The FINALS are here!

Tier 1:

(1)Shattered Dreams vs. (3) Thunder Buffaloes

Regular season head to head: Shattered Dreams 3-2-1 +9

David vs. Goliath. This will be the fourth league finals between these two teams and Goliath has been victorious each time.

2015: 2-0 Thunder Buffaloes

2016: 2-1 Thunder Buffaloes

2019: 3-1 Thunder Buffaloes

It would be hard to predict otherwise for 2023. Anybody needing BP balls can collect them on Kennedy after the slugfest in the semis between Goobers and Thunder Buffaloes. Expect more of the same in this series.

Tier 2:

(1) Sacred Sluggers vs. (2) The Cubs

Regular season head to head: Sacred Sluggers 2-2-0 +3

The two best teams (with the same regular season record) in Tier 2 duke it out in the finals. Their regular season meetings settled nothing as both teams won two each in close games. This series will easily go the full five games to see who will emerge victorious. Perhaps both teams are ready to move to Tier 1 next season to prove their worth.

(5) Brewski Boys vs. (7) Outliers

Regular season head to head: Brewski Boys 2-2-0 +9

It wasn’t pretty but Brewski Boys and Outliers are the last two standing in the consolation finals after a long tough season. Both teams are playing for pride and bragging rights. Nobody came this far to lose as both teams will want to feel good to end the season.

Tier 3:

(1) Got Rice vs. (3) Medicine Hats

Regular season head to head: Got Rice 3-1-0 +32

The well-rested top seed had a week off after sweeping their semi finals. If they spent their time on social media instead of BPing, they may be rusty in facing the battle-tested Medicine Hats. Got Rice demolished the 3 seed in week 2 of the regular season, but had a much tougher time in their second meeting as they only managed a split. Champions are not crowned in week 2, but in September. This should be a good matchup.

(5) Giants vs. (6) Miller Twins

Regular season head to head: Miller Twins 2-1-1 +11

It’s always good to play September ball. Giants and Miller Twins will look to end the season on a high note as they conclude another successful season in Tier 3. Miller Twins hold the regular season edge over Giants and also had the easier time in the semis. Will that matter in the finals? We’ll find out.

Tier 4:

(1) Cleveland Steamers vs. (3) Black Diamonds

Regular season head to head: Cleveland Steamers 5-1-0 +26

All the 1 seeds have gone through to the finals, including Cleveland Steamers. The 1 seed in Tier 4 will be looking to double up as playoff champions as well against a team that they handled easily in the regular season. Beware of Black Diamonds though. The 3 seed was dominated in the regular season by the 1 and 2 seeds, but prevailed against the 2 seed Havana Club. Will the finals be deja vu?

Good luck to all the finalists!

Uniform rule is in effect June 1st, if unable to comply you must receive an extension from John Palm. This extension will be good for 2 weeks only. After that you will be fined $25 per player up to a maximum of 4 players

Tier 1:

Final Regular Season Standings:

Playoff Matchups:

(1) Shattered Dreams vs. (4) TMT

Regular season head to head: Shattered Dreams 4-2-0 +16

This is the matchup between the 2022 Tier 1 Playoff Champs and the 2022 Tier 2 Playoff Champs. Shattered Dreams started the season 1-4-1 and were miles out of the playoff race. Miraculously, they were able to go on a hot streak to eek out the regular season title on the last day. They’ve been struggling on offense and have been lucky to pull out some close games. Their major weakness is their coaching as they’ve won a few games despite some egregious bonehead coaching mistakes that have befuddled some of the umpires. They are also limping into the playoffs with only 1 win in their last 3 games.

Conversely, TMT started the season hot and smashed Shattered Dreams in week 2 convincingly. It appeared to be a changing of the guard and TMT were comfortably in first place at 8-2 going into their week 6 rematch against Shattered Dreams. The rainy Tuesday went in the #1 seed’s favour and started a rough patch of the season for TMT. They have fallen to the 4 seed, but maybe by choice. In a 4D chess move, they defaulted their last regular season games to secure the #4 seed in hopes of playing Shattered Dreams, and who could blame them? Nobody would prefer to play Goobers or Thunder Buffaloes instead. It almost backfired as Shattered Dreams almost couldn’t secure the #1 seed in a tough battle against GOAT. TMT appear to be supremely confident in playing the 2022 Tier 1 Champs and may already be looking forward to the winner of Goobers and Thunder Buffaloes in the finals

(2) Goobers vs. (3) Thunder Buffaloes

Regular season head to head: Thunder Buffaloes 4-2-0 +22

This is a classic matchup between the two highest scoring offenses in the league. Save for one blowout, games were close and competitive between these two powerhouses. Goobers have proven they are competitive game in and game out, regardless of the night or division they’re playing in. They have been the most consistent this season, staying in the top 2 throughout. With a very consistent and disciplined offense from top to bottom, Goobers simply outslug the other teams. Teams will need to put up 15+ runs to beat them.

Fortunately for Thunder Buffaloes, they are the one team most equipped to outslug opponents as they scored 10% more than the next team (i.e. Goobers.) The oldest team in the division shook off their traditional slow start and are steamrolling into the playoffs, winning 5 of their last 6 games. Their playoff lineup is even more lethal than their regular season lineup so they are definitely the team to fear. This series looks like it’ll go the full 5 games and may be the de facto finals. The cars on Kennedy better watch out as there will be plenty of homeruns raining onto the road at Dunton.

Tier 2:

Final Regular Season Standings:

Playoff Matchups:

(1) Sacred Sluggers vs. (4) Jays

Regular season head to head: Sacred Sluggers 3-1-0 +6

Sacred Sluggers are the regular season champs over The Cubs due to tiebreakers. The first tiebreaker is head to head and the two top teams were 2-2 against each other naturally. The next tiebreaker is head to head run differential where Sacred Sluggers inch by with a +3. With the gift of the 1 seed, Sacred Sluggers actually have a tough matchup in the Jays. Even though they won the season series 3-1, it was only with a run differential of +6, indicating a fairly balanced series is on our hands. The 1 seed are a new team in the league and will have to prove its playoff mettle if they want to be crowned champions (and maybe even move on to Tier 1 next year)

At first glance, the Jays appear to be mediocre with their .500 record, but a closer look shows that they have wins against the top 2 teams which is quite impressive as those teams only have 5 losses each. This shows that they can hang and are very capable of pulling the upset. As a veteran team, they have the playoff experience to pull out the series. If they can get the early lead, they may pressure their young opponents into mistakes that could snowball into some victories. 

(2) The Cubs vs. (3) The Beauties

Regular season head to head: The Cubs 3-1-0 +16

The Cubs just missed out on the 1 seed but are rewarded with a matchup with a team they beat handily just two weeks ago. The 2 seed are also a new team in the league and may have playoff jitters. Their regular season stats show that they have the best combination of offense and defense in the division, so they have to like their chances. They started the season 9-0 and their first defeat was to their playoff opponent. Could this be a bad omen for the favourites in this series?

New teams dominated this division in the regular season as The Beauties are also new blood in this league. They are a strong 3 seed but may have run into their worst matchup out of all the teams in the division. The Beauties started the season strong at 7-0-1 but lost their first game against the strong 2 seed. This team should be plenty motivated to show that this division is not a two horse race. It will probably come down to their defense. They score as many runs as the top 2 teams but it seems they can’t prevent runs as well as the top 2. Defense wins championships.

Consolation Playoff Matchups:

(5) Brewski Boys vs. (8) Just Dingers

Regular season head to head: Just Dingers 2-2-0 +7

At first glance, Brewski Boys appear way better than the bottom 3 teams. While that may be true, slo pitch is all about matchups. They’re matched up against the team with the worst record in the division, but they split the season series and have a negative run differential. Brewski Boys will have to bring their best to win the consolation round.

Just Dingers are a new team in the league this year and have had a rough rookie season. It doesn’t appear that they have hit many dingers this year as they’ve scored the least runs in the division. However, they have a good matchup and the playoffs are a new season. It’s not how you start the season but how you finish.

(6) Rhinos vs. (7) Outliers

Regular season head to head: Rhinos 3-1-0 +24

Speaking of matchups, Rhinos appear to have a terrific matchup as they won the season series handily with a fairly large run differential. Playoffs are a different animal than regular season though and things can flip quickly. Weaknesses cannot be hidden in a best of 5 series and can be costly. Rhinos and Outliers have almost identical records and are familiar with each other. Here’s hoping for a good clean series.

Tier 3:

Final Regular Season Standings:

Playoff Matchups:

(1) Got Rice vs. (4) Klassics

Regular season head to head: Got Rice 3-1-0 +23

The 1 seed in the masters division are the new kids on the block, have the best social media, and took the league by storm. They have a whopping +199 run differential, more than double the next highest. With a powerful offense and steady defense, they look difficult to stop. It may be easy to predict an easy sweep over Klassics, but a closer look at the regular season games show something interesting. The 4 seed were able to win one and just barely lost another one. Close games produce big pressure situations and would likely the favour the veteran team looking to take down the young hot shots.

(2) Houndogs vs. (3) Medicine Hats

Regular season head to head: Medicine Hats 2-0-2 +6

This is a classic 2v3 matchup that will likely be the most competitive series in the league. Medicine Hats won the season series without losing a game but all four games were close and could've easily gone either way. Good thing the playoffs have a longer time limit as extra innings are likely for every single game in this rivalry. 

Consolation Playoff Matchups:

(5) Giants vs. (8) Blue Devils

Regular season head to head: Blue Devils 2-2-0 +15

Blue Devils finished last in the regular season but they definitely seem to know how to play against Giants. After a terrible start to the season, Blue Devils ended the last half of the season 8-6 and handily beating Giants in their last week of the regular season.. They look like they are ending the season strong. Giants are a veteran team in this league and this is not their first rodeo. They are not interested in being roadkill and will put up a good fight.

(6) Miller Twins vs. (7) Knights

Regular season head to head: Knights 2-2-0 +2

Two evenly matched veteran teams battling it out in a best of 5 series is probably the best softball anyone can ask for. Miller Twins and Knights are not as strong as their prime but can still play and compete with the best. They are not easy outs for any team and this is a great matchup to look forward to.

Tier 4:

Final Regular Season Standings:

Playoff Matchups:

(1) Cleveland Steamers vs. (4) Zwingers

Regular season head to head: Cleveland Steamers 5-1-2 +16

There will be a new Tier 4 champion as the defending champs Red Rubble did not qualify for the playoffs. Cleveland Steamers made sure Red Rubble didn’t make the playoffs by beating them in two very close games on the last day of the regular season. The 1 seed look to be in playoff mode and are hungry to win it all. Zwingers won’t go down easy though as they played some really close games against the 1 seed during the regular season. The feisty 4 seed are not looking to concede the series so easily.

(2) Havana Club vs. (3) Black Diamonds

Regular season head to head: Havana Club 4-1-1 +21

Based on regular season results, the 2v3 matchup in this division does not look close as Havana Club had Black Diamond’s number all season. However, games are not won on paper and Havana Club will have to prove their worth in the playoffs. If the 2 seed looks ahead to the finals too early, they may get surprised and beaten by the competitive 3 seed. Nothing can be assumed as the weather gets colder and softball season nears the end of another successful season.

Good luck to all teams!

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With the season starting in less than a week, let's get excited and look at each of our four divisions this summer. Let's go through to see who the preseason favourites are. We will check to see how accurate our previews are at midseason.

TIER 1

• GOAT
• Goobers
• Shattered Dreams
• Stiff Sox
• Thunder Buffaloes
• TMT

This is the division of champions as it consists of last year's Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4 regular season and playoff champions. The favourites have to be Thunder Buffaloes who have won 5 of the last 6 league playoffs they've been in. They are the 2019 Tier 1 playoff champions who ventured to play Masters in Tier 4 in 2022. After easily winning the regular season and playoff titles last year, they are back to prove themselves the undisputed best team in the league. They have great power to take advantage of the unlimited home run rule and masterful defense. Their main challengers are the trio of Goobers, GOAT, and TMT who are coming over from the Wednesday Tier 2 division. The three teams were within one game of each other over the 28 game regular season, taking turns beating each other. In the end, it was Goobers emerging as the regular season champs, and TMT as the playoff champs. Goobers have been the cornerstone of this league for more than 15 years and are perennial contenders every year in every division they play in. TMT are out to prove that they win when it matters. GOAT are out to prove they are equally or even more deserving of hardware. Rounding out the division are the two Tuesday champions from last year: Shattered Dreams and Stiff Sox. Shattered Dreams were victorious in the Tier 1 division last year, taking advantage of Thunder Buffaloes' secondment to Tier 4, but it was only Tier 1 by name. Last year's teams have retired and were not the same calibre as this year's teams. They will be in for a rough ride this year for sure. Stiff Sox are an amalgamation of last year’s Stiff Sox and Hitmen: two teams that absolutely destroyed the Tier 3 division, only losing games to each other. They have responded to the challenge by league president John Palm to move up divisions by combining forces and ready to dominate this division. They are young, hungry, do not know how to lose, and are the dark horse to win it all.

TIER 2

• Brewski Boys
• Jays
• Just Dingers
• Outliers
• Rhino
• Sacred Sluggers
• The Beauties
• The Cubs

This division is full of unknowns and lots of potential. Four teams return from last year: Brewski Boys, Jays, Outliers, and Rhino. Jays should be considered the preseason favourites as they were able to finish a distant third last year. All must be happy that Hitmen and Stiff Sox have gone to beat up on the Tier 1 teams instead. In their place, the newcomers are Just Dingers, Sacred Sluggers, the Beauties, and the Cubs. Not much is known about the newcomers other than they are here and ready to play. Max Ward at Tuesdays is ready to field competitive games, fuel new rivalries, and crown a new Tuesday Tier 2 champion.

TIER 3

• Blue Devils
• Giants
• Got Rice
• Houndogs
• Klassics
• Knights
• Medicine Hats
• Miller Twins

There will be a new champion in Tier 3 as last year’s league and playoff champs, Thunder Buffaloes, have chosen to dominate Tier 1 this year. In their place are new teams Blue Devils and Got Rice. As well, Medicine Hats have moved over from last year’s Wednesday Tier 2 division. This looks like a very competitive division where the strong contenders should be Medicine Hats, Miller Twins, and Got Rice. Nobody should ever count out Klassics as they’ve been a slo pitch team for longer than some players have been alive. This may be a masters division, but the oldies can play. This is shaping up to be a very competitive division with everyone competing for a playoff spot.

TIER 4

• Black Diamonds
• Cleveland Steamers
• Havana Club
• Red Rubble
• Zwingers

Last year’s Tier 5 champs Red Rubble are back to defend their regular season and playoff title. They’ve been in this league since 1988! An unstoppable force! However, word on the street is that the best player in the league (and league president) John Palm may not be able to play much this year. This certainly leaves the division wide open. Losing the slo-pitch version of Barry Bonds hurts no matter how great the rest of the team is. Will Black Diamonds, Cleveland Steamers, Havana Club, or Zwingers take advantage?

The Mississauga Men's Slo-Pitch League Inc. (MMSPL) is entering its 51st year in 2023.  Pre-Covid, the League has had as many as 800 players participating on 50 teams in different divisions.   We hope to get back to that level in 2023 as things return to normal.   We have enough diamonds to accommodate a full return to pre-Covid levels.

The positioning of teams into divisions is determined according to the skill level of the teams - our divisions are C, D, Rec, 35+ Rec, 35+ Intermediate and 50+.  Games are played within the City of Mississauga at the major slo-pitch ball parks. League games are played from Monday to Thursday night depending what division you are in.  Teams will play double headers.  A standard season will have roughly 24-30 games depending on the night they play and playoff participation.

Teams or individual players interested in playing in the League are invited to apply. The earlier you apply, the better the chance you will have in playing during the upcoming year.   Click on the links above and to the right to register.