Jimenez goes deep thrice as Ramblers roll

Michael Jimenez (right) is congratulated by teammates after smacking his third home run of the game in Sunday's 18-1 victory over Placid.

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Michael Jimenez became the first Key West Rambler to homer three times in one game as Key West routed Placid 18-1 on Sunday afternoon.

Jimenez connected on solo shots to left field in both the bottom of the first and in the bottom of the second. He then capped off his four-hit, six RBI game with a grand slam to deep left center in the sixth.

Tim Carty started the home run parade in the first with a long two-run blast to left field. Jimenez's home run immediately after marked the first back-to-back homer occurrence in Rambler history. Two batters later, catcher Matt Knabel crushed a two-run homer of his own to left center. Key West sent 12 hitters to the plate in an eight-run first inning.

The Ramblers (2-0) totaled 21 hits in the seven-inning, run-rule shortened affair. Six players collected multiple hits, including Jimenez (4-for-5), Dan Spain (4-for-5), Toby Decker (3-for-5), Knabel (3-for-5), Cory Davidson (2-for-5) and Jared Munson (2-for-5).

On the mound, Cole Boge went 4.1 innings to get the win in his first start of the season. Boge allowed one run (none earned) and struck out five while surrendering only two hits. Ethan Carlson pitched the final 2.2 innings in relief. He struck out four and gave up just a two-out walk in the sixth.

The Ramblers will play a second game today at 6 p.m. versus Dyersville at Jenk Field as part of the EIHL Tournament.

Tonight's tournament game re-scheduled for Sunday

Tonight's EIHL Tournament contest between Key West and Dyersville has been re-scheduled due to wet conditions at Jenk Field. The two teams will instead meet Sunday at 6 p.m. in a first round tournament match up at Dyersville.

Sunday's 1:30 p.m. Prairie League game versus Placid at Table Mound Field will be played as scheduled.

In Friday night's EIHL Tournament action, Cascade prevailed over Monticello and Dubuque defeated Rickardsville. The winner of Key West and Dyersville will advance to take on Cascade on May 20 at 7 p.m. Dubuque will draw the winner between Farley and Worthington.

EIHL Tournament Schedule

The Ramblers begin play in this year's Eastern Iowa Hawkeye League Tournament on Saturday at 6 p.m. versus Dyersville. Dyersville's Jenk Field will be the site for all tournament games.

Here is a look at the EIHL Tournament schedule:

May 13

Cascade vs. Monticello, 7 p.m.

Dubuque vs. Rickardsville, 7 p.m.

May 14

Key West vs. Dyersville, 6 p.m.

Farley vs. Worthington, 7:30 p.m.

May 20

Key West/Dyersville vs. Cascade/Monticello, 7 p.m.

Farley/Worthington vs. Dubuque/Rickardsville, 8:30 p.m.

May 21

Consolation, 6 p.m.

Championship, 7:30 p.m.

Ramblers cruise in season opener

Three Key West pitchers combined for 19 strikeouts in a seven-inning 15-0 victory over Bankston in the Ramblers' season opener at Table Mound Field on Sunday.

Key West starting pitcher Ryan Kelly threw four hitless innings, striking out 11 of the 13 batters he faced in picking up the win. Relievers Ethan Carlson and Sean O'Connor pitched the final three innings. Carlson struck out five and allowed just one hit in two innings of work, while O'Connor struck out all three hitters he faced.

At the plate, Dan Spain picked up where he left off last season with three hits in four at bats. Toby Decker and Tyler Sincock both went 2-for-4 with a double. The Ramblers tallied 11 hits, five walks and took five hit-by-pitches on the day.

Bankston got its only hit in the fifth inning when Andy Ross doubled to center field. Bankston hitters reached base just three times the entire afternoon.

The Ramblers (1-0) now look forward to a 6 p.m. contest on Saturday at Dyersville as part of the EIHL Tournament.

How the Ramblers are doing in college baseball

2011 statistics for Ramblers currently competing in college baseball:

-Cole Boge (Loras): 2.36 ERA, 2-3 W-L, 34.1 IP, 17 K, 37 H, 5 BB, 10 G

-Ben Cottrell (Loras): 2.30 ERA, 2-1 W-L, 31.1 IP, 21 K, 30 H, 8 BB, 9 G

-Cory Davidson (Clarke): .250 BA, 1 HR, 9 RBI, .339 OBP, .333 SLG, 3 2B, 31 GP

-Greg Farrey (Loras): 9.82 ERA, 0-0 W-L, 3.2 IP, 2 K, 6 H, 2 G

-Jared Munson (Clarke): .315 BA, 0 HR, 22 RBI, .393 OBP, .371 SLG, 6 2B, 16 SB, 38 GP

-Sean O'Connor (Clarke): 1.69 ERA, 4-2 W-L, 26.2 IP, 2o K, 17 H, 3 BB, 3 SV, 16 G

-Andrew Redman (Iowa Central): 1.57 ERA, 5-1 W-L, 46 IP, 45 K, 39 H, 15 BB, 8 G

-Roberto Rivero (Clarke): .343 BA, 0 HR, 25 RBI, .403 OBP, .396 SLG, 5 2B, 38 GP

2011 Key West Ramblers Schedule

Day Date Opponent - Time (Home/Away)

Sun. May 8 ^Bankston - (Home – Key West); W, 15-0

Sun. May 15 ^Placid - (Home – Key West); W, 18-1

Sun. May 15 #Dyersville - (EIHL Tournament @Dyersville); W, 8-0

Thu. May 19 *Monticello - (Away); W, 11-3

Fri. May 20 #Cascade - (EIHL Semifinals @Dyersville); W, 10-9

Sat. May 21 #Farley - (EIHL Championship @Dyersville); W, 7-1

Sun. May 22 ^Peosta - (Home - Key West); W, 10-7

Sat. May 28 #Dubuque - (@Bellevue Tournament); L, 1-2

Thu. June 2 ^Farley - (Away); W, 5-1

Tue. June 7 *Farley - (Home – Peosta); W, 4-3 (10 innings)

Fri. June 10 *Cascade - (Away); W, 6-3

Sat. June 11 #Dubuque - (@Farley Tournament); W, 3-2

Tue. June 14 #Bellevue - (@Farley Tournament - Quarterfinals); W, 6-1 (8 innings)

Fri. June 17 #Cascade - (@Farley Tournament - Semifinals); W, 6-4

Sat. June 18 #Epworth - (@Farley Tournament - Championship); W, 10-2

Sun. June 19 ^Epworth - (Away); L, 7-8

Tue. June 21 *Rickardsville - (Home – Peosta); L, 2-4

Sat. June 25 #Farley - (@Worthington Tournament); W, 5-0

Sun. June 26 ^Bankston - (Away); W, 16-1

Tue. June 28 *Dubuque - (Home – Peosta); W, 4-3 (12 innings)

Wed. June 29 #Bellevue - (@Worthington Tournament - Quarterfinals); L, 2-3 (8 innings)

Sat. July 2 ^Farley - (Home – Key West); L, 7-10

Sun. July 3 ^Balltown - (Away); W, 8-7

Wed. July 6 *Dyersville - (Away); W, 4-3 (8 innings)

Fri. July 8 #Dubuque - (@Rickardsville Tournament); L, 1-5

Sun. July 10 ^Zwingle - (Away); W, 11-9

Wed. July 13 ^East Dubuque - (Away); W, 3-2

Thu. July 14 *Farley - (Away); W, 2-1

Sun. July 17 ^Balltown - (Home – Key West); W, 6-5

Tue. July 19 *Worthington - (Home – Peosta); W, 5-4

Mon. July 25 #Bellevue - (@Cascade Tournament); L, 1-5

Tue. July 26 *Monticello - (Home - Peosta); W, 11-1 (7 innings)

Sun. July 31 ^Placid - (Home - Key West); W, 10-3

Tue. Aug. 2 *Cascade - (Home – Peosta); L, 4-7

Wed. Aug. 3 *Dyersville - (Home - Peosta); W, 4-1

Fri. Aug. 5 *Rickardsville - (Away); W, 7-4

Sun. Aug. 7 #Farley - (@Dyersville Tournament); W, 4-1

Wed. Aug. 10 #Dubuque - (@Dyersville Tournament - quarterfinals); L, 2-9

Thu. Aug. 11 *Worthington - (Away); W, 7-4

Sat. Aug. 13 ^Bernard - (Home - Key West); L, 2-15

Sun. Aug. 14 #Cascade - (EIHL Playoff Semifinals @Petrakis Park); W, 3-1

Sun. Aug. 14 #Dubuque - (EIHL Championship @Petrakis Park); L, 2-3

Wed. Aug. 17 ^Bellevue - (Away); L, 5-6

Sat. Aug. 20 #Dubuque - (@Peosta Tournament); L, 0-1

Wed. Aug. 24 #Epworth - (Prairie League Semifinals @Farley); W, 2-1

Fri. Aug. 26 #Farley - (Prairie League Championship @Farley); W, 6-5

*Eastern Iowa Hawkeye League game

^Prairie League game

#Tournament game

--All dates and times are subject to change. Any alterations to the schedule will be noted on this blog.

One year later, we remember

NOTE: On this date, one year ago, Reading Pollitt died at the age of 76. Reading meant so much to the people that knew him, and his support of Key West baseball will not be forgotten. The following article was published in the Ramblers' 2010 program.

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Last Dec. 13, the Key West Ramblers mourned the loss of one of the team’s most faithful supporters. For the Carty’s, the unexpected occurrence meant so much more.

Reading Pollitt, the father of coach Paul Carty’s wife Joanne and the grandfather of Tim Carty, died almost a week following surgery to replace his shoulder. 36 hours after the procedure ended, Pollitt threw a blood clot, resulting in him going into cardiac arrest. After enduring significant brain damage and five days on life support, he died at the age of 76.

To Joanne Carty, his death struck harshly and suddenly. Her already tight relationship with her father had strengthened even more in recent years.

“We were always extremely close,” Joanne said. “My mother died four-and-a-half years ago, and we became even closer. He’d come to dinner almost every night at our house. We went to sporting events together. We did everything together.”

One of the ways Joanne bonded with her father was through the game of baseball. Since moving from New Jersey about six years ago, where he had lived the majority of his life prior, Pollitt displayed his passion for baseball by religiously attending his grandson’s baseball games. He often yelled out his favorite quotation “Take two and hit to right,” (meaning either take two strikes and try to hit the ball to right or take two aggressive cuts and then try to hit the ball to right).

Tim Carty fondly remembers hearing his grandpa’s voice frequently shouting encouragement. Pollitt cared so much that he was not afraid to tell the umpires what he thought or scold Tim when he made a mistake. More than anything though, he was there to support the people he loved.

“That’s going to be one of the hardest things about this year—him not being there,” Tim said. “You could always count on grandpa to be on the umpires. I could always hear him up in the stands. If I was pitching, he would say ‘throw strikes.’ His favorite saying was ‘take two and hit to right.’ It was the last thing he’d say to me, even in the middle of winter.”

It was obvious Tim shared an unmistakable friendship with his grandfather. Even while living hundreds of miles away, Pollitt made sure to catch Tim’s high school games broadcasted over the Internet.

“He and Tim had a special relationship—Tim being the oldest grandson,” Paul Carty said. “I don’t know if he missed any of Tim’s games growing up, little league or high school.”

Pollitt’s sayings and his humor never failed to entertain fellow Key West fans and players. He kept the scorekeeper on his toes, debating whether a play should be ruled a hit or an error. Yet he always did so in a jovial and playful manner. He would talk to anybody and everybody, and he loved to make people laugh.

“He’d make fun of himself and he’d make fun of other people,” Joanne said. “He was always social and real outgoing. He loved to be around people. He really liked having a good time with others.”

Beyond his close family relationships, Pollitt became revered by Rambler players for his friendly personality. He deeply enjoyed his interactions with the players and avidly rooted them on, perhaps reminding himself of his own past as a standout high school baseball player.

“He just loved those kids,” Joanne said. “He loved the guys. He always felt like they liked him. He would say, ‘I think they really like me.’ It meant a lot to him.”

And it certainly meant a lot to him to spend time with his family. The Cartys will sorely miss sitting at the dinner table with him, chatting about baseball and about life. As Yankees fans, they’ll miss the respectful arguments poking fun at Pollitt’s beloved Mets. They will miss his unwavering support. They will miss his kind, gentle presence.

“We were about as close as a grandfather and grandson could be,” Tim said. “We were like best friends. He meant the world to us.”

“He was as much a father to me as my own,” Paul said.

As the Ramblers take the field for their seventh season, something will be missing. Reading Pollitt will not be there to shout at a blown call or a ringing Carty double, but perhaps he’ll be watching, smiling, and laughing from a higher perch.

And his advice to Key West players who stroll to the plate this season? Without a doubt, he would tell them: “Take two and hit to right.”