A question mark on the title is needed, and I will tell you why. Hang tight. The 2019 WSEM Dads will be playing in their 8th NWLA Tournament next month. They had one big era change that no one can dispute. The 2012-13 teams led by manager Carl Coffee changed names, manager, and the rules changed to allow two extra players. Alex Shore took over and his era went 18-2-2 and won two titles. It’s a two-year run of dominance unlikely to ever be matched.
A third era then began, the Chandler Phillips era. His first two years of manager mirrored the Alex Shore teams, and his 2017 title team only allowed four runs all tournament. A record I doubt will ever be broken. Chandler came back in 2018 to manage and became the first WSEM manager to run the team for a 3rd year. WSEM’s four-year run of dominance ended in 2018, and they went home with a disappointing 9th place finish.
So, here we are at now the 4th era, the David Castle era. He inherits a talented team that underachieved last year, and he is expected to only make a couple of small roster changes. Castle has often been the team’s 9th man, a spot that meant he only would play if someone dropped out last minute. That never happened, but he did play in both of the WSEM Dads regional teams. Castle was dominant in regionals, with 4 career home runs and a slash of .375/.467/.917. He often had to sit on the sidelines watching many WSEM players struggle at the plate during nationals and could do nothing about it. That could upset many players, but Castle still supported his league-mates and waited for his chance. Having a chip on your shoulder might be an understatement with Castle.
A New Era? What does that really mean? Will a manager really change things when the roster isn’t very different? It is hard to predict a team like WSEM. It is a team littered with many unproven top caliber pitchers and hitters who can be clutch but can also get in long droughts . One thing I know for sure though, Castle deserves this chance finally. No one has earned it more.
