VA Raptor - Season Preview: Chubby Gangsters

by Keith Morehart, Chubby Gangsters

The Gangsters are all in for the winter!
(photo credit: Lamel Moore)

The Chubby's finished the Fall Peninsula Season a skewed 2-8-1. They had a very tough schedule, but weren't making excuses. They definitely didn't play to their potential for the majority of the season. Then all of a sudden they won their first game. It may have been against the one team who didn't win a game all year, and it may have been a nail biter that literally came down to the last out. But something happened that day. Call it turning the tide or knocking that chip off their own shoulders that was holding them back all season. Either way, they owe the Foul Balls a much needed "Thanks!" for being so much fun out on the field, because it rejuvenated their team spirit.


So for all intents and purposes, every game from there after should be what the Gangsters are graded on. They played 4 more games to finish out the season, and faced the final 1st, 2nd, 4th, & 8th place teams. They still got beat handily by JFK, and only pulled out 1 win against Free Ballin', but took both Burnin' Bridges and 5OC's to stressful limits and only lost to both teams by an average of 2.5 points (pretty good for a team being blown in the begining of the year). Then they had the opportunity to play JFK in the first round of the torunament, and easily played their best game of the season. JFK couldn't muster a lead until their very last at-bat, and held on through the CG's home half to earn a hard fought advancement to the next round, which would eventually take them to the Founder's Cup Championship Game. As our fearless commissioner once pondered, "If the CG's would have been able to score a few more runs, the final tournament could have looked much different." (paraphrasing)


The greatest aspect for high potential for the CG's is a majority of the Gangster's are returning for the Winter! After their captain, Buster Paterson, declared his eminent return on the Facebook page, members were flocking back by the handfuls. They do have some key members sitting the winter out to recover and heal so they can be ready for the Spring 2012 season, but that hasn't stopped them from bringing back old CG's and recruiting both in the league and adding new faces to WAKA. 


The returning names that should strike fear in the hearts of everyone on the pitch are Erika Chacra, Jess Martin, Eric Hecker, Kristen Mechling, Melissa Rarick, Liz Ricker, and Keith Morehart. Wait a second, 5 returning girls? That's right, be jealous! Not only did they bring back literally half their team, but Lamel Moore and Emily Cook came back out of the pasture to help add to the stable. While most teams were struggling to find girls, any girls that were willing to play kickball, the Gangster's just needed the added bonuses.

The Original Gangsters are all returning, except for Mikey :(
(photo credit: Melissa Rarick) 

So who are these new faces? Well first we have David Tortolini, fiance of Liz Ricker. All there is to say is if he can be half as productive as Liz was in Fall, everyone else is in for a hurting. Speaking of bringing in relatives, Keith convinced both brother, Geoff Morehart, and wife, Tiffany Morehart, to come to the dark side. No seriously, it took quite a bit of convincing for him to convince his brother that adult kickball wasn't just some silly kid's game, and his wife... well let's just say it's obvious who wears the pants in that household (hopefully she's not reading this). 

The CGs prized free agents.
(photo credit: Zoe Holcomb)

Beside just looking inside their homes, they also looked around the league. They may not have done much recruiting, but the few they did sign were no-brainers! How about a husband and wife combo who are both so athletic it freakin' stinks sometimes! She played soccer for the recent National Champions (RMFT!) and he plays every sport known to man (even field hockey - which is totally awesome by the way!). Oh yeah, and they were both members on the Fall Champions Shake 'n Bake. Do adding the names Nick & Jiselle Anderson give you chills yet?


The final 3 members that round out the cavalacade of weapons for the Gangsters are Greg Woodland, Eric Olsen, and Andrew "Doogie" MacDougall. Greg is a new face to WAKA, however not to kickball. He plays in the league we don't mention, and quite well at it. A proven utility defender, and if his foot is anything like his bat in softball, he's going to make some outfielders pay. Eric Olsen is about as determined as they come. A mixture of brains and speed make him a threat to be on base... a lot! While Doogie may have never played kickball before, he has been an athlete his entire life. Playing baseball his entire childhood only makes his ability to pick-up the fine tuning it takes to be good in this sport that much easier. Plus, he just spent the last 4 years in Canada, so the cold Saturdays most others will be fighting through, Doogie will probably be in shorts and flip-flops.


Now all that sounds fine and dandy, and while the Gangster's are certainly out for blood this season, their greatest talent on the field is their ability to stay focused on the most important thing when it comes to kickball: fun & camaraderie. So everyone watch out! Not only to be taken to the woodshed on the field, but also have some of the best games you'll play all season against the Carolina Blue team!