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.