Not All Was Lost
This was probably worth reporting before tonight's loss, since that's when I actually found out, but Jesse Kovacs was crowned the winner of the team's "dirty moustache" contest. Kovacs, Chico's third-year starting shortstop, won despite admitting he used performance-enhancing methods — his moustache, clearly the darkest and dirtiest, was colored in by a black marker.
"I get blonde facial hair; I had to find a way just to actually get in on the competition," Kovacs said.
Tough to describe with no photos, but Kovacs actually pulled off the look pretty well for a realistic appearance. My personal choice would have been pitcher Nick Singleton, who for the record also had blondish-red facial hair AND didn't need the use of a Sharpie to mount a threat. Outfielder and fill-in DH Jake Ferris was another stong contender who could justifiably say Kovacs robbed him of a title.
Here's Kovacs tonight, post-pregame shower deleting the victorious effort:
