5/16/09 by Brian Meyers Who's #2? Even though Jim has been a mainstay in the KWL, many are still unfamiliar with his number or even his name. Jim broke into the league in 2007, hitting .375 with 2 homers and 14 Rbi's. This first season was a unique situation, as the Indians had a bloated 7 man roster. Jim was always one of the first to give up playing time to the other guys on his team, only notching 64 at bats that first year. In 2008, Jim and his Indians slimmed down the roster, which allowed for more playing time. Many would agree that 08' was Jim's break out year. Last season, Jim hit .308, drove in 31 runs and hit a surprising 17 homers (To put into perspective the magnitude of 17 homers in a season, in the 4 years of KWL wiffleball, only 6 other players have notched that total or higher). The Indians struggled through out entire season, but Jim shined through. Jim finished the season winning Sportsman of the year in the NL, as well as stealing the show at the AllStar game and winning the AllStar MVP.

Two weeks into the 2009 season and crafty veteran Jim Noel is proving that hitting 17 homeruns in 2008 was no fluke! Jim is playing in his 3rd KWL season, but this far into the 09' campaign; Jim is leading the National League in Homers (5), Average (.667) and Rbi's (14). To boot, his Diablos are off to a great 4-0 start. As a fan of this league, I love to see players having this amount of success. Jim flew in under the radar last year, but it won't take long range technology to pick him up this season. Jim is a very rare member of the league that always puts the best interest of the league first and his playing career second. For this reason alone, Jim deserves nothing more then a heavy campaign by yours truly. Jim Noel for 2009 NL MVP! Vote for Jimmy!