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2014 Spring Preview: PREMIERE WOOD

02/21/2014, 12:15pm EST
By Mike Mazzolla

PREMIERE ALREADY AT 20 TEAMS!

We are gearing up for a pretty special season in 2014 across all levels of play, and I thought that it would be a cool idea to just give an update blog for each league so folks can understand where we are at. While we do announce teams and build our leagues out publicly, we only announce teams that have deposits/payment in. What you miss is the current backlog of 30+ team verbal commitments which still have to be announced on the site and added to our league pages. So while you scroll through the league, please note that there is more coming... at all levels of play. Today, we focus on a Premiere Wood league update. 

Last year, we built "THE" most competitive Sunday wood league in the state. While I realize there are collegiate weekday/night leagues scattered that carry a bevy of talent, on Sundays we are the home of the best competition in the state of NJ. Last year we set a high standard and delivered a league with more than 8 championship teams all combined into our 16 team Premiere Wood. We are proud to say that 15 of the 16 teams are currently returning to play.  Coming back in 2014 are the Somerville Giants (Overall Premiere Champs), Pompton Chicos (North Premiere Champs), NJ Indians, Clifton Slates, Montclair Bulldogs, Caribbean Reds,  Clifton Pipeliners (Piledrivers in 2013), Boro Brewers, NJ Bulldogs (yes, they will be back), Perth Amboy Braves, Bergen Minutemen, Carteret Thunder and of course the NJ Rays. That's 13, I know. There were two mergers this offseason. The NJ Marlins & Middlesex Tigers merged to create the NJ Rays, while the Union Knights merged with the Caribbean Reds, and will remain the Reds. I will note our North MVP Sharif Upchurch (Montclair), South MVP HR Gorski (Rays), North CY Young winner Rich Anastasi (Minutemen) and South CY Young winner Carlos Mirabal (Giants), will all be back in action in Spring 2014. 

Coming into the mix internally are the NJ Shockers (South Intermediate Champs) & the Colt .45's (North Intermediate Champs- likely, but will be confirmed shortly as they may remain at intermediate due to some team injury losses this offseason). The NJ Shockers bring with them the South Intermediate Cy Young Winner Richard Hunt & MVP Bill Ryan. Both are quality ballcubs, as we saw last Spring, and will be nice additions to our Premiere format. We know they have the tools to compete there, and will be fun offering that new challenge to them in 2014. 

Additionally, we add the Garden State Senators, who won the JSNABA Spring Championship in 2013, and also have a 2nd title under their name. They carry the reining MVY/CY in Mike McTamney, and we are excited to see him in action against our league this year. 

The Perth Amboy Dodgers are joining us, as are new teams from Middletown, New York, Carteret and possibly Jersey City. 

With others still making decisions on where to play, I offer you this... we do not allow teams to play in our Premiere who do not belong. We have standards to ensure fair play throughout the season there. Each team pretty much carries an arm hitting 90mph, and the league is stockpiled with over 150 current collegiate players and former pros. 

If you've won a title elsehwere in 2013, we challenge you to take the next step with your ballclub and battle with us in 2014. The experience will be unlike anything you've experienced in the Spring/Summer leagues before. 

While we sit at 20... I will note the league is broken into North & South Regions. So currently we have a 10 & 10 format in place, which is then split into East/West Divisions. We keep your teams within your region of play, limiting the driving you have to do on Sundays.

Hitting 20 makes the league a "super league" under our standards, which means 3 rounds of playoffs. Teams making the post season (16) will be guaranteed at least 2 games, and can lose as many as 3 games throughout playoffs and still win the coveted Commissioner's Cup, which currently sits with Somerville Giants manager Bill Hynes. The playoffs could max out at 11 games for your ballclub (which would mean 29 total Spring/Summer games)

We have built something extremely special and unrivaled in our Premiere Wood. For those on the outside looking in, consider yourself a champion when you walk away with our trophy.

For the teams that have committed to play in 2014, you should be excited. The field of teams is unbelievable, and we have players contacting us daily to get in on the action. 20 teams is a great set-up in premiere, and we will cap the league at 24 teams max going forward. It will be a true "Best of the Best"  going forward, and if you aren't playing our Premiere on Sundays in 2014, then you aren't at the highest level of play on Sundays in NJ. 

Contact us today if you want to get in on the action. There currently are only 3 spots remaining for 2014. 

Mike

MIKE@NEWJERSEYABL.COM

Tag(s): Blog