7/8 7/12 7/13 7/13 7/13 7/13 7/13 7/27 7/27 7/27 7/27 7/27 8/2 8/3 8/3 8/9 8/9 8/16 8/23
FS 3|3 FS 0|0 HB 0|2 BW 0|4 EL 1|1 ON 0|0 IS 0|13 EL 1|1 IS 0|0 WW 0|0 ON 3|0 KF 6|3 KF 0|1|0 FS 0 BW 1|2 EL 1|2 R★ 2 BW 0 The
WW 0|0 WA 1|1 KF 1|3 KF 1|10 HB 0|0 WA 3|3 WO 11|8 WA 0|2 WA 3|3 ON 3|3 WW 1|1 WO 0|0 EL 4|0|1 BW 2 WA 0|1 BW 0|0 G★ 0 EL 2 Thrill

Gameday: 4/29 - Mattseals @ Donkeys, Whiteford @ Donkeys, Whiteford @ Friday

@
4/29 - The Zoo - New Hudson, MI

Game
1		 Jason Mattseals-0
Donkeys-1
WP: Don Shaw     LP: Adam Cosby
Game
2		 Jason Mattseals-1
Donkeys-2
** 9 Innings  WP: Matt Murtha     LP: Chris Paquin


The Zoo was the host to six exciting opening weekend games on a beautful Sunday afternoon. Three teams, The Wicked Aces, Donkeys, and King Friday were making their league debuts, and the new look Mattseals were hungry to prove their not the old Mattseals.

The first two games were between the Donkeys and the Mattseals. In game one, Adam Cosby of the Seals faced off against Don Shaw of the Donkeys. The score was tied 0-0 until Matt Murtha got things started in the bottom of the 5th with a double. After getting hit over to 3rd base with two outs, Jeremy Haap hit a squibler just over the deadball line to score Murtha and win the game for the Donkeys 1-0.

In game two, Jason Hewlett of the Seals faced off against Joe Seto of the Donkeys. Hewlett allowed a first inning run, but held the Donkeys scoreless through five innings and was then relived by Chris Paquin. Joe Seto allowed one run through 7 innings and was relived by Matt Murtha in the 8th. The game ended in controversal fasion in the bottom of the 9th when Joe Seto tagged up from 3rd base to score after the Seals failed to call a legal timeout.



Photos from Opening Weekend:



@
4/29 - The Zoo - New Hudson, MI

Game
1		 Wicked Aces-1
Donkeys-0
** 7 Innings  WP: Austin Bischoff     LP: Matt Murtha
Game
2		 Wicked Aces-2
Donkeys-0
WP: Joel Crozier     LP: Joe Seto


Games three and four saw the Whiteford Wicked Aces face off against the host Donkeys. Former Flying Squirrel and Clown Shu candidate Austin Bischoff battled against his former Squirrels teammate Murtha in game 3. It took 7 innings for the Aces to score a run, and behind Austin's no hitter, they took down the game 1-0.

Evan Bischoff started game four, but was pulled after walking the first three batters. Joel Crozier cleaned up his mess and then pitched five innings of shut out wiffleball. Joe Seto pitched for the Donkeys, but without any run support, took the loss. The Aces won game four 2-0, to give Crozier the win.



@
4/29 - The Zoo - New Hudson, MI

Game
1		 Wicked Aces-1
King Friday-0
** PERFECT GAME  WP: Justin Hughes     LP: Eric Sizemore
Game
2		 Wicked Aces-7
Losing Team-0
** PERFECT GAME  WP: Evan Bischoff     LP: Anthony


Games five and six were between the Wicked Aces and the all rookie team, King Friday. These were home games for the field-less Fridays. Richard Hurd's coaching philosophy was to try out as many pitchers as possible, and they shocked everyone by keeping game five close. The score was tied 0-0 all the way until the fourth inning when the Aces were finally able to score a run. It was the only run of the game to give the Aces a 1-0 victory. The big story of this game was the pitching performance by the Aces #3 pitcher, Justin Hughes. It didn't take long to see a perfect game, and Hughes has the first one of 2012!

Game six was a coming out party for the Wicked Aces bats, as they were able to score seven runs to win the game 7-0. Evan Bischoff gave it another try on the mound, and also pitched a perfect game! In the two games between the Wicked Aces and King Friday, Friday never had a single baserunner.

Good times were had by all, and a big thanks to Joe Seto and the Donkeys for hosting these games on his interesting, but lovely field.

The gamecast of game #1 between King Friday and Whiteford, a game that's intriguing for a couple reasons, is available here:
http://wiffleinsemi.podbean.com/2012/04/29/gamecast-whiteford-wicked-aces-king-friday-429/


Photos from Opening Weekend:

Gameday: 4/27 - Squirrels @ Commandos

@
4/27 - Lafayette Park - Detroit, MI

Read the pregame write-up here!

Game
1		 Flying Squirrels-2
Campus Commandos-1
WP:   Brandon Corbett      LP: Alex Linebrink
HR: Corbett (1), Egan (1)
Game
2		 Flying Squirrels-3
Campus Commandos-2
WP: Mike Cosntanti      LP: Daniel Egan
HR: Linebrink (1)


Hot crossed buns, and hard fought games! Both games in the series were pitchers duels through-and-through. For the first game: Alex Linebrink threw a gem, giving up only one run until the fifth inning when Brandon Corbett added a solo shot over the right-center field wall (this will be a theme, hang with me). In the bottom of the fifth, Corbett would give up his first, and only, hit of the game - a solo shot by Daniel Egan - over the right-center field wall. It was all the offense the Commandos could drum up for the game, though, falling short 2-1.

Daniel Egan took the mound for the Commandos in game two, and had the Squirrels baffled through four innings. The Commandos were able to jump out to a 2-0 lead on an Alex Linebrink home run to right center field (told you it was a theme!). It wasn't until the top of the fifth that the Squirrels were able to figure out Egan and string hits together and score three runs - utilizing great baserunning by Ryan Alexia and surgeon-esque hitting from Carl Coffee and Ryan Bullard. In the bottom of the fifth the Commandos had runners on first and second, but the game came to a close when Linebrink tried to advance to third on a fly ball caught by Bullard who tagged him for the third and final out.

After the games drinks and yelling about the Lions taking a wide receiver happened. No one was happy about that. Then the Tigers lost. That sucked, too. But the Squirrels won. They enjoy that. And the Commandos look very good. They're happy about that; just need to catch a few lucky breaks.

Photos from Opening Weekend:

Here's the game film! Every hit, walk, out and a couple extras from Game #1 - Corbett vs. Linebrink:



And here's a scene from between games 1 & 2; Linebrink and Coffee spearhead the talk about hits (or lack thereof) and comeback player of the year.

Opening Weekend!

It is finally here! The build-up and countdown to Opening Weekend! We have two four series on the schedule, and both two have been given the write-up treatment. First up, is Opening Night in Detroit: Squirrels at Commandos. Next, the Opening Weekend Marquee Match-up, Sunday in New Hudson as the Donkeys open The Zoo against the Mattseals. Two very different environments with very different dimensions. Both series are scheduled to have one complete game videoed, edited down to see each hit, out, walk and any random moments, then put online; highlights from the others are also in the pipeline. Oh, and how about this coincidence: this is our 100th home page news post!

 

Gee, Mr. Munson; Gamecast; Friday a National Holiday?

The first installment of Mr. Munson's Great Athletes of the Week is now online! As the name suggests this will be a weekly feature on the Records/Awards page for two players: one who played the game great, and one who made the game great to play. Click the link and check out who got the honor of breaking the cherry!

The play-by-play call of the Jason Mattseals and Belgian Wiffles 4-vs-5 first round match-up is now online at the Podcast site. These are two teams trying to reinvent themselves in 2012, and doing a great job of impressing everyone in the early going. We will not spoil anything from this game, but Belgian went on to win the double-elimination tournament in impressive fashion, while the Mattseals continue to distance themselves from stigma of their 2011 season.

King Friday have gotten some national attention for their bold "we will dominate with rookies" statement/stand-up act. In his tongue-in-cheek article on the NWLA site, Josh Williamson draws comparisons between Hurd, his team and the puppets from the Land of Make Believe. Williamson also divulges that King Friday is a front-runner for Team Name of the Year, adding: "People may laugh at the name but King Friday was a real pompous SOB on the show."

Satellite Tournament #2: Results

Frenchtown Field looks better than ever! The new material used for fencing along the outfield wall and backstop is much less apparent (some might say "obnoxious") than the orange snow fencing in place around the outfield last year. The DeLoppes will make their 2012 debut Saturday at their home field alongside the Jason Mattseals, a team that may practice more than the DeLoppes, the Thunder Ducks, who will open their season against the DeLoppes with the Marquee Match-up on May 28th, a short-handed Flying Squirrels squad with Chris Paquin on loan from the Matteals (Call them the Squeals?), and the Belgian Wiffles, who have practiced since last tournament and feel they have developed deeper pitching. One traveling team, the Gargamels from Bay City, will also be playing in this tournament.

To atone for the lost 35 minute game call from the last tournament, the Podcast crew will once again do play-by-play and semi-relevant Spring Training color commentary for a first-round game. This time they are promising to save it in every possible format TWICE to be sure they have an uncorrupted copy saved. Richard Hurd, captain of King Friday, will be in attendance and the guys will try to get him into the booth at some point to say something incendiary!

The format will again be double-elimination with a single play-in game to determine seeding. Here are the play-in match-ups and schedule:


Flying Squirrels - 3      Gargamels - 0


Mattseals - 0      Thunder Ducks - 0


Wiffling DeLoppes - 1      Belgian Wiffles - 0



The Real Update: Congratulations to the Belgian Wiffles for taking their first tournament championship and getting some respect from their peers! They defeated the Ducks, DeLoppes, Squirrels, and 'Seals on their way to the championship, while scoring 23 runs and allowing only 7 on the day. Belgian lost their "play-in" game, but never lost when the games counted in the bracket. Rookies Dave "Eureka's" Castle, Chandler "Bing" Phillips, and Craig "Seymour" Skinner all impressed with their play. The Ducks came in second place, seemingly running out of gas in the championship game.



Update #1: 4/19 - 6:09 PM: Chris Paquin is forgoing the Verlander Taco Bell night-before-a-start meal, and instead is choosing to to rock a Carl Pavano 'stache to give him his best performance on game day.

Update #2: 4/20 - 1:17 PM: Forecast - 44° at first pitch, high of 55°. Clouds in the morning breaking up into a sunny afternoon. Winds from the North at 10-15 mph. The wind may be partially blocked by the woods behind right-field; any breeze that gets through will push the ball to left field, and could make it a rough outing for right-handed pitchers who rely on their slurves or sliders.

Update #3: 4/20 - 7:47 PM: The Squirrels, who became the "Squeals" with the addition of Chris Paquin from the Mattseals on a one-day loan, may became the "Squealdos!" (yes, the exclamation is necessary when three teams come together Megazord style) as Adam Grant and Eric Pfefferle of the Commandos have talked with Coffee about "getting a few bats in".

Update #4: 4/20 - 9:35 PM: With the Tigers rain-out, will Lewis, Pfefferle, and Grant choose MLB or WSEM? Will keep you informed.

Update #5: 4/20 - 7:47 PM: The Squirrels, who became the "Squeals" with the addition of Chris Paquin from the Mattseals on a one-day loan, may became the "Squealdos!" (yes, the exclamation is necessary when three teams come together Megazord style) as Adam Grant and Eric Pfefferle of the Commandos have talked with Coffee about "getting a few bats in".

Update #6: 4/21 - 12:29 PM: We'll test run 'Mr. Munson's Great Athletes of the Week' at today's tournament (mainly to remind you we're doing it). The safe money is on Pearson and Jeremy Wright to take the honors, though I give Paquin a decent shot at the fun slot.

A Few Thoughts; Rule Adjustments & Clarifications

  • With the season right around the bend, there are a few things we need to float out there.
    First, a few thoughts to keep in mind throughout the season:

60% of Wiffleball is the jokes and shenanigans while hanging out with the guys; 70% of those in turn somehow relate to genitalia.

30% of Wiffleball is the embellished folklore and over-the-top media put online. When we were kids we emulated the big-time in our backyards; now, we just have the ability to take that even further!

10% of Wiffleball is what happens on the field itself: how fun it is to hit a curveball, strike someone out, make an amazing defensive play, compete and get out of a jam or complete a comeback victory. Then do a little dance.


  • Second, some clarifications and additions to league rules:

- On legal bats. This was not included in last year's rules, though it should have been as it enhances the performance of the bat. For reference, the bat in the banner on The Skinny is illegal. The rewritten part of the rule is in ALL CAPS:

4. Each team will use official Wiffleball balls and the official trademark yellow Wiffleball bat. Bats will often be on-hand, but if you have your own that you wish to use, you may. Taping the handles of the bat is allowed, as is painting of the barrel: THE HOLE ON THE BOTTOM MUST BE LEFT OPEN. No other modifications are acceptable. Any and all bats are subject to being checked for corking and legality before use.


- There have been teams who have suggested that they may choose not to travel, especially if they feel a playoff birth is locked up. This is something that goes against why we run this league for you. WSEM exists to play Wiffleball, to experience the game in different venues and with different people. Make the trip, play your games, play a few pick-up games, hang out with the other guys and make a day of the trip. Remember also that the reason you have six to eight players on your roster is so that you can find a day and time that four are available to play.

14. A team must play 24 games to be eligible for the playoffs. Occasionally forfeits are unavoidable, thus, forfeiture of up to two series is acceptable. Any more than that shows a lack of commitment to your league and the game as a whole; therefore, you forfeit your right to represent the league as a champion of the game.


- We have added some clarification as to how the base-running/time out rule should be used in making the call.

Defenders may call time out while possessing the ball in the infield to stop runners.
· If a runner is approaching, on, or has just rounded (less than 3 steps), they will hold at that base.
· If a runner is a few steps from the base, they may continue on to the next base.
· This buffer is to be clear whether the runner's foot was on the base or not.
· If the question is about 3 steps, then there is clearly no question the runner was off the base; the runner will be allowed to advance.


- A 6 man roster means six men. Substitutions are not allowed unless an injury occurs or a team starts a game with three men. This is the last bullet point under "For the Batter":

· No changes to the batting lineup may be made during a game unless a team begins the game with 3 players and their fourth arrives mid-game, or an injury forces a player to leave the game.


- You all know about the matching shirts with numbers rule, but just reinforcing it in your mind.

3. All team members are expected to wear matching color jerseys with player numbers on them for WSEM games as a courtesy to video and photographers.

Season Preview and Predictions Podcast




On the mics:
Carl "As Always" Coffee
Brandon "Ditto" Corbett
Greg "Special Guest of Honor" Franzen

1. Satellite Tournament Recap:
  • What impressed or surprised?
  • Is the 2-1-2 pitching rotation the stupidest gameplan ever?

2. Ringler Division Predictions

3. "Apples to Oranges"
  • Who would you take: a WSEMer or Detroit Tiger in 7 stat categories?

4. #1 FAN QUIZ! How much does WSEM's number one fan really know about the league?

5. Garcia Division Predictions
  • ... and can you spot the game the host even forgot about?

Music:
Intro: Illy Mack "Squirrels" - http://fivethreedialtonerecords.bandcamp.com/album/squirrels
Outro: John Denver "Leaving on a Jet Plane" - http://johndenver.com


Also in the news:
The NWLA has done their first team rankings of the 2012 season. Three WSEM teams are included. The DeLoppes stay put at their year-end position of #14, while the Ducks bump up one spot to #4. Riding their tournament win and he hype surrounding their performance, the Punchouts join the Ducks and DeLoppes to represent WSEM at #41. As always, these rankings have been updated in the standings tables on this site, and Mancheser's "Highest Rank" has been updated on their team page.

In-game Commentary + "Corner of the Mouth" Video Clip



This is in-game commentary from the Belgian Wiffles vs. Thunder Ducks game at the 4/7/12 satellite tournament; this test recording started with a surprising (to many) Belgian 3-0 lead, but the audio here captures the beginning of their collapse in the game; ultimately losing by a score of around 10-3. Also, it comes bundled with a bonus clip of "Corner of the Mouth" talk about the Mattseals impressive win over the Punchouts, getting out of jams, and pitchers who like pitching under pressure.

* Disclaimer: This audio was recorded to test the set up, and was never intended to be released. However, rights to the Donkeys vs. Punchouts complete game play-by-play have been purchased by Lost to the World Media. As a result, we are unable to share that game with you here. This is, therefore, just a bite to get you excited for more coming up this season.

NWLA Predictions

Congratulations to the Punchouts for winning their league buy-in in the first satellite tournament on Saturday. With their team speed and talent at pitching and hitting, this team will be a force to be reckoned with in the Ringler Division. Moving from tournament champions to predictions of season champions: the NWLA has released their annual "St. Patty's Predictions"! The Punchouts get one nod from Josh Williamson, the DeLoppes get named by two of the experts, and the Thunder Ducks come in as the favorites with three votes from the panel. Belgian, the Donkeys and Squirrels all make the chart as runners-up, as well. Last season these were way off across the board, with the Squirrels getting a clean sweep. However, with the league more established now, I think this season's predictions have a much better shot at panning out.


A small site update: Roster photos for the Punchouts and Mattseals have been updated with pictures from Saturday.

Coming full circle: the second satellite tournament will be held April 21st at either Frenchtown Field or two-doors down the road. A Facebook event has been set up to keep everyone up to date with the information and teams signed-up.

Satellite Tournament #1: Updated

The field of play is built. The field of teams is set. With a few Spring Training days and team practices under our belts it is time to step up to a slightly more serious level of play, and warm up for the start of league play at the end of this month. The first satellite tournament, in which the winner receives their league buy-in paid in full, is being held April 7th at the Drey. The only thing accurate about this Drey layout are the lines: 90' to LF, and 81.5' to RF. 250' of fence are being used to make a more fun-for-tournament-atmosphere design; including a "mouth" that cuts 30' back into the field of play, dwarfing its 2009 counterpart. The "mouth" is famed for being "the greatest seat in the house," and will not let you down this year. Taking it even further, for this tournament the mouth will house the tournament table from which a game played at the height of the day's events will be called: think a cross between radio play-by-play and home-run derby shenanigans. Video cameras will also be on hand to capture game play throughout the day. Get ready to see some great robs, with any luck a few good shots in the mouth, plink-o off the tree, and have a lot of laughs... those are coming!

The format is double-elimination with a single play-in game for each team to determine seeding. The participants and first games of the day are:

10:00 am Jason Mattseals @ Belgian Wiffles
10:30 am F'ing Squirrels @ Donkeys
11:00 am Thunder Ducks @ Punchouts


Photo credit: Joe Seto
Game Day Update: Congratulations to the Manchester Punchouts for winning the first Satellite Tournament. They took the long road through the losers bracket, beating Belgian, the Ducks, the Seals, and finally the Squirrels twice in the championship. Evan, Sam, Craig and Logan impressed in every aspect of the game: pitching, hitting, defense, speed, and doing it all with a smile; fun players, good players. Those last four words really tell the tale of the whole day. The entire field of teams were competitive: no pushovers and no dominant teams. Great tournament, great play, great time, great guys.

That really is the most impressive part of today: six teams who were all competitive with one another. The Mattseals offseason maneuvering has built them into a serious contender: Mike Myers, Adam Cosby, and Chris Paquin bring formidable pitching and bats to their lineup. These are not the Mattseals you remember. The Belgian Wiffles for the first time have a full, steady roster with a lot of talent to play with: Chandler Phillips is a Diamond Digit winner waiting to happen, and David Castle looked great on the mound. Mike Constanti was fantastic on the mound for the Squirrels, who showed they can score more than one run a game. I am sure the Ducks are unsatisfied with the results, but they showed well with the addition of Lewis as number-two pitcher and the D&D boys (Dylan Braden and Dennis Pearson) smashing the ball at the plate.

Here is how the full bracket played out:

An assload of pictures from the tournament can be found at this link: https://picasaweb.google.com/112618037050528167639/4712SatelliteTournament1



Update #1: Chris Paquin, Jason Mattseals game one starter, has posted that he is partaking in Justin Verlander's "night before a start" meal: 2 taco supremes (no tomato), a cheesy gordita crunch, and a Mexican pizza (no tomato). Is it a no-hitter in the making?



Good luck and good fun!

TRADE!



Blockbuster.The first trade in WSEM occurred Friday night. Matt Murtha has been traded from the Squirrels to the Donkeys for "Future considerations". Murtha adds depth at pitcher and in the field to a Donkeys roster in need of everyday players. Murtha played in 24 games for the Squirrels in 2011, and pitched in 8 of those. That dependency was the crux of this trade: the Donkeys needed an everyday player with experience to bolster their squad, while the Squirrels had a surplus after absorbing Ass Kickers and having part-time players from 2011 promoted to the full-time roster.

After initially turning down the trade last week, Murtha accepted it Friday evening, acknowledging the increase in playing time and heightened role he would play with the Donkeys than he could with the Squirrels. He also praised the opportunity to play with players whom he respects, like Shore and Seto.

This is no Herschel Walker deal, but what it does is provide both teams with a lot more comfort heading into the season. No matter what the aforementioned "future considerations" end up being, the Squirrels will benefit from not having to juggle seven or eight players showing up to each series. The Donkeys will have one more veteran, everyday player as well as a good option at number-two pitcher in their lineup.
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