JAL: Washington's Wiffle Ball Trailblazers

Aaron Adams (Anaheim Storm) delivers a pitch during a recent JAL XVII pre-season game.

    By: Paul Cooke

Sixteen years ago this past October, the A-Bros of Ventura, California – fresh off of an undefeated regular season – swept the Lakeside Kings at Lakeside Park in Granite City, Illinois to win the inaugural USPPBA National Championship. The A-Bros success that season opened many eyes to the fact that quality competitive fast pitch Wiffle® Ball exists everywhere, not just in the traditional hotbeds. That fact was further hammered home when the Arizona Vipers won the 2002 national title and then repeated in 2003 by defeating the Tracy Shockers in the first all West Coast National Championship game. The lesson from those three years was clear – quality Wiffle® Ball exists everywhere, whether we know about it or not.

A decade and a half later, the once vibrant fast pitch scene in California and Arizona that was cultivated by the USPPBA and Fast Plastic is unfortunately all but gone. A little further up the coast, however, exists a burgeoning Wiffle® Ball league that is once again reminding the rest of the country that great Wiffle® Ball – both leagues and players – exists all over, even under seemingly the least likely of circumstances.

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What are you doing December 23rd?

Last minute Christmas shopping? Traveling home for the holidays? Staying indoors to beat the cold?

How about beginning a twelve team, eight-game, five-month long outdoor Wiffle® Ball season? That is precisely what a group in southeast Washington State will be doing when JAL – the Pacific Northwest’s premiere Wiffle® Ball league – kicks of its 17th season with a full slate of games a mere two days before Christmas.

Unconventional? Sure, but that is par for the course for a league that has quickly – and somewhat quietly – blossomed into the country’s most ingenious Wiffle® organization. From its unique gameplay rules to its forward-thinking league and season formats to its expert utilization of social media, JAL is blazing its own trail in the Wiffle® Ball world.

Connor Vermilyea (Cobras) at the plate during a JAL XVI game this past summer.

Cale Johnson – the twenty-two year old founder and Executive Commissioner of JAL – concedes that he never played much Wiffle® as a kid. He didn’t pay the iconic plastic ball much thought until one serendipitous spring afternoon three years ago in his hometown of Castle Rock, Washington. On that day Cale and his younger brothers, Brock and Ty, were in search of something to help pass the time when they found a couple of Wiffle® Balls laying around in the yard. The impromptu practice proved to be enough fun that Cale organized a two-man five-team tournament later that May.  Just like that, JAL – officially the Johnson Association of Lawnball – was born.

That first tournament led to a sequel one week later and a third a week after that. Cale and his brothers were hooked. As fun as those first three tournaments were, they envisioned something greater than a series of one-off events. Cale looked for a way to tie together what – to that point – were a series of unrelated single tournaments. Borrowing a page from the more ubiquitous national pro sports leagues Cale, dreamt up the JAL Franchise concept. He convinced family members – his grandmother, mother, father, and brother – to act as the “owners” of four teams and tasked them with filling out their respective rosters. The franchise system – complete with contracts, a “stock money” system designed to bring parity to the league, and a detailed Collective Bargaining Agreement – added much needed continuity to the organization. JAL held five more tournaments that August, followed by single tournaments in October, November, and December of 2015. By the time of the December tournament (JAL XI) – held two days after Christmas – the league had grown to six franchises and approximately 20 players strong.

Two and a half years after its modest beginnings, JAL is about to embark on its 17th season. The league has exploded in popularity and now boasts twelve franchises with three to five players per team. The single day events have been replaced by multi-week seasons. JAL XVII, for example, will run from December through the middle of of May. Franchise owners pursue free agents and offer nominal incentives – the highest paid player in the league will earn $150 over the length of his three year contract – as a means of enticing them.  There are several seasons played each calendar year, not including the Association’s innovative Smashout concept,which is described as “homerun derby meets the UFC”. JAL offers a full a full scale Wiffle® Ball league experience that few leagues anywhere in the country can match.

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A social media graphic hyping the start of the JAL XVII season.

Proof of the league’s tremendous growth is found in the evolution of its recruitment process. As would be expected from a startup family league, JAL rosters were initially made up friends and family members of Cale and his brothers. As the league gained traction, the player recruitment process was aided by positive word of mouth. Recently prospective players have begun to discover the league on their own. Players from as far north as Olympia and as far south as Vancouver learned about the league online and now make the hour drive to Castle Rock to play.

Due to the franchise structure of JAL, interested players must catch the eye of one of the franchise managers to join the league. This is often accomplished by submitting a scouting video to the league, which is then distributed to the franchise managers for review. If a manager likes what he or she sees, the player is signed to a contract.

"Probably half of the new players we get come from someone contacting the league and saying ‘this looks really cool, I want to play’,” Cale said in describing the new player recruitment process. “We will work with them . . . A lot of them will send in a clip of them pitching or batting. We then take that info and we send it around to the owners and General Managers in the league to see if any of them bite. That’s how a lot of guys get signed.”

These free agents are finding JAL in large part due to the Association’s professional and far-reaching social media strategy. In a sport that is often playing catch up to the rest of the world in terms of technology, JAL stands out for its relative mastery of digital marketing. JAL utilizes a multitude of social media tools to garner interest in the league. Whether Facebook, Twitter, Periscope, Instagram or a traditional website, JAL has all of its digital bases covered.

The JAL website – although unassuming at first glance – contains a treasure trove of information just below the surface, all of which is carefully interwoven. An outsider can stumble upon JAL’s website and in a matter of minutes find themselves digging down a rabbit hole of franchise histories, player bios, tournament results, and player contracts. The website accomplishes this by seamlessly integrating Google docs with traditional web pages.

On the social media front, JAL stays active on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by posting info-graphics, promotional materials, pictures, and video clips on a daily basis. In particular, the graphics stand out due to their creativity. With the help of a green screen, JAL has an almost endless supply of player profile pictures and graphics at their disposal to use for any occasion. When star player Scott Coleman left the Longview Wrecking Crew to join the Missouri Express after JAL XVI, the organization wasted no time in posting a short clip to Facebook of Coleman modeling his new uniform while the background behind him slowly changed from the Wrecking Crew team logo to the Express’ emblem.

Players in and out of JAL’s home market can easily follow the league online thanks to streaming video. Every single game during the JAL XVII season this winter and spring will be streamed live on either Facebook or Periscope.

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Watching a JAL live stream is made even easier by the fact that games rarely last much more than 15 minutes. While four to six inning games in other organizations typically run anywhere from 45 to 75 minutes, five-inning JAL games breeze by in a fraction of that time. How do they do it? The brief run time of JAL games is all thanks to the league’s unique method of game play, known simply as Lawnball.

At first glance, Lawnball rules are not dramatically different from the rules competitive Wiffle® Ball players in other parts of the country are accustomed to. The pitching distance (45 feet from the strike zone) and the strike zone dimensions (24 inches by 30 inches, 21 inches off of the ground) are within the usual parameters. There are no speed restrictions on pitchers and lines designate hits. While a Wiffle® Ball used in a game must be unaltered, several non-Wiffle® Ball brand bats are legal (Franklin MLB Powerhouse, Easton Pro Stix, Louisville Slugger Replica). The imaginary base runners advance in concert with the batter.

While 95% of the rules are instantly familiar to most competitive players, there is one rule that separates Lawnball from all other variations of the game. In Lawnball, every at bat lasts only one pitch. For both batter and pitcher, its one-and-done.

The rule eliminates the ball-strike count for all practical purposes. If the pitcher misses the strike zone and the batter does not offer at the pitch, the at-bat results in a walk. A batter that swings and misses or takes a single pitch that hits the target strike zone is called out on strikes. Likewise, a foul ball results in a hard luck out. The “one-and-done” pitch rule allows JAL games to move along at a brisk pace while also reducing the amount of strain on a pitcher’s arm.

For those who desire a brand of competitive Wiffle® Ball that remains true to baseball, the Lawnball rules can be disorienting.  Hitters lose the ability to work the count and pitchers lose the luxury of nibbling on the corners. It is a different game for sure, but not necessarily a lesser skilled game than any of the alternatives. With less room for error, both hitters and pitchers are forced to make the most of each opportunity. As difficult as it is to recognize when a pitch is a strike and then put a quality swing on that strike when given three opportunities to do so, it is even more difficult when a batter is given just one shot at it. Lawnball may require a different set of skills than other versions of Wiffle® Ball, but it is a highly skilled game nonetheless.

As one might imagine, with fewer opportunities and less margin for error every pitch in JAL takes on an added level of significance. The final two innings of JAL XVI championship – held this past August 9th – exemplifies the drama that the one-and-done rule brings to the game.

In that championship game, the Castle Rock Rapids took an early lead on a solo homerun and padded their lead in the fifth via an RBI double. The Rapids pitcher – Jeter Larson, one of the league’s best – cruised through the game to that point and shut down the Missouri Express offense. With a chance to close out the game in the fifth inning, Larson began to overthrow and walked three straight Express hitters. While under other rules a hitter might take a pitch or two after three consecutive walks, Lawnball rules eliminate that possibility. Knowing that Larson is usually able to command his hard slider, the next batter for the Express went up swinging and singled in a run. The next hitter took a ball, tying the game with nobody out and the bases still juiced. Just when the game looked like it was getting away from him, Larson threw three straight strikes to escape the jam and force extra-innings. Over the course of eight pitches – no more than one minute in actual time – the Express went from probable victory to near certain defeat to gaining a new lease on life. In Lawnball, the momentum swings come fast and often. For that reason, JAL games tend to be far more spectator friendly than the average competitive Wiffle® Ball game.

(If you are curious how that game turned out, the teams made it through six-innings tied at two before the Rapids’ Ty Johnson hit a two-run homer in the top half of the seventh. Larson fared much better in his second attempt at preserving a two-run lead, putting the Express down on three pitches in the bottom of the seventh to secure the title. Displaying a bit of showmanship, Larson planted a kiss on the ball before going into this wind up and blowing a fastball by the final Express batter to seal the deal.

The Castle Rock Rapids (L:R Jeter Larson, Troy Flanagan, Ty Johnson) celebrate their JAL XVI championship.

While the pace of the games and added pressure are obvious benefits of the one-pitch rule, just as obvious is the potential downside to the rule leading to a pitching dominated environment. While Johnson concedes that the general perception among players is that JAL is a pitching friendly league, he doesn’t believe it is that simple.

"I think it shifts . . . I would say that right now the batting is pretty good but it has definitely fluctuated. There have been times and eras within the league when it has been super pitching dominated.”

During those times, Johnson has not shied away from implementing rule changes in pursuit of the right balance between offense and defense. For JAL’s first three seasons, for example, teammates pitched to each other using a “three pitches per batter” rule. When that led to too much offense, the league adopted the one-pitch rule while still having teammates pitch to one another. That rule lasted up until JAL IX when the organization moved to its current opposing pitcher and one-and-done formats. The implementation of competitive pitching led to a decrease in offense, so the league responded by opening up its bat selection to include the Franklin MLB Powerhouse, Easton Pro Stix, and Louisville Slugger Replica models in addition to the Yellow Wiffle® Ball bat. The mound distance was also moved back a few inches around the same time. Johnson believes that the next shift between offense and defense will come without the need for rule changes, as the JAL XVII rookie class is said to be heavy on quality hitters.

On the great ball altering debate, JAL sides with the NWLA and other organizations that do not allow the Wiffle® Ball to be tampered with. When Coleman – who had prior experience in non-JAL Wiffle® tournaments – showed up in Castle Rock for the first time, he brought with him several scuffed balls which he used during games. Not knowing that scuffing was illegal in JAL, Coleman proceeded to mow down hitters until opposing players finally caught onto what was happening. The miscommunication was explained and Coleman switched over to the unaltered Wiffle® Balls, which did little to hamper his results. Coleman’s low sidearm delivery and riser would not look out of place in any fast pitch tournament in the country.

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Jeter Larson (Rapids) led his team to a championship in JAL XVI and is currently ranked as the league's top player.

Quality Wiffle® Ball does not discriminate; not by the month of the year, geographic location or even by rules. The eyes of the Wiffle® Ball world have rarely – if ever – been fixated upon the Pacific Northwest. This winter, however, they should be. Not just because for the next few months JAL will be the only outdoor, fast pitch league in operation but because this inimitable league and many of its talented players are worthy of the attention. The league's unique structure and rules provide interesting insights into the different ways the game can be presented. And you never know, the next great West Coast Wiffle® Ball star – the next Chad Anderson, Jim Balian or Joel DeRoche – might just be playing in Washington State this winter.

Fore more information on JAL, visit their website at www.jalwiffleball.com or follow them on social media @JAL_wiffleball and https://www.facebook.com/jalwiffleball.

The Scout #4: Jeter Larson

Jeter Larson (RHP)

At just 17 years old, Jeter Larson is already considered by some to be the best all around player in JAL, Washington States top Wiffle® Ball League. The Lacey, Washington native made his pro debut as a late-season signing with the Castle Rock Rapids during JAL XV. Jeter signed too late in the season to turn around the fortunes of the cellar dwelling Rapids but proved his value by leading the Rapids to a title in JAL XVI this past summer. Jeter’s twin brother, Ryley, plays for the Kansas Lawman and together they are northernmost players currently signed with a JAL Franchise (Lacey is approximately one hour outside of JAL’s home base in Castle Rock).

Larson makes his living with a hard non-scuffed riser and pinpoint command. He works both sides of the zone horizontally while largely working up in the strike zone. His ability to hit the edge of the zone make Jeter particularly tough to hit, especially with JAL’s “one pitch per batter” rule. He appears to get more looking strikeouts than many of his JAL peers which is a testament to his ability to locate his pitches where he wants them. When he does miss over the heart of the plate, his slider has enough zip behind it that he can get away with the occasional mistake. Jeter employs a simple one step motion that is easily repeatable. While he would no doubt need a second and even third pitch to compete at a high level in a 4-2, 4-3, or 5-3 count organization, Jeter’s hard slider is clearly a plus pitch and a great base to build off of.

VIDEO: Jeter Larson Promo Video (JAL XVII)

At the dish, Larson’s swing has a slight uppercut action to it but that doesn’t necessarily hamper his bat speed. He has above average power, as demonstrated by his no-doubt solo homerun in the championship game of JAL XVI. Larson’s best tool at the plate might be his strike zone knowledge. Even in a one-pitch environment, Larson doesn’t swing at too many bad pitches. That discipline works for him in JAL and likewise would serve him well in a more traditional ball-strike count environment.

The Scout #3: Will Marshall

Throughout the 2017-2018 offseason, The Drop will be profiling and scouting the top players under 25 in the game.

Will Marshall (RHP)

(Photo: Ryan M. Dute, Ryte Photography)

Will Marshall was a star player in his own Texas Wiffleball League for many years before breaking out on the national scene in 2017. Marshall’s velocity is his greatest and most obvious tool. A hard thrower to begin with, his pitches play up even more thanks to his deceiving frame and compact delivery. Marshall’s riser lacks the movement necessary to make it a plus pitch but the velocity allows it to remain an above average offering. His best pitch is a tailing dropper with a slight fade away from right handed hitters. He has command of both pitches and is able to locate them in and around the zone as needed. Marshall – who has plans to play semi-pro baseball in 2018 – is an excellent athlete and capable of getting three to four games deep in a tournament without any noticeable decline in stuff. The right hander from Frisco is still trying to find the best way to prepare the ball to achieve his desired results. A key to his future success may rest in his ability to find the ball and grip combo that gives him the most movement possible on his riser. In any event, Marshall can already stake a claim as one of the best active, full time pitchers outside of the northeast corridor. He has room to grow into one of the top pitchers in the nation.

As a timing device while at the plate, Will lifts his feet up and down in a stationary walking motion before the pitcher goes into his delivery. While his hands and the bat stay relatively quiet by comparison, the jittery set up makes him susceptible to both premium velocity and big breaking balls. Marshall has quick hands and a smooth swing, which would indicate significant power potential waiting to be unlocked. Marshall is already a disciplined hitter but like many young players he could use additional reps against high level pitching to improve his pitch recognition skills.

Given his athleticism, Marshall should be an above average defender. He is quick on his feet and has demonstrated the ability to make throws from the furthest parts of the infield with relative ease. At the Fast Plastic Texas Open, his defensive miscues were largely mental errors – the result of acclimating himself to the non-running version of the game. In all likelihood he will be an above average defender in the near future with his quickness and strong arm giving him the upside of an all-star caliber fielder.

The Scout #2: Connor Young

Throughout the 2017-2018 offseason, The Drop will be profiling and scouting the top players under 25 in the game.

Connor Young (RHP)

After taking the 2016 season off, Young came back in 2017 and was fantastic on the mound.  His 78 innings pitched lead MAW and he recorded every out for his team in the regular season.  He's got a plus-plus drop and a plus riser.  Connor keeps hitters off balance with an eephus like curveball but doesn't go to that well very often.  I worry a little bit about his violent delivery possibly leading to an injury but with ERL's recent pick up of Blake Hoffman, Young won't have to carry all of the pitching in ’18. The reduced workload should go a long way to keeping his arm healthy. It is a cliche, but when Young is on, he's almost impossible to beat.

At the plate, Young's quick hands provide him with really good power.  I'd like to see a little more patience because he could be an on-base machine but thus far into his career, his aggressive approach has netted him more positives than negatives.  Joe Schlindwein's growth at the plate should also provide Young with more protection.  If Blake Hoffman can hit at all, teams won't be able to pitch around Young as often, allowing him to get more pitches in the strike zone to hit and reduce the pressure to chase pitches off the plate. If he becomes a little more selective, Young could transform from a very good hitter into an excellent one.

Defensively, we haven't seen him anywhere else other than on the mound.  As a pitcher, he fields his position well, thanks to quick reaction times and soft hands. With Hoffman aboard next season, we will get a chance to see how Young takes to other positions on defense. He has plenty of arm strength to go with the range and accuracy necessary to handle any position on the field.

Top Five Homeruns of 2017

87 Home Runs were hit during the 2017 Mid Atlantic regular and post seasons. Thirty players had at least one round tripper, with the Barrel Bruisers’ Jerry Hill leading the way with 8. Surprisingly, not a single one of those 87 homeruns were of the walk-off variety (who would have thought there would be a walk off sac fly before a walk off homerun?) but that doesn’t mean there weren’t plenty of memorable blasts this past year. We saw tournaments decided by a 6th inning homerun not once, not twice, but THREE times.

There were game changing homers hit during the regular season and a handful of prestigious blasts during the playoff tournament. There were enough memorable homeruns that cutting this down to five was no easy task - a couple of other homeruns easily could have made the fifth spot on our list. Among the plays not mentioned on our list - but deserving of recognition - are Dan Potter’s line drive shot off of Way Too Beautiful that might have been the hardest hit homerun of the season and Jordan Robles’ grandslam against My Name is ERL in the championship series that essentially sealed the title for the Stompers.

The Scout #1: Jordan Robles

Throughout the 2017-2018 offseason, The Drop will be profiling and scouting the top players under 25 in the game.

Jordan Robles - RHP
Robles is in the top 5 discussion for best all-around player in the country, so it's not surprising that he is on this list.  He can literally do it all.  

He's a great command pitcher who excels in 4-2, 4-3, and 5-3 pitch leagues.  A strike thrower, Robles locates his pitches to all four quadrants of the strike zone, which balances out his lack of a third pitch.  He had a 0.83 BB/5 innings in the Palisades WBL this season, the lowest among the top 25 pitchers with at least 23 innings thrown last season.  His motion is clean and easily repeatable. Rumor has it that he is working on improving his non-scuffed slider for the 2018 season.

At the plate, Robles checks all the prerequisite boxes of an exceptional hitter.  His ability to get on base (.227/.399/.487) adds value to his already above average power – 8 home runs in 2017 PWL season to go with an additional 5 in his first MAW stint with the Stompers – which I expect will continue to increase as he gets into his prime.  He has a short, compact swing and is not afraid to go the other way with the pitch even if it means choking up and shortening his already compact swing down even further.  

In the field, he is a plus defender with excellent instincts.  His first step on fly balls is the best in the game today and he would most likely light up StatCast when someone is able to develop it for Wiffle.  He has above average reaction skills along with his great arm, makes him extremely adaptable.  He can easily cover shortstop, second base, or the outfield depending on the teams need.  

Next Sunday: RHP Connor Young

One of a Kind: Pat Pone Park

By: Paul Cooke

Jerome "The Legend" Coyle awaits a pitch during the 1998 NJWA Summer Showdown championship game at Pat Pone Park in Trenton, while a crowd of spectators looks on.

Walking down Chestnut Avenue in Trenton, New Jersey, the last thing you might expect to find is a ball field of any kind. The sidewalks and streets are cracked and in need of a paving. Old brick houses line up side by side, barely leaving any room for a yard. Where there is grass, it is extremely overgrown. But right there on Chestnut Avenue, just between Grand Street to the north and Elm Street to the south, lies Pat Pone Park – at one time one of the great parks in the game and the epicenter of the Wiffle® Ball world.

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Growing up on Chestnut, Mike Palinczar’s family home was one of the few in the neighborhood with a yard big enough to actually play ball in.

A young Wiffleczar takes a hack across the street from his childhood home. The brick wall in the background served as a de facto strike zone and backstop.

At maybe fifty or sixty feet in length and 15 feet wide, the yard was just large enough for a kids’ Wiffle® Ball game. When Palinczar and his friends outgrew the yard, they moved their games to the street. The width of Chestnut avenue between the Palinczar residence and a brick building across the way was just about 42 feet – a solid Wiffle® Ball pitching distance. The enterprising teenagers hung a thick metal sheet off of a knob in wall. The sound of plastic hitting metal – a loud and unmistakable “clang” – signaled a strike. Neither the yard or street setup was necessarily ideal, but it got Palinczar and his friends through many hot Trenton summers.

In 1990 at the age of 18, Palinczar got his first taste of competitive Wiffle® Ball when he and some neighborhood friends entered a tournament in south Jersey and then later that same year, competed in Rick Ferroli’s World Wiffle® Ball Association (“WWA”) national championship in the Boston suburbs. After the national tournament, Palinczar knew he wanted to bring what he saw in Boston to his hometown. Tough and determined even at a young age, the Trenton native was confident he could get a league off of the ground if only he could find a spot to host the games. The make-do solutions of his father’s yard and the adjacent street were inadequate for a real league. The local baseball fields required permits and would have to be shared with youth baseball leagues. That was not practical for a league that planned on running games every day during the summer. Palinczar needed something else.

It was Mike’s father, Vic, who offered up the solution. Pat Pone Park was a largely abandoned park and playground area just a stone’s throw away from the Palinczar residence. The Park did not get much use, at least not for its intended purposes. Neighborhood kids with nothing better to do spray painted graffiti and broke bottles in the asphalt area. Other than that, the Park was largely left alone. Vic suggested to his son that should get the city’s permission to turn Pat Pone into a ballpark.

Former Trenton Major Douglas Palmer (1990 - 2010) personally mans a bulldozer as construction on the Pat Pone Wiffle®Ball park gets under way in early 1991.

The bottle littered blacktop area just so happened to be the right dimensions for a small ball field. Trees overlooked all four sides of the Park, which served a dual purpose of keeping the wind out and providing shade to players and spectators. The steps that lined both sides of the north entrance – where the first and third base lines would eventually be – could seat spectators. Streetlights that towered over the park could provide ample lightning for night games to be played – if only the city could be bothered to get the power turned on. The Park needed a lot of work to be game ready but in those ways it was already almost the ideal – if not rather unlikely – spot for a professional level Wiffle® park.

Palinczar and his friends got the go-ahead from the city and in March of 1991 set out to create a Wiffle® Ball paradise. They worked tirelessly over the next several months cleaning up the graffiti, repaving the asphalt, and lining the field for play. The city even eventually got around to flipping on the power for the streetlights so that games could be played at night. Pat Pone hosted league games and the New Jersey state tournament in 1991. For the next decade, Pat Pone Park was among the most prolific parks in the fast pitch game.

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The New Jersey Wiffle® Ball Association (“NJWA”) operated as a WWA feeder organization through 1992, went dark for two years, and re-emerged in 1996 with an annual summer tournament. When the Cincinnati based North American Championship dissolved after their 1997 event, the NJWA assumed the mantle as the top organization in the fast pitch game. The group’s summer tournament – the Summer Showdown – was the most competitive tournament in the country between 1998 and 2000 and the de facto National Championship. That placed Pat Pone Park at the center of the scene, with the championship-round games (in addition to select earlier round games) emanating from Chestnut Avenue.

If a team was to be considered one of the best during the 1990's,  they had to play and win at Pat Pone Park. This picture - taken at Pat Pone just before the final day of the 1998 Summer Showdown - includes such illustrious teams as In the Box, Georgia Longshotz, Brown Hornets, Fluffheads, PA Cards, and Lakeside Kings.

The players that competed in the championship round games at Pat Pone form a veritable “whose who?” list of the late 90’s scene: Jerome “The Legend” Coyle, Darren “The Natural” Bone, Billy “The Kid” Owens, Bruce Chrystie, Tom LoCascio, Dan Cryan, Mike “Salt” Soltesz, “Sweet” Lou Worthington, Mark “The Big Bopper” DeMasi, Rich Ewald, and Fred “The Hammer” Bastedo, to name more than a few.

Many of the championship round games played at Pat Pone during those years have become the stuff of legend.

There was the controversial 1997 championship series between the Lakeside Kings (Coyle, Owens, Cryan, and Bone) and the hosts, Team Trenton (Palinczar, Bastedo & Saltesz), where the validity of the championship format is still disputed by the relevant parties to this day. In the end, it was Palinczar – pitching both games of the championship round – that brought home the trophy for Team Trenton. Despite the disappointment of 1997, Pat Pone was rather kind to the Kings, who put the finishing touches on championship runs on the blacktop field in both 1996 and 1998.

Pat Pone was also the backdrop for one of the all time great pitching performances in fast pitch tournament history. The Georgia Longshotz – Owens, Demasi, Ewald, and Ryan Daugherty – drew the short stick at the 1999 Summer Showdown with Lakeside, the upstart Carolina Whiz Kids, and a hungry Stompers/Busers combined team in their bracket. Things went from bad to worse for the Longshotz when they dropped their second round game to the Kings and had to battle their way through the loser’s bracket. Relying exclusively on Owens’ right arm, the Longshotz fought back and when all was said and done, they had beaten a murderer’s row of the Kings (twice), Whiz Kids (twice), Fluffheads, New England Iguanas, and Tri-State Terror to capture the title.

No other field – with the possible exceptions of Lakeside Park and the Fast Plastic National championship field in Cedar Park, Texas– has witnessed as many big games and big performances as Pat Pone.

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Phil Levonchuck (Fluffheads) about to deliver a pitch at the 1998 Summer Showdown on Pat Pone field.

Google “Wiffle® Ball fields” these days and you will be overloaded with creative and gorgeous fields all over the U.S. What you will find very little of – if you find one at all – is an urban park woven right into the fabric of a major city. In that regard, Pat Pone was – and still is – in a class all to itself.

Pat Pone Park was a city ballpark through-and-through, for better and for worse. There are stories of neighbors yelling at teams for making too much noise and of kids causing trouble around the way. However, the city location also meant frequent passers-by stopping to take a look and a continuous bustle of activity around the Park. Isolated fields with green grass and trees as far as the eye can see can be great of course, but its urban setting – the fact that the park and Trenton are inseparable – is what made Pat Pone so unique.

So did, for that matter, the complete lack of grass or dirt on the playing surface. Asphalt fields are extremely rare in this sport. Rather than view that as a detriment, Palinczar spun it into a positive. The NJWA boasted the fact that they had – to their knowledge – the first and only professional blacktop field. Players yearned to play at Pat Pone because of its rich history, but also because it meant an opportunity to play on a field and playing surface that was wholly unique.

The city vibe and unique playing surface – which went hand-and-hand – helped Pat Pone gain a reputation as a bucket list ballpark. Pat Pone was a destination spot for wifflers because it provided a playing experience that could not be replicated anywhere else.

A view of Pat Pone from just behind the pitcher's mound with neighborhood houses in the background. The field's location in the middle of a Trenton neighborhood was one of its defining features.

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This August on an unseasonably pleasant afternoon in Trenton, I walked down Chestnut Avenue with Palinczar and his son towards Pat Pone Park. The Park stopped hosting Wiffle® Ball games around 2002 but continues to exist as a normal neighborhood park and playground area.  I hadn’t been to Pat Pone since 2000 when my team was lucky enough to play all of our NJWA summer tournament games there. Two months prior while in southern Illinois, I stopped by the former site of another legendary park, Lakeside Park in Granite City. There was not much to see – three holes representing where home, the pitcher’s rubber, and second base used to be – and little else that would indicate a great stadium ever sat there. After seeing what was left of Lakeside, I tempered my expectations and assumed the 2017 version of Pat Pone would offer more of the same.

VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Mike Palinczar gives The Drop a tour of Pat Pone Park in August 2017.

The difference between a ballpark like Lakeside and one like Pat Pone – both brilliant in their own ways – is one could have been built on any good sized piece of land and one was a product of its environment, inseparable from the structures around it. For that reason, even having not been used in tournament play in a decade and a half, Pat Pone still retains much of its charm.

When we arrived at the iconic park, it was like we were all transported back in time. Palinczar stepped onto the field to show us around – using a fungo bat to point to the Park’s features that were still there as well as some that no longer were – and the excitement and affection he felt for his field was palpable. Always with a knack for details, the “Czar” excitedly showed us where railings were missing on the outfield wall, how the trees used to be flush to the playing field, and how the field drained when it rained. His excitement was contagious and had someone offered, I would have gladly played a pick up game right there in my sandals and shorts.

As we prepared to leave, someone in the group mentioned that, relatively speaking, it wouldn’t take much to get the field into playing condition. Palinczar tilted his head sideways; not necessarily agreeing but not dismissing the possibility either. Another member of the Palinczar clan – Mike’s twelve-year old son – seemed more confident.

“We can fix it up. A few of my friends can come over and we will clean it up,” he remarked, pretty much describing how his dad got the field built a quarter of a century earlier.  Clearly tenacity is a Palinczar family trait.

The Czar has tentative plans to revive the NJWA in 2018 for a tournament or two. There is no guarantee that Pat Pone will be part of that revival. Regardless, if the NJWA does return next summer, make it a point to go. And when you do go, do yourself a favor and take a drive down Chestnut Avenue to Pat Pone. It is worth the trip. In a sport that is short on tangible history, Pat Pone Park stands as of the sport's most treasured historical landmarks.

Mike Palinczar never stopped upgrading the field at Pat Pone. This picture, taken in the early 2000's, shows a green wall in right and center field, along with a fresh coat of paint on the blacktop, and a new target strike zone & backstop to replace the old "hole" strike zone design.

Offseason News & Notes #1

ERL Makes an Early Move

The offseason is not even a month old, but 2017 Mid Atlantic runner up My Name is ERL is already hard at work shoring up their roster for the next season. On Halloween, ERL announced the addition of young lefty Blake Hoffman to their roster. The Ohio native is part of the new breed of “YouTube wifflers”, impressing viewers with his quality stuff in bullpen sessions and one-on-one backyard games. His tournament experience, however, is rather limited. ERL captain Connor Young views Blake’s youth and inexperience as an advantage, not a detriment.

"We’re excited to have Blake on board,” Young commented via a team issued statement on social media. “This kid’s the truth. He’s hungry, too. Blake’s going to grow and excel quickly under my wing. This is the ideal pickup for ERL.”

Although ERL has been quiet so far on their exact plans for Hoffman, there is no doubt the team will look for him to take some of pressure off of Connor who tossed a Mid Atlantic leading 77 2/3 innings pitched in 2017. The Drop spoke with a prominent player who has seen Hoffman in action and believes that once Hoffman gets some regular tournament experience under his belt he will join the elite tier of pitchers in the game.

"I don't think people understand how good this kid already is. This is a big time manager move by Soup." -Tub on the Blake Hoffman signing

— My Name is ERL (@thenamesErl) November 4, 2017

ERL might not be done yet, either. There are rumors that they have been courting one specific veteran player to round out their roster.

Winter Wiffs

Can’t wait until April to get back on the field? You don’t have to! MAW will host the Winter Classic on Saturday, February 3rd at Big League Dreams in Medford, New Jersey. Big League Dreams – originally conceived as an indoor facility exclusively designed for Wiffle® Ball – features two permanent indoor fields modeled after Philadelphia’s Citizen’s Bank Park and Boston’s famed Fenway Park. The custom fields will provide a unique backdrop for this rare February tournament.

The tournament will be an 8-team event and registration is first come, first serve. Full details coming soon. In the meantime, contact timcooke1982@gmail.com or cyoung1282@yahoo.com for additional information.

Where Will Shirey Land?

The first transaction of the offseason – actually the first few – involved veteran Nick Shirey. The longtime captain of the Yaks first announced his own departure from the team he founded. Shirey hoped to land with the InHumans due to his desire to pitch more often and to act as a mentor to the kids on the team. We are told that Cameron Long initially balked at adding the veteran Shirey, but eventually relented. Shirey and Cameron – along with Dan Potter – competed as the InHumans at the Arlington Wiffle® Ball Tournament at the end of October. Yet in the immediate aftermath word leaked that Shirey’s move to the InHumans is not set in stone yet. We hear there is a chance that Nick might end up back with the Yaks after all. Stay tuned.

2018 Road Trip in the Works?

Although The Drop is unable to provide any specifics at this time, we can pass along from sources within the MAW offices the organization is exploring plans to hold tournaments outside of York in 2018. While Shi Wiffle® Ball Park would still serve as the home base for MAW and host the majority of the 2018 MAW tournaments, officials hope to add anywhere from one to three tournament stops next season. We hope to have more information on this story in the near future.

FP Texas Open: Top 5 Plays

5. Great Stop, Better Throw (LV Wifflers vs. Wiff Inc.)

This play had a little bit of everything - range, good hands, and an incredibly athletic accurate throw. This hit off of the bat of Jordan Robles look destined to be a single to left field and would have given Wiff Inc. runners on first and second with less than two outs. Instead, it nearly ended in a double play. Getting to the ball was great enough; making that accurate of a throw while falling backwards put it over the top. Unfortunately for the guys from Las Vegas, they were unable to convert on the second half of the double play but the first half was spectacular enough to check in at #5.

4. Stant & Jim's Pub Turn 2 (Jim's Pub vs. Wiff Inc.)

Although Jim's Pub eventually fell short in their bid to beat Wiff Inc. during the first round of games in Frisco, Ben Stant did his part to keep the game in reach with this excellent double play. Stant dove to his left to come up with the ball, steadied himself, and made a perfect feed to Jimmy Flynn at second. Flynn completed the twin killing with a spot-on relay throw to Johnny.

3. Cross' Basket Catch (GSW vs. West Coast Wiffle Report)

Mike Cross has long been one of the more athletic and quality defenders in the game. Even after a long layoff from high level competition, Cross still knows how to make the highlight reel. Brock Drazen's bid for a double was snatched away courtesy of this Willy Mays-style basket catch.

2. Robles Turns Two The Hard Way (Wiff Inc. vs. Moonshots)

There were so many things going on here, I don't know where to begin. In the quarterfinals against the moonshots, David Wood put his defense to work and they held up their end of the deal by making several quality plays. None of which were bigger and better than this catch and throw by Jordan Robles. With the wind swirling, Robles went straight back on a dead sprint to catch the ball. The Moonshots called for the tag with Robles' back still turned towards the infield. In a fluid motion, Robles turned around and fired a bullet that hit Johnny square in the glove to complete the double play. That big time athletic play put the momentum squarely on Wiff Inc.'s side and helped punch their ticket to the final four.

1. Matty Griffin Goes Over the Fence . . . Again (Remember the Rookies vs. Cloud9, Championship Game)

In the semi-finals against GSW, Remember the Rookies' Matty Griffin leaped over the center field fence to rob Billy Owens of a home run. Unfortunately, the high point of the play - the actual catch - was not caught on the one stationary camera filming the game. Griffin took care of that by simply repeating the feat in the very next game. In the tournament championship, Matt made almost the exact same play in the exact same spot, this time robbing Cloud9's Ed Packer of a definitive home run.

A Texas Sized Statement

The Master Batters led all Texas Teams with their 7th place finish. From left to right: Will Marshall, Jon King, and Paul Marshall. (Photo: Ryan M. Dute, Ryte Photography)

Of the 15 teams that participated at the Texas Open, five were local to Texas. The most prolific of the five teams – scratch that, the only team of the five with any profile – was the Master Batters comprised of Will and Paul Marshall and FP veterans Craig Freeman and Jon King. Joining them was fellow Texas Wiffle® Ball League (TWBL) fast pitch division team the Jager Bombers, plus medium pitch teams Wiffle Jam, Whose Your Daddy, and Cosby Show. The tournament organizers ranked the Jager Bombers and Master Batters in the fourth group for seeding purposes while the other three Frisco teams landed in the fifth and final seeding group. Clearly, there were not very high expectations for any of the local boys.

When all was said and done, however, three of those Texas teams – Master Batters, Jager Bombers, and Cosby Show – blew those expectations right out of the water.

As noted in our last-minute tournament preview from Friday evening, of all the fourth seeded teams the Master Batters were best equipped to make a run into the 8-team elimination round. The 2017 TWBL champions were seeded where they were because they were a largely unknown quantity, not because they didn’t have the talent to compete. Riding the arm of their ace and team captain, Will Marshall, the Batter’s opened up pool play with a pair of quasi upsets versus LV Wifflers and Jim’s Pub. Both games were won on total bases with Will on the mound. Their lone round robin loss game at the hands of Jordan Robles and Wiff Inc., a fate experienced by several teams during pool play. What ultimately did the Texas boys in was a lack of hitting, as they managed just one run (a Jon King solo shot) through their first three games. The Marshall brothers’ inexperience playing under Fast Plastic rules bit them in their quarterfinal game with eventual champions Cloud9. There were several mental defensive blunders early on that allowed the game to get out of reach. Nonetheless, a 3-2 record with losses to the champion and 3rd place team is a heck of a run, especially for a team making their Fast Plastic debut. Will Marshall established himself as a player to keep an eye on. If he sticks with Wiffle® Ball full time – rumor has it Will might test his hand in independent baseball – he has the chance to be one of the nation’s best pitchers in a few years and along with Paul, form a formidable 1-2 pitching punch.

While some might have had a notion that the Master Batters would outperform their seeding, nobody saw the Jager Bombers coming. The team competed in the fast pitch division of the TWBL but were undecided on participating in the Texas Open until late in the process. They are certainly glad that they did. The four-man team pulled off the tournament’s first upset in the very first round of games by taking down the well-traveled Freaky Franchise 3-0 on field #4.  Pitcher Tye Webber followed that up with another strong outing in the Bombers second game against the veteran Moonshots, but tired late and walked in two runs in the loss. The draw didn’t get any easier next when the Jager Bombers faced tournament runners up, Remember the Rookies. The Bombers held tough and lost a 0-0 nail biter on total bases. The team ended pool play with a 2-2 record and snuck into the play-in round by virtue of their solid run differential. The tenacious Jager Bombers’ unforeseen run came to an end at the hands of Moonshots in one of the two play-in games. Their run to the final ten bodes well for their future in this sport. In the immortal words of one Bomber as they left the complex, “I know we could compete with any of these teams. . . if we actually practice.”

The Jager Bombers Tye Weber steps into the box during a round robing match up with Remember the Rookies. (Photo: Ryan M. Dute, Ryte Photography)

The most surprising of the three surprising Texas teams was undoubtedly the Cosby Show. In the day’s second group of games, Cosby went head-to-head with eventual tournament winners Cloud9. The Cosby kids only prior experience in the sport was in TWBL’s medium pitch division. Cooper – who pitched all four of Cosby’s game – featured above average velocity and strong command that silenced the Cloud9 bats. Think about it – these kids who had never competed in an unrestricted pitch speed environment before were one big hit or a few more walks away from completely altering the course of the tournament! Cosby hung tough all day with Cooper setting the tone on the mound. Although their record did not reflect it, these kids played really tough all day long against very high caliber competition. Cosby Show was a reminder how in this sport, no team should ever be taken lightly.

Mid-afternoon on Saturday – as the round robin portion of the tournament wound down and teams began to scatter – tournament director extraordinaire Tim Dean stood by as Whose Your Daddy and (later) the Jager Bombers headed for the exit.

“What did you learn today?”, Tim bellowed in his unmistakable Texas drawl.

The players on both teams rattled off a litany of lessons learned – about how to play the game, how to grip the ball, the quality of the other teams – from their first foray into national competition. It was a bit of a mixed bag for the Texas Teams but there is no doubt that every single one – the Master Batters on down to Wiffle Jam – walked away with some valuable learned information. If Fast Plastic returns to the Lone Star State in 2018, these Texas teams will be primed and ready to make some noise.

FP Texas Open Wrap Up - Results & Notes

Daniel Haverty (Remember the Rookies) waits for a pitch. (Photo: Ryan M. Dute, Ryte Photography)

FINAL RESULTS

1.     Cloud9 (6-1)  PA  (2-0 in total base games)
Sean Steffy (tournament MVP), Ed Packer, Kevin Norris, Ty Wegrzyn

2.     Remember the Rookies (6-1)  CT  (2-0 in total base games)
Josh Pagano, Matty Griffin, Dan Haverty, Evan Lazur

3.     Wiff Inc. (5-1)  NY
Jordan Robles, Anthony Didio, David "Road Toast" Wood, Kenny Rodgers

4.     GSW (4-3)  CA  (0-2 in total base games)
Mike Cross, Joel DeRoche, Ryan DeRoche, Billy Owens

5.     BWC (4-1)  NY (1-0 in total base games)
Rob Longiaru, Sean Handahl, Dave Wegrzyn

6.     Master Batters (3-2)  TX  (2-0 in total base games)
Jon King, Will Marshall, Paul Marshall, Craig Freeman

7.     LV Wifflers (2-3)  NV  (0-1 in total base games)
Matt Trzpis. Steve Trzpis, Adam Bohnet

8.     Moonshots (3-3)  AZ
Jim Balian, Randy Dalbey, Sylvie Serrano, Robert Colon

9.     Jager Bombers (2-3)  TX  (0-1 in total base games)
Hunter Berry, Seth Herridge, Tye Weber, Christian Falkenberg

10.  Freaky Franchise (2-3)  NY  (0-1 in total base games)
Justin Tomkins, Ryan Bush, Jim Cole, Tyler Flakne

11.  Jim's Pub (1-3)  NY  (0-1 in total base games)
Danny Lanigan, Ben Stant, Jimmy Flynn, Chris Sarnowski

12.  Cosby Show (1-3)  TX (0-1 in total base games)
Cooper Ruckel, Logan Swink, Nick Wanzer, Cade Zastoupil

13.  West Coast Wiffle Report (0-4)  AZ
Jim Dalbey, Brock Drazen, Andrew Balian

14.  Wiffle Jam (0-4)  TX
Cameron Carricker, Donovan Mousel, Andrew Damin

15.  Whose Your Daddy (0-4)  TX
Scott Herridge, Jeff Down, Kyle Herridge

---

NOTEBOOK

The DeRoches Still Got It

Joel DeRoche (GSW) fires a pitch during pool play. After nearly a decade long layoff, Joel and brother Ryan proved they still have plenty of quality years ahead of them. (Photo: Ryan M. Dute, Ryte Photography)

So maybe Joel DeRoche was not quite as dominant as he was from 2003 – 2009 on Saturday, but that’s a rather impossible standard to be judged on. The right-hander – as he is accustomed to doing – handled the bulk of the workload for his GSW team and for the most part kept the opposition in check. For a guy that hasn’t played in nearly a decade, that’s impressive. Joel’s brother Ryan also seemed right at home back on the playing field. As the brothers exited the Shawnee Trail complex after the tournament, they were already bouncing around ideas on how to best simulate high quality, live tournament pitching so they are better prepared at the plate next go around. Watch out for them next year.

Nobody runs a tournament like Tim Dean runs a tournament

There are few sights that make you think of a “Fast Plastic national tournament” quite like seeing Tim Dean leaning against a chain link fence while updating the master tournament bracket. Tim ran the old Fast Plastic National Championship Tournaments in Austin every year between 2003 and 2009. His ability to keep the tournament on schedule while simultaneously chatting with and making every player feel welcomed is as much of the FP national tournament experience as anything. Thanks to Tim, the tournament ran ahead of schedule the entire day. Whether in Austin, Frisco, or somewhere else, it would be hard to imagine a FP national tournament without him.

Freaky Franchise: A Throwback

Once upon a time, wifflers formed teams and then those teams traveled around to all sorts of different places to take in as many unique tournament experiences as possible. For the most part, Wiffle® Ball is a far more local experience now than in those days. However, there are some current teams – like Rochester’s Freaky Franchise – that take that approach to the game. This decade, Freaky Franchise has entered GSWL tournaments, participated in the NWLA leagues, participated (and twice won) the NWLA tournament, had players compete in Palisades, traveled to standalone tournaments elsewhere in the northeast, and now can add a Fast Plastic national tournament to their resume. Their willingness to travel and experience different styles of play sets them apart in the current scene. Only New Jersey’s Way Too Beautiful might be comparable in that regard. Although I am sure they were hoping for better results, the sport sure could use more teams just like them.

Fewer Innings, Better Results?

Since FP last ran regularly in 2009 and utilized six-inning regulation games, there has been a trend towards shorter games. Very few organizations using FP-style rules had a regulation game length of more than five innings in 2017. Quietly, FP adopted a 4-inning regulation game (round robin) and 5-inning regulation game (elimination round) format for the tournament, similar to that used by MAW. The results were overall positive. With fewer innings to play, the games moved faster and arms remained fresher longer. For the most part, Fast Plastic stuck to its traditional rules for this tournament but the choice to adapt in this situation appears to have been a smart one.

The Wind Factor

The wind was gusting all day long, sitting anywhere between 12 and 20 MPH. Naturally, the conditions impacted the play on the field. There were several wind blow home runs during the tournament plus a few moonshots that were no doubt aided by the elements. Remember the Rookies’ Evan Lazur hit a monster shot that cleared the center field fence and landed on top of a pavilion about twenty feet away on Field #4. The wind also impacted the pitchers. Both the Master Batters’ Will Marshall and Wiff Inc.’s David Wood noted to us that they had to pocket their drop pitches while playing on Field #3 because the horizontal wind kept knocking the pitch down. Nobody used the wind as an excuse and the elements impacted every team in some form or fashion.

Injury Report

While there were undoubtedly plenty of sore arms and legs on Sunday (and Monday), we are happy to report that no serious injuries were reported during the tournament. The only player who may not have made it out of Texas unscathed was Remember the Rookies’ Josh Pagano. Between the semi-finals and finals of the tournament – during an interview with The Drop – The Rookies’ Lazur revealed that Pagano tweaked his leg while warming up to face GSW in a final four game, which necessitated that they reconfigure their line up. Pagano still pitched both the semi final and championship game, but there is clear video evidence that he did at time favour the injured ankle. The Rookies – as expected – never used the possible injury to explain away their title game loss nor did they even mention it beyond that one passing comment.

A Bright Future

The Texas Open served as a showcase for some of the more talented young players in the game.

The rosters of both Jim’s Pub and Wiff Inc. were heavy on players under 25. 17-year old Ben Stant from Delaware is what you might call a “young veteran”, having competed in GSWL Yard League since 2014. In some ways it was a disappointing tournament for Stant, who threw only twenty pitches on the day as Jim’s Pub finished with a disappointing 1-3 record. Despite that, the future is bright. Earlier this season, Jordan Robles told us that Stant is the best “Yard League pitcher” he has ever seen. He also proved he could get it done on the mound in an unrestricted pitch environment in the Mid Atlantic this year by going 6-2 with a 1.53 ERA as a member of both Way Too Beautiful and the Barrel Bruisers.

Jordan Robles (Wiff Inc.) fires a pitch during round robin. Robles is one of several players under 25 years old who impressed in Frisco. (Photo: Ryan M. Dute, Ryte Photography)

Stant’s teammate, Chris Sarnowski, fits into the same “young veteran” category. Competing in GSWL Yard since 2013, Sarno has proven himself to be one of the best Yard League hitters around. He has the pedigree to go with it, as his father is the former State of Mind star of the same name. El Hijo del Sarno sat out the 2017 season but will hopefully be a more consistent presence in 2018. The talent is there.

Wiff Inc. was home to arguably the nation's best player under the age of 24 in Jordan Robles. The multi-talented Robles – who turned 23 just days before the tournament – is a threat on the mound, at the plate, and in the field. While Jordan would likely concede that his hitting lagged behind the other two facets of his game in Frisco, he still had what any impartial observer would categorize as a strong tournament. Robles is the Freaky Franchise of players – a player willing to travel to tournaments of all different shapes and sizes in order to play. This was evident in the results. Jordan led his teams to semi-final appearances at the Texas Open and in the Palisades WBL, a finals appearance in the GSWL National Yard League Tournament, and a championship in Mid Atlantic.

Last but not least on the young players to watch list is the Rookies’ Daniel Haverty. Haverty handled most of round robin and the quarterfinals for his team and was arguably one of the best pitchers in the tournament. While he tired late, Haverty never gave in and successfully got the ball to Pagano for the semi-finals and finals. If Remember the Rookies return in some form in 2018, it wouldn’t be surprising if the highly athletic Haverty was given a more prolific role.

Gas Left in the Tank

One of the questions we posed in our tournament preview article was how well would the players with long layoffs perform in a high quality tournament? The answer is “generally, rather well”. As previously mentioned, the DeRoche brothers performed well and you do not have to squint very hard to see them doing even better next year with a little more practice (Joel and Ryan's practice time this go around is said to have been limited to one practice a week in the month leading up to the tournament). Their teammate Mike Cross had a strong defensive tournament and looked more and more comfortable at the plate as the tournament progressed. The Las Vegas Wifflers finished in the top eight and seemed to be a pitcher away from a higher finish. The veteran Rookies looked like they hadn’t missed a beat.

It was a mixed bag for the Moonshots – comprised of former Viper players Randy Dalbey and Jim Balian and veteran California players Sylvie Serrano and Robert Colon – who went 3-3 en route to an 8th place finish. The Moonshots were solid, but missing the extra spark that defined the Vipers during their back-to-back championships in 2002 and 2003. An 8th place finish is nothing to scoff at but given the talent on this team it feels somewhat lackluster.

Playing the Total Bases Game

While winning total base games it not exactly a function of luck, teams are definitely playing with fire when they leave the outcome up to such a flimsy metric. A couple of walks or an infield hit could and often does decide the difference between a win or loss. Seven games during round robin were decided this way. The eventual champions, Cloud9, started their run with back-to-back total base wins versus GSW and the upstart Cosby Show. Both games were scoreless and a couple of walks and hits in the other direction could have greatly altered the rest of the tournament. Cloud9 wasn't alone in using a couple of total base victories to jump start a deep run in the tournament. Their title game foes - Remember the Rookies - also won two games decided by total bases, as did the seventh place Master Batters. On the opposite end of the spectrum, GSW was the hard luck victim of a pair of total base defeats. With so many games decided by the most narrow of margins, its probably safe to say that if the tournament was played over 100 times the actual results might not be repeat even once.

On Cloud 9

2017 Fast Plastic Texas Open Champions Cloud9 (L-R: Sean Steffy, Ed Packer, Kevin Norris, Ty Wegrzyn) celebrate with their winnings. (Photo: Paul Cooke)

The tournament champions, Cloud9, were in quite the celebratory mood following their big victory. How could they not be? With $5,000 in their hands, not to mention the tournament trophy, the champions gladly posed for photos on the field after being congratulated by many of the approximately 100 spectators that watched the tournament finale. After receiving their spoils, the Cloud9 foursome celebrated by breaking open four beers, only some of which found its way into their mouths. Why beer and not champagne? As tournament sponsor Jon King put it - like only he can - "I thought about getting champagne but this is Texas. We drink beer in Texas."

On the other hand, the tournament runners up - Remember the Rookies - weren't in quite as festive of a mood after coming so close to the title. The disappointment was palpable. When the Rookies received their second place plaque, one of Josh Pagano's children quickly grabbed it. "It's all yours, buddy," Pagno told him. "You can keep it," one of the Rookies added from the sideline. "None of us are going to hang it up."   

FP Texas Open Update: Final 8

QUICK RESULTS

1. REMEMBER THE ROOKIES DEFEAT LV WIFFLERS
2. GSW DEFEATS BWC
3. WIFF INC. DEFEATS MOONSHOTS
4. CLOUD9 DEFEATS MASTER BATTERS

FP Texas Open Update #7: 4:00

PLAY IN ROUND

RESULTS

1. GSW (3-2) 4 DEFEATS FREAKY FRANCHISE 1 (2-3)
2. MOONSHOTS (3-2) 4 DEFEATS JAGER BOMBERS 1 (2-3)

QUICK RECAPS

1.  Ryan Bush versus Joel DeRoche. Bush appeared to be tired after Freaky Franchise had to grind their way through each game to reach this point. GSW got on him early and although Bush settled down eventually, the damage had been done.
2. Jager Bombers impressive run came to an end against the Moonshots. The veteran west coast Wifflers’ depth and experience was evident against their rookie opponents. Jim Balian and Randy Dalbey find themselves in a very familiar spot - the final 8 at a FP national tournament. 

Final 10

G1 - PLAY IN: Moonshots #10 vs. Jager Bombers #8

G2 - PLAY IN: Freaky Franchise #9 vs. GSW #7

G3 - Cloud9 #4 vs.  Master Batters #5

G4 - Remember the Rookies #3 vs. Las Vegas Wifflers #6

G5 - Wiff Inc. vs. Winner of G1  

G6 - BWC vs. Winner of G2

G7 - Winner of G3 vs. Winner of G5

G8 - Winner of G4 vs. Winner of G6

G9 - WInner of G7 vs. WInner of G8

FP Texas Open Update #6: 2:30

ROUND #4

RESULTS

1. FREAKY FRANCHISE (2-2) 2 DEFEATS MOONSHOTS 0 (2-2)
2. BWC (4-0) 0 DEFEATS GSW 0 (2-2) ON TOTAL BASES 6-2
3. LV WIFFLERS (2-2) 6 DEFEAT JIM’S PUB (1-3) 0 
4. *OTHER ROUND 4 GAMES THAT DID NOT IMPACT WHICH TEAMS ADVANCE HAVE BEEN OMITTED.*

NOTEWORTHY

1. Freaky Franchise needed a win to stay alive in the tournament. They got just that behind an excellent performance by Ryan Bush. Moonshots threatened in the bottom of the 4th and put runners on the corners with two outs. Bush induced a pop up to end the threat and the game. The win (likely) puts Freaky Franchise in the final ten.
2. GSW failed to guarantee a spot in the elimination round, losing on total bases to BWC who improved their record to 4-0. Joel DeRoche pitched well for GSW in the loss.
3. LV Wifflers and Jim’s Pub faced off in a match up of 1-2 teams looking to get that all important second win. The game was close early on but the LV Wifflers went to work against Sarno, knocking him out after putting 6  runs on the board. Ben Stant worked his first inning of the tournament in relief but the damage had already been done. The loss eliminates Jim’s Pub from the tournament.

FP Texas Open Update #5 - 1:30

ROUND #3/4

RESULTS

1. GSW (2-1) 8 DEFEATS COSBY SHOW 0 (0-3)
2. JAGER BOMBERS 10 (2-2) 10 DEFEATS WHOSE YOUR DADDY 0 (0-4)
3. REMEMBER THE ROOKIES (4-0) 2 DEFEATS FREAKY FRANCHISE 2 (1-2) 9-7 ON TOTAL BASES
4. WIFF INC. (4-0) 2 DEFEATS LV WIFFLERS 0 (1-2)
5. BWC (3-0) 3 DEFEATS CLOULD9 0 (3-1) 

QUICK RECAPS

1. The Cosby Show finally seemed to run out of steam this round. GSW handled the youngsters easily with Mike Cross pitching.
2. Whose Your Daddy becomes the first team eliminated at the hands of fellow Frisco, TX team, The Jager Bombers. With the win, the Jager Bombers likely punch their ticket to the elimination round.
3. In one of the most competitive games of the tournament so far, Freaky Franchise tied the score at 2-2 with a double in the the final inning. A pitching change for the Rookies did the job though  and they held on for the total bases win. Jimmy Cole had the big hit for Freaky Franchise. Freaky Franchise needs a win in their next game to stay alive.
4. Robles notched this third win of the tournament shutting out the veteran LV Wifflers. The win guarantees Wiff Inc. a spot (and a good one at that) in the elimination round. 
5. The innings might have finally caught up to Wegrzyn. BCW got to him into the second and Wegryzyn was removed in favor of Ed Packer. The damage had been done though and BCW moves to 3-0.BCW is in the driver’s seat for the #1 seed with one game left to play. 

 

FP Texas Open Update #4 - 1:00

ROUND #3

RESULTS

1. REMEMBER THE ROOKIES (3-0) 0 DEFEATS JAGER BOMBERS 0 (1-2) ON TOTAL BASES
2. CLOUD9 (3-0) 10 DEFEATS WEST COAST WIFFLE REPORT 0 (0-3)
3. JIM’S PUB (1-2) 11 DEFEATS WIFFLE JAM 1 (0-3)
4. WIFF INC. 5 (3-0) DEFEATS MASTERS BATTERS 1 (2-1)
5. MOONSHOTS (2-1) 27 DEFEAT WHOSE YOUR DADDY (0-3) 4

QUICK RECAPS

1. Even in defeat, Frisco’s Jager Bombers are giving teams all that they can handle. The powerful Rookies squad was held in check but snuck by on total bases to become the first 3-0 team in the tournament.
2. Cloud9 FINALLY got some runs on the board against Brock Drazen of WCWR. Drazen threw strikes but the previously silent Cloud9 bats came alive after two scoreless wins to start the tournament. Tyler pitched his third straight for Cloud9. 
3. Jim’s Pub got a win they needed to have against the overmatched Wiffle Jam. This sets up an all important game versus LV Wifflers.
4. The Masters Batters will not end round robin undefeated, but Wiffle, Inc. might. In a game to decide the bracket winner, Jordan Robles took the ball for his team. Robles only blemish was a HR off of the bat of Jon King. Kenny Rodgers added two homeruns to his tournament leading total.
5.  Moonshots roll over Whose Your Daddy in a 2-inning mercy rule victory. If Moonshots beat Freaky Franchise, they are in the playoffs.

FP Texas Open Update #3 - 11:30 PM

ROUND #2/3

RESULTS

1.  FREAKY FRANCHISE (1-1) 10 DEFEATS WHOSE YOUR DADDY 0 (0-2)
2. GSW (1-1) 5 DEFEATS WEST COAST WIFFLE REPORT 0 (0-2)
3. LV WIFFLERS (1-1) 0 DEFEATS WIFLE JAM 0 (0-2)
4. MASTER BATTERS 0 (2-0) DEFEAT JIM’S PUB (0-2) ON TOTAL BASES 8-4
5. BWC (2-0) 10 DEFEATS COSBY SHOW (0-2) 

QUICK RECAPS

1. Freaky Franchise take a big step towards $10,000 with a definitive mercy rule win against Whose Your Daddy.
2. Ryan DeRoche pitched GSW into the win column over Jim Dalbey and West Coast Wiffle Report. Joel DeRoche got GSW on the board early with a solo shot. Mike Cross made a couple of good catches on defense.
3. LV Wifflers bounced back from their first round loss in a big way by blowing out Wiffle Jam.
4. Will Marshall was once again nearly unhittable as the Master Batters moved to 2-0 with their second straight upset, this time over Jim’s Pub (Danny Lanigan, Ben Stant). Jim’s Pub will need to get the bats going against LV Wifflers and Wiffle Jam if they want to advance. 
5. BWC moves to 2-0. So far they have beat the teams they need to beat. They have dates with GSW and Cloud9 still to come that will go a long way to deciding that particular bracket.

 

FP Texas Open Update #2 - 11:00 AM

ROUND #1/#2

RESULTS

1. BWC (1-0) 3 DEFEATS WEST COAST WIFFLE REPORT (0-1)
2. REMEBER THE ROOKIES (2-0) 10 DEFEATS WHOSE YOUR DADDY 0 (0-1)
3. CLOUD9 (2-0) 0 DEFEATS COSBY SHOW (0-1) ON TOTAL BASES 5-3
4. MOONSHOTS (1 - 1) 2 DEFEATS JAGERBOMBERS (1-1) 0
5. WIFF INC. (2-0) 10 DEFEATS WIFFLE JAM 0 (0-1)

BRIEF RECAPS

1. Veteran FP player (and host of the West Coast Wiffle Report), Jim Dalbey pitched admirably but fell short to the Golden Stick experienced BWC squad
2. In the first blow out of the tournament, Remember the Rookies mercy rules Whose Your Daddy from Texas. 
3. In a shock, medium pitch Texas team Cosby Show gave Cloud9 all they could handle. Cooper Ruckel was throwing gas and kept the Cloud9 bats off of the board. Cloud9 has yet to score a run in the tournament despite sitting at 2-0. Tyler once again took the hill for Cloud9 and was closed at 83-84 MPH consistently.
4. The Jager Bombers got another strong performance from Tye Webber who held the FP NCT experienced Moonshots in check for three innings before tiring in the fourth. Randy Dalbey (Vipers) pithed for the Moonshots.
5. Local Texas Team Wiffle Jam put up a valiant effort put were no match for the Wiffle Jam and Anthony Didio.