The Two Jakes

GROVES PAIR GROOVING TO THE BEAT OF PERFECTION

Back about 20 years or so ago, legendary Hollywood leading man, Jack Nicholson, directed and starred in the movie, The Two Jakes, a less than well-received sequel to the Oscar-winning motion picture, Chinatown. To put it mildly, the movie wasn't very good.

Do you want to know WHAT IS very good? Okay, I'm gonna tell you – the Birmingham Groves baseball team led by, among others, the Falcons very own, "Two Jakes", senior co-captains, Jake Balbas and Jake Moss. Groves, like my man, Lloyd Banks of G-Unit once said, is "ON FIRRRRRRRRRRRE" to the tune of an unblemished, 11-0 record to start the season. Both Balbas (four year varsity starter) and Moss (infield captain from ss/p spot) went YARD on Wednesday afternoon in a 6-1 defeat of BH Lahser. Thursday saw more of the same as THA GGGGGGGGGGG-MEN took care of RO Shrine, 8-1.

Balbas, Moss, and junior diamond cutter, Mike "Megadeath" Mestdagh – arguably the top prospect from the Class of 2011 – are each multidimensional players, with a high on-field IQ. This trifecta of Flacons is as formidable as a threesome that exists in this area. And we haven't even begun mentioning guys like Chris Poches (super junior hurler and second baseman) and Ryan Feist (senior outfielder/pitcher). All five of these dudes can hit a heavy load from the batter's box and twirl a gem from the pitching rubber. As a result of this deluge of talent, longtime head coach Jim Crosby and the Falcons faithful could be in store for a memorable and historic season.

A couple more things I would like to say about the baseball team at my main homeboy and OP colleague, Pat "The Book" Caputo's alma mater, Wylie E. Groves High School:

1 Crosby is as top shelf as you get in the prep baseball coaching department.

2 "Megadeath" Mestdagh is a specimen of a college recruit, to say the least, and MSU got very lucky by wrapping this kid up quick without having to compete with the likes of some of the more prominent programs from the south that would have been sure to have come calling over the summer if he hadn't of committed early. THAT's A FACT!

3 Finally, I'm about to make it official: Jake Balbas IS the most underrated player in the entire state of Michigan. In terms of power and average, he's easily in the top five hitters in Metro Detroit. How this kid doesn't have more D1 offers coming his way is baffling to me. I've been watching him for 3 years now and he's got one of the best, most pure swings, I've seen in my 20 years-plus of watching prep baseball. His swing is so beautiful, that when I first saw him hit as a sophomore in '08, I was shocked to find out he was only 15 years old. Believe me, if either Michigan or MSU takes a flier on this guy, Burney personally guarantees they won't be disappointed. In fact, he guarantees he will be starting by his second year on the team. TAKE THAT BANK!

2009 STATS AS A JUNIOR = .420 BATTING AVERAGE (RIGHT NOW OVER .450), 23 RBI, 4-2 ON THE MOUND WITH 2.40 ERA

GET BUSY MY CRAZYSUPERGOOD FALCON HOMEBOYS, "THE TWO JAKES", MEGADEATH, POCHES, FEIST, COACH J-CROS AND THA REST!!!