Archive | May, 2012

Evan Named Week 2 PBR Wiffler of the Week

16 May

After giving up the game-winning homer in a painful loss to Downtown Bobby Brown, Evan bounced back to lead his team over the Fish Sticks, and was recently voted the Pabst Blue Ribbon Wiffler of the Week for the second week of the 2012 EWL season.

In the Ham Slams first game, Evan helped his squad jump out to an early lead, as he went 4 for 5 with a single, 2 doubles, a homer, 2 runs scored and an RBI. He was also solid on the mound, as he only gave up 1 run on 4 hits through the first 5 innings. Unfortunately, he gave up four consecutive hits, including the game-winning walk-off homer in the sixth inning he pitched, picking up the complete game loss. He also registered 2 putouts and struck out a batter in the game.

In the night cap, Evan helped the Slams storm back in the late innings to beat the Fish Sticks. He led them offensively, going 3 for 5 with a single, 2 doubles, a run scored, and an RBI. He also tallied 7 putouts in the field.

Evan is the second consecutive rookie to earn the PBR Wiffler of the Week honor.

He dominated the fan voting for Wiffler of the Week. Morrison, who had a monster week 2, came in second. For the week, he went 9 for 11 at the plate, leading the Caucasians to a blowout win over Bobby Brown. He also was the only player to show up offensively for the Caucasians against the Fish Sticks. He recorded 6 singles, a double, and 2 home runs in addition to 3 runs scored and 4 RBI. Defensively, he made 10 putouts over the two games.

Evan assumed command of the Ham Slams in week 2, leading them to a win over the Fish Sticks and a near-win against Bobby Brown

Evan assumed command of the Ham Slams in week 2, leading them to a win over the Fish Sticks and a near-win against Bobby Brown

Families Agree: EWL is America’s Wiffle League

14 May

Two weeks of EWL action are in the books, and all four teams are tied at 1-1 in the standings. No team has pulled away yet, and no players have separated themselves from the pack. The league is as competitive as it has ever been, and the season is off to a promising start.

The action continues tomorrow, Tuesday, May 15th, and the Wiffle Weather looks great. Tomorrow’s matchup’s and probable starters:

Ham Slams (Evan – 0-1) @ Caucasians (Guthrie – 1-1)
Downtown Bobby Brown (Gaurav – 2-0) @ Fish Sticks (Dinger – 1-1)
Ham Slams (undecided) @ Fish Sticks (Joey – 1-1)
Downtown Bobby Brown (undecided) @ Caucasians (Les – 1-0)

Ham Slams Erase 4-Run Deficit, Beat Fish Sticks 6-5

14 May
Evan and Matt led a late Ham Slams rally, scoring 6 runs in the 4th and 5th innings to top the Sticks

Evan and Matt led a late Ham Slams rally, scoring 6 runs in the 4th and 5th innings to top the Sticks

Down four runs in the bottom of the fourth, the Ham Slams, led by free agent acquisition Matt, scored 6 runs in the fourth and fifth inning in a comeback win over the Fish Sticks.

This was the first matchup between the Fish Sticks and the Ham Slams, and the last two teams to meet for the first time in the 2012 season. The Ham Slams sent Evan to the bump for his second consecutive start, knowing he had only two innings of eligibility remaining. The sun was setting on the wiffle diamond and darkness would become an issue before the game was finished.

Dinger led off the top of the first for the Fish Sticks with a single, and he moved to second on a Vassallo groundout. With one out, Joey roped a double off the tree, scoring Dinger and putting the Sticks up 1-0 early. The next Batter, Blose, followed with another double, scoring Joey from second and moving the score to 2-0. Evan got Dinger to fly out to the mound for the second out, stranding Blose at second and ending the inning.

Dinger races around third toward home in the top of the first, one of two runs he scored in the game

Dinger races around third toward home in the top of the first, one of two runs he scored in the game

Joey started for the Fish Sticks and got off to a good start. He retired Adam and Matt in order in the top of the first for a scoreless inning.

Evan settled in on the mound in the top of the second, retiring Vassallo and Joey consecutively to keep the score at 2-0.

Joey continued to roll in the bottom of the second, as Evan and Harrison were retired in order.

Joey was effective on the mound early, but like his previous start, was hit hard late in the game

Joey was effective on the mound early, but like his previous start, was hit hard late in the game

With Evan’s inning limit reached, the Slams turned to Matt to pitch in the top of the third. Blose led off the inning by grounding out to center. Dinger followed with a one-out single, his second of the game, but was stranded at first when Evan got Vassallo to groundout for the second out of the inning.

Playing in their first career EWL games, Harrison and Matt were effective in the field, even as darkness set in

Playing in their first career EWL games, Harrison and Matt were effective in the field, even as darkness set in

Down two, the Slams showed life in the bottom of the third. Adam led off the inning with a double, but was caught off the base after he rounded second heading toward third, and was retired for the first out of the inning. It looked as if the Slams would rally with one out, as Matt singled, then moved from first to third when Evan followed with a one-out double. But Joey got out of the jam safely, as he got Harrison to fly out to Dinger in right field for the second out of the inning, stranding two runners in scoring position.

The Sticks got back to work in the top of the fourth. After Joey grounded out to left for the first out of the inning, Blose hit his second double of the game. Dinger followed with another double, driving in Blose and pushing the Sticks lead to 3 runs. The next batter, Vassallo, became the third consecutive batter to double, driving in Dinger from second and moving the score to 4-0. Evan got Joey, the next batter, to groundout for the second time in the inning, ending the rally.

The Slams came close to scoring in the bottom of the third, and finally would crack Joey in the bottom of the fourth. Adam led off the inning with a single, and moved to second when Matt followed with another single. With no outs, Evan hit a double to right-center, scoring Adam and getting the Slams on the board. With runners on second and third, Harrison followed with a single, his first hit of the game, driving in Matt and Evan and cutting the deficit to a single run. Joey finally got Adam to ground out to the mound for the first out of the inning, but there was still a runner in scoring position on second. The next batter, Matt, hit a triple, driving in Harrison and tying the game at 4-4. Joey got Evan to groundout to right field, stranding Matt at third and maintaining the tie, but the damage had been done.

Adam got the Slams scoring started in the fourth with a single, and later scored

Adam got the Slams scoring started in the fourth with a single, and later scored

The Slams decided to make another pitching change, bringing Harrison into the game to replace Matt. The tie the Slams had fought for didn’t last long, as Blose led off the top of the fifth with a double. The next batter, Dinger, grounded out to left, moving Blose to third. With one out, Vassallo hit a single, driving in Blose and putting the Sticks back on top 5-4. Joey followed with a single, putting runners on first and second with one out. But the Sticks couldn’t add to the lead, as Blose grounded out to left to end the inning.

Trailing again, the Slams came to the plate down one with four outs to go. Harrison quickly lowered that to 3 outs, as he grounded out for the first out of the bottom of the fifth. But then the Ham Slams rallied. Adam singled with one out, and the next batter, Matt, belted a two-run homer to center field, putting the Ham Slams up 6-5. Evan followed the blast with a single, and moved to third when Harrison singled. With runners on the corners and one out, the Slams couldn’t extend their lead, as Adam flew out to Joey on the mound to end the inning.

Matt's two-run bomb in the bottom of the fifth put the Slams ahead for good at 6-5

Matt’s two-run bomb in the bottom of the fifth put the Slams ahead for good at 6-5

Down to their final two outs, the Fish Sticks were facing yet another blown lead. Harrison remained on the mound, and the Sticks couldn’t get their bats going. Dinger flew out to left for the first out of the inning, and the next batter, Vassallo, grounded out to Evan in left for the second out, ending the game. The Slams had scored six runs in their final two at-bats to come from behind and stun the Fish Sticks 6-5.

W: Harrison (1-0)
L: Joey (1-1)

Box Score

Game Notes:
– After going hitless in his rookie debut, Matt went 4 for 5 with two singles, a triple, a homer, 3 RBI and 2 runs scored. He and Evan, who went 3 for 5 with a single, 2 doubles, a run scored and an RBI, led the Slams on offense.
– Harrison picked up the win in relief in his first EWL pitching appearance
– Blose led the Sticks offensively, going 3 for 5 with 3 doubles, 2 runs scored, and an RBI
– Blose’s 3 doubles set an EWL single-game record, breaking the record of 2 held by many former EWL players
– The Fish Sticks total of 5 doubles in the game broke the single-game team record of 4 previously held by both the Fish Sticks and 4 out of 5 Dentists from 2011

Causasians Explode for 21 Hits in 12-3 Rout of Downtown Bobby Brown

14 May
Frosty became the second player in EWL history to hit for the cycle as he and Morrison led the Caucasians in a blowout win

Frosty became the second player in EWL history to hit for the cycle as he and Morrison led the Caucasians in a blowout win

The Caucasians had a banner day at the plate, including Frosty hitting for the cycle, as they broke multiple single-game offensive records en route to destroying Bobby Brown 12-3.

After winning their season opener against the Fish Sticks with a dramatic comeback, the Caucasians had dropped two straight coming into their fourth game against Bobby Brown. Downtown, on the other hand, won a heartstopping game against the Ham Slams directly prior to playing the Caucasians and looked to have some momentum heading into their second game of week 2.

But the Caucasians came storming out of the gate and never looked back. Downtown sent Mark to the mound for his first career start, and the southpaw never looked comfortable from the get-go. The Caucasians pounded him early and a barrage of fielding errors didn’t help his cause. Frosty led off the first inning with a single, his first hit of the 2012 season, and Morrison followed with a single. With runners on first and second, Les doubled off Mark, driving in Frosty to put the Caucasians up 1-0. With no outs and two runners in scoring position, Guthrie singled, scoring Morrison from third, and extending the lead to 2-0 with no outs. Ron flew out to the mound for the first out of the inning, but the Caucasians were far from finished in the first. Frosty got his second hit of the inning when he crushed a three-run blast to deep left field, scoring Les, Guthrie, and himself, and the Caucasians had a five-run lead in the first inning. Morrison followed with a one-out double, and moved to third when Les singled. The Caucasians had runners at the corners, but Mark fanned Guthrie for the second out of the inning, and the rough start had come to an end.

Mark looked to help himself out in the bottom of the first, when he led off the inning with a double. But Les, in his first pitching appearance of the season, got Helal and Brad to each fly out, stranding the runner at second, for a scoreless inning.

Mark provided his own run suppor with a double and a two-run homer off Les

Mark provided his own run suppor with a double and a two-run homer off Les

The Caucasians got back to work at the plate in the top of the second. Ron led off with a single, and scored when Frosty followed with an RBI triple. He was now only a double away from hitting the cycle after only two innings. The next batter, Morrison, singled to center, scoring Frosty from third and making the score 7-0. Mark avoided another disastrous inning, as he got Les to fly out to the mound, and then struck out Guthrie for the second time in the game to end the inning.

Downtown struggled in the field, committing errors as Ron and the Caucasians continued to produce runs

Downtown struggled in the field, committing errors as Ron and the Caucasians continued to produce runs

Down seven runs early, Downtown responded in the bottom of the second. The first batter, Holly, grounded out to left, but Gaurav followed with a one-out single. He scored when the next batter, Mark, hit a two-run bomb to right field, and Bobby Brown was on the board. Les had been hit, but he escaped the inning when he got Helal to ground out to Guthrie in center, ending the inning.

With the score 7-2 entering the third, the Caucasians quickly made up for the runs they gave up in the bottom of the second. Ron led off with a solo homer, pushing the score to 8-2. Frosty, needing only a double for the cycle, did exactly that, pushing a base hit into a double with no outs. He became only the second person in league history to hit for the cycle. The next batter, Morrison, singled, pushing Frosty to third and putting runners on the corners with no outs. Mark got Les to ground out to Gaurav in left for the first out of the inning, but Frosty scored from third on the play, making the score 9-2. Morrison moved to third on the ground out, but Mark retired the next batter, Guthrie, for the second out of the inning.

Morrison went 6 for 7 with a homer and 3 RBI and was sharp in the field with 6 putouts

Morrison went 6 for 7 with a homer and 3 RBI and was sharp in the field with 6 putouts

Downtown showed some spirit in the bottom of the third when Brad led off the inning with a solo shot, cutting the deficit to six runs. But the rally stopped there, as Les quickly got Holly and Gaurav to ground out to Morrison in left to end the third.

The Caucasians continued to rain offense down on Bobby Brown in the top of the fourth, starting with Ron, who led off the second consecutive inning with a homer. His second bomb of the game pushed the score to 10-2. Frosty followed with a single, his fifth hit of the game, and scored when Morrison cleared the bases with a two-run home run. The score was 12-2 and the hit parade continued as Les singled with no outs. Mark stamped his name in the record books for some bad reasons in this game, but with no outs in the fourth, he struck out Guthrie for the third time in the game, becoming the first pitcher in league history to record three K’s in one game. The next batter, Ron, singled, pushing Les to third, but Mark stranded the runners at the corners when he retired Frosty for the first time in the game and for the second out of the inning.

Frosty was on the base paths all night, tying a single-game record with 5 runs scored

Frosty was on the base paths all night, tying a single-game record with 5 runs scored

Downtown went quietly in the bottom of the fourth, as Les got Mark and Helal to groundout successively to end the inning.

After four punishing innings, Downtown pulled Mark and turned to the bullpen. Gaurav had two innings of eligibility left, and came to the mound to provide some relief. He retired Morrison, who was a perfect 4 for 4 coming into the at-bat, for the first out of the inning. Les followed with a single, and the next batter, Guthrie, also singled putting runners on first and second with one out. But Gaurav escaped the inning unharmed, as Ron flew out to Helal in center for the second out of the inning.

Down ten runs, Downtown couldn’t figure Les out in the fifth. Brad grounded out to left, and then Holly went down swinging for the second out of the inning.

Les was in command on the mound, giving up only 3 runs on 4 hits in the complete game win

Les was in command on the mound, giving up only 3 runs on 4 hits in the complete game win

The Caucasians were unable to add insurance runs in the top of the sixth. Frosty grounded out to left for the first out of the inning, and after a one-out single by Morrison, Les grounded out to left to end the inning, stranding the runner at first.

Les stayed in the game to close things out for the Caucasians in the bottom of the sixth. Gaurav grounded out to right for the first out of the inning, and Mark flew out to left for the second out, ending the game and giving the Caucasians a 12-2 win. The win moved both the Caucasians and Bobby Brown to 2-2 on the season.

W: Les (1-0)
L: Mark (0-1)

Box Score

Game Notes:
– Frosty became only the second player in league history to hit for the cycle in a regular season game, the other was Blose who accomplished the feat on 5/19/11 against Pumice on Slow!
– Frosty went 5 for 7 with 2 singles, a double, a triple, a homer, 5 runs scored, and 4 RBI. He tied a single-game record of 5 runs in one game, previously held by Joey and Blose from 2011.
– Morrison went 6 for 7 for the Caucasians with 4 singles, a double, a home run, 2 runs scored and 3 RBI in addition to recording 6 putouts in the field.
– Guthrie’s 3 strikeouts at the plate broke the single-game record of 2 previously held by Vassallo and Les from 2011
– Mark’s 3 pitching strikeouts broke the single-game record of 2 previously held by Guthrie from 2011
– Mark led Bobby Brown offensively, going 2 for 4 with a double, a home run, one run scored and 2 RBI.
– Mark’s 12 ER broke a single-game record of most runs allowed by one pitcher, previously held by Brad and Holly who each allowed 11 in different starts in 2011.
– Mark’s 18 hits allowed broke a single-game record of most hits allowed by one pitcher, previously held by Holly who allowed 16 hits in one appereance in 2011.
– The Caucasians 21 hits broke a single-game team record of most hits, previously held by the Fish Sticks who twice recorded 16 hits in 2011.
– The Caucasians 13 singles broke a single-game team record of most singles in a game, previously held by the Fish Sticks who recorded 10 singles in a 2011 game.
– The Caucasians 3 strikeouts at the plate tied a single-game team record set by the Fish Sticks who also fanned 3 times in a game in 2011.
– Downtown Bobby Brown’s 21 hits allowed broke a single-game team record for most hits allowed, previously held by Pumice on Slow! and 4 out of 5 Dentists who each allowed 16 hits in a game in 2011.

Dinger Pitches Gem as Fish Sticks Cruise Past Caucasians

13 May
Vassallo led the Sticks offensively, going 3-4 with 2 doubles, a home run and 2 RBI

Vassallo led the Sticks offensively, going 3-4 with 2 doubles, a home run and 2 RBI

One week after the Caucasians rallied from six runs down to beat the Fish Sticks in the season opener, the Sticks hit Guthrie hard and rode Dinger’s arm to a 6-1 win.

The Sticks fell behind early when Morrison, the first batter of the game, hit a leadoff homer to left-center, putting the Caucasians up 1-0. It would be the only run they scored in the game. The next batter, Ron, flew out to the mound, but Guthrie followed with a single. Dinger held the damage at a single run, however, by getting Les to groundout to left for the second out of the inning.

Morrison hit a leadoff homer to deep left in the top of the first, putting the Caucasians up 1-0

Morrison hit a leadoff homer to deep left in the top of the first, putting the Caucasians up 1-0

Guthrie got off to a good start in the bottom half of the first, as Dinger and Joey were retired in order for a scoreless inning.

Frosty, making his season debut for the Caucasians, led off the second inning by grounding out to Dinger at the mound. Morrison followed with his second hit of the game, a one-out single, but was stranded at first when Ron flew out to Dinger for the second out of the inning.

The Sticks got on the board quick in the bottom of the second, as Vassallo led off the inning with a solo shot to left, tying the game at 1-1. Blose followed with a single, and moved to second when Dinger grounded out to left for the first out of the inning. With one out and a runner in scoring position, Joey doubled, driving in Blose, and putting the Sticks up 2-1. The next batter, Vassallo, registered his second hit and RBI of the inning, a double, scoring Joey and extending the Sticks lead to two runs. Guthrie retired the next batter, Blose, stranding Vassallo at second, and ending the inning with the score 3-1.

Joey's second inning RBI double put the Sticks ahead 2-1, they wouldn't trail again

Joey’s second inning RBI double put the Sticks ahead 2-1, they wouldn’t trail again

Dinger cruised through the top of the third, retiring Guthrie and Les in order. Guthrie followed with an equally quiet inning, sending Dinger and Joey down consecutively in the bottom of the inning.

The Caucasians couldn’t get their bats going in the top of the fourth, as Frosty grounded out to left for the first out of the inning. Morrison followed with a one-out single, but he was stranded at first when Ron flew out to Dinger at the mound to end the inning.

Guthrie retired Vassallo and Blose in order in the bottom of the fourth, and he had pitched two consecutive perfect innings.

Unfortunately, Guthrie couldn’t convert his pitching success to offense at the plate. He was fanned to start the top of the fifth, and Dinger retired the next batter, Les, to end the inning.

Up three runs in the bottom of the fifth, the Sticks added some insurance runs off Guthrie. Dinger led off the inning with a single. Guthrie got the next batter, Joey, to fly out to the mound on a bizarre check swing, but Vassallo followed with a one out double that put runners on second and third. Blose came to the plate with two runners in scoring position and crushed a three-run shot to deep right field, putting the Fish Sticks ahead 6-0. The next batter, Dinger, flew out to Guthrie at the mound to end the inning, but the Sticks had extended their lead to five runs.

Blose's 3-run homer in the bottom of the fifth put the game away for the Sticks

Blose’s 3-run homer in the bottom of the fifth put the game away for the Sticks

Down to their final at-bat, the Caucasians continued to struggle at the plate and couldn’t mount a comeback in the bottom of the sixth. Dinger retired Frosty for the first out of the inning, and followed by retiring Morrison for the first time in the game for the second out of the inning. After falling behind 1-0 early, the Fish Sticks scored six unanswered runs as Dinger held the Caucasians scoreless over the final five innings for a 6-1 win. The win moved the Sticks to 2-1 on the year, as the Caucasians fell to 1-2.

W: Dinger (1-1)
L: Guthrie (1-1)

Box Score

Game Notes:
– The first two games of week 2 started with leadoff homers; Adam of the Ham Slams and Morrison of the Caucasians each hit bombs in the first at-bat of the game.
– Dinger gave up only 4 hits in 6 innings with 1 strikeout to pick up the win for the Fish Sticks.
– Blose scored two runs in addition to hitting a single, a homer, and driving in 3 runs for the Sticks, and Vassallo went 3 for 4 with two doubles, a homer, two runs scored and 2 RBI for the Sticks.
– Morrison was the only Caucasian to show up at the plate, as he went 3 for 4 with a homer, two singles, a run scored and an RBI. The only other Caucasian to reach base was Guthrie, who singled in the first inning.