From the Greats of the Past...

Joe DiMaggio Babe RuthBoston PlayerClemente, Mays and Aaron

To the Greats of the Present . . .

We Salute and Congratulate Repeat Champions

No Talent AZ Clowns  


for Winning the 30th Anniversary Congressional Softball League Tournament in 2008.

Runners-Up team, Raising Arizona
Third Place team, Yellow Journalists
Fourth Place team, ALL VOLS

Click to see preliminary round results of the Group Pool games.

Click to see bracket with results of the Dazzling Dozen© games leading to the championship.

Several photographs below are of competition of the final four teams played on the last day for the championship.
(Lots of photos -- some also of other Dazzling Dozen© teams-- please be patient.)


Please give photographic credit to Jan Bohrer for capturing this year's competition for the web site!

Also...more photographs of specific games will soon be on the following links:

Noon - Yellow Journalists beat Center for New American Security 12-6

1 PM - Yellow Journalists beat Raucus Caucus 15-4

2 PM - Yellow Journalists beat Alphabet Soup 8-7

3 PM - No Talent AZ Clowns beat Yellow Journalists 17-1

4:30 PM - Raising Arizona beat ALL VOLs 16-14 in 9 innings

5:30 PM - Raising Arizona beat Yellow Journalists 17-16 in 8 innings

7 PM - No Talent AZ Clowns won the championship over Raising Arizona 15-5

Return to the 30th Anniversary Tournament 2008 Hall of Fame page

First Place

The Champions: No Talent AZ Clowns

The defending champions repeated this year with their back-to-back Championship through the winner's
bracket of the tournament's double-elimination process. Congratulations, No Talent AZ Clowns!

Second Place

The Runners-up: Raising Arizona.

After winning a one-run game, Raising Arizona moved into the Final Four through the loser's bracket
where they then survived back-to-back extra inning games to advance to play in the Championship game.

Third Place

Third Place: Yellow Journalists.

When their preliminary group pool's games were delayed by the hurricane's rain, the Yellow Journalists needed to play a minimum of 5 games on Championship night with the possibility of a maximum of 8 games. After winning their first 3 games, they moved into the Final Four round through the winner's bracket where they advanced to the semi-final game before going to the loser's bracket and placing third when they lost a one-run game in extra innings...all day playing with barely a full lineup...who began to run out of gas in their fifth, and last, game of the day!

Fourth Place

Fourth Place: ALL VOLS.

After winning games by the 10-run slaughter rule, the ALL VOLS moved into the Final Four - for their first time in team history - through the loser's bracket where they survived a one-run game before losing in extra innings to place fourth in the tournament.

 


The balance of power hitting, pitching and defense is the hallmark of a winning team.
One of the Yellow Journalists power hitters shows the form of a successful swing.


Defense wins games, as demonstrated by the Raising Arizona shortstop who flips for a force out at second base.

pitcher

Good pitching is another phase of the game that makes for a winning team like the Alphabet Soup left hander.
(Note that his socks and similar ones in the next picture may or may not distract batters!)


A unique pitching style like the Championship No Talent AZ Clown's pitcher with his tongue sticking out
and foot off the rubber can also make for a winning formula without the striped socks.


Of course, sometimes a backhanded pitch with a mean stare can be just as effective as a pair of distracting striped socks.


Most winning teams have left-handed batters who swing with all of their might like this ALL VOLs player, or...


...The lefties like this Yellow Journalists' batter who have such fast bat speed that a camera cannot catch the blur of a swing.


The teams with winning records owe their success to quality women players like the Raising Arizona baserunner
and the Yellow Journalists fielder at second base...



...Or the hitting of another female player from the ALL VOLs team.


Another important phase for a winning team is a quick and sure-handed outfield...who may look mean, or...


...Not to be outdone, Alphabet Soup uses a committee system to catch a fly ball, but...


...Defensively, the Yellow Journalists prefer the Keystone Cop approach...and even when...


...Alphabet Soup makes the catch acrobatic with arms and legs waving, still...


...The Yellow Journalists will find a way to make the catch more interesting...by falling flat on the ground.


And then, some teams like Raising Arizona put two players on a base to make sure they get the ALL VOLs runner out.


Peso relaxes while Commissioner Caruso observes another close game in the 30th tournament he has directed.


At the final evening's start, the championship and other final four trophies await their presentations and new homes.

Peso Annoyed

By the end of the day as the sun sets, having arrived at 8 AM, Peso gives that look that asks,
"Can't I get a little rest around here?"

 

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