WSJ repeats as softball champs

TALKING BIZ NEWS EXCLUSIVE

The Wall Street Journal softball team defended its 2009 championship in the New York media league, defeating High Times 8-6 in a game played Sunday afternoon on a Central Park softball field.

In the semifinals, the Journal beat DC Comics by a 21-5 score. The Journal is the first team in the media league to win back-to-back titles.

Players on the Journal roster include pitcher/video producer Chris Morino, third baseman/personal finance editor Rob Hunter, pitcher/reporter Russell Adams, second basewoman/reporter Shira Ovide, and first baseman/deputy bureau chief Spencer Ante, as well as reporter Paul Glader, sports reporter Darren Everson, reporter Serena Ng, reporter Mark Whitehouse and co-captain and senior editor Mike Siconolfi.

Reporter Aaron Lucchetti, Journal graphics designer Kris Areche, “Heard on the Street” reporter Rolfe Winkler and Journal graphics designer Randy Price also played both games Sunday.

Players who weren’t there Sunday but played earlier in the season included pitcher/former Journal security manager Pat Macri, reporter Paul Glader and investigative reporter Tom McGinty.

The championship game was played in a steady downpour. One testy moment occurred in the top of the seventh when the Journal thought Siconolfi, in a routine run down to first, was unfairly clipped. The benches cleared, but no blows were exchanged.

Pictured is an RBI single by Hunter to left. The photo was taken by former BusinessWeek photo editor Scott Mlyn, who played second base on the now-defunct team in the league from the magazine.

Earlier this year, the Journal slaughtered Bloomberg by a score of 26-1. The Journal finished the season with a 16-4 record, and also beat the New York Times, Institutional Investor, Fox Business Network, and Forbes. Other teams in the league are The Daily Beast, DC Comics, Newsweek/Slate and WNYC.

The Journal won the 2009 championship of the New York Media Softball League, defeating BusinessWeek 5-1. BusinessWeek won the 2008 championship.

Tom Lowry, the former captain of the BusinessWeek team who is now working for Variety, was in attendance as a spectator and vowed to field a team for the 2011 season.