U-Dub Sports Pub to Sponsor Northern League Player of the Week

We've come to an agreement with the U-Dub Sports Pub and Grub in Longview, Washington for them to sponsor the Northern League Player of the Week.  Each week the player voted POW by the Northern League captains will receive a coupon for one free table keg of the beer of their choice.

Rob James, of the Columbia Hgts. Cardinals, owns the U-Dub Sports Pub and thought it would be good for both the league and the pub to sponsor the Player of the Week.  He's hoping that the U-Dub Pub will become the place to go when teams are done playing.

Thanks again Rob!

CCWA's Top 50 Players (#20-11)

Here's the players ranked from twenty to eleven in the CCWA top 50 for 2012 ranking.  Join in on the conversation on Twitter using the #CCWAtop50 tag.

20.  Jim Hewey, Lexington Brewers - The Big Hewbowski had his worst season fielding last year but should bounce back strong and return to gold glove form.

19.  Ryan "Ox" Oxford, Mid-Town Mariners -  Ox is an absolute beast in the outfield!  His defense always helps keep his team in close games.

18.  Matt Jones, Jackmove Giants - Jonesy had an off year last season but should bounce back strong.  Look for him to take advantage of the short right porch at Jones Field.

17.  Jeff Priester, Buckman Blue Jays - Preez is a masher!  He doubled his homerun total last season from the previous year and should continue to improve.

16.  Matt "Fluff" Bailey, Lexington Brewers - Fluff could hit in his sleep.  Look for the Brewers Tony Gwynn to get on base and score some runs this year.

15.  Andy "Red" Huntington, Columbia Hgts. Cardinals - Red's pitching was one of the few bright spots for the Cardinals last year.  He should help the Cards battle for a playoff spot this year.

14.  Bryan Anderson, Clark County Colt .45's - Bryan showed that he could pitch last season when the .45's joined the North.  Look for him to continue to improve in the South this season.

13.  Scott Coleman, Jackmove Giants - Cole is the career strikeout king in the CCWA with 739 of them.  Look for him to continue to make Northern League hitters look silly.

12.  Mark "Manni" Sefner, Buckman Blue Jays - Manni is the epitome of a four tool player.  He does everything well on the wiffleball field (Hitting, Pitching, Defense, Drinking).

11.  Thomas King, Portland Gothams - King has one of the nastiest screwballs the league has seen.  He mixes speeds and location well and could make a run at the Cy Young.

CCWA's Top 50 Players (#30-21)

We're back again recounting the CCWA's top 50 for 2012.  You can always check the CCWA's Twitter page for the updated list and to join the conversation.

30.  Joey "Old Crow" Bock, Rose City Royals - Joey has shown drastic improvement with his pitching and could lead the Royals to their first playoff appearance.

29.  Brittany Warren, Jackmove Giants - Britt takes her big bat to the Giants lineup and should help them score some much need runs.

28.  John "Hippo" Savoie, Portland Gothams - Hippo does everything well on the wiffleball field.  He is one of the most consistent players the league has seen.

27.  Nate Colpron, Clark County Colt .45's - Colpron will be challenged early by the pitching in the South but should come around and should help the 45's battle for a playoff spot.

26.  Matt McVicar, Portland Gothams - Matty Baseball is a masher and his presence in the Gothams lineup should help them score some runs.

25.  Josh Martin, Eastside Expos - Martin proved to be an integral piece of the Expos title run last season.  Look for the Spos to challenge with his help.

24.  Erik Doyle, Longview Lumberjacks - Doyle can hit and should continue to hit.  He also led the league in tackles last season.

23.  Dan Woytek, Portland Gothams - Woytek went off last season!  Look for him to get close to the numbers he posted last season.

22.  Andy Kushner, Bridge City Dodgers - Kush had batters confused from the mound with his pitching and should continue to smoke-screen the competition.

21.  Keith Bunn, Ridgefield Orioles - Bunn's all-around game continued to improved last season and he should only get better in his second season.

Will Anybody Break Burck's Homerun Record?

Josh Burckhardt, Hitting Machine

Last season saw Josh Burckhardt break the single season homerun record by clubbing 24 round trippers.  Burck has a threat to go yard anytime he was at the plate and he ran away with the triple crown.  His 101 RBI's is also a new single season mark in the CCWA.

The previous record of 21 homeruns was set the season before by Brad Williamson of the Brewers.  Williamson broke the previous record of 17 that Burckhardt had set back in 2007.  Burckhardt was determined to regain the mark and set out with a vengeance last season. 

I'm not sure anybody can touch the 24 bomb mark in a single season but here are the top contenders this year.  And I'm not saying that anybody will break the record, but if they did the odds behind each player represents how likely it would be that they were the new record holder.

Matt Jones, Jackmove Giants - Matt Jones has had some great hitting seasons in the past and is looking to return to form.  With Jones Field being the perfect layout for his left-handed bat he could make a run this season if he gets hot. (15-1 odds)

Omar "el Dominicano" Steinberg, Eastside Expos - Omar has one of the sweetest swings that the CCWA has ever seen. He's currently sitting at #2 all-time on the HR chart and is a threat to go yard with every at-bat. (5-1)

"Big Bad" Brad Williamson, Lexington Brewers - Brad is back in the CCWA after taking last season off.  He has a great swing and if he plays a full season there's a chance that he could make a run at the record. (8-1)

Jeff "Preez" Priester, Buckman Blue Jays - Priester just keeps getting better and should continue to improve in his third season.  He doubled his homerun numbers from his rookie year to his sophomore campaign and will try to do it again this season.  If he does he could make a serious run at the single season mark. (10-1)

Josh "Burck" Burckhardt, Longview Lumberjacks - You don't become the all-time homerun leader by accident and Burck has belted round trippers at an impressive rate since his rookie season.  His career mark of 73 homeruns (and counting) will most likely never be touched, especially if he continues to play at this level. (3-1)

Now remember, all of this is most likely just talk.  The level of pitching in the CCWA is higher then it ever has been.  Almost every single team in the league has at least one bona-fide Ace, a guy who could go out at any time and throw a no-hitter.  I honestly believe that we'll be lucky to see anybody reach the 20 homerun plateau again.

CCWA's Top 50 Players (#40-31)

Continuing our pre-season countdown of the top 50 players of 2012 predictions, here are numbers 40 through 31.  For the full list follow the CCWA on twitter.

40.  Brooks Karey, Rose City Royals - Showed some promise on the mound last season, hopefully his liver doesn't go on the DL.

39.  Josh Philpott, Longview Lumberjacks - Philly is back in the CCWA and looking to return to form.  If he gets hitting he could do some damage.

38.  Josh Ellis, Mid-Town Mariners - Josh just keeps getting better, year after year.  Look for his role to be integral in the M's playoff chances.

37.  Gram McCloud, Buckman Blue Jays - Look for Gram to continue to improve from the mound and be a spot-starter for the BJ's.

36.  Rick Meder, Ridgefield Orioles - The O's captain actually wasn't on the original list but his Grandma bribed me with some cookies.

35.  Dustin Weasel, Rose City Royals - Weasel is looking to capture the crown of "CCWA's Top Catcher" now that Phil Shero is retired.

34.  Mike Wilson, Longview Lumberjacks - If Wilson can shake the rust off he could make a run at the Cy Young in the North.

33.  Sean Fouts, Buckman Blue Jays - If only Mr. Fouts could play more often he would be much higher on this list.

32.  Joe Occi, Portland Gothams - The Gothams captain will need to do all things well this year as his team battles the Jays.

31.  Parker Williamson, Lexington Brewers - Parker has already mastered the art of Smack-talk and his game continues to improve.

CCWA's Top 50 Players (#50-41)

We've started listing what we think the Top 50 Players of the 2012 season will be over on the CCWA's Twitter page and thought we'd recap them here.  So here are the players ranked from 50-41.

50.  Jeramey Randall, Rose City Royals - Jeramey earns this spot on drinking prowess alone.  Look for him to return to the Beer Team this season.

49.  Mike Sweet, Ridgefield Orioles - Look for former MLB'er Rick Sweet's nephew to expand on his rookie season.

48.  Nate Bullock, Longview Lumberjacks - If he could hit like he can talk smack he'd be the triple crown winner every season.

47.  Nicole Colpron, Clark County Colt .45's - Nicole can flat out hit!  Let's see how she adjusts to the Southern League.

46.  Dan Lurie, Bridgetown Black Barons - One of only two rookies to make the list, Dan is the favorite for Southern League ROY.

45.  Sonny Cronk, Cowlitz Black Bears - The other rookie on the list, Sonny is a masher and should help the Bears win some games.

44.  Tyler Robinson, Columbia Hgts. Cardinals - Tyler's game started to come together at the end of last season, let's see how he performs in his sophomore year.

43.  Eddie Francis, Rose City Royals - This chicken wing eating champion is poised for a bounce back year at the plate.

42.  Trevor Watson, Columbia Hgts. Cardinals - Spudder showed last year that he could hit, he should expand on his rookie year.

41.  Jimmy Robb, Eastside Expos - Rimmy Jobb has been great as a spot starter for the Spos in the past and should continue in that role this season.

We'll be back tomorrow with a recap on players 40 through 31.

CCWA Southern League set for major expansion

This season marks a big change for the CCWA Southern League.  The Stumptown Astros have folded and left the league after one season.  Taking their place is the Clark County Colt .45's, a team that played last season in the Northern League but will be moving to the South. 

The Southern League has also added three expansion teams to the mix to move to nine teams total.  These nine teams will be playing in three different divisions.  Each division winner will advance to the playoffs with only one Wild Card team advancing to the post-season. 

Here's how the divisions will line up with the teams and their captains.

Western Division
Rose City Royals - Joey "Old Crow" Bock
Clark County Colt .45's - Bryan Anderson
Bridgetown Black Barons - Dan Lurie

Central Division
Buckman Blue Jays - Mark "Manni" Sefner
Portland Gothams - Joe Occi
Beaver State Biscuits - Mark Dek

Eastern Division
Eastside Expos - Dan "Bookem" Sefner
Mid-Town Mariners - Ryan "Ox" Oxford
Bridge City Dodgers - Andy "Kush" Kushner

Look for the Southern League to be an absolute bloodbath this season. 

Big Thanks

Tomorrow we'll start re-posting the CCWA's Top 50 for the 2012 season #CCWAtop50 but today I wanted to say thanks to everybody that's helped make this league what it is today.  As we get ready to start our seventh season I feel extremely fortunate that we have such a great group of people that are willing to help out and make the CCWA such a success.  Here's everybody I'd like to thank in no particular order.

Matt & Brittany Jones, Jim Hewey, Mark "Manni" Sefner, Eddie Bert, Joey Bock, Phil Shero, Art Carney, TJ McNeely, John Savoie, Ryan "Ox" Oxford, Dan Sefner, Willie Nelson, Eric Wahl, Erik Guttormsen, Mike Jones, Kelly Frost, Max Fisher, Tony Liepa, Matt Miller, Dan Hurley, Blair Whiteman, Josh Burckhardt, Lance Sasser, Justin Luehr, Joe Occi, Jeramey Randall, Chris Stewart, Zac & Jessica Warren, Rick Meder's Grandma, Scott Coleman, Gerald Allen, Pat "Truck" Moriarty, Brian "Brimy" Myers and many, many others.

Thanks again for making the CCWA such a great place to play wiffleball.  Hopefully I'll see you all on the field this year.  -Nate

2012 Season Predictions

With Opening Day exactly two weeks away here's our predictions for the 2012 Season.

All Star Game Predictions
Northern League All Stars over Southern League All Stars 3-1.
Rookie Stars will defeat the Fun Stars 27-14.
Mike Benkoski will win the Homerun Derby.

Northern League Predictions
North-West Champs : Longview Lumberjacks
North-East Champs : Jackmove Giants
North Wild Card #1 : Lexington Brewers
North Wild Card #2 : Ridgefield Orioles
Northern League Champions : Lexington Brewers
Northern League MVP : Zac Warren, Jackmove Giants
Northern League Cy Young : Eric Dorland, Ridgefield Orioles
Northern League Most Improved : Erik Doyle, Longview Lumberjacks
Northern League Rookie of the Year : Sonny Cronk, Cowlitz Black Bears

Southern League Predictions
South-West Champs : Clark County Colt .45's
South-Central Champs : Buckman Blue Jays
South-East Champs : Eastside Expos
South Wild Card : Mid-Town Mariners
Southern League Champions : Eastside Expos
Southern League MVP : Omar Steinberg, Eastside Expos
Southern League Cy Young : Justin Ellis, Mid-Town Mariners
Southern League Most Improved: Dustin Weasel, Rose City Royals
Southern League Rookie of the Year : Dan Lurie, Bridgetown Black Barons

Playoff Predictions
CCWA Champions : Eastside Expos over Lexington Brewers
CCWA Player of the Year : Omar Steinberg, Eastside Expos

Eastside Expos become the first team to win back to back CCWA Championships and the only team to ever win three titles.

CCWA's Top Fifty Players

Starting tomorrow on the CCWA's twitter feed we will start listing the top fifty players of the 2012 season.  These players aren't necessarily the top players of all-time, these are the guys that we're predicting will have the biggest season in 2012.  Look for the hashtag #CCWAtop50 and join in on the conversation on Twitter.

Eastside Expos 2011 CCWA Champions

Dan Sefner, Jimmy Robb, Josh Martin, Omar Steinberg

Last season's champions, the Eastside Expos, made CCWA history by becoming the first team to ever win two championships.  With the level of competition in the league there has been huge parity on teams winning the title.  Last season the Spos used a mix of top-notch pitching with some very timely hitting to make their run through the playoffs. 

Now don't get me wrong, the Expos were no slouches when he came to batting.  Omar Steinberg was his usual self at the plate, hitting for an extremely high average while taking many trips around the bases.  Dan Sefner put up a career high in roundtrippers and always seemed to come through in the clutch.  Rookie Josh Martin helped his team with some extremely needed hits to keep rallies alive.  And Jimmy Robb?  Well, he was Jimmy Robb.

When the Expos took the mound the other team usually ended up with a scorecard full of K's.  Dan Sefner once again dominated the league and won his third straight Cy Young award.  He has become one of the greatest pitchers the CCWA has ever seen.  Omar Steinberg was the second starter for most of the season and would've been the Ace on many of the other teams.  His pitching helped carry Eastside all the way to the crown. 

Look for the Expos to be the favorite in the 2012 season.  They'll be playing with a huge bullseye on their back but that's something that they've become accustomed to.  If any team had a chance of repeating it's these guys.