7/8 7/12 7/13 7/13 7/13 7/13 7/13 7/27 7/27 7/27 7/27 7/27 8/2 8/3 8/3 8/9 8/9 8/16 8/23
FS 3|3 FS 0|0 HB 0|2 BW 0|4 EL 1|1 ON 0|0 IS 0|13 EL 1|1 IS 0|0 WW 0|0 ON 3|0 KF 6|3 KF 0|1|0 FS 0 BW 1|2 EL 1|2 R★ 2 BW 0 The
WW 0|0 WA 1|1 KF 1|3 KF 1|10 HB 0|0 WA 3|3 WO 11|8 WA 0|2 WA 3|3 ON 3|3 WW 1|1 WO 0|0 EL 4|0|1 BW 2 WA 0|1 BW 0|0 G★ 0 EL 2 Thrill
Offseason Schedule

Sept 22 – “Captain’s Draft” Tournament
      Buhr is holding a September tournament in Southgate. Anyone who wants to play will be put into a pool and drafted by team captains the night before. More info can be found at the Fbook event page: http://www.facebook.com/events/145574165581866/

Sept 30 – Returning Team Commitments
      Teams planning on returning need to let us know they are in by September 30th; Islanders and Warriors are considered in this group, as well. We are asking for this commitment early so that we have time to interview and figure out which new teams will be the best fit for the league.

Oct 1 – Free Agency Opens
      Players are free to sign with new teams, and teams are free to start making roster moves. Moves will be reflected on the site starting at this time, and we will also run a "hot stove" (cold griddle?) to follow and have fun with free agency happenings.

Dec 1 – Deadline for Team Name and Colors
      Teams must have any changes to their name and/or colors submitted by the first of December. This will allow us to start getting the site turned over for the 2013 season. No submissions after this date will be considered.

Jan 31 – Deadline for Team Logos
      All team logos for use in the 2013 season must be submitted by January 31st. This will allow us to prepare all the media needed for the upcoming season, offseason maneuvers and lead-up. No submissions after this date will be considered.

Feb 2 - Winter Meeting
      The Winter Meeting will be held to go over changes to rules, policies and responsibilities for WSEM in 2013. A representative of each team is highly encouraged to attend to make sure everyone is on the same page when we get on the fields.

Mar 30 – Satellite Tournament #1
      The first of two satellite tournaments will be held at the Field of Make Believe (Schweitzer Elementary School, 2601 Treadwell, Westland, MI). Click here for the event page. The cost per team is $20, and the winning team gets the purse knocked off their $200 league buy-in. The format will be the same as last year: Each team gets 1 play in game to determine seeding, then a double elimination bracket with a 30 minute time limit on games.

Apr 1 – Deadline for Opening Day Rosters
      Teams must have their everyday players (the 4 to 8 included on the team page) submitted to the league by April 1st. This lets us know who to focus on, follow, and include in stories and predictions, as well as lets players and fans get a sense of each team's identity. Consider free agency closed for the month of April. Trades may still be made, however, and roster additions may again be made after the season begins.

Apr 6 ~ Scheduling Meeting
      In early April a meeting will be held to schedule each team’s ENTIRE SCHEDULE BY WEEK (I.E. Team X will play Team J in Week 1, Team R and Team B in Week 3, etc.). A representative of each team is expected to attend with knowledge of weeks that look bad for their team (i.e. prom, weddings, or a few guys have vacations/business trips scheduled), so that you can help make the best schedule possible for the entire league. If a team is unable to attend they may inform us beforehand of their “bad weeks”, and their schedule will be set by the rest of the league around that. Specific days of the week scheduled may be decided any time up to day of. We are doing this so that the league can see when big series are occurring and may properly hype what is going on in the league. *** $200 team fee is due at this meeting ***

Apr 14 – Deadline for Home Fields
      Field name, location, and approximate dimensions must be submitted by April 14th. This is the field you will use for ALL home games in 2013, unless there is unavoidable scheduling conflict (i.e. a festival, flood, or wildfire) that forces relocation. Fields not submitted to the league by this date WILL NOT be considered for use during the 2013 season.

Apr 26 – Opening Day
      The 2013 season will open on Friday April 26th. It will again be played in Detroit, this time with the Islanders hosting on Belle Isle.


Friday    August 17th    6:30 PM    Knockout Park    Manchester, MI
3 Game 1 0
  Manchester forfeit  
3 Game 2 0
  Manchester forfeit  
Saturday    August 18th    4:30 PM    Poolside Park    Ottawa Lake, MI
0 Game 3 3
  Manchester forfeit
0 Game 4 3
  Manchester forfeit  
Game 5 (if necessary)
 Hatt (2-0) Probable Starters E. Bischoff (2-0) 
Tuesday    August 21st    6:30 PM    Knockout Park    Manchester, MI
Game 6 (if necessary)
 Hughes (1-0) Probable Starters Bortmas (1-1) 
Game 7 (if necessary)
 A. Bischoff (2-0) Probable Starters Hatt (2-0) 


The two teams everyone has been counting on to show up here. Two "rookie" expansion teams where "rookie" means, "has played longer than most of us have." Two dominant pitching staffs. Two twenty-plus win teams. Two teams that have cracked the NWLA top ten this season. Five perfect game pitchers, all expected to throw in the championship series. Two of the most friendly teams to share the field with.

Pitching
Regular Season
Runs Allowed: 32 
Team ERA: 0.97 
Strike Outs: 365 
BB Allowed: 101 
Hits Allowed: 63 
Team WHIP: 1.00 
Hitting
Regular Season
Runs Scored: 71 
Hits: 147 
Team AVG: .245 
Team OBP: .372 
Team SLG%: .362 
Home Runs: 18 
Pitching
Regular Season
Runs Allowed: 10 
Team ERA: 0.38 
Strike Outs: 338 
BB Allowed: 85 
Hits Allowed: 34 
Team WHIP: 0.91 
Hitting
Regular Season
Runs Scored: 156 
Hits: 173 
Team AVG: .329 
Team OBP: .481 
Team SLG%: .641 
Home Runs: 47 
No one is surprised to see the Punchouts and Aces squaring off for the 2012 Championship, and everyone is excited to see how it plays out. Manchester took the season series 3-1, sweeping the final two games in Whiteford in surprising fashion with twelve unanswered runs. The first two games, however, were decided by one run - 1-0 and 3-2; including an eleven inning game played late into the night under the lights. It is more of the latter that is expected in this championship series than one-sided dominance. Both teams have excellent pitching staffs, including two perfect game throwers for Manchester (Hatt and Bortmas) and three on the roster for Whiteford (Hughes and the brother Bischoff, Austin and Evan). Austin added his second perfect game, the first ever of the WSEM playoffs, in the first game of the semi-finals against the Ducks. Just look to the left or right to see what these staffs are capable of: allowing less than one run per game, and striking out more than 2.2 batters for every one they allow on base.

The Punchouts' 0.59 lower ERA and 29 hits is one thing, both teams numbers are great in that regard, but the one place they truly seem to have the edge is at the plate: 47 home runs (2.61x Whiteford), 156 runs scored (2.2x Whiteford), a team batting average 84 points higher than Whiteford, a team on-base percentage 109 points higher, and a team slugging percentage 278 points higher. It shined in the teams' second meeting, Manchester's best asset is their ability to hit good pitching. They had two 20 home run hitters in Bortmas and LaDouceur during the season, and Bortmas has continued in the playoffs: hitting three in the semi-finals, including a clutch grand-slam.

So, who are the favorites? Most chips will likely fall behind the Punchouts, their 3-1 season series win, and powerhouse offense-pitching combo. However, do not ignore the minority report. The playoffs are a completely different beast than the regular season; things often stand on head, and this would be more of a case of a one-armed push-up in place of using two than any sort of inversion. The Aces are outscoring their opponents (Mattseals and Thunder Ducks) 14-2 in the postseason, with both runs given up on solo home runs. The Punchouts are outscoring their opponent (Belgian Wiffles, excluding Commandos forfeits) 16-7, with all but two runs scored on walks. The Aces seem to have clicked into high gear at the right time to make a charge. Sweeping the reigning champs was a statement, and they will have to keep that momentum going to take down the Punchouts. Manchester just needs to keep doing what they have been doing; their only loss since May was due to lack of control on the mound in inclement weather. Seven games. Who can come out on top four times? This is the most exciting series possible to decide the championship!

Playoffs: Semi-finals



1 vs. 4
Thursday    August 9th    6:30 PM    The Wiffle Iron    Taylor, MI
2 Game 1 1
 WP: Hatt (1-0) LP: Phillips (0-1) 
3 Game 2 5
 LP: Bortmas (0-1) WP: Castle (2-0) 
Sunday    August 12th    4 PM    Knockout Park    Manchester, MI
0 Game 3 6
 LP: Phillips (0-2) Probable Starters WP: Hatt (2-0) 
1 Game 4 5
 LP: Castle (2-1) Probable Starters WP: Bortmas (1-1) 
Game 5 (if necessary)
 Castle (2-0) Probable Starters Hatt (1-0) 



The Punchouts had the least exciting opening round, receiving two forfeit wins from the Commandos. That time off is unlikely to dull the team's talent, however. LaDouceur and Bortmas went on an offensive tear to end the season, finishing with 20 HR a piece, 64 and 55 RBI, respectively. Their pitching has been dominant all season, as well, having won 25 straight games with their last loss coming on a BB in Week 4. Hatt and Bortmas have given up only 10 runs combined in 105 IP, while striking out 138 and 136, respectively. Their lineup is full of MVP, Clown Shu, and RoTY candidates.

Belgian has good rookie talent on their roster, as well. Tomlinson delivered at the plate, hitting .346 with 6 HR and 20 RBI during the season. In the first round, he hit even better: .375 AVG, .444 OBP, and .750 SLG with 1 HR. Phillips delivered on the mound: a 0.67 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 131 K in 52.1 IP. Phillips did not throw in the opening round, but will be the game 1 starter in the semis. Round 1 saw the Belgian number-two and three starters, Castle and Corbett, take the mound and shut the Squirrels down. The two gave up zero runs and struck out 25, while only walking 3 and allowing 3 hits. Both games in the opening round were won with big hits: Tomlinson's deep home run to left won game one, and game two was won with a deep drive to the wall by Buhr in the bottom of the 7th.

The Punchouts swept the season series 4-0 and shut out Belgian in each meeting. The Wiffles played them tight in two 1-0 losses, though. Manchester may be the favorites to win the WSEM Championship, but this series could be a good test of that prediction. Four All-Stars will take the field: Bortmas and Hatt for Manchester, Tomlinson and Corbett for Belgian. That last name was also part of the last team to give Manchester a loss back in May. Perhaps that late season acquisition will be the splash of luck that changes a bounce in those 1-0 games Belgian's way?



2 vs. 3
Friday    August 10th    6 PM    Poolside Park    Ottawa Lake, MI
0 Game 1 3
 LP: Pearson (2-1) ** Perfect Game ** WP: A. Bischoff (2-0) 
1 Game 2 4
 LP: D. Braden (0-2) WP: E. Bischoff (2-0) 
Sunday    August 12th    5:30 PM    The Swamp    Trenton, MI
1 Game 3 0
 WP: Hughes (1-0) LP: Pearson (2-2) 
Game 4 (if necessary)
 TBD Probable Starters TBD 
Game 5 (if necessary)
 TBD Probable Starters TBD 



This rivalry season series split 2-2, and home field advantage meant nothing in either case; each home stand split 1-1. This semi-final series should come down to the wire. The Aces opening round series was also expected to be a tight one, but they never trailed and won 2-0 smoother than expected. A big part of that success was pitchers Austin and Evan Bischoff both allowing only one hit and two walks in their starts. All but four of their outs were also recorded by strike-out. The Aces' sweep did see one streak come to an end, however. Evan's one hit given up was a home run, and the first run he has given up all season.

The Ducks, on the other hand, were expected to roll over the Donkeys, but for the second year in a row had a close call and narrowly escaped their first round series. It took a come from behind rally in extra innings to make it through to the semi-finals. If it is playing from the script, then the Ducks have little to worry about. In 2011 after their rocky start, they swept the Ass Kickers and won four of five against the DeLoppes to win the championship. That said, all the Aces share in common with the Ass Kickers are colors. The Ducks cannot afford to take one inning of this series lightly if they hope to keep their shot at a repeat alive.

As always much of the focus will be on the lights out pitching of Pearson and Austin. Do not look past the rest of the pitching staffs, though. Dylan Braden for the Ducks, Evan Bischoff and Hughes for the Aces have put up great numbers on the mound this season. In fact, all three Aces have a perfect game under their belt this season. Even more, do not ignore the potentially explosive offenses. Both teams have power at the plate. The bombs of Dylan Braden and Pearson for the Ducks have been highly touted. For the Aces, Austin Bischoff has been seen to similar crush the ball, and Crozier is leading the playoffs with 2 HR. The most exciting parts of this series will be when the offenses lock onto a pitcher and take advantage of mistakes.


Unavailable Pitchers:
  1 Game:   Castle (BW), Bortmas (MP), Nagorski (TD), E. Bischoff (WA)
  2 Games:  N/A

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