Hit or Error?
written by TWIF
Brian Ford was perfect for 7.5 innings, but Scared Hitless couldn’t score a single run to give the hurler his 4th perfect game. Brandon Carter ripped a line drive to second in the 8th inning to bust up the perfecto. Hitless held on and ended up winning in the 10th.
A controversial scoring decision in the 8th followed a questionable managerial decision to put Kyle “Hands” O’Grady in the field when Matt Dreyfus had to leave the game early for a pap smear.
Scared Hitless skipper Pat Browning, perhaps to make up for the previously referred to managerial decision, has formally asked Commissioner Gallaway to review the play. The PWL policy is to review scoring decisions upon request, as long as they are submitted within one week of the game. The game was scored by Alex Filides.
At issue is whether the dropped ball by O’Grady would have been caught by an “outfielder at that position making ordinary effort.”
Thanks to our friends at YouTube you can watch the clip in 1080p.
Color Commentary [8] - posted 2010-08-30 22:16 in Blog
Barnburners #3 Team in Nation
written by TWIF
The National Wiffle League Association Rankings for Week 20 have put the Blandsford Barnburners in the #3 spot nationally.
The site follows 28 leagues around the country and ranks teams based on whatever factors “Senior Anaylst” (sic) Stats Stenson deems appropriate. It appears to be mostly on regular season win-loss record, and it’s unclear if playoff success is a factor.
The PWL has had as many as five teams ranked, and is now down to three. Most leagues play one long season, so the PWL model of two seasons in a calendar year causes some issues with the rankings. The Barnburners only play in the Spring season, so while their record has been unchanged, they’ve moved from #9 in the rankings at the end of Spring to #3 now.
Additionally, it’s unclear if standings for teams that play both seasons are combined. Currently, no Summer Season standings or results have been incorporated.
The rankings website, as well as the PWL are always looking for guest columnists to write feature stories. If you would like to represent PWL as the official blogger on the National Wiffle League Association or just write content for this page, email the Commissioner at commissioner@potomacwiffleball.org.
Color Commentary [6] - posted 2010-08-22 17:55 in Blog
Box Scores or Scoresheets?
written by TWIF
For detailed game coverage (in addition to the complete game videos of course) do you prefer the league post the Box Scores with the play-by-play, or the PDF scoresheets?
Do you prefer the box scores or scoresheets?
Box Scores - The play-by-play is great, you should post the Spanish version also
Color Commentary - posted 2010-08-08 16:41 in Blog
You're F'ing Out! Paid Umpires This Season
written by TWIF
League offices are buzzing this week that the Commissioner will soon make a final announcement that the 2010 Summer Season will be the first to feature paid umpires for regular season.
Paid umpires have been used the last two postseasons, but they are expected to be used for all games this summer.
Color Commentary [3] - posted 2010-08-03 17:57 in Blog
OFF SEASON MOVES: Gossip, Trades, and Fresh Meat
written by TWIF
8/3 – Updated Teams and Players List
- 9 TEAMS (Less than a day left)
- New Teams: Flea Bitten Varmits, NWO
- Non-Returning Teams: Alcoholics Anonymous, Blandsford Barnburners, Brosephorous Rex, On the Fence, Rossi Posse
- Filides finally gets his shit together and will have a team…sorta.
Read the full entry - Color Commentary [23] - posted 2010-08-03 17:34 in Blog
Burning a Barn...Now Do You Get It?
written by TWIF
Moments after officially picking up the Commissioner’s Trophy as the 2010 Spring World Series Champions the Blandsford Barnburners unveiled their new team logo.
The boys from Manassas, ranked in the Top 10 in National Wiffleball Rankings, have been logo-less for their two championship seasons.
Manager Colin Gannon called the announcement “a watershed moment in history and a day that Barnburner Nation will long remember.” He was then asked for his ID when he attempted to order a beer to celebrate.
The logo was selected in a design contest sponsored by the league, a tradition that Commissioner Gallaway announced would continue for future World Series Champions.
Despite the new logo, the Burners have confirmed that they will not be back in the Summer season to defend their title. They have promised to return for the Spring 2011 Season, opting to “let a lower caliber team like Clubber Lang or Brosephorous Rex” win the World Series this summer.
Color Commentary - posted 2010-07-01 23:04 in Blog
A World of a Series
written by TWIF
A team from Manassas is playing a team from Washington, 32 miles away, but we insist on calling it a World Series.
Five teams have won the nine World Series that have been contested. Only one has won it more than once. The Barnburners are hoping to become the second franchise to get added to that list. Standing in their way, the first team that beat them…ever…in history…Scared Hitless. There have been more losses for the Burners since that one, but you never forget your first time.
Scared Hitless is not without history themselves. The second oldest franchise in the league, they look little like the first edition that joined the league in 2006, three name changes and limitless personnel changes ago. They were last in the big Series in Summer of 2008, but lost to the Catalista Revolucion, a team that doesn’t exist anymore. They themselves almost didn’t exist anymore, taking the last summer season off for a couple of the guys to get their heads on right. They’ve come back a stronger team than ever before. The best record in the league, and ranked 6th in the nation, will their 4th post-season appearance finally get them the ring they want?
Tune in Sunday to find out. If DCS Saturday was any indication, this should be a series the world recognizes, without any insistence.
Past World Series Champions
- Canvassers (5 Times)
- Filabusters
- Coconut Cowboys
- Catalist Revolucion
- Blandsford Barnburners
Color Commentary - posted 2010-06-12 20:46 in Blog
In the matter of Anthony B. Ragano vs. Potomac Wiffleball League...
written by TWIF
Tony Ragano filed an injunction today to prohibit the use of the radar guns in post-season play. [ read the motion ]
League officials were caught off guard by the request for an injuction, coming less than 48 hours before the first pitch of the Division Championship Series and less than 24 hours after Ragano’s entire system of beliefs was put on trial at the radar gun tests.
Commissioner Gallaway had no official comment, and said he has not reviewed the case, but called the action “typical, Tony Ragano behavior”.
Insiders expect the matter to be resolved prior to the first pitch with a likely settlement. The league has made it clear that as part of the settlement negotiation, Ragano would be offered the position of play-by-play announcer for the World Series after Clubber Lang is eliminated in the DCS.
Color Commentary - posted 2010-06-10 19:59 in News
Creepy Facebook Group Creator Urges Write-in for POTW Candidate
written by TWIF
A Facebook group calling for a write-in vote for Allison Smith for Week 7 Player of the Week has sprung up on the internet this week and quickly grew to 8 members.
The group, created by Alex Filides, is an attempt to get Ms. Smith rewarded for her stellar play during Week 7. Ms. Smith, who is currently the lady friend of Scared Hitless star Nick DiCrosta, is not officially connected to the group and is a little creeped out by it.
Filides started the effort shortly after Commissioner Gallaway announced the POTW nominees for Week 7 and left Smith off the list. Smith hit two home runs as well as a triple while serving as a guest player for the Rossi Posse. She became only the 4th female player to hit a home run, and the first to hit two. She was edged out for a nomination by DiCrosta himself, who has pointed out at least three times since leaving the field Sunday that he “hit three home runs, into the wind, while she only had two. Plus, she committed an error”. DiCrosta does not play in the field.
While the Facebook group is small, Smith did get a big endorsement today, meeting with President Obama to talk about her two home run game. “I wish more women were hitting home runs, if they were, we wouldn’t have all the problems we have today”, the President said. “I want every woman out there to take advantage of my new health care plan. There is plenty of money for abortions and wiffleball injuries. Just skip those mammograms; we’re on a budget here.”
This isn’t the first time that Filides has taken to Facebook to show his displeasure at the POTW Awards. Largely a popularity contest once the three nominations based on the stats are made by the Commissioner, Filides has been nominated six times, and never won. That’s the worst shut out record in the PWL history, and has led some to question his popularity with other players. Filides himself posted on his Facebook page that the “POTW Award is a joke” after one of his many, multiple, let’s call it six, losses.
Filides did win the Most Valuable Player award for the Season 2009 season, but this year had more of a most valuable meltdown. He originally left his team, Clubber Lang, to form his own team when the manager refused to let him pitch. However, he returned with his tail tucked between his legs when a Craig’s List ad for players went unanswered. It’s been a rough season for him, starting with the managers banning his use of a glove in the field though a rules change, and finishing the season with .247 batting average, well under the league average.
His last ditch effort for the PWL award is seen as a mating call by many. Don’t worry, this can be settled on the field. Filides’ Clubber Lang battles DiCrosta’s Scared Hitless this Saturday in the Division Championship Series.
Color Commentary [2] - posted 2010-06-09 22:15 in Blog
Evidence Supports A “Wind Factor” in Wiffleball
written by TWIF
After being convinced that the three radar guns used by the PWL all read the same speed (within a 3 MPH margin of error) when a 50 MPH tuning fork was struck, Tony Ragano determined that it must be the wind effecting his pitch speed. His “muscle memory knows exactly what a 27 MPH pitch is” (literally a direct quote, not even one we made up) so the wind became the next likely culprit. It’s long been hypothesized that the wind had some effect on the ball, but this was never accepted as a fact until Ragano approved the belief Wednesday night.
Ragano grudgingly accepted the findings, “look, I wasn’t the first guy to come up with the ‘earth is round theory’ either, but after I saw photos, I became a believer. And now, I mostly buy it. Just like with the radar guns. I didn’t believe they all read the same, and I just knew one of them was out to get me. But I’m not unreasonable, now I know that’s not true. Next thing, you’ll try to convince me some fake bones in the ground prove that Brosephorous Rexes roamed this planet before man did.”
Commissioner Gallaway granted Ragano’s request to inspect and review the strike boards and enclosed radar guns prior to the playoffs this weekend. Also in attendance were Brian Ford and Nick DiCrosta of Scared Hitless. Ms. Allison Smith joined the party and was given a brief tour of the PWL Hall of Fame which will soon be the home to the two home run balls she hit during Week 7, becoming the first female to hit two dingers.
“We have nothing to hide at the PWL. We were happy to open the doors and let Mr. Ragano determine for himself what we’ve known the entire season. The radar guns aren’t perfect, we know they have flaws. Sometimes they don’t read. Sometimes the angle of the approaching pitch effects the speed. These are issues that the present technology just can’t adjust for. But, the fact is, all three guns have the same flaws, and the flaws effect all the players fairly. There is no “bad gun”, there is no gun that is out to get Tony. It’s not perfect, but it’s fair,” Gallaway said.
DiCrosta said he has known all season that the guns don’t work 100% of the time, and that you can manipulate the way you pitch in order to get a reading based on how and where you throw the ball. He described his strategy for throwing to the strike board as “being a good pitcher”.
“If a pitcher knows that he’ll get an inside strike call from an umpire, he’s stupid not to throw that pitch,” DiCrosta said. “It’s part of the strategy of being a good pitcher. What I don’t understand is why, seven weeks ago, Tony didn’t adjust his strategy to get more strike outs instead of complaining about the strike boards. It’s almost like he wanted Andrew Martin to demolish his single season strikeout record.”
The discovery that wind has an impact on a lightweight plastic ball has led President Obama to release federal funds for an immediate study of wiffle wind dynamics. It has also led Ragano to re-examine his beliefs in creationism and that if a girl jumps up and down after sex that she can’t get pregnant.
Color Commentary [1] - posted 2010-06-09 20:24 in Blog
