Professional Association of Southern Softball

[StLee]

January 1, 2012 – With the help of corporate sponsorship and a recent success of a variety of professional and amateur leagues, we are proud to announce the formation of the Professional Association of Southern Softball (PASS). Comprised of 24 city-represented teams from twelve states across the American South, the PASS will feature high-scoring, high-excitement adult slow pitch softball.

The 24 teams are spread across four divisions.

Northern Division: Charlotte Shamrocks, Louisville Thoroughbreds, Nashville Muskies, Raleigh Cats, Richmond Robins, Virginia Beach Blue Claws.

Southwest Division: Austin Bulls, Baton Rouge Rhinos, Dallas Bandits, Houston Slammers, New Orleans Buzz, Shreveport Fighters.

South Central Division: Atlanta Arrows, Birmingham Gorillas, Jackson Jacks, Little Rock Razorbacks, Memphis Navigators, Mobile Hounds.

Southeast Division: Jacksonville Buzzards, Miami Whales, Myrtle Beach Dolphins, Orlando Kings, Savannah Spikes, Tampa Toros.

Each team is made up of a roster of 15 players with a senior player-coach. There are no trades or free agents in the league, and all players are paid a standard living salary and bonuses for playoff wins and winning the championship.

Each team plays a 50-game schedule. At the end of the season, each division winner and the top four non-division winners play in a championship tournament to crown the champion.

The league was formed from the popularity of the Southern Softball Association of America, Inc. From its success, professional softball leagues formed over the years and have now combined. Those leagues were the Arklatex League, the Gulf Coast Softball Association, and the Carolinas Adult Softball League. There were also some amateur leagues that are now a part of the league: the Kentucky-Ohio Adult Softball League, the Sunshine State Softball Organization, and the Government Circle Softball Association.

Though PASS has corporate sponsorship, each team in the league will be owned by an individual. League play begins in the summer of 2012.

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Behind the Scenes: OOTP, the game of 1 million test runs, or at least 72. I was looking for a typical final score of being around 9-12:8-11. On the average, I got that, based on analyzing some data. Of course, there are always those anomalies, the most frustrating of which is the 1-0 final. That final is especially frustrating, more so than the 30-24 extra inning game.

With that said, I am generally happy with the results, and once I got where I liked the statistical outputs, I tested the seasons over and over, getting similar season-to-season results. Then I advanced the test to 2012 and here I am.

This league obviously cannot follow certain softball league rules, like having four outfielders. Also, I didn't try to simulate slow pitch results, though I did scale down walks and strikeouts, so most of the runs and outs are on contact. In fact, I will basically ignore pitchers and edit any pitcher who is too successful.

One more note: I may refer to a distribution draft that didn’t happen. I left players on their teams from previous years tests, but I didn’t want a history. However, there were a few players I saw as stars and wanted them to remain in the league.

As an avid softball player, I think I may have found a dynasty to hold my interests. I have written dynasties on other sites about my real life softball playing. Now is the time for a totally fictional league.

I hope you enjoy my softball dynasty!

[StLee]

Some players to watch for 2012 (Top 3 at each position):
C – Rusty Lewis, Jacksonville, 37
Sandy Manuel, Tampa, 29
David Crow, Memphis, 33

1B – Frank McCoy, Atlanta, 25
John McJames, Richmond, 26
Jack O’Slattery, Baton Rouge, 34

2B – Kent Powell, Savannah, 33
Lindsay Wilson, Little Rock, 20
Curt Cobb, Jackson, 29

3B – Mark Underwood, Jacksonville, 36
Mark White, Savannah, 42
Steve Connor, Richmond, 28

SS – Donnie Rainey, Shreveport, 35
Carlos Ramirez, Memphis, 25
Fred Garcia, Birmingham, 28

LF – Brent Jackson, Louisville, 27
John McLean, Savannah, 36
Brent Noble, Myrtle Beach, 24

CF – Joseph D’Abrichecourt, Miami, 29
John Jackson, Dallas, 26
Phil Bennett, Birmingham, 27

RF – Lyndon Hankins, Myrtle Beach, 28
Tom Greene, Baton Rouge, 26
Evan Guerehan, Houston, 25

[StLee]

It is not an official rule, but the player-coaches in the league are all family men over the age of 30. For the inaugural season, the commissioner's office decided it would be best for the stability of the league and to help team unity by placing mature players in the role of player-coach. Also, the league can save money without hiring professional managers and coaches.

From an official press release from the commissioner's office:
"We decided to offer an extra payment to one mature player on each team to serve as 'coach.' The role of this player is to set lineups and keep players abreast of league announcements and business, as well as serving as a mentor for the younger players. Based on the distribution of players, we have chosen 24 players we feel can be leaders and serve as fine representatives of our league."

A List of Player-Coaches:
Joe Jones, 3B, Atlanta, 32
Albert Goodyear, 1B, Austin, 35
Keith Jackson, 2B, Baton Rouge, 36
Ricardo Ramos, 1B, Birmingham, 38
Greg Owens, 2B, Charlotte, 35
Orlando Franks, 1B, Dallas, 41
Nick Elliott, C, Houston, 35
Arthur McLaughlin, SS, Jackson, 31
Rusty Lewis, C, Jacksonville, 38
John Hubbard, RF, Little Rock, 32
Mike York, CF, Louisville, 34
David Crow, C, Memphis, 33
Dan Hinkle, 3B, Miami, 36
Mark Hawkins, C, Mobile, 38
Mike Brown, CF, Myrtle Beach, 32
Jimmy Hall, 2B, Nashville, 35
Terry Beatty, RF, New Orleans, 37
Aubrey Wines, SS, Orlando, 37
Brian Pearson, C, Raleigh, 34
Paul Harris, 1B, Richmond, 39
Mark White, LF, Savannah, 42
Drake Park, RF, Shreveport, 38
Max Ramon, LF, Tampa, 38
Sean Washington, C, Virginia Beach, 36

[StLee]

Baseball News Network, Softball Edition
Preseason Predictions:

North:
1 – Raleigh

2 – Charlotte

3 – Louisville

4 – Richmond

5 – Virginia Beach

6 – Nashville


Southwest:
1 – Houston

2 – Shreveport

3 – Dallas

4 – Austin

5 – New Orleans

6 – Baton Rouge


South Central:
1 – Atlanta

2 – Birmingham

3 – Little Rock

4 – Jackson

5 – Mobile

6 – Memphis


Southeast:
1 – Miami

2 – Myrtle Beach

3 – Tampa

4 – Orlando

5 – Jacksonville

6 – Savannah


Playoff Predictions:
Seeds:
1 – Miami
2 – Raleigh
3 – Houston
4 – Atlanta
5 – Charlotte
6 – Myrtle Beach
7 – Tampa
8 – Shreveport

[StLee]

Biggest Bats:
Joseph D’Abrichecourt, CF, Miami, 29


Lyndon Hankins, RF, Myrtle Beach, 28


Ricardo Ramos, 1B, Birmingham, 38


MVP Candidate:
Joseph D’Abrichecourt, Miami

Former Government Circle Softball Association three-time MVP, Jeff D’Abrichecourt identifies the epitome of an outstanding softball player. That’s why he is our preseason prediction for MVP in the inaugural Professional Association of Southern Softball (PASS) season. D’Abrichecourt was selected #1 overall by the Miami Whales in the PASS distribution draft.

Born in Richmond, Virginia, D’Abrichecourt was an outstanding community ball player. Though on the thin side and quite tall, D’Abrichecourt was known for his bat speed and power even in Little League, earning him the nickname “Goliath.” He carried that nickname with him throughout his baseball career.

D’Abrichecourt was a three-year starter for Delaware State University from 2001-2004 where he batted.292 with 17 home runs and 98 RBI in his career. He also stole 115 bases.

After college, D’Abrichecourt played on a competitive traveling softball squad in his hometown of Richmond. That team, the Richmond Key Club Keys, went on to finish second in the Southern Softball Association of America in 2006. He then moved on to the Government Circle Softball Association’s Owens & Minor Surgeons where he played from 2008-2011.

In the offseason, D’Abrichecourt lives in the Richmond suburb of Mechanicsville where he is a delivery driver for Owens & Minor.

[StLee]

To be eligible for Rookie of the Year, a player must be playing his first year of competitive softball. All players from the combined professional and amateur competitive leagues are ineligible for the award.

Top Rookie of the Year Candidates:
LF – James Kelley, Houston, 25


SS – Skip Miller, Raleigh, 19


3B – Jack Hudson, Baton Rouge, 21


2B – John Smith, Austin, 20


C – Michael Bowden, Nashville, 22



The Smartest Rookie:
James Kelley, Houston

When James Kelley graduated from Coral Gables (FL) High School in 2005, he was valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA. The All-State baseball player then had to make a choice.

“Easiest choice I ever made,” he said.

That choice? Accept a partial baseball scholarship to Florida A&M or a full academic scholarship to the public university of his choice. Kelley chose academics.

“A lot of people in my neighborhood thought I was crazy,” Kelley said. “They thought I had a great chance to be a professional baseball player, but I couldn’t even make them understand that the big schools like Florida and Florida State didn’t want me for baseball.”

In the end, Kelley attended South Florida University and majored in History. He was also a walk-on player for the Bulls. He saw limited action, but did bat .384 with 3 home runs and 15 RBI in his time at USF.

“It was great there, and I really got to see some great ball players go through the system. I wanted to play more, but I had to understand that scholarship guys were going to get playing time over me.”

After graduating from USF in 2009, Kelley began studies in Florida State University’s history graduate program. He completed his master’s degree in December 2011. While at FSU, Kelley played intramural softball and baseball.

“It’s interesting that I got asked to play in the PASS. I was on three teams. One was a baseball team, and two were softball teams. One men’s only and one co-ed. I was the MVP of the league in all three both years I played. Then someone told me about a tryout for PASS, and I thought, ‘Why not?’”

Kelley plans to pursue a doctorate in Sports History. In the mean time, he is a 25-year old rookie for the Houston Slammers of PASS. He hopes to use his time in the league to help pay off his student loans and pay for tuition in his off-season studies.

While in Houston, Kelley is contending for playing time with a talented outfield. Hayden George and Evan Guerehan are two of the more talented players in the league, and Chris Olson was well known in the Carolinas League of Softball as a great gap and extra base hitter.

“It’ll be tough for me to find field time, but I hope to take advantage of my chances. If not this season, there will be another time when I can come out there and help Houston win some games. In the meantime, it’ll be an exciting adventure to be a part of PASS.”

[StLee]

Opening Day
May 1, 2012

All season we will be choosing a Game of the Day to feature in our reports. These games will be based on exciting finishes, outstanding accomplishments, and, as the season goes along, the best teams.

The Season Opener and Game of the Day:



In a low-scoring league premier, the Houston Slammers blasted their way to a 4-3 win in the bottom of the ninth. Hayden George hit a one-out, two-RBI single to give the hometown team a win its opening game.

Houston opened up the scoring in the first when Evan Guerehan went deep. Richmond tied the game in the fifth with an RBI single by Clinton Vickers, but Houston retook the lead when Neal Astley singled in Chris Olson.

The Robins were down to their last out in the ninth when James Barrett doubled. Ray Bailey then hit the Robins’ first home run of the season to take the 3-2 lead. In the bottom of the ninth, Christian Holmes led off with a single and was replaced by James Kelley as a pinch runner. Astley followed with a single. Bob Chase then singled, but Kelley was thrown out at home plate. Astley advanced to third and Chase moved to second on the throw. Then George ended the game with his two-RBI single.

Outstanding players of the game:
Ray Bailey, Richmond, 2-run home run in the 9th
Hayden George, Houston, 2-5, 2 RBI
Evan Guerehan, Houston, 2-4, HR, R, RBI
Neal Astley, Houston, 2-4, R, RBI

[StLee]

Featured Game of the Day:



In a game between two teams expected to challenge for the first PASS championship, the Myrtle Beach Dolphins edged the Jacksonville Buzzards 6-5 in 10 innings in their PASS premier.

The Buzzards started off the scoring when Juan Navarro hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first. The Dolphins answered in the second with a solo home run by Jeff Osborne. Miguel Chavez followed by a double and Nathan Hill singled to put runners at second and third. Luis O’Reilly then hit a hard single to score Chavez and give the Dolphins the lead. Myrtle Beach completed the scoring in the inning when Mike Brown hit a two-RBI single to score Hill and O’Reilly.

Each team added a run in the fifth. The Dolphins were led by Nolan Mobley’s triple and an RBI triple by Brent Noble. Jacksonville answered with an R.J. Harper double and an error allowing him to score.

Jacksonville continued its come back in the seventh when Harper homered. The Buzzards then tied the game in the eighth. Bob Holmes led off with a walk. Navarro then singled. With one out, Lou Whittier hit an RBI single. After a Graham Ruffin single, Mark Underwood hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Whittier.

Myrtle Beach scored the winning run in the tenth. Noble doubled with one out, Osborne walked, and Miguel Chavez singled to load the bases. After Hill popped out, Marvin Hopkins singled to score Noble.

Outstanding players of the game:
R.J. Harper, Jacksonville, 2-4, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 R
Jeff Osborne, Myrtle Beach, 2-4, 2B, HR, RBI, R, BB

[StLee]

PASS Results, May 1, 2012:
Charlotte 6 at Birmingham 8
Virginia Beach 8 at Raleigh 4
Nashville 0 at Atlanta 1
Baton Rouge 4 at Miami 8
Orlando 1 at Memphis 2
Jackson 6 at Mobile 5
Savannah 5 at Little Rock 9
Dallas 8 at New Orleans 17
Louisville 5 at Austin 8
Tampa 8 at Shreveport 0

(Lee's note: The first day would seem to indicate that my test results are way off, but I'll give it a few days to see if the results even out. If not, I'll drop pitcher ratings a little. I just don't want to tip the scale when I was getting the winning team to score between 9 and 12 runs more than half the time.)

[StLee]

Players of the Day, May 1, 2012:

Terry Beatty, New Orleans, 4-5, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 R


Dan Burkett, Charlotte, 4-6, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R


Lindsay Wilson, Little Rock, 3-5, 2 3B, 4 RBI, 2 R

[StLee]

Reactions around the league, May 1, 2012:

Dallas Player-Coach Orlando Franks: “We got beat real bad by New Orleans. They were taking our pitches and basically tossing them in every hole on the field. If we want to win this thing, we can’t give up no 17 runs in a game. But I’ll tell you what, that [Terry] Beatty guy in New Orleans had a heck of a game.” Reacting to his team's 17-8 defeat at New Orleans and Beatty's 2-HR day.

Jackson’s Michael Murdoch: “That dinger felt great. When I hit it, at first I thought, ‘Dang it, I just missed it.’ Then I saw it go over, and I just let out a ‘Yippee’ and just kept running.” Reacting to his three-run homer in the fourth inning off Mobile in Jackson’s 6-5 win. Murdoch finished 2-4 with 3 RBI and a R.

Charlotte’s Dan Burkett: “Having a great day individually don’t mean nothing if we ain’t winning. I’ll try to keep on hitting well and help us Shamrocks find some luck of the Irish.” Reacting to his team’s 8-6 loss against Birmingham. Burkett was 4 for 6, with a HR, 4 RBI, and 2 R.

[StLee]

May 2, 2012

Game of the Day: Louisville Thoroughbreds at Austin Bulls



In a high-scoring battle to the very end, the visiting Louisville Thoroughbreds defeated the Austin Bulls 13-12 in the PASS Game of the Day.

Louisville’s Bill Yates was named the game MVP, going 4 for 6 with 2 home runs, 4 RBI, and 3 runs.

“[The] ball came right over the middle of the plate almost every at bat,” Yates said. “The trick to hitting a softball is to be patient and wait for it to come to you, and I mean right at you. For both of the home runs they were high and right over the plate like I like them and I just hit them with all I got.”

Louisville jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Yates followed a Robinson Lara single with a two-run homer. Later in the inning, Ron Lewis hit an RBI-single to score Brent Jackson.

Austin wasted no time in answering, with six runs in the bottom of the first. Preston Green led off with a single, followed by a Ryan Greer home run. Albert Goodyear, Michael Farley, and Lou O’Higgins all singled, before P.J. Stewart reached on an error to score Goodyear and tie the game at three. Doug Johnson followed with an RBI single. Doug Foreman then hit a sacrifice fly to score Stewart. The final run came on an RBI double by Hubert Leonard.

Austin extended its lead to 9-3 in the fourth. With two outs, Goodyear singled, followed by a two-run shot by Farley. After consecutive singles by O’Higgins and Stewart, Johnson hit an RBI single.

The Thoroughbreds answered in the fifth, cutting the Bulls lead to 9-7. Louisville started off the inning with three straight singles by Robinson Lara, Yates, and Jackson, before Tom Lucas hit a grand slam home run.

Louisville tied the game in the sixth with Lucas’ 2-RBI double, but Austin answered in the bottom of the inning on an RBI triple by Stewart to make it 10-9 Austin after six.

In the seventh, the Thoroughbreds took the lead for good. Ron Lewis led off with a double and later scored on an Austin error. Louie Miele then singled home Tyrone Gianakopulos. Two batters later, Yates went deep to make it 13-10 in favor of Louisville.

The Bulls made a run for the win in the bottom of the ninth. O’Higgins singled, and then Stewart tripled him in. Johnson then hit an RBI single to make it 13-12, but Johnson was out trying to stretch the play. After a walk and double, the Bulls had the winning run at second base with only one out. However, Preston Green and Ryan Greer grounded out to end the game.

Outstanding Players of the Game:
Bill Yates, Louisville, 4-6, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R
Tom Lucas, Louisville, 3-5, 2 2B, GS, 5 RBI, R
Brent Jackson, Louisville, 2-6, RBI, 3 R
Lou O’Higgins, Austin, 5-5, 2B, 3 R
P.J. Stewart, Austin, 3-5, 2 3B, 3 RBI, 2 R
Michael Farley, Austin, 3-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

[StLee]

PASS Results, May 2, 2012:

Myrtle Beach 4 at Jacksonville 6
Virginia Beach 4 at Raleigh 7
Nashville 12 at Atlanta 3
Baton Rouge 4 at Miami 5
Savannah 8 at Little Rock 2
Charlotte 2 at Birmingham 8
Jackson 8 at Mobile 17
Orlando 7 at Memphis 6
Richmond 7 at Houston 9
Dallas 2 at New Orleans 5
Tampa 4 at Shreveport 3

[goroyals]

Cool premise. Interested in seeing how the season shakes out. Also, hats off to you for tweaking with those pesky settings so much. Getting extreme deviations dialed into the precise window one is looking for requires much patience. I'm testing out vintage baseball settings right now for a league that I want to start from the very beginning of baseball. So, we're actually probably pretty close with the settings, minus the massive numbers of errors in my test and home runs in yours. What do you expect your batting champion to hit? And are you using one man rotations?

[StLee]

PASS Players of the Day, May 2, 2012:

Bill Yates, Louisville, 4-6, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R


Tom Lucas, Louisville, 3-5, 2 2B, GS, 5 RBI, R


Gerardo Villanueva, Nashville, 3-5, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R

[StLee]

Reactions Around the League, May 2, 2012:

Nashville Player-Coach Jimmy Hall: “After getting shut out in the first game, it was nice to see us bounce back with 12 on the second day. And I really like our defense this year. I’m hoping we can keep a whole lot of teams to five runs or fewer and win a lot of ball games.” Reacting to Nashville being shut out on opening day but responding with a 12-3 win over Atlanta in their second game.

Mobile Player-Coach Mark Hawkins: “I bat myself at the bottom of the order for a reason. I’m almost 39, my knees hurt, and I can’t hit worth a damn. At least, that’s what I thought, but today was a fun game. I don’t think I have too many four-hit days left in me, but when I get them, I’ll take them.” Hawkins was 4-5, RBI, 2 R. Mobile beat Jackson 17-8.

Shreveport Player-Coach Drake Park: “It ain’t helping our self-esteem early in the season to get held down in offense. This is softball. We’re supposed to have scores that look like high school football games, not score nothing and then follow that up with three. We’re looking like a bad high school team with those scores.” Reacting to the way Shreveport lost its first two games 8-0 and 4-3.

Raleigh’s Skip Miller: “I know I’m just a country boy from Arkansas, but I know a thing or two about baseball. However, I’m 19 and know jack squat about how to be really successful at softball. I got a lot to learn. It ain’t like shooting pickles in a jar.” Reacting to being asked about his hot start despite being a rookie.

[StLee]

Originally Posted by goroyals

Cool premise. Interested in seeing how the season shakes out. Also, hats off to you for tweaking with those pesky settings so much. Getting extreme deviations dialed into the precise window one is looking for requires much patience. I'm testing out vintage baseball settings right now for a league that I want to start from the very beginning of baseball. So, we're actually probably pretty close with the settings, minus the massive numbers of errors in my test and home runs in yours. What do you expect your batting champion to hit? And are you using one man rotations?

Thanks for the interest!

I have tweaked, but I am a bit wary of the beginning of the season because scores are not matching what I had been getting in previous seasons. I may just need to be patient, but I am hoping at least 50% of the teams score 9-12 runs in a game each day. I'm not getting that on the first two day, but I am going to be patient and see if I can attribute it to "opening-day jitters." However, a couple of the rookie pitchers look pretty good. I may tweak them over the course of the season if there are too many teams scoring under five runs.

I didn't keep data of previous seasons before erasing the results, but it seems that the batting champion was always around .500 for the season, which is OK. For the rotation, I made it a "rule" that teams must pitch a different guy each day, so there is a two-man rotation.

[baseballfanmas]

Nice idea you have going on here, especially since I'm watching slow pitch softball on DVR right now. Of course the current score of that game is 32-10.

[StLee]

I play in a competitive co-ed league in Korea. I looked at our scoring and every team averaged between 9 and 11.5 runs per game. Of course, it is a co-ed league, which helps to keep the scoring down, but I have played in some high-scoring leagues before, too.

In 2010, I was a silver medalist in the World Firefighter Games. We lost the Gold Medal Game to Team Venezuela by a score of 24-13 (I think). The strange thing about that game is that EVERY run they scored came via long ball, sometimes with runners on, but a lot of solo shots.

[StLee]

May 3, 2012

Game of the Day: Birmingham Gorillas at Orlando Kings


Orlando squeaked by the Birmingham Gorillas 8-7 in 11 innings in the PASS Game of the Day.

The Kings’ Allen Palen hit a one-out single in the bottom of the 11th to score Ken Petty and move the Kings to 2-1 on the young season. Birmingham suffered its first loss.

“It was a real team effort,” Orlando Player-Coach Aubrey Wines said. “We got to a fast start, but puttered in the middle. Thankfully, we found our stroke at the end to get the win.”

Orlando was the first team to get on the board. Wines doubled in Barry Bailey in the bottom of the first. However, the Gorillas answered in the top of the second when Jeff Gilbert had an RBI sacrifice fly to score Greg Burns.

In the bottom of the second, Orlando got hot. Spencer Douglas started off the inning with a double. Two batters later, Joe Lee singled him home for the 2-1 lead. With two outs, Bailey doubled, scoring Lee. Tim Roy then followed with an RBI single to make it 4-1 after two innings.

The Kings extended their lead to 7-1 in the fourth. After Joe Lee reached on a fielder’s choice and Bill Davenport reached on an error, Bailey earned his player of the game mark with a three-run homer.

Birmingham was not finished, though. In the top of the fifth, the Gorillas got a run on a Kings error, making it 7-2. In the eighth, the Gorillas tied the game. Leslie Williamson singled with one out, followed by singles by Chase Nelson and Ricardo Ramos. However, Williamson was thrown out at home on Ramos’ single. With two outs, Frank Thomas reached on an error, allowing Nelson to score.

“That inning was rough,” Wines said. “We had them with two outs and no runs in, and then we got an error, which led to us suddenly having a tough ball game.”

Burns then singled in Ramos and Thomas, cutting the score to 7-5. Fred Garcia and Eric McClain each followed with RBI doubles to tie the game.

Neither team was able to score again until the Kings won it in the bottom of the eleventh.

“Exciting finishes!” Palen exclaimed. “That’s what makes softball so fun!”

Outstanding Players of the Game:
Barry Bailey, Orlando, 3-6, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R
Greg Burns, Birmingham, 2-5, 2 RBI, 2 R
Allen Palen, Orlando, 3-6, RBI
Spencer Douglas, Orlando, 3-5, 2B, R