MB4 PREVIEW & PREDICTIONS

2008 World Championships Information

The Old Orchard once again hosts the biggest Monkeyball event of the year. Last year we thought wind would be the hot topic, but the stifling heat dominated discussion. Don't be surprised if the strong prevailing wind from the west wreaks havoc on the MB4 field.

What we're watching in 2008:

1. New stuff.   We have center courts, corporate sponsors and a HUGE number of participants. This tournament will be like no other in the history of the game.
2. Which Monkeyball "family" will perform the best? Will it be the group of 15 ballers traveling all the way from Alabama? Will it be the dozen players from the Meadow Woods neighborhood in Grand Ledge? How about the large crew driving up from Logansport, Ind.? Most will be staying at Carp National (home of MB2), so that should be good for some karma.
3. Will we have a new champion? Dean Allen will be going for the three-peat - can he be beat? The field is deeper and stronger than ever. It will be an incredible accomplishment if Allen can wear the Golden Monkeyballs for a third consecutive year.

The following predictions and rankings are based on reports from ballers around the country.   If you're a rookie this year (or if you've refrained from talking trash in the last 6 months), you've likely snuck under our radar and are not mentioned in this year's preview.

GROUP OVERVIEW

With last year's finalists leading Group A (Dean Allen and Andrew Alexander), everyone else will be playing for the 3rd seed. Group B appears to be wide open; Brent Morrow will try to defend his #2 world ranking. Is Group C this year's Group of Death? Seven former MB tournament champs will try to knock off #3 Andy Frushour. Andi Osters headlines Group D, although plenty of big-name veteran ballers will attempt to take her out. (PDF of pre-tournament brackets)

MB TOP 60

60. Carl Swan. Will likely lose in some kind of humiliating or heart-breaking fashion. Missed the afternoon session by one game at MB3 and almost lost to an 8-year-old girl earlier this summer at Green Acres.

59. Katlyn Roggensack. Might win championship...if we all played balanced on 4 inch beams.

58. Jill Salmon. The sleeper of the Alabama group? Always wins matches early in SoMoCo tournaments, but has yet to make a deep run in a tournament.

57. Pam Derocher. Claims she has skills, but those Yoopers do things a little different above the bridge.

56. Gary Lane. Just married the former Chrissy Blair (see #28). If she's been giving him tips, he'll be OK.

55. Abe Cross. Cauliflower ear isn't typically a Monkeyball malady.

54. Scott Salmon. Other than Dean Allen, Scott and his dad (Chuck, see below) are the most likely to complain about or question something at MB4. Salmon is part of the SoMoCo group that hopes to take the title back south. Hopefully he doesn't lose his first 2 games; that would make for a crappy (and long) ride home.

53. Chuck Salmon. Elder statesman and lead dog of the Southern Monkeyball Conference (SoMoCo). It's quite an honor to have him in the field, and we thank him for recruiting so many to the big event.

52. Joe Wenzel. He rolls with the Backhanded Traddy. We'll see how that holds up in the rigors of the World Championship.

51. Amanda Person. I hear Amanda's got skills and is a fiery competitor, I suggest she visit the Expectation Generator and click on Rookie and Very Skilled.

50. Lindsey Engelsman. Hoping to lay claim to second-best female tag.   Andi Osters has the first-best title locked up.

49. Dan Smith. Hoops legend from Olivet College is flying in from Georgia for the event.  

48. Jason Quaine. Baseball legend from Adrian College is driving in from Ann Arbor for the event.  

47. Zach Jonker. Soccer legend from Hope College is driving in from Petoskey for the event. I'm often asked if he's the best Monkeyballer north of the 45th parallel.

46. Shawn Johnson. Will this rookie's horseshoe prowess carry over to Monkeyball?  

45. Joe Zimmerman. Once claimed we could stream live MB video from the post of a ladder; still waiting for that to happen.

44. Josh Solomon. Last minute invitee in 2007.   Won a few games before bowing out just short of the afternoon session.

43. Josh Vis. Last time I saw this Dukie, he was Traddy with a little side swerve.

42. Tony Bihn. Finished in his group's 8th spot last year.  

41. Sean Dameron. Hard to gauge. Recently won Bull Run, but hasn't fared well in other Alabama tournaments.

40. Kari Dressler. As mentioned last year, she's much better than her ranking suggests. Dressler ran into a difficult draw at MB3.  

39. Rex Danely. Second-best firefighter at MB4? I'd like to see a doubles match with Danely and fireman Renner on one side, and policemen Tony Fuller and Carl Swan on the other.

38. Jay Lomenick. The Alabamans call him "Sofa". I don't know why, but maybe we'll find out.

37. Katy Hinz. Took MB3 by storm, winning Group C. Will she fall prey to the sophomore slump in 2008?

36. John Kidle. Dusts off his M-ball shoes once a year to take part in the World Championships. Gave Alexander all he could handle before falling last year in the quarterfinals.

35. Bill Mills. Just won the recent Broken Bow Invitational by winning 8 straight matches.   Could be peaking at the right time.   Hope he doesn't take kissing the balls too literally.

34. Matt Young. Won't be in awe of the scope of the event; Young is a cool and calm Monkeyball veteran.

33. Jim Blair. Monkeyball's first World Champion. Lots has changed since his title in 2005, namely the mainstream use of the Pinch. Our MB4 host and keeper of the Old Orchard will likely employ the traditional toss again this year.  

JUST MISSED:
THE 4 WHO WILL COME ONE GAME AWAY FROM THE AFTERNOON

32. Mary Allen. Mother of two-time defending champion, Dean Allen. The Allen family has an extensive bowling history, so Monkeyball just comes naturally.

31. Scott Engelsman. Worlds rookie, but did win the lone North Carolina event that included Andys Frushour and Dressler.

30. Jo Kidle. Just released from the maternity ward, but always a tough out.

29. John Griffith. Winner of the largest non-Worlds tournament to date, and another member of the heralded Southern Monkeyball Conference.

AFTERNOON QUALIFIERS - TOP 28

28. Chrissy Lane. Knocked off Chuck Trinoskey and Joe Frushour in back-to-back matches at MB2, and will be looking for an equally impressive highlight at MB4.

27. Adam Schrauben. Leading Team Schrauben to the Old Orchard. Schrauben recently hosted his own wiffleball tournament, so he should be in good drinking form for MB4.

26. Joe Guzowski. We've never seen him play, but seems to be a natural at everything he tries.  

25. Maggie Olds. Has the skills, experience and moxie to beat anyone in the field at any time. The questions is, can she do it consistently over the entire day?

24. Curtis McFall. Finished runner-up to Dean Allen in 2006, but fell apart last year. Trying to show that MB2 wasn't a fluke.

23. Eric Trinoskey. Flying from Florida for his fourth World Championship. In the previous three years, the Monkeyball Jesus earned a #1 seed through morning qualifying and then lost the first match of the afternoon.

22. Paul Mountain. Even with a cast on his arm, Mountain finished 8th in his group last year - one spot for qualifying for the afternoon.  

21. Dave Sylvia. Rumors from Meadow Woods say Dave will be a challenger.   This rookie will have to test his mettle against someone other than Giller, Byers or Olds to make his name in Monkeyball circles.

20. Jeremy Foco. Made a run to the quarterfinals last year, but that's his only real result. Hasn't faired too well in battles at Ashcroft Lawn.

19. Jim Wenzel. BRI's Horseball/Donkeyball champ - can he adapt and hang with the Monkeyballers?

18. Tony Fuller. Fuller will be fighting Renner -- his opponent in the 2008 Blatz Memorial Day Afternoon Delight -- for the badge of top civil servant at MB4. Made it to the Sweet 16, but can he make the leap into the final rounds in 2008.

17. Todd Byers. Shot onto the scene at MB3, reaching the Sweet 16. Has had other experience in big matches at Pennine Ridge with the Meadow Woods crew.

SWEET 16

16. Andy Kidle. Southpaw brings the Traddy heat. Don't stand too close behind the ladder; if he misses the bar (not often), you may get hit in the (Monkey)balls.

15. Dan Renner. Been preaching the game to Lansing and East Lansing's finest; even started pitching on softball team to prepare for MB4. Still numb from being thumped by Osters in 07's Sweet 16.

14. Kevin Gunns. A grinder that always makes it to the afternoon session; a sleeper to make it deep in the tournament.

13. Jason Salmon. Top Alabaman (although I'm not sure the SoMoCo crew claims him anymore since he moved to the north). Won the 2007 Birmingham Christmas Invitational and finished second at the 2008 Rochester Invitational. He's a Worlds rookie, but has the skills to advance deep into the tournament.   Unless he chokes.

12. Casey Frushour. Recently switched to the pinch after twice reaching the Worlds semis as a Traddy. Will his prep for MB4 be anything like his prep for U-M's Naked Mile in 1999?  

11. Chuck Trinoskey. Originator of the pinch. After finishing second in 2005, Trinoskey has not lived up to his own high standards. Expect Chuck to find his groove at MB4.

10. Andy Dressler. Won the controversial Grass Rule Invitational in May 2008. One of the last holdovers of the Traddy camp, don't be surprised if Dre busts out the pinch for MB4. Even if he continues to roll old school, he's a threat to win the title.

9. Brent Morrow. Will the Slow Rock catch on at MB4 like the Pinch did at MB3? Morrow has made back-to-back semifinal appearances, but has yet to finish in the top three.

QUARTERFINALISTS

8. Tony Olds. Official MB DJ, and New Years Eve champ of 2007. Skills have greatly improved since his first tournament. The spotlight of the World Championships will have no effect on this Meadow Woods baller.

7. Chuck Giller. Won in July at the Meadow Woods Worlds Warm Up, and finished second at the stacked 2007 Labor Day Invitational.   Expect him to be the breakout rookie in 2008.

6. Joe Frushour. This pincher can be hot and cold.   But when he's hot, it's hard to keep up.

5. Dan Kidle. Kidle has been strong in every MB tournament to date (this spring, won the 08 Weiners and finished second at the 08 Green Acres), except for the World Championships. He's got a bitter taste in his mouth, but enough game to make a long run at Worlds.

SEMIFINALISTS

4. Andy Frushour. With two titles in his '08 bag already (Rochester, Green Acres), the Commish has high hopes at MB4. Host and tournament administration duties may preoccupy him too much to focus on the task at hand.  

3. Dean Allen. His two-year reign is over, but not without a fight.   He'll be back next year, hungrier than ever, to go for his third World title.

RUNNER-UP

2. Andrew Alexander. As a rookie in 2007, Alexander took the Worlds by storm knocking off Dean Allen in the first match of the day. He later fell to Allen in the championship match. Alexander should perform well, as long as his nights aren't too long the week of the tournament.  

CHAMPION

1. Andi Osters. An Osters win would make her MB's second female tournament champion, but more importantly the first female World Champion. She's always been strong at Worlds, but has fallen just short. This is her year.   I wonder how she'll celebrate?

CLOSING

Osters is the pick, but there are more than a dozen legit contenders to take the title from the two-time defending champion. It should be an incredble battle royale. And if you'd like me to add your picks to this preview, just send them to afrushour@gmail.com.