Lessoned Learned
 

Yep, got straightened out in the championship game of what is supposed to be a fun one-pitch tournament. Unfortunately, teams think it is fun until they enter the playoffs and then you would think we are playing for a world championship. Teams go to the point of bringing in ringers from A & B teams that aren't in OKC this weekend, usually pitchers, just to win. And what is it they win? A t-shirt and team trophy! Hell, 2nd place is a case of beer. You would think there was serious money on the table.

Started the game talking to one of the ringers about his illegal pitching (No contact with the PP, stepping with what is supposed to be his pivot foot, etc.). His argument was that the PP wasn't flush with the ground and that we weren't in OKC. I guess that was supposed to impress me.

Nonetheless, the pitcher for the other team has a habit of pitching from behind the PP. Not a couple inches, but a couple feet. So, with a runner on 1B, the BU at 1st calls an IP when this pitcher does this. The pitch was hit cleanly to center for at least a single, but when the BR reaches 1B he stops because R1 was still standing on the base and gets forced @ 2B. His argument? The umpire said "illegal pitch".

Of course, the world is now coming to an end as half the dugout in this "friendly fall one-pitch tournament" starts screaming and hollering. Well, I don't have to ask what the call was, I know and find my new best buddy, the ringer as if he has the experience of which he claims, he will understand the call and ruling. I tell him the IP was for the pitcher throwing from behind and not in contact with the PP. It is an IP which is a DDB. He agrees, but didn't think the BU could call an IP. I told him that is the only umpire who would be able to see if with a runner on 1st. Then I noted that anytime a batter hits an IP, the IP is ignored/cancelled and he agreed. He turned around and told the team to shut up, the call was right and get back in the dugout. That is when I hear, "you guys don't know the rules. Never heard of a delay dead ball; it isn't even in the rule book!"

Well, let me tell you, that set me straight. I came home and ripped out page 118 of every ASA rule book I have since I obviously no longer need RS #14.;)

That team went on the win the t-shirts and trophy. Maybe I should have included a couple rule books in the prize package. Hey, that isn't a bad idea!

You mean to tell me you didn't know?
 

Of course the players know the rules better than we do...what's wrong with you?

1st = T-shirt and Team trophy?:confused:
2nd = Case of Beer??:confused:

I'll take second place..!

Oh wait, what kind of beer....

Impressive... It only took 2 replies to divulge into a beer thread.

It's a new forum record! :D

Well
 

Free and cold?

Is there any better?

Guess this is a SP thing???? Sure not in FP.

Yes, slow pitch. Swinging at an illegal pitch in slow pitch negates the illegal pitch.

Rita

Yeah, but I wouldn't mind a one-pitch tournament in FP as long as each team had decent pitchers.

I think it would be just as much an eye-opener in FP as it can be in SP.

Amen. Doesn't matter if it's LoneStar or PBR at that point. ;)

1 pitch fastpitch is fun... does anyone ever do 3-pitch tourneys anymore?

Yeah, it does, if you are planning on drinking it. :rolleyes:

We don't drink it, we just borrow it.

Free changes a lot of things...just ask Dave, he'll tell you! :D

If it's free, I can even work with the 'cold' requirement....

There's only one thing better than free cold beer!
 

And that is free cold Miller Lite!!!! I can live with Lone Star (I'm originally from San Antonio) and even PBR...just not my preference. After you've had 6 or 7 it really doesn't matter does it?

6 or 7, and I might have a slight buzz.

Talk to me when you hit double digits. :D



College (University of Wisconsin) trained me well.

Not for me. I have tried some of that swill when it was free. I just can't do it!

x2!!

Crap beer gives me a headache.

1) with PBR, Natural Lite, some others I have a headache
2) Wisconson??? Point Beer?

No. Sprecher and Leinenkugel's.

I've also had a taste of Spotted Cow from New Glarus, and I've also had some tasty beverages from Ale Asylum.

Craft breweries are on the rise!

The best thing you have ever said!!! :D

Yeah, not sure if that's a compliment... ;)

I don't know. "Most obvious" maybe, but remember, the term "craft brewery" developed out of those which produced and distributed too much product to be a microbrewery.

And just because it is from a craft brewer doesn't make it good.

True, but it's certainly better than the toilet water that Miller, Anheuser Busch, Coors and Pabst sell.

Yup, though I do get Mike's point. I mean, you have Coors and AB brewing "craft" beers today. However, better beer, even from the massive swill producers, is a trend I like to see.

Not always.... I've had some pretty crappy craft beer; I've had some really, really bad stuff that had an almost petroleum aftertaste - awful and nearly undrinkable (by me, anyway). Maybe it was skunked, (I dunno, I'm not sure what "skunked" beer tastes like), but it was awful.

The popular mass-market beers are bland, but they don't taste BAD; they just don't have much taste at all. JMO.

For example, I once had a smoked beer from the Purple Onion (Outter Banks, NC). Tasted like what I assume would be licking an ashtray.

I want a beer that tastes like BEER. Not strawberry, not cherry, not lime, not coffee, not lemon, not....well, you get the point.

I blame it on today's generation which has to have some type of gum flavor in everything, from their coffee to their beer, water to vodka.

Yeah. There's a craft brewer here in the Twin Cities that has an almost cult-like fanbase. I tried a 6-pack of their best known brew --- Surly Furious --- supposedly an ale in the American IPA style. I swear it should instead be called Omar's Hard Limonade. The citrus flavor dominated. I won't be buying any more of that stuff.

They (Surly) do, however, put out a seasonal called Bitter Brewer, an ale in the English Bitter style. Now, THAT stuff is good! Too bad it is seasonal.

Speaking of drinks being what they should be, what's with Appletini, Chocolatini, Strawberrytini, etc....

What, exactly, is it, that you think beer should taste like? Using different methods, ingredients, flavors is historically a part of brewing. If it weren't, there would be only one type of beer. No porters, stouts, pale ales, wheat beers, dortmunders, marzens, lagers, pilsners...etc. Belgian trappists have used fruit in their brewing for centuries (lambics.)

Smoking the malt to roast it has been around for a while, as well. I am sure that there are some really bad smoked beers, as there are really bad all types of beer. However, there are also some really good examples of the style. One of Alaskan Brewing's more successful offerings is a seasonal smoked porter. Tasty, but rich.

My point is diversity in brewing is an age old tradition, not some Johnny come lately scheme to play into the hands of wealthy metrosexual bar rats looking for the next big thing. Do some modern day brewers use tradition methods for that reason? No doubt. But all in all, diversity of flavor and style are long a part of the tradition, and one that I embrace.

Don't mind hoppy, but not overly hoppy. Should be clean. Even a good stout or porter will not leave an aftertaste. What it shouldn't taste like ditto fluid. Don't mind tart, but not something that is going to make you pucker. It should be smooth, not biting. It should not taste like hard liquor. If I wanted bourbon, I would buy bourbon. Any additional "flavoring" like chocolate or coffee, should just be a trace, not something that stands out beyond the beverage itself.

I smoke meats, nuts, fish, etc., but this tasted like someone threw a bucket of ashes in the vat. "Smoked" anything should be a flavoring to compliment the taste of the item, not the predominent taste.

I have no problem with people trying different things, but I have been to places where if I wanted a beer, there were no option than their brews and they all were made with a wine drinking crowd in mind.

Tell me how that works? How can you have an American India Pale Ale?

Why can't these folks just get over themselves.? There is no such thing as a true IPA in this century.

Okay, someone "found" an old IPA recipe, but that recipe was based on long-term process that no longer exists. So why not jsut call it whatever it is based on an IPA recipe. The folks who do this marketing probably do the FP/SP bat thing we constantly hear about from the players. :D

Well, I'm thirsty.

(source: Beer Styles - BeerAdvocate)

Personally, I prefer English Bitter style or American Pale Ale style rather than A-IPA, but I'd tried some Two Hearted Ale and it was quite good, so I thought I'd see what all the hub-bub was about with Surly. The choice of hops can give an ale a citrus flavor, but the Surly Furious was overpowering with the citrus, like they had actually added lime to the brew. But, then, the A-IPA is not my favorite style anyway.

Quote:

American IPA

This is my point. Why call it an IPA if it is not. The English IPA is more buyable since it was the English who brewed the IPA.

And I'm familiar with Dogfish since they are from this area and the sponsor brewer of a local entertainment venue. However, not all of their product is, to my taste, that palatable. Also, familiar with SN & Stone. Not bad, but not something I would go out of my way to get.

Reported. Wish me luck.

Well, why call the lead runner R1 instead of R# where #=the base the runner occupies? I didn't invent beer nomenclature any more than I invented softball nomenclature.

However, "ale" describes how it is brewed; "pale" means not dark; "American" means American hops. There are all kinds of ales, and tagging an ale as "India Pale" references the high hoppiness and pale color (pale compared with, say, Guinness) of the original... it is a style, not an exact formula.

For example, an American Pale Ale is less hoppy than an American India Pale Ale, which is in turn less hoppy than an American Double IPA (also called an Imperial IPA).

Anyway, of the beers I listed, I've only tried the Two Hearted... the examples of the style came from BeerAdvocate.com (where they have more examples listed, including the Surly Furious). I may try the Stone IPA sometime, since it is distributed here.

Because R1 is the first runner? 1 = first :cool:

[quote] I didn't invent beer nomenclature any more than I invented softball nomenclature.[/quo te]

Never said you did. I have been talking about people marketing a product

IPA = special :confused: sorta like Michelob Ultra which neither are.

I disagree with your "india" note. The I in IPA specifically indicated the destination, nothing else.

Actually, I keep very few notes on microbreweries I visit, though I haven't found many which I dislike and that is because real microbreweries are one-horse businesses that live and die with the product. Also, I have found very few microbreweries that do not have some really good food.

Hmmmmm.....think I'm going to dinner. :D

In the 19th century, sure. Now, it merely indicates a style.

And what type of series does the MLB play? :D

Best 4 out of 7? :D

Took you long enough! ;)

Hey, we were talking beer!

I agree, and longstanding "tradition" of mucking about with beer flavors notwithstanding, barley and hops should be the predominate flavor, otherwise, it is merely some kind of fruity flavored grain beverage. One of the top-rated fruit beers had this comment by a reviewer "Smells almost like fruity pebbles!"

No thanks.

Pebbles smelled fruity? I guess Bamm Bamm would know! :rolleyes:
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...VHMpZWcPOK1RGQ

All this arguing over IPAs, let me know when you get to porters or stouts. :cool:

Essentially, all beers are brewed the same way. Certainly, there are temperature differences and mash times will vary, but the process is the same.

"Ales" are fermented using Ale yeasts. These ferment between 50 - 65 deg F, typically. "Lagers" use Lager yeasts. These ferment between 45 - 58 deg F, and typically ferment for a longer period of time.

Ales may be moved from primary fermentation into a seconday vessel for a week or two. This allows additional sediment to drop to the bottom of the vessel, and the beer clears better. Or, instead, commercial brewers will filter the beer to remove and remaining particles. Ale yeasts are used for brewing ales, porters, stouts, Altbier, Kolsch, and wheat beers.

Lagers, once moved into a secondary vessel, may sit for a month or longer, and typically produce a very clear (no haze, or particles) beer. This part of the process is what makes a Pilsner so crisp and clean tasting. Examples using lager yeasts include Pilsners, Dortmunders, Marzen, Bocks, and American malt liquors.

Then, you proceed to describe how ales and lagers are brewed differently. Ummm... OK. ;)

Nope, they ferment at different temperatures, but the process is the same.

Crush the grains.
Mash the grains to convert starches to sugars.
Drain to collect the wort.
Sparge the grains to rinse as much of the sugars off the grains as possible.
Boil the wort; add hops at specified intervals.
Chill the wort.
Pitch the yeast.
Ferment.
Keg or bottle.
Carbonate.
Drink beer.

Brew day is about 6 hours. From Brew Day to Drinking day varies. Could be anywhere between 4 weeks and 6 months (or more). Ales are drinkable earlier than lagers, generally speaking.

Yes, all beer is "brewed", but ales are brewed with different yeasts, at different temperatures, with ... IOW, brewed differently. Jeez.

What happened to roasting the grains????

My favorite part of this post..."Drink beer."

That's the best takeaway.

I wasn't expecting to read the word WORT today. Or SPARGE for that matter.