The 2011 season is about to begin and a lot of things have changed since the Sacramento Stix won their championship last season.  The first change that was brought about came from the owner of the Specials, Craig Smith.  Without informing the interim commissioner, the Specials have seceded from the Bush League and formed the Root Beer League.  According to Mr. Craig Smith, his new league is like the Major League Baseball having an American League and a National League.  Although the Bush League and the interim commissioner have not commented on this yet, it is possible that Mr. Craig Smith and his Specials team may have some questions to answer and possibly some discipline to face before the season comes to a close.  The League has promised to update this situation when further details are released.

The next topic discussed will be the rule changes for the upcoming season.  A majority of the players who chose to vote on possible rule changes have spoken and with one exception that a player in the league and the interim commissioner’s ruling, it was almost a unanimous decision on the rule changes. 

The first rule voted on was the fair or foul ball issue that came up in last years playoffs and championship series.  All but one person voted for the following rule.   Any ball which remains on the infield (does not touch the grass or cross the foul line) will be an out – If the ball hits a player and goes foul it will be a foul, if it goes to the grass it will be a hit – The ball does not have to be fielded cleanly but it can not leave the infield in any way to be an out – If it does leave the infield it will either be a hit (in the grass) or it will be a foul.  In other words, if the ball is stopped in the infield without rolling foul it is an out.  If it touched by a defender and goes foul it is foul.  If it is  by a defender and stays fair and rolls to the grass it is a hit.  If it is stopped by a defender and rolls foul, it is a foul ball.  To me this seems like a fair way to call this so it will now be part of our rules for the 2011 season.

The next rule we voted on was who can use jack balls in a game.  A player in the league made a good suggestion regarding jack-balls in blast-offs and this is the rule that he and I will be adding without a vote from the league and you will understand the ruling when all is said and done.  The league once again almost all voted for the first part of this ruling.  That ruling is as follows.  Jack balls can only be used at home plate by anyone who feels like they need it in a game.  Now with that being said, there will be some exceptions to this rule.  If you are someone who averages over 15 home runs per season, you are only permitted to hit one home run per game using a jack ball.  This is my exception, not any players idea.  The reason behind this is if Mark uses a jack ball every time he bats, he will hit between 280 and 360 home runs every season.  As much as I would like to see Mark, Brandon and Jason hit triple figure doubles, triples and home runs, we need the league to be somewhat competitive.  So this is my addition to the league this season.  The other ruling that one player suggested is not allowing everyone to hit jack balls in the blast-offs.  So keeping somewhat in the parameters set in the voting, I suggest that anyone under the age of 10 and over the age of 60 should be permitted to use a jack ball in the blast-off situation.  We want to try to keep the playing level fair in this, knowing I will never hit a blast-off home run, even with a jack ball, I want other players to have a chance to experience what I probably never will. 

The last ruling we need to discuss is batting from the pitcher’s mound.  I for one think that if someone can not hit the ball out of the infield, should be given this opportunity to feel success by hitting from the pitcher’s mound.  However, this was the only item voted on that was completely unanimous.  You all have voted and agreed on the following ruling.  No players will be allowed to hit from pitcher’s mound, everyone will bat from home plate.  So this will be our final rule that will be added to the league for 2011. 

With all these rules being put into place now, I have one more suggestion for those of you who intend on playing this season, especially those who want to have and use jack balls.  I suggested to Craig and Mark to possibly have a bake sale or a car wash to raise some money to not only pay for the jack balls but compensate those who make them.  I as your interim commissioner, do not care if you use my advice regarding this, but either way, if you want to use jack balls, someone will have to make them.  So, it is up to all of you to take care of this situation, and my suggestion is only a suggestion. 

Now, I realize that this is a lot to take in for the upcoming season.  If you have any questions, regarding the new rules, please feel free to e-mail me.  I have posted my sandlot illustrated e-mail on this website in a comment on a previous article, and Mark and Craig have my other e-mail if you want to contact me there.  Otherwise, I ask everyone to respect the decisions made by me and others in the league and prepare for another great season.  I will end this e-mail with something I try to say in any speech I give to prepare a team for a stickball game.  I want you all to go out and have fun, enjoy the time with friends and family, and remember “If you go out and play your best, it doesn’t matter what the scoreboard reads at the end of the game, You will all be winners in my book.” (Thanks to Gene Hackman and the writers in the movie “Hoosiers” for providing the last part to that comment).  Good Luck to every player and every team in both the Bush League and Root Beer League this season.  Have a Great Season Everybody.  Hope to see you there.

Sincerely,

Douglas Sabeh, Interim Commissioner

During their annual winter meetings and in response to the call for a league-wide vote on various rules, the Specials have decided to leave the Bush League and join the Root Beer League.  The Specials envision a two league system comparable to Major League Baseball’s National and American Leagues.  The Specials will play under the umbrella of Bush League Stickball in the Root Beer League for the 2011 season and the foreseeable future.  The reason cited for their change in leagues is, to quote Nacho, “It’s for fun!”

The Specials will not enter stats onto sandlotillustrated.com until the end of the season and will not compete with other Bush League teams for record, playoffs or championships.  No Specials player will be eligible for any Bush League awards.

The Specials will, however, continue to compete in the follow ways in the Root Beer League:

1.  Play the Nines and get paid to do it when ever they want, because it’s for fun.

2.  Bat from the pitchers mound or second base or home plate or wherever, because it’s for fun.

3.  Count batted balls that are fielded in fair territory and then go foul as outs, because it’s for fun.

4.  Hit the jackball or any other ball whenever they want, because it’s for fun.

5.  Drink as much root beer as possible and have root beer drinking contest, because it’s for fun.

6.  Wear their jerseys to every game, because it’s for fun.

7.  Play wiffle ball games, because it’s for fun.

8.  Travel the country playing stickball, because it’s for fun.

9.  And hit .901 if they want to, because IT’S FOR FUN!

Specials players can still play in any Bush League games, and Bush League players are all welcomed to come play with the Specials against the Nines.  The Specials are confident this move, while significant, will result in more fun for them which is why they play stickball.

The Specials wish all the best of luck to each Bush League team in 2011.

FEED THE BEAR,

The SPECIALS

The time is now upon us.  It is the Sunday before Thanksgiving and the Arizona Stickball League is now set to begin the playoffs for the 2010 season.  Although the official season ended on October 31, 2010, a blast-off was needed to determine the final standings.  That blast-off  happened on Saturday November 20, 2010 and it was the Yard Dogs who prevailed and took the final home field advantage spot in the opening round of the playoffs. 

So this is how the playoffs will shape up this season.  The two teams that will have byes and wait in the on deck circle will be number one seeded Arizona Rays and the number 2 seeded Sacramento Stix.  The Lordsburg Lions will be joined with the Rays per the ruling in a previous article leaving four teams to battle for the two remaining semi-final games.  The number three seeded Utah Ice will host the sixth place Gila Valley Robins and the number four seeded Safford Yard Dogs will have home field advantage against the fifth ranked Specials.  These games are scheduled to occur over the Thanksgiving Holiday. 

If members of teams are not able to participate themselves, they can manage their teams from wherever they may be during this holiday season.  There are probably only one or two players that will face this situation.  The Specials Manager will probably e-mail a speech for his players, because he will not be there in person.  The league has not informed us if Clifton will be in Safford for the playoffs, so he may choose his team via the phone against his opponent’s manager of the Gila Valley Robins.  This is how it has been done in the past, and we will continue to do under the present interim commissioner’s term. 

Now that things are in place, you all probably wondering who are the favorites in the opening rounds of the playoffs and who is going to win in all.  Well, if we based the game on statistics and wins during the regular season, then the Arizona Rays would be the champions.  However, we do not base the playoffs on regular season wins and statistics, so we must play the games and find out which team is playing their best stickball presently and who will ultimately wind up as this year’s league champion.  However, since a lot of you like to speculate on who will will the first round games and possibly win the championship let us take a look at the match-ups.

In the game between the Utah Ice and the Gila Valley Robins, looking at the final season standings, one would think that this game will probably be a blow out with the Ice cruising to the semi-finals.  Stealing a line from “ESPN”s” “Lee Corso,” “Not so Fast My friend.”  Although, some of Robin Smith’s statistics are down this year, he is still batting .500 with 12 extra base hits and 16 RBIs.  He also has an ERA of 9.46 which is his third highest total in his career.  He has proven time and time again that pitching along with defense wins championships.  So don’t count out the Gila Valley Robins.  In Clifton’s defense though, he has a better batting average at .593, with 32 hits and 25 runs scored along with three home runs this season while Robin Smith has not hit any home runs this season.  Plus, Clifton’s ERA of 10.80 is second in the league and his defense this year could be good enough to earn him an infield gold glove as it is his best year ever in the field.  So, this game should be very close and possibly one of the best first round match-ups in a long time.

The other opening round game will pit the home standing Safford Yard Dogs versus the Specials.  If you have to give an advantage to one of these teams, it would have to be the Yard Dogs.  The Yard Dogs even with a new player and rookie of the year candidate, Markus Marshall, still have the undisputed best player in the league meaning Mark Smith.  As far as this writer is concerned Mark’s .796 batting average doesn’t do him justice.  He has surpassed his career high in ground outs and has made over 100 defensive outs this season.  Although Mark has struggled on the Pitcher’s mound, his offensive numbers are staggering.  In 206 at-bats mark has 164 hits, 33 doubles, 10 triples and not even a career high 75 home runs.  His 165 RBIs is not even a career high either.  Looking at those numbers you have to give the Yard Dogs the advantage to win this game, plus his team also gets home field advantage as well.  So, there is definite pressure for the Yard Dogs to win this game.

In the other corner of this match-up, The Specials are coming off their best season ever.  A blast off win away from having an above .500 winning percentage this season.  Plus their interim manager and owner, Craig Smith, is having one of his best seasons yet with more than half his at-bats coming from the left side of the plate.  Craig is batting .729 with 97 hits, 23 doubles, 2 triples and 25 home runs with 70 RBIs to go with it.  Kimball Smith is having a better season than last year with a .741 batting average, 100 hits, 26 doubles, 17 home runs and 54 RBIs.  Lane Smith is having a pretty good year also with his average at .588, 57 hits 23 doubles, 2 triples, 5 home runs and 37 RBIs.  Also with Lane adding pitching to his game and Kimball playing well in the field, this team may surprise some people in the league during their first ever playoff game. 

So there you have it, the set up for this week’s playoff games.  I know that the Rays and Stix will be watching these games closely, because they will be playing one of the winners of these two games.  The Ice are ready.  the Robins are ready.  The Yard Dogs are ready.  The Specials are Ready.  Who will come out on top and advance to the semi-final round of the playoffs.  We will not have to wait long.  Good Luck to all the teams.  May the Special Yard Dog Help the Robin escape the Ice, or it could be that the Ice freezes the Robin without the help of the Yard Dog Special.  Anyway you slice it, this years playoffs are going to be spectacular.  “Let’s Play (Stick) Ball!”