2006 National Pro Fastpitch season

The 2006 National Pro Fastpitch season was the third season of professional softball under the name National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) for the only professional women's fastpitch softball league in the United States. From 1997 to 2002, NPF operated under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL). Each year, the playoff teams battle for the Cowles Cup.

2006 NPF Season
LeagueNational Pro Fastpitch
Sportsoftball
DurationMay 31, 2006 - August 22, 2006
Number of teams7
2006 NPF Draft
Top draft pickCat Osterman
Texas
Picked byConnecticut Brakettes
Regular Season
Majestic Cup
(Best record)		Chicago Bandits
Cowles Cup
ChampionsNew England Riptide
  Runners-upConnecticut Brakettes
Finals MVPJocelyn Forest
New England Riptide

Teams, cities and stadiums
Team City Stadium
Akron Racers Akron, Ohio Firestone Stadium
Arizona Heat Tucson, Arizona Hi Corbett Field[1]
Chicago Bandits Lisle, Illinois Benedictine University Sports Complex[2]
Connecticut Brakettes Stratford, Connecticut Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field[3]
New England Riptide Lowell, Massachusetts Martin Softball Field[4]
Philadelphia Force Allentown, Pennsylvania ECTB Stadium[5]
Texas Thunder League City, Texas Big League Dreams[6]
National Pro Fastpitch teams

Milestones and events

2004 NPF champion New York Juggernaut and the California Sunbirds (who played a partial schedule in 2005) were not on the 2006 schedule and ceased operations.

In September 2005, NPF announced the addition of the expansion team Philadelphia Force, owned by brothers William M. and John M. Thompson. The Force named Patriots Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania, as their home stadium. One of their first signings included 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Natasha Watley.[7] The Force did play at ECTB Stadium at Bicentennial Park in Allentown.[5]

NPF announced that Patrick J. Linden had become their new president. An attorney, Linden has experience as counsel for the NPF owner's group.[8]

Player acquisition

College draft
Further information: 2006 NPF Draft

The 2006 NPF Senior Draft was held 138, 2006 via conference call. Cat Osterman of Texas was selected first by the Connecticut Brakettes. Osterman opted not to sign with the Brakettes, becoming a free agent at the end of the 2006 season.

Notable transactions

Sarah Pauly signed her initial NPF contract, as the first player signed by the Connecticut Brakettes. In 2005 as a member of the amateur Stratford Brakettes, Pauly pitched against NPF teams.[9]

League standings

Source

Team GP W L Pct. GB
Chicago Bandits 42 30 12 .714 -
Connecticut Brakettes 42 27 15 .643 3
Akron Racers 46 29 17 .630 3
New England Riptide 41 24 17 .585 5.5
Texas Thunder 48 21 27 .438 12
Arizona Heat 48 20 28 .417 13
Philadelphia Force 42 14 28 .333 16

NPF's 2006 schedule was 48 games for each team, including seven four-game home series and five four-game road series. On the schedule were games against national teams from Canada, China and Chinese Taipei, as well as Denso Japan, a professional team. The USA Softball Team, World University Games Team and the Michigan Ice, a hopeful for NPF membership, were also scheduled as opponents. The results counted in the NPF's team records.[10]

NPF Championship

The 2006 NPF Championship Series was held at Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field in Stratford, Connecticut August 26 and 28. The top four teams qualified and were seeded based on the final standings. The series matched the teams up in a single-elimination bracket. The championship game was scheduled for August 27, but rain forced it to be moved to August 28.

NPF Semifinals (Aug. 26) NPF Championship (Aug 28)
      
Chicago Bandits 0
New England Riptide 1
New England Riptide 2
Connecticut Brakettes 0
Connecticut Brakettes 1
Akron Racers 0
2006 NPF Championship Series - Game 1
GameDateScoreLocation
1August 26Chicago Bandits 0, New England Riptide 1 (9 innings)[11]Stratford, Connecticut
2006 NPF Championship Series - Game 2
GameDateScoreLocation
2August 26Connecticut Brakettes 1, Akron Racers 0 (8 innings)[12]Stratford, Connecticut
2006 NPF Championship Series - Game 3
GameDateScoreLocation
3August 28New England Riptide 2, Connecticut Brakettes 0[13]Stratford, Connecticut
New England Riptide win NPF Championship

Championship Game
Team Top Batter Stats.
New England Riptide Lyndsey Angus 2-3 RBI K
Stratford Brakettes Kellie Wilkerson 1-2 BB K
Team Pitcher IPHRERBBSOABBF
New England Riptide Jocelyn Forest (W) 7.0500272628
Stratford Brakettes Sarah Pauly (L) 7.0721082829
2006 NPF Championship Series MVP
Player Club Stats.
Jocelyn Forest New England Riptide 2-0 14Ks 0.00 ERA 2SHs 0.62 WHIP (7Hs+3BBs/16.0 IP)[14][15]

Annual awards

Source:[16]

Majestic Cup
(Best regular season record)
Chicago Bandits
Award Player Team
Player of the Year Award Lyndsey Angus New England Riptide
Pitcher of the Year Sarah Pauly Connecticut Brakettes
Rookie of the Year Stacy May Chicago Bandits
Defensive Player of the Year Carri Leto Philadelphia Force
Offensive Player of the Year Jessica Merchant Connecticut Brakettes
Managers of the Year Chicago Bandits -- Eugene Lenti and Mickey Dean
2006 All-NPF Team[17]
Position Name Team
PitcherSarah PaulyConnecticut Brakettes
PitcherJocelyn ForestNew England Riptide
PitcherChrista WilliamsTexas Thunder
PitcherAmy HarreChicago Bandits
CatcherSelena CollinsChicago Bandits
1st BaseJenna HallPhiladelphia Force
2nd BaseCarri LetoPhiladelphia Force
3rd BaseStacy MayChicago Bandits
ShortstopJessica MerchantConnecticut Brakettes
UtilityLyndsey AngusNew England Riptide
OutfieldIyhia McMichaelAkron Racers
OutfieldKelly KretschmanConnecticut Brakettes
OutfieldAnne SteffanChicago Bandits
At-LargeKristen ZaleskiTexas Thunder
At-LargeJackie PasquerellaNew England Riptide
At-LargeNichole ThompsonArizona Heat
At-LargeOli KeohohouAkron Racers
At-LargeRadara McHughAkron Racers
At-LargeJaime ClarkChicago Bandits

See also

References
  1. Shelly Lewellen (1 June 2006). "Pro Softball: Girls of summer settle in for Heat's third year in NPF". Tucson Citizen. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  2. "Bandits Take Game Two of Venezuela Series". ProFastpitch.com. 2 June 2006. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  3. "CONNECTICUT BRAKETTES BRING PRO SOFTBALL TO THE STATE". Brakettes.com. 1 January 2006. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  4. "2006 Riptide Tickets Now onSale". OurSportsCentral.com. 15 March 2006. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  5. "Stadium". PhiladelphiaForce.com. Archived from the original on 14 June 2006. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  6. "Texas Thunder set to open home season tomorrow night". OurSportsCentral.com. 6 June 2006. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  7. "NPF announces expansion team". OurSportsCentral.com. 27 September 2005. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  8. "NPF Names New President". ProFastpitch.com. 13 January 2006. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  9. "CONNECTICUT BRAKETTES ANNOUNCE SIGNING OF 6-FOOT-3 PITCHER SARAH PAULY". Brakettes.com. 3 February 2006. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  10. "2006 NATIONAL PRO FASTPITCH SCHEDULE RELEASED". Profastpitch.com. 7 February 2006. Archived from the original on 5 December 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  11. "Riptide win first game of playoffs, Lyndsey Angus named Player of the Year". OurSportsCentral.com. 26 August 2006. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  12. "BRAKETTES DEFEAT RACERS 1-0, ADVANCE TO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME". brakettes.com. 27 August 2006. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  13. "Riptide wins 2006 NPF championship". OurSportsCentral.com. 29 August 2006. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  14. "New England Riptide vs Connecticut Brakette (Aug 28,2006)". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 2015-09-06. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  15. "Chicago Bandits vs New England Riptide (Aug 26,2006)". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 2015-09-07. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  16. "2006 NATIONAL PRO FASTPITCH HONORS". profastpitch.com. 26 August 2006. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  17. "National Pro Fastpitch Names All-NPF Team". ProFastpitch.com. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
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