Thundercats Take II

Last week's Game of the Week between the New Kicks on the Block and the Thundercats was an absolute flop. Pre-season there was a ton of hype surrounding the Thundercats, admittedly most of that was my doing.

My understanding was that the Thundercats were going to field a hand picked team of kickball henchmen and Thursday night mercenaries. However to their credit, it seems like they went the traditional rout and merely got a handful of friends together for some kickball. Don't get me wrong, they do have some heavy hitters on their team, but its not the team I imagined. Custom kickball death squads are becoming more and more popular, i.e. Confused Kixxx and the Party Crashers. These teams are all-star assembled teams who pay for championships with blood. It turns out the Thundercats are not one of these kickball death squads.

At least from what I witnessed last Wed, they aren't some sort of mercenary team. They are still dangerous though, they played well. However I think we must give them one more chance before we dismiss this team completely. Lucky for us they get the recharged I'd Hit It this coming up week.

This past Wed, I'd Hit It totally embarrassed Los Fah Qs by a score of 17-0. Fah Q? No no Fah Q Pinchi Andy! Now let's see what I'd Hit It can do against the Thunderkitties. This will be a good gauge of both teams skill. THIS IS THE GAME OF THE WEEK!

The Game of the Week should have been between the Balls & Dolls and the New Kicks on the Block. Too bad Domino decided to take his entire team to Vegas for Spring Break to participate in a team building exercise, which unfortunately will result in a forfeit for New Kicks. Awww nuts. Oh well...

At-Large Attention

The opinions, comments, and/or suggestions are solely that of each individual authors.


Written by: Newton's Flaw

Amid the latest local at-large shortcoming, I bring you SCK’s at-large alert for the kickball dance. Some teams do not worry about being in this scenario because they believe themselves to be on the polar end of the Red Ball world, whether its on the Elite End or the Who Gives A Fuck End.  However, for those more equatorial teams, Wednesday might be your chance to prove that you are deserving of an At-Large nod come May.

The following teams are in need of a win this week being that their games are paired against beatable foes. For the exception of Vicious & Delicious, a fourth divisional seed would be considered a good season. And even though the VD has potential to have a great season, they need to start showcasing some skills this week.   

Vicious & Delicious, 1 More Shot, Kick N D Balls, Hash House Harries, Where My Pitches At?, Hung Jury  

This next group faces the toughest challenge of all the mid-majors. Unfortunately, their last non-divisional games come at the hands of teams that might just end up crowning themselves the next King of Kickball. However, a great game and these teams might just have a case. My best advice, do your best to avoid a blow out.

Red Hot Cherry Poppers, Pitch, Please, Billy Badasses

The following two teams have started off on the right foot, and they may not even need any help later, BUT a loss would put them back in playoff limbo. Judging by their divisions, a fourth seed might be in their destiny.

Brown Chicken Brown Cow, The Runs

The match of the week comes between two teams whose latitude is approaching the more competitive end of the Red Ball Earth. A loss for either team would not put themselves in a complete Doomsday scenario, but a win would definitely catapult the team’s confidence to end up in the automatic 12 qualifying spots.

No More Heroes vs 99 Problems but a Pitch Aint One- Modesto 2- 9:00

The last pair of matches worth mentioning are notable not for their playoff implications but for the dismal statistical feat. These four teams combine for a run differential of -70 and all are still looking to score their first run. The future is uncertain, but for these four teams the forecast does not look too promising.

Royal Tienenballs vs Mataconchas-Memo V.- 7:00
The 28s vs Los Fah Qs- Memo V.- 9:00

Disclaimer: Sun City Kickball is, has, and will always be for each individual player. That being said, all players, coaches, and fans are each entitled to their opinion and to have it voiced. Lucky for the Angry Umpire, I take out the soap box every once and awhile, dust it off, and let him have his fun. The following is the the opinion of the individual author and does not represent the opinions of Sun City Kickball.




Written by: James "The Angry Umpire" Vargas 

What a freaking disappointment!! I went into the new season with extremely high hopes, only to have them come crashing down all around me. This was supposed to be the best season ever for Sun City Kickball. I bought into the hype. 28 teams…Really??? The Spring season had the makings to be the best ever…NOT!!


The fact that SCK has 28 teams on its roster is great. The fact that over three quarter of the teams are nothing more than glorified tee ball teams makes me wonder why. Why would SCK register so many teams? Why would some of these teams even think about playing a kids game that has become super competitive?? And why will they even keep showing up week after week??? Most of these teams are going to get their asses handed to them every single Wednesday. And I’m not just talking about the rookies; some of the “Veteran” teams were in rare form during week 1. You would think that after their countless seasons of experience they would have picked up a trick or two, but after personally witnessing a couple of these games I can honestly say that these peeps have not athletically matured since elementary school. They are horrible to watch and hurt my eyes!!

The upper echelon teams feasted on the weak and hapless. I haven’t heard all of the scores yet, but from the few that crossed my ears, all I can is wow!? 24-0…18-0 and even a 17-0!?!?! Really?? Why would anyone in there right mines show up for that kind of masochistic beatings every Wednesday? And even the “good” games, fell short of everyone’s expectations. New Kicks VS The Thundercatz was suppose to be a clash of titans. But this clash mere mortals was very underwhelming and left everyone who witnessed it with allot to be desired. An inside source told me and I quote, “Thundercatz are garbage…so are the New Kicks!” When it was all said and done these two pretenders managed to bore everyone in attendance to a 1-1 tie.

Overall, all SCK has managed to do is dilute their once quality product. Having that many teams gives the talking heads on the board nothing more than bragging rights over the Thursday league. I doubt anyone of them can tell me with a straight face that all the fresh meat has improved the overall product. SCK finest will get fat happy feasting on all the tenderfoots and greenhorns. Everyone please remember to bring your Tums and Pepto to the park, you all are going to need them!



STRIKE 3 IMM OUT

Week 1 Re-Cap

So after a brutally long wait, SCK's Spring Season Opener has been played and is now in the books. It was a fun night and inspiring to see how much the league has grown. 28 teams is the official count and with 5 fields currently being used SCK is undoubtedly the place to be Wednesday nights. Upward and onward.

Week 1 was slated for non-divisional games, however there was much on the line for all the kickball contenders and pretenders out there. The kickball vets were looking to maintain their reps, while the kickball rookies were trying to show they can compete with the best the league has to offer. And of course there were the friendlies, who come out each week just to play some kickity kickball, have fun and socialize; all while they kick back and laugh at the ridiculousness of the "hardcore" players.

Game of the Week

The Game of the Week was between two very good teams, the New Kicks on the Block v.s the Thundercats. The New Kicks are a small scrappy team lead by their Coach and It's Just Kickball Award winner David "Domino" Fernandez. Although they are a fairly new team, they are quickly showing that they can be contenders in this league. The Thundercats are solid squad, lead by another kickball vet, Damian Lamas. This is their first season here at SCK; however they are no strangers to kickball. The team is comprised of bits and pieces of kickball tourney players and veteran league players. 

So all in all, the match up between these teams should have been an exciting back and forth bout. The only problem was... it wasn't. Don't get me wrong, it was a decent game. But there was very little excitement. A defensive snooze fest is the best description. In all honestly, the best part of the game was the unwavering good sportsmanship between both teams.Very calm and respectable. I hope you're taking notes Mr. Ricky 'The 3-Second Fuse" Random! I can spare the highlights because there weren't many. Expect of course for Domino's standard solo in the park home-run, which brings his steak to 103 straight games with a solo shot home-run.

Final Score - 

New Kicks on the Block - 1            

ThunderCats - 1  

Who's Hot / Who's Not

It's better to be lucky than good any day of the week. The Shockers  were dealt a great deal of luck as their 1st match up of the season was against a team who has absolutely the least amount of kickball experience in the league. The former spot of the Beavers and Balls was given to the team currently only known as "the 28th team". The game was a baptism by fire and obviously a 24-0 blood bath. Which begs the question, are the Shockers really that good? Or was it that their opponents just had no experience and no way to stop them? Maybe its a bit of both but for now....

They are Hot !

As I glance down at the bottom 5 teams, one team name glares out at me in particular, Los Fah Qs. This is a team FULL of kickball experience and kickball vets. They have absolutely no business getting slaughtered 

17-0. Although their beat down was handed down by the #4 ranked team I'd Hit It, who is looking to be a strong contender for the SCK title. Even then, this isn't Los Fah Qs first rodeo. They been in the game way to long to be letting this happen. That's what you get for killing unicorns! Poor Awesome, but that's another story for another day.

They are not.... 

Honorable Mention

Rookie teams are always looking to make a name for themselves. However few ever do, but that was until rookie team Stone Cold Kickers was able to eek into the #10 ranking in their first week of kickball. They were able to put away their rookie counterparts, Hung Jury, by a score of 7-4.  

Congrats Stone Cold Kickers !!!

The Short Straw

Opening Day is almost upon us and with it comes the first 2 weeks of non-divisional games. For the first two weeks of the season, teams will have opportunity to play other teams that are not in their division. Which should be fun, considering that they probably wont get see these other teams until sometime during the playoffs (If their lucky). Match-ups were randomly drawn and unfortunately some teams were luckier than others.

One of those "unlucky" teams ended up being #4 New Kicks on the Block, who really drew the short straw. Other ranked teams such as the #1 Chupacabrones and #2 Balls to the Wall; received favorable schedules which will practically assure them a 2-0 start for the season. The New Kicks on the other hand, must play #7 Thundercats during Week 1. The Thundercats in hindsight are probably ranked to low.They are more deserving of a top 5 spot instead of #7. This match up will test the metal of both teams. This undoubtedly is the match-up of the week.

After playing the Thundercats, entering Week 2 the New Kicks must then play #6 Balls & Dolls. Incidentally I recently attended a scrimmage between the #6 Balls & Dolls and #8 No More Heroes. After a very relaxed scrimmage the Bs&Ds ended up winning the match 7-2 in convincing fashion. Which leads me to the conclusion that No More Heroes will probably not hold the pre-season #8 ranking for too long.

But I digress, in the end the #4 New Kicks really drew a tough two weeks to start the season. They will have to back to back two very tough teams to prove they are contenders. However at the end of the two weeks, the league and their team should have a very good idea of whether or not the New Kicks on the Block have what it takes to compete for a King of Kickball title.  

Spring '11 Divisions Announced

Sun City Kickball's Spring '11 divisions have been announced. The following are where each team ended up and  included are each teams record from last season, if they participated during the Fall Season.

Border Division - Field: Modesto 1

Team - Fall '10 Record (Win-Loss-Tie)

Balls & Dolls (5-2-0)

The Billy Bad Asses (4-3-0)

Drunken Monkeyz - (3-1-3)

Red Hot Cherry Poppers (3-4-0)

Beavers & Balls (2-5-0) 

Suisliders - (New Team)

2Legit 2Kick (New Team)

Frontera Division - Field: Modesto 2

Team - (Win-Loss-Tie)

Shockers (5-1-1)

Los Totally Awesomes - (4-3-0)

Vicious & Delicious (Spring '10-  4-3-0)

Kick N Da Balls- (2-5-0)

Mataconchas (1-6-0)

Hung Jury (New Team)

99 Problems but a pitch ain't one (New Team)

Castner Division - Field: Memo Field

Team - (Win-Loss-Tie)

Balls to the Wall (7-0-0)
New Kicks on the Block (5-1-1)

I'd Hit It (4-3-0)

Royal Tenenballs (Spring '10- 4-3-0)

One More Shot - (4-3-0)

Brown Chicken Brown Cow (1-6-0)

Stone Cold Kickers - (New Team)

Frontera Division - Field: Modesto 2

Team - (Win-Loss-Tie)

Chupacabrones (7-0-0)

The Runs (3-3-1)

Hash House Harriers (0-5-1)

Where's My Pitches At - (New Team)

Pitch Please (New Team

No More Heroes (New Team)

Thundercats (New Team)

Tourney Talk

Charity kickball tournaments are becoming more and more popular across the United States. Kickball seems to provide the perfect combination of challenging competition and fun atmopshere that is needed for an all day event. As El Paso's appetite for kickball grows so does its demand for another kickball tourney. Sadly, El Paso currently holds only one annual kickball tournament a year. However, hopefully that won't be the case forever.

El Paso's only annual kickball tourney is the El Paso Kickball Clash, which held it's 3rd annual event, Feb. 26th. I've had the opportunity to attend all three events and although I haven't been able to attend each event in its entirety; I have been fortunate enough to speak with players and spectators who have expressed their concerns for the events declining popularity. Which is heartbreaking, considering the tournament usually features some of the best kickball talent in El Paso. El Paso's kickball community deserves an annual tourney they can be proud of. Spectators and players could provide a laundry list of deficiencies with the event, but it would be easiest to chalk up the tourney's declining success to mismanagement.

However despite the lack luster tourney, I can honesty say that during the event I was treated to the best kickball game I have ever witnessed. After a full day of questionable officiating and multiple imposed forfeits, the final game was finally slated between two all star teams, Kicking and Screaming and the Party Crashers. At first the match up seemed like it would be a one-sided battle as the Party Crashers had a decent a 3-0 lead by the 3rd inning, in what was turning out to be a defensive game. However that was until tourney MVP Albert Villegas kicked a solo shot home run right into the hearts of the Party Crashers. Followed by a dastardly sick ass ninja move at home plate by some random dude that left Drunken Monkey Reid "the Machine" Hanson embarrassed and surprised. Unfortunately that was the beginning of the end for the Party Crashers, as from that point on they just couldn't get out of their own way. Error after error gave Kicking and Screaming a chance to claw their way to a win. And in dramatic Disney fashion, kickball hot head Marco "Throw the Hat" Random was able to boot a rocket down the 3rd baseline in the bottom of the 5th inning to earn the walk off win 4-3.

Congrats to the Kicking and Screaming and the Party Crashers for an awesome game. See you Wednesday nights!

What Kickball is All About!

He's Back......

Back by popular demand....
Written by: The Angry Umpire
The new season is right around the corner and I for one cannot wait!! I can’t remember the last time Sun City Kickball was this loaded with quality teams from top to bottom. We have plenty of veteran teams returning and a lot of young bloods just chopping at the bit to knock down a kickball giant. So who’s going to win this year?? Will it be everyone’s favorite villains? Or will it be someone that no one even saw coming? If I had to bet my hard earned cash, I would have to go with a team that has done it before.

I know that no one will straight out say it, but thank you Matanconchas, Brown Chicken Brown Cow, and LTA for coming. You all can still play with the big dogs and serve as warm ups for the real games to be played later. The Balls & Dolls aren’t as bad as the previously mentioned teams, but they can’t even beat the Shockers. Of all the ex-champions I think the once mighty yellow team is the weakest champ ever. So if the B&DLS can’t beat them, then they have no chance against the elite teams. It pains me to say but the Shockers will also be going nowhere fast. They’ll probably have a nice regular season, only to choke in the semis to their arch rivals.

The only team from the original SIX that might be able to hang with all the super teams is The Machine formally known as the Drunken Monkeyz. They seem primed to make another run at the title now that they’ve cut some dead weight from their pitching staff.

The Lafayette bunch won’t fair any better. This group is filled with also rans or teams that never were. One More Shot starts every season with so much promise, only to fall flat on their faces. For some reason this poorly coached team can never get out of their own way and make some noise. The Pirates are team that never was, enough said. The only team that might have a tiny bit of hope is Id Hit It. For some reason this team always plays over its head. There’s no way they should even be on the field with SCK’s top tier teams, but they always seem to keep it close…close enough to lose.

I feel for some of the rookie teams. They have no idea what they’re in for when they play some of the super competitive teams. They will either sink or swim with most of these teams drowning a horrible death. So I won’t waste any more time on these future stat padders. 

Out of all the new Modesto additions, I can honestly say that there are only two teams I really like. Sorry Chupacabrones, but you’re not one of them. They’re a very good team, but I don’t think they have the killer instinct to step on the better teams throat and put them away. So are the New Kicks one of these teams? Unfortunately, no! They have one awesome player and few complimentary pieces, but nothing that really scares any one. They had no reason even hanging with last seasons Confused Kixx. One of the teams that I can definitely see being the last one standing is Ballz to the Wall. They have the right mixture of sick athletes and killer instinct that will carry them a long way. And thanks to a certain pitcher that will remain nameless, they will always be an extremely dangerous foe. 

But my pick to win the whole shebang is…The Thundercats. I hate to admit it but these Katz are stacked. They’re experienced multi time champs and will be looking to make a statement!! I wish there was someone else, but sadly there isn’t. Hopefully someone will stand up and make them look Pussy Katz, but I wont

hold my breath on that one.The 5th season will be Sun City Kickballs biggest and most competitive yet!!

I’m dying to see how this new batch of teams will play. 

SEE YOU ALL OUT THERE

It's Just Kickball Awards - Fall '10

Better late then never, here are last season's two It's Just Kickball Award winners!!!!

Coach of the Season - Fall '10

David 'Domino" Fernandez

The Snail! - Fall '10

Daniel "Chucky Bear" Acuna

Pre-Season All-SCK Team

Let me start by welcoming our new contributor/writer to Its Just Kickball, Mr. Newton's Flaw!

Written by: Newton's Flaw

There is no doubt in my mind that this season will be showcasing the best kickball this town has produced. I present to you a preview of the who’s who of talent for this upcoming season. Relative to 28 teams, this list is short and perhaps not as thoroughly researched as the end of the
season honors. Expect 4 All-Division Teams come May, but for now the following players are definitely worth noting.

Preseason All-SCK Team

Coaches

Vincent Trujillo – Chupacabrones;
Carlos Alejandro Lopez – No more Heroes

Pitchers

Jose “Pipi” Delgado #24 – Chupacabrones
Damien Lamas #12 – Thundercats

Catchers

Reid Hanson #8 – Drunken Monkeys
Eddie Gardea #1 – Shockers

Infield

Rick Delgadillo #42 - Balls to the Wall
Kelsey Masters #11– Balls to the Wall
Vanessa Mayhugh #6– Chupacabrones
Chris Shahan #5– Chupacabrones
Lily Favela #6 – Thundercats;
Laura “Chola” Munoz - No More Heroes

Outfield

Nadia Morales #13 – Balls & Dolls
Hector Rodriguez #32 – Thundercats
David “Domino/TheKid/ El Nino” Fernandez - New Kicks on the Block
John Sauceda - Drunken Monkeys
Dora Prichardo # - Shockers

Who is That?!?!

The teams for the Spring 2011 Season are finally set. The final team tally is a whopping 27 teams! By far the biggest season yet for SCK. These massive numbers make the league the undisputed biggest, best, and brightest kickball league in town. Congrats SCKers! 

We have new teams, old teams, returning teams... And it's become harder and harder to keep track of who is who, with all the team name changing going on. In my opinion, it's actually quite sad that team coaches feel they need to constantly one up each other to find the "funniest" new name out there. Frankly the trendiness brings tears to my eyes. Where are the traditionalists? The purists? Big props to all the teams who refuse to give in to the trendiness and pride themselves on the franchise names that they worked so hard to establish. That being said; here is the list of the teams with some unmasking of teams who have changed their name.

The Original Six

The Original Six are back! The league was founded on the backs of these very special teams. Undoubtedly they are kickball royalty, however some have opted to change their team names.

1. Shockers ( Two-Time Champs and multiple semi-final appearances)

2. Drunken Monkeyz ( One-Time Champs and multiple championship game appearances)

3. Los Mataconchas (Originally the Family Jewelz)

4. Balls and Dolls (Consistent Top-Ten Team)

5. Brown Chicken Brown Cow (Originally the Multiple Scoregasms)

6. Los Totally Awesomes - maybe will become Los Fah Qs (These indecisive kiddos have yet to   decide)

   

The Lafeyette Bunch

These next teams joined the SCK family during Season #2. You can compare this group to the Care Bear Cousins, they may not be the original Care Bears, but they are Care Bears nonetheless. 

7. One More Shot (Multiple seasons)

8. Royal Tenenballs (Formerly the Pirates! rrrrrr)

9. I'd Hit It (Consistent Top Ten Team)

The Modesto Additions

The league blew up after Season #2 and the following are all the teams, rookie and returning, who are now with the league at Modesto 1 & 2, Jimmy 0, and surrounding fields.

10. The Billy Badasses (Multiple seasons)

11. Kick N Da Balls (Multiple seasons)

12. Red Hot Cherry Poppers (Multiple seasons)

13. New Kicks on the Block (Hands down best rookie team last season; Semi-Final appearance

14. The Runs (Another very good rookie team from last season)

15. Vicious and Delicious (Skipped last season, but are back for their 2nd SCK appearance)

16. Hash House Harriers (Multiple Seasons)

17. Chupacabrones (A contingency of last season's champs Confused Kixxx; Kickball vets)

18. Ballz to the Wall (The other half of last season's champs Confused Kixxx; Kickball vets)

19. Thundercats (1st season with SCK, but no strangers to kickball; Multiple Kickball Titles)

20. 99 Problems, but a pitch ain't one (Originally the Kickapoos!)

21. Hung Jury (Rookies)

22. Where My Pitches At? (Rookies)

23. No More Heroes (Rookies with veteran help)

24. 2Legit 2Kick (Rookies with veteran help)

25. Pitch, Please (Rookies with veteran help)

26. Suisliders (Rookies)

27.  Stone Cold Kickers (Rookies) 

       


Any questions?!?!?!

Rule Were Meant to be Broken

Well some rules are meant to be broken, but not ALL rules. Especially not the rules found etched onto the sacred pages of the SCK Rule Book. Before the beginning of each new season, the Holy Book of Kickball is brought out from its secure, top secret location; a deep cavernous bunker dug into the side of the Franklin Mountains. To retrieve the sacred text from the mysterious "Keeper of the Book" is a treacherous journey. Many kickballers are sent, but very few return. However this scarfice must be made to ensure that each season the book is updated with the latest and greatest rules. The following updated rules are now gospel!

1.6 (F). All runners over-running 1^st base should remain in foul territory at all times until they return to 1^st base. If a runner over-runs 1^st base and ventures into fair territory, the runner will be deemed in-play and subjected to being tagged out.

5.3 (A) The kicking lineup does not have to be a specific sex order. All defensive players/fielders must be on the kicking line-up.

7.9 If a team does not have enough registered players to field a team they will be allowed to pick up other registered league players to field a team. Teams will only be allowed to pick up enough females to get you to the minimum three. Teams will only be allowed to pick up enough players to get you to 8 players after the 3 female minimum is met. In addition, a team must have a minimum of 6 players in order to enact the “Pick Up” rule. (Pick-Up Rule not available during the Post-Season)

9.2 All kicks must occur:   


A. at or behind home plate. The kicker may step on home plate to kick, however no part of the planted or kicking foot may be in front of or cross the front edge of the home plate. The infraction will result in a foul ball for the kicker. However the kicked ball will be eligible to be caught by the defense.

9.3 Bunting is allowed


A. On a bunt, the ball must pass the 15 ft. Bunt line to be considered in play. A ball stopped before passing the buntline will result in a double foul for the kicker.

10.10 Runners may not advance once the ball is returned to the pitcher. The pitcher must have the ball and be within the designated pitching mound to stop the advancement of the base runners or the play is deemed dead by the umpire.  A runner who is more than half way to the base they are advancing to, before the play is dead, will be awarded that base.

10.11 A runner who fails to touch a base while advancing or improperly tags-up on a fly ball will be indicated by the throwing of a red bean bag in the vicinity of the base in question by a field judge or umpire. If the defense tags the runner or base, prior to the runner’s return, will result in an out. If the defense fails to acknowledge the infraction by the next pitch, the bean bag will be picked up and play will resume without infraction. This call is not subject to being challenged.

14.2 An out is:


B. any kicked ball (fair or foul) that is caught by a fielder; a catch is defined as possession of the ball for an instance or more


So it is written, so it shall be done...

It's About That Time!!

El Paso, TX – Registration for Sun City Kickball’s spring 2011 season begins Saturday, January 15 and is open until Saturday, February 19. Sun City Kickball is El Paso’s fastest growing co-ed adult


kickball league with over 300 members! Games are played on Wednesday evenings at Modesto Gomez Park from March 9 to May 21.

Registration is being held from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM on the following Saturdays at Roger Brown Field (1100 Alabama): January 15, 22 and 29, and February 5 and 12. Coconuts Bar & Grill (816 Piedras) will host registration on February 19 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The fee is $35 per player and a $5 late fee will be added starting on February 12.

All players must be 18 years of age or older on the first day of play. Prospective players can sign up as individuals or form teams. For more details on the league, requirements to form a team, or to download
registration forms visit www.suncitykickball.com/forms.

SCK Stock Market

As kickball enthusiasts we often have to personally sacrifice to participate in this wonderful game we call kickball. We devote personal time, pay player fess, and even invest emotional in, not only our teams, but in other teams as well. There are teams we cheer for and teams we cheer against. We love some teams and we love to "hate" other teams. At the beginning of the Summer Season we all invested in our own teams as well as other team favorites. Now its time to see how each team stock is holding up.

Safest Investment: #1 Confused Kixxx

They are the Walmart of the SCK Stock Market. They started off as the league championship favorite and continue to be the league favorite. Although their dominance has faded a bit this season. They are beatable; however no one has been able to do so as of yet. However they are a very good team and a championship contender. They play to win and are quickly being embraced by the Sun City kickball elite. They are often scrutinized and misunderstood, but I've been around them long enough to know that they are a great bunch of people. From Coach Vinny all the way down to Rick "The 3-Second Fuse" and including Ms. #15 is how many times I've been thrown out. Oh and we cant forget the former Kick N Da Ball kiddos. Good skills, great team, and only time will tell where they will end up.

Best Inside-Tip Investment: #2 Warriors

Little was known about the Warriors coming into the Summer Season. However if you were a kickball insider and familiar with the Thursday night league, you knew this team was going to be a true contender. The Angry Umpire named this team as his sleeper pick of the season and for once in his kickball career he was right. They are undefeated and could quite possibly stay that way even into the championship game. Rock solid defense be their key to winning a King of Kickball Title. If you had the inside tip on this team you made a great investment.

Most Disappointing Investment: #7 Drunken Monkeyz

The Angry Umpire still cries himself to sleep every night after selling everything he owns and investing in the defending champs. Although they have only lost one game, they still have a SCK record 3 ties in one season, which is nothing to write home about. Things are looking very bleak for the defending champs. Undoubtedly they are the most under-perfomring stock in SCK history.

Biggest Investment Crash: Los Totally Awesomes

Sell! Sell! Sell! Sell! If you you still own LTA stock you are either a gambler or straight up crazy. The Mighty Unicorns of LTA have the land speed record for going from Zero to Hero and then back to Zero in less than three weeks. After going 4-0 and making even the biggest critics ture believers, as of late they have really disappointed the LTA Bandwagon. They inched into the playoffs and barely missed having to Play-In. Not sure what went wrong, but LTA is going in the wrong direction and need to figure it out QUICK!

We are mere weeks away from the playoffs. As I look around the SCK Stock Market there are still some teams that are raising their Team Stock Value and others who are losing value.

New Kicks on the Block - Buy !!!

Tu Sabes - Buy !!!

The Runs - Sell !!!

Shockers - Buy !!!

1 More Shot - Sell !!!

I'd Hit It - Buy !!!

Pitches B Crazy - Sell !!!

True Top Ten

As explained in earlier postings, the Top Ten Team list is primarily based off of what will be the post-season seeding format. The reason for this is to get teams comfortable with where they may potentially end up in the seeding. The post-season doesn't work in the traditional divisional playoff format. Instead it is more of a tournament style format spread over multiple weeks. So in a way you could say that the Top Ten List is a tad bit misleading. Many teams have been fortunate enough to be isolated from some of the marquee teams, because in reality the "true" top ten teams would look much, much different.

#1 Warriors
Without a doubt, the Warriors are looking like the team to beat. They are absolutely dangerous on the kickball diamond. They already put to bed two of SCK's finest, the Shockers and Drunken Monkeyz. I remember when Confused Kixxx was the scary mega-tron team, but the Warriors make Confused Kixxx look like a child's play......thing?


#2 Confused Kixxx
So Kixxx ended up not being this crazy, awesome, monster all-star team as previous anticipated, but they still are a very good team. Don't expect them to get knocked out of off the post-season any sooner than the Semi-Finals. They are always in contention for championship titles, its just another day in the office for them.


#3 Shockers
They don't lose many games and there is a reason for that. They already have two kickball titles to their name and they are always on the quest for more. An extremely capable team and if it weren't for teams like the Confused Kixxx, Monkeyz, and the Warriors; they would probably still be dominating SCK like seasons past.


#4 Balls & Dolls
My buddy the Angry Umpire said it best, "They aren't flashy, but they get the job done!" They Balls & Dolls will never be synonymous with dominating, bone crushing kickball. However they always seem to put up wins and get results. At the end of the day that is all that matters. An ugly win or a pretty win, a win is a win and its all the same to the Balls & Dolls.


#5 Los Totally Awesomes
Although they had a minor set back last week, I'm not going to totally throw away the notion that the Mighty Unicorns are a good team. Although they lost to the Billy Bad Asses, I won't penalize them too much for that. Considering that the Billy Bad Asses have a very good habit of beating some good solid teams. Wednesday's game against Confused Kixxx will be the perfect gauge to see whether or not LTA deserves the #5 spot.


And to round off the "true" top ten....

#6 - Drunken Monkeyz
#7 - I'd Hit It
#8 - The New Kickz on the Block
#9 - Tu Sabes
#10 -The Runs

Blind Draw Update

Kickballers: The Blind Draw for Week 8 games will be this Thursday, August 19th at Coconuts Bar & Grill starting @ 7pm. In addition to our regular SCK drink specials, there will be food specials. 2 for 1 Brats, Hotdogs, Burgers, and Chicken Sammiches! Hope to see you all there!

Blind Draw

I know teams are starting to get a little anxious to see who they will be playing during Week 8. We won't know who is eligible for that week until we finish Week 7. However here is a summary of how Week 8 games will work.

The last team in each Group will have to sit out Week 8. These bottom three teams will automatically go into the Play-In Week, if they so choose. For more info on the Play-In Week click here .

All the other teams in the league will be scheduled for a game during Week 8. Game match-ups will be selected by a blind draw. The blind draw will take place Thursday the 19th. The location is still to be determined, so stay tuned to the website, facebook, and the blog for the final details. Each team will have the opportunity for a representative to pull a name. However there will be a twist, which will be explained at the blind draw. More than likely we will set-up shop at Coconuts.

*Note* - To ensure some teams don't flake out during Week 8, ALL games will count when determining top 4 teams in each Group and the At-Large bid. Not to mention, it can also potentially effect your seeding. Season is far from over folks! Gotta keep playing.

Week 6 Recap

And just like that the hype is over. After punishing Tu Sabes last week, to the tune of 10-0, the Mighty Unicorns of LTA were humbled by the unpredictable Billy Bad Asses. LTA was flying high going into Week 6 with their 4-0 record. Their game versus the Bad Asses was simply supposed to be a tune-up before their big match up against #1 Confused Kixxx. However the Billy Bad Asses brought the Unicorns back down to earth in devastating fashion. So now LTA has a week to regroup before playing the power house Confused Kixxx. While the Billy Bad Asses are riding some momentum as they face a very good Tu Sabes team.


I'd Hit It had an impressive game against The Runs this past Wednesday. As predicted, The Runs have yet to figure out how to beat an experienced team. They have the potential to score a barrage of points, but depending on who their opponents are often those runs stay in the tank. On the other side, I'd Hit It is FINALLY getting in gear. If they can keep up this momentum they will do some damage in the playoffs.

The Warriors took down the defending Champs in a close game down at Modesto 2. The Warriors are looking like the team to beat, while the Champs have seen better days. The Angry Umpire will have the in-depth review soon.

Honorable mention goes out to the Multiple Scoregasms for picking up their first win of the season. They took down the After School Specials by a score of 6-3.

Redemption

Thus far team I'd Hit It has had a rather disappointing season. Which is very odd considering they have always been one of the better teams in SCK. During last season, they absolutely destroyed the competition down at Jimmy O. Week after week they chalked up win after win. Even in their rookie season they were an awesome team and even made it to the Championship Game against the Shockers. However this season they are hovering around mediocre.

Although they aren't playing at the same level as previous seasons, they did crack the Top Ten Teams list at #10 this past week. Which could be their first step on the road to redemption. They need to start gaining some momentum before they head into the playoffs or else they are going to find themselves dead in the water.

This week they are scheduled to play rookie team The Runs. The Runs are leading Group C with a mind blowing 31 runs scored. Overall they have the third best offense in the league. It is safe to say that I'd Hit It will have their hands full with this rookie team. I'd Hit It will have to use their experience to neutralize this team. Will it be enough? Well that's why we play the games, right? The good news is the stats trend seems to show I'd Hit It getting better and better with each passing week. In addition, The Runs seem to struggle against the better, more experience teams; i.e. Balls & Dolls and New Kicks on the Block.

It's any ones game, but quite frankly I'd Hit It needs this one a lot more. Not because it will determine their playoff fate, because they should make the playoffs no problem. I'm referring to the mental element. Winning games goes along way in creating team confidence and unity. So good luck to both teams!

Happy Kicking!

The Real Deal

The question has been answered. The Mighty Unicorns of Los Totally Awesomes are the real deal. There was much speculation as to whether or not LTA is truly a Championship caliber team, but after the can of whoop ass they just unleashed on Tu Sabes, there is no denying it anymore.

Los Totally Awesomes are now 4-0 and still undefeated. They rocked a very good Tu Sabes team to the tune of 10-3. LTA was able to beat Tu Sabes convincingly, surprisingly that was something not even the #1 Confused Kixxx were able to do. Which makes the Week 8 match-up between Confused Kixxx and Los Totally Awesomes very interesting.


Confused Kixxx better be ready when the Migthy Unicorns come to town. Kixxx has had a couple of blow outs this season. One came against the Scoregasms, a team that is basically disintegrating. The other blow out was against the rookie squad After School Specials. During those two games, Kixxx was able to show their dominance on the kickball field. However when they are put up against other experienced or skillful teams, they tend to lose that dominating game play. Although they are still putting up wins, they may need to step up their game as we get closer to the play-offs and as they get ready to play LTA.

LTA is playing some down right awesome kickball. Confused Kixxx will absolutely need to be on their game if they want on continue their winning ways. Especially since they will be coming off a bye-week, they will need to stay sharp.

Happy Kicking and Good Luck

All Dolls and No Balls!

Or at least that's how you could describe the Balls & Dolls' effort in their match-up against the New Kicks on the Block.

Before Wednesday night, the Bs&Ds were able to knock off most of the real competition in their division. They easily took down team I'd Hit It, who was supposed to be the other powerhouse team in Group C, but they have been struggling all season long. The Balls & Dolls were also able to take down The Runs, who are extremely dangerous on the offensive side of the ball. In the last two weeks, The Runs have been able to score a total of 25 runs. When the Bs & Ds meet The Runs during Week 3, they not only won the game, but they were able to shut out this offensive powerhouse with a score of 5-0. Which makes their loss to the New Kicks on the Block that more bizarre. Not that the Kicks aren't a good team, but the Balls & Dolls are the better team, more experienced team.

Maybe we can attribute the Balls & Dolls loss to rustiness from their bye-week? I'm not sure, but I personally saw their game and they had some opportunities to score, they just couldn't capitalize off them. During the early innings of the game, they also suffered from some horrible defensive miscues. Which is quite uncharacteristic of their usually stout and very aware defense. Whatever the reason maybe, you have to give all the credit to The New Kicks on the Block. They may not have an awesome defense or a noticeably strong defense, but they are winning. And at the end of the day, that's all the matters!

The New Kicks on the Block are looking great and getting the job done. And if it's any consolation, there is no need for the Balls & Dolls to hit the panic button just yet. There is still some time for a redeeming win. However there isn't much time...

Good Luck and Happy Kicking!

Is that a Unicorn in your pocket? Or are you just happy to see me?

#3 Los Totally Awesomes v.s # 9 Tu Sabes

The Mighty Unicorns of LTA have shown much improvement this Summer Season. During previous seasons, the idea of them being a championship caliber team was not only laughable, but it was a down right ludicrous idea. However all that has changed, with a 3-0 record including a couple of decisive wins, they are quickly making a name for themselves. One of those notable wins came against a very good 1 More Shot with a clutch walk off run to win the game. Another notable win was the more recent 10-0 smack down of the Scoregasms. If they are able to take down Tu Sabes this coming Wednesday, the conversation and the argument can be made that they may in fact be a legitimate contender for the King of Kickball title.

Now taking down Tu Sabes is easier said then done. Tu Sabes has been playing some solid kickball. They have yet to meet an opponent that has given them any real problems. Their only loss came at the hands of the #1 Confused Kixxx, which was a close hard fought game that left Kixxx Coach Vinny Trujillo having to change his diaper more than once. Tu Sabes doesn't have a wealth of experience, but these kiddos can down right play, that is a fact more than it is an opinion.

This game will be show which one of these teams is a contender and which one of these is the pretender. Both teams have what it takes to win, it's all a matter of who wants it more.

Spank the Monkeyz

We already half way down with the Summer 2010 Season. Each week the playoff picture becomes more and more clear. As we head into Week 5 there are some key match-ups scheduled for each division. Let's start with the two juggernauts that will be clashing at Modesto 2.

The Shockers have been dubbed the biggest kickball villains around, not only here at SCK, but even word of their notoriety has traveled down to the Thursday night kickballers. Which I guess make sense, considering that they can count how many times they've lost on one hand and their two King of Kickball titles that were won in back-to-back fashion. You tend to accumulate haters when you dominate the competition continually and with as much success as the Shockers have had. Now the Shockers will be locking horns with another villainous team, the Drunken Monkeyz. These two teams have history, but I wouldn't call it a rivalry, it's a different feel from the storied Balls&Dolls v.s Shockers rivalry. It is odd in a way... However the one thing you can count on, when these two teams get together you are in for a hell of a game.

Both these teams play extremely well. Both teams have quick catchers, which means you can expect both teams to ditch their bunting game early and try to beat each other with the long ball. Which is also a problematic strategy since both teams also sport rock solid outfields. Each team will have to exhibit pin point accuracy, when kicking the ball, if they want any chance at scoring. The Shockers and Monkeyz almost seem mirrors of each other, yet each team has it's own style.

The teams will have to find each others Achilles heel. For the Drunken Monkeyz it has to be their 8 player defensive. Although the Monkeyz have been able to pull of some decisive wins against other teams with 8 players, it is one thing to beat KNDB & Las Mataconchas with 8 players, but to beat the Shockers with 8 players is simply asking for trouble. If the Shockers are able to hit the massive gaps in the Monkey 8 player defensive, they should cruise to an easy victory.

However the Shockers aren't without their own weaknesses . They have an obvious chink in their armor that I'm surprised more teams have yet to expose. With all honestly, the Shockers biggest weakness has to be their ever clumsy first baseman. It's almost painful to watch ever time the Shockers take the field. This guy has the reaction speed of a snail and isn't exactly light on his feet. His Tyrannosaurus Rex like arms make it ridiculously difficult to catch anything thrown his way. And if you think his fielding is bad just wait until you see this guy kick. Its like someone tied his shoes together, he kicks like Pinocchio....it's very sad.

But in all seriousness it all comes down to one thing; which ever team ends up making the least amount of mistakes will win. It's as simple as that.

Top Ten Team List

Remember kickballers, the Top Ten teams list is based off of each team's league record and their Power Ranking. I don't arbitrarily pick which teams I feel are in the Top Ten, because if I did, well the Top Ten wouldn't look anything like it looks right now. I do it this way so teams get used to the format, because this is how the seeding for the playoffs will be determined. So IF the playoffs were held today, #1 Confused Kixxx and #2 New Kicks on the Block would have 1st round byes. However, remember, at this point not all the teams have played the same amount of games, because of the bye-weeks. Which means the list changes quickly and drastically after each week, for the most part.

Oh and before I forget, I don't want to hear any crying about how we should do it this way, or that way, or we should try this... That is a conversation for the off-season, not mid-season.