Tournament Time - Top 16, Bubbles Teams.

Going into selection Sunday, I thought I'd get a jump start on everything and offer up my projected Top 16 seeds and the 8 current bubble teams. Based on teams currently ranked and not going and games still pending, here are the top sixteen seeds I see in come selection Sunday:

Top 16

#1 - Dead Presidents
#2 - Texas Republic
#3 - Big Lebowskis
#4 - Potomac Fever
#5 - DGS
#6 - Insliders
#7 - Big In Japan
#8 - Dukes of Haphazard
#9 - Suspicious Packages
#10 - Moderately Sober
#11 - Dragon Slayers
#12 - Owego Fire Department
#13 - Destroyers
#14 - Cap City Brewery Flyers
#15 - Un Do's
#16 - Vito Power

Last 4 in (45-48): Bases Loaded, What Exit, Orange Crush, Jolly Rogers

The Waiting Room (49-52): Hired Guns, 18th Amendment, Kansas, FDA

Games to be played: Green Sox v. Milestones - implications for this game could completely overturn all of these current rankings, a win by the Milestones might even launch them into the tournament.

Risers and Fallers...

My apologies to all of my loyal and unloyal readers out there, I've been absent for most of this month and thus further out of the loop than I normally am. With the end of the season nearing and the standing having currently locked, I thought it would be a good a time as any to nod at a few of the risers and fallers from last year to this year.

While some may consider the Diplomats to be highly over ranked sitting at #14 overall, they do top our list as the highest top 20 riser this year. Jumping from #91 overall last year into the Top 15, they certainly head our list of biggest risers. Second on that list is a team that erupted to beat several good squads this year, Moderately Sober. Sitting at #13 this year, that's a 47 spot jump from last years finish at 60 overall (which, interestingly enough was a drop of 48 spots from their #12 2007 ranking, so maybe they have just righted the ship). Really the only other team with any noticeable climb into the Top 20 from last year would have to be the highly controversial Suspicious Packages. Many have claimed that the Packages are overrated at #10 overall, but at 13-1 you can't fault a team that managed to jump 41 spots from 51 overall a year prior. Those are the three biggest risers out there, but there was a landslide of teams going the opposite direction.

Leading the pack as probably one of the most surprising fallers is Fat Drunk and Awesome. FDA has been a league power since season one so it's hard to imagine how this kind of a fall from grace took place, but there they sit at an astonishing #71, down 68 spots from their 2008 ranking of #3 overall. Perhaps not quite as impressive in numbers, but certainly in storyline is the drop from #8 to #30 by the former League Champion Blue Pups. Granted the Blue Pups have played a schedule that makes everyone else's schedules look like a cake walk, but still the #30 ranking is a bit of a shock. The Great Lakers join this list with a 58 spot drop to #69 from a 2008 rank of #11, they're followed closely by Big Riggin who plummeted 41 spots from #18 to #59 this year, both teams are likely on the outside looking in come playoffs.

One of the House records is the Hired Guns rise of 87 spots from 2007 to 2008. This record is a testament to how flexible a beer league can be. An interesting note though is that the Hired Guns have dropped back to #59 overall from their glory at #17 last season. It's one thing to earn your way to the top, but don't be fooled at how hard it can be to stay there, and as we saw with Moderately Sober, the good teams often don't stay down for long.

Bubble Teams

As it gets closer to tourny time for the House League the talk over who the top seeds should be is heating up. It's fun to kick around who belongs in the top 16, who should be #1, are the usual suspects there, but what about the teams hanging on for dear life? What about the Bubble Teams?

Going over the middle of the pack standings, there are some teams that stick out to me as being on the bubble and potentially on their way OUT:

1. Jolly Rogers - barely inside the buffer zone and with a game against a team ranked so low a win might even hurt them, and a game against another bubble team in the Liberal Agenda, the Rogers could be on the outside looking in, or at least counting on one of the slots currently held by a team with less than 10 games played to open up for them.

2. Liberal Agenda - conversely if they drop the game to the Jolley Rogers, and lose to the Dragon Slayers, they may become one of those Green teams conserving gas by not trekking out to Fairfax.

3. Strike Place Market - this team is reeling after back to back losses, it's looking more and more like they will have to win that Washington state matchup with WAsabi to make the cut outright.

4. Hired Guns - sitting on the very edge, a loss to the Milestones in their last game of the season could be the straw that breaks the camels back and ousts them. It will be a tougher game than they think.

5. Bases Loaded - with a tough 3 game stretch coming up, they could easily drop all 3 and find themselves well down in the lower 50's.


Teams waiting to get IN:

1. Big Sticks - possibly already in with the 10 game rule, BS has an easy matchup against Stimulus Package and then a big game against MB to close out the season. Even if they go 1-1 they could still make it, 2-0 they are a lock.

2. Big Riggin - all they have to do is beat 18th Amendment and then cruise to the finish line. They may be tougher than it seems, but I think they can do it.

3. Kansas - with one game left against a higher ranked Bases Loaded, a game I think they can win, that will put them at 10 and inside the loop to pick up one of the vacated spots.

4. Not rocket Scientists - with 4 easy match ups left, they could glide into the playoff picture with consistent performances. They should make it out to Fairfax.

5. Xunshine Staters - unknown to many, this team is good and on a roll. If they can manage upsets of the Destroyers and Scared hitless, which is possible, they'll make the cut. This is my long-shot pick to make it.

These are just a few of the Bubble Teams out there, and with the way the RPI is calculated it's nearly impossible to predict this outcome, but it's always good to spread a little ink to the middle teams. They're as big a part of the league as anyone else.

Who's #1?

Who's #1 in the House League right now? Well, a lot of teams would like to claim they are. Dead Presidents have been sitting firmly at #1 for some time now, and seem content to ride out the season there with only one more Late August game against the Big Lebowskis. That said, their average rank of opponents is only 36, which is fairly weak comparatively.

And how about those Big L's anyway? Sitting at an average opponent rank of 23, they are one of the hottest teams out there. Tearing through teams at a 23 run per game clip since their loss to another top end contender, the Insliders. The Dude thinks his team is #1, just read the message boards.


Where do the Insliders sit? Seemly on pace to breeze through the regular season and firmly planted in the #2 seed, the Inslider were hailed as possibly the best team in the league. That didn't seem to phase the upstart Dragon Slayers who edged by the Insliders and almost effectively bumped LNF's motly crew out of this conversation. With a half a month left, they could bounce back, they did beat DGS who was also at one point talked of as the creme de la creme.

Don Johnson are sitting #2 right now, but with only 5 games played and no particularly awe inspiring victories in those five, they've got work to do before they can don the mantle of best in the league.

Texas Republic may have the best case. In spite of a blatantly weak overall schedule, they are doing what good teams should do and putting up 21 runs a game against the weak teams. On top of that, they do hold an edge over the Big Lebowskis after a solid beat down of the Dude and the Jesus in week 1. They certainly factor into this conversation and may be the front runner for #1 overall.

The last team in consideration has to be Potomac Fever. Not only are they currently stuffing their opponents with a remarkable 3 runs per game allowed over their last 9 contests, but they have the history to back them up. Always a top contender in the regular season and the playoffs Pot Fever has a rightful claim to #1. If they polish off the Keystoners, Blue Pups, DGS and the Insliders to finish out the season, they will be the best team, hands down.

So you've got historical powers performing, you've got new powers making their claims, you've got great teams beat by great teams beat by other great teams who were beat by the first great teams. There are enough twists and turns in the "who's #1 conversation" to make a roller coaster junky puke. Not being afraid to take the criticism, I'll leave you with my #1 and then round out the top 5.

#1 - Texas Republic - at 10-0, with some of the best offensive and defensive numbers out there, not to mention they are sitting on a solid victory over the second hottest team the Big L, they belong here.

#2 - Big Lebowskis - yes they have two losses, yes they are obnoxious, yes they are good. No team is hotter, or possibly playing better right now.

#3 - Potomac Fever - if they go 4-0 to end the season, they are hands down the #1 team in the House league, they could already be.

#4 - Dead Presidents - time to get off their asses and prove themselves.

#5 - Insliders - they still have time to bounce back and climb this list, beat Pot Fever and their well on their way.

Big Games Highlight Big Week

There will certainly be no lack of excitement this week with a plethora of big games on the radar and possibly none as impacting as this weeks House site game of the week with the Big Lebowskis taking on the Dukes of Haphazzard. This game will almost surely produce an elite champion waiting to claim their 1st round by come playoffs. If you think this game of the week is going to be a thriller, there are several other match ups that might catch your interest.

Playmates v. Potomac Fever - As Hef prepares his playmates to back up some recent smack talk, Potomac Fever is quietly positioning themselves for yet another shot at playoff glory.

FDA v. Saints - what happened to these two teams? Both used to be feared in leagues, now they both are on the verge of missing the playoffs, being a must win for both teams, this game has some potential to be a great one.

DGS v. Raucus Caucus - I don't know if their for real, but a quality win over the Dragon Slayers has the Rauc making some noise on the message boards. DGS is coming off a tough loss and will be looking to dispatch the Caucus and regain their composure.

Destroyers v. Homers - this may not look like much on the outside, but the Homers are a quality squad and the Destroyers have proven themselves to be a formidable force on the diamond giving this face off all the makings of a classic.

Milwaukees Best v. Vito Power - Previously the game of the week, but rained out. These two teams get another shout out as they are both fighting for 1st round byes.

How about those match ups for excitement? Well, that was just Monday and Tuesday.

Un Do's v. Affairs Not Relations - These two middle of the pack teams match up very well and this could turn into a very close game. Both are trying to stay in the Top 30 and they'll need a win to do it.

Potomac Fever v. Vito Power - this very easily could have been the game of the week, both teams on a roll, both teams capable of winning the playoffs, this is a must see game.

Dragon Slayers v. Insliders - you want defense? these two teams got it. Both showcase fantastic leather on the field with some strong bats to support it. This could be an upset special.

There are at least another 5 or 6 games that I could list on here that are sure to be great match ups, but I am going to end my preview by highlighting the "Softball Guys Game of the Week"....that game is...

Channel 4 News Team v. AgFASilitators - folks, softball may not get any more pure than this. The cream of the beer league (well, not really beer, that would be illegal, more so "special beverage league") crop face off in a clash of titans. Classy meets perfection in this battle and I can guarantee you one thing, both teams will be sporting more spiles and drinking more beer than any other team in the Cap Lounge come Thursday night. This is what it's all about.

Dragon Slayers Fall, Softball Guy tastes Humble Pie.

Well, after all that, Big in Japan stepped up and delivered, beating DGS 15-12, and placed my foot squarely in my mouth. To that I say, well done BIJ, I was completely wrong. A couple of other interesting match ups that went down this week could be showing us some late starters who have a legitimate claim to make.

Moderately Sober 12, FDA 8 - FDA was once a power house to be reckoned with, now they sit at 2-3 and are rapidly approaching crisis mode, meanwhile, Mod Sober has played their way into the Top 20 looking to go higher.

Texas Republic 25, Milwuakees Best 4 - Texas Republic is playing as good as any team out their right now, this latest trouncing of a Top 15 team is merely another notice to the league that they mean business.

Jolly Rogers 15, North State Flood 13 - though these are teams who are just competing to make the playoffs, this is a big win for the Jolly Rogers to upset NSF. A few more of these will have the rogers in the playoffs.

Dead Presidents 21, Saints 7 - the Saints, who many hold as under the radar contenders, simply couldn't keep up with perenial power DP. Sitting at 10-0 with a mild schedule to finish the year, DP has a perfect season within reach.

Raucus Caucus 10, Dragon Slayers 9 - from the looks of it, this upset had to be a wild ride. The Caucus certainly backed up their message board representatives talk and took down the once top dawg Dragon Slayers. Like Moderately Sober, the Caucus is cruising lately.

These are just a few interesting games from last week, there was plenty of great softball action throughout the week.

Top 5 Top 10's

Top 10 Teams:

1. Insliders - despite one loss, they've played everyone and their dog, these guys are for real and they have to be itching for a tourny championship.
2. Dead Presidents - can't ignore their success at 9-0, but it would be good for them to beef their schedule up.
3. Texas Republic - a prolific offensive powerhouse, these guys are rolling through opponents and taking names, now as they run into some tougher teams, we'll see their metal.
4. Potomac Fever - at 8-1, and that one loss being to another Top 10 talent, Pot Fever has the experience and the talent to go a long way.
5. DGS - despite early commentary on DGS, they are a great team, overcoming early rust to run the table against severall good teams with the exception of a loss to the surging Vito Power.
6. Don Johnsons - always strong contenders, the DJ's are in position to be right there again, although it's about time they scheduled a little tougher teams.
7. Big Lebowskis - if you look past there surge and offensive production you're out of your mind, now they just have to learn to play in the tournament.
8. Dukes of Haphazard - great wins against the Blue Pups and Milwaukee's Best have the Dukes sitting pretty.
9. Vito Power - they are absolutely rolling through teams these last few weeks and probably deserve a higher rank than this.
10. Blue Pups - yes, they have 4 losses, but they belong in the Top 10, it's just that simple.

Top 10 Offenses:

1. Texas Republic
2. Big Lebowskis
3. Scared Hitless
4. Destroyers
5. Moderately Sober
6. Bases Loaded
7. Don Johnsons
8. Pot Fever
9. Fat Drunk and Awesome
10. Blue Pups

Top 10 Defenses:

1. Texas Republic
2. Pot Fever
3. Dragon Slayers
4. Insliders
5. Owego Fire Department
6. Moderately Sober
7. Vito Power
8. DGS
9. Dead Presidents
10. Big Lebowskis

Top 10 Surprises (to date):

1. Blue Pups at 4 losses.
2. FDA at .500.
3. Saints ranked 37th
4. The Thomas Pain posts 4 wins since making Most Beeriffic.
5. Dragons Slayers have gone quiet since dropping out of the top 10...wait, not a surprise.
6. The Dude found a mini-me on the boards...a.k.a. the Rauc.
7. 15 teams have 0 wins, and 7 of them are ranked higher than a team with only one win.
8. Ricky Henderson has only had one post about his Hall of Fame induction.
9. The Lounge has gone almost completely dead for Thursday Post games.
10. This blog hasn't had more angry hate posts.

Most Beeriffic 10:

1. Channell 4 News Team - that's right, they've stayed classy the whole season making them the team that everyone loves to play.
2. Team Carebears - while a decent team who plays pretty good teams, these folks are just out to enjoy a beer league for what it is.
3. The Thomas Pain - shirking off an early Beeriffic Ranking, the Pain has risen to the challenge and now sits at a lofty 90 Overall.
4. Blue Mold - quite possibly the most entertaining group of individuals ever assembled on a softball field.
5. Zebra Muscles - not scared to schedule the big teams, the Muscle's have flexed their stripes all year long.
6. Capital Punishment - quite possibly the drunkest group of individuals ever assembled on a softball field.
7. Children of the Corn - still leading the league with 10 losses has them firmly on this list.
8. Recession Session - if you need any further proof their is a recession, just take a look at their runs scored total, these are the times that try men's souls.
9. New Rage Mastadons - for managing to make it into the top 80 with only 1 win, that's talent.
10. Bakers Dozen - I don't think anyone needs to tell them that 13 is an unlucky number, but 122 runs allowed over 5 games is much more unlucky.

DGS makes game of the week again.

EDITORS NOTE: In response to the offense that was taken on the message boards for this most recent post, I would like to say that this article, as with all of my posts, are purely personal conjecture. Over the past I have shown DGS quite a bit of respect, and I still hold them up as a league power as I state that they have had games that should have legitimately been GOTW. That said, it is my opinion that BIJ is too weak to make this game the game of the week, and I would go so far as to say this contest is not close. As for what I would pick for next week, that would have to be the Big Lebowskis v. Dukes of Haphazard. The Big L's have been a power in the league dating back to when they were the Dunder Mifflin All-Stars. The Dukes have always been decent in regular season play and have made it to the Round of 16 in back to back tournaments, and all 3 of their tourny losses came at the hands of 2 overall champions and one team that played in the championship. This game pits 6 v. 8 and a great defense v. a great offense. It has all the makings of a GOTW.

So, in place of a weekly preview, I'd like to take a minute to reflect on the games of the week. DGS v. Big in Japan may be a decent game, though I think BIJ is not even on the same planet in talent level as DGS, but this can't hardly be the game of the week. First of all, there's a perfectly strong game of two Top 15 teams in Texas Republic v. MB, or if even two yearly powers in the Saint's v. the Dead Presidents. Yet somehow these and many other much better match ups were passed over for DGS v. BIJ.

It's interesting to note that DGS has shown up in the GOW more than a couple times this year, and while early on it made a little more sense, and surely there is historical support for their appearances in some match ups, a game v. NIJ when both teams are sporting 2 losses is a bit random. I thought this might be the game because of their fierce rivalry, but as posted on the game of the week review, it's only the second meeting with these teams, and DGS won the first meeting by a score of 20-4. Maybe it's that it's two perennial powers, but really, aside from a 12-4 record last year, followed by an early exit, BIJ hasn't done much in 3 years of House League play. The fact is, this game is just bland. There's nothing exciting about it.

So what game would have been a better replacement? Well, as I mentioned already, Texas Republic v. Milwaukee's Best would have been good, or Saints v. Dead Presidents. I could have even seen anyone of the closer skill leveled team match ups like Cap City Brewery Flyers v. Scared Hitless, Destroyers v. Bases Loaded or Fat Drunk and Awesome v. Moderately Sober. Even an upset pick like Raucus Caucus v. Dragon Slayers or Homers v. Green Sox. How about best name match up when the Packages go head to head on Thursday (yep, I went there). Any of these possess spins and twists that BIJ v. DGS have none of.

Really though, there's one game that stands out, Dead Presidents v. Blue Pups. You've heard the book on the Blue Pups, their a supposed tournament team, but they still play tough during the regular season and they will definitely be the Dead President's toughest challenge to date. This match up has history in a team that is always good during the regular season in the Dead Presidents, and a team that dominates in the playoffs in the Blue Pups. You've got the roll call team of the week and last years reigning champions. You've got a team with a worse record than they are and a team who some claim isn't as good as their record.

I wouldn't be offended if BP v. DP was passed on and any one of a dozen other better games was highlighted, but I have to wonder how DGS was picked yet again for the GOW. This is at least the third time they've made it up on the board for it, and while good, a two loss team may not merit THAT much ink without great opponents for each matchup. Maybe I'm wrong and maybe this game will be a surprisingly tough match up, but I just have to believe there was a better choice out there somewhere.

EXCLUSIVE: Game Ball Opens up after Big Game.

Last night I was able to track down the Game Ball after the match up between Moderately Sober and Natty Boh All-Stars. The picture is obviously a pre-game photo, he declined to be photographed after the game. While being a little camera shy, he certainly had a lot to say about his season so far, including last nights game.

Here is a transcript of part of our exclusive interview from last night (portions of the interview were edited out due to this being a family blog and those portions containing inappropriate material for children):

Softball Guy (SG): Thanks for doing this, I know a lot of people are interested in your take on the season. How has it been going from your point of view?

Game Ball (GB): No problem Softball Guy, I'm happy to share my story, to be honest though, it's been a long season, I'm pretty worn out.

SG: How many games have you participated in?

GB: Well, I was scheduled for roughly 420 games to date, but when they handed me that schedule I said "forget it man, I'm hiring out". So I brought in a couple buddies and my brother, we've pretty much split the workload all season.

SG: Well, and I'll say this, from what I hear you all have been some of the better balls the league has seen in past seasons. Obviously you're handling the big games, like last nights match up between Moderately Sober and Natty Boh All Stars?

GB: Yeah, I mean, I'll farm out the lower end games to my friends, but I like to make sure a professional game ball handles the spotlight games. I tell you what though Scared hitless has a game against Moderately Sober coming up that I'm sposed to handle. I hate taking their games.

SG: Why is that?

GB: They've scored 306 runs man, every time I have to cover one of their games I wind up in bed for a week after. I'm pretty sore right now, but that's because Mod Sober knocked me around pretty good.

SG: How was the game tonight in your mind?

GB: Not bad, like I said, I got knocked around a lot, but it was nice that Mod Sober had that shortstop, softest hands I've seen all season, that was a nice relief every time I went his way.

SG: Understandable, let's talk about the season going forward. How do you envision the rest of the season playing out?

GB: Well, I'm not much of an expert when it comes to teams ability, I just show up and do my job. I tell you what though, I'm seriously considering farming out all the rest of my scheduled games with the Big Lebowskis, Texas Republic and Fat Drunk and Awesome. That's a beating I don't want to take, I've got a cousin I don't like much, he's a Blue Dot, sort of a runt, and he's been asking me for work, I'll give him those games.

SG: Well, I do appreciate you taking the time to talk with me, getting an exclusive with you was high on my priority list.

GB: No problem Softball Guy, I'm sure you can imagine I don't get a lot of press, I guess if there's one point I want to get across out there it's to be nice to your Game Ball, we've got feelings to. Oh, and it's not true that the "Ball never lies", hell my friend who handles the Congressional League games, he's a Red Dot, he lies all the time, none of us trust him.

SG: Fair enough, thanks again Game Ball, good luck with the rest of the season.

Monday Night Softball

Firmly on the Vito Power bandwagon, and perhaps with good cause to be, the HSL Website has Vito Power v. Milwuakee's Best as this weeks game of the week. I'm sure this game will be great, but there are a couple other match ups out there where you might not normally find them. While Thursday has constantly dominated the league as Game Night, and as such most of the highlighted games have been on that night with the exception of a few Tuesday games, Monday is the day to watch this week with 3 big games and the mismatch of the week including in the 6 games on the scheduler for tonight.

GAME OF THE WEEK:

Don Johnson's v. Scared Hitless - The DJ's are getting a late start and many think their current ranking is inflated. They'll get their chance to prove their worth against a team leading the league in games played, wins and runs scored. Coming off a loss last week, Hitless is showing their not scared playing both the Don Johnson's on Monday, and Moderately Sober on Thursday, being the first team to 14 wins may have to wait another week.

Other Games of Note:

Liberal Agenda v. Cap City Brewing Flyers - two teams quietly having solid seasons, this match up doesn't have reverberating effects on the rest of the league, but should be some good softball to watch. CCBF will likely walk away with this, walk mind you, not run.

Moderately Sober v. Natty Boh All-Stars - in a bizarre game, a 10-1 win team comes in as an underdog against a 6-4 team. Kansas found out the hard way last week that Mod Sober can't be overlooked, and with only one top 50 win (against #50 Hired Guns) the All-Stars have a lot still to prove. Look for Moderately sober to win this and their Thursday match up against Scared Hitless.

Saints v. Playmates - coming off a big loss to the Big Lebowskis, the Playmates are looking for a win to get back in the saddle. Sitting at 3-2 the saints need to start filling out their schedule and a win here could vault them into the top 20.

Dead Presidents v. UN Do's - truthfully, this likely won't be much of a game, but at 4-2 after starting the season off kind of rocky, the UN Do's are making a solid charge toward the post season. This will be a chance for another quality win for the DP's.

Suspicious Packages v. Dukes of Haphazard - possibly a game of the week nomination, the Packages are going to be looking to bounce back from last weeks perfect season ending loss to Big in Japan. Unfortunately they get the Dukes coming off a painfully imperfect 13-4 loss of their own to the Insliders, leaving both teams to decide who wants it more.

MISMATCH OF THE WEEK:

Bakers Dozen v. Potomac Fever - 13 is definitely going to be an unlucky number this week for the Bakers Dozen and a 20 run loss to Pot Fever wouldn't be a hallucination. I applaud both teams though, in a season riddled with cancellations, it's great to see mismatches even play out.

BEERIFIC GAME OF THE WEEK:

Blue Mold v. Tequila Mocking Birds - while the records show these power houses for what they are, the reality is that the peripherals indicate another story. While offense may be lacking, the teams have only allowed a combined 10.2 runs per game with a combined 1-12 record. Find a bat or two and these teams could really get turned around.

Game Cancelled

A lot of great softball has been going on lately, with the re-emergence of some past powers, a few new faces and a lot of good games the season is coming to full bloom. It's also been nice to see some responses on some of my posts, I am always glad to get some outside input. 

The message boards have been working overtime lately, and one of the hotter topics revolves around the ever controversial issue of game cancelation. More and more it seems that teams have been bagging games with later notice and with weaker reasons. At well past the midway point in the season, it's shocking that some teams have only played two or three games. Granted, this season has been different than most with heavy rain throughout the first 5 weeks of the season, it's not difficult to understand how some teams made it through that span without playing a single game. That said, when at least one team in the league sits at 14 games played to date, it demonstrates that if teams really wanted to play they could find an opponent.

The issue of cancelled games raises multiple levels of controversy. To begin with, who is doing the canceling, and why? Is it a team that has played only one game all year, and cancels regularly due to lack of players? If this is the case, it would seem prudent for the coach of that team to take a deep look at his team and make some decisions moving forward. In an effort to make things better for their team, the manager should look into recruiting more regular players to stem the issue of forfeiting for lack of manpower. Taking this step solves two problems, it lets the players already on the team who are committed get to play, and it keeps opposing teams from having to deal with a cancelation. That said, if you are a manager of a team that is facing a squad that hasn't played many games, get in constant contact with the manager of that team. Talk to them the week before and get them to confirm they'll for sure have the numbers. In most cases, this will help save a lot of heartache over last minute cancelations. The other solution for managers whose teams regularly have to cancel because of lack of players is for those managers to let opponents know well ahead of time if they honestly don't think they'll have enough players. This is responsible management.

The other issue, and a much larger problem, is teams who cancel because they don't think they'll have the "right" players, or because playing a game could hurt their RPI. Let's be frank, this sort of thing is bush league management. If you schedule a game, and you have 10 players, you play the game. If your team is good enough, you'll win enough games to make the playoffs, if you are canceling games because you think the team you have might lose, there should be some form of penalty imposed. 

The whole issue of canceling games leads to a broader point that should be made. In Washington, DC, for most of the players on these teams, softball is a chance to go out with friends, it's a chance to enjoy being outside during the summer, it's a chance to drink some beer and kick back, and, for some, it's an avenue of escape from the constant grind of life. This is softball, it's the cherished past time of the of the average American Joe. To all of the managers in the league, be aware that while you may take softball lightly, and you may not care if you play or not, many in the league look forward to getting out on the diamond and having some summer fun. Don't be the one to get in the way of that.

FDA falls Dead, Packages and Presidents put records on the line.

Due to the lateness of this preview, some games have already taken place this week, including a 24-20 barn burner between the victorious Dead Presidents and disappointed Fat Drunk and Awesome. While this surely was the game of the week, I would caution against looking past the potential the Thursday night thriller between the Beeriffic Channel 4 News Team and an up and coming Beeriffic Field of Genes.

While the movie themed team prepare to put their 0-11 combined record on the line, here are some other games to watch this week:

Vito Power v. DGS - always a presence, Vito Power is ready to take their shot at DGS. While teams have been lining up for a chance to beat DGS, no ones been able to do it since week 1.

Suspicious Packages v. Big in Japan - at 9-0 the Packages are looking to run the table, Big in Japan offers them their biggest hurdle to date. Look for this to be a good game, though I'm not quite ready to sound the upset horn.

Big Lebowskis v. Playmates - The Dude helped lead his team to a 32-17 win last week over a strong Strike Place Market club, but the Playmates don't appear to be afraid of that offense as they look to claim a possible Top 10 spot.

Moderately Sober v. Kansas - Kansas has built a solid team this year and they sport a 4-1 record to show for it, but Mod Sober is FAR better than their 5-4 record indicates, making this match up a classic in the making.

UPSET WATCH:

Don Johnsons v. The Raucus Caucus - While still in the Top 5 at 4-0, the Johnson's shouldn't take the Raucus Caucus squad for granted. Coming off a tough win last week against Moderately Sober, The RC is looking to build momentum into the homestretch of their season.

MISMATCH of the Week:

Team Carebears v. Cap City Brewing Flyers - if you're the carebears, I admire your pluck to go through with a game like this, but sadly, this will be no match.

Weekly Preview:

The upcoming week doesn't seem as action packed as past weeks have been, including last week with all the extra bonuses to softball to watch, like Wimbledon, the Nationals on the 4th of July, or Joey Chestnut beat Kobayashi for the 3rd consecutive year! There aren't the same number of marquee match ups, but all in all, there are some pretty solid games out there.

GAME OF THE WEEK:

The Resolutionaries v. Shock Exchange - that's right folks, this isn't the top tier teams facing off for the #1 spot, or some ancient rivalry. Going through this weeks games, I found a match up that pits two nearly equal teams against each other. With identical winning records, very simliar RPI, runs scored and runs allowed totals, this could be one of the closest match ups of the week, thus, in my mind, making it the game of the week.

Other Intriguing Games:

Blue Pups v. Insliders - many would have thought this the game of the week, but really, if the Blue Pups win now it will be an upset, and you can't have an upset in a game of the week.

*Strike Place Market v. The Big Lebowskis - this could be an interesting game. SPM is looking to establish itself as a league power, the Dude is returning from an injury and itching to bring his team back from a tough loss, look for a good match up here.

Swift Justice v. Capitol Punishment - best team name match up of the season, maybe they should just merge forces and exact Swift Punishment on the rest of the league.

*24sixers v. WAsabi - WAsabi, like their GOP counter part Washingtonians SPM, are also looking to prove they are contenders, meanwhile, the 24sixers are sporting a tidy 5-0 record.

MISMATCH OF THE WEEK (Split):

Metro All Stars v. The Emperors Club - I give props to Metro for playing this and not panicking about their RPI like some teams would do. If you're ever going to win a game Emperors Club, the time is now.

Dragon Slayers v. Kicking Asses - Apparently so distraught by their loss, the Dragon Slayers had to take 15 days off and schedule two teams ranked in the 100's to recover. Good luck Asses (the Kicking ones).

* Editors note: look for the end of the season WAsabi v. SPM Washington State Rivalry showdown to be pretty good this year.

Managers Unite, Prepare to Send Kickball a Message

Kickball Continues to Encroach While Softball Players Posture for Confrontation.
July 1, 2009

Washington, DC - Skirmishes have already been breaking out across the city so far this season as the young kickball league attempts to assert itself on the longstanding softball tradition in the nations capitol. Some incidents have even involved lying about permits, ghost field holders, and in one case the police were called. While some people ponder what has to be going through the heads of the brazen kickball players as they continue to push the issue against an army of softball players armed with bats and very hard round balls, lets take a deeper look at this territorial conundrum.

Softball has been a long standing tradition in this country and especially here in this city so full of patriotic symbolism and heritage. Baseball is known the world over as "America's Game" and softball is the common American athlete's past time. Employing creativity and determination, softball teams have carved out chunks of field just big enough to squeeze a field or two in all over Washington. Playing with trees, apartment buildings, swamps and tourists are just a few of the hazards these dedicated slowpitch samurai are willing to take on. Life was tough but good for the softball leagues, until the last few years.

Since the movie Dodgeball was unleashed on the public, there has been a severe rash of adults rushing to create "grown-up" versions of middle shool games. The latest and most popular of these shoolyard scourges is none other than Kickball, or WAKA (Washington Area Kickball Association) as it is known here in DC. Annointing themselves the new official beer league, a point also protested by softball players, the kickballers have gone a step further, they want the land. Like an invading army they have tried again and again to breach and overcome the various softball leagues foothold on the National Mall.

Kickballers have used every trick in the book in their unscrupled attempts to disenfranchise interns from their squatting grounds on the mall. In some instances these underhanded tactics succeed when they find the unsuspecting newby field holder, but in most cases softball teams are prepared and successfully rebuff these advances. Players on both sides are so willing to go to the mats for the land to play on, that in one case involving the Montana softball team, the police were called in to settle the dispute. If that doesn't testify to the brazenness of the kickballers intrusion, Sen. Tester was actaully present at the game when the police arrive on the scene.

So what is there to be done about this clash of competitors? The answer is simple. Softball has the history, the following, the manpower and the aluminum bats, move on kickball, move on. While softball teams can not play a game in the trees on the mall, kickballers could very well make that happen, you simply chose not to. There are several stretches of ground that a kickball game can squeeze into that no softball game ever could. The big 4 softball leagues will not yield their ground, nor should they. With a foothold in house and senate offices throughout the hill, softball may even wield enough power to pass legislation banning anyone over the age of 12 from playing kickball, a move that perhaps should have been made earlier, but one would have thought would never have been necessary.

The poing to kickballers being this, go play in the smaller spaces where you fit and leave the real fields to the over 600 softball teams that have been here way longer than you. You better hurry and claim those smaller spaces too, the new Bocce ball league is about to kick off and you'll soon know what it feels like to be intruded on.

Go Green with Pot Fever or Watch the Playmates and DGS Visit the Texas Republic

For some strange reason the House League has chosen to highlight Iowa this week as the game of the week. Perhaps whoever does the game of the week selection is thinking about running for Presidential office, or maybe they just like corn, either way, they couldn't have picked a worse game to highlight. If they were going for the interstate rivalry, they could have done a lot better by picking to do that last week with What Exit and Capitol Punishment squaring off, though likely the FCC would have had to censor most everything that came out of the two NJ teams mouths on the benches.

There are several games this week which everyone should have on their radar:

Monday:

Potomac Fever v. Green Sox - Green Sox have moved up the rankings, but they haven't played many games and some people attribute their success to their stringent use of the strike mat. My guess is Pot Fever takes care of business with or without the mat.

Tuesday:

Texas Republic v. Playmates - the Playmates are another team that have been having a good year and rapidly climbing the rankings, but they'll have to show more than a little league to derail the offensive juggernaut Texas Republic.

Wednesday:

UPSET WATCH: Xunshine Staters v. Metro All Stars - I'm calling this the upset watch, while the Xunshine Staters record makes them appear as a bunch of surfer crazy beach bumbs, I happen to know this team was a handpicked group of CAN league all-stars. So you can really just call this the All-Start match up, all be it of two teams who will probably only finish in the 35-20 range this season.

Thursday:

DGS v. Texas Republic - possibly the best game of the season to date. We are about to find out how good the Texas Republic is. DGS can put their signature on this season as the team to beat if they drop the Lone Star state.

FD&A v. Ugly Mugs - Fat, Ugly, Drunk what more can you ask for out of a beer league softball game? Both sitting at only 2-0, but also at #6 and #7 overall, this match has the potential to be the most disgusting display of talent you'll see this week.

Slayers Making Case for Title

Probably one of the most controversial topics on the boards revolves around the legitimacy of one team. It's been said that the Dragon Slayers aren't for real, that their schedule is weak, that they can't run with the big dogs. True enough their schedule that lent itself to a 9-3 record last season and an early exit to in the playoffs was nothing special, they only beat one team with a winning record while playing a couple other close. So what about this season?

Well, they took down Denny's Grand Slam by one run in game one of the season. DGS is a strong squad and this isn't to be overlooked, but what you can look at is DGS the following week, when they faced off with Strike Place Market and only won by 1 run in the 9th inning. The DGS that was around for the first few weeks of the season was not the same as the one we see near the top of the Standings now. You can't take a win off the Slayers record based on that, but I think the story might change a little if they played today.

Having looked at the Slayers lone victory of note, lets look at their lone loss at the hands of the Defending Tournament champions. It's important to note that they were tournament champions and not regular season champions last year. Blue Pups, while solid, have a track record of beating strong, but not stellar clubs in the regular season, and losing to the real powers. Blue Pups most notable regular season win over the past 3 seasons was over a 7-3 Saints, 17-5 in 2007, leading some to think the Pups may be more of a Tournament Power than a regular season force. A strong team to be feared for sure, but not a powerhouse like the Insliders, Big Lebowskis, DGS, Fat Drunk and Awesome, and the Texas Republic.

So what we're looking at are a good Dragon Slayers team, with still a lot to prove. With one close loss and one close win against top 15 teams over the past 3 years, and then a series of wins against unimpressive teams, I'm willing to call the Slayers a top 15 talent, probably more Top 10 with potential for more, but certainly not #1 yet, though they can change that soon enough. It wouldn't be the first time the softball guy has been wrong.

Week 9 Preview

It's almost a little disappointing looking at this weeks schedule, for the past few weeks it seems like there's been 4 or 5 games that could have been set up as the game of the week. The House home page has the Blue Pups v. the Dragon Slayers as this weeks game of the week, and while that's going to be interesting enough, I'm not sure it's going to be the best game out there. The field is definitely starting to take shape though, and teams are beginning to solidify, or fade away. Here's a look at the upcoming week:

GAME OF THE WEEK:

Insliders v. The Big Lebowskis - Both these teams have one loss, both losses are to Top 5 teams, both teams will finish the season in the top 10, and to top it all off I still can't think of a catchy play on the Insliders name that isn't to perverse for this blog. Watch this match up on Thursday, no better game than this this week.

Other Big Games:

License to Il v. Prime Beef - with both these teams coming off losses last week, it gives license to think that both are prime for an Il-fate if they can't turn it around here.

The Dead Presidents v. Playmates - This could be the game of the week, but the Dead Presidents must have been too busy robbing armored cars over the past few weeks to play any softball, with both teams sitting at 3-0, it's about time they start filling out their schedules.

Beeriffic Game of the Week:

Zebra Muscles v. New Rage Mastadons - the Zebra's will flex, the Mastadons will roar, if you're inclined to post up on the mall in a lawn chair with a bucket of beer, you could do worse for your entertainment.

Other notes:

Both the Suspicious Packages and Natty Boh All-Stars put their records on the line against decent squads this week, watch their progress.

Apparently exhausted from their GOTW victory last week, DGS appears to have a bye week, as does the Texas Republic.

Probably the most lopsided game this week will be Fat Drunk and Awesome v. Team Carebears. It's gonna take a lot of help from their Star and Heart buddies for Cheer, Bedtime, Birthday, Love-a-lot, Tenderheart, Grumpy, Goodluck, Funshine, Friend and Wish Bears to pull off this mission of care.

Week 8 Recap

What do rain, rivalry, routs, runs, and really really random smack board postings have in common? If you answered that those were all integral parts of this last week in House League Softball then you are on the right page. Top teams keeping getting picked off, surprise routs keeping coming, and the Dude keeps talking smack on the board.

Some of the key games this week:

DGS 10, Insliders 6 - well, there ya go, two top powers collide and DGS took care of business leveling the playing field by giving the Insliders their first loss. Both teams will be near the top when all is said and done.

Keystoners 18, Strike Place Market 6 - this is a surprising upset, the underwhelming Keystoners found a way to pick up a quality win, could this be the beginning of a decline for SPM?

Big Lebowskis 14, Blue Pups 8 - down go the Defending Champs for the second straight week raising some serious questions about their chances at a repeat, meanwhile the Lebowski's continue to bowl through opponents, much to the chagrin of the smack board posters who will now have to endure even more commentary from the Dude.

Owego Fire Department 9, Vito Power 7 - if you have been looking past these two teams as solid contenders, don't. They are legit, and this match up didn't get the attention it deserved.

Other Notes from around the league:

Texas Republic, Naty Boh All Stars, Cap City Brewing Flyers all won again.

The Thomas Pain picked up another victory, they are in the midst of turning their season around.

The Dragon Slayers won to move to 6-0 and back to #2 on the leader board.

Top 5

1. The Dead Presidents
2. Dragon Slayers
3. DGS
4. Dukes of Haphazard
5. Big Lebowskis

Softball Guys Top 5

1. DGS - what can I say, their one loss was to a Top 10 team, and they're coming off a big win.
2. Big Lebowskis - The Dude and The Jesus have been rolling some quality teams lately.
3. Texas Republic - close win this week, but with that convincing win over Big L, they're safe.
4. Dragon Slayers - will these guys accept the challenge from the Lebowskis?
5. Insliders - tough loss to the #1 team, no damage done, they stay in the Top 5.

Most Beeriffic 5

1. Channel 4 News Team - they will be throwing a pants party to celebrate their beerifficness.
2. Quality Playas - having met some of these playas, I can vouch for their quality.
3. Shock and Awe - for setting the perfect stage to shock their next opponent by going 0-4.
4. The Lounging Johnson - beeriffic indeed, if they could only find their Swing again.
5. Ohio Killer Nuts - not to be confused with the mixed nuts, these nuts are lethal, watch out.

Quiz: How Competitive are you?

Recently, a post was made on the Smack Board
complaining about teams not using strike mats for games. That obviously launched a plethora of debate about strike mats, game speed, realistic play, and in one post, Ryan Seacrests sexual orientation...don't ask. So let's put it to you, using a series of softball oriented questions, you can decide how competitive you may or may not be. Here it goes:

Do you show up 45 minutes early and doing a warm up lap followed by a robust calisthenics routine?

Do you wear color coordinated socks, shorts, shirt and hat? wear baseball pants? Flip up shades?

Do you bring a strike mat and insist on using it?

Do you make your opponent write down their lineup, then track the lineup to make sure no illegal subbing takes place?

Do you hold your subs out against "better" teams and in some cases not play them at all?

Do you you stand in the outfield and argue with the out calls made by the unofficial umpires, also know as "base coaches"?

Do you take the extra base in the 7th inning up 27-4?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be competitive.

On the flip side:

Do you show up between 6:29 and 7:45 for a game that's supposed to start at 6:30?

Do you wear flip flops to play in?

Do you interact more with the beer cooler than your glove during a game?

Do you forget you're supposed to be in the field?

Do you roll your eyes at the guy who brings the strike mat?

Do you try to tell the other team they can just have the win and get them to go to Cap Lounge after the 1st inning when you're losing 0-17?

Do you find yourself thinking about anchoring your flip cup team at the lounge when you are standing in the OF and a ball is flying over your head?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may NOT be competitive.

The great part about both these quizzes? This is the House Softball League, you can be as competitive as you want, play who you want, or not even play and just show up for beer. This is the unique quality that makes this league so fun, it's got something for everyone and everyone can have fun being themselves.

Not your normal preview...

So, if you haven't taken time to read the House League Smack Board, I suggest you click here and get to reading. The smack is heating up big time, and for good reason, the last few weeks, and this week, have pitted a ton of solid squads against each other and the match ups haven't disappointed.

I think if you wade through all the smack, and look past the shimmer of the so called "elites" teams, you're going to see a LOT of close games and a lot of parity throughout the league. There certainly are a few surprises out there in the Top 25, and some of those teams have run with the best of them.

Denny's Grand Slams weren't hearty enough to avoid picking up an early season loss to the Dragon Slayers, and then barely eeked by a surprising Strike Place Market in a 9 inning performance.

The Jesus and The Dude I'm sure had plenty of trouble abiding the spanking they received at the hands of the Texas Republic.

The Suspicious Packages are sitting right out in the open, leading the league with 6 wins.

The Dukes of Haphazard have two 1 run victories under their belt as they have made their way into the Top 5.

Even the Dead Presidents narrowly avoided a loss to the Homers in May.

The point here, is that the list of strong teams out there is well beyond the Top 5 and Top 10, this league is deep through the Top 20, and winning the Regular Season title, as important as that is, is gonna need to be backed up in the tournament when all these teams get a crack at you.

From where I'm sitting, there are any number of teams that could walk away with the title this year, and they aren't all in the Top 25 yet. So watch your backs out there, this season is going to have more twists and turns than Season of 24, and that may or may not be a good thing.

Dukes, DGS and Dragon Slayers survive tough week.

Some big time games were played this week and we're now starting to see the field solidify a little more. Thursday was jam packed full of marquee match ups and there was plenty of drama to go around.

With rain threatening to close the doors on softball for another week, determination became the name of the game. Several teams out-lasted the weather report and the results were as exciting as advertised.

Key Games:

Dukes of Haphazard v. Blue Pups - these two Top 5 teams clashed in one of the premiere match ups this week and the result was a nail-biting 6-5 win for the Dukes. While Haphazard remains in the Top  at #4, the Pups take what I am sure will be a temporary walk down to 21, they'll be back.

DGS v. Milwaukees Best - DGS is starting to show who they really are after some close match ups earlier in the year, they easily took care of business with MB and now are sitting squarely at #5.

Strike Place Market v. License to Il - watch out House League, the SPM team that improved a record 62 spots last season is looking to do even better than that after an 18-3 shellacking of #4 License to Il, that moves SPM to #18 and should put them on everyone's radar.

Dragon Slayers v. Big Sticks - the chinks in the Slayers armor may have shown up here with a less than convincing 8-7 victory over the Big Sticks, while the Sticks are a solid ball club, I think everyone is looking for the #1 team to start handling business a little more easily.

Other notes:

Suspicious Packages, Metro All Stars and Natty Boh All Stars both remained undefeated with easy victories; the Destroyers, Vito Power, Not Rocket Scientists and Scared Hitless also picked up some solid wins; in convincing the fashion, the Colorado Cutthroats and Capitol Punishment responded to some early week criticism with victories, Cold Hard Cash on the other hand was not so fortunate.

Top 5:

1. Fat Drunk and Awesome

2. Dead Presidents

3. Dragon Slayers

4. Dukes of Haphazard

5. DGS

Softball Guys Top 5:

1. Dukes of Haphazard - strong win this week over a Top 10 team makes them #1 for now.

2. Texas Republic - still the most potent offense in the league

3. Dead Presidents - alive and kicking ass these days.

4. DGS - a few more grand slams would make the #1, but still a good team.

5. Insliders - not playing isn't a good enough reason to drop them out of the Top 5.

Most Beeriffic 5:

1. Channel 4 News Team - you stay classy channel 4, I wish you all some afternoon delight.

2. Blue Mold - you got a lead and didn't let it go bad this week, that deserves recognition.

3. The Lounging Johnsons - you make the list for letting Blue Mold win one, class act.

4. Children of the Corn - you're sporting one of the few perfect records left.

5. Team Carebears - still the best name in softball.

Team Spotlight: Raucus Caucus

Newbies to the House League this year, the Raucus Caucus was a perennial power in the Congressional League over the past 5 seasons. Currently sporting a record of 1-2 with losses to the Destroyers and Cap City Brewery Flyers, the Caucus hasn't had the smoothest transition from AAA ball to the Big Leagues.

"I think the toughest part has been inconsistency," coach Ben Stecker said "We had one cancellation because of miscommunication, and then then two other teams canceled for lack of players, we can't get in a rhythm."

2 losses this early in the season is unfamiliar territory for this most recent version of the Raucus Caucus, representing the Congressional Western Caucus, who have won at least 14 games in each of the last 4 seasons. Though losing isn't completely abnormal to this group of westerners, prior to 2005 the Raucus Caucus had its fair share of struggles and frequently finished the season with a losing record.

The Caucus may be one of the few teams in the league that can boast actual members of Congress Playing on the team, with a few members of the Western Caucus on the roster and frequent appearances by the chairman who plays a mean first base.

"This season we tried to get as many tough teams as possible," Stecker said "We wanted to get the best schedule we could and so far our two losses, close ones at that, were to two teams that I've heard were pretty good, we'll see if we can get some consistency going and put some wins up."

Look for the Raucus Caucus to have a strong finish this season as they adjust to pro-ball. We'll see if they can bring their Congressional League success with them to the House League. Don't take them for granted when you play, or they might just Rauc your world.

Quick Hits...

A couple of quick hits that I missed yesterday:

Fat Drunk and Awesome was all of those things Monday night as they made their 2009 debut (also note, that they haven't even called any forfeits on anyone when they got rained out before). FDA is following up a #5 finish in 2007, and a #3 finish in 2008...could this be the year?

Also...

An absolutely juggernaut match up takes place on Thursday that will have a big impact on the remainder of the season.

Dead Presidents v. Texas Republic

Watch out for this match up, so far TR has been rolling opponents, and with two big time match ups, the Dead Presidents could be taking the #1 seed this week with a pair of wins.

Week 7 Preview...

... but first one quick note on last week:

If you look on the scoreboard for Thursday, there were 3 games with recorded scores of 7-0. This can only mean that 3 teams called a forfeit on their 3 opponents. To quote an overused and un-funny segment in a rapidly declining weekend TV show...

Really?!?!

I don't know what part of DC you were planning on playing in, but by 3:00 PM the mall had returned to 1840's swamp form and Noah in his ark would have drown in the amount of water accumulated in Anacostia Park. To those 3 team coaches, I join my Patriotic friends in saying "Boooooo". I won't say any team names, but I will say it was a Colorado Cutthroat way to win some Cold Hard Cash by exacting some rather extreme Capitol Punishment... uh, right.

OK, on to this weeks preview.

Game of the Week on the league site is Blue Pups v. Dukes of Haphazard and while certainly a great match up, here are several other awesome games to keep on your radar:

Strike Place Market v. License to Il - Strike Place currently holds the league's 2nd place record for most improved, moving up 62 spots last year and are poised to continue that climb, they'll have to get through a strong #4 License to Il (interesting note, SPM beath Il in the pre-season).

Big Lebowski's v. Playmates - Playmates are a quiet 3-0, but Heff and his bunnies may find the Dude and the Lebowski's to be less than intimidated by that record.

Suspicious Packages v. The Moonshiners - Finally the Packages get a chance to blow out a strong opponent, but the moonshiners are on a roll and have been knocking teams on their ass lately, look for the winner here to be a longterm contender this year.

Vito Power v. Big Riggin - it's a classic struggle, Itallian Mobsters v. Truck Drivers...well, ok, maybe not and maybe neither of those two teams are what they sound like, but their both darn good and this is going to be a solid square off.

Also watch out for Blue Mold this week as they look to keep the league's worst record intact at 0-6...to be fair, they usually lead at least once in every game they've lost - I guess that's all of them.. keep your chins up guys.

MY GAME OF THE WEEK:

DGS v. Milwaukees Best - yeah this sounds like the best sunday morning breakfast you could ever ask for; bacon, eggs, pancakes and a nice brew - but truth is, these are two strong ball-clubs in danger of losing their 2nd games. DGS has had a few very close match ups and MB's only loss was to the Dukes of Haphazard by 1. Expect a bar burner here.

121 Teams, 11 games.

99 of the leagues 121 teams fell victim to yet another week of rain. Those who scheduled their match ups for Monday and Tuesday were lucky enough to reap some of the last sunshine of the week.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday night, some teams braved the elements to get their games in. Including wins by the UnDo's to move to 2-1 on the season and the Metro All-Stars who now sport an 3-0 record.

Unfortunately the much anticipated match up between the Big Lebowski's and the Dead Presidents was a casualty of this weeks flooding. However, this seems like it would lend itself to a highlight match up for Sunday or Saturday when it is supposed to be brilliant out. Be a shame to miss out on two powerhouses facing off.

All in all it was a very quiet and dull week in the House League, leaving no change of note in any of the rankings for this week.

Good luck looking forward for next week folks, get your games in early, rain predicted from Tuesday on again. Welcome to DC, the new East-side Seattle.

All-time Great Feuds...

When you think of some of the greatest feuds of all time, there is an impressive list:

Montagues and the Capulets

Hatfields and McCoys

Sharks and the Jets

But there is one feud that has been alive for years now right here in DC. This conflict flashes out periodically throughout the course of every summer. It's a conflict over land, a conflict of zeal, and a conflict of superiority. This feud has no end in sight and will continue to rage as long the sun continues to shine in DC.

I refer of course to the battle between the rugged, talented, athletic softball players and the leggy, mall bogarting, field fairy soccer players.

That's right, without fail, a group of futbol players will surface on any given softball night and try to squeeze a game in between two softball games on the mall. They'll do it around the monument to, or anywhere there isn't space. They'll get in the way of your outfielders, they'll kick the ball into your infield, then they'll sit there and stare at you like it's your fault. These field fairies are tough nuts.

Many a fresh, baby-faced intern have had to face these brutal arch-enemies of softball when it comes to field claiming. The stakes have always been high, one groups livelihood on the line, the loser will go home and get fat from lack of exercise.

The conflict has gotten to the point where many softball teams have recruited ex-soccer players to act as envoys, sending them out to converse with the enemy prior to first pitch in an effort to avoid sending a goal-keeper to the hospital with a concussion from getting hit in the back of the head by a fly-ball, and even worse, stopping the ball from going it's true distance and possibly costing the hitter a Home Run.

A solution to this feud evades both sides to this date, we can only hope that something will break before the casualty count begins to pile up.

Slow News Day...

Not a whole heck of a lot happening around the league so far this week. That said, I've been looking at a new project. I'd like to try to keep a HR race tally going. HR's are a dime a dozen, but it might be fun to keep tabs on who is leading the league. If you're interested in having your sluggers HR total posted, I'll keep a Top 5 list, just send me an email at HSSblogger@yahoo.com of who and how many HR.

Potomac Fever walked all over the Mastadons for an easy win.

In an intriguing match up of names, the Liberal Agenda slapped The Change You Can Believe In around for monster win (apparently the Liberal Agenda doesn't believe in said change...).

The Cap City Brewery Flyers beat new-comers the Raucus Caucus, after a disappointing year in 2008, the Flyer's are quietly returning to their 2007 form, watch out for them.

The Playmates improved to 3-0 after toppling Team B without a lot of resistance.

That's about it so far, don't let the rain get you down this Thursday, some big games need to happen. Good Luck, see you on the flip side.

Week 6 Preview

This week, the League Website has declared the Big Lebowskis v. The Dead Presidents to be the game of the week. Pitting the Dude and his 10th ranked bowling squad against Lorenz Tate and Chris Tucker's #14 armored car robbers, this match up certainly has all the elements necessary for a premier match up. I would certainly encourage you all to keep tabs on this game, but lets look at a few of the other exciting battles that will be going on:

The Thomas Pain v. Tequila Mockingbirds - obviously no other game carries the league altering implications that this match up holds. These two powerhouses both look to establish themselves firmly in the Most Beeriffic 5, but one team is going to need to step up their game to lose convincingly enough to make the #1 spot on that board.

Insliders v. Milwuakees Best - 7th place Insliders look to advance to a strong 5-0 and add more fuel to LNF's message board posting, but the #12 Milwaukee's Best is still smarting from a nail-biting loss to the Dukes of Haphazard and are looking to bounce back. The winner of this game should get a solid boost in the polls.

Moonshiners v. Big Riggin - This might seem like a battle of the mediocres if you looked only at the standings, but make no mistake, both of these teams will make the playoffs. Big Riggin had been trucking through teams until they ran into losses to two seperate Top 5 teams. The North Carolina Democrat Moonshiners on the other hand are riding a 3 game winning streak after opening the season with two losses to Top 10 teams. Keep on eye on these teams, both will makes waves all season long.

Other Key Match Ups:

Vito Power v. Texas Republic - will this be the challenge the Republic has been lacking?

Naty Boh All Stars v. License to Il - Naty Boh looks for a signature win against #3 Il.

Not Rocket Scientists v. The Diplomats - the Diplomats look to negotiate their way to 3-0.

North State Flood v. Zebra Muscles - the Zebra's attempt to be the first team to allow 100 RS.

* the Softball Guy would like to acknowledge his previous misremembering of Dead Presidents as Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves, who were in fact the "ex-presidents". Please note the change to the appropriate Dead Presidents above.

Team Spotlight: Dragon Slayers (a.k.a. Chilidragons)

If you've taken a passing glance at the league Smack Talk Boards you've seen the latest controversy brewing. How good are the Dragon Slayers/Chili Dogs/Dragon Dogs/Chili Slayers/Chilidragons/DogSlayers?

Well, right now they're #1 overall in the RPI rankings, they made the Softball Guys rankings at #2, and they are 4-0. They beat DGS, and they recently toppled Big Riggin who was 2-0 going into this week but is now 2-2. It would appear they are pretty good to me, but let's look a little under the surface.

The team name "Dragon Slayers" was in fact their original name from the teams early days under founding General Manager Sir Lancelot's reign, when the team was a floundering member of the League of Royal Softballers in Merry Ol' England during the Medieval period. It seems the team was playing their inaugural game and hadn't been given a name by King Arthur at that time, when suddenly the field was besieged by a fleet of angry dragons. Lancelot and his team killed the dragons and were thus named "The Dragon Slayers". The name was lost in translation some centuries later when team descendants traveled to America and entered via Ellis Island. The customs agent couldn't exactly grasp the accent, which has survived to this day as the local dialect on the southern California beaches, and somehow translated the name as "The Chili Dogs", a name that stuck with them for several seasons. Only last year were team officials able to uncover ancient team annals that traced it's heritage all the way back to Sir Lancelot, and thus were they able to change their team name back to the original.

Aside from the team names history, which may or may not be completely fictitious and a complete waste of 5 minutes of your life while you read it, the Dragon Slayers are a team with a new mission this season. What is that mission?

Defense.

"Last year we blew out easy competition by 30 runs on average, but lost to the better teams..." Assistant Coach Chris Margaronis said in an interview Friday "...this year we are focused on defense. We've turned numerous double plays in the infield already this season." This shouldn't come as a shock from a team that has 4 former college athletes. These razer's of reptiles have lived up to their new creed by only allowing a staggering 5 runs per game average.

What else do we know about these new League Leaders? We know they drink like sailors and fit the description of more than half the "characters" from my post game lounging post. We know they are a strongly California based team giving them the buffest, and most unintelligible Governor in the country (though at one point in close competition with Jesse the Body Ventura). We know that their fiercest rivalry is not with another softball team, but in fact between the SF Giants fans and LA Dodgers fans on the team itself.

Aside from all of these facts that we do know, we don't know what their future has in store. It is the Softball Guys opinion that this team will likely finish the year in the Top 10, will that finish also be at #1 overall? We'll just have to wait and see.

* If you would like to have the Softball Guy do a Spotlight on your team, please email me at HSSblogger@yahoo.com

Post Game Lounging

Finally, a hard day of work is in the books, you've just walked off the diamond after a hard fought game of softball (or not so hard if you were on the Texas Republic squad Thursday), now the highlight of your week is at the tip of your fingers. That's right, it's time to make your way to Capitol Lounge for that House League past time of post game Lounging.

Nothing quite beats the feel of an ice cold pitcher of beer in your hand as you strategically position yourself at the flip cup table across from the opponents weakest link. In the background you can hear the Jukebox blaring out a constant barrage of classic hits from the 90's while all around you the throngs of house league heroes trade greatest moments of their games with each other. Packed in like sardines, the party rages on deep into the night, and often early morning, this is House League Softball, this is Cap Lounge, this is life the way it was meant to be lived.

You might get lucky and be asked to dance in some 3 foot box in the corner of the basement. You might get roped into a game of Truth or Dare and find yourself in any one of a thousand different positions that would in any other place be awkward, but in the Lounge, on Thursday nights, is just a normal occurrence. You might find yourself playing shuffleboard with Jose Cuervo shots on the line. Or, you simply might just find yourself standing around the pool table, enjoy your pitcher, a greasy pizza, and the company of your brothers and sisters of softball.

Thursday night post game lounging is an event filled with characters.

There's "The Work People", who shows up in their business attire, fresh from the office, though generally accepted into the fold of softball players, these people can't relate to the battle scars worn by many who fought that day.

There's "The Couple", who find a corner of the basement and somehow manage to be wasted and all up on each other within 17 minutes of arriving at the lounge, oddly, the couple forgoes leaving together to simply turn whatever corner they found into their not-so private kissing booth.

There's "The Dancers", these people generally take a couple of drinks to get going, but by 9-9:30 you can bet they'll be in full swing, doing some sort of odd body movements to whatever is coming out of the Jukebox, if you walk to close, you might get sucked in.

There's "The Mooch", we all know who these people are... and you know who you are too.

There's "The One Night Stand", can we say "hillcest"?

There's "The Drunk", either yelling in your face as if you were on the other side of the room when you are having a conversation one foot away from each other, or propped up against a wall or high chair about to pass out, we've almost all been there at some point.

There's "The Softball Guru", who no matter who he talks to, won't get off the subject of that Home Run he hit earlier, and the fact that his team won that night and he was AWESOME. Bleh.

These are just some of the people we all love and cherish every Thursday night during our post game lounging at Cap Lounge. You'd have to see it to believe it.

Thomas Pain wins first ever, Dukes win nailbiter.

The Dragon Slayers, DGS, Insliders, Texas Republic, Blue Pups and Suspicious packages all added another win to their collections and either held firm or moved up a notch or two in the rankings.

The shock and awe of the week came out of an unlikely candidate, The Thomas Pain won their first EVER House League game on Wednesday. While not quite amongst the league's top end competitors yet, the Thomas Pain has the taste of success fresh on their lips and you can be sure they'll be looking to improve at least 200% over last years win total.

The best game of the week came out of the Dukes of Haphazard v. Milwaukee's Best. The Duke's managed a royal victory by edging MB 20-19 in a thrilling matchup that displayed a fantastic showing of offense and some great defensive efforts along the way. At 3-0 DOH moves up to #5 on the boards, while MB drops at 2-1.

Other Notables:

Texas Republic 34, Bakers Dozen 0 - I don't even know what to say here...

Natty Boh All-Stars 30, Jolly Rogers 8 - It appears these pirates got their ship plundered this time around

Capitol Punishment 15, Natural Disasters 5 - Could this be the start of a winning streak for CP?

Licensed to Ill 8, Blue Mold 7 - another nail biter for the week, this one sending Licensed to Ill into the #3 ranking.

Current Top 5:

1. Dragon Slayers
2. Liberal Agenda
3. Licensed to Ill
4. Insliders
5. Dukes of Haphazard

Softball Guys Top 5:

1. Texas Republic - they deserve a top ranking at least once before they split into 5 states.
2. Dragon Slayers - Only wins against top teams come by 1 or 2 runs, I smell luck.
3. Suspicious Packages - Haven't played many winners, but they win strong every game.
4. DGS - 1 loss by 1 run, 3 strong wins since, they'll be at the top once more.
5. Insliders - Too good year in and year out to keep out of the Top 5.

Most Beeriffic 5:

1. Zebra Muscles - in an awesome display of beerifficness, the Zebra Muscles scored twice this week!
2. Bakers Dozen - you deserve something after getting toasted by 34.
3. Blue Mold - best team in the league at blowing the lead every game.
4. Cold Hard Cash - for actually offering a 12 pack to anyone who would play them, nice.
5. Children of the Corn - for understanding what softball is all about and sacrificing themselves to be The Thomas Pain first ever win.

Fields of Dreams

I think without a doubt, one of the greatest points of contention for House League teams revolves around home field advantage. Never will you see coaches more adamant than when you try to convince someone to play on a field they have sworn off for good.

The two most popular locations for games are The Mall and Anacostia Park. Both locations can host a plethora of contests on any given night, and still have some room for kickballers, soccer games, and ultimate frisbee clubs. While many teams covet the fields between 3rd and 4th street on the mall, other franchises wouldn't be caught dead between the Capitol and Washington Monument.

True enough there are drawbacks to playing on the mall. There is a distinct advantage for lefty heavy lineups, there is a constant threat of fans streaking across the outfield gravel, fielding a groundball in the infield is roughly the same as tracking a Tim Wakefield Knuckleball while wearing a blindfold, and the beer patrol gets a little crankier every year. But let's face it folks, this is DC, there are few stadiums that offer better infields, real parks have fence around the entire outfield and not just rightfield, fans will ALWAYS find a reason to streak across your field, and where else in the entire country can you boast a 5th inning stretch view like that of having the capitol or monument as your backdrop?

Anacostia Park offers one of the few fields in the city where the threat of fan interference is completely non-existant. There is seemingly always space, and the luxury of being able to secure a permit to always have access to a field does offer extra incentive. The drawbacks? Aside from needing the explorer instincts of Lewis and Clark to find your way around in the outfield, having to use a weed whacker when you run the bases so you can actually make your way through the underbrush, making sure you enter in your frequent flyer ID number so you can get all the bonus miles for the trip all the way across the river, and having to wear 3 inch thick body armor to avoid getting stuck by syringes scattered throughout the field like easter eggs...nothing. The view of the scenic Anacostia River, and the aroma of the water front make these fields prime locations.

Several of the more veteran teams have their own permitted fields at various locations throughout the city. Probably one of the better fields in the District itself is the newly remodeled West Potomac Park Field #7, which plays home to the league powerhouse Dennys Grand Slam. With a legitimate fence in leftfield, real dirt in the infield AND grass around the pitchers mound, outfield that isn't composed of pavement, mini-scale versions of the Black Hills, or the Metropolis of molehill cities - this field is a delight to play at. The downsides here are parking and access, if you're driving you'll miss the first 3 innings of the game looking for parking, and if you didn't drive you'll need to leave sometime early Monday to make it there in time for a Thursday evening game.

The simple fact of the matter is that there are no perfect fields in DC. Every place has it's negatives. This is what cracks me up when I hear about teams that refuse to play on one field or another. Softball is the name of the game, you find a spot big enough to squeeze a diamond in, and the rest is history. Having played on roughly 24 different fields throughout the district, I can guaranty you that no one field will make you much better or worse than any other.

So go grab a chunk of grass, roll out the bats, and be glad the rain has stopped long enough for you to play ball.

Team Spotlight: The Big Lebowski's

In the first, of what I hope turns out to be many, team spotlights, I am going to take you all for a look at the inner soul of one of the House Softball Leagues yearly powerhouses, The Big Lebowksi's (previously known as the Dunder Mifflin All-Stars).

Obviously this team was destined for greatness based on their name, let alone the fact that they ACTUALLY have someone who refers to themself as The Dude, who both coaches and plays LF. The Dude keeps his competitive edge by spinning a mean game of trash talk on the League Message Board, but don't mistake his smack for empty boasting. This isn't your average bowling team that faces down Jesus every week in league play, these Lebowski's back up their trash talk with action. With 22 games played in 2007, and 27 games in 2008, this squad of Vietnam vets and smoking cowboys has consistently put their reputation on the line far more frequently than any other perennial powerhouse.

Following up strong Top 10 regular season finishes in each of the past 2 seasons, The Dude assured me they are not content to simply be "among" the best in the league.

"After a year as Dunder Mifflin and the 12 RPI, and last year's #5 RPI team, we plan to take the top spot by season's end," The Dude said in brief note.

After a heartbreaking season opener loss to the ever dangerous Texas Republic, the Lebowski's have bounced back to post a stunning 65 - 6, runs scored - runs allowed, in their last two victories. Obviously this run differential says two things:

1. The Lebowski's are this leagues equivalent to the 2007 New England Patriots and the Dude has some serious Bill Bellicheck tendencies.

2. They're damn good.

Look for the Lebowski's to finish in the Top 10 again this year, and for my two cents, the Softball Guy has them projected to end a Top 5 team.

* If you'd like to have your team spotlighted, please send a note to Softball Guy: HSSBlogger@yahoo.com