From the Greats of the Past...

Joe DiMaggio Babe RuthBoston PlayerClemente, Mays and Aaron

To the Greats of the Present . . .

We Salute and Congratulate Champions

BALCO Bombers


for Winning the 32nd Congressional Softball League Tournament in 2010.

Runners-Up team, Beltway Ballers
Third Place team, Yellow Journalists
Fourth Place team, Showboats

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.)

 

***The CSL Blog Link***

The 32nd Annual Tournament play

(Photographs by Greg Budnik & Jan Bohrer.)

First Place

Champions: BALCO Bombers.

The championship team, BALCO Bombers scored 2 runs in their final at-bat to win 13-12. The champions held a league first place ranking throughout the season showing their great team talent!

Second Place

Runners-up: Beltway Ballers.

The Beltway Ballers fought throgh a grueling day, starting with a play-in game and playing 8 games in the day. In the end, though, the defending champions could not hang on to a one-run lead against the new champs, BALCO Bombers who scored twice in the bottom of the last inning during the championship game.

Third Place

Third Place: Yellow Journalists.

The Yellow Journalists' last 3 games were against the last 3 tournament champions...defeating the No Talent AZ Clowns before falling to defending champion Beltway Ballers and new champs, BALCO Bombers.

Fourth Place

Fourth Place: Showboats.

The Showboats returned to the Final Four this year, falling to the eventual champs BALCO Bombers by a run (11-10) in the last inning of their game. Although the Showboats were later eliminated by last year's champs, Beltway Ballers, they played the final two teams competively.

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.

 

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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