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Why We Play
You would really be surprised at the
number of people who scoff at the idea of nineteen 16-21 year-olds
and one 51 year-old getting together every other Sunday between
March and September to toss a plastic ball around and try to hit
it 100 feet with a plastic (and yellow) bat. When presented with
people who like to ridicule, I admittedly find it hard to defend
this league. I mean, let's face reality folks: Playing in a wiffleball
league will probably never be considered "mainstream".
ESPN: The Mag might give the sport a little blurb once a decade
and the local news media might give it a try if absolutely nothing
else is going on in the world, but that's about as extensive as
the coverage is going to get. Sorry, but it's true.
By the way, that first paragraph was
also directed to me. I need to pull my head out of the clouds sometimes.
However, if you give me a couple hours
and a blank piece of paper, I can come up with a defense for this
little league (that just doesn't know how to quit). On the surface,
yes, this game is silly. The fact that we have a site so extensive
for this league is even more silly. The fact that I spend more time
working on this site than I do with fellow humans is downright embarrassing.
There must be a reason though.
Along with high school cross-country,
this league is quite honestly the greatest thing I have ever been
a part of. Since its inception back in 1994 I have never found anything
more consistently fun and challenging than this league, and to see
guys like Scott
Carmichael, my
own brother, my
own father, Casey
Sylvester, Clint
Wattenberg, Jeff
Morrison, etc, on the field playing is a treat like no
other. Well, almost no other. Once in awhile though, the treat that
is playing with friends and making friends gets just a little more
special. Case in point, what will go down in roughly three days.
On Sunday, August 26th, two sets of
doubleheaders will be going on at two different fields. It is the
second-to-last gameday of the regular season, and things are beginning
to come to a close as we near the 2001 playoffs. At The Byrd House,
the top-ranked Holy
Whites will be taking on the second-ranked Horsemen
in their final two games opposite each other. At The Sac, third-ranked
Wiffolution
takes on fourth-ranked Y&R.
Wait, it gets better.
@ The Sac
After a few gamedays early in the season,
the rule that stated only the top two teams would play in the postseason
was amended. Most players seemed more than happy to allow a third
team into the postseason, and it was done. Good thing too, or else
I would not be writing this article tonight.
As it stands now, the Holy Whites have
the top-seed all but locked up, and the Horsemen have the #2 seed
all but locked up. At 14-16, Wiffolution is currently the #3 seed,
with Y&R being two and a half games back at 11-18. While Wiffolution
appears to have the ability to breathe easy, they still have one
order to take care of before finally relaxing: Pick up at least
a split in their doubleheader with Y&R. Losing both will bring
Y&R to within a half game (14-18 vs. 13-18). Getting a split
leaves the Y&R two and a half back with only four games left
instead of six. If by some chance they sweep the doubleheader, they
move to four and a half up and clinch the third spot.
Prior
to the season, Casey Sylvester (right) had to defend his drafting
of Jeff Morrison over Mike
Walsh and had to field questions regarding what seemed
like every critic's opinion that Wiffolution would wind up in last
place. Casey all but guaranteed that Wiffolution would not finish
in fourth or fifth place. As he put it, "I'll make sure it
won't happen." This is Casey's chance to make his point loud
and clear. He has been carrying the load for Wiffolution on his
back. His team of four has three guys who have ERA's above 6.00,
and two of those guys show up consistently. Still, they are in the
playoff hunt, thanks largely to Casey's throwing two innings EVERY
SINGLE GAME and still holding an ERA under 2.00 while at the same
time bashing a record-tying 3 grandslams and hitting .347. He's
taken his team this far, he may as well take them the rest of the
way.
As for the Y&R, they have spent
most of the season in last place looking up. With James
Vassar starting very slowly (he's hitting .328 with 25
HRs in only 128 ABs since May 6th), the Y&R didn't get a great
start. Slowly though, they've been creeping up the standings, picking
up a game here, a game there. Now they are in a position to make
a move, and it's probably their only chance of the season. Do anything
but sweep Wiffolution and you may as well forget about the playoffs.
The pressure is on them.
Both teams will have three players
(Wiffolution will be without the "too good to play" Mickey
Kendall while the Y&R will be without "I don't
like competitive games" Jordan
Lockhart) and both teams will be facing each other in
what could be considered the biggest doubleheader of the season.
@ The Byrd House
Now forget all about teams needing
wins, or teams needing to do this or that. This is simply about
two players, and two entirely different goals. Scott Carmichael
and Joey Creighton face each other for the last time this regular
season, and while both teams have clinched playoffs spots, neither
of these two consider these two games insignificant. I should know,
I'm one of them.
Last
season, I did what I thought was impossible and I completed the
season with an ERA below 1.00. Hell, I left 1.00 in the dust on
my way to 0.73. To this day, I don't know how I did it, as this
year's numbers have reverted back to my usual self. Now, Scott Carmichael
(right) has to go out and just dominate like no other, and he currently
sits with an ERA of 0.65. Bastard. No one is hitting Scott this
year; that much is obvious. However, I know I can, and Sunday, I
must, if I want at least one record in the books to have my name
under it.
I've been facing Scott in one way or
another since before I can remember. We played baseball-type games
whenever we had the chance back in the day. I'm talking since 6
years-old here. He's been bringing it, and over the past 15 years,
I've learned to hit it. However, to Scott's credit, hitting off
him still ranks high on my "Most Difficult Things Ever"
list. I've figured out that if Scott throws 10 more innings this
season (5 per gameday), he needs to give up at least 3 runs for
me to keep the ERA record. If he throws 12, he needs to give up
4 runs.
I'll be the first to admit that I absolutely
suck under pressure. It probably seems trivial, but saving my ERA
is important to me, which leads to pressure. I HAVE to hit Scott,
because looking at his track record tells me no one else will. Dr.
Rapp was right. I have to do it myself.
Will I? Well, you'll just have to wait
and see.
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That is why we play.
To be in a position where something
is on the line.
To overcome odds.
To surprise people.
To beat out-of-city leagues 44-0.
To stare down a fastball.
To not give up on a nasty curve.
To see (or not to see) Casey's sinker.
To do something somewhat athletic and have someone get it on film.
To take Scott Carmichael yard.
To get your name on the trophy.
To set goals.
To make the goals.
To find out people you thought were losers are actually cool.
To find out people you thought were cool are actually losers.
To have a guy from NY volunteer to write for your site.
To have a guy from Arkansas actually buy one of your videos.
To be a part of something that other people wish they could.
Good things come to those who wait.
I'll keep waiting so long as weekends like the one coming up occur
every now and then. Good luck Wiffolution. Good luck Y&R. Scott?
That ERA record is MINE.
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