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.