Spiders on the Web: Record & Highlights

The spectacular plays, the postgame pizza consumption, the generally odd but well-meaning behavior — it’s all here.

Spiders on
the Web

Exhibition Game: IDC 21, CXO 7

Highlights:

Unable to field a full team, IDC corrals a battalion of Swamp Rats to fill out its roster (including a dude with a “666” on the back of his jersey who dares call himself “Spider”), hence the Exhibition Game status.
Brev Drive starts us off strong by walloping a two-run homer in the first to give the Spiders an early lead.
Jarina takes one for the team by putting her ear in harm’s way and sustaining the team’s highly impressive injury-to-game ratio.
Lisa and Hopper get in on the action by taking a few swings — on the nearby swing set.
IDG Netherlands visitor Sander, spending the summer in OPG land, gets his first taste of Bud Light and, horrified, immediately races to catch the next plane home to Holland.

Game 9: CXO 13, Network World 11

Highlights:

After a slow offensive start, the Spiders break loose for eight runs in the fifth inning to take the lead.
The opposition is clearly intimidated as the Supah Fans lead the team in a Wave on the sideline.
Trailing by a run with two outs in the seventh, the Spiders take the lead on Lenny’s clutch two-run triple. Brev knocks him home for a little cushion.
The team consumes 4 gallons of beer, and emits 11 gallons of sweat. Yeah, it was like that.

Game 10: Swamp Rats 10, CXO 2

Highlights:

Val Gal is the defensive star of the game, somehow coming up with the catch on the pitcher’s mound when a Rat hitter rips a line drive up the middle. She bruised her arm — adhering to the ’08 theme — but the ball was snared in the glove.
Trying to fire up the offense in the unofficial eighth inning, co-coach Joltin’ Joe vows to pay for postgame pizza and beer if the Spiders can come up with three runs. Now we know how to motivate the troops: No fewer than three runs crossed the plate.
Lynnie joins the bruise parade when she takes a throw off the chin. Dave, having delivered that throw, fears for his life as he recalls the time Lynn pelted his noggin with a pepper in the summer of ’07.
Instead, it’s James Brev who sustains a series of injuries when Lynn launches her notorious flying pepper attack at Pepperoncini’s. At last report, Brev was listed in stable condition at MetroWest Medical Center.

Game 11: CXO 11, Computerworld 10

Highlights:

Hands-down the top highlight: James Barnett rocks a two-run homer with two outs in the seventh to win it. The Spiders trailed by two entering the final frame, but pushed three runs across in a dramatic comeback.
In total, 26 players and Supah Fans arrive at the parking lot, but 16 collapse during the 22-mile walk from the lot to the field. Thankfully we had just enough left to play a game.
Danielle, fresh from performing The Tater Shuffle on the field, is named the Bartles & Jaymes 11th Player Award winner for 2008. Lenny, having played hard and yelled hard all year, earns the Zima Excellence Award for the second half of ’08.
James Brev, barely having recovered from the previous week’s flying-pepper attack, nearly dies from an alarming overdose of crushed pepper. Police suspect that foul play may have been involved.

Game 12: CXO 15, Network World 9

Highlights:

An actual professional grounds crew tidies up the field just before game time. The start time is delayed when overwhelmed players drop to their knees and break down in tears at the sight of the neatly groomed terrain.
Trailing early, the Spiders explode for a nine-run inning in the fourth to take the lead for good.
With our Supah Fan co-captains out of the lineup, Bansi and Ashley step up and fill in admirably. Not even a vintage blueberry beer that had resided in our cooler since the early 1990s could slow Bansi down.
James Barnett, the previous week’s hero, makes the defensive play of the game with a sliding catch in center field.