Now it gets interesting

By Grizzly Michaels

A Kickball Pepo (who has emerged from the mountains for the playoffs)

Playoffs are fun.

It's that simple.

Every game is a win or go home (although the loser will probably be back the next week to watch).

With that kind of format anything is possible, mainly upsets.

Looking at King of Kickball, the top four teams have really separated themselves as the favorite.

But if you look at the regular season results you know that an upset is not out of the question.

Everyone remember the New Kicks on the Block's 1-0 upset over Kixx in Week 2? Guess what the first round match-up is?

Los Totally Awesome once held leads over Kickin' N' Screamin' and their first round opponent Smoking Aces before losing earlier this season.

It's already been documents how Scoregasms have given I'd Hit it a hard time, including a tie just last week.

And yes, Suck My Kick was held hitless by KNS, but then again KNS only scored two runs that inning.

At the same time, the top four are the championship contenders for a reason.

KNS is KNS. They have won it many times before and they know what it takes. Word is Rick wants a second shot at the Smoking Aces, who handed KNS their only loss of the season.

I'd Hit It is always so close to the title. Maybe this is the year Lucas gets to taste gold. The defense has been stout all season allowing only six runs, with five shutouts.

Smoking Aces was put together to win. They may finally be clicking and that could be dangerous for everyone else.

However, momentum is everything and the Kixx have it. On the last night of the season the Kixx played a triple header and came out 3-0. OK, its not as tough as it sounded because one came was the last few innings of a makeup game they were leading anyways and the other two teams were against Suck My Kick, so the fatigue level was almost even.

But still, look at the NFL playoffs. The Super Bowl champion is always the team that has the momentum. So as you look at the top four, you need to figure out for yourself who has the most going for them right now?

Wreck Sandbaggers?

As if waking up from a deep much-needed slumber, its hard to believe the kickball regular is already over. It seems like only yesterday when there was so much anticipated and excitement for Opening Day. Now the excitement shifts over to the post-season.

 

In past seasons, this would be about the time we would enter into a confusing 3 divisional inclusive playoff with weird,  convoluted seeding. However this season the seeding is much more straight forward as there are just two main divisions, the King of Kickball and the Wreck Division.

In addition, each group now sports their own 8 team playoff and championship title. However in all honesty, the King of Kickball title is obviously and undoubtedly the more coveted, celebrated title. While the new Wreck title serves as a good pat-on-the-back for the 9th best team in the league. Not to take away anything from the Wreckers, but it's supposed to be a "fun" league, no?

 

I would be remiss though if I didn't admit that there were some interesting story lines from the Happy Land known as the Wreck Division. Starting off with the fact that going into the last week of the regular season half the division had a losing record. The only teams that had a productive season were the four more experienced teams. Kickball Nation would argue these 4 teams are essentially "sand-baggers" with no business playing in the Wreck Division. However I would argue that playing Wreck is more a state-of-mind rather than a specific skill level. But it is evident that teams Just Kickin' It, Pitch Please, the Kickballaz, and Pitches Aint Shit are considerably better than the rest of their Wreck colouges.

 

Which may be a cause for some concern, because this kind of trend often leads to team participation problems. Experienced teams beating up on rookie teams on a weekly basis results in discouraged players. And discouraged teams and players are less likely to register for future seasons. The solution may be creating some sort of higher-tier level within the Wreck League? Or creating a lower-tier division within the King of Kickball. Either way, I'm sure the off-season will be filled with many debates and coaches meetings to determine a fair and prudent course of action to group teams in a way that will lead to teams becoming discouraged less quickly.

 

The new rules implemented for the new Wreck Division were initially supposed to "level" the playing field between experienced teams and rookie teams. Although the rules were a nice change, their desired effect was not achieved. The experienced teams still had a strangle hold on much of the division. However the amount of offense created by the division was impressive and a good indicator that, at the very least, the games are fun and entertaining. 

 

On a side note, this will be the first season that SCK's original rule of the "Gentleman's Pitch" will be used in post-season play, but only within the Wreck group. Which means their is still hope for even the most inexperienced team to have a shot at a championship title.

 

Well that's all for now, until next time

Good Luck and Happy Kicking!

Wreck Playoff Spots up for Grabs

There is a reason why SCK's non-competitive division has been dubbed the Wreck Division. While each team is fun and unique in their own individual way, the entire division's inconsistent nature usually leaves Kickball Nation scratching it's head. With only one week left in the regular season, there are still many division playoff spots up for grabs.

However the top 4 teams within the division are essentially sitting pretty.

Just Kickin' It currently holds a 5-1 record as they head into their double header week. Their 1st opponent will be This...Pitch, which should be a walk in the park for JKI. However their 2nd opponent Pitches Ain't Shit, one of the other Top 4 Wreck teams, may prove to be a bit more challenging. Just last week Pitches Ain't Shit got into a shoot out with the improving Kickaholics, but were able to ultimately out score the Kickaholics 12-9. Considering though that JKI has a very stout defense this should make for an interesting match up.

The Kickballerz and Pitch, Please are the other two Wreck teams that are already prepping for the post-season as their playoff bids are locked in. These Top 4 teams are the only Wreck teams have done enough to ensure a post season bid.

Now for the rest of the Wreckers, with four teams tied at 3-4 and two teams tied at 2-4, there are 4 playoff spots that could swing either way. 

Two teams that have peaked my interest are the Hash House Harriers and the Kickaholics. They are both looking at double headers and will also have to play each other; however with a little help, both these teams or at least one of them may slid into a post season slot. My gut tells me the Kickaholics may squeeze in with the 8th seed spot, but we will see.

Rookie team the Alchobalics should also make their first playoff cut and also league veterans Royal Tennenballs. The rest of the division however better be ready come game time.

Well that's all for now.

Good luck and Happy Kicking!

The Aces smoke KNS, the Scoregasms best SMK

Written by: Rich Alvarez

With playoffs just around the corner, missteps in the final weeks of the season can be damaging for the psyche of each individual team.

Each match-up is detrimental to a team's momentum heading into the playoffs. Wins are obviously encouraging, but a loss may also be it's own form of encouragement.

Which leaves Kickball Nation wondering how will powerhouse Kickin' N' Screamin' fare after their most recent loss. Will they use it as fuel during their playoff bid? Or will the very real possibility of losing another championship start to creep into thier minds? Only time will tell. Interesting tidbit though, Kickin' N' Screamin's three most recent losses have all been on unfamiliar fields. Jimmy Ochoa (Kixxx), Alta Vista (Party Pandas), and Memorial (Smoking Aces).

And who is to blame for all this creeping doubt? The previously under achieving Smoking Aces are responsible. All season long thier talent has been recognized, but they have struggled to harness that talent into a true powerhouse team.Unsettling emotions and internal pressures plagued this team throughout the season. However things seem to be changing within the ranks of the Smoking Aces. Which should afford them the opportunity to make a true championship run. Now anchored by solid pitching and more level headed decisions, the Aces will undoubtedly make the final four.

Now on the complete opposite side of the King of Kickball standings, lies another interesting story, as the battle for the worst team of all the "competitive" teams was held this past week. The previously winless Scoregasms were able to pass the honor of "division worst" to the hapless Suck My Kick squad. Even while sporting the worst defense within the King of Kickball division and after much trying, the Scoregasms were finally able to pick up their first win of the season and keep themselves out of the cellar. More importantly, they are no longer at the bottom of the barrel. That unceremonious honor now belongs to Suck My Kick. 

There is just one more opportunity for teams to jockey for seeding position this coming week. Although the strength of schedule seems to suggest that there will be little change within the competitive standings this week.

That is all for now...

Good luck and as always, Happy Kicking!

Whoa, living on a prayer: King of Kickball

By Grizzly Michaels
A Kickball Pepo

Alright, time to look at the King of Kickball at the halfway point.

Unlike Wreck Division, the teams in King of Kickball were pretty well known coming into the season, so there would be no point to tell you about them.

Instead, lets look at the schedules and briefly talk about how they got here.

Imagine starting the season against the defending champion Kixx, then going to powerhouse Kickin' N Screamin' and then last season's runner up I'd Hit It. The game of kickball may come closer to feeling like a game of Monopoly with your Gam-gam. Well, that is exactly how Scoregasms started the season off. Throw in a game against New Kicks On the Block and the Scoregasms may forget what a win is like. Does it get easier? They have the Smoking Aces next. But then they get Los Totally Awesome (Don't forget your ID's) and Suck My Kick. And then they finish with KNS.

Both LTA and Suck My Kick are 1-3, however Suck My Kick has the head-to-head advantage. Things are just as tough for LTA with Kixx, Aces and I'd Hit It still on tap, with the team in forest green up first. However, a 5-0 lead on KNS (before it was erased) was noticed and if the Unicorns can keep it going they may shake things up. They would be considered the favorites against the Scoregasms and a potential spoiler in the playoffs.

Suck My Kick has a little more favorable schedule. Once they get past the Kixx this week, they have the NKOTB twice, with Scoregasms in between. LTA got their lone victory over NKOTB, so Suck My Kick is capable as well. However, attendance has seemed to be an issue for Suck My Kick, maybe they should pay their players in beer or tartar sauce.

Next up is Kixx, which is 1-2 (with one game still pending, but they have a 4-0 lead) but lost a head-to-head to NKOTB. The defending champions are not in the position others may have envisioned. But consider that they have reached the championship game for the past four season. No matter where Kixx finish you don't want to face them in the playoffs as that is when they are peaking.  Aside from games against LTA and Suck My Kick, the Kixx will have a showdown with KNS next week and rematch of last weeks game against I'd Hit It. Expect some stopwatches to be used in that one.

The New Kicks On The Block have had a roller coster of a season. They dropped a close one to the Aces, took down Kixx, got upset by LTA and then defeated the Scoregasms while their captain missed the first two innings for a angry punt. They have two games with Suck My Kick and one against KNS and I'd Hit It each. NKOTB is an interesting team to watch the rest of the way. The way they finish could go a long way in the playoffs if they get a good seed.

I'd Hit it is standing at 3-1. After a tough loss to KNS to start the season, I'd Hit It has won three in a row and even took out the Kixx, 3-0, in a championship rematch. Those two will play again in the final week, but until then Lucas and his crew have LTA, Suck My Kick and the Aces. Lucas looks like he is trusting his teammates more than ever. It's safe to say that even with their one loss, I'd Hit It is still a championship contender.

Smoking Aces are 3-0 (while still trailing Kixx 4-0 in an on-going game). Two of their victories have been by one run. They will need to draw on that experience the rest of the way as they still have I'd Hit It, KNS and the end of their game with the Kixx to go. However, they also have the Scoregasms and a rematch with LTA, which they needed a walkoff to beat last time. The Aces have come together nicely this season, but we still got plenty more kickball to go.

And up at 4-0 is Kickin' N Screamin'. They were tested early against I'd Hit It and then had to dig deep to avoid an upset by LTA last week. Now they will put their perfect record up against NKOT, the Kixx and the Aces. They will get a break against the Scoregasms right before the playoffs. However, did LTA discover a weakness? Will other teams be able to jump ahead of KNS? We got four more weeks to find out.

Like Bon Jovi, we are halfway there and hopefully "we will make it I swear," unliker Homer.

KNS' Rick rolled perfect game

By Grizzly Michaels
A Kickball Pepo

Mark it down in Sun City Kickball history folks, Rick of Kickin' N' Screamin' threw a perfect game on Wednesday.

The leader of KNS kept his emotions in check and never even hinted that he knew he was approaching a perfect game until he faced 15 kickers and sent them all back to the dugout night in a 2-0 victory over Suck My Kick at Alta Vista Field.

The fates had its chances to screw Rick up in the top of the fifth. First a tweaked knee ended KNS' Marcos night. Playing short a man, Rick actually optioned himself to catch, bringing in Manny from the outfield to pitch.

Luckily, Rick wasn't the only one keeping track of the stats.

"He told me go ahead and finish it man," Rick said. "I didn't want to jinx it, so I didn't say anything."

The final out of the night was a soft bunt down the third base line that Sosa had to put some English on to get the base runner out by just a step.

Rick finished the night with one strikeout and three foul outs.

He also contributed on offense, lining a single in the third to score Manny and make it 2-0. Nadia scored earlier in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Sosa.

Other than the two-run rally in the third, Suck My Kick pitcher Rich kept KNS in check.

Following the game, there was no Nolan Ryan moment and Rick didn't jump into his catchers arms.

KNS just left the field and Rick quietly (if you can believe it) took his congratulations outside the dugout.

In other action, Kixx was ahead of the Smoking Aces, 4-0, until the game had to be called for an injury. The Aces lost Cesar to a broken ankle. Word is the rest of the game will be made up at a time to be annoucned.

Los Totally Awesome got a totally awkward 3-2 walk off victory over the New Kicks on the Block. A pop-fly from Eddie should have been caught for the final out, but fell in the infield and allowed two runners to score to end the game. Eddie is a new acquisition from I'd Hit It (I heard Chuck trade Lucas a few beers for Eddie and a high-five to be named later).

Speaking of I'd Hit It, they won 1-0 over the feisty Scoregasms.

In case that was too hard to keep up with here are the scores:

KNS 2, Suck My Kick 0

Kixx 4, Smoking Aces 0 (game incomplete)

LTA 3, NKOTB 2

I'd Hit It 1, Scoregasms 0

Week 2 recap, better late than never

By Grizzly Michaels
A Kickball Pepo

The Smoking Aces completed a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Los Totally Awesome with a walk-off single on Wednesday.

Smoking Aces' Reid watches the ball go foul

A hit to right field by Jessica allowed Mike to score the game-winning run in the bottom of the fifth, giving the Aces the 4-3 victory at Alta Vista Park, in the game of the week.

And yes, I know this recap is late, but what is the worse that could happen?

LTA got an early 3-0 lead over the Aces in the top of the first with five solid kicks into open spaces. But after the first, the Aces were able to hold the Unicorns scoreless and they launched their own attack.

Javier and Mike scored in the second to cut LTA's lead to one, 3-2. Then in the fourth, Calvin came across to tie it up, 3-3.

LTA struggled to get hits as the bottom of their 16-kicker line-up slowed the momentum.

In the fourth, LTA had runners in scoring position, but a strike-out and foul-out allowed the Aces to hold the tie.

Close play at second

In the bottom of the fifth, Mike got a one-out single to get the rally going. A double by Cesar set up Jessica for the game winner.

The Aces improved to 2-0 while LTA is stuck at 0-2.

Earlier in the night, I'd Hit It walked away with a 4-2 victory over Suck My Kick, evening both records up at 1-1.

At Memorial, the New Kicks on the Block showed their defensive prowess and squeaked by the defending champion Kixx, 1-0.

Then Kickin N Screamin remained undefeated after a strong 8-2 victory over the winless Scoregasms. Interesting to note, Marco returned to catcher for KNS as Rick took the mound.

Photos are a little blurry. Working on fixing that.

Here is the easy breakdown:

Smoking Aces 4, LTA 3
I'd Hit It  4, Suck My Kick 2
NKOTB 1, Kixx 0
KNS 8, Scoregasms 2

Click here to watch the full LTA v Smoking Aces game - 

KNS rides gutsy D to victory

By Grizzly Michaels
A Kickball Pepo
Not one, but two bases-loaded defensive stands gave Kicking and Screaming a season opening victory over I'd Hit It Wednesday night.

KNS held I'd Hit It scoreless in the fourth and fifth inning despite having runners in scoring positions both times, which allowed Rick Delgadillo's go-ahead run in the third stand as the game in the 2-1 contest at Alta Vista Park.

KNS' Rick Delgadillo tags out I'd Hit It's Arturo Blanco well before home
plate in the bottom of the fourth. KNS won the season opener 2-1.

The showdown between two of Sun City Kickballs best did not produce many runs, but the defensive plays made up for it.

With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Arturo Blanco was on third and threatening to tie the game up when Delgadillo called for the intentional walk to load the bases.

Then in a surprise move, Blanco was sent home on a pop-up that was caught in between first and second base. A throw by Marco Gallegos allowed Delgadillo to easily tag Blanco out for the third and final out, with Streeter on deck.

The fifth inning saw a similar situation, but with a little less drama. With two outs and this time Streeter on third, Delgadillo called for the double intentional walk to load the bases. But a weak ground ball allowed KNS to go home for the force out and the victory in the It's Just Kickball game of the week.

KNS got on the scoreboard right off the bat as lead-off man Heribeto Sosa came across in the top of the first.

A controversial call allowed I'd Hit It to tie the game up in the bottom of the first, when coach and captain Lucas Quimiro scored on what appeared to be a sideways slide at home to try to avoid Delgadillo's attempt to peg him out. The umpire called safe and the game was tied, 1-1.

A solid kick in the third by Luis allowed Delgadillo to come across for what proved to be the game-winning run.

KNS' new pitcher Manny was able to get a few foul-outs and even a late game strike out to keep his team on top.

At Memorial, the defending champion Kixx started off where they had left off with a commanding 8-1 victory over the Scoregasms. Led by Jose "Pipi"Delgado, the Kixx scored more runs on Wednesday than the entire King of Kickball Division combined.

Earlier in the day, Suck My Kick took a 2-0 victory over a restocked Los Totally Awesome. The Unicorns appeared to have tied the contest late in the game, but the hit was called back as a foul ball and eventually LTA fell.

Rich Alvarez made his pitching debut for Suck My Kick and his pacing on the mound proved to be beneficial to his new team.

In their SCK debut, the Smoking Aces etched out a 1-0 victory over the New Kick On The Block. It was a defensive battle, but in the end the Aces had enough to bring one across the plate and start the season with a W.

Here is a quick break down of the King of Kickball scores:
KNS 2, I'd Hit It 1
Kixx 8, Scoregasms 1
Suck My Kick 2, LTA 0
Smoking Aces 1, NKOTB 0

Fall 2013 Week 1 Wreck Up

By Grizzly Michaels

A Kickball Pepo

The Fall 2013 Sun City Kickball season started with a bit of Thunder and Lightning on Wednesday night.

While mother nature lit up the sky and crackled through the air, the Wreck Division was lighting up the scoreboard and posted 54 total runs, despite four teams failing to find home plate.

The defending Lone Star Champions (that was code for Wreck the last couple of seasons) Toe Jammers got the new season started with a W in a defensive battle. In a quick game, the Jammers squeaked out the 1-0 victory over This...Pitch! at Memorials Park Baseball Field.

Then weather be damned, the Jammers busted out the boom box and had their very own Kickball tailgate party in the parking lot as the Royal Tenenballs welcomed back the new generation Hash House Harriers with 10-4 whooping.

But the story of that game was the Tenenballs crazy socks vs. the Harriers kilts. 

Over at Modesto Gomez, Pitches Ain't S*** got a series of shut outs on Field 1 started with a 6-0 victory over Pitches Love Me.

The next two games were perfect examples of former upper-league teams teaching their opponents how to kick.

First the kickballaz smashed the Alcoballics 13-0, then Pitch Please! slapped the Cool Arrows around 11-0.

Both the kickballaz and Pitch Please! dropped down this season to have fun.

One item of note was that Pitch Please!'s Michelle got her first foul-out on the mound. The Wreck rules require female pitchers in at least two of the innings, which led Michelle to taking the mound and forcing the foul-out. Statisticians be damned, I'm giving her the K in the books.

The game of the night may have been the lone game at Modesto's Field 2 when Just Kickin It clawed back to beat the Kickaholics, 5-4, with some come-from-behind magic.

The Kickaholics jumped out to a strong 4-1 lead after one inning of play, but Just Kickin It, being the veteran bunch of that they are, chopped away at that lead and took home the victory with some heroics in the fifth and final inning.

That was one hell of an opening night.

In comparison the King of Kickball Division scored a total of 15 runs and more than half of those came from the defending champion Kixx. Granted the defense level is switched to 11 in those games.

But it goes to show that those Wreck'd kids accomplished what they set out to do this season and have some fun.

Good job guys, feel free to post your scorecards on the refrigerator. 

A simple breakdown of the scores:

Pitches Ain't S*** 6, Pitches Love Me 0

kickballaz 13, Alcoballics 0

Pitch Please! 11, Cool Arrows 0

Just Kickin It 5, Kickaholics 4

Toe Jammers 1, This...Pitch! 0

Royal Tenenballs 10, Hash House Harriers 4

You make the rules and we will WRECK them

By Grizzly Michaels

Being the expert kicker that you are, surely (cue Leslie Nielsen) you know all of the new rules of the Wrecked Division.

Yeah, that’s what we thought.

More than likely your coach just told you, “Damnit’ Bobby, just be (insert field here) at (insert time here). Now let me finish my beer. That boy ain’t right.”

Well, if you are new to the division or just escaping the uber-competitive King of Kickball league (while Rick yells “are you not entertained?” as you run away) then let’s give you a look at the new and improved(?) Wreck Division.

Kicking:

You kick the ball for starters, so if you were looking for a spirited match of cricket then just walk away and we’ll pretend we never met. But, alas we have our first change that makes the Wreck different than King of Kickball.

It is now mandatory that your kicking order have a girl in between every guy until you are all out of girls.

So an easy way to remember that is:

1.     boy

2.     girl

3.     boy

4.     girl

5.     etc.

6.     etc.

If you only have four girls and then after your fourth girl kicks you can go all guys.

Pitching:

There are two changes in the pitching game this year. The first is that every single pitch must bounce at least twice before crossing the plate. So the days of one-bounce, overhand pitching is dead in the Wreck.

The second pitching changes requires that one of the girls pitches at least two innings each game. Doesn’t matter which inning, just has to be twice.

It’s in the name:

The major difference is that this league is supposed to be recreational. Meaning (fingers-crossed), there will hopefully be more laughter, less anger. More celebration and hopefully no ejections (we’re looking at you Pitch Please! OK calm down Celi. I’m just joking. I said calm…oww).

Moving on.

Now that you know the rules (come on, one more link you know you want to) you are prepared for the upcoming season. And even if you still don’t understand the rules, guess what you can still have fun.

That is what this division was made up for. The true kickball player. The one who likes his/her beer cold, team rowdy and most importantly … squirrel.

Does that mean this league is completely useless? No. There is still a championship at the end. Wreck will have its own playoff and maybe even a nice shiny trophy (looking at you commish).

And a championship is still a championship. So be proud but have fun.

Fall 2013 - King of Kickball Predictions

Written by: The Kickball Guru . . 

SCK Fall 2013 will kick off tonight, and many people wonder what happened to all the competitive teams as we are now down to 1 division of 8 teams as opposed to 2 divisions of 8 last season. So what happened to the other teams and who is sill around? While we lost thundercats, drunken monkeyz, balls and dolls, sit on my base, drinkers with a kicking problem, lights out, and rollin balls due to time constraints and other teams creating hybrid/super teams, we also lost pitch perfect and kickballaz to the wreck league. So now only 8 teams remain and here is a breakdown of what to expect and what their final records I believe will be.

8. Scoregasms- The scoregasms are coming off their worst season ever played here at SCK. They only won 2 games last season in which both were by forfeit. Does this mean they are no good? Absolutely not. Lack of practice, too many roster changes season in and out and also losing their pride in Tony to go ump hurt them greatly. So what do I expect from them? Well with the talent pool being so deep in every team, I believe this is gonna be a really bad season for the scoregasms. This just goes to show how stacked this division is this season.

Spring 2013 Record- 2-6

Fall 2013 Prediction- 0-8

7. Suck My Kick- Suck My Kick is also another team coming off their most disappointing season after showing so much promise the 3 seasons before that. Losing some of their better players and their pitcher didn't help. This season they picked up a past championship winning pitcher in Rich who knows how to control the game properly. Only question is, can he lead this team to a decent season? Very doubtful. I'll look at this season as a rebuilding/chemistry building one.

Spring 2013 Record- 2-6

Fall 2013 Prediction- 1-7

6. LTA- Chuck is back on LTA and he has brought back some true vets to help make LTA relevant again. Bringing some of the ex pandas will help him on both offense and defense. Every season Chucky grows as a player and is starting to looking more and more promising as a pitcher, and that will bring any team he is on success. However, he will have the same issue as the scoregasms and SMK. Just way too uch competition in the division. The best part for LTA is that they can not do any worse than last season

Spring 2013 Record- 0-8

Fall 2013 Prediction- 2-6

5. New Kicks On The Block- Domino and his family decided to give it a go for another season after contemplating retirement after last season. The only thing that changed that was all the questionable calls against champion kixxx left a sour taste in their mouths. So how will they fare this season? They are #5 on my list because they will be playing smoking aces right off the bat with absolutely no practice. So that leads me to believe they will drop one early. Other than that they should beat up on the teams listed above

Spring 2013 Record- 5-2-1

Fall 2013 Prediction- 4-4

4. Smoking Aces- Now comes the only unfamiliar name on the team sheet of the king of kickball division. The smoking aces are the reason for the league losing 3 teams to make 1. So is this a super team? Many would say yes considering that they have a total of 3 championships on this team alone. While they have a lot of talent on this team, the pitcher (Mike) always seems to make his teams fall apart. Don't get me wrong he is an above average pitcher but loses his cool way too quick and gives up on his team (quarterfinals vs thundercats). Now if he can keep it together, this team will do a lot better than I think. Another big issue is that they need to have 1 coach only and not 5. In my humble opinion it needs to be Reid Hanson and he should not let anyone else tell him otherwise. If they can get it together within the first 8 weeks, expect to see them in the final four at the very least.

Spring 2013 Record- 12-10-2

Fall 2013 Prediction- 5-3

3. I'd Hit It- While many always give this team a hard time and never give them the credit that is due, I have always considered them to be an elite team. Have they had their not so good seasons? Sure but they seem to become more and more consistent. With their catcher only getting better it seems like Lucas doesn't have all the stress in the world to have to win games by himself. He needs to start believing in his team. The moment when he tries to do everything himself, that's the moment they lose. Example was the championship last season. Will it look better for him this season? I believe it will. Will he make the championship? Yes. Will he win? Probably not.

Spring 2013 Record- 5-1-2

Fall 2013 Prediction- 6-1-1

2. Kixxx- Last season there was finally a new champion after 5 seasons. Kixxx came out and put I'd Hit It away convincingly by dominating them 4-0. Will they be back to back? Possibly. The only concern here is that they lost their 3rd and 1st basemen. They lost the two people who run the team properly. They lost two big kickers in their line up. How much will this affect them? Not so much considering they picked up 2 really good players. Only problem is that those two do not really play either one of the positions that Raul and Joe play. So This might be their toughest season yet. 

Spring 2013 Record- 6-2

Fall 2013 Prediction- 6-2

1. KNS- After losing in the semi finals for the first time since they lost to kixxx back in their first season, word on the street is taht KNS is coming back with a vengeance. Did Kixxx awaken the sleeping dragon by knocking them out early last season? It will be tough to tell as I have heard that Rick did not get the players that he was hoping for this season. With that being said, KNS is still the most consistent team SCK has to offer and no one can argue that. So will they do well? Absolutely. Will they get sent home early again or are they championship material again? Only time will tell but don't think they will do any less than what they did last season.

Spring 2013 Record= 8-0

Fall 2013 Prediction- 7=0=1

Don't forget to check out the game of the week today at 9pm at Alta Vista. We have KNS vs I'd hit it. Tough game for both teams to open the season. Good luck to all the teams

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Kickball All-Star Roster

In honor of the MLB All-Star game this past week, IJK constructed an All-Star Kickball roster to recognize the best players in the following categories: Best Male and Female Offensive Player, Best Male and Female Defensive Player, Best Catcher, Best Pitcher, Best Defensive Team, and Best Offensive Team. 

Through your nominations and research It's Just Kickball has come up with the final results! View the webshow edition here : http://www.ustream.tv/channel/itsjustkickball

Best Offensive Team

1st Team: Kickin' N' Screamin'

2nd Team: Kixxx

Honorable Mention: Drunken Monkeyz

Best Defensive Team

1st Team: Kickin' N' Screamin'
2nd Team: Kixxx
Honorable Mention: I'd Hit It

Best Offensive Male
1st Team: Albert Villegas - Kickin' N' Screamin'
2nd Team: Joe Davila - Kixxx
Honorable Mention: Kixxx Line Up

Best Offensive Female
Rocio Sandoval - Kickin' N' Screamin'
Michelle Enriquez - Thunder Catz
Sarai Rubio - Los Totally Awesomes

Best Defensive Male
1st Team- Heribeto Sosa - Kickin' N' Screamin'
2nd Team - David "Domino" Fernandez - New Kicks on the Block
Honorable Mention - Angel Meza - Kixxx

Best Defesnive Female
1st Team - Nadia Morales - Kickin' N' Screamin'
2nd Team - Ashleign Decker - Drinkers with a Kicking Problem
Honorable Mention - Kelsey Masters - Kickin' N' Screamin'

Best Catcher
1st Team - Marco Gallegos - Kickin' N' Screamin' 
2nd Team - Reid Hanson - Drunken Monkeyz
Honorable Mention - Aaron Bracamontes - The Royal Tennenballs

Best Pitcher
1st Team - Rick Delgadillo - Kickin' N' Screamin'
2nd Team - Lucas Quimiro - I'd Hit It
Honorable Mention - Jose "Pipi" Delgado - Kixxx

The Kickball Nazi Strikes Again

Most of the old time kickballers know the origin of kickball in El Paso. They know of the little league, known as El Paso Kickball, that started from a small group of friends and turned into an organized league. Those kickballers who played in that very first organized kickball season knew something special had started; however little did we know all the drama that would be involved.

Now there is only one thing worse than drama, that's kickball drama. And there is only one thing more entertaining than drama, that's also kickball drama. Well the early days of kickball were full of drama and in the present in continues to an alarming degree.


It takes a certain person to want to play adult kickball. For starters, you cant take be someone who takes themselves too serious, UNLESS you're the person running an adult kickball league, then taking yourself too serious is a pretty much a pre-requisite. A game designed for kids and run by adults can be a very dangerous thing, as has been proven time and time again on the grassy fields of El Paso Kickball.

Now as silly as it sounds, adult co-ed kickball is an awesome concept. Like I mentioned before, it takes a certain fun loving yet competitive person to play kickball. So when you bring that many like-minded adults together, it makes for an interesting dynamic with the potential to establish life long friendships. However like with all things, when you do something it must be done right. Especially when running any form of organized sport.

With no fault to the players of El Paso Kickball, unfortunately for them their leadership leaves much to be desired. Epk has been plagued with ridiculousness that has become almost legendary. All at the hands of their distinguished founder and commissioner, who has been affectionately dubbed the Kickball Nazi. To recount the numerous tales of hardships would take a novel. The tales of kickball woe and injustice are something of myth and legend now. With kickballers being banned from participation in the league for doing or saying the wrong things. To mid game rule changes to benefit the league founder's own team and changing umpire rulings in the middle of games. Its endless.

Til now its all been hear say and borderline rumors passed from kickballer to kickballer. However thanks to a true champion of kickball, Its Just Kickball has been provided an inside look on how Epk leadership deals with dedicated league players and tenured teams.

Kickin' N' Screamin is undoubtedly considered the gold standard when it comes to kickball in El Paso. They are the mark at which others teams measure their success. Unfortunately because of their success they are somewhat of a pariah and targeted by leadership. During their Sprummer? 2013 playoff season  at El Paso Kickball they were disqualified. Why you ask? Well apparently their was an oversight on the KNS team roster that was somehow overlooked for almost 9 weeks and only until they had advanced to the semi-finals was it "caught". However KNS did in fact follow the roster rules explained during the Sprummer Captains' meeting at the beginning of the season. Unfortunately and conveniently Epk league leadership does not recall the specific roster rule changes that they implemented for this season. Interestingly though, that's not to say the ever-compromising and merciful Kickball Nazi wasn't willing to work on a compromise for KNS. What kind of compromise, well let me show you...

Needless to say Kickin' N' Screamin' will not be coming back... It's unfortunate that players are treated in such an unfair fashion.

El Paso Kickball leadership claims to promote a fun atmosphere, but its riddled with favoritism but only for the few who tow the Epk line. Although their Theme Nights are a big hit with many kickballers, it only masks the dirty scent of what Epk really is...the Kickball Nazi's personal toy to play with as he see fit.

We're Back !

Hopefully some, if not all, of Kickball Nation noticed that It's Just Kickball took a brief hiatus these past few kickball months. Unfortunately life often gets in the way of hobbies and keeping up with the blog was nearly impossible. However after some life adjustments and bringing on two new kickball writers, IJK should be back in full force covering not only Sun City Kickball but all the kickball news related items in El Paso and the surrounding area. So be sure to come back regularly for all kickball league and tourney info. Now that being said, not covering the SCK Spring 2013 season was a huge mistake as it was Sun City Kickball's most exciting season yet.

So unless you been living under a rock, any respectable kickballer has heard that the young guns of Kixxx were crowned the New Kings of Kickball. After numerous tries and tussles with their long time rivals Kickin' N' Screamin', Kixxx was finally able to beat the 5-time defending champs.

Impressive to say the least, considering that Kickin' N Screamin' was having a historical season, stats wise, as they did not let a single run score on them all of the regular season. That of course has never been done before in SCK league history. Although even more impressive is that Kixxx wasn't exactly having a stellar Spring Season. In truth, they looked very mediocre all season long. However come playoff time, they were able to dial up some kickball magic or some folks chalk all that up to strategy.

Many teams live and die by the bunt. It is essentially the foundation to any good kickball squad, many coaches swear by it. If executed well it can be extremely successful, unless you run into a team that can consistently neutralize the bunt, which is rare. However KNS carries an A+ report card when it comes to defending the short game. So in a stroke of strategic genius or more like an epiphany of common sense, Kixxx decide to go long ball on a team that's outfield has never been tested.

Needless to say, it worked. Kixxx was able to hit the gaps and with some dropped balls, made KNS pay dearly with the long ball. Now don't misunderstand, it was a very close and exciting semi-final match-up. Arguably one of the best match-ups I've ever seen, but watching the game you could just tell that Kixxx wanted it more. They were going to walk off that field with a win no matter what and they did.

But wait, this was a semi final match-up?! Who was in the Champion Ship game? Would you believe I'd Hit It?

As unlikely as it seems, Id Hit It is becoming a post-season main stay. They're playing stronger competitive kickball season after season and keeping up with far more talented rosters. Which says tons and tons about this scrappy squad. Its no secret that they live and die by the arm of their pitcher, unfortunately being so one-dimensional is a huge handicap. Ultimately what has to happen is the pitcher needs to do a little bit less and the team needs to do a little bit more. Carrying a team alone is tiresome and does not make for good teamwork.

The championship bout was in all honestly a tad bit lopsided. On one side you had I'd Hit It playing in only their 2nd championship appearance ever, they were unsure and timid. On the other side you had an extremely hungry team in Kixxx, who had just defeated the one team they could never get passed and were looking to destroy anything in there way. And they did just that.

Again congratulations to Kixxx the new Kings of Kickball

The Coronation

Today we crown Sun City Kickball's King of Kickball for the Fall 2012 Season. After 12 long hard weeks, it all comes down to 4 teams. These 4 teams have battled through a gauntlet of kickball foes. The increased competition this year was exciting to see. Many teams stepped up their game. The remaining teams should be very proud of making it to the Final Four, it was a true test. Now they are heading into the home stretch, who will come out victorious.

Each of the Final Four teams have a realistic chance of winning. Although some teams are more favored than others. Lets take a look at each team and what their keys to winning are.

I'd Hit It is becoming a playoff main stay, which is curious considering they have the least athletic roster of the final teams. It is no secret that they are anchored by their pitching and star player Lucas Q. I'd Hit It's success is clearly dependent on Lucas's success, which is problematic. Kickball is a team sport, you are only as strong as your weakest player. Not as strong as your strongest player. I'd Hit It is going to need all hands on deck for their match-up against KNS. They need to play flawless. Also Lucas needs to try not to do too much. My gut tells me that his competitive nature may push to make unnecessary plays and chalk up the errors. The key for I'd Hit It is to play good team ball, everyone needs to do their part, and execute when called upon.

Rookie sensation Drinkers with a Kicking Problem have been riding a cloud of buzz since the beginning of the season. They have made believers out of Kickball Nation and looks like they are here to stay. Although they are still fairly inexperienced in big time kickball games, their athleticism easily helps them close that curve. However it has been my experience that pure athleticism is not enough to be successful. Experience is worth its weight in gold. The Drinkers will need to limit the mistakes and hope that the veteran teams make mistakes of their own. They will need to take advantage of mistakes made by the veteran teams to give them the edge. The Drinkers will need to score in bunches if they want to fend off the old timers as I anticipate their defense will be tested like never before and may struggle.

Kixxx is the only other consistent championship contender aside from KNS. You will usually find them in the Final Four and inevitably in the Championship game and rightly so. They are a battle tested, experienced team. They have the talent, players and skills to win every season, but often fall short. At the risk of being misunderstood, it still has to be said, it all comes down to emotion. Kixxx is its own best friend and its own worst enemy. When morale is high and focused, they are like a freight train, unstoppable. However when morale is low and chaotic, they are like a sinking ship. They need to harness that enthusiasm, the passion and aim it straight at their opponents. If they are able to be successful in that aspect, they will be wearing the King of Kickball crown by the end of the night.

Kickin' N' Screamin' is easily the odds on favorite to win the SCK Crown again this season. Whether you agree with their methods or not, or are put off by their demeanor, they are all-around the best team in the league. They have earned that title through and through and I doubt you will find anyone in Kickball Nation that would disagree. Their play is methodical and seems almost like second nature. Simply, they make it look easy. However, their is a slight twist for tonight's final. It turns out that KNS will not be at full strength for their final playoff run. I'm sure the news of this has the other teams foaming at the mouth, but I wouldn't get too carried away. Although playing short will obviously hurt their defensive prowess, on the offensive side of the ball expect an explosion. The one silver lining when having to field players 8 players is that you have a stronger concentration of kickers. Assuming that these 8 players are the better of the bunch, expect a lot of offense from KNS. They may allow more runs than usual, but something tells me their offense will quickly make up for it.

Good luck to all the teams!!

Happy Kicking

 

 

Round #2 Predictions

Written by: The Kickball Guru

Well last week round 1 had very few surprises, while most of the games went the way most of the kickball nation expected. Congrats goes out to suck my kick and the drunken monkeyz for being the only two lower seeds to beat the top seeds. Although the drunken monkeyz were the favorites they still had to beat a team who beat them with 8 the week before, and they did because having reid on the field makes that much of a difference. As for 4 play, disappointing loss here after fielding a whole team this time around, and not being able to limit the monkeyz' runs. I heard the story here was that johnny tried to carry his team too much and made two big crucial errors, one being walking two people with bases loaded. Final here was 5-3.

While the thundercats losing to suck my kick was the biggest surprise, I think the bigger surprise was that suck my kick played flawless kickball. Good job boys ad girls, thats the way you play disciplined defense. As for the thundercats, back to the drawing board. Their defense can't always hold teams down, you need to score runs. Practice that in the off season if you all plan to come back. Final here was 5-1.

One thing that bugs me the most is when people forfeit. Luckily for Lights Out, a scrappy team of LTA didn't show up, which i think could've posed a lot of threats for them. For the no shows in LTA next time let Rich or the board know, so they can find the next team in line, and not take time away from Light's Out. Now, what happened at alta vista? Pitch Please would come out guns blazing and send rookie division winners saved by the balls back to that division letting them know the big boys dont play around and shut them out 5-0, BUT then would come to the next game and forfeit to I'd Hit It after a player was ejected. If one player gets ejected, you all need to keep playing and play harder to come back next week when he's able to come back. Board members forfeiting team? Bad sportsmanship there. Final here was 3-0 in 1 inning before the forfeit.

Down at memorial we had some interesting match ups starting with what i predicted to be true. Sons o Pitches and Shockers was nothing but a defensive game, but simple rookie mistakes on defense for sons o pitches cost them the game. Shockers also came out flat only winning 2-1. That wouldn't changed as they approached the second game against kixxx, coming out flat footed, making mistakes left and right, letting kixx put up 3 quick runs in the 1st, and just could never recover after, losing 5-1

Back at Jimmy O, we had my dark horse NKOTB take on a pitcherless Scoregasms. Yes, the scoregasms were hurting on defense without their starting picther, but ladies and gents you all need to put up points as well. That just goes to show how great NKOTB defense is. Final here was 5-0. Heres a quick preview to tonight's games.

Who: #3 Kixxx vs #11 Suck My Kick

Where: Memorial Park

Time: 7 pm

Kixxx is just simply one of the best when they are on, after two losses this season, they started playoffs just right, sending the shockers with back to back losses in 2 weeks to kixxx with a combined score 8-1. Now they play an unexperienced team in Suck My Kick, who they beat earlier this season, 5-2. Suck my Kick had a rough second half of the season after starting 3-1-1, then dropping 3 straight. However, that didn't seem to shake them after they just upset the thundercats last week, and in fashion. Can they stay solid and disciplined against a stronger kixxx? Possible but tough.

Spread: Kixxx - 3.5

Over/Under: 6.5 runs

Prediction: Kixxx 5-1

Who: #4 I'd Hit It vs #5 Light's Out

Where: Alta Vista

Time: 7 pm

On paper this should be the closest match up, and in my opinion it will be. Two defensive teams going head to head. Last time they met. they ended in a 1-1 tie, so exciting to see some unfinished business unfold tonight. Will Lucas have enough to hold off the faster team in Light's Out, or will I'd Hit It's experience be enough to get them through?

Spread: I'd hit It -.5

Over/Under: 3.5 runs

Prediction: I'd Hit It 2-1

Who: #1 KNS vs #9 Drunken Monkeyz

Where: Memorial Park

Time: 815 pm

Drunken Monkeyz are coming into this game s a heavy underdog. I don't see itlike that at all though. I mean, they are undefeated when both mike and Reid are there, so as long as they both show up, this game will be a lot closer than expected. KNS is coming off a bye. Is that good or bad for this team? We won't know till later on today. Can they plow through the Monkeyz or wil the monkeyz upset?

Spread: KNS -3.5

Over/Under: 7.5 runs

Prediction: KNS 5-2

Who: #2 Drinkers vs #7 NKOTB

Where: Alta Vista

Time: 815 pm

The most intriguing match up of the night in my opinion by far. Great old fashioned underdog story, offense powerhouse vs defense powerhouse. #3 offense against #2 defense is just something everyone likes to see. NKOTB flying under the radar will end today, if they can manage to pull this upset off. As my dark horse pick, I think they will. Look at their resume, they took kixxx out a couple seasons back, they nearly took them out again two seasons in a row, losing 3-2 both times, and last year they only had 8 players. Most importantly, their first season, they nearly eliminated undefeated confused kixxx in the semis, however the lights would kill their momentum and lose in the final inning the final week. Now they face an undefeated Drinkers. Drinkers are coming into this game with big heads. After beating Kixxx, these guys think they are on top of the world, which they should, because that's no easy thing to do, especially when all the critics like myself didn't believe the hype. They are however, due for a humbling experience, and I think that'll be this week, IF NKOTB all show up.

Spread: Drinkers -1.5

Over/Under: 3.5 runs

Prediction: NKOTB 3-2 in extra innings

Week #9 Post-Season Talk

Oh my, oh my! What an interesting week 9 in SCK. With two games being decided by a combined 1 point we now have ourselves a huge mess for playoff seedings. Lets recap on what happened this past wednesday.


We go to the 7 o clock game at modesto 1. The monkeyz showed us once again that they are only a force when both the catcher and pitcher are there. However, this wasn't the case wednesday as coach, catcher, and possibly best offensive weapon the monkeyz have was MIA. They went up against a 4 play team who had only 8 players. The game was close the whole way with the monkeyz up 2-0 all the way up to the fourth inning. Then, they gave up two runs there, and one in the fifth to lose the game. Props goes out to 4 play for grinding out a win for them playing with only 8 people. Luckily for the monkeyz they will get another shot at 4 play in the first round if my playoffs seeds are right.

Then we go to the 8 o clock game at modesto 1 where the two sloppy teams collided, SMK and Lights Out. Sloppy it was as Lights out gave up 2 ridiculous runs in the 1st, but then would rally late in the game when the inexperience of SMK would come in and allow a barrage of runs in the 4th. Your final here, 6-2. That would give SMK an automatic 11 seed, so very tough road ahead for them. As for lights out it now becomes tricky, but if my math serves me correctly they should get the 4th seed.

On to the game at 8 o clock at modesto 2, where always underdog NKOTB would take on Thundercats. As expected, this game would be nothing but defense and frustration if you ask me. For the first time, I saw Domino show frustration in his team. In the 4th Domino would get to 3rd base with no outs, and his players could not bring him in, fouling out, popping up one to the pitcher, and kicking it straight to the 3rd baseman. That was only real shot in anyone scoring in that game, but because they didn't, we got a 0-0 stalemate that leaves a 4 way tie for the 4-7 seeds for us.

Last but not least, we go to Memo to see if a upset was in store for us between the Scoregasms and KNS. Sadly, there wasn't an upset. On the up side for the scoregasms, they didn't allow the 20 runs that KNS wanted, on the downside, they now get the 10th seed according to me, and also lose their starting pitcher for the playoffs, with a severe ankle injury. These guys just can't catch a break. Final score here was 8-0 KNS.

So now that leaves the two 7 seeds for each of the top divisions playing the top two in the lone star division for shot at the crown. That leaves us with shockers playing Sons O Pitches, and Pitch Please, Playing Saved by the balls. If the shockers win they get the 13th seed, and the of PP and SBTB winner gets the 14th seed. Should the shockers lose, Sons O pitches gets the 14 seed, and the winner of PP and SBTB gets the 13 seed.

Now on to my actual seedings, these aren't accurate, they are just what I think should be the seeds. With a win counting as 1 point, and a tie giving you .5 (12 ties i think is a league record), it leaves a mess down in the middle. So here's what I got after Wednesday. Good luck to all teams.

1. KNS 8-0, 8 pts, Power Ranking 85
2. Drinkers With a Kicking Problem 7-0-1, 7.5 points, Power Ranking 31
3. Kixxx 6-2, 6 points, Power Ranking 43
4. Lights Out 5-2-1, 5.5 points, Power Ranking 18
5. Thundercats 5-2-1, 5.5 points, Power Ranking 14
6. I'd Hit It 5-2-1, 5.5 points, Power Ranking 23
7. New Kicks On The Block 4-1-3, 5.5 points, Power Ranking 12
8. 4-Play 4-2-2, 5 points, Power Ranking 18
9. Drunken Monkeyz 5-3, 5 points, Power Ranking 17
10. Scoregasms 5-3, 5 points, Power Ranking 6
11. Suck My Kick 3-4-1, 3.5 points, Power Ranking 1
12. LTA 3-4-1, 3.5 points, Power Ranking -5
13. TBA
14. TBA

Explanation on the 4-7 seeds is that there was a 3 way tie between IHI, T-cats, and NKOTB, but because T-cats have the head to head on IHI and better power ranking than NKOTB they jump both, so then you take T-Cats and Lights Out Power Rankings and Lights out beats them there.

It's Time

 

The time has arrived. Once again, the battle for the King of Kickball crown is upon us. This will be the 8th coronation for Sun City Kickball. During that time few have held SCK's most prestigious title. The league's original villains, the Shockers, have worn the crown twice in back-to-back seasons during SCK's inaugural year. The Drunken Monkeyz had a brief moment with the crown during the Spring 2012 Season. However no team has sat at the thrown as the King of Kickball, longer or more times than the current champions Kickin' N' Screamin'.

KNS has dominated the league since the Fall 2010 season. Since then many teams have tried to shut down the growing dynasty that KNS has created, but none have succeeded. Now a new series of challengers have lined up to assume the throne of Sun City Kickball. Will KNS repeat or will there be a new king to reign over the land of SCK. The bracket has been released now lets take a look at the teams.

 

The #1 and #2 seeds both have byes. Which means the #1 KNS and #2 DWAKP will have to find a way to stay sharp until their 2nd round match-ups. Recommendation: Practice, scrimmage, do what ever you can to get ready, don't go cold.

 

The #3 seed went to Kixxx and rightly so. They finished with a 6-2 record with 51 runs scored and only 8 runs allowed. One of their two losses came at the hands of rookie sensation Drinkers with a Kicking Problem. Kixxx is obviously excellent on both sides of the ball, again their Achilles heal is all emotional. They have tons of passion and enthusiasm, they just need to harness that energy against their opponent and not each other. If they are able to do that, they will be nearly unstoppable.

 

#4 I'd Hit It has been slowly improving season after season, inching their way up the kickball ladder. They finished with a respectable 5-2-1 record, although the Mountain Star division ended up being just a touch easier than the Sunrise group. They scored 30 runs which was on par with a division that ended with an 32 Runs Scored average. Their defense allowed 8 runs, better than average. Their claim to fame is their pitcher Lucas Q. A player who undoubtedly does not need an ego boost, he is however their entire team. Kickball Nation will see how far he can take his IHI squad this post-season.

 

Another team who also posted a 5-2-1 record is #5 seed Lights Out!. Whether they have truly played lights out is debatable. They posted 25 runs this season, next to a division average of 23.4. With 8 runs allowed, their defense seems to hold. However their strategy to slow down games to a crawl is worrisome. When you watch them play they don't appear to be a team you want to keep shackled. If anything I think the slow pace truly hurts them more than it helps them. Their offensive flurries are a mix of wild runners and uncontrollable cheering, both seem to be intimidating to teams. However they spend 80% of their game on defense just standing around waiting for 8 pitches then ultimately a base hit. Keep up the pace, keep up the momentum, speed it up boys and girls.

 

#6 seed Thundercats are a curious bunch. This is a squad full of kickball veterans and their record of 5-2-1 reflects it. Although their got their season off to a slowly start, they quickly got up to speed. 32 runs scored and 18 runs allowed, this team screams average. Their best hope is to get hot at the right time and it should propel them fairly deep into the playoffs.

 

With a league first 3 tie games in a season, the #7 seed New Kicks on the Block are hard to figure out. They sport a 4-1-3 record. Their only loss came at the hands of a forced forfeit, after enough players were ejected from the their game they could not continue. They tend to play up or down to their competition. They never dominate weaker teams, but often hang tough with the kickball juggernauts. Which always translates into an interesting game for whoever they play.

 

#8 seed 4-Play has been essential deemed the Balls & Dolls. Same style, same skill, its like looking at a clone. With a 4-2-2 record, they are another mid-range team, but with a scrappy style. They use their knowledge of the game to give them the edge. No matter the result of this post-season, Im personally very excited for the possible return of the Balls & Dolls franchise.

 

The #9 Drunken Monkeyz returned this season after a brief layoff during the Spring '12 season. Their plans to return to their status of kickball juggernauts have proven to be more difficult than originally anticipated. Their 5-3 record has been marred with defensive errors and offensive woes. Their offensive game is almost non-existence. Their feet will have to wake up if they want any chance in the post-season.

 

The #10 Scoregasms continue to play tough, close kickball. Even after their big win against the

Thundercats, there has been little to write home about. They finished the regular season with a 5-3 record, which again is on par with most other mid-range teams. However with a  Power Rating 6, there are some worries here. They scored 29 runs but allowed 23 runs, not a comforting statistics to say the least. They are going to need to tighten the screws on defense before they hit the field next week.

 

Suck My Kick ended with the #11 seed.  SMK is another incredibly talented rookie team. Their athleticism is apparent, however their inexperience on defense is even more apparent. Their defensive mistakes are painful to watch and have translated into a 3-4-1 record. Their defense needs to absolutely improve before next week or else they will be dead in the water.

 

Original Six member Los Totally Awesomes grabbed the #12 seed. Traditionally a more "fun" team, they have stepped it up within the competitive ranks this season. With a 3-4-1 record, there is room for improvement, but their aspirations to compete at a high level are feasible. Their post-season may be short, but the promise for future success is encouraging.

 

What about the play-ins??!?!? I think the Kickball Guru might have something to say on that.

 

Well that's all for now...

 

Good Luck and Happy Kicking