Last Regular Season Weekend Big Apple League "Rollercoasters, Proper Star Alignment, Recovery, and X factor"

The Topsy turvy roller coaster ride known as the Big Apple Softball League Season concludes this Sunday. The ups and downs, twists and turns, and mood swings of the long season has some of us falling off and trying to get back on the self medicating sobriety wagon.

However, all that really matters now is this very last Sunday before the playoffs as teams are trying to seize the moment and build momentum going into the playoffs. This year is unique in that heading into this last weekend playoff slots 1 through 8 are not yet officially set. A myriad of complicated, wild, and confusing scenarios could occur if the softball stars

are aligned properly. In the end though Al Davis said it best and and everything else will take care of itself.

Teams will be licking their wounds and chops as they smell blood at the finish line by putting their best ten on the field. Going out there and playing your best is a must as anything can happen and it usually does, so hopefully you've generated enough good karma with the softball gods

and things will work out for the best.

As for my team (sorry i couldn't resist), Diesel and our honorable manager

Jimmy Bitros

its been a roller coaster season of recovery, restoring respectability, redemption, and resiliency. Like other teams we will go as far as our defense and pitching carry us, but my heart, gut and experience tell me we need an X-Factor. In the playoffs you always need an X-factor to go your way - a call, the seeding, a break, or a player. Our X-Factor is Gilberto Gonzalez. As John Rosenmiller manager of the two time defending champions Choice "Evil Empire" Parts says "He's a gamer". When focused and happy he can be the softball X-Factor on both sides of the ball we need down the stretch. That's not that big of an if, b/c I know he has pride and will give us a chance on both sides of the ball.