Results

THE ALLMENDINGER
Allmendinger Park-- Ann Arbor, MI
May 9, 2009

It's really quite simple: the Commish was going to be in Ann Arbor, and he and Dan Kidle (two self-proclaimed MB geeks) wanted to play some Monkeyball. So they gathered 6 others - two of which also happened to be in the World Top 12 with Dan and Andy - and played A LOT of MB. All balers threw at least 11 games in 2.5 hours, and at the end of the day Andy Frushour walked away with his 10th title.

Notes of interest:

• We played in all kinds of weather. It started off windy and 50+ degrees. Then the wind died and it got warm. Then the wind picked back up and it cooled off again. Then came the rain - misty at first, and then it came down sideways. By the championship, there were blue skies and perfect conditions.
• We started with round robin qualifying and each player playing all others.   It's no surprise that after qualifying 4 of the top 5 were our top ranked players. It's also no surprise that Dan Kidle went undefeated and grabbed the #1 seed, and former Top 10 Jason Tooker finished at #3. Kidle will be a force at MB5 and Tooker is back after a 2-year hiatus from MB events.
• Frushour finished second to Kidle in qualifying, losing 15-12 to young Kidle. Kidle/Frushour is becoming quite a rivalry. Kidle has topped Frushour a few times (Mormons, Naked Christmas), but Frushour has always recouped and won the tournaments. The Allmendginger was no different.
• Casey Frushour, Andy Kidle and Jason Tooker all lost to Dan and Andy, and then the three all split among themselves. Tooker won the point differential tiebreaker to earn the #3 seed.
• In the bottom three, Firas Obeid took home top rookie honors over Zac Schwartz and Arvind Gowda (it was actually Gowda's second career event).
• After nearly losing game one of his quarterfinal match to 8th seeded Zac Schwartz, top seed Dan Kidle advanced to the semis where he ultimately lost to 4th seed Casey Frushour. Zac: what were the eight ways a runner could legally reach first base? We got hit, walk, error, fielders choice, hit by pitch, strikeout and fielders choice.
• Andy Frushour easily knocked off Jason Tooker in the other semifinal, but it was their round robin match that had the group talking. Trailing 13-0, Tooker dropped 12 Monkeys - and knocked off one of Frushour's 3s - to pull to 13-12. Un-phased, the veteran Frushour won on the next rack.
• Brothers Frushour met in the championship for the second time in MB's history. In 2006, Andy won at Woodside Meadows when both players threw Traddy-style. Both have since converted to the pinch, and just like 2006, the elder Frushour won the title.
• By the way, the 8th way to legally reach first base? As a pinch runner.   You suck, Zac - but not as much as that cheap 8th answer.