Week 9 Power Rankings

		Coffee Time
		by Carl Coffee

1.		Whiteford Wicked Aces  (10-2, 1st in the Ringler)
		The Aces have been 10-2 for a long time. When they get back on the field in Week 10, I hope the #3 ranked team nationally still remembers how to play. [Ed. note: I bet they bring badminton racquets!]
2.		Flying Squirrels  (14-4, 1st in the Garcia)     2
		The Squirrels continue to win, even without some of their better players. These guys have found players on the street to help fill their roster, and it is working. The Garcia division appears to be theirs to lose.
3.		Manchester Punchouts  (6-2, 2nd in the Ringler)
		Gun to my head, I would say the Punchies are a better team all around than the Squirrels, but I have not seen enough of them to put them at #2. They still have not played a road game, and will need to travel a lot in the second half of the season.
4.		Belgian Wiffles  (6-4, 3rd in the Ringler)     3
		David Buhr and his Southgate boys are the real deal. They have a strong pitching rotation, speed on the bases, and they can hit. I cannot wait to see how this team will fair against Manchester and Whiteford down the stretch.
5.		Jason Mattseals  (8-12, 5th in the Ringler)     3
		The Mattseals have been on fire lately going 8-2, but are still winless within their division. When the playoffs start I would not want to be the team to have to face these guys.
6.		Thunder Ducks  (7-5, 2nd in the Garcia)     1
		The Thunder Ducks seem to be taking the regular season very easy. The defending champs went a disappointing 2-2 in Week 7 against the Seals and Seamen. I truly believe this will be a brand new team in the playoffs and are still my pick to win it all.
7.		Donkeys  (7-7, 4th in the Ringler)     1
		The Donkeys are in the middle of a four week stretch of off weeks, so they have been very quiet lately. They have a lot of home games remaining on their schedule, so if home field advantage means anything, this team could make a nice run to end the season.
8.		Campus Commandos  (2-12, 5th in the Garcia)     1
		The Campus Commandos have an opportunity now to sneak into the playoffs as the 8th seed with the Seamen replacing the DeLoppes. If they can sweep King Friday on Sunday, I believe it will be their spot to lose.
9.		King Friday  (5-13, 4th in the Garcia)     1
		King Friday has not won an actual game, but still are in a good spot with five forfeit wins. If they can get their act together in winnable games against the Commandos, the playoffs may even be in their radar.
10.		Seamen  (5-9, 3rd in the Garcia)     8
		This team did beat a Thunder Ducks team that was just having fun, but they still have an incomplete grade for now. Sweet logo though!

Coffee Time: London 2011

		Coffee Time
		by Carl Coffee

For the third straight year and the fifth time in history, Wiffle in Southeast Michigan will bring a team down to London, Ohio, to play in one of the largest slow pitch wiffleball tournaments in the world. Captain Carl Coffee decided awhile back that they would not participate in this years tournament because of the date coinciding with WSEM's final regular season weekend. After changing some dates around, he realized they could go to London.

This years tournament format is different than in years past. Every team will play four round robin games and then will be seeded in a single elimination playoff. The tournament schedule has not yet been released.

In 2004 & 2005, the boys from Downrver Wiffle were the Lugnuts. Tournament Director Brian Wheeler gave the Lugnuts franchise to another group of guys, so when they returned in 2009, they became the Jammers. The Jammers only lasted one year however, because in 2010 they became the Flying Squirrels. This year, they return as the Flying Squirrels and will wear their WSEM light blue jerseys. Here is a year by year look at our tournament records.

2004 Lugnuts: 3-3
2005 Lugnuts: 3-3
2009 Jammers: 6-2
2010 Flying Squirrels: 2-3
Overall: 14-11



Once again, the roster will be different than the year before. Meet the Squirrels!


#18 Carl Coffee ^C - P (5th Year)

Carl Coffee will be making his fifth trip to London. He has been the starting pitcher every year and he will once again hold that position. Carl's veteran leadership is vital this year because he has two rookies on his roster. Carl also brings a solid bat to the lineup and will bat 4th. He can hit to all fields, and thrives when runners are in scoring position.




#17 Brandon Corbett ^A - SS (4th Year)

Brandon Corbett is Carl's only returning player from last years 2-3 team. He has been a part of every London team except for the 2004 Lugnuts. Corbett is the teams shortstop and is a vacuum when ground balls are hit his way. As the teams best all around hitter, he will bat 3rd in the lineup. Corbett has the bat speed to rack up a high home run total.



#0 Chuck Sharkey - RF (2nd Year)

Chuck Sharkey will once again be joining the boys from Michigan. Chuck was an important part of the 2009 team that went 3-0 in round robin play, and then won three more games in the playoffs. Chuck is from the Boston area which is known to produce top notch wiffle talent. He now resides in Virginia, and is excited to return to London. Chuck knows how to get on base and move runners over, so he will bat 2nd. He also is a great defender and covers the field very well.




#5 Alex Shore - LF (1st Year)

Alex Shore will be making his first appearance at London this year. He is the captain of the Westside Warriors and is an important part of WSEM. Speed and baserunning have always been a problem for the Flying Squirrels, so Captain Carl Coffee recruited one of the fastest guys in WSEM. Alex will be asked to play the leftfield, the most important position in the tournament. He also is going to bat leadoff. Oh, and did I mention he is a lefty?



#24 Matt Murtha - UT (1st Year)

Matt Murtha has been a consistent part of the Flying Squirrels in WSEM. He also has tournament experience. In 2009, he participated in Wifflefest, which is an overhand medium pitch tournament near Chicago. Murtha can play any position so he will move around and sub in for the other players at their respective positions. Murtha is also strong pull hitter with good extra base power. He will bat 5th for the Flying Squirrels.

Power Rankings, Week 8

		Coffee Time
		by Carl Coffee

It is Week 8 and time for some WSEM power rankings, and I must say, parity has not been our friend this season. Git r' Done and the Wiffling DeLoppes started hot and have stayed hot, while the other six teams are either just hanging around or have been huge disappointments. I didn't use a fancy computer formula or poll the coaches to figure these rankings out; they are all just my personal opinion. I know a few may spark some anger or even confuse you, but that's the point. So yeah... enjoy!


8. Jason Mattseals

They did get the monkey off their back against the struggling Flying Squirrels last Saturday, but the Mattseals still only managed two runs in those four games. The good: Jason Hewlett is becoming more polished every time he pitches. The bad: This team only has one quality hitter, Jeff Biegas. They are a fun team to play against, though, and I do believe they will win a game or two more before the season ends.

7. Flying Squirrels

Besides Git r' Done and the DeLoppes, the Squirrels are actually the only other team with a winning record in the last five games. However, those games were against the Commandos and the Mattseals. The good: Merlo and Corbett are an outstanding 1-2 punch on the mound. The bad: This team cannot score runs. If the Squirrels can learn to hit the ball again, I bet a lot of teams would not be too excited to see this team in the 1st round of the playoffs.

6. Campus Commandos

Going into the season the Campus Commandos were the most unknown team in the league. Right now, captain Adam Grant has built this team into one of the most active in the league. They also have overachieved for the most part, but a four game sweep from the DeLoppes has unfortunately cornered them in the 6th spot. The good: Joe Seto. The bad: No #2 pitcher. No other standout hitters. The rest of the Commandos are getting better as they gain experience, and I look forward to seeing how this team will finish the season.

5. Belgian Wiffles

The Belgian Wiffles almost deserve being ranked 8th for their lack to put together a real roster. Belgian is losing a player a week it seems like, and that is not a healthy trend. Why are they ranked 5th then? Well, in the last couple of weeks they beat the DeLoppes twice, and Git r' Done once. That has to impress. The good: Belgian finds ways to win, even with a small roster. The bad: Will this team have enough players to even compete in the playoffs? [Ed. note: to be eligible for a playoff roster, a player must have 5 games with the team.] I hope this team can sign a couple of reliable guys down the stretch, because I would hate to see this team's talents wasted.

4. Westside Warriors

Captain Alex Shore scrambles each week to find people to play for his team (Take note, Belgian). Many of these guys have never played wiffleball before, but they still manage to stay competitive. If Alex Shore can get Whelan and Malloy to play with him consistently, they will be a tough team to beat. The good: This team didn't fold! The bad: Walks, walks, walks. When it is all said and done, the Warriors will be in the #4 or #5 playoff spot.

3. Ass Kickers

I know some people will have a tough time seeing me put the Ass Kickers here, but I do believe this is the 3rd best team in the league right now. A part of me also believes Brian Constanti is saving all of his best stuff for the playoffs, so that could make things interesting. The good: Mike Constanti has carried this team on the mound. The bad: Their .248 team batting average is worse than the Squirrels. If the Ass Kickers can have four players down the stretch and into the playoffs, this team will be in the finals.

2. Wiffling DeLoppes

I almost just put the DeLoppes and Git r' Done at 1a and 1b, but the DeLoppes do not have Dennis Pearson. The DeLoppes are built to win, and Chad Hoppe already deserves to be Captain of the Year. My only concern is, are the DeLoppes just built for regular season dominance? They have proved me wrong already though, so I would not bet against these guys again. The good: Deep roster, no weaknesses The bad: Tough one... too many jerseys to choose from? [Ed. note: Recent logo downgrade?] In future seasons when a team wants to be successful, they should model themselves after what the DeLoppes have done this season.

1. Git r' Done

Git r' Done continues to win, and win, and then win some more. Something that gets unnoticed is the fine job captain Dennis Pearson has done compiling his 1st place team. He also has done a great job not overdoing it on the mound. Git r' Done is winning with power, both pitching and hitting. The good: Dennis's arm is holding up. The bad: A team this good should have uniforms. Git r' Done will be in the best of 7 Championship Series, I have no doubt.

Those are my power rankings and I must say it wasn't easy to figure out teams 3-7. So, although we have two teams dominating, I still think the rest of the season will be quite interesting as the playoff seedings are ironed out.

Top 5 Hitters at the Halfway Point

		Coffee Time
		by Carl Coffee

#5 - Dylan Braden - Git r' Done

Preseason Rank: Not Ranked

Dylan Braden cracks the list at #5, narrowly beating out Bobby Hoppe, Jeff Biegas, and Brian Constanti. The deciding factor are his power numbers. Dylan is tied for 2nd in home runs at 7, and his 21 RBIs rank 3rd. Dylan is one half of the DD Boys, and I did predict these two would both be Top 5 In home runs this year. I have no doubt that prediction will come true when the season closes.

#4 - Alex Shore - Westside Warriors

Preseason Rank: Not Ranked

In the mess that is the Westside Warriors, their only consistent player has been captain Alex Shore. Their four wins are all because of clutch hitting performances from Alex, and I put clutch performances on a pedestal. Alex is easily the most powerful and dangerous lefty in the league with 6 home runs, and many times that lefty power can cause trouble for opposing defenses. With Nick Woods leaving the team, Alex now has to carry the load as the offensive leader for the Warriors.

#3 - Joe Seto - Campus Commandos

Preseason Rank: Not Ranked

What doesn't Joe Seto do? Mr. Seto made both lists at #3. In the very first game of WSEM history, Joe went 5 for 7 with 4 home runs and 10 RBIs. We knew he couldn't keep up a pace like that, but he hasn't fallen off very far. His AVG, SLG, and OPS numbers are among the best in the league, and his six home runs put him in a tie for 3rd. Who would have thought this Donkey would make such a big splash as a Commando?

#2 - Dennis Pearson - Git r' Done

Preseason Rank: #3

Dennis Pearson joins Joe Seto as another player on both lists. Dennis barely missed being #1 on both lists, but I wouldn't put it past him to have that honor when the season closes. Dennis leads the league in 2 of the 3 Triple Crown categories (HR, RBI), and is 2nd in AVG. Dennis has one simple strategy when at the plate, and it is the same strategy when he pitches: HE GOES ALL OUT! Dennis swings for the fences every at bat, and that strategy has obviously paid off.

#1 - Joey DeLano - Wiffling DeLoppes

Preseason Rank: #1

Did I put Joey at #1 so I could get one of my predictions right, or because I didn't want Dennis to be #1 on both lists? How dare you ask that! Joey DeLano deserves this spot. He leads the league in AVG, and I also say he leads in OBP, since the two guys ahead of him are part timers. When you break down every stat, AVG and OBP are the two most important stats offensively [Ed. note: Really? Not SLG?]. Another reason DeLano beat out Dennis is because of his lightning quick speed. His nine doubles and three triples both lead the league, and he leads his team in home runs at four. I've often said there's only two ways of getting Joey DeLano out: striking him out, or have him pop out. When this guy puts one on the ground, he will be on base.

I did a little better in the hitters' rankings, getting 2 of 5 right. #5 Nick Woods (WW), #4 Brandon Corbett (FS), and #2 Brian Constanti (AK) all dropped out of the rankings. When I do an end of the year rankings for hitters, I will change it to top 10. Too many players with great half seasons were left off this list. On podcast #4, I will make sure the guys left out will get some love.

Top 5 Pitchers at the Halfway Point

		Coffee Time
		by Carl Coffee

With most teams at or near the half way point of the season, it is time for new Top 5 rankings! Well, before the season even started I ranked both the Top 5 pitchers and the Top 5 hitters. Those rankings were based on past stats and the potential I saw in those players. These rankings will be a lot easier, since I have actual stats to base the rankings off of. Looking at the new rankings: I was more wrong than right. But hey, who takes preseason rankings seriously? Enjoy!

#5 - Chuck Weiler - Belgian Wiffles

Preseason Rank: Not Ranked

When I ranked the Top 5 pitchers, I had no problem figuring out the first four, #5 was tough though. It was a toss up between Cliff Comstock of the Wiffling DeLoppes and Chuck, but in the end I had to give it to Chuck. Even though the Belgian Wiffles have only played eight games, it is obvious that Chuck has the stuff of an ace. If I had to put money on it, I would even say he will move up in the Top 5 rankings when I do them one last time at the end of the season. Chuck leads the league in ERA, and as the season progresses, he will be right up there in strike outs and wins too.

#4 - Michael Constanti - Ass Kickers

Preseason Rank: Not Ranked

No, this is not a typo; Michael is now the better pitcher of the two Constanti brothers. No one fell farther from my preseason list than #1 ranked Brian Constanti, and no one on the new list surprised me more than Michael. With rumors of Brian holding back his best stuff, Michael has not been shy to bring it. His 69 K's rank 3rd, while his 2.06 ERA ranks 4th. The Ass Kickers are very fortunate Michael has performed this way, and I am very curious to see if he can keep it up.

#3 - Joe Seto - Campus Commandos

Preseason Rank: Not Ranked

Joe Seto has put the Commandos on his back and carried them to a shocking and very impressive start. Joe eats up many innings for his team, and you have to wonder if he will hold up. Joe leads the league in innings at 38, but yet, only has walked 11 batters. He also is 2nd in K's at 74, and many of those come at clutch times. Joe won't over power you with lightning stuff, but it doesn't seem to matter.

#2 - Chad Hoppe - Wiffling DeLoppes

Preseason Rank: #3

Oh hey, one of my preseason ranked guys made this list! Is Chad Hoppe the ace of the Wiffling DeLoppes? Yes. Is Chad Hoppe the reason for the DeLoppes impressive start? Kinda. The Wiffling DeLoppes have a deep roster with two starting pitchers (C.Hoppe, Comstack) and two relief pitchers (B. Hoppe, McDonald). I make these points not to downplay anything Chad has done, but to praise him for his superior managing skills. Now lets talk about his own pitching talents. Chad is second in the league in ERA at 1.43, and 4th in K's at 63. I have no doubt when the playoffs start, Chad will even take his stuff a notch or two higher, and that will be frightening.

#1 - Dennis Pearson - Git r' Done

Preseason Rank: Not Ranked

I was skeptical to put Dennis in my preseason rankings because of his wild throwing. He is much improved in that category, and his 37 walks compared to 82 K's is why I put him at #1. You can also look at his 2.32 ERA which ranks him 5th and ask, how that is #1 worthy? Well in the opening weekend, Dennis was injured from pitching too much in our April tournament and was pitching at probably 50%. He got knocked around by the DeLoppes and the Mattseals but he is back at full strength now. One reason why he is back at full strength and staying healthy is he has given Dylan Braden 23 innings. When Dennis is on, he is unhittable, simple as that.

Well, I got 1 out of 5 right. Mendoza lined it. The four pitchers who dropped from my rankings are: #5 Dylan Braden (GD), #4 Maclin Malloy (WW), #2 Brandon Corbett (FS), and #1 Brian Constanti (AK). It has been a very unpredictable half season and if that is any measure to how the rest plays out, the next rankings could change just as much.