NEW YORK- Ever since their first season in the league, it seems as if the Goodfellas have always snuck up on people. Whether it's them playing above their on-paper potential, or teams taking them too lightly, every year it seems that the Goodfellas end up going further than most people thought they would. But last year was an exception. The Goodfellas went 0-3, and as the defending champions, it was the biggest one-year decline in league history. This year they are hoping to flip the script again.
If they're going to do just that, they've been putting in the work they'll need to. In his first full season as the new GM, Rocco Lombardo has seemed to learn from past mistakes as a manager. He's got himself a pitching staff, has weeded out the players that don't fit his system, and has gotten them on the same page enough to actually put in solid practice hours. They will however, be without former MVP Mike Mazzochi for most of the tournament. Conversely, should the Goodfellas find themselves in the playoffs by then, they will get a very solid boost at a premier time. They've been set as the 2nd largest long shot to win the tournament, yet there is a very seeable way that they could win the whole thing.
There's a certain swagger about this team this year that was missing last year. It may have been just one day, one game, one time, but the reaction after Mazzochi walked them off against the Flapacs in a scrimmage on Sunday night was one of a team that has bought in. A team that is on the same page, and willing to do whatever it takes to win. They're dangerous like that, and if they can hold on to that throughout the whole day on Saturday, they'll be no less than a very fun team to watch.
No comments:
Post a Comment