[video] Studio Playoffs - Dragons, Sofa, AKT, PSLAM

[kickballmonster]

Ah, finished - with the season and with editing the playoffs -

This Studio season had a lot of interesting elements - because of the tiered system we used, we got to play 10 regular season games, and we got to play the toughest teams in our league multiple times - we played AKT twice, Sofa twice and Powerslam twice - and then got a chance to rematch all of them one more time in playoffs -

the tiered system also made for an interesting playoff bracket - the teams that ended being in the finals were ranked 5th & 6th during regular season -

I watched most of the season from the sidelines because of a herniated disk in my L5, but gambled to play the Quarterfinals since my team was short-handed and gave them a hand at 1st base - i miss kickball

here are the videos - i went all out for the champ game w 4 cameras again, and even added a GFX bar, just for Paddy

1)
QUARTERFINALS - Dragons v Powerslam From Youtube.com



2)
SEMIFINALS - Dragons v AKT From Youtube.com


3)
FINALS - Dragons v Sofa King Good From Youtube.com

[Lost_Sage]

Great videos! And congrats to Dragon Army on winning a heart-attack of a final.

[kickballmonster]

thanx Shane

it's always been heart-attack games against Sofa -

[flades]

HOLY SHIT! this is the sickest thing I have ever seen with all the camera angles, slo mo, replays etc

good intense atmosphere too. why is the normal sofa king leadoff guy (white long sleeves) not leading off? (this is in the championship game)

[Typod]

I think Jimmys been hurt.

After watching so many videos it's one thing stands out for sure and it's the pitches come in so much faster on the dirt. It's a whole different game from throwing, fielding, timing bunts etc than the grass game.

[Dematas]

I think Jimmys been hurt.

After watching so many videos it's one thing stands out for sure and it's the pitches come in so much faster on the dirt. It's a whole different game from throwing, fielding, timing bunts etc than the grass game.

I play on dirt, turf, and grass. They are three totally different games.

[Typod]

Just finished the final. Def. the best production of any kickball videos we've had so far.
Great work, Dave.

[dp3]

Best kickball vid I've seen. David, you're awesome!

Few Q's for Studio:
1.) Do all of your refs stand off to the side like that? Dude's strike zone was pretty wide off the left side. I wonder if a lefty pitcher would have gotten jobbed with balls on the opposite side of the plate.

2.) Why do y'all still play on dirt?

[Typod]

There isn't much room behind due to a fenced in backstop. Your view gets blocked by bodies.


Soccer has every grass field locked up, always.

[kickballmonster]

Best kickball vid I've seen. David, you're awesome!

Few Q's for Studio:
1.) Do all of your refs stand off to the side like that? Dude's strike zone was pretty wide off the left side. I wonder if a lefty pitcher would have gotten jobbed with balls on the opposite side of the plate.

2.) Why do y'all still play on dirt?

Thx DP!

1) No, that's the first time i've seen Michael do it - and any head PUP for that matter - it's def atypical, even for him - he'll have to come on here and say why he wanted to try something different this time - just be warned, a dissertation may be involved - to quote Ben Affleck, he's wicked sm-AHT -

2) Not enough grass fields here in LA - all the spaces are taken up by soccer - and even the "grass" soccer fields are DIRT from so much use -

turf is the only other option, but there aren't too many of those either -

what we need is for the Dodgers to make our park to into one of those Dodger Dreamfields - damn they're nice -

[dp3]

2) Not enough grass fields here in LA - all the spaces are taken up by soccer - and even the "grass" soccer fields are DIRT from so much use -

Soccer has every grass field locked up, always.

Yeah, soccer runs this city too; I hate it! We only play on dirt for VAVi now. It's a completely different game, and I get tired of losing skin/blood and getting filthy dirty on the diamonds. SoCal is definitely limited on prime field real estate.

1) No, that's the first time i've seen Michael do it - and any head PUP for that matter - it's def atypical, even for him - he'll have to come on here and say why he wanted to try something different this time

I thought he did a good job, and it's nice to see a ref make calls loudly and clearly. The slow-mo replays are amazing and confirmed every call.

[mozbot]

Best kickball vid I've seen. David, you're awesome!

Few Q's for Studio:
1.) Do all of your refs stand off to the side like that? Dude's strike zone was pretty wide off the left side. I wonder if a lefty pitcher would have gotten jobbed with balls on the opposite side of the plate.

2.) Why do y'all still play on dirt?

To answer the qeustion about positioning, my stance will vary from game to game and from team to team depending on who is playing; who is pitching and especially on who is catching.

In this case, both teams are very close on many plays to being called on encroachment (or Fielder Position Infraction, whatever you wanna call it). And both teams have a history with this being an issue and the call not being called. Its such a fine line that I can't let it be called by one of my umpires 60' away. So I try more of a 3/4 stance to try to pick up the pitch as best I can, the catcher and the kicker steping in front of the plate (which also happens often with the Dragons. David, give Victor some front-of-the-plate lessons).

I agree that the left side of the plate probably gets a little bigger with the strike zone. Sorry Max! I did miss that first one in the 6th. But in all, I don't think I "missed" more than a couple. Its far more of an issue if Arno or Elliot are in front of the kicker and THAT'S missed, in my opinion.

Re-watching it again, aside from a few missed strikes/balls, the umpires Adam and Farz, got the calls right. Slo-mo helps a ton. But the fact that they got the calls right then and there says a lot for these two guys.

[Javy]

what we need is for the Dodgers to make our park to into one of those Dodger Dreamfields - damn they're nice -

On thursday nights in Star we play 2, 8:30pm games on the outfield grass of that Dodgers Dream field, and I have to say that I am LOVING that grass! I will kick any soccer players ass that tries to use it!

[Kickbot]

These videos are awesome. These games are really good too. Fast, good defenses, we'll reffed. Looks like some of the best WAKA kickball around is happening in Studio. Nice job guys.

[Javy]

Now I see why Shawn Lucas was so pissed off. Strikes 1 and 3 were pretty bogus.

[Captain_Relax]

Great games, awesome film work, but I have a couple questions/observations:
1) Why are the games 6 innings?
2) Why didn't Tyler pitch for AKT?
3) In the Championship that umpire was calling balls 2 - 2.5 ft off the plate
4) Sofa's Pitcher and Dragon's Catcher were both great!!
5) Both teams seem better suited for Circuit than waka, some very good low kicks but not many good bunts. Could be due to it being way harder on dirt?
6) I still see zero benefit to utilizing Sofa's double charger. What is the reasoning? One CH makes every play that both these make they are just using two people to do it. The only possible situation where it looks like a good plan is if the kicker is trying to kick a ground ball to SS but very rarely is that every executed, especially against a pitcher throwing as hard as that Sofa pitcher was.
7) Is Los Brew Crew not in this league?
8) Are any/all of these teams going to FC?

Great footage, and Congrats Dragon!!

[Javy]

Great games, awesome film work, but I have a couple questions/observations:
1) Why are the games 6 innings? Cause WAKA gives Studio the right to special rules. 6 innings is great! No complaints and we've been doing it for over a year now.
2) Why didn't Tyler pitch for AKT? I think he has a bad neck.
3) In the Championship that umpire was calling balls 2 - 2.5 ft off the plate. He was positioned too far to the right and was looking for catcher encroachment and kicking in front of the plate.
4) Sofa's Pitcher and Dragon's Catcher were both great!! Binns is a fucking sick ass pitcher on dirt. It's almost not fair. Arno has really become one of the beastliest catchers in So Cal.
5) Both teams seem better suited for Circuit than waka, some very good low kicks but not many good bunts. Could be due to it being way harder on dirt? Sofa and Dragon Army both played Best of the West and im pretty sure both are registered for the Circuit. Studio plays on 3 dirt fields and 1 grass field.
6) I still see zero benefit to utilizing Sofa's double charger. What is the reasoning? One CH makes every play that both these make they are just using two people to do it. The only possible situation where it looks like a good plan is if the kicker is trying to kick a ground ball to SS but very rarely is that every executed, especially against a pitcher throwing as hard as that Sofa pitcher was. In my opinion, it adds an intimidating nature to their defense and it backs up that 3rd base girl to play a sort of safety behind them.
7) Is Los Brew Crew not in this league? Pitcher and Crasher both play on AKT. Their gf's do as well. Los Brew Crew plays in a different division, in a different city on a different night.
8) Are any/all of these teams going to FC? Sofa, The Business and Dragon are all in Circuit.

Great footage, and Congrats Dragon!!

[Captain_Relax]

Great games, awesome film work, but I have a couple questions/observations:
1) Why are the games 6 innings? Cause WAKA gives Studio the right to special rules. 6 innings is great! No complaints and we've been doing it for over a year now.
2) Why didn't Tyler pitch for AKT? I think he has a bad neck.
3) In the Championship that umpire was calling balls 2 - 2.5 ft off the plate. He was positioned too far to the right and was looking for catcher encroachment and kicking in front of the plate.
4) Sofa's Pitcher and Dragon's Catcher were both great!! Binns is a fucking sick ass pitcher on dirt. It's almost not fair. Arno has really become one of the beastliest catchers in So Cal.
5) Both teams seem better suited for Circuit than waka, some very good low kicks but not many good bunts. Could be due to it being way harder on dirt? Sofa and Dragon Army both played Best of the West and im pretty sure both are registered for the Circuit. Studio plays on 3 dirt fields and 1 grass field.
6) I still see zero benefit to utilizing Sofa's double charger. What is the reasoning? One CH makes every play that both these make they are just using two people to do it. The only possible situation where it looks like a good plan is if the kicker is trying to kick a ground ball to SS but very rarely is that every executed, especially against a pitcher throwing as hard as that Sofa pitcher was. In my opinion, it adds an intimidating nature to their defense and it backs up that 3rd base girl to play a sort of safety behind them.
7) Is Los Brew Crew not in this league? Pitcher and Crasher both play on AKT. Their gf's do as well. Los Brew Crew plays in a different division, in a different city on a different night.
8) Are any/all of these teams going to FC? Sofa, The Business and Dragon are all in Circuit.

Great footage, and Congrats Dragon!!

Awesome, thanks for the info!

#8 Are any of those teams going to FOUNDERS CUP (Los Brew Crew included)?

[Typod]

Los Brew is going. I'm pretty certain Dragon Army is as Well. Dragon Army was missing their main 1B due to injury and he makes them even tougher. (LBC went through both of those teams in the studio final to win BoTW which is mighty impressive)

Bunting against that pitching on the dirt is impossible almost, the fields slope and a bunt that will be fair and good on grass 90% of the time will roll foul, that and the pitch coming in so fast with so much spin (the grass takes sooo much off) just makes it tougher.

I didnt pitch cause Im hurt. Couldn't turn my head or bend over.

The Dragon Army catcher is awesome (he was in Austin catching for Best Fweinds)

[Typod]

Oh and the underhand pitcher on Dragon Army, is fucking impossible to do anything against. Nobody throw the ball faster. Binns throws very hard and Ryan goes underhand and zings it in with so much top spin it climbs up your leg if you try to softly bunt it. You have to punch it and hope for the best. Not Fair.

[Zak]

...1) Why are the games 6 innings?...

A lot of leagues are playing 6 innings now. More leagues in Phoenix play 6 than 5.

[Captain_Relax]

Los Brew is going. I'm pretty certain Dragon Army is as Well. Dragon Army was missing their main 1B due to injury and he makes them even tougher. (LBC went through both of those teams in the studio final to win BoTW which is mighty impressive)

No Sofa? No AKT? if not why?

[Typod]

I can't speak for Sofa as Im not on their WAKA team only circuit, I'll let Max answer that one. As for AKT we didn't even reach the finals in our division, probably wont have a bid, and I really think not being able to get to your division final means your chances at FC won't be great.

AKT and Brew Crew have a ton of overlap, we'll be playing with them, like last year.

[Captain_Relax]

I can't speak for Sofa as Im not on their WAKA team only circuit, I'll let Max answer that one. As for AKT we didn't even reach the finals in our division, probably wont have a bid, and I really think not being able to get to your division final means your chances at FC won't be great.

AKT and Brew Crew have a ton of overlap, we'll be playing with them, like last year.

Interesting, thanks for the info, and the videos. Whoever filmed these deserves some type of award.

[kickballmonster]

Now I see why Shawn Lucas was so pissed off. Strikes 1 and 3 were pretty bogus.

Not at all - the camera angle doesn't do them justice - all 4 pitches he got were kickable - and 3 were def strikes -

once Shawn had 2 strikes, he could've fouled a couple to get a pitch he wanted - he could've taken any of them for a ride - i think it was more that the moment got to him, and before he knew it, his at-bat was over -

i wish field 3 didn't have that stoopid tarp so i could've placed the camera dead center - it would show the mean SPIN Aaron puts on the ball - check out this pic, from our game with your team Javy -

[Typod]

Ehh, they weren't breaking much. He can break them but those strikes weren't the crazy spin pitches. Probably not a great call IMO, but leaving your fate to the umpire is not a good idea, just kick the kickball. Our offense played poorly, especially in that inning.

[dp3]

leaving your fate to the umpire is not a good idea, just kick the kickball.

EXACTLY! If you get sat looking, that's on you. 2 strikes, you gotta go after anything that's even remotely close. I'm like Vlad Guerrero up there...

[Justin Andrew Anderson]

...1) Why are the games 6 innings?...

A lot of leagues are playing 6 innings now. More leagues in Phoenix play 6 than 5.

CO Recess played 6 innings this Spring. CO Mile High played 5.

[flades]

leaving your fate to the umpire is not a good idea, just kick the kickball.

EXACTLY! If you get sat looking, that's on you. 2 strikes, you gotta go after anything that's even remotely close. I'm like Vlad Guerrero up there...

once again i agree with tyler and DP3...kick the damn ball

i literally want to fight anyone, my team or the other, that strikes out looking. just should never happen

(i have a lot of pent up anger as you, and the foot snipers, can tell

[Typod]

Now you've gone and made Flades angry!

[kickballmonster]

Ehh, they weren't breaking much. He can break them but those strikes weren't the crazy spin pitches. Probably not a great call IMO, but leaving your fate to the umpire is not a good idea, just kick the kickball. Our offense played poorly, especially in that inning.

i didn't mean they were breaking that much on Shawn - sorry, not what i meant - i meant that Aaron can make it spin that hard, and when he does, he's hard to kick on - he's only been pitching for 6 months, ever - and he's only getting better -

Agree with you 100 percent - and that's why i mentioned fouling off a couple (even though I know you dislike intentional fouls too) - but if you don't like that pitch, and you have no strikes to work with, well...

[Dematas]

Now you've gone and made Flades angry!

Fact:

Flades is just as Salty as any other Meatball

[NoShoes]

Now you've gone and made Flades angry!

Nah, that was us in Jax. I've never seen the guy so fired up, ever. (I was almost sorry for yelling "on base machine" at them.)

[NoShoes]

GREAT film work guys! Playing on dirt looks NUTS! Those pitches are pretty ridiculous.

[Kickbot]

Now you've gone and made Flades angry!

Nah, that was us in Jax. I've never seen the guy so fired up, ever. (I was almost sorry for yelling "on base machine" at them.)

To be fair, it is profoundly annoying when you do that.

[Dematas]

Now you've gone and made Flades angry!

Nah, that was us in Jax. I've never seen the guy so fired up, ever. (I was almost sorry for yelling "on base machine" at them.)

To be fair, it is profoundly annoying when you do that.

I love when he does it. If someone doesn't like it, get him out.

[Typod]

Now you've gone and made Flades angry!

Nah, that was us in Jax. I've never seen the guy so fired up, ever. (I was almost sorry for yelling "on base machine" at them.)

To be fair, it is profoundly annoying when you do that.

+1

[flades]

Now you've gone and made Flades angry!

Nah, that was us in Jax. I've never seen the guy so fired up, ever. (I was almost sorry for yelling "on base machine" at them.)

To be fair, it is profoundly annoying when you do that.

I love when he does it. If someone doesn't like it, get him out.

about 15 mins prior to that we did haha

[NoShoes]

Now you've gone and made Flades angry!

Nah, that was us in Jax. I've never seen the guy so fired up, ever. (I was almost sorry for yelling "on base machine" at them.)

To be fair, it is profoundly annoying when you do that.

I love when he does it. If someone doesn't like it, get him out.

about 15 mins prior to that we did haha

Yep. I didn't want to bunt anywhere within the reach of Flades or Hazelcorn, so I did a decent bunt up 1. Matt Kelly got me.

But yeah guys, I know it's annoying as all get out, and Oakley started it. He's the "kickbot", so I had to give him my moniker in our first game at the 1st k365 open. Wu Tang was mercy ruling us, so I did what I could to fire my team up.

[wilson]

SoCal is definitely limited on prime field real estate.

new yorkers feel not pity - haha. you should've seen the field the thursday league plays on in central park... it's a dirt oval