DCL Baseball: Striving for Perfection

Only 23 perfect games – no base runners allowed – have been pitched in Major League history. To achieve this, the pitcher must not make mistakes, and the players around him must do the same.

The last two perfect games were pitched in 2012. I was lucky enough to be present for one of those in San Francisco when Matt Cain achieved perfection.

Perfection in journalism, however, is expected and shouldn’t be rare. But, as in baseball, to be perfect, you must avoid errors yourself and have accurate sources (defense behind you). Last week’s article included a couple of blemishes (addressed below), thus losing the “perfect” article in the process. 

Speaking of perfection, Egg Harbor and Sister Bay are the only teams left after Week 2 with the chance of finishing perfect on the season. The Swami lost his perfection as well this weekend, as his record now sits at 7-1.

Let’s take a look at Week 3. 

Sister Bay (2-0) @ Kolberg (1-1)

An early showdown that was probably predicted by many to be a battle of undefeated teams has Sister Bay visiting the Braves, who are coming off a brutal loss to Egg Harbor. In that game, the Braves had their usually explosive offense held to just five hits. Devin Schinktgen, whose name was listed wrong last week, was the only Braves player to cross the plate Sunday. 

The Bays had a dogfight with the Islanders that saw them win in balk-off fashion. Griffin Cole was the hitting star on the day, and the pitching held up to keep the Bays undefeated. The Braves swept the series last year and can ill afford to drop two back this early in the season.

Swami says: Braves.

Egg Harbor (2-0) @ West Jacksonport (1-1)

Now this is the Egg Harbor team I have been predicting the past two years. A huge win against the defending champs has Egg Harbor riding high, but this team was here after two weeks last year. Nick Kita followed up his home-run smash in Week 2 with a four-hit performance. 

However, the star of the early season has to be Joe Sawyer, who pitched eight innings of one-run ball and drove in three runs. Alex Byrne is starting to get his arm health back, and veterans Eric Dejardine and Cory Fuller are hitting the ball well. All of that could spell trouble for the rest of the league.

The Ports made quick work of the Cubs Sunday, ending the game after seven innings. All but one starter for the Ports had hits, with Derek Niedzwiecki leading the way with four hits, Riley Cordier three, and Jonas Lindemann a pair. 

This game could go a long way toward determining whether the Ports are contenders or pretenders, and my thought is that there will be no undefeated teams after this weekend. 

Swami says: Ports.

Maplewood (1-1) @ Washington Island (1-1)

The Mets got into the win column, but they had to work for it. Down 4-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning, they rallied with six runs to take the lead and eventually win the game. Kody Kissinger tossed four innings of shutout relief to get the win. The Mets mustered only six hits on the day, but nine walks and a couple of hit batsmen helped their cause. 

The Islanders have been in a couple of close road games to start the season, and you can bet they will be rocking for the home opener. Ben and Luke Geiger were a couple of the hitting stars Sunday, along with Ben Johnson. Their lineup at times can score in bunches, especially at home. They will Sunday. 

Swami says: Islanders.

Institute (0-2) @ Baileys Harbor (0-2)

The Cubs followed up their hard-fought opening-day loss with a thud in West Jacksonport. They will need all hands on deck this year to compete. Brent Haberli had two hits Sunday, and he, Quinn Schram, Josh Pflieger and company will have to bring something extra each week to keep up. Otherwise, this season could get away from them quickly. 

The A’s were oh-so-close to breaking their losing streak Sunday. Jon Kordon pitched well enough to win. Isaac Berkley stayed hot with three more hits, and Joe Burlo chipped in with two. If the A’s compete like they did last week, they’re going to win a couple of games.

These two teams typically play each other under the dark of night because each park has lights. However, this early in the year, things can get a little chilly once the sun goes down. Something else that might get chilly is the Swami’s reception when he returns home to Institute next time. 

Swami says: Streak ends; A’s win.  

Week 2 Results

Sister Bay 6, Washington Island 5

Egg Harbor 6, Kolberg 1

West Jacksonport 12, Institute 2

Maplewood 6, Baileys Harbor 4

Standings

Sister Bay 2-0

Egg Harbor 2-0

Maplewood 1-1

West Jacksonport 1-1

Washington Island 1-1

Kolberg 1-1

Baileys Harbor 0-2

Institute 0-2