What Kind of Day Has it Been?

The sun is setting on another season for the House Softball League, and what a season it has been. While moments of controversy have penetrated the year, for my money, I think it was extremely successful, perhaps more so than any other season.

First the bad stuff - my tourny picks. I think about the only thing I picked right was the Southern Aces make the Sweet 16 and the Sliders beating the Lebowskis in the Final 4, which, let's be honest, looking at the brackets everyone picked. That said, congratulations to Potomac Fever on winning it all and being the first to get their 2nd title. Despite all the talk of ringers over the years, it's a testament to the balance of the league that they are the first to win a 2nd time.

The tourny, in my opinion, was what made this year so successful. No, I'm not talking about ringers or the prevention of ringers, or the right teams winning, etc. I'm talking a little aobut the controversy. At a moment when things looked the bleakest, and the opportunity for the whole show to go down in flames, several people stepped up and helped finish strong. That to me tells the whole story. In a year where God (the weather), monikers (you know who they are), coaches (protesting rules), and commissioners (having momentary judgement lapses) brought an unprecedented amount of drama to the league, it still came off without a hitch when you think about it. The regular season was as successful as always, there were some forfeitures for the tourny, which is to be expected with a weekend change, but people stepped up to find a host cite and to help keep the show moving when speed bumps hit. Demonstrating that the league can succeed in the face of most any issue.

For my money, it's still the most successful league in the DC area, and that includes county rec leagues. Going into the offseason I think there is work to be done, but I think that a new beginning is at hand and a good chance to steer the ship back on course. I anticipate another fantastic season next year and I hope I have a bit more time to cover it a little bit more in depth.

Thanks to all who read my posts this season, sorry I was so sporadic, but well done to all of you for making the season a success.

Bracketology

It's official, 48 teams in, 72 out, and a championship moment just around the corner. Who will walk away with the glory this year? Let's take a look:

NORTH

While lacking some overall depth, the North bracket is riddled with sleeper contenders starting at #17, Potomac Fever. Pot Fever is hardly a sleeper in the true sense of the word, they consistently dominate the House Tourny, but having to play in the opening round of games relegates them to an "upset" pick, and a team the Cap City Flyers did not want to see coming through their side of the North bracket. Capitol Punishment and License to IL both have some talent and have played some good games, expect this to be one of the better early round games and the winner to give #1 Fat, Drunk and Awesome a run for their money. Booze Your Daddy has a chance to pull a few upsets but the more likely result will be a Sweet 16 matchup of #8 Hired Guns and #9 Big in Japan with BIJ winning the rights to face FDA (who will narrowly escape the wrath of Pot Fever) in the Elite 8 game. Yeah, it comes off like a no brainer because of the ranking, but FDA will shirk the curse of the North and be the first #1 seed in 3 years to make it to the Final 4. BRACKET WINNER: FDA

SOUTH

Now the brackets start to get real tough with the South boasting two perennial power houses in #4 Texas Republic and #5 DGS, bouyed by a slew of tough first round teams and strong squads in the #12 KGB's and #13 Destroyers. The best first round game will be the No Talent AZ Clowns taking on the Suspicious Packages, I think the Congressional League crossovers open some eyes by beating the Packages and then upset the KGB's for a Sweet 16 bid. Meanwhile, the Destroyers barely hang on to escape a strong 24Sixers team to earn the right to take on Texas Republic who 10-runs their way into that game. While the Ugly Mugs and the Diplomats have a great match up that sees the Mugs win in the final inning, it's all for not as DGS walks away with a comfortable victory en route to another solid Sweet 16 win over the upstart Clowns. In the Elite 8 DGS takes on Texas Republic in a game that could decide the next Tourny champion, DGS, hungry for their first ever title, hangs on to win. BRACKET WINNER: DGS

EAST

Just when you thought it was getting good, the East Bracket takes a turn for the not so strong. At the top of the bracket a close game sends the Raucus Caucus to face the Big Sticks, only to have the Big Sticks send them home. The Southern Aces exploit a favorable draw to best the Ctr Alt Delete and then drop an over-ranked UN Do's team and earn the right to face off with the Sticks. The Sticks prevail, reaching the Sweet 16 and proving their success this year was hardly a fluke. The #2 Big Lebowskis get their first tourny win in 3 years by manhandling the Keystoners, meanwhile the short handed Dragon Slayers stave off I'd Hit That. The loss of two SS's in one year for the Slayers is the blessing the Big Lebowski's needed, they win their first Sweet 16 game and go on to beat the Big Sticks, moving to their first ever Final 4. BRACKET WINNER: BIG LEBOWSKIS

WEST

Tough doesn't even begin to define this bracket from hell. The West is where the Top Seeds go to die this year. #3 Scared Hitless narrowly avoids starting the parade with a tough victory over a reborn Milwaukees Best team. #14 Big Riggin follows suit by getting blown out by Vito Power, setting up a regular season rematch between Vito and Scared Hitless in the Sweet 16. Vito easily walks away with the win earning redemption and an Elite 8 bid. At the bottom of the bracket #11 Moderately Sober's dreams fall as Owego Fire Department marches on to face #6 Liberty Square Sliders. That's where the upsets stop as the Sliders take care of business Winning all of their Saturday games with ease en route to another Final 4 appearance. BRACKET WINNER: LIBERTY SQUARE SLIDERS

FINAL FOUR

The East/West game pits two prolific message board posters against each other as The Dude and LNF do battle. The Dude's dream ends here as LNF's Liberty Square Sliders top the Big Lebowskis and return the the title game. Meanwhile, DGS overcomes the final hurdle to play in the championship game, beating #1 FDA in style and setting up one of the biggest rivalry tourny title matches in history, DGS v. Sliders. In a game that sees a glut of runs and a glut of hightened emotions, the Sliders stop DGS's march to their first ever title and make some history of their own, the first team to ever win back to back titles. TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS: LIBERTY SQUARE SLIDERS

I'm In!!!

Looking at the field and the games that have taken place the last two weeks, I thought I'd take a stab projecting the bubble teams who made it in the back door for the tourny. There was actually quite a bit of turnover in the 40-50 range, and some in the later 30's that could have an impact. But before I get to that, here are my Top 4 seeds:

1 - FDA
2 - Big Lebowskis
3 - Texas Republic
4 - DGS

Clearly deserving of those spots given their regular season success.

As for the other end of the bubble, here are my last nine in:

#40 - Hoosier Daddy's: staying dormant over the last part of August didn't hurt them save to knock them out of the 30's into the 40 spot. (the Great Lakers take their previous spot in the Top 40, moving up from 45)

#41 - Raucus Caucus: a big final win over another bubble team and some upheaval in front of them bumps them up the chain.

#42 - Liberal Agenda: dormant, but they gain a spot.

#43 - The Mastadons: dormant, they gain 3 spots.

#44 - Ctrl, Alt, Dlt: loss to the hired guns knocks them down a couple spots, but they're safely in.

#45 - License to IL: going 1-1 over the final two weeks drops them a few spots, but they make the dance.

#46 - The Natural Disasters: a big W moves them off the bubble and into the show.

#47 - The Gipper: another 1-1 team over the final two weeks, the Gipper gains one spot.

#48 - No Talent AZ Clowns: much discussed team on the boards, these Congressional League cross-overs make their first tourny appearance as the last team in.

What a Difference a Year Makes

If there was any question as to how competitive this league can be, you need look no further than the Top 20 teams currently ranked in the league and the Top 20 teams from last year. Half of the teams from last year are not in the Top 20.

Vito Power, Keystoners, Capitol Punishment, License to IL, The Saints, Harrys Full Disclosure, the Homers, and Owego Fire Department have all been replaced. While some have only fallen just out of the Top 20, others have plummeted. The Keystoners went from 9 last year to currentl 39 this year with Harry's full Disclosure dropping an impressive 41 spots from 16 to 57, they lead the way of those teams banned from grace. Capitol Punishment is right on their heals, falling 23 spots from 11 to 34. OFD dropped 9 spots, Vito Power is close to making a return at #21, and the Homers and Saints just up and disbanded.

But for every team that falls, a new team rises. The UN Do's crack the Top 20, joined by I'd hit That, Bases Loaded, Scared Hitless, and the KGB's and the 24sixers. Making the biggest jump of all? Well, that would be the Suspicious Packages, clocking in at #18 up from #62.

For some of these teams, they've simply figured out how to put together the right schedule, the UN Do's figured it out, playing only two Top 20 teams but taking care of business with 10 mid-level crews. For others, they've been helped by some marquee wins, that's how Scared Hitless rose from #33 to #5, by beating 3 Top 20 teams from 2010, and the Packages win over the Dragon Slayers is the lynch pin to their Top 20 ranking.

Whatever the reasons for the turnover at the top of the rankings, the fact remains that there is always room at the top for new blood, no matter how bad you might have looked the year before. And while the mainstays will always be there (TR, DGS, Sliders, Big L, BIJ, Pot Fever, etc.) you can find a home with the leaders if you put together a good enough season, but that also means you need to be ready to defend your ground, because someone else is looking for their turn.

And Another One Bites the Dust

It happens every year about this time, that team or teams who surged to the #1 ranking so unexpectedly, hit a speed bump and open the door for the usual suspects. Last night, that team was Fat, Drunk and Awesome (a once "usual suspect" themselves). After soaring to the #1 spot in the rankings, FDA met reality and it's name was the Dragon Slayers.

While FDA's losing was plenty of story, the Slayers who beat them are a story in and of themselves. Losing a coach and star player over the offseason, this rising power has had an up and down go if it. Losing to Moderately Sober left them hungover two weeks later when they got bombed by the Suspicious Packages, setting the stage for their 3rd loss of the year to DGS. Desperate for a quality win, they dug their heels in and got it in grand fashion, 15-13 over the #1 team, a sign that these folks should still demand respect.

As for FDA, their life doesn't get any easier, but they can jump right back into first place next week with a win over now #1 DGS. This is hands down the Game of The Week, but if your going off of in common opponent scores, history says DGS runs away with this one.

On another note, two old guard power took to the field with Vito Power making a statement by beating the Liberty Square Insliders. Talk on the street is that the Sliders fielded a weaker than normal team, and it could be argued that's been the case all year for the defending champs. Don't go to sleep on either of these teams come tourny time, you'll be sorry.

We're headed into the final stretch now, time for teams to buckle up and put the pedal to the metal.

Official GOTW Hard to Argue

Anytime you get a rematch of the tournament Championship game, it's apt to be a pretty solid game. This week its the game of the week, and rightly so. For my money, the only other really competitive matchup with major playoff impace would potentially be Scared Hitless v. Moderately Sober, but the Liberty Square "in"Sliders v. Texas Republic is about as good as it gets. PREDICTION: Texas Republic 15, Sliders 9

In a Beeriffic match up this week, Channel 4 News Team will play Thomas Paine, both teams having previously been given the honor of being the most beeriffic, this ought to be an entertaining matchup for both teams. PREDICTION: Channel 4 18, Thomas Paine, 6

A battle of the 20's hits the books when Big Riggin takes on Capitol Punishment. Big Riggin has always been a solid team, though not exactly great, and Capitol Punishment has been revamping their team to make a serious playoff run. This game should give a glimpse as to the skill level of both squads. PREDICTION: Big Riggin 16, Capitol Punishment 15

In a matchup with the biggest gap between ranks, #1 Fat, Drunk and Awesome will play #101 The Gretzkys. Probably won't go a long way toward helping FDA maintain a strong RPI, but you can't control your opponents rankings when you schedule them at the start of the season. PREDICTION: FDA 25, The Gretzkys 2

There is one more close game that I think should be very interesting, Cap City Flyers v. the Destroyers. Both these teams are borderline elite, and both make waves every year during the regular season. Whoever loses likely won't be a Top 10 team, but the winner just might. PREDICTION: Destroyers 17, Flyers 11

Week Recap

Well, as expected, #1 Fat, Drunk and Awesome were all of those things and more, beating #17 Vito Power by 11 in the official league Game of the Week. No score posted for my game of the week but my two honorable mentions lived up to the billing with Keystoners and Thomas Pain beating Penn State and The Ogres by respectively by 1 run in each game.

A big upset came courtesy of Suspicious Packages, who stuck it to the nay-sayers by trouncing a very strong Dragon Slayers team. What Exit got a big win over Big Riggin, that will go a long way toward their playoff hopes.

At the end of the week, without all the scores posted, my rankings got a little bit of a shake up:

1. Fat, Drunk and Awesome - there til someone beats em.
2. Big Lebowskis - softish schedule, but I'd like to see them lose one before I drop them.
3. Texas Republic - Still dominating.
4. Scared Hitless - another strong showing, next weeks match up against Moderately Sober will be a tough test.
5. Suspicious Packages - that win got some heads to turn.
6. DGS - consistent and always good.
7. Destroyers - gonna be a Top 10 for awhile.
8. Big in Japan - quietly winning their way back into the Top 10
9. Hired Guns - not a particularly tough win this last week, but their 9 wins are impresive.
10. Potomac Fever - still waiting for them to play more games.

Most Beeriffic: Master Batters - what can I say, it's a geat team name and they came up with a good win this week against the Orange Crush. These guys have played 9 games and have 8 more to go. That's an impressive amount of games for a team ranked in the 70's to play in one season, and they play everyone from the good, to the bad and the ugly. Gotta like that.

Softball Guys Games of the Week

Not sure how many of you folks out there have taken part of the Commissioners new GOTW voting process on the website. It's a pretty clever way to get some of the more active folks in the league to help take the burden off one guy every week. On most weeks there's a clear cut match up of Top 10 teams or rising powers set to face off, it makes it fairly easy. This wasn't one of those weeks.

The House Softball official GOTW is Fat, Drunk and Awesome v. Vito Power, a matchup that pits #1 v. #12 respectively. But, given Vito's recent loss to Scard Hitless, and the fact the FDA beat Scared Hitless, all things being equal, we probably won't see #1 fall in the standings this week. But more than anything, maybe we need to look at what makes a game of the week.

It can't be what game would you "want to see". Come on folks, it's slow pitch softball, no one wants to watch it. For me it's, what game has the greatest potential to be close or evenly matched. That game may not always have the flashy league leaders in it, but hey, this is the House League, there's over 120 teams and everyone deserves some credit.

Softball Guys Game of the Week Honorable Mentions

#102 Ogers v. #107 Thomas Pain - These two teams enter their match up with 2 wins and 8 losses combined. It's pretty obvious that these guys are more interested in the sideline activities and enjoying a little recreational beer league softball than they are in the outcome of the game. For me, this is a pretty even match-up. OUTCOME: Thomas Pain 13, Ogers 9.

#50 Penn State v. #53 Keystoners - Both of these teams are better than I think most folks would realize. Both teams play quality opponents and neither team has lost to a "bad team" yet. The Keystoners are coming off a very close 7-4 loss to DGS and Penn State is only 2 games removed from a 7-4 loss of their own to Potomac Fever. This ones gonna be close folks. OUTCOME: Keystoners 16, Penn State 12

Softball Guy's Game of the Week

#38 Raucus Caucus v. #39 No Talent AZ Clowns - in a showdown of Western teams, this pits a 6-3 RC team against the 5-3 Clowns. The Caucus three losses have all been to Top 15 teams and while 2 of the Clowns losses were to Top 15 teams as well, they are coming off a shocking 3-1 loss to underrated #71 Two Drink Minimum. Both of these teams are former Congressional League squads that have crossed over to the Dark Side, this game will go a long way in pushing the winner to the tournament and up the rankings. OUTCOME: Raucus Caucus 19, No Talent AZ Clowns 17

Coming up Big

Following a flurry of great match ups last night, two teams made big statements with blowout wins while two other teams made big statements with high profile wins.

The Libert Square Sliders dropped the Hired Guns in grand fashion 20-4, putting themselves back into the top 15 at #11. Meanwhile, Texas Republic knocked off a very good Moderately Sober team 15-10 to cement their place as one of the elite in the league. The Big Lebowskis showed the great divide between Top 10 and Top 25 but trouncing #22 Ugly Mugs by 25, and Scared Hitless got a very healthy quality win by beating Vito Power.

All 4 of these games got a lot of pregame talk on the Smack Boards with a few very close predictions by some of the board faithful, but a more interesting story from last night? A young team that's been trying to prove their good for a few years now topped a usually strong, perennial playoff team.

Capitol Punishment beat Owego Fire Department by 11 last night, and while that might not be a quality win by the rankings #'s, anyone who's been around knows that Owego has been a solid squad. The question: is Owego pulling and FDA and taking a year off, or is Capitol Punishment actually THAT good? We'll find out in 2 weeks when CP starts a 3 game series that includes matchups against Big Riggin, Vito Power and the Hired Gunz.

Also, in an unherladed, must win game for two usual suspects come playoff time, the Dukes of Haphazard beat Cold Hard Cash to set up a run back into the post season.

We'll see wat next week holds.

Halfway there?

For some teams this is the halfway point, for others there season hasn't begun and for even more the season is starting to wrap up. But for the playoff teams, the crunch begins after the 4th of July.

It's about this time of year that the standings begin to gel and teams get a good sense of what they need to do to secure that playoff birth, or improve their seeding. For the first time in awhile, the field is pretty open for the top seeds. The re-emergence of Fat, Drunk and Awesome has landed them in the familiar territory of the Top 10, at #1 in fact. But, with games against DGS, Moderately Sober, the Dragon Slayers and a rather unusually high ranked Vito Power, FDA may find themselves sliding. Then there's the ever present DGS, Big Lebowskis, Pot Fever, Destroyers and Texas Republic lurking to take the top seed, but all 5 of those teams have rough final schedules ahead, most of them playing each other. Notably absent from that list, the Liberty Square "In"Sliders, the most obvious reason for that being that they've only played 5 games.

Knocking on the door of success are a fleet of teams who have always been good, but never really great. I mentioned Vito Power, who now sits at #6, they've got no breaks in their schedule basically from here on out, if they win out, they deserve the top seed, I find that unlikely though. Bases Loaded, Scared Hitless, Hired Gunz, Moderately Sober and the Big Sticks are all floating around the 8-15 range and could find themselves with first round byes if the current leaders beat each other up enough.

To date, not a ton of shocking news though. So I'll leave those of you still out there with my Top 10:

1 - Moderately Sober, yes, hidden in there record are quality wins over the Sliders and Slayers and only a 1 run heart breaking loss to Pot Fever.
2 - Fat Drunk and Awesome, they'd be #1, but a fairly weak schedule thus far.
3 - Texas Republic, still winning, still a top team to beat.
4 - Big Lebowskis, weak schedule, but still a heavy hitter.
5 - DGS, what can you say about a team that's always around.
6 - Scared Hitless, chance to make a statement against Vito Power.
7 - Vito Power, chance to make a statement against Scared hitless.
8 - Destroyers, great team, great people.
9 - Hired Guns, beating Big Lebowskis is a big win.
10 - Potomac Fever, play some more games, move up the list.

Most Beeriffic - Children of the Corn: From loveable losers to 8-0 this year, and some of the most prolific drinkers I've ever seen at Union Pub. These Children do Iowa proud.

2011 Season Around the Corner

It's that time again. I was walking down by the mall the other day and I saw a group of folks getting in some batting practice, a few minutes of pausing and listening to the crack of the bat and the slap of leather and I got that old fashioned feeling back. It's softball season.

The 2010 season was filled with excitement, great games and quite the drama if you followed the message boards (I'll assume most of you who read this blog don't spend much time on the Smack Talk board, but if you ever want some juicy daytime dramedy that puts General Hospital to shame, just check it out). There were upsets in the tourny, nail-biters in the regular season, lopsided pastings and games that turned into drinking parties. All in all, another success.

Sadly last season, I was mostly preoccupied and unable to fully focus on the league, I hope to provide the few of you who still read my blog with a bit more timely coverage. I'm working on my pre-season preview now, but until then, get out and smell the freshly uncut grass and get ready for softball!