2008 MMSL campaignWelcome back to the corner!! This week, there is only one word that needs to be said: PLAYOFFS!!! That’s right folks, the Allbritton Philibuster squad, aka The Big Red Machine, is in the 2008 MMSL tournament. It has been a loooong time folks- a very long time since we made it past the regular season. Six years to be exact. How did we do it? Well, by following the Philly-Brick Road, of course. Each brick on the path we are on represents wins, smart ball playing, solid d-fence, unselfish play, hustle, passion, and eatin plenty of dirt. We ain’t at the end of this path yet, folks, as we all know. To get to the end, we just need to keep plowin ahead like we have all season. Let’s hit the corner, shall we?
Cabin John is the pinnacle of softball facilities, and we have earned a visit. When you first walk up to the field the morning of July 12, I guarantee you will have butterflies the size of Texas. And oh what a beautiful sight these Cabin John fields are. Manicured grass so green, so soft, it would be a sin not to dive for every fly ball to the outfield. Powder chalk lines that glisten slightly in the morning sunlight. Dirt so fresh and so granular, you’ll be asking for seconds after eatin your first bowl. Homerun fences inviting a Hoagie fly ball to soar above. And plenty of years worth of softball spirits from MMSL lore and playoff pageantry. In other words, it can't get much better than this, boys and girls. Well, it can, but I am not going to start chirping.
The most important thing that is in front of us and what we must continue doing is this: We must keep enabling wins, folks. We have played smart ball and we have played team ball all season. When these elements are in unison, we enable wins.
If there was ever a mission statement for the post season, this is it: Enable the win. Just follow the steps below, and we could be pouring Gatorade all over each other Sunday afternoon in glory.
Communication: This is a very important element. One of my biggest, to be honest with ya. We do a great job of talking to one another. Shoutin how many outs there are. Calling a fly ball in the outfield. Where the ball needs to go if hit in the infield when we’re on defense or where the ball needs to be thrown if hit to the outfield. If on offense, talking to the base runners-how many outs, where the other team has had problems, etc. Communication is the name of the game. We have done a stellar job with this all season and we shall continue to do so in the playoffs.
Cabin John is the pinnacle of softball facilities, and we have earned a visit. When you first walk up to the field the morning of July 12, I guarantee you will have butterflies the size of Texas. And oh what a beautiful sight these Cabin John fields are. Manicured grass so green, so soft, it would be a sin not to dive for every fly ball to the outfield. Powder chalk lines that glisten slightly in the morning sunlight. Dirt so fresh and so granular, you’ll be asking for seconds after eatin your first bowl. Homerun fences inviting a Hoagie fly ball to soar above. And plenty of years worth of softball spirits from MMSL lore and playoff pageantry. In other words, it can't get much better than this, boys and girls. Well, it can, but I am not going to start chirping.
The most important thing that is in front of us and what we must continue doing is this: We must keep enabling wins, folks. We have played smart ball and we have played team ball all season. When these elements are in unison, we enable wins.
If there was ever a mission statement for the post season, this is it: Enable the win. Just follow the steps below, and we could be pouring Gatorade all over each other Sunday afternoon in glory.Communication: This is a very important element. One of my biggest, to be honest with ya. We do a great job of talking to one another. Shoutin how many outs there are. Calling a fly ball in the outfield. Where the ball needs to go if hit in the infield when we’re on defense or where the ball needs to be thrown if hit to the outfield. If on offense, talking to the base runners-how many outs, where the other team has had problems, etc. Communication is the name of the game. We have done a stellar job with this all season and we shall continue to do so in the playoffs.
Smart ball playin: Anyone knows that you need to anticipate the play before the pitch is even tossed. When we are in the field, I must go through every scenario in my head before a pitch is even thrown. We stay ahead of the batter, and they will be toast every time. If there is a runner on first, you need to go over every situation in your head, and then BOOM! As soon as that ball is hit, you pounce on it like a pissed off kitty, and follow through for the sure out. We follow this formula like we have all season and continue playin smart ball, we will be a success in the playoffs.
Listen To Your Coaches: Coach Hoagie and Coach Bruce have been great lifelines this season, like seasons past. They know the game, and they know it well. They also know their game plan, so listen to ‘em. They study the opposition, and they study us. If Hoagie tells you to move in a bit in the outfield cause the opposing batter hit that direction last at bat, come on in a bit. Also, listen to your base coaches. DON’T LOOK AT THE BALL, LOOK AT YOUR BASE COACHES. If there is a chance we can score, you bet yer ass I am gonna be doin the windmill at third waving you in to cross the plate. We continue to listen to our coaches, and we will be a success in the playoffs.
Support Your Teammates: Whether you are in the line-up or on the bench, you are still a part of this Big Red Machine, and you know, this is something that has been so fantastic this season. Everyone is supporting everyone. The peeps on the bench are shoutin out to the squad on the dirt diamond. The peeps comin in from the diamond are rootin for the people getting subbed into the game. And everyone is high fivin everyone between innings. I mean seriously, it is a beautiful thing to behold, and is a magical element of this great game and this great team. We continue supporting each other through good plays, mis-plays, screamin, run producing, line drive singles and doubles, or ground ball outs we will be a success in the playoffs. Have Fun Out There...
And Just Believe: This year has sparked many memories for me. I have been playin ball with WJLA for about 13 years and have been a part of some really great teams, some bad teams, some fun teams, and some pretty frustrating teams. But I do have to say, this year has been the absolute most fun I have had on the diamond playin for JLA in a long, long time. A good friend, all around great guy and once a WJLA teammate of mine, Dale Solly, 
passed away back in 2002. He is still dearly missed by many in the league and by those who played for him on the WJLA squad. He loved softball Saturdays…loved havin fun out there…making people laugh…and most of all, loved playin the game and believing we could win against any team. This season is the first time I have felt all of these things collectively since we lost Dale. He believed in good sportsmanship first and foremost, but believed in keeping your inner child alive and kicking, as well. He was such a great ambassador of good sportsmanship and the true goodwill of the game, his name adorns the prestigious Dale Solly Award, which is presented at the end of every season to one player in the league who best exemplified the true spirit of how the game is to be played- through good sportsmanship and camaraderie. My point through all of this rambling is that this entire Phillies team has held this spirit burning bright every Saturday and man, I have to tell you, Dale is most definitely enjoying what he is seeing. We always came out ready to have fun. We always came out as good sportsmen/women and help an opposing player get up after a slide, or tip our hats after a great play. We always came out believing we could win. And you know what? We continue to believe and continue to have fun, we will be the success story of the MMSL 2008 playoffs. And let me tell ya, as someone who knew Dale Solly, coached with him, and played the hardest I could with him at the helm, this is a team I wish he could watch play the weekend of July 12. He would most definitely believe in the Big Red Machine and what we stand for, just like we all do.
passed away back in 2002. He is still dearly missed by many in the league and by those who played for him on the WJLA squad. He loved softball Saturdays…loved havin fun out there…making people laugh…and most of all, loved playin the game and believing we could win against any team. This season is the first time I have felt all of these things collectively since we lost Dale. He believed in good sportsmanship first and foremost, but believed in keeping your inner child alive and kicking, as well. He was such a great ambassador of good sportsmanship and the true goodwill of the game, his name adorns the prestigious Dale Solly Award, which is presented at the end of every season to one player in the league who best exemplified the true spirit of how the game is to be played- through good sportsmanship and camaraderie. My point through all of this rambling is that this entire Phillies team has held this spirit burning bright every Saturday and man, I have to tell you, Dale is most definitely enjoying what he is seeing. We always came out ready to have fun. We always came out as good sportsmen/women and help an opposing player get up after a slide, or tip our hats after a great play. We always came out believing we could win. And you know what? We continue to believe and continue to have fun, we will be the success story of the MMSL 2008 playoffs. And let me tell ya, as someone who knew Dale Solly, coached with him, and played the hardest I could with him at the helm, this is a team I wish he could watch play the weekend of July 12. He would most definitely believe in the Big Red Machine and what we stand for, just like we all do.Go Phillies. I love this team…
>cic
2 comments:
This is the most cohesive team I have been a part of in 4 years. When someone is down, everyone else picks them up. We really have a special team, and I cant wait to make some noise in the playoffs.
did anyone read Cic's Corner besides Hoagie and MaseMan? it sure is lonely in the corner...
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