Handies: Most Valuable Player

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
STEPHEN FARKAS (SEE YAS)

H	AVG	OBP	SLG	RBI	PA/RBI	HR	AB/HR	Team RP %
53	.379	.519	.821	48	3.7	19	7.4	30.2%

Stephen Farkas had a breakout year offensively. Nearly tripling his annual home run total, and doubling his RBI production. He won the batting title, led the league in slugging and on-base percentage, and missed out on the triple crown by 1 home run. He also had the best ratio of at-bats per home run, and had the second-best plate appearances per RBI. All in all, Farkas accounted for north of 30% of the See Yas' total team run production. Most impressively, he put up the gaudy numbers without a real stat-padding game. The only #Paddington affair he found himself in was cut short by mercy, limiting it to only 5 PA. He posted the numbers consistently all season long against number-one and number-two arms; only 5 games did he go without a hit.

Honorable Mentions:

• Stephen Werner (Red Cox) had another impressive season at the dish. He wound up second in batting average (.378), on-base percentage (.500), and total bases (119). His overall production numbers were significantly off the pace of other MVP candidates, though: 5.3 PA/RBI was over 1.3 plate appearances more than his competition, and his double-digit 10.9 AB/HR was 3 full at bats more than others in the discussion. Ultimately, though, the biggest strike against Werner's MVP bid may have been 13 hits and 4 home runs coming in an egregious stat-padding game to close out the season, which ballooned his final numbers.
• Austin Bischoff (Wicked Aces) was likely the most important player in the league to his team. No other Ace played in over 14 games, and almost every game saw him as the centerpiece of a three-man lineup. This led to a lot of plate appearances and high numbers for the counting stats: 54 H, 63 RBI, 20 HR, and 123 TB. His percentage stats, though, were a bit more down to earth (.333 AVG, .460 OBP, .759 SLG) putting Austin behind others in the MVP discussion.

Handies: Rookie of the Year

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
KYLE SCHULTZ (ISLANDERS)

	PA	AVG	OBP	SLG	RBI	PA/RBI	HR	AB/HR
BATTING	134	.244	.493	.533	27	5.0	8	11.3
	GP	IP	ERA	WHIP	OBA	K	K/6	K/BB
PITCHING	8	42	4.57	1.74	.202	86	12.3	2.1

Kyle Schultz had two competitive advantages over the rest of the rookie class when he made his WSEM debut week two: 1) years of experience in MLW, and 2) being the only pitcher in the group. What do those two things have in common? Neither would play a role in his ability to win RotY. Kyle put on a show with the bat, ranking no lower than second among rookies in any major offensive category. He took the top spot in SLG, TB, OBP, BB, and AB/HR; second position in AVG, H, HR, RBI, and PA/RBI. Meanwhile, all other rookies found themselves in third position or further back in at least five of those categories. Consistent production like that alone can make the case for Schultz as RotY. Any value added by falling into the nember-two pitcher role for the Islanders on their way to the playoffs is just icing on the cake. But it's very likely that the black-and-white pirates wouldn't have made it out of the regular season if not for Kyle's bat and arm coming up big in key moments.

Honorable Mention:

• Anthony Kreza (Holy Balls) started off his career strong with a 105' 1B to RCF at the spacious Coffee Grounds off Scott Kujawa. He then poked a game-winning RBI 1B off Chandler Phillips. For his piece de resistance, he threw down a 2-HR game against Stephen Farkas. Kreza hit good pitching, and posted the most hits (27) and best batting average (.257) out of all rookies. His name kept coming up in the discussions about winning this thing, but in the end his power and run production numbers couldn't match those put up by Schultz.

Handies: Most Improved Player

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
MARK BRANNAN (SEE YAS)

	H	AVG	TB	SLG	RBI	PA/RBI	HR	AB/HR
2016	44	.303	72	.497	35	5.4	8	18.1
2015	20	.164	24	.197	8	19.9	0	-

Mark Brannan rebounded from a rough 2015 campaign with a fantastic 2016 season. He increased his batting average 84.8% and his slugging percentage an astounding 152.3% over the previous year. His production increased exponentially, knocking in a run nearly four-times more frequently and replacing a goose egg with 8 home runs. Literally infinitely better on that one. Mark had the largest percentage increase from the previous season of any player in those four main stat categories of offensive production. Definitively most improved.

Honorable Mentions:

• Nick Braden (Flying Squirrels) saw his playing time double from 12 GP to 25 GP, and his numbers got a corresponding uptick. An impressive 50% increase in batting average, and 112% boost in slugging. He also had a league-best 72.3% increase in on-base percentage, but the overall production numbers did not spike at a level that matched Brannan's.
• Ray Brown (Flying Squirrels) was the favorite to win the MIP for much of the year, in large part due to him pitching like the ace of his staff. Unfortunately, those numbers returned to normal by season's end. On the offensive side, his slugging percentage and at-bats per home run had the second-best percentage change from 2015, but without the pitching it was not enough to jump past his teammate or Brannan.

Handies: Part 1 - The Non-Voting Variety

BATTING CHAMPION
STEPHEN FARKAS (SEE YAS)
.379 AVG


COUNTRY STRONG HOME RUN KING
AUSTIN BISCHOFF (WICKED ACES)
20 HR


WALKER TEXAS RANGER
KYLE TOMLINSON (EL DIABLOS)
67 BB


GREAT LAKES STEALER
DYLAN BRADEN (FLYING SQUIRRELS)
12 SB

Championship Results, 8/20: Games 3-5 - Holy Grounds

↴  Printable Scoresheet (.PDF)	‣  League Lineup Stats Entry

GAMES 3-5 1:00 PM Holy Grounds
• Seed:  #4 • Regular Season:  46 Pts (15-12-1) • Lead Series 2-0 • Seed:  #2 • Regular Season:  40 Pts (15-12-1)
AWAY GAME 3 HOME
0	LP: Bayley (1-2)	1	WP: Kujawa (2-1) RBI: Castle
AWAY GAME 4 HOME
7	WP: Farkas (5-0) HR: Bayley (4), G. Brannan (1), Corbett (1), Farkas (2)	1	LP: Castle (1-2) HR: Castle (1)
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES OFFENSE AVG OBP SLG PA/RS AB/HR .162 .392 .351 8.5 18.5 CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES PITCHING ERA WHIP OBA K/6 K/BB 1.50 1.25 .200 14.5 4.8 REG SEASON OFFENSE vs RED COX AVG OBP SLG PA/RS AB/HR .235 .402 .471 4.6 17.0 REG SEASON PITCHING vs RED COX ERA WHIP OBA K/6 K/BB 4.72 1.38 .286 10.0 3.1		CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES OFFENSE AVG OBP SLG PA/RS AB/HR .200 .294 .333 17.0 45.0 CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES PITCHING ERA WHIP OBA K/6 K/BB 3.60 2.00 .162 12.6 1.5 REG SEASON OFFENSE vs SEE YAS AVG OBP SLG PA/RS AB/HR .286 .368 .560 5.9 14.0 REG SEASON PITCHING vs SEE YAS ERA WHIP OBA K/6 K/BB 5.11 1.93 .235 11.6 1.7

2016 Home Run Derby & All-Star Game Results

HOME RUN DERBY 3:30 PM COFFEE GROUNDS
FIRST ROUND:   Each participant gets 3 minutes to hit as many home runs as possible. The ball must hit the ground before the next pitch may be thrown. One 30 second time out may be used during the round at the hitter's discretion. WATCH ON PERISCOPE
STROJNY (8)	FARKAS (12)	C. PHILLIPS (5)	GENDRON (8)	G. BRANNAN (11)	WERNER (1)
FINAL ROUND:   The top 2 contestants from the first round will move on to the final round, where they will get 10 outs to hit as many home runs as possible. Any swing of the bat that does not result in a home run will be an out. WATCH ON PERISCOPE
4			5

ALL-STAR GAME 4:30 PM COFFEE GROUNDS
★ GARCIA ★ #3   SCHULTZ   (OF) #8   GENDRON   (OF) #14   STROJNY   (P) #14   WERNER   (OF) #25   KUJAWA   (SP) #99   SKINNER   (P) ★ RINGLER ★ #1   C. PHILLIPS   (SP) #3   TOMLINSON   (OF) #8   KREZA   (OF) #21   FISHER   (P) #37   PEARSON   (OF) #48   FARKAS   (P)
AWAY ALL-STAR GAME HOME
3	LP: Strojny HR: Kujawa	4	WP: Farkas HR: C. Phillips

Championship Results, 8/14: Games 1 & 2 - Coffee Grounds

↴  Printable Scoresheet (.PDF)	‣  League Lineup Stats Entry

GAMES 1 & 2 1:00 PM COFFEE GROUNDS
• Seed:  #2 • Regular Season:  40 Pts (15-12-1) • Seed:  #4 • Regular Season:  46 Pts (15-12-1)
AWAY GAME 1 HOME
1	LP: Kujawa (1-1)	2	WP: Bayley (1-1) HR: Bayley (2) Ineligible pitchers: Farkas (1 game)
AWAY GAME 2 HOME
2	LP: Castle (1-1) HR: Kujawa (4)	4	WP: Farkas (4-0) HR: Bayley (3)
PLAYOFF OFFENSE AVG OBP SLG PA/RS AB/HR .250 .379 .437 6.4 16.0 REGULAR SEASON PITCHING ERA WHIP OBA K/6 K/BB 4.86 2.03 .188 12.3 1.5 OFFENSE vs SEE YAS AVG OBP SLG PA/RS AB/HR .286 .368 .560 5.9 14.0 PITCHING vs SEE YAS ERA WHIP OBA K/6 K/BB 5.11 1.93 .235 11.6 1.7		PLAYOFF OFFENSE AVG OBP SLG PA/RS AB/HR .160 .299 .333 13.9 20.3 REGULAR SEASON PITCHING ERA WHIP OBA K/6 K/BB 5.45 1.91 .221 12.5 2.0 OFFENSE vs RED COX AVG OBP SLG PA/RS AB/HR .235 .402 .471 4.6 17.0 PITCHING vs RED COX ERA WHIP OBA K/6 K/BB 4.72 1.38 .286 10.0 3.1

A Championship in the Making

For the first time since the 2011 season, the WSEM Championship will go to a team other than the Wicked Aces or El Diablos. The final two teams left standing, Red Cox and See Yas, both were formed in the 2015 season. The classmates first took the field each built around a Stephen whom had made a name for themself in 2014. Captain of the Cox Stephen Werner was known for his clutch home run hitting in big game situations in his rookie campaign with King Friday. Stephen Farkas, the number-one draft pick of the See Yas, is a man that needs no introduction in wiffleball circles. The 2015 campaigns shaped up very differently, though. The See Yas finished their rookie campaign in last place with a record of 9-18-1. The Red Cox finished the regular season 17-11-0, and made it to the WSEM Championship Series in their first effort, where they took the series to five games against the Aces before falling short.

This year, the Red Cox and See Yas finished the regular season with identical 15-12-1 records. They went 2-2 heads-up, as well. The Cox played near-.500 ball week in and week out. Their longest winning streak was 2 games; their longest losing streak was 3 games. They were 7-7 through 14 games, and 11-10 after 21. They're 4-2-1 record to close out the season over their last 7 games was their biggest surge of the season. The Yas season came with more ups and downs. They opened the season with a record of 5-2, before going 1-6 in their next 7 games for a 6-8 record at the halfway point. They then played up, posting a record of 9-4-1 in the second half to finish the season strong. Their longest winning streak matched their longest losing streak at 4 games.

Both teams also bought big on the trade market. The Red Cox acquired RJ Fisher to bolster their pitching rotation; putting Fisher together with Kujawa creates a 1-2 punch with by far the best OBA (opponents batting average) in the league. The See Yas went the other way just minutes before the trade deadline, bringing in the Brannan brothers' bats to add punch to the lineup. The 55 combined HR for the new lineup was second only to the Aces, and 14 more than the next closest team, while the 364 TB were the most by any team. Mark Brannan further made known the impact of his presence when he hit not only the game-winning home run in the Play-In Game, but also the series-winning home run against Austin Bischoff in the 1st Round. And while Fisher was absent last week for the Cox, the pitching staff of Kujawa and Castle still managed to impressively shut out a potent El Diablos lineup in the sweep of their 1st Round series.

There are two weeks and at least three games left to tell the 2016 stories. The Red Cox are trying to reach the one goal they fell short of last season. The See Yas are trying to fulfill a Cinderella, worst-to-first turnaround season.

Playoff Results, 8/7: #2 Red Cox def #3 El Diablos

↴  Printable Scoresheet (.PDF)	‣  League Lineup Stats Entry

2 vs 3 BEST OF 3 SERIES 1:00 PM POOLSIDE PARK
• Seed:  #3 • Regular Season:  51 Pts (17-11-0) • Seed:  #2 • Regular Season:  46 Pts (15-12-1)
AWAY GAME 1 HOME
0	LP: C. Phillips (0-1)	8	WP: Kujawa (1-0) HR: Kujawa (1,2)
HOME GAME 2 AWAY
0	LP: Hatt (0-1)	1	WP: Castle (1-0) HR: Kujawa (3)
REGULAR SEASON OFFENSE AVG OBP SLG PA/RS AB/HR .201 .427 .426 5.5 14.5 REGULAR SEASON PITCHING ERA WHIP OBA K/6 K/BB 5.03 2.20 .244 12.9 1.8 OFFENSE vs RED COX AVG OBP SLG PA/RS AB/HR .118 .323 .237 16.5 25.3 PITCHING vs RED COX ERA WHIP OBA K/6 K/BB 6.82 2.82 .354 12.0 1.6		REGULAR SEASON OFFENSE AVG OBP SLG PA/RS AB/HR .250 .372 .466 6.9 16.7 REGULAR SEASON PITCHING ERA WHIP OBA K/6 K/BB 2.86 1.58 .145 14.0 2.2 OFFENSE vs EL DIABLOS AVG OBP SLG PA/RS AB/HR .354 .483 .604 4.8 13.7 PITCHING vs EL DIABLOS ERA WHIP OBA K/6 K/BB 1.57 1.39 .118 16.7 2.8

Playoff Results, 8/6: #4 See Yas def #5 Islanders and #1 Wicked Aces

↴  Printable Scoresheet (.PDF)	‣  League Lineup Stats Entry

4 vs 5 PLAY-IN GAME 1:00 PM POOLSIDE PARK
• Seed:  #5 • Regular Season:  40 Pts (12-12-4) • Seed:  #4 • Regular Season:  46 Pts (15-12-1)
AWAY PLAY-IN GAME HOME
1	LP: Gendron (0-1) Ineligible pitchers: Schultz	2	WP: Farkas (1-0) HR: M. Brannan (1), Farkas (1) Ineligible pitchers: G. Brannan
REGULAR SEASON OFFENSE AVG OBP SLG PA/RS AB/HR .208 .427 .453 5.9 14.0 REGULAR SEASON PITCHING ERA WHIP OBA K/6 K/BB 4.86 2.03 .188 12.3 1.5 OFFENSE vs SEE YAS AVG OBP SLG PA/RS AB/HR .132 .305 .237 9.5 38.0 PITCHING vs SEE YAS ERA WHIP OBA K/6 K/BB 4.64 2.45 .263 12.5 1.3		REGULAR SEASON OFFENSE AVG OBP SLG PA/RS AB/HR .256 .404 .506 5.7 13.1 REGULAR SEASON PITCHING ERA WHIP OBA K/6 K/BB 5.45 1.91 .221 12.5 2.0 OFFENSE vs ISLANDERS AVG OBP SLG PA/RS AB/HR .263 .443 .550 6.2 11.4 PITCHING vs ISLANDERS ERA WHIP OBA K/6 K/BB 2.61 1.22 .132 12.8 2.7

1 vs 4/5 BEST OF 3 SERIES 2:30 PM POOLSIDE PARK
• Seed:  #4 • Regular Season:  46 Pts (15-12-1) • Seed:  #1 • Regular Season:  54 Pts (18-10-0)
AWAY GAME 1 HOME
1	WP: Farkas (2-0) RBI: Farkas (2)	0	LP: A. Bischoff (0-1)
HOME GAME 2 AWAY
3	LP: Bayley (0-1) HR: Bayley (1)	10	WP: Pearson (1-0) HR: A. Bischoff (1,2)
AWAY GAME 3 HOME
1	WP: Farkas (3-0) HR: M. Brannan (2)	0	LP: A. Bischoff (0-2)
OFFENSE vs WICKED ACES AVG OBP SLG PA/RS AB/HR .226 .301 .369 10.3 21.0 PITCHING vs WICKED ACES ERA WHIP OBA K/6 K/BB 2.87 1.22 .139 14.1 3.2 OFFENSE vs WICKED ACES AVG OBP SLG PA/RS AB/HR .178 .327 .289 18.3 45.0 PITCHING vs WICKED ACES ERA WHIP OBA K/6 K/BB 2.31 1.92 .133 11.5 1.3		OFFENSE vs SEE YAS AVG OBP SLG PA/RS AB/HR .139 .292 .342 8.7 15.8 PITCHING vs SEE YAS ERA WHIP OBA K/6 K/BB 2.28 1.27 .226 15.0 5.4 OFFENSE vs ISLANDERS AVG OBP SLG PA/RS AB/HR .133 .391 .156 12.8 N/A PITCHING vs ISLANDERS ERA WHIP OBA K/6 K/BB 1.38 1.31 .178 14.3 3.4