GasHouse Gorillas Sign Former WSEM Member Alex Shore

For the first time in the 7+ year existence of the GBL, the league has recruited a player from another NWLA-sanctioned wiffleball league, as the GasHouse Gorillas have signed former WSEM member Alex Shore.

Shore spent five seasons in Wiffle In Southeast Michigan from 2011-2015 before retiring from the league in 2016. Shore earned trips to the WSEM All Star Game, in 2011 and 2014. After one year away from the game, it appears Shore is ready to play wiffleball again, but with a different league.

"I have weighed out some options, and I have been leaning on one in particular. Can you say, rock, chalk, blacktop? #LetsBringTheGasToTheHouse" Shore said on choosing to join the GBL over other NWLA leagues. He will join the league's most prolific franchise, the GasHouse Gorillas, who have won the last five GBL World Series titles. Although his availability will be limited throughout the GBL season, he will certainly serve as a nice compliment to an already loaded roster that already includes the league's reigning MVP Jeremy Ratajczyk and the league's reigning Cy Young award winner Jim Tucker, among other talented Griffleball players.

On the NWLA front, Shore is also excited at the opportunity to try out for another league that participates at the national tournament. "If I were to return to action in the NWLA (Tournament), it would be the same player in a new place. Having retired from WSEM, I feel that I could be of use to other leagues in need of roster improvement."

The GBL announced earlier this month that Ratajczyk has stepped down as the league's NWLA manager and handed the managerial duties over to Tyler Walk. Ratajczyk stated that the change was made to "spice things up" and create a more competitive atmosphere for the team. If Walk chooses to add Shore to the GBL's NWLA roster in 2017, then Shore could certainly help show Walk what it takes to be a successful NWLA manager. Shore managed and played on both of WSEM's NWLA Tournament champion teams in 2014 and 2015. 

Inside the GBL Episode 26: Back to Back to Back to Back to Back

T.Walk discusses Game Seven between the Gashouse Gorillas and Taka Drivers and gives a wayyyyyyyy to early power rankings for 2017.

Inside the GBL: Episode 25 - Game Seven

This is it, T.Walk breaks down the last game of the season between the Taka Drivers and Gashouse Gorillas. Who is going to win it all?

Inside The GBL 2016: Episode 24 - Best Of Three

T.Walk recaps what happened in Game Three and Four of the Griffleball World Series. He also decides to speculate what could happen in Game Five and Six. 

Griffleball Scoreboard

9/18/16 - Game Three - Gashouse Gorillas 6 Taka Drivers 0 (W - Tucker, L - Buzea)

Deciding Moment - From the very first pitch the Gashouse Gorillas, Jim Tucker, looked determined to throw the best game in history. He would no-hit the Taka Drivers and strikeout seven in five innings. 

9/18/16 - Game Four - Gashouse Gorillas 3 Taka Drivers 0 (W - Tucker, L - Buzea)

Deciding Moment - Jeremy Ratajczyk started the scoring with a one run double which Tucker followed up with one one of his own to plate two more. It was all Gashouse would need en route to tying the series at two games a piece. 

Inside the GBL Episode 23: The Possible Fall of Gashouse & Griffleball Scoreboard

T.Walk discusses what has happened to the Gashouse Gorillas and the momentum the Taka Drivers have attained in the 2016 GBL World Series. He also previews Game 3 and Game 4 of the championship series.

Griffleball Scoreboard

Round One

8/28/16 - Game 3 - Gashouse Gorillas 7 Nighttime Ninjas 1 (W- Galiher L - Krucek)
Deciding Moment - After being stifled by the Ninjas Jeffery Holden, the Gashouse Gorillas exploded for six runs in the fourth on their way to a first round sweep.

8/28/16 - Game 3 - Bird Gang 5 Taka Drivers 1 (W - Baker, L - Voges)
Deciding Moment - Patience for the Bird Gang prevailed as they scored five runs off seven walks against the Taka bullpen.

8/28/16 - Game 4 - Taka Drivers 6 Bird Gang 2 (W - Buzea, L - Baker)
Deciding Moment - With their season on the line, Ryan Voges hit a grand slam in the first inning to ensure that Taka would force a deciding fifth game.

9/4/16 - Game 5 - Taka Drivers 5 Bird Gang 0  (W - Buzea, L - C. Felde, S - Voges)
Deciding Moment - After a scoreless two innings, the Taka Drivers broke through first with three runs in the third and never looked back.

World Series

9/11/16 - Game 1 - Taka Drivers 1 Gashouse Gorillas 0 (W - Buzea, L - Tucker, S - Voges)

Deciding Moment - The Taka Drivers have struggle against Jim Tucker in the past but, Chris Bartley hit a solo home run in the top of the first to propel Taka to a game one victory.

9/11/16 - Game 2 - Taka Drivers 5 Gashouse Gorillas 1 (W - Buzea, L - Galiher)

Deciding Moment - The Taka Drivers jumped on starter Ryan Galiher early by scoring five runs in the first two innings and Jackson Buzea shut down his opponent once again on the mound.

Inside the GBL Episode 22: Griffleball World Series Preview

T.Walk breaks down the action in Round One and previews the Taka Drives and Gashouse Gorillas World Series.

Inside the GBL Episode 21: Ninja Out & Setting a Date With Gashouse

T.Walk is joined by manager of the Nighttime Ninjas, Mike Kubacki, to discuss the Ninjas season and recap the second week of Griffleball Playoff action.

Inside the GBL Episode 20: And So It Begins...

Griffleball Week One Playoffs Recap and Players of the Week

"Anything can happen." After a tension filled regular season, the Griffleball playoffs were in full swing on Sunday and you can pretty much throw all analysis out the window. Last week when Griffleball recorded its Mega Playoff Podcast, some players from the league and myself broke down each series and decided the outcomes. Some of the winners chosen may have been correctly, but how they each reached their destination were opposite. The first series saw the Bird Gang square off with the Taka Drivers. During the season, these two squads don't seem to care too much for each other as they split their season series. I expect their too be a lot of trash talking and heated battles. And with their first two games, I was not disappointed. Coming into the series I expected a bunch of close games (just like the regular season series) but instead the league was treated to two mercy rule blowouts. In game one, the Taka Drivers jumped on surprise starter, Cole Felde, to the tune of 11 runs over their two innings. Chris Bartley would lead the way by hitting for the cycle and driving in five RBI's and hitting a home run. Not only did Bartley hit a home run, each Taka Driver clobbered one over the cage as well. Ryan Voges, Jackson Buzea, and Bartley went back-to-back-to-back in the second inning to ensure the Taka Drivers would end game one before it even started. On the mound, Buzea pitched three shutout innings and held the Bird Gang to zero runs on two hits.

The Taka Drivers had everything going their way in a 11-0 romp that only lasted three inning. I thought they would carry their momentum into game two, boy was I wrong. The Bird Gang were patient against the reliever of the year, Voges, and drew six walks and seven hits over three innings. Their five man lineup may have drew some questions entering the series but, it may have helped keep each player fresh. The Bird Gang would put up five runs in three inning against Voges and then would add five more against Bartley in the fourth. The Bird Gang did all of this without the help of their ace, Andrew Felde, who may have hurt his arm in the first inning. This would lead to his brother, Cole, to take over the reigns in the first. After a rough game one, Cole rebounded by changing his delivery to a sidearm approach and kept the Taka Drivers in check. Heading into the fourth the Bird Gang led 10-0 and Andrew would attempt to give it one more go on the mound to close out the game. He would eventually finish off the Taka Drivers and celebrated his teams triumph by jumping up and down. Now heading into week two, the series is tied at one game a piece. I don't expect their to be another blowout but I do expect to be some more trash talking ans showboating. The Bird Gang and Taka Drivers are in a wiffleball war to decide who will play in the GBL World Series and everyone should tune in.
After the first series drew a couple of blowouts, the Nighttime Ninjas and Gashouse Gorillas series was tightly contested. The two best hitting teams in the league would square off in what should have been an series of home runs and an absurd number of runs scored but, the league was treated with some of the best pitcher duels this season.

In Game One, the Nighttime Ninjas sent out Mike Kubacki Jr, and he kept the juggernaut offense of the Gashouse Gorillas to only two runs but his counterpart, Jim Tucker, only allowed one hit on zero runs. The game started off with a bang by Ryan Galiher, who started the bottom of the first with a solo shot to give Gashouse a early 1-0 lead. Then in the second, Galiher singled in the run with the bases loaded to double the lead to 2-0. That was all the Gashouse Gorillas would scratch across in game one and they held on for dear life in the later innings. The Nighttime Ninjas would threaten to score in the fourth and fifth by advancing runners into scoring position but, Jeremy Ratajczyk would continue his pitching playoff success by finding his way out of each jam to secure a game one win for the Gashouse Gorillas. After one pitching duel in the books, game two would witness another great performance between Jeffrey Holden and Ryan Galiher. The two would both go into the third inning with the game scoreless and each offense showed no signs of getting anything started until Galiher found a way for Gashouse once again. In the bottom of the third, Galiher would rocket a first pitch fastball from Holden over the fence in center to give Gashouse a 1-0 lead.

Then, it would be up to Ratajczyk once again to shut the door and continue his playoff pitching dominance that has carried over from last season. Clinging to a 1-0 lead, Rat had to be precise against the bats of the Ninjas. Each batter battler with Ratajczyk, making him throw more then his share of pitches on the mound, The last chance for the Ninjas came down to their leader Mike Kuabcki and he put up one of the best at-bats to close a game. He made Rat throw pitch after pitch and Kubacki would continue to foul off pitch after pitch. Eventually, Rat would win the battle by getting Kubacki to ground out and the Gashouse Gorillas would take a 2-0 series lead heading into week two. Heading into week two of the GBL Playoffs the Nighttime Ninjas must win out to move on to the World Series and the Gashouse Gorillas only need one more victory to head to the their sixth straight World Series. Their opponent will be either the Taka Drivers or the Bird Gang who are deadlocked at one game a piece heading into next week. There is a chance that the GBL could find out who the two representatives will be in the World Series by 9 PM on Sunday. It should be a great conclusion to round one whether it ends on Sunday or the week after. Stay tuned.

SCOREBOARD

8/21/16 - Game One - Taka Drivers 11 Bird Gang 0 F/3 (W - Jackson Buzea, L - Cole Felde)

Deciding Moment - The Taka Drivers extended their lead when Buzea, Bartley, and Voges hit three straight home runs in the second virtually ending the game.

8/21/16 - Game Two - Bird Gang 10 Taka Drivers 0 F/4 (W - Cole Felde, L - Ryan Voges)

Deciding Moment - Cole Felde replaced his brother after an injury in the first and got revenge on the Taka Drivers by throwing three scoreless innings.

8/21/16 - Game One - Gashouse Gorillas 2 Nighttime Ninjas 0 (W - Jim Tucker, L - Mike Kubacki Jr., S - Jeremy Ratajczyk)

Deciding Moment - With the bases loaded in the fourth, the Ninjas had their best chance to score only to be stopped by the arm of Ratajczyk who found his way out of a jam.

8/21/16 - Game Two - Gashouse Gorillas 1 Nighttime Ninjas 0 (W - Ryan Galiher, L - Jeffrey Holden, S - Jeremy Ratajczyk)

Deciding Moment - In the midst of a scoreless game, Ryan Galiher crushed a first pitch fastball in the third from Holden to give Gashouse a 1-0 lead that would hold until the final pitch. 

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

HITTER OF THE WEEK

Chris Bartley

6 Hits 9 At-Bats 1 Home Run 2 Doubles 1 Triple 2 Walks 5 RBI

(Hit for the cycle in Game One)

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Ryan Galiher

1-0 3 IP 0 Earned Runs 2 Hits Allowed 2 Walks 5 Strikeouts

Inside the GBL Episode 19 - Mega Podcast and Playoff Preview

T.Walk is joined by Jim Tucker, Ryan Voges, and Matt Zurawski to discuss all things Griffleball and breakdown the playoffs. The group also discusses the Home Run Derby, what the GBL means to them, breaks down each teams season, and goes over the awards. In the heat of the podcast, they forget the All-Star Game where the Tucker Drivers defeated the Jankes 7-0 led by All-Star MVP Ryan Voges. 

Inside the GBL Episode 18 - Season Wrap-Up

T.Walk breaks down the season, mini-previews the Final Four, breaks down All-Star Sunday, and gives out some extra awards.

Sunday/Monday Night Griffleball Highlights: Week Nine - Taka Drivers VS ...

Griffleball Final Power Rankings and Players of the Week

After ten and a half weeks, the GBL has found its four playoff teams. The Gashouse Gorillas, Taka Drivers, Bird Gang, and Nighttime Ninjas will take the field in a few weeks to decide who will make it to the World Series. The first three teams knew that they would be in a few weeks ago, but the Nighttime Ninjas needed to secure one more victory to find their way back to the post-season. They took on the Ducks on the Pond, the feisty expansion team, to see who would face the Gashouse Gorillas in round one. In the first game, the Ducks pitching staff shut down the high powered offense of the Ninjas to only one run. During the game, Brian Brilmyer crushed two home runs in the same inning to give the Ducks the cushion they needed to win game one. Then, the pressure was on the Ninjas rookie, Jeffrey Holden, to ensure the Ninjas would stay out of possible tiebreaker game if they Ducks won. Over three innings, Holden would strike out four and hold the Ducks to one hit. He came to the Ninjas just when they needed a solid pitcher and the Ninjas offense exploded at the perfect time. They scored eight runs in the second and three in the third to end the game via mercy in three innings. There was no need for a tiebreaker after that and the Ninjas find themselves in the post-season once again. Round one will feature the Taka Drivers square off with the Bird Gang, and the Gashouse Gorillas battle with the Nighttime Ninjas. Before any playoff games take place, the home run derby and GBL All-Star game will be played first. After winning the derby last season, Sammy Krucek will defend his crown as home run king against Jeremy Ratajczyk, Andrew Felde, Ryan Galiher, Jim Tucker, and Brian Brilmyer. It should be a fun contest to watch and there should be plenty of long balls from this group. After the derby, the GBL will host its All-Star game between Team Voges and Team Zurawski. Team Voges will consist of fellow teammate Jackson Buzea, Jim Tucker, and Matt Kuna. On the other hand, Team Zurawski will field Jeremy Ratajczyk, Sammy Krucek, and Andrew Felde. Matt Zurawski managed the winning team last season and will attempt to win again for a second straight year. When the festivities end, it will be back to business for the GBL as the four teams left standing will begin their journey to call themselves champions.

 Scoreboard

8/7/16 - Ducks on the Pond 5 Nighttime Ninjas 1 (W - Brilmyer, L - Kubacki)

Deciding Moment - Down 1-0 in the second, Brian Brilmyer crushed two home runs in the second to give the Ducks a 5-1 lead and ultimately the win. 

8/7/16 - Nighttime Ninjas 11 Ducks on the Pond 0 F/3 (W - Holden, L - Duvnjak)

Deciding Moment - The Nighttime Ninjas took advantage of control issues in the second to a tune of eight runs, four hits, and six walks to put the game out of reach. 

Players of the Week (Series)

HITTER OF THE WEEK

Brian Brilmyer

3 Hits 5 At-Bats 2 Home Runs 5 RBI 1 BB

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Jeffrey Holden

1-0 3 Innings Pitcher 1 Hit Allowed 4 Strikeouts 0 Walks

FINAL STANDINGS

1. Gashouse Gorillas 15 - 5
2. Taka Drivers           12 - 8
3. Bird Gang               11 - 9
4. Nighttime Ninjas     9 - 11
5. Ducks on the Pond  7 - 13
6. Stallionaires            6 - 14

FINAL POWER RANKINGS

1. Gashouse Gorillas 15-5 (Last Week #1)

The four time defending champions are that much closer to going for their unprecedented fifth stright title. They boast the league's best offense and hit for power more then any team in the league. There will be a bulls-eye on their back once again,

2. Taka Drivers 12-8 (Last Week #2)

The Taka Drivers had a rough stretch in the middle of the season, but stayed afloat due to their great pitching. Every player on their roster can start or relieve. This makes them dangerous in the playoffs and they could be the best chance the league as of knocking the champs off their pedestal. 

3. Nighttime Ninjas 9-11 (Last Week #4)

The Nighttime Ninjas are sneaking into the playoffs after winning the final regular season game. They have one of the league's best offense and just signed a pitcher that could get them over the hump. The Ninjas have played well as of late and could use that momentum in the playoffs.

4. Bird Gang 11-9 (Last Week #3)

Even though they fall one spot in my power rankings, the Bird Gang are a great team with a bunch of intangibles. The Bird Gang find ways to win whether by the bat or on the mound. As of late, they are on a 2-5 stretch and their offense as tailed off during those games. 

5. Ducks on the Pond 7-13 (Last Week #5)

The Ducks impressed during the second half of the season and put themselves in a situation where they could make the playoffs. Unfortunately, their slow (0-7) start doomed them in the long run. I expect a better season from them in 2017

6. Stallionaires 6-14 (Last Week #6)

It was a season to forget for the team who has made two straight World Series appearances. They had a few bright moments during the season and Matt Kuna played like a man possessed (earning him an All-Star nod). They will look to regain form next season.

Inside the GBL Episode 17: Win or Go Home

Tyler Walk briefly breaks down what happened last week and then dives into the big showdown between the Nighttime Ninjas and Ducks on the Pond.

Griffleball Power Rankings Week Ten and Players of the Week

The playoff picture is almost set. The Gashouse Gorillas, Taka Drivers, and Bird Gang will be your number one, two, and three seeds respectively. While the Nighttime Ninjas have increased their odds on making it to the big dance by sweeping the Bird Gang. They have a make-up series against the Ducks on the Pond next week and only have to win one out of three games (third game will be played if Ducks win first two). Week Ten also broke the trend of six straight series' ending in a split. It wasn't one series this week, it was all of them that ended in teams bringing out the brooms. The day games saw the Gashouse Gorillas sweep the Ducks on the Pond convincingly. Gashouse won game one 6-2 behind the arm of Jim Tucker, who struck out six Ducks in three innings. Then in game two, it only took Gashouse three innings to finish off the Ducks by a score of 11-0. During the series, Gashouse struck out fifteen of sixteen possible outs and fooled the Ducks from beginning to end. Also, Jeremy Ratajczyk broke the single season RBI record bringing his total to 66 on the season (Congratulations Commissioner!). In the evening series, the Taka Drivers got back on track with a sweep of the Stallionaires. They won both games behind new manager Ryan Voges and their pitching staff came through once again. Taka won both games by 3-1 and yes, it was the exact same score in two different games. Even when their offense struggles, they can always count on their pitching staff to win games. In the final series of the day, the Nighttime Ninjas swept the Bird Gang to give them a huge edge heading into next week. They won game one 3-2 by scoring all three runs in the last inning behind the bat of Sammy Krucek. Then they scraped across two runs in the second game and shut down the Bird Gang bats to a final of 2-0. The fight for the final playoff spot will come down to one series between the Nighttime Ninjas and Ducks on the Pond. After the Ninjas and Ducks series concludes, Griffleball will have its annual All-Star game and Home Run Derby. Then, it will be time for the #GBLPlayoffs.

Scoreboard

7/31/16 - Gashouse Gorillas 6 Ducks on the Pond 2 (W - Tucker, L - Brilmyer, S - Ratajczyk)

Deciding Moment - Jim Tucker dominated the Ducks for three innings, striking out six and only allowing one hit. 

7/31/16 - Gashouse Gorillas 11 Ducks on the Pond 0 F/3 (W - Tucker, L - Diehl)

Deciding Moment - Jeremy Ratajczyk hit a grand slam in the first putting Gashouse up 7-0. On the mound, Tucker shut down the Ducks and did not allow a single hit. 

7/31/16 - Taka Drivers 3 Stallionaires 1 (W - Buzea, L - Smith, S - Voges)

Deciding Moment - With the score tied at one, the Taka Drivers scored two runs in the third on four hits. 

7/31/16 - Taka Drivers 3 Stallionaires 1 (W - Bartley, L - Smith, S - Voges)

Deciding Moment - Chris Bartley threw a perfect game for three and a half innings until it was broken up in the fourth. Then, Ryan Voges shut the door for his second save of the day. 

7/31/16 - Nighttime Ninjas 3 Bird Gang 2 (W - Kubacki, L - Zurawski )

Deciding Moment - Down 2-0 heading into the fifth, Sammy Krucek's bat caught fire and drove in three RBI's to take the lead. 

7/31/16 - Nighttime Ninjas 2 Bird Gang 0 (W - Kubacki, L - A. Felde, S - Krucek)

Deciding Moment - Mike Kubacki Jr. shut down the Bird Gang bats by pitching a one-hitter. Krucek also added another home run in the second to bring his total to 19 on the season. 

Standings

1. Gashouse Gorillas  15 - 5 **
2. Taka Drivers           12 - 8 *
3. Bird Gang               11 - 9 *
4. Nighttime Ninjas     8 - 10
5. Ducks on the Pond  6 - 12
6. Stallionaires            6 - 14 (E)

* - Clinched Playoffs

** - Clinched Homefield throughout Playoffs 

(E) - Eliminated from Playoff Contention

Players of the Week

HITTER OF THE WEEK

Jeremy Ratajczyk

8 Hits, 17 At-Bats, 2 Home Runs, 12 RBI, 3 BB

(Broke single season RBI record with 66)

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Jim Tucker

2-0, 6 Innings Pitched, 2 Hits Allowed, 11 Strikeouts, 0 Walks

Power Rankings

1. Gashouse Gorillas 15-5 (Last Week #1)

The Gashouse Gorillas finished the regular season at the top of the GBL once again. They have a tough lineup and one of the best pitchers in the GBL. Teams around Griffleball have to bring their "A" game every week or face the consequences. They will be heavy favorites to win the championship for a fifth consecutive time. 

2. Taka Drivers 12-8 (Last Week #3)

After hitting a slump mid-season, the Taka Drivers finished strong and earned themselves homefield in the first round. They are in every game they play because of their pitching and will finish the regular season with the best ERA in Griffleball. It could get even better if Kyle Lidster and Mark Miecznikowski come back for the playoffs. 

3. Bird Gang 11-9 (Last Week #2)

The Bird Gang are this year's surprise team especially after the season they had in 2015. They boast one of the league's top pitching staffs and keep finding a way to win games. The Bird Gang proved this season that they can play with anyone in the league. After a year absence they will a return trip to the playoffs and could make some noise. 

4. Nighttime Ninjas 8-10 (Last Week #5)

The Nighttime Ninjas are one win away from sneaking into the playoffs as the four seed. They are putting together their best run of the season at the right time. The bat of Sammy Krucek and Mike Kubacki's arm have been a winning formula over the past few weeks. If they get in, they could give the Gashouse Gorillas some problems in round one.

5. Ducks on the Pond 6-10 (Last Week #4)

The Ducks on the Pond turned their season around after a horrendous start. They were playing better up until running into the Gashouse buzzsaw, but the Ducks still have a shot. If they win the next two games against the Ninjas, they will be in a one game playoff to decide who will make the post-season. Don't count them out. 

6. Stallionaires 6-14 (Last Week #6)

After making two straight World Series appearances, the Stallionaires won't have a chance at redemption. They had some bright moments during the season, but their offense could never produce when needed. If they scored a few more runs at times their season could be completely different. 

WIFFLE OUT! 

Inside the GBL Episode 16: Fasten Your Seatbelts

T.Walk dives into everything Griffleball. He discusses Week 9, his award finalists, and the last four series left in the regular season.

Sunday Night Griffleball Week Eight Highlights - Stallionaires vs Gashouse Gorillas

Griffleball Power Rankings Week Nine and Players of the Week

Griffleball is now down to its final week of the regular season and only the Gashouse Gorillas know what seed they will be when the playoffs begin. The Bird Gang and Taka Drivers are the number two and three seed respectively but could swap spots depending on their play in week ten. While the last spot in the playoffs has yet to be determined. With the league drawing all series splits once again this week, the standings have not changed. The Nighttime Ninjas currently hold the last spot via a tiebreaker over the Ducks on the Pond (both teams 6-10). On the other hand, the Stallionaires (6-12) must win out and hope both the Ducks and Ninjas lose three of their last four. Anything could happen in the final week (plus an extra series the week after, I have called that Week 10.5) and Griffleball should be in store for another exciting finish. Before the league gets to the last week (and a half), let's go over a bit of the action on week nine. The first series between the Stallionaires and Nighttime Ninjas was monumental to the playoff race. Coming into the game both teams needed a sweep, but ended up drawing even. The first game saw the Ninjas take advantage of the control issues from the Stallionaires staff. Krucek continued to crush any ball thrown in his general direction by piling up fourteen RBI's in two games. The Ninjas ended up winning game one easily 8-4 but their pitching went south in game two. Three different players (Smith, A.Ross, Kuna) hit home runs for the Stallionaires in game two and they needed every single one of them. Down 10-2 in the 5th, the Ninjas staged a rally that saw the tying run at the plate, but fell short 10-8.

The next series involved the top two teams in the standings, the Gashouse Gorillas and Bird Gang, square off in a battle for the top seed. Game one belonged from start to finish to the Gashouse Gorillas. After a rough outing the week before, the Gashouse bats caught fire to the tune of six home runs in three innings. They would mercy rule the Bird Gang 12-2 and clinch the top spot in the GBL. After getting the butts kicked, the Bird Gang turned the tables on Gashouse. They scored seven runs in the second inning capped off by a Mike Zurawski grand slam. Gashouse would never recover and the Bird Gang beat the champs 7-6 for the first time this season. After an exciting slate of day games, it was time for Sunday Night Griffleball between the Ducks on the Pond and the Taka Drivers. The weather would not compromise as the wind caused a delay, which in turn started a monsoon. Sunday Night Griffleball turned into Monday Night Griffleball. With offense dominating the early games, it was all about pitching in the Taka/Ducks series. Three different pitchers had no-hit bids heading into the fourth inning or further and any run scored was like gold. The first game (which was split between two days) saw Jackson Buzea and Brian Brilmyer duel each other to a combined seven innings of no-hit wiffle ball. Eventually, Chris Bartley broke up Brilmyer's bid with a single and Ryan Voges drove him to the plate with a double. Buzea's bid was broken up in the fifth by Chris Diehl, but Voges shut the door on the Ducks for a 1-0 victory. Then, it was Zack Duvnjak's turn at a chance at history in the second contest. With the Ducks scoring all their runs via walks, Duvnjak entered the fifth with a possible no-hitter in sight. He came one out away from away from adding his name to the record books before (Guess who?) Bartley broke up another chance at greatness. The Ducks would eventually win 3-0 and stay dead even with the Ninjas for the last playoff spot. With week nine in the books, the Griffleball season is almost over and the pressure will begin to build entering the last week (and a half, you know what I mean).

Scoreboard

7/24/16 - Nighttime Ninjas 8 Stallionaires 4 (W - Krucek, L - Reyna)

Deciding Moment - Control became an issue for John Reyna and Cody Smith leading to seven runs over two innings for the Nighttime Ninjas. 

7/24/16 - Stallionaires 10 Nighttime Ninjas 8 (W - Kuna, L - Kubacki)

Deciding Moment - The Stallionaires bat's came to life and they hit two home runs in the fourth for five runs. They needed every run as the Ninjas fought back coming up just short in the last inning.

7/24/16 - Gashouse Gorillas 12 Bird Gang 2 F/3 (W - Tucker, L - Mike Zurawski)

Deciding Moment - Jeremy Ratajczyk would hit two home runs in the 1st to catapult the offense to six total home runs in three innings. 

7/24/16 - Bird Gang 7 Gashouse Gorillas 6 (W - A. Felde, L - Galiher, S - Mike Zurawski)

Deciding Moment - Leading 7-6 in the third, Ryan Gailher crushed a pitch into deep left, but Matt Zurawski dove into the fence robbing Galiher of a game tying home run. 

7/24/16 - Taka Drivers 1 Ducks on the Pond 0 (W - Buzea, L - Diehl, S - Voges)

Deciding Moment - With both pitching staffs at the top of their game, Ryan Voges drove in the game-winning run in the fourth to score the game's first run. 

7/24/16 -Ducks on the Pond 3 Taka Drivers 0 (W - Duvnjak, L - Voges, S - Brilmyer) 

Deciding Moment - With the bases loaded in the fifth, Brian Brilmyer came in for the save to stop any chance at a Taka Drivers comeback.

Standings

(They are correct this week)

1. Gashouse Gorillas 13-5 (Clinched #1 Seed)
2. Bird Gang              11-7 (Clinched Playoff Berth)
3. Taka Drivers          10-8 (Clinched Playoff Berth)
4. Nighttime Ninjas   6-10 
5. Ducks on the Pond 6-10
6. Stallionaires           6-12

Players of the Week

Hitter of the Week

Sammy Krucek

12 Hits 18 At-Bats 5 HR 14 RBI 4 BB

(Has won Hitter of Week 3 Times in 2016)

Co - Pitchers of the Week

Jackson Buzea and Zack Duvnjak

JB - 4 IP 1-0 1 HA 0 ER 4 BB 3 K

ZD - 4 IP 1-0 1 HA 0 ER 2 BB 2 K

(Both players took a no-hitter into the fifth inning)

Rookie of the Week

Aaron Ross

 4 Hits 5 At-Bats 2 HR 4 RBI 4 BB

Power Rankings

1. Gashouse Gorillas 13-5 (Last Week #1)

The Gashouse Gorillas clinched the number one seed last week and there was never any doubt. Their offense has been stellar all season by clobbering a total of 46 home runs. Their offense can sometimes be unstoppable and most teams have to score five or more runs just to compete. They once again have the bulls-eye on their back heading into the playoffs.

2. Bird Gang 11-7 (Last Week #2)

The Bird Gang have only been swept once all season and they keep finding ways to win close games. Most of their wins come down to good pitching as they sit second in team ERA in the GBL. They have been squeaking out victories all season. After a one year absence, they will make a return trip to the playoffs.

3. Taka Drivers 10-8 (Last Week #3)

The Taka Drivers boast the best pitching staff in all of Griffleball. The combination of Buzea, Voges, and Bartley have found a way to be almost a full run lower then the next best pitching staff. If their bats can match their production on the mound, they may be staying at the Griffle Grounds until October.

4. Ducks on the Pond 6-10 (Last Week #4)

The Ducks have showed that their 0-7 start may have been a fluke. They are now 6-3 in their last nine games and all of their numbers continue to improve. They have a good amount of power and their pitching has turned a corner since the start of the season. Their roster is consistent across the board and anyone of their players can step up in any moment to deliver a victory.

5. Nighttime Ninjas 6-10 (Last Week #5)

All hope seemed to be lost for the Nighttime Ninjas a few weeks ago, but they have found a way to stay alive in the playoff race. They hold the tiebreaker over the Ducks and their bats can never be counted out. They have also added an extra player for their push. The Ninjas will find out soon enough if that will get them over the hump.

6. Stallionaires 6-12 (Last Week #6)

The Stallionaires are still alive for the last spot in the playoffs but their chances are pretty slim. They need to win their last two games and if either the Ducks or Ninjas hit eight wins it is over for the Stallionaires. They have played well in the past few weeks, but it may be too little too late. 

WIFFLE OUT!

Inside the GBL Episode 15: Who's In, Who's Out?

After a long break, T.Walk brings you an actual "Griffleball" podcast. During the podcast, he will discuss what happened two weeks ago in league play, previews Week 9, and gives his opinion on who will make it to the big dance.

Inside the GBL Episode 14: Post NWLA Podcast

Griffleball Power Rankings Week Eight and Players of the Week

After an intense week eight, there was no movement in the standings. It was the first time in over a month that the GBL had a full slate of games scheduled. Each series ended in a split and the league had a bye week due to the NWLA Tournament (the tournament will have it's own podcast later this week). The first series nearly saw the Ducks on the Pond sweep the Bird Gang, but Luke Baker put on a show at the lawn chair. He ultimately had the game winning double in extra innings. Then, the Ducks responded with a great hitting performance led by Chris Diehl, who has turned many heads since joining the league in week seven. The next series between the Taka Drivers and Nighttime Ninjas evoked some controversy. In both games, there was a moment that a call could have went either way and both teams suffered. After a call didn't go Mike Kubacki's way in the first game, his pitching became erratic and allowed a close game to get out of hand. In the second game, Kubacki made a great play on a grounder heading to his left but, there were questions from Taka whether he kept both feet in front of the line. Needless to say, the calls may have affected the players on both sides and changes could be coming. In the nightcap, the Gashouse Gorillas found themselves without Jim Tucker and Ryan Galiher in a World Series rematch against the Stallionaires. The first game saw Stallionaire rookie, Cody Smith, dominate Gashouse until Jeremy Ratajczyk found a way to break a potential no-hitter with a game tying home run. In the final game of the day, Matt Kuna had 4 RBI's to go along with a excellent game on the mound. He only allowed one run in three innings after giving up the walk-off in the first game. At the end of the day, the GBL is still no closer to finding out where every team will be seeded and who would even make the playoffs. The last spot is still up fro grabs, but it is becoming clear who may be the favorite. It should be a exciting ending to an already great season.

Scoreboard

7/1/16 - Ducks on the Pond 3 Stallionaires 1 (W - Siokos, L - J. Ross, S - Duvnjak)

Deciding Moment -  Rookie Chris Diehl made his first career hit a two run double in the second. Josh Ross struggled with control in the second and Diehl made him pay.

7/1/16 - Ducks on the Pond 11 Stallionaires 0 F/4 (W - Diehl, L - J. Ross)

Deciding Moment  - The Ducks on the Pond took advantage of Ross' struggles to put together a 9 run second inning capped by a Shawn Siokos three run bomb. 

7/10/16 - Bird Gang 7 Ducks on the Pond 5 F/6 (W - C. Felde, L - Diehl)

Deciding Moment - After the Ducks stole moment with a game tying home run in the fifth, the Bird Gang responded with a Luke Baker double to win the game in extras. 

7/10/16 - Ducks on the Pond 7 Bird Gang 1 (W - Duvnjak, L - C. Felde)

Deciding Moment - Zack Duvnjak pitched three shutout innings and added a two run home run in the second. While rookie, Diehl, went 5 for 5 and hit his first career home run. 

7/10/16 - Taka Drivers 7 Nighttime Ninjas 0 (W - Buzea, L - Krucek, S - Voges) 

Deciding Moment - Already up 2-0, Ryan Voges added a three run homer to put the game out of reach. Also, Jackson Bueza/Ryan Voges pitched a one-hitter shutting down the Ninjas offense. 

7/10/16 - Nighttime Ninjas 5 Taka Drivers 0 (W - Kubacki, L - Bartley)

Deciding Moment - Sammy Krucek smashed a home run in the third to give the Ninjas a 3-0 lead and the Ninjas turned the tables on Taka to split the series. 

7/10/16 - Gashouse Gorillas 3 Stallionaires 2 (W - Ratajczyk, L - Kuna)

Deciding Moment - Jeremy Ratajczyk hit the game tying home run in the fourth to break up a no-hitter. Then, he barely cleared the tennis net in left for a walk-off homer for Gashouse.

7/10/16 - Stallionaires 4 Gashouse Gorillas 1 (W - Kuna, L - Bobowski, S - Smith)

Deciding Moment - Matt Kuna crushed a home run in the second and added two more on a double in the third to give the Stallionaires a 4-0 lead, and they would never look back. 

Standings

1. Gashouse Gorillas 12-4
2. Bird Gang             10-6
3. Taka Drivers           9-7
4. Nighttime Ninjas    5-9
5. Ducks on the Pond 5-9
6. Stallionaires          6-10

Players of the Week

HITTER OF THE WEEK

Luke Baker

2 GP 8 Hits 12 At-Bats 1 HR 5 RBI 1 BB

(Game winning walk off double)

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Matt Kuna

4 GP 9 IP 1-1 7 HA 4 ER 10 K 0 BB

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Chris Diehl

4 GP 10 Hits 18 At-Bats 1 HR 8 RBI 4 BB

1-1 7 IP 8 HA 4 ER 5 K 5 BB

Power Rankings

1. Gashouse Gorillas 12-4 (Last Week #1)

No surprise here as the Gashouse Gorillas continue to stay atop the standings and the rankings. They crush the ball at the lawn chair with their 37 home runs and 100 RBI's. It also helps that they have Jim Tucker, who is possibly on his way to a second straight Cy Young. 

2. Bird Gang 10-6 (Last Week #2)

The Bird Gang are 6-2 since May 30th and barring any setbacks should make the playoffs. Their lineup has picked up the slack as of late and their pitching continues to impress. They should be a tough out when the playoffs start.

3, Taka Drivers 9-7 (Last Week #3)

The Taka Drivers are probably disappointed with their record as of late but, their pitching staff has the best team ERA in Griffleball. They are in every game and never get blown out. You can never count out the Taka Drivers and they may be getting reinforcements come playoff time. 

4. Ducks on the Pond 5-9 (Last Week #6)

With the addition of Chris Diehl, the Ducks have found new life. Since the last ranking, they are 3-1 and show no signs of slowing down. They continue to improve and their rookies play better every week. Their 0-7 start seems to be a thing of the past. 

5. Nighttime Ninjas 5-9 (Last Week #4)

The Ninjas found a way to grab another game from a team above them in the standings. They continue to crush the ball, especially Sammy Krucek. He is on pace to break his own batting average record. If this team can get hot at the right time, they may ruin some dreams heading into the last few weeks. 

6. Stallionaires 6-10 (Last Week #5)

The Stallionaires may have found the arm they needed in Cody Smith. On the other hand, Matt Kuna is a man possessed and is carrying his team week in and week out. They still have a chance at the playoffs and expect the Stallionaires to stay alive to the final week.

WIFFLE OUT!