Off The Screen: A belated return for the playoffs
Sorry about the delay.
Beyond the subhed, I’m going to spare the apology for not writing for like two months, but know that it’s been hanging over me as I’ve balanced a busy work schedule (the Bears hired a new coach!), kids, captaining my own team, etc. Ah, who am I kidding, I just had writer’s block. I had plenty of ideas that I never actually finalized.
But it’s the semi-finals week and I figured I could break out of my rut by going over the playoff matches for this week, along with some insights.
First, let’s talk about my team’s match.
I play in Series 36 — yes, for all you “good” paddle players, the series go up all the way to 39 — and our Winnetka team had a relatively easy run through the regular season. We lost twice in the first three weeks to the other two best teams and then just once more (to top-seed Evanston) the rest of the way. We finished second with 170 points, including giving ourselves 12 points for a makeup-week forfeit by a Briarwood team that did not want to play in very cold weather.
For our first-round playoff match, we faced North Shore, the seventh-place finisher. We swept them twice in the regular season, though in the second one they only fielded two courts. Attendance had been an issue for them all season, thanks mostly to a slew of injuries.
I was curious who would show up for our matchup. But they got a full team … with an interesting twist.
On the day of the match, their captain Bob Wilson sent me the roster. As usual, I went to check records and PTIs and realized the unfamiliar names were three guys from Series 38, all of whom were playing the top two lines and with two of them sporting PTIs under 50. (To put this in perspective, Series 18 had a PTI average of 50 last season.)
Wilson, a great guy, was apologetic about the situation (no need, he didn’t break any rules) and very upfront, even giving me scouting reports on the call-ups. But it didn’t make a difference.
Our No. 1 team, Peter Sweeney and Michael Ford, who hadn’t lost together all season — and only had one defeat between them — lost, 6-2, 6-2 to Kyle Larsen (a rising star, watch out) and Michael McPeek.
Me and my regular partner Matt Israel lost our first set 6-1, before rallying to a 5-2 lead in the second set … only to choke it away, 7-6, to Wilson and call-up Daniel Sullivan, who came in undefeated with a PTI under 50.
While I was confident in our next two lines, the second-set loss left me disconsolate. My teammates, to be honest, were more annoyed by the competition.
I think there probably should be strict rules about playoff eligibility, rather than just total matches played at the club for the season. Two of the three top guys who called up played five matches for 36, which seems fine, but the other one only played twice. Still, this was an unusual situation. How often are guys from a lower series considerably better than the majority of the team above them? It happens with new players, I suppose. Still, the math should’ve worked out in our favor. All we had to do was one set in two matches and we couldn’t do it.
While we were still alive by the tiebreaker, we didn’t feel hopeful.
The four of us moped at a table near the North Shore clubhouse (we were on the road despite being the higher seed) eating our dinner (good burger, imo) when my partner Matt went over to check on our teammates. (We were marooned on the far courts across a parking lot and next to some propane tanks.)
He’s not the most positive guy, so when he came back, he said, “It’s over!” Our third line was tied 5-5 in the first set. But he didn’t check the fourth line.
So maybe 10 minutes later, I go over there to check things out and realize our fours (Ryan Kole and A.J. Weinberg) had swept North Shore 6-0, 6-0 and our threes (Tom Ryan, Anthony Trani) won the first set 7-5 and were up in the second. We had life.
The four of us then watched from the parking lot, even moving back a few feet after our threes lost a game. There would be no jinx. they prevailed 7-5, 6-2 and we advanced to the semi-finals by the tiebreaker, 36-31. We advance to play our rivals from Winter Club on Wednesday.
What did we learn? Well, that North Shore’s Series 38 team has some really good players. And that the playoffs are unforgiving.
I also think some clubs need to think more about in-season promotions for guys who are obviously mis-rostered. Sheesh.
Here are the semi-final matchups for this week with seeds and dates in parentheses:
Glenbrook RC (1) vs. Lifesports-Lincolnshire (5); Winnetka (2) vs. Wilmette (6). (Tuesday)
Sunset Ridge (1) vs. Hinsdale PC (4); Lakeshore S&F (3) vs. Michigan Shores (7) (Thursday)
Saddle & Cycle (1) vs. Ruth Lake (t-4); Evanston (2) vs. Skokie (3).
3A. Lakeshore S&F (10) vs. Northmoor (11); North Shore (9) vs. Hawthorn Woods (13). (Wednesday)
4. River Forest PD (1) vs. Westmoreland (4); South Barrington (2) vs. Hinsdale PC (3) (Tuesday)
5. Wilmette (1) vs. Winnetka (5); Hinsdale PC (3) vs. Ownwentia (7) (Thursday)
6. Birchwood (1) vs. Midtown-Chicago (5); Michigan Shores (2) vs. Valley Lo (3) (Wednesday)
7. Winnetka (1) vs. Lakeshore S&F (4); Lifesport-Lincolnshire (2) vs. Tennaqua (3) (Tuesday)
7 SW. Glen Ellyn (1) vs. Salt Creek (5); River Forest PD (2) vs. Edgewood Valley (3) (Tuesday)
8. Valley Lo (1) vs. Westmoreland (4); Glenbrook RC (2) vs. Park Ridge (3) (Thursday)
9. Tennaqua (1) vs. Prairie Club (5); Evanston (2) vs. Hawthorn Woods (6) (Wednesday)
9 SW. Medinah (1) vs. Oak Park CC (5); Glen Ellyn (2) vs. Hinsdale PC II (3) (Wednesday)
10. Winnetka (1) vs. Wilmette PD (4); Winter Club (2) vs. Midtown-Chicago (3) (Tuesday)
11. Birchwood (1) vs. Prairie Club (T-4); Wilmette (2) vs. Skokie (3) (Thursday)
11 SW. Chicago Highlands (1) vs. Medinah (5); Hinsdale PC (2) vs. Ruth Lake (3) (Thursday)
12. Winnetka (1) at Wilmette (5); Park Ridge (3) vs. Winter Club (7) (Wednesday)
13. Bryn Mawr (1) vs. Wilmette (5); Tennaqua (2) vs. Briarwood (6) (Tuesday)
13 SW. Glen Ellyn (2) vs. Hinsdale PC II (6); Ruth Lake (5) vs. Salt Lake (8) (Tuesday)
14. Midtown-Chicago (1) vs. Lakeshore S&F (5); Skokie (2) vs. Briarwood (6) (Thursday)
15. Prairie Club (1) vs. Valley Lo (4); Inverness (2) vs. Glen View (6) (Wednesday)
15 SW. Hinsdale PC II (1) vs. Chicago-Highlands (5); Medinah (3) vs. Hinsdale GC (6) (Wednesday)
16. Glenbrook RC (1) vs. Prairie Club II (5); Saddle & Cycle (2) vs. Prairie Club I (3) (Tuesday)
17. Prairie Club (1) vs. Glenbrook RC (4); Valley Lo (3) vs. Lakeshore S&F (2) (Thursday)
17 SW. White Eagle (1) vs. Edgewood Valley (4); Dunham Woods (2) vs. Ruth Lake (3) (Thursday)
18. Winnetka (1) vs. Indian Hill (4); Skokie (2) vs. Valley Lo (6) (Wednesday)
19. Winnetka II (1) at Wilmette II (4); Wilmette I (2) vs. Sunset Ridge (6) (Tuesday)
19 SW. Glen Oak (1) vs. Ruth Lake (5); Glen Ellyn (2) vs. Hinsdale PC (3) (Tuesday)
20. Glenbrook RC (1) vs. Lake Bluff (4); Valley Lo (2) vs. Wilmette (3) (Thursday)
21. Winnetka (1) vs. Barrington Hills CC (5); Knollwood (2) vs. Wilmette II (6) (Wednesday)
21 SW. Hinsdale II PC (1) vs. Medinah (4); River Forest PD (2) vs. Glen Ellyn (3) (Wednesday)
22. Skokie (4) vs. Exmoor (8); Valley Lo (2) vs. Tennaqua (3) (Tuesday)
23. Inverness (1) vs. Valley Lo (4); Midtown-Chicago (2) vs. Evanston (3) (Thursday)
23 SW. Glen Oak (1) vs. Edgewood Valley (4); Hinsdale GC (2) vs. Medinah II (3) (Thursday)
24. Winnetka (1) vs. Winter Club (4); Skokie (2) vs. Westmoreland (6) (Wednesday)
25. Prairie Club II (1) vs. Prairie Club 1 (5); Winnetka (2) vs. Skokie (3) (Tuesday)
25 SW. River Forest CC (1) vs. Hinsdale PC I (4); River Forest PD (2) at White Eagle (3) (Tuesday)
26. Park Ridge CC (1) vs. Skokie (5); Winnetka (2) vs. Glen View (3) (Thursday)
27. Midtown-Chicago (1) vs. Barrington Hills CC (4); Wilmette (2) vs. Bryn Mawr (3) (Wednesday)
27 SW. Oak Park CC (1) vs. River Forest Country Club (4); LaGrange CC I (2) vs. Salt Creek I (3)
27 SW A. Hinsdale PC 1 (10) vs. Glen Oak I (11); LaGrange CC II (16) vs. Hinsdale PC II (12) (Wednesday)
28. Prairie Club (1) vs. Briarwood (4); Wilmette II (2) vs. Wilmette I (6) (Tuesday)
29. Wilmette (1) vs. Tennaqua (5); Evanston (2) vs. Skokie (3) (Thursday)
29 SW. Hinsdale PC (1) vs. Salt Creek (5); Dunham Woods (3) vs. Ruth Lake (7) (Thursday)
30. Prairie Club II (1) vs. North Shore (4); Winnetka (2) vs. Park Ridge CC (3) (Wednesday)
31. Winnetka (1) vs. Tennaqua (4); Park Ridge CC (2) vs. Valley Lo (3) (Tuesday)
32. Winnetka (1) vs. Winnetka (5); Prairie Club II (2) vs. Evanston (3) (Thursday)
33. Lifesport-Lincolnshire (1) vs. Knollwood (4); Winnetka (2) at Wilmette (3) (Wednesday)
34. Prairie Club II (T-1) vs. Evanston (4); Birchwood (T-1) vs. Michigan Shores (3) (Tuesday)
35. Tennaqua (1) vs. Wilmette (5); Indian Hill (3) vs. Prairie Club (7) (Thursday)
36. Evanston (1) vs. Prairie Club (5); Winnetka (2) at Winter Club (3) (Wednesday)
37. Westmoreland (1) vs. Skokie (5); Inverness (2) vs. Michigan Shores (6) (Tuesday)
38. Tennaqua (1) vs. Barrington Hills CC (4); North Shore (2) vs. Evanston (3) (Thursday)
39. Prairie Club (1) vs. Exmoor (5); Royal Melbourne (3) vs. Lake Forest (7) (Wednesday)
Some things I noticed from the laborious task of collating these matchups:
Not surprisingly, the three North Shore park district teams have the most teams in the semi-finals. Winnetka, which had 30 teams make the playoffs, is tops with 17 (with winners from 1 to 36), Wilmette is second with 16 (from 1 to 35) and Prairie Club was third at 15 (from 9 to 39). The Hinsdale Paddle Club, which plays in the main league and the southwest series, has 13 teams in the semis. The top private club right now is Skokie Country Club with 10 teams.
After our tiebreaker situation, I looked for other similar situations when going through the winners. A few stood out. In the “Battle of the Woods” in Series 13, Briarwood, the sixth seed, upset No. 3 seed Birchwood with a 54-53 edge. All four matches went three sets. In Series 14, No. 2 Skokie beat Westmoreland 37-36 in aggregate games. In Series 19, Wilmette I beat Knollwood 39-36 and its semi-final opponent Sunset Ridge scored an upset with a 52-50 edge over Midtown-Chicago. But the most interesting tiebreaker I saw came in 23 SW, where No. 4 Edgewood Valley and No. 5 Glen Ellyn were tied 7-7 and 49-49. So what’s the next tiebreaker? This could come up in your matches so it’s good to know. The answer is: Court 1’s result. Edgewood Valley’s tandem of Ryan Convy and Darren Kong beat Glen Ellyn’s Brian Gasteier and Jason Radziewicz, 6-1, 6-7, 6-3 and it moves on.
Only two No. 1 seeds lost in the first round. In 13 SW, No. 8 Salt Creek upset River Forest at home with a 10-5 win. They only met once during the regular season in their 12-team league with River Forest winning easily 12-2. In 22, No. 8 Exmoor scored a 10-5 road upset over No. 1 Lake Forest. They split the regular-season series. Six No. 2 seeds were upset by No. 7 seeds.
I wrote about the tough No. 3 series with its 16-team super-league back in December. Chicago’s Saddle & Cycle was first at the time, followed by Winnetka, Hinsdale GC and Glen Ellyn. By the end of the season, S&C was still first, but the top four had shifted. Evanston finished second, followed by Skokie and a tie between Hinsdale GC and Ruth Lake. The top three plus Ruth Lake made the semis and as I wrote, there is a second bracket for the bottom eight. The second bracket is also happening in 27 SW. No word on if the winners will meet for a grudge match.
I’ll be back next week (promise) with a Finals preview. I’m also planning on sending captains a form to nominate All-Series teams. Good luck in your matches and I hope the weather cooperates.
Been eagerly awaiting an epic league-wide playoff analysis like this, well done.