Wiffle in Southeast Michigan: NWLA

A New Era?

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.

4 RA

#	LEAGUE	YEAR	RA	GP
1		2017	4	8
2		2017	11	6
2		2016	11	5
4		2016	12	11
4		2015	12	9
4		2015	12	5
7		2016	13	8
8		2014	14	9
9		2014	15	10
9		2017	15	7
11		2016	17	8
11		2015	17	7
13		2016	18	6
14		2017	19	10
14		2014	19	8
16		2013	21	7
17		2016	22	7
17		2017	22	5
19		2015	23	7
19		2017	23	7
19		2017	23	6

Our guys did something impressive last year: four runs allowed in the entire tournament. With a growing penchant for more analytical statistics people occasionally like to remind me that simple numbers can carry more impact. Maybe that could be the case here, too. See for yourself. The list at left runs up the fewest runs allowed by a team during a single tournament; regionals excluded, of course, because they shouldn't exist. Note: To see the top ten ERA's posted by teams in a single tournament you can jump down to the bottom of the post.

4 RA is impressive. That's an understatement. It's the only time a team has given up a single digit number. It's also the only time a team has given up one run or less per game; although, SWBL came very close to that mark in 2016. The four runs were given up in two games: one versus Farkas in the first game of the double elimination tournament against GBL, and three against Kujawa in the winners bracket champtionship facing HFWB. Zeroes were hung in the other six games. While pool play results largely go overlooked, the three-game shut out in those games pitched by Chandler Phillips, Sam Hatt, and Scott Kujawa is important looking toward 2018. Kujawa slides into the ace role with the departure of Farkas. Phillips likely will get more innings, especially in volatile games. Hatt is further down the depth chart, but he's a valuable arm to have in the pen, if necessary. Speaking of the bullpen, Travis Strojny should be called on to throw more than bullpen sessions this time around. And lastly, Craig Skinner rejoins the national team for the first time since 2013, looking for a redemption arc. Sure, there is no Farkas, and I doubt any team ever goes as low as 4 RA again (shout out to the wind god), but the Dads are still bringing some talented arms to throw out there.

Altogether, WSEM cracks the top twenty - in fact, the top ten - in runs allowed four times. Other repeat offenders: SWBL makes the list three times; OCWA, TBW, and GBL each appear twice. Probably shouldn't be surprised to see SWBL on the list so often given their routine success, but I am a little since we tend to focus all the attention on their hitting. I am very surprised, however, that TBW never cracks the top ten. OCWA also seems underrepresented in the list; turns out they tend to play a lot of games, and #spoileralert they come off a lot better when looking at ERA.

One last observation: the pitching numbers in 2012-2013 were bad. BAD. Awful really. Only two teams during those two years had a sub-4.00 ERA: WSEM in 2012 had a 3.92, and TBW in 2013 posted a 3.16. And now, since we've mentioned ERA… quickly ignore those bad, early outings; here are the top ERA's posted by teams in a single tournament:

1.	WSEM	(2017)	—	0.38 ERA
2.	SWBL	(2016)	—	1.24 ERA
3.	WSEM	(2015)	—	1.43 ERA
4.	OCWA	(2014)	—	1.55 ERA
5.	WSEM	(2014)	—	1.64 ERA
6.	WSEM	(2016)	—	1.66 ERA
7.	SWBL	(2017)	—	1.76 ERA
8.	WILL	(2017)	—	1.83 ERA*
9.	KWL	(2015)	—	2.22 ERA
10.	LWA	(2017)	—	2.33 ERA
10.	OCWA	(2016)	—	2.33 ERA
10.	OCWA	(2015)	—	2.33 ERA
* WILL stats incomplete on NWLA website. ERA estimated with 6 IP for each GP.

Nevermind, I take it back. That 0.38 ERA alone on an island is much more impressive than a single digit.

Reveling in Rivalries

You can't help but think about things at the NWLA Tournament. What was the name of that guy I just met?… Which new league is going to make the biggest splash?… Did they adjust that rule or not?… Are we no longer the bad guys?… When did we stop being the bad guys?… Which Shannon is which again?… Why is everyone in bed already?… How did I forget to hang out with that guy?… Which is the finger I'd least like to break?… Should Trent Steffes and Brandon Corbett start a Wiffle Logos podcast?… Can we clone a perfect copy of H8R to ensure that he'll never leave us?… That's just a sampling of the thoughts that cross your mind, among countless others.

There was one thing this year that really got me thinking, though, and it's stayed on my mind all weekend and beyond.

Rivalry game for the KWL in round 2. https://t.co/LSlcKlTRdb
— Kalamazoo Wiffleball (@KzooWiffleball) July 15, 2017

After defeating AWAA in the first round of the playoffs, KWL tweeted out "Rivalry game [vs WSEM] for KWL in round 2." I saw that while sitting on the bleachers waiting for our game to start, and my first reaction was, "huh?" It is absolutely true that back in 2012 at the first Tournament KWL was who we viewed as our one big rival; the in-state league, top 2 in the NWLA, that we looked up to. They were the team we were most excited to compete against and beat. We did, and it was glorious. That was the win we were most proud of that year. Things have changed a lot since then, though. WSEM and KWL have essentially switched roles in the wiffle world. It's entirely possible our in-state brethren now look at us the way we looked at them in 2012, but from our perspective the rivalry exists only mildly behind the "Battle of Michigan" moniker - a series in which WSEM is now 4-0-1.

While KWL was first on our mind heading in, the events of the 2012 Tournament generated new rivalries that would push us further. Chief among these was TBW, who single handedly eliminated us from the 2012 tournament. They defeated us 3 times, and were the only team to beat us that year. There's never been any real anomosity in this rivalry; how could anyone harbor any hatred toward the Harleys or Lindermans? It has from day one been a rivalry predicated solely on evening the score. In 2014 we thought we had that chance. Up 3-0 late in the game with Austin Bischoff pitching, until he got into trouble and loaded the bases. Austin piped a fastball over the heart of the plate and Chris Harley knocked it over the left-field fence; a grand slam. We lost 4-3. Heartbreaking. It wouldn't be until the following year, 2014, that we'd get our first win against the Tampa squad in the championship game, earning our first title in the process. Mountain climbed. That remains our solitary victory over TBW, and even though we haven't shared a field with them in the last 3 years - and despite the fact it's all friendly - the rivalry is still real to us because of that 1-5 record they've served to us.

On the opposite end of the spectrum there was a second rivalry spawned in 2012, this one coming out of pure vitriol: PWL. Alex Shore said something about "grandma pitch," someone yelled back, and every game we played over the next few years was a hostile environment. There was real hatred here for a time. Despite owning a 6-1 lifetime record against PWL, the games have often been closely contested with one or two plays deciding the result. Tensions have slowly cooled over the years, I guess, but as recently as last year the game still proved it had heated moments. Jim Shannon taking Farkas deep for an early 1-0 lead had the PWL bench fired up, before we worked our way back to earn a 2-1 victory. The PWL team that showed up this year was far more laid back than any we've seen before. Some of that may have been travel issues, or jersey issues, or lack-of-Gallaway issues, but it definitely wasn't an intense game this time around - with PWL conceding with a couple minutes still left on the clock. I'm not ready to write off this one entirely yet, though; a few sparks and this could reignite.

While the PWL feud was slowly fading, another exploded: HRL. To be fair, our first interaction with HRL at the Tournament was to introduce Truck to the Louisville Chugger in 2013; something we were amazed the man had never experienced before. We didn't meet on the fields until 2014. Once that happened it didn't take long for the off-field shenanigans to turn into on-field heat, which shouldn't be a surprise with personalities like H8R and Chandler on opposing sides. That game was a powder keg with both benches erupting after nearly every call or play. The one that overshadows all the others was an HRL baserunner stepping off of second on a ball 4 pitch resulting in him being called out. That moment alone sustained the rivalry for years. WSEM is 3-0 against HRL on the field, we're tied 1-1 in stealing flags, but behind by some unquantifiable margin in social media jabs taken at the other. We did create SOL: Motor City, though, so bonus point there for us. Then again, they stole Little E; so, bonus back to them. We haven't played each other in two years, and once again, we've seen tensions let off considerably because of that. Hell, H8R even roots for WSEM now (on the premise that he wants to be the one to take us down and become the first new champion, but let's be honest: he's become a fan - and that notion is reciprocated). As friendly as things are off field, the moment HRL and WSEM square off against each other again, there will be some venom woven into that matchup. It may be partly for theatrics, but the shit talk will return with or without the ill will. That seems undeniable.

Hostility fading is a theme throughout most of these, and that isn't lost on one of the biggest rivalries in the NWLA Tournament. OCWA has 2 titles. WSEM has 3. Our leagues have squared off 6 times, in which OCWA has a slight edge at a 3-2-1 record. Our leagues came into 2017 with 2 national titles a piece, yet there wasn't a hint of bad blood between the rosters on Friday night. That wasn't always the case, though. Chandler Phillips and Justin Tomkins had led the charge, going at each others throats on the field and maybe taking things too far on twitter. The 2015 NWLA Championship series was one of the best we've seen; OCWA winning the first game coming out of the loser's bracket, and Kyle Tomlinson winning it finally on a walk-off home run. OCWA got their revenge in 2016, knocking us down to the loser's bracket from the winner's bracket championship. We didn't get to face each other in 2017, as OCWA had a disappointing run. However, we are still the top two leagues all time in NWLA Tournament play, and in possession of five of the six cups. No matter if there is real hostility here, or just competitive drive to be the best, this rivalry is still one of the best in the business.

As much as the push for "Best of All-Time" should be the biggest rivalry, I can't say that it is. That's due entirely to the final moments of our last two NWLA Tournaments. The rivalry between SWBL and WSEM is everything right now. SWBL eliminated us in 2016 by a 2-0 result on a Sam Skibbe home run off Farkas. We met twice in this year, and battled through 16 hard-fought innings. Game 1, winner's bracket semis, went 10 innings. We plated two runs against Spencer Bogad finally in the 10th, after 9 innings of shutout ball. Farkas got his redemption, holding them at that zero. It was a Bogad-Farkas rematch in the second meeting. Both pitchers again kept things scoreless through 5. We finally plated 1 run in the top of the 6th on an RBI walk (RBBI). Farkas again held them scoreless in the bottom to secure the win. Three meetings in two years: 0-2, 2-0, and 1-0; each one a nail-biter. This cannot get any closer. Our pitching is a little better. Their hitting counters that. If not for the wind blowing in on field 2, the results this year may have been different. Our teams are very evenly matched. Each game has come down to a single half-inning misstep determining the result. That's as narrow of a margin as it gets.

Rivalries are fun. They are both something to look forward to, and something to look back on. Maybe they are a little more pronounced over here due to the role we've played (i.e. "The Bad Guys"), but the way rivalries shift over the years makes them a fantastic way to track how things at the NWLA Tournament have progressed - as well as get us fired up about where things may possibly go.

Roster Building 101

by Carl Coffee

I managed WSEM Big Wood in 2012-13. The first year, no one knew what they were really doing. Teams pitched their aces in pool play, they batted six guys, and it was a lot of learning on the spot. 2013 was pretty similar. As we enter the sixth year of the tournament, a lot of the strategy has evolved. I managed Big Wood to a .500 record, which equates to ‘Not Good Enough’. I stepped down and let Alex Shore take over. The rosters in 2014 were expanded to eight, Stephen Farkas also joined the team, and Shore won two titles. I still think Shore was the right man for the job, as he had a specific role for each player on the team. I was really impressed with his roster selection and how each guy fit a role. I may not have managed a team to a championship, but I am well aware that the teams that have won post 2013 have won because they have guys on the team who accept certain roles. Here is a freshman level breakdown of an eight-man roster and the roles each guy should have.

Starting Pitcher 1: This is your ace, and you can’t win without one. Bush, C. Harley, Farkas x2, and Bush or Roeder. SWBL couldn’t get over the 3rd place hump until they added Crosley, who is an ace. This is simple. You need one, and you need to use him the right way. Shore didn’t like batting his pitchers, but I am not against it. If your ace wants to hit, keep him happy.
Starting Pitcher 2: I’ve said it for years; you go as far as your #2 takes you. Pitchers no longer have to sit out two games if a game goes over eight innings, so you can ride two pitchers in DE play. Your #2 is going to have to win some big games if you want to compete. OCWA has the best 1-2 punch right now, and it’s not even close. Most teams do not have the luxury of having two aces, but you need to bring a #2 and treat him like your ace. Don’t use him much, and if possible, at all during pool play games. Don’t put him in the field if he’s not pitching unless you have to. Keep him fresh.
Starting Pitcher 3: See the trend? Pitching wins. This is an extremely important roster spot. In 2014, the Dads #3, Evan Bischoff came into the championship game against TBW to help win the game. In 2016, OCWA pitched their #3, Regis Pollard in the opening game of DE play to keep Bush and Roeder fresh. Your #3 should be ready to pitch in DE, but I am not as strict when it comes to keeping him out of the field or out of the lineup. Your #3 in my opinion is the third most important roster spot on the team. Lastly, give him a game in round robin, and pitch him against your toughest round robin opponent.
Hitter 1: I actually am higher on hitting than I used to be. I remember when the Dads won it all in 2014; they had the 13th best batting average in the tournament. They were able to get the clutch hits when they needed to, and I never really worried about hitting. With better and better pitching in this tournament, you need a stud hitter, who only focuses on hitting. Your best hitter could easily be your best pitcher, and that is fine. You should however, have a roster spot for a guy who simply hits. If he is a top fielder as well, put him in the field. Often, making a good play in the field will give a player confidence in his next at-bat.
DE OF: I didn’t know what to call this spot, so I will call it ‘Double Elimination Outfielder’. If you’re going to make a run in this tournament, you will be playing quite a few games. It is a bad idea to change up fielders in double elimination. Unless you move an OF to pitcher, or a fielder is just having a bad day, keep the same guys in the OF together so they can mesh. Bring a stud fielder, and let them know they will be playing in the field for every inning of DE play.
Round Robin Pitcher 2: The SP3, could also be called the RR1, so this spot is basically the #4 pitcher. Make sense? This guy will get a start in round robin play, and can be a bullpen guy in DE. How else you want to use him in DE is up to you. Maybe he is a good EH/DH or maybe he can be the other OF.
Round Robin Pitcher 3:
Utility Man: The 8th man can be an important roster spot. Teams rarely bring the same roster every year, so if possible, use this spot for a young up-and-comer. Have him come to get the whole experience, and give him some playing time in round robin play. Let him know his role, and make sure he is ok with it. Make sure this guy is positive and can hype up the team. Have him coach a base during DE games. Keep him involved.

A Cup of Nick Coffee IX - The NWLA Ten Commandments

by Nick Coffee

As I close my eyes, I can smell the freshly cut grass baking by the sun in the Dublin, Ohio sky. The 5th annual NWLA tournament is just around the corner and I am more than prepared. My flight is booked, the hotels are reserved and my jersey is fresh of the press. I am not an article writer on the regular, but for the past 5 years I always seem to put one out around this time of year. Last year I wrote 10 steps on how to lie about where one is off to when they head to the tournament in: “Lies” and Other Ways to Explain the NWLA Tournament. This year, I’d like to keep the list-theme going and put out another 10 steps. My apologies in advance for sounding blasphemous, but here are the NWLA Ten Commandments:

Believe in Chris Galloway
He has never let us down since the first year of this great tournament. It has gotten bigger and better every year! In 2011, I thought it was so cool that umpires were there and we had lights. Now there are jumbotrons and drones. DRONES! I don’t know what he has in store for us this year, but whatever it is I’m sure everyone will be impressed. No words can express the gratitude and appreciate that everyone has for Chris in putting on such a great show. Thanks Chris.
Do not play with another organization other than the NWLA
I know that there are so many leagues out there and the NWLA tournament is only once a year. There are other options for teams to play. Fast Plastics and Golden Stick to name a few. Besides your own league’s regular season and other tournaments here and there, an NWLA team should only be associated with the NWLA.
Do not take God’s name in vain
I think this one shouldn’t be messed with, even for this silly article. Don’t do it on the field or off the field or else feel the wrath of the mighty Lord!
Take the Monday off, rest the 4th day –
I’ve made the mistake (twice) on trying to return to work on the Monday after the tournament. The first year wasn’t too bad, but I called off the next year. Ever since, I’ve just taken a PTO day for that Monday. No one wants to be a zombie at work after 3 days of playing/coaching/watching wiffleball for 3 straight days in the heat of the summer. Do everyone a favor and take Monday off. Rest and recover!
Honor the calls
I know that umpires are humans and they make mistakes, but please respect the call. I’ve been fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of calls that have gone our way, but I’m sure it’ll come back to bite us. Unless Galloway has the technology for replays, which wouldn’t surprise me, please do not argue what the umps call because it might ultimately hurt your team’s chances of winning it all.
Do not murder
Here is another one that I don’t feel I should change, because I really hope no one murders anyone at the tournament. However, let’s tone this down a bit and say: Do not fight - I know that some players can get on people’s nerves, but please know that this is all about having fun with some great dudes. After all, we are all adults playing wiffleball. Enjoy yourselves!
Do not cheat on your team
I have been guilty of sitting on other team’s benches at times and having some drinks with them too, but I still have loyalty to the team that I came with. I get along with pretty much everyone at the tournament and I plan to be friendly the entire weekend. However, I am coming as a WSEM Dad, I’ll be there as a WSEM Dad and I’ll leave as a WSEM Dad.
Do not steal or lead off
I’m sure everyone knows what I’m talking about here. The umpires are watching your feet when you’re on the base. Do not leave early and do not get off the bag! This could cost your team. This was one of the calls that went in our favor like I was talking about in Commandment #5.
Do not testify as being better than you are
Don’t bask in the glory of previous tournament’s accomplishments because it doesn’t mean anything. Sure, there’s only been 3 teams ever to make the championship in the past 4 tournaments, but all that can go away in a single game. Don’t talk trash before you play the game. Play to win and let the score do the talking for you.
Do not be jealous of what other teams have
I’m sure every team wished they had a Bush or a Farkas on their team at some point in the tournament, however that is unrealistic. After WSEM had a pretty good year in its inaugural year, our 2nd year was a total bust. Instead of wishing we had a team like Tampa or OCWA, we changes a couple things and now we are the 2-time defending champs. I don’t contribute much to the team besides moral support and the occasional instruction on the 3rd base line, but I’ve been a part of behind-the-scenes since day one.

Well, there you have it, another easy-to-read list of 10 instructions to follow for this year’s tournament. To recap; Follow the rules, have fun, don’t be a shithead and make sure to Thank Chris Galloway. Simple rules to have a great time with some awesome guys in Dublin. I can’t wait to get out there and hopefully help our team bring home our 3rd straight trophy. In Chandler we trust. Amen!

Mocking the NWLA Tournament

Mock tournaments/seasons using random number generators are something of a pastime around here. The concept started when Carl Coffee ran a fictitious "snowball fight" tournament featuring WSEM pitchers during the 2012 offseason: a fantastic way to fill the downtime that returned with second and third editions the following two off-seasons. The idea also saw use here and there sporadically to mock up partial seasons or the playoffs. The magnum opus for the random number generator concept, though, was the "Fall Fantasy Friendly" series held after the 2012 season. This was a make-believe 4-team league comprised of WSEM players that used the random number generator to decide the outcome of every single plate appearance of a six-game season. Needless to say, this is something we have thoroughly used and abused.

So, how does it work exactly? For the Mock NWLA Tournament, it's a fairly simple model. Each team is assigned a rating out of 100. When two teams meet, the sum of their ratings is entered as the maximum number in the generator; the minimum number is always set to 1. The visiting team takes the lower end of the range, with the home team taking the higher numbers. For example: the Visiting Team has a rating of 60; the Home Team has a rating of 80. If the generator brings up a number between 1 and 60, the Visiting Team gets the win. A number between 61 and 140 coming up would give the win to the Home Team. The possibility of ties in pool play was ignored to keep things as simple as possible.

Pool play did present two additional scenarios we had to handle, though. 1) The pool play draw. Simple enough, and this was done as simple as can be. The generator was set to a max of 4, and we went through the four tiers individually. The four teams in each tier went one-by-one alphabetically: if "1" was generated, they went to Pool A, "2" put them in Pool B, and so on. 2) With 16 teams and only 4 possible records, we needed a tie-breaker for seeding. So, "margin" works well as a stand-in for run-differential. Margin is simply how far the number generated is away from the point where the visiting team and home team numbers are split. If the split is at 75 and the number 60 comes up, the margin is 15. That's a positive margin for the winning side; negative for the losing side. Margin gets tallied over the 3 pool play games for a total. Seeding is then based off the W-L record, first, with margin as the tie-breaker.

So, that's the rundown. The full randomly generated mock tournament results are presented below: pool play draws, individual pool play game results, overall pool play standings and seeding, then finally the double-elimination playoff bracket. Two questions to ponder as you scroll through:
1) Is there a predictive model that better accounts for the bad hop?
2) Now that we have this, do we even need to go to Ohio anymore?

POOL A	POOL B	POOL C	POOL D
BCW, HFWB, HVWBL, WWF	HRL, MNWA, TBW, WSEM	GAWL, LWA, OCWA, SWBL	BWBL, GBL, KWL, PWL

POOL A - GAME 1	POOL B - GAME 1	POOL C - GAME 1	POOL D - GAME 1
(+3) defeats	(+34) defeats	(+25) defeats	(+23) defeats

POOL A - GAME 2	POOL B - GAME 2	POOL C - GAME 2	POOL D - GAME 2
(+17) defeats	(+15) defeats	(+25) defeats	(+1) defeats

POOL A - GAME 3	POOL B - GAME 3	POOL C - GAME 3	POOL D - GAME 3
(+12) defeats	(+11) defeats	(+11) defeats	(+3) defeats

POOL A - GAME 4	POOL B - GAME 4	POOL C - GAME 4	POOL D - GAME 4
(+74) defeats	(+8) defeats	(+55) defeats	(+38) defeats

POOL A - GAME 5	POOL B - GAME 5	POOL C - GAME 5	POOL D - GAME 5
(+7) defeats	(+59) defeats	(+9) defeats	(+44) defeats

POOL A - GAME 6	POOL B - GAME 6	POOL C - GAME 6	POOL D - GAME 6
(+42) defeats	(+2) defeats	(+9) defeats	(+32) defeats
POOL PLAY RESULTS W-L, +/- Margin (Seed)
POOL A	POOL B	POOL C	POOL D
2-1, +47 (2) 2-1, +8 (6) 1-2, +29 (9) 1-2, -84 (15)	2-1, -2 (7) 2-1, -36 (8) 1-2, +24 (10) 1-2, +14 (12)	3-0, +45 (1) 2-1, +23 (5) 1-2, +21 (11) 0-3, -29 (16)	2-1, +30 (3) 2-1, +24 (4) 1-2, -7 (13) 1-2, -47 (14)
DOUBLE-ELIMINATION PLAYOFF BRACKET