It only seems like yesterday that I was digging out my bat bag, hoping to find my bats, balls, cleats and glove all clean and ready for use. The sounds of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” were still fresh in the crisp air of those early March mornings in Poway, and the 2007 AFCSL season was just in its infancy. Then the whirlwind began of regular league games on Sundays, practices on Saturdays – and sometimes even on week nights. With board meetings, team social events and league fund-raisers, it seems this season flew right past. I can’t remember a season in my decade or so of playing ball that went this fast. I hope everyone found as much satisfaction in the social nature of our league, and how it brings people from all walks of life together for fun and fellowship, as I did.

Finding the best way to recap a season of softball is not an easy task. And in many of the divisions, the results of the hours of practice and dedication didn’t become evident until the dust had settled from the very last game, the final trophy was passed out and the Phil’s BBQ catering vans had left the “End of the Season” celebration.

Winning top honors for the Women’s A Division was Urban Mo’s Fit 2B Tyed, followed closely all season by the Hauers/House of Hair, which never trailed them by more than two games in the standings. In the Women’s C Division, there were never more than three games separating the top three teams. Aberration led the division for the first three weeks of the season, but after week four, Muscat State Farm Fusion took over the No. 1 spot for three weeks. Then, after the games on May 20, they were deadlocked with identical records going into the final two weeks of play; first both 9-3 and then 11-3. On the second to last week of league play, Aberration went 2-0 and Muscat State Farm Fusion went 1-1, with its loss to Aberration. On the final week of play, Aberration ended up the victors of the C Division with two wins and a final impressive record of 15-3. The Muscat State Farm Fusion team finished second, only trailing by one game, with an overall record of 14-4. The Bourbon Street Ballers finished third, with a respectable record of 11-7. Finishing out the division with nine wins was the Clean Sweep team, Hillcrest Pharmacy finished with eight wins, Whatahs with seven, and the Peacemakers with six. Congratulations to all the teams in the Women’s A and C Divisions.

In the Women’s D Division, Under Construction was the league leader for the first few weeks of the season. Overcome by both the Redwing team and the Jiai Aikido team in week four, it soon found itself battling it out with the Earthtones for third place. The Redwing team and the Jiai Aikido had their own race for first place going on. Only after the dust settled on the last game of the season for the women’s division, with a win by either team deciding the champion, the victory was Jiai Aikido’s. This evened the team’s record with the Red-wing team. And with an edge of a one-game lead in the head-to-head matchups, our D Division crown was awarded to the Jiai Aikido team. The Redwing team finished second, followed by the Earth Tones, Under Construction and the Mahogany Divas. Congratulations to all the teams in the Women’s Division and good luck in the series to the qualifying teams.

The Open A Division had only one team this season as in many of the past seasons, so congratulations and top honors go to PECS Peecocks for ensuring our top-rated players had the opportunity to participate in the league. They also had a hand in deciding who would take the top honors in the B Division, as three of the teams in B fought all season, long for the right to represent San Diego in the Gay World Series of softball in Phoenix later this fall. Running neck and neck all season, with identical records of 10-6, with only four games to be played, were Flicks, Pecs IM and Urban Mo’s LOF. Only to intensify the race during the second to last week of play, both Pecs IM and Urban Mo’s LOF went 2-0, while Flicks went 1-1, losing to Urban Mo’s LOF, putting them one game back in the standings. On the final week of play, Urban Mo’s LOF won both of its games, but Pecs IM suffered a loss at the hands of the Pecs Peecocks, giving Urban Mo’s the league crown and placing them in a new battle with Flicks for second place. Flicks suffered a loss in the very next game to The Loft, so it all came down to the final game of the Op-en B Division Pecs IM vs. Flicks as to who would finish second and third places. Pecs IM defeated Flicks 12-6, giving them a second-place finish. Flicks finished third, followed by the Diegans and The Loft. Congrats to the A and B Division teams for a great season of softball in San Diego. Go LOF!

The Open C Division also had a race to the finish with the Viejas Chiefs, the Martinis Above Fourth Smirnoff Eagles, and the Del Phillips and Associates Shameless teams all battling it out on the fields each week for the two sought-after berths to the World Series and the coveted first-place trophy. The Martinis Above Fourth Smirnoff Eagles were in first place ahead of Viejas and Shameless by only one game going into the final week of play, but a loss to Pecs Renegades and to the Chiefs, and the Chiefs victory over the Outlaws and the two victories by Shameless created a shuffle in the standings with a tie for first between Shameless and Viejas, both with 13 wins and four losses, sending the Eagles to third place with a record of 12-5. The Viejas Chiefs took home the first-place trophy based on head-to-head matchup wins against Shameless, who took home the second-place trophy. Both teams earned berths to the Gay World Series. Shameless! Shameless! The Flicks/Inner Balance Outlaws and F-Troop also finished with identical records of 10-7, but Flicks took fourth place based on head-to-head matchup wins. F-Troop finished fifth, with the Gay & Lesbian Times Dragons, Pecs Renegades and the San Diego News Group Gators finishing sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively.

In the Open D Division, the Café on Park Masterbatters won the World Series berth and the first-place trophy with a record of 10-8. The Cherrybombs finished second with a record of 7-11, while the newly formed Anthony’s Fish Grotto Battered Up! finished third. Battered Up! will be a force to be reckoned with in seasons to come. Congratulations to the D Division teams for a great season and for the difficult and sometimes arduous task of having to play the C Division teams.