Awards Time (on frozen ice)

Now that the season that would never end has ended, it's time to hand out the 2008 H-W Demons season-ending awards.

The committee of one — DOB — has cooked these up once again. Don't like it, leave a comment.

Off we go:

Least Valuable Player

Geez, how the mighty have fallen. During the Demons' 2007 Quincy Park District Division V championship run, Shawny was the man. He won team and league MVP honors in leading the Demons to their first championship in franchise history.

2008? He disappeared faster than a porn addict at a strip club. Shawny fell in love this year. May have been great for him, but the Demons suffered as a result. He rarely showed up and when he did, he was far from his 2007 form.

Will Shawny be back in 2009? He brought his boy, Cooley-O, along for the ride this season, but he, too, disappeared after just a few games. Could Shawny be the D-V Comeback Player of the Year next year or will he be nothing more than a one-hit wonder?

Past winners

2007: Diamond Dave (who I probably couldn't pick out of a lineup right now)

2006: Grape Ape

Play(s) of the Year

I'm sure there were some good ones, but we're going to pick out a series of plays that summed up the Demons' 2008 campaign.

In what proved to be our last complete game of the season, Rob Base was just missing the clown music while playing right field against Paulie's Customs. Let's go back to the night of Thursday, Aug 14:

There were times on Thursday when we looked like we hadn't played for two weeks. After taking charge with a five-run fourth inning to go up 5-1, we gave it all back and more in the bottom of the inning. We had two outs and one of Paulie's lefty's hit a fly ball in foul territory to Rob Base in right field. Unfortunately, he dropped the ball. The guy went on to single home a run. No big deal.

Then another Custom Paulie hit a fly ball to Rob Base in right. And he dropped it again.

Then another Custom Paulie hit a fly ball to Rob Base in right. And he dropped it again. (Really, he dropped three fly balls in the same inning. One of the saddest sights in Demons history.)

We came back to win the game, but we were just playing out the string for the most part. A memorable moment in a not-so memorable year.

Past winners

2007: DOB (picking off a Cooler Boyz player at first base)

2006: Ed (the infamous self-inflicted wedgie)

Demons Rookie of the Year

It looked like Cooley-O was going to be hard to beat, but then he left us, thus giving the honors to Bad Brad by default. But Brad was solid all season long, hitting near the top of the order and playing solid defense in the outfield.

Past winners

2007: Jazzy Jeff

2006: Shawny

2005: DOB (the only award given out after the season)

Ed Sprague Memorial Bonehead Play of the Year

Kriss Kross set the bar high after his blunder the season-opening win over the Green Street Posse.

Time to hop back in the time machine to Thursday, May 1:

The most bone-headed play of the night belonged to Kriss Kross. Maybe playing with the Cooler Boys is rubbing off on him. He was the victim of the first ever — in the history of softball or baseball — 3-1-2-3 putout. Kriss Kross hit a screamer to first base, but the first baseman botched it. His flip to the pitcher, who covered the base for some reason, glanced off the pitcher's glove and started rolling home. By this time, Kriss Kross was about two steps away from his Bud Light in the dugout and then decided to try to run to first. The catcher got the ball and threw him out by a step.

Laziest. Play. Ever. Athletes talk about giving about 110 percent. Kriss Kross gave about 6.2 percent on that play.

I'm sure Kriss Kross is fired up about being a back-to-back winner of this prestigious honor.

Past winners

2007: Kriss Kross (pair of E-10s in the same inning, which led to him being replaced by The Weamster)

2006: The Weamster (for breaking his hand during a blowout loss to Snap-On Tools)

Most Improved Player

Geez, was anyone improved this year. We all regressed more than we improved. No soup for us.

Past winners

2007: Nick the Quick

2006: DOB

Most Valuable Player

We finally talked the Weamster into giving up his dream of being a Division V pitcher and allowed Jazzy Jeff to take over on the mound. It wasn't Jazzy's fault that we stunk behind him at times defensively and failed to generate offense on some nights.

He played harder than most of us, can hit and can pitch. For this Demons' outfit, that was good enough to be our MVP.

Past winners

2007: Shawny

2006: Hitman Hart

That's it. Nothing like wrapping up a softball season just 10 days before Christmas

Hopefully, we'll all be back next season and ready to reclaim what's rightfully ours — the QPD Division V championship.

It's official!

With the freezing rain that fell overnight and the impending snowstorm set to hit the area, the Herald-Whig Demons' season is officially over.

The Weamster received word from the Quincy Park District that the team would not be able to play its game during the "Avenue of Lights" as had been originally planned.

The news was met with a shrug by most of the Demons, many of whom have moved on to seeing how many beers they can consume during a three-game series at Tangerine Bowl. Word is Rob Base has carried over his league-leading BPG (Beer Per Game) average into the bowling season.

For the first time in three years, the Demons did not place in the top three in the ultra-competitive Division V race.