CWL 2008

CWL Special Feature

'FELLAS/YAHTZEE PREVIEW

By 'Stache McCracken
4.23.08

Game 1: Stafford (Goodfellas) vs. Walsh (Yahtzee)
Game 2: Gibson (Yahtzee) vs. McDowell (Goodfellas)

Last week's Series of the Week certainly lived up to the hype. Both games were nail-biters, mostly, with each game having a certain amount of drama for each team. Hopefully the same can be said for this week's top series, featuring Goodfellas' and Team Yahztee.

Goodfellas is coming off a hard-fought series with divisional rival Str8 Rippin', while Yahtzee is coming off an impressive sweep of Smoke. It's easy to see who was tested more in their first series, obviously it was Goodfellas', but will the tough opening-week test make a difference?

Well, I'm thinking it will. It's one thing to come out and pound on a team of newcomers, but it's another to come out and represent against a team of veteran ballers. And when I say newcomers, I don't mean guys that have played wiffleball all over the map except the CWL, I mean guys that have literally never played organized wiffleball, period. The playing field will be a little more even this weekend.

But that still doesn't mean either team has a sizeable advantage. I think the 'Fellas have a slight advantage given they're a veteran team, and that they were battle tested in week 1, facing strong pitching and coming through with a 1-1 series tie, but tested or not, Yahtzee can play.

And unlike last week in which we had great pitching versus great hitting, even though it didn't pan out that way, this week, I believe, you're going to see more tough pitching, from both sides. I'm saying both games are straight-up, old-fashion pitching battles. Stafford will bounce back, McDowell will be MAC-Dowell, and the Yahtzee guys will baffle the vets with their never-before-seen junk.

In much the same fashion as the second game between Rage and TNT last weekend, I think both games will come down to the team that comes up with the big hit in the late innings when the game is on the line. Defense will also be key. Whichever team helps the pitcher more defensively will have the advantage in sweeping this series.

The fact that Goodfellas' won't have Cope in the lineup hurts, but the other guys, namely McMahan, have to step up and play with some passion to make up the difference in not having such a strong offensive presence around.

And the fact that Team Yahtzee will have their big bat, Billy Grace, back will only help them as they face the Goodfellas' tough staff.

But I don't think the subtractions or additions will make a huge difference in this series. They'll both play tough, fight hard, and pitch well, which will be the deciding factor in the series, or at least I hope, considering my analysis last week was way off....I mean way off.

On my can't-wait-to-see list: I can't wait to see how McMahan plays, whether or not Stafford bounces back to Cy Young form, and how Yahtzee handles the contrast in pitching (and hitting) from last week to this week, and how the Gibson/McDowell matchup plays out, given the difference in pitching style between both players. Overall, though, I'm looking for this to be a great week two series, one that really defines Team Yahtzee, whether it's in a good way or bad.