| PA SPORTS TRAINING |
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
America's True Pastime
Backyard Wiffle® Ball League
|
BWBL Red Robin Cup Preview
The opinions expressed within this article are not of the League Office or the Commissioner of the BWBL. Underwritten opinions are those of the writer, and are not to be taken as a representation of any official of the BWBL.
#2 Jagerbombs (16-4) vs. #1 Dragons (17-3)
How they got there
The top seeded Dragons beat the Westside Washout by scores of 4-3 and 5-0. The Dragons also saw the return of Bob Loftus. He came in and threw a scoreless inning, picking up the win in Game 1. In Game 2, Tom Hannon picked up the win avenging an early season loss to the Washout.
For the Jagerbombs, they went the distance in three very competitive games versus Saturday Crush. The scores were 3-2, 6-5, and 7-6. The Jagerbombs took advantage of the Crush only having three players. Take nothing away from them, as they were the second best team all year and deserve to be playing for the Championship.
Key Players
Dragons-Bob Loftus,Tom Hannon, and Mike Holloway.
Jagerbombs:AJ Vancosky, Alex Fuchylo, and Mike Van Voorhis
Questions
Dragons
Bob Loftus - Is his arm healthy if need be to help the Dragons claim the Classic and Cup in the same year? Is this the last time we will see Bob in a Dragons jersey?
Tom Hannon - Will his arm hold up for one more weekend? Can he bounce back from a disappointing season?
Mike Holloway - Will he show up and play to his full potential?
TJ Nikoden - Can he continue to pitch like the leading CY Young candidate? Is he a pedophile?
Kevin Fiedler - Is he ever going to come out of the closet?
Jeff Anello - Will he even show up at all?
Jagerbombs
AJ Vancosky -Did his fingers recover from playing video games all week? Will he show up hungover? Will he bring those girls show TJ can actually talk to them?
Alex Fuchylo - Can he shut down the Dragons for the second time and quite possibly a third time?
Derick Kearsh - Will he bounce back and prove he can be a dominant pitcher in this league?
Mike Van Voorhis - Will he ever learn the Yankees are truly a terrible team?
Probable Starters
Game 1
Alex (8-2 record, 2.94 ERA) vs TJ (4-1 record, 2.00 ERA)- Back on Aug 2nd, TJ shut down the Jagerbombs. Alex went up against Tom and picked up the win 3-2. Alex is predominantly a fastball pitcher and will need to mix things up in order to keep the Dragons off balance. TJ on the other hand uses a drop ball and fastball. If his drop is on he is a very tough pitcher to hit. Both teams can hit the fastball so in this match-up it will be which pitcher can mix it up and keep them off balance.
Game 2
Derick (6-1 record, 8.04 ERA) vs Tom(5-2 record, 1.71 ERA)- Derick struggled the last time he faced the Dragons, getting pulled in the middle of the game. Tom had a rough outing as well, allowing three runs. Each pitcher has what it takes to win this game. Tom throws a sliser and can throw a mediocre fastball. If he can increase the velocity on both pitches and locate, it could be a long day for the Jagerbombs. Derick will also need to locate his riser, as the Dragons have some issues hitting the riser.
Game 3
Bob/TJ vs Alex - Depending on how games 1 and 2 go will determine the starting pitcher for this game for the Dragons. If the Dragons are on the brink of elimination, expect to see Bob. Alex showed signs of an exhausted arm last week and could play a factor if this series goes five games. If he is unable to go, AJ could make an appearance in the championship series.
Game 4: Tom/Mikey vs TBD
Game 5: TBD/TBD
Batting
The Dragons have one of the most balanced line-ups in the league. Bob led the team with HR and RBI, but each player on the roster has power and came through at one point in time during the season. The Jagerbombs are led by AJ and Alex. AJ has more power, but Alex is the spark plug. He has the ability to beat out a routine ground ball with his speed, putting the pressure on the defense.
Series Outlook
The Dragons have more depth in both pitching and hitting, as to mention experience in big games. However, that means nothing because the same could be said about Saturday Crush last week. Both managers will look to exploit match-ups and the team that commits the least amount of mistakes will walk away the BWBL Champion.
Prediction
Dragons sweep for second year in a row.
Season 6 Underway
The sixth season of BWBL action is officially underway!
With the addition of two new teams and the combining of two old, there are now three divisions: American, National, and Patriot. Each division has three teams.
Each team will play teams within their division four times and teams outside their division twice. The top team in each division will make the playoffs, along with one wild-card team.
The seeding process will follow that of Major League Baseball. The team with the best record will play the wild-card team, except for if that team comes from their division. In that case, they will play the other division winner with the lower record.
2009 Winter Meeting Notes
- Teams for Season
o Looking at eight possible as of meeting, ten maximum
o If ten teams, top 3 in each division make playoffs
o If eight teams, top 2 in each division make playoffs
- 5th Annual BWBL Charity Classic
o Classic 6/6 & 6/7 -- deadline 6/1
- Extra Innings
o 7th inning plays out as usual
o Beginning with the top of the 8th, each team starts their half with a runner on first
o Beginning with the top of the 9th, each team starts their half with runners on first and second
o From the 10th on, each team starts their half with the bases loaded
- Rivalry Week
o Will be next to last week of the season
o Each team submits a list of teams they would like to play in numerical preference prior to the end of the second week of the season
o All inter-division games will be completed prior to the all-star break
- Fees
o Will remain at $50 for the Classic
o Season dues will be $75; of the extra $25/team, 50% will go to the league champions, 25% to second place, and 25% to The League
- Video
o Game of the Week (ballot up weekly by Monday at 10 pm on the website and forum) will be videoed -- announcement of game to be made after voting closes on Friday each week at 11:59 pm
- Hall of Fame
o Ballots were circulated
o 75% of ballots must be cast for player, and currently only former players are eligible
- Field Set Up
o More assistance is needed for both the setup of the two fields for the Classic and weekly setup during the season
- Flyers
o Unfortunately, the person in charge last year did not follow through
o Ryan Hart will work on them and help in distributing around the area
- Spring Training
o Begins 5/10 and will last for four weeks leading up to the Classic
o Pickup style, with number of players being determined by posts on the forum
- New Field
o Due to remodeling, we need to possibly look into getting a new field
o The League would like to purchase a field of their own to revamp, sites were discussed
- Fair Play Line
o Line to be added a fixed distance from the plate -- distance will be determined once we get to Spring Training
- Teams
o Dragons
o Saturday Crush
o Westside Washout
o Shockers
o Highlanders
o Hangovers
o Orange Crush
o Cherry Poppers
- Strike Zone
o Will be the style with legs
o Will be raised to accommodate traditional height
- Field
o Look into the possibility of more dirt on the basepaths
- Night Games
o Contact will be made with the City of Wilkes-Barre to see if we can use the field for one night series each Sunday
- League Start
o Opening Day is 6/15 – deadline for signup is 6/9
- Closer Position
o A pitcher can come in beginning with the 5th inning and would still be allowed to pitch from the 5th on in the second game of the double-header
- End of Year Party
o Will be held following the season, with food and drink for a yet-to-be-determined fee
Dragons Win First Title
After five years of competition in the Backyard Wiffle Ball League (BWBL), the Dragons have won their first BWBL Red Robin Cup.
The Dragons defeated the Shockers three games to none. All games were fairly competitive, but the champions won by scores of 1-0, 6-0, and 5-4. Bob Loftus, Tom Hannon, and Mikey Holloway recorded victories, and Loftus closed out the series with a save.
Offensively, Kenny Kandrac led the Shockers, going 7-for-16 with two RBI in the series. Rick Deno also added three hits in a losing effort.
Loftus also led the way for the Dragons offense, going 6-for-15 with a home run and five RBI. Kevin Fiedler was 6-for-14 in the series for the winners.
Loftus was named the 2008 BWBL Playoff MVP.
| |
|
|
