What I've Learned During the Current Covenant Speed/Power Dynasty

 I started calling Covenant Speed/Power softball games partway through the 2015 season on a whim.  These days I do it just to get out of the house.

Over the years I have been podcasting games, teams in the Lawrence/Mercer County Church Softball League have come and gone.  My circle of friends has grown exponentially.

The Covenant Speed/Power have made it to the championship finals on Super Saturday in each of the last seven years, winning it all in each of the last five years.  I have observed the following in each of the teams during this current dynasty:

The First Assembly Falcons were no pushovers on Super Saturday, finishing as high as third in 2017 from the fifth seed.  Their disbanding after the 2018 campaign was a total shock to me.

The Bethany Colts were a team that was on the rise having had as high as the fourth seed in the 2017 and 2018 tournaments when they disbanded after the 2018 season.  One of the contributing factors for that team's demise was their awful performance on Super Saturday.

Grace Chapel had as many as four teams when I came on board in 2015, and two of them had disbanded prior to the 2016 season.  The disbanding of Grace Chapel Black came as a complete surprise to me because I had thought that they were the epitome of a championship caliber team.  Following the merger of the Blue and Burgundy teams into a single squad known as the Blues, the team had two consecutive years where they didn't win any games; and it wasn't until the pandemic-shortened 2020 season that the Blues started to make noise during the regular season and made serious noise during last year's tournament that resulted in them taking home a third place trophy.

You will recall that Lebanon B won the championship the year that I came on board.  However, they were not the only team at Lebanon.  There was a Lebanon C team that was often times not playing to win games against certain teams, including Covenant.  That's one of the reasons that Lebanon merged its B and C teams in 2017 to form a single squad known as the Raiders, which resulted in certain players having to be unceremoniously put on the waiver wire, including their ace pitcher Tyler Allen, who wound up on the Covenant Speed/Power in 2017.  For two seasons, Lebanon found itself in the middle of the pack in the regular season, but finished the 2019 season with a surprise third place finish in the tournament, followed by two consecutive runner-up trophies, letting the league know that they are a team on the rise once again.

The Central Chargers were an expansion team last season.  Although they failed to win any games, they had great respect for the other squads in the league, including the Covenant Speed/Power, which was the main reason why they won the Sam Blake Award for Team Sportsmanship on Super Saturday.

Like the Central Chargers, the St. Joseph's Pirates were an expansion team.  The Pirates actually made some noise during the regular season, even though they finished with the eight seed and wound up being eliminated by midday on Super Saturday.  Against some teams, the Pirates bend but they do not break, which led to some games not being decided until the late stages.

The Clen-Moore Hurricane started in 2019 as an expansion team and had a poor Super Saturday showing.  After skipping the 2020 season on account of the pandemic, they returned in 2021 and actually surprised people by finishing near the middle of the pack, although their Super Saturday performance was forgettable at best.

The New Life Saints, who were league champions from the losers' bracket in 2016, have been on a decline ever since.  Many of their key contributors from the 2016 squad have left over the last five seasons for other commitments, most notably Walt Novosel, Tom Dobos and Mike Wilson.  Even 2017 league MVP Jake Ramirez left the squad to perform mission work.  Three consecutive runner-up finishes from 2017 to 2019 and a third place finish in 2020 made me realize that New Life's championship window was likely closing.  The squad's 2021 season confirmed my realizations when they finished the regular season around the middle of the pack and led to them leaving COG empty handed on Super Saturday for the first time since 2015.  This offseason has been a challenging one to say the least, as the Saints will go into the 2022 season without Ken Stitt.  As you will recall, Ken Stitt tragically lost his life in a workplace accident in October, leaving behind a wife and two small children.  The accident is still under investigation and is to wrap up next month at the latest.

Although the New Wilmington Angels have had some seasons where they were decent and others where they weren't, we have seen what they can accomplish on Super Saturday with deep runs in the tournament.  They were the recipients of the 2020 Sam Blake Award for Team Sportsmanship.

Although the West Middlesex Reds disbanded after the 2019 season, they could take the consolation that Geri Hodges was a steady workhorse that led to her being named league MVP for 2019.

Following the 2018 season, I thought that better days would be ahead for the Neshannock Alliance Eagles, but they wound up becoming the West Middlesex Reds following their merger with West Middlesex Presbyterian.

The St. John's Rams were a decent team for three seasons, and were a rising team following their third place finish in the 2018 tournament.  I thought that they would be a force to be reckoned with, but the Rams somehow disbanded after that season.

And then, there's Covenant.  The Covenant Bengals started almost similar to the Covenant Speed/Power's inaugural season where they won very few games their first two seasons.  They had a winless season in 2020.  Last season they surprised many by finishing around the middle of the pack in the league standings and then surprised everyone with a deep run on Super Saturday, even though they left with no trophy.

The Covenant Tabernacles were a somewhat decent team in their only season in the league in 2019, but they were a disappointment when it came to Super Saturday.  Even the presence of former Speed/Power players in David Dalessandro and Bob Mariotti didn't help matters.

And what can I say about the Covenant Speed/Power over the years?  There's a reason why the team has been among the league's elite teams in recent years.  After the collapse in the 2016 finals, I realized that the squad was still missing some pieces to the puzzle.  Then Tyler Allen came on board off waivers from Lebanon.  Corey Sternthal, Justin Reed, Tyler Fattman, Brad Stockdill, Abby Ferlin and Chris Enos came on board in the rookie draft.  John Metzgar, Nate Anthony and Chris Rockwell came on board off the scrap heap.  Many of these pickups, along with other members of the star contingent that already had Eric Bombeck, Matt Durisko, Gray MacKenzie and Pat DeGeralamo led to the beginning of this dynasty that might rival that of Reynolds Raiders wrestling.

What will 2022 teach me?  I will not know until spring training begins next month.

Postgame Notes 20 May 2021

Game 1 final score:  Covenant Speed/Power 23, Covenant Bengals 3

Game 1 winning pitcher:  Eric Bombeck

Game 1 losing pitcher:  David Dalessandro

Game 2 final score:  Covenant Speed/Power 20, Covenant Bengals 3

Game 2 winning pitcher:  Tyler Allen

Game 2 losing pitcher:  Andrew Campbell

Player of the game: Tyler Allen

Postgame notes (Covenant Speed/Power):

The 10 runs batted in by Tyler Allen over the two games were a personal best for him since joining the team in 2017.  They are also second only to the 11 runs batted in by Tyler Fattman in a doubleheader against New Life on July 12, 2018.

Gray MacKenzie's first inning home run in game one was the first for the team this season.

Tyler Allen (3), Brad Stockdill and Corey Sternthal also hit home runs.

Game 1 winning pitcher Eric Bombeck threw just 57 pitches, 35 of them for strikes.

The Speed/Power are now undefeated in their last 19 games dating back to the 2019 tournament.

Postgame notes (Covenant Bengals):

The two runs scored in the first inning of game two were the first ones scored on Tyler Allen since 2019.

The Bengals are now winless in their last 18 games dating back to the 2019 tournament.

Next up:

Covenant Speed/Power:  a split doubleheader against New Wilmington and St. Joe's Tuesday.  First game on COG field 3 and second game on COG field 1.

Covenant Bengals:  a split doubleheader against Grace Chapel and New Wilmington Tuesday.  First game on COG field 2 and second game on COG field 3.

Pregame Notes Covenant Speed/Power @ Covenant Bengals

Date:  20 May 2021

Site:  Field 1, Council of Governments Softball Complex, West Middlesex, PA

First pitch time:  615pm EDT

Probables (game 1):  Eric Bombeck (Covenant Speed/Power) v. David Dalessandro (Covenant Bengals)

Probables (game 2):  Tyler Allen (Covenant Speed/Power) v. David Dalessandro (Covenant Bengals)

Pregame notes (Covenant Speed/Power):

The Covenant Speed/Power begin their tenth anniversary season.

The Speed/Power are winners of their last 17 consecutive games dating back to the 2019 tournament.

Since 2017, the team has lost a total of only four games.

The Covenant Speed/Power will begin a drive for a fifth consecutive league championship, something that has never been done in the 44 year history of the Lawrence-Mercer County Church Softball League.

The team returns a star contingent including all-star shortstop Gray MacKenzie, pitcher Eric Bombeck, first baseman Matt Durisko, third baseman Corey Sternthal, and left fielder Tyler Allen.

Bobby Mort and Pat DeGeralamo rejoin the team after opting out of the 2020 season due to concerns regarding COVID.

Tay Robinson also rejoins the team after spending the last three years living and working in North Carolina.

Chris Rockwell and Justin Norcross join the team for the first time.  Rockwell spent the 2020 season with the Covenant Bengals.  Norcross last played in 2018 with the now-defunct St. John's Rams.

Pregame Notes (Covenant Bengals):

The Covenant Bengals began their fourth season in the Lawrence-Mercer County Church Softball League on Tuesday night with losses to both the expansion St. Joe's Wildcats and Lebanon Raiders.

The Bengals are winless in their last 16 games dating back to the 2019 tournament.  They are also winless in their last 7 games against the Speed/Power.

The Bengals have a new head coach in Andrew Campbell.

Returning to the Bengals are pitchers David Dalessandro and Gary Shuttleworth, plus Zach Wimer, Jay Bradley, Armando Hernandez and Dacoda Randall.

Joining the team are former Covenant Speed/Power players Josh and Vincent Nichols, Craig Osmon, Nate Anthony and Joe Patton.  Osmon last played in 2019 with the Covenant Speed/Power.

What I learned from the 2020 church softball season

The 2020 season in the Lawrence-Mercer County Church Softball League, though abbreviated, was rewarding not just for me as a podcaster, but also for the Covenant Speed/Power, who won that fourth consecutive championship, which is a feat that had not occurred since 2011 when Lebanon A won four in a row from 2008 to 2011.

Here’s what I learned while podcasting games this past summer:

1.  The New Life Saints’ championship window is slowly closing. The New Life Saints have only one player left from their 2016 championship team, and that is Zach Cyrus. Proven power hitters such as Tom Dobos, Walt Novosel and Mike Wilson did not return in 2020. As a result, the finals of the 2020 tournament were the first since 2015 where New Life was not involved, although Zach Cyrus did not go home empty handed as he was named the league’s Most Valuable Player.

2.  The Covenant Bengals are in need of a once-in-a-generation talent. Ryan Daniel Zippie must acquire a talented power hitter in the rookie draft during the winter months to teach their team how to win games in the Lawrence-Mercer County Church Softball League.

3.  Marc and Dave Stonebreaker both saw their seats cool off with the Lebanon Raiders’ unexpected Cinderella run in the tournament. Although they were 3-7 in the regular season and lost their first tournament game, they won five consecutive games to reach the finals, where the clock struck midnight on them at the hands of the Covenant Speed/Power.

4.  Could the Grace Chapel Blues be a team on the rise? That’s the $64,000 question that their congregation is asking after Steve and Shannon Neral led their team to a surprise third place finish in the regular season. That question will likely be answered in seasons to come.

5.  The New Wilmington Angels proved once again that they can perform magic in the postseason. Although they did not win a trophy, they received a nice consolation prize in the form of the Sam Blake Sportsmanship Award.

6.  Jim Bombeck’s job as Covenant Speed/Power head coach is secure in the long-term. What else can you say about the players who have won championships with the Covenant Speed/Power from 2017 to the present? Bombeck has done a masterful job in building the team into a championship-caliber unit. And as I said in my call of the final run batted in: “Oh, what a party they’ll be having on Windsor Court!”   If the Lawrence-Mercer County Church Softball League had a hall of fame, former players such as Jeff Newell and current players such as Tyler Allen would be locks, and Bombeck would go in as a builder. I would possibly qualify as a contributor.

What will the 2021 campaign bring? As Jimmy Buffett put it to music, only time will tell.

What I've Learned from Podcasting Church Softball Games

Since 2015 I have been podcasting Covenant Speed/Power games.

Initially I wanted to see some friends playing softball, but then I started talking about the games on a whim as the action was unfolding.  This led to my first podcasts.  You will recall in those early podcasts, I was calling the games and telling it like it was like the late Howard Cosell.

One podcast in particular led to me being mentored by the former voice of the Pittsburgh Pirates Lanny Frattare.  You will recall during a poor performance in a game against the New Life Saints, I took to using language not suitable for work and needed mentoring during an imposed two game ban (which was later rescinded).  I sought Lanny Frattare's advice and he taught me that because 85% of a broadcast's success is determined before it goes on the air, preparation is the key.  He would spend four hours before a Pirates game looking at statistics for both teams.

With the lessons learned, I started keeping score of the games during the podcasts.  You will recall that initially, I used pencil and paper scoresheets.  It wasn't until 2017 that I started using the GameChanger app on my iPad which I purchased with my 2016 Christmas money.

A June 2016 podcast against New Life (one I was initially planning to skip due to my working vacation at the U.S. Open) got me the heave-ho from White Chapel Field after I suggested something based on what was on my scoresheets in front of me.  I once again sought Lanny Frattare's advice.  This time I self-imposed a two game ban on myself.

It seems that if I miss a podcast due to disciplinary reasons, the Covenant Speed/Power doesn't win the championship.  We lost in 2015 to Lebanon B and in 2016 to New Life.  I wanted to give up because I feared I would never be part of a local champion team again.  Players on the team begged me to return in 2017 and I did, and ordered them to give me a Gatorade shower if we won it all this time.

The 2017 team's revenge tour had the rally cry "Win it for Michael".  After a split with New Life Blue, I said in the huddle that we still had 12 games to prove that we could be a championship-caliber team.  We didn't lose another game until 2019, winning a league record 50+ consecutive games and three consecutive league championships (although I missed the 2019 tournament due to conflicts and an illness).  And I did get that Gatorade shower in 2017.

I have also learned that there are keys to beating certain teams in the league, particularly the New Life Saints.  If you are playing New Life, the key to beating them is to get off to a hot start early and not take your foot off of the gas pedal.

Tournament Saturday is a marathon for me as a podcaster.  It requires a 5:15am alarm and arrival at the Council of Governments Softball Complex at 6:30am for an air time of 7am.  The day also requires packing two or three water bottles, two sandwiches, two bags of chips, a side item and two bottles of pop.  Often my mother will make some snacks for the team to share.  Other times I contribute some food for the team to eat in between games.  We set up two 10x10 canopies for our home base for the day.  Opening ceremonies begin at 7:45am with a welcome, opening remarks, the presentation of the Sam Blake Sportsmanship Award, an opening prayer followed by the singing of the National Anthem.  Depending on what time the first tournament game for the Covenant Speed/Power is, I either take a short break to get ready to call the game if at 0800, or wait until 0915 to call it if the team has a coveted bye.  Sometimes I do break into regular MHB Sports programming with updates from other games.  I do this by roaming the complex seeking score updates from those games.

Because the tournament is double elimination, I call no less than two games and no more than six throughout the entire Saturday.  I go until either the team loses two games or wins the championship, whichever comes first.

It is also thanks to my podcasting that my circle of friends has increased exponentially.  Not only have I gotten to know the players on the Covenant Speed/Power, I have also gotten to know the players on the other squads in the league.

I'm often asked what advice I would give to anyone wanting to podcast softball games.  The advice I give is that preparation is the key to a podcast's success.  Get to know the players on your squad as well as those on other squads in the league.  Ask the players what makes them tick.  As new players join each squad every year, try to obtain a list of cell phone numbers so you can send a mass text message to those coaches in an attempt to acquire their team rosters via email.  Also, create for yourself a media guide that you can update as the season progresses as well as on an annual basis.  Keep those old media guides in a large three ring binder so that you can cross-refer if you need to figure out a statistic for a certain player.  Observe preseason practices so you can get a good look at the team that is being fielded.  And finally, while you are podcasting games, try to weave stories into your podcasts, but do not let them get in the way from the action on the field.  You are not Bob Prince, never have been and never will be.  Do not try to emulate your favorite baseball announcer.  Do it your way.  Just don't forget that Frank Sinatra put it to music!

Post Game Notes Covenant Speed/Power @ New Life Saints 18 August 2020

Notes (Covenant Speed/Power):

The six home runs hit came from Tyler Fattman, Noah Nichols, Brad Stockdill and Corey Sternthal.
Abby Ferlin got her first career hit in the top of the first inning of game 1.
The two wins over New Life give the Covenant Speed/Power the number one seed in Saturday's tournament as well as their third perfect regular season in five years.

Notes (New Life Saints):

Losing pitcher Ed Clapper made his first start in the circle since 2018.

Next:

Covenant Speed/Power:  v. winner of Grace Chapel/Covenant Bengals Saturday at 0915.
New Life Saints:  v. winner of New Wilmington/Lebanon Saturday at 0915.

Pregame Notes Covenant Speed/Power @ New Life Saints

Site:  Council of Governments Softball Complex Field One, West Middlesex, Pennsylvania
Date:  18 August 2020
Time:  Game 1 begins at 1815, game 2 begins 15 minutes following conclusion of game 1
Probables (game 1):  Eric Bombeck (Covenant Speed/Power) v. Erin Santillo (New Life)
Probables (game 2):  Tyler Allen (Covenant Speed/Power) v. Erin Santillo (New Life)

Notes (series):

The Covenant Speed/Power lead the series 13-11 dating back to 2012.

Notes (Covenant Speed/Power):
The Covenant Speed/Power are coming off of a pair of big wins against the Grace Chapel Blues.
Ten different players have hit a home run this season: Gray MacKenzie, Noah Nichols, Brad Stockdill, Matt Durisko, Tyler Fattmann, Corey Sternthal, Nate Anthony, Joe Patton, Tyler Allen and Chris Enis.
The Speed/Power have clinched one of two coveted byes into the winner's bracket semifinals of Saturday's tournament.

Notes (New Life Saints):
The New Life Saints are coming off of a split of a doubleheader against the Lebanon Raiders.
Erin Santillo leads the league in wins among pitchers with seven.
The Saints have also clinched a coveted bye into the winner's bracket semifinals of Saturday's tournament.

What's at stake:
At stake is the number one seed in Saturday's tournament.  With one win, the Covenant Speed/Power clinch the number one seed.  New Life must win both games to clinch the top seed.