It is currently July 10th, one day from the kick-off of the inaugural Patriot Express Draft League, and I am sitting here on my day off, typing about kickball. Literally, once my wife gets off work and comes home and says, "What did you do today?" I will have nothing to speak for other than these blog posts. But you know what she's going to say? "Nice!"
It is nice, because she is playing in the premiere league too. She is also excited and knows that everyone in this league is probably just as excited as we are. In fact, I can't get away from conversation about this league. The multitude of friends I have in this league that I converse with on a daily basis, we all end up back on this topic.
It makes sense though. It's new, it's fresh, it's never been done in this area before, and quite frankly it's a recipe for an awesome summer, but an even more awesome-er (that's a word) Fall. This league is tight-knit and extremely social and a majority of the league is out there for the game just as much as they are for the hanging out afterwards, or the banter on Facebook, or inevitable pool parties compiled solely of fellow kickballers.
I am extremely proud to have this be the first league I am running as the commissioner, but even more so I am proud to be a player in this league. There are rivalries already forming, houses already being divided (not really I hope), and ego's already being bloated. And why? Because we love this game, that's why!
Enough of the dramatic layout. Let's get on the with team previews.
There are 9 teams in this league. 7 draft pool teams and 2 independently formed teams. Each team will play 6 regualr season games, which will determine their seeding for the bowl games at the end of the season. Who's going to be seeded #1 at the end of the season? If you see an obvious answer there, than you either know something I don't or you've already been pre-gaming. Which begs me to ask... why wasn't I invited?
In no particular order, let's briefly go over every team:
America
Co-captained by Emily Cook & Nathaniel "Jorts" Johnson
America the brave, Americe the free, America the extremely talented at kickball. Atleast that's what their captains were hoping for when they drafted their squad. They have quite possibly the best pitcher in the league in Daniel Shaw, quite possibly the best lead-off man in the league with Ricky Holmes, and a bunch of support that can make you pay. They have great depth in almost every facet of the game and, most importantly (if you ask me), their team is full of fun personalities that just like to be out there. America is planning on being the powerhouse in this league, and on paper it looks like a definite possibility.
For a more eloquently written summary of their team, go read the blog written by Captain America himself : http://wakavapeninsula.blogspot.com/2012/07/america-declaration-preview-promise.html
Beast Mode
Co-captained by Geoff Morehart & Nick Anderson
Potential. That is Beast Mode's middle name. I say that because half of them haven't played before, and the other half haven't played with each other yet. However, if you look at the names on their roster, it's a veritable who's who of Peninsula talent (Geoff, Brandon Silver, Mike Machie, Nicole Plesha, Nick & Jiselle Anderson, Justin Blair). And the names you don't know are names you would know if you took Geoff's Jungle Gym class. I'm telling you this right now, this team will be the most athletic team out on the field. They'll just need to make sure it translates into kickball. Geoff Morehart can be quoted on the league page today as saying, "Maybe we should change our name to The Unnoticables." As of now, maybe. If you did, by the end of the season everyone is going to be saying, "Maybe they should change their names to Beast Mode."
Crushing on You
Co-captained by Manny Anderson & Crystal Tanner
Crushing on You is a model of the typcial Manny Anderson team. That's not a bad thing, seeing as how the most recent rendition of Kick Ass only lost one game during the regular season and came just shy of an appearance in the finals. They have instant speed and quickness and cover almost all major positions in the infield. Some would say their lack of an obvious pitcher could be something they will have to overcame. Manny thinks otherwise, "Crystal and I didn't draft anyone to be our #1 pitcher. Crushing has several guys that can do a good job, but we'll have the defense to back even the worst pitching." Sounds like confidence, which is also a typical Manny Anderson trait. Look for the Orange Crush to start fast and not slow down.
Flocka Flame
Co-captained Tim Paetz &Amy Doyes
Flocka Flame is the rookie squad. They have several players that have played Peninsula Kickball before (The Paetz Brothers among them), however a majority of their players are new to the game. At the recent Kickball Combine set up by the league, quite a few of their players came out and pressed the flesh with their fellow competitors. They seemed happy to be involved and out there enjoying the game, which is always a great thing. They're going to be a fun squad with lot's of potential. However, if their newly recruited catcher, Mike "Ball Tongue" Mallozzi is any inclination of how good the rest of the team is going to be, people may want to think twice about underestimating them.
Just for Kicks
Co-captained by Bryan Freed & Courtney Efird
The one team in the league with a recurring moniker from seasons past. The name comes with a legend already, and the way they are stacked up, they could definitely live up to it. They have speed, they have essential infield positions filled, and they have talented girls (Jen Nardi & Kecia Warner just to name a couple). I think one thing that seperates them from other teams though is going to be their legs. During the preseason podcast, Jorts stated, "Scott Duncan has the best legs in the league." Whether her was talking about kickball, or something personal, he is still probably right. Once you add Gene Efird & Brent Wentworth, Scott is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the power legs they have, and they damage they can do in the outfield. I think JFK may want to think about changing their name to Back Up!
Mean Green Machine
Co-captained by George Kiriazidis & Dom Smith
Fair or not, MGM had a huge advantage going into the draft by having a starting charger and starting pitcher automatically in their captains. How do you compliment such a duo? By selecting, debatably, the two of the top catchers in the league in Alex Noctor and Roger Jackson. Now's thats strategy. And their strategy didn't stop there. They picked some heavy hitters early, picked some solid girls, and even did some Facebook stalking to pick up some already promising rookies (Michael Wezensky). The Machineheads may be one of the most well-rounded rosters on paper at this stage in the game, but if GK and Dom's strategy has anything to say about it, they plan on making the fellow WAKA teams green... with envy. HAH!
Rec 'n Ballz
Co-captained by Nikki Leblanc &Phillip Baltzis
Even if picking Wes McClain as their first pick was the most predictable pick of the draft, the rest of their draft was smart and calculated. They picked smart early and somehow snagged some best deals of the draft with high caliber playrs like Ryan Schmid, Brittany Travis, & Mark Flores falling into the later rounds. If other teams have speed or power or athleticism as their flagship, The Pink Ballz may best the league in combined knowledge. Two captains that have been doing this for a long time, drafting the captain of the most recent championship team in the Spring, surrounded by players they've all played with in one form or fashion. They were smart when they picked each other as captains, they drafted smart, and there is no doubt in my mind they will play smart.
Summer School Kicks
Co-captained by William "Buster" Patterson & Cregen Brady
SSK is fast. There is no debating this. It seems like their focus was on speed with players like Josh Waldrop, Thomas "Juice" Welch, and Jason Kidd. The they threw in a power leg or two (Brandon Accordino & Hass Dooby) and some really solid girls (Loraine Adkins & Amy Monteiro). Oh, and let's not forget about their defense. Talking to their captain though, they know this league is all about potential and how you utilize it. Buster says, "[We're] looking forward, like everyone else, to be playing with people we haven't had the opportunity to play with."
Ivan Drago's
Co-captained by Jesse "Who?" Jones & Bryan Pena
The Drago's are the scariest team in the league. They have lots of skill and experience, but I'm talking personality wise. Their roster is full of no-nonsense kickballers that have no problem knocking your head off in the heat of passion. Seriously, look at this list: Brad Gault, Jeffrey Pauley, Brent Obershaw, Matt Wellbrock, PJ Jones. They're going to be strong and they're going to be persistent. Not to make the obvious comparisson here, but they're set-up to play kickball the same way a heavyweight takes to the ring. They're going to come directly at you with body shots, and once they have you tired out and you're susceptible to making mistakes, they go for the finishing uppercut and you're down for the count. I guess you could probably make this case for any teams strategy in kickball, but if there was any team in this league that could actually start throwing blows, it would be Ivan Drago's. Oh, and have you seen their female? Jill Simms, Karen Savell, Jessie Kotula, Erin Welch, Lauren Schmitt, Trici Frederick.
This league is going to be amazing.That's all there is to say. See everyone on Wednesday!
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