FootJoy Blog

In what has become an annual tradition, the FootJoy Customer Service and Marketing squad took to the softball field to battle their counterparts from Titleist, and, in what has also become an annual tradition, FJ celebrated a decisive victory….

Our friends from Titleist fielded an impressive squad, led by team captain Steve Shorrock. Jordan Crandall was formidable on the hill, although there’s an investigation underway as to the whereabouts of his shirt sleeves, and his defense was able to keep the game within reach for a while. Blythe Crane, Erin Weimer and Anthony Gabriel on the right side, and especially Andy Trempe and John O’Brien on the left side, had their backs to the plate most of the game as they chased down the majestic shots off the FJ bats. They made several terrific plays throughout the game, but FootJoy presented a relentless, balanced lineup of right-handed and left-handed batters that just littered the outfield from chalk line to chalk line. Erin actually turned in the catch of the game in the fourth inning when she caught, bobbled and held on to a line drive destined for extra bases. Bachir Kouta at third and Shorrock at shortstop also turned some nice plays on hits that didn’t find the outfield, and Kim Kaye, Colleen Walsh and Joel Hounchell made key plays in the field and at the dish to keep the game close. Catcher Gaylord Fridley had a rocky outing and was sent to the west coast AAA team after the game for a case of Pinnacle Gold FX Soft golf balls.

FootJoy was not to be denied this year, however. Pitcher Justin Silvia and catcher Mike Foley (wearing FJ Golf Athletics, style #56755) formed a terrific battery, keeping hitters off-balance with pitches high and off the plate most of the night. Justin even helped his own cause with an inside-the-park homerun in the second inning. Some say he was helped by three errors on the play, but I say it’s a HR on the score sheet. Unfortunately, that may have been the sports highlight of the year for the tortured Cleveland Browns fanatic.

The infield behind Silvia was stellar all night, turning multiple double plays thanks to the quick hands of Jason Connors and Rob Kelley on the left side, quick feet of Paul O’Reilly at second, and nimble hamstrings of Peter Pateline at first. If you’ve never seen a 6′5″ guy do a complete split in a slow pitch softball game, check the schedule for Peter’s next performance. Truly something that has to be seen to be believed.

FJ’s defense kept the Titleist squad to just three runs through four innings while the offense went to work early and often. The FootJoy lineup was stacked and produced a hit parade with something for every softball purist… timely hitting and aggressive baserunning at the top (team captain Chris Kerr, Silvia, Chris Garrett), power in the middle (Kelley, Connors, Derek Roach, Pateline, Foley) and efficient table-setters (Paul O’Reilly, Whitney Trimble) at the bottom to keep things moving.

The Titleist team narrowed the score to 10-7 after seven, but the FootJoy laser show was just too bright on this night as Roach (deep shot, opposite field, through the “David Ortiz” shift) and Kerr (blooper followed by a comedy of errors) hit homeruns of different dimensions and the FJ crew tacked on one in the eighth and five more in the ninth. Titleist rallied again with two in the bottom of the ninth but were out of time, outs and daylight when Blythe was gunned down at home to squash the rally.  Final tally…FootJoy 16, Titleist 9.

Stay tuned next month when the two teams hit the links to battle for the coveted Tradition Cup.

Team Rosters:

FOOTJOY
P Justin Silvia
C Mike Foley
1B Peter Pateline
2B Paul O’Reilly
SS Rob Kelley
3B Jason Connors
LF Derek Roach
LC Chris Garrett
RC Chris Kerr
RF Whitney Trimble

TITLEIST
P - Jordan Crandall
C - Gaylord Fridley
1B - Joel Hounchell
2B - Colleen Walsh
SS - Steve Shorrock
3B - Bachir Kouta
LF - Andy Trempe
LC - John O’Brien
RC - Anthony Gabriel
RF - Blythe Crane
Reserve - Erin Weimer

Reserve - Kim Kaye