The Magic Age of 33

Today's topic is actually an age -- 33 years old. Many years ago, Stan Musial set a baseball player's prime from age 28 to 32. And even though this isn't 100 percent true*, there is truth in it. For many good-to-great players, 33 is the age when they begin to grow old. Maybe the bat slows a touch. Maybe nagging injuries nag more. Maybe the legs lose a little bit of their spring. Maybe the shoulder aches when they try to throw home.
*Bill famously debunked that prime years ago; he showed that a player's prime is quite a bit younger than that -- roughly from age 26 to 30. He says the numbers has moved some through the years, but the descent certainly begins before 32.
Whatever changes, 33 is an age when many players find that they can no longer do the things they once did. Right off, we should say: This isn't true of all players and not even most players (and we are talking every-day players here, not pitchers). Bill figures that about 70 percent of players perform about the same at age 33 as they did at age 32.
But, he also figures that more players -- and especially more GREAT players -- find 33 to be their most punishing season, the year that long fly balls stop leaving the park, the year that groundballs stop rolling through the infield, the year the bat feels heavy in July and August.

For complete article, go to: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/joe_posnanski/06/29/james.33/index.html?eref=sihpT1

ISC II Rankings

June 23, 2009 - With upsets and unexpected victories in several tournaments the past three weeks, the ISC II rankings have a new team on top as Waterdown Hammer edged out Ashland Stock Pack for the top spot.With their win in the Ottawa qualifier, Ottawa Team Easton jumped up to #3 while Port Elgin Blue Devils climbed from #11 to #4 on the strength of their second place finish at the Innerkip qualifier. Making the biggest jump, from #27 to #5, is the winner in Innerkip: K-W Cubs.

The top 10 with previous rankings in brackets:

1. Waterdown, ON Hammer (3)
2. Ashland, OH Stock Pack (1)
3. Ottawa, ON Team Easton Thunder (7)
4. PortElgin, ON Blue Devils (12)
5. K-W, ON Cubs (27)
6. Elmira, ON Expos (7)
7. Bridgeport, ON Braves (5)
8. Dundas, ON CPI Classics (13)
9. Portland, OR Columbia River Rockers (10)
10. Palermo, ON Athletics (6)

The complete rankings can be found in the ISC II section of the ISC website at www.iscfastpitch.com.

MAFTL Week #2

June 19-21, 2009
Week 2click on game for boxscores

Gm 1
PA Power
0
Keatings
6

Gm 2
KCC
3
Peninsula
7

Gm 3
NY Gremlins
3
Maccabi USA
0

Gm 4
Hoffman Rise
3
ADCO
0

Gm 5
Hoffman Rise
3
Keatings
6

Gm 6
NY Gremlins
5
Peninsula
0

Gm 7
PA Power
1
ADCO
4

Gm 8
KCC
0
Maccabi USA
0

Gm 9
Peninsula
3
ADCO
2

Gm 10
Keatings
8
Maccabi USA
2

Gm 11
PA Power
0
NY Gremlins
3

Gm 12
KCC
0
Hoffman Rise
4

PG 1
#5 ADCO
0
#8 PA Power
3

PG 2
#6 KCC
1
#7 Maccabi USA
7

PG 3
PA Power
1
#4 Merchants
0

PG 4
Maccabi USA
0
#3 Hoffman Rise
5

PG 5
PA Power
1
#1 NY Gremlins
3

PG 6
Hoffman Rise
1
#2 Keatings
5

PG 7
NY Gremlins
6
Keatings
2

Travel League Weekend #2

From the MAFTL website:


We were able to get all the games in despite the weather. Games were shortened to 5 innings on Saturday and we didn't get off the field until 1:30 am Sunday morning. Sunday's 5 play-off games were played regulation, with the NY Gremlims defeating Keatings 6-2 in the Championship game. The real wiiner of the weekend was the Garrett Park ground crew as they worked effectively dealing with what Mother Nature dumped on us. As soon as I recover from the weekends effects, the website will be updated with all games and highlights.


Thanks,
Tom Vogel
Pres MAFTL
www.maftl.org

Ty Stofflet article from Sports Illustrated - May 28, 1979

This Guy Can Rise It, Drop It And Pop It At 104 Mph
Pennsylvania Dutchman Ty Stofflet, softball pitcher extraordinary, would be famous were he not the modest Prince of the Front Porch

Ballietsville, Pa. (population estimated at 600) is blessed with two of the best, the Ballietsville Inn and Ty Stofflet. The inn claims to serve the finest medallions of veal baloise this side of Switzerland and may be the best restaurant in its corner of the world. Tyrone Earl Stofflet, the lefthanded softball pitcher, is the best at his calling in any corner of the world. And that's not one of those Pennsylvania Dutch tall tales out of the lush valleys of Lehigh County in the eastern part of the state, where Ballietsvilleans have been planting corn and potatoes for the last 250 years. As a matter of fact, Ty Stofflet is perhaps least appreciated down home. Joseph Hartmann, owner of the Ballietsville Inn, has never even heard of Stofflet, who lives just half a mile down the road. (Likewise, Stofflet, a man of simple tastes, has never stopped in to sample Hartmann's medallions of veal, baloise or otherwise.)
No, Stofflet has earned the designation of world's best out on the proving grounds of fast-pitch softball—places like Leesport, Pa.; Aurora, Ill.; Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; Springfield, Mo.; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Auckland, New Zealand. There, Stofflet has met—and almost always beaten—the best. They know him in those places.
Stofflet, 37, is at long last ready, albeit reluctantly, to accept the designation himself. For several years now he has been advertised as "The World's Greatest Lefthanded Softball Pitcher," as if on Judgment Day the righties and lefties will be herded into different corrals. But the job of any pitcher is to get people out, something Stofflet does better than anyone else, righthanded or lefthanded.
"Over the years I've never said too much about it," he said at the end of last season. "I've never said nothing, in fact. I figured I'd let my arm do the talking. But after this year, I feel different, know what I mean? If they can't understand this year and what I've done, they don't understand nothing."
So, are you the best, Ty?
"Well, I still won't come right out and say it."
Well, do you know anyone right now in organized softball who is better?
(Hesitation.) "No, not right now."
Have you ever pitched in a game when you thought the other pitcher was better than you?
(Hesitation.) "No."

for complete article click link:
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1094985/1/index.htm

Travel League Schedule for June 19-21

http://www.maftl.org/schedulewk2.htm

National Qualifier at Willow Street

Elite Coach/Bob Hoffman's defeated Cornerstone to win the tournament. Both teams will receive bids to "C" Nationals in Decatur, Illinois.