Week 1:

The season kicked-off in the friendly confines of Bleecker Street Bar, but the venerable old site was not friendly to the veterans on The Ship.  Rich and Andrew dropped the first two S501 games, as did John, in his return to action after a long layoff.  But Fred got The Ship back on track, and set the example for Roni and Nacho, who both recorded their first wins ever, and got The Ship back to a 3-3 tie heading to Cricket.

Once again, the rookies led the way, as Nacho / Fred earned a split in game 1, and Roni / Rich swept their games.  So after Cricket, The Ship was again tied, with the rookies contributing to 5 of the 6 points. But, we would need to take at least two of the three games in D501 in order to take the night.

Andrew / John ran into a buzz saw to start D501, as their opponents got in right away, and then threw a Ton-23.  But The Ship was given new life, when the rookies won game 2, capped off by an amazing out by Roni.  Rich / Fred rolled in the last game, securing a 10-8 victory for The Ship.

Props:
Roni & Nacho: Virtual locks for co-ROY honors.
Bruce & Patti: For the best birthday present evah!

Week 2:

Glenn took the field to start things off and made it look easy, taking the first win of the night.  Rich, Rebecca and Fred all took off in their games, and The Ship took a quick 4-2 lead.

But things took a turn for the worse once we hit Cricket.  Glenn / Rebecca took a beating in game one, losing two against their best (cocky) player.  Rich / Roni took a bath in game two, as they were unable to get started in either game and were quickly swept.  Only Fred / Andrew were able to take the reins and take down their team, scoring a split.  But The Ship was taken down a notch, and went into D501 down 7-5.

But Glenn / Fred took charge in the first D501 game, with Fred notching a righteous 58-out to grab the first game against their ace-in-the-hole.  Andrew / Roni made a gallant effort to comeback in their game, but ended up taking one on the chin.  In the final game, Rich / Rebecca took care of business, scoring a victory and securing a 9-9 tie for the night.

Props:
Fred: For unleashing a torrential storm.
Glenn: For coming off the bench to bail us out.
Rebecca: For raining on their parade.

Week 3:

The night started out fairly ordinary, with The Ship taking two of the first three games.  Then Rebecca hit the board to show the way with a Whoomp!  A Ton-34 out of the box and she rolled from there. One more win in S501 gave us a promising 4-2 lead, but Party People, we were just gettin' started.

Upside down and inside out, we were about to show folks what it's all about. Fred / John put together two wins to lead off Cricket.  Glenn / Andrew followed up with two more wins, including a C3 from Glenn to win a game.  Rich / Rebecca completed the round with another sweep, and The Ship had jumped to a 10-2 lead.  Let me hear you say: Whoomp There It Is!

Now it's time to get on the mic, and make this party hype.  Same teams, different order... same results.  Glenn / Andrew scored a Whoomp, and then Fred / John scored a Whoomp, and then Rich / Rebecca scored a Whoomp.  Another sweep in D501, and a 16-2 win for the night.  Whoomp There It Is.  I'm done.

Props:
Andrew: Off the schnied and back to his old form.
John: Displaying the mystical skills from the desert.

Week 4:

Forced to play in freezing cold conditions on a board with a questionable set-up, The Ship felt at a disadvantage form the beginning.  Add in the pressure of the Yankee game, and it was no wonder that The Ship was down 4-2 after S501.  Only Rich and John were able to piece together wins in the unforgiving conditions.

Cricket started out equally difficult, with Fred / Andrew dropping the first two games.  But Rich / Rebecca were able to split their games, and The Ship started to show some life.  In the third game, against the opposition's two best players, Nacho delivered.  Scoring points, closing out numbers and hitting bulls, he and John delivered two wins and gave The Ship a glimmer of hope heading in to D501.

Unfortunately, Rebecca / John and Rich / Andrew were unable to continue the momentum, as they dropped the first two games.  But once again, Nacho hit the spot, pulling out win just when it looked like we might lose to their highly inebriated team.  The Ship ended with an 11-7 loss, and an appetite for destruction.

Props:
Nacho: Extra hot, extra spicy.

Week 5:

With the Yanks battling Boston in the background, The Ship powered out of the gates by winning the first 3 games of the night, and taking 4 of the 5 S501 games we played.  So, despite being down a  man, we were ahead 4-2 after S501.

Rich / Rebecca continued the winning ways with a win in their first game of Cricket, but they dropped game two after falling behind early.  Roni took one for the team by playing 2-on-1, and lost both, although he put up a fight by throwing an impressive amount of bulls.  Andrew and Nacho split the final two games, and The Ship was tied after two rounds.

Looking for two wins in D501 to take the night, we sent Roni / Rebecca out in game one, but they lost a close match.  Rich played 2-on-1 in game two, and had 8 shots to double out, but lost a close one.  The sweep was complete when Andrew / Nacho dropped the last game, making the final score a 12-6 loss for The Ship.

Props:
Rich: Came this close to a big win, just like the Yanks.

Week 6:

The night started out sweeter than chocolate covered gummi bears, as The Ship ripped off five wins, by Rich, John, Roni, Rebecca and Andrew.  Surging out to a 5-1 lead, The Ship was on the the Rainbow Trail and headed for the Candy Castle.

Cricket started out slowly, as Andrew / Fred dropped two very close games.  But The Ship changed course with a sweep from John / Roni, sparked by an amazing comeback.  Rich / Rebecca followed up with a sweep, and The Ship was cruising over Gumdrop Pass and headed for home, up 9-3.

The Ship seemed to get lost in Lollipop Woods when John / Roni dropped the first game, despite having a big lead.  Andrew carried Rich through trouble to post a win in game 2, but Fred / Rebecca were caught in the last game, making the final score 11-7 in favor of The Ship.

Props:
Rich: Sweep. Sweet.
Roni: His first taste of All Star points. Yummy.

Week 7:

Despite an early win by Rich, The Ship was backed into a corner early with an atypical S501 outing.  Five losses meant we faced an early deficit, and we were forced to turn the beat around.  We had to turn the match upside-down in order to pull out a victory.

Cricket opened with two splits in the opening games, by Rebecca / Roni and Rich / Nacho.  The Ship was facing a dire situation when Andrew / John stepped up to the line in the final game.  John closed out a huge comeback in the first game with a C4, and then he and Andrew rolled in game two for a critical sweep.  Suddenly, The Ship was back in the match, down only 7-5 going into D501.

Riding the hot hand, John / Andrew went back to the line and notched another big win to start D501.  Then Rebecca / Nacho staged a comeback to win a close one in game two.  In the final game, Rich / Roni fell behind early and were not able to catch up.  However, two wins meant a 9-9 tie, which was a big turnaround from an early deficit. If I was green I would die.

Props:
John: Overdressed and overpowering.
ODB: Ghetto Supastar, That Is What You Are.

Week 8:

Just like week one, S501 started out with a 3-3 tie.  Rich, Glenn and Rebecca all won (but got no AS points), while Roni, Andrew and Aaron lost (but scored 290 AS points between them).

Cricket started out rough, as Rich / Rebecca dropped both games, including a heartbreaker in game two.  Glenn / Andrew worked a split in their games, but Roni / Aaron were swept, putting The Ship down 8-4.

Proving they could give as good as they get, Roni / Aaron went back out and won the first game of D501 with an almost flawless game.  Rebecca / Glenn fell far behind (not even in with only 67 left for their opponents), but staged a comeback to make a game of it before dropping game two.  In the last game, Andrew doubled in and out, carrying Rich to a victory, and the two wins in D501 gave The Ship a much needed 4 points.

So, we got what we gave in week one (a 10-8 loss), but we proved we can go toe-to-toe with anyone.

Props:
Andrew: Two big wins and 98 AS points.  There's only two rules, and that's all...
Roni: Major trash talk, backed up by 312 AS points.

Week 9:

Roni hit lead-off this week, and played a strong game before coming up just short.  But Rich, Rebecca and John followed up with wins, and then Fred was awarded a forfeit win just for standing around on crutches.  With an early 4-2 lead, The Ship was making itself heard.

Since it was tough to move Fred around, we just left him out there to start Cricket.  Technically it was a two-on-one match, but things were closer than they appeared, as it was only three legs to two.  But Roni / Fred made the most of their legs and notched two wins.  Andrew / Rebecca were swept in game two, but Rich / John came back with a sweep of their own, making The Ship's lead 8-4.

For D501 each team had only five players, so the first game was a one-on-one match which Rich came back to narrowly win.  In game two, the three-legged duo of Fred / Roni notched another win.  Rebecca / John couldn't rebound from an early deficit in game three, but two wins gave The Ship an ear-shattering 12-6 win for the night.

Props:
Fred: An unprecedented one-legged sweep.
Dev, Heidi, Autumn, Ayesha, and Becca: For coming out and making some noize.

Week 10:

All right stop, collaborate and listen
The Ship was back with the baddest intention
But something grabbed hold of us tightly
Making this week really unsightly.
Would it ever end? Yo -- I don't know
Turn on the lights and we'll throw
To the extreme, we got robbed by a vandal
End of the day, we got burned like a candle.

(We were) Ice Ice Baby, Ice Ice Baby
(We were) Ice Ice Baby, Ice Ice Baby

Singles, Rich and Roni came out with booms
Then we lost four games due to poisonous mushrooms.
Deadly, when we play Cricket to a tee
But losing five of six outta be a felony.
Love it or leave it, we needed to find a way
We had to hit bull's eye, just to save the day
But there was a problem, Yo, we caused it
Check out the midget while my teammate tossed it.

(We were) Ice Ice Baby, Ice Ice Baby
(We were) Ice Ice Baby, Ice Ice Baby

Lookin' for points, in Doubles there's no fakin'
But we got smoked like a pound of bacon
Only Rebecca and John were quick and nimble
Getting a win that stood as a symbol.
But this week was like a chemical spill
Games that were hard to swallow as a pill
Losing by 8 points, this is a hell of a concept
Let's take a break and try to forget this
End of the day, we got sliced like a ninja
Cut like a razor blade so fast, Other teams say, "damn"
If darts was a drug, I'd sell it by the gram
Keep your composure when it's time to get loose
Next week at home we'll all kick the juice
But there was a problem, Yo, we caused it
Check out the midget while my teammate tossed it.

Ice Ice Baby Too cold, Ice Ice Baby Too cold Too cold
Ice Ice Baby Too cold Too cold, Ice Ice Baby Too cold Too cold

Props:
Roni: A surreal effort.

Week 11:

Super Tuesday kicked off with the incumbent falling behind sharply in the polls.  Rich won the first game, but The Ship dropped the next five S501 games, putting us down 5-1.  We needed a strong showing in the debate in order to turn the tide and bolster our campaign.

Rebecca / Fred stumped for votes in the first game of Cricket, garnering a split.  John / Roni were swept in two games, but Rich / Andrew followed up by sweeping their two games.  The 3-3 tie in Cricket meant that The Ship was back in the game and the match was sent to committee for review.

John / Rebecca made a strong statement in Game 1, pulling out to an early lead, notching a win and securing 2 electoral votes.  Roni / Fred nearly won in a landslide, but ended up just squeaking out a win in Game 2.  Andrew / Rich went into Game 3 looking for a D501 sweep and a rousing victory on the night.  In a hard-fought game that featured a 120-on for them followed by a 100-on by Andrew, 517 total AS points scored and a total running time of about 3 minutes, Rich / Andrew lost a tough one.  The 10-8 loss means that, The Ship and American Spirits are now deadlocked in the standings, causing pundits to demand a run-off.

Props:
Rebecca: A champion for the cause with 2 wins and 194 AS points.
Fred: Bolstering support with 2 wins and 125 AS points.

Week 12:

On a wild night in which we bounced around from game to game and barely managed to get a team in place, the Shipmates ended up making beautiful music together.

S501 yielded only two wins from Rich and Fred, although there were close games and near wins across the board.  However, with four wins in Cricket, we managed to draw even.  Andrew / Roni swept their games, and Nacho / Fred and Rich / Rebecca both earned splits.  We had a tough loss in the first D501 game, followed by a big win from Andrew / Roni in Game 2 to tie things up again.  In the last game, Rich / Rebecca pulled out a win to give the Ship a 10-8 victory and left us humming a happy tune.

Props:
Andrew: For 280 AS points and 3 wins.  He was a superstar, he was dynamite.
Fred: For 320 AS points and 2 wins, and composing a winning roster.

Week 13:

Me mind on fire, The Ship on fire, feeling hot hot hot.  Well, party people, even with the long layoff The Ship continues to be hot, as we cruise into the playoffs.

The long trip to the match didn't seem to upset us, as we all arrived early.  But jetlag must have been a factor, because we dropped the first three game of S501 before Rich and Andrew righted the ship with some wins.  We ended up S501 down 4-2, but we were just starting to warm up.

Despite a chilly breeze from the open screen door, the start of Cricket lit a fire under us.  John / Fred set the pace by cruising to two easy wins in the first match-up.  Rich / Rebecca and Andrew / Roni were able to split their games, giving us 4 points in Cricket and pulling The Ship back into a 6-6 tie for the night.

While The Ship intently debated the ramifications of the phrase "I'm hot, you're hot, he's hot, she's hot," Roni / Andrew kept fanning the flames in the first game of D501 with a quick double-in and an easy victory.  Fred / John continued their perfect night with another win in Game 2.  Although Rich / Rebecca dropped the final game, The Ship still sailed away with a 10-8 win for the night and capped the evening with a victory shot (has John created a new tradition?).

Props:
Fred / John: Undefeated in 6 games together this season.
Andrew: 3 for 4 on the night.

Week 14:

While we were basically assured of a playoffs spot, the final week did have an effect on the standings, and we used the match to stay sharp for our trip to the post-season.  Through the first two round, the match was tied 6-6.  We had some exciting matches, but none were better than Andrew / Roni's epic Cricket battle, in which they each hit a C3 in the same game, hit a combined 14 bullseyes, yet still lost the game.  It was by far the best game I've ever seen, and really showed what our team is all about.  We posted a win in our final D501 game, making the final score 8-10.

With some new faces on the team, the return of alumni back to action, and injuries that didn't slow us down season had it all.  Thank you all for making my Tuesdays so much fun.

Season Notes:

Once again, The Ship has raised the bar and delivered it's best season ever.  We finished the season in sole possession of 3rd place, which is our best finish ever.  We had 6 wins, 2 ties and 6 losses, and scored 129 points (adjusted for the forfeit win).  We had our second best totals ever for team points and All Star points.

Season-Ending Props:

Things got off to a rough start, as Rich dropped the opening game. But Fred followed up with a win, as did Rebecca and Roni, and the three wins made the match even after the first round, and set the stage for the rest of the night.

Cricket began with Fred and John continuing their season-long dominance, opening with a sweep of two games. But Game 2 saw Rich / Rebecca drop two heartbreakers, despite a comeback in game one and a big lead in game two.  When Andrew / Roni lost their games as well, The Ship found itself down 7-5, and on the brink of elimination.

But with our backs to the wall, the real spirit of The Ship came through in D501. Fred / John continued to set a winning example, posting a win in Game 1.  Rebecca / Roni came back and when Rebecca hit double-10, The Ship had made a dramatic comeback and taken a 9-7 lead.  Andrew / Rich had the opportunity to send The Ship to Round Two with a win, but they were unable to close out the game.  The loss made the score 9-9, and forced an overtime match of a six-on-six 1001 tie-breaker, to take the night.

With the momentum gone, The Ship never really got going in 1001.  In a shocking finish, The Edge managed to double-out and move on in the playoffs.

Once again, we put together a (one-hit) wonderful season both on the field and off.  I hope we can get together next season and once again make beautiful music together.