Ah, the playoffs. The time of the season everyone wants to play in, whether it's wiffleball, fantasy football, or pee wee hockey. If we didn't live for playoffs, would Jim Mora go on a rant about it? Nah trick. We're the only country that loves playoffs! Hell, in the English soccer Premier League , they just have the champion be whoever finishes in first. BORING. We need excitement, especially in this beautiful game we call wiffleball. Plus, I was reading a baseball playoff preview from last year when I hatched the idea for this article (Twins getting swept by New York again? Not this time aro--oh wait…). Now, the Kalamazoo Wiffleball League is one of my favorites, and I hope to do previews for other league's playoffs or even regular season previews in the future. Now, down to business.   

The 2010 KWL season was absolutely full of parity, you could never predict a series one way or the other. For example, just when everyone was about to write off the expansion PF flyers midseason

they went ahead and swept the goliath Industrials (the Flyers ended up missing the playoffs, but that's not the point). We all came down with Snowsuit Fever, got duped by the early season Belly Itcher struggles, and fell in love with that 15-game win streak the Monday Night 40's mustered to win the National League South .
    Scared Hitless forced a 1-game Play-In with the Belly Itchers with their surprising sweep of the Monday Night 40's in the final week of the season, so I'll do 2 scenarios in my previews. For that Play-In Game, I'm thinking the Belly Itchers will cap off a fantastic last week with a walk-off hit in the bottom of the 12th inning (ala my Twins against the Tigers in their Playoff last October). The AL playoff matchups are (1) Industrials vs. the 4-seeded Gentlemen. That winner will go on to face (2) Friars or (3) Snowsuit & Icy Road. In the NL, the (1) Diablos are going head-to-head with the Belly Itchers/Scared Hitless winner, and the expansion Kentucky Waterfalls caught the 3 seed, and face the (2) Monday Night 40's.
    Before we get to the Playoffs, lets talk about the Tom Selleck Festival of Competition. Yes, the playoffs for teams that don't make the playoffs. It's a way to keep the unfortunate interested in the league, so they can win that coveted TSFC Trophy…a toilet seat. PF Flyers face the winner of the No Big Deal-Shanghai Chuckers game…I got the Flyers coming out of that bracket, but watch for No Big Deal to make a run at them in the ALCS . In the NL side, you got the Play-In losing team going up against the Lemons-5 Dollar Pitchers winner. I‘m almost positive that the Itchers/Hitless loser will take the NL bracket. I think the PF Flyers would take Scared Hitless to the full 3 games and win, as these teams are very equally matched, in a final that features 2 legit expansion teams . If they faced off against the Belly Itchers, I feel the Itchers would sweep the Flyers. That would make 4 straight titles for the Belly Itchers! 3 Township Series and 1 Tom Selleck title.
    Now, I've followed this league like a die-hard this year, so I feel I know more than a bit about it. The Gent's star, Bryan Jennings, played on injury all year long, and they still got into the playoffs, despite a late run by the Flyers. They play the Industrials, a team that's simply too strong to lose this series. I'm predicting an Indies sweep, 2 games to none. They'll face the Friars in the ALCS, who are much too much for the Snowsuit team this year. To be honest, as much as I love me some Icy Road, I think they'll be blown out of the 2010 postseason. In the NL, I gotta believe the Diablos and 40's will meet in the NLCS, but Waterfall pitcher Brian Rensch's pitching could lead Kentucky into the CS, and the Belly Itchers (if they make it) could find some magic from ‘09...and ‘08...and ‘07. Scared Hitless (if they make it) could take a game from the Diablos, but I don't see them reaching the CS. But most likely, both series will go to the division champs. Won't be easy for ‘em though.
    Who'll make it to the Township Series is a toss-up. I'm personally thinking it'll be Friars over Monday Night 40's in 6 games, but the Indies will certainly try to make that never happen, as will the Diablos. But what do I know? I ain't psychic. Some great things are bound to happen in Western Michigan, and YOU need to follow all the action!