Semi-professional baseball players have found their way onto rosters and onto the field, last years doormat teams have greatly improved, and most every team has a talented pitcher or two. Easy wins are becoming a thing of the past as the line between the top and bottom teams is growing thin. Where the league was once a one or two team sprint is now a seven to eight team marathon with only the fittest surviving come September.

League games are played on weeknights, Monday through Friday, at the M Street Softball field starting at 6:15pm. Admission is still free and wives, girlfriends, families, kids, and neighbors are encouraged to attend.

League expansion has forced the commissioner into creating two divisions of play - the Bucky Feeney Division and the Sam Moran Division. The Feeney division has the elite and past champions while the Moran division features all of the hard working up and coming teams. This format will match teams that are equal to their talent level for the majority of their regular season games.

As expected, the 5-1 Playwright is at the top of the standings in the Feeney division and will be very tough to knock off this season. The defending champions have returned with another talented roster and are as strong as they were last year. They have added stud shortstop Juan Sanchez to secure and strengthen the infield behind pitcher, Jerry Thomes.

Thomes, who is 23-1 with a 1.35 ERA since joining the M Street League last year, has dominated opponents single handily and will look to continue his masterful pitching in 2005.

New entry, Boston Hawks at 5-1, could be the team that gives the Playwright a run for their money as they arguably have the most talented group of players in the league. For them to succeed, it will be a matter of adjusting to the new surroundings and getting the most out of their star players. So far they have done quite nicely as they have already collected wins against the Playwright and Shannon's Tavern.

Hawks players, Sandy Garcia (Yankees) and Juan Polanco (A's) have some professional experience under their belts and will be tough outs for M Street pitchers. Garcia demonstrated his power in a game last week when he launched a homerun to deep left that cleared First Street and landed in the old coal yard. We have seen this done before but this time the flight of the ball was extremely high. It makes one wonder just how far Sandy or Polanco will hit one this year. Stay tuned.

Last year, Shannon's Tavern (2-2) was swept in four games by the Playwright in the finals and will be looking for a slice of redemption when they play them in a doubleheader this Thursday (June 23 - starting at 7:30).

Shannon's has added some talent to their roster but their success will ultimately be laid on pitcher, John Gregorio's shoulders. Gregorio, who is pitching in his twentieth (1985-2005) M Street season, is very capable of shouldering the load as he has in the past. John is always amongst the leaders in victories, strikeouts, ERA, and is a proven winner (on 5 championship teams).

The Sidewalk Café (2-3-1) rounds out the Feeney division and is a team that has come to a crossroad. They will need to make some moves quickly while deciding on a best path to success or this could be a long frustrating year for the boys in green. They have the pitching (2003 MVP - George Pratt) to compete but need to tighten up their defense while adding a bat or two to the lineup. Having won four championships (2000-2003) in the past one wouldn't want to count them out of the running just yet.

At the top of the Moran division with a 5-1 record is another new entry to the league, the Green Team. Coaches Rich Engvaldsen and Dave Boutin transformed their Sunday morning team into a team to contend with during the weeknights at M Street. Knowing that they were entering a league where pitching was key the two went out and found a pretty good one in Nicholas French. At press time, French was 3-0 with a 3.15 ERA and carried .500 batting average with a team leading 9 RBI. Quite a find!

Keeping with the pace is the first year Murphy's Law softball team at 3-1. Ryan Cox is the coach of this very talented and athletic group of players. Cox has opened some eyes with his determination to field a competitive and successful team in the first year of existence. Cox followed the lead of the Green Team by placing an advertisement for a pitcher in a classified web service. Eric Malerba and Rocky Pesa quickly answered his ad and both pitched very effectively in their first starts in the league. This team can play and should be a fun team to watch in the immediate future.

The third year club, Spartans, have started the season with a 3-1 record and look like a much-improved team. Coach Peter Brennan has added some depth in the likes of John Macone and Andrew Shirkoff. Pitcher Jimmy McNiff is the veteran on the team and leads with guts and determination every time he touches the mound. Like fine wine, McNiff seems to be getting better with age. Look for the Spartans to finish at or near the top of the Moran division then make some noise in the playoffs.

At 3-2, the Boston Beer Garden softball team has proved that they have the offensive firepower (.570 team batting average) and gloves to compete against any team in the league. Peter Drummey, Chris, and Mark Landolfi currently lead the way offensively for the Beer Garden, as this team is deep in talent. Base runners should also take note that outfielder, Mark Hindman, has a very strong and accurate arm in right. The Beer Garden will compete with the top teams in the league but are still a player away from being considered a true contender.

The Sharks currently sit in fifth place with a 2-1-1 record but could easily rise to the top of the standings with the level of talent they have. Coach Jeremy Beauchemin is still seeking a power pitcher to round out his roster and may have one by weeks end. Rookies Joe Sullivan, Jeremy Bridges, and Todd Caschera have given the Sharks depth and talent in every position. The team can hit (.487 team batting average) with the best of them too so don't be surprised to see the Sharks competing at the top of the Moran division all season long.

At 4-4, the Brewers are a much-improved team from last year's version. Derrick Smith has taken over calling the shots and has added some proven winners to the mix. Mike Hourihan (.519 14 hits 17 RBI) and Tom Lind (.591) are the pace setters for the second year Brew crew. If they are to contend for the division title, then they will need to improve in the outfield and on the mound.

Although it's early, the Il Giardino Café (2-3) should be concerned with their lack luster start. Their rivals have improved their rosters and appear to be playing with more confidence. Giardino still has lots of offensive (Pat Gallagher .529 12 RBI) and defensive stars (Mike Kenny) and a good young pitcher in Nick Kleimola but will need to step up their play this year to contend for the division.

Another new entry is the (1-3) Seapoint Restaurant. Coach Jordan Berns is very enthusiastic about the league and has done a great job in fielding a first year team that has fun while staying competitive. Matt Lang (.556) and Brendan Trainor (.600) lead the way for Seapoint.

At 0-5, the Dorset Club may not have success measured by victories yet but they can still brag about leading the league in fan support. Dorset's very loyal bunch can be seen at every game cheering them on as if it's their first game. However, the losing is growing old on coach/outfielder Mike Sweeney, who is a competitor and is pushing for more out of his current group of players.

The winless L Street Tavern (0-6) has found that competing in the M Street Softball league can be a tough assignment for most first year teams. Coach Joe Pillar loves to play and will use this first season as a learning process to build a winner in the future.