Musings, mutterings and the occasional schmahts as another Pacificwide Open Interservice Softball Tournament begins and ends in the blink of an eye and the countdown toward May 28, 2009, and the 20th anniversary tournament begins:

-- At last! The huge, 400-pound gorilla is off the Lady Guzzlers' and American Legion's backs. The third time was the charm for the Guzzlers, who suffered back-to-back double-dip heartbreak defeats at Sang Ji University's hands. Legion, meanwhile, finally snapped the International Guzzlers' five-year men's title streak.

-- Legion added to its growing litany of Pacific interservice Grand Slam tournament titles, capturing No. 11, putting it 28 behind the legendary Pacific Force squad between 1989 and 2004. Legion also avenged its 15-5, run-rule, six-inning defeat at the Guzzlers' hands last May.

-- Dee-fense! Dee-fense! The Lady Guzzlers definitely gave us some glovin', making just one error in their 5-4 championship-game edging of Red Fox, a Korean fastpitch team based in Pusan. They also played it safe on the basepaths; the Guzzlers ran themselves out of several innings in their 2007 two-game loss to Sang Ji.

-- They call them "All-Air Force" for a reason. Four-time All-Air Force outfielder Candace Dugo was having a pedestrian tournament until the final, when she went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs. Stepped up when it counts.

-- Not bad for a collection of players with 32 All-Service, 23 All-Armed Forces and five All-American selections, a group that invested $6,000 in airfare and $4,000 in hotel fees. "It's worth it," said Kazue "JoJo" Dancer, three-time All-Air Force catcher who came all the way from Aviano Air Base in Italy. Becca Tongen and Lindsay Ciullo were second-furthest, from Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

-- "This was it," four-time All-American outfielder Karrie Warren said. "If we didn't win this time, we weren't sure we would come back. Now, we have to make another trip to defend it."

-- Lady Guzzlers coach Danny Acosta still holds the record for longest distance traveled, flying from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where he was deployed, to Seoul in five days.

-- Has this tournament seen many players as relentless, determined and intimidating as Leticia Pacheco, All-American shortstop and former Fresno State All-Western Athletic Conference star? ... Didn't think so. Talk about a tiger on the field.

-- Women's team to watch for in the July 4th weekend Firecracker on Okinawa: Yard Busters of Okinawa. Last year's Firecracker runner-up boasts a collection of solid young Marines and dependent spouses ... and they won't have four Korean teams nor the Lady Guzzlers in front of them.

-- Legion, meanwhile, sported 12 prior All-Service picks, two of whom, Dan Miller and Bo Brewer, flew from Texas. "That's our Legion family," coach John O'Brien said. All Legion players either are or were stationed on Okinawa, including Chris Souza, who played for Legion despite being assigned to Korea's Osan Air Base.

-- Like I said, they call them "All-Air Force" for a reason. Legion left fielder Chadd Malin, four times All-Air Force, went 4-for-4 with a double, home run, sacrifice fly and four RBIs against the Guzzlers.

-- If the top of the order sets the table, then Legion's top three certainly created a feast fit for kings, princes, dukes and any ol' sultans of swat. Read: 10-for-14, eight RBIs. "The top of the order played and did what it was supposed to," leadoff batter Chris "Smoke" Stevens said.

-- But like any proud champion, the Guzzlers refused to go quietly into the night, would not vanish without a fight. Four-time All-Armed Forces second baseman Chris Simpson's two-run single centerpieced the Guzzlers' five-run seventh inning, and they had the tying run at the plate when Deron Jyo flew out to Stevens to end it.

-- Legion's next mission: Avenge their double-dip defeat at the Osan Defenders' hands last July in the Firecracker. Barring deployments and other circumstances, O'Brien should have his full squad, plus Souza.

-- And as always, the Pacificwide served as first blush for players who were the last ones cut from their All-Service camps, polishing their games so they can get another invite and back into the fight. Also serves as a good platform for those who have been there, done that. With 24 men's and 12 women's teams, it resembled an All-Armed Forces albeit on a much broader scale.

Fun time had by all. 36 days until the Firecracker, 360 days until the 20th Pacificwide.