 | Your Junk my Happy Zone | |
| by Brandon Corbett |
As a member of the Carolina blue, and now lighter-than-that blue, wearing Flying Squirrels I can tell you that just about every game we get the canned "jock jabbing" comments spit our way: "I see a lot of pastels out there," "how's he gonna hit? He's swinging a baby blue bat," "did mommy pack your bib?" and all the assorted ways of sarcastically saying we look so manly out there. The compliments we get invariably involve the word "cute." Now we have never cared and get a kick out of the bouts of smack-talk that spring up, no matter the nature. Besides we are playing wiffleball, half the game is meant to be taken and treated whimsically (There, you can even rip on me for the use of the word whimsically!) However, a recent facebook post from the Kalamazoo Wiffleball League is making me question if there really is something wrong with wearing light blue on a wiffleball field, whether it might be a cursed and powerless color for a wiffleball team. Could it be that #ADD8E6 is a hexed hex triplet?
The post in question linked to a positively spun article highlighting the current standing of the KWL team Town Hall Posse, who also wear the questionably accursed color of light blue every bit as brashly as we do. On top of that Town Hall Posse are currently 3-8; the identical record to my Flying Squirrels! Two light blue clad teams, two identically abysmal win-loss records: coincidence or by definition? To find out for sure we need to do a bit more research into the status of light blue teams around the nation's leagues. So, here is the breakdown on 6 teams who either wear the shade or use it in their logo... Admittedly, it is not easy to come across them.
- Wins: 3
- Losses: 8
- 7 game losing streak
- Wins: 3
- Losses: 8
- Lost their last 3 and slid to 6.5 games back.
- Wins: 9
- Losses: 3
- 2-3 in last 5 games; not sure the curse has a full effect on the Cutters as they have light blue in the logo, but they may not wear the color.
- Wins: 8
- Losses: 1
- They wear powder blue Phillies throwbacks, but the primary maroon of the logo may disqualify (or curse-proof) them from this.
- Wins: 6
- Losses: 6
- 4 GB and a -9 run differential.
- Wins: 19
- Losses: 1
- 5 of 6 league awards
- The exception? Is it that the further south you go the more acceptable light blue is?
3 teams well above .500, 1 breaking even, and 2 currently far below seeing daylight... or the baby blue sky (Hah!). Whether or not this research points to yet another wiffle curse, we may know for sure in the next couple weeks after the teams do some extensive field tests. The Town Hall Posse have a 4-week stretch coming up against teams with a combined 12-16 record where they think they can win 7 of 8, and get above .500. The Squirrels next 6 games are against beatable teams in the Commandos (4) and Mattseals (2), giving them a chance to also climb over .500. If these two are able to succeed in getting wins they should during easier stretches of their schedules, then we can safely conclude that it is not a colored curse. However, if they both struggle and can't put together winning streaks, then other variables be damned! This powdery, cute, light, summery color is a curse!
What do you think? If light blue is utterly powerless on the wiffleball field, then could another color be a source of power throughout the wiffle universe?
I'm surprised the HRL Blue Jays PR department has not issued an official statement regarding this topic. Figured they'd be all over that. I know one of their shirts they were is light blue
ReplyDeleteYour Jays were one of the first teams I thought of for this, but couldn't find if they wore a "throwback" powder at all. Just knew they use the darker blue logo. Looks like I should've asked!
ReplyDelete