Sports 08-08-2018

Brighton, Revere top each division as playoffs

loom for the Yawkey Baseball League teams

 

The Yawkey Baseball League (YBL) has always been competitive, but those in the league said that its parity has never been greater. With the playoffs beginning this week, the title will be for anyone’s taking.

“It’s probably been one of our best seasons ever,” League President Dave McKay said. “The parity in the league has been fantastic. … Any team can beat pretty much anybody.”

As of Monday, the Ted Williams Division and the Carl Yastrzemski Division are led by the Brighton Braves (20-11) and the Revere Rockies (18-10-1) respectively. For each team, there are teams right on its tail: McKay Club Beacons (19-10) for Brighton and the South Boston Saints (17-10-3) for Revere. The top team from each division will get a bye in the first round.

The level of parity means nothing will be given in the playoffs, which gives some a reason to worry, and for others a reason to hope. Devin Santilli, whose team, Charlestown Townies (16-13-1) held the last seed as of Monday, said his goal is to first make the playoffs where anything could happen. “If we can get in the playoffs, I think we have a good chance at making a run,” he said on Friday.

“Every single team right now is fighting for whether it’s the playoffs seed or the final playoffs spot,” he said. “It’s much more evened out, and I feel like anyone can win once the playoff starts.”

Same can be said for the East Boston Knights (13-13-2), who are right behind the Townies and three games to play as of Monday.

The playoffs consist of a five-game series in the first round, another five-game series in the semifinals and a seven-game series in the championship round.

It’s been a chaotic end of season for the YBL, as poor weather conditions caused several game delays. With players returning to school, the league always tries to ensure the playoffs are over before Labor Day, McKay said.

The 2018 YBL playoffs should be a close one, and one that fans should certainly keep a close eye on.

“I’m very excited about it,” Santilli said of the playoffs. “It should be fun.”

Note: Due to the washouts, the final regular season standings and the scheduled start of the playoffs were unavailable at the time of print. The playoffs are said to be for Thursday or Friday. For more information, visit http://yawkeybaseball.com.