One For the Ages

When play began at Yard Ball '99 in Columbia, Maryland, this past Saturday, few in attendance gave the Tusken Raiders a chance to succeed. After all, seventy-two teams had entered the tournament, with approximately eight teams in each of nine divisions. That being said, nine teams would walk home as champions of their respective divisions, and sixty-three would leave with their dreams dashed. The Raiders were playing in their first official wiffleball tournament, and some were playing for only the second or third time in their lives. Fortunately for the four Georgetown University alumni who comprised the Tusken Raiders, one of their number had played on such a stage before. Josh Freeman was a veteran of countless wiffleball contests, and his performance would end up being the deciding factor.

The first match for the Tusken Raiders kicked off at the ripe, early hour of nine o'clock, played on a day when temperatures would eventually near one hundred degrees. Star pitcher Josh Freeman offered a sample of what to expect, walking the bases loaded in the first inning before escaping without allowing a run. He and outfielder Bruce Kammer supplied the offense in the opener, a 7-0 victory against a clearly overmatched foe. Taking a little more confidence with them, the Raiders continued their success against the Corporate Team, as Kammer and designated hitter John Parris powered the team to an 8-0 trouncing. With a playoff game now assured, the Raiders faltered a bit against their last regular season foe, escaping 6-3 thanks to another fine pitching performance by Freeman and a two-run homer by first baseman Tony DiPasquale. By virtue of this impressive string of games, the Raiders cruised into the playoffs, riding Kammer's league-leading four homeruns and Freeman's three-hit pitching excellence.

Facing the Tusken Raiders in a first-round playoff game were the runners-up from the division's Group B, foes undaunted by Freeman's pitching prowess and wielding some impressive bats of their own. Unfortunately for the home team, Josh Estes Freeman started off the game by walking six of the first eight batters, spotting their challengers an early 3-0 lead. With the game clock winding down, the Raiders loaded the based in the bottom of the fourth inning, bringing the light-hitting DiPasquale to the plate. On a 2-2 count, the Raiders' first baseman sent a check swing to the left field fence, clearing the bases and tying the score at three runs apiece. An uneventful fifth inning led to extra innings, where each team starts their at-bats with the bases loaded. Undeterred by this setup, Freeman proceeded to strike out the side with some blistering curves. In the bottom half of the inning, John Parris showed tremendous poise, taking each pitch for the game-winning walk. Some timely hitting and an impressive no-hitter by Freeman had propelled the underdogs into the championship game.

Clearly beaten down by the heat and arm fatigue, the Raiders' pitcher bravely strode to the mound once more to take on the Sharks, undefeated champions of Group B. Showing improved control despite painful leg cramps, Freeman continued his mastery of Yard Ball foes. In the bottom of the first, after Freeman had set down the opposition with little difficulty, DiPasquale ripped a double to center. Kammer followed with a slow roller towards first base, a ball which the pitcher fielded easily. However, DiPasquale, running on contact, sped around to score, giving the Raiders a 1-0 lead. Freeman continued to mow down the Sharks, yet the Raiders could muster little more in the way of offensive support. A solo homerun by Freeman in the third would be the only other run scored by the Group A champs, and all present hoped it would be enough. Clearly running on fumes, Freeman took the mound in the fifth inning with a 2-0 lead, knowing three outs meant victory. With one runner on and one out, Freeman called upon lost energy reserves, blowing the last two hitters away with low heat. With that, the Tusken Raiders became Yard Ball '99 champions, and the celebration began.

A team known more for its failure to win than for its clutch performance had changed the very course of its history with one grand day. Freeman completed the tournament with seventy-two strikeouts in twenty-six innings, allowing just three hits and six runs spread across five contests. Bruce Bonds Kammer powered the team into the playoffs, at which point John The Big Hurt Parris and Tony Leyritz DiPasquale provided timely offense for the Raiders. The five victories, including the eventual title game, were a team effort all around, though no one would doubt that Freeman had carried the day. With a pitching performance that will live on in the annals of Yard Ball lore, Josh Freeman redefined pitching excellence, and, in so doing, gave his team a long-awaited championship.

Submitted 6/28/99.

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Live Action! Reunion '99 Photos