Fulton Railroaders Baseball Blog

Comment on the 2011 Railroaders Season

2011-07-31T20:53:00.001-05:00

It was a grand year for Railroaders, Post Season Playoff Champions (4-1) and a 2nd place finish in the regular season (23-19) only 1 game out of 1st place. There was great attendance at the Yard in support of the team throughout the year. Everyone involved with Railroader baseball would like to thank the players for the thrill and chills of excitement they brought to Fulton. We wish them the best as they leave to further their education and baseball aspirations. If you’d like to express you appreciation, this is the place to do it. Please make your comments here as we look forward to 2012 and more Railroaders baseball.

Backs against the Wall

2011-07-30T08:14:00.004-05:00

Wow, who would have thought the Oilers would rack up 52 runs on the Railroaders in the last 4 games played against them, including 5 homeruns in last night's game! As we managed 18 runs over the course of those 4 games, the Oilers seem to have our number and continued to pound the dickens out of us. There are 2 chances left though for guys to turn it around, and the challenge is great as the team must travel to Owensboro 1 game down to play in hostile territory. Can they pull it off? Can the Railroaders reverse the Oilers momentum? We'll have to wait for the smoke signals tonight to find out.

UPDATE: Smokes signal couldn't get through due to Rain (out). Tomorrow they try again with a doubleheader at 5 pm.

Final Championship Series

2011-07-29T13:50:00.004-05:00

It all begins tonight, best of 3 in the final round of Post Season Playoffs. Just us and the Oilers left to compete. I broke out the ole' crystal ball to check and see if anything is revealed. I see a lot of hitting going on, will it be a shootout or a blowout. In the last 3 games with the Oilers of the regular season they totaled up 35 runs on us and won all three. The Railroaders were 6-5 against the Oilers before those last 3 nightmare games. Final season record with the Oilers was 6-8, time to even the score on head-to-head play. Let's get our bats and meet them on the field. It may be the 1st game in the series, but its the last game at the Yard, let's go out get the first win at home tonight!

Last Teamline webcast tonight for 2011. It's been real!

No. 2 Post Season ballgame w/Bobcats

2011-07-27T17:18:00.005-05:00

Lots of wood at Marion last night, I could almost hear the cracks of the bats all the way from Fulton. The Railroaders not only hit the ball, they ran the bases and scored more than enough to win 9-3. Tonight the boys are home for #2 with the Cats. Question is, will there be a #3 tomorrow night at the Yard? Either way, I'm pleased we aren't thru with baseball yet. I know the guys must be tired and ready for a break before returning to school. Hopefully there's some thrills left in them for the Fans and even a Post Season Title for those who want it the most.

Post Season Playoff Series

2011-07-26T13:23:00.004-05:00

We have arrived at the end of the regular season in 2nd place, and now time for Postseason Playoffs. As the #2 seed in Round 1 the Railroaders face the #3 seeded Bobcats. First game is in Marion and the second 2 games in Fulton for the best of 3 series. The Railroaders are planning to provide TeamLine coverage over the Internet for all games played in Fulton, but not the away games.

Great Finish on the Season

2011-07-24T07:33:00.003-05:00

Couldn't be prouder of the Railraoders as they complete their regular season in fine form. Hurt by injuries, hot and tired, the guys continued to battle on the field and conclude with 4 straight wins. Fitting they beat the Bobcats on the final game, reversing the opening night loss to the Cats. Now we wait and see, what will it be? How will it end? Will we play a deciding game with the Oilers or have accept a second place standing? Still plenty of drama to think about.

Down to the wire

2011-07-23T07:24:00.023-05:00

Our win last night and Owensboro's come-from-behind victory over Marion, makes the final finish for the top 3 team as tight as it can be. A defeat of the Bobcats tonight in the Yard will lock Marion in 3rd place and ensure Fulton a 2nd in the standings. A Railroader win tonight is all we can control in a confusing ending on the season.

The Oilers have held on to their half game lead, and must now face off with the frustrated Pirates tonight. With 2 games left and planted in 4th place, the Bucs will be playing for pride in far away places. The Oilers also have 2 games remaining and would need to dropped both for the Railroaders to take 1st if Fulton wins on Saturday. One of those 2 games for Owensboro is a suspended tie with Marion going into the bottom of the 11th inning. Will it have to be played?

The Bobcats aren't finished yet either with a shot at 2nd in the standings. With 3 games yet to complete, the Cats could end up tied with the Railroaders in that spot. "Sudden death game?"

So there's still plenty of drama to be had in the 2011 regular season, then we have the Post
Season Playoff series. Post season games are due to begin on Tuesday, yet there's still no clear picture of seeding for the playoffs other than the Bucs in 4th. Can or will the Pirates help the Roaders, and spoil the mix on Saturday and Sunday for the Oilers and Cats?

Go Railroaders! Go Pirates!

Final thought on the Pirates: If Tradewater wins their last 2 games and Marion is beaten in all their 3 remaining games, They would be tied at the bottom of the standings.

Railroaders' best chance for the Pennant

2011-07-22T15:13:00.010-05:00

The Owensboro Oilers, currently in 1st by 0.5 games, have 3 games left to complete. They are 1 with the Pirates on Saturday, and 2 with the Bobcats in which one is the suspended game (tied) from July 10.

The Marion Bobcats are currently 1 game behind us in 3rd and 1.5 in back of the Oilers. The Bobcats have 4 games left; 1 with the Railroaders on Saturday, 1 in Tradewater on Sunday, and of course 2 against the Oilers with 1 tonight and the other being the suspended game.

The Railroaders must win their last 2 games to get a 23-19 record. Should that occur, here are three possible situations:

1) If the Oilers win 2 of 3 games left, we’re tied in 1st place. If they don’t play the suspended game and win the other 2, they’re in 1st place by a 0.5 game. The Railroaders would have to insist on the completion of the suspended game. If they lost it we’d be tied in 1st place, a win would give them the season title finishing 24-18.

2) Oilers lose 2 of 3, they finish 2nd second place a game in back of us at 22-20.

3) The Bobcats are different story, behind us by 1 game with 4 to complete. Assuming we win our 2 final games, one being with the Bobcats, that 1 loss finishes them off because the best record they could achieve would be 22-20.

The Pirates are the spoilers in this finish. They have 3 games left, one with each team. Bottom line, we win 2 and the pressure is on the Oilers & Bobcats.

Too many leaks!

2011-07-21T08:57:00.006-05:00

The Railroaders no longer control their destiny after losing a third straight game to the Oilers. With 35 runs scored against us in those 3 losses, we’d better find a fix and fast or we’ll end up where we were a month ago, in last place! The Oilers have a 1 ½ game lead and we have no more games with them to redeem ourselves. Our chance for the season title comes down to sweeping the Pirates in 3 games and beating the Bobcats on Saturday, and we’ll need help from the Cats & Bucs to chop away at the Oilers who have 4.9 games left to play (one w/Pirates and 3.9 against the Bobcats). The 3.9 games include a suspended tie game between the Oilers and Cats with the score 6-6 in the middle of the 11th innings. Long story, see the league website on the archive page.

So the stage is set. The Railroaders must win out through Saturday at Home. Our best chance would come with the Pirates beating the Bobcats and Oilers with their final 2 games. That would put us in 1st place by a game over the Oilers and Bobcats trailing by 3. What’s left . . the 4 games between the Oilers and Bobcats, with one being the suspended game. If this occurs, the Oilers would need all 4 games to finish first, while the Bobcats would be unable to catch us even if they took all 4 of the games.

Tall order, I must say, especially if we can’t get the leaks fixed by tonight. The Pirates are coming into town for a doubleheader and the Heat is on in every direction. Time to separate the men from the boys. Let’s go and get the job done, guys.

Let's clean it up Guys!

2011-07-20T00:17:00.006-05:00

Someone must have throw the wrong switch somewhere, this is not the track we're suppose to be on. Let's get this train back on the tracks and fixed ASAP. Okay, everyone has a bad day, but 2 butt kickings in a row? The only good thing on the evening came as a gift from the Pirates who downed the Cats twice. Alright then, we're only a half game down and we can make it up on Wednesday. I'm sure the Oilers feel like they have our number now and wouldn't mind clobbering us a third straight time. Come on men, time to get into the game and play some ball. Its going to get hotter in the next few days, but I know you can finish strong. Go to Owensboro and take the final game with the Oilers, come back home and take the pennant at Home. The Fans will be out in force this weekend, what a great time for baseball. You can do it, there's no doubt in my mind.

Tuesday night Railroaders & Oilers, online TeamLine

2011-07-19T17:38:00.006-05:00

Big game for both teams in Fulton, and its all business tonight! The Railroaders looking to extend their lead and the Oilers trying to overtake. The Bobcats in Tradewater for a doubleheader with the Pirates. Standings will shift one way or the other tonight.

Final week of regular Season

2011-07-18T09:41:00.012-05:00

As of Monday, July 18, 2011

For those who like analysis of the pennant race, there are plenty of various combinations in this tight race that made is interesting and puzzling. Every game played now will focus the picture better, but we can see a little of it now. It’s still anyone title to take. The Pirates hold the hardest road as they’ll need to win out with 8 games left to have a shot. As for the top 3 teams, Wow! A person can get lost in all the scenarios and numbers. Assuming no team will win all their remaining games, I believe the Railroaders will need a 23-19 record to finish 1st place in the standings. To do that they must take 4 of their final 6 games left to play.

With that in mind, here’s one possible scenario: The Railroaders sweep the Oilers in 2 games, take 1 of 3 with the Pirates then win on Saturday against the Bobcats. Fulton gets 23 wins. The Pirates would be out of it even if they took all their remaining 5 games with the Oilers & Cats. The Oilers’ best possible record at that point would tie us at 23-19, however, they would have to win all 5 of their remaining games consisting of 1 with the Pirates and 4 against Bobcats, a very tall task. For the Bobcats to match a 23-19 record, Marion would need to take 6 of 8 undecided games consisting of 4 each with both the Pirates and Oilers. Again, a tall task indeed.

However it does play out, it’s going to be great finish for the OVL in its first year, and some good baseball left to watch. To top it off, there is still the Post-Season Playoffs that will be starting next week. How will the seeding for Playoffs turn out? If you think you see a good scenario in the numbers, let’s hear it!

Online TeamLine now

2011-07-16T19:24:00.002-05:00

Make your comments here. How do you see the Railroader's chances to win the pennant?

TeamLine tonight + Pink Out night

2011-07-15T18:31:00.004-05:00

Big game tonight with Railroaders hosting the Owensboro Oilers who are just a half game behind the Railroaders. It is also "Pink Out" night hosted by Parkway Regional Hospital. The Railroaders are wearing special brown & pink jerseys which are being auctioned off with the proceeds going to "Relay for Life."

It should be good game between these two OVL teams as the Oilers try to take 1st in the standing away from the Railroaders. Let us hear from you while you're listening to us on TeamLine by making a comment to the post. "Play Ball!"

Update: $1145 was raised towards Relay for Life!

Glasscock Goosebump Statue

2011-07-15T00:00:00.012-05:00

Boilerstoker and I have collected funds from all the great Railroader Fans, and we have ordered and received just the thing everyone is waiting on. Ole' Glasscock needs to be recognized for his closing abilities, as do all the players for great baseball playing. Now we just need to find a play to put this tribute. There's still a ways to go in the season and plenty more ball to play. Time to sprint to the finish line with wins. By the time we get there, we should have found a suitable place to set this heavy bugger down. We'll all be able to marvel at it and wonder how would we have ever gotten along without Glasscock.

Into the final stretch

2011-07-14T10:22:00.003-05:00

As we round the final curve, there are only 9 scheduled games left for the Railroaders and they have a full head of steam. The Bobcats have a total of 13.1 games remaining on their schedule (1 game incomplete to be continued). Can the Cats pick up the pace and finish after leading for so long? The Oilers are on our heels, and could jump ahead anytime, and they have 12 games to get in before the end of next week. Let's don't lose sight of the Bucs either. Although they have fallen back in the race, 3 games out, there are 11 games left for them to surge and get back in it.

At this moment, I'm feeling good about our finish. We came out of the gate slow but have slowly work ourselves forward with a steady increase in speed. Now having played more games than any other team and above 500 with the most wins at 17 in the league, yea I'd say I'm positive on our chance. The Bobcats are in town Yard tonight, so let's head to the Yard for a crucial contest towards crossing the finish line first.

Everyone chasing the Cats

2011-07-10T15:10:00.004-05:00

The OVL race is closing up tight. It's still any team's chance to win the season pennant. On any given day of play, the standings are shifting around dramatically. We're about to head into the final stretch and the baseball playing is going to be intense. The Railroaders have won 5 of their last 7 and looking much stronger as we head further into the 2nd half of the season. Big games this coming Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at Home in the Yard, followed by the final week with home games on Tuesday, Thursday (doubleheader), Friday and Saturday. Guess who we finish up with on the last night of the regular season? That's right, the Bobcats. Let's go Railroaders!

Online with TeamLine tonight in Fulton

2011-07-07T17:32:00.003-05:00

Tuned into the TeamLine webcast? Railroaders taking on the Oilers at the Yard. Let us know what you think . . . .

The Race is Tight

2011-07-07T09:36:00.005-05:00

Only 2.5 games separate all four teams in the OVL just after the mid-point of the season. Who the teams are and how they play to becoming clearer. There are still make-up games for some teams to play, and those will wear on those teams who have to play more before the post season playoffs begin at the end of July.

The Bobcats have the edge in pitching with their team's 2.48 ERA and less error prone than the other teams. Both the Railroaders (67) & Oilers (60) appear to the base running pros for 2011. The Railroaders (.256) then Pirates (.250) are the most efficient at the plate.

I like the Railroaders odds at this point. They've won 3 of last 4 games and seem to really be coming a more complete team. If the pitching improves a bit and the errors gotten under control, we have a good chance to finish strong. We have fewer games to play than any other team. Let's stay in shape and play hard. Any other observations from anyone?

Pirates up next

2011-07-04T12:27:00.002-05:00

The Bucco's heading our way for a 4th of July game in the Yard. We are 5-3 on them thus far, let's make it 6 and take the 3rd spot. One step at a time, guys. The Railroaders can do it, let's just get focus and cut the errors out! They have killed us several times and it's such a waste. I think it's time we get out of the cellar and start moving up.

Back to the Cats

2011-07-02T07:27:00.004-05:00

Are we about to get the train on the right track? Nice 2 game sweep of the Pirates. We get to go at it with them again on the 4th of July in the Yard. But now it's back to the cats, a 3 game series and a big one at that. First, today in Marion and then a doubleheader tomorrow, Sunday, in the Yard. A holiday summer weekend with lots of baseball, sounds good to me.

The Railroaders hit their mid-season point tonight, half the games completed with another 21 to go. The race is tightening up and its still any one's season to take. The Bobcats have dropped 2 in row and will be fighting mad. I'm sure they'd love to take it out on the Railroaders and get back on their winning ways. They do have great pitching, I must admit, but there are also holes of opportunities we can exploit. Our guys are starting to see the light. Let's go get'em!

At Home battle with the Pirates

2011-06-30T18:28:00.002-05:00

If you're listening on TeamLine, post your comments and we'll try to respond on the webcast.

Singing in the Rain

2011-06-28T15:39:00.003-05:00

Not again? Haven't the farmers had enough? Well I have, my yard doesn't need anymore water and neither does the Yard. If this keeps up we'll need to try a new sport, maybe water polo. Are you kidding?!? Weather looks to be clear for the next couple of days anyway and we have Home game on Thursday with the Pirates. So bring on the Bucs, I know that will be a good game. But if it rains again, I think we should issue the players rain coats and mud boots and get on with some baseball playing. Again, hope the guys are resting up, there are a lot of doubleheaders again. This Sunday will be one with those Bobcats.

Examining the Bobcats

2011-06-26T19:09:00.002-05:00

Great game last night and a good win. Seemed everyone really enjoyed themselves, including yours truly. And the Railroaders were certainly on point and their choreographed dancing in the dugout lifted the Fans’ spirits even higher. I certainly hope the guys took their energy with them to Owensboro today for the doubleheader with the Oilers. A sweep would be great and really push us forward going into the second half of the season next week.

Perhaps we should examine the next big challenge for the Railroaders . . . the Bobcats. Let’s analysis the Cats to better understand how we might deal with them this Tuesday at the Yard and the remainder of the season.

Our current head-to head record with the Bobcats is 2-4, and we’ll face them 8 more times. On the Left, take a look at some of the side-by-side stats between the two teams. I have my thoughts, but I want to hear yours. Go ahead and “comment” on what you think , or how you’d development a plan to “skin the cats!”

TeamLine online

2011-06-25T18:42:00.002-05:00

If you're listening to the webcast, please submit a comment to let us know you are listening

The Race is tightening up

2011-06-24T14:08:00.003-05:00

With our Railroaders defeating the 1st place Bobcats last night and the Pirates beating the 2nd place Oilers, and with a fast approaching mid season point; it makes one wonder what is lying ahead. The Railroaders are over .500 in road games (5-4) and only 1-5 at home. Ummm . . I feel a winning streak coming on. The Lord knows, Fulton is do some the great baseball at home in the manner the Railroaders have been playing road games. Tonight seems like a good time to start.

The Bobcats are in town, still ahead in the pack. The Oilers handled them fine and did our Railroaders last night giving them their first back to back losses on the season. Let's tighten this race even more, take them down another notch and hand them a 3rd straight loss. One good thing about being on the bottom in the standings, there's no where to go but up! And this is a great time to start doing it with only 6 games left to the midway point of the season.

Costly error

2011-06-23T09:23:00.002-05:00

Darn unearned run ended our chances last night. Let's pick it up and work just a little harder preventing crucial errors when the game is on the line. Good game otherwise, keep up the pressure and good things lay ahead. I'm getting the feeling that the table is slowly turning. The Railroaders play is getting better every game. Pitching has improved, bats and base running are really looking good. We're not at the half season point yet, so pently of ball left to play. Now let's go and get the Bobcats tonight in Marion and again tomorrow at Home. The picture can be a lot different by this time next week.

Ready to attack again

2011-06-22T09:28:00.002-05:00

The Railroaders won the first battle with the Pirates last night. Now its time to hit them again tonight at Tradewater and move us up in the standings. The Bucs and Roaders exchanged equal Hits in the last game, but our guys came out ahead in scoring home shots. Let's keep the pressure up and go right back at 'em, no time to waste. We're getting our rhythm, so go Railroaders, full stream ahead!

One step forward, one step back

2011-06-21T07:10:00.005-05:00

After the doubleheader with the Oilers, we're no worse off than we were. The split keeps us at 5 games back of the Bobcats and unfortunately still in 4th place. More road games ahead this week; tonight and tomorrow in Tradewater with the Pirates, then in Marion on Thursday with the Bobcats. We're playing .500 ball on the road so let's see if we can pick it up and gets some wins over the next 3 days. The guys return home on Friday to face the Cats and on Saturday against the Oilers. Sunday is another doubleheader in Owensboro. Time to get on our game and do some advancing in the standing! I'd really rather be breakdancing on the heads of our opponents. Come'on guys I know you can do it!

Good for Farmers, Not so good for Baseball

2011-06-18T12:05:00.004-05:00

3 days in a row and 4 games postponed, our Railroaders just want to play ball. More bad weather in the entire OVL area, what's a baseball fan to do? At least rescheduling has began so we'll not miss out on anything, we'll just have to wait. The guys will be playing more games in the next few weeks to catch up, but they'll do. Maybe a good time to reflect on how we can mound a comeback in the standings.

Almost a Great Game

2011-06-15T22:29:00.004-05:00

What a game, but we came up just a little short. We're close to being the team we need to be, so let's don't get too discouraged. There's still 3 quarters of the season left and the Railroaders are getting better each game. I know they haven't peak yet, and it's only a matter of time until we reach critical mass. One more with Pirates at home, let's take this one!

That's the way to play baseball

2011-06-15T07:35:00.002-05:00

What a great game last night at the yard! Not only did we get our first home win, the Railroaders played with energy and enthusiasm like we haven't seen yet this season. Could it be that the train is on the right track now? Time will tell, but I have feeling we're heading for heights unknown. The thrills and excitement we experienced last night are just the beginning of a reversal in the spirit of our team. There's pently of baseball left and the Railroaders look to be real contenders at this point. Two more game with the Bucs in this series, one tonight at Tradewater then back to Fulton on Thursday night for the third game. Can hardly wait to see more of that high action baseball!

I'm soooooo confused....

2011-06-13T08:02:00.005-05:00

I just don't understand and have no words of comfort.

Rain Out #1

2011-06-12T15:40:00.004-05:00

The farmers in Owensboro where glad to see the Railroaders come into town yesterday. Seems everytime we go there, it rains and such was the case last night in the bottom of the 3rd. We had a 2-1 lead too. Oh well, back to Fulton for a doubleheader tonight. I miss the old Yard anyway. The food especially, can't wait to have some real ballpark hotdogs and nachos with jalapenos. Have to say, the trip was nice, but it's good to be heading back.

Just a couple of mental errors

2011-06-11T13:30:00.002-05:00

I've had mental error many times in my life, but proper care has helped me reverse many of my brain's malfunctions. Just like last night's game, there are moments when I doubt my ability to overcome my lack of good sense. I've found though, I learn quickly and rarely make the same error again. So let's just pick it up here and go forward. Our player's skills are not in doubt, and their hearts are in the game. All we need to do is focus and keep our mind in the game. If we have a brain fart, let's get over it and get back into the fight. On to the Oilers!

Try . . Try . . again

2011-06-11T08:35:00.002-05:00

We're on the edge of greatest, and the guys are showing signs busting out into a winning streak. Let's keep going and before you know it, brighter days again. In the big picture, we're only 2 games behind the Cats and only 6 games into the season. Lots of ball left to play. Now let's deal with Oilers.

Another Win on the Road!

2011-06-09T21:58:00.004-05:00

Isn't this is just wonderful, the guys went to Marion and beat the Bobcats. That's the second win on the road! 2-0 on away games, what's a guy to do? Well I'm heading on the road too. I need to see the Railroaders win so I'll just wait here until the next train north and catch it. Time to experience the the thrills first hand. Great job guys, let's keep it up!

What happened here?

2011-06-08T23:15:00.002-05:00

The Bucs derailed us!

The train is rolling now

2011-06-08T12:24:00.001-05:00

What a job the Railroaders did last night against the Pirates. The crew finally got the train out of the station and here are a few that help do it. Nick Duff 3 of 7 with a triple, scored 1 and 1 RBI. Alex Azeredo 3 of 7 and 2 RBI. Brock Downey 2 of 7 with a triple, scored 1 and 1 RBI. Zach Bailey 2 for 6 and scored a run. Tyler O’Daniel 1 for 2 and a RBI. And Brandon Eggenschwiler 1 of 6 and a RBI. Rob Hogenkamp also contributed a hit. The Offensive is rolling now, let go!

Now that's what I'm talking about!

2011-06-07T23:32:00.001-05:00

Great win, great play, and on the road. Can't wait for the guys to get back to the Yard and do the same thing again to the Bucs tomorrow night. Good Job!!!!!

After extensive thought

2011-06-06T14:24:00.005-05:00

I usually do most my serious thinking early in the morning after I've hauled myself out of bed. And of course, at this time of year, the Railroaders occupy an considerable amount of that time. I realize I sometimes forget that each year a new batch of guys (for the most part) come here to play. A wise comment from "Anonymous" points out, "its early" and that is correct. There are adjustments to be made and I'm sure Matt & Tate are working on them. It is only 2 games and there's pently more to be played. Win or lose, I have faith these Railroaders will generate some trills and chills in the coming weeks. I'm feeling better already, but I admit the sooner the better for me!

Time to go face the Pirates. Big job ahead, they are a rough team by design. The Raiders of baseball! This will be a good test for the team and a little voice inside me says our Railroaders will handle them well. But let me get back to you on that, there's more thinking to be done.

Great Food!

2011-06-05T00:34:00.002-05:00

Like I said, the BBQ sandwiches at the Yard are the best I've had. I even enjoyed the Nachos. Next home game is Wednesday with the Pirates. But first the boys go to Tradewater on Tuesday and see if winning on the road is in their future.

Shock Therapy

2011-06-04T08:59:00.005-05:00

Now that I've received my treatment, I think everything will be okay. Of course I waited until after the game last night to take it, didn't want to alarm anyone in the stands above. It was a hot night for temps and cat bats. And although the oven in the Yard will be on again tonight, I think we can fire up the engine a little further and build up pressure a bit more, ya think? While the field is hot, the grandstands were quite cooler, in more ways than one. It's time for the Fans to get with it tonight. The Relay for Life was last night and we still had 200 at the game. Tonight is Chamber of Commerce so there be more out to Yard to support the Railroaders. One thing I can say good about last night was the Food! Man those BBQ sandwiches with slaw were some of the best scrapes I every eaten.

Time to get the Train rollin'

2011-06-03T14:54:00.002-05:00

Well it's near time to get the Railroaders 2011 season ride underway. There appears to be a fine squad of Railroaders assembled for another winning year and a run for the first ever OVL championship. The first opponent this year is the Marion Bobcats. The Bobcats were 22 wins - 26 loses overall last year and had a 16-24 record with the league only. The Railroaders were 27-14 overall in 2010 and 29-15 within the league. Head to head in 2010, the Railroaders were 8-2 over the Bobcats. Marion's club is now under a new manager as are the Railroaders. It will be an interesting opening game for both team. I can hardly wait, and think I'll head to Yard now to at least see if the food is cooking! Sure to be pently of Fans out tonight, so the dropping will be pentliful. See you at Game!

All Abroad

2011-06-02T09:12:00.006-05:00

I hear you, Boilerstoker! It’s about time to load up the train and get this show on the road. And we welcome back Rattler who has return from the great northwest. I hope there is room enough for all 3 of us to be part of the Railroader crew. I'm not sure management will put up with us too much, but we are good at eating up the leftovers.

These 2011 Players are lookin’ good and I think we can expect some exciting baseball this season. They practice looked good today and I'm already starting to believe in these guys. Even in the heat, their were going at. They seem to quickly adjust to the Yard and I'm sure they'll be ready for the Bobcats on Friday.

It’s great to get back to the Yard, the field is in good shape and the grandstand is ready. The smell of freash Railroader Dogs will soon fill the air, and with the players and fans we’ll begin the season tomorrow in grand style. I'm really looking forward to the nachos!

Lets Roll

2011-06-01T21:00:00.003-05:00

I can hear the Train rolling around the bend,opening night Just a couple days away, come on out and enjoy great baseball ,free Wi Fi , and dont forget the Hotdogs,feel free to drop some scraps for Hoghead and myself.Hmmm got to see a bit of the team today, things look good for the 2011 season. Whooo Hoooo

Roll Train!

6 weeks away

2011-04-21T15:42:00.002-05:00

Well the new baseball season for the railroaders is right around the corner. Gonna have a whole new outlook of the new season. The rr's have moved to the ohio valley league this season and are looking to become the champions in their first year.Owensboro, Tradewater and Marion also joined the league this year and although they will only play 42 games this year, i still feel like the rr's will pull out a championship. It is our time

Back in the Saddle again!

2011-04-19T10:47:00.006-05:00

The 2011 Season is just around the corner. I’ve been touring the country in the off season on my custom built Knucklehead, but I’m now heading back towards the Yard and hope to get there in time for the Railroaders opening night against the Bobcats. Besides that, I’ve been kicked out of most the places I’ve visited over the last 9 months and its best I get back to Fulton where folks at least tolerate my presence.

A lot has happened to the Railroaders the last year. They are now a part of the newly formed Ohio Valley League which appears to have bright future ahead of it. Although the 2011 season will only have 4 teams, the 2012 season should see another 2 teams join the fold. Meantime, this year will still be a great one and looking of the Railroaders roster, we have a good chance to do well in the pennant race.

Boilerstoker and I will be rejoined by our ole’ friend Rattle, so there will be no shortage of opinions to go around. Our Facebook page is going well too, with over 360 Friends. There are also a few more personalities that may remerge as the season draws near.

The Yard is about ready and the Railroader Dogs are cooking (they should be nice and tender by opening night). The club is also adding free WiFi in the grandstand this year, so even more action online will be available. I, for one, am looking forward to an exciting season of baseball against the Pirates, Bobcats and Oilers. Of course there’s the nachos too!

The Season Ends Quietly

2010-07-29T23:57:00.005-05:00

Well it's not what we'd hoped for, but still a great summer of baseball at the Yard. Including our one Playoff game at home, the Railroaders were 21-6 at Home, so the fans got to be a part of some great victories in 2010. We took it down to wire in the Regular Season, forcing a tie breaking game with Pirates. There were, more than I can recall, many "come from behind" wins in the last inning of games. Great base running and lots of stolen bases. Even a few "blow outs" in our favor.

I for one enjoyed the season and want to thank all the Players, Coaches, Owners and Fans for helping make this another winning season for Fulton. I wish all the players the best of luck in their careers goals, and hope to see a few back next year!

If you'd like to post your thoughts, use the comments below.

Time to win at Home

2010-07-29T07:31:00.003-05:00

We've been down below and picked ourselves up, and there's no better time than now to do it again. It's time to reached deep, pull out these next 2 playoff games and get back into the Playoff winning picture. The one run losses hurt, but I know you can turn it around. Just a few more days and the season will be completely over, let's end it on a high note!

Oh Nooooooo!

2010-07-27T23:20:00.008-05:00

We got there first but couldn't stop the Pirates from derailing us at the very end. Still, all and all a great game. It's really not that big of a mess and we'll have it cleaned up and ready to roll before the first Post Season Playoff game. We'll be in Owensboro on time Wednesday and begin the run again for the second title. I have feeling we'll get another crack at the Bucs in the near future.

I must say, Cody Gibson did a fine job on the mound for 9 innings, even if he did leave the game tied. It took the Pirates throwing 4 pitchers at us to hold us up from scoring. Gibson hung in there a long time and I applaud the effort.

Now on to post season play. It would have been nice to have had a chance to win the Playoffs at home, but you know, it may be even sweeter to do it in Tradewater!

Another shot at it

2010-07-26T22:11:00.003-05:00

We're on a recon mission and things are going

to be different this time around!

More Baseball to play

2010-07-26T07:25:00.005-05:00

After 5 games in 3 days, we ran the train hard, blew a few leaks in the engine, loss pressure and couldn't get across the finish line early liked we wanted. No time to fret about it though, let's get it fixed and get rollin' again. Two more games to win for the season crown and I know it can be done. It's a little extra work, so what?. Our guys are up to the task, and they have more than enough talent and soul to get the job done. It will just make the victory taste that much sweeter.

Let's hit the road again and take two games for the title. Remember, it's not over yet! Our road record has improved over the last weeks and I like our chances. Time to get up and GO!

Down to the Wire

2010-07-24T07:52:00.002-05:00

We're in for some exciting baseball as the regular season is about to close out this weekend. The Railroaders find themselves a half game back of the Pirates and their fate in their own hands. The doubleheader sweep of the Bobcats on Friday was just the beginning of the final stretch drive to win the season title. We have to face off with the Cats again today in a doubleheader which could put us ahead of the Pirates by a half game.

The Pirates play a doubleheader with the Middle TN Cougars today, in games that will not count towards a season title. Only games with KIT teams count toward final season standings and post season playoff positions.

Sunday's game with the Pirates will be an important one! There are 5 possible scenarios:

1) If we sweep the Bobcats today and win in Tradewater tomorrow, the title is ours.

2) Lose one today and win against the Pirates on Sunday would give us half game lead and force a game on Monday against the Oilers in Owensboro (a PPD game makeup). A Monday win would then tie Fulton & Tradewater (don't know what that would create).

3) If the Bobcats take both games today and we beat the Pirates tomorrow, a Monday win would also tie us with the Pirates for the title.

4) A sweep of the Bobcats and a loss to the Pirates would force a Monday game to play for a title tie.

5) Lose one today and a loss to the Pirates on Sunday would give the title to Tradewater.

So let's start it today with another double win over the Bobcats. We'll need all the fans out to cheer the Railroaders on. The guys are fired up and are finishing season strong. The road record has improved to .500 and our chances look good to take all the marbles.

Crunch Time

2010-07-21T22:28:00.002-05:00

With the Browns putting down the Pirates on Wednesday 12-5, we find ourselves tied with Tradewater in the overall season standings. For Playoff seeding (based on Kitty League games only), the Railroaders are 0.5 games behind the Bucs. With 5 (maybe 6) games left, every game counts now. Thursday's another day off to rest, and rest is what we'll need as the weekend approaches. Friday a doubleheader with the Bobcats in Marion, and Saturday another doubleheader with the cats in Fulton. And then there's Sunday's single game in Tradewater and it could be a really big one depending how the teams do before the day arrives. The Railroaders may have to play on Monday in Owensboro if a decision in the standings is at steak.

The Bobcats are playing tough and will want to spoil our push for the Season title, while trying to better their Playoff position in Kitty League only standings. They want the 3rd spot from the Oilers. We are in control, so let's make the most of it as we push towards the #1 spot for 2010!

Final week regular season view

2010-07-19T08:05:00.003-05:00

With the regular season in its final week, the Railroaders have a good chance to take first place in the standings. The post season playoffs will begin on Tuesday, July 27, and the #1 seed is up for grabs. Consider Fulton's position as stated on the Marion Bobcats' website,

". . . Fulton is 20-11 in KIT League play with eight games left against league opponents, including one with Tradewater and four with Marion. Tradewater is 24-12 in the circuit with only four KIT League games left, putting their magic number at 6 to clinch first place.

The Railroaders, however, control their own destiny. Even if the Pirates win their last four league contests, they are not guaranteed a first-place finish. Fulton would have to lose at least two of its remaining eight games to ensure the Pirates a regular season crown.

Owensboro also has an outside chance at first place, but must win all of its remaining nine games and hope for the Pirates to win no more than one of their remaining four games.

For Marion, a first-place finish is out of reach, but the Bobcats can still hope for a second-place finish. However, they must also win outright and hope for no more than one Fulton victory. To achieve third place, Marion is only 3.5 games behind Owensboro with three head-to-head match-ups with the Oilers remaining."

Pretty good words for the Railroaders to consider as they head into a busy week of baseball. Tonight, Monday, we have the Oilers in town and then on the road through Friday. Saturday a big final home season doubleheader with the Bobcats. Let all get out to the Yard and cheer the team on.

Now's the time to strike

2010-07-17T07:44:00.006-05:00

While it may have rained us out on Friday night, the Pirates did play in Tradewater and dropped their second straight game with the Oilers. The Railroaders are now only 2 games behind the league leaders, and here they come to Fulton today for a doubleheader! The math seems simple and with the last full week of the regular season upon us it's time to strike. The Pirates are just where we want them. They have struggled of late and the Roaders are getting hotter. Let's all head to the Yard today at 5 p.m. to get the train rollin' early. A big double win today, and we're neck and neck with the Bucs. The weather should be fine, the food smelling good and some exciting baseball to watch.

A Man in the Moment

2010-07-10T11:16:00.004-05:00

What a great performance by the Railroaders last night against the Oilers, particularly Mitch McClay! After dropping his batting average to .267 over the last week, in a single game he brought it back up to .310. McClay came back big going 5 for 6 consisting of 3 singles, 1 double and a 2 out walk-off 2 RBI homerun in the 10th to win the game. While he only stole 1 or 7 bases for the Railroaders on the night, Mitch's steal was the starter for a double steal in which Joe Pudlo on 3rd base took home. McClay certainly has a game to remember as his play became the decisive factor against the Oilers.

The entire team should be proud their performance as a team last night. There down moments, but that didn't stop them from making the highs points. Defense when we needed it, come back pitching, great base running and stealing, and clutch hits were all a part of a good night of baseball at the yard. Let's work hard and take this game play on the road in the second half of the season and great things will happen!

Again, thanks for the thrills!

Road Record Woes

2010-07-08T09:41:00.002-05:00

Our away games’ standing is 2 wins and 7 losses. “What’s with that!” We have a home record of 12 and 4, a .750 average, while on the road we are .222. Someone needs to figure out what’s making our players so much less effective on the road. Could it be bus? If so, I have custom luxury Thompson bus ready to roll for hire. If includes everything a good baseball team needs. There’s even a hot tub (girls not included) for the after game aches and pains. From Internet access to a custom body job, what more could you ask for? Oh yea, a WIN on the road!

Pirates are Humans too

2010-06-29T08:42:00.006-05:00

As mid season approaches, the standings appear to be tightening up somewhat. The Railroaders benefited a half game in the rankings from a record breaking defeat of the Pirates at the hands of the Bobcats, 20-7, Wow! So there's nothing superhuman about the Bucs and they have loss 4 of their last 6 games. But mind you, they are still a good team, no doubt. The tide could be changing though as the lower half teams are starting to play some better ball. That means we are going to have to push the engine even harder to take the season.

The last place Browns have improved of late, winning 4 of their last 7. For the most part, they are keeping the games close, and I think they are the wild card in the league. They've had their woes, but make no mistake about it, they're getting tougher every game they play. Let's not take them lightly on Wednesday.

The Oilers have taken 4 wins out of their last 6, including 2 of 3 over the Pirates. They are in 3rd place at this posting and only 2 games behind the Railroaders. They have played the fewest games in the league thus far, several PPD games to make up, but they are playing solid baseball and will be a force to reckon with.

The Bobcats are only a half game behind the Oilers. They, too, are playing improved ball. As with the Oilers, the Cats have taken 4 of their last 6 games and beat the Pirates 2 or 3. They are done with Bucs yet either, Tradewater must face the Bobcats 4 more games in a row starting tonight.

As for the Railroaders, we're in good position to make a move. The players have will have had 8 days rest out of the last 12 days before Wednesday's doubleheader with the Browns. Let's make sure there's no rust on board the engine and everything is greased for action. In the last 12 days, we are 3 or 6 games played, and we need to improve on that. Time to get down to work and win, Baby, win!

The Nashville Panthers?

2010-06-25T14:43:00.007-05:00

Our first inter-league match-up of the season is a doubleheader tomorrow with the Nashville Panthers, from the upstart Tennessee Summer Collegiate Baseball Association (TSCBA for short). And just who are these Cats? Are they just another breed of feline niggling into our Yard?

With a look on the TSCBA website we can see that the Panthers have the best record in their league at 10-5. They have a team batting average of .275, (the Railroaders average is.255), with 7 players batting over .300. Of the 115 hits total, 20 are for extra bases and there are no homeruns on the year (we have 11 after our last game). For Panthers, they seem a bit slow with only 16 stolen bases in their 15 games played. Our train has 44 in 18 games total. They have scored 52 runs averaging 3.5 per game, and the Railroader total 106 averaging 5.8 per game.

On the pitching front, the Panthers team ERA is 2.73 from a core of 11 pitchers. We’re weaker in this area with a team ERA of 4.16. So combine that with the Panthers better batting average, and we’d better be on our toes with defense! And speaking of Errors, the Panthers have 21 in the 15 games; while in our 18 games we have 37. We’ve done better over the last 3 games with only 3 errors but still, any error is one too many. With the Panthers, it could kill us!

It seems to me that the key to winning these games will be Defense. The bats seem hot and we have the speed to get it done on the bases. The Panthers have 4-1 record against other Kitty League teams this year, with their only loss coming at the hands of the Pirates. Let's give them a double-defeat tomorrow!

What’s wrong with the Railroaders?

2010-06-23T11:09:00.002-05:00

You think it’s about time we take a look at record and numbers? The Railroaders current record is 9-8. In first 9 games, the guys won 7 and lost 2. Since then, the record shows only 2 wins and 6 losses. Is it the heat? The “at Home” record is pretty good at 7 wins, 3 losses while the “on the Road” not so good, 3-5. Are the Pirates really that good? Our record so far with them is 1 win, 4 lost. They have beat up on the other team too, but so have we. Tradewater has handed us half our losses. I know we’re better than that and I know we can turn it around. Let’s get a grip on things and start winning. We don’t face the Pirates again until July 17th in Fulton, and only face them 3 more times total. We may still be in 2nd place in the standings, but we’re 5 games behind Tradewater. Let’s get the steam pressure up and get this train rolling! The quality of our players and coaches are better than the record reflects. Let’s begin tonight at the Yard and put away the Bobcats, then repeat the same this Saturday when the Nashville Panthers come into town. The Panthers are the best of the TSCBA with a record of 10-4. The next 3 games we play are at Home, let make them all WINS!

Stolen Bases and Hits abound

2010-06-10T00:52:00.005-05:00

What a show in Farmington on Wednesday. The train ride was certainly work it. The Railroaders are hitting all around and running the bases just the way I like it. It's so inspiring I'm going to work harder than even to be ready if I'm ever called up from under grandstand. Watching these guys play just make you want to out and get dirty. They are really getting ready for Pirates on Friday and Saturday, but first the Browns will follow us home for a Thursday night meeting at the Yard. I'd better get started back to be there in time. I have enjoyed the great chow they have in Farmington, but I sure miss the food at the Yard. I hope everyone will come out and cheer on the Railroaders as they really poor on the power. See you at the game!

Hobo Hoghead

2010-06-09T16:26:00.005-05:00

I decided to hop a train and head to the farthest point north in Kitty League territory where the Browns reside. I made short time of it with only having to catch 3 trains and taking only 15 hours. Barely enough time for me to enjoy the trip and great leftovers I obtained from Tuesday night’s game in Fulton. What a game, huh? The boys are really at it now and I’m looking forward to seeing more, starting with Farmington. Did you know the Railroaders, after 7 games, have stolen 22 bases total? The entire league total is 54 and our guys have almost half of them! I enjoy aggressive base running as much as I do catching trains.

The 1-4 upstart Browns are behind everyone in the standings, but we all know that could change quickly. Wednesday night is the franchise Home opener in Farmington. I’m sure they’ll play their hearts out for a win. I’m looking for the Railroaders to have a different plan. Tomorrow, Thursday, the guys will return to Fulton and play the Browns a second game in the Yard. I’ll have to catch the midnight express to make in back down in time. But even if I have to walk, I’ll be there for some big weekend action.

The Railroaders are in the early season lead along with Pirates, but we have a couple of more games under out belts that they do. We're at 5-2 while they stand 4-1. On Friday, we’ll begin a 3 game series with the Pirates, one game on Friday and a doubleheader on Saturday. This will be some good baseball playing between the current top 2 teams. The Railroaders have already face Pirates once this season, and they handed our first loss. I have feeling the outcome may be different after the two meet again the week’s end.

Well, I’ve got a couple miles to go before I reach Wilson-Rozier Park. No track or train from here on, so off on foot I go. If I start now, I may even beat the Railroaders bus. Hope the leftovers with are as good as they are at the Yard. If not, I brought plenty with me.

Let’s stop the leak!

2010-06-05T14:50:00.005-05:00

We should be warmed up now after 3 games and ready to go. So it’s a good time to get down to work and put a halt to the losses. We can start by stopping this Oilers’ leak. This early in season, our 2 defeats can easily be overcome. Both the losses were only by 1 run. We ought to have no problem getting this thing plugged and get back to business. A sweep of today’s doubleheader with Owensboro will put us back in on top and out of the murky water. Let’s go guys and get the job done right! We don't want the Oilers' crude all over the Yard! This stuff will just make the garbage taste bad.

What a Game!

2010-06-03T09:19:00.004-05:00

The opening night's game with the Oilers was like the pre-game rain showers, on and off. But in the end, all was well. While players saved the field for play earlier in the day, they also saved the game in the 7th inning scoring 8 runs to overcome an 8 to 3 Oilers' lead. Both teams seem to struggle at times, with 3 errors each, 18 walks total, 3 hit batters, and 20 men left on base. The Railroaders were rustle first falling behind after the first inning 6-0, Oilers adding 2 more in the 3rd before the Railroaders finally started to get thing together in the bottom of 3rd with 3 runs. The guys looked better after that and then the Oilers began to be plagued with the bug-a-boos. It brought a warm feeling to my baseball heart when our guys ran up 8 runs in the 7th. The Oilers tried to come back in the 9th, but came up short one run with the final 11-10 in Fulton's favor.

Time to hit the road to face the Pirates in Tradewater. I'm sure they're waiting for us with bad breath. Only 1 game with Bucs on Thursday, the a game with Oilers again in Owensboro on Friday. AND Saturday we're back home for a doubleheader with the Oilers again, first game at 5 pm. Should make for an interesting weekend. Let's shake off the opening jitters and get this train rolling.

One more thing, the food a the Yard was great! With people jumping around during the game, there was plenty of dropping to be had. Thanks for Railroaders!

Ready To Go!

2010-06-01T17:54:00.002-05:00

It's the day before opening night at the Yard and the players are hard at it getting ready for the first game against the Owensboro Oilers. Now that I'm back in the groove, Boilerstoker and I are hard at it helping the guys out on the field. The ground crew sure has it looking good! I can smell the food cooking too, I can hardly wait to take out the garbage.

This years group of Railroaders are really something to watch. While waiting for my next task on the field, we watched a little batting practice. Wow! These guys are hot, and just not from the weather. Keep you eye out on Ryan Conner, this guy can put it over the scoreboard. I know I like what I see, and I believe this could be the best assembly of players we've ever had. All the Railroader teams of past have been good, but these guys are really focused, even in practice. They've only been together a couple days, and already they appear to be well form group ready to take on anyone. I can hardly wait for tomorrow night. Hope to see everyone at the Yard!

I Have Returned

2010-05-29T17:37:00.003-05:00

I'm back and ready for baseball. During the off season I thought I'd give myself break by working on the Orient Express as a waiter in the dinning car. I meet many interesting people during my time and ready considered taking on the job permanently, but Boilerstokers call and said I've better return before the first game of 2010. So, I my said farewells to all my favorite customers and hitched a ride back to States aboard the Slow Boat to China.

After arriving home, I discover that many changes in the League have taken place. Only 5 teams this year and some inter-league play to occur with a league group from the Nashville area. Sounds good to me, the Railroaders can hold their own against anyone from any where. I also see that Farmington as a new team, the Browns! My, my, it just keeps getting better and better.

The Railroader roster of players look very good too. My independent research show we can look forward to great pitching and offense. Only a few days left until the opening season game at home with the ole' Oilers. I can hardly wait to get the Yard and enjoy all the action and FOOD! See you at the ballpark.

Small World! -baseball 2-20-10

2010-02-22T22:10:00.004-06:00

Hey Hoghead -I bet you are enjoying the offseason in some exotic place ,I been stuck in all this snow and had to head south this weekend-got as far a Jackson Tenn and found some Baseball games ,course had to sneak in and look what I found Former Railroader coaches and players! What a small world! I could not believe it.

Pictured left to right--Ace Williams,former Railroader and present assistant @Harris Stowe

David Estes-former Railroader assistant coach and Head Coach,Present Head coach @Harris Stowe.

Terry Davis- former Railroader Head Coach, Present St Catherine assistant,and Head JV coach

Bryan Allen- former Railroader assistant and present St. Catherine assistant

Philip Dean-2009 Railroader,Alan Stoupa-2009 Railroader Justin Witt-2009 Railroader

and all starting Seniors @ St Catherine! Awsome to see all these guys agin they will always be Railroaders!! Also checked out 4 future Railroaders playing for Freed- Hardeman under former Greyhound coach Johnathon Estes. Great day for baseball and old friends!

WHATS EVERYONE DOING?????

2009-08-26T19:24:00.003-05:00

The train is all done running for the season, yard is vacant,no homerun horns to blow.nothing to do but work,got things to catch up on,but sure miss the crew

Whats every one doing??????

The 2009 Season comes to an end.

2009-08-01T07:19:00.001-05:00

We may not have completed the season the way we wanted, but there was still a lot of great baseball played. All the players, families, fans, and owners got to enjoy some grand action over the last two months. Time to look forward to next season and more Railroaders baseball. I for one would like to thank all the players and owners for their time and effort to bring good baseball to Fulton. Now it’s time for the off-season and the players are off to their college endeavors, good luck in the years to come!

If you’d like to post your comments about the season, this is the place to do it.

What's next?

2009-07-28T08:58:00.013-05:00

We finished the season in 3rd. We also finished with a win. Is this the turnaround we've looked for over the 5 straight losses that preceded it? If so, then we've got a good shot doing something exciting in the playoffs. Last year the Pirates won the season pennant and congrats to them again. In the 2008 post season play, the 3rd place Oilers marched through with 5 straight wins to take the playoff title. And by the way, they won their last regular season game also.

Are we ready to play or just want to go home? I'm ready to hang in there and have to believe the players are too. We've got the talent and whatever happened over the course of 5 losses is behind us. It's gone. There's a clean slate in front of us. The first task is to take care of business and put the Bobcats down. The Greyhounds are waiting on the side lines for the winner. Expect the Hounds to send a couple of Fans over just for good measure, it's in their character. Our Fans will be in the Yard also. Pay no mind to fans who doubt, just show them what you're really made off. Win or lose, I'm proud of all our guys. The league's season has been competitive throughout and the guys hung in there the whole way. Every team went through their own slumps and came out of it. Now is our turn to get the train going again. Fire it up?

Season pennant out of reach, but there's more . .

2009-07-26T08:17:00.004-05:00

We were unable to maintain our speed and sprung several leaks in the engine that resulted in the loss of steam pressure. One leak even got Boilerstoker in the face and now he’s nursing a bad burn. There’s no time to lick our wounds though. The second seed in the standings is still available should the Greyhounds fall to the well playing Pirates. Our task is to fix the leaks in the engine and head to Marion on Monday to take on the Bobcats for the final games of the regular season. Then we have the Post Season Playoff series, a chance for us to grab the second title offered by the Kitty League. Let’s pick up our stuff and finish the race strong. We're going to erase the 5 game losing streak with a double win over the Cats. So break out the bubble gum, patch up the holes and fire it up!

A Time of Reckoning

2009-07-23T14:21:00.003-05:00

Six games left, and 4 over the next three nights at home with the Pirates. They are 2 games back in 3rd and want more. It’s time to play our best ball of the season and take the Bucs to task. Let us not forget the Hounds trailing only 1 game in 2nd, they are going up against the Bulls for 4 games (the Bulls have given the Dogs a hard time this year also). Our destiny is in our own hands now. To be the champs of the regular season, we will have to show that we are over the next few days. There are also 2 games with the Bobcats to make up, but first the Pirates. Let’s give 110% and push the engine over max, and secure the pennant. We can do it, I feel it in my bones. We need all the Fan support to give their all, too. The 2009 Railroader Team Picture. with signatures, went into the “time capsule” this week. Let’s make sure people 50 years from now look at it and say, “Those guys brought Fulton a double title in 2009!” Fire it up, boys!

Don’t take the Cats for Granted.

2009-07-19T14:00:00.005-05:00

After 43 games completed, we have a slim one game lead over the Hounds. Now it’s time to face off with Bobcats for 3 games in Marion. The Greyhounds must go and fight with the 3rd place Pirates and I’m sure there’s going to be fireworks between those two teams as they play to gain ground over each other and us, before the season closes. As long as we keep our train on the winning track, we need not be concerned. Let us focus on the Cats, they are by no means a sure thing for us. Even though they are currently in last place and they're cuddly and cute, they can scratch deeply. As there is with every team, there is always something to play for. For the Bobcats, they are fighting for 2 things in my humble opinion:

The first thing is to get out of the basement in the standings, which they are nearly about to do. The Cats currently are only a half game behind the Oilers, depending on the results of their Sunday makeup game with the Pirates in Tradewater.

Second, they’d love to be the spoilers for the teams at the top. They just beat the Hounds 2 of 3 in Marion, and with good fan support. And let’s face it; the Hounds are nothing to sneeze at. The Railroaders are going to play in a hostile environment at Marion. So focus and sound baseball playing is called upon to take care of business there.

The Bobcats have been hot since the 1st of July, with a winning record of 8-6. They have improved in every area and won’t go down easily. Let’s be on our toes when we go there. They would just love to knock us out as they did with the Hounds. We have taken them 5 of the 7 games we’ve played thus far. Let’s work hard to take the last 3 as well.

After that, we’re back home with the Pirates. Regardless of the outcome between the Bucs and the Hounds (while we play the Cats), our final battles with Tradewater will determined our fate in the standings. The Post Season Playoffs begin next week, let’s secure the pennant this week, take a couple of days rest, and play to get a second title in 2009. Fire it up, boys!

Shifting into high gear

2009-07-16T22:54:00.005-05:00

We are in a groove now! Winning the doubleheader in Owensboro and the Hounds falling to the Cats puts us right we want with 9 games left. No letting up now, we need to maintain or even extend our 1 game lead over Union City. The Railroaders face off with the Oilers again for 2 more game on Friday and Saturday nights. Let’s keep the pressure on and finish this race strong. It’s in our control, so let’s control it! Great job on the short road trip. Only 3 more regular season road games to go, with Cats in Marion. We finish off the season at home with the Pirates by next week’s end.

There's still pently of race left. Our pace is good and strong. As long as we focus and continue to play well, we'll do just fine. We need all the Railroader Fans out this weekend and next to cheer the guys on as they head for the finish line!

Moving on to the Final Stretch

2009-07-13T11:11:00.005-05:00

Look who’s coming to town on Tuesday! The Bucs will be making their first appearance in the Yard this season. They’ll be here for 2 nights and 2 games. Time to get get dressed and ready for a couple of battles.

After our encounters with the Bulls we remain in second place, one and a half games back behind the Hounds who picked up the half game taking the Oilers 3 of 4 over the weekend. The third place Pirates beat the Oilers on Tuesday and they are two games behind us. So here’s our chance to put some more distance between us on Tuesday and on Wednesday. We’ll need the wins also to keep pace with the Dogs if we’re to have a chance to overtake them. We have 12 games left in the regular season and the Dogs have 11. There’s enough time and play left to get the job done, but we have to be in our top form for now on. The Pirates are the best base running team in the league, but we are second. Let’s be on our toes and play error free baseball and get the bats going. We have the best starting pitching in the league with a 6 game winner and two 5 game winners. Our Team ERA is 2.58, just behind the Dogs at 2.35 and much better than every other team. So let’s get ready for some hard playing over the next 2 weeks and secure a solid position for the playoffs. The pennant is still well within reach!

Give me a break!

2009-07-12T01:03:00.004-05:00

You know, sometimes in baseball there are disappointments. Then there are those times when something is not only a disappointment but there’s a gut feeling that something wrong is going on. It seemed that way in the Railroaders’ unfortunate demise on Saturday in Sikeston. The sorely needed light rain was just what VFW Memorial Field needed, and it helped keep the players and fans cooled off. It seems everyone benefited from the moisture for 3 full innings as the ballgame continued to be played. Of course, the ultimate benefactor was the Bulls pitcher, who finally got into trouble in the 8th inning. His hot arm was cooling down, he allowed a hit, walked a batter, hit a third and loaded the bases with nobody out. What would you do?

We know what he choose, and it wasn’t to continue a battle he thought he was about to lose. Call it what you will, but be careful never to do the same. One thing we learned for sure, we know he can’t throw a spitball.

Another thing we learned tonight, we’re never out of a game. The Railroaders did what they had to and were positioned to gain the lead. They did not lose the game at the final score, it was taken from them. And the departure antics by the Railroaders after the game had been called; they delighted the young and old alike, and eased the anger of the injustice served to Fulton.

One more game with the Bulls, let’s finish the job and get ready for the Pirates. The Dogs lost they game, the standing remain the same. Fire up the engine!

Heading down the track

2009-07-09T15:37:00.002-05:00

We're no better or worse off after splitting the 2 games with the Cats, mainly due to the Hounds dropping one of their 2 games with the Pirates. The Bulls however, beat the Oilers twice and move up a notch past Owensboro. Looks like the Bulls took their 2 losses to us out on the Oilers, and I'll bet they are waiting for us to come back.

Boilerstoker tells me all the problems with the engine are fixed and we’re ready to roll. Look out Sikeston here we come! Three nights in the Bull Fighting Arena then back home for a couple of games with the Pirates. There are 15 games left in the regular season before the playoffs begin. Every victory now really counts towards winning the pennant and first seed in post-season play. The Bulls are a tough group and even though we beat them twice earlier in the week, it doesn’t mean it will be a cakewalk. So let’s get the train moving, use our power, and pick up some speed. The race is on and there’s no holding back now! Our loss on Thursday was only a minor setback. Let's focus and move on. Let's think "Error Free" and "Bats", we can do this. I feel it in my bones.

The crystal ball tells all . . Cats then Bulls

2009-07-08T09:17:00.002-05:00

Excellent two game series with the Bulls and a day off. Not a bad way to start the week. We should be ready for the rest of it now. Let's consider what the situation is now.

The Bobcats are stalking into town tonight and Thursday having just beaten the Pirates 2 of 3 and 2 straight wins. Before the Bucs, the Cats whipped up on the Bulls 2 out of 3 and their wins weren’t close either. They may be 12-20 on the season, but they are no push over. We need to be on our best defensive behavior and generate a lot of offense to take these games. We need wins to keep pace with the Hounds who are hot at the moment (I expect the Oilers and Pirates to throw a little water on them over the next few days). So let’s get out the catnip and put these felines in la-la land.

We head back to Bulls' arena on Friday for a 3 game set. We were successful in handing them earlier this week for 2 games, and they’ll want retribution when we return. So there’s lot of work to do in the remainder of this week. At just 1 game back, we are in great position to grab the lead once the Dogs stumble over their paws and fall. Let’s just KEEP OUR TRAIN ON THE TRACK and we’ll be just fine. The steam pressure is up and we’re ready to ROLL!

No Time to Weep over UC Sweep

2009-07-05T08:11:00.001-05:00

We are finally rid of the Greyhounds for the regular season, and should we meet up with them again in the playoffs it will be a whole new game. It is always a little bitter to lose to the dogs, but that’s behind us now. There is no time or reason for us to lick our wounds other than learning from our mistakes. With 19 games left, there is a lot of baseball yet to play and the outcome has not been determined so far. We’re currently in 2nd place and that’s better than 4 other teams in the league.

Next up over the coming week are 5 games with the Bulls in Sikeston and 2 with the Bobcats in Fulton. We are 8-2 combined so far against these two teams, 3-2 on the Bulls and 5-0 with the Cats. Let’s make the most of the next 8 days. We have a great opportunity to harden our position going into the final stretch. Let’s get the train back on the winning track and we’ll do just fine, trust me. I believe in the Railroaders’ ability to overcome the setbacks, and I believe our players’ talent and passion for the game can get us through. Let’s fired it up and roll down the tracks with a full head of stream!

Something that needs to be said

2009-07-02T23:47:00.005-05:00

Thursday’s game against the Hounds was a close one, and all in all, a good game. We just didn’t pull it out, but there’s plenty more baseball to play and it’s not over yet.

I must say though, Union City does have a fan that is uglier than I am. He has a bigger mouth, too. He can’t help it, he probably needs attention and can’t get it anywhere else. I actually feel sorry for him, he must really thinks he’s cute.

We also need to question the intelligence of the folks in UC. I believe there were more Railroader fans there than Greyhound fans. Seems simple to me, I’d be ashamed too, if any of our fans were so crude with such obnoxious “bush league” heckling and tactics. The poor guy needs to get a life, and the poor Greyhound fans deserve a better environment to watch their team play baseball. I know that fans sometimes get out of hand, but really, this guy takes the cake when it comes to getting out-of-hand, or should I say out-of-mouth. I’m sure he’s proud of himself though, after all, what else does he have?

Just a couple of more games with Hounds in the regular season, we’ll get through them okay. BTW, it’s not just the Railroaders who have noticed this, just ask some of the other clubs.

Let's get back on our game Railroaders!

Headed for the Dog Pound

2009-07-01T23:16:00.003-05:00

The 4 games with the Oilers are over and we took 3 of them. The standings don't change, so our lead is still only 2 games. The Oilers and Greyhounds both in 2nd and chasing us close. We must go now and tame to Dogs over the next 3 nights. Thursday and Saturday are in Union City, and in between on Friday we play them in Fulton. The UC Messenger claims, "Greyhounds find their Groove, and on the Move". . . kind'a catchy don't you think? The Hounds fully intend to put the screws to us and knock us out of 1st. And they believe they are the best team in the Kitty League. I'm not going to waste my time in responding to those type of thoughts. The few loyal fans they have need words of encouragement, so we'll let them have their printed words. After all, they need something to bark about.

I know we have a quality team and they are playing better every game. The Railroaders have been coming from behind, getting more hits when needed, and the defense is looking awesome. And the pitching...well, I don't think there is any better than our crew. It's a downhill run now, guys. No looking back. We can handle the Dogs, so let's spoil their 4th of July weekend and put them in their place . . .Behind Us!

A Mid Season Prospectus

2009-06-29T09:03:00.016-05:00

UPDATE (July 1, 2009): Another step up in the standings. No time to rest though, we're heading to Owensboro for a doubleheader with the Oilers. We need to keep the pressure up and move ahead more. The Greyhounds are keeping pace with their 2 wins over the Bobcats, but they are off tomorrow. They are in fact tied in 2nd now with the Oilers, just 2 games back. We can pickup another game on the Hounds with a couple of wins in Owensboro. I know it's a tall order, but I'm seeing some really good things out of our guys. I believe they can do it, and even more! On Thursday, we'll go the Union City and face off once more with the Greyhounds. We have 3 games against them this week. For note, the Pirates lost again to the Bulls, and slide to 3rd, just a game ahead of the Bulls who are starting to make a run also. You know what to do Railroaders, so full throttle ahead! It's a downhill run now, only 24 games left in the regular season.

UPDATE (June 30, 2009): It was an exciting and close game last night as the Railroaders take the first game with a bottom of the 9th, come-from-behind win over the Oilers. As advertised, the 2 teams battled back and forth throughout the night, and fans weren't disappointed. Now we're one step ahead of the pack and need to increase this lead again tonight. The Pirates dropped their game with the Bulls and the Greyhounds beat the Bobcats to keep pace.

As we arrive at the halfway point in the 2009 season, the race for the Kitty League championship has gotten very interesting. I've broken out my ole' crystal ball and see good things happening for the Railroaders. They're coming together as a championship team.

There are a couple of things to consider at mid season. First, it’s a tight race. The top 3 teams, Oilers, Railroaders and Pirates, are all within a half game of each other. The Greyhounds are not far behind only 2 games back. The Bulls remain within striking distance and the Bobcats are certainly not out of it yet. The downhill journey for the second half of 50 games will be something to see.

The second thing making this point in time fascinating, is the schedule. With 2 PPD games from June rescheduled this Wedesday, the Railroaders find themselves going head-to-head with the co-leading Oilers for 4 straight games. The first 2 games are in Fulton on Monday and Tuesday, with a doubleheader makeup in Owensboro on Wednesday. The pressure doesn’t let up on Thursday either with 3 nights against the Greyhounds, with Friday being played in Fulton.

The Pirates? Well, they have a couple of games with the Bulls this week, and then we’ll hand off the Oilers to them on Thursday for a 3 game set. The Bucs also have a couple of PPD games to get scheduled in July.

The Cats are headed for Union City to scratch away at the Hounds for 2 games, and then they’ll have to work on the Bulls for 3. Marion also has several games to reschedule.

So it’s plain to see, this week is going to be a busy and important one in shaping the standings in July. This past week has seen an even positioning of teams, but that will change for several over the next few days. I like the Railroaders match-ups and the Dogs don’t scare me a bit! Let’s fire it up Railroaders!!!

We’ve taken the first battle!

2009-06-26T21:54:00.021-05:00

Marlene, Boilerstoker and I are reporting that it was a close battle our first night of fighting in Tradewater. We were successful though and scrapped by with a one to nothing victory over the Pirates. Marlene kept the Pirates occupied with her sexy smile, while Boilerstoker turned up the heat and stream to make it uncomfortable. With the Railroaders doing the rest of the fighting, all I had to do was chow down on the Bucs’ supplies and break wind for our sails to propel us home.

We’ve overtaken the Buc in the standing now, and with 2 more nights of the same results we’ll have more ground to stand on. Let’s keep the pressure on! My spy sources tell me the Oilers aren’t fairing well in Marion, so look out, here we go!

UPDATE: Well, the battles fought in Marion and Sikeston were a bit different from ours. Apparently the Dogs and Cats had bigger cannons than the Bulls and Oilers. With Owensboro dropping their game, we now hold an even position with them in the standings. Holding the high ground can be tough, we're a marked band of brothers now. No time to rest, let's get back in there and give no quarter!

The Bucs take the second battle. UPDATE (Saturday, June 27): Darn that double cannon shot in the 8th. Another close one but the Bucs fought their way back and beat us. We did a fine job in the 9th to get back 1 of the runs, but we'll have to do better tomorrow night. Let's just ignore the clammering of the Pirates and get the best of 3 over these guys.

Railroaders win the 3rd battle. UPDATE (Sunday, June 28): The Bucs had a false sense of security with an early volley, but the scrapping Railroaders fought back and pounded out a 9-4 win. We did it, the best of 3 in our last trip to Tradewater. The next time we see them, it will be on our ground.

Now it's time to face off with the Oilers, tied with us at the top. We need everyone out at the Yard on Monday and Tuesday to support the Railroaders as they go for control in the standings.

Poor driving will get you every time.

2009-06-25T23:27:00.005-05:00

Well it wasn’t pretty for the Hounds tonight, but they didn’t run into our train. Instead, they ran off into a ditch, smashed up their front and couldn’t pull the bus out in 9 innings to overtake us. We’ll take it! The Railroaders had me a bit concerned with an error on the very first play of the game. But they buckled down and finally got the defense working to help Tyler Farley hold the dogs to 2 runs. We were fortunate the bus, which was clearly aimed at us, didn’t plow us under and went off the road instead. We’ll see the Greyhounds 3 more times before the season is over, so they’ll have some time to fix it.

Now we’re off to Tradewater for 3 games. The Pirates loss tonight and slip back to 2nd place with us a ½ game behind in 3rd. The Oilers victory over the Pirates put them back into 1st, just one game ahead of us. So let’s gets some wins over Tradewater, because the Oilers are headed to Fulton on Monday and Tuesday for 2 games. It’s time to MOVE guys! Mid-season is approaching and it’s our chance to take control.

Run over by a Bus!

2009-06-25T00:12:00.004-05:00

Did anyone get the number of the bus that ran the Railroaders and me down last night? I'm sure none of us excepted such a smashing loss to the dogs last night, but it happened none the less. I believe the game was even uglier than me! Well, we've just got to get back up off the blacktop and go again tonight. New day, new ballgame. The standings don't chance much, we're still in 3rd, a game and a half behind the now league leading Pirates who beat the Oilers on Wednesday night. The Dogs move up a little and are biting at our heels again. So let's fire up the engine and get back on the track. I know this bus can't survive a collision with a train.

Rain on Our Parade, will you!

2009-06-22T22:29:00.008-05:00

Another night, another road trip to Owensboro, and still we couldn't get a break from the rain and lightning. You think the Oilers had it planned that way? Meanwhile, the rest of the league got to play their 2 game series with interesting results. With both the Cats and Dogs, and the Bucs and Bulls split their series causing the League standings to stay the same. In fact, the top 3 teams are in the same position they were before the weather fouled things up on Sunday. The Railroaders remain in 3rd place just 1 game behind the leading Oilers with the Bucs wedged between us by a half a game. Oh, what could have been had we'd been allowed to play the Oilers in the 3 games, now postponed.

Well onward and upward I always say. We face the Hounds now beginning on Wednesday, at home in the Yard. While the the Bulls go off to Marion for a couple with the Bobcats, the 2nd place Bucs head to rainy Owensboro for 2 games. I wonder what kind of weather the Oilers have planned to maintain their position. Not a problem for us though. Let's get pumped back up and take these 2 games with the Greyhounds. Wins will ensure that we move up in the standings and really put the pressure on the remaining leader.

So Boilerstoker and I are headed by to the yard for Wednesday's outing. We did decided to leave our rain gear for Bucs fans to use, and as a reminder to the Oilers "We'll be Back!"

What a Win!

2009-06-21T08:06:00.002-05:00

You just can’t ask for more excitement than last night’s game against the Bobcats. All the drama of baseball you can imagine was present in the come-from-behind, extra innings game. In the first 2 games on the series, we pretty much had the Cats pinned up, but last night they got out and took over our early lead. Even after tying them up again, twice, they jumped back out each time and it looked to be a late night with extra innings. Finally, in the bottom of the 11th, Zach Getsee, who hadn’t had a hit all night, put an end to the chase with a base clearing double and bases loaded, scoring 3 RBIs while we were trailing by 2, and gave us a 1 run victory and 3 game sweep of the Bobcats. The crowd went wild . . . I thought the bleachers and grandstand were going to come apart.

With our win and the Pirates falling to the Greyhounds, the race tightens between the top 3 clubs with only 1 game separating the teams. The Oilers won their 3rd straight over the Bulls and move into 1st. The Pirates are a half game back in 2nd and the Railroaders in the mix one game out in 3rd place.

Now that we are fired up and the engine has a full head of steam, the Railroaders are headed to Owensboro to take on the 1st place Oilers who have won 5 straight. There’s one game on Sunday and a doubleheader on Monday. Head to head with the league leader, this is our chance to move forward again in the standings. The Pirates, who dropped 2 or their 3 games with the Greyhounds, will be going up against the Bulls who lost all 3 games they just completed with the Oilers.

As we approach the mid season point this coming week, we have a great opportunity to gain control of the race. The Greyhounds will be coming to town on Wednesday and Thursday for 2 games in our house. It’s time for us to make a statement!!!

A New Career in Progress

2009-06-20T09:10:00.004-05:00

Just like the Railroaders, I’m improving myself to become more than I am. With some hard work and clean-up, I’m working hard to apply myself towards developing skills to become an online broadcaster for the Railroaders on TeamLine. I’m told that if I can cut the mustard, then I’ll get the job because our fans will only be able to hear and not see me. At any rate, until I prove myself worthy, John and Brad will fill in to bring you play by play action over the net.

We’re through 2 games of the 3 with the Bobcats now and going for a sweep over them in Saturday evening’s game. Our league standing has improved and at the moment it is a close race between the top three teams. Only 1 ½ games separate the Pirates, Oilers, and Roaders through the first three weeks of the season. All 3 of the top teams claimed a victory on Friday. Tonight the Railroaders finish off with the Bobcats and need the win to keep pace the Pirates and Oilers assuming they take their games tonight also.

The Bobcats are struggling, but we can’t count them out. The moment we relax and let our guard down, they’ll bounce on us and shred us apart. We just can’t let that happen! Our first 2 games we’ve managed to hold the Cats scoreless, so you know they are getting hungry and want to spoil our feast with a loss. Let’s play hard and get that 3rd straight win. We hit the road after tonight for 3 games with the Oilers in Owensboro, which includes a doubleheader on Monday. With the Oilers in 2nd, these games will be crucial in improving our overall position in the league standings. So Fans and Players alike, let get this engine fired up and roll’in!

Good time to make a move.

2009-06-18T11:06:00.005-05:00

I'm going to try and make the correct call, but I'll need help from the Railroaders to get it done.

With the Bobcats in town for 3 nights, we find ourselves in a great position to shake up the league standings. We're 4th and 2 1/2 games behind the league leading Pirates who lost on Thursday to the Oilers. The Bucs will be taking on the Hounds for three games, so we needs wins to kept pace, maybe even gain a little should the dogs bite them a time or two for us. And let us not forget if the dogs are winning, we have to win to keep them where they're at, a game behind us in 5th.

Now the 2nd place Oilers and the 3rd place Bulls are also going at it over the next 3 nights. As they duke it out, we should at least be able to slide right past one them and gain ground in the standings.

We've got to deal with the Cats, first. Their loss to the Bulls on Thursday must have a left bitter taste in their mouth, having lead the game to only lose on a grand slam homer by Sikeston. So, we can't take these felines lightly, I'm sure they will be scrapping for a win and for revenge on the 2 losses we handed them in their house. Let's shake off the 1 loss to the Hounds last night, it's behind us, and focus on the Bobcats.

Back to the Dog Pound

2009-06-16T09:20:00.003-05:00

With all the rain lately, seems we'd never get back to playing baseball. However, today we begin to catch up by going over to Union City and playing 2 games with the Greyhounds. We're 0-3 thus far against them in 2009. Time to change that and gain some ground in the standings over either the Pirates or Oilers as they battle it out in Tradewater, also playing doubleheader.

It's plain to see how the dogs spent their rainy day time off, partying and without a care about their upcoming games with the Railroaders. Okay. this losing thing with the Greyhounds needs to stop, and stop tonight! Do you realize that the 3 wins the dogs have over us account for half their 6 total wins this season so far. This time let's play some good solid baseball and put these mutts away for a change. We've had two unexpected days off due to rain. We should be well rested and recoveried from the 17 inning marathon game in Owensboro last Saturday. Let's FOCUS on the game and play like the great team we are and sweep Union City. Are you really going to let them have their way with us? I say NO!

Railroader Tim Dunn taken by Reds.

2009-06-12T15:10:00.001-05:00

The 2009 Railroaders congratulate their current team member Tim Dunn for his selection in the MLB draft. The Cincinnati Reds picked the right-hander Dunn, the TranSouth Player of the Year, in the 46th round. Dunn was 12-0 with a 1.81 earned run average and earned NAIA All-America honors as a Trevecca Nazarene junior this spring. Tim’s current record with the 2009 Railroaders is 2-1 with a win against the Sikeston Bulls on Thursday, the day of his MLB selection. Fulton and the Railroader Fans express their utmost best for Tim and his accomplishments

Time to Burn some Oil

2009-06-12T10:35:00.001-05:00

What a game it was last! I was proud to see so many Railroader Fans stick around after the rain delay to watch the guys come back and win over the Bulls. Despite falling behind again early in game, the Railroaders kept after them and it paid off with a big 8th inning scoring spree. Don’t ever give up, that’s what I like about baseball.

I got up early this morning and headed to the oil field to check out Owensboro for the game tonight. The Oilers come into town with a 6-5 record, just a half game lead ahead of us in 2nd place. We’ve got 3 games with them this weekend, one in Fulton tonight and 2 in Owensboro Saturday and Sunday. The Oilers have won 1 game in their last 5 games, losing 2 straight to the Bulls and Pirates before beating the Greyhounds on Wednesday. The Oilers appear on paper to be very much like our Railroaders as far as stats, an even match up for the Railroaders. It’s our first meeting with the club this year, and it’s important we make our present known. It will be a great time for us to gain some ground in the standings with some wins over Owensboro. So let’s go Fans, and help get the Railroaders off on the right foot tonight in Fulton before they head to Oiler land for completion of their 3 game series.

Holy Cow. . .someone call the clowns!

2009-06-11T07:18:00.003-05:00

I’m not sure what happened last night. After I woke up, in my hospital bed, I was told a Bull trampled me and the resulting concussion has made my memory of the event a little sketchy. I do remember the pain of our loss at the hands of Sikeston. Whatever went wrong, it surely showed in some our playing. But I’ve been told I need to get back up on the beast and try again. After all, they’re just another ball team and can be controlled. We just need to do a better job of going after them and keeping the pressure on. Sure we may get thrown a couple of times during a game, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get back up and go again. Tonight is another chance for us to prove ourselves and come back with a win. Sure, the fall was ugly, but so am I. It never stopped me from getting the girls. So let’s get out there and break these Bulls before they run out of town!

That’s more like it, now bring on the Bulls!

2009-06-09T08:55:00.003-05:00

Two straight road wins, that’s what I’m talking about. Now that we put the Cats out, let’s remember that the next time we face the Dogs! So it’s time to come home and fight the Bulls for 2 games starting Wednesday and then the Oilers on Friday night. I've been showing coaches Davis and Allen a few of the finer points on Bull riding, I do have some experience you know.

The Bulls are hot of late having won 5 of 6 games since they left our Yard 10 days ago. We opened up the season at home with a loss against the Bulls then took them down the next 2 games. Since then, they’ve beat the Greyhounds 2 times, the Bobcats 1 of 2, and the Oilers twice. Now what’s wrong with that picture?

Our wins against the Bobcats pulled us out of a quagmire of 4 straight losses that included a 3 game sweep by the Dogs. We’ll take no more of that! It’s obvious that the Bulls are looking to tack more on to a 2 game winning streak at the expense of the Railroaders. Especially since they loss their last 2 games against us, including that 22-8 shellacking in the second game, which I’m sure, they won’t soon forget. The Cats are one thing, the Bulls another and we need to be ready for every and anything. Let’s don’t rest on our laurels of past victories. Time to focus and continue with our momentum. We’re only 2 games behind the leading Pirates, tied with the Oilers, and a game and a half behind the 2nd place Bulls. Time to make a move!

Enough Already!!!

2009-06-07T00:45:00.003-05:00

Did anyone at the Yard last night see or hear that Greyhound beating me with a baseball bat? I needed help and no one came to my rescue. Looks like the Railroaders had the same problem, no one stepped up and took dogs by the collar to put them in their place. What’s going on, guys? Three straight losses to the Greyhounds? Please, no, I can’t stomach the pain. I’ve told Marlene to go back to the circus. Apparently the Hounds were too attracted to her and really out-performed themselves to impress her. After all, she is good with four-legged creatures.

Now back to the Railroaders. What happened to our enthusiasm and zeal for the game? Everyone has a bad game, but really, I can’t believe our guys have given up. Well, the Bobcats are next, and my face can’t take much more scratching up or my good looks will be gone forever. We have 2 games with the Felines to turn things around and come back to face the Bulls for a couple of nights beginning on Wednesday. Then the Oilers in town on Friday. There’s a lot of work ahead to get done, and it’s time we get up and get moving! The Fans are behind you, Railroaders, now go play some ball!

Their Bark Is Worse Than Their Bite

2009-06-06T09:54:00.002-05:00

We have no excuse for getting beat by the Hounds last night. There is nothing special about them other than their fans, especially the loud barking mongrel. You can bet they’ll bring all the mutts with them tonight when they come to the Yard for a doubleheader. So let’s get with it Railroaders and Fans, and take these next 2 games from them.

I’ve asked my sister, Marlene, how we can handle these Greyhounds. She has been working as a dog training in the Barnum & Bailey Circus since the end of last season, and has learned how to tame and control every breed of canine. She says first and foremost, we must let them know who’s the master. That starts with controlling their base running and hitting. Second, we must hit the ball in places they aren’t, so they’ll have to chase it. When they don’t catch it, reward them with a treat, a pat on the head and another run on the board for us. Seems simple to me. All we really need to accomplish this is to play good solid and focused baseball. We need timely hits when it counts. The Railroaders have shown they have the right stuff, now it’s time to put it to use and get this train rolling again. The season’s still early, let’s put away these dogs and move on the cats. The Bulls are returning next week too, and they have been hot of late. Then the Oilers come in and they are proving they're a team to beat. So don’t let these puppies run all over us, they are not the team our Railroaders are and it’s time to prove it!

Dog Trainning Refresher Course

2009-06-04T14:59:00.004-05:00

Well, both the Pirates and the Railroaders chased me back into river on Tuesday after the game. It took me 2 days to swim down stream all the way back to Fulton because my raft was mistakenly hauled away as Winter Storm 2009 debris. Seems that neither the Railroaders nor I could get a break in that second battle.

Now it’s time to consider the Greyhounds for the first time this season. Thursday’s game is rained out, so we go to Union City on Friday night to take them on in their season home opener. It would be nice to chalk up another win at their expense. They’ve struggled the first 5 games winning only the first game against the league leading Oilers. We're sure to see their best pitcher in our game. I’m sure they are going to play and run hard on Friday and try to correct their poor start. They’ve also added a few new dogs to the roster. Doesn’t matter though, it will still be the first time the 2009 Railroaders will see them, the a first time for them to see us!!! I have good feeling about the next few days. After Friday’s game, the Hounds will come over to the “Yard” for a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 5 pm. For sure, those dog loving fans will be here, so we need all hands to come out and cheer our Railroaders on, both in Union City and in Fulton. It’s going to be a great series, as it always is. You don’t want to miss it!

Hitting the beach at Tradewater

2009-06-02T12:11:00.003-05:00

I finally arrived in Tradewater this morning only to find out the Railroaders fought a tough battle last night and won without me. They didn’t bother to wait for me! But I’m here now and ready to infiltrate the Pirates camp before tonight’s final assault on Riverside Park. From what I hear, last evening the fight was to the very end and the Railroaders came out on top. I’ve also seen where all our guys got their bellies full after the game eating up all the Pirates chow. Well I’m hear to tell you, the bucs are planning something for us tonight, not sure what, but they aren’t happy. I’ve been informed by carrier pidgeon that Nick Holmes will lead the charge for the Railroaders and the rest of our crew have a few surprises too. I’ll be here tonight to be a part of all the action. I’ll just have to ditch this disguise before game time or get pounded by the Railroaders myself. We need to get out of here with another win, then jump on my raft and head down stream for a smooth ride home.