nytimes article on publishing sball league

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Rainy Days & Blogging

The rain has fallen hard this week as all 10 teams who thought they had a game spent a late afternoon working instead of playing softball. You have to feel especially bad for PCF/HH and PEA who have each had 2 rainouts and 0 games four weeks into the season. I guess the commissioner's failure to post the remaining season schedule as promised by 4/20 was foresight not laziness - now the remaining schedule can take into account rainouts so we can even up the number of games each team has played. Of course this assumes the schedule is posted promptly now that the worst of the weather is over (if not we are looking at laziness again as the motif).

So far a few teams have posted some great writeups on the Blog, and let's hope it continues. As a general guideline, the winning team should be responsible for doing the writeup, but the losing team should feel free to post their side of the story (either as a new post or a comment on an existing post). If you are too busy for an elaborate writeup, then a simple sentence inlcuding the final score and players of the game would be awesome. One other note on the writeup, please use "labels" when posting - in particular the abbreviations for both teams involved. This gives readers the ability to search for posts relating to a specific team (example - try clicking on the label TPG in the right hand nav).

HMA/RAMSA ROUTS MGA 21-2 IN SEASON OPENER

They heard the whispers all off-season: Could HMA/RAMSA could rebound from the heartbreak of last season’s crushing playoff loss to KPF?

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Those whispers were quickly silenced as HMA/RAMSA took care of business in Game #1 with a 21-2 rout of Mitchell Guirgola Architects. While nothing could replace the sting of falling short last season, this was clearly a statement game by HMA/RAMSA that they remain a contender in 2009

Shortstop Mike Ryan rips his third hit of the game in the 6th inning

It was a bumpy spring training for HMA/RAMSA too with 2 rained-out practices followed by the news that starting All-Star shortstop, Doug Houstoun would be sidelined for the first 4 weeks of the season with a broken bone in his right hand. Nevertheless, the fireworks began early and often in the top of the first inning as the first five batters reached base and eventually scored en route to a 6-run inning which saw all 11 batters come to the plate. In the bottom half of the inning, the team flashed some equally impressive leather as they ended the inning on a nifty double play turned by back-up SS, Mike Ryan and 2B Cara Graf.

The hit parade continued in the 2nd inning as first 3 batters reached base and 4 more runners crossed the plate highlighted by David "Wheels" Solomon's 3-run "homerun" (admittedly it was generous scoring). For Solomon, it was rumored to be his first HR since 1986 and reportedly the farthest he had run in two years. Taking a 10-0 lead into the bottom of the 2nd, Solomon appeared to be somewhat winded as the leadoff hitter hit over the head of RF, Eddie Kung for an apparent homerun. Always looking to help out his team in any way possible, LF Eric Hofmann noticed that the runner failed to touch 3B as he rounded the bases--the appeal was made to the umpire and the shutout remained intact.

The Orange Crush tacked on 2 more runs in the 3rd inning and another 3 in the 4th as the lead was extended to 15-0 in a sloppy four innings. Though technically the game could have been called by the 11-run rule, both teams agreed to continue playing another two innings as it was the first game of the young season. MGA finally broke through for 2 runs in the bottom of the 6th inning as the shutout was lost. For HMA/RAMSA the 21 runs scored were a team record as 8 of the 11 batters scored at least twice.
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Game Balls were handed out to Mike Ryan (3 hits, 3 runs and 2 RBI), Eric Hofmann (4 hits, 2 runs, 2 RBI) and David Solomon (6 IP, 3 hits and 5 RBI).

NOT SO FAST, PHILLIPS GROUP!

With the Phillips Group flying high after stealing a victory from defending champs, Gensler on opening day, the stage seemed set for another upset as they faced off against a Skidmore/Swanke/Cooper team emerging from hibernation to play their first game of the season amid talk of off-season controversies, clubhouse turmoil and rumors that their best days are behind them. But, after a double-play and strike-out quashed a first inning TPG rally, SSC put up a shiny 4 spot in their half of the frame. Unimpressed, TPG hit the mute button on their opponent's offense and slowly chipped away at the lead. By the time the two teams reached the final inning, they were knotted at 6 and a hush fell across the great park.


Throngs of spectators (mostly German tourists) and small woodland creatures (mostly squirrels)held their collective breath as the tension mounted, and after holding TPG in the top of the frame, SSC put two runners on base. But with two outs, and the game poised for extra innings, it was centerfielder, Steve Vargas who knocked in the winning run, capping a day when his bat and glove atoned for a myriad of his teammates' sins in the field, on the mound and at the post-game pub crawl.

The Bigger They Come, The Harder They Fall

After a long and patient off-season, the season finally opened. And for team TPG, it opened with a bang as they beat Gensler for the first time in at least 5 years with a final score of 11-10. It was a hard fought battle with 6 lead changes and a walk-off win for TPG in the bottom of the 7th. With bad weather all spring, and no official practice permits, the rust was thick. It was obvious that this was the first game of the season, and errors for both teams were plentiful. The top of the first was ugly as TPG pitcher Ron Alalouf walked the first two batters, and with a couple of hits Gensler easily scored 2 quick runs and was threatening for many more. TPG got out of the inning with some decent defense including a running catch by RCF and recent new dad Josh Ginsburg.

It looked like this would be a long afternoon for team TPG. But our offense came back in the bottom of the first with a lead-off walk by SS Len Emmanuel (arguably the fastest runner in the league), who came all the way around to score on an RBI single by last year's team MVP Omar Cevallos (4-4, 4 Runs, 3 RBI). With Omar on first, last year's SLAM Big Bat award winner Justin Aharoni (2-3, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB) belted a 2 run home run deep into right center field, and TPG took the lead 3-2.

Pitching and defense marked the second inning as both teams were held scoreless. Gensler scored 1 in the top of the 3rd, and the game was tied again. TPG put together a string of walks and singles scoring 3 before ending the inning with bases loaded. TPG now leads 6-3. In the top of the 4th, Gensler scored two runs on a few good hits, and a overthrow error by Josh. Gensler's defense shut down TPG in the bottom of the 4th including an outstanding 6-6-3 double play by All Star SS (and another recent new dad) Roger Lee, sending the teams to the 5th with TPG up 6-5. TPG held Gensler scoreless in the top of the 5th, and then added two more on Justin's second home run of the game. 5 innings in the books, and TPG leading 8-5.

The 6th inning would prove to be near-fatal for team TPG. Gensler had the biggest rally of the night for either team and put a big five-spot on the board. It would have been more if not for a stellar defensive 2-3 play by Catcher Princess Salvacion. TPG went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 6th and we headed to the 7th with Gensler leading 10-8.

TPG has always played Gensler close in the regular season (one run losses in both 2007 and 2008), and this game was no exception. After all was said and done, this game came down to a coin flip won by TPG giving them home field advantage and crucial last licks. Catcher Princess led of the inning with a walk, before SS Len hit into what appeared to be a 6-4-3 double play. But they couldn't catch Len, as he beat the bang-bang throw from Roger. A quick single by 2B Adam Woods, followed by an RBI single by Omar (his fourth hit of the game as he tries to outdo his unreal .700 batting average from last season), and TPG had 1st and second, one out, down 10-9 with Justin coming to the plate. A quick thinking substitution by Manager Josh brought in fleet footed Shyam Kumar as the tying run on second. Justin popped up his next at bat just over second base when normally sure handed Roger dropped it. since the runners were holding, Roger had a play to 3B Robert Fuller in a "commish to commish" play that would decide the game. Roger's throw was good, but with 3rd Base Coach Derrick Blocker managing the baserunners, Speedy Shyam slid in safe under the tag as Robert bobbled the relay. Now it was bases loaded, one out, and 1B Mike Stevick at the plate. Would it be a dramatic game ending walk-off hit? Not quite. He ripped a ground ball to Roger who stepped on second for one, and did his best to turn two at first and end the game. But not this time, as Roger (who in past years had singlehandly shut down TPG with his trademark double plays) threw wild by the 1B, and two runs came in to end the game on what will go down in the books as a FC, RBI, and an E-6. Not the cleanest game ever, but only the final score counts. What a great way to start the season.

Game Balls go to Omar Cevallos and Justin Aharoni for their outstanding hitting.

2009 Playoff Format

The official word is in from the "Executive Committee", and this year will see a 6-team playoff regardless of record. Per the email from our esteemed Commissioner:

• The top six (6) teams make the playoffs (regardless of whether or not they have a .500 record)
• Usual tie-breaker rules still apply (head-to-head; run ratio)
• The top two (2) seeds will receive 1st-Round byes.
• Seeds 3 thru 6 (3 vs. 6; 4 vs. 5) will play a best-of-three series.
• Semi-Finals (1 vs. 4/5 winner; 2 vs. 3/6 winner) will be best-of-three series.
  
• Finals will be best-of-three series.
• Highest Seed gets choice of home/away for games #1 and #3.
• All playoff games to be full 7-innings (Note: Regular season games to be official after 4 full innings).
  

The good news is that all playoff games are now a best of three series. The bad news is if you finish in 7th due to a run ratio tie-breaker (which would have kept one of last year's two finalists, FXF, out of the playoffs). Season Starts Monday!

Interesting Statistic

As far as Gensler is concerned, there is only one stat that matters.