8 Observations from Yesterday's Scrimmage

		Coffee Time
		by Carl Coffee

The season is four weeks away, and players from six different teams shook off some rust and scrimmaged at Chad Hoppe's house in Monroe. It was a nice change of pace to play with guys from other teams, and fun times were had. Earlier in the year, I wrote an article on 8 Preseason Predictions. After watching a lot of guys play yesterday, I will now rework some of my predictions with eight observations I made.

1. Bobby Hoppe of the Wiffling DeLoppes is a much improved hitter. The youngest Hoppe brother looks like a completely different player at the plate this year. He is a lot more aggressive and fearless at the plate, and if he continues this, it could be the offensive boost his team needs to take them to the top.
   
2. Matt Murtha of the Flying Squirrels is an extremely underrated pitcher. On a team with a star pitcher Brandon Corbett, Matt Murtha is very much overlooked. In his few innings of work on the mound yesterday, he was accurate and dominant. Having him on the Squirrels roster will give Corbett relief when he needs some rest, and that is invaluable.
   
3. Alex Shore of the Westside Warriors will be the league's loudest shit talker. Whether Alex is pitching, hitting, in the field, on the bases, or just watching the game, this kid likes to talk. The part about Alex that is most entertaining is he does not forget anything. I am positive if you screw up a play in May, he will tell you about it in August. Although Alex is much younger than most league players, he is not intimidated by anyone.
   
4. Brian Constanti of the Ass Kickers is still dominant at the plate and on the mound. Hey, if you got every prediction right, they wouldn't be any fun! It was nice to play with the Constanti brothers yesterday, and it appears that Brian will not be a one hit wonder. No team in the league relies more on a single player, and if Brian can perform at the level he is capable of, the Ass Kickers could be taking home a trophy at the end of the season.
   
5. Chris Lewis of the Belgian Wiffles looks like he has been a wiffleball pitcher for years. Rookie Chris Lewis has quickly become one of the league's most active players. Chris loves to play, and he is only going to get better. He is a polarizing player, and when he takes the mound, he looks comfortable and poised. I am very curious to see how the Wiffles will do this year.
   
6. Dennis Pearson of Git R’ Done is a beast. It is safe to say the home run title is his to lose. Dennis was the only person to hit a home run yesterday, and he did it twice. No lead will be safe when playing Git R’ Done, because Dennis can change the game with one swing of the bat. Dennis also has a scary fast ball. He took the criticism about his accuracy problems like a man, and used his game to speak for him.
   
7. Maclin Malloy of the Westwide Warriors has the craziest windup in the league. Although his windup has caused some controversy, it is legal and effective. Maclin uses his entire body when he pitches, and he makes the ball do some crazy stuff. While pitchers like Chad Hoppe and Corbett showed only a fraction of their dominant pitchers yesterday, Maclin didn't hold back. When the Double Zero is on, the Warriors opponents will be putting up some zeros of their own.
   
8. Wiffle is Southeast Michigan is a pitcher's league. When we first started hosting completive wiffleball tournaments in 2005, the league was all about the home run and high offensive numbers. It is obviously no longer that, and pitching is now the name of the game. I am very curious to see the offensive leading stats at the end of the season. We could easily have a batting champ with a sub .300 average, or a home run champ with less than 10 homers. On the other end, the pitching leaders will have mind blowing stats. As someone who used to hit around .500 and hit home runs on a regular basis, I know now, those days are, to use a phrase we will not get to use often, loooong gone.

Thanks again to everyone who showed up yesterday, and a big thanks to Chad Hoppe for his hospitality. . It was a blast and I know this season is going to be be full of these fun times.

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Carl Coffee

Flying Squirrels, 18, SS

The Eye of the Storm