End of season evaluation and review - part 3

SiiPe’s best was entertaining, but not enough to avoid bottom of the table

Places 10-14

At the bottom of the table there was a chance even the last placed team could have reached the playoffs until late in the season. The fact that there was no relegation this season gave the teams flexibility to play without consequences. This post focuses on places 10 to 14 as they finished in the regular season.


Some general observations for 10th to 14th place: Kempele started the season with a bang, beating Sotkamo away in the season opener. Despite some flashes of brilliance at bat, the game plan was very much - score as many runs as they could, because defensively Kempele would also concede a lot. Whilst defensively Kempele did tighten up as the season went on, they slipped out of contention for a playoff spot given the level of competition they faced for a top 8 finish. Just before the start of the season Kempele lost their game manager and several players, which looked like it would be fatal for the team. Considering these difficulties, Kempele played very well in the season and eyes now turn to 2021.


Koskenkorva had a terrible start to the season and remained rooted at the bottom of the table for the most part of the first half of the season. Despite Patrik Wahlsten putting up phenomenal numbers this season, he was let down by Koskenkorva’s poor defence. 


Manse PP made some headlines in the off-season in 2019 with some big signings, which now seem dwarfed by the list of Superpesis stars that have signed contracts for 2021 and beyond. Nevertheless there was a buzz around Manse coming into this season and it was questionable whether they in fact could reach the top 8. Sadly for them, the dream of a top 8 finish was out of reach, but some key performances meant that they ended the season only 3 points behind 9th place IPV.


Kankaanpää had moments in the season where they overturned even the strongest of opponents, such as their win over Vimpeli on 13th August, but these moments were fairly few and in reality the team lacked any dynamic elements and were lucky not to finish bottom in the table. Overall, Kankaanpää lacked a standout player to really lead the charge, although Kari Kellokoski and Miikka Riikonen had their moments.


SiiPe had a lot of energy and excitement at various points in the season. Despite being clear contenders to finish in 14th place, they showed a lot of grit and determination to avoid this. As the season went on, the team simply ran out of steam and as the inevitable started to become a reality, SiiPe became resigned to their fate. Still - I found the SiiPe games far more entertaining that Kankaanpää’s.



10th Kempeleen Kiri

As the 2020 season was delayed things started to look desperate for many teams and their finances. Kempele saw some changes before the start of the season and it looked as though they would struggle to avoid the bottom; however they strung together some good results early in the season. By the end of the season, KeKi had slipped back down to 10th in the table and the fairytale start to the season was all but forgotten.

Final place in table: 10th

Estimated final position: 6th

Comment: Considering the shaky news before the season I was pleased to see a passing grade.

Overall grade:    

C



11th Koskenkorvan Urheilijat

When I talked about JymyJussit In their end of season evaluations, I said that their season went from a strong start to a poor finish - if anything KoU was entirely the opposite. Koskenkorva sat rooted to the bottom of the table for the first few weeks of the season and looked as though they may struggle to score any points,as their first points came in their 6th game of the season against Manse PP. Despite Patrik Wahlsten’s monster performance in July, the holes in Koskenkorva’s defence were just too much for the hard hitter to overcome and dig his team out of a hole. August however was enough to pull KoU back to 11th in the table.

Final place in table: 11th

Estimated final position: 12th

Comment: Late at scoring points in the season. Must start 2021 with more energy.

Overall grade:    

E


12th Manse PP, Tampere

2020 saw Manse’s debut season in Superpesis; with the threat of relegation gone, it allowed teams at the bottom to be a little more flexible and Manse was no exception. For most of the season Manse threatened to make a big impression; however they never really reached their full potential. Some players had phenomenal seasons, like Juuso Myllyniemi, but it was not enough to defy the odds and make it into the top 8.

Final place in table: 12th

Estimated final position: 13th

Comment: Has adjusted very well since joining the class, but I feel there is more this team could have achieved.

Overall grade:    

C-


13th Kankaanpään Maila

The regular season as not kind to Kankaanpää and the highlights of the season were overshadowed by the losses that saw them drop to 13th in the table. Whilst defensively KaMa was the 8th best team in terms of runs conceded, their offence was the 2nd worst and this was the real hole in their game. There were just not enough runs to keep KaMa in the game.

Final place in table: 13th

Estimated final position: 10th

Comment: Not enough energy and needs to start scoring runs. Whilst defensively very good, performance at the plate was disappointing; I expected more.

Overall grade:    

F


14th Siilinjärven Pesis

Despite avoiding relegation in 2019 with a nail biting elimination series, 2020 was less exciting. In fact 2020 saw SiiPe finish in last place in the regular season. Having said all of that, SiiPe did have some moments of energy despite often being outclassed (in contrast to Kankaanpää). 

Final place in table: 14th

Estimated final position: 14th

Comment: Some good efforts at times, but really not good enough. Must try harder in 2021.

Overall grade:    

E


Photographs

Cover - (c) Siilinjärven Pesis 2020

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