2009 LWA Hall of Fame Candidates

PLAYERS

 

Bill Shaw

William “Bill” Shaw comes from an era where the game of Wiffleball was played for fun and not for stats. He was an original member of the Aces of the Year team that took the Wiffleball community by storm almost a decade ago. Bill debuted in 1997 with 2 games played and was an instant sensation appearing alongside his brother Kev. He went 17-22 at the plate for a severely absurd .773 Batting Average. In his career, Bill has stroked 47 (9^th All-Time) Homers in 66 Career Games. Had an outstanding year in 2005 which included being tied for 3^rd in homers (11) and 2^nd in Doubles (13). Career average is .496. He has struck out only 39 Times in 421 At Bats during his career. This impressive feat is among the greatest of all-time (10^th). He rankles opposing pitchers with a fiery spirit and angry demeanor. In 2005 Bill hit a Game Winning Homer in extra innings off Andy Waskie, which netted Waskie his first loss as a pitcher since 1997. Bill excels as a pitcher going 16-16 with a 6.78 ERA, shrinking his career ERA from 8.92 in 2006. Bill has played on some notable teams like the Hall of Fame nominated Flying Shaw Brothers, Thundercats, Those Guys and Name Withheld. Bill was the first ever GM of the Comet Chasers franchise and played his games admirably with the Angry Silverbacks for several seasons. Has one of the nastiest curveballs in the league. It has been known to buckle the knees of a paralyzed man. One item which sets Bill apart from many Wifflers is his drive and determination when battling injuries. Has fought off foot injuries and feet problems for his entire life which makes his accomplishments that much more impressive. He missed 6 weeks in 2007 with a serious cyst brewing on his lower back, making it painful to sit, let alone swing a Wiffleball bat and smoke cigarettes. Also had testicle surgery in 2008 which kept him out of action for 6 weeks and now he can no longer procreate as a result. Ranks in the top 10 in the following categories: Games 66 (8^th), At Bats 421 (8^th), Hits 209 (8^th), Doubles 70 (9^th), Triples 17 (10^th), Runs Scored 164 (8^th), RBI 168 (7^th), Game-winning RBI 4 (3^rd), Cycles 5 (8^th), and Grand Slams 2 (6^th). For Pitching he ranks in the top 10 All-Time in Games Played 37 (6^th), Games Started 31 (6^th), Wins 16 (5^th), Losses 16 (5^th), K’s 85 (8^th), Complete Games 16 (9^th) and 10^th in 1PK’s (5). One of the few players who simply has built a career on his love for the game… not for individual accomplishment or achievement.

 

Cade Feeney

 

The Commissioner of the LWA and Hall of Fame entrant in the service wing of the LWA Hall, Cade Feeney exudes Wiffleball. Cade came out of “retirement” to play in 9 Games in 2005 and continued playing into 2007 (20 games) and 2008 (9 Games). Overall, he’s played in 67, good for 7^th All-Time. Cade has 91 Hits in 396 At Bats for a .230 Batting Average, 3rd Worst All-Time. He never has had a Game Winning RBI or Great Play and has committed 16 Errors in 108 chances. Cade was also one of only 4 players ever suspended for their antics on their field when he proceeded to crucify himself on a tree near the pitcher’s mound of the old Waskdome. As a pitcher, Cade has had his woes. He was 3-11 with a 10.74 ERA. He’s allowed 46 Homers in 61 Innings. He simply refuses to pitch anymore. He’s played on some memorable teams like Earth Wind and Suck, Team Thong, Spacedick III, Luck, Assholes and Team Len. Cade un-retired from league play in 2004 after the pressures of failure got to him. Can often be found begging for a teammate. In all seriousness, there is no individual who greater personifies what the LWA is all about than Cade. He’s always trying to make the league successful at the expense of his own personal demons and can always be counted on to play a game, prep the field, or bake the brownies. If stats are all that gets a person into the Hall of Fame, then the voters aren’t bringing justice to the game.

 

Chris Schmitt

 

4th Year on the ballot. He’s played in 23 Games and has 15 career Bombs. Has batted .505 for his career and has proven to be a viable threat in the batter’s box. One of the most physically gifted defensive players in the history of the game. He’s successfully fielded 68 out of 70 chances with 3 Great Plays. In a poll conducted in 2006, was voted the 3^rd best defensive player of all-time behind Andy Waskie and Tom Lavanga. Has 1 Grand Slam but strikes out often, once every 5.31 At Bats… very Pat Burrell-esque. A multi-sport athlete from the ilk of Bo Jackson, Chris' inclusion into the Hall could be recognition of his entire body of work which features accolades in Hockey, Softball, Bowling, Disc Golf, and Teeter-Totter. As a pitcher Chris is 2-5 with a 5.43 ERA, a very good ERA mind you (tied for 6^th). He doesn’t possess overly nasty stuff but can trick you with his likeability and crisp demeanor. Chris is one of the founding fathers of L-Town Wiffleball having played in the first game ever at the Waskdome. His wild mind helped define the original rules of the game. He will be honored throughout the 2009 season for his contribution to the formation of our great game. He’s also played for memorable squads such as Spacedick, Team Work, B*smokers, and Team Mates.  Represented Spacedick as they were enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2007 under the Classic Team wing. His career won-loss record is a respectable  13-15-2. Potential #1 pick in 2009. If Chris doesn’t get at least 4 votes he will be removed from the ballot in 2010.

 

Craig McGovern

 

Craig played 4 years with L-Town. Led the league in strikeouts (as a hitter) in 1998 with 60. Is 6th All-Time in Strikeouts with 94 in just 235 At Bats. He struck out once every 2.5 At Bats. Is 16th All-Time in At Bats with 235. Ranks in the top 20 All-Time of several categories including Errors (2nd- 15) and Tree Outs (5^th- 3). A career .213 Hitter (lowest All-Time), he slugged 3 Home Runs total. His batting style has been called a cross between a rabid raccoon mating and a cold breeze blowing. Was 2-6 with an 11.50 ERA as a pitcher. Many eyes were known to have lit up with the news of Craig being the opposing pitcher. Craig’s career record is 6-18. Not always a leader by his play, he was an inspiration to many teammates around him. Some say many great feats achieved in the league were possible due to Craig’s undying inspiration and love. Played on several noteworthy teams including Degeneration Wask, St. John’s Devils, Humid and Wet and Scum of the League. Great clubhouse leader. Without Craig’s unwavering support, many games would have never happened from 1997-2000. Was a favorite of many umpires for his carefree nature and willingness to accept a called third strike. Craig McGovern retired in 2004 and currently lives in East Nowheresville with his wife Nicole and their kids, Jack and Zoe.

 

Derek Sollosi

 

Key member of history’s most well known teams- The Bottlerockets (elected to the HOF in 2006) and the Aces of the Year. Ranks in the Top 15 of every major offensive category including: Games (43- 14th), At Bats (519- 6th), Hits (296- 5th), Doubles (111 – 4^th), Triples (24- 5^th), Home Runs (45- 10^th), RBI (159- 8^th), etc. Think about that for a second – there’s been approximately 300+ games played since Derek’s last appeared in a game and dude is still in the top 10 in every major offensive category. If he didn’t get caught up with the disc golf craze of ’98, Derek could have possibly shattered every major record of his generation. Only struck out 35 times in 519 At Bats or once every 14.8 At Bats. Has hit a Grand Slam, 9 Cycles (tied 2^nd All-Time with Hall of Famer Jay Oseredzuk) and committed 6 Errors. As a pitcher, Derek went 12-4 with an 5.97 ERA (this awesome number is good for 8^th best of all-time). He pitched 9 Complete Games along with a shutout. Overall Record is 23-15-0. Quite impressive. This is the 3^rd highest winning % among players behind Anthony Waskie (.833) and Mike Lubieski (.781). Made the last out in the first ever 4 on 4 Game. Although he hasn’t played in the new LWA, his accolades and accomplishments achieved during the early years of L-Town Wiffleball make him a great choice for the Hall of Fame. Has been known to lobby for votes with bribes of money, praise, and candy. An Aces of the Year legend, Derek has traveled to the far reaches of Connecticut in search of fame. He currently resides in Houston, Texas and monitors the league’s activity through text message and general gossip. Although not officially retired, Derek has found a variety of excuses to keep him away from the oblong diamond including, visiting random friends and living in Texas.

 

Gary “Gar” Repko

 

Gary is one of only 3 players to have appeared in every season of L-Town Wiffleball. Gary has a career record of 37-32-1 (one of very few to have a record over .500). Repko’s career numbers are in the top ten in the following categories: Games Played (70- 5^th), At Bats (607- 5th), Hits (333- 3rd), Doubles (141- 2^nd), Triples (28- 3rd), Homers (74- 4th), Runs Scored (233- 3^rd), RBI (243- 3rd), Game Winning RBI (9- 2^nd), Batting Average (.549- 7^th), and On base % (.581- 7^th). Gary has a .985 Fielding % and has 10 Great Plays (tied for 3d). Repko’s hit 8 Cycles. An extremely difficult player to strike out, Gary’s been a dominant force as a hitter since he was born. As a pitcher, Gary compiled a record of 14-14 and an ERA of 7.96. He’s struck out 76 batters but allowed 83 Home Runs. Never has pitched a shutout among his 20 complete games. Gary often times prefers sleeping off a hangover to playing a Wiffleball league game and that may cost him votes. However, when Gary is on the field, he leaves it all out there and does everything possible to earn his team a victory. A fiery competitor of the same vein as Pete Weber. Could reach many milestones in 2009 with enough games played. Has played for such legends as The Tandem (16-0), Spacedick, Fans of Jesus, Spacedick II, Pure Power and Bottlero***ets. Was Poisonous Seahorses #1 pick in 2005 and Angry Silverbacks in 2007. Along with Andy Waskie, Mike Lubieski, and Chris Schmitt – Gary is a founding father of the LWA and helped devised the rule system that is currently in place. An honestly dominant player throughout his entire career and was involved in the only mound charge and fight in league history. Should have been elected several seasons ago like a young Bert Blyleven. Has experimented with casual drug use and still insists that Jeff Perry was a great storyteller.

 

 Jon Redding

 

Redding was brought to the league from the slums of Bristol along with The Dutch Flyboy, Johnny Lombo. He earns a nomination due to his 5+ years of service to L-Town Wiffleball. His career hasn’t even hit his peak yet. In 64 Games he’s batted .444 with 28 Homers. Has crept into the Top Ten All Time in Games (64 – 9^th), At Bats (369- 10^th), Hits (164- 10^th), Triples (20- 8^th), and Grand Slams (3- 5^th). Has a ridiculous stance ala Julio Franco. As a pitcher, Jon is 5-20 with a very nice ERA of 7.83. He had a career year in 2007 batting .444 with 17 Homers and 63 RBI, very Mike Cameron-ish numbers. This gutsy warrior came back from a wrist injury to bat left-handed in several late-season playoff games. His average dipped a bit but his warrior mentality will not be forgotten. Former Director of Field Operations, Jon never lived up to the duties it demanded (mowing lawns, scooping poop). Often times talks too much and can be found generally eating too much food. Pursuing a career in stand up comedy and another one in accounting. A 2005 and 2007 All-Star.

 

Kev Shaw

 

Kev Shaw is the backbone of the Langhorne Wiffleball Association. Not even in his prime, Kev has started his career with top notch quality/quantity. He has played in 93 Games, good for 4^th All-Time. In that time he’s clubbed an astonishing 64 Home Runs and knocked in over 235 runners. He’s homered once every 10.44 At Bats, the 14th highest percentage of All-Time. Resides in the All-Time Top Ten in virtually every category including, At Bats (668- 3^rd), Hits (296- 4^th), Doubles (110- 5^th), Triples (24- 6^th), Runs Scored (224- 4^th) and Walks (105- 2^nd). Is a fierce recruiter for league games often bringing a degenerate Croydon-ite with him. His scouting ability should be considered as he’s brought many award winners into the LWA including 2006 Rookie of the Year Greg Davis, 2008 Finalist Den Ritchie, and Golden Hands Award Winner Bobby Teenager. Kev’s pitching stats include a 19-21 record (6-3 in 2008) with a 7.46 ERA. Has become a Cy Young Candidate overnight. He vastly improved his fielding with a re-dedicated effort and flawlessly nabbed 34 chances in 2007 en route to a Golden Hand Award. Should also garner one in 2008 for being 41-41 in fielding opportunities. Overall Kev is 44-44-0. He was an original member of the Aces of the Year and has played on some Hall of Fame caliber teams including: The Shaw Brothers, DTA, and TA. Was GM of the Angry Silverbacks and also played for the aforementioned S-Backs. Kev has also worked for the league designing uniforms and logos, which includes designing every single logo and uniform. Will be a Hall of Famer. A 2 time All-Star and a 7 time King of England. After looking over this bio, his resume is extremely impressive.

 

 Nick Waskie

 

Nick is one of only 3 players to have appeared in every season of L-Town Wiffleball. Was the youngest player to compete in L-Town’s history at the age of 14… much like a young, white Andruw Jones. Noticeably got better as he got older. Also, fatter. Ranks in the Top 10 of several offensive categories including Games Played (109- 2nd), At Bats (665- 4th), Hits (291- 6th), Doubles (73- 8th), Triples (28- 4^th), Homers (96- 2nd), RBI (236- 4th), Strikeouts (167- 2nd), and Errors (12- 3rd). Had a nice season in 2005, slugging 11 homers in 43 at bats before having to quit playing due to being gay. If you thought he had a nice season in 2005, his 2007 season makes 2005 look like a midget in a rearview mirror. Blasted 52 bombs and drove in 99 runs. One of only a handful of players to have been suspended for their actions on the field. Some say this could ultimately cost Nick votes for a few years as his temper rivals a young Adam “Pacman” Jones’. Has fought off dehabiliting injuries to the veins in his legs in 2008, causing him to miss a significant portion of the season. As a pitcher, Nick’s numbers are mainly skewed by his performance as a youngster. He has a career won-loss record of 13-32 with an ERA of 8.09, greatly improving from previous seasons. In 2007 he led the league in Games Started, Complete Games, Strikeouts and Walks. Was the first ever GM of the Shady Woodsmen, an organization steeped in history and madness. A jolly sort with a penchant for gummy bears, Nick is a budding young star in the game. Has appeared with many famous squads including, Tats and Ass, Two Manly Cocks and a Werewolf, Who Cares and Hall of Famers Earth, Wind and Suck. Overall, his playing record is 38-64-1. Fastest rising star in the game, like a young Curtis Granderson without the speed, power, wardrobe, and general leaping ability.

 

Phil Shipos

 

What a young talent! Played several sports in high school and football in college before traveling overseas to play rugby and chess. Excels in his own mind on the poker felt. In regards to the Wiffleball diamond, he’s had an awesome career thus far. Arguably the top pitcher in decades, Phil’s ERA is a cute 3.51, 3^rd best All Time. He’s also 16-10 on the hill and has lost some close decisions due to a lack of offensive support, which he’ll also tell you about. He missed the majority of 2008 because he played with men in the mud. When he did return for a brief appearance in late September, many hitters peed a little. He led the league in 2007 in 1^st pitch K’s. Since LWA play moved to the Waskland Plateau, Phil has seriously been devastating on the hill, often times wowing neighbors and the occasional cat next door. Offensively, he suffered through a down year in 2005 going 4 for 24, an average of .167. He is extremely efficient at the plate, often frustrating pitchers with his patience and general willingness to let close pitches pass by. The biggest question is whether Phil has built enough of a resume to warrant inclusion in the Hall of Fame. Many say yes he has. GM of the Dead Squirrels and Morrisville Creek Runners, Phil’s determined to win every time he sets foot on the field. Was voted an All-Star starter in 2005 and 2007. 

 

 Tom Lavanga

 

Tom, in only 34 career Games, has catapulted many Wiff regulars in career totals due to his outstanding play. Tom ranks in the top ten in several offensive categories including: Hits (198- 9^th), Doubles (76- 7^th), Triples (17- 9^th), Home Runs (48- tied 8^th), RBI (135- 10^th), and Runs Scored (119- 10^th). Tom was a member of the touring team the Aces of the Year. Tom also played for several notorious squads including: Ocean City Rapids, All the Rolling Hills All the Happy Trees, Crimelovers, Team Len, and Italia Shire. Many Wiffleball historians love to guesstimate his numbers if he appeared in more games and the overwhelming result is that Tom would be ridiculous. Returned from a long sabbatical to play one weekend in 2008. Shocked many of the “new guard” with his playing style and ability. Overall record is 16-15-2. As a pitcher Tom wooed audiences, going 5-6 with a 6.93 ERA. Tom has never thrown a shutout in 16 career appearances. An ultimate legend in the folklore of the league. Was named the MVP in the only LWA game ever filmed. Was married in a nice ceremony this past year and hopes to return for at least 2 weekends in 2009. Nothing bad is often said of Tom except this… he can be a real dick if you call his house after 10pm.

 

Frank Morelli

 

First year on the ballot. Just makes it in with a late September appearance which gives him service time of 3 seasons. A lovable character in the same vein as Elmo. Frank is quite a slugger. He has 29 Hits in 79 At Bats for a gaudy .367 career average. He has 8 Home Runs and is a perfect 19-19 fielding the plastic. His curveball has been eaten alive at times. Speaking of eating alive, Frank is probably most remembered for his antics in 2007. Appearing defiant, Frank devoured a record 7 hot dogs on Opening Day, openly breaking the rule limiting him to 6. He was promptly fined $2 and paid immediately. Nobody knows where that money is today. Frank also slammed a Walk-Off Homer off fellow Hall of Fame Nominee Phil Shipos during the World Series of Wiffleball in 2004, arguably the most competitive tournament in Wiffleball history. A noted physical specimen, Frank goes to the gym daily.