The Home Stretch: Finish Strong

With three weeks left to play in the WSEM regular season there are a couple teams in danger of not getting their games played if they do not step up scheduling. Talk to each other, exhaust all your options (weeknights, tri-meets, full season series at once, 4 AM, 8 games in a day, etc.), just chip away at your remaining schedule and find days these games can get played. Chad is offering the use of Frenchtown Field on the last Saturday and Sunday of the season (7/16-17) for teams that need to get games in at the last minute. Before getting into the number crunching, I would like to ask: please do not remove games from the schedule calender until you have set new dates for those games to be played. Thanks. So without further ado, here is the breakdown of who each team still needs to get on their schedule and their upcoming games.

Ass Kickers:

• Belgian Wiffles - 2
• Campus Commandos - 2
• Git r' Done - 2
• Westside Warriors - 2
• Wiffling DeLoppes - 2

Upcoming Schedule: 7/3 vs. Belgian, 7/17 vs. Git r' Done & DeLoppes

Belgian Wiffles:

• Ass Kickers - 2
• Campus Commandos - 1
• Jason Mattseals - 4

Upcoming Schedule: 7/1 vs. Commandos, 7/3 vs. Ass Kickers & Mattseals, 7/9 vs. Commandos

Campus Commandos:

• Ass Kickers - 2
• Belgian Wiffles - 1

Upcoming Schedule: 7/1 vs. Belgian, 7/8 vs. Git r' Done, 7/9 vs. Squirrels & Belgian, 7/10 tri-meet vs. Mattseals & Git r' Done

Flying Squirrels:

• None needed

Upcoming Schedule: 7/2 vs. DeLoppes & Warriors, 7/9 vs. Commandos, 7/16 vs. Warriors

Git r' Done:

• Ass Kickers - 2
• Westside Warriors - 2
• Wiffling DeLoppes - 2

Upcoming Schedule: 7/8 vs. Commandos, 7/10 tri-meet vs. Commandos & Mattseals, 7/17 vs. Ass Kickers & DeLoppes

Jason Mattseals:

• Belgian Wiffles - 4

Upcoming Schedule: 7/3 vs. Belgian, 7/10 tri-meet vs. Commandos & Git r' Done

Westside Warriors:

• Ass Kickers - 2
• Git r' Done - 2

Upcoming Schedule: 7/2 vs. DeLoppes & Squirrels, 7/16 vs. Squirrels

Wiffling DeLoppes:

• Ass Kickers - 2
• Git r' Done - 2

Upcoming Schedule: 7/2 vs. Squirrels & Warriors, 7/17 vs. Git r' Done & Ass Kickers

Warriors take Series with Seals 3-1

---vs.---
The Westside Reservation, Farmington, MI

Game 1:
Jason Mattseals   - 0
Westside Warriors - 2
WP: Alex Shore
LP: Jason Hewlett

Game 2:
Jason Mattseals   - 3
Westside Warriors - 1
WP: Jason Hewlett
LP: Alex Shore
S: Jason Matt

Game 3:
Westside Warriors - 9
Jason Mattseals   - 0
WP: Matt Whelan
LP: Jason Matt

Game 4:
Westside Warriors - 16
Jason Mattseals   - 3
WP: Alex Shore
LP: Jason Hewlett

Podcast #5 now Online

Spend 21 minutes with Carl Coffee & Chad Hoppe "live" from outside Fifth-Third Field in Toledo, OH as the Mud Hens take on the Columbus Clippers. Here's the link:

http://wiffleinsemi.podbean.com/2011/06/23/wsem-podcast-5/

• Quick game and ruling recaps
  
  • Many cherries popped
• Wiener talk. ... Everyone's happy!
• What if All-star teams were chosen today?
  
  • Chad and Carl name some names.
• Chad's "Rookie of the Year" front runners
• Upcoming game previews
  
  • Would a 14 inning perfect game impress the doubters?
  • What does Chad really think about the Squirrels?
  • 2 Top teams face off on 7/2! ? ... Somebody tell GR'D!
• What can we say?

Cliff Comstock - Sound board engineering / production

Music:
(Intro) "The City" - Desktop
http://desktopjams.org/
(All-stars) "Klara" - Red Iron Orchestra
http://red-iron-orchestra.bandcamp.com/
(Last laugh) "Totally Awesome" - The Pop Project
http://www.popproject.com/

6/19: Belgian vs. Westside Results

--- vs.---

Game 1:
Westside Warriors - 1 3
Belgian Wiffles   - 0 0 Belgian had only 2 players, forfeit.
WP: Maclin Malloy
LP: Richie

Game 2:
Westside Warriors - 13 3
Belgian Wiffles   -  3 0 Belgian had only 2 players, forfeit.
WP: Maclin Malloy
LP: David Buhr

Game 3:
Westside Warriors - 11 3
Belgian Wiffles   -  0 0 Belgian had only 2 players, forfeit
WP: Maclin Malloy
LP: David Buhr

Game 4:
Westside Warriors - 5 3
Belgian Wiffles   - 0 0 Belgian had only 2 players, forefeit
WP: Maclin Malloy ** PERFECT GAME **
LP: Richie

This was a tricky situation. The two teams had played four games, the results of all 4 games had come in, been made public and celebratory chatter about Malloy's perfect game had already begun before we learned an important illegal bit of information: Belgian only had 2 players on the field for their games. The WSEM rules clearly state that it takes 3 players on a roster to constitute a team: "Teams should be made up of four or more players, although games will be allowed to be played with a team of as few as three." Belgian did not have a team at the Westside Reservation on Sunday, therefore they forfeit the four games. While the records will not have to change, the scores will be changed to 3-0 Warriors for all games. Individual hitting and pitching stats will not be recorded, HOWEVER, the accomplishment of Malloy having thrown a perfect game, the first in WSEM, will not be stripped. The honor will go into the record books stating that on June 19th, 2011 Maclin Malloy of the Westside Warriors threw the first perfect game in WSEM. Will there be an asterisk next to it? Absolutely, but while the perfect game was being thrown all the players on the field were competing, trying to win, and the result was not a gift. Maclin's performance and his accomplishment deserve to be recognized, not taken away from him.

So: 4 forfeits, 4 3-0 wins for the Warriors, no stats, but the perfect game honor will be upheld. This could not have come at a worse time than right on the heals of the Ass Kickers forfeits the day before, making for a really ugly weekend for Wiffle in Southeast Michigan. However, all rulings need to be made by the same standard: if a team is unable to field a team for their games, then they forfeit. The human, feel good, "we just want to play" factor cannot affect the forfeiture decision. While, yes, we want everyone to have fun, we also have to do things by the book to keep things fair across the league and everyone on a level field. I fully understand this ruling, in both games, makes many mad, and that is fine. Be mad, and use that to not let it happen again.

6/18 Results: Squirrels sweep, Ass Kickers forfeit

--@--
5:00 PM ---The Drey

Game 1:
Belgian Wiffles  - 1
Flying Squirrels - 2
WP: Mike Merlo
LP: Chris Lewis

Game 2:
** 6 Innings **
Flying Squirrels - 1
Belgian Wiffles  - 0
WP: Brandon Corbett
LP: Chris Lewis

Shenanigans Pickup Game:
Winning Moment - Shore's peg of Murtha in the thigh.
Other Winning Moment - Merlo getting "struck out by a fetus."
Losing Moment - "No singles in exhibition" baserunning philosophy.

Close, low scoring pitchers duels won by aggressive baserunning: small ball fury in death valley. It's trademarked. This is how games are played in The Drey! Carl Coffee supplied all 3 RBIs for the Squirrels over the two games, while Merlo and Corbett kept the Belgian hitters in check. Chris Lewis didn't make it easy, matching the Squirrels rotation nearly tally for tally. Both sides kept walks to a minimum and made the batters earn what they got. Like any good defensive battle it came down to a defensive miscue or a baserunner digging for the extra base; both games featured missed peg tries at home. There's definitely some exciting, often nail-biting, and always sweating under the pressure in the hot sun ball being played at the Drey. The two teams were joined by Alex Shore (Warriors) for a friendly pickup game to loosen up before heading home, and proper shenanigans ensued. Tense wiffle first, and save the fun stuff for later!

--@--
6:30 PM ---Constanti Field

Game 1:
** FORFEIT **
Jason Mattseals - 3
Ass Kickers     - 0

Game 1:
** FORFEIT **
Jason Mattseals - 3
Ass Kickers     - 0

Video: Bringing It - Chris Lewis vs. Dennis Pearson

Chris Lewis takes the mound for the Belgian Wiffles against Dennis Pearson for Git r' Done. This was a pitchers' duel; nasty stuff from two different looks: one high and hard, the second deceptive from down under. Lots of Ks, not a lot of offense. So, a change of pace, this video focuses almost exclusively on the filth being thrown off the mound. It would be anti-climactic that the game was won on a BB, if not for all the pressure on Lewis in the bottom of the 5th.

Video recorded and edited by B.M. Corbett
BG groove: "Smooth" by Sheefy Mcfly and the Delorean, http://sheefymcflyandthedelorean.bandcamp.com

Results from Sunday: WD vs. CC / BW vs. GD

** Stats and leaders represent only through Sunday's DeLoppes/Commandos games. Still waiting for the scoresheets from Sunday's GR'D/Belgian games to be handed over...

vs.

Game 1
Wiffling DeLoppes - 16
Campus Commandos  -  5
WP: Chad Hoppe
LP: Joe Seto

Game 2
Wiffling DeLoppes - 14
Campus Commandos  -  0
WP: Cliff Comstock
LP: Joe Seto

Game 3
Wiffling DeLoppes - 8
Campus Commandos  - 5
WP: Chad Hoppe
LP: Alex Linebrink

Game 4
Wiffling DeLoppes - 6
Campus Commandos  - 0

WP: Cliff Comstock
LP: Alex Linebrink



vs.

Game 1
Belgian Wiffles - 3
Git r' Done     - 2
WP: Chris Lewis
LP: Dennis Pearson

Game 2
Belgian Wiffles - 1
Git r' Done     - 2
WP: Nick Braden
LP: Chris Lewis

Game 3
Git r' Done     - 1
Belgian Wiffles - 0
WP: Dennis Pearson
LP: Austin Crabtree

Game 4
Git r' Done     - 3
Belgian Wiffles - 0
WP: Dennis Pearson
LP: Chris Lewis
S: Nick Braden

Photos of Belgian and Git r' Done
from 6/12 at Frenchtown Field

The patchwork Belgian Wiffles featured Chris Lewis and two substitutes on Sunday, but Chris came out and held down the fort defeating Git r' Done in the first game on the day. Git r' Done took the following three games, but Lewis and his replacements kept Git r' Done's offensive productivity to a minimum the rest of the day: pitching and defense were the keys on the field, with the occasional timely or untimely walk as the wild cards. Game 2 showed a bit of power when Lewis hung a riser and Nick Braden drove it over the left field wall. Then later in the game Tim Dale (a Belgian Wiffle today) came up two feet short on that tall Frenchtown Field wall, which ultimately saved the game for Git r' Done. With Belgian stealing a game from Git r' Done and the DeLoppes handily sweeping the Commandos, the two teams move back into a tie for first place. If only the DeLoppes hadn't pulled out of next Sunday's tri-meet at Constanti Field on account of Father's Day, we would have had a head-to-head match up for the top of the league.

Opening Drey Results: Mattseals vs. Squirrels

@

Game 1
Jason Mattseals  - 0
Flying Squirrels - 9
WP: Mike Merlo
LP: Jason Matt

Game 2
Jason Mattseals  - 1
Flying Squirrels - 0
WP: Jason Hewlett
LP: Brandon Corbett

Game 3
Flying Squirrels - 1
Jason Mattseals  - 0
WP: Mike Merlo
LP: Jason Hewlett
*Jeff Biegas' hitting streak ends at 12 games

Game 4
Flying Squirrels - 0
Jason Mattseals  - 1
WP: Jason Hewlett
LP: Brandon Corbett

Photos from Opening Drey
The two teams calling The Drey home shared the opening of the field, and they traded games in kind. Yes! You heard right: the Jason Mattseals are in the win column! They split the four game series with the Flying Squirrels, baked in the sun, and scraped together runs. There was a trade off for the two wins, however; Jeff Biegas' hitting streak ended at 12 games against Mike Merlo in the third game of the day.

After the arrival of Jason Hewlett for the Mattseals the games truly became "Smallball Fury in Death Valley." The final three games were all 1-0 decisions. Hewlett credited the amount of practice he has been putting in over the past three weeks for his dominance, and both Merlo and Corbett put in quality - if not dominant in their own right - performances, as well. All three pitched good enough to win with each appearance. It was a long day under the beating sun for the hitters as the pitchers were all over the zone and not giving up much. Both teams struggled to score runs and support their pitchers fine efforts. All three runs in these games came thanks to aggressive, heads-up baserunning. The Drey itself is not kind to hitters: 93' down the LF line with a 10' wall, 108' to the LF power alley, 116' to dead center, 100' to the RF power alley, and 85' down the RF line with a 12' fence in all of right field. Lots of routine fly balls caught in left today that would easily have been home runs at other WSEM fields.

Even with the dominance of the pitchers, the MVP of the series may be Danny Johnson of the Mattseals. His fielding in the enormous left field was both solid and incredible. Merlo and Corbett both hit legitimate ~100' home runs that were robbed by Johnson at, and even over, the wall. He also made a few incredible throws from deep to get runners out, and just gobbled up everything in the air or on a line that was hit in the general vicinity of the county he in. A stellar debut performance for Danny, and an excellent debut for the Drey!

Tues. 6/7 Results: Commandos @ Warriors

@

Game 1
Campus Commandos   - 6
Westside Warriors  - 7
WP: Whelan
LP: Seto
HR: Seto (7,8)

Game 2
Campus Commandos   - 11
Westside Warriors  - 6
WP: Seto
LP: Whelan
HR: Boucher (1)

The Commandos headed to Farmington to finish off the postponed games against the Warriors from Sunday, but the electric numbers carried over without missing a beat. The two teams slugged it out in offensive counter punches to split the Tuesday night two game series: Westside taking game one, and the Commandos taking the final game in the season series to avoid the sweep. Stats from these games will likely be delayed getting online and updated until we are able to get them into the right hands.

Highlights Video: DeLoppes @ Belgian, 6/5

WSEM's Belgian Wiffles and Wiffling DeLoppes played 4 games on Sunday June 5th. This, the 4th game in the series, has everything: home run, shots to the gap, aggressive base running, a double play, great run saving catch in the outfield, a combine cruising by in the 3rd, plenty of Ks, miscommunication leading to an errant overthrow that changed the game, a peg out between third and home to maybe make up for it, and a closer coming in to shut it down.

If you don't mind the spoilers:

Game 4:
Wiffling DeLoppes - 2
Belgian Wiffles - 1
WP: Cliff Comstock
LP: Chuck Weiler
S: Bobby Hoppe
HR: Chris Lewis (3)

Results from Sunday June 5th

Constanti Field

vs. vs.

Game 1

** 8 innings **

Westside Warriors - 5

Ass Kickers       - 4

WP: Mike Constanti

LP: Maclin Malloy

Game 2

Westside Warriors - 7

Ass Kickers       - 6

WP: Alex Shore

LP: Brian Constanti

S: Maclin Malloy

Game 3

Campus Commandos - 4

Ass Kickers      - 2

WP: Joe Seto

LP: Mike Constanti

Game 4

Campus Commandos - 2

Ass Kickers      - 1

WP: Joe Seto

LP: Brian Constanti

* Westside Warriors vs. Campus Commandos PPD until Wednesday June 8th.

Long offensively led games early in the day between the Ass Kickers and Warriors eventually led to the moving of the final two games to Wednesday, but kicked off a sunny Sunday afternoon with a lot of excitement and entertainment. Including an 8 inning affair right out of the gate. The teams split their two game series, and gave us an unheralded stat record that will likely never be topped; it is hard to imagine anyone ever walking more times in one game than Ryan Bullard of the Ass Kickers after he walked 11 times in the eight innings of the first game. That is one for the dusty pages of the record books! The Ass Kickers vs. Commandos games were an entirely different, defensive beast. In large part due to Joe Seto pitching two stellar games for the Commandos and keeping the Ass Kickers lineup in check.

Frenchtown Field

vs.

Game 1

Belgian Wiffles   - 3

Wiffling DeLoppes - 2

WP: Chris Lewis

LP: Chad Hoppe

Game 2

** 8 innings **

Belgian Wiffles   - 1

Wiffling DeLoppes - 0

WP: Charlie Weiler

LP: Cliff Comstock

Game 3

Wiffling DeLoppes - 6

Belgian Wiffles   - 1

WP: Chad Hoppe

LP: Chris Lewis

Game 4

Wiffling DeLoppes - 2

Belgian Wiffles   - 1

WP: Cliff Comstock

LP: Charlie Weiler

S: Bobby Hoppe

Well, "Belgian's triumphant return" certainly got off to a triumphant start taking the first two games from the DeLoppes, including an 8 inning 1-0 pitchers duel. In fact all four games, aside from the third, were low scoring closely contended games dominated by defense. Not to say the offenses didn't have their chances, the pitchers defenses just held strong and made big plays when needed. The DeLoppes turned 2 more double plays in the series, and between the teams there were more than 5 attempted pegs at the plate - by far the most we've seen yet in one day on both accounts. Just as the "new jersey curse" jokes were starting to roll out, the DeLoppes turned the tables in the final two games to escape with a split on the day and a two-game winnings streak. Belgian, playing with only three players and for the first time in over a month, should be holding their heads high walking away from Frenchtown Field with the series split.