Final 10

G1 - PLAY IN: Moonshots #10 vs. Jager Bombers #8

G2 - PLAY IN: Freaky Franchise #9 vs. GSW #7

G3 - Cloud9 #4 vs.  Master Batters #5

G4 - Remember the Rookies #3 vs. Las Vegas Wifflers #6

G5 - Wiff Inc. vs. Winner of G1  

G6 - BWC vs. Winner of G2

G7 - Winner of G3 vs. Winner of G5

G8 - Winner of G4 vs. Winner of G6

G9 - WInner of G7 vs. WInner of G8

FP Texas Open Update #6: 2:30

ROUND #4

RESULTS

1. FREAKY FRANCHISE (2-2) 2 DEFEATS MOONSHOTS 0 (2-2)
2. BWC (4-0) 0 DEFEATS GSW 0 (2-2) ON TOTAL BASES 6-2
3. LV WIFFLERS (2-2) 6 DEFEAT JIM’S PUB (1-3) 0 
4. *OTHER ROUND 4 GAMES THAT DID NOT IMPACT WHICH TEAMS ADVANCE HAVE BEEN OMITTED.*

NOTEWORTHY

1. Freaky Franchise needed a win to stay alive in the tournament. They got just that behind an excellent performance by Ryan Bush. Moonshots threatened in the bottom of the 4th and put runners on the corners with two outs. Bush induced a pop up to end the threat and the game. The win (likely) puts Freaky Franchise in the final ten.
2. GSW failed to guarantee a spot in the elimination round, losing on total bases to BWC who improved their record to 4-0. Joel DeRoche pitched well for GSW in the loss.
3. LV Wifflers and Jim’s Pub faced off in a match up of 1-2 teams looking to get that all important second win. The game was close early on but the LV Wifflers went to work against Sarno, knocking him out after putting 6  runs on the board. Ben Stant worked his first inning of the tournament in relief but the damage had already been done. The loss eliminates Jim’s Pub from the tournament.

FP Texas Open Update #5 - 1:30

ROUND #3/4

RESULTS

1. GSW (2-1) 8 DEFEATS COSBY SHOW 0 (0-3)
2. JAGER BOMBERS 10 (2-2) 10 DEFEATS WHOSE YOUR DADDY 0 (0-4)
3. REMEMBER THE ROOKIES (4-0) 2 DEFEATS FREAKY FRANCHISE 2 (1-2) 9-7 ON TOTAL BASES
4. WIFF INC. (4-0) 2 DEFEATS LV WIFFLERS 0 (1-2)
5. BWC (3-0) 3 DEFEATS CLOULD9 0 (3-1) 

QUICK RECAPS

1. The Cosby Show finally seemed to run out of steam this round. GSW handled the youngsters easily with Mike Cross pitching.
2. Whose Your Daddy becomes the first team eliminated at the hands of fellow Frisco, TX team, The Jager Bombers. With the win, the Jager Bombers likely punch their ticket to the elimination round.
3. In one of the most competitive games of the tournament so far, Freaky Franchise tied the score at 2-2 with a double in the the final inning. A pitching change for the Rookies did the job though  and they held on for the total bases win. Jimmy Cole had the big hit for Freaky Franchise. Freaky Franchise needs a win in their next game to stay alive.
4. Robles notched this third win of the tournament shutting out the veteran LV Wifflers. The win guarantees Wiff Inc. a spot (and a good one at that) in the elimination round. 
5. The innings might have finally caught up to Wegrzyn. BCW got to him into the second and Wegryzyn was removed in favor of Ed Packer. The damage had been done though and BCW moves to 3-0.BCW is in the driver’s seat for the #1 seed with one game left to play. 

 

FP Texas Open Update #4 - 1:00

ROUND #3

RESULTS

1. REMEMBER THE ROOKIES (3-0) 0 DEFEATS JAGER BOMBERS 0 (1-2) ON TOTAL BASES
2. CLOUD9 (3-0) 10 DEFEATS WEST COAST WIFFLE REPORT 0 (0-3)
3. JIM’S PUB (1-2) 11 DEFEATS WIFFLE JAM 1 (0-3)
4. WIFF INC. 5 (3-0) DEFEATS MASTERS BATTERS 1 (2-1)
5. MOONSHOTS (2-1) 27 DEFEAT WHOSE YOUR DADDY (0-3) 4

QUICK RECAPS

1. Even in defeat, Frisco’s Jager Bombers are giving teams all that they can handle. The powerful Rookies squad was held in check but snuck by on total bases to become the first 3-0 team in the tournament.
2. Cloud9 FINALLY got some runs on the board against Brock Drazen of WCWR. Drazen threw strikes but the previously silent Cloud9 bats came alive after two scoreless wins to start the tournament. Tyler pitched his third straight for Cloud9. 
3. Jim’s Pub got a win they needed to have against the overmatched Wiffle Jam. This sets up an all important game versus LV Wifflers.
4. The Masters Batters will not end round robin undefeated, but Wiffle, Inc. might. In a game to decide the bracket winner, Jordan Robles took the ball for his team. Robles only blemish was a HR off of the bat of Jon King. Kenny Rodgers added two homeruns to his tournament leading total.
5.  Moonshots roll over Whose Your Daddy in a 2-inning mercy rule victory. If Moonshots beat Freaky Franchise, they are in the playoffs.

FP Texas Open Update #3 - 11:30 PM

ROUND #2/3

RESULTS

1.  FREAKY FRANCHISE (1-1) 10 DEFEATS WHOSE YOUR DADDY 0 (0-2)
2. GSW (1-1) 5 DEFEATS WEST COAST WIFFLE REPORT 0 (0-2)
3. LV WIFFLERS (1-1) 0 DEFEATS WIFLE JAM 0 (0-2)
4. MASTER BATTERS 0 (2-0) DEFEAT JIM’S PUB (0-2) ON TOTAL BASES 8-4
5. BWC (2-0) 10 DEFEATS COSBY SHOW (0-2) 

QUICK RECAPS

1. Freaky Franchise take a big step towards $10,000 with a definitive mercy rule win against Whose Your Daddy.
2. Ryan DeRoche pitched GSW into the win column over Jim Dalbey and West Coast Wiffle Report. Joel DeRoche got GSW on the board early with a solo shot. Mike Cross made a couple of good catches on defense.
3. LV Wifflers bounced back from their first round loss in a big way by blowing out Wiffle Jam.
4. Will Marshall was once again nearly unhittable as the Master Batters moved to 2-0 with their second straight upset, this time over Jim’s Pub (Danny Lanigan, Ben Stant). Jim’s Pub will need to get the bats going against LV Wifflers and Wiffle Jam if they want to advance. 
5. BWC moves to 2-0. So far they have beat the teams they need to beat. They have dates with GSW and Cloud9 still to come that will go a long way to deciding that particular bracket.

 

FP Texas Open Update #2 - 11:00 AM

ROUND #1/#2

RESULTS

1. BWC (1-0) 3 DEFEATS WEST COAST WIFFLE REPORT (0-1)
2. REMEBER THE ROOKIES (2-0) 10 DEFEATS WHOSE YOUR DADDY 0 (0-1)
3. CLOUD9 (2-0) 0 DEFEATS COSBY SHOW (0-1) ON TOTAL BASES 5-3
4. MOONSHOTS (1 - 1) 2 DEFEATS JAGERBOMBERS (1-1) 0
5. WIFF INC. (2-0) 10 DEFEATS WIFFLE JAM 0 (0-1)

BRIEF RECAPS

1. Veteran FP player (and host of the West Coast Wiffle Report), Jim Dalbey pitched admirably but fell short to the Golden Stick experienced BWC squad
2. In the first blow out of the tournament, Remember the Rookies mercy rules Whose Your Daddy from Texas. 
3. In a shock, medium pitch Texas team Cosby Show gave Cloud9 all they could handle. Cooper Ruckel was throwing gas and kept the Cloud9 bats off of the board. Cloud9 has yet to score a run in the tournament despite sitting at 2-0. Tyler once again took the hill for Cloud9 and was closed at 83-84 MPH consistently.
4. The Jager Bombers got another strong performance from Tye Webber who held the FP NCT experienced Moonshots in check for three innings before tiring in the fourth. Randy Dalbey (Vipers) pithed for the Moonshots.
5. Local Texas Team Wiffle Jam put up a valiant effort put were no match for the Wiffle Jam and Anthony Didio.

 

FP Texas Open Update #1 - 10:00 AM

ROUND #1

RESULTS

1. WIFF INC. (1-0 ) 3 DEFEATS JIM’S PUB 0 (0-1)
2. REMEMBER THE ROOKIES (1-0) 4 DEFEATS MOONSHOTS 0 (0-1)
3. CLOUD 9 (1-0) 0 DEFEATS GSW 0 (0-1) ON TOTAL BASES 5-3
4. JAGER BOMBERS (1-0) 3 DEFEAT FREAKY FRANCHISE 0 (0-1)
5. MASTER BATTERS (1-0) 0 DEFEAT LV WIFFLERS 0 (0-1) ON TOTAL 2-1

QUICK RECAPS

1. Jimmy Flynn (Jim’s Pub) worked himself in and out of a major jam in the first (second and third, nobody out) without allowing a run. Jordan Robles took the mound in the opener for Wiff, Inc. Wiff Inc. broke through int he last inning with a run scoring double and a Kenny Rodgers two run homer. Robles went to the distance for Wiff Inc. to pick up the win..
2. Big time pitching match up of 2003 NCT MVP Jim Balian and young Daniel Haverty. Josh Pagano got the scoring started for the Rookies with a second inning solo shot. The Rookies’ bats exploded in the bottom of the 3rd for three runs on a pair of homers.
3.  Joel DeRoche and Tyler W. Were stingy, with neither starter allowing a run. The game was decided on total bases, 5-3, after 5 innings of play. 
4. In an upset, the Jager Bombers (TX) took down Freaky Franchise 3-0. Freaky Franchise suffers an early setback in their quest for $10k.
5. In another semi-upset for a Texas team, Will Marshall was dominate on the mound for local favorite Master Batters, despite the wind causing him to pocked his drop. Master Batters squeaked out a couple of base runners to take their opener, 2-1 over the LV Wifflers.

News and Notes from FP Texas Open "Wild Pitch"

The draw for the Fast Plastic Texas Open is over and the pools are set for round robin action.  Some news and notes from the Friday Night team get together at "Wild Pitch" where ten plus teams showed up for the live draw:

* The talk going around the Wild Pitch after the draw is that pool 3 is the toughest round robin draw.  Numerous players commented that this is the strongest group of teams and will be grind to advance through.

* The biggest upset may come out of Pool 2 with the Master Blasters as the four seed.  Drew Marshall, Blaster's Will Marshall's father, got a look at the FP trophy and jokingly said, "Where do we put Will's name on this?"  That's confidence.

* MAW talked to Jordan Robles earlier in the night to check in on his arm two weeks after the MAW Championship.  

"All well and rested," Robles said.  "Ready to go for tomorrow.  Going to be a great day with a lot of great teams."

* Pool 1 on paper looks like the most wide open bracket and we'll see how that plays out tomorrow. 

Some questions:

* Will GSW's later plane arrival have any effect on their tough round robin schedule?  These guys have been through the ringer but have also had a seven year lay off from competitive wiffle.

* Several players haven't played in several years.  Will there be rust or will it feel completely natural come first pitch at 8:30 tomorrow morning?

* Sean Steffy and his Cloud 9 teammates are early favorites.  An FP participant told MAW, "Steffy is legit but what has he played in and won?"

* At least one prominent player said Josh Pagano is the player to watch tomorrow.  We'll keep a close eye on that storyline.  

* Jonathan King talked openly about his team in Pool 3.  "I may have to throw our ace in round robin just to get to the final 8."  That could be the sentiment for the other four teams in Pool 3 as well.  

* Will Fast Plastic's stance on knifed balls have any effect on tomorrow's competition?  Some players are saying that sandpapered balls are better for pitchers than knifed balls.  Just talk or is there something more to that?

The draw aired live on periscope and can be viewed in full.

2017 Texas Open Seedings

Pool 1

1. Remember the Rookies
2. O Bombers
3. Freaky Franchise
4. Jager Bombers
5. Who's Your Daddy?

Pool 2

1. Wiff Inc
2. James Pub (formerly Peranhas)
3. LV Wifflers
4. Master Basters
5. Wiffle Jam

Pool 3

1. Cloud 9
2. GSW
3. Bad Chemistry
4. West Coast Wiffle Report
5. Cosby Show

The Texas Open Field

The 15 registered teams and players for the Fast Plastic Texas Open can be found here.

• There is at least one representative from the Fast Plastic National Champions from 2002 (Vipers), 2003 (Vipers), 2006 (Rookies), 2007 (GSW), 2008 (603 All-Stars), 2009 (Phenoms);
• The 15 teams represent 8 different states;
• More than ten states are represented in total.

Fast Plastic Texas Open Preview

I am not sure that I can remember a tournament – on paper, before it happens – quite like the Fast Plastic Texas Open. We are just days away from the event and I am still not quite sure what to expect.

Fast Plastic’s return to the tournament hosting business takes place this Saturday, October 21st, in Frisco, Texas just outside of Dallas. Fifteen teams are expected to compete with the winner going home with a cool $5,000 in cash. That is unless Freaky Franchise – the lone NWLA representative in the field – happens to win in which case they will return home to Rochester, New York $10,000 richer. The rules are essentially what we came to expect from Fast Plastic during its heyday a decade earlier which means no pitching restrictions, no base running, and a three-man defensive alignment, among other things.

The cash is certainly unusual. The amount of dough – especially when it is entirely sponsored driven and independent of entry fees – is virtually unprecedented. However, what really makes this tournament unlike any other tournament I can remember is the composition of the field.

Make no mistake about it, the tournament field – especially when you dive below the surface of the often unfamiliar team names to get to the players – is loaded with big name talent. There are heroes of Fast Plastic past including the DeRoche brothers, Jim Balian, Josh Pagano, Billy Owens, Danny Lanigan, and Randy Dalbey, among others.  There are players who built impressive legacies in the post-FP environment in Golden Stick including Ed Packer, David “Road Toast” Woods and Rob Longiaru. Some of the current starts of Palisades – including Jordan Robles and Anthony Didio – will be on the field in Frisco. The future of the game will be further represented through the participation of up-and-comers such as Will Marshall and Ben Stant. There are several former National Champions among this group. It is not an exaggeration to state that 80% or more of the players involved come into the tournament with a major accolade tied to their name. In that regard, it is a very impressive field.

What makes the field a bit of a mystery is that many of these players formed their resumes years ago during the Fast Plastic years and/or in the immediate aftermath. That is to say, the tournament field is littered with players who for all intents and purposes are not active in the game. Joel DeRoche very well might be the best pitcher the game as ever produced but he has not been an active player for the better part of a decade. It is impossible to know what to expect from him or the upwards of two-dozen other players who fit that bill. I would never underestimate a Joel DeRoche or a Jim Balian after what we have all seen them do on the Wiffle® Ball field over the years. It would not totally shock me to see some of these players return to their old selves under the bright lights in Frisco. Time and age do not discriminate, however, not even for the legends of the sport. How well the legendary players perform after significant time away from high level competition will be one of the – if not the – most interesting storylines to follow this weekend.

Of the teams expected to participate, only three can definitively be considered active, full time teams – Freaky Franchise (NY), Master Batters (TX), and Jager Bombers (TX). The rest of the field are either teams from the past reuniting – GSW as one example – or teams specifically constructed for this event. The lack of participation by full-time, active teams at the Texas Open is impossible to miss. This is partially a side-effect of the current environment where the team unit simply isn’t as important as it once was. It is a players’ game now and the Texas Open field reflects that. Perhaps this is an inconsequential detail. Talent usually triumphs over everything else so perhaps team chemistry really does not matter all that much here. Certainly, if one of the active regular teams – like Freaky Franchise – were to win by defeating a field of veritable all-star teams and re-united squads, that would be a major feather in their cap. In some respects, full time teams have more to gain than any of the makeshift teams by winning the event.

There might not be many active teams at the Open, but there will be plenty of extremely talented active players to keep an eye on. That list starts with Jordan Robles. Robles has already had an impressive 2017 season, leading different teams to the semi-finals in Palisades, finals in GSWL Yard, and to a championship in the Mid Atlantic. Those accomplishments – along with undeniable talent on both sides of the ball – make Robles one of the best players currently in the game. Robles’ teammate for the Texas Open, Anthony Didio, is also in that discussion. Didio has unreal power as evidenced by his .340 ISO this year in Palisades league play. Will Marshall of Frisco’s own Master Battershas top level stuff which he will get to show on a national stage for the first time on Saturday. While much attention is being paid to the big names of yesteryear returning for this event, it would not be at all surprising if the Texas Open is owned by one of the immensely talented young guns that will be in attendance.

Those natural conflicts – youth versus experience, active players versus non-active players, full time teams versus all-star teams – simultaneously make the Texas Open both fascinating and nearly impossible to put a finger on. Like everyone, I have my suspicions on how the tournament will play out but would not dare go public with them. Not in this instance. On paper the Texas Open is unlike any other tournament I can remember and very tough to predict. What that means for the actual tournament itself remains to be see, but it will no doubt be exciting to watch it all unfold!

Not attending the Texas Open? Follow along courtesy of “The Drop” from Mid Atlantic Wiffle. The Drop – the news and commentary branch of MAW – is the official home for live and post-tournament coverage of the Fast Plastic Texas Open. Make sure to check The Drop throughout the day on Saturday for live game recaps and commentary. Also stayed tuned to Twitter (@midatlanticwiffle and @fastplasticwiff) for additional live tournament updates. After the tournament, check back to The Drop for exclusive written, video, and audio coverage.