A spectacular ending to a spectacular post season for the 2008, 2010, 2012 and now the 2013 champions...Westrock. With everything on the line, the champs came out swinging, taking an early lead and building on that lead until a final score of 11-1 was achieved. Holding Medicine Men to only one run, Westrock's defense was unparalleled while their hitting was ferocious. It was a stampede that could not and would not stop until the ninth inning when Westrock scored their final seven runs.  

Accolades to an incredible pitching feat by Westrock starting pitcher Schmuel Loebenberg (MVP Championship Series). He was supported by Steve Romer at catcher, Dovid Singer at first base, Ric Weinstein at second base, Levy Rosenberg at short center, Jeremy Nussbaum at shortstop, Yossi Ritterman at third base, Mendy Feldman in left field, Shumy Reichmann in center field and Dovid Katz in right field.  

However, it's imperative that mention be made regarding the numerous Westrock players that helped Westrock qualify for both the playoffs and the championship round including Daniel Ballabon, Israel Dahan, Akiva Horowitz, Yosef Jungreis, Yehuda Litke, Gedalia LItke, Naftoli Reichmann, and Lazer Unger. They all contributed "BIG" to our season and our success.  

We want to congratulate Medicine Men, led in outstanding fashion by Jason Shatkin and Michael Chasen, on an outstanding regular season and an amazing championship round. You are a great team and some of the defense that you accomplished during the 2nd game of the championship was utterly amazing. You are very worthy opponents and we look forward to battling it out with you next year again when we start all over again. 

Westrock wishes the entire RJSL a heartfelt and meaningful shana tova and may all of you be written in the book of life for now and until 120

In game 1 of the RJSL championships, it was a sloppy mess characterized by errors and walks and Westrock walked away with a fairly easy victory. Todays game would be anything but…… 

Medicine took the lead early by Shalom Schwartz taking the first pitch into the left CF gap for a triple, and Jeff Astor hitting a sac fly to RF, brining Schwartz  home.  Westrock had a chance to tie it in the bottom of the second, with first and second and one out.  With a Westrock runner  on second….. the pesky Shmuel Lowenberg up.  Lowenberg hit it hard down the first base line, but right into the glove of Jason Shatkin, who tagged first base.  The Westrock runner kept going trying to score from second base…..Shatkin fired home to Avi Schwebel, who applied the tag for the 3rd out of the inning.  

In the bottom of the second Meir Stimmel reached on an error with two outs.  Yanni Serfati singled, followed by a single by Avi Schwebel and the docs would now be up 2-0.  They would add another in the top of the 6th again with two outs, Moe Hans singled followed by consecutive singles by Mike Chasen and Dovid Eisenberger, making it 3 runs and that is all the runs Vic Fein would have to work with.   

Westrock would never be counted out however as their powerful middle of the lineup consisting of Jeremy Nussbaum and Levi Rosenberg combined for some strong hitting scoring Nussbaum in the bottom of the Sixth.  The score would be 3-1 and it would stay that way, but not without drama.   

In the last inning, after the amazing Meir Stimmel made 2 amazing diving plays for two consecutive outs and it looked like the docs might take this one easily.  Only a fool would think so.  Yossi Ritterman smacked a single followed Shmuel Lowenberg hitting a ball up the middle for a single, making it first and second.  After Steve Romer walked loading the bases, putting the tying run on second base,  and the winning run on first for the game one hero Mendy Feldman.  The docs were sweating more than a surgeon after 8 hours in the Operating Room.….. Feldman worked a deep count…. Pitcher Vic Fein going on heart and fumes alone….served one up to Feldman…… a gentle pop up to first and the game was over.   

Insane plays in the field by Moe Hans and Meir Stimmel made this victory possible tonight.  All around solid fielding by the docs who as tight as Costco's parking lot,  a day before Yomtov…...  

It is safe to say these two teams….Westrock and Medicine have been nothing short of a tremendous rivalry these last 3 years.  In 2011, Medicine won the championships in 3 games, and in 2012 Westrock won the championships sweeping Medicine.  It should be fitting that these two very evenly matched teams will come down to game 3 in dramatic fashion.  Years ago there was a team called Sterling Empire that dominated the RJSL and was the team of the decade winning consecutive championships between 2005-2007.  Westrock took over the dominance winning in 2008, 2010 2012 and threatening for another in 2013……..  No matter the outcome…. this is a tremendous team and a amazing managing job by Steve Romer.  This team led by Jeremy Nussbaum, Levi Rosenberg, Ritterman, Singer, Reichman…and other killers….… plays smart, with a mix of athleticism and power. Shmuel Lowenberg has for years been a most wonderful pitcher, hitting his spots, and almost never walking players.  This team doesn't make mistakes and they take advantage of mistakes by the other team. 

On the other side of the dugout is Mike Chasen and team Medicine……...….who, after dominating in 2011, slipped slightly in 2012 but still lost in the finals to Westrock.  This season 2013 the docs have returned to eminence easily taking first place, and is now one game way from joining the Hall of fame as a dominant team of the decade…..Led by Moe Hans, Shalom Schwartz, Chasen, the addition of the very dangerous Dovid Eisenberger, and Meir Stimmel at SS making plays that make us all gaze in admiration.  With Vic Fein or Mordy Rudman on the hill this team will give Westrock and every team in the RJSL a run for their money…….  

Come one come all…... Game 3……. Winner take all….. 

The entire season narrowed down into 9 more innings……. 

This is the way its supposed to be……. 

YEA!!!!!!!……..

After a grueling  yet successful second round between Medicine Men over Major Energy, Medicine Men again faced off against Westrock in the first game of the championship round. Although Westrock  drew first blood scoring one run at the top of the first-inning, Medicine Men  came back strong scoring two runs in both the second and third innings.  By the fourth inning, Westrock began  their onslaught with Mendy Feldman hitting a bases-loaded triple  over the right fielders head and  Dovid Katz  smashing a two run homer in the gap between center and right fields. By games end,  Westrock outmaneuvered  the docs 8-5. 

 Accolades are extended to Westrock  players Shmuel Loebenberg as pitcher, Steve Romer at catcher, David Singer at first base, Rick Weinstein at second base, Levy Rosenberg at Short Ctr., Jeremy Nussbaum at shortstop, Yossi Ritterman at shortstop, Mendy Feldman   in left field, Shumy Reichmann in centerfield, Dovid Katz in right field and Naftali Reichmann as DH.  

Oh my what a game…… In game 3 of what has been the best games RJSL has seen in years…....  Rabbi Rudman and Yitz Greenbaum faced each other.  After 2 tremendous games that were as emotionally draining as a medicare audit, this game would prove to have the  emotional drainage 5 times greater…. Neither team would want to lose, and it seemed unfair that one would have to.  Only the fair and merciless game of baseball would be so cruel to one team…... 

It didn't start out that way.   The big bats from major energy led off the top of the first, by Noam Block smacking a single up the middle.  Michoel Nagel followed with a single, and Elchonon Tannenbaum roped a double, followed by a double by Dov Glickman and just like that, Major Energy took a  3-0 lead in the top of the first.  With the docs bats being as quiet as an empty exam room, and Yitz Greenbaum pitching like a Cy Young award winner, it looked bleak for the docs indeed.  Shalom Schwartz led off the top of the first with a single, followed by Jeff Astor hitting a ball up the middle for a single, and suddenly the docs had life.  With Moe Hans up the docs were excited, but  Michoel Nagel  made an outstanding 6-4-3 double play. While the run scored, Medicine had 2 outs.  The inning would end with only 1 run scored……The game would stay that way, except for Major energy putting another run across to make it 4-1 in the top of the 6th inning.  Dov Glickman hit a double, followed by a fielders choice by Ben Friedman, and Major Energy added an additional run, which in tonights game, with every run being hard to come by, even the most ardent believers felt 3 runs was insurmountable tonight…... 

Moe Hans led off the bottom of the seventh with a fly out, followed by Mike Chasen flying out.  Captain Avi Katz was getting the champagne ready…..Dovid Eisenberger came to the plate as the docs last out.  Even the onest of Obama care could not upset the docs more than they were in that last moment.  Dovid hit a ground ball  in between first and second…..   Avi Orlansky   made a diving stop, and came up firing, but Dovid, bad quads and all…..running on heart alone….. legged out a single and the docs had life.  Jason Shatkin singled to follow and it was first and second.  Yanni Serfati followed with a single, loading the bases.  Meir Stimmel came up and tried to work a deep count, but would be facing 2 strikes.  Meir took a pitch into right center field, scoring 2 and making it first and second.  Lev Krupman came to the plate, and it would be the first time, but not the last time tonight Lev would prove to be a hero, taking a pitch into right center field scoring a run, tying the game……. 

And the turmoil continued…… 

It would stay this way, for the 8th and 9th inning.  In the top of the 10th Yitz Greenbaum with one out,  legged out an infield single.  Noam Block followed with a single and Greenbaum  was 60 feet away from taking the lead.  Michoel Nagle hit a fly ball down the  Left field line….., and most everyone thought Moe Hans would catch the ball allowing Greenbaum to tag up and score…but in a move that was as much a gamble as it was brilliant,  Hans let the ball drop in foul territory. Nagel would pop up to third making the second out.  The docs were hardly out of the woods yet, as MVP Tannenbaum came up, and we was electively walked loading the bases for the also very dangerous Dov Glickman…..   The ball took off of Glickmans bat faster than a speeding  bullet, and any who saw the ball leave the bat thought this would result in at least 2 runs…..The ball ricochet off the Rabbis shoulder and towards home plate, where the cerebral Rabbi tossed the ball to Catcher Yanni Serfati for the 3rd out….. 

and to the bottom of the tenth we would go……… 

Meir Stimmel led off with a fly ball to right field, where the aching Elchonon Tannenbaum with a pulled hamstring and all ran to get that ball with the heart of a lion…catching up to it, only a split second too late, and Stimmel was on first…… Then came the dangerous Lev Krupman…….. 

BANG!!!!!! 

The ball sailed deep into the beautiful dark august night….as high as a kite and as deep as the moon…….The ball carried and flew….and would ultimately drop just short of the left field fence…..The speedy Meir Stimmel was already around third base  when the left fielder picked up the ball…..and came home to an elated Medicine Men team, who caught both Meir and Lev with embraces and glee….while  the hearts of Major Energy…....strong and powerful…. were broken for the last time in 2013.  

Congratulations to Avi Katz, Yitz Greenbaum and the whole Major Energy team….. A tremendous team that played like champions and was as good as any team in the league this post season…… In a series where one team wins and loses, nobody could say you deserved to any fate other than winning….. 

Congratulations to Jason Shatkin, Michael Chasen and whole Medicine team….who for the third year in a row…….. will take on Steve Romer and West Rock for the championship round….  Come one…..come all…….Tuesday night as these two amazing teams…….the best in the whole RJSL meet for a final time in the championships……... 

As the immortal Jason Shatkin will continue to say….."This is just the most fun a person can have with their clothes on……….."

WOW!!!! One word describes tonight's game between Major Energy and Medicine Men - "AMAZING". In the conclusion to game 2 of this semi-finals series it was a battle of the fittest as these 2 hungry teams gave it their all; Medicine trying to close out the series and head  back to the Championship round, and Major Energy desperately trying to stay alive and scratch out a win to force a game 3. 

After playing 6 innings on Monday night to a 1 - 1 tie, it was nail biting time as it was 1 inning at a time until someone could somehow win this epic battle. But that wouldn't be that simple tonight as Vic Fein (for MM) and Yitzy Greenbaum (for ME) picked up right where they left off on Monday and kept putting up zeroes, inning after inning. And the fielding behind both of these guys was truly something to behold especially (for MM) Ari Shatkin at 3rd, where he scooped everything to the left side, and the Marcus father and son tandem (for ME) where it seemed that every ball hit by Medicine was right at a Marcus, whether it was Izzy at short, or Noach scooping at 1st, or making a great play at 2nd for a double play. 

A big shout out must go to Elchonon Tenembaum and Avi Orlansky (of ME) for playing through major hamstring issues that left them barely able to walk, never mind run, but they roughed it out to not only stay in the game, but make some nifty plays in the field as well. 

This game seemed like it might never end as the clock kept getting later, and the pitchers continued to mow through the lineups. Finally, in the bottom of the 11th, Izzy Marcus led off by scratching out a walk. After advancing to 2nd, up came the gimpy Avi Orlansky with visions of Kirk Gibson dancing in his head. Avi managed to finally get through against Vic with a solid line drive to Left Field, and with Izzy taking off with the crack of the bat, it didn't matter that he tripped a bit rounding 3rd, he was able to recover enough to slide into home just ahead of the throw for a 2 -1 Energy victory. 

This 2 teams will now have to go at it 1 more time to decide who will get the chance to dethrone the resting Westrock team. 

In the words of the famous Dr. Shatkin, " Honestly….. the "one inning" was so emotionally exhausting I don't know if I have 7 innings left tonight". 

Cant wait to see what these 2 competitive teams have in store for us next!!!

In a game tonight equally packed with suspense, drama and thrilling plays, Westrock swept the second round of the playoff series against Bubbas. At the top of the first inning, Bubbas engineered a string of hits and sacrifice flies to bring in one run. However, as in game one played last Sunday night, Bubbas failed to maneuver another run across home plate, effectively shut down by Westrock pitcher Schuel Loebenberg.  

Both teams played great defense, but Westrock rallied more effectively, crossing home plate three times to win the game 3 to 1.

In game 1 of what is a rematch of last years semi finals, Yitz Greenbaum and Rabbi Rudman squared off in what was sure not to disappoint.  After a 1-2-3 first inning, the docs got on board with leadoff hitter Shalom Schwartz blasting a ball into the deep twilight sky.  Nobody was stopping Shalom as he rounded third, and even his future children feared a collision at home.  The throw was slightly off and the docs were up 1-0, just like that.  After Ari Shatkin walked, and Moe Hans singled,  Shatkin stole third, and came home on a sacrifice fly (by his dad).  Welcome home to Jeff Astor who proceeded to single home Hans, and team Medicine was up 3-0.  Greenbaum beard down and the Docs were to not get past second base, for the rest of the game.   

Rabbi Rudman was also outstanding shutting down Major Energy, keeping the former MVP and current MVP Block and Tannenbaum respectively, off the bases, but Rudman was helped by an outstanding field.  Great plays by Meir Stimmel and Howie Falkenstein turning several double plays in key spots.  It would go into the top of the 7th, when Yitz Greenbaum led off with a single.  The dangerous Noam Block followed with ground ball to second baseman Falkenstein, and Block  was out by a hair.  After a groundout brought Major Energy down to their final out...MVP Elchanon Tannenbaum followed with a blast to the fence and was not going to be caught.  Fortunately Jeff Astor and Mike Chasen were playing back there holding the speedy Tannenbaum to a triple.  Tannenbaum scored on a base hit by Izzy Marcus who was 2 for 3 tonight, bringing the game to 3-2 and putting the tying run on base.  Most everyone was sweating, but not the cool Rabbi Rudman, who, never gave in and was helped by Meir Stimmel going into the hole and firing a strike to end the game, putting the docs up 1-0 in this best of three series.  These two teams square off again, as Team Medicine tries to reach the championships for the 3rd year in a row, while Major Energy tries to force a game 3.   

Congratulations to Mike Chasen on winning manager of the year award for the second time in 3 years.  Congratulations to Elchanon Tannenbaum on winning MVP  The RJSL is blessed to have these tremendous athletes part of our league for years, and hopefully many years to come. 

The blow-outs are over. In the playoffs, good pitching and solid defense always wins out over strong hitters. That's what was seen last night. Both teams had solid pitching and solid defense. Westrock, though was able to get the more timely hits, playing small ball and walked away with the win, 3-1. (Special call out to Yitzy Wainhouse for his two leaping catches at short to steal two hits away from Westrock)

we are down to the final four
on paper these are the top four teams it should make it for a real great and fun series
we start off with the amazing black shirts first place meds they look like the magic men out their looking to get back to the world series after next week vacation they will need to play top ball on defense and the older and wiser pitching combo of vic and rabbi will need to quite down the green power and speed of the major bats of the power team, while the major energy team will bring power pitching from mr. greenbaum and power hitting starts and speedsters this will be a real tough job for medicine to keep them quite and steal this series it should be great and fun to watch

in the night cap we have the up and coming bubba's bagel boys the have some good hitting and speed with short stop yitzy and pitching from laz the champs have their work cut out for them  this bagel boys are young and hungry and look like they are ready to join the elite in the league while the champs we still need to respect them if all the pieces show they are still almost unbeatable with loenberg pitching and rittermna and jermey (keeps on talking) on the left of the infield good luck to try to get a hit their and in the out filed with richman, stern this should be another great match up the young vs the old

lets play ball come all out to watch the games and awards presentation year MVP and manager of the year

The deciding game in this amazing series started out the same way all the other games did, with Wesley Eye jumping out to an early lead. With Major Energy playing very un-Energy like in the top of the first, making several errors, Wesley Eye was able to take advantage and jump out to a 4 - 0 lead. After adding another run in the 3rd, and with Naftali Solomon pitching a perfect game heading to the 4th, thing weren't looking good for the Energy Men.  

But then, as happened in the previous game, Major Energy awoke and finally were able to put together a BIG string of hits against Solomon highlighted by a booming base hit by Izzy Marcus with runners on 2nd and 3rd, and when the smoke finally settled in the 4th, after a Sac Fly by Yaakov Bodner, Energy had stormed all the way back and taken a 6 - 5 lead.  

And just to show they weren't done, Major Energy came back in the 5th and scored 3 more, powered by back to back triples by Michoel Nagel and Elchonon Tenembaum.  

Then it was the Energy pitching and Defense that put the clamps on Wesley Eye and didn't allow them to threaten again, especially Noam Block in Center Field making highlight catch after highlight catch all night long.  

On a beautiful evening for baseball it was game 2 of this amazing series where it was do or die for Major Energy, while Wesley Eye was looking to complete the upset and advance.  

Wesley Eye came out of the gate on fire with Naftali Solomon leading the way on the mound and at bat, knocking in 2 early first inning runs for a 2 - 0 Wesley lead. But the Energy Men turned up the intensity after that by totally shutting down Wesley's lineup with amazing pitching by Yitzy Greenbaum and awesome fielding by Elchonon Tenembaum at 3rd base and Noam Block in Center Field.  

But the Energy offense couldn't get anything going all night against Solomon as all they could muster through the first 6 innings was a weak sacrifice RBI by Captain Avi. It wasn't looking very promising for Major Energy heading to the last inning trailing 2 - 1.  

And that's when things got interesting. Ben Freidman led off the 7th with a booming triple into the right/center gap. That was followed by a sacrifice fly that tied the game at 2, and that's the way it stood after 7 innings.  

In the top of the 8th, with 1 out and runners on 2nd and 3rd and Tenembaum up, Wesley Eye decided to walk Elchonon to load the bases and take their chances with Dov Glickman. On a controversial infield play, Wesley was only able to get the lead runner at 2nd while 2 runners scored giving Major Energy a 4 - 2 lead. Greenbaum was able to make quick work of the Eye Guys in the bottom of the 8th and this series is now heading to a deciding game 3.

With camp visitation day impacting both round 1 teams, Jeremy Nussbaum stepped in for Schmuel Loebenberg and pitched a shut-out game against the campers. Enlisting a similar roster to last year's championship pursuits, Westrock won a decisive victory against Merockdim to advance to round 2 of the playoffs. With Nussbaum as pitcher, Romer as catcher, singer at 1B, Weinstein at 2B, Yehuda Litke at SC, Ritterman at SS, Rosenberg at 3B, Feldman at LF, Reichmann at CF and Katz in RF, Westrock played exception defense and continued to drive the ball to all fields.  

We'll it was a dog fight tonight at the park. JB took the mound for the Energizers looking a bit off his game to start but was able to keep Wesley Eye in check in the 1st. Salomon came out firing on all cylinders with a 1-2-3 1st. In the top the 2nd A Cohen led off the inning with a line drive base hit. JB got the next two batters. Mause drew a walk. Runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 out when S Mintz stepped to the plate and connected with a 2 out opposite field triple. Wesley took a 2-0 lead and that was all Salomon the GREAT needed. Wesley added another run in the 3rd when the grizzle veteran, Tzviki Gottesman (Mr. Wesley Eye himself) had a straight up steal of 3B with 2 outs - putting him in position to score. And score he did when C. Raice hit a single. Salomon was making it look easy behind a stellar defense. Most notable were second baseman Shea Rosenfeld, looking like his son Dovid out there, and first baseman Shalom Mintz. They allowed Wesley to keep those lefties in check. It got a little ugly for the Eye guys in the 6th allowing 1 unearned run and allowing the Energizers to load the bases on errors before getting out of the jam and leaving the runners stranded. Solid game played by all. Final score Wesley 3-1.  

Thursday nights going to be another dog fight as Yitz Greenbaum will take the mound for the Energizers. Are the Eye guys up for the challenge?  We will soon find out..................CAN'T WAIT!   

In a test of sheer will, both Westrock and the campers faced off, putting everything on the line...and then some. With Westrock as the home team,
Merockdim took advantage of the blinding sunlight which incapacitated the entire Westrock defense.
By the time Westrock came to bat, the campers had scored five runs and appeared to put a damper on the appraisers spirits.

But Jeremy Nussbaum strongly help matters in the bottom of the 1st inning with a two run home run which immediately narrowed the gap 5 to 2.
Merockdim, however, came right back and scored 2 more runs of their own, maintaining their five-run lead.

At the bottom of the second inning, Westrock rallied again bringing in four runs, helped by a three run home run by Mendy Feldman.
After shutting the campers down for the next two innings, Westrock scored another five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, due in large part to a three run home run by Levy Rosenberg.

Although the campers would score one more time in the top of the fifth inning,
Westrock would score 2 more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, maintaining a five-run lead that the campers could not eclipse.
Westrock pitcher Loebenberg pitched a very strong game, adjusting very quickly to a difficult first two innings,
and then virtually shut down the campers for the last five innings of the game. Strong accolades are extended to
Westrock's all star players including Jeremy Nussbaum who played first base, Rick Weinstein at second base,
Dovid Singer at short center,Yossi Ritterman at shortstop, Levy Rosenberg at third base, Shmuel Loebenberg at pitcher, Steve Romer at catcher, Mindy Feldman in left field,
Shumy Reichman in centerfield, and Dovid Katz in left field.

Both these teams face off again Sunday night at 8 o'clock. An intense battle to the finish is anticipated.
 

It either was a slow day of programming on TV or it was the excitement of an RJSL play-in baseball game
as people who you would hope would normally not just show up to watch a softball game showed up at the park tonight.

The more talented Merockdim team showed up with most of their stars and played an (almost)
error-free game to breeze by Respond 5-1. Kirschner hit some really long foul balls, Rothman
smacked some pretty long fair balls, Ali hit a ground ball and Zagelbaum stretched out a couple of singles to lead the attack.

The real star of the game was the Campers defense with Roseman playing a clutch 3B, and the speedy gold glove trio of Robinson,
Warum and Rothman controlling the OF making the game quite manageable for pitcher Sobel.
Kudos to Respond their pitcher Peikes and their future star Chaimovitz at SS who made a WebGem nominee
with a Jeter-esque stop in the hole, jump throw to 1B to beat a chugging/gasping Captain Red (who coincidentally somewhy wears #2).
Merockdim now looks forward to a 3-game series with Romer and the men with the yellow hats.
Let's see if Merockdim can go double Chai for the week after dispersing with LC on Sunday.