Welcome to the Official Site of IWL 2000!

In case you've cared to notice, the IWL Web site has fallen on hard times. It hasn't been updated in ages, and the creative energy that flowed so easily before has basically come to a stand still. I wish this was not the case, but, like so many other things, updating the page takes time and I don't have any to spare. Between travelling, working two jobs, playing baseball, and trying to have the tiniest shred of a damn social life, its hard to find the time to even play Wiffleball, nevermind write articles, compile statistics, edit graphics, and manage an entire web site. So, I apologize for the present state of things and hope they will get better in the future. I would hope to get a little free time here and there to devote to the site, but I just find it impossible to put the kind of work into it to keep it going. If you came to the site to check it out, I once again apologize. If you came to blast it (read: blasting is much different from criticizing) I suggest you get a goddamn life. Peace.

6/4/00- The 2000 season is now well underway, but focus still remains on the yet to be completed 1999 World Series. The East Side Handicap got one back on Saturday with a convincing 13-8 victory, but still trail the West Side Homiez three games to two in the best of seven series. Click on the link above or the link below to read up on all the latest World Series action.

Team	Wins	Losses	PCT	GB	RF	RA	AVG	ERA
Homiez	20	14	.588	---	191	139	.370	4.94
Cartel	17	17	.500	3	173	181	.347	6.62
Homeboyz	14	20	.412	6	202	172	.368	5.50

Wild Card Playoff: Handicap Defeat Cartel, 4-1
World Series: Homiez Lead Handicap 3-2

The populace has spoken. Apparently it just isn't too smart. West Side's Robert "Ice Box" VanZander was voted the IWL's worst player in the May 2000 IWL Web poll, capturing 28% of the votes. Few would ever rank VanZander among the IWL's greats, but after his performance in three games in the 1999 World Series (.351 AVG, 1.162 TA, 7 HR, 14 RBI, 1-0 record with a very solid pitching performance in Game 3) it is hardly realistic to view him as the IWL's worst. "I don't know what the people are thinking. Ice is the man. We've won three games in the World Series, and those were the three games in which the Box has played," said West Side captain and known VanZander advocate Karl Cyr. Added East Side Handicap captain Brett Bell, who has fealt the "wrath of the Box" in Games 3 and 4, "I know everyone thinks he sucks, but you just can't underestimate the guy. He can hit homers just as well as anyone."
The vote was pretty close, with VanZander taking 28% of the vote, while Chris Lombard finished last with 12%. Surprisingly, Josh King was second with 21% of the votes, while Matt Nixon and Josh Slopak finished even at 18%.

The 1999 World Series was due to be the first real exciting postseason battle. The revamped East Side Handicap, led by offseason acquisitions Brett Bell and Chris Tarlov, rookie Justin Sawchuk, and East Side mainstay Jeff King rolled into the World Series by clinching a playoff berth with a third place finish and then dismantling the South Central Cartel 4-1 in the Wild Card Series. East Side had all the momentum, as well as the hottest players the in the league in Sawchuk and Tarlov. On the other side of the coin, the Homiez were going into postseason play very cold, having not played in an official game since the previous August 15th. The Homiez were the defending champs and felt all the pressure, knowing they were the favorites despite East Side's overwhelming lineup. Knowing the Homiez lacked the luster they had had in the past and confident they could handle the league's best team, the Handicap kept flying high. They stormed the Homiez in Game 1, winning a 3-1 contest while playing excellent pitching and defense and timely hitting. They held West Side immortal Karl Cyr to one home run and managed to hit his pitching enough to pull out a victory. It appeared that East Side indeed held the upper hand. As they jumped out to an early lead in Game 2, West Side panicked, knowing a 2-0 series deficit would be almost impossible to surmount. The Handicap responded by widening the gap. Then it happened. Karl Cyr, Captain of the Homiez, four time MVP, all- time record holder in just about every category, and above all, fierce competitor, decided to play ball. He blasted six HRs to get West Side back in the thick of things, and his success became contagious. The Homiez came back to win 9-8 in Game 2, and never looked back. Game 3 was a sick 18-5 blowout, with Cyr knocking 4 HR with 10 RBI while going an incredible 11-16 while teammate Rob VanZander continued his fine play with 3 HR, 8 RBI, and 4 2/3 solid innings on the hill. For East Side, Bell continued his enigmatic playoff slump and played what many consider the worst game of his career, allowing a playoff record 15 ER in 4 1/3 IP and going a paltry 2-10 at the plate. Game 4 was only a little better, ending in an 11-5 West Side rout. Cyr again blasted four homers, bringing his playoff record total to fifteen in just four games, and VanZander blasted three more of his own. In fact, in just three playoff games has seven dingers, which matched his total output in fifteen games of the 1999 regular season, and consists of a third of his career homer total spanning 49 games. Double digit scores are being recorded, balls are flying over the fence as soon as they can be retreived from the pool and pitched, opposing players are frustrated, and a player who many consider to be the worst in the league is hitting .351 with 7 HR and 14 RBI. What's going on? West Side is back!!!

Subway's Featured Fans

This time around we'd like to give "props" to a few of C-Town's finest, and a member of UConn's IWL Fan Club. First off, the great Ryan Madden, who calls the IWL a bunch of "communist bastards." Then comes longtime IWL fan Joe Amara, whose immortal words "what the heck is this?" echo through the hallowed pages of the Guest Book. And finally, who can forget Heathcliff Slocumb's #1 fan, Kim Pelkey. Last but not least, there are few bigger fans out there than UConn's Brian Bacon, who drinks beer and memorizes pornographic images. Congratulations to Subway's latest Featured Fans! (We still love you Michelle and Joey C.)

IWL Enters the 21st Century