Two Dads, One Cup

		Coffee Time
		by Carl Coffee

2014 marks the 10 Year Anniversary of sending a team down to London, OH to play in the largest slow-pitch wiffle tournament on the planet. The London Tournament is what sparked my interest in this silly game as a young 21 year old college lad. We still use many rulestoday in WSEM that we took from London (5 foot radius circle pitcher’s poison, force out in circle for lead runner, pegging only from 3rd to Home). This will be the first year we send two teams to London, so the interest in Brian Wheeler’s tournament has only grown through the years.

The early years ('04-'05) we went to London it was in a different location than it is at today. The old location had fields with more character and quirkiness. The tournament grew so large, though, that they were forced to move it. There are still some quirky fields, but anyone who played at the original location can tell you it was better back in the day. The '04 and '05 Lugnut teams had identical records, both going 3-3.

After three years away from the tournament, we returned in 2009. This was the only time the tournament was not in mid-July, but instead was played in October. This year also was the best finish we ever had going 6-2 with three playoffs wins, and finishing somewhere inside the top 10 or 12. 2010-2013 we played and struggled, but now we return with two strong teams, with both London veterans and rookies. Before we meet the Step-dads and Superdads, here is a look at our past teams.

'04 Lugnuts (3-3) Carl Coffee C Nick Coffee David Gapske Gene Harney	'05 Lugnuts (3-3) Carl Coffee C Nick Coffee David Gapske Brandon Corbett	'09 Jammers (6-2) Carl Coffee C Brandon Corbett Ryan Bullard Chuck Sharkey John Hill	'10 Flying Squirrels (2-3) Carl Coffee C Brandon Corbett Ryan Bullard Jon McKinnie John Hill
'11 Flying Squirrels (1-4) Carl Coffee C Brandon Corbett Chuck Sharkey Alex Shore Matt Murtha	'12 Flying Squirrels (2-3) Carl Coffee C Brandon Corbett Ryan Bullard Nick Coffee Alex Shore Dennis Pearson	'13 SeMIs (1-4) Nick Coffee C Dennis Pearson Chris Paquin Evan Bortmas Nick Braden Josh Nagorski

Chris Paquin C #19 UT Chris has been a great friend to the league for three seasons now, and anything I ask him to do, he does without hesitation. When Nick Coffee wanted to focus more on his NWLA coaching duties, it was an easy choice to appoint Chris as the new London captain. Chris has fun on the field, but will do what it takes to win. He can also play any position you put him at. Chris isn’t a pure power hitter, but can unload a big donger when you need it the most.

Brandon Corbett #17 SS Corbett will be Paquin’s right-hand man in London, and brings the most London experience to the team. This will be Corbett’s 6th year playing in the tournament. Corbett was a part of the 2009 London team who made that deep run, and his sure hands at shortstop and power bat were a big reason why. Corbett knows the fields, knows the other teams, and knows the best way to align a defense. That kind of knowledge is priceless in a tournament like this.

Nicco Lollio #34 P Lollio is the X-Factor on the team, and easily the best athlete. He exploded on the WSEM scene in 2013, and also is a D2 College Baseball player. I believe Lollio is also going to pitch for the Step-dads, and his sure hands and long stretch is a deadly combo when throwing to the circle. Lollio is another pure power hitter, but he can also put one in the gap and turn on the jets. It probably isn’t a bold statement, but he should lead the team in ding dongers.

Dennis Pearson #37 DH/OF Pearson is the only other Step-dad with London experience, as this will be his 3rd trip to the tournament. Pearson had disappointing finishes in both 2012 and 2013, so he is hungry to make a deep run. Pearson was one of the most feared WSEM power hitters with the yellow bats and still is today with the blacks. His pure power swing is a huge asset for a team, as often the team with the most home runs will win a game.

David Castle #50 OF Castle is another good friend to the league, and a valuable person to WSEM. It took just over two seasons for him to get to the 100 hit mark, and he simply wins wherever he goes. Castle can do just about anything. He can hit for power, he can hit to any part of the field, he can field, throw, and runs the bases decently well. He is the type of player you want on your team, and wherever Paquin has him in the lineup or in the field, he will perform well.

Nick Braden C #99 P Nick Braden has made the trip to Central Ohio the last two years, both as a fan and a London participant. There have been rumors for years of people sending down a second London team, and Nick has finally made it happen. Nick played on the 2013 SeMIs team who had a disappointing tournament, so he is very eager and anxious to get back on the field. Nick is a WSEM veteran and is a guy who seems to just play on winning teams. He will pitch for the Superdads and also brings a power bat.		Dylan Braden #5 OF I am shocked it took this long for Dylan to come to Ohio, but it has. Dylan has been involved with Downriver Wiffle/WSEM since 2009, and he has been one of the best home run hitters in league history. Dylan will provide another power bat, but his speed and defense are often overlooked. He will be a valuable player for the Superdads, and I am glad to see his London cherry finally popped.
Josh Nagorski #11 SS Nagorski had the same 2012-13 in Ohio as Nick Braden. He was a fan in '12, and a London player in '13. Nagorski has consistently been one of the more underrated players in WSEM, as he does a lot of things really well. He has speed, power, good hands, and a superior knowledge of the game. Much like Castle is for the Step-dads, Nagorski is the guy you want on your team.		Craig Skinner #69 OF I am not 100% sure if Skinner will be the Superdads 4th guy, but I believe he is. Skinner is known for his fast pitch arm, so bringing him to London is an interesting decision. There is no denying he is an athlete, he has decent power and speed, and may be playing with a chip on his shoulder since he was left off the NWLA team. Like Dylan, he is a London rookie. At the least, he will be a lot of fun out there for the Superdads.