Bracketology: London Style

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Let me start by saying I love the London Wiffleball Tournament and I’m going to keep bringing teams as long as I’m able to do so. I like Brian Wheeler and the guys on the Reds, and I know they do a tremendous amount of work with very little support to put on the tournament every year and I’m glad they do.

I don’t want to be one of those guys that complains about things but doesn’t do anything to help fix them. I’ve been on the receiving end of those kinds of complaints too many times to not appreciate that position. That being said, I think that constructive criticism is a good thing, and people who really love things should be able to give the people who run the things they love ideas to help make it better or correct problems that they see.

Read the full entry - Color Commentary [1] - posted 2009-10-11 21:18 in Blog

London 2009: Nationals Game Videos

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Featured Game Video:


Double Elimination Tournament Round 2: Nationals at Phillies (22-23)
The Nationals and the Phillies ended the 2007 London tournament heading to extra innings tied as a never ending wall of rain moved in across the corn fields. The tournament was stopped, the game never resolved, the chapter never concluded. That year, the Nationals were a six seed and the Phillies were an eleven seed. This time is was the Nationals who were an eleven seed, and the Phillies were a nine. Due to bracket mis-seeding, they met in the second round on a short field with strong wind blowing out. The slugfest ended after four and a half, the Nationals falling by one to head to the losers' bracket. 0-1-1.

Read the full entry - Color Commentary - posted 2009-10-06 01:12 in Videos

London 2009: Senators Game Videos

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Featured Game Video:


Pool Play Game 1: Senators at Red Wings (32-3)
The Senators first game is a big win for them. We wired the ump, and starting at about 21 minutes, his running commentary is spectacular. Well worth waiting for. Even if the game is a tad lopsided.

A sample of what you'll hear:
  • These guys don't have a clue. (Referring to the Red Wings failing to convert an out.)
  • Oh, right in the nuts. (Referring to the Red Wings pitcher getting drilled with a line drive, in the nuts.)
  • That balls got a nasty curve on it. (Referring to Jake Tomko's pitching.)
  • That was a pretty good hook right there, that thing was clear over that field. (Referring to a Jim Shannon home run.)
  • They don't even have a clue. (Referring to the Red Wings giving up 20 runs after two innings.)
  • I don't think we have a clue here on this field. (Referring to ????)
  • Are you fucking kidding me? I'd bring my 5 year old out here and he'd catch that. Or he better. (Referring to the Red Wings dropping a fly ball.)
  • Oh are you shitting me? Amazing. (Referring to the Red Wings dropping a fly ball.)
  • See ya. (Referring to a Jim Shannon home run.)
  • He'll fucking miss it. Are you kidding me? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! They can't catch a pop fly. I'd be embarrassed. (Referring to the Red Wings dropping a fly ball.)
  • Are you kidding me? (Referring to the Red Wings dropping a fly ball.)
  • Oh yeah, this is it. After they bat it's over. 27 to 2 or some shit, I mean it's sick. (When asked if there was a mercy rule.)
  • These guys can't catch a pop fly. I'd be embarrased. I would. I'd bring my 6 year old out here he'd be better than that kid. (Just off the cuff.)
  • Yeah, just let it go, who cares. (Referring to the Red Wings not making an effort on a ball.)
  • Tweedledee and Tweedledumb. Ugly. (Unclear.)
  • Are you shitting me? (Referring to the Red Wings shortstop bobbling a ball.)
  • 35-2. (Announcing the score. The actual score at the time was 32-2.)

Read the full entry - Color Commentary [3] - posted 2009-10-05 12:44 in Videos

London 2009: Early Exits

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The Nationals and Senators both made early exits from the 2009 London Wiffleball Tournament. Both teams fared well in pool play, going undefeated at 3-0 in a new pool play format that was cut from four games to three games.

The 58 teams in the tournament that showed up were then seeded (improperly) in a double elimination tournament bracket based on record, then by run differential. The Nationals had an 8 run differential and received an 11th seed. The Senators had an amazing 36 run differential, but one of their games was reported to the tournament organizers as a loss, and they received a 23rd seed. They would have been a 2nd to 4th seed, though the exact numbers weren’t made clear at the time and adding more math to an already messed up situation wasn’t going to help. (We were told the top seed had a run differential of 45.) Even though no games had started the organizers said they were unable to correct the mistake, so the tournament went forward with that.

Commissioner Gallaway later discovered that seeding overall was done wrong because the organizers had the 1st seed play the 58th seed. A post will be coming soon explaining brackets and seeding, but the bottom line is this: in order for the seeding to be played out properly, with 58 teams, the top 6 teams need to get bye’s in the first round. The incorrect seeding caused major match-up problems starting in round two of the winner’s bracket and all rounds of the loser’s bracket. Again, this will all be explained more thoroughly in a later post.

Ultimately, the unlikely event that could have happend did happen. The Nationals and Senators played each other in an elimination game in the loser’s bracket in the third round of the tournament. The incorrect seeding of the Senators, as well as the incorrect matchups of all seeds caused a perfect storm of events. Despite losing the two practice games the night before, the Nationals prevailed and eliminated the Senators. They then turned right around and lost their next game, being eliminated themselves.

PWL Tournament Leaders

Batting

  • AVG – Ty Fletcher (Senators) – .582
  • HR – Jim Shannon (Senators) – 8
  • RBI – Jim Shannon (Senators) – 16

Pitching

  • ERA – Jake Tomko (Senators) – 6.14
  • OBA – Tony Cani (Nationals) – .361
  • K – Jake Tomko (Senators) – 4

Nationals [complete stats]

  • Pool Play Game #1 – Astros (WIN 1-0) [box score]
  • Pool Play Game #2 – Monsters (WIN 2-0) [box score]
  • Pool Play Game #3 – Royals (FORFEIT WIN 5-0)
  • Double Elimination #1 – Rockies (WIN 4-0) [box score]
  • Double Elimination #2 – Phillies (LOSS 22-23) [box score]
  • Double Elimination #3 – Senators (WIN 9-6) [box score]
  • Double Elimination #4 – Dodgers (LOSS 4-18) [box score]

Senators [complete stats]

  • Pool Play Game #1 – Red Wings (WIN 32-3) [box score]
  • Pool Play Game #2 – Pine Riders (WIN 2-0) [box score]
  • Pool Play Game #3 – Nuts (FORFEIT WIN 5-0)
  • Double Elimination #1 – Astros (LOSS 3-7) [box score]
  • Double Elimination #2 – Thunder (WIN 20-14) [box score]
  • Double Elimination #3 – Nationals (LOSS 6-9) [box score]

  • The umpire said the score of the Senators first game was 35 to 3, but it wasn’t. We watched the tape again. This will also be the first game uploaded to the website. The umpire commentary is PRICELESS!

Color Commentary - posted 2009-10-04 01:37 in Scoreboard

London 2009 Journal: Day Two (Saturday)

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5:35 PM – Because the seeding of the Senators was wrong, and it further turned out that the seeding of every team was wrong because the organizers put 58 teams on a 64 team bracket but didn’t factor in the bye’s, the Senators had to play the Nationals in a double elimination game in the loser’s bracket. The Nats upset the Senators 9-6 to eliminate them, and are now waiting for their next game.

10:48 AM – Pool play has ended and the Nationals and Senators are both 3-0, including forfeit victories for both teams. While the Nationals struggled to score runs mainly because of some vicious wind in their face, the Senators hit 17 home runs in one game as they dominated the clueless Red Wings 35-3. Now we are all milling around like cattle, unsure whether it is too early for lunch. We will try to keep you posted on all happenings, including high school punks who like to mean mug for our cameras. Annie Liebowitz…er, Tony Cani would like me to mention photos are being updated. Lemaire out.

5:45 AM – Hotel wake-up calls make for an early start. Team breakfast of circle eggs (Hampton Inn Exclusive) starts at 6:15 and bus rolls out at 6:45.

Color Commentary - posted 2009-10-03 13:58 in News

London 2009 Photo Feed

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While we won't be able to check in that regularly over the course of the next several hours of hot wiffle action, we will be able to upload photos. The slide show below ought to keep you satisfied ... at least for awhile.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Color Commentary - posted 2009-10-03 09:21 in News

London 2009 Journal: Day One (Friday)

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11:29 PM – Sorry for the short supply of updates this afternoon. We started a four hour practice session at 6 PM and just got back to the hotel after dinner now. Lots of BP and fielding drills, then two scrimmage games between the Nats and Senators. Senators dominated, despite a low ceiling which knocked down some home run balls. Game one 6-4 and game two 18-5. Early wake-up calls, 5:45 AM, and early games, starting at 8:00 AM tomorrow.

3:43 PM – ARRIVED IN COLUMBUS! Still 30 miles short of London, but we overnight in Columbus. Practice facility is reserved from 6 to 10 for batting practice and scrimmage. Gallaway out.

3:18 PM – So Brian left the beer under the bus…fail. On the brightside, with the smell of Arby’s still haunting us, we have reached Columbus. Now we need to figure out who will room with who without hurting anyone’s feelings. Lemaire out.

2:42 PM – I (Lemaire) has usurped the position of group scribe. Nothing quite like the smell of coronaries being clogged with Arby’s. We are refueled and back on the bus, less than an hour away. Despite the lack of editing and some slow moments, the game tape has everyone engaged. The same can not be said for Chris’s strategy lectures. The sun is finally out and the discussion has turned to when and how much drinking is allowed. Get pumped, Lemaire out.

12:12 PM – Tombstone is almost over as we’ve gotten off I-68. Duenas and Zigmund should also be in the air by now leaving Las Vegas. There has been a comment requesting more info on the silly stuff people are doing on the bus. I think for the sake of all we won’t share that. But, so far everyone is observing the “liquid only” rule for the on board bathroom. “Coffee only, no donuts”. Oh, and wifi is back.

10:40 AM – First pit stop is done in Grantsville, MD. Everyone made it back on the bus. WiFI is down!

8:49 AM – Bus is rolling, somewhere in Maryland. Wifi on the bus is nice. Direct TV is working, but best option is watching Iron Eagle on AMC. Game tapes will come out soon.

7:03 AM – Bus has arrived, is being loaded and picking up players at the PWL HQ. All of the 12 guys making the journey by bus have arrived.

6:21 AM – The boys from Manassas are the first to arrive. Their 6th teammate will likely be the last.

Color Commentary [8] - posted 2009-10-03 02:33 in News

London 2009: Pool Play Schedule Announced

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The Saturday pool play schedule for the 2009 London Wiffleball Tournament has been announced for the two teams from the PWL, the Nationals and the Senators.

The teams leave from the PWL headquarters at 7:00 AM Friday morning for the drive to Columbus. They’ll use practice facilities in Columbus and stay overnight there before making the short drive to London Saturday morning.

Live box scores and updates from the games will be posted on the PWL website during the tournament, and updates will be made on the PWL Twitter account @potomacwiffle.

Pool Play Games

  • 8:00 AM – Nationals/Astros – Field 14
  • 8:35 AM – Senators/Red Wings – Field 12
  • 9:10 AM – Nationals/Monsters – Field 6
  • 9:45 AM – Senators/Pine Riders – Field 14
  • 10:20 AM – Nationals/Royals – Field 16
  • 10:55 AM – Senators/Nuts – Field 10

After pool play, the double elimination tournament will start. Probably around 2:00 PM.

The London tournament, the largest slow-pitch wiffleball tournament in the world, (72 teams) and will be held Saturday, October 3, 2009.

The tournament starts with three pool play games, and then each team in seeded in a double elimination tournament. Play takes all day and well into the night on Saturday. The final games are played under the lights.

Washington Nationals Washington Senators
Chris Gallaway, Manager Brian Clapp, Manager
Tony Cani Colin Gannon
Steve Dubois Ty Fletcher
Ross Duenas Mike Lemaire
Kris Garcia Jack Shannon
Joe Gortenburg Jim Shannon
Stephen Zigmund Jacob Tomko

Color Commentary - posted 2009-10-01 16:58 in News

Hang on Sloopy, PWL Invades Ohio

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Commissioner Gallaway announced today that the Potomac Wiffleball League All Stars will be returning to London with a little more fire power this year…an entire extra team.

The Washington Nationals from 2007 and 2008 will return and will be joined by a new team, appropriately named the Washington Senators. Team names are assigned by the tournament director, and with 80 teams, most professional sports team names are used.

The Senators’ roster includes the 2009 Spring Season World Champion Blandsford Barnburners and current Joe Buck Yourself manager Mike Lemaire. The Nationals are league leaders and all-stars from previous seasons, including all three former batting triple crown winners in league history.

The London tournament, the largest slow-pitch wiffleball tournament in the world, will be held Saturday, October 3, 2009.

The tournament starts with three pool play games, and then each team in seeded in a double elimination tournament. Play takes all day and well into the night on Saturday. The final games are played under the lights.

Washington Nationals Washington Senators
Chris Gallaway, Manager Brian Clapp, Manager
Tony Cani Colin Gannon
Steve Dubois Ty Fletcher
Ross Duenas Mike Lemaire
Kris Garcia Jack Shannon
Joe Gortenburg Jim Shannon
Stephen Zigmund Jacob Tomko


Live box scores and updates from the games will be posted on the PWL website during the tournament.

Color Commentary - posted 2009-09-04 01:23 in News

London 2009: Dates Announced

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Dates for the 2009 London (OH) Wiffleball Tournament have been announced on the official London website.

The event, the largest slow-pitch wiffleball tournament in the world, will be held Saturday, October 3, 2009. The date is about two months later than previous tournaments. The Potomac Wiffleball League has been sending an all-star team of current and former players the last two years and plans to again this year.

Rumors are also going around that the 80+ team pool play, then double elimination tournament may be facing a format change. The 2007 tournament was rained out just as double elmination began, and the 2008 tournament went until after 3:00 AM.

Color Commentary - posted 2009-07-01 18:12 in News