Well I think everyone had fun on the 1st MacDintons/Waka pub crawl. We made around $450.00 for PAL will know exactly as soon as I get back to MacDintons to pick up the check. I just wanted to thank everyone for coming, and will see you all on the kickball field in March.
What is this Blog?
This Blog is the online home for members of the WAKA Kickball leagues in Tampa, Florida. Players can come here to view the latest information on the division, make comments and talk trash to their competitors.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Thank You
I would just like to say a big Thank You to everyone for making this a great season. We had a lot of great games and great flip cup action. Erik did a great job in his first season as Division Customer Service Representative. It was great to see everyone out at the fields and at MacDinton's each week as well as our mid-season party. We got to crown a new Division Champ and Crystal Pitcher winner and of course the fun with the theme games.
Our next season details are already up on the division webpage. Registration for the new season is just a month away and the season begins in March. If you enjoyed yourself, we ask you to please talk to all of your friends and co-workers about how much fun you had playing kickball and invite them to come out and play with us next season.
In the meantime, the fun hasn't officially ended yet. On Saturday we will be having our End of Season Party Charity Pubcrawl hosted by MacDinton's. This will be a great way for us to get together one more time and raise money for PAL to help cop keep kids off the street with great athletic programs.
Your donation to charity gets you free beer for the first hour so you can feel really good about the beer you drink. Come in costume as a Pilgrim or Indian and save $5 off of the cost of entry. Join us and tell your friends to come too to help out a good cause.
Our next season details are already up on the division webpage. Registration for the new season is just a month away and the season begins in March. If you enjoyed yourself, we ask you to please talk to all of your friends and co-workers about how much fun you had playing kickball and invite them to come out and play with us next season.
In the meantime, the fun hasn't officially ended yet. On Saturday we will be having our End of Season Party Charity Pubcrawl hosted by MacDinton's. This will be a great way for us to get together one more time and raise money for PAL to help cop keep kids off the street with great athletic programs.
Your donation to charity gets you free beer for the first hour so you can feel really good about the beer you drink. Come in costume as a Pilgrim or Indian and save $5 off of the cost of entry. Join us and tell your friends to come too to help out a good cause.
What was your favorite part of the season?
Vegas Anyone?
Part of the fun of playing WAKA Kickball is that you are part of a national organization. Balls and Dolls (Division Champs) and Asstastic Balls (Tournament Runner Up) are now both eligible to possibly receive an invitation to play in Las Vegas next Fall in the Founders Cup to determine the best kickball team in the nation. Invitations first go out to the division champions around the country with preference given to those in the most competitive divisions. If all slots aren't filled then invitations may be given to runners up. The Founders Cup is pretty competitive and its amazing how some of the teams play. In order to play in the Founders Cup, teams must use their rosters from their championship team.
There is an alternative to the competitive Founders Cup. The Kickball Games was new this year and it should grow next year. This is a fun tournament where each team will play 4 games in a round robin format and awards will be given for certain superlatives. The fun part about the kickball games is that you do not have to have people on your regular season roster to be able to play in the Kickball Games, in fact they don't even have to have played in the same division. In order to play in the Kickball Games, all you have to do is have been registered to play WAKA Kickball sometime in 2011. How great would it be to have a team or two representing the most fun people that Breaker has to offer in Vegas next year?
If you are interested, lets start figuring it out now and making plans. You can comment on this post if you are interested in playing. Who's interested in putting together a team of Elvis impersonators and show girls?
There is an alternative to the competitive Founders Cup. The Kickball Games was new this year and it should grow next year. This is a fun tournament where each team will play 4 games in a round robin format and awards will be given for certain superlatives. The fun part about the kickball games is that you do not have to have people on your regular season roster to be able to play in the Kickball Games, in fact they don't even have to have played in the same division. In order to play in the Kickball Games, all you have to do is have been registered to play WAKA Kickball sometime in 2011. How great would it be to have a team or two representing the most fun people that Breaker has to offer in Vegas next year?
If you are interested, lets start figuring it out now and making plans. You can comment on this post if you are interested in playing. Who's interested in putting together a team of Elvis impersonators and show girls?
Congratulations
Division Champions
Congratulations to Balls and Dolls, Fall 2010 Division Champions. Someone asked me before the tournament started, who do you think has the best chance of winning. My reply was that this season had so much parity that really anyone had a chance to take it all if they played right. OK, well maybe not We've Got The Runs but they surprised us in the first round. Of course, I would have loved for my team to won and I did play on Asstastic Balls during the summer season so I would have been happy for them if they took the prize but in the end, I'm glad that Balls and Dolls won.
Jess did a great job of building her team this season with some of the core players coming over from her team from last season, Cleats and Cleavage. This is a multi-talented crew. At the midseason party they represented themselves very well and proved that they were the best flip cup team in the division. They also showed us that they really know how to play kickball and were one of the 4 teams that were tied for 2nd place after the regular season.
Besides their skills at flip cup and kickball, this team is probably one of the most chill and fun groups in the division. This is the team you wish your team was more like. They had planned on having a keg party after the tournament but had anticipated a much earlier departure. Their winning ways had allowed them to develop quite the thirst and they wasted no time getting off the field to tap the keg. I should also mention that Gordon makes some pretty incredible home brewed beer that he was more than happy to share at the post tournament party.
So once again, congratulations to Balls and Dolls. You deserved your title and I hope to see you guys defend it in the spring.
Crystal Pitcher
Congratulations to 99 Problems but a Pitch Ain't One, this season's Crystal Pitcher winners. With as much parity as we had in the standings, we seemed to have just as much in the Crystal Pitcher. This was the tightest vote we have ever had. This award was once dominated by Asstastic Balls (with whatever name they played with that season) and their fun ways have rubbed off on the rest of the division. Last season they were in a 2 way battle for the award with Looking To Score (now Masterbatters) winning by one vote.
This season we had 3 teams that were really in the running as the ballots were counted. In the end, 99 Problems but a Pitch Ain't One had 2 more votes than Booze on First and 3 more votes than Asstastic Balls. The Seminoles also got a lot of votes and came in 4th place, perhaps in direct opposition to the vocal minority who instigate the Seminoles poor reputation. Does it really matter who wins the Crystal Pitcher? No, not really, its just a fun and silly award to help add to the fun of the division but I have to say, it is fun to hoist the tiny trophy and act like you won a major award.
Playoff Recap
So in case you missed the playoffs, it was a lot of fun. While I don't have details on all of the games, I do have some details to share with you and help you relive the playoffs.
Multiple Scorgasms and Booze on First started it out with a very close game. This game went into 2 extra innings but had to be capped due to time because we had to be off the field by 5pm. They did a one and done flip cup round with Multiple Scorgasm winning to advance.
Baller I Hardly Know Her and We've Got The Runs played the other first round game. By some amazing miracle, We've Got The Runs scored 5 whole runs. This was quite the feat considering that they had only scored 8 times all season. We've Got The Runs pulled off a huge upset and won 5-3.
All other teams got a bye in the first round and our first 2nd round game was played between Quit Yer Pitchin and Balls and Dolls. This was a tight game that could have been won by either team and had it not been for a couple of baserunning snafus by QYP this game could have gone the other way. As it was, Balls and Dolls won 3-2.
Asstastic Balls and 99 Problems But a Pitch Ain't One faced off in a week 2 rematch in the second round. For the most part this was a close game with Asstastic leading the charge the whole game. They scored some insurance late with a monstrous blast by Erik that went over everything and almost ended up in the soccer net. Asstastic Balls won 5-2.
The top seed Seminoles played their first game in the second round against Multiple Scorgasm. I wasn't personally witness to it but heard there was some drama in this one. Multiple Scorgasms asked for a roster check on the Seminoles claiming that some of the players weren't registered and that most of their regular players were in Tallahassee for the FSU game. There certainly were a lot of people missing but they have a big roster and all of the Seminoles players checked out though I'm told that it turns out that one of the Multiple Scorgasms players was not on their roster and was playing illegally. Seminoles won 5-2.
We've Got The Runs and MasterBatters were our last 2nd round game. After having a scoring explosion in their first game, We've Got The Runs were back to their non scoring ways in this one. This game was all about defense. MasterBatters won 1-0.
Our third round games got kicking with Asstastic Balls (6 seed) vs Masterbatters (2 seed). Let me just say here that Asstastic Balls is an interesting team in that they are extremely inconsistent. They can be the worst team in the league or the best team in the league, depending on who shows up on any given day. Meanwhile Masterbatters also had an interesting season. They started out by losing their first 3 games in the season but never lost another game after that and earned the number 2 seed. Asstastic Balls won this one 3-0.
The other Semi-final game was between Seminoles (1 seed) and Balls and Dolls (4 seed). After the regular season the Seminoles were hoping to collect even more hardware for their expanding collection. Balls and Dolls was also hoping to add to their hardware collection after winning the trophy for being flip cup champion. This game may have turned out differently if some of the Seminoles players weren't in Tallahassee but Balls and Dolls played a great game. Balls and Dolls pulled off the upset 5-2.
This led way to a finals that would crown a first ever division champion. If you had asked me before the season started who the 2 teams in the finals would be, I probably never would have guessed this matchup but Asstastic Balls vs Balls and Dolls ended up being the closest championship game we have ever had. This was a defensive showdown all game. After 6 innings this game was still tied at 0 so we went in to Kansas City Rules. With just 4 guys and 4 girls and a runner starting on second, this usually leads to a lot of offense. Not so in this one. The first run of the game wasn't scored until the 8th inning when both teams were able to get one on the board. After the 8th inning both teams got together.
We were starting to run out of time as we were supposed to be off of the field by 5pm. Both teams were pretty tired and Balls and Dolls had a keg waiting for a post tournament party that they were dying to tap. It was decided that they would play one more inning and then after that the game would have to be decided some other way, with the accuracy kick. Both teams threatened in the 9th but neither was able to score. There was some debate as to whether the teams would rather settle the game with a round of flip cup but the captains ultimately decided to do the accuracy kick. Each team elected one kicker to represent their team. The ball was placed on home plate and they had to kick the ball as close to the second base cone as possible. Rob from Asstastic Balls did well with his kick and got the ball 7feet 4inches from the cone. Balls and Dolls had Gordon to represent him. He had shown up late for the tournament because he had spent the morning playing golf. The time spent reading greens all morning may have helped him. His kick started off looking like it was going way left but he read the field correctly and the ball started to curl back into the cone, clearly beating Rob's mark to clinch the title for his team. Balls and Dolls won, technically by the score of 2-1 after 9 innings.
Multiple Scorgasms and Booze on First started it out with a very close game. This game went into 2 extra innings but had to be capped due to time because we had to be off the field by 5pm. They did a one and done flip cup round with Multiple Scorgasm winning to advance.
Baller I Hardly Know Her and We've Got The Runs played the other first round game. By some amazing miracle, We've Got The Runs scored 5 whole runs. This was quite the feat considering that they had only scored 8 times all season. We've Got The Runs pulled off a huge upset and won 5-3.
All other teams got a bye in the first round and our first 2nd round game was played between Quit Yer Pitchin and Balls and Dolls. This was a tight game that could have been won by either team and had it not been for a couple of baserunning snafus by QYP this game could have gone the other way. As it was, Balls and Dolls won 3-2.
Asstastic Balls and 99 Problems But a Pitch Ain't One faced off in a week 2 rematch in the second round. For the most part this was a close game with Asstastic leading the charge the whole game. They scored some insurance late with a monstrous blast by Erik that went over everything and almost ended up in the soccer net. Asstastic Balls won 5-2.
The top seed Seminoles played their first game in the second round against Multiple Scorgasm. I wasn't personally witness to it but heard there was some drama in this one. Multiple Scorgasms asked for a roster check on the Seminoles claiming that some of the players weren't registered and that most of their regular players were in Tallahassee for the FSU game. There certainly were a lot of people missing but they have a big roster and all of the Seminoles players checked out though I'm told that it turns out that one of the Multiple Scorgasms players was not on their roster and was playing illegally. Seminoles won 5-2.
We've Got The Runs and MasterBatters were our last 2nd round game. After having a scoring explosion in their first game, We've Got The Runs were back to their non scoring ways in this one. This game was all about defense. MasterBatters won 1-0.
Our third round games got kicking with Asstastic Balls (6 seed) vs Masterbatters (2 seed). Let me just say here that Asstastic Balls is an interesting team in that they are extremely inconsistent. They can be the worst team in the league or the best team in the league, depending on who shows up on any given day. Meanwhile Masterbatters also had an interesting season. They started out by losing their first 3 games in the season but never lost another game after that and earned the number 2 seed. Asstastic Balls won this one 3-0.
The other Semi-final game was between Seminoles (1 seed) and Balls and Dolls (4 seed). After the regular season the Seminoles were hoping to collect even more hardware for their expanding collection. Balls and Dolls was also hoping to add to their hardware collection after winning the trophy for being flip cup champion. This game may have turned out differently if some of the Seminoles players weren't in Tallahassee but Balls and Dolls played a great game. Balls and Dolls pulled off the upset 5-2.
This led way to a finals that would crown a first ever division champion. If you had asked me before the season started who the 2 teams in the finals would be, I probably never would have guessed this matchup but Asstastic Balls vs Balls and Dolls ended up being the closest championship game we have ever had. This was a defensive showdown all game. After 6 innings this game was still tied at 0 so we went in to Kansas City Rules. With just 4 guys and 4 girls and a runner starting on second, this usually leads to a lot of offense. Not so in this one. The first run of the game wasn't scored until the 8th inning when both teams were able to get one on the board. After the 8th inning both teams got together.
We were starting to run out of time as we were supposed to be off of the field by 5pm. Both teams were pretty tired and Balls and Dolls had a keg waiting for a post tournament party that they were dying to tap. It was decided that they would play one more inning and then after that the game would have to be decided some other way, with the accuracy kick. Both teams threatened in the 9th but neither was able to score. There was some debate as to whether the teams would rather settle the game with a round of flip cup but the captains ultimately decided to do the accuracy kick. Each team elected one kicker to represent their team. The ball was placed on home plate and they had to kick the ball as close to the second base cone as possible. Rob from Asstastic Balls did well with his kick and got the ball 7feet 4inches from the cone. Balls and Dolls had Gordon to represent him. He had shown up late for the tournament because he had spent the morning playing golf. The time spent reading greens all morning may have helped him. His kick started off looking like it was going way left but he read the field correctly and the ball started to curl back into the cone, clearly beating Rob's mark to clinch the title for his team. Balls and Dolls won, technically by the score of 2-1 after 9 innings.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Crystal Pitcher
This Saturday we will be crowning the champions of the Fall 2010 season. Sure its a great accomplishment to know you are the best kickball team that plays on Tuesday nights in Tampa but what does that get you? Only an invitation to Vegas. The real prize is the Crystal Pitcher.
The Crystal Pitcher is awarded to the team that is the most fun, most spirited and displays the best sportsmanship as voted on by the players. Its basically the team you wish you could hang out with more. We do the balloting at the playoffs since by that point, everyone has had a chance to meet everyone.
You will receive a ballot sometime during the first round of games so don't leave until you have voted. Really, you shouldn't leave anyways and plan on being at the fields until the champions are crowned.
We usually don't have room to put team colors on the ballots so its important to know team names. Here is a little cheat sheet for you:
99 Problems but a Pitch Ain't One - Orange
Asstastic Balls - Pink
Baller I Hardly Know Her - Purple
Balls and Dolls - Green
Booze on First - Black
Masterbatters - Navy
Multiple Scorgasms - Gray
Quit Yer Pitchin - Royal Blue
Seminoles - Gold
We've Got The Runs - Carolina Blue
The Crystal Pitcher is awarded to the team that is the most fun, most spirited and displays the best sportsmanship as voted on by the players. Its basically the team you wish you could hang out with more. We do the balloting at the playoffs since by that point, everyone has had a chance to meet everyone.
You will receive a ballot sometime during the first round of games so don't leave until you have voted. Really, you shouldn't leave anyways and plan on being at the fields until the champions are crowned.
We usually don't have room to put team colors on the ballots so its important to know team names. Here is a little cheat sheet for you:
99 Problems but a Pitch Ain't One - Orange
Asstastic Balls - Pink
Baller I Hardly Know Her - Purple
Balls and Dolls - Green
Booze on First - Black
Masterbatters - Navy
Multiple Scorgasms - Gray
Quit Yer Pitchin - Royal Blue
Seminoles - Gold
We've Got The Runs - Carolina Blue
Playoffs
Yes we are talking playoffs, folks. Its that time again. You can view the official playoff brackets on the division webpage. All of the seeds are filled in according to the final standings. Now this season the standings were a bit tough because there was a 4 way tie for second place. It took a bit of doing but the standings are correct according to tie breaker procedures. We've also now got some expanded standings for you to take a look at.
The official WAKA Tie Breaking procedures can be found in the Division Tournament Guidelines. Masterbatters, Balls and Dolls, 99 Problems and Quit yer Pitchin were all tied with 4.5 points and a 4-3-1 record. Since there were more than one team that tied the direct head to head was not factored in. Also, not all of the teams played each other (Masterbatters and Quit Yer Pitchin never played this season). That means that despite the fact that 99 Problems beat all of the other 3 teams they didn't get an advantage from that and the total runs against tie breaker came into effect. That left Masterbatters with 21 runs against in 2nd place and QYP with 30 runs against in 5th but 99 Problems and Balls and Dolls still tied with 22 each.
"If two teams remain tied after one or more teams are eliminated from the tie during any step, the tie breaker reverts to step 1 of the two-way tie format." That means that it goes back to the head to head matchup between those 2 teams and 99 Problems defeated Balls and Dolls in the regular season (how big was that last week win?).
There was also a tie for 7th place but this was an easy one since there were only 2 teams. Baller I Hardly Know Her defeated Multiple Scorgasm so we never had to look at runs against.
Don't forget that the playoffs start promptly at 10:30 but teams can show up and starting to set up at 9:30. Essentially the bottom 4 teams will have to play a buy in round. Also at 10:30 there will be a 2nd round game played between QYP and Balls and Dolls. All of the other 2nd round games will be played at 11:30.
IMPORTANT: If your team plays at 11:30 your team will be responsible for providing 3 referees for a 10:30 game and vice versa (unless your team wins a buy in round game). See Erik at the field for your exact assignments. When and if your team loses you are still responsible for providing refs for the next round of games so every team should expect to ref 2 games if you lose. If you lose at 10:30 you will have to ref at 11:30 and 12:45.
Be sure to bring your tents and grills and maybe some tailgating games to help pass the time between games or after your team is eliminated. Please be sure to pick up all of your trash.
Which team has the best chance of being a "Cinderella Story"
Congratulations Seminoles
Congratulations go to the Seminoles for posting the best record in the regular season and getting the #1 seed in the playoffs. This is their 2nd overall regular season championship but they tend to get tougher come playoff time where they have won 4 times.
So yes kids, the Seminoles do deserve a little bit of loving for their hard work. Despite what many of you have mistakenly believed, they were actually really good sports this season and their reputation was undeserved. You can refer back to a previous post about them to learn more and be sure to read the comments.
So yes kids, the Seminoles do deserve a little bit of loving for their hard work. Despite what many of you have mistakenly believed, they were actually really good sports this season and their reputation was undeserved. You can refer back to a previous post about them to learn more and be sure to read the comments.
Week 8 Recap
Well, unfortunately I was not at the fields this week. I am in New York City where I attended some kickball games in Manhattan at a field right on the East River. Please do not tell me about how "cold" it was in Tampa, I don't want to hear it. Since I was obviously not there to witness any games, I can't really give an accurate description of what happened on the field. That has never stopped me before though and so in the interest of keeping you thoroughly entertained during those boring hours at work, I will attempt to channel my inner psychic and give you what I am sure you will find a completely accurate account of everything that I imagine might have happened at the fields.
This night starts out right with Balls and Dolls and 99 Problems. 99 Problems came into this game with the best offense in the division, posting a 5 runs per game average but desperately wanted a win in order post a winning record on the season. 99 Problems started off early with a big first inning and defense held tight until in the 4th inning they forgot how to play defense and started throwing the ball to the wrong bases, allowing Balls and Dolls to tie it up. In the 5th there was a controversial call at first base and 99 Problems co-captain, Heide, came out to argue and to prove she knew the rule she was sure to mention that her team has a combined 127 seasons worth of kickball experience "so of course we know the rules". The call is corrected in 99 Problems favor. Balls and Dolls realizing that mathematically speaking they had no chance of catching the Seminoles in the standings decided to molest each other rather than paying much attention to playing kickball allowing 99 Problems to mount a huge rally. 99 Problems wins in this high a barnburner 116-7.
Field 2 saw Baller I Hardly Know Her play Booze on First. Baller I Hardly Know Her came into this game with the worst defense since the Raging Balls debacle of 2009. Meanwhile Booze on First, despite the fact that they had not won a game all season, has one of the best defenses in the league but their offense definitely struggles. In this game Booze on First made one masterful defensive play after another. Be sure to check out ESPN Sportscenter because the top 10 plays of the day all came from the black side from this game. Booze on first wasn't able to get anything going on offense but their stunning defense stole the show and they somehow found a way to win their first game of the season. Booze on first won this game 0 to negative 1.
Masterbatters and Multiple Scorgasm faced of in this sponsored KY Jelly Getting Off Bowl. As you might expect, there was lots of scoring in this game. There were home runs galore in this game as the Masterbatter girls seemed quite willing to allow any Multiple Scorgasm guy to round third. The key play in the game came when a MasterBatters girl was trying to score but was apparently thrown out at the plate. Not so fast though as the ball hit her in the head so she was awarded home plate for taking a ball to the chin. Masterbatters won this one 6 to 9.
The late game on field 1 had Asstastic Balls and Quit Yer Pitchin. As per usual Asstastic Balls had a great first inning and were able to score 3 runs. Amazingly they forget how to play offense for the rest of the game and don't get another runner on base. Meanwhile Quit Yer Pitchin is able to scrape back a little at a time and are able to tie the game at 3 in the 6th inning. With a runner on second QYP team captain Courtney was at the plate. She dropped a bunt down the third base line and hauled ass to first with her patented bobble head running style. She made it safely to first base but tripped over first and did a spectacular barrel roll with legs flying and traveled a good 5 feet. Asstastic Balls, being the good people that they are were concerned about the safety and well being of Courtney and the QYP runner from second was able to score without anyone paying attention to him and won the game. Quit Yer Pitchin won 4-3.
Last but not least, Seminoles vs We've Got the Runs. First place vs last place. This game should have been over before it started but We've Got The Runs had a secret weapon. They introduced 4 new players to the team. They've been on the roster all season but were too busy to show up to play. The names of these players; Mark Pestilence, Tommy War, Vince Famine and Roberto Death. A cold chill covered the field ans swarms of locusts consumed all of the grass. The Seminoles saw their opponents and decided, "well fuck that. We already clinched the regular season" and walked off the field before any game was actually able to be played. We've Got The Runs won 5-0 by forfeit.
This night starts out right with Balls and Dolls and 99 Problems. 99 Problems came into this game with the best offense in the division, posting a 5 runs per game average but desperately wanted a win in order post a winning record on the season. 99 Problems started off early with a big first inning and defense held tight until in the 4th inning they forgot how to play defense and started throwing the ball to the wrong bases, allowing Balls and Dolls to tie it up. In the 5th there was a controversial call at first base and 99 Problems co-captain, Heide, came out to argue and to prove she knew the rule she was sure to mention that her team has a combined 127 seasons worth of kickball experience "so of course we know the rules". The call is corrected in 99 Problems favor. Balls and Dolls realizing that mathematically speaking they had no chance of catching the Seminoles in the standings decided to molest each other rather than paying much attention to playing kickball allowing 99 Problems to mount a huge rally. 99 Problems wins in this high a barnburner 116-7.
Field 2 saw Baller I Hardly Know Her play Booze on First. Baller I Hardly Know Her came into this game with the worst defense since the Raging Balls debacle of 2009. Meanwhile Booze on First, despite the fact that they had not won a game all season, has one of the best defenses in the league but their offense definitely struggles. In this game Booze on First made one masterful defensive play after another. Be sure to check out ESPN Sportscenter because the top 10 plays of the day all came from the black side from this game. Booze on first wasn't able to get anything going on offense but their stunning defense stole the show and they somehow found a way to win their first game of the season. Booze on first won this game 0 to negative 1.
Masterbatters and Multiple Scorgasm faced of in this sponsored KY Jelly Getting Off Bowl. As you might expect, there was lots of scoring in this game. There were home runs galore in this game as the Masterbatter girls seemed quite willing to allow any Multiple Scorgasm guy to round third. The key play in the game came when a MasterBatters girl was trying to score but was apparently thrown out at the plate. Not so fast though as the ball hit her in the head so she was awarded home plate for taking a ball to the chin. Masterbatters won this one 6 to 9.
The late game on field 1 had Asstastic Balls and Quit Yer Pitchin. As per usual Asstastic Balls had a great first inning and were able to score 3 runs. Amazingly they forget how to play offense for the rest of the game and don't get another runner on base. Meanwhile Quit Yer Pitchin is able to scrape back a little at a time and are able to tie the game at 3 in the 6th inning. With a runner on second QYP team captain Courtney was at the plate. She dropped a bunt down the third base line and hauled ass to first with her patented bobble head running style. She made it safely to first base but tripped over first and did a spectacular barrel roll with legs flying and traveled a good 5 feet. Asstastic Balls, being the good people that they are were concerned about the safety and well being of Courtney and the QYP runner from second was able to score without anyone paying attention to him and won the game. Quit Yer Pitchin won 4-3.
Last but not least, Seminoles vs We've Got the Runs. First place vs last place. This game should have been over before it started but We've Got The Runs had a secret weapon. They introduced 4 new players to the team. They've been on the roster all season but were too busy to show up to play. The names of these players; Mark Pestilence, Tommy War, Vince Famine and Roberto Death. A cold chill covered the field ans swarms of locusts consumed all of the grass. The Seminoles saw their opponents and decided, "well fuck that. We already clinched the regular season" and walked off the field before any game was actually able to be played. We've Got The Runs won 5-0 by forfeit.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Shots Shots Shots Shots Shots Everybody!
So as the season has progressed, we seem to have developed an official unofficial shot for the division, the Baby Guinness. Its not unusual for a kickball division to develop a shot. The division in Portland, ME has their signature drink, a Velvet Elvis. Its not your usual Velvet Elvis that you might find in some bartending books. Its a special one that migrated south from Canada. Tradition there serves that the newly initiated must continue to drink the shots until they can properly identify what the ingredients are.
I'm told that you can thank Josh from Asstastic Balls for introducing the Baby Guinness to us. If you haven't had one yet, I warn you that they are very dangerous because they are oh so very good. Wikipedia tells us this about the drink:
A Baby Guinness is a shooter, a style of cocktail, or mixed alcoholic beverage, intended to be consumed in one shot. A Baby Guinness contains no Guinness beer. Its name is derived from the fact that it is made in such a way as to look like a tiny glass of stout.
Preparation
A portion of coffee liqueur (e.g., Tia Maria or Kahlúa) is topped by a layer of Irish Cream (e.g., Baileys) which is poured over the back of a spoon so that it sits on the coffee liqueur. The ratio of coffee liqueur to Irish cream varies but is generally around 3-to-1. The resulting drink looks like a miniature pint of Guinness stout, with the coffee liqueur as the beer and the Irish cream as the head. It is normally served in a shot glass.
Some recipes call for the Irish cream to be whipped then spooned on top of the coffee liqueur in order to look more like the head on a pint of Guinness.
Most shots tend to have variations to their defined incredients and the FL Bayshore version of the baby Guinness is no exception. Our supposed more sophisticated palates have been substituting Patron XO Cafe for the coffee liqueur.
I highly recommend them but use caution. They taste delicious and go down really easy but still get the job done. It can be dangerous when you, say, stay out late at the division party and then show up at the airport early the next morning and realize you are still drunk.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Pilgrim Pub Crawl
We hope to see ALL of you at this event. It will be a fun time and we will be raising money for the kids in the PAL program. Oh yeah, and Erik and I will both be in ridiculous turkey costumes and I know you don't want to miss that.
Flip Cup Champions
Congratulations to Balls and Dolls. Fall 2010 season Flip Cup Champions
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Week 8 Theme - Happy Holidays!
Halloween is now over and that means that you can now see Christmas decorations popping up in retail outlets, limited time peppermint flavored everything, lots of commercials for toys and I'm sure we will start seeing some trailers for some very bad holiday movies and maybe one good one that you will want to eventually add to your personal collection next to A Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation, Bad Santa and Elf. Good Lord, it creeps up on us earlier and earlier every year but who are we to argue.
It is still early in that holiday season but its also our last game of our kickball season so next week's theme will be Happy Holidays. It doesn't matter what you celebrate, its a fun time of year. Whether you celebrate the birth of your savior by maxing out your credit cards and celebrating a fat man in a red suit, commemorate a time when your people might have underestimated the amount of oil on hand or if you just thoroughly enjoy standing around an aluminum pole and telling everyone else how they disappointed you in the last year, this could be a great week for kickball.
So Happy Chrismahaunikwanzikavus everyone! So find yourself an ugly sweater, freeze your tongue to a metal pole, put some reindeer horns on your head, find yourself a mistletoe belt buckle or just get dressed up as Buddy the Elf, Clark W. Griswold or whoever your favorite holiday movie character is.
Unfortunately I won't be here next week as I'll be out of town (thanks again Rays!) so I will need lots of people to take pictures and send them to me. I also need some emails from people with game recaps so we can get some good blog material for you next week.
Standings
So we've got one week left and can you say parity in the league? We've got 10 teams total in the division and 5 of them are tied with a 3-3-1 record. Asstastic balls is the only team who has not had at least one tie this season so far. Every team makes the playoffs so the standings don't matter at all for qualifying but it does affect the seedings in the brackets. Effectively, the bottom 4 teams overall will need to play an extra round if they want to win the championship.
I've been told that the standings are wrong because they aren't taking the head to head tiebreaker into account. Here is the thing with that, we don't really look at the head to head tie breaker until the season is complete because there are too many things that can change as teams play each other more.
According to the WAKA Division Tournament Guidelines the following tiebreaking procedures are followed:
So what does this mean? It means its a mess to figure out which is why we don't worry about it until all games have been played. With 5 teams being tied, that really complicates things. You could easily say that Multiple Scorgasm should be ahead of 99 Problems in the standings because they beat 99 Problems in head to head play, however because of the multiple team tie you have to look at how all of the tied teams did against each other. If you took Baller I Hardly Know her out of the equation that means that 99 Problems did lose to Multiple Scorgasm but beat Masterbatters and QYP so 99 Problems would be listed higher but because not all of the tied teams played each other the head to head does not apply, therefore Runs Against is utilized as the next tie breaker.
Confused? Don't worry, it can be a confusing process when we have this many teams tied so hopefully week 8 can thin the herd a bit.
Keep in mind that at the playoffs we do have to be completely off of the fields for a soccer game that starts at 5pm so we may be following some special rules as they pertain to tie games. Erik will send something out to everyone about that.
I've been told that the standings are wrong because they aren't taking the head to head tiebreaker into account. Here is the thing with that, we don't really look at the head to head tie breaker until the season is complete because there are too many things that can change as teams play each other more.
According to the WAKA Division Tournament Guidelines the following tiebreaking procedures are followed:
Procedures To Break Ties
If, at the end of the regular season, two or more teams in the same division finish with identical Win Percentages, the following steps will be taken until a winner is determined:
Two-Way Tie:
1) If the tied teams played each other during the season, the team with the better head-to-head record receives the higher rank.
2) If the tied teams did not play each other, or if the result of criteria #1 is inconclusive, the team with more overall wins during the regular season receives the higher rank.
3) If the tied teams have the same number of overall wins, the team with fewer total runs allowed during the regular season receives the higher rank.
- If total runs allowed is a tie, eliminate the runs allowed by each team in their FIRST game of the season, and compare again. If still tied, compare after eliminating the runs allowed in their first and second games, and so on.
4) If the teams are still tied, representatives from the teams or proxies from the Division Board shall shoot Rock- Paper-Scissors (best 2 out of 3) to determine the final result.
Three-Way Tie (or more):
(Note: If two teams remain tied after one or more teams are eliminated from the tie during any step, the tie breaker reverts to step 1 of the two-way tie format.)
1) If the tied teams all played one another during the regular season, the team with the best head-to-head Win Percentage in games played between the tied teams receives the higher rank.
2) If any of the tied teams did not play each of the others, or if the result of criteria #1 is inconclusive, the team with the most overall wins during the regular season receives the higher rank.
3) If the tied teams have the same number of overall wins, the team with fewest total runs allowed during the regular season receives the higher rank
- If total runs allowed is a tie, eliminate the runs allowed by each team in their FIRST game of the season, and compare again. If still tied, compare after eliminating the runs allowed in their first and second games, and so on.
4) If the teams are still tied, representatives from the teams or proxies from the Division Board shall shoot Rock- Paper-Scissors (best 2 out of 3) to determine the final result.
So what does this mean? It means its a mess to figure out which is why we don't worry about it until all games have been played. With 5 teams being tied, that really complicates things. You could easily say that Multiple Scorgasm should be ahead of 99 Problems in the standings because they beat 99 Problems in head to head play, however because of the multiple team tie you have to look at how all of the tied teams did against each other. If you took Baller I Hardly Know her out of the equation that means that 99 Problems did lose to Multiple Scorgasm but beat Masterbatters and QYP so 99 Problems would be listed higher but because not all of the tied teams played each other the head to head does not apply, therefore Runs Against is utilized as the next tie breaker.
Confused? Don't worry, it can be a confusing process when we have this many teams tied so hopefully week 8 can thin the herd a bit.
Keep in mind that at the playoffs we do have to be completely off of the fields for a soccer game that starts at 5pm so we may be following some special rules as they pertain to tie games. Erik will send something out to everyone about that.
Season Party Reminder
Who: Free for registered players, $10 for guests
What: Free beer and some appetizers, karaoke, fun people, flip cup.
Where: Wings Gone Wild on Bay to Bay
When: This Friday (11/5), 7pm till we don't want to party anymore
Why: Have fun, fool
What: Free beer and some appetizers, karaoke, fun people, flip cup.
Where: Wings Gone Wild on Bay to Bay
When: This Friday (11/5), 7pm till we don't want to party anymore
Why: Have fun, fool
Week 7 Recap
Well we are in the stretch now. Only one week left to play so every game has some serious implications in the standings.
At 7pm Quit Yer Pitchin took to field 1 against Booze on First. This game was not true to form for Booze on First. The team in black usually has some rock solid defense but everyone can be allowed a night off, right? I'm told that Booze on First made lots of stupid errors in this game and they are still looking for their first victory of the season. Quit Yer Pitchin won 2-1.
Field 2 saw a pretty epic matchup between 99 Problems and the Seminoles. 99 Problems got off to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning by scoring 2. The next few innings saw nothing but defense locking down on both sides. In the top of the 5th inning the Seminoles scored 2 to tie it up. As a crowd of interested players from other teams started to gather 99 Problems was able to score again to take the lead by 1 in the bottom of the 5th. Things were looking tense on the Seminoles sideline and they must have felt that they were prime for their first loss of the season but were somehow able to score 3 more runs in the top of the 6th and 99 Problems wasn't able to counter. Seminoles won 5-3.
On Field 3 we had Masterbatters taking on a different looking Asstastic Balls. Asstastic Balls decided to turn back the clock and wore their old lime green t-shirts from about 3 seasons ago before the color was discontinued. Back in the old lime green days Asstastic Balls didn't win an awful lot so perhaps they were trying to bring themselves some bad luck. It worked. After a mostly defensive battle Masterbatters took this one 2-0.
At 8pm Balls and Dolls squared off against We've Got The Runs. Balls and Dolls didn't want to do a chugg off so this game had to get going with Rock, Paper, Scissors. That played right into the hands of WGTR's Steve who is the self proclaimed RPS World Champion. Like a seasoned pro, he threw scissors and B&D countered with a weak ass paper. As if! Owned! There were definitely a couple of good things that came from this game on the We've Got The Runs side. First of all, they were able to score some runs which is usually difficult for them. The other good thing was that their pitiful defensive play made for some great comments after the game. They claimed they lost infinity to 0 and that they raped themselves in the field. They were happy about the RPS win but then "made out like a bunch of emo kids and slit our own wrists". Wow. That's kinda brutal, guys. Good blog material though. For whatever reason the "Call on Me" video was discussed quite a bit, even though that didn't really have anything to do with anything, its worth noting below. Balls and Dolls won 9-4.
Last but not least was a great showdown between Baller I Hardly Know Her and Multiple Scorgasm on field 2. Field 2 was definitely the place to be if you like close games with late rallies. BIHKH was working with a short squad but were able to play well despite that. The game was taking quite a while to get going as Multiple Scorgasm seemed pretty disorganized and confused between innings trying to figure out everyone's position. BIHKH was up 5-3 heading into the last inning and were hopeful for a win. Multiple Scorgasm scored 2 to tie it up. In the bottom of the inning without enough time for an extra inning, it looked like MS was going to be able to pull off the tie. With runners on first and second with 2 outs BIHKH kicked a pop up into right field that somehow found a black hole and fell in between 3 gray players, allowing a run to score, giving the purple team the victory. Baller I Hardly Know Her won 6-5.
And now the "Call on Me" video as recommended by We've Got The Runs.
At 7pm Quit Yer Pitchin took to field 1 against Booze on First. This game was not true to form for Booze on First. The team in black usually has some rock solid defense but everyone can be allowed a night off, right? I'm told that Booze on First made lots of stupid errors in this game and they are still looking for their first victory of the season. Quit Yer Pitchin won 2-1.
Field 2 saw a pretty epic matchup between 99 Problems and the Seminoles. 99 Problems got off to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning by scoring 2. The next few innings saw nothing but defense locking down on both sides. In the top of the 5th inning the Seminoles scored 2 to tie it up. As a crowd of interested players from other teams started to gather 99 Problems was able to score again to take the lead by 1 in the bottom of the 5th. Things were looking tense on the Seminoles sideline and they must have felt that they were prime for their first loss of the season but were somehow able to score 3 more runs in the top of the 6th and 99 Problems wasn't able to counter. Seminoles won 5-3.
On Field 3 we had Masterbatters taking on a different looking Asstastic Balls. Asstastic Balls decided to turn back the clock and wore their old lime green t-shirts from about 3 seasons ago before the color was discontinued. Back in the old lime green days Asstastic Balls didn't win an awful lot so perhaps they were trying to bring themselves some bad luck. It worked. After a mostly defensive battle Masterbatters took this one 2-0.
At 8pm Balls and Dolls squared off against We've Got The Runs. Balls and Dolls didn't want to do a chugg off so this game had to get going with Rock, Paper, Scissors. That played right into the hands of WGTR's Steve who is the self proclaimed RPS World Champion. Like a seasoned pro, he threw scissors and B&D countered with a weak ass paper. As if! Owned! There were definitely a couple of good things that came from this game on the We've Got The Runs side. First of all, they were able to score some runs which is usually difficult for them. The other good thing was that their pitiful defensive play made for some great comments after the game. They claimed they lost infinity to 0 and that they raped themselves in the field. They were happy about the RPS win but then "made out like a bunch of emo kids and slit our own wrists". Wow. That's kinda brutal, guys. Good blog material though. For whatever reason the "Call on Me" video was discussed quite a bit, even though that didn't really have anything to do with anything, its worth noting below. Balls and Dolls won 9-4.
Last but not least was a great showdown between Baller I Hardly Know Her and Multiple Scorgasm on field 2. Field 2 was definitely the place to be if you like close games with late rallies. BIHKH was working with a short squad but were able to play well despite that. The game was taking quite a while to get going as Multiple Scorgasm seemed pretty disorganized and confused between innings trying to figure out everyone's position. BIHKH was up 5-3 heading into the last inning and were hopeful for a win. Multiple Scorgasm scored 2 to tie it up. In the bottom of the inning without enough time for an extra inning, it looked like MS was going to be able to pull off the tie. With runners on first and second with 2 outs BIHKH kicked a pop up into right field that somehow found a black hole and fell in between 3 gray players, allowing a run to score, giving the purple team the victory. Baller I Hardly Know Her won 6-5.
What do you choose in RPS?
And now the "Call on Me" video as recommended by We've Got The Runs.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Rainout Line - 813-785-9744
SO there is a bit of rain in the forecast tonight. We've got our eyes on it and are still hoping we will be able to play tonight.
Call the rainout line closer to game time for a status update. If games have to be cancelled it will be announced in the message.
Call the rainout line closer to game time for a status update. If games have to be cancelled it will be announced in the message.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Week 7 Theme - Patriotism
Since Week 7 falls on election day, we decided to make the theme Patriotism. Come out wearing your stars and stripes. We won't be getting into any actual politics but if you want to come out as your favorite a donkey or an elephant that's your business. It doesn't matter how you vote as much as it does whether you vote. Of course you can also show your apathy to the whole process by wearing your pajamas.
Warning, if you come out in your PJ's be on the lookout for anyone dressed as Bill Clinton. Also, be on the lookout for anyone with a Richard Nixon mask, they may be cheating.
Warning, if you come out in your PJ's be on the lookout for anyone dressed as Bill Clinton. Also, be on the lookout for anyone with a Richard Nixon mask, they may be cheating.
Upcoming Dates
We've got a couple of important dates coming up soon so be sure to mark your calendar and get ready for a good time.
Our big season party will be held on Friday, Nov 5th at 7pm at Wings Gone Wild on Bay to Bay. There will be free beer and some appetizers as well and of course some fun karaoke and flip cup. Get there early to get the most out of the night. This is free for all registered players and $10 for guests.
On Saturday, Nov 13th we have our big playoff tournament. This tends to be a huge amount of fun. Everyone is encouraged to bring tents for shade and grills too cookout and tailgate. Erik will even be bringing a tv and satellite dish to catch up on some college football during the day. The gates will open at 9:30am to allow you plenty of time to set up. The first games will start promptly at 10:30am and the championship game slated to begin at about 1:45. Each team will be responsible for picking up all of their own trash. Be mindful that there is a kids soccer game that has to be played at 5pm on the PAL fields that night so be respectful. The winning team will receive a trophy and each winning player will receive a little gift from WAKA.
Our big season party will be held on Friday, Nov 5th at 7pm at Wings Gone Wild on Bay to Bay. There will be free beer and some appetizers as well and of course some fun karaoke and flip cup. Get there early to get the most out of the night. This is free for all registered players and $10 for guests.
On Saturday, Nov 13th we have our big playoff tournament. This tends to be a huge amount of fun. Everyone is encouraged to bring tents for shade and grills too cookout and tailgate. Erik will even be bringing a tv and satellite dish to catch up on some college football during the day. The gates will open at 9:30am to allow you plenty of time to set up. The first games will start promptly at 10:30am and the championship game slated to begin at about 1:45. Each team will be responsible for picking up all of their own trash. Be mindful that there is a kids soccer game that has to be played at 5pm on the PAL fields that night so be respectful. The winning team will receive a trophy and each winning player will receive a little gift from WAKA.
Vote
Just a reminder that our next game falls on an election day so be sure to get out there and vote. Early voting ends tomorrow (Friday 10/29). Go to the Hillsborough County Elections Supervisors website (or of course the one for your county if you don't live in Hillsborough) to figure out where to go to exercise your rights. Don't know who to vote for? Try reading a newspaper (yes those things still exist).
Rule Time
So there were a few calls that came up this week that its worth noting what the rules state.
First of all, it seems like strikes are called pretty inconsistently throughout the division. The inconsistency is that some refs seem to think that either the entire ball or half the ball has to enter the strike zone. That is incorrect. If any part of the ball enters the strike zone (1 foot from home plate), the pitch is a strike.
In the Balls and Dolls game, Gordon almost over ran his own player, Jess. Luckily she started moving but had she not it could have cause a problem. If he over ran her, he would have been out, had he pushed her to get her running she would have been out.
and
Last but not least we had a decisive call in the 99 Problems vs Booze on First game. There was an overthrow at home plate that went pretty far and it looked like 2 Booze on first players scored but the ref ruled that the second baserunner had not crossed second base when the ball went out of play.
As always, you can read up on all of the WAKA Kickball rules by going to the rules page.
First of all, it seems like strikes are called pretty inconsistently throughout the division. The inconsistency is that some refs seem to think that either the entire ball or half the ball has to enter the strike zone. That is incorrect. If any part of the ball enters the strike zone (1 foot from home plate), the pitch is a strike.
1.02 The strike zone is a three-dimensional irregular pentagon based on the shape of home plate and is one (1) foot in height. The front of the zone aligns with the front of home plate. The sides of the zone extend one (1) foot to either side of the plate. The back edges of the zone are one (1) foot from the back sides of the plate (see Diagram 4). The strike zone may not be marked by cones or other raised objects.
11.02 A strike is: a. a pitch that is not kicked and is not called a ball per Rule 12.02, that enters any part of the strike zone (see Rule 1.02);
In the Balls and Dolls game, Gordon almost over ran his own player, Jess. Luckily she started moving but had she not it could have cause a problem. If he over ran her, he would have been out, had he pushed her to get her running she would have been out.
10.08 Running past another runner is not allowed. The passing runner is out (see Rule 14.02j).
and
14.02 An out is: ...
h. a runner physically assisted by a team member during play (see Rule 6.02);
...
j. a runner that passes another runner (see Rule 10.08);
Last but not least we had a decisive call in the 99 Problems vs Booze on First game. There was an overthrow at home plate that went pretty far and it looked like 2 Booze on first players scored but the ref ruled that the second baserunner had not crossed second base when the ball went out of play.
10.07 Base Running on Overthrows;
a. an overthrow is a ball thrown, kicked, or deflected into foul territory while making a defensive play toward a player or base;
b. a runner may advance only one base beyond the base the runner is on or running toward when the ball travels into foul territory;
c. one base on an overthrow is a restriction on the runner – not an automatic right for the runner to advance;
d. if any fielder attempts to make an out prior to returning the ball to the pitcher, runners may commence base running.
As always, you can read up on all of the WAKA Kickball rules by going to the rules page.
MacDinton's Fun
If you have either not been coming out to MacDinton's after games or only coming out for a little bit, you are missing out on a lot of late night fun. As the night goes on and more and more $1 beers keep flowing the karaoke gets quite interesting. Shawn was in rare form this week with a little bromance trio session.
Warning! You may want to turn the speakers down a bit for this one.
There was also another guy who has nothing to do with kickball at all who was way into his 80's songs that were quite entertaining. We've got some video of him singing Careless Whisper.
If you are still in the bar around 11:30, be on the look out for the old timer. I have no idea what his name is so he will henceforth simply be known as "The Old Timer" or TOT. TOT is definitely old but he does not let that stop him. He likes to come in and smoke a cigar and he's definitely on the lookout for fine young ladies to impress. He loves to tell the young girls that he's looking to go dancing and he's Latin so he's got great moves. A couple of weeks ago he even tried to pick up some 21 year old girl right from under from my teammate's nose. His reaction: "I would have been totally cool if he sniped that girl away from me. That is the coolest granpa ever". So ladies, if you are single and looking (I hear some of the Seminoles are) and you are cool with a little viagra induced romance, be sure to stick around the bar a little later on a Tuesday night.
In any event, be sure to keep supporting MacDinton's as our sponsor bar.
Warning! You may want to turn the speakers down a bit for this one.
There was also another guy who has nothing to do with kickball at all who was way into his 80's songs that were quite entertaining. We've got some video of him singing Careless Whisper.
If you are still in the bar around 11:30, be on the look out for the old timer. I have no idea what his name is so he will henceforth simply be known as "The Old Timer" or TOT. TOT is definitely old but he does not let that stop him. He likes to come in and smoke a cigar and he's definitely on the lookout for fine young ladies to impress. He loves to tell the young girls that he's looking to go dancing and he's Latin so he's got great moves. A couple of weeks ago he even tried to pick up some 21 year old girl right from under from my teammate's nose. His reaction: "I would have been totally cool if he sniped that girl away from me. That is the coolest granpa ever". So ladies, if you are single and looking (I hear some of the Seminoles are) and you are cool with a little viagra induced romance, be sure to stick around the bar a little later on a Tuesday night.
In any event, be sure to keep supporting MacDinton's as our sponsor bar.
What was the best thing at MacDinton's this week?
Week 6 Recap
Week 6 wasn't quite as spooky as one might expect, being that it was the last week of games before Halloween but there was a bit of strange happenings going on. Only one team did the same thing this week as they did last week. Lets dive a little deeper.
Our first game on field 1 had Baller I Hardly Know Her locking horns with the Seminoles. Locking Horns is a rather arbitrary term as this one was really no contest. I asked the purple people eaters to comment on their loss after the game and their reply was, "We Sucked!". Josh said, "I didn't have anything bad to say, they beat us handily". Things are looking up for the Seminoles. They were able to crush an opponent with the opponent not having anything bad to say. That's what I call progress. Seminoles put a shellacking the purple team, 11-0.
Field 2 had Asstastic Balls taking on Multiple Scorgasm. Highly billed games rarely live up to the hype and this game between two of the best teams in the division seemed to live up to that pattern. Asstastic Balls must have forgotten that there was even a game this week because they were scrambling to get enough players there by the start of the game. I was told by one member of the pink team that this was due to complications with INS. Usually, Asstastic Balls has one good inning in the first and that was no different here as the Beast had a huge 2 run home run in the early frame. The scoring didn't stop there though as Asstastic Balls were able to put up lots of crooked numbers on the board. The Beast led the way the whole time on offense and defense. He made a great mutant like jump over a throw at home plate to score and at one point "don't kick it to the beast" was overheard on the Multiple Scorgasm sideline. Asstastic Balls won 9-4.
Balls and Dolls and Quit Yer Pitchin took to field 3 at 7pm for one of the best matchups this week. Gordon from Balls and Dolls got things rocking early when he kicked a 3 run home run but Jess wasn't paying much attention because she had stopped at second base and almost got run over before Gordon was able to yell at her enough that she started running. Good thing he didn't have to touch her to get her going but more on that later. Balls and Dolls took a 1 run lead into the bottom of the 5th until Adam from Quit Yer Pitchin (and apparently the Village People) scored the tying run. The 6th inning was filled with action. With runners on 1st and second and 2 outs, little devil Dorothy made a valiant diving effort to get to first safely but QYP's defense held strong. In the bottom half of the inning Courtney made her signature trip over first base and tumble move but to no avail. This one was finished at 7:48 so they had time for an extra inning but no excitement happened there. Tie 4-4.
It was appropriate that on Halloween theme night 99 Problems (orange) and Booze on First (black) faced off against each other. Let me tell you something about this Dexter led Booze on First team; they are the only team that hasn't won a game yet and are last in the standings but their defense is solid. Obviously, that means that their offense is a bit lacking. Note to QYP and Baller I Hardly Know Her; don't expect to score a lot of runs in your remaining game against the black team. This game took a 1-1 tie into an extra inning. 99 Problems scored in the top half but Booze on first mounted their own rally in the bottom half. On an overthrow play at home plate Booze on First had appeared to scored 2 runs to win the game, however the first base ref ruled that the second run that scored should have ended up at 3rd base due to the overthow because at the time the ball went out of play she had not yet crossed 2nd base. 99 Problems had their asses saved there by the Booze on First runner not hustling and a heads up referee. This one ended in a 2-2 tie.
Last but certainly not least was Masterbatters vs We've Got The Runs. I'm told there wasn't a lot of excitement in this game. We've Got The Runs once again had no runs. There was a green fairy in right field, making people hallucinate and a pink fairy prevented anyone from having breast cancer on the field. MacGruber was also on hand to make sure that no one exploded until the very end. I don't know what any of that really has to do with anything. Masterbatters won 2-0.
Our first game on field 1 had Baller I Hardly Know Her locking horns with the Seminoles. Locking Horns is a rather arbitrary term as this one was really no contest. I asked the purple people eaters to comment on their loss after the game and their reply was, "We Sucked!". Josh said, "I didn't have anything bad to say, they beat us handily". Things are looking up for the Seminoles. They were able to crush an opponent with the opponent not having anything bad to say. That's what I call progress. Seminoles put a shellacking the purple team, 11-0.
Field 2 had Asstastic Balls taking on Multiple Scorgasm. Highly billed games rarely live up to the hype and this game between two of the best teams in the division seemed to live up to that pattern. Asstastic Balls must have forgotten that there was even a game this week because they were scrambling to get enough players there by the start of the game. I was told by one member of the pink team that this was due to complications with INS. Usually, Asstastic Balls has one good inning in the first and that was no different here as the Beast had a huge 2 run home run in the early frame. The scoring didn't stop there though as Asstastic Balls were able to put up lots of crooked numbers on the board. The Beast led the way the whole time on offense and defense. He made a great mutant like jump over a throw at home plate to score and at one point "don't kick it to the beast" was overheard on the Multiple Scorgasm sideline. Asstastic Balls won 9-4.
Balls and Dolls and Quit Yer Pitchin took to field 3 at 7pm for one of the best matchups this week. Gordon from Balls and Dolls got things rocking early when he kicked a 3 run home run but Jess wasn't paying much attention because she had stopped at second base and almost got run over before Gordon was able to yell at her enough that she started running. Good thing he didn't have to touch her to get her going but more on that later. Balls and Dolls took a 1 run lead into the bottom of the 5th until Adam from Quit Yer Pitchin (and apparently the Village People) scored the tying run. The 6th inning was filled with action. With runners on 1st and second and 2 outs, little devil Dorothy made a valiant diving effort to get to first safely but QYP's defense held strong. In the bottom half of the inning Courtney made her signature trip over first base and tumble move but to no avail. This one was finished at 7:48 so they had time for an extra inning but no excitement happened there. Tie 4-4.
It was appropriate that on Halloween theme night 99 Problems (orange) and Booze on First (black) faced off against each other. Let me tell you something about this Dexter led Booze on First team; they are the only team that hasn't won a game yet and are last in the standings but their defense is solid. Obviously, that means that their offense is a bit lacking. Note to QYP and Baller I Hardly Know Her; don't expect to score a lot of runs in your remaining game against the black team. This game took a 1-1 tie into an extra inning. 99 Problems scored in the top half but Booze on first mounted their own rally in the bottom half. On an overthrow play at home plate Booze on First had appeared to scored 2 runs to win the game, however the first base ref ruled that the second run that scored should have ended up at 3rd base due to the overthow because at the time the ball went out of play she had not yet crossed 2nd base. 99 Problems had their asses saved there by the Booze on First runner not hustling and a heads up referee. This one ended in a 2-2 tie.
Last but certainly not least was Masterbatters vs We've Got The Runs. I'm told there wasn't a lot of excitement in this game. We've Got The Runs once again had no runs. There was a green fairy in right field, making people hallucinate and a pink fairy prevented anyone from having breast cancer on the field. MacGruber was also on hand to make sure that no one exploded until the very end. I don't know what any of that really has to do with anything. Masterbatters won 2-0.
Labels:
FL Breaker,
Kickball Rules,
Kickball Tampa,
Recap,
WAKA Tampa
Friday, October 22, 2010
Who reads the blog?
So I was taking a look at the blog stats today and found that we've had a bit of a spike this month. Of course a lot of that has to do with more people in the division who are learning about the blog but that's only part of the story. Where people are viewing is interesting as well.
In addition to all the hits we have had in the US, just this week we have had a number of visitors from other countries. We've had 50 friends from Canada, 5 from New Zealand, 4 in Argentina, and 2 each from China, Columbia, Germany, Spain and Puerto Rico. So welcome to all of our foreign friends.
Why is all of this traffic coming to our blog? Are they such kickball enthusiasts that they just have to find out what's going on in WAKA in Tampa? Actually, No. Try New Jersey. While the WAKA FL Breaker webpage is the number one source for viewers of the blog, there is a certain image that is drawing people to our site. This one. Being that it is October and that means Halloween is coming up soon, a lot of people are doing google searches for "Jersey shore costumes", "Jersey shore outfits", and "Jersey shore themed party". All of that searching is directing people to this post from the summer FL Big Guava season when we had a Jersey Shore theme week. Just today that page has has 102 hits at the time I write this.
All I have to say to that is WOW. I slave away at the keyboard each week to give you an update on what's going on in the world of WAKA and provide you some entertainment during your down time at work and I get out done by Snookie and the Situation. Who knew that people in China had Jersey Shore theme parties?
In addition to all the hits we have had in the US, just this week we have had a number of visitors from other countries. We've had 50 friends from Canada, 5 from New Zealand, 4 in Argentina, and 2 each from China, Columbia, Germany, Spain and Puerto Rico. So welcome to all of our foreign friends.
Why is all of this traffic coming to our blog? Are they such kickball enthusiasts that they just have to find out what's going on in WAKA in Tampa? Actually, No. Try New Jersey. While the WAKA FL Breaker webpage is the number one source for viewers of the blog, there is a certain image that is drawing people to our site. This one. Being that it is October and that means Halloween is coming up soon, a lot of people are doing google searches for "Jersey shore costumes", "Jersey shore outfits", and "Jersey shore themed party". All of that searching is directing people to this post from the summer FL Big Guava season when we had a Jersey Shore theme week. Just today that page has has 102 hits at the time I write this.
All I have to say to that is WOW. I slave away at the keyboard each week to give you an update on what's going on in the world of WAKA and provide you some entertainment during your down time at work and I get out done by Snookie and the Situation. Who knew that people in China had Jersey Shore theme parties?
What is your favorite part of the blog?
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Seminole Lovin'
So there is this one team that everyone loves to hate. They've been around for a long time and they have won a lot. They are certainly one of the more competitive teams in the division which may fuel the hatred directed towards them but I tend to see a lot of the anger comes from some of the girls in the division directed towards the "skinny bitches" on the gold team. Trying to keep drama aside, I decided that this week the Seminoles deserved a little lovin'.
By a show of hands, how many out there associate the Seminoles with "sliding into bitches and wrecking them until the other team is fucking down to one girl"? The Seminoles certainly like to win and are fierce competitors on the field of play. Historically they have not done a good job of socializing with the other teams. Last season we even created an award named the Seminole Award that went to the least liked team in the season. They were so disliked that they didn't even earn their own award. That honor was bestowed on the now defunct Suck My Kick.
It seems like a bit has changed this season. We are starting to see more of them at the bar and while they haven't displayed much interest in participating in themes yet, they have been socializing with other teams more.
I sat down with a couple of Seminoles at MacDinton's this week to see what I could learn about them and you might actually be impressed. First of all, guys you might like this, they have a lot of single ladies on the team. For the girls out there, there is at least one single guy (there are probably more) and he's from Jersey. So ladies, if you are looking for a guido gorilla juice head to smoosh you may be in luck, or not. Its a Jersey thing.
One impressive tidbit about the Seminole ladies is that they are actually quite involved in charity. Quite a few of them are members of the Junior League and spend a lot of time, effort and money to help other people. Leslie, who is single and looking, likes to donate time each month to read to less fortunate children. Her love for children doesn't just stop there. She also works to connect children in foster care with permanent homes and was even able to help her sister give a permanent home to a child. I an also told that Lindsay, who is also single*, is probably the most involved person you can ever meet and she is constantly donating her time to the Junior League.
They want the division to know that the Seminoles have a good heart and do good for kids. In fact, next week some of the Seminole ladies will be out at the fields taking donations for the Junior League and selling tickets for their Holiday Gift Market. Proceeds will help support the League’s volunteer training efforts, leadership development programs, and community projects in the areas of foster care, literacy and education, and basic needs for disadvantaged children. I am told that one of the beneficiaries of fundraising will be Mary Lee's House which helps children who are victims of abuse and neglect.
So before you go hating on the Seminoles any more, keep in mind the good that they do in the community and maybe say hi to them at the bar. Next week, lets show a little love to the Seminoles. Guys, you might even score some extra points with the single ladies if you show your support for the kids.
* single may mean not currently engaged or married. This blog and its affiliates assume no responsibility or liability for any injuries that may incur, including but not limited to drinks in the face, slaps in the face or knees to the groin, as a result of any sexual advances you make.
By a show of hands, how many out there associate the Seminoles with "sliding into bitches and wrecking them until the other team is fucking down to one girl"? The Seminoles certainly like to win and are fierce competitors on the field of play. Historically they have not done a good job of socializing with the other teams. Last season we even created an award named the Seminole Award that went to the least liked team in the season. They were so disliked that they didn't even earn their own award. That honor was bestowed on the now defunct Suck My Kick.
It seems like a bit has changed this season. We are starting to see more of them at the bar and while they haven't displayed much interest in participating in themes yet, they have been socializing with other teams more.
I sat down with a couple of Seminoles at MacDinton's this week to see what I could learn about them and you might actually be impressed. First of all, guys you might like this, they have a lot of single ladies on the team. For the girls out there, there is at least one single guy (there are probably more) and he's from Jersey. So ladies, if you are looking for a guido gorilla juice head to smoosh you may be in luck, or not. Its a Jersey thing.
One impressive tidbit about the Seminole ladies is that they are actually quite involved in charity. Quite a few of them are members of the Junior League and spend a lot of time, effort and money to help other people. Leslie, who is single and looking, likes to donate time each month to read to less fortunate children. Her love for children doesn't just stop there. She also works to connect children in foster care with permanent homes and was even able to help her sister give a permanent home to a child. I an also told that Lindsay, who is also single*, is probably the most involved person you can ever meet and she is constantly donating her time to the Junior League.
They want the division to know that the Seminoles have a good heart and do good for kids. In fact, next week some of the Seminole ladies will be out at the fields taking donations for the Junior League and selling tickets for their Holiday Gift Market. Proceeds will help support the League’s volunteer training efforts, leadership development programs, and community projects in the areas of foster care, literacy and education, and basic needs for disadvantaged children. I am told that one of the beneficiaries of fundraising will be Mary Lee's House which helps children who are victims of abuse and neglect.
So before you go hating on the Seminoles any more, keep in mind the good that they do in the community and maybe say hi to them at the bar. Next week, lets show a little love to the Seminoles. Guys, you might even score some extra points with the single ladies if you show your support for the kids.
What are your thoughts on the Seminoles?
* single may mean not currently engaged or married. This blog and its affiliates assume no responsibility or liability for any injuries that may incur, including but not limited to drinks in the face, slaps in the face or knees to the groin, as a result of any sexual advances you make.
Dry Fit
So in the WAKA Rule book is rule 2.01
So that means, if you have received your t-shirt, you have to wear it to play. But guess what, it doesn't have to exactly be the one you got at the beginning of the season. Don't feel like doing laundry? You are in luck, you can purchase additional t-shirts online in the WAKA store on www.kickball.com.
In the WAKA store you can order the cotton t-shirts like we are given at the beginning of the season (except it just says play kickball on the back) or you can be really cool and order the new dry fit t-shirts. These shirts are pretty slick and great in Florida. In just a few weeks we will be having our playoffs that will all be played in one long day. The dry fit t-shirts definitely make a difference so be sure to order one in time for the tournament.
2.01 While participating in WAKA kickball, players must properly wear and fully display the official WAKA athletic
clothing designated for their use. Teams with players who fail to abide by this rule forfeit that game.
So that means, if you have received your t-shirt, you have to wear it to play. But guess what, it doesn't have to exactly be the one you got at the beginning of the season. Don't feel like doing laundry? You are in luck, you can purchase additional t-shirts online in the WAKA store on www.kickball.com.
In the WAKA store you can order the cotton t-shirts like we are given at the beginning of the season (except it just says play kickball on the back) or you can be really cool and order the new dry fit t-shirts. These shirts are pretty slick and great in Florida. In just a few weeks we will be having our playoffs that will all be played in one long day. The dry fit t-shirts definitely make a difference so be sure to order one in time for the tournament.
What t-shirt will you wear at the playoffs?
Week 6 Theme - Halloween
We've got one more week of play before Halloween so next week the theme will be just that. We should see plenty of ghosts and goblins and random sexiness. Teenage angst ridden vampires are not allowed but bayou vampires are.
Labels:
FL Breaker,
Halloween,
Kickball Tampa,
Theme,
WAKA Tampa
Week 5 (but really week 6) Recap
Yesterday morning I woke up in Boston and it was 38 degrees. I was quite excited to hop on a plane and head back to Tampa for some exciting FL Breaker Division kickball action. Some teams looked a bit rusty after taking last week off. We even had a special guest this week. Some of you may have been asking, who was that guy with the cool WAKA kickball polo at the fields? Well that was MLoop. He is the manager for WAKA Kickball in Florida. He had heard that FL Breaker was the coolest bunch of people that WAKA had and he wanted to see it for himself. I think he was pretty impressed with what he saw.
Field 1, Game 1. This field and time slot for whatever reason has become 99 Problems home field and they took it once again in their matchup against Multiple Scorgasm. Both of these teams have championship potential and we may very well see a rematch in the playoffs. Multiple Scorgasm had the opening salvo with a run in the top of the first, countered by 2 runs by 99 Problems in the bottom half. The team in orange seemed to have 99 problems on defense in the top half of the second as they gave up a 5 spot. 99 Problems battled back hard thanks in part to some aggressive baserunning by Kacie aka Yellow Shoe but Ashley showed off her stunning defensive skills. Any ball up the middle was quickly gobbled up by Ashley, throwing a big "boo ya bitches" exclamation point 99 Problems way. The same defensive prowess could not be said of MS left fielder Kyle. In the bottom of the 6th "Miss Nevada" had 2 balls right in her face but spit them right to the ground. The come back just wasn't enough to overcome earlier defeceit. Multiple Scorgasm won 6-5.
Field 2 saw Booze on First take on the Seminoles. On paper, this should have been a blowout. The Seminoles came in with 3 wins 0 losses and a tie on the season, while Booze on First had 0 wins, 3 losses and a tie. Should be a no brainer, right? Wrong! This game ended in a tie and the Seminoles were not pleased but more on them later. Tie Game 1-1.
Asstastic Balls and Balls N Dolls matched up on field 3. Statistically speaking these 2 teams were pretty evenly matched. You have to consider though that Asstastic balls usually only has one really good inning, usually the first. Balls N Dolls were pretty motivated, considering that they were celebrating teammate Mike's birthday. Mattie B (the little Asian) may have had the play of the day. He was running the bases and charging towards third and decided to dive into third from about 10 feet away and somehow had enough momentum to make it to the base. Unfortunately, he was wearing a belt and all the sliding may have caused some damage. Rumor has it that there might have been some swelling later on that night which may or may not be related. Katie aka "Cliff Lee" looked pretty dominant on the mound. After the game was over, Balls N Dolls was pretty disappointed that their team cheer sucked compared to Asstastic Balls so Katie, Megan and Jessica channeled their inner cheerleaders and put Jess into a half (but no one could remember what it was a half of). Jess almost fell but Katie was able to save her. Balls N Dolls won 4-1.
The game between Masterbatters and Baller I Hardly Know Her had a guest ref. MLoop the Florida WAKA Manager took home plate ref. I didn't get a chance to see much of this game but I'm told that Josh pretty much sucked and couldn't do anything right, sorry Josh. After the game, Jessica from Masterbatters refused to give me a quote, I can't imagine why. Luckily another Masterbatter had some input to the game. "I like purple." Um... yeah, that's for that brilliant input. This game ended in a 3-3 tie.
Last but not least was We've Got The Runs vs Quit Yer Pitching. I don't know what to say about Quit Yer Pitchin this season. QYP has always sort of been a second tier team and they consistently go deep into the playoff but they tend to be terribly inconsistent in the regular season. We've Got the Runs tends to be consistently bad, especially in the getting runs department. Not this week. Heard from the light blue sidelines, "We've got the runs, someone call a doctor" Gross!. We've Got the Runs won 2-1.
Field 1, Game 1. This field and time slot for whatever reason has become 99 Problems home field and they took it once again in their matchup against Multiple Scorgasm. Both of these teams have championship potential and we may very well see a rematch in the playoffs. Multiple Scorgasm had the opening salvo with a run in the top of the first, countered by 2 runs by 99 Problems in the bottom half. The team in orange seemed to have 99 problems on defense in the top half of the second as they gave up a 5 spot. 99 Problems battled back hard thanks in part to some aggressive baserunning by Kacie aka Yellow Shoe but Ashley showed off her stunning defensive skills. Any ball up the middle was quickly gobbled up by Ashley, throwing a big "boo ya bitches" exclamation point 99 Problems way. The same defensive prowess could not be said of MS left fielder Kyle. In the bottom of the 6th "Miss Nevada" had 2 balls right in her face but spit them right to the ground. The come back just wasn't enough to overcome earlier defeceit. Multiple Scorgasm won 6-5.
Field 2 saw Booze on First take on the Seminoles. On paper, this should have been a blowout. The Seminoles came in with 3 wins 0 losses and a tie on the season, while Booze on First had 0 wins, 3 losses and a tie. Should be a no brainer, right? Wrong! This game ended in a tie and the Seminoles were not pleased but more on them later. Tie Game 1-1.
Asstastic Balls and Balls N Dolls matched up on field 3. Statistically speaking these 2 teams were pretty evenly matched. You have to consider though that Asstastic balls usually only has one really good inning, usually the first. Balls N Dolls were pretty motivated, considering that they were celebrating teammate Mike's birthday. Mattie B (the little Asian) may have had the play of the day. He was running the bases and charging towards third and decided to dive into third from about 10 feet away and somehow had enough momentum to make it to the base. Unfortunately, he was wearing a belt and all the sliding may have caused some damage. Rumor has it that there might have been some swelling later on that night which may or may not be related. Katie aka "Cliff Lee" looked pretty dominant on the mound. After the game was over, Balls N Dolls was pretty disappointed that their team cheer sucked compared to Asstastic Balls so Katie, Megan and Jessica channeled their inner cheerleaders and put Jess into a half (but no one could remember what it was a half of). Jess almost fell but Katie was able to save her. Balls N Dolls won 4-1.
The game between Masterbatters and Baller I Hardly Know Her had a guest ref. MLoop the Florida WAKA Manager took home plate ref. I didn't get a chance to see much of this game but I'm told that Josh pretty much sucked and couldn't do anything right, sorry Josh. After the game, Jessica from Masterbatters refused to give me a quote, I can't imagine why. Luckily another Masterbatter had some input to the game. "I like purple." Um... yeah, that's for that brilliant input. This game ended in a 3-3 tie.
Last but not least was We've Got The Runs vs Quit Yer Pitching. I don't know what to say about Quit Yer Pitchin this season. QYP has always sort of been a second tier team and they consistently go deep into the playoff but they tend to be terribly inconsistent in the regular season. We've Got the Runs tends to be consistently bad, especially in the getting runs department. Not this week. Heard from the light blue sidelines, "We've got the runs, someone call a doctor" Gross!. We've Got the Runs won 2-1.
Labels:
FL Breaker,
Kickball Tampa,
WAKA Kickball,
WAKA Tampa
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Wait for It....
Ok so the blog is a little later than usual in getting up and running this week so rather than keep you all waiting, I'm going to give you a repost from last year(its new for all of you newbies) that should keep you entertained for a little while until I can get last nights recaps up.
History of Kickball
So we all know (or at least I know) that WAKA was founded in Washington, DC in 1998 and started its first season of play in Tampa in 2003 but what about the game of kickball itself? Most of us know of kickball from playing as a kid but what about kickball's origins? Historical records are hard to come by. Luckily, recent archaeological discoveries have helped solve the mystery of the origins of kickball.
A recent re-examination of the cave drawings at the Cave of the Trois-Freres in France by archaeologist Sir Douglas Graves have shed new light on the origins of kickball. These cave drawings show that a primitive form of kickball was played as early as 13,000 BC. It is believed that the game was of a spiritual nature to help prepare the men's mind and body before large hunts.
Kickball continued to be played in different forms throughout Europe and was easily the most popular past time activity of ancient people. Though many debate on the true reasons for the existence of Stone Henge, it has recently been proven that it was in fact the world's first kickball stadium. The Druids did not need a whole lot of room for the playing field because at the time the kickball itself was made of stone so bunting was quite prevalent.
In the first century AD an event changed the growth of kickball forever. Jesus of Nazareth had putting together a team of players for the spring season in the Jerusalem league. While Jesus himself did not play, he assembled the best 11 man team he could. Unfortunately he had 12 apostles and Judas Iscariot was the odd man out. Angry about being cut from the team, Judas promptly betrayed Jesus, leading to his crucifixion. Early Christians blamed the sport of kickball for the betrayal and as the church grew, they did their best to stamp out any evidence of the sport's existence. For that reason, most all historic records of kickball's existence were destroyed. Knowledge of the sport was close to being lost forever. The lack of a fun, social activity led to the dark ages.
In the 13th century, the Templar Knights were busy excavating the Temple Mount when they discovered a scroll with an explanation of the kickball rules. Kickball quickly became a favorite game of the knights. Because of the church's official position on the game at the time, the knights were labeled as heretics, eventually leading Pope Clement to issue the order to arrest all Templar Knights on Friday October 13, 1307 for their offenses of immorality. Many knights were tortured and killed for their love of kickball but some escaped and headed north to Scandinavia where they taught the game to the Vikings.
The Vikings were originally quite friendly and great ambassadors for the game. They loved introducing kickball to new people in the lands they discovered. Unfortunately, the Vikings soon got frustrated by the other teams' excessive bunting. Enraged by the difficulty in defending against the strategy, the Vikings would soon conquer any land who's kickball team dared allow a man to bunt. During this time it was not uncommon for the severed head of a bunter from a previous game to be used as the ball.
It was on a Viking expedition to North America that kickball was first introduced to the Native Americans. The Native American game took a slightly different form and much like their other favorite sport of the time, lacrosse, there was no limit to the number of players on the field at one time. As a result, the games were quite wild and fatalities were a common occurrence.
When Squanto introduced corn and kickball to the pilgrims, the new settlers were very excited to play the sport but due to their dwindling numbers from disease and starvation, they were concerned about the possibility of more fatalities from kickball. It was decided right there in Plymouth, in November 1621 that the game would again be limited to 11 players on the field at a time, greatly reducing the risk of death. It is believed that the great feast that followed the game was the inspiration to have a social gathering somewhere after the games, eventually leading to sponsor bars.
Kickball continued to find popularity among the colonists. Sam Adams, famed statesman, brewer and rabble-rouser, was the first to connect flip cup to the game of kickball, though at the time it was a much more difficult game as the cups were often made of pewter. On Mar 4, 1770 a group of Colonials, led by Crispus Attucks defeated a group of British soldiers, captained by Thomas Preston, in a tight kickball game. The next day the troops, who were still upset about the loss, fired upon the team and Crispus Attucks and some of his teammates were killed in the Boston Massacre and the seeds of the revolution were sewn.
On April 12, 1861 a game took place between the A-Ball-itionists and the ReBalls at Fort Sumter, South Carolina. There was a disputed call when one of the refs called a player out and players started arguing. Hostilities broke out and after years of fighting and more than 200,000 dead the kickball rules would forever change so that from then on, only captains could argue calls with a ref.
For most of history and up until WWII kickball was a sport that was played only by men. With so many men shipping off to war a new all female league was formed to help satisfy the public's desire to watch kickball. In 1943 the All-American Girls Kickball League was formed, only to be disbanded after 1954. The aftermath of the league disbanding left a void for women in kickball. The 1960's saw the rise of the Women's Rights Movement, leading women to fight for reproductive rights, equality in the workplace and equality in kickball. This movement resulted in the rule that a team is fielded by at least 4 men and 4 women for a game to be official.
Kickball continued to rise in popularity but the energy crisis of 1979 caused the game to lose popularity among adults. The shortage of gasoline kept many adults from wanting to drive any more than they had to, making it difficult to get enough people to a field after work for a game. As the game's popularity declined among adult players, it found a rebirth in American schoolyards in the 1980's and 90's.
In 1998 a group of friends were in a bar talking about ideas of how to organize people to bring them together for a fun time and to meet new people, and thus WAKA was born.
So now you know the complete and totally truthful history of kickball.
A recent re-examination of the cave drawings at the Cave of the Trois-Freres in France by archaeologist Sir Douglas Graves have shed new light on the origins of kickball. These cave drawings show that a primitive form of kickball was played as early as 13,000 BC. It is believed that the game was of a spiritual nature to help prepare the men's mind and body before large hunts.
Kickball continued to be played in different forms throughout Europe and was easily the most popular past time activity of ancient people. Though many debate on the true reasons for the existence of Stone Henge, it has recently been proven that it was in fact the world's first kickball stadium. The Druids did not need a whole lot of room for the playing field because at the time the kickball itself was made of stone so bunting was quite prevalent.
In the first century AD an event changed the growth of kickball forever. Jesus of Nazareth had putting together a team of players for the spring season in the Jerusalem league. While Jesus himself did not play, he assembled the best 11 man team he could. Unfortunately he had 12 apostles and Judas Iscariot was the odd man out. Angry about being cut from the team, Judas promptly betrayed Jesus, leading to his crucifixion. Early Christians blamed the sport of kickball for the betrayal and as the church grew, they did their best to stamp out any evidence of the sport's existence. For that reason, most all historic records of kickball's existence were destroyed. Knowledge of the sport was close to being lost forever. The lack of a fun, social activity led to the dark ages.
In the 13th century, the Templar Knights were busy excavating the Temple Mount when they discovered a scroll with an explanation of the kickball rules. Kickball quickly became a favorite game of the knights. Because of the church's official position on the game at the time, the knights were labeled as heretics, eventually leading Pope Clement to issue the order to arrest all Templar Knights on Friday October 13, 1307 for their offenses of immorality. Many knights were tortured and killed for their love of kickball but some escaped and headed north to Scandinavia where they taught the game to the Vikings.
The Vikings were originally quite friendly and great ambassadors for the game. They loved introducing kickball to new people in the lands they discovered. Unfortunately, the Vikings soon got frustrated by the other teams' excessive bunting. Enraged by the difficulty in defending against the strategy, the Vikings would soon conquer any land who's kickball team dared allow a man to bunt. During this time it was not uncommon for the severed head of a bunter from a previous game to be used as the ball.
It was on a Viking expedition to North America that kickball was first introduced to the Native Americans. The Native American game took a slightly different form and much like their other favorite sport of the time, lacrosse, there was no limit to the number of players on the field at one time. As a result, the games were quite wild and fatalities were a common occurrence.
When Squanto introduced corn and kickball to the pilgrims, the new settlers were very excited to play the sport but due to their dwindling numbers from disease and starvation, they were concerned about the possibility of more fatalities from kickball. It was decided right there in Plymouth, in November 1621 that the game would again be limited to 11 players on the field at a time, greatly reducing the risk of death. It is believed that the great feast that followed the game was the inspiration to have a social gathering somewhere after the games, eventually leading to sponsor bars.
Kickball continued to find popularity among the colonists. Sam Adams, famed statesman, brewer and rabble-rouser, was the first to connect flip cup to the game of kickball, though at the time it was a much more difficult game as the cups were often made of pewter. On Mar 4, 1770 a group of Colonials, led by Crispus Attucks defeated a group of British soldiers, captained by Thomas Preston, in a tight kickball game. The next day the troops, who were still upset about the loss, fired upon the team and Crispus Attucks and some of his teammates were killed in the Boston Massacre and the seeds of the revolution were sewn.
On April 12, 1861 a game took place between the A-Ball-itionists and the ReBalls at Fort Sumter, South Carolina. There was a disputed call when one of the refs called a player out and players started arguing. Hostilities broke out and after years of fighting and more than 200,000 dead the kickball rules would forever change so that from then on, only captains could argue calls with a ref.
For most of history and up until WWII kickball was a sport that was played only by men. With so many men shipping off to war a new all female league was formed to help satisfy the public's desire to watch kickball. In 1943 the All-American Girls Kickball League was formed, only to be disbanded after 1954. The aftermath of the league disbanding left a void for women in kickball. The 1960's saw the rise of the Women's Rights Movement, leading women to fight for reproductive rights, equality in the workplace and equality in kickball. This movement resulted in the rule that a team is fielded by at least 4 men and 4 women for a game to be official.
Kickball continued to rise in popularity but the energy crisis of 1979 caused the game to lose popularity among adults. The shortage of gasoline kept many adults from wanting to drive any more than they had to, making it difficult to get enough people to a field after work for a game. As the game's popularity declined among adult players, it found a rebirth in American schoolyards in the 1980's and 90's.
In 1998 a group of friends were in a bar talking about ideas of how to organize people to bring them together for a fun time and to meet new people, and thus WAKA was born.
So now you know the complete and totally truthful history of kickball.
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