CWL 2008
CWL Special Feature
THE HOT SEAT (JOSH CARTWRIGHT)

By J.D. Cannon
3.14.08





To explain the changes that have happened over the past few months with the CWL would take an entire warehouse full of hot seats. If you were to take in the amount of player turnover, an overhaul of the beloved website, a change in league play, and throw in an open heart surgery; it would be easy to see why Josh Cartwright has had his hands (and plate) full since the middle of November.

Serving as the CWL commissioner since it’s inception in 2005, Mr. Cartwright has had a great career to this point, but he has also done a brilliant job at making sure the league has stayed competitive and safe during the past three seasons. I had the opportunity to sit down with the commish and get his take on some rules changes, player retirements, and what it is he loves about the game.


HS: Wiffleball is very prominent in the northeast, but what drove you to start a league in Cleveland?

JC: Myself, my brothers, Andy McMahan, and Brandan Cofer all played wiffleball growing up, and when I realized softball wasn't doing it for me, I figured why not give wiffleball a try as a means to do something fun and competitive. I scanned the 'net and found several leagues online and decided to see what I could do with it. I was made fun of relentlessly but I didn't care, I was determined to make it work.

HS: How does playing with teams compare with “The Chase”?

JC: I think teams will be far more fun and competitive than "The Chase." "The Chase" was good for what it was designed for, considering we had a limited number of players, but teams is the ideal way to go. We've grown so much this year that "The Chase" doesn't fit into the system. Teams also gives everyone more to play for. Using the point system, after a few weeks several players were already out of the mix and had nothing to play for. With teams, however, a larger scale of players have more to play for and more to be accountable for.

HS: With the overflow of rookies in the league, how competitive do you see this season being?

JC: As long as the rookies can adapt quickly and learn how to throw the ball over the plate, I don't see any reason why the league won't be strong from top to bottom. It seems that all the rookies either have strong athletic backgrounds or some form of wiffleball experience in the past. Both those things will go a long way in helping them adjust.

HS: The CWL saw the retirement of some prominent names this season (see Brandon Cofer and Curtis Ware). Who do you think can step into those roles this year and be a force in the CWL?

JC: I really, really hated to lose Brandan Cofer. He was the unofficial second-in-command in the CWL, so his departure doesn't just hurt us as far as talent, it also hurts because we lost a guy that did so much to make this machine run smoothly.

Curtis, on the other hand, is expected to be back next year, so I'm not as corcerned about him. He was a good player, and a good dude, and I hated to see him go as well, but he'll be back. Or at least I hope so.

I guess, if I had to name a few names, I'd say that I'd be the one to replace Brandan as the best overall player. I hate to say that because it sounds as if I'm bragging, but I'm not. I just have a lot of experience playing the game and I've performed at a high level in the past. But there is that little thing about my surgery that still looms, so I don't know when I'll be able to step in and do the damage I intend to do.

Aside from me, Chris Kugler, if he's here, can be a force. Kelly Cox has the potential to take off. Bryan Stafford also has a good overall game. Mike McDowell adds a lot to the CWL. And I think Matt Catlett can swing the bat with anyone. We have a ton of talented players to fill the gaps, and that's not even counting the rookies that I'm unfamiliar with.

HS: What are some of the major rules changes this season and how will they effect over all game performance?

JC: There's really no significant rule changes this year other than we're going from five innings to six. There's a few changes we've adopted to fit the team-based style of play, but nothing major. Nothing that will cause any changes in performance, I don't think. I suppose that the extra inning could come into play as far as pitching strategy goes, but it's probably not an issue for most teams.

HS: What can the fans look forward to in the future of the league?

JC: Well, I hope to grow even further next season. I'd like to expand from 6 to 8 teams and hold a draft to choose those teams. As per my column I wrote earlier, I have an area of land that I'd like to turn into two fields. If that happens we'll cut out Sunday games and hold multiple games at once on Saturdays. I'd also like to find a way to get paid for all this mess, if that's possible. But I'd settle for some local news, possibly TV, coverage.

HS: What is it about this game that keeps you coming back every season?

JC: I don't know. Every year I say this is the last season, but I keep doing it in the end. We've grown from 6 to 20 plus players in just a few years and I just can't bring myself to call it quits. I love playing, it's the behind-the-scenes stuff that takes it toll. It's hard to tear yourself away when you're the architect behind something that's been so successful and given a lot of people something to look forward to.

HS: Do you think you’ll be a go for the start of the season?

JC: I expect to be. Pitching and defense are going to be the two areas that give me the most trouble. Hitting doesn't bother me, it's the bending over to catch grounders and throwing that really bothers me. If nothing else, I'll hit and let my teammates pick up the slack until I'm ready to do it all.

HS: How do you juggle work, being a team captain, and running the entire league?

JC: I'm not joking at all when I say that running this league is like working a full-time job. But I've worked from home for a while so I've had at least a little time to juggle all that I do, but it still gets very hard sometimes. Not to mention all I do in the ministry, which is like a second job at times. Starting in August I'll be working with my dad, doing a more demanding job, so it remains to be seen what kind of effect that will have on the CWL come next season. I've been thinking that at some point this season or definitely by next season that I'll start delegating some authority to other willing players to take some slack off me.

HS: Where do you see Str8 Rippin finishing this season?

JC: I think we'll be right there, challenging for the N.L. crown. We have a lot of questions, mainly due to me, but I think the other guys will step up and get the job done until I'm 100%. When we're healthy, and when everyone is there and ready to go, I think we're the best team in the CWL, without question. But it remains to be seen if we'll ever hit that point, or hit it before it's already too late.