Bleacher Report - Articles by Mike Victory

Wiffleball: Games Start April 12

Mike Victory — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 11:11:36 -0400

Many of you may think that wiffleball is just a sport to be played in the backyard, at a barbecue, or on a day at the beach.

These yellow plastic bats and scuffed balls are the American pastime of backyard sports, but it is far more than a casual outing for many in the New England area.

Leagues, tournaments, and the famed New England Wiffleball Association are all getting ready for action.

Big League Wiffleball, which is only one of many leagues in the area, holds tournaments all over the country and will be holding its opening day on April 12. This tournament is an indoor affair that will host many of the perennial powerhouses of the wiffleball world.

Games will be played from 10 a.m. until there is only one team left standing.

Cash prizes are awarded to the top three teams at the end of the day.

The New England Wiffleball Association is one of the more popular leagues and has the web addresses to many other sites.

The rules vary from league to league.

There are slow pitch leagues, which usually keep the speed limit around 40 mph and lower, or there are fast pitch leagues with an unlimited pitch speed.

Distance markers usually represent different base hits, and a fence is used to mark homeruns.

The world of wiffleball has become an extremely competitive sport.

A world championship is held in Texas every year, where the best teams in the country come to compete for the ultimate wiffleball prize.

For those of you who are new to this whole new world, it is worth a look.

Bring your kids or bring your buddies. Either way, a day at a wiffleball tournament is something everyone should experience.

The crack of plastic as the ball leaves the park, or the sound of plastic on tin to end a ballgame is just magical.

With the season less than a week away, get your bats out and get involved.

Scott Kazmir's Return to Tampa Bay Looming, Rays Look to Take AL East by Storm

Mike Victory — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:49:51 -0400

Scott Kazmir of the Tampa Bay Rays threw sixty pitches in the bullpen on Saturday. He is scheduled to throw batting practice on Tuesday. Kazmir strained his elbow warming up for an intersquad game on February 26. He has been sidelined with this injury throughout the spring. This progression towards a return is great news for a Rays squad that is playing without an ace. Kazmir was reported as saying he was throwing all his pitches without pain.

The Rays season has started with the usual ups and downs. Splitting the first series against the Baltimore Orioles and taking two games against the New York Yankees. At this point in time there are many young inexperienced pitchers holding down the Rays rotation. Shields, Garza, Sonnanstine and Jackson have held their own to start the season. The question is how long can the Rays keep pitching without Kazmir. In 2007 the Rays record was significantly better when Kazmir and Shields were pitching than any of the other starters who took the hill.

With Kazmir potentially returning to the rotation at the end of the month the Rays have a chance to take the AL East by storm.Assuming that Kazmir comes back to full form and encounters no setbacks, the Rays rotation be healthier than most in the AL East. The young, live arms of the Rays will be able to withstand the test of time in a long season better than those arms of the other aging teams. If any injuries do occur the Rays farm system is rich with more talent including first round draft pick David Price.

This year more than ever the Rays seem to have run support for their pitchers. The poor bullpen has often caused the Rays to lose games down the stretch. More runs and a shored up bullpen will hopefully preserve wins for the Rays starters.

It will be interesting to watch the Rays as the season plays out. Aging AL East teams will have to be looking over their shoulders as the young and talented Rays take the division by storm. It is not a long shot at all to say the Rays will finish above .500 or to say that they could make a run at the playoffs if not this year than the next.

Kazmir's progress will have to be watched carefully. His return is key to the Rays having any success this season.

Tampa Bay-Baltimore: Rays Split First Series

Mike Victory — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:03:17 -0400

Going into the season without ace Scott Kazmir and the oft-injured Rocco Baldelli, things were already looking bleak for the Rays. All the hype of the offseason, trading Delmon Young and signing Cliff Floyd, seemed already be going to waste.

The Rays opened the series against the Baltimore Orioles, a team most people assume will take the Rays' place in the basement of the AL East, with 2007 breakout pitcher James Shields on the hill.

The term firing on all cylinders comes to mind when you look at the Rays' first game. Shields pitched seven strong innings, allowing two runs on five hits, and three walks. The bullpen, the Rays' achilles heel last season, pitched two scoreless innings between three pitchers.

On the hitting side, everything seemed to be working. Eight of the nine starting hitters got at least one hit, including a home run by offseason acquisition Eric Hinske. This appeared to be the Rays' coming-out party, they would be contenders this year, no problem.

Game-two spirits were high as the man acquired in return for Delmon Young took the hill. Matt Garza had gone from fighting for a spot in a rotation, to the third man and a new hope for a struggling franchise.

Everything appeared to being going the same way as the night before had. Cliff Floyd hit a three-run home run in the top of the first inning, and the Rays had hit the ground running. Brian Roberts hit a solo shot in the bottom of the first inning for the Orioles, a tough start for Garza, but the next three batters were easy outs and life goes on.

The Orioles tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the third. The Rays sought to regain control in the top of the fifth inning tacking, on three more runs, including a two-run home run by Carlos Pena. Garza was unable to keep the lead, giving up two runs in the bottom of the sixth before being removed from the game.

Now it was time for the bullpen to shine. The new hope for the Rays. Filled with strong arms who would stop blowing leads for the big three. Al Reyes took the hill in the eigth inning with a one-run lead and some solid work under his belt from the first game.

Two outs and four runs later he was removed from the game. The Rays were unable to recover from the three-run deficit and lost 9-6. Garza's first start spoiled and another long season of bull-pain woes could be in order.

The Rays look to turn it around as they move on to play the Yankees.