2007 BARB WORLD SERIES, GAME SEVEN

OH, MAN! LEFTY UNLIKELY CHOICE FOR STOPPER

Darwin, Australia----With the 2007 BARB World Series tied up at three games apiece, it came down to this: one game for all the marbles, at the home of the Finches. But could Darwin take any real confidence from being at home? After all, they had played ‘road warriors’ in Arizona to take a 3-2 lead in the Series and neither team had so far managed to win a single contest at home, flouting the oddsmakers.

And what were the odds of 43-year-old Roger Clemens outlasting young Scott Kazmir, especially if his teammates could only manage one run of support? And, if things were left in the hands of journeyman left-hander Will Ohman (2-5, no saves, 6.48 ERA in 41 games) over mid-season acquisition Francisco Cordero, who had 16 saves and a 3.32 ERA between stops in Oakeyland, Arizona and Yuma? And that the Finches would commit 12 errors in 7 games, or that Darwin would have a better team ERA and more runs scored than Yuma, and yet.....

LOSE THE SERIES?

For that, incredibly, is exactly what happened in this unlikeliest of seventh games. Clemens (1-0, 4.09) worked seven shutout innings, but nevertheless left ahead 1-0 on the strength of Vladimir Guerrero’s 4th inning solo homer off Kazmir (1-1, 1.84). Yuma was unable to add more despite a drop by Lance Berkman in left and a throwing error by Jeff Francouer, but instead of going to Cordero, went with the lefty Ohman when ‘The Rocket’ walked pinch-hitter Chone Figgins to open the eighth. Ohman got Carlos Guillen (banished to the DH role due to poor fielding) to fly out to center, picked Figgins off first and got Placido Polanco to ground out harmlessly to his opposite number in Brian Roberts. This was so impressive that the Firebirds left Ohman in to start the ninth against Darwin’s coterie of switch-hitters. Ohman walked David Ortiz on a full count, but got Series goat (3 errors) Chipper Jones to hit into a double play. But Lance Berkman, the hero of Darwin’s playoff with Vegas, drew a walk to put the tying run back on and Aaron Rowand beat out a slow roller to put the go-ahead run on with two out.

Would Yuma go to Cordero NOW, with the right-handed hitting Francouer up? Not on your life! Cordero watched from the bullpen as Ohman was left in to pitch to Francouer, who swung at the first pitch SHARPLY, hitting a line drive that....

Was flagged down in the gap by Curtis Granderson!

Yuma wins Game Seven, 1-0, and the 2007 BARB World Series, to boot!

The FIREBIRDS are BARB Champions!

Immediately after the final out, Yuma GM Chris Melkonian (often a bridesmaid), shook hands with shell-shocked Head Finch Scott Hatfield, who could only whisper ‘Congratulations’ after the surprising upset. Yuma had been, in a sense, outpitched by Darwin hurlers, who compiled a 1.71 ERA in seven games to the Firebirds’ 3.57. When Darwin had won, they had won big (22 runs to just 6), but they had lost four games by only seven runs, and in many cases the runs were unearned, with the Finches committing 12 errors in the Series to Yuma’s 4.

“Clearly,” Finches manager PZ Myers snarled, “Some of us will be working on drills for the next few months, and others of us will be trying to find a new line of work. We outscored them, we pitched well. Talk about the 1960 Yankees all you want, but you will never convince me that my club played up to its ability. Not to take anything away from the Firebirds, because they outplayed us in that area, and that’s why they are the champs. But I guarantee there will be some changes around here, because this kind of failure simply isn’t acceptable.”

SABATHIA EARNS MVP HONORS

Office of the League Commissioner----With no Firebird regular hitting higher than .214 and only one home run launched (by Vladimir Guerrero), it was no surprise to see a hurler named Series MVP. C.C. Sabathia (2-0, 1.06) got the nod after allowing just two runs in his two starts, including a 3-2 complete game win in Game Six to extend the Series. Sabathia (18-8, 3.20 in the regular season), regularly abused Darwin’s corps of switchhitters, fanning ten, including Chipper Jones three times, along with inducing three double plays, two of which he started himself. In a sense, Sabathia’s honor represented Yuma’s edge with the leather in the Series, and pointed to weaknesses that the Finches lineup had against quality lefties. No doubt Darwin’s Eastern Division foes will take note.

As for Yuma’s foes? They must be getting tired of looking up at the Firebirds tail chassis, but as Chris Melkonian’s club took their fourth straight divisional title all the way to the world championship. Tied for the loop’s fourth-best record, they will even have halfway decent draft position in the off-season; in fact, the highest draft position ever for a defending champ! It’s going to make for interesting gnashing of teeth for the likes of Arizona, Black Mesa and San Jose and a likely change of ownership for at least one club in the division.