At last years World Series we asked that all Hall of Fame members in attendance come out on the field and welcome the newest inductees into that exclusive club. This year the World Series will be moving to Las Vegas Nevada and we are expecting the biggest turnout ever in terms of Hall of Fame members being present. To honor and pay homage to our Hall of Famer’s we are planning on a 4-5 inning Hall of Fame exhibition game between the East and West Hall of Fame Squads. All Hall of Fame members are invited to participate in the game. Coaching duties will be handled by our Hall of Fame committees and this game should be a great way to honor our Hall of Fame members and add some fun to our night.

This last weekend officially marked the west coast kick off to the police softball season. As usual, the DEA Kick Off maxed out with 30 teams. This year also saw mother nature looming about but she did not hit like the forecasts predicted and all the tourney games got in without any issues. Every team had two round robin games with the top 2 teams in each bracket going to A flight and the bottom team going to B flight. Once the teams were divided, the double elimination playoffs started. When the dust settled in the A flight, four teams were left undefeated. Those teams were the LAPD Blue vs. the California Quake and the SoCal Alliance vs. HardCor.

Policesoftball.Com is pleased to announce the formation of a new team that will be playing in the circuit this year, Team Vargas. The team is coached by veteran USBP Agent Dave Rodriguez who has previously been in a leadership role with other teams such as Nitro2Go, Southwest Syndicate and USBP Heat. According to Dave, the idea of putting Team Vargas together came late last year after a long time member of the USBP Heat passed away due to cancer.

Mitch Brouillette made his debut with the Alliance this weekend and he made it count as he was named the 3N2 MVP. Mitch had a great tournament leading the Alliance to the tourney win. Mich played stellar defense in centerfield, ran like a deer on the base paths and hit .758 with 8 homeruns. For his MVP play, Mitch will receive a 3N2 MVP prize package consisting of (1) pair of Momentum Trainer Turf shoes, (1) pair of 3N2 Batting Gloves, (1) 3N2 Hat or Visor, (1) 3N2 T-Shirt and (1) Pair of 3N2 Sweat Bands.

3N2 Sports will continue with their “3N2 MVP Prize Package Promotion” in 2010 along with Police Softball.COM. The MVP prize package will include (1) pair of Momentum Trainer Turf shoes, (1) pair of 3N2 Batting Gloves, (1) 3N2 Hat or Visor, (1) 3N2 T-Shirt and (1) Pair of 3N2 Sweat Bands. The following tournaments have been designated as 3N2 MVP Prize Package Tournaments:

This section concludes our 2010 season preview. We would like to thank all the teams that gave us info which allowed us to create a more comprehensive preview on the many changes that took place in the off season. Creating and posting the previews were a lot of work but it is something we truly enjoy and we sincerely hope they made the last few weeks a little more enjoyable and helped get everyone ready for the 2010 season. The 2010 season got a little kick off recently at the Brian Azelton tournament back east and it will kick off in earnest out west next week at the DEA Kick Off tournament. Good luck to all the teams in 2010 and most of all, stay safe as you encounter the wolves in our society who will not hesitate to do you harm.

Today PoliceSoftball.com will continue its feature series which will show a "Season Preview" on some of the off-season moves made by teams. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the moves listed but we are confident we will get it right many more times than we get it wrong. Not every team will be featured. Only teams that contacted us with their updates or teams that received a lot of press on their personnel moves on the message board will be previewed. If you would like your team previewed, please send us an e mail prior to the end of the series. On each preview we have listed the teams final 2009 ranking and we have assigned each team an unofficial theme song which we feel reflects that team in some way. We hope you enjoy the work on this and we will be seeing you all soon at the fields.

Today PoliceSoftball.com will continue its feature series which will show a "Season Preview" on some of the off-season moves made by teams. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the moves listed but we are confident we will get it right many more times than we get it wrong. Not every team will be featured. Only teams that contacted us with their updates or teams that received a lot of press on their personnel moves on the message board will be previewed. If you would like your team previewed, please send us an e mail prior to the end of the series. On each preview we have listed the teams final 2009 ranking and we have assigned each team an unofficial theme song which we feel reflects that team in some way. We hope you enjoy the work on this and we will be seeing you all soon at the fields.by: policesoftball.com

Today PoliceSoftball.com will continue its feature series which will show a "Season Preview" on some of the off-season moves made by teams. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the moves listed but we are confident we will get it right many more times than we get it wrong. Not every team will be featured. Only teams that contacted us with their updates or teams that received a lot of press on their personnel moves on the message board will be previewed. If you would like your team previewed, please send us an e mail prior to the end of the series. On each preview we have listed the teams final 2009 ranking and we have assigned each team an unofficial theme song which we feel reflects that team in some way. We hope you enjoy the work on this and we will be seeing you all soon at the fields.

Today PoliceSoftball.com will continue its feature series which will show a "Season Preview" on some of the off-season moves made by teams. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the moves listed but we are confident we will get it right many more times than we get it wrong. Not every team will be featured. Only teams that contacted us with their updates or teams that received a lot of press on their personnel moves on the message board will be previewed. If you would like your team previewed, please send us an e mail prior to the end of the series. On each preview we have listed the teams final 2009 ranking and we have assigned each team an unofficial theme song which we feel reflects that team in some way. We hope you enjoy the work on this and we will be seeing you all soon at the fields.

Today PoliceSoftball.com will continue its feature series which will show a "Season Preview" on some of the off-season moves made by teams. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the moves listed but we are confident we will get it right many more times than we get it wrong. Not every team will be featured. Only teams that contacted us with their updates or teams that received a lot of press on their personnel moves on the message board will be previewed. If you would like your team previewed, please send us an e mail prior to the end of the series. On each preview we have listed the teams final 2009 ranking and we have assigned each team an unofficial theme song which we feel reflects that team in some way. We hope you enjoy the work on this and we will be seeing you all soon at the fields.

Today PoliceSoftball.com will continue its feature series which will show a "Season Preview" on some of the off-season moves made by teams. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the moves listed but we are confident we will get it right many more times than we get it wrong. Not every team will be featured. Only teams that contacted us with their updates or teams that received a lot of press on their personnel moves on the message board will be previewed. If you would like your team previewed, please send us an e mail prior to the end of the series. On each preview we have listed the teams final 2009 ranking and we have assigned each team an unofficial theme song which we feel reflects that team in some way. We hope you enjoy the work on this and we will be seeing you all soon at the fields.

Every few days this month PoliceSoftball.com will feature a "Season Preview" article which will cover some of the off-season moves made by the teams featured. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the moves listed but we are confident we will get it right many more times than we get it wrong. Not every team will be featured. Only teams that contacted us with their updates or teams that received a lot of press on their personnel moves on the message board will be previewed. On the previews we have listed the teams final 2009 ranking and we have assigned each team an unofficial theme song which we feel reflects that team in some way. We hope you enjoy the work on this and we will be seeing you all soon at the fields.

Every few days this month PoliceSoftball.com will feature a "Season Preview" article which will cover some of the off-season moves made by the teams featured. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the moves listed but we are confident we will get it right many more times than we get it wrong. Not every team will be featured. Only teams that contacted us with their updates or teams that received a lot of press on their personnel moves on the message board will be previewed. On the previews we have listed the teams final 2009 ranking and we have assigned each team an unofficial theme song which we feel reflects that team in some way. We hope you enjoy the work on this and we will be seeing you all soon at the fields.

Every few days this month PoliceSoftball.com will feature a "Season Preview" article which will cover some of the off-season moves made by the teams featured. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the moves listed but we are confident we will get it right many more times than we get it wrong. Not every team will be featured. Only teams that contacted us with their updates or teams that received a lot of press on their personnel moves on the message board will be previewed. On the previews we have listed the teams final 2009 ranking and we have assigned each team an unofficial theme song which we feel reflects that team in some way. We hope you enjoy the work on this and we will be seeing you all soon at the fields.

Next up in the Hot Corner is Steve Buccellato of the Sac Razaorbacks team. Steve has become a fixture in NorCal softball and is one of the people you will see doing more than his share of the workload to keep our sport moving forward.

Ray Ghiliotty, or Ray G as he is better known, is next up on the Hot Corner. Ray G has been a quiet force in police softball the last few years and he has steadily improved his game each year. Ray has somewhat flown under the radar the last few years but after winning the West Covina HR Derby and gracing the home page of PS.com, his game will never go unnoticed again. Ray G. was quite simply one of the best Alliance players last season even though he missed West Palm Beach when he had to fly home from Florida for the birth of his son and he missed most of the World Series when a bad ankle injury put him on the disabled list for two months. Ray G. can play any infield position as well as pitcher and can hit for both average and power. Although he has been likened to George Reyes' little brother because of appearance, hitting ability and friendship, Ray G. has proven his game is all his own and we look forward to watching him in the 2010 season. (Like most of the Hot Corners, this one was sent in prior to the end of the 2009 season)

The off season is about to come to an end for PS.com and it is time for us to get back to work. First off is the rosters. Please submit your team rosters to us in an E mail, Private Message, or best of all, post them yourselves in the Roster area of the PS.com Message Board. Roster are very simple. All we care about for our purposes is: Name (First name and last initial), Agency (Agency you are employed by), Basic Job Description (Police Officer, Correctional Officer, Probation Officer or Parole Officer---WE DO NOT WANT SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENT) and the State in which you are employed. (Even if it is obvious, please add it)

This next Hot Corner profiles Hall of Famer David Stevens. David is no longer an active player on the PS.com circuit but he is still very involved attending tournaments and taking professional quality photographs of the game which have been used by Softball Magazine

This weeks Hot Corner profiles Chad Johnson. Chad has been a well known player for the Nitro2Go team but recently announced a leave of absence. it is rumored Chad may find himself behind the dish for HardCor but that is unconfirmed at this time. This Hot Corner interview was done prior to the World Series so view it with that in mind.

Easton will once again be offering their law enforcement program for a limited time. Brett Helmer & Easton Sports have been big supporters of law enforcement softball and policesoftball.com for several years and they are offering an outstanding program for teams in the police softball circuit!

John Scollo is known to many as the coach of the South Florida Lawmen and tournament director of the West Palm Beach Bacon Ball tourney which is one of the best tournaments on the circuit. John is also a very upstanding guy and will give you his unfiltered thoughts any time you ask for them. John is on our 2010 competition committee and is one of the most hard working guys involved in police softball. John is one of the best hosts in the circuit when your team comes to WPB. PS.com highly recommends this tournament as the level of play and night life are outstanding. This year the South Florida Lawmen and Miami Metro Red merged and this merger has made the new SoFlo team one of the most anticipated teams in a long time. Here is John's Hot Corner submitted earlier in the year.

This week we the Hot Corner will bring you the thoughts of Joe Mestres. Joe works for the California Department of Corrections and can be seen toeing the rubber on softball diamonds across the country as he is more than willing to fly anywhere to play softball with his LEO brothers.

This Hot Corner was sent in by California Quake coach Derwin Longmire. Derwin is a longtime fixture in police softball and he has coached and played his team to a 2006 World Series victory. Derwin's Quake team has been ranked in the top 3 of PS.com since its inception. As with all the Hot Corners you will see over the next few weeks, they were sent in several months ago so read them with that mindset.

We would like to apologize for getting backed up on our Hot Corners but during the off season, we will get caught up. This Hot Corner features PS.com Hall of Famer and Minnesota Legend Dan Scheuermann.

Over the past 6 years the World Series has evolved into a bigger event than we first imagined, and in order to continue to produce a high quality event it is unfortunately necessary to limit the number of participating teams. As always we want every team to get a fair and enjoyable experience, which will continue to include 2 round robin/seeding games and then a blind-draw double elimination playoff format. Based on field availability we have determined our cap will be 39 teams in the Platinum division and 15 teams in the Gold division (total of 54 teams). Schedules for both divisions will be intertwined and will span over the same three day period. This will ensure that everyone can enjoy the same experience. The ONLY thing differentiating the two divisions will be the opponents. The championship games for both divisions will be played on late Sunday afternoon/early evening.

As just announced, World Series VI will be held in Las Vegas Nevada. The Las Vegas Big League Dreams is a new facility with 6 replica fields versus the 5 fields (3 replica/2 minor league) we had in Palm Springs. The extra field will give teams the chance to play every game on a replica stadium, but it will also allow us the opportunity to start slightly later and end slightly earlier on most game days. A big change for World Series VI will be the Platinum and Gold Divisions. The Platinum Division will feature 39 teams and the Gold Division will feature 15 teams. Both divisions will play two games in round robin which will seed them into a double elimination format. Both divisions will also play all three days and the games will be intertwined so every player has a similar experience. What does this mean? This means the games just got that much tighter for the 39 teams in the Platinum Division. It also means it will be a dogfight for the 15 teams in the Gold Division. Nobody should plan on booking flights too early on Sunday because there will be a lot of teams slugging it out on Sunday morning/afternoon. Both winning teams will have their picture grace the home page of PS.com for the following year.

At the World Series rules meeting, it was overwhelmingly supported to create a Competition Committee (CC) to look at some of the issues brought forth. The CC will primarily look at rules for the World Series but any tournament director can refer to them if a question arises and they want an outside panel to look at it. This also gives another degree of transparency to how we rule on issues and further reduces the chance that we could have a conflict regarding having a team in the event we also run.We decided to name the CC based on geographical make up so many regions of the country are represented and message board knowledge/activity. We also chose the CC based on their past postings which showed very reasoned thinking.

South Florida Lawmen and Miami Metro Red would proudly like to announce a merger amongst the two teams. Coaches of both teams, John Scollo and Mike Bracci both cite lack of commitment from both sides as the main reason for this merger. The new team will continue to be called the South Florida Lawmen but will have a whole new look. New uniform designs as well as many new faces will be just the start for this team in 2010. The team will continue to be run by Co-managers Scollo and Bracci along with the onfield expertise of Mike Kletzky.

Policesoftball.com is pleased to announce a partnership with www.Sports55.com, makers of the highest quality softball uniforms in the industry. Sports55.com will be known as the "Official Uniform of Police Softball" and will sponsor the Rankings section of the website. Sports55 has developed a plan specific to police softball, for details click this link: http://sports55.com/policesoftball.html

At the World Series we conducted a meeting to discuss some of the issues that repeatedly came up in the past year. The meeting was attended by numerous coaches, tournament directors and players. As it has always been, we control only the World Series and how the rankings are conducted. The meeting was conducted with this in mind. We absorbed the feedback, coupled it with what our limitations are and came up with what we believe is reasonably in line with the thoughts and desires of the majority that attended the meeting. We hope the tournament directors at the meeting will have come away with some thoughts about what the masses think and institute what they deem appropriate for their events. Here is what we came away with:

World Series V unofficially started off on thursday morning with the over the line team competition. Once the dust settled, the Backside Bandits team of Mark Tolliver (repeat champion), Allan Westfall and Scott Waxweiler claimed the top prize and were awarded a pair of ps.com batting gloves. Finishing second was team Beef consisting of Donavan “Double D” Delaney, Curt Ledesma and Chris “Meat” Oliver who received some classic World Series T-Shirts (Read last years editions) After the OTL game, all the players and fans in attendance were treated to In and Out Burger Double Double combo meals and a cold refreshment or two courtesy of policesoftball.com. Thursday night brought the poker tournament where 39 players fought for the grand prize of 1000.00. Winning the competition was Todd “Spotlight” Phillips. A special thanks to Todd and his crew for running the tournament and for Denton Carlson for graciously allowing us to borrow his card and chips. Come friday morning it was time for the games to begin. Winning their brackets and earning #1 seeds were:

Our East coast player of the year award has included great players such as Donny Meyer, Doug Cullen and James Ruocchio. What these players all had in common were the ability to get the job done when their teams needed it. They were the players their teams wanted involved when the game was on the line. This years player is also looked at that way by his team. What you will also see in common with many of the players who have received this award is their positive attitude and ability to will their teams to victory. This is something else our East coast player of the year has in common with the past award winners.

For years Ron "RC" Connor has been one of the best players on the west coast. Whether he was leading the DEA Combo or the LASD Red to tournament wins or the Cal. Quake to World Series victory, there has been one constant. Ron Connor’s teams have won games wherever he has played. That fact is not just a mere coincidence. RC has played for many years and this year it seems he has turned back the clock and elevated his game to heights that are very impressive. RC has played lights out softball both defensively and at the plate all season long. On the season, RC has lead his team to 4 tournament wins, 8 top 5 finishes and the California Quake are the #2 team coming into the World Series. The Quake have won the World Series in the past and with RC playing at this level, the Quake have a good shot to be the last team standing in 2009.

After serving as a Military Police Officer for five years, Steve Martin began his civilian police career with the Phoenix Police Department in 1996. His badge was pinned by his Uncle, Skip Stephenson, a member of the San Diego Police Department and the San Diego Gray Softball Team. Steve worked in patrol from 1996 to 1999, earning the Medal of Valor in 1997. In 1999 Steve left the Phoenix Police Department to begin working with the Arizona Department of Public Safety as a Highway Patrol Officer. Steve met his wife, Carolee, who was also an officer with the DPS, when they were assigned to the same squad. Steve worked on two patrol squads from 1999-2003 before being selected to take a position on the department's advanced training squad.

The final installment of World Series round robin brackets. Each bracket featured 3 of the nation's top cop softball teams. Policesoftball.com tried to evenly balance the brackets as much as possible and mix & match East/West teams. Winning the bracket will be critical as it provides all bracket winners a huge first round playoff bye game. If you win your bracket on Friday, you won't have to play again until Saturday and by then many teams will already be fighting for survival in the loser bracket. A thread and poll will be started on the message board after each bracket is announced. Your input on those threads is encouraged.

The 14th in 15 installments of World Series round robin brackets. Each bracket will feature 3 of the nation's top cop softball teams. Policesoftball.com has tried to evenly balance the brackets as much as possible and mix & match East/West teams. Winning the bracket will be critical as it provides all bracket winners a huge first round playoff bye game. If you win your bracket on Friday, you won't have to play again until Saturday and by then many teams will already be fighting for survival in the loser bracket. A thread and poll will be started on the message board after each bracket is announced. Your input on those threads is encouraged.

Every great team has that defensive force up the middle whether it is a pitcher, middle infielder or center fielder. The Ohio Lawmen are no different as they are blessed with one of the best infielders in the game, Rob Menke. For the last few years, Rob has consistently been one of the most visible players for the Ohio Lawmen and one of the best defensive players in the country. Rob plays in high level civilian ball and this allows him to always be on his "A" game when the police tournaments roll around.PS.com got to see Rob display his glove work this year in West Covina and once again he impressed with his abilities. After every tournament he plays in, there are always memories of a great defensive play, or two, or three, that Rob Menke has made.

Year in and year out, there are some players who exemplify the Sportsman of the Year award and Jim Lemmon fits that bill. Jim is one of the classiest gentlemen on the police circuit and will do anything for anyone. Jim is a huge supporter of police tournaments and the fact he has gotten his team to a police softball best 11 tournaments this year is a testament to the hard work and support he gives back to our sport. In addition to playing in 11 tournaments, Jim's team also hosted a Bacon Ball tournament this year. On the field, Jim’s team has won 2 tournaments this year and lead by his example his team conducts themselves as true professionals. No matter their finish, Jim has always been the consummate professional and true friend

The 13th in 15 installments of World Series round robin brackets. Each bracket will feature 3 of the nation's top cop softball teams. Policesoftball.com has tried to evenly balance the brackets as much as possible and mix & match East/West teams. Winning the bracket will be critical as it provides all bracket winners a huge first round playoff bye game. If you win your bracket on Friday, you won't have to play again until Saturday and by then many teams will already be fighting for survival in the loser bracket. A thread and poll will be started on the message board after each bracket is announced. Your input on those threads is encouraged.

The 12th in 15 installments of World Series round robin brackets. Each bracket will feature 3 of the nation's top cop softball teams. Policesoftball.com has tried to evenly balance the brackets as much as possible and mix & match East/West teams. Winning the bracket will be critical as it provides all bracket winners a huge first round playoff bye game. If you win your bracket on Friday, you won't have to play again until Saturday and by then many teams will already be fighting for survival in the loser bracket. A thread and poll will be started on the message board after each bracket is announced. Your input on those threads is encouraged.

The 11th in 15 installments of World Series round robin brackets. Each bracket will feature 3 of the nation's top cop softball teams. Policesoftball.com has tried to evenly balance the brackets as much as possible and mix & match East/West teams. Winning the bracket will be critical as it provides all bracket winners a huge first round playoff bye game. If you win your bracket on Friday, you won't have to play again until Saturday and by then many teams will already be fighting for survival in the loser bracket. A thread and poll will be started on the message board after each bracket is announced. Your input on those threads is encouraged.

The 10th in 15 installments of World Series round robin brackets. Each bracket will feature 3 of the nation's top cop softball teams. Policesoftball.com has tried to evenly balance the brackets as much as possible and mix & match East/West teams. Winning the bracket will be critical as it provides all bracket winners a huge first round playoff bye game. If you win your bracket on Friday, you won't have to play again until Saturday and by then many teams will already be fighting for survival in the loser bracket. A thread and poll will be started on the message board after each bracket is announced. Your input on those threads is encouraged.

The 9th in 15 installments of World Series round robin brackets. Each bracket will feature 3 of the nation's top cop softball teams. Policesoftball.com has tried to evenly balance the brackets as much as possible and mix & match East/West teams. Winning the bracket will be critical as it provides all bracket winners a huge first round playoff bye game. If you win your bracket on Friday, you won't have to play again until Saturday and by then many teams will already be fighting for survival in the loser bracket. A thread and poll will be started on the message board after each bracket is announced. Your input on those threads is encouraged.

The 8th in 15 installments of World Series round robin brackets. Each bracket will feature 3 of the nation's top cop softball teams. Policesoftball.com has tried to evenly balance the brackets as much as possible and mix & match East/West teams. Winning the bracket will be critical as it provides all bracket winners a huge first round playoff bye game. If you win your bracket on Friday, you won't have to play again until Saturday and by then many teams will already be fighting for survival in the loser bracket. A thread and poll will be started on the message board after each bracket is announced. Your input on those threads is encouraged.

When we started our year end awards, we quickly recognized we needed a sportsmanship award. Without this aspect of our game, law enforcement ball would not be as special as it is to many of us. Each year there are many examples of players and coaches who are strong possibilities for this award but luckily for us, each year there seems to be one person who steps up and stands out as an obvious recipient. This award can be given for a special year the player/coach may have had or it can be recognition for a career of sportsmanship that has separated the award winner from the others. In the case of Terry Dugan, he has earned for both his career work and his work this year which once again has been exemplary.

The 7th in 15 installments of World Series round robin brackets. Each bracket will feature 3 of the nation's top cop softball teams. Policesoftball.com has tried to evenly balance the brackets as much as possible and mix & match East/West teams. Winning the bracket will be critical as it provides all bracket winners a huge first round playoff bye game. If you win your bracket on Friday, you won't have to play again until Saturday and by then many teams will already be fighting for survival in the loser bracket. A thread and poll will be started on the message board after each bracket is announced. Your input on those threads is encouraged.

In 1998 Rick Tirelli founded the NYPD Blues Police Softball team. In 2002 his team won every tournament they entered including the Dayton National Championship. In 2004 the Blues earned their second Dayton National Police Championship. At the end of the 2008 season, Rick and the NYPD Blues lost two big parts of their team in Dan Spinelli and James Rouchio to NY Metro. Losing a Hall of Famer and a former Player of the Year is difficult for a team trying to get to the next level. In addition to Dan Spinelli's contribution on the field, Dan was also a big part of the Blue's management team.

When we look at the candidates for Manager of the year, it would be easy to look at which team is leading the points chase or who has won the most tournaments. But many times those are the teams who are expected to be there. What we often find ourselves being impressed with are the managers who are doing more with less. The managers whose teams are playing much better than expected or who are simply the heart and soul of their teams are very hard not to consider for this award. Steve Merchant is the heart and soul of the Choir Boys and founded the team in 2003. No manager loves his team or does as much for them as Steve does. In addition to playing in and supporting many other tournaments, Steve's team also runs a successful tournament.

The 6th in 15 installments of World Series round robin brackets. Each bracket will feature 3 of the nation's top cop softball teams. Policesoftball.com has tried to evenly balance the brackets as much as possible and mix & match East/West teams. Winning the bracket will be critical as it provides all bracket winners a huge first round playoff bye game. If you win your bracket on Friday, you won't have to play again until Saturday and by then many teams will already be fighting for survival in the loser bracket. A thread and poll will be started on the message board after each bracket is announced. Your input on those threads is encouraged.

The 5th in 15 installments of World Series round robin brackets. Each bracket will feature 3 of the nation's top cop softball teams. Policesoftball.com has tried to evenly balance the brackets as much as possible and mix & match East/West teams. Winning the bracket will be critical as it provides all bracket winners a huge first round playoff bye game. If you win your bracket on Friday, you won't have to play again until Saturday and by then many teams will already be fighting for survival in the loser bracket. A thread and poll will be started on the message board after each bracket is announced. Your input on those threads is encouraged.

The 4th in 15 installments of World Series round robin brackets. Each bracket will feature 3 of the nation's top cop softball teams. Policesoftball.com has tried to evenly balance the brackets as much as possible and mix & match East/West teams. Winning the bracket will be critical as it provides all bracket winners a huge first round playoff bye game. If you win your bracket on Friday, you won't have to play again until Saturday and by then many teams will already be fighting for survival in the loser bracket. A thread and poll will be started on the message board after each bracket is announced. Your input on those threads is encouraged.

The 3rd annual BaconBall New York was held at Flynn Park in Commack N.Y. on Saturday September 19th, 2009 under picture perfect skies. This years event was also sponsored by 5.11 Tactical Gear who gave a $250 Gift Certificate to the MVP and $100.00 Gift Certificates to the All Tournament players. After the morning session of round robin play in which the NYPD Blues and NY Metro went 2-0, Dirty Jersey Boyz, Shamrock Enforcers, Suffolk County 2 and Team USA went 1-1 and Virginia Beach and Nassau County went 0-2, we took a break to eat and share some good times with each other.

The 3rd in 15 installments of World Series round robin brackets. Each bracket will feature 3 of the nation's top cop softball teams. Policesoftball.com has tried to evenly balance the brackets as much as possible and mix & match East/West teams. Winning the bracket will be critical as it provides all bracket winners a huge first round playoff bye game. If you win your bracket on Friday, you won't have to play again until Saturday and by then many teams will already be fighting for survival in the loser bracket. A thread and poll will be started on the message board after each bracket is announced. Your input on those threads is encouraged.

The Michigan Lawmen have a tradition of success and this year is no different as they are coming into the World Series as the #1 ranked team in the East Coast. The Lawmen have already played in 5 tournaments this year and have finished in the top 5 four times with two #1 finishes. This kind of success could not be possible without the help of Don Barnes and Belle Tire. Don Barnes and Belle Tire have been a supportive member of the Michigan Lawmen family for 13 years and this relationship has been a big factor in the Lawmen's success. Not only have they supported the Lawmen, but they have assisted and supported police officers who have been hurt and killed in the line of duty. For what Don Barnes/Belle Tire have done this year and for so many years in the past, they are the 2009 East Coast Sponsor of the Year.

The 2nd in 15 installments of World Series round robin brackets. Each bracket will feature 3 of the nation's top cop softball teams. Policesoftball.com has tried to evenly balance the brackets as much as possible and mix & match East/West teams. Winning the bracket will be critical as it provides all bracket winners a huge first round playoff bye game. If you win your bracket on Friday, you won't have to play again until Saturday and by then many teams will already be fighting for survival in the loser bracket. A thread and poll will be started on the message board after each bracket is announced. Your input on those threads is encouraged.

The 1st in 15 installments of World Series round robin brackets. Each bracket will feature 3 of the nation's top cop softball teams. Policesoftball.com has tried to evenly balance the brackets as much as possible and mix & match East/West teams. Winning the bracket will be critical as it provides all bracket winners a huge first round playoff bye game. If you win your bracket on Friday, you won't have to play again until Saturday and by then many teams will already be fighting for survival in the loser bracket. A thread and poll will be started on the message board after each bracket is announced. Your input on those threads is encouraged

Every year PoliceSoftball.com has given out year end awards at the PoliceSoftball.com World Series opening ceremony. These awards are something we do to recognize the people and companies that have set themselves apart from the crowd and have stepped up in a big way to assist their teams, and/or our sport. Every year we ask for input from all who participate in police softball and with that input, we award who we believe is worthy of the Policesoftball.com Year End Awards. Every year our awards have been handled by the Sacramento County Deputy Sheriff's Association and we would like to thank them on behalf of all of police softball for helping make this night even more special. Our goal is to announce our year end award winners every other day or so for the next two weeks so please check back often to see the announcements.

Our Year End Awards were not going to be named until later this month, but with this one award we felt it was best to announce it now. Jason "J-Hart" Hart is currently in the hospital fighting a badly infect knee. Jason will be in the hospital for at least a week and we hope this news brings him some measure of happiness.

Yesterday we announced the Police All-Star team and today we are proud to announce the Corrections/Parole/Probation Team that will face them on Friday night of the World Series. This game promises to be a great display of talent and intensity as it will match up teammate against teammate. Bragging rights for the year sure sure to be on the line and this game will most definitely be off the charts.

This years World Series All-Star game will be different. In the past, the game has always pitted West vs. East. This year it will pay homage to one of the earliest debates on our website by pitting police vs. corrections/probation/parole. These teams were painstakingly selected after much thought and debate among the coaching staffs. Unlike the past, not every team will be represented. The All-Star coaching staff recognizes they were not building a team of the greatest players, but they were trying to build the greatest team. To that end, it is not only possible but likely that some of the best players in the game will be watching instead of playing. But in the end, the coaching staff selected what they thought was the best team they could field with the understanding that this year it matters. The police team was limited to 20 players and no more than 2 players could come from the same team. The All-Star game will be unlimited home runs and this team was built to play well within that framework of rules.

Today (9-1-09) opens up the roster period for the World Series. All teams submitting rosters must submit them prior to 10-1-09. All rosters must have a players name, agency, title and state. Teams may only be made up of one state except for players who were grandfathered under the adjoining state rule. ANY PLAYERS LEFT OFF THE ROSTER AFTER 10-1-09 WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO PLAY IN THE WORLD SERIES.

One of the most enjoyable things we do at PoliceSoftball.com is give out the year end awards at the World Series. These awards mean a lot to the people who receive them and the past list of award winners are a who’s who list of people associated with police softball. The award winners will be recognized at the World Series and their names will be permanently listed on the Worlds Series history section on PoliceSoftball.com. For the past four years, the awards have been donated by the Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs Association and have been spearheaded by Anthony Costanzo. We would like to thank Anthony and the SCDSA for their help in this very special part of our friday night festivities. Past award winners have been:

A big Friday night at the ball park was an understatement this year at Liberty Park in Sterling Heights. From the opening ceremony to the last car leaving the parking lot, there was a ton of excitement and lots to do. Several of the Class of 2009 Hall of Fame inductees were on hand to receive recognition. Local favorites, Rod Grimes and Hollis Sheffield took their honors in front of their home town fans. Also receiving recognition for their tenure and play in the police circuit was Quake (DEA) player Keith Benjamin, Alliance player Scott Spaulding and an east coast favorite, Stu Hoskins from the Chicago Metro team.

This year 3N2 has designated certain tournaments to be part of the 3N2 MVP Series. Each MVP of the designated tourneys will be awarded a 3N2 MVP prize package. The latest 3N2 MVP tourney of the year was the Sterling Heights tournament.

The Shamrock Enforcers defeated the Tri State Lawmen 25-9 and 25-14 in the finals to claim victory in Anne Arundel County on Sunday. The team was led to the Championship by the efforts of the five MVP’s selected. In his debut appearance with the Shamrocks, outfielder Herman Pharow batted .870 and displayed near perfection on the defensive side. Pitcher John (Guido) Antinoro batted .697 and stunned the competition with his pitching abilities and extraordinary defensive play. Outfielder Joe Markulic batted .600 and led the team in RBI’s. Second baseman Lenny Florek batted .653 and short stop Paul Rutledge batted .666. Both infielders displayed a tremendous command of the field and remarkable range.

The Capital Lawmen Classic was held this past weekend at the Sacramento Softball Complex and was sponsored by the Sacramento County Probation Association. Sac Probation has been hosting softball tournaments for over 37 years under Hall of Fame inductee Elwin Jobe. The tradition has continued under new leadership and we hope to build on this year’s tournament for years to come. A total 17 teams participated, who were ready to compete for the $500 cash prize. The weather was nice and many laughs were shared amongst all of our law enforcement brothers

This year the World Series has decided to change up the All-Star game. In 2009 the All-Star game will no longer be East vs. West, but will be Police vs. Corrections/Probation/Parole. As in the words of people who have heard about this change, this year it will be game on. As always, the manager for the game was awarded to the winning team in the previous World Series. The Manager for the police team will be Del Pickney. Rounding out his coaching staff will be Dan Spinelli, Dennis Leonard and John Scollo.

Several years ago it was decided to start a police softball Hall of Fame to recognize some people who in one way or another have proved to be a cut above the crowd. These people have mostly been players but the Hall of Fame is also open to anyone who is involved in our game. Over the years we have received many questions asking about the Hall of Fame and its' selection process. To answer these questions, I have asked Dennis Leonard, who is a member of our Hall of Fame and Chairman of the east coast selection committee, to give us some behind the scenes information on what actually happens during the process.

The “Hot August Nights” tournament, held at the Mile Square Park Sportsplex, saw plenty of “red-hot” action, close scores and unexpected upsets. “Ultimate” B & G Combo and the So Cal “Dawgs” played hard and both earned the right to be crowned Guns & Hoses Champions in their respective divisions. The competition was close and the battles were tight throughout both divisions.

Police Softball.Com and the East Coast Hall of Fame Committee have created a new way to honor our fallen brothers who have paid the ultimate price as Law Enforcement Officers. In 2006, Police Softball initiated the PS.COM Hall of Fame for both east and west coast Law Enforcement Officers who met a certain criteria of age, longevity and a superior level of playing ability, managerial or tournament director dedication. Committees were formed and nominations were encouraged from all of our peers to honor those who were fortunate enough to have earned induction into the Hall of Fame.

PoliceSoftball.com is proud to announce the 2009 Class of the Police Softball Hall of Fame. As in years past, the selection process was a very difficult process and both the East and West committees worked very hard to come to a consensus. The 2009 Hall of Fame class will be recognized on the field at both the USSSA Law Enforcement Worlds and the PoliceSoftball.com World Series. Congratulations to all the incoming members!!!

The 2009 Chicago Metro Police Softball Tournament was played last weekend in northwest Indiana with the Illinois Lawmen taking the title in the tournaments second year. Things started a lot different than they ended as a beautiful 80 degree day had the Bluegrass Lawmen putting up some sick numbers as they and St. Louis/Worth shared the top two spots after pool play. The Buckeye Lawmen were not far behind while Illinois hung around the top. Wayne Oakland was upset by Hammond, IN PD with a walk-off three run home run in the bottom of the seventh, as Metro Detroit and Orlando struggled to find their way. Friday was capped off with a home run contest that fielded almost 20 guys. In the end Orlando had too much fire power with "Mango" winning against his team mate in a sudden death playoff.

The 2nd Annual Policesoftball.Com/Easton Summer Classic was once again held at the West Covina, Ca. Big League Dreams facility. Bring Ur Skilz C.E.O. Armando Acosta supplied dozens of 2010 Easton bats for the provided bat event. Unlike most tournaments, there were no allegations of “hot” bats because everyone used what was provided…stock Easton bats. Even though the 90 degree heat took its toll on the players, the bats and balls held up well. There were plenty of home runs hit and plenty of runs scored. There was a lot on the line for this event as it was the last point qualifier before the World Series. And there was an “at large” berth available for any non-top-15 team who placed highest. The round robin was critical because in each 3 team bracket only 2 would advance to the A-flight double elimination playoff. The 3rd place team would advance to the B-flight double elimination playoff. Here is how the round robin went down:

The 2009 Lake Tahoe Classic had 30 teams total. Friday Night the games began with 3 tough matchups. After the second game there was a special ceremony honoring the Fallen Officers from Oakland PD which brought tears to many in the stands. John Koss from Aftershock had a script that was simply awesome. Eldorado Sheriff Explorers were on hand and were fantastic. Bracket play had San Joaquin Co. winning the all B Flight in Gardnerville, Folsom-Sac winning the combo bracket in Gardnerville, Cen-Cal Syndicate going 3-0 in Tahoe Valley, Richmond PD winning the other B Flight Bracket at Bijou going 3-0, Nor-cal Choir Boys winning the all A Flight Bracket at the Middle School. At Zephyr Cove Aftershock went 3-0 winning the Am Zephyr Cove bracket and in the toughest Bracket of them all, Sin City Combo 3-0 looked real impressive in winning the PM Zephyr Bracket over Jax 3-1. Sin City defeated Jax on Friday night 27-16.

Skip Stephenson has been playing police softball longer than some of our younger players have been alive. After 34 years on the diamond, 57, Skip doesnt play as much LEO ball as he used to, but if he gets a call, you can expect him to hit .700 and give 100%. Skip was inducted in the 2006 Hall of Fame and he is truly one of our ambassadors for the sport. Skip played his prime years with the San Diego teams and is mostly remembered for his pitching and fiery intensity. Skip is now standing on the Hot Corner.

John “Wasabi" Birtcher has been playing police softball for 15 years. In his younger days, he played A level civilian ball and two years ago, he was inducted into the Police Softball Hall of Fame. Wasabi made a splash when he debuted for the Alliance by getting 21 straight hits which is still a record for an Alliance rookie debut. Wasabi currently plays for A-1 Towing/Hard-Cor, which is one of the best teams in police softball. Even in his upper 40s, Wasabi still carries one of the most feared bats in the game. In 2005, Wasabi won the PoliceSoftball.com World Series HR Derby. To date, Wasabi is still the oldest man to win the World Series Derby.

This is our 4th and final installment of the Mid-Season report. This week we reflect back on our pre-season team summaries and ranking predictions. These next 10 teams you will read about were our projected elite class East teams. Are they living up to our projections? Are they living up to their own expectations.

Donny Meyer is well known in the police softball world. Mr. Meyer is a hall of famer and member of the renowned NY Metro team. Mr. Meyer has been playing police softball for 27 years and if he is in your dugout, there is a good chance you will be victorious when the game is over. Mr. Meyer was slowed last year some due to injuries but after surgery, he has regained his form this year and is once again one of the biggest threats in police softball. Mr. Meyer will now answer your questions---------

This year 3N2 has designated certain tournaments to be part of the 3N2 MVP Series. Each MVP of the designated tourneys will be awarded a 3N2 MVP prize package. The latest 3N2 MVP tourney of the year was the Star6 Memorial tournament put on by the Sacramento Sheriffs. In this tourney, George Reyes of the SoCal Alliance was named MVP for his outstanding performance. George hit .775 along with 7 homeruns to lead his team in hitting and power. With George leading the way, his team rolled off 8 straight victories on Sunday to claim the Star6 crown. For his efforts, George will be awarded the following 3n2 MVP prize package:

If someone would have told me the 4th Annual Star6 Memorial Softball Tourney Champion would have to play 13 games in two days in 108 degree weather and nearly 95% humidity, I would have told them there is no way that could happen. But it did!! The SOCAL ALLIANCE, a combo team from several Southern California Law Enforcement agencies did just that. Five games in a row on Saturday, then 8 games in a row on Sunday to win the championship against A-1 Towing Hardcore in double dip fashion.

Before the season began we wrote a 4 piece installment of the East and West pre-season top 25 team projections. A few weeks ago we re-visited those articles as we looked back at what we said then, and where they are now. So far we have covered the East and West 11-25. Today we take a look at our pre-season top 10. Who is exceeding expectations and who is not living up to them?

This next installment of the Hot Corner (new name...Budweiser threatened us if we continued using Hotseat) features Rick “Slick” Tirelli. Rick is best known for being manager and CFO of the NYPD Blues. Rick has been involved in LEO ball for 13 years and he is the heart and soul of the NYPD Blues. Rick is a true professional and one of the classiest gentlemen you will meet in the LEO game.

Throughout the season we will be bringing you “snapshots” of our players thoughts. Up this week on the hotseat is Del Pickney. Del became involved with police softball in 1997 when he ran the Tustin PD “Sticktime” team. Del was hooked on the camaraderie and the competition and along with Jeff Blair, he formed the SoCal Alliance in 2001. When he and Jeff had difficulty finding information on tournaments, they both started policesoftball.com in 2005 as a clearinghouse area for tournament directors to list tournament information. The website became more than just a tourney listing board and evolved into what it is today. In addition to running the Alliance and the ps.com website, Del is tournament director of the World Series. Now on to our snapshot.

On July 1st, the nomination period for the 2009 Police Softball Hall of Fame class will close. If you have any nominees you want to nominate, please do so before July 1st. On July 1st, the Hall of Fame committees will start reviewing the nominees and will be asked to make some very difficult decisions. Once again the Hall of Fame committees are chaired by Dennis Leonard (East) and Tony Costanzo (West). The rest of the committee members are as follows:

Time to re-visit or pre-season projections. How are things shaping up? Were we on target or did we miss the mark? Here is a blow by blow account of all our hits, misses and plain old do-overs. Where does your team fall on our mid-season report?

Throughout the season we will be bringing you “snapshots” of our players thoughts. Up this week on the hotseat is Brian "Silver Bullet" Podraza. If you would like to be on the hotseat, just e mail us and make sure you have a picture. This will be the one and only hotseat without a photo.

Next up on the PS.com Hotseat is Buckeye Lawmen outfielder Eric Pennekamp, Eric, who also goes by "E", is a very entertaining player as he will give you 100% effort and emotion on the field. If you want your money's worth, pull up a lounge chair next to a Buckeye Lawmen game and cast your eyes towards #14. Eric has only been playing LEO ball for 5 years and he has a bright future ahead of him. Now on to our snapshot.....

West 11-25 Revisited Mid-Season: Back in January we posted a series of articles related to our 2009 pre-season outlook. We pre-ranked teams based on past performance and information gleaned in the off-season. Now it is mid-season so let’s revisit those predictions and see how things are panning out so far:

This years annual West Palm Beach tournament once again raised the bar and showed why it is one of the best tournaments on the circuit. Jack Olson, John Scollo and all the people who helped deserve a pat on the back for making this a special tournament. Although the rain was threatening the entire weekend, it stayed away at the right times to allow the tournament and associated festivities to mostly go on unabated. For those players in town on Thursday, there was a great time had at Rocco’s Tacos and Dr. Feelgoods. Friday saw the annual golf tournament and players party at the Grease Burger bar.

In 2006, 34 individuals were given some long overdue recognition when they were inducted into the Police Softball Hall of Fame. In 2007 21 people received the honor and in 2008, 19 more were enshrined. PoliceSoftball.com has now opened the nomination period for the 2009 class of the Police Softball Hall of Fame. This nomination period is only open during the month of June. No new nominations will be accepted on or after July 1st. This year, nominations will be handled a little differently than in the past. To nominate someone, please go to message board section titled "PoliceSoftball.com Hall of Fame Nominations". This area is on its own and is not mixed in with the main message board. Once there, you will see a sample nomination form.

Throughout the season we will be bringing you “snapshots” of our players thoughts. Up this week on the hotseat is Andy Wurm. Andy is a member of the Police Softball Hall of Fame and a long time member, and current manager, of the Wayne/Oakland Police Softball Team. Andy is a long term poster on the message board and here are his thoughts:

Throughout the season we will be bringing you “snapshots” of our players thoughts. Up this week on the hotseat is Jason Hart. Jason has played with the DEA combo for several years and now plays for A-1 Towing/Hard-Cor, Jason has always been well known for being one of the slickest infielders in the West but this year he has elevated his game and he is also a feared hitter that can hit to both sides of the field. Jason started the season with the DEA Combo but now plays for Hard-Cor.

This year 3N2 has designated certain tournaments to be part of the 3N2 MVP Series. Each MVP of the designated tourneys will be awarded a 3N2 MVP prize package. The recently completed Rick Hall Memorial Tournament hosted by Jacksonville PSC was a designated 3N2 MVP tournament. In this prestigious tournament, Jason Newlin of Jacksonville PSC earned MVP honors. Jason plays LF for the Jax squad and he is one of the top outfielders in the game. In the tournament, Jason made some game changing catches, hit for a high average and also hit some timely home runs. For his outstanding efforts, Jason was named the 3N2 MVP and will be awarded the following 3n2 MVP prize package:

Throughout the season we will be bringing you “snapshots” of our players thoughts. Up this week on the hotseat is Randy Thivierge. Randy is well known in the police softballworld. He is one of the most intense players to watch. If you had to pay to see a police softball game, Randy’s effort and intensity would make sure you get your money’s worth.

The weather held up enough for us to get all of the seeding games played on schedule, and there were some early surprises. One of the big upsets in the seeding round saw a very tough Cen-Cal Syndicate squad knock off Sacramento PD and Stanislaus/Magnum drop two close games to A-1/Hardcor and Aftershock. Both Concord and State Razed picked up where they left off two weeks earlier and put up lots of runs in both of their games. When the dust had settled after the seeding games, Concord earned the #1 seed, followed by A-1/Hardcor, Aftershock, State Razed & Quake.

This years Palm Springs POA tournament was just like years past. It was hot, it was fun, it was competitive and as always, Dan Rose and his crew were there working extremely hard to make sure everyone was taken care of. This year there was a little wrinkle in the tournament in that the new Bacon Ball/Aftershock tournament in Northern California was the same weekend. This took some teams away from Dan’s tournament this year but police softball in the West is so healthy right now, that Dan’s tournament still drew 27 teams while the BB/Aftershock tourney drew 16 teams. Any time 43 LEO teams can all play on the same weekend, things are looking good for LEO ball.

Throughout the season we will be bringing you “snapshots” of our players thoughts. Up this week on the hotseat is Keith (Benjie) Benjamin. Keith is a long time veteran of West coast Police Softball. He has played for some of the best teams in police softball history and he was the recipient of the 2007 PoliceSoftball.com Shevy Wright Sportsman of the Year.

After 30 years of hits, runs and yes a few errors the final curtain fell on the Rick Hall Memorial Police Softball Tournament. Detective Rick Hall with the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office started the Jacksonville Police Softball Tournament in 1980 and thirteen (13) teams came to the inaugural tournament including Wayne-Oakland, Mi with their signature green and gold uniforms. Wayne-Oakland led by Coach Dennis McKee won that first tournament and continued to support the tournament throughout its long history. In fact, Wayne-Oakland was a three (3) time winner of the tournament. Minnesota won the tournament 4 times and New York Metro and the Jacksonville Police Softball Club each wore the crown 8 times. Over the last 30 years the Rick Hall Memorial Tournament was never rained out!

PS.com will be out of town attending the Palm Springs POA Tourney this weekend so we thought we would leave you with a Friday Snapshot. Up this week on the hotseat is Dan Spinelli. Dan is a long time member of policesoftball.com and will never shy away from his thoughts. If you ask Dan a tough question, you will get an answer. PoliceSoftball.com didnt throw any fastballs at Dan but we didnt lob up batting practice either. We have appreciated some of the questions given to us on the message board and will start using some in future snapshots. This snapshot was done prior to any of those questions being offered. With that in mind, here is a snapshot into the mind of Hall of Famer Dan Spinelli: