File photo: 100% Real Juice has proven resilient, sweeping a big series to ensure a winning record and clawing their way back to the playoffs.
We find ourselves at the end of a winding road, at the end of the longest regular season in Seattle Wiffleball history. Despite an ongoing pandemic, record heat, and impending smoke, you all showed up, displayed inspiring athleticism, and hopefully at the end of the day, had some fun.
And for the teams in contention, it all comes down to these decision days.
1. Bilabial Stops (15-1)
- Clinched 1 seed.
- Recent: 2-0 MK
- Remaining: RBI
In a glorious return from their near-month off, Eddie Brown and his merry band of Stops came back, took care of business, and clinched the top seed. However their lineup did not come back at full strength, and it remains to be seen how that will affect their chances in the playoff bracket.
2. West Coast Washout (12-4)
- Clinched playoff berth.
- Recent: 2-0 CNW, 1-1 RBI
- Remaining: WH
Ace Karl Koch took the hill in game one against the Steaks, but his short-arm knuckle magic wasn’t working, getting knocked around and eventually run ruled. Then third pitcher Jeff Hanschmann took the ball, picked up his team, and proceeded to mow down the Steaks lineup, leading the Washout to a run rule win. That depth will carry them far in the playoff bracket, but first they have to deal with the House nipping at their ankles.
3. Wiffle House (10-6)
- Clinched playoff berth.
- Recent: 2-0 SHRL
- Remaining: WCW
After burning it down against the Juice, the House scuffled a bit against their Crow rivals. (We say rivals because, as it turns out, Garfield High School is a deep well of wiffle talent.) Their defense was running through fences but the offense had an extremely long lineup and some fresh faces. But what the offense lacked in worldbeating, it made up for in clutchiness -- Philip Thomas lined a go-ahead 3-run homer with 2 outs in the top of the 6th of game 2, securing the sweep. They face the Washout to close out the season, and another sweep would give them a first round bye in the playoffs.
4. RBI Steaks (10-6)
- Clinched playoff berth.
- Recent: 1-1 SHRL, 1-1 WCW, 0-2 100
- Remaining: BS
The Steaks rolled with a vintage 2015 lineup against the Washout: Nick Winn and Riley Brindle started on the bump, and only four fielders were behind them. Nostalgia Sunday was good for a split, but things didn’t go as well against their Juice rivals, dropping both games. They’ve clinched a berth but have a big test against the Bilabial Stops before the playoffs start.
5. 100% Real Juice (10-8)
- Clinched playoff berth.
- Recent: 2-0 SSS, 2-0 RBI
- Remaining: BS
At the death! After a brutal start to the season, the Juice have stormed all the way back into the playoffs, sweeping in consecutive weeks to pick up a winning record and a berth. Their sweep of the Steaks was particularly impressive, with Matt Morris filling in on the mound and willing his team to victory. Now the Juice will wait to see the rest of the playoff bracket.
6. Mighty Knucks (7-7)
- In contention.
- Recent: 2-0 WFI, 0-2 BS
- Remaining: SHRL, SSS
Despite getting knocked around by the Stops, the Knucks are still thoroughly in the playoff race. In fact, they have the upper hand -- sweep the Crows on Sunday and they’re in, or split with the Crows and take at least one game from the Sliders on Monday. Easier said than done, of course.
7. Sheryl Crows (8-8)
- In contention.
- Recent: 1-1 RBI, 0-2 WH, 1-1 SSS
- Remaining: MK
Since losing ace Paul Rogers to the mystique of shitting in the woods, Captain Sanford and his metaphorical Sons have had to deal with heartbreaker after heartbreaker. Game two against the Steaks was a back-and-forth affair, game two against the House was snatched from them at the last possible moment, and game one against the Sliders was a tough beatdown to swallow. But after walking off game two against the Sliders, they are still in it -- sweep the Knucks and they’re in, take one from the Knucks and they have a shot.
Outside Looking In
- South Side Sliders (3-9): Playing good defense, showing up and having fun.
- Chicken'n'Wiffles (3-13): Blasted by a juggernaut.
- Wiffully Ignorant (1-17): Promise for the future.
