Unfortunately, because next week's rainout makeup dates have been filled up, the games called off this week will not be made up. There's no place to put them, and we have the playoffs right around the corner. That means the standings will look a little odd as we get down to the brass tacks, for all the good and bad things that means.

What it means more than anything else is that the standings are going to be ordered by points. We do things with points the hockey way - two points for a win, one point for a tie. With the uneven number of games played, that means teams with similar records will be differentiated in a couple of different ways. Examples:

A team who finishes 6-2-1 (13 points) will be placed ahead of a team who finishes 6-2-0 (12)

Teams tied in points will be ordered first by the team who has the most wins (6-2-0 will finish ahead of 5-2-2), then by teams with fewer losses (6-2-0 will finish ahead of 6-3-0).

Thanks to a number of ties and the uneven schedule, the tiebreakers we mentioned in this space a few weeks ago will be much less in play than usual, but just in case you need a reminder:

1. Better head-to-head record, where applicable
2. Fewer forfeit losses
3. Better record against common opponents
4. Better run differential in games vs. common opponents
5. Harder strength of schedule
6. Better overall run differential
7. Coin flip
8. In absence of coin, rock-paper-scissors
9. In absence of hands, bribes

Got it?



Ah well, let's get on with it.


HEY JP, HOW WILL THE PLAYOFFS BE SCHEDULED?

Funny you should ask, I was just about to write about it. After next week's games are played and the dust settles, all teams will be ranked 1-16 and placed in an NCAA-style bracket. The first round will be #1 vs. #16, #2 vs. #15, and so on, and the second round will be the #1 vs. #16 winner vs. the #8 vs. #9 winner, etc. For all the NHL fans out there who will ask, no we don't re-seed after every round.

Where applicable, the higher-seeded team will be scheduled to play on their "home" night. I say "where applicable" because it's very likely that some highly-ranked Thursday teams will be scheduled to play on Wednesday night in the first round. Right now 6 of the top 8 teams are Thursday teams, and a lot of the potential matchups are crossovers. The top four Thursday teams are guaranteed a Thursday game, and the rest need to pay close attention to the schedule when it comes out after next week. 

First round games are scheduled for Wednesday, July 26 and Thursday, July 27.

Second round games, August 2 and August 3.

The semifinals AND final will take place on SATURDAY, AUGUST 5 and will be celebrated at the massive END OF SEASON PARTY that night. Keep your calendars clear!

Got it?



Oh, just keep a close eye on the newsletters.


GAME OF THE WEEK

There were a couple of good candidates for the honor this week, but we can only choose one, so let's go with YTBD's win over SECONDS FROM DISASTER last night, which was capped by a thrilling two-run, bottom-of-the-last comeback by the mighty gray. Well done to both teams!

We need a better nickname for YTBD by the way. The first inclination is to call them the Fighting Ashtrays because of their shade of gray, but there don't appear to be any smokers on their team. Stay tuned.

Honorable mention for GOTW goes to the ROVERS-LUSH tilt, which has a two-run last-inning purple comeback of its own to tie the score.


TEAM OF THE WEEK

You know, over the last five weeks, no team in the league is playing better than YOUR MOM'S TEAM. Of course, we've only played three games in that time period, but STILL. Their 7-1 demolition of a good Lunchbox squad last night vaulted them up to third place in the standings, and they have been destroying teams along the way. They ride a three-game winning streak right now, outscoring their opponents 19-2 in that stretch. Their game with YTBD next week looks like a real (OLD GUY WORD ALERT) corker (FLIBBITY FLABBITY FLOO!).


QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Last night a quick-moving rainstorm about half an hour before game time set the already-oppressive humidity level in our nation's capital into overdrive. It was hard to BREATHE, the air was so thick. An unnamed BIG KID called it a "night for flop sweat."

Blech.


PLAYS OF THE WEEK

Your Mom's Team's JJ sped into left field to retrieve a fly ball that had hit the ground, and without turning or looking, flung the ball backwards over his head back into the infield, stunning a Lunchbox runner and holding him at second.

Not to be outdone, in the next half-inning a Lunchbox outfielder, maneuvering to try and make a difficult fly ball catch of his own, used a volleyball technique to set the ball into the air and make the catch.


RULE REMINDER OF THE WEEK

Both fields had this happen last night, so let's remind our kickball newcomers: ANY TOUCHING OF A PITCHED BALL BY A KICKER WITH HIS OR HER LEG IS CONSIDERED AN ATTEMPT TO KICK. We understand that a lot of people are trying to be helpful by trapping a ball or kicking it up to themselves to prevent a pitched ball from rolling away, but if you're going to do that, do it with your hands. It all goes back to a playoff game a few years back (JP GEEZER ALERT) when a player tapped a ball, looked like she started to (FLIBBITY) run to first, but (FLABBITY) said she was just trying to retrieve it, controversy, (FLOO) screaming, yelling, arguing, rotten produce... 

So anyway, thanks for the consideration, but if you're up to kick, don't touch the ball with your feet unless you mean it.


A SPECIAL NOTE FOR YTBD'S MOLLY

The restrooms closest to our fields are located at the ranger station and World War II Memorial.

Thank you, now back to TWTWTW.


"WTF" OF THE WEEK

The back room last night was pink and gray, and not much else. Pepto Kickball and the Fighting Ashtrays (hmm, this new nickname might work) found a corner of the bar and played with themselves all night back there.

You know I mean they were playing flip cup, right? Get your mind out of the gutter.

Though it DID lead to one of the funniest sights of the season (watching Seconds from Disaster crowd around one little square table in the front bar to play flippy), I think we can do a better job of sharing the space back there once the food has been eaten, yes? Got it? Great!


CRYSTAL PITCHER UPDATE

This space needs to acknowledge and recognize DC DETENTION for their great turnout this season, even on off nights! They ruled the Mug on the night the Mall was closed a few weeks back, and showed up in impressive numbers on the night of this past Wednesday's rainout, as well. They have really taken a big Crystal Pitcher related step forward this year, and they have a bazillion pictures to prove it.

Though I would be remiss if I didn't mention that at the end of the night, there were more BIG KIDS (5) and ROVERS (2) at the bar than ALL THE WEDNESDAY TEAMS COMBINED AT THAT POINT (2). WHY did I write MOST of that sentence in CAPITALS? I HAVE NO IDEA!

Impressive numbers Wednesday night by HERE FOR THE BEER as well.

Last night, we were proud to see impressive turnouts by all eight combatants at the bar, well done everyone!

Okay, there's no reason on earth why this has gotten as long as it has. We only played four games! Get back to work, SLACKER! Have a great weekend and we'll see you back on the Fields of Glory next week!

Questions? Comments? Unspeakable outrage? jp@ctam.com or AIM: jaypea99

John "JP" Powers
Co-Captain, Big Kids
President, Capital Conference
DCKickball

***That Was The Week That Was Week Otto (it means eight)***