March 26 - it has been one very long off-season at this address. Last season's championships in both the "A" and "B" leagues concluded with more controversy than ever before. The "B" finals between La Familia and Publico was tied at a game a piece when scheduling the remaining three games became an issue. Both teams agreed that the series would be shortened to a three game series (instead of five) with one winner take all game to decide the title. Well, Publico scored a bunch of runs in the first inning and then the La Familia players voiced their feelings about not liking the pre-game agreement.
A couple of nights later, we all anticipated a dream pitching match up between MJS and Lincoln Tavern to decide the "A" championship. Instead, we got game postponements, rescheduling, arguments, and eventually it came to an end with MJS being awarded the M Street Cup by way of forfeit. By the end of the season, our commissioner had seen enough of the delay antics that were taking place between several teams and decided to hand off the "A" division to another group.
That group had high aspirations and good intentions; several of our M Street teams were ready to make the move. However, as the start date neared the reality of the work involved proved to be too much and last week the group pulled the plug. With that said, there will NOT be an "A" league for the 2023 season at M Street. When a league has to schedule playoff games around a pitcher's life schedule, then that's a problem that we don't want. We're all for competitive balance and fairness but it just became too much of a headache and not worth the aggravation. Moving on...
For the 2023 season, we will roll the format back to the 2019 season where we will all play in one league with one champion. The teams will be fairly divided into two divisions with the top eight teams in each division qualifying for the playoffs. We expect to have at least thirty teams battling it out for the coveted M Street Cup.
Pitching rules - what is now called a legal delivery in modified pitching tournaments has recently changed. Once upon a time it was either bowling motion (bend at the waist) style or a straight up/sling style - one was called "B" modified and the other was "open" modified. Today, the area between the two is cloudy, grey, and the umpires are allowing the straight up pitchers to pitch in the "B" tourneys - with some restrictions. As of this writing, we have a few pitchers who don't necessarily bend at the waist but fall into this new category. For comparison, Jimmy Pinkston and Chris Pope are two that immediately come to mind while Miguel "Lenky" Dupree and Mike Garland have always been considered "B" pitchers and are also legal. Slinging will not be allowed THIS season - pitchers will need to make an effort to come straight back and deliver the ball off the hip. The framework of what will be called illegal/legal will be drawn up in the coming weeks and posted here as well as in the rules section of the site.
The league will be starting the first week of May with games being played all week long - Monday - Friday (6pm, 730, & 9pm). There are several new teams that have contacted the league and will be joining us for the 2023 season. The league will reach out to the coaches this week to begin the process of getting things moving. Also, the rosters have been reset on the website. Coaches, you will need to provide the league with an updated roster before the season begins.
In closing, we sadly lost three members of our M Street Softball community over the off-season:
 | Harry John (Sep 8, 2022) played for the Sidewalk Cafe in the late 90's and early 2000's. He was a great line drive hitter and a devoted teammate who believed that everyone had a pivotal role to play in a team's success. His late night calls for lineup suggestions, pitching strategies, and sincere "check ins" will be sorely missed. I was fortunate enough to visit Harry shortly before he left us. He was no longer that physically strong softball player but was still that warm, kind and gentle soul.
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 | Rile Rhodes (Feb 23, 2023) organized a union softball team (iron workers, laborers, carpenters) for the 1994 season at M Street. His team didn't have any success on the field (0-18) but Rile quickly made friends throughout the league with his big smile and friendly way about him. The union team folded after that first season but Rile stuck around the league for several seasons. He later rose through the ranks in the carpenter's union while helping thousands of people along the way.
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 | Jason Allen (Dec 13, 2022) was a long-standing member of the league having played for several teams (Sidewalk Cafe, Dawgs, Cranberry Cafe, Simpson Club). He was a great outfielder and a good contact hitter. Allen played in several high level tournaments and was always a welcomed addition to his team. More recently, I found myself at odds with Jason and we were not on speaking terms. The dark path that he was on nearly led to a fight during a playoff game at M Street. However, at the conclusion of last season I saw Jason at the park and he was looking really good. He said hello and then asked if he could enter a "sober" team into the league next season. "Yes, we would love to have you Jason." I smiled and walked away knowing that he had put his demons in check and that our friendship had returned.
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Important reminders from your commissioner:
Parking - guys please leave your cars at home as the available parking spaces around the field is VERY, VERY limited. Most spaces are Resident only so unless you are a South Boston resident then you will most likely get a $40 ticket that the league cannot cover. If possible, car pool, take the MBTA/City Point bus, or bike/walk to the park and save yourself the frustration.
Umpire/Scorekeeper fee - please pay the umpire $30 and pay $5 to the official scorekeeper BEFORE the game begins.
Forfeits - forfeits are not acceptable in the M Street Softball League as they cost the league money and waste everyone's time. With that said, if you know there is a scheduled game that is going to be a problem then let me know ASAP and I will work with you in finding additional players and/or cancelling the game all together.
Inclement weather/rain outs - the league will usually make a decision by 5pm on whether or not the game is on or off. Once the decision is made then the league will reach out to the coaches - we will not leave you without word. The league website (sbsports.com) will also be updated within minutes of a cancellation.
Bats - just a reminder that composite bats are illegal...however, bats that have a composite handle and metal barrel are OK. DeMarini Steel is a very popular bat in our league.
Equipment - the league will provide bases on a nightly basis.
Pitching rules - the Feeney/Moran("B") division is using the strict modified pitching style - no sling, no windmill, and no arc. It's pretty much straight back with the arm, a forward step to the plate, and deliver the ball. A great source on the "Classic Style" with videos can be found here 10manmodified.com/pitching-rules/videos-of-modified-styles/. The Lucas ("A") division is using a mix of both styles which is noted on the schedule.
Playoff eligibility - although the rosters are open there is minimum number of plate appearances (30), innings pitched (35), or games played (10) that a player must meet to qualify for the playoffs.
Stats, news, etc... - please check the league website for all the latest news, standings, stats, and more.
Schedule - we tried to evenly spread out the amount of start times for each team...it's not an easy or exact science. The regular season will run from May through the end of July. The playoff will start in August and run through September.
Wishing you and your players a great season of softball at M Street.
Sincerely,
Mark Senna
M Street Softball League
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