20 Qs with Brad Cumiskey

1. What is the most daring thing you've ever done?

That's a tough one, I would say it's one of two things: One, in June of 2003 I rode a brand new motorcycle from Edmonton to Vancouver, in the pouring rain, with just my learners license, by myself, and the Coquihalla had a wind warning that day. Two, I got married.

2. What are your pet peeves?

People who say "take it to the next level" or worse yet: "let's think outside the box", or worst of all: "In order to take it to the next level, we need to think outside the box."

3. What Major Leaguer do you most admire and why?

Barry 'Zen' Zito was a candidate until the candy ass stood up for Barry Bonds last weekend. So, I'll go with Carlos Delgado for his fine combination of ball skills and political beliefs and his ability to pull out of the bloody awful slump he is in now so he can save my fantasy baseball team.

4. If a stranger told me I was hot I would...

I would simply reply: this is why, this is why, this is why I'm hot, I'm hot cuz I'm fly, you ain't cuz u not, this is why, this is why, this is why I'm hot, I'm hot cuz I'm fly, you ain't cuz u not, this is why, this is why, this is why I'm hot

5. What is your favorite board game?

I own trivial pursuit. Not 'own' own it, but own it in the sense that I like own everyone else who tries to step up, ya heard? I should also mention that apart from owning the game I also own it.

6. What is your day job and what do you like most about it?

Internet Marketing Manager. - After having helped Al Gore invent the Internet, I now market the managing of the Internet for a company who's marketing department includes an Internet group which requires, yep you guessed it, managing. Just call me Chandler.

7. If there was a fire at your home and you could only save one thing, what would it be?

If by 'thing' you mean non-possesive substantive things I would have to say.... my dignity, and by dignity I mean I would grab at least a bath robe on the way out the door. If by 'thing' you mean material possessions, I would have to say.... my wife.

8. What is your favorite baseball memory?

An unforgettable play in little league, where in an effort to score the 2-out, winning run from second base on a single to left field, I noticed, after rounding third, that the throw would beat me to the plate, I charged hard regardless and made an amazing evasive head first slide to the inside of the baseline, reaching with my outstretched right arm I just slid my fingers over the plate as the tag came down late. As I jumped up spinning to see my teammates erupt from the bench, celebrating the winning run as simultaneously Al Beital, the umpire, made an emphatic 'youuuuu'rrrre OUT!' call. The preceding mania of parents, teammates and coaches going nuts on Al for the blown call was priceless. I just looked away in disbelief catching the eye of the other team's catcher, who looked at me and mouthed the words 'you were safe' as he walked off the field.

9. Who do people say you look like?

Archie.

10. I’d like to confess that I...

would do it again. If given the chance. Dammit.

11. You’re offered two free tickets to any sporting event in the world within the next 12 months (with airfare and accommodation also included). What sporting event do you choose and who goes with you?

The Beijing 2008 Olympics start in 435 days. Does that count?

12. What was the last concert you attended?

Metallica. I fell asleep. Sad but true.

13. Favorite website(s)?

The Onion

14. One book everyone should read is…

Siddartha by Hermann Hesse

15. One movie everyone should see is…

Old time fav: Casablanca. Recent mind blower: Pans Labyrinth

16. What is your favorite LMBA park to play in and why?

Fairfield in Chilliwack. I like the park so much, that I drove all the way out there to scope out the place a full week prior to game time.

17. If you could only eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Sushi or Tuna Burgers or Dark Chocolate.

18. When was the last time you ran?

Full Swing bunt last Sunday. Check out the vid. [editor: click here for the vid]

19. My greatest fear is…

I would have to say either prison rape, what happens when you die or teletubbies.

20. You are now a suspect in a crime that happened 15 years ago. Where were you, and what were you doing, on the evening of May 30, 1992?

I have no alibi, but I didn't do it, honest - I was home alone, playing video games, punching out Glass Joe in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out.

May 27 2007

Fairfield Island. 10am. Vs Chilliwack Cubs.

It was a dark drive out to Chilliwack. The threat of precipitation loomed large. The wet stuff held out. A fierce wind was the main enemy. Anyway...

We again fielded a roster of ten. Grace showed for his first game since the birth of his baby girl. Her name, Claire. Street that Fairfield Island is on, Clare. No i because there's no i in team. We knew we had a tough game on tap, being tied in the standings with the Cubs. They jumped up early, taking a 3-0 lead. We fought back and then some in one inning, tying our inning and game high with 6 runs on some hits and a few miscues by the defense. There were more miscues than usual for both sides throughout the game. Well, for us for sure, but we're not sure if the Cubs make that many miscues in an average game. We doubt it.

We are happy to announce that we finally scored more than 6 runs in a game this season. We hit double digits! Ten! Dix! The Cubs got seven for those of you keeping score at home. Special shoutout to our two fans present at today's game. Thanks for joining us in Cubs country.

Three videos from today's game have been added to the video box. To view them just look for, and click on, the ones with the date 05/27/2007.

Today's iPod.
While today's weather was unpleasant, we have it on good authority that last weekend the weather at Fairfield Island was perfect for a game. You see, Brad made the trek out to Chilliwack on Sunday the 20th and arrived at 9am to an empty park. He phoned his wife, waking her up, and asked her to check the team website for the schedule. She told him that there was no game, due to it being a long weekend. He thanked her for the information and began the trek back home. We thank him for sharing that story with us. Kudos.

20 Qs with Kris Neidert

1. What is the most daring thing you've ever done?

Played ball for the Surrey Indians

2. What are your pet peeves?

People, Traffic, Work

3. What Major Leaguer do you most admire and why?

I got 2, first would be A-Rod cause he makes lots of money and earns it and has an awesome jersey #, the other would be his opposite almost in Richie Sexson. He makes a lot of money and does nothing, now that is true talent.

4. If a stranger told me I was hot I would...

Now is "I" in this question me or you? Cause if someone said you were hot, I wouldn't know what you would do.

5. What is your favorite board game?

Parcheesi. Never really play it but it's got a cool name.

6. What is your day job and what do you like most about it?

Machinist, the thing I like most is the paycheck. Goes to my hookers and blow fund.

7. If there was a fire at your home and you could only save one thing, what would it be?

A tossup between me and that rack of ribs in the freezer. Mmmm.

8. What is your favorite baseball memory?

All I remember is last week losing to the Pirates and going 0 for 4. Kidding, at one time a long time ago I used to be good. I hit a grand slam to win the championship, I think I was 8.

9. Who do people say you look like?

I don't see it but Ben Affleck or Ben Stiller, I've gotten both.

10. I’d like to confess that I...

Used to play soccer, sorry if I let you guys down. I am ashamed.

11. You’re offered two free tickets to any sporting event in the world within the next 12 months (with airfare and accommodation also included). What sporting event do you choose and who goes with you?

World Series, my old man

12. What was the last concert you attended?

Metallica

13. Favorite website(s)?

mlb

14. One book everyone should read is...

The Little Engine that Could. Great story, somewhat difficult read, some good pics. Great all around.

15. One movie everyone should see is...

Any movie with lots of killing, then you know it's good. Or The Thing, that's a cool movie.

16. What is your favorite LMBA park to play in and why?

Robert Burnaby. Because it is the nicest park.

17. If you could only eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Baby Back Ribs

18. When was the last time you ran?

Sunday, after striking out with the bases loaded I ran back to the dugout.

19. My greatest fear is...

Getting old

20. You are now a suspect in a crime that happened 15 years ago. Where were you, and what were you doing, on the evening of May 22, 1992?

Robbing the liquor store!!! I mean not robbing the liquor store.

SI in SI, Si?

In a moment of supreme intelligence we have come up with a stellar idea. We are going to write to Sports Illustrated – the world’s preeminent sports magazine – and suggest a new feature in their pages: a small blurb featuring a rec team with an accompanying picture of said team and the website (when applicable) of said team.

SI's primary focus is on professional sports and athletes, but they do have regular features like Faces in the Crowd, and coverage of college and high school sports, which focus on the non-professional athletes of the world. Having SI do a small piece each issue that gives print space to adults who pay money to play sports in their spare time – for love of game – would be, we think, a cool addition to their already fabulous magazine. We can envision a future where rec teams across North America and beyond would send in a blurb, a photo, and their website's address. SI would pick one rec team for each issue, edit the blurb as needed, contact team reps for supplemental info when needed, and regular folks – like us! – would get a thrill from being in the world’s preeminent sports magazine.

In the near future we will email SI with our self-proclaimed stellar idea, and include links to our official team site and this blog – and this post in particular. Maybe the powers that be at SI will think it’s a strong idea, maybe they’ll think it’s a silly idea. Having sufficient interest on display in this post’s comment section when/if SI staff look at this blog(post) will help our cause, or so we believe. So if you like the idea, chatter! Surrey Indians players, chatter! Players’ partners, children, friends, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, chatter! All others, chatter! Don’t be silently indifferent, chatter! If you don't want to chatter with your real name, you can chatter with a secret identity. And while you’re chattering, go ahead and suggest possible names for this new feature…

If SI did suddenly implement our stellar idea, perhaps they would acknowledge the origins of the idea by featuring the Surrey Indians as the first rec team. After all, in addition to all that is written above, our team name shares the same initials as the world's preeminent sports magazine. So do the Springfield Isotopes, but that’s stupidly irrelevant.

May 13 2007

Whalley Park. 5:30pm. Surrey Indians vs Surrey Pirates.

We fielded a slightly depleted roster with Wingrove, Paz and Grace all MIA. In Grace's case, the absence was due to the birth of a baby girl. Not just any baby girl, his baby girl! Congrats to all the Graces.

So it was an Indians roster of ten up against a Pirates roster of five hundred. The first half of the game, as usual, flew by. Our bats, as usual, struggled. While the Pirates were able to get two runners across the plate in the third inning on a deceptive double, we weren't able to get a single hit. Until the fifth that is, when Heatley's single spoiled the no-hit bid. In the fifth and sixth the Pirates tacked on another 4 runs, taking control of the game with a 6-0 lead. Seeing as how we hadn't scored more than 6 runs in a game this season and could barely get a hit this game, it looked bleak.

But then we came to bat in the top of the eighth. Knowing that we couldn't make up six runs with one swing of the bat, we went one base at a time, collecting singles and walks and rocks on the basepaths that were in the shape of hearts. The lead had been narrowed to 6-4, and we had the bases loaded. In steps Piva who hammers a drive to left field which carries past the fielder and drops in for extra bases. All runners are running, some high-stepping. Six to five! Six to six! Six to seven! Bases clearing triple for Piva! Waaaaaaiiiiiit. It's only six to six. Why, you ask? Because the 6 runs/inning limit had been reached. D'OH! That's alright that's alright. We tied our season high of six runs in a game in just one inning. We'll continue this next inning, pick up our rally where we left off.

In the bottom of the eighth, with Pirate runners on second and third and less than two out, a soft grounder is hit to the right side of the infield. Piva charges from second, scoops it up, and throws it home to nail the runner at the plate. The tie is maintained, and we get out of the inning unscathed..

Getting ready to bat in the top of the ninth, we're told by the umps that this is the last inning. No duh. Actually what they are trying to say is that no extra innings. If it's tied after this inning, then the game ends in a tie. Ohhhh, gotcha.

Nothing doing for our at-bats, so now we need to hold them for the tie. The Pirates didn't pull the bandaid off slowly, they ripped it off lickety split. The first batter ripped a double to right-centre, got to third on a sacrifice, and scored on a pitch that got through to the backstop. Game over.

While it was a heartbreaking end after our comeback, at least we do have that comeback to hang our hats on. That and our sweet new hatstand; it's made of pure gold.

We must mention Brad's remarkable plate appearances. While his 0-for-0 day might seem dull, we see it as anything but. He was at the plate four times, and drew four walks! He swung once in his first at-bat, and did not swing again in any of his three subsequent at-bats! Again, remarkable.

Today's iPod.

We take you back to Piva's pressure-filled plays. Tying the game in the eighth with his clutch double would have been enough to be iPod'd, but then he took to the field right after and promptly threw out a runner at home who had dared to break the tie that he had just created. Double Kudos.

20 Qs with Enrique Roblero

1. What is the most daring thing you've ever done?

Wore all red in front of a raging bull when I was 10.

2. What are your pet peeves?

people who talk a lot of crap

3. What Major Leaguer do you most admire and why?

Dennis Martinez, El presidente , El Perfecto

4. If a stranger told me I was hot I would…

immediately test myself with my thermometer

5. What is your favorite board game?

MAD GAB

6. What is your day job and what do you like most about it?

System administrator / administering systems

7. If there was a fire at your home and you could only save one thing, what would it be?

My family.

8. What is your favorite baseball memory?

Watching the Boston Red Sox win the world series. My second favorite is being drafted by the Surrey Indians.

9. Who do people say you look like?

a guy once told me I look like THE ROCK. hmm yeah.

10. I’d like to confess that I...

haven't confessed in a long time.

11. You’re offered two free tickets to any sporting event in the world within the next 12 months (with airfare and accommodation also included). What sporting event do you choose and who goes with you?

World Series, the whole Fam. Kids get in free or half/price.

12. What was the last concert you attended?

I haven't been to one yet. But I did see STOMP two weeks ago.

13. Favorite website(s)?

MLB.com

14. One book everyone should read is…

the one they think they should read.

15. One movie everyone should see is…

the one they think they should see.

16. What is your favorite LMBA park to play in and why?

Robert Burnaby, easy to pick up the ball there.

17. If you could only eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Nuts. The kind that come from trees.

18. When is the last time you ran?

Friday, to catch a bus.

19. My greatest fear is…

Striking out with bases loaded.

20. You are now a suspect in a crime that happened 15 years ago. Where were you, and what were you doing, on the evening of May 9, 1992?

I was doing my home work while listening to Wreckz - N - Effect's Rump Shaker. Yeah baby...

* Scott Sibley *

Even though it's viewable on Google Video, we think it deserves a spot on the pages of the blog. Here is Scott's dinger from April 29th.

May 6 2007

Whalley Park. 1:30pm. Surrey Indians vs Aldergrove Giants.

There's been a lot of talk about this game. Maybe too much talk. This is not a rebel game. This is Sunday baseball Sunday.

Players began arriving at 12pm, half an hour earlier than usual, to get some extra BP time in the batting cages. Maybe it paid off, considering we tied our season high of six runs scored despite batting in just 8 of the 9 innings.

18 runs in 4 games isn't too great, but after Sunday's 6-2 victory we now have a 3-1 record, so we ain't complaining. Besides, one can't complain about one's own doing, can one? No, one can't. For the stat fiends among you, we are averaging 4.5 runs scored per game, which is last in our division and third last overall.

The not-so-secret secret to our success thus far is our ability to keep opponents from crossing homeplate. 12 runs against in 4 games equals a runs against average of 3 runs against per game, tops in our division and second only to the stingy Richmond Black Sox who are allowing an average of 2.5 runs per game.

We will now critique every aspect of this game. This will take a few hours. Get comfy. We took the field after a rousing pregame cheer of "white noise, low growl" and in a bizarre start to the game there...

We interrupt this post with a breaking news update: "It's not fungus, it's bacteria." - Brad. We now take you back to regularly scheduled posting.

... and while some Giants players and personnel had taken exception to Kelly's hard slide into second, the coaches eventually cooled off and made nice. And that, our friends, concludes our extremely extensive post-game coverage. Thanks for reading. We hope this post garners us a Pulitzer Prize in the category of Commentary. We would also accept a Pulitzer Prize in the category of Criticism.

Today's iPod.
The Giants were batting in the top of the fifth and we were protecting a 4-1 lead. The Giants had a runner on first with less than 2 outs. A sharp grounder was hit up the middle. Second baseman Kelly broke to his right, took a couple of quick steps, dove, and had the ball come to a stop in the webbing of his mitt. Kelly got to his knees, shoveled the ball to the shortstop standing on second, and the force out was made. Kudos.

20 Qs with Rob Aubertin

1. What is the most daring thing you've ever done?

California Screamin' at California Adventure - my first, and so far only, loop de loop coaster ride.

2. What are your pet peeves?

Goaltenders who try to be referee instead of puckstopper.

3. What Major Leaguer do you most admire and why?

Roberto Clemente. Great stats, huge amount of charity work, and the only walk-off inside-the-park grand slam in Major League history.

4. If a stranger told me I was hot I would...

ask them to repeat themselves.

5. What is your favorite board game?

Settlers of Catan

6. What is your day job and what do you like most about it?

I work with kids and I like the bizarre "jokes" they tell me. Kid: What do you call a snail on a boat inside your ear? Me: I don't know. Kid: A nose scratcher. Kid then walks away laughing.

7. If there was a fire at your home and you could only save one thing, what would it be?

Sandra could save herself, so I'll say the animals.

8. What is your favorite baseball memory?

Around age 10 playing baseball with a few friends pretty much all day every day all summer.

9. Who do people say you look like?

Someone once said Scott Wolf. "My Celebrity Look-alikes" said, among others, Yogi Berra and Estella Warren.

10. I’d like to confess that I...

rocked out this morning to Montell Jordan's "This Is How We Do It"

11. You’re offered two free tickets to any sporting event in the world within the next 12 months (with airfare and accommodation also included). What sporting event do you choose and who goes with you?

Wimbledon with Sandra.

12. What was the last concert you attended?

Barenaked Ladies.

13. Favorite website(s)?

facebook.com and bookcrossing.com

14. One book everyone should read is…

The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes

15. One movie everyone should see is…

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

16. What is your favorite LMBA park to play in and why?

Robert Burnaby. A field of dreams carved into the woods.

17. If you could only eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Cereal.

18. When was the last time you ran?

Yesterday, to get the dogs off a picnic table that a guy was eating at.

19. My greatest fear is…

sock puppets.

20. You are now a suspect in a crime that happened 15 years ago. Where were you, and what were you doing, on the evening of May 5, 1992?

Visiting my hairstylist in anticipation of my graduation from elementary school. Or playing Baseball Stars on Nintendo

May 2 2007

Had a practice this evening that was attended by seven Indians and consisted of much-needed BP. There was thunder and lightning aplenty and rain in moderation - the light drizzle variety. The distant snow-capped mountains gleamed in sunshine. Right when practice ended the hail began. You're here to read about the weather, right?

Today's iPod.
Brad beaning Chris twice during BP. Kudos.