Pitching FTW

		Coffee Time
		by Carl Coffee

There are few certainties in wiffleball. The wind can turn a game into a slugfest or a marathon pitcher’s duel. A batter can stick his bat out with his eyes closed and knock it over a short porch. A below average fielder can even throw out a runner at home from 80 feet away with a peg to the strike zone. However, after three seasons of WSEM I have learned one thing: pitching wins.

Pearson dominated in 2011 and led Git r’ Done to a championship before the rotation rule was set. The Bischoff brothers did the same in 2012 for the Aces. 2013 saw Evan Bortmas as the Aces #4 pitcher, so guess who won that year? I am not shocking anyone here with earth shattering scientific analysis, this is common sense stuff. It is simply tough to win it all if you do not have a deep, dominant pitching staff.

Can you still win with good, not great pitching? Yes, look at the Holy Balls last season. Chris Paquin stepped in as the ace with a revolving door of #2 pitchers and they won 18 games. Can you have great pitching and still lose? Yes, look at the 2012 Mattseals who had a 1.66 team ERA and finished in 6th place.

Not every roster is set for 2014, but you can plainly see which teams are set at pitching and which teams have question marks. I look at the ten teams and can break them all into three categories: ‘Scary Good’, ‘Could be Good’, and ‘Who Knows?’ I also ranked each team’s top 3 guys, and also gave them a grade. It is January though, so don’t take anything too seriously.

Who Knows?

Onanism These guys epitomize the ‘Who Knows’ category. In 2013, a lot of really solid pitchers didn’t reach the 30 inning mark which you need to qualify for league leader categories, so when it was all said and done Kiefer Haffey finished 3rd in ERA. He isn’t a top 3 pitcher nor is he a top 10 pitcher, but he is a solid #2 or #3 option on a competing team. In judging their top 3, I just picked out two rookies to join Kiefer. Top 3 1. Kiefer Haffey 2. Dan Simms 3. Nick Hool Grade: Incomplete

King Friday I do have a pretty good idea that King Friday’s pitching situation will be less than good, but they do have some question marks that could surprise us. 75% of the roster took 2013 off after playing in 2012, so maybe a year off has helped guys like Tristan Birotte or Ryan Hurd Jr. Also, they did sign a rookie named Rich Beach who is very enthusiastic about playing this year. He could be lightning in a bottle. Top 3 1. Rich Beach 2. Tristan Birotte 3. Ryan Hurd Jr. Grade: D-

Belgian Wiffles Belgian lacked an identity on the mound in 2013, but for the upcoming season they will rely on a nice combination of proven veterans and hopeful rookies. No one knows how good Travis Strojny and Stephen Farkas will be, but they will be given a lot of innings early in the season to show their worth. Nick Braden and even Josh Nagorski will also get a lot of innings on the hill. Top 3 1. Travis Strojny 2. Stephen Farkas 3. Nick Braden Grade: C-

Flying Squirrels Much of what I said about the Belgian Wiffle pitching can be said about the Flying Squirrels. They have rookies and veterans and it is unknown if they will mesh. One thing is different though, their rookies did pitch in the Flying Squirrels invitational and one of them (Kevin Doby) pitched well. Doby will join Jason Hewlett as their expected 1-2 punch, and I assume newly acquired Zac Adams will also be in the mix. Top 3 1. Jason Hewlett 2. Kevin Doby 3. Zac Adams Grade: C

Could be Good

Wolfpack The Wolfpack have some of the most athletic players in the league, but can those athletes pitch? I am very curious to see who will emerge as the team’s ace in the upcoming season. Mark Brannan has the most pitching experience and tied for 2nd in strike outs in 2013. Andrew Piasecki is being hyped up and Nicco Lollio is going to get his chance as well. There were some rumors they might sign a rookie or two to pitch, but those rumors have fizzled out as of late. Top 3 1. Mark Brannan 2. Andrew Piasecki 3. Nicco Lollio Grade: C+

Islanders The Islanders are capable of winning any game Will Mundel starts, but when he is absent or when their #2 pitches, they are usually the underdog. Alex Linebrink always seems to find new guys, and he is rumored to have found some in the YMCA league his team won over the fall. Right now Linebrink and Murtha are penciled in as the #2 and #3, but I have a feeling they will find a rookie stud to pair up with Mundel. They could be really dangerous. Top 3 1. Will Mundel 2. Alex Linebrink 3. Matt Murtha Grade: B-

Holy Balls You can call Dennis Pearson an ace, but he is now a borderline elite guy. He will still get his wins and strike outs, but walking in runs is always a concern with him. With that said, did the Holy Balls improve in pitching? Of course. Let’s just imagine this scenario. The Holy Balls reach the #4 vs. #5 one game playoff and Dennis Pearson is on the mound. He gives them a chance to win against anyone. The rest of the roster is filled with guys who can pitch if needed, and Phillip Morris is rumored to complete their roster. Paquin is the obvious #2, and Corbett, Lewis, and Dylan Braden have all pitched well in the past. Top 3 1. Dennis Pearson 2. Chris Paquin 3. Brandon Corbett Grade: B

Scary Good

Westside Warriors This isn’t an article about player’s availability, but of course that is on everyone’s mind when talking about the Westside Warriors. Bortmas and Hatt are reunited and you cannot forget about their historic 2012 season where they went a combined 20-2. Bortmas could have a chip on his shoulder after the Aces demoted him to their #4 pitcher in 2013. Hatt came back from injury last year and was his dominant self. David Castle is a very nice #3 and will no doubt be called upon a lot. Top 3 1. Sam Hatt 2. Evan Bortmas 3. David Castle Grade: A-

El Diablos I do believe El Diablos have the best 1-2 punch in the league, but after that there’s a huge drop off. Luckily for them, Chandler and Skinner have always been very committed and do not miss many games. The dominant duo had a combined 21 starts in 2013, and if they are near that number in 2014 they will be at or near the 20 win mark. Dakota LaDouceur went 2-0 last year and will probably start a few games this upcoming season to give Chandler and Craig some rest. Top 3 1. Craig Skinner 2. Chandler Phillips 3. Dakota LaDouceur Grade: A

Whiteford Wicked Aces The ace of this team was just named the best pitcher in the entire country and doesn’t need an introduction. Little E is arguably the most underrated pitcher in the league and keeps getting better. RJ Fisher is another underrated guy who I believe is a top 5 pitcher in the league. When you play the Aces you never get an easy game. Crozier and Hughes aren’t slacks either and will get some innings. Wicked Aces sure is a well suited name for the two-time defending champs. Top 3 1. Austin Bischoff 2. RJ Fisher 3. Evan Bischoff Grade: A+