Field Name Power Rankings

		Coffee Time
		by Carl Coffee

My power ranking obsession has hit an all-time low, as I ranked the names of the ten fields. Simply the names are looked at. Pretty lame, eh? How bored is Carl? If I power rank enough ridiculous things, which I will probably do, I want to power rank all my power ranking subjects at the end of the season. Let’s do this!

speaking of tomfoolery, i think we've met out match in the wsem crew - truck

10.  The Island It’s better than Lafayette Park, but still pretty lame. They have the whole pirate theme to work with, but choose to just use a piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water as its name.

9.  Poolside Park Part of the backyard pool is used as its leftfield fencing. Ooooooooooooooo. Has this pool ever been open?!?! It should be Closedpool Park. The only backyard field in the league has a snoozefest name.

8.  The Reservation This is the most racist field name in the league without a doubt. I guess it works, but it just doesn’t do it for me.

7.  The ‘Gian Joint The Belgian Wiffles change their field every year, and the name this year is ok. Gin is a terrible drink though, so for that, they get the #7 spot.

6. Chestnut Field The Drey was one of the best field names ever, and New Drey was also up there. I was pulling for Newest Drey or New New Drey, but I guess that’s over the top. Chestnut Field is middle of the road.

5.  Pervis Memorial They named their field after a dead cat, and somehow it fits. Most people simply call it ‘Pervis’ without knowing the history. Now you know.

4.  King’s Castle The King (captain) of King Friday, David Castle, cleverly incorporates his name in this one. I would have also liked ‘The Eureka.’

3.  Holy Grounds I am guessing this field name was easy to choose. It’s clever and fitting, but ranks at #3 since the top two make me laugh more.

2.  Jerk Turf Jerk Turf was chosen over Masturbation Station, but I guess that would have been a mouthful. Jerk Turf roles of the tongue.

1. Jason Matt Memorial Field Four members of the Wolfpack found out about WSEM last year thanks to their Meijer co-worker, Jason Matt. They honor him by naming their wacky field after him. Very fitting.

Matt Dancza, The Man - Jason Matt, Mark Brannan, and Jason Hollister

Early 2014 Field Rankings

		Coffee Time
		by Carl Coffee

It appears 2014 will see six teams from last season return to the same fields, two teams taking over fields used by other teams from past seasons, and then two teams with brand new homes. I am going to take you around Southeast Michigan, and since it is an addiction I will give my ‘soft’ rankings. A few teams haven’t 100% confirmed their field situation, but they told me rumors that these locations will be their 2014 homes. Reminder: the deadline for submitting field info to the league offices is April 5th, 2014 at the scheduling meeting.

10.

Belgian Wiffles

The 'Gian Joint

Rockwood

Rumored

I have to rank Belgian dead last, which pains me since it is my team. When all the fields are confirmed and in place, I will make sure this won’t be a last place field. Unfortunately, since I still haven’t scoped out the land, I have very little I can really say about this place. Apparently the back of Chapman Elementary School isn’t used for organized sports, and there are two backstops to play with. This will be a creative field, much like the Field of Make-Believe, except it will definitely have pitcher friendly dimensions. Above is the rumored area where Belgian hopes to build their field.

9.

O.C. Onanism

TBA

Novi

Confirmed

Onanism will make their home at Novi Meadows Elementary. I am not mad at Kiefer and his rookies for picking convenience over creativity. A lot of teams are now using the reverse baseball field method and hit towards the backstop. Kiefer has told me he may buy fencing and use the field the correct way, but I am guessing that won’t happen. This field will also be on gravel, just like The Island. I haven’t seen this field yet, but from pictures it should be kind of boring. Hopefully Kiefer takes the time to paint straight fouls lines and use a backstop. If you’re going to take the convenience route, those aspects better be close to perfect. Above is the rumored field for OCO. It will close to neutral in regards to hitter/pitcher friendly, and it is about ~90’ down the lines and ~110’ to center.

8.

Flying Squirrels

TBA

Woodhaven

Rumored

Getting information out of the Flying Squirrels is a difficult task. They severely lack anything remotely close to leadership, and I am told very few things. I had to ask John Sharlow for field information and he told me what he knew. I believe they will be playing at the Civic Center Park in Woodhaven; they just need to talk to the city for confirmation. Jason Hewlett played here with the Mattseals, so he knows the layout pretty well. I liked The Club, but Greg Franzen was very hands-on and committed in making it a nice field. Time will tell if the same goes for the Squirrels home. This field will be all silt fencing, and it will probably be a pretty neutral playing field. The city does a good job cutting the grass and there’s plenty of parking and bathrooms are nearby.

7.

Islanders

The Island

Belle Isle

Confirmed

Alex Linebrink and the Islanders will be returning to the softball fields at Belle Isle this season. I don’t think I gave a fair assessment to this field last year as I only was there in Weeks 1 and 2 last season. I am hoping to make a trip to Belle Isle in the summer to watch some games, as it probably has a different feel than in early spring. With that said, there really isn’t much to say about this field. Alex and his team can build and then break down the field in a matter of minutes, and I can’t blast him for that. The one thing that bothers me is how poorly they paint their lines. You can buy kite string for $2, and that is all you need to paint perfectly straight lines. I love having a field in Detroit though, and the views you get on this field are tough to beat.

6.

Westside Warriors

The Reservation

Farmington Hills

Rumored

I am not too sure if many will agree with ranking this field over The Island, but it barely beats it out in my opinion since I put a lot of value in grass > gravel. The fencing at Gill Elementary is perfect for wiffleball. 85’ down the lines and 120’ to center gives it unique, square dimensions and the short height of the fence makes for potential homerun robs. Alex Shore has told me he may move the field to a different corner, and should confirm that information soon. Also, this field lacked a backstop in 2013, which is really a nuisance. If I don’t see improvements to this field this season, it will quickly fall back below The Island in the rankings.

5.

King Friday

Field of Make-Believe

Wayne

Confirmed

The Field of Make-Believe nestled in the back of Civitan Park on the Wayne/Westland border definitely is creative. People throughout the league told me they either loved it or hated it, and last year it finished #4 in the field rankings. The tree is right field will always make lefties cringe, and I am hoping the sand volleyball court in left field can be implemented into the field more this season. It will never get high marks for convenience since it lacks a parking lot and bathrooms, but it should once again be a middle of the road field.

4.

Wolfpack

TBA

Rockwood

Rumored

Wolfpack captain Jason Hollister has told me Wiff-Hill Grounds is one of two fields in the running to be the home of the Wolfpack. Hollister, Dancza, and the Brannan brothers played at Wiff-Hill for the Belgian Wiffles last year. They all live close to Mercure Park so it makes sense to play here, and I truly hope they do. David Buhr surprised me when he actually found a creative field last year, and I think Hollister and Mark Brannan would put in enough effort to make it even better. This field has everything: a parking lot, bathrooms, creativity, and it’s centrally located. The mosquitos can be a pain here, but that is what bug spray is for. If the Wolfpack do play here and make some improvements, I think this could potentially be a top three field.

3.

Holy Balls

Holy Grounds

Wyandotte

Confirmed

I have a weird relationship with the Holy Grounds. I want to love it more, but every time I am there the weather is cold and wet - even when I played there in late May. Located on McKinley Playground in the middle of a neighborhood in Wyandotte, the Holy Grounds has a very neat old-school feel. The crazy tall backstop spanning left-center into center can turn no doubt homers into doubles or triples, and has frustrated many hitters. You could play with six fielders here, and there would still be a lot of open space to drop in a hit. I don’t think it will ever compete with Pervis or Poolside, but Paquin and Corbett do a great job with keeping this field as one the better ones in the league.

2.

Wicked Aces

Poolside Park

Ottawa Lake

Confirmed

Poolside Park was in a league of its own in 2012, and in 2013 it appeared it would once again be the top field in the league. Out of nowhere it fell to #2, and it starts out 2014 in that same spot. Rumors have circulated that they have some upgrades planned, and I look forward to seeing them. Poolside is the only backyard field in the league, and they do a great job in making others jealous of the jewel they have. I really can’t say much else about the home of the Aces until I see their improvements, and it may take a while since they aren’t planning on playing any games until about a month into the season.

1.

El Diablos

Pervis Memorial

Southgate

Confirmed

Pervis Memorial constantly improved its field in 2013. I played there in Week 1 and the field was as boring as can be. I kept coming back though and each time I was there something new popped up. Whether it was a sombrero foul pole, a scoreboard, or perfectly cut grass with different levels separating the playing field, Pervis Memorial kept getting better and better. Finally I had no choice but to dethrone Poolside as the top field and give it to Pervis. The atmosphere at Pervis just couldn’t be beat. Attendance numbers at Diablos home games are always higher than anywhere else which gives the games a special feel. They had a sausage race last year, which I hope also makes a return this year. There is even a rumor that a live chicken could be at the games. They do all of this at Southgate Anderson High School. So for the other eight teams not playing in a backyard, you can make a public field very personal and unique. I remember being called crazy for driving my lawnmower to BMS in 2005 to cut the grass, and these guys do the same thing here. Keep up the good work.

6-Pack Fun, Vol. 2: Fields

		Coffee Time
		by Carl Coffee

I believe we often forget just how unique it is to have so many fields in WSEM, both current and historic. These were my favorite fields to play on.

	6.	Frenchtown Field
	This is the only field on this list that lacks creativity. However, I can’t ignore the fact that this field was always well maintained and being elevated prevented it from ever being flooded.

	5.	Holy Grounds
	There is something very nostalgic about the Holy Grounds. It may be the alley past the home run fence or the school in the background; I just love the feel of this field.

	4.	The Drey
	This field was the ultimate pitcher’s park, and no matter what side of the plate you hit on, hitting it out wasn’t easy.

	3.	Knockout Park
	This field is often forgotten about when talking about some of the best fields in our league. They went all out here with their scoreboard in left field, and their creative outfield fencing.

	2.	Poolside Park
	The epitome of a backyard field is Poolside Park. Every time I walk into the Bischoff’s backyard I just get excited.

	1.	Pervis Memorial
	Every single time I visited Pervis Memorial it got better and better. Their improvements and fine attention to detail makes this my favorite field in WSEM history.

Launching Pads

		Your Junk my Happy Zone
		by Brandon Corbett

There were 222 home runs hit in the 2013 season; 55 more than in 2012. The black bats did their job and brought the swagger back! There's more to it than just the hardware, though. Where those home runs came at brings just as much intrigue; especially with how frequently terms or phrases like "bandbox," "short porch," "Polo Grounds," "no man's land," "wind assisted," "impossible," "deep as shit," and "seriously, why would you build this?" get thrown around. Our use of home fields certainly lends a great deal of variation in style of play when it comes to the long ball - or small ball.

On the above chart, the gold bars show the total number of home runs hit at each field in 2013. The team colored section of each bar indicates the number of home runs hit by the home team. The eight fields that finished the year are included, as well as the two fields Westside and Belgian had to abandon midseason; these two are sequestered to the right hand side in the slightly darkened section. The parenthetical number below the field name notes how many games were played there during the 2013 season. So, the graph allows us to look at not only which fields were the most home run happy, but also which provided the best home field advantage.

Field	HR/G	H:V Ratio
Wiff-Hill	3.50	.04
Reservation	3.40	.48
Make-Believe	3.25	.77
Swamp	2.29	4.33
Pervis Mem.	1.71	7.00
Holy Grounds	1.58	.73
Island	1.57	.47
Poolside	1.00	9.00
Wiffle Iron	2.33	.08
Warriors Den	0	--

To no one's surprise - based on its 68' RF and 74' LF fence - the The Field of Make-Believe surrendered the most ding dongs in WSEM, 39. What might be slightly surprising, though, as seen in the table to the right, is that it ranks third in home runs allowed per game. Also regarded as a launching pad, The Reservation is second on both charts: giving up 34 HR, 3.4 per game. While short dimensions led to Make-Believe's high number, it was a steady stream of strong tailwinds that inflated the Reservations home run tally. In fact, 25 of its 34 HR given up came in just two series: when El Diablos and Holy Balls visited town.

Wiff-Hill Grounds only saw 8 games, yet still managed to give up 28 HR, fourth most in the league. This gives it the honor of edging out the Reservation for highest number of home runs per game, with 3.5. What's noteworthy here is how Wiff-Hill managed to play even smaller than its predecessor, the tiny Wiffle Iron, which itself gave up 14 HR in just 6 games.

On the other end of the spectrum, Poolside Park's 10 HR surrendered seems on the low side with the relatively short right field. Of course, you have to account for the Aces pitching staff in that number. You could also cite only 10 games played, however, Poolside still has the lowest HR/G: just 1.0. The next two stingiest fields are just 1/100th off in HR/G. They also both share a massive three-level backstop in center field. These near-twins, The Island and Holy Grounds, surprise nobody by being pitcher friendly parks: 90' lines, power alleys at 100+', and cavernous center fields.

Looking at the other number in the table, home-to-visitor HR ratio, and the colors on the bar graph, it is apparent that there is no real home field advantage when it comes to the power numbers. Five of the eight - or six of the nine - fields surrendered more than half of their dingers to visiting teams. Belgian's two fields were by far the most hospitable to guests, never bringing their selfish ratio above .08. The The Island and The Reservation are the next most guest-friendly environments. They both gave up just over 2 homes to visitors for every 1 hit by the home club. Holy Grounds and Make-Believe fair a little better, but still spot the journeymen about 1.5 HR for every 1 for the good guys.

Three fields truly claim the title "friendly confines" when it comes to the long ball, though. One of those is the The Swamp. Led by Pearson's bat, the Ducks hit 4.33 HR on their home turf for every one given up: 81% of the home runs came off the bats of the home team. That's not the best advantage, though. Pervis Memorial said adiós to 7 El Diablos long balls for every one by a visitor; giving the home colors a whopping 88% of the tally. Still not the best advantage. As mentioned earlier, Poolside Park gave up a total of 10 home runs on the year. All but one of those were hit by the Aces! So, 90% of the souvenirs kids took home were given out by the good guys. Both rare and classy.

There we have it: a bit of everything from one end to the other for all types of players and observers. A few launching pads for fans of the long ball, a couple death valleys for old-school fans of manufacturing runs, and just enough home cooking to get your fill. I guess there's only one thing left to do: ask the question on everyone's mind.

"Who would have won that game if we'd played it somewhere else?"

Marching to April

		A Cup of Nick Coffee
		by Nick Coffee

As the Michigan sky turns from gray to blue. The snow melts, as it was never welcomed in the first place. Winter ending and spring only a couple weeks away, wiffle ball is on all of our minds. I find myself so excited that I browse the Internet for ideas to make our field the best in the league. I'm starting to plan blueprints for an eye-catching strike zone. I even write, well, these articles when I really should be working. I got a fever. And the only prescription is more wiffle ball.

I moved back to Michigan from Florida last year in May and the weather was already perfect. I heard from family and friends that it was a very mild winter with almost no snow. I wish that was the case this year. Those occasional 60-degree days that we sporadically have urge us to head outside and throw the ball around. I can't wait for those days to come. I finally watched first spring training game on television this year. Even though it was pretty boring, it got me really excited to listen to a real game on the way to our wiffle ball games and, while playing, ask every 10-15 minutes "What's the score?" to the closest guy with an iPhone.

Weird headband tan lines

Now that I'm part of King Friday I don't have much of an opinion as a team representative anymore. My brother isn't the captain and I don't really know all the guys on my team. I'm still online every chance I have looking up different field dimensions and fencing to make our field spectacular. I haven't even seen the space yet; I don't even know what city it's in! Carl and I have drawn up different ways to make something different with our home run fence. With a King Friday theme, we've toyed around with a castle or train somewhere. I don't know how well that will work though. I'm also looking at a unique way to make our strike zone. I don't want to give anything away, but if I do end up doing what I want, it will be extremely unique and one-of-a-kind. Corbett wants me to attach a firework launcher on the back of it... We'll see about that.

I love playing MLB: The Show with Carl, but I'm sick of sitting on the couch all day. I want to get outside. I want to sweat and get a weird headband tan line. I want to come into work Monday morning so sore I can barely walk. I'm pumped to start this season! When I get excited about something, I get a little obsessed. I will spend money, time, and labor to make our field spectacular. We may not be the best team on paper, but after you play us you will not forget playing King Friday.

The Long and Short of it

		Your Junk my Happy Zone - Outta My Dreams, Into my Yard
		by Brandon Corbett

The two fields being talked about in this article are the two that utilize existing baseball fencing for their outfield walls and hit from behind second base. That is where the similarities between them end. The little difference: The Wiffle Iron uses the backstop and dugout fencing, while The Zoo uses the outfield wall. The bigger difference: one is a hitter friendly bandbox, the other a cavernous pitcher's park.

The Zoo plays HUGE. The Zoo is HUGE. It measures 120' down the left field line and 130' down the right field line. Center Field is slightly shorter, but there is no easy poke at the highlands of New Hudson. "Highlands", the Zoo is located on top of a no longer used landfill. This presents a unique and scenic view of the surrounding area while playing. It also makes the field play even bigger! Playing a few hundred feet above the rest of the area brings nearly constant wind, even on calm days, that generally blows in from left-field, knocking down even the hardest hit balls; not that many balls have a shot at 120+' in the first place. The huge dimensions do leave a lot of open space for outfielders to cover, though, and in turn a lot of opportunity for extra base hits; you know, the ones that do not go over the fence. Get it past the outfielders on a line, and you can run for days - rather, you could run for days if you were allowed more than one trip around the bases. The name may not fit so well - a zoo is quite confined, while The Zoo is anything but - however, the field itself is a great, unique addition to the league palette; think the exact opposite of Coors Field, or dead-center at old Tiger Stadium on steroids.

The Wiffle Iron on the other hand plays like right field at new Yankee Stadium with lines around 75'. The short dimensions are a welcome counter-weight to larger fields in the league, and certainly add individual character and earn the term "friendly confines". The field is perfectly symmetrical using the foul line fences and backstop of a grass tee-ball field. This layout, perpendicular fences running the lines into center, also provides the fun of sharply deeper dimensions. If you are late on a ball, you no longer have an easy home run on the short-porch. Adding to that challenge, the height of the fences increase to six feet at the dug-outs left and right center, and to ten feet in straight away center, estimated at a distance 105'. The tall wall in center field configuration is reminiscent of the Diamond Backs' stadium (whatever corporate douchebag sponsor it has now), which is an awesome feature. The Wiffle Iron is a pull hitters dream, but a solid shot up the middle can go easily unrewarded. Being located in the complex at Heritage Park also puts the Iron and Wiffleball into the, admittedly, confused eyes of spectators, which is always nice. If spreading the game is not enough, well your in luck! As this location also provides prime bleacher seating during games.

The Wiffle Iron and The Zoo could not play any more differently, and that is absolutely why home fields exist: what makes home field advantage mean something. To date the Donkeys are 4-2 on their home turf, and Belgian is 7-3 at The Wiffle Iron (* 9-3 at home, but games vs. Squirrels were played at their farm-club park, Maple Yards). .667 and .700 winning percentages at home to .450 and .500 winning percentages, respectively, on the season. Mmmm... That is the smell of home cooking!

Get into my Yard, III - The Westside Reservation

		Your Junk my Happy Zone
		by Brandon Corbett

When last we loitered on the land of others and littered it with lavish words it was at our southernmost field, Frenchtown Field in Monroe County. Today we stick with the "F," but flip the compass and travel to the most northern site to feature Wiffle in Southeast Michigan action: The Westside Reservation in Farmington. Carl and I were ecstatic when the Warriors announced mid-season that they were building a field, as that gave us fields in three counties! That is an impressive way to increase the size of your footprint.

The journey to getting the Westside Reservation built was not an easy one, however. The initial field location - a little league sized ballfield with a grass infield, benches, and a backstop - had to be abandoned due to conflicts with a home-owners association and painting lines on the field. Hey! Remember that "angry neighbors" stat from earlier this season? "Chalk" up a couple more for their mid-season resurgence! Never one to give up on his team or vision, Alex Shore, captain of the Warriors, had a back up plan ready to go no more than a day later it seemed. [Insert gag about Alex being quick at everything he does here.]

The second field location, the Reservation we all know and love (or hate), is located in the vacant back lot of a Church that is kind enough to let us park in their lot. According to Shore, the Church was excited that someone asked to do something with the land, as it usually just went used. The land itself is a hard, shallow clay surface with a slight roll in the infield, which makes for some interesting bounces on ground balls. While topography and ground conditions are unlikely to have been studied beforehand, this actually is something that plays into the Warriors aggressive style. Waiting back to field a ball can lead to mistakes, while charging in will limit the chances at the ball taking odd hops. Above ground the field is covered in fuller, nicer grass than other fields in the league. Note: I did not say longer. The Warriors do a good job making sure the field is cut into good playing condition before games. It is nice to have a playing surface that is not a putting green, like Frenchtown, a semi-arid savanna, like the Drey, or a jungle, like Lafayette.

One fault with the Reservation is a result of the hard ground. It is impossible to pound the stakes for the silt fence all the way into the ground, and there is a four to six inch gap left between the ground and bottom of the fence. When the first games were played ground-rule doubles were frequent. The problem was quickly rectified by instating a new ground rule: when the ball goes under the fence, the runners go back to the last base touched (excluding home-to-first, where the runner is given first). It is a fair solution that nullifies what would otherwise be an unavoidable, yet considerable problem with the field construction.

The fence is still the most talked about aspect of the Reservation. Although, with that ground rule in place, players are free to talk about the dimensions of the fence instead of how it sits. A topic much more baseball, and much more fun! The first build of the field had a fairly standard, elliptical outfield wall. However, with Shore being a lefty, so few other lefties in the league, and at least one team building their field to screw lefties, the Warriors redesigned the outfield wall to lefty-friendly accommodations. [Unfortunately, no pictures of the new dimensions are available.] There is a short-porch in right field approximately 60-65' down the line and running perpendicular through right-center, before jumping straight back to a deep center field estimated around 110', and coming around to a fairly average 85' down the left field line. Many opponents call bullshit on Shore's friendly confines, but hey, is that not why you build a home field? To have an advantage? To build to your strengths or opponents' weaknesses? As a righty who can only hit pull field and a fan of odd, extreme field design, I simultaneously bitch about the short porch because I cannot hit into it, and praise the clever creativity of the complete asymmetry and the huge leap in depth; my left brain hates it, my right brain cannot help but love it. The Reservation easily gets the award for "most off the wall wall!"

Every WSEM team but the DeLoppes made the trip to play at the Reservation this year. I cannot tell you how happy that makes me. I am proud of Shore and the Warriors for putting it together, and of the Commandos, Ass Kickers, Git r' Done guys, Mattseals, Squirrels, and most of all the Belgian Wiffles for making the trip. More than what happens on the field, this league and this game as a whole is about giving guys the opportunity to make something: a field they can be proud of, or just a memory of a once-in-a-lifetime experience taking the team bus to Farmington to swing plastic on wacky dimensions behind a church. "Once" because the Warriors will not be returning to WSEM next year, as their roster is heading off to college. So, even if the home field advantage of the Westside Reservation could not get the Warriors past the Ass Kickers in the first-round in 2011, hopefully, "hey, remember that summer we were in a Wiffleball League together and built that awesome/ridiculous/ridculously awesome field?" will be a question asked to spark conversation by the 2011 Westside Warriors years down the road.

Here is a montage thrown together by their captain for Westside's 2011 season:
(It includes a few shots we do not have from around the Reservation.)