Meet first-ranked men’s team Dirty Mike And The Boyz
With 14 games done and over, Dirty Mike And The Boyz have officially finished the pre-playoff slow-pitch softball season in first place for the men’s division.
Dirty Mike And The Boyz finished their final game of the season on Tuesday, July 18 against the NorCal Rippers. The close game forced both teams to fight for the win, but ultimately, Dirty Mike And The Boyz emerged victorious 22-21.
The ultimate goal of Dirty Mike And The Boyz is to win the playoffs. The chances seem high as they finished with a 13-1 record for the 2017 season, but the team has kept their humility about them.
Team Manager Jeff Reed commented, “Anything can happen in the playoffs. Being first in standings doesn’t guarantee the win. It only takes one bad game.”
Throughout the season, Dirty Mike And The Boyz have suffered only one loss. The June 9 game against Balls Deep proved to be the only fall from Dirty Mike And The Boyz.
According to Reed, Balls Deep was the biggest competitor for Dirty Mike And The Boyz during the 2016 season.
As for this season, Balls Deep and The Burros were mentioned as the two teams Dirty Mike And The Boyz will be looking out for during the playoffs.
Dirty Mike And The Boyz have been a team for many years, though the name hasn’t stayed consistent.
The current team is the result of two league teams combining. In 2009, Reed ran the team in Chester while a friend ran the team in Susanville. Upon an injury, the Susanville team manager was unable to continue leading the team; thus, Reed became the manager of both teams and combined their players.
Prior to the team’s joined establishment, Reed had been a part of the slow-pitch softball sport for more than 10 years in Westwood.
The team was formed initially as a group of friends, coworkers and high school teammates. In the many years since it’s establishment, the team has evolved into a tight group of friends. Though some members have retired from their softball days and some have joined in the last few years, the bond is clearly seen by the players and the fans.
Looking toward the future, Reed said Dirty Mike And The Boyz will be returning for the 2018 season sporting a different name. As of now, the final decision of the name has yet to be made.
Until then, however, the team is still fighting hard for the 2017 championship title.
Reed commented, “We have a really good team. We’re excited for playoffs.”
Playoffs begin on Monday, July 31 at Susanville’s Riverside Park.
