What To Expect: The ALL-STAR Game
Written by Josh Smith
This coming Tuesday the league will host it's first ever All-Star game and home run derby. "I've been wanting to do this for 10 years now. We only did it one time in the old league and it was kind of lame. But I know we have enough people and the right people to make it happen this season" League Commissioner Josh Smith said. The All-Star game marks the halfway point for this season. When the regular season resumes on May 27th the competition is expected to significantly heat up as we march towards the playoffs.
The All-Star game will be very similar to a regulation game but with a few key differences. Each all-star team has 8 players on it. Two players from each team were selected by the team to represent that franchise in the all-star game. Each team also selected a member of the team to participate in the home run derby. Players that participated in the home run derby did not have to be on the all-star team as well. The rules for fielders is the same (no more than 3 fielders in addition to the pitcher) and everyone still gets to bat. Fielder rotation will be mandatory every inning. Perhaps the most interesting difference between the all-star game and regulation is that no pitcher on either team is permitted to pitch more than one inning. That's right, every inning will feature a different pitcher from each team.
Here are the players that will be participating in this year's All-Star Game:
- River City Division -
Drew McClanahan & Matt Gordon (Breaking Balls)
Josh Berletich & Paul Hesson (Honey Badgers)
Steven Adkins & Tim Wilson-Byrne (Wiffle Ballers)
Scott Hatfield & Adam Rose (Poker Night)
- Jewel City Division -
Andrew Westcott & Brad Washburn (Sit On My Base)
Brian Ball & Zach Blatt (Team BagTag)
Patrick Rayl & Nick Kappra (Wee Willy Wiffle)
Greg Sowards & Mike McCoy (Green Bears)
The All-Star Game is scheduled to take place at 7:00 pm on May 20, 2014. At 6:00 pm that same evening the home run derby will begin with 8 players (one from each team) competing against one another to see who will be the king of swing. These 8 sultans of swat will have 10 outs in the first round to show us what they've got. The top 4 players from the first round will advance to the second and final round where it's winner-take-all. Should there be any ties in the second round, there will be another round for those involved in a tie for first place until there is a definitive winner.
Here are the players that will be participating in the home run derby:
- River City Division -
Matt Gordon (Breaking Balls)
Paul Hesson (Honey Badgers)
Steven Adkins (Wiffle Ballers)
Adam Rose (Poker Night)
- Jewel City Division -
Brad Washburn (Sit On My Base)
Brandon Woolum (Team BagTag)
Richard Ball (Wee Willy Wiffle)
Josh Smith (Green Bears)
While the celebration is going on there will be walk-up music for each batter and a cook-out. So if you didn't make the all-star team there is no reason for you to not come out and have a great time watching the game and engaging in some friendly banter just before we enter the second half of the season. This game also serves as a way for the coaches of the tournament team to make their selections as to who will be representing the Huntington Wiffle League in the National Wiffle League Association Tournament. Last year we did poorly and the commissioners have vowed to put together an excellent squad this year so that we can redeem ourselves.
