THEN
11) Dirty Jersey Boys: The Boys lost former Softball magazine cover boy Hector Cuadrado and arguably the best power hitter in all of softball in Donavon Delaney. This will hurt. What they added are four former G-Boys in Ralph Steelman, Chick Cossaboone, Gary Collins and Hall of Famer Roland Marsh. In addition to this, they added Anthony Sanchez. Sanchez isn’t well know in the police softball world, but give him time. The Boys finished 22, 17 and 17 in the rankings in 2005-2008 but last year was their breakout season where they finished 6th. They also had two tourney wins and an upper third finish at World Series IV. If the player losses do not hurt them too much, they are a sure lock to break into the top 10 again. With all the talent in the East, it will be hard for this team to break into the top 5, but this team is surely capable of doing so if they play enough.
NOW
Currently ranked 18. This is right about where we expected them at this point in the season. They posted an impressive 5th place finish in Virginia Beach ahead of quality teams such as Buckeye Lawmen, South Florida, NYPD Blues and Maryland State Police to name a few. Since they only have one tourney under their belt you can expect a huge leap for them in the near future, especially since there are quite a few Northeast tourneys approaching. We will stand by our 11 projection.


THEN
12) Wayne Oakland: One of the great teams of the past has been making history in the present with how well they have done in tournaments with a line up that can fluctuate from one month to the next. Coach Andy Wurm has shown everyone that talent is out there and it is just a matter of getting it to show up. No matter what tourney they play in, W/O is always a threat to take any team down. W/O has finished in the top 10 of the rankings the last three years in a row and in last years Sterling Heights tournament, they took down the vaunted Jax machine not once, but twice. What this team will have this year is anyone’s guess. Our guess is Andy Wurm will find a way to put a competitive team on the field and even if the pants don’t match the shirts, be prepared to see them alive come Sunday.
NOW
Currently ranked 20. They finished in 7th place in Jacksonville which is very respectable. Of all the teams this one will be hardest to forecast since they don’t exactly have a set line-up. The NPSC in Dayton will most likely be the true gauge of this team. But, don’t count out Wurm from pulling a rabbit out of the hat as he has done for the past few years. For now, status quo and we will stand by our 12 projection.

THEN
13) St. Louis Lawmen/Worth: This is a team that has hovered around the #10 spot the last few years in the rankings and would finish much higher if they were able to make more of the tourneys. This team has a great sponsor and is going in a nice direction. It is no secret that if you want to beat this team, you better score in bunches and don’t give them any extra outs. They finished a very respectable #9 out of 45 teams at World Series IV and with a simple break here or there, they would have finished much higher. A very scary team.
NOW
Currently unranked. They haven’t played in a ranking tourney yet…or any tourney that we know of. That being said, what we said “then” is what we still say “now.”

THEN
14) Bluegrass Lawmen: Some things are consistent in life and that is what we have here with the Lawmen. For three years in a row, the Bluegrass squad has finished 12th in the rankings. Will this year be any different or is another #12 their destiny? We do not have much info on this team for 2009 but we think they will bring more of the same and that is big bats and a great attitude.
NOW
Currently unranked. Where are these guys? Sure we see their players everywhere…but never in a Bluegrass uniform! Just 2 short years ago they were the most active team in the East. Now they are more elusive than Michael Jackson dodging the paparazzi. Someone issue an A.P.B. and release the hounds…we need to get deep into the Kentucky backwoods and find these guys because until we do, our 14th projection appears to be too generous. And if they do stay dormant, you can bet there will be a long line of teams looking to pick up the pieces.

THEN
15) Motor City Blues: The MCB squad had a rough World Series going 0-4 but it was the best 0-4 you have ever seen They played tough teams and scored runs in the bunches, but the other teams also had the hot hand and scored more. The team changed a little in the off season by losing a starting pitcher but they made some nice additions too. Joining MCB will be former MI Lawmen, SS Damian Hull, P Mike Nagel, Former Ohio Lawmen Mike Fraizer and possibly former Wayne/Oakland OF Dan Czajkowski. Dan was an incredible player but had a Life threatening car accident which ended his softball, until now. Their freshman season is over, and now it is time for this team to take a step to the next level. With great leadership and some new bodies, don’t expect MCB to O’fer at a tournament anytime soon.
NOW
Currently ranked 17. They are the most active team in the East as they have already notched 3 tourneys under their collective belts: Vegas, Va. Beach and West Palm. The results are not what they had hoped for they do appear to be heading in the right direction. Their 9th place finish in WPB was very respectable considering the number of high caliber teams in the mix. They have the talent, and once they start knocking off some big teams the confidence will build. We stand by our 15 ranking at this time.

THEN
16) D.A.P.: DAP is a team that flew under the radar a lot this off season. So much so that nearly everyone left them off their polls in the “People Poll”. This team has made some pick- ups that should help them bang with the best. Most noticeably they re-acquired arguably the best power hitter in the game, Donavan Delaney. They also re-acquired Softball magazine cover boy Hector Cuadrado. We hear they made some other pick- ups as well. If this team can get into the points chase tournaments, they should make a lot of noise and send some teams home.
NOW
Currently ranked 7. It appears we underestimated this squad. When team fireplug Vince Clemons fired a salvo off at the South Florida team in Jacksonville we didn’t know if he was confident or crazy. Well he might be a little of both, but although it initially looked like the plan backfired (South Florida handled them convincingly) it ultimately worked to their advantage. It fired up the DAP players and they responded by posting a very impressive 3rd place finish in Va. Beach. They are firmly entrenched as a top caliber team once again!

THEN
17) Miami Metro Red: This is a great team that is just plain out fun to watch. They are a great group of players who play the game right. Consistently this team has one of the better defenses you will see. In 2006 and 2007, they finished #7 and #8 respectively but fell a bit last year down to #18 due to a lack of participation in points tourneys. Dont let that #18 finish fool you, this team finished #5 at World Series IV. In past World Series they have shown they are a team that always rise to the occasion. Where they finish this year will have a lot to do with how many points tourneys they play in if this were based on talent alone, they are a top 10 team for sure but for this preview, we take into consideration how often and where a team may play in 2009.
NOW
Currently ranked 12. They seem to be following their blueprint that has been so successful the past few years. That is, fly under the radar, register some respectable numbers (7th place in two very tough events so far) and then drop the hammer on everyone come World Series time. They have all the pieces to the puzzle…talent, leadership, commitment etc. so by all accounts they could be a top 5 team. We don’t see them playing enough to crack the top 5 but we now feel our 17 projection was a little low. If we had a do-over we would project them right around #10. *They get an extra star for being one of Ps.Com’s favorite teams to watch, elite level defense coupled with a variety of table setters and power hitters.

THEN
18) Steel City Enforcers: Steel City is a team new to the PS.com circuit. Two years ago they ranked 21st and last year they improved to #14. This is a team that has done well in some tournaments but have struggled a bit in the more established tourneys. They haven’t made a ton of noise in the off-season but they did add some new players. Their new players haven’t played much USSSA ball but they should be up to speed relatively quickly. Rumor has it they have had some practices in the University of Pittsburgh indoor facility and should be ready to hit the ground running come the Jacksonville tourneys. It was stated in the People’s Poll that this team needs to take down some big boys to earn their mark. All eyes will be watching.
NOW
Currently ranked 14. They have two tourneys on record, a 13th in Jax and a 9th in Va Beach. This team seems to best exemplify the spirit of cop softball. They have a solid core of guys from the same region and although they know they probably won’t end up on top of the rankings heap, they have set goals and strive to achieve them. We think our 18 projection might be undercutting these guys. You can expect to see them in at least 2 more tourneys this season so we don’t see them dropping any lower than their current position come seasons end. And, a top 10 is certainly within grasp.

THEN
19) Illinois Lawmen: The Illinois Lawmen started the year off well finishing #5 at VA Beach and then grabbing a #7 at Dayton. They looked poised to make a splash at the World Series but then the wheels fell off and they disappointed themselves with a #33 finish at the series. We dont know what this team has planned for 2009 but they showed flashes of being a very good team last year and only need to get out and compete more to solidify their status.
NOW
Currently ranked 10. They have been the center of controversy based on free agent pickups and/or borrowed players depending on how you look at it. But the fact is, those moves were made within the rules of the tournaments they played in so you can’t fault them. As a matter of fact, other teams have done the same…its just that Illinois has been more successful than the others. Anytime a lesser known team steals the headlines you can almost bet controversy will follow. As with W/O it will be hard to gauge this team without knowing exactly who is going to show up but we do know this. If they continue to field a team as strong as they did in Va Beach, you can be assured they will be a top 10 team come seasons end. They could even flirt with top 5 status if they can keep that group together.

THEN
20) Secret Service: This is a classy team that has hovered around the high teens in the rankings the last few years but last year came out and finished with their best season yet at #16. At World Series IV, the SS team pushed the Alliance to the limit in a high scoring affair in round robin and then continued their hot hitting by by taking down MCB. They had some new faces last year, and that coupled with their veterans, this team’s stock is rising. Expect to see more improvement in this tea this year and be ready to play if you see the SS team in the opposite dugout.
NOW
Currently unrated. We spoke to team management and this figures to be a slow year for the USSS. They impressed a lot of folks in Palm Springs last October as they represented well every game. We had hoped for some big things this year, but due to changes in the federal government many of their players are unavailable for a variety of reasons. You can expect to see them get into 1 east coast tourney and the WS in Oct. Although they will once again most likely represent well, it will be difficult for them to stay in the top 20 this year simply do to inactivity.

THEN
21) Suffolk County Police: This team is a great masters team who also plays in the open circuit. Last year they won the VA Beach tourney and made good showings in the Anne Arundel and BB NY. What this team will do in 2009 is unknown to PS.com but if you see them lined up against you, expect a battle with some cagey veterans.
NOW
Currently ranked 22. Our projection is very close to their actual ranking. But, we expect a jump here in the rankings very soon. They only played in one tourney so far and they represented well. There are several tourneys in their region coming up soon so we can expect them to continue to represent well. If we had to do it all over again we would have them somewhere in the top 15.

THEN
22) Greene County Enforcers: The GCE’s havent been on the ps.com radar too much in the past but last year this team made their first season finale rankings presence by finishing up at #18. The GCE’s played in 4 ranking tourneys last year with their best finish (#5) coming in the in-state Battle of the Badges. This team should benefit from the ruored folding of the Central Ohio team. it is expected that Lloyd Alexander will be their new starting pitcher and big man Kevin Kavanaugh should be able to provide the team with another power bat that it sorely needed. Another possibility for this team is the addition of Ryan Halburnt. Halbie was often the best player on the field for the Central Ohio team. The Greene County guys also have the best kept secret in police softball by the name of Brian Mangin. Brian has the skills to be an East Coast Player of the Year candidate and if he gets on the PS circuit more, he will make quite a name for himself.
NOW
Currently unranked. Inactive so far, but you can expect to see them in Dayton and Sterling. We will stand by our 22 projection.

THEN
23) Central New York: Our sources are saying this team may not ride in 2009 but our sources have been wrong before so don’t count anything out. It looks like this team lost some studs to the NYPD Blues so no matter what happens, at the very least 2009 could be a rebuilding year. In the last four years this team has finished #25, #24, #23, and #25 but this is more reflective on how little they play and not on the game they bring.
NOW
This team has folded and their top talent is now suiting up for NYPD Blues.

THEN
24) Capital City Lawmen: This is a relatively newer team to the PS.com circuit and they played in 4 PS.com tourneys last year finishing #5, #11, #13 and #13. Our sources say this team may be coming to World Series IV to see how they stack up.
NOW
Currently ranked 20. They have played in both Jacksonville and Virginia. Although the final results don’t look great on paper, we have had several field reporters comment on how well they played regardless of the final score. They seem to have all talent needed to crack the top 15, now just need to ink a few W’s to add some swagger. We could see them finishing right around 15-16 come seasons end.

THEN
25) Metro Detroit’s Finest: We don’t know anything about them but we do know that Detroit is rich in softball talent. Since they will be traveling the circuit this year look for them to leave their mark.
NOW
Currently unrated. This is the team we most look forward to seeing this year. We suspect they will be in Dayton and Sterling followed by the World Series. Traditionally Detroit police softball has been strong so we suspect these guys will continue to carry the torch.