Let us take time now to note the achievement that is Han-Soo Ha's 2011 wiffle season. Keep in mind that Han-Soo entered the year with a bum pitching shoulder, and there was debate amongst the factions of the Oakwood Wiffle and Ale Club as to how and whether he may be used as a .. designated hitter.
But play he has, hitting and pitching. In fact, Han-Soo is fourth in the league in innings pitched with 20. Those who have faced him this season realize that the blazing stuff he had last year is no more. And the ERA above 4 is testament to that. But with regular effort, and a studious attention to craft, Han-Soo is mastering his new submarine pitching motion. And when he gets that release point mastered - watch out. He'll be back to his un-hittable ways.
And the most remarkable fact about this comeback from the wiffle brink, is that all the while he has been working on this new pitch he has been batting over .500 all year - through 14 games.
In his own words, "What a wonderful day! I improved my ERA and reduced batting AVG. However I can't achieve these again, because I grow familiar with my new pitching." Inspiring.
In Wednesday Night Wiffle, Han-Soo pitched 2 more innings, and surrendered three runs. Batting just 3-for-9 (with 2 RBI) lowered his season's batting average to exactly .500 (55-for-110). His were two of his team's 3 runs scored on the night.
That was not enough to counter the 8 scored by the combination of Peter, Kurt and a late arriving Stats, including 2 from Kurt's longball in the third. Kurt now joins the three-homer logjam with Glen and Kim. Peter contributed 4 RBI with 10-for-15 hitting, including a double.
Kurt, Peter, Matt - 8
Tim, Eric, Han-Soo - 3
W: Berwald
L: Baker
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Game Story - June 25, 2011
Taut, Back-and-Forth Affair Blown Open Late
Bright sun and warm (nearly hot) temperatures made this morning feel like the first wiffle game of the Summer. Outfielders were congregating in the shade as the pitchers were warming up; dugout chairs were pushed back against the bricks. Definitely time to bring water with you to Nance Bradds Field.
Homestanding Peter, Han-Soo and Eric took an early lead in the bottom of the first, with two runs off Matt. Single-Triple-Single got the first run in. Kurt still feels he should have caught the triple, but, hey, it's a magic season for Han-Soo, who got the RBI. Matt then induced a ground ball, and forgot where the runners were and made an ill-advised double play attempt (one of four failed double plays on the day). That credited an RBI to the Commish. Having recently got his ERA below 4, Matt was due to give up a run or two.
After perfect halves in the second from Pete (top) and Kurt (bottom) the Visitors began to chip away at the lead.
Glen hit the longball of the day, a solo homer that split the outfielders off Han-Soo in the third. 2-1 Homeboys. Kurt doubled in a run off Eric in the fourth to knot the game at 2.
Then the pitching took over for a few innings:
Bottom 4 - Matt scattered three hits while striking out the side, including a bases-loaded Beltran for Hans.
Top 5 - Peter's second 1-2-3 inning.
Bottom 5 - Kurt's second 1-2-3 inning.
Top 6 - Han-Soo strikes out the side, 1-2-3.
Bottom 6 - Glen works around one single.
Top 7 - Eric.. well this wasn't a good inning for Eric.
Kurt's leadoff single was the first link of an 8-hit daisy chain of offense: Kurt single, Matt single, Glen single, Kurt double, Matt single, Glen single, Kurt double, Matt double. Six runs scored. In total, a balanced attack for the visitors - all three went 5-for-12 on the day, Kurt with 5 RBI, Glen with 2, Matt with 1.
Matt pitched a perfect bottom of the seventh to close out the game, ending it on a crazy-lucky catch of a line drive come-backer off Zamonski's bat.
Glen, Kurt, Matt - 8
Peter, Han-Soo, Eric - 2
W: Cebulash
L: Zamonski
Notes:
1. 3-for-10 at the plate lowered Han-Soo's league leading average to .515. Peter went 4-for-10, and Eric ping-ponged two singles in his 10 at bats.
2. Glen moved into a second place tie for homers with his third dinger today. He is tied with Kim, but the two of them together do not equal da Commish's league leading 7.
3. Both Kurt and Peter had good days on the bump - six up, six down. Peter had 2 K's, Kurt had 4.
Bright sun and warm (nearly hot) temperatures made this morning feel like the first wiffle game of the Summer. Outfielders were congregating in the shade as the pitchers were warming up; dugout chairs were pushed back against the bricks. Definitely time to bring water with you to Nance Bradds Field.
Homestanding Peter, Han-Soo and Eric took an early lead in the bottom of the first, with two runs off Matt. Single-Triple-Single got the first run in. Kurt still feels he should have caught the triple, but, hey, it's a magic season for Han-Soo, who got the RBI. Matt then induced a ground ball, and forgot where the runners were and made an ill-advised double play attempt (one of four failed double plays on the day). That credited an RBI to the Commish. Having recently got his ERA below 4, Matt was due to give up a run or two.
After perfect halves in the second from Pete (top) and Kurt (bottom) the Visitors began to chip away at the lead.
Glen hit the longball of the day, a solo homer that split the outfielders off Han-Soo in the third. 2-1 Homeboys. Kurt doubled in a run off Eric in the fourth to knot the game at 2.
Then the pitching took over for a few innings:
Bottom 4 - Matt scattered three hits while striking out the side, including a bases-loaded Beltran for Hans.
Top 5 - Peter's second 1-2-3 inning.
Bottom 5 - Kurt's second 1-2-3 inning.
Top 6 - Han-Soo strikes out the side, 1-2-3.
Bottom 6 - Glen works around one single.
Top 7 - Eric.. well this wasn't a good inning for Eric.
Kurt's leadoff single was the first link of an 8-hit daisy chain of offense: Kurt single, Matt single, Glen single, Kurt double, Matt single, Glen single, Kurt double, Matt double. Six runs scored. In total, a balanced attack for the visitors - all three went 5-for-12 on the day, Kurt with 5 RBI, Glen with 2, Matt with 1.
Matt pitched a perfect bottom of the seventh to close out the game, ending it on a crazy-lucky catch of a line drive come-backer off Zamonski's bat.
Glen, Kurt, Matt - 8
Peter, Han-Soo, Eric - 2
W: Cebulash
L: Zamonski
Notes:
1. 3-for-10 at the plate lowered Han-Soo's league leading average to .515. Peter went 4-for-10, and Eric ping-ponged two singles in his 10 at bats.
2. Glen moved into a second place tie for homers with his third dinger today. He is tied with Kim, but the two of them together do not equal da Commish's league leading 7.
3. Both Kurt and Peter had good days on the bump - six up, six down. Peter had 2 K's, Kurt had 4.
You Gotta Believe
Yesterday, June 24th, was my daughter Emma's 10th birthday. A good many of you have met Emma, as she has scored a couple of our wiffle games. I call Emma, the Girl in a Hurry, and here's why:
Emma was born at Miami Valley Hospital at 32 weeks, (that's eight weeks premature, Eric) by cesarean section. I tell you the honest truth, when the doctor pulled her out Emma's head was no bigger than a wiffle ball; she was three pounds, three ounces. The surgical team cut the cord put the baby on a gurney and whisked her off to a resuscitation room. A few minutes later, they asked me if I'd like to come in a see Emma. Karen, awake under local anesthetic said I should go.
They led me into the next room, which was quite dim. Emma was on a high table with tubes and wires all over her, there were seemed like half a dozen monitors going, and a four-member team there to keep her alive, including to help her breathe, if needed. But that's the thing, it wasn't needed. There was a $100,000 team of medical professionals standing in a semi-circle .. watching Emma .. breathe on her own.
[And let me digress here to say, Miami Valley Hospital is great, and all the other hospitals around here are posers. There's a radio ad that Kettering Hospital System runs for Greene Memorial Hospital during Dragons games. It says nice things about GMH and then says, "It's the only Level Three Trauma Center in the region!" Probably true, but Level Three is the lowest, least capable trauma center. Miami Valley Hospital is a Level One Trauma Center - which is better. A lot.]
We were told to expect Emma to stay in the neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU) for up to 6 weeks. Emma was done with that place in 27 days, and ever since she really hasn't been much interested in what conventional wisdom says about what she should be capable of at her age. Good on her. At times I forget how wonderful that is, and I get annoyed. This is the time of year I remind myself that it's great, and something I, and we all, can emulate. You gotta believe.
You gotta believe that your team will mount a comeback. You gotta believe even if you strike out your first five at bats, that you can get a hit for the sixth one. You gotta believe that your hit will start a daisy chain of hits and build the big inning. You gotta believe you can stick your hand out and the ball will fly into it. You gotta believe that your stats don't matter, because the games's too fun, and too therapeutic, to get worked up about numbers.
I tell you all this because I have to put on a birthday party for Emma today and the stats will only be updated later this evening. And a real game story, may not be coming at all.
Glen, Kurt, Matt - 8
Eric, Peter, Han-Soo - 2
W: Cebulash
L: Zamonski
Emma was born at Miami Valley Hospital at 32 weeks, (that's eight weeks premature, Eric) by cesarean section. I tell you the honest truth, when the doctor pulled her out Emma's head was no bigger than a wiffle ball; she was three pounds, three ounces. The surgical team cut the cord put the baby on a gurney and whisked her off to a resuscitation room. A few minutes later, they asked me if I'd like to come in a see Emma. Karen, awake under local anesthetic said I should go.
They led me into the next room, which was quite dim. Emma was on a high table with tubes and wires all over her, there were seemed like half a dozen monitors going, and a four-member team there to keep her alive, including to help her breathe, if needed. But that's the thing, it wasn't needed. There was a $100,000 team of medical professionals standing in a semi-circle .. watching Emma .. breathe on her own.
[And let me digress here to say, Miami Valley Hospital is great, and all the other hospitals around here are posers. There's a radio ad that Kettering Hospital System runs for Greene Memorial Hospital during Dragons games. It says nice things about GMH and then says, "It's the only Level Three Trauma Center in the region!" Probably true, but Level Three is the lowest, least capable trauma center. Miami Valley Hospital is a Level One Trauma Center - which is better. A lot.]
We were told to expect Emma to stay in the neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU) for up to 6 weeks. Emma was done with that place in 27 days, and ever since she really hasn't been much interested in what conventional wisdom says about what she should be capable of at her age. Good on her. At times I forget how wonderful that is, and I get annoyed. This is the time of year I remind myself that it's great, and something I, and we all, can emulate. You gotta believe.
You gotta believe that your team will mount a comeback. You gotta believe even if you strike out your first five at bats, that you can get a hit for the sixth one. You gotta believe that your hit will start a daisy chain of hits and build the big inning. You gotta believe you can stick your hand out and the ball will fly into it. You gotta believe that your stats don't matter, because the games's too fun, and too therapeutic, to get worked up about numbers.
I tell you all this because I have to put on a birthday party for Emma today and the stats will only be updated later this evening. And a real game story, may not be coming at all.
Glen, Kurt, Matt - 8
Eric, Peter, Han-Soo - 2
W: Cebulash
L: Zamonski
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Wain Wuins Wiffie Wednesday!
Deluge Shortens Game to 3 Innings; Washes Out Corona Classic Chez Cebulash
With the wind blowing out, and really blowing at times, there were high hopes for a slugfest on this wiffie Wednesday. However, it turned out the wind was pushing a thunderstorm our way and only three innings were played before the Commissioner called the contest for rain, declaring that it "does count."
A ruling I'm sure that pleased Laura Hume, who lowered her season's ERA to 112.50, allowing only 5 runs in her inning on the mound. Tim Baker gave one of those back - a run that should be charged to Stats as he dropped Glen's fly ball and it went for a home run. This seems to be a theme for Matt - raising his teammates' ERAs.
Well, then the rain came, and it was a doozy. Turned Wiltshire Boulevard into this:
The rain also forced a cancellation of the planned cookout at Glen's. Those who could adjourned to Tank's.
With my extra time in the evening I began to peruse the Google Docs Blog exploring the possibilities of using an online form, accessible even on a mobile device, to do real-time play-by-play data entry from the wiffle field. With a pivot table feature the stats could update automatically after each at bat. (!!)
It seems pretty doable. With a little study and time I could create .. something unspeakably nerdy. Please, pull me back from this ledge.
Eric, Matt, Tim - 5
Glen, Kurt, Laura, Peter - 1
W: Lindsay
L: Hume
With the wind blowing out, and really blowing at times, there were high hopes for a slugfest on this wiffie Wednesday. However, it turned out the wind was pushing a thunderstorm our way and only three innings were played before the Commissioner called the contest for rain, declaring that it "does count."
A ruling I'm sure that pleased Laura Hume, who lowered her season's ERA to 112.50, allowing only 5 runs in her inning on the mound. Tim Baker gave one of those back - a run that should be charged to Stats as he dropped Glen's fly ball and it went for a home run. This seems to be a theme for Matt - raising his teammates' ERAs.
Well, then the rain came, and it was a doozy. Turned Wiltshire Boulevard into this:
 |
| Official Scorer Emma Lindsay wades down Wiltshire Blvd. |
With my extra time in the evening I began to peruse the Google Docs Blog exploring the possibilities of using an online form, accessible even on a mobile device, to do real-time play-by-play data entry from the wiffle field. With a pivot table feature the stats could update automatically after each at bat. (!!)
It seems pretty doable. With a little study and time I could create .. something unspeakably nerdy. Please, pull me back from this ledge.
Eric, Matt, Tim - 5
Glen, Kurt, Laura, Peter - 1
W: Lindsay
L: Hume
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Rain Out
Most wifflers stayed away today; they apparently knew what was to come. Three, though, doggedly tried to get in a game. With three, of course, you play 1-on-1-on-1. First Glen hit off Peter; then Peter hit off Matt; then Matt hit off Glen.
We had not quite completed the first round of innings when THE FOURTH arrived:
The downpour washed away the bad lines (and the good ones), the score, and all the stats. Enjoy your weekend, and see you for the Corona Classic on Wednesday evening (wiffle at 7 pm followed by BBQ at Glen's).
We had not quite completed the first round of innings when THE FOURTH arrived:
 |
| The Pitcher's Best Friend |
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Boog is Back!
Wednesday Night Wiffle Hosts the Return of Tim Baker to the Asphalt
It was with smiles all around that Kurt, Han-Soo, Glen and Matt welcomed Tim's 2011 wiffle debut on Wednesday, June 15 - the first Wiffie Wednesday of the season. For Tim, Wednesday is a Friday - the end of the work week and no one was happier to be gripping plastic than he.
Tim even volunteered to take the mound in the top of the first, with Glen and Kurt patrolling his outfield, and struck out Matt for his first out of the season. It went less smoothly from there. Han-Soo continued his rat-a-tat-tat hitting with the first of his ten (for 19) hits on the day, a single. This was followed by a single from Matt, and then Han-Soo got the first of what would end up as six fly outs into the hands of Kurt. Two down. Three straight hits (double, single, single) would plate two runs and give the Visitors a 2-0 lead after one-half.
Han-Soo and Stats would go on to score in each of the first four innings. 1 off Glen in the 2nd. 2 off Kurt in the 3rd courtesy of a soaring home run by Han-Soo. And then 5 off Tim again in the 4th highlighted by Stats' second homer of the season, his first Grand Slam (a low liner that flew like a Frisbee past the homer line). Stats' 11-for-20 hitting including hitting for the cycle, garnering 7 RBI was the line of the night.
In the bottom of the fourth, Glen mustered the first and fourth of four consecutive singles to end the shutout, driving in the Home team's first run. After then pitching a scoreless top of the fifth, he promptly declared "moral victory."
Alas, the homers' first run was their last and this six-inning affair ended with a 10-1 win for the visitors.
Han-Soo, Matt - 10
Glen, Kurt, Tim - 1
W: Lindsay
L: Baker
MV: Cebulash
Notes:
1. Kurt actually had the top batting average for the night, going 6-for-10. Tim had a fine return with the bat: 4-for-10.
2. Here are the first and third base lines:
Here is the triple line:
The hit lines were an utter disgrace!
It was with smiles all around that Kurt, Han-Soo, Glen and Matt welcomed Tim's 2011 wiffle debut on Wednesday, June 15 - the first Wiffie Wednesday of the season. For Tim, Wednesday is a Friday - the end of the work week and no one was happier to be gripping plastic than he.
Tim even volunteered to take the mound in the top of the first, with Glen and Kurt patrolling his outfield, and struck out Matt for his first out of the season. It went less smoothly from there. Han-Soo continued his rat-a-tat-tat hitting with the first of his ten (for 19) hits on the day, a single. This was followed by a single from Matt, and then Han-Soo got the first of what would end up as six fly outs into the hands of Kurt. Two down. Three straight hits (double, single, single) would plate two runs and give the Visitors a 2-0 lead after one-half.
Han-Soo and Stats would go on to score in each of the first four innings. 1 off Glen in the 2nd. 2 off Kurt in the 3rd courtesy of a soaring home run by Han-Soo. And then 5 off Tim again in the 4th highlighted by Stats' second homer of the season, his first Grand Slam (a low liner that flew like a Frisbee past the homer line). Stats' 11-for-20 hitting including hitting for the cycle, garnering 7 RBI was the line of the night.
In the bottom of the fourth, Glen mustered the first and fourth of four consecutive singles to end the shutout, driving in the Home team's first run. After then pitching a scoreless top of the fifth, he promptly declared "moral victory."
Alas, the homers' first run was their last and this six-inning affair ended with a 10-1 win for the visitors.
Han-Soo, Matt - 10
Glen, Kurt, Tim - 1
W: Lindsay
L: Baker
MV: Cebulash
Notes:
1. Kurt actually had the top batting average for the night, going 6-for-10. Tim had a fine return with the bat: 4-for-10.
2. Here are the first and third base lines:
 |
| First Base Line, by Han-Soo |
 |
| Third Base Line, by Han-Soo |
 |
| Triple Line, by Matt |
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Kurt's Big Day
Overnight storms cleared in time for wiffle this morning, though they left large puddles all over the asphalt for the defense to contend with. The Commissioner gave Kurt "Krash" Mosser a treat for his birthday - he placed Kurt and Dave Eldridge (R-OH) on the same team, with Brent. Republican Dave said it was like having a day off, not having to face Kurt. He said this, by the way, BEFORE the game.
Those three would face Peter, Stats and Han-Soo.
Laura, Elizabeth and momentarily Robyn were spectators, all coming to see the wiffle prelude to the Mosser birthday par-tay. Look for some of Peter's candid shots from the post game on the group Facebook page.
Dave and Matt pitched scoreless halves of the first, and then Brent took the mound for the home boys. Brent allowed four singles and one run, driven in by Han-Soo. Meanwhile, Mackintosh baffled Stats, inducing two weak ground outs and a weak pop-out; escaping with only one run allowed.
Brent's turn came around again in the fifth, and the visitors had a little more success this time, managing three more runs - two from a bases-juiced double from da Commish. Once again Matt was unable to square up Brent's pitching. All told, Brent recorded six outs today; five of these by Matt - the very heart of his 2-for-11 showing with the bat. A performance that uncharacteristically resulted in utterances of swear words and swilling of beer.
[Parenthetically, a casual glance at the stats would make Matt's batting line against Brent quite easy to predict: overall Matt is slugging .545. But with runners in scoring position he loses over one hundred points on that slugging average: .429. Two out, RISP: a dismal .273 SLUGGING AVERAGE! He is simply not clutch. And when Brent is pitching, there are going to be runners in scoring position, which is when Matt clenches up and ... chokes.]
Stats, Peter and Han-Soo each pitched two scoreless innings for a six-inning shut out. Han-Soo wrapped up the game in the bottom of the sixth with an incredible 6-pitch inning. But they also had a special birthday present for Kurt Mosser: THREE EARNED RUNS!
Yes, it is true. For the second week in a row a 0.00 era pitcher gave up his first runs of the season - both first runs driven in by Han-Soo, coincidentally. (This is perhaps not surprising as Han-Soo's 7-for-12 at the plate today maintained his blistering .542 batting average.) Anyway, Krash had 2 out and 2 on before allowing 4 straight hits - a double then three singles - which plated the three runs. Oh well, Kurt, just focus on your 6-for-9 hitting and remember: Next week it won't be your birthday!
Han-Soo, Matt, Peter - 7
Brent, Dave, Kurt - 0
W: Lindsay
L: Mackintosh
SPEAKING OF NEXT WEEK: Games Wednesday and Saturday. Summer wiffle is in full swing!
Those three would face Peter, Stats and Han-Soo.
Laura, Elizabeth and momentarily Robyn were spectators, all coming to see the wiffle prelude to the Mosser birthday par-tay. Look for some of Peter's candid shots from the post game on the group Facebook page.
Dave and Matt pitched scoreless halves of the first, and then Brent took the mound for the home boys. Brent allowed four singles and one run, driven in by Han-Soo. Meanwhile, Mackintosh baffled Stats, inducing two weak ground outs and a weak pop-out; escaping with only one run allowed.
Brent's turn came around again in the fifth, and the visitors had a little more success this time, managing three more runs - two from a bases-juiced double from da Commish. Once again Matt was unable to square up Brent's pitching. All told, Brent recorded six outs today; five of these by Matt - the very heart of his 2-for-11 showing with the bat. A performance that uncharacteristically resulted in utterances of swear words and swilling of beer.
[Parenthetically, a casual glance at the stats would make Matt's batting line against Brent quite easy to predict: overall Matt is slugging .545. But with runners in scoring position he loses over one hundred points on that slugging average: .429. Two out, RISP: a dismal .273 SLUGGING AVERAGE! He is simply not clutch. And when Brent is pitching, there are going to be runners in scoring position, which is when Matt clenches up and ... chokes.]
Stats, Peter and Han-Soo each pitched two scoreless innings for a six-inning shut out. Han-Soo wrapped up the game in the bottom of the sixth with an incredible 6-pitch inning. But they also had a special birthday present for Kurt Mosser: THREE EARNED RUNS!
Yes, it is true. For the second week in a row a 0.00 era pitcher gave up his first runs of the season - both first runs driven in by Han-Soo, coincidentally. (This is perhaps not surprising as Han-Soo's 7-for-12 at the plate today maintained his blistering .542 batting average.) Anyway, Krash had 2 out and 2 on before allowing 4 straight hits - a double then three singles - which plated the three runs. Oh well, Kurt, just focus on your 6-for-9 hitting and remember: Next week it won't be your birthday!
 |
| Krash sends it plateward (Photo: Peter Berwald) |
Brent, Dave, Kurt - 0
W: Lindsay
L: Mackintosh
 |
| Photo: Brent Mackintosh |
SPEAKING OF NEXT WEEK: Games Wednesday and Saturday. Summer wiffle is in full swing!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Don't Get Greedy
You hear it said all the time about baseball: every time you go to the ballpark, you have a chance to see something you've never seen before - maybe something no one has ever seen before. Well it would seem that for wiffle, too, that is a truism. For today, seven players and one professional photographer were witness to some serious offense.
Extraordinary offense.
Historic offense.
It all began with Eric Zamonski leaving the ranks of the "zeros." That is, Eric surrendered 2 first inning runs to the home-standing Han-Soo, Kim, Laura Hume (making her season debut) and Stats.
The two runs stood as the lead until the fourth inning when Laura took her turn on the mound. This inning did not go well for Professor Hume - seven consecutive hits by da Commish, Eric, and the Artist (making his gleeful return to the asphalt after the fine Bar Mitzvah for his son, Tobias) to start the inning. Things started to turn however as Laura induced a fly ball and a frankly spectacular ground out (which involved a somersault!). Now with 2 out, bases loaded and four runs in, Hume was an out away from escaping with her team only trailing by two. And she induced the pop-up she needed!
Stats, playing short for just this situation, dropped it. Here's the photographic proof:
The visitors then mounted a two-out rally for the ages. The next 13 batters would stroke hits, including three home runs, two of which were grand slams. There were other dropped fly balls, too, and when the home team finally was able to return to the folding chairs, the score was 20 to 2.
Ice and Advil, Laura. Ice and Advil.
After the game, members of the winning team described their batting approach to Laura's pitching. They followed the mantra, "Don't get greedy." Truly a sensible approach for any at-bat as it means, "Don't over swing; just put the ball in play." And it was executed to near perfection as 8 of the first 9 hits were singles. Then later in the barrage they began to feel that they had perhaps .. scored enough. And they indicate that they thereupon switched to a different approach. They switched to, "Just swing for the fences."
The logic here, as explained to me post-game was that swinging hard was more likely to result in K's, pop ups or fly outs.
Yes. Or home runs. (Homers accounted for 11 of the last 14 runs scored in the inning.)
Now, da Commish and the Artist: these are two amongst the very founders of Oakwood Whiffle and Ale, and I am in no position to question their wiffie wisdom. But if we're seeing, perhaps, the nascent formation of an unwritten rule of wiffle, I feel it is on me as the league statistician to point out that the empirical evidence would seem to suggest that "Just swing for the fences" does not prevent a team from running up the score.
Eric, Glen, Peter - 20
Han-Soo, Kim, Laura, Matt - 2
W: Berwald
L: Hume
Extraordinary offense.
Historic offense.
It all began with Eric Zamonski leaving the ranks of the "zeros." That is, Eric surrendered 2 first inning runs to the home-standing Han-Soo, Kim, Laura Hume (making her season debut) and Stats.
The two runs stood as the lead until the fourth inning when Laura took her turn on the mound. This inning did not go well for Professor Hume - seven consecutive hits by da Commish, Eric, and the Artist (making his gleeful return to the asphalt after the fine Bar Mitzvah for his son, Tobias) to start the inning. Things started to turn however as Laura induced a fly ball and a frankly spectacular ground out (which involved a somersault!). Now with 2 out, bases loaded and four runs in, Hume was an out away from escaping with her team only trailing by two. And she induced the pop-up she needed!
Stats, playing short for just this situation, dropped it. Here's the photographic proof:
 |
| And the flood gates openeth. (Photo: Brian Kollig) |
Ice and Advil, Laura. Ice and Advil.
After the game, members of the winning team described their batting approach to Laura's pitching. They followed the mantra, "Don't get greedy." Truly a sensible approach for any at-bat as it means, "Don't over swing; just put the ball in play." And it was executed to near perfection as 8 of the first 9 hits were singles. Then later in the barrage they began to feel that they had perhaps .. scored enough. And they indicate that they thereupon switched to a different approach. They switched to, "Just swing for the fences."
The logic here, as explained to me post-game was that swinging hard was more likely to result in K's, pop ups or fly outs.
Yes. Or home runs. (Homers accounted for 11 of the last 14 runs scored in the inning.)
Now, da Commish and the Artist: these are two amongst the very founders of Oakwood Whiffle and Ale, and I am in no position to question their wiffie wisdom. But if we're seeing, perhaps, the nascent formation of an unwritten rule of wiffle, I feel it is on me as the league statistician to point out that the empirical evidence would seem to suggest that "Just swing for the fences" does not prevent a team from running up the score.
 |
| The sun shone bright on the visiting team today (photo: Eric Zamonski) |
Eric, Glen, Peter - 20
Han-Soo, Kim, Laura, Matt - 2
W: Berwald
L: Hume
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
