Sp2011 Tourney Preview - Chicken Tetrazzini vs. Moose Knuckles

15 teams. 278 kickballers. 10 weeks. 90 games. 1 Wentworth Trophy.

It all comes down to Saturday. This has been the biggest and best season of WAKA kickball on the Peninsula, and the field couldn't be any more wide open. For maybe the first time ever, there is no real favorite to win the tourney. The level of competition has risen dramatically, and they is a parity not seen before at the top half of the standings. VD has lost to The Emperors Club, who have lost to the Chubby Gangsters, who have lost to the 5 O'Clockers, who have lost to the Jagernauts, who have lost to Rumspringa, who have lost to JFK, who lost the Moose Knuckles, who lost to Battlestar Ballsacktica... And you get the point. It goes on and on. Anyone can be anyone.

So now the stage is set. It's time to break down the tournament, one matchup at a time. 

1st Round

#8 Chicken Tetrazzini (6-6, 37 RF, 42 RA ) vs. #9 Moose Knuckles (6-6, 63 RF, 39 RA )

In the Fall of 2009, Chicken Tetrazzini started out decently enough before fading down the stretch and going on a several game losing skid to close out the season before being bounced in the 2nd round by JFK. For their sophomore season, Andrea Hoffman was determined to lead her team forward. The Angry Bird improved from 3-8-1 to 6-6... It's a solid team of veteran kickballers. C Taylor Wilson leads the defense from behind the plate. He is quick, has a good, accurate arm, and some championship experience (Wilson was a member of the Spring 2008 VIP title team)... The Tetrazzini pitching also gained a big boost this season with the emergence of hurler Kristopher Daniel. He's a harder throwing pitcher than CT has had in the past, and he can throw kickers just a bit out of their comfort zone. 

Daniel fires a pitch to the plate. 

Daniel and company will have their hands full with the Moose Knuckles in round 1 though, because these guys can flat out crush the ball (The Knuckles average 5.25 runs per game, 5th in the league). MK's Justin Blair has arguably the most powerful leg in the  league, and if we kept reliable stats, would most likely lead VA Peninsula in home runs. 

This could be the key of the game for Tetrazzini. For them to have success, they will need to keep the Moose Knuckles offense grounded, and be very solid in the outfield. OF is not always the strength of CT, as they've often been burned by inconsistent play there (On June 1st, the 5 O'Clockers hammered the CT outfield in their 8-1 win).

Of course, Moose Knuckles has not been the same team as of late. Much like CT in their first season, the Knuckles have faded down the stretch after a hot start (this applies to both on the field and at Luckie's). They've lost their last 3 games, including a no show forfeit in week 12, in which only two male players showed up. Whether it's summer plans kicking in, disorganization, or just plain old apathy, this is not the way Nick Anderson would have wanted his team playing going into the playoffs... But none of that matters, as long as they show up. As they proved in their signature win against Just For Kicks on May 11th. This team has the talent to go far in this tournament. 

The MK ladies will be looking this way if their men don't show up to
play on Saturday. 

All in all, this has the makings of a very good game, which any 8 vs 9 game should be. You can definitely make a case for either side winning the game and moving on to the next round. Whichever team advances will face the top seeded The Emperors Club.

EDIT: originally I wrote that CT had lost to JFK in the first round of the Fall 2010 tourney. They actually lost to JFK in the 2nd round. CT beat the Foul Balls to advance to the quarter finals. This is what I get for trying to trust my memory.