From the Greats of the Past...

Joe DiMaggio Babe RuthBoston PlayerClemente, Mays and Aaron

To the Greats of the Present . . .

We Salute and Congratulate the Champions

Rob's Beltway Ballers  


for Winning the 31st Annual Congressional Softball League Tournament in 2009.

Runners-Up team, No Talent AZ Clowns
Third Place team, Margin of Terror
Fourth Place team,Yellow Journalists

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 other links:

Noon -

1 PM -

2 PM -

3 PM -

4:30 PM -

5:30 PM -

7 PM -

Return to the 30th Anniversary Tournament 2009 Hall of Fame page

(Photographs by Jan Bohrer.)

First Place

Champions: Rob's Beltway Ballers.

The championship team, Rob's Beltway Ballers scored 13 runs in their first three games and then scored 14 in the championship game while giving up an average of seven runs to their opponents. The champions also completed the season undefeated!

Second Place

Runners-up: No Talent AZ Clowns.

The No Talent AZ Clowns flirted with one-run games, losing in the quarter finals to the champions 13-12 in the last inning and then winning in the semi finals by defeating the third place Margin of Terror in extra innings 9-8. In the end, though, the defending champions could not keep pace with the new champs, Rob's Beltway Ballers who won 14-5 in the championship game.

Third Place

Third Place: Margin of Terror.

The Margin of Terror's game against the Runners-up No Talent AZ Clowns was rain suspended after 5 innings with the Margin of Terror leading 5-3. Back on a dry field the following Saturday, the Margin of Terror led off the sixth inning with 3 runs only to be matched by the No Talent AZ Clowns with 3. Each team scored twice more so that the game went into extra innings. In the bottom of the eighth inning, with the bases loaded, the No Talent AZ Clowns won 9-8 on an unearned run.

Fourth Place

Fourth Place: Yellow Journalists.

The Yellow Journalists returned to the Final Four again this year, but were eliminated by the Third Place Team Margin of Terror by a run in the last inning of their game. The only team to get the Championship team's captain, Rob Myers, out during the tournament, the Yellow Journalists' captain, Gary Caruso, also hit one over Myers' head in their 13-5 loss to the champions in the quarter final round...which gave some bragging rights for the Yellow Jouralists against the champions at the sports bar at the end of the tournament!

Sports Bar Gathering

After the tournament championship, the teams gathered at a sports bar .

As players from the championship team, Rob's Beltway Ballers, enter wearing their black tournament shirts and carrying their trophy, a waitress takes orders from players of the runners-up No Talent AZ Clowns who sit with their trophy. More photos will soon be posted in the Hall of Fame link of the games and the final teams' get-together with the commissioner at the sports bar!

AZ Clowns safe at second
Safe at second base ends the game as the No Talent AZ Clowns score the winning run from third base.

In the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs, the No Talent AZ Clowns runner (who was intentionally walked) beats the force play at second base allowing the winning run to score from third base. The BALCO Bombers had just tied the score at 7 by scoring 4 runs in the top of the last inning.

BALCO safe at first base
The BALCO Bombers tie the score in their last at bat.

The BALCO Bombers took advantage of No Talent AZ Clowns errors and a string of hits in their last at bat to knot the score at 7. Above, a BALCO runner is safe at first as the Clown's defense throws wide at first base causing the defensive ballet move to keep the ball in play.

No Talent Clowns safe at home
Several close plays for the No Talent AZ Clowns who build a 4-run lead going into the last inning.

While the bench watches, the No Talent AZ Clowns attempt to score at home plate on another big slide!

Pew's Your Daddy tags runner at home
The Pew's Your Daddy catcher tags out a seven (Microsoft) runner at home.

Despite the runner's Nike logo tattoo on his ankle, the catcher leaps off her feet to make a sensational out.

DAI runner beats tag at third
The DAI Stingers runner slides under the NRSC Pirate Crushers tag at third base.

Although both teams played hard, a few errors made the difference in this close contest where the NRSC Pirate Crushers beat the DAI Stingers 9-4 to advance to the next round of play.

 

 


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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