Game 1: Opening Day Debacle
Team starts the season how it closed the previous; with a forfeit
By Andrew Wolan / WRCS
Game date: July 1, 2010

Score Box
  1 2 3 4 5 6 7   R H HR
Inverness Medical
 X X X X X X X   W X X
Verdasys
 X X X X X X X   L X X


Wolan contemplates Verdasys’ 2010 potential as he views the demolition of Chestnut Run Park. (Wolan)
Summary

The starts of the 2008 and 2009 seasons for Verdasys were marked with washouts, as a stubborn rainy weather system forced postponements of multiple opening games. This season, Mother Nature is giving the team a break as she treats the team with a sunny and delightful afternoon.

But despite the outdoor pleasantries, the team apparently had something other than softball on their mind; with the start of the Fourth of July holiday a mere day away, coupled with pressures at the office, there was sufficient distraction away from the game. As a result, the team was only able to commit 5 players for game day. This group excluded A-WOL, who was away to play with the 356er’s organization the previous afternoon to participate in the final game ever at Chestnut Run Park.

With an anemic line-up, coach Wolan was forced to make the difficult declaration of calling a forfeit, resulting in the first lose of season for the team. The forfeit is the second forfeit in a row for the team, after the coach was forced to forfeit a 2009 playoff game, which was the team’s final game that season. It is also coach’s second forfeit ever as head coach.

Post Game Reaction

Fielding questions from the Herr’s Potato Chip post-game show in Wilmington, DE was coach Wolan.

(Q) What are your thoughts about the forfeit and its implications for future games?

(Wolan) I understand that there were work commitments and distractions caused by the upcoming 4th of July holiday. I’m not happy by all of this but I understand. It will be a problem if this happens again this season because quite frankly I really don’t want to spend this season begging people to show up.

In the end I am frustrated because we were playing a new team, and it was a game we had a chance at winning. We just didn’t show-up.

(Q) Is it true that had the game gone on that you would have managed the team from Wilmington?

(Wolan) That is correct. So I could lead the team remotely, we arranged for an audio and video link from Middlebrook field to be sent to me, via the Internet, to a command post here in Wilmington. I would then relay instructions back to the team based on what was observed.

(Q) Wouldn’t it be easier to appoint a co-manager and have that person lead instead?

(Wolan) I tried. No one was interested, not even Muldoon.

(Q) Do you think your playing time away from the team this spring lead to this forfeit?

(Wolan) Perhaps. Had I been in the area I might have been able to drum-up more support. At the very least, I could have held practice sessions to get the team organized before the start of the season.

After the Q&A session, coach Wolan gave the press a quick tour of the now former Chestnut Run Park site. Construction crews had already removed the outfield fence and had placed a storage container in right field.

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Andy Wolan is a reporter and photographer for Verdasys Softball. This story was not subject to the approval of the league or its clubs.