| Team | Games Yet to Schedule | ||
| Belgian Wiffles | 12 | ||
| Home: |
|||
| Road: Donkeys, |
|||
| Commandos | 14 | ||
| Home: |
|||
| Road: Donkeys, |
|||
| Donkeys | 10 | ||
| Home: Belgian, Commandos, |
|||
| Road: N/A | |||
| Flying Squirrels | 4 | ||
| Home: |
|||
| Road: Seamen | |||
| Jason Mattseals | 0 | ||
| Home: N/A | |||
| Road: N/A | |||
| King Friday | 10 | ||
| Home: |
|||
| Road: |
|||
| Manchester Punchouts | 20 | ||
| Home: |
|||
| Road: |
|||
| Thunder Ducks | 14 | ||
| Home: Commandos, Punchouts, Aces | |||
| Road: Commandos, Donkeys, |
|||
| Whiteford Wicked Aces | 12 | ||
| Home: Donkeys, Punchouts, Ducks, Seamen | |||
| Road: Belgian, Ducks | |||
| Seamen | 14 | ||
| Home: Belgian, Squirrels, Punchouts | |||
| Road: Commandos, |
|||
Six weeks remain in the 2012 season. Eight teams have a double-digit number of games still to put on the schedule. Compounding this worry, there are zero games on the schedule currently for Week 9 Update: Commandos and Friday have set up a 4-game home-and-home series Sunday at Lafayette Park. Some teams are in serious danger of not completing their season, and worse yet, not playing the 24 games needed to be eligible for post-season play.
By far the team in the most trouble is Manchester: 20 games to play, 14 on the road, and part of their team will be gone the June 13-15 weekend. Having three series scratched off the schedule has not helped their cause. One thing that can really help them, though, is three downriver series in Taylor (Belgian), Trenton (Ducks), and Woodhaven (Seals) that could be knocked out in one trip. Similarly, traveling to Detroit (Commandos) through New Hudson (Donkeys) is a possible trip on the table. They also have road games against the Seamen, which can be knocked out in addition to series at any of these fields.
The next deepest hole to dig out of belongs to the Commandos; primarily because of the preference for Friday night games. While this can still work for some of their home games (try to help them out and get your team there; two games can easily be played starting after 7 pm), this clearly will not allow for completion of their 14 games (8 home, 6 road) at this point. Sundays have been available to four members of their roster at times this season, and will have to be utilized to complete their season.
The Commandos playing Sundays would also greatly help the rest of the league. For instance, the Ducks could play in Detroit, then travel to New Hudson to play the Donkeys. Meanwhile, King Friday could play their road games against the Donkeys then come back through Detroit to play the Commandos for two, or even all four, games if necessary. These are just some options, but they are to get you thinking and talking with the other teams about getting these games played. Just like the game played on the field, setting up these games takes cooperating with each other and occasionally making concessions to keep things running smoothly. Remember, if you can get four players you have a full team; and if you can get three it is better than not playing at all.
We know everyone has work, school, wives, kids, lives, etc. and Wiffle is not the highest priority on any list, but these reasons do not prevent an entire team from playing. The only team to complete their schedule has all of those things, including swing-shifts at work, multiple married guys, and kids. Here is the secret: every guy has not been at all of their games, but they have had at least four there on game day. Sometimes wives and kids even come to their games! For another example: the Squirrels are yet to play with the same lineup twice this season, but they have gotten at least four players to the field every game day. It is not difficult to find four of seven guys who can take a couple hours out of their day; in fact, the earlier you set it up, the easier it is for them to make themselves available.
Next season scheduling will not be a problem. We will be setting up a weekly schedule in advance of the season. A meeting will be held in early April 2013 at which a representative of every team will be in attendance and we will go week-by-week scheduling series. The specific day within the week may then be chosen any time by the teams. This will give you a chance to avoid dates you know may pose a problem, while allowing the league to not have to constantly change the upcoming schedule, miss out on hyping big match-ups because they are scheduled two days beforehand, or waste hours on the schedule and Marquees for series that never happen.
For now, though, it is still all in your guys' hands. Obviously, there is no Marquee this week with no games on the schedule entering the week. Honestly, not having features like the Marquee and upcoming match-ups makes the league look like crap, but we care much more about you getting the games played than providing you with the good league experience - no matter how much fun the latter is. So, just get on the horn with the other teams, get these games set up, and get them played.
By far the team in the most trouble is Manchester: 20 games to play, 14 on the road, and part of their team will be gone the June 13-15 weekend. Having three series scratched off the schedule has not helped their cause. One thing that can really help them, though, is three downriver series in Taylor (Belgian), Trenton (Ducks), and Woodhaven (Seals) that could be knocked out in one trip. Similarly, traveling to Detroit (Commandos) through New Hudson (Donkeys) is a possible trip on the table. They also have road games against the Seamen, which can be knocked out in addition to series at any of these fields.
The next deepest hole to dig out of belongs to the Commandos; primarily because of the preference for Friday night games. While this can still work for some of their home games (try to help them out and get your team there; two games can easily be played starting after 7 pm), this clearly will not allow for completion of their 14 games (8 home, 6 road) at this point. Sundays have been available to four members of their roster at times this season, and will have to be utilized to complete their season.
The Commandos playing Sundays would also greatly help the rest of the league. For instance, the Ducks could play in Detroit, then travel to New Hudson to play the Donkeys. Meanwhile, King Friday could play their road games against the Donkeys then come back through Detroit to play the Commandos for two, or even all four, games if necessary. These are just some options, but they are to get you thinking and talking with the other teams about getting these games played. Just like the game played on the field, setting up these games takes cooperating with each other and occasionally making concessions to keep things running smoothly. Remember, if you can get four players you have a full team; and if you can get three it is better than not playing at all.
We know everyone has work, school, wives, kids, lives, etc. and Wiffle is not the highest priority on any list, but these reasons do not prevent an entire team from playing. The only team to complete their schedule has all of those things, including swing-shifts at work, multiple married guys, and kids. Here is the secret: every guy has not been at all of their games, but they have had at least four there on game day. Sometimes wives and kids even come to their games! For another example: the Squirrels are yet to play with the same lineup twice this season, but they have gotten at least four players to the field every game day. It is not difficult to find four of seven guys who can take a couple hours out of their day; in fact, the earlier you set it up, the easier it is for them to make themselves available.
Next season scheduling will not be a problem. We will be setting up a weekly schedule in advance of the season. A meeting will be held in early April 2013 at which a representative of every team will be in attendance and we will go week-by-week scheduling series. The specific day within the week may then be chosen any time by the teams. This will give you a chance to avoid dates you know may pose a problem, while allowing the league to not have to constantly change the upcoming schedule, miss out on hyping big match-ups because they are scheduled two days beforehand, or waste hours on the schedule and Marquees for series that never happen.
For now, though, it is still all in your guys' hands. Obviously, there is no Marquee this week with no games on the schedule entering the week. Honestly, not having features like the Marquee and upcoming match-ups makes the league look like crap, but we care much more about you getting the games played than providing you with the good league experience - no matter how much fun the latter is. So, just get on the horn with the other teams, get these games set up, and get them played.
