Patrick's Post Game Wrap - August 6th, 2008
Game Summary
Patrick’s highly successful post-season run came to an end this week as
they fell to Flame Bar II Wednesday night by a score of 21-9, preventing
them from competing in the championship game.
The team did however finish third out of 16 teams in the
tournament. This follows last
year’s second place finish out of 15 teams and helps to secure
Patrick’s reputation as one of the top teams in the league.
Key Stats
The Tom Lippert “Home Run Watch” now stands at 12 games.
In a close race, power
hitters Mike Tollefson and Bill Arthur finished the season just three home
runs back from the team leader . . .
A look at the year-end
stats reveals that the players who are 35 and over held an edge in OB% at
.573 versus those under the age of 35 at .545.
This difference can be explained in large part by the difference in
the number of walks taken (31 versus 13 respectively) led by Gary
Schmiesing and Bill Arthur who each took 7 walks (pansies, swing the bat). However,
the importance of this statistic should not be lost as it clearly
demonstrates that age really has no bearing on softball performance.
Another key stat reveals
that Gary Schmiesing had an OB% of .616 versus the team OB% of .560,
indicating that physical conditioning also plays absolutely no role in the
success of a softball player.
The three rookies, Jamie
Williamson, Steve Guimond, and Tom Lippert had a combined On-Base
percentage of .608 for the season while producing 4 of the team’s 8 home
runs. As the recruiting
process for next year begins, this stat reveals that if we continue to
bring on new players of this caliber, several of us could potentially find
ourselves “voted off the island” in the near future.
2009 Season Predictions
As the team looks ahead to the 2009 season, this functioning predictaholic
(copyright Paul Allen) couldn’t stop himself from offering up a few
predictions regarding next year’s events:
- Chaun Cox will deliver babies at a furious pace throughout the off-season, saving every penny so that he can afford to buy a pair of softball pants.
- Tom Lippert, emotionally scarred from the abuse he took this season for not hitting more home runs, will begin “juicing” this winter and will report to spring training bearing a strong resemblance to Jose Canseco.
- Becker will again schedule time for a softball game during their family’s summer vacation, and next year will be wearing pants with a belt.
- Following one of Ben Hawkins’ base running gaffes, Gary Schmiesing will storm the field and attempt to choke Ben with his hands.
- Liz will pass on a lucrative offer from Deloitte and Touche in order to come back next year and be our waitress.
- In an effort to back up certain claims made down at Patrick’s this season, Ben Hawkins will begin taking male enhancement drugs.
- Rob Moline will win the 2009 batting title . . . then his alarm will go off, he will wake up and get ready for another day of work.