They Should Appeal: Ninth Circuit Loses Softball Championship

They are the champions, my friends. Mouthpieces, left to right: (top row) Spencer Pahlke, RJ Waldsmith, Jim McPherson, Alan Adelman, Brendan Fogerty, Kirk Morales, Jim Taggart, Paul Matiasic; (bottom row) Doug Saeltzer, Steve Gorog, James Treppa, Jeff Smith, Matt Maclear.

In a 13-12 nail-biter last night, Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger’s softball team vanquished a long-running rival and took home its eighth championship in a storied San Francisco lawyers’ league.

Walkup, Melodia’s team, “the Mighty Mouthpiece,” defeated the Ninth Circuit’s aptly named “Ninth Circuit.” They’re familiar foes, said Doug Saeltzer, the Mouthpiece’s manager, pitcher and a 12-season veteran. The Ninth Circuit has claimed six championships, just two fewer than the heavy hitters at Walkup, Melodia.

The Mighty Mouthpiece team was born out of personal injury firms Walkup Downing and Hoberg Finger, Saeltzer said. Notable alumni include Justice Daniel “Mike” Hanlon, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Peter Kirwan and Alameda County Superior Court Judge Kevin Murphy.

According to a San Francisco Lawyers League schedule, other teams playing this summer included the Selfless Heroes (Vierra Magen), Floating Rhinos (Lipton & Piper), IJA (Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney), The Drinkers (Drinker Biddle), Does 1-20 (Spectra Lawyers) and Deep Friese (Shartsis Friese).

For the Mighty Mouthpiece, the spoils of victory surpassed simple bragging rights to include many, many trophies, including trophies given for winning single innings. “Do you want some trophies?” Saeltzer offered a reporter. “My wife would love you if you took them away from us.”

— Kate Moser

Comments

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[softball cleats]

Despite the name, the ball used is not soft. It is about 12 in. (30 cm) in circumference (sometimes larger for slow-pitch), which is 3 in. (8 cm) larger than a baseball.