors a vacuum and it seems the leadership is evolving as Matt Will battles every at bat and drives the ball regularly. The game offers players a chance to reach out and grab the baton and so far Will is showing that he can lead as he sets the table and scores and does a great job in the field. The energetic pace set by Will gives the team confidence and he is giving the team the sense that when he is up to hit good things will happen. Sometimes one players helps the other players believe in themselves as they see Will surely believes he is going to get the job done one way or another.

Next up is Dickinson College . The college was named after John Dickinson, a signer of the Constitution (not Emily Dickinson who labored in Amherst, Mass and pretty much brooded her whole life) .Dickinson alumni include the actor Stuart Pankin who is known more for comedy and game show appearances but has sometimes taken dramatic roles such as Michael Douglas' friend Jimmy , who attempts to hit on Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction. ( in case you have not seen Fatal Attraction after Glenn Close is spurned by Michael she decides to put a bunny in a pot of hot water as she tries to whack Michael). All in all, taking a run at Glenn Close does not warrant the good judgement award. The Dickinson Admissions staff though was smart enough to bring in a tough left hander and with his help the Devils and Diplomats split a doubleheader. Hopefully, the admissions staff does not admit any Glenn Close types or at least have the sense to keep the bunnies away from campus. In fact, I just learned the Aussies have a slang for a crazy woman

"A bunny boiler".When I am asked for advice in the mate selection process ( which is quite rare I may add) I tend to discourage picking the ones that toss bunnies in the pot. Cheerfulness, athleticism and sense of humor are characteristics with more staying power.

With a 3-1 conference record the Diplomats receives a visit from their neighbor in Reading, Pa the Albright Lions. Readers know I have taken up a mission to get the school to rename the team the "Albright Ideas" and must report the idea is getting some traction. While in Florida, the Ideas were staying at the same hotel and when I suggested the new name the concept was heartily embraced--sometimes an Idea is just right! The Diplomats opened up a 10-2 lead but soon found themselves down 16-10. In the bottom of the ninth they rallied for 6 runs and with runners on second and third, still only one out the rains came and washed out any further play leaving the game as a 16-16 tie. In general, if you score 16 you would hope you win but this score shows the vulnerability of a team that has not yet jelled.

With four conference games on tap the Ursinus Bears ( how about naming them the "Ursinus Infections" offered engaged reader Andy Bohjalian) . The parents of writer John Updike are graduates of Ursinus which is somewhat interesting since Updike included marital infidelity as a major theme in his works. The Bears sent out their top pitcher Zeb Engle to face the Diplomat and his performance warranted his reputation as one of the best conference pitchers. Zeb has been watched closely this season by pro scouts and he did not disappoint them . Zeb shut out the Diplomats leaving the Diplomat 3-2 in the conference play with the playoffs looking dimmer.

Your Fighting Diplomats now have their back against the wall. Travelling to Muhlenburg, to face the Mules, ( another nickname born from alliteration), a playoff team last season who are paced by Christian Conti, last seasons' conference MVP. The Diplomats are already in a Must Win situation.

In every aspect of life, circumstances breed the seeds of their own reversal. For example, high oil prices create conservatism and new exploration leading to lower oil prices. Low oil prices breed actions to consume oil and thus higher oil prices. And so it is with athletes. The coach's role is to help foster these reversals in a positive manner. The pitchers have been the prime focus and getting them to throw more strikes and pitch ahead in the count was seen as the key to improving the defense. With the defense playing better the hitters can relax and not be chasing 5 runs all the time. And my inside source reports that a lot of attention has been focused to get the pitching on track. With the earlier struggles, the players are very focused and working hard on improving and hence the seeds of the reversal are planted within.

And on a blustery, cold day at Muhlenburg the Diplomats came out quickly --a lead off home run by Matt Will to take a lead they would not relinquish all day. Mike Duranti pitched very well giving up a few hits but no walks. he was always ahead int he count and dominated the game. The defense was much better making all the plays (Andrew had two DP's himself) and the game evolved with the Diplomats playing at their best level. Conti was injured and never a factor as he limped through a few at bats. This game also marked the return of Shea to the lineup. Wearing a brace that would stop a T-Rex, Shea appeared to be able to move well enough and contributed three hits over the day and displayed comfort in right field. The whole team though conducted themselves with confidence. Hitters took aggressive cuts, fielders threw to the right base and the pitchers threw strikes and got hitters off balance. After winning game 1, 8-3 the Diplomats took an early 2-0 lead behind senior starter Brad Andres. In the bottom of the second, chasing two and getting a lead- off walk, the Mules chose to bunt the runner over, giving up an out. The Dips took the out but the baseball gods were heard to kick over the stool at this move. On a day where the ball is flying around, you have an average pitcher on the mound(at best) and you give up an out when you are likely to need about 10 runs to win is just bad baseball. From thereon, the gods piled it on as they were angry with Muhlenburg and late in the game it was 14-1 as the sweep was in play.

Returning home, the Diplomats began to show some laughter and good cheer as they were building confidence in themselves, believing they can win now. "This is how we can play" they seemed to be discovering for themselves to themselves. And they would get a test right away with the Ursinus Bears back in town to play a make up game. Once again , Your Fighting Diplomats would get a great pitching performance - 3 in a row now as senior Matt Metsch gave up only 1 run in a 6-1 victory. Jason Anderson knocked in 4 with two clutch singles while the bases were loaded. Shea manifested his delight at retruning to action with two doubles and two walks. When you are winning you can't get to the next game fast enough. As luck would have it, Your Fighting Diplomats play again tomorrow hosting the Gettysburg Bullets.

This is a very important week as they play the Bullets and then on Saturday a doubleheader against the vaunted Blue Jays of John Hopkins. But this time the game is in Lancaster and with the wind blowing in and the deep fences the Hopkins power is not as evident as in their bandbox in Baltimore where is 300 feet to the right field fence. The diplomats starters are eager for a test against Hopkins. But we can't look too far ahead as the Bullets are formidable in their own right and pose a legitimate threat to be in the playoffs. But the Fighting Diplomats seemed to have discovered themselves and are on the Magical Mystery tour now at just the right time.

I shall report this weeks game in earnest and with hopes for a great week

--Your faithful correspondent