Rained Out; Let's Get Hammered!

 

New Lenox, IL - Tonight's big winner is the rain.  After several weeks of playing on the dusty surface of the moon, the skies have opened up for several days straight leading up to tonight's postponement against Hammered.  Next week's opponent is The Scrappers, who won the meeting last month 21-6.  Game time on July 6th is 8:30PM.

Noteables:

Hey, that's us! - Catch last week's game here.  Make sure to subscribe to the channel so that the Gazette can file for a vanity URL!

Player Profile

Arik Sorensen

Arik started with the Master Batters in the Summer of 2019.   In just four seasons for MB since Cap’n Jack pulled him from the hockey ponds of Saskatoon, Arik has compiled 69 hits for 12^th on the all-time team hitlist. Arik is recovering from a back injury  and sitting out this summer and hopes to return to the lineup this fall.  Gazette sat down with Arik at Johnny’s Ice House to talk to the MB right fielder.

 

Gazette: How is your back feeling?

Arik: My back feels really good. I've been just taking it easy and making sure I don't aggravate it again.

Gazette: How were you injured and what kind of therapy have you gone through to get better?

Arik: I injured my back carrying paving blocks and as I stood up I felt a sharp pain and it was not good. As for therapy on it, I have just been using the heating pad and some pain meds.

Gazette: Are you looking to get back on the field for the fall season?

Arik: I'm so ready to get back on the field. I miss the game, and my teammates and just ready to hopefully take the Master Batters to the championship

Gazette: Seems like everyone on the team calls you Arik with an A.  There’s no other Arik or Eric on the team to confuse you with, why do you think folks just don’t call you Arik?

Arik: Hahah love the question, I think they call me Arik with an A because it's just a unique spelling and I have embraced it. I mean the team shortens it sometimes with just calling me A or at least Ken does haha

Gazette: All hockey players have nicknames, what is your nickname?

Arik: In hockey my nickname on the ice is A

Gazette: Montreal or Tampa, who’s going to win the series?

Arik: I'm rooting for Champa. But I would like to see Price finally get a cup, but I'm mostly rooting for Tampa to go back to back

Gazette: Are you aware that you have 121 plate appearances and have never drawn a walk?     Expand on why you’ve not walked up to this year?

Arik: Honestly I think it comes down to me not playing smart baseball. I am so used to a fast object coming at me that when I see a slow pitch I immediately am thinking bomb. Sometimes it works in the teams advantage and sometimes it screws us and I start chirping (trash talk) at myself. What really gets me fired up as a batter is the pump fake the pitchers do. When I am up to bat and a pitcher does that I get so fired up all I can think about instead of crushing it is to just drill it back at the pitcher or at least drive in a run to test his balance and to send a message

Gazette: What is your favorite moment as a Master Batter thus far?

Arik: Wow fav. Moment, honestly I think every fav moment is when I'm in the dugout or on the field with these guys. When I first joined the team, I was welcomed and clicked with the team. These guys have the talent and honestly I can see this team going far in the next few seasons.

Gazette: What are your short and long-term goals in softball?

Arik: Short term goals for me is to break the 69 hits I'm currently at and to work on taking a walk and not swinging at crap pitches.

Long term goal- I want to win the championship and make Master Batters number 1. To me that would be awesome and I believe we can do it with this team.

Gazette: There’s some truth in the movie Happy Gilmore; not sure if it’s because they have summers off or the hand/eye coordination but most hockey players are good at golf. 

Arik: Funny you mention happy Gilmore.  When I first started golf I was going to the driving range and I would do the happy Gilmore and I actually was kicked out of a crappy 9 hole course in Frankfort for happy Gilmore-ing the ball. Crazy thing is the ball was going straight as an arrow and far. But Yea it's weird for some reason most hockey players resort to golf.

Gazette: So, you golf......   

Arik: I do play golf.

Gazette: What is your handicap? 

Arik: My handicap is 10.

Gazette: What is your lifetime best score for 18 holes?

Arik:  My best score for 18 was a 86 at Glen Woodie this was about a year ago. . I played great that day and am still looking to get into the 70s one day.

Gazette: Rumor is that you took issue to something that was written earlier this year in the Gazette.  Is that true?  If so, would you like to expand on that?

Arik: Haha yes. I did. I took the 69 number and how I was going to stay at 69 hits as a nice motivational boost. I told the team I felt like Michael Jordan in the last dance "and I took that personally haha.... I attached the pic of it below haha

Gazette: Zlogar mentioned last week in his profile that you talk a lot of smack during the game.  Cap’n Jack has indicated that there’s no man or child on the pond that escapes your chirping, where does that stem from?

Arik: Honestly I like to boost the team and  fire them up. If I can chirp and get the teams energy up and get in the other teams head I'm all for it. I mean there is nothing I wouldn't do to fire the team up. If you need examples I can tell you some of my moves to look for. If I notice a slow pitcher where he takes his sweet time I'll step out of the box and call time just to annoy them. Or if Gary has a rough inning and I'm catching I'll go up to him and say f**k those guys and I'll say how they are talking smack or make something up to fire Gary up to come back stronger. I'm a big talker and when the team goes on a scoring run I'm usually yelling out of the dugout to get in the other teams head. I'm the same with hockey. Jack witnessed it first-hand. I love getting the other team or opponents frazzled because it knocks them off their game I guess you can say I have a bit of Tim Anderson or Brad Marchand in me haha

Gazette: In general, is there a lot of trash talking going on during hockey games?

Arik: Absolutely! It's a fundamental in the sport that you can't be taught you just pick it up as you play and use it as your advantage. Luckily I have the skill in hockey to back it up haha… Koz knows that from being goalie. I would screen him or chirp at him and then make it my goal to score on him. I like to be like a gnat in your ear you can't get rid of.

Gazette: What is the funniest trash talk story you remember being involved with?

Arik: The funniest trash talking story was when I was playing pond with Jack. And we were going against these little kids and the one kid came up behind me hit the back of my ankle with his stick and started trash talking and I honestly out of all my years playing have never been speechless against a chirp. I was just laughing because some 7 or 8 year old is talking crap at me.  By far the funniest time on the ice.

Arik (Koz in goal)