Verdasys Softball Returns for 2009 Season
They're back! Did you miss them?
6/27/2009 7:39 PM ET
Verdasys, Inc. has announced that their softball team, Verdasys Softball, will participate in the 2009 summer softball season. Like in the 2008 season, the team will play in the Waltham Recreational Co-Ed Softball League (WRCS) in Waltham, MA. This will be the team’s second season in the league.
The team also announced that the flamboyant Andrew Wolan (AKA “A-WOL”) will once again take on the role as team manager. Wolan, who lead the team to a 1-7 record, is reported to have signed a new one year deal with the team after negotiations broke down with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. This will be Wolan’s fourth career season as a team manager. (A transcript of the "Q&A" press conference held with Wolan can be found here.
Also returning in the leadership capacity will be Nicole Kelly. Nicole (not to be confused with former team member Kelly Raymond,) will once again be the team's co-manager.
In addition, the team also announced that the critically acclaimed “writing staff” and its photography core will return to cover the team in 2009. This includes locally renowned sports photographer Richard Moffitt. Last season, this staff was credited for creating “one of the best softball team websites on the Internet” whose content “is the envy of most minor league teams.” This will be the staff’s sixth year of coverage of a softball team, and their second of Verdasys Softball. A listing of the staff’s previous work can be found under the Softball Stories section of the site.
As for the softball team itself, many familiar names from the 2008 roster are expected to return. This list includes “brand name” players such as Grimard, Smith, Colby and team hit leader Mike O’Connor. Amongst those not expected to return are several female players, including the team’s starting second basewoman. While their departure will have a negative impact on the team’s roster, the club said that they have been active in recruiting new female players and should be in “good shape” for the 2009.
While these announcements are a relief to fans wondering if the team would return, the question now is why did the team wait until late June to make their intensions known? Did the team get off to a late start? According to an anonymous internal source, no. The team actually got off to an early start this season, recruiting players and even holding practice. Instead, it was the league that got off to a late start. Compared to last year, the league was running as much as a month behind, skipping the usual managerial meeting to kick-off the season. The team felt it would be wise not to make an announcement until the league was able to publish a schedule.
