VWL Newsletter – 09/08/2005 The 2005 season began like Hurricane Katrina – it had tremendous momentum, and was literally blowing people away. The season was packed with excitement, packed with hopes, packed with homers, double-plays, and strike-outs. But more then the daily components of the average baseball game, this season packed a lot more. So much pressure lay upon 2005 after the strike-shortened season of 2004. All the reporters, and critics wondering, will the VWL rebound and once again capture the country’s attention as it did at the turn of the millennium? Will the player’s association and league officials be able to compromise on their ongoing love-hate relationship? Well it seems that those questions were certainly answered. There were so many underlying themes this year to keep the fans on their heels: Louis (The Skipper) not only bidding to finish the year batting over .500, but flashing the leather all over the infield, and turning double plays like clockwork, to threaten to steal the “infield Golden Glove” award from Styles, whose name has been pretty much penciled in on it since before the season began. Mike (Mikey Styles) making good on his promise to up his power numbers, and make a strong bid for the HR title, and right now clinging to a small lead over Danny Jr. whose name has been penciled on it since before the 2000 season! Nick (Trips/The Sok) actually wanting to play!!! And Danny Jr. showing up to a majority of the games on time, and off the phone!!! The 2005 VWL season proved to be more than any fan, critic, or reporter could ask for. However as is the case with just about anything – when something seems too good to be true, it usually is. And the 2005 VWL season proved to be no different, as it once again - ran aground! Fans yet again were left with a feeling of disappointment, and have been expressing their emotions all over the San Souci area. We caught up with several VWL die-hards, to capture some of those thoughts: One fan at the Throggs Neck Clipper Bar on Tremont avenue, who was wearing a Styles jersey, and shooting Tequila like a cowboy sputtered, “I cant believe this is happening again! It’s like Deja’ Vu all over again. Styles was gonna win the HR title this year! I give up!” Another fan who we interviewed at Stan’s bar – just outside Yankee Stadium, was quoted as saying, “It doesn’t even bother me anymore. I’ve been following the VWL since 1998 – so I’ve come to expect this.” Perhaps the most surprising response came when we found a young fan in the New Rochelle Library who was actually reading Nicky Trips’ best seller, How to Quit. When asked his thoughts on yet another disappointing outcome to a VWL season, he replied simply, “Shh!” Perhaps player reactions weren’t much different. Fan favorite Mikey Styles shared his perspective with us, “Look I’ve been in this league a long time, and I’ve learned how to deal with these things. I’m sure it’s tough on the rookies, but they’ll adapt to it as well. Unfortunately this is a business, and decisions must be made to make sure the league is running right, from a business standpoint, like with the networks, and sponsors, etc… I try not to get involved in all that. Obviously I would always rather be playing, but I stand by the player’s association. I get paid as a player, and my job is to be ready to play at all times. If we can work this out, I’ll be as ready as ever.” We tried to reach the aging veteran Michael Caz for comment, but rumor has it that while on his honeymoon, just before his divorce, he signed a contract to play in the Japan league, and has been doing just that – putting up moderate numbers as a mid-relief pitcher, and pinch-running a lot! However, we were lucky enough to catch up with the colorful Danny Jr. who put both cell phone calls on hold, to offer us this, “I’ll have to get back to you…I gotta go do something for my father.” Hmm, quite mysterious? Although, it would be an awful shame to cast such a dark light over an entire season that began with all the makings of the best in VWL history. Regardless of it’s early termination, the 2005 season did contain several highpoints in it’s shortened schedule. Maybe the highest point, and what may have set the tone for such an impressive onset, came right at the open. League General Manager, Louis Skipper handed out a heavy fine, and threatened suspension of the tardy-prone Danny Jr. The Skipper who has been beaten up by the media year in and year out for letting his highly publicized personal relationship with Jr. stand in his way of taking appropriate actions for corrective measures, finally came through. Putting all the Odd Couple watching, and late night trips to White Castle aside, Skipper-Skipper slapped his pal Jr. with a hefty fine. It has been reported (although not confirmed) that the fine was somewhere in the neighborhood of $25,000.00, and although no suspension was handed out, Skipper did ban Jr’s cell phone from admission into the park! No matter what the actual numbers where, it proved to work, because The Rok showed up to over 80% of his games at or before it’s beginning, and more importantly – no phone! Might there have been a trickle down affect from this action taken by the Skip – absolutely! Nicky Trips who aside from his repeated retiring, may be best known for his teamless attitude and horrifyingly selfish on-field antics, including quitting, was a new man this season. Nick who not only was willing to play, but actually wanted to play, and even finished every game! He was a pleasure to watch this year, and proved that he did possess the talent that the media always said he had. He was solid defensively in the outfield making every catch an adventure, he is batting an awe striking .371, while holding at 3rd in the league in HR’s, which ranks him in the top 75%! However, unarguably the peak of his season came in the late innings of a grueling game in which he and the Rok were behind 7-4 to their eternal rivals, the Skipper/Styles Squad. Whereas the Sok of past seasons would have been well into a game on his GameBoy Dual Screen in the dugout, the New Nicky Trips not only played the game intensely, but at one point he actually became animated and verbally motivated his teammate, the Rok, which was quite a role reversal! The Sok showed the public that if you keep him off the mound, he has no weakness. This was not only one of this season’s, but one of the league’s all-time brightest moments. The Sok should not be overlooked for the Clutch Cavallo award, as his performances this year were a joy to watch, and it is a true disappointment not being able to see where Trips would have wound up by season’s end. Speaking of players that show no signs of weakness, there may not be enough trees in this world to supply enough paper for us to write about the beloved Skippers level of play this year. Unlike the other league members, Skipper does not have the luxury of just coming out to the park at game-time, ready to play. In fact, if he had less responsibility, it would be scary to watch how much more he could possibly accomplish! However that’s not the case, and The Skipper not only plays the game, but has all the pressures of scheduling the games, laying down all the lines, picking up the lines, reattaching the lines after the grounds crew cuts them up before each game, managing the players union, etc… There is no way to describe just how important The Skip is to the league. Yet somehow he manages to put all those responsibilities aside at game-time, strap on his cleats, and become the ultimate model player for every youngster working his way up the ranks of the VWL minor league system. The Skipper’s 2005 numbers were staggering! Perhaps his intensity was the result of last year’s off-season media coverage which rumored that Skipper’s significant wait loss was due to his coming off of muscle enhancing drugs. Regardless of the source, The Skip showed it was nothing more than sheer talent. The always modest batting champ told us, “Look people will always think whatever they want, I’ve never been one of those guys who hides from the media, but you have to prepare yourself for the fact that the media sometimes blows things out of proportion. I lost wait because of a strict exercise regiment I’ve been on – running 5-6 miles a day. Look I’ve never claimed to be, nor was much of a power hitter. If I had been on Steroids in past years, I would hope I would’ve at least hit some more HR’s. Look I’m just a lead-off, base-hit type of guy. The truth is I’m just trying to contribute to the team anyway I can.” The Skip did far more then contribute this year. His teammate Mike Styles may have summed it up best, “Anyone who accused Louis of taking steroids refuses to admit that he’s just that great – period!” The Skipper was genuinely nothing short of great this year. Skipper is maintaining a .517 batting average, while already having knocked in 87 runs. More impressively, he is looking to become the first player in the league’s history to finish a season over .500! As if this is not enough of a contribution, he is maintaining a respectable record on the mound as a starter, has been automatic out of the bullpen, and is also having a career year defensively in the infield. What more is there? Skip has been turning double plays as if the ball and the chair were magnetic – from the all sides of the infield, from his knees, and even from the seat of his pants! As a result, he right now has an unsurpassable lead for the infield golden glove award. Prior to the strike, Lou was on pace for 27 double-plays which would shatter the single-season record of 19 set by his long-time teammate Styles in 2003. If there is any reason whatsoever that he is not in contention for the 2005 MVP award, it could only be due to his power numbers having dropped, as Skipper is last in the league in Hr’s, and has the fewest of any year in his career with 7. However the long ball doesn’t seem missed when you can still knock in 90 RBI’s without them, and maintain a .657 OBP. Skipper got ‘em on, and got ’em over all year, and if a HR was needed, he turned to his teammate, and current leading MVP candidate – Mikey Styles. If Vana Stadium is the house that Styles built, this year he renovated! Styles in several off-season public appearances reminded his fans of his vow to reclaim MVP honors, and give Danny Jr. major competition for the HR Title. So far he made good on his prediction, and then some. He not only is giving Jr. competition, he is currently holding the league lead! Styles has come through with HR production consistently all year, but more importantly, his hitting has been clutch, which is something Styles himself was unhappy with about his play over the last 2 seasons. Well he has absolutely nothing to be unhappy about this year. Styles is leading the VWL in HR’s (27) and RBI’s (126), while being able to stay true to form with a batting average of .364 unlike the typical power hitter. He has set a career best with 6 multi-HR games in a single season. And although he may not be having a Cy Young season on the mound which people have come to expect, he does have a winning record, and despite an uncharacteristic amount of losses, he leads the league in wins. But as Styles himself said all throughout the off-season, pitching would not be his primary focus this year. He was animated about the fact that he wanted to up his power numbers, and concentrate on playing the outfield. Well Styles has excelled all year in both areas. Styles is also the leading candidate for the outfield Golden Glove covering the field like the tarp during a rain delay, and playing fly balls out of the green monster like he was a squirrel. Once crowned “the best in the business” Styles proved to be the total player that earned him that nickname in his early years. What seems to be most impressive is that he has remained consistent all year long. His teammate Louis the Skipper couldn’t help but recognize it, “… am I impressed…no, because I know the talent Styles possesses, I’m his biggest fan. They don’t call him the best in the business for nothing. But I’m certainly proud of the season he’s putting together, and I’m just happy I get to share the dugout with him, where I can just sit back and enjoying the entertainment.” It would be a crime to say that The Skipper is “just sitting back” watching anything with the season he is having, but it’s true that Styles’ level of play this year could probably carry any team. With the HR title being so close with his cross-town rival Jr, this just makes the 2005 season’s early demise all the more disappointing. It would’ve been a true treat for VWL fans all over to get to enjoy this one to the very end. Nonetheless, we take our hats off to the Great One for the production he turned in thus far. Some people say that the reason the VWL broke the attendance and ratings record set in 1997 during the McGwire/Sosa HR battle, was solely due to the HR race going on between Styles/The Rok. Well if that’s the case, it should not be taken for granted that none of it would be possible if not for the fact that Danny Jr. refuses to shows any sign of being human, by having an off year in the HR dept. There are those who believe that there are no sure bets in the world of sports, but Danny Jr. must pose reasonable doubt in their minds, because it seems there is one guarantee, and it is that The Rok will be in the running for the HR title every year. And if he doesn’t finish 1st he certainly will not be below 2nd. He is a threat to go deep every time he decides to step on the field. The 2005 season would be no different for Danny as he is currently second in the league in HR’s with 26, which is only1 behind the enemy Mikey Styles. Many of his die-hard fans feel Styles is getting off easy this year, and should feel lucky. Most of the studies on past performances indicate that there is no way Styles could’ve maintained this pace over a full year, and therefore Jr. was sure to win the HR title if the season played out entirely. Furthermore avid students of the sport feel there is no way Styles would even come close if Jr. had any at-bats off his own teammate – Weaver. While that may be true, it makes Jr’s HR production year in and year out, all the more impressive, because he is always facing the league’s leading pitchers. But Jr. was not all about HR’s this year, and maybe the most surprising aspect to his game this season was his pitching. Jr has come out of nowhere turning in a Cy Young season. He has been in the strike zone all year with a strikes-to-balls ratio over 60%, and is second only to The Skipper in double-plays! Remarkably he leads the VWL in strikeouts! This is tremendously uncharacteristic of Jr’s prior years, and is a tribute to the work he put in over the winter. Also, Jr. showed that all the ground balls he took during spring training paid off, as he is definitely the runner-up for the Infield Golden Glove. As always Jr’s ability to come up big in the late innings has him in a heated race with his own partner The Sok, for the Clutch Cavallo award. Danny Jr. who has been the blunt of accusations by the media in prior years for being somewhat one-dimensional, has won them over a-la Jason Giambi, and become the recipient of an outpouring of affection from the fans as well as the media. Surprisingly, contrary to public opinion, opponent Mikey Styles expresses a different perspective, “Jr is overrated in 2005. The way I see it, he upped his trash-talking, and downed his level of play this year. He shouldn’t even be eligible for the HR title, since he declined to go on the road up to Brewster to participate in inter-league play. He knew DiCanio would beat him out. Well unfortunately The Rok can’t hide from me, and I will take the HR title from him, I don’t care if we play 100 more games. He should spare us all, and just hang it up, like his hat in monument park!” Jr. who is certainly Styles’ competition for the MVP award, may gain a couple of extra votes in the wake of such classless remarks by the veteran. Aside from the league’s superstar players, there were many other precious moments this year. We saw Kenny LaValle the Bronx native who has been bouncing up and down from the minor league’s, turn in a gem on the hill while up for a cup of coffee early in the season. His performance was so good that 2 children actually jumped over the railing and charged him on the mound in the 5th inning, but LaValle was so locked in, he just continued to throw strikes. Another bright spot to the year was seeing Big man Andrew “Head” Heaphy battle back from all the adversity of the ongoing steroid scandal. Head came up for triple header in May, during which he tested negative for steroids, but positive for Spider Rolls, and ignited the crowd as he hit a deep drive over the center field wall into the bleachers. O-ma Visquel made a pinch-hit appearance which always brings joy to the VWL faithful regardless of the predictable routine ground ball directly back to the pitcher. Although MC Renda did not come to an agreement with the league, and missed the entire season due to a hold out over a contract dispute, he did grace the field with his presence, and threw out a ceremonial 1st pitch, and was greeted by a frenzy of fans chanting, “Yeah son.” New Rochelle native Patrick Bianco who was the early season favorite to win the “Rookie of the Year” award probably missed it by 1 hit. He finished 2nd to his mentor, and mother, Rene Bianco, who managed to compile 1 hit for the year. While Rene Bianco was worthy of Rookie of the Year honors, Player of the year certainly goes to Rebecca! R.W. played 1 too many games in the 2004 season to be an eligible ROY in 2005, or she would have captured the award unanimously. However she did unanimously capture the attention of the entire female fan base, who quickly forgot about the 2004 MVP Marisa. A very disappointing season by Marisa has fans realizing that the 2004 performance was a fluke, and that she was a prime example of the classic over-achiever, yielding her the 1st ever Frank Menechino award. There was a lot of excitement in the National League as well. The BWA (Brewster Wiffle Association) reports that Rookie sensation Alex Appleseed set a rookie record posting a 13 game hitting streak. Mark the Crusher, AKA the Captain once again took home the MVP and the outfield Golden Glove, and the HR title! Of course most fans are upset he didn’t also win the infield golden glove, because for him, it’s just another day at the office. Surprisingly it was his long time rival Mikey Bones who snagged the Cy Young award, and the infield Golden Glove, sucking in ground balls like a hoover. The 2005 VWL season was poised to be the most exciting in history, before coming to such an abrupt ending. However the ESPN ticker just released a report that the season is set to resume on Friday, September 15, weather permitting. It is rumored that the game will be sponsored by Merril Lynch, and that all fans in attendance will receive a free stock tip compliments of Danny Sr. Not to mention the big craze of V.W.L. players moving to the Brewster Wiffle Assosiation. So if you’re a glutton for punishment, and have nothing better to do then spend $3.69 a gallon for gas, head out to Vana Stadium, enjoy a ballpark dog, and watch your heroes wrap up another season, before they all move to the B.W.A. www.angelfire.com/ny5/vanawiffleball
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