Spring 2011 All-Peninsula 3rd Team

Without a doubt, this was the most competitive season of WAKA kickball on the Peninsula to date. The level of play of all the teams just continues to rise and rise. With so many talented kickballers playing every Wednesday night, it has made my task of selecting the top players at each position more challenging than ever. 278 players competed this Spring. I will attempt to recognize the top 3 at each position. In my opinion, with the input of several pundits and fans on Facebook, here are the top 33 players in Peninsula kickball. The top 11.87% of all players. The cream of the crop... The All-Peninsula Teams!

3rd Team All-Peninsula


Starting Pitcher

Daniel Shaw
Just For Kicks

Death from above. 

Daniel Shaw really impressed a lot of kickball pundits with his performance on the mound for JFK. The 6'5'' righty has the longest wingspan of any player in the league (ok, I don't know that to be 100% fact, but I'd bet on it. Next season, I will measure each person's wingspan), and uses those long arms to whip the ball in the direction of the plate... Defensively, his height helps him as well, as more than a couple of kickers thought they had safely hit a liner, only to have Shaw snag it out of the air... Most importantly, his emergence as a strong pitcher gave JFK the flexibility to move their superstar jack of all trades JC Cashwell to different positions, including first base and charger.

First Base
David Dixon

Vicious & Delicious
Dixon is a veteran who has played kickball at the highest levels. His experience came in handy all season for the talented VD team, that ended up winning it all. Dixon, aka "Bubby", has good, reliable hands and a solid arm to make the first to third throws... Offensively, Dixon is as equally skilled at putting well placed bunts down the line or ripping low, hard line drives into the holes of the opposing defenses. Long story short, Dixon is good and versatile. No matter what kickball related skill is needed, Dave will be able to execute it. And it's players like Dixon on which championship teams need. Fact: Dave Dixon has been a member of the last three Wentworth Open champions (VIPs Sp10, F10; VD Sp11).


Charger
Ricky Holmes

Rumspringa
Holmes started out this season with high expectations, declaring himself as the best charger in the league. And while he may be disappointed at "only" receiving a 3rd team bid, there is no denying his immense talent. Holmes is one of the quickest to the ball, covering more ground than any charger in VA Peninsula. And while he'll be the first to admit that he doesn't have the strongest arm at the charger position, his speed more than makes up for it. It's that same speed that makes him a valuable commodity in the Rumspringa lineup. Kicking in the lead off spot, Rumspringa relied on Holmes fleet feet to get down the line and set the tone for the offense.

Catcher
Eric Stevens
Just For Kicks
Much like charger, the catcher position is one of the deepest of any position in the league. We have so many great and talented catchers in VA Peninsula, that it was hard to pick which players to recognize and which ones to leave off. Stevens receives 3rd team honors, but many experts rank him much higher. When he is on his game, as he was for the majority of the season, than it's hard to find a better catcher in the country. The thing that stands out most about Eric is that his motor never stops running. Whether it's the first inning or the last inning, warm ups before a game against Saved by the Balls, or in the championship finals against VD, Stevens is going to hustle his ass off and give 100% intensity... On offense, he is a very skilled bunter who uses speed to beat out all but the best arms. And when in kicking away spots, he is deceptively powerful for a guy with such a small frame. I've seen him kill some balls with his big left foot... All in all, "The Pirate" is a very deserving member of the All-Peninsula team.

Females

Courtney Travis

5 O'Clockers

Courtney Travis, the younger sister of VA Peninsula mainstay Britney Travis, made her WAKA debut this Spring, and it didn't take the avid softball player long to make an impact. More than just a pretty face, Travis is very athletic and showed great instincts in the field and on the base paths. Just ask VD. In the Clockers big win over VD in week 12, Courtney got on successfully and used some very aggressive base running to push the envelope and come around to score. 

Yay! All-Peninsula!

Jill Simms

Just For Kicks

Simms joins her hubby,
Daniel on the AP Team!

I don't know how Bryan Freed does it, but JFK is loaded with outstanding female players, a luxury that most teams could only hope to one day have. Jillian Simms is probably one of the most under rated women in the league. She lays down perfect bunts and is fast as hell down the line. Simms particularly did a lot of damage in the semi-final game against The Emperors Club. She went 2-2 and scored a run in one of the biggest wins in franchise history... Fast. Strong. Athletic. Skilled. I don't know what more you could ask for. Simms is the total package, and a player to watch out for in the next season. 





Amy Lowe
The Emperors Club

It's not uncommon for opposing kickers to scan the VIP outfield looking for a weak spot, focus in on right field and try to take advantage of Amy Lowe. It was to their dismay when every time, she would track down the balls and make the catch, than get the ball back into the infield quickly. When asked to describe Lowe, captain George Kiriazidis said, "It'd be hard to find a better girl defensively." 


Jiselle Anderson
Moose Knuckles
Anderson is one of the fastest girls in the league. In her 2nd season, the Alabama native turned many heads kicking near the top of a Moose Knuckle offense that was one of the league's best. For a good part of the year, the Knuckles were leading the league in runs scored per game, and that is due in part to Anderson's skill and speed on the base paths.

Outfielders
Justin Schauf
Vicious & Delicious

Almost life size pic
of Justin. 

Although Schauf, affectionately nicknamed "The Leprechaun" for reasons unknown, certainly covered a lot of ground and did his job in the outfield, he is included on the All-Peninsula team mostly for his contributions on the offensive side of the ball. Schauf, one of the fastest in the league, is a very skilled bunter who is nearly impossible to keep off the bases. He spent most of the season kicking near the top of the lineup, getting on in front of the big VD legs, and scoring many, many, many runs this spring. His combination of technique and speed is why he earned the honor of making the All-Peninsula Third team.



Thomas "Juice" Welch
The Emperors Club
The Juice was on the loose all over the bases this season for the VIPs. Welch kicked .714 (15/21) for the entire season and was a consistent producer of runs, despite limited production in the lineup behind him. Solid bunter with good technique, he approaches the ball in full stride and is usually 1/2 way down the line before the charger or catcher even has a chance to field the ball... In the outfield, Juice was as reliable as they come. If a ball was kicked in his direction, it was almost certainly an automatic out.

Utility Player 

Dr. Jeremy Pinier

Just For Kicks

One fast mother fucker.

With a lethal combination of elite speed, good bunting skill, and an aggressive approach on the base paths, the Flyin' Frenchman terrorized opposing defenses. In the blink of an eye, Pinier could do some real damage to a team, and was among the leaders in runs scored for the season. Leading off for the high powered JFK lineup, he set the tone and was the engine that kept the machine going... On defense, Dr. Pinier played multiple positions, including charger, catcher, and outfielder. Wherever he was needed by the team most on any given week, he'd come in and provide very solid defense... The good doctor is a big reason why JFK made another run to the finals. And no doubt, he will be a big part of their continued success going forward. 

Check back in later this weekend, for the 2nd Team and 1st Team selections!