VA Peninsula Kickball: All-Time Records Updated

With the 20th season (!) of VA Peninsula Kickball now in the books, it's time to update the all-time standings.



A few notes:

• A NEW RECORD! Plan B was dominant in the regular season. They only allowed 3 runs in 8 games, which sets the bar high for defense. Their 0.38 runs allowed per game beat the previous mark of 0.63 set by the Fall 2015 The Situation. 
• FIREPOWER: There is no denying the explosive offense of the Fireballs. This spring they averaged 8.43 runs per game. This is the third-best offensive performance in league history. Cardiac Arrest, Plan B, and JFK all finished with top 15 offenses all-time. 
• ANOTHER SEASON, ANOTHER MILESTONE: Rumspringa completed their 15th season and became only the 2nd team to play in over 150 regular season kickball games! The team with the most games played is Foul Balls, of course. They've played in 184 games all-time and their line dates back to the 3rd season of VA Peninsula. To help show how impressive this is, the next highest active franchises are Cardiac Arrest and PBJT who each have played 84 games. 
• JFK WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE: This season Just For Kicks recorded their 86th victory. With just six more wins, they will pass the 5 O'Clockers as the team with the most all-time. 

While these records are impressive, one would say that the most important metric is championships.

• Cardiac Arrest became the 6th franchise to claim multiple Wentworth Trophies®. 
• Just For Kicks made the finals for the first time since 2013. This was their 7th trip to the finals all-time with The Wentworth Trophy® still eluding them. One day, Freed. One day... 
• On the individual leaderboard, Brent Wentworth (3rd Person Alert!) captured his 7th Wednesday night title and moved into a tie for second place with Randy Devlin. Anthony Williams still remains atop the mountain with 8 championships.

Another tremendous season in the books! Can't wait to see what records will fall in the, um, Fall.

VA PENINSULA KICKBALL: Lots of stuff

Baby Got Bunts braved the rain to claim the belt this week. 

Happy #WAKAWednesday! Got some updates and reminders for you all this morning, so buckle up...

ALTERNATE LOCATION FOR GAMES: Due to the Peninsula Pilots using the stadium, games for the next two weeks will be played at Briarfield Park (1560 Briarfield Rd, Hampton). A couple of notes:

• Briarfield is a public park. It is illegal to consume alcohol by law. So, that means we shouldn't see it in your hands and we certainly shouldn't see it left in the trash cans. Be smart, please. 
• Time limits: We have four games going on at once and are scheduled to finish by 9 PM. Please do everything you can to keep your games moving and on schedule. We do not have the lights all night, so it's important to avoid delays. Here is a link to tonight's schedule. 
• As you come into the entrance off E Street, you will head back to the far two ball fields. That is where our games will be located. See the field map below for your convenience. 

TAPPS UPDATE: As you know, last week the Facebook group was popping off. We had a thread that featured hundreds of comments and a 37-minute long live monolog by some asshole with too much time on his hands. The topics of discussion were all over the spectrum, but many of the discussions centered around our postgame sponsor, Tapps. Among the feedback given:

• The current specials aren't attractive 
• There have been issues with slow service and poor food quality in the past
• There isn't much entertainment/energy

I want to let you know that we take these concerns very seriously, as does Tapps. On Thursday, I forwarded the link to the comments to them and without hesitation, they reached out myself, Fagel, and Curtis and set up a meeting. Together, we hashed out a plan going forward that will help make sure we're all set up for success. 

• NEW SPECIALS: Based on feedback, the GM is implementing some new specials. We're going to have a cheap draft deal for Rolling Rock for those ballers on a budget, rotating craft beer specials for those with more discerning tastes, and possibly a cider discount. This is all in addition to the 50% off appetizers. We will have full details later today and I will update the league as soon as I get the details. 
• SERVICE ISSUES: Many of you may have had issues in the past with slow service, specifically from the kitchen. Tapps did go through a management change in early 2017 and a lot of those issues have been tightened up. I'm confident that your experience in 2016 would not be the same this season if you give it another chance. And if you do have issues, the manager is encouraging everyone to let him know ASAP. Customer service is extremely important to Joe, Heather, and the rest of the Tapps crew, so if they aren't meeting the standard, they want to know about it so they can make it right. ALSO NOTE: When ordering food, it's going to come out to the bar, so don't stray too far. 
• FOOD QUALITY: Along with the leadership changes, Tapps also implemented a new menu. Admittedly, I haven't tried much, but the wings are great. And I know I've heard some good things about some of the other apps too. 
• ENTERTAINMENT: Last year on the survey, it was mentioned that there really wasn't much entertainment. In response to that feedback, Tapps brought in a DJ for Wednesday nights this year so we can get our cupid shuffles on. This has helped tremendously. Dancing isn't your thing? That's ok. The management did give the ok for bar games (as long as we use water and drink our brews on the side). In other words, GREEN LIGHT! Let's flip some cups! Shout out to Jamie LaCrosse for taking the lead and encouraging some postgame challenges. 

As you can see, Tapps is stepping their game up. We need to do the same. I know you all are tired of hearing me say it, but what you get from this league is what you put into it. Just showing up and playing a kickball game is going to be a decent time, but if you come out and have a drink, mingle with the rest of the league, and safely get home... you're going to take the experience to the next level. And you don't have to stay all night. You don't have to rage if you don't want to. Just show your face and have a good time. You won't regret it! 

BAR BUZZ: Congrats to BABY GOT BUNTS! They braved the rain and had a good showing at the bar last week. For their efforts, they have wrested control of the big gold belt away from CORN DOGS & SOFT TACOS. CDST's 3-week reign atop the mountain has come to an end. 

One thing is for sure. It's only going to get harder to earn that belt, so everyone bring your A game tonight. 

THEME WEEK: Don't' forget! Dress up in your best Patriotic accessories tonight! USA! USA! USA! 

SUMMER DRAFT LEAGUE: Finally, as always, a reminder to sign up for the VA PATRIOT DRAFT LEAGUE! Games are Wednesday night at War Memorial and Briarfield starting July 5th. The draft league is the best league because it totally mixes up the teams. Everyone signs up as individuals and the captains take turns building their rosters while we enjoy a great party at Tapps. 

• COST: $65 (goes up to $70 on June 16)
• INCLUDES: 6-week season, shirt, weekly specials at Tapps (I think I covered this mostly above), and an end of season party! 
• DEADLINE: June 23rd *No exceptions!!*
• DRAFT PARTY: Sunday, June 25th (Facebook Event)
• SIGN UP: kickball.com/vapatriotexpress 

Phew! Lots of info. Thank you to everyone for being part of this great community. Looking forward to an awesome night tonight! 

Brent

VA Peninsula Kickball: Week 4 Bar Buzz

How many of these people ended up at the Katt? 

Alright. I'm going to take a crack at this thing. I make one AMP (see above) and all of a sudden I'm the social expert!

The original belt was literally
a $20 WWE belt with a kickball sticker
slapped on it. We've come a long way.

First off, let's level set. What is the Bar Buzz? It all started 6 years ago in the spring of 2011. I talking with Trici Fredrick and together we came up with an idea. What if we created a weekly recap and rankings that focused strictly on what happened was after the games? The goal was to capture the stories and camaraderie of our league and to recognize those individuals who displayed the best WAKA spirit. I immediately went out to buy a pro-wrestling toy belt to serve as the prize and Trici committed to publishing the recaps each week. And thus the Bar Buzz was born.

Over the years, we've had several authors of the Bar Buzz. Trici started out with weekly rankings and pop culture references. Marilee Columbus took over in 2012 and add gifs and flair to her recaps. When Fagel Baer took the reigns, she introduced fun challenges to the mix. Brad Gault continued these challenges and expanded the contest to everything that happened Thursday through Wednesday. Each brought their own spin to the Bar Buzz, but the overall mission was the same: Who stands out as the greatest, bestest, most friendliest, dopest teams in VA Peninsula Kickball?

So now it's my turn to take a crack at it. At least until we get another enthusiastic volunteer who wants it. Here's how I'm looking for:

• Attendance: You get credit just for showing up with your teammates! Great news, millennials! 
• AMP Attendance: If your team is representing at midnight, then you'll get extra props.
• Mingling: Being there is good, but if you're just off in the corner with your team you'll only get so far in the rankings. Get out there and meet people! 
• Life of the Party: Who's getting the dancing popping? Who is starting some flip cup games? Who's doing rounds? Starting a new challenge?
• Documentation: I can't be everywhere at once, so if you are posting pics and videos on Facebook then it goes a long way towards improving your team's rankings. 
• Personal Bias: I will rank the people/teams I like higher and diss the hell out of my enemies. (kidding)

I will rank each team from worst to about 3 or 4. The top tier will not be ranked but will be considered our 'finalists'. The winner of the Bar Buzz will be decided via Facebook poll, with everyone encouraged to make the case for their team or better yet, for one of the other nominees. The team with the most votes on Tuesday night will get to party with the prestigious VA Peninsula Bar Buzz Championship belt on Wednesday (and for the rest of the week)! 

WEEK 4 RANKINGS

14. RUMSPRINGA: They had a decent showing at Tapps in week 3. Guess we won't see them at the bar again until June. It was nice. 

13. FOUL BALLS: They had a great game against the previously unbeaten BNB, getting a draw. Maybe if they would've gotten the win some of them would've been in the mood to celebrate. 

12. BAD NEWS BEERS: More like Bad News Not Drinking Beers at Tapps. 

11. PBJT: I saw Dom Guarry out, but the rest of the Jelly was nowhere to be seen. 

10. GARAGE PARTY: DP and some of the GP ladies were enjoying the cool the evening air on the back deck. The rest were somewhere else probably being lame. 

9. CARDIAC ARREST: You may have noticed a dark corner of the bar with Marilee, Ryan Schmid, and Brandon Silver crushing some ciders. Would love to have more of my teammates show face... Next week might be the week as Lindsey "Doo" Strickland and Julie Bowers promised they would come out. I'm sure they won't let me down! 

8. FORCING THIRD BASE

7. ALCOBALLICS: I think both of these teams were at the bar early. I didn't get a chance to hang out though as it seemed like they both vanished all of a sudden. Regardless, I'm lumping them together because I'm colorblind and can't tell the difference between Maroon and Cardinal. 

Lana representing the F3B crew.

6. HOT DOGS & TACOS: Liza Maula was holding it down early and once Curtis Blauch got to the bar after closing down the fields, it didn't take him long to catch up. 

5. JUST FOR KICKS: The ol' wahoo himself, John LaNeave and Amanda LeRoy were representing JFK in the AMP. Kelsey did a great job of getting the dancing challenge going, as seen on Facebook. 

4. PLAN B: Jeremy Edge does his best work pre-game. Post game, it's all on Casey Heck and Shane Chambers to carry the load though. Not. Good. Enough. 

THE FINALISTS (No particular order)

• FIREBALLS: You know that Paola is always going to Paola. But this time her squad was out en force. Definitely a good turnout by orange. 
• BABY GOT BUNTS: There was so much gold out on the back deck that it looked like the sun was out. Good turnout, but only Grace Shin remained when the clock struck 12. Will it be enough to win the title? 
• CORN DOGS & SOFT TACOS: The reigning bar belt champs are looking to defend their titles. They spent most of the night taking photos by the stage with their new hardware. In the end, they were the most heavily represented team in the AMP. 

As I posted on Facebook, the social aspect of this league is what makes it special. If you come out and play a game of kickball before headed home, you're probably going to have a good time. But if you play your game and then meet up with your friends at the bar after, you're going to have a GREAT time. The turnout this year has been decent, but I miss the days when we packed the bar with CLUBWAKA players talking, laughing, dancing, and enjoying themselves. Let's get those days back!

NOTE: I will continue the Bar Buzz this season unless someone else wants to take the reigns. I'm happy to get it rolling again. Be sure to send me your stories, blurbs, and notes from Tapps so I can include them! 

UPDATE (5/16):

Your reigning and defending Champions of Tapps, CORN DOGS & SOFT TACOS! Enjoy partying and taking pics with the belt for another week.

CHALLENGE THIS WEEK: Show the fuck up and have some fun. It's not hard.


With that said, I won't be in attendance on Wednesday because I will be at the Hampton Roads Sports Awards, where CLUBWAKA has been named a finalist for the Best Sports Organization honor. What I ask of you all, is to submit me a short paragraph or so recap/summary of the events at Tapps. I will compile all of the blurbs together into a blog post and then we'll open the polls up.

VA Peninsula Kickball: Week 1 Bar Buzz

Being unsuccessful at finding a replacement, I find myself unable to let an opening week go by without at least a half-assed attempt to write a blog (actually, I think I only ever gave it a full-assed attempt once).

If you are new to WAKA Peninsula and you made it out to Tapps last week, you might have noticed one of the biggest belt buckles you've ever seen being passed around all night.  Every organization over the years creates and adopts its own traditions.  WAKA Peninsula is no exception.  This blog will be a quick run down on what you can expect to see this season and hopefully you will participate fully every week.

First is that big shiny thing is actually a belt, full on metal on leather super high quality, heavy weighted, doesn't fit my fat ass belt.  Just like in that other sport where people run around a squared circle and kick and throw things at each other.  The belt changes hands (almost) every week to the team that I, your humble Bar Buzz Brad, deem to be worthy or just because I'm tired of F3B and Alcoballics winning it every week.

Getting the belt isn't very hard, you simple have to enjoy your time at Tapps, but it helps if you can take pictures, get my attention or point out your post game activities on some public forum just to help me out in knowing what happened in case my attention was elsewhere.  Two other traditions we participate in each week is the After Midnight photo (AMP) and the kick out photo.  Those don't always happen in the same order.  I prefer it if they do happen in that order, so please pace yourself and drink responsibly at least until midnight if you can.

This is a great AMP!

I swear we had more but they couldn't wait.

Some of the bad boys and girls out back.

 I know some of you are extra responsible and can't make it out that late, but I certainly encourage you to come out and get to know your team and them branch out to other teams.  In order to facilitate the Bar Buzz competition each week I USUALLY include a challenge in my blog.  It is only the second week, so take some time and get to know your team.  Post pictures of you with a teammate that you didn't know before or didn't know well and then comment an intro about the for the rest of us.

Master manipulator

This weeks' Bar Buzz Belt goes to Garage Party!

The Best Peninsula Kickballers Born in the 90s

Coed adult kickball is a veteran's game. Time and time again, experience trumps youth. But father time catches up with us all and with many elite players hitting the north side of 35, it's only inevitable that their grip on the sport will loosen. There's a new generation waiting in the wings who haven't even hit their prime years yet. These men and women born in the 90s are poised to dominate the sport for the next 20-30 seasons. Let's take some time to highlight some of the best with my personal picks for the CLUBWAKA VA Peninsula U27 team.

Slow-pez

David Lopez
Rumspringa, Outfield
I was shocked when I saw that Lopez was on this list. It seems like he has been around forever. And it's true, he's a 5-year veteran and hasn't even hit 27 yet. David's birthday is in late September and he likes to tell a story about the time he e-mailed me in the summer before his 21st birthday to ask if he could register for the fall season. Like the strict asshole that I am, I told him he had to wait until the spring. Well, he did, and he's been playing ever since. Lopez excels as a speedy player who can kick near the top and play multiple positions well.

Randall Hammond
Chaotic KILFs, Outfield
Randall is a talented athlete with a lot of baseball experience. That experience has translated over to the kickball field as he's been a standout player for the KILFs over the past 3 years.

The KILFs have some of the best young
talent in the league.

TJ Bowman
Chaotic KILFs, Outfield
I'll be honest. When TJ first started, I never imagined that I would include him on a list of best anything. He was a little rough around the edges, to say the least. I remember watching the KILFs first playoff game and seeing TJ drop a handful of fly balls and cringing. Not good. But all he's done since then is show love and dedication to the game. Bowman is a very reliable outfielder, fundamentally sound offensive player, and by all accounts a great teammate. Certainly deserving of some recognition.

Chris Storar
Chaotic KILFs, Pitcher
Chris is a fiery competitor who puts his heart and soul into every play when he's on the kickball field. Storar is the classic 'five-tool' player. He bunts well. He has speed. Can kick liners. Has some deep power. Strong armed and can play any position on defense. I'm a fan. Only 25 years old, but he's already lead the KILFs to the Tortolini Title as well as been on a VA Freedom championship squad.

Justin Madon
Fireballs, First Base
One of the underrated players in the league is Justin Madon. His reliable hands and length at first have been an important factor in the Fireballs' recent success.

Justin parties.

Jamie Gallagher
Cardiac Arrest, Third Base

Cardiac Arrest made a
splash when they picked
Jamie up.

Jamie only started playing kickball in the summer of 2016. She's barely got 6 months of experience under her belt, but she's already proven to be one of the best women in the league. A deep background in team sports has given her a natural awareness and quickly helped her adapt to the game of coed adult kickball. Perhaps her most impressive asset is her big right leg. When she comes up to kick, you'd be wise not to bring your outfielders in too far. Jamie might just burn you.

Journey Schmidt
JFK, Outfield
Big things sometimes come in small packages. Despite Journey's small frame, she's one of the better female outfielders in VA Peninsula. The former softball standout at Hampton High (#CrabberPride) can track fly balls well, cover good ground, and is very reliable in either corner of the outfield. Already in her young career, Journey has won championships in both VA Peninsula and VA Freedom.

Journey about to paint that line.

Devin Raines
Fireballs, Outfield
Like Journey, Devin also grew up playing competitive softball. What stands out most about Devin is her drive and competitiveness. She always give 100% max effort. Since debuting in 2014 as a 21-year-old rookie, she's gone all in with kickball. Devin plays in multiple leagues a season, all year round. The hard work is paying off as she's beginning to build a reputation as an excellent all-around player. And she hasn't even begun to scratch the surface yet!

Intensity.

Trey Simmons
Free Agent, Catcher
This man was only born a mere 23 years ago but has quickly established himself as one of the best catchers in all of kickball. Trey is so damn good at such a young age, that I can't even imagine the level he'll be at in 4 or 5 years. Simmons' natural athleticism is only matched by his outstanding work ethic. Last year he took a job that required him to move to the western part of the state and despite being 2-3 hours away, he still traveled back to Hampton Roads regularly to participate in VA Peninsula, Freedom, one-day tourneys, and Hammerheads practices. It's that dedication to continuous improvement that will lead to a lot of Wentworth Trophies® in Trey's future.

Not the most graceful moment in Trey's kickball career.

The couple that slays together
stays together.

Haley Efird
Night Sweats, Second Base
Her husband, Gene, might get more of the attention (more on him in a moment), but Haley has become a great kickball player in her own right. She's practiced hard and honed the ability to put a bunt right down the line. In fact, she's probably one of the toughest women to get out. The VA Patriot captains agree as she was one of the first women taken in the draft this past summer. Haley had an incredible 2015 campaign, winning the Grand Slam of kickball. She earned championships in VA Raptor, Freedom, Peninsula, and Patriot, becoming the first player ever to do so.

Gene Efird
Night Sweats, Charger
What can I possibly say about Gene that hasn't already been said? He's not bad at kickball at all.



Honorable Mention
There were several to choose from. Here are some of the players that I had a really tough time leaving off my starting 11 (No particular order): Jacob Bean, Nick Pera, Alexandra McCarthy, Caitlyn Weirick, Katelyn Bryce, Kathryn Montgomery, Adam Frantz, Sarah Schmitt, Sarah Szekely, Teddy Phillips, Maghan Bryce

Despite all evidence to the contrary, I'm not the all-knowing expert of kickball. No doubt I missed some really deserving players. So, please comment on Facebook. What players do you think belong on the U27 All-Peninsula team?

Fall 2016 VA Peninsula Kickball Tortolini Realty Conference First Team

Pitcher - Ed Aaron (Bad News B E E R S)(32 first place votes out of 109 ballots)

Ed continues to baffle kickers with a seemingly impossible combination of power, accuracy, and curve.  Like Mark Flores before him, age is just a number as he continues to dominate players half his age.

Honorable Mention: Brent Obershaw is angry he's third.  You WILL like him when he's angry.

Catcher - Ricky Holmes (Rumspringa)(47)

Ricky led all Tortolini Realty Conference nominees in first place votes and total points.  One of the best lead off kickers this league has ever seen started catching more frequently this year and continues to prove there is nothing he can't do.

Honorable Mention: Jacob Bean had the second most first place votes and the second most second place votes, but was left off too many ballots to contend this season.  He has the talent, but has not been playing long enough for everyone to have seen him in action.

Charger - Michael Ramey (Rumspringa)(28)

"Ramey kicked a homerun" seemed to come up more often than not in the weekly shout out thread.  It's an interesting strategy, but I guess it's within the rules of the game.

Honorable Mention: Clearly, Jay Carr is struggling due to all the people that can't stand his brother. ~_^

First Baseman - Michael Ottman (Hot Dogs & Tacos)(26)

Michael repeated as the Tortolini Realty Conference First Team First Baseman in convincing fashion accumulating 79% more points than second place and more than double everyone else.  Will anyone be able to dethrone him?

Honorable Mention: There was only a two point gap between Ian Fluke, Rob Kroll, and Justin Madon.  This will be an interesting battle in future seasons.

Outfielder - Troy Southall (Rumspringa)(31)

Troy is one of the most dangerous offensive threats in the Tortolini Realty Conference and has a cannon attached to his shoulder.  But arguably his best asset is his laugh.

Outfielder - Brian Yohn (Rumspringa)(8)

Leading by example, Brian took Rumspringa on a championship journey.  He captained the stingiest defense and the most prolific offense (tied with HD&T) this season while playing on both sides of the ball with power and grace.

Honorable Mention: A two vote swing and Curtis Blauch could have overtaken either of the Second Team spots.

Utility - David Lopez (Rumspringa)(31)

Rumspringa's lone representative on last season's Jungle Gym Conference First Team, it's no surprise that David conquered the strong field of Tortolini Realty Conference Utility nominees with equal parts speed and finesse.

Honorable Mention: David Merritts was the flex nominee for Rumspringa and was a few votes away from every single Rumspringa nominee making an All-Peninsula Team.

Female - Noelle Walsh (Foul Balls)(20)

Last season, Noelle dominated the Tortolini Realty Conference Female vote.  But that was with none of the next three ladies in the conference.  But even as the competition stiffened, Noelle leaves town on top as the leading vote getter in the conference.

Female - Bailey Riley (Rumspringa)(15)

Rumspringa refocused their primary objective to having fun this season and chose to compete in the Tortolini Realty Conference.  But that doesn't mean their players were any less talented.  Three 'Springas were previously announced for the Tortolini Realty Conference Second Team and Bailey makes six on First Team.  Bailey was actually one vote away from taking the top Female spot with whatever is the opposite of grace and finesse, but no one can ignore her toughness.

Female - Lorraine Adkins (Bad News B E E R S)(21)

Lorraine received the most first place votes of the Female nominees proving the veteran voters believe she hasn't lost a step after taking a few seasons off.  But she fell short of the top spot since there are so many relatively new players that may not know just how insanely talented she is.

Female - Liz Tortolini (Bad News B E E R S)(11)

Liz rounds out the Tortolini Realty Conference First Team.  In case you missed it, she was also voted to this season's Tortolini Realty Conference Second Team as an outfielder as the only female nominee.  Can the Bad News B E E R S build on their solid foundation and tournament success to reach the promised land?  Only time will tell.

Honorable Mention: Amy Slovak and Erin Small were on the outside looking in, but for how long?

Next up, we delve into the results of the Jungle Gym Conference voting.

Fall 2016 VA Peninsula Kickball Tortolini Realty Conference Second Team

With another season of VA Peninsula Kickball in the books, it's time to announce the results of your tapping, clicking, scrolling, and typing.  Welcome to the Fall 2016 edition of the postseason All-Peninsula awards.  First up, the Tortolini Realty Conference Second Team.

Pitcher - Rusty Wallace (Rumspringa)(20 first place votes out of 109 ballots)

Rusty jumped right into the starting pitcher role and continued the tradition of Rumspringa pitching excellence.

Catcher - Jeremy Smithey (Hot Dogs & Tacos)(15)

Once again, Jeremy did a little bit of everything for the league this past season (Thank you!).  But did the voters punish the HD&T captain for another early tournament exit?

Charger - David Tortolini (Bad News B E E R S)(20)

With a second impressive tournament run in just their second season of existence, the Bad News B E E R S can no longer be ignored.  The team may have fallen one win short of hoisting the trophy, but this stud charger still found a way to get his name on it.

First Baseman - Jason Finkel (Rumspringa)(10)

Every great infield needs a reliable first baseman to take them to the top.  Rumspringa's championship run verified in the minds of the voters that Jason belongs in the conversation of the best in the league.

Outfielder - Michael Kern (Hot Dogs & Tacos)(7)

Clearly Michael made a strong impression in the minds of the voters.  Even after abandoning us in the middle of the season, the voters loved his time here enough to reward him with a spot on this list.

Outfielder - Liz Tortolini (Bad News B E E R S)(11)

Regardless of the reasons why Liz received votes in this category, she possesses incredible talent on both sides of the ball.

Utility - Keith Morehart (Bad News B E E R S)(17)

With an impressively deep list of Utility nominees, Keith was unable to repeat his appearance on First Team, but the voters could not ignore his talent and his team's success.

Female - Sarah Szekely (Hot Dogs & Tacos)(4)

Sarah followed up her recognition as the best female rookie in the spring with another strong season which has embedded her in the deep list of incredibly talented females in the area.

Female - Angie Weatherhead (Rumspringa)(4)

Speaking of depth, Rumspringa has proven year after year that the depth and consistency of their females is second to none.  Angie took on every challenge in her way this season and crushed them all.

Female - Christy Remus (Forcing Third Base)(5)

Much like Sarah, Christy has had a strong first two seasons.  However, playing for a brand new team in the spring meant having a tough battle to earn recognition.  Forcing Third Base is clearly here to stay and now it's just a question of how high Christy and her team can rise.

Female - Devin Raines (Fireballs)(5)

Devin has the knowledge, confidence, and ability to succeed.  If she continues to execute, the voters will have no choice other than to reward her with higher and higher postseason ranks.

Stay tuned for the announcement of the Tortolini Realty Conference First Team.

VA Peninsula Kickball All-Time Standings Updated

The Fall 2016 season was the 20th CLUBWAKA VA Peninsula season. Over the years, there have been thousands of kickball games played. Tens of thousands of runs scored and plenty of incredible performances. As we close out the regular season, it's time once again to look at the all-time standings.

NOTES

• Hot Dogs & Tacos and Rumspringa averaged 7.4 runs per game. -This is tied for 13th best all time. (top 5%)
• Rumspringa lead the league with 1.5 runs allowed per game. This is the 30th best single season performance of all time. (top 12%)
• With 8-1-1 records, HDT and Springa had the 23rd best win percentage for a single season. (top 9%)

To put the single-season marks in perspective, there have been 257 teams that have competed in VA Peninsula since 2007.

• WTF, which is legacy JFK became the first franchise to score over 700 runs.
• Night Sweats (legacy Plan B) has the 2nd best defense all time (minimum 3 seasons) with only 1.48 runs allowed per game. WTF is right behind them with 1.57 runs allowed per game over 11 seasons. WAKA'm to the Jungle is a single basis point behind them with 1.58 rapg.
• WTF is now within 10 victories of the all-time wins title held by the 5 O'Clockers (91). Rumspringa's successful season has brought them to 75 wins, 3rd best all time.
• WTF and Rumspringa are tied for the all-time tie record. Each have 12 draws to their name.
• Another Rumspringa note. In their 14 seasons of VA Peninsula competition, they have never forfeited a game.
• Night Sweats has the 2nd highest win percentage all-time (minimum 3 seasons). They have won 80% of the games they've competed in.

VA Peninsula Kickball - Playoff Scenarios

Had about 30 minutes to spare, so I decided to take a look at the various playoff scenarios as we head into the final week of CLUBWAKA VA Peninsula Kickball. We have a lot of great games on the schedule tonight and teams are jockeying for position.

(DISCLAIMER: This is not official. Always remember that I'm not smart and can easily have made a mistake. Also, this is assuming that there are no forfeits tonight, which would complicate some of the scenarios) 

Before we begin, let's take a look at the current standings.

Now to break it down:

Jungle Gym Conference

• Night Sweats clinch one seed with a win or tie vs Cardiac Arrest. 
• Cardiac Arrest can take the one seed with a win over Night Sweats. 
• WAKA'm To the Jungle can earn the two seed with a win and a Cardiac Arrest loss/tie. They can also earn the two seed with a win and a Night Sweats loss, as long as Night Sweats gives up an additional 3 more runs than Jungle does. (the first tiebreaker is head to head, in which Jungle/Sweats split. The next tie breaker is total runs allowed. Sweats currently lead Jungle 13 to 15.)
• WTF has clinched the #4 seed. 
• DCOMB has clinched the #5 seed. 
• Chaotic KILFS: Even with a doubleheader sweep and a DCOMB loss, the KILFs would still be in the 6th spot for Saturday's tournament. 

Tortolini Conference

• Rumspringa: Both 'Springa and Hotdogs & Tacos have 7-1-1 records. Obviously, a win for either with a loss/tie for the other will determine which one has the better record. If both teams win their games tonight, the tie-breaker will come down to runs allowed, since the two teams tied in week 2. Currently, Rumspringa has allowed 9 runs less than Hot Dogs & Tacos, so it would be extremely unlikely that they would jump to the top spot in this scenario. 
• Hot Dogs & Tacos: Can not fall any farther than 2nd place. Can earn the top seed with a win against Bad News Beers and a Rumspringa loss or tie. 
• Alcoballics: Essentially the Alcoballics vs. Fireballs game tonight will determine the 3rd seed. Both teams are 6-3 and battling for that spot. A win by either will clinch it. In the event of a tie, the Alcoballics will earn the 3 seed as they've allowed less runs than the Fireballs this season. 
• Fireballs: Can earn the 3 seed with a win over Alcoballics
• Foul Balls: A win or tie will clinch the 5th seed. There is no path to the 4th seed since they were defeated by both Fireballs & Alcoballics earlier in the season and would lose the head to head tie-breakers.  
• Bad News Beers: Due to a forfeit and the penalty associated with it, there is no path to the 5th seed. Even if they sweep their doubleheader and Foul Balls loses, their win percentage would be lower. They can clinch the 6th seed by winning or tying one of their games tonight. 
• Peanut Butter Jelly Time: Can move to the 6th seed with a win vs. 5TDK and two losses by Bad News Beers. A win or tie will clinch the 7th seed. 
• Forcing Third Base: Can clinch the 8th seed with a win or tie. Can not advance further due to a week 1 loss against PBJT. 
• Balls & Dolls: Can clinch the 8th seed with a win against Forcing Third Base. Will clinch the 9th seed with a tie. 
• Five Toe Death Kick: have clinched the 10th seed. 

As a reference, here are the tiebreaking procedures: