HISTORY 2021
The WHAT? Sftbll 2021 season is over, and they head into a potentially transitional winter with so many key players with uncertain futures.
After a season that many believed to pan out, the WHAT Sftbll crumbled to pieces as their season ended on a 9-11 mark. Headlined by an overload of injuries, the WHAT squad couldn’t maintain a healthy roster which triggered a treacherous downfall. The WHAT squad now seek retaliation in support of their healthy and stable lineup. While the club will be void of superstars Justin Corona and Robbie Babington, the club seems to attain a healthy status to this moment.
The WHAT squad don’t seem to refrain from displaying a monster lineup. Conducted by Drake Larriuz and his peers, the club felt they were bound for success. With emerging prospects Ben Hoyt and Jimmy Dubicki on the hot seat, the young prospects were awaiting the cue to the 15-man-roster. In addition, the club embellish a thorough and plausible batting rotation that exhibits its depth and durability. From Aaron Archibald and Connor Fitzgerald to Brad Callahan and Kyle Risinger, the WHAT squad have assembled a masterpiece. With Tommy Dubicki likely to ask for a personal leave of absence, the club must accommodate until his return. Nevertheless, the club begin a new chapter of their dynasty and seek to contend for their second All-City Championship.
As far as championship droughts go, this was not the longest in softball history, or even the most agonizing. Softball fans will remember the Chicago Spring Tournament. WHAT? Sftbll defeated – Good Wood club, 11-8 in the Championship game on Saturday April 17th. But in terms of recent effort, including nearly $2 thousand spent on player salaries in the past several years, and the frustration of being tantalizingly close to that celebratory sip of Champagne without actually tasting it, the WHAT? Sftbll 21st century championship dry spell had become the most prominent — and baffling — in softball.
The career talent present on the WHAT Sftbll’ list of departing free agents is somewhat remarkable. It’s also somewhat misleading, as Nick Krocker, Alex Rodgers, Warren Egan and Louie Torres weren’t exactly in their prime, nor were they inner circle contributors to the club in 2021. Torres did his part, contributing 24 games with a solid, but eventually quit after a ball games after a dispute with the coach regarding his judgment on a tag play, in which he was thrown out. Krocker (.348 avg) and Rodgers (.392 avg) had both decided to retire from the game after another poor season performance. Utility outfielder Warren Egan was given a unconditional release, due to his attitude.
Bottom line: there were significant losses represented on that list over the last several seasons, most notably thus far, Tommy Dubicki, Cal Haley, Matt Cross and to a lesser extent, David Rzewnicki. Matt Cross seemed destined to walk after due to his extended long drives to the ball games. President of Softball Ops Jerry Vasquez values flexibility in his roster construction, and that’s evident in his handling of Matt Cross. We could see a similar saga play itself out next winter, as the Club could turn to more prospects rather than commit to a mega-drama type player.
But that’s tomorrow’s problem. For now, Siembal, Archibald, Fitzgerald and Drake Larriuz make up a star-studded, if injury-prone starting infield. The health and age questions surrounding this group made the re-signing of Mike Gould all the more crucial. With Gould back in the fold, the Club can feel relatively stable with their infield group. While the rookies Ben Hoyt and Jimmy Dubicki are bench options on the club roster, Nick Krocker and Alex Rodgers give the Coach extended flexibility because of their ability and willingness to move to the dirt on occasion.
In the outfield, Mike Gould, Brad Callahan, and Kyle Risinger line up as the everyday starters, but they could absolutely look to add another bat here as well. Callahan, and Risinger can play the outfield, as can rookies Hoyt and Dubicki and others on the roster, but Coach Vasquez is more likely to have too many options than not enough. Don’t be surprised if there’s another name added to this mix going into next season.
Because for the first time in years really, there are reasons to wonder about the overall quality of the WHAT? Sftbll team roster.
On Saturday August 7th the season ended on an 8th inning victory come-back, with Connor Fitzgerald 2 RBI double into right centerfield after game 3 in the playoffs.
"These athletes are fighting something, fighting for something bigger than just wins. At this point I think everything depends on the health of the squad, so these guys are literally playing as if every game could be their last," said Coach. "I think these players are really going to be leaving it all out there on the field for each other, but I think we might be able to feel that tenacity, when we talk about these games. So will it feel like softball. It's gonna be super different. We'll be able to appreciate the newness of it I think there's going to be a camaraderie with the players."
Maybe, but there's a reason Coach sounded so delighted about this unexpected run at the end of the season. We should prepare ourselves for the possibility that the WHAT? Sftbll might not be as bad as we feel for the upcoming seasons. It doesn't mean they won't be entertaining or relevant, but it's all part of the journey, which rarely follows a straight line.
The WHAT? Men’s Sftbll will be one of the more interesting teams to watch coming out of the winter break. Given their status as the top paying luxury team, the particulars of the new League rules could affect them more than any other club.