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Tournament Wrap-up
The 2010 Polar Bear Wood Bat Tournament was held under sunny warm skies this past Saturday. The event was highlighted by some great defense and some outstanding offense as well! In the end, a newcomer to the tournament, the Woodpeckers, proved they came to win it by going undefeated with a perfect 3-0 record and a 14-5 championship win over Make it Happen. Congratulations to Make it Happen who reeled off three straight victories after losing their opening game of the tournament to reach the championship game and a strong second place finish!
The Woodpeckers were led at the plate by Andrew Goodwin who went 9-11 at the lead off spot and Johnny Baker who went 8-10 in the number two spot. With these two setting the table all they needed was for someone to clean it up and that is what the newest member of the Silver Slugger Homerun Club, Randy Wilhide did, going 6-9 with one home run batting fourth in the cleanup spot! The Silver Slugger Homerun Club is reserved for men who have hit a homerun over the fence with the wood bat; something that has proved to be harder than many think when they first step into the box. Randy is just the third to earn a spot on this elite list since the first tournament was held in 2006. Their team on-base percentage was .578 going 63-109 in just three games and scoring 39 runs and giving up only 18 runs.
On the defensive side of the ball the Splendid Splinters put on a show with the leather turning five double plays in their three games, with four in their first game alone against Make it Happen, a 7-3 victory. What makes this feat stand out is the fact that there were only six total double plays turned by the other four teams combined in the tournament.
Once again the Polar Bear wood bat tournament was a great tournament with five teams, Woodpeckers, Make It Happen, Splendid Splinters, Granny Panties and Cutchins Plumbing, that played hard and played with great sportsmanship. The umpires for the tournament, Don and Gray Young, received several compliments on their consistency and professionalism. Thank you to everyone who came out to play and to watch this year’s tournament, it was one of the best one’s yet! On a humorous note the Granny Panties continued what has become an annual tradition at the Polar Bear wood bat tournament. The team rule is that whoever makes the third out of the inning is required to wear a pair of pink underwear that have the words Granny Panties on the back. The fans always got a good laugh as each of the players who made the third out reluctantly wore the underwear on the outside of their pants for the next inning on defense.
As we put this year’s tournament in the books we would like to invite everyone to come out for the 6th Annual Polar Bear Wood Bat tournament on November 5-6, 2011. As anyone who has ever played would say, it is harder than it looks and it takes some getting used to when you go from a composite bat to a wood bat. However, they all say in the end that it is the most fun they have had all year!
As we put this year’s tournament in the books we would like to invite everyone to come out for the 6th Annual Polar Bear Wood Bat tournament on November 5-6, 2011. As anyone who has ever played would say, it is harder than it looks and it takes some getting used to when you go from a composite bat to a wood bat. However, they all say in the end that it is the most fun they have had all year!
Interesting Tournament Facts
The Silver Slugger Home Run Club: 2010 Randy Wilhide of Woodpeckers (1) Bat Used Mizuno Maple Baseball Bat, 2007 Nate Creech of Poor Boys (3) Bat used Official Wood Softball Bat BWP Maple Bat, 2006 Stephen Carver of Wendell Siding (1) Bat Used Louisville Slugger Wood Baseball Bat
2006:
- Game One: Knights of Columbus 10-Rebels 0
- Game Two: Holts Heroes 5 St. Eugenes 4
- Game Three: Wendell Siding 10- Poor Boys 0
- Game Four: Hard Knocks 6 Knights of Columbus 1
- Game Five: Holts Heroes 7 Wendell Siding 5
- Game Six: St. Eugenes 17 Rebels 2
- Game Seven: Poor Boys 10 Knights of Columbus 0
- Game Eight: Wendell Siding 7 St. Eugenes 4
- Game Nine: Hard Knocks 11 Holt's Heroes 5
- Game Ten: Wendell Siding 13 Poor Boys 3
- Game Eleven:Wendell Siding 19 Holt's Heroes 4
- Game Twelve: Wendell Siding 7 Hard Knocks 4
- Game Thirteen:: Wendell Siding 6 Hard Knocks 2
2007:
- Game One: Hard Knocks 12 Unknown 3
- Game Two: Pearce's Plumbing 12 Knights of Columbus 2
- Game Three: Poor Boys 11 Rebels 4
- Game Four: Hard Knocks 20 Scoot Works 8
- Game Five: Poor Boys 8 Pearce's Plumbing 4
- Game Six: Knights of Columbus 12 Unknown 0
- Game Seven: Rebels 16 Scootworks 10
- Game Eight: Pearce's Plumbing 9 Knights of Columbus 1
- Game Nine:Hard Knocks 13 Poor Boys 7
- Game Ten: Pearces Plumbing 7 Rebels 5
- Game Eleven: Pearce's Plumbing 12 Poor Boys 11
- Game Twelve: Hard Knocks 9 Pearce's Plumbing 5
2008:
- Game One: N & N Finishing 6 Brew Crew 2
- Game Two: Hard Knocks 19 Maniacs 1
- Game Three: N & N Finishing 11 Pearce's Plumbing 5
- Game Four: Hard Knocks 9 Rebels 1
- Game Five: Brew Crew 15 Maniacs 0
- Game Six: Pearce's Plumbing 6 Rebels 2
- Game Seven: N & N Finishing 4 Hard Knocks 2
- Game Eight: Pearce's Plumbing 13 Brew Crew 3
- Game Nine: Pearce's Plumbing 2 Hard Knocks 1
- Game Ten: Pearce's Plumbing 6 N & N Finishing 3
- Game Eleven: N & N Finishing 9 Pearce's Plumbing 4
2009:
- Game One: W B Landscaping 13 Sportspage 3
- Game Two: Down & Dirty 13 Cutchin's Plumbing 3
- Game Three: Pearces Plumbing 12 Granny Panties 2
- Game Four: SOP 16 Poor Boys 3
- Game Five: Cutchins Plumbing 12 Sportspage 1
- Game Six: Poor Boys 12 Granny Panties 8
- Game Seven: Down & Dirty 11 W B Landscaping 1
- Game Eight: SOP 8 Pearces Plumbing 7
- Game Nine: W B Landscaping 19 Cutchins Plumbing 7
- Game Ten: Pearces Plumbing 14 Poor Boys 3
- Game Eleven: SOP 15 Down & Dirty 5
- Game Twelve: Pearces Plumbing 8 W B Landscaping 0
- Game Thirteen: Pearces Plumbing 11 Down & Dirty 1
- Game Fourteen: Pearces Plumbing 3 SOP 2
- Game Fifteen: Pearces Plumbing 16 SOP 6
2010:
- Game One: Granny Panties 3 Cutchins Plumbing 1
- Game Two: Splendid Splinters 7 Make It Happen 3
- Game Three: Woodpeckers 10 Granny Panties 7
- Game Four: Make it Happen 12 Cutchins Plumbing 1
- Game Five: Woodpeckers 15 Splendid Splinters 5
- Game Six: Make it Happen 12 Granny Panties 8
- Game Seven: Make it Happen 19 Splendid Splinters 1
- Game Eight: Woodpeckers 14 Make it Happen 5