Yesterday, 10.25/14, the Houston Babies proudly took the field at George Ranch for the first time ever in their brand new blue and white vintage baseball uniforms.uniforms.
~ Photo Courtesy of Bill & Jo Hale ~
Another View ~
~Photo Courtesy of Bob & Brigitte Blair~
You couldn’t make this up. … Well, you could, but none of the team’s many fans would want to read it, The Houston Babies lost their second straight doubleheader to the Katy Combine yesterday by the horrific scores of 14-4 and 13-8. Unfortunately, the ancient infants’ latest collapse took place on one of those beautiful periwinkle blue sky days in late October Houston – and in the heart of the George Ranch Texian Market Days celebration – when mirth, merriment, and good feelings abounded on a day that imaged up Louie Armstrong singing “It’s A Wonderful World.” *
* A Post-Publication Correction, 10/26/14, 7:12 PM: Babies Manager Bob Dorrill e-mailed The Eagle to remind us that, although the Houston Babies did lose a single game to the Katy Columbine when they last met at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas on 06/20/14, the Babies actually won a previous doubleheader from the Combine in Sealy, Texas on 04/06/14. – Thank you, Bob Dorrill. We apologetically stand corrected. – The Babies losing streak to the Combine is “only” three games, not four. – Bill McCurdy, Publisher & Editor, The Pecan Park Eagle
Meghan McCroskey listens intently as Babies Manager Bob Dorrill tries hard to find the attention span of his players prior to the first game at George Ranch yesterday.
Sad to note too, it all unfolded (or came unwound) on a day that spawned also of commitment to new beginnings. Babies Manager Bob Dorrill had passed out the beautiful new club uniforms – with their long white socks, dark blue pants with buttons and string laces for leg bottoms, white belts, white jerseys with a dark blue Old English letter “H” on the heart front side – and also with collars and string laces on the front neck side, and flat top dark blue caps with white stripes around the crowns.
The Babies were disappointed to learn that they would not be allowed to take their lawn chairs onto the field as essential equipment for those “in between play” gaps of time.
The Houston Babies never looked better than they did on this inspirational and gorgeous autumn day near Sugar Land. – They also never played worse.
The Babies simply could not catch the ball yesterday, nor could they resist hitting up-swing on the descending pitches for more one bounce flies than any vintage team can ever afford. And add to the facts too, the obvious: The Katy Combine club continues to get younger, faster, more powerful and more agile in the field with each renewed meeting between the two clubs. The Houston Babies, with the exception of Mark Hudec, Alex Hajduk, Josh Hajduk, and a couple of other guys who weren’t there yesterday, on the other hand, are simply getting creakier, but more lovable as time goes by.
Sadly for the Houston Babies, the Katy Combine deserves the credit for bringing their “A” game to yesterday’s DH at George Ranch.
In Game Two, the Babies did rally for 5 runs in the bottom of the 6th to pull within one-run of the combine, but their defense again cratered in the top of the 7th to complete the 13-8 Katy trouncing of their foes from Houston. On top of the 14-4 bashing the Babies absorbed in Game One, Houston starters Larry Hajduk and Bob Blair had little to cheer about their lack of support on defense.
It wasn’t all bad. Mark Hudec, Larry Hajduk, and Alex Hajduk all collected three hits each on the day. And Mark Hudec played one heck of a game in center field, shagging down just about every ball that was hit his way. – And lead off hitting demon Phil Holland also managed to reach base an incredible eight times in a row.
EXCITING ACTION! – In Game One, Babies pitcher Larry Hajduk snares a comebacker and prepares to make the throw to first. – Had it been caught, it would have been an out.
The Babies also want to welcome one new player to the roster. – “Welcome, Mark Rowan! The Babies will take all the help you can give them!” The club is also grateful for the adulation and autograph attention they received from fans, even if some of the signing requests may have been due to a slight misunderstanding from the game’s introductions. Word got around the crowd as the games played on that these vintage players were actually alive in 1860 – and that they had survived this long just to make sure that no one ever forgot how the game was played back then. That makes sense. It is also the most plausible explanation for why one old fellow, Mike McCroskey of the Babies, received more autograph requests than any other single player.
In the end, Babies Manager Bob Dorrill of the Babies was generous and upbeat, as per usual, in his post DH comments. “Other than (the fact) we couldn’t catch, it was a fun day,” Dorrill said.
Along with vintage baseball, Texian Market Days was an educational experience in many other ways, as the featured sign here attests.
The Houston Babies and the Katy Combine meet again on Saturday, November 22, 2014 in Homestead, Texas as part of the annual Civil War Battle Reenactment program. Stay tuned for further details, but mark the date to come see the team and so much more on that date. Til then, please note that our Houston Babies club’s situation was perfectly described in the song “Heart” from “Damn Yankees” ~~~~
“We gotta get better ’cause we can’t get worse!”
The Pecan Park Eagle 
October 28, 2014 at 1:41 pm |
Hey, I resemble that remark!
Mike
October 28, 2014 at 2:12 pm |
Leo Gorcey could not have said it better!
October 28, 2014 at 5:50 pm |
And I depreciate your comment.
October 28, 2014 at 6:37 pm |
And pardon me for protruding.