THE UNELIMINATED

In freezing temperatures, the bats of the visiting Eliminators heated up in the late innings, as Mark Teixeira and company put an exclamation point on the 2010 season with an unprecedented and convincing sweep of the BARB World Series!

Worcester had taken a 2-0 lead at home with a pair of 1-0 shutouts at the expense of the suddenly-punchless Squirrels, but Andrew Haynes and his troops hoped that a return to their home park ("Rocky Top") would rekindle an offense that had belted a BARB-leading 245 HR in the regular season. To do that, they would hand the ball to RHP Matt Garza (11-6, 4.46), while Worcester would counter with ace Adam Wainwright (13-8, 4.13).

Wainwright had split a pair of decisions in Worcester's five-game playoff with Casselton, but he saved his best outing of the postseason for Game Three, allowing a two-out RBI single to Jason Heyward in the second, then facing the minimum number of batters through the eighth Wainwright (1-0, 1.13) would allow just one run on four hits in that span, but Garza was similarly stingy after giving up a two-out solo shot to DH Billy Butler in the second. Another pitcher's duel, tied at 1-1 after eight? Amazing!

But, in the top of the ninth, Worcester 3B Derek Jeter led off with a double down the RF line. Nick Masset (0-1, 9.00), who had come on in the eighth on a double switch, retired Nolan Reimold for the first out, then yielded to LHP Eric O'Flaherty with the lefty-swinging Carl Crawford at the plate. Surprise! Worcester pinch-hit unspectacular utility man Ty Wiggington, who drew a walk on five pitches!

Hanley Ramirez took O'Flaherty's first pitch for a ball, and the Frostbite brain trust had seen enough. Joakim Soria, "The Mexecutioner", was brought into the ballgame...but perhaps was overly concerned about baserunners. Soria's first three throws were to first base, and this may have affected his control: Ball two, a checked swing called a strike, BALL THREE, a second strike FOULED away....BALL FOUR!

The bases were loaded for Mark Teixeira, whose second-inning solo HR in Game 1 had provided all the runs that Worcester needed to win the Series opener. Soria fell behind 2-0, got a called strike, then missed with a change....a 3-1 pitch on its way.....

KRRRRRAAAAAK! In fact, for Frostbite, the CRACK OF DOOM, as 'Big Tex' had just hit a line drive that kept on carrying out to left, a LASER BEAM and......GONE!

A GRAND SLAM!!!!!




Frostbite Falls GM Andrew Haynes slumped in his seat at this painful turn of events. Cano and Mauer grounded out, but the damage was done. Soria's six wins and 24 saves in the regular season were distant memories, for the biggest blown save of the season had given Worcester a 5-1 lead. And, while not a save situation, the league's leading closer (Mariano Rivera, 36 saves) would be trotted out to ensure that Worcester took a 3-0 lead in the 2010 BARB World Series:

Lind and Pujols both grounded harmlessly to short. Victor Martinez held off the inevitable by singling up the middle on a 3-1 pitch. Evan Longoria then struck out, for the eighth time in this series personally. For the Squirrels collectively, it was the third straight game that they had scored one run or less, and they had fanned a total 27 times as a team!!

WORCESTER 5, FROSTBITE FALLS 1 !

Down 3-0 in the Series, the Squirrels would make a comeback and make their best offensive showing, but would again watch their bullpen unable to hold off late-inning rallies by the Eliminators bats.

Anibal Sanchez (11-11, 4.20) would get the nod for Worcester, while the Squirrels would counter with Felix Hernandez (13-10, 3.55) on short rest. The Squirrels, who lived and died by the long ball in the regular season, got off to their first leads of the Series thanks to a one-out bomb by Longoria in the second and a similar blast by the hot Carlos Beltran in the third.

Crawford doubled to right to start the fourth, however, and again that man Mark Teixeria cashed him in with a booming two-bagger of his own. Frostbite Falls got a run back in the sixth when Rickie Weeks led off the inning. Weeks, getting a start with IF Michael Young in a major slump, hit an absolute bomb to deep left to give Frostbite Falls a 3-1 lead with their ace, "King Felix" on the mound.

But Felix, pitching carefully to Teixeria, plunked the Worcester 1B to lead off the top of the seventh on a 2-2 pitch. As fans booed (Teixeira did not appear to get out of the way of the pitch), up came the left-handed hitting Robinson Cano. Hernandez's first pitch was fouled off. His second was.....DRILLED down the line, hooking into the corner, gone if it was a fair ball...HOME RUN!



Robinson Cano had just erased Frostbite Falls' only lead of the series with a game-tying two-run HR to right, the fourth long ball of the contest! Hernandez would finish out the inning, but there was no lead to hand to the bullpen....and, as it turned out, not much of a bullpen to hand anything to.

Frostbite Falls tried to make things interesting in the bottom of the eighth. Beltran, a hot hitter the whole series, doubled to right center off Sanchez. Worcester countered by relieving with setup man Heath Bell (9-8, 3.51). Weeks popped out, Lind struck out and (with the tying run at second), Bell got Albert Pujols to ground out harmlessly to Jeter.

That brought up the top of the ninth for the visitors. Teixeira popped out to begin the inning, but Cano reached on an infield single when SS Jose Reyes bounced a throw to first. Joe Mauer hit a fly to right, but not deep enough to advance Cano. That brought up Delmon Young, 0-for-14 in the Series....but as they say, he was due. Young lined a single up the middle on a 1-0 pitch to push Cano to second, putting the go-ahead run in scoring position.

Again, Frostbite countered with Soria. And, again, their closer simply couldn't deliver, as BILLY BUTLER smashed a ball into the left-center gap that Lind couldn't cut off: CANO....scored! YOUNG, running all the way from first....scored, as the throw was cut off to get a sure out (Butler) at third. A two-run double had given the Eliminators the lead: WORCESTER 5, FROSTBITE FALLS 3!

Everything would now turn on whether the Elims stuck with Bell, or called on Rivera for the fourth straight game. Bell came out to start the ninth and made all of that strategy talk interesting. Victor Martinez singled off of Bell's shoe, an infield hit. With every run critical to extending their season, the Squirrels pinch-ran Drew Stubbs for Martinez. Longoria, an offensive goat for the first three games, came up big, lining a singled between first and second.

But Bell, taking a deep breath, changed everything as he fanned Jayson Werth with three straight fastballs. Reyes got ahead 2-0, then flied out to right. Rookie Jason Heyward then....

STRUCK OUT!

The ball game was over!

WORCESTER had won, 5-3...and more importantly, had done something unprecedented: swept the BARB World Series, and won their first world title!

The Worcester Eliminators are champions of an imaginary universe, the one called Bullard Alternative Reality Baseball.

Congratulations are in order for GM Matt Caskey, who despite a thin bench and some injuries to his outfield put together a solid season before and after the All-Star Break that built around the hitting ability of his awesome lineup. While the Eliminators did not hit .284 as a team in the post-season (as they did in the regular campaign) they scored enough to support an underrated pitching staff that held the Squirrels (the league's top scoring offense) to just four runs in four games.

"BIG TEX" THE CONSENSUS MVP

With game-winning HR in both Game 1 and Game 3, and a team-high 6 RBI, 1B Mark Teixeira was an easy pick for Series MVP. Teixeira tied Joe Mauer for the team lead in HR with 31 in the regular season, while hitting .303 (one of eight .300 hitters in Worcester's lineup). Teixeira also was walked twice and was hit by a pitch to start a key rally in the finale.

Congratulations, Matt!

INSTANT CLASSIC

WOW

The title of this post is, of course, a contradiction of sorts: like being 'alone together' or 'plastic glasses.' But, in a sense, it is the truth, my friends. Why? Because the game I am about to describe is arguably one of the best ever produced by the simulation in terms of drama, tension and high stakes. Trailing 1-0 in the 2010 BARB World Series, the wild card-winning Flying Squirrels get into an epic pitcher's duel...in extra innings!.....

The matchup: Tim Lincecum (who led his club with 16 wins and 245 K's) would attempt to hold down a lineup with eight .300 hitters....while his opposite number, Ryan Dempster, led the Elims with 14 wins and 174 K's.

Carlos Beltran, who homered twice in the playoffs against Yuma, singled to start the game and the way Matt Caskey's club played that first inning tells you a lot about their desire to avoid pitching to All-World 1B Albert Pujols. Michael Young grounded back to Dempster with the runner going on a 2-2 pitch. Beltran reached second, and with a base open, the Eliminators did not hesitate to intentionally walk Pujols with one down. Jayson Werth hit a big fly that moved Beltran to third, but Victor Martinez hit a routine ground ball to Hanley Ramirez at short to end the threat.

So...don't pitch to Pujols seemed to be the theme, which is understandable with the big galoot having bombed a BARB record 14 home runs in the playoffs since 2003. As for offense, Worcester was aggressive on the basepaths and at the plate, and it would cost them repeatedly. At the plate, the free-swinging Elims were easy prey for Tim Lincecum's changeup, striking out the side in the fourth and (at one point) retiring 14 straight.

Meanwhile, on the basepaths, things were even more frustrating for the home team. Frostbite C Victor Martinez, not known for stopping the running game, would gun down Carl Crawford and Derek Jeter at second, while also erasing Hanley Ramirez on an ill-conceived (attempted) swipe of third base. So it was that, through eight innings, Lincecum had allowed only seven baserunners (5 H, 2 BB), and his catcher had killed rallies in three separate innings.

Despite the dominance, the Squirrels were similarly mired in offensive futility, as Dempster matched Lincecum zero-for-zero. After a two-out walk to (who else?) Albert Pujols in the third, Dempster would retire thirteen straight before giving up a leadoff single to the eighth-place hitter, speedy Jose Reyes.

Pinch-hit for Lincecum, who had thrown 101 pitches already, in a 0-0 tie? Not likely, reasoned Squirrels GM Andrew Haynes. Instead, playing for one run, the Squirrels brain trust had Lincecum execute a perfect sacrifice to put Reyes in scoring position with one out, bringing up Frostbite Falls' hottest hitter: Carlos Beltran.

Beltran came to the plate with 11 hits in 27 post-season AB's (.407), including two singles in his first two trips against Dempster. He got ahead in the count, 2-1....fouled a pitch off....took a pitch....then swung and missed at a 3-2 slider for the second out! Michael Young (having a terrible series) then pushed a routine grounder right at Ramirez, and the Squirrels were denied for the eighth straight inning!

Delmon Young flew out to begin the bottom of the inning, but 3B Derek Jeter (batting eighth in Worcester's incredible lineup) pushed a four-hopper up the middle underneath Lincecum's glove. With Dempster having thrown 112 pitches, he was lifted in favor of pinch-hitter Lastings Milledge. Milledge quickly fell behind 0-2, fouled off a couple of pitches and took ball one from Lincecum. A decent comeback, but Milledge then took a beautifully-located change on the outside corner for strike three, out #2 and punchout #12 in the game for 'The Freak' !

That brought up Carl Crawford with two down, and Jeter at first, and the following sequence:

Lincecum....threw over to first. Jeter back, safely.

Lincecum....threw over to first. Jeter back, safely.

Lincecum....three over to first, not even close, Jeter back safely.

Lincecum.....PITCHED OUT on the first pitch to Crawford, Jeter going, and Victor Martinez's throw . . . .

ON THE MONEY! Jeter was OUT at second on the tag by Reyes, and Lincecum was out of the inning, 110 pitches in the books.....and a scoreless tie after eight innings.

Wow, but it gets better. Heath Bell was pummeled in two of his three playoff outings, but he was brought on to start the ninth against that man, Albert Pujols. Bell fell behind, 2-1, then got Pujols to protect the plate with some fastballs on the black, his 2-2 fastball being slapped deep but foul by the Frostbite slugger. Bell's sixth pitch was grounded to short, however, and that seemed to ramp up the Worcester setup man's mojo, striking out Werth and Longoria.

In the bottom of the ninth, it was Frostbite's turn to go to the pen. Lincecum was actually given a chance to start the frame, but Carl Crawford pulled a ball sharply between Pujols and Young, and the Squirrels had seen enough. Already trailing in the Series 1-0 and in a scoreless tie, they made the move to their closer, Joakim Soria. Hanley Ramirez got a bunt down to move Crawford into scoring position for the left-handed hitting Robinson Cano. The Squirrels gave the sign for four wide ones, putting runners at first and second.

The home town ELIMINATORS, with one down, had the winning run at second, for Mark Teixeira, who . . .

...LASHED a 1-1 fastball on one hop past a diving Longoria, sending Crawford to the plate! LF Adam Lind, no great shakes with the glove, charged the ball! Crawford rounded third! Lind windmilled his throw to the plate, hitting the infield with one hop...two hops....Martinez blocked the plate, whirled and...

OUT!!!!! at home plate! Are you kidding me? Adam Lind had made a perfect throw and Martinez had executed a brilliant sweep tag to deny one of the most dynamic baserunners in the league. Joe Mauer then hit a 2-2 pitch harmlessly out to left, threat averted....sending the scoreless tie to extra innings.

It gets better.

In the top of the 10th, Jason Heyward greeted Bell with a singled to left-center. Playing for one run, Jose Reyes bunted to third, sending Heyward to second. Now the tough choice: keep Soria on the mound, and risk handing the game to a lesser reliever in a must-win situation....or let the pitcher hit for himself and hope against hope? Frostbite stuck with Soria, and it was here that they were snake-bit. Sensing a key moment, the Eliminators brought in their ace closer, Mariano Rivera. The legendary Panamanian got two strikes on Soria, wasted a pair, and then tried to strike him out with his remarkable cut fastball.

Only the cutter didn't do what it should, and Rivera plunked Soria in the elbow! As 'The Mexicutioner' (Soria's actual nickname, people) writhed on the ground, the Squirrels got their reliever out of harm's way as a precaution, calling on Rickie Weeks to pinch-run at first. That brought up Frostbite Falls' hottest hitter in the post-season, CF Carlos Beltran.

The Eliminators apparently had gotten the memo about Beltran's recent heroics, however. They intentionally walked Beltran to load the bases. Rivera then went to work on Michael Young: fastball, fouled off for strike one. Another foul, for strike two. Another foul, for good measure. And, on the fourth pitch, Young tried to check his swing....but fouled it to Mauer, who DROPPED the third strike! For a moment, a confused Young did not run....and so Mauer threw to first, Teixeira whipped it back home to nail Heyward running on the play, an inning-ending two-fer! ARE YOU KIDDING ME???

On to the bottom of the 10th, where Jason Frasor would pitch and (on the double switch) Weeks play second. Frasor went full count on two hitters, but retired the three he faced to move things to the eleventh. Rivera, out for another inning of work in the top of the eleventh, would again show a cat-like ability to dodge trouble. Albert Pujols hit a 1-1 cutter up the middle for a single. Werth reached first when Jeter couldn't handle his hard smash to third. Runners at first and second, nobody out! But....Victor Martinez hit the first pitch he saw right to Cano, who started a 4-6-3 twin killing to take the starch out the Squirrels. Evan Longoria then struck out for the sixth time in this Series.

In the middle of the 11th, the score between these two powerhouse clubs was still a 0-0 tie....but all good things come to an end, including the outing of Mariano Rivera. Backup C Jarrod Saltalamacchia was summoned to pinch-hit for the ace closer, a sign of a thin bench. But 'Salty' elivered a single on Frasor's 2-2 pitch, then went all the way around to third when Carl Crawford hit a long drive into right center for a base hit.

TENSION! The home team had the winning run 90 feet away with nobody down. But Hanley Ramirez flailed at an 0-1 slider with Saltalamacchia inexplicably committing to the plate. Ramirez's ground ball was flagged by a rambing Ricky Weeks, whose throw to the plate was IN TIME to nail Worcester's backup catcher! For a moment, it appeared that Weeks would save the ball game and preserve the scoreless tie....

...until Robinson Cano ....

...doubled in the gap on a 1-1 pitch, sending the Carl Crawford Train down the same track it had been derailed in the ninth! This time, there would be no miracle throw at the plate. Crawford scored without a throw, the Eliminators had a walkoff Series win with one out in the bottom of the 11th:

WORCESTER 1, FROSTBITE FALLS 0!

Worlds probably don't do this incredible game justice, or reflect the likelihood of this outcome. Worcester had taken a 2-0 lead in the Series despite scoring only two runs in over 20 innings! The two clubs had combined for 43 strikeouts in that span, and two clubs known for their offense instead were involved in the greatest pitcher's duel in BARB postseason history.

Now, the Squirrels, facing an 0-2 deficit, will take the Series back home to Frostbite Falls and see if they can force a fifth game, a sixth game or even a seventh game....!

ELIMS PLAY STINGY, TAKE SERIES LEAD

Worcester---The Eliminators, whose team ERA (4.09) was in the middle of the BARB pack in 2010, whitewashed the visiting Frostbite Falls Flying Squirrels in the opening game of the 2010 World Series!

The Squirrels had dispatched the Yuma Firebirds in four games, whereas Worcester had needed five to rally from an 0-2 deficit and displace upstart Casselton. As a consequence, the Eliminators had needed to start ace Adam Wainwright (13-8, 4.18) twice and would have to turn to third starter Phil Hughes to begin the series against the Haynes brain trust's best hurler, Felix Hernandez (13-10, 3.55).

True to form, Hernandez arguably outpitched Hughes in the Game 1 opener: the Frostbite star fanned nine, held batting title winner Joe Mauer hitless, and needed only 86 pitches to scatter three hits through seven. Hughes had reached 99 pitches in the sixth, and would not start the seventh. Nevertheless, it was Hughes (1-0, 0.00) who would take the game, because Mark Teixeira, leading off the top of the second, had pulled a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right-center for a solo HR: WORCESTER 1, FROSTBITE FALLS 0!

Hot-hitting Carlos Beltran had singles in his last two trips to make things interesting for the Squirrels, but Craig Breslow and Peter Moylan handled everything else in the middle innings. In the ninth, the peerless Rivera came in to pitch to the most prolific playoff batter BARB has ever known, 1B Albert Pujols, the MVP of the Atlantic Playoff Series. True to form, 'Prince Albert' got ahead, and then hit a 2-0 pitch like a rocket---but right at a moving Hanley Ramirez for the first out! Adam Lind grounded harmlessly to Cano, and Victor Martinez hit a big fly that chased Beltran to the track, but that was it: a 1-2-3 ninth, a save for Rivera, and a big win to open the 2010 World Series!

Attempting to get back on track, the Squirrels would brandish another big-time arm in Game 2, as Tim Lincecum (16-11, 3.97, 245 K's) would match up with Ryan Dempster (14-11, 4.18).

CLUBS PUSHED TO PLAYOFF BRINK

Trailing in their respective series, the Eastern and Western champions (Worcester and Yuma) both managed triumphs to keep their Series hopes alive as the 2010 BARB playoffs sputtered on . . . . !

YUMA 10, FROSTBITE FALLS 4

WP: Matt Cain (1-0, 4.76)
LP: Tim Lincecum (0-1, 17.18)

Joey Votto drove in four runs with a first-inning single, then added his second HR of the playoffs to cap a four-run inning against Squirrels ace Tim Lincecum, sending 'The Freak' to an early exit, as the 0-2 Firebirds found life on the road.

Yuma gave a hint that things would go their way early on, as Denard Span beat out an infield hit, Brian Roberts singled under the glove of Michael Young and (with one out) Votto beat out a slow roller that Young bobbled (scored inexplicably as a base hit) to score Span. Zimmerman grounded out to put two runners in scoring position, and when Nick Markakis walked, the bases were loaded! Lincecum dispatched Vlad Guerrero on a 1-2 fastball, but the 34-pitch inning had taken its toll.

The Squirrels went quietly in the first two innings. In the top of the second, Buster Posey (0-for-8 in the first two games) singled to lead off the inning. Yunel Escobar sacrificed Posey, and for the sixth time in the game Lincecum went to a three-ball count, eventually walking Span. Roberts followed with a ringing double over Beltran's head to score Posey, Braun hit a sac fly and Albert Pujols dropped a Michael Young peg that would've retired Votto, leading to another run. Lincecum ended with another 'K', but had already offered 51 pitches in just two frames, and trailed, 4-0.

Why does anyone ever pitch to Albert Pujols in the playoff? Things just seem to work out for the big dummy, time and again. Sorry, lost my objectivity, but in the bottom of the third Frostbite Falls seemingly got back into the ball game versus Cain, who did not have his best stuff. The Squirrels loaded the bases with two outs for....you guessed it, Pujols, who delivered a double over a leaping Roberts to plate all three teammates running on the play. Cain would get Victor Martinez, but score was narrowed: YUMA 4, FROSTBITE FALLS 3!

The wheels would finally come off for Lincecum in the fourth, however. Denard Span singled with one out, Brian Roberts walked and Frostbite Falls LF Adam Lind managed to turn a ball that the right-handed hitting Ryan Braun pulled down the left-field line into a double, scoring Span. An aroused Lincecum then left a fastball up for Votto, and the Yuma 1B YANKED it, up and out over the LF wall, a three-run shot! YUMA 8, FROSTBITE FALLS 3!

That was it for Lincecum. Matt Garza would come in and work a credible five-plus frames, allowing just two runs the rest of the way to limit the damage, but the Squirrels weren't able to do anything with the Yuma pen other than Carlos Beltran tomahawking a solo HR off Rafael Betancourt leading off the eighth. Huston Street would come with a six-run lead and a runner on second to get the final two outs....YUMA 10, FROSTBITE FALLS 4!

Despite the win, the Firebirds had to be troubled. They still trailed, 2-1 in the series and would need another road win to force a final game and defend their world title. What will happen? You'll have to tune in tomorrow to see!

WORCESTER 1, CASSELTON 0

WP: Mariano Rivera (1-0, 0.00)
LP: Claudio Vargas (0-1, 3.86)

Mariano Rivera, a non-factor in the first three games, came up big-time in Game 4 of the playoffs, a must-win game for his teammates, as the Eliminators won a classic pitcher's duel on the road in Casselton to even their playoff series at 2-2!

The game began with a matchup of unheralded fourth starters: RHP Anibal Sanchez (11-10, 4.27 in the regular season) for the Elims, and LHP A.J. Happ (7-4, 3.57) for the Horned Toads. Both would take shutout bids into the seventh, with Sanchez especially spectacular (6.2 IP, 4 H, 8 K). Happ was less dominant, but worked around doubles by Carl Crawford and Mark Teixeira to keep things scoreless, retiring the side in order in the top of the seventh.

In the bottom of the frame, Sanchez fanned Torii Hunter for his 8th K. Casselton 3B Casey McGehee hit a one-shot rocket that Ramirez picked off his shoetops, turning it into an easy second out. But, with one down, Mike Napoli worked the count full and fouled off a pair of 3-2 deliveries before working a walk out of Sanchez. Decision time, with the pitcher's spot up! The Casselton brain trust brought in IF Reid Brignac to pinch-hit for Happ. Brignac had burned Worcester with a leadoff double in a previous pinch-appearance, and with Sanchez having thrown 115 pitches, his day was done.

Situational lefty Craig Breslow (1-3, 4.17) relieved, and induced Brignac to pop up to shallow right, ending the threat. It would now turn into a battle of the bullpens, and this was Casselton's Achilles heel: with Bobby Jenks out for the season, and Mike Adams and Dennis O'Day having combined for nearly eight innings in the last three games, the Horned Toads would have to turn to the bottom of their pen.

Claudio Vargas (2-2, 5.18) would get the call to pitch the eighth, and worked credibly. With one down, Vargas intentionally walked Billy Butler pinch-hitting for Breslow in order to pitch to All-World SS Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez obliged the home team's strategy by tapping back to the pitcher, who started a 1-4-3 double play to end the inning. Vargas would go on to work a 1-2-3 ninth as well, fanning Delmon Young to end the inning.

Meanwhile, Peter Moylan (5-2, 2.51) worked a 1-2-3 eighth and came out to work the bottom of the ninth as well. Here, the home team got their best chance for a walkoff win! Justin Upton singled, and with the dangerous Carlos Gonzalez at the plate, the Eliminators brought in lefty specialist Joe Thatcher (1-0, 2.70). 'Car-Go' surprised by sacrificing Upton to second, bringing the winning run into scoring position. The game was clearly on the line.

Enter Rivera, who had led all of BARB with 36 regular-season saves only to languish in the first three games of the post-season. The ancient Panamanian had come into the game as part of a double switch in place of Delmon Young, with utilityman Ty Wiggington trotting out to left and batting in the pitcher's spot. Five cut fastballs later, Rivera had induced a pair of soft grounders from Hunter and McGehee to end the threat.

That brought up the top of the 10th, where the biggest plate apperance of Hanley Ramirez's Worcester career would be a free pass, as Vargas's good outing was wasted by a wild teammate. Robinson Cano lined out sharply to RF Justin Upton, who made a spectacular shoe string catch. Joe Mauer singled over J.J. Hardy's head to put the go-ahead run on. Casselton executed a double switch, as well, calling on Ramon Ramirez (2-3, 3.99) to work on Derek Jeter, while Jorge Cantu took over duties at the hot corner from McGehee.

Ramirez STRUCK OUT Jeter for the second out, but then went 3-0 on the next two hitters (Nolan Reimold and Ty Wigginton).....walking both to load the bases!! What to do in a tie ballgame, with the only arm not yet used on the staff belonging to spot starter Joe Saunders, and with the right-handed hitting Hanley Ramirez at the plate?
Following the book, the Toads stuck with Ramirez:

Ball one!

Ball two!

Ball THREEeeeeeee........ball game!

Or so it seemed, as one Ramirez (Ramon) had just given a four-pitch walk to another (Hanley), and in the process forced in the game's only run? Saunders was brought in with the bases juiced to get the left-handed hitting Carl Crawford. Saunders popped the Elims CF up, ending the inning, but the damage was done.

In the bottom of the TENTH, then, Rivera would be asked to get three more outs. Again, the cut fastball was Worcester's best friend: Mike Napoli struck out, Jorge Cantu grounded out, and Derek Lee (pinch-hitting for Hardy) hit a comebacker that Rivera flipped to Teixeira at 1B....ball game! Just like that, the Worcester Eliminators had evened their series at 2-2, and forced a critical fifth game back home.

Rivera!

EAST STILL THE BEAST

EAST STILL THE BEAST

YUMA ---The wild-card winning Squirrels took a 2-0 lead in their series with host Yuma, while the East-winning Worcester Eliminators postponed their elimination with a solid win over Central champion Casselton, as Eastern clubs showed why they are still in “the division of death.”

FROSTBITE FALLS 6, YUMA 5

WP: Cole Hamels (1-0, 4.26)
LP: Roy Halladay (0-1, 7.71)

BARB postseason kingpin Albert Pujols added another line to his legend in this league, smacking a pair of home runs off Yuma ace Roy Halladay to spark a twelve-hit attack, and the Squirrels pen held off a late Yuma rally to take a 2-0 lead in their series with the defending world champs.

Pujols was not a factor early, getting hit by a pitch with two down in the first (!). But, in the second, Evan Longoria hit a one-out bomb over a leaping Denard Span for the first run of the game. Jason Heyward and Jose Reyes followed with one-out singles, and Col e Hamels sacrificed the pair into scoring position. Carlos Beltran then plated both with a double over the head of Yuma 2B Brian Roberts.

Pujols added to Frostbite Falls’ total by leading off the third with his first bomb of the game, and his teammates would bunch three singles together to add a run: by the middle of the fifth, the Squirrels led, 5-0. In the bottom of the inning, Yuma finally got some headway against Hamels, who had only allowed a double to Span in the first four frames. Hamels retired Buster Posey (who was hitless in the game), but Markakis and Escobar got ahead in the count and hammered fastballs over the wall, a pair of solo shots. Roy Halladay hit a fastball over the plate for a single, and Span slashed one in the gap that placed Yuma’s ace (hustling all the way) at third base. Roberts then hit a can of corn to Beltran that was deep enough to score Halladay. Ryan Braun flew out, but Yuma had gotten back into the game with a three-run inning:

FROSTBITE FALLS 5, YUMA 3!

As good as Halladay is, however, he couldn’t solve Pujols. ‘Prince Albert’ smacked an 0-2 pitch over the wall in left for his second round-tripper of the contest, and the Squirrels had a 6-3 lead. Nick Masset and Jason Frasor held the fort down for their part in the late innings, setting up a dramatic ninth. Nick Markakis lined a single up the middle to being the ninth, putting the tying run in the on-deck circle and chasing Frasor. Joakim Soria, who had 24 saves in the regular season, relieved Frasor, but was greeted by a bullet double off the bat of Yunel Escobar, sending Markakis to third.

Yuma called up Adam Jones to pinch-hit for reliever Ryan Madson. Jones hit a slow roller to Zimmerman at third, but with Markakis running on contact, the only play was at first. Jones was out, but a run had scored: FROSTBITE FALLS 6, YUMA 4. . .!

Leadoff man Denard Span flew out harmlessly to Werth in left, bringing up Brian Roberts. The banged-up Yuma 2B had hit .253 with virtually no extra-base hits in a season largely lost due to injury, appearing in only 29 games. This time, however, Roberts delivered a solid single, slapping the first pitch under the glove of Soria, scoring Escobar! A one-run game, and Ryan Braun at the plate. On the first pitch to Braun, Roberts took off. STRIKE! Called to Braun, but Schneider’s throw to second tailed away from the runner, Roberts was safe, and the tying run was just 90 feet away.

Soria’s 0-2 pitch…..

…..swung on and missed, strike three! Ball game! The wild-card Squirrels had taken a 2-0 series lead and would now take the series home to Frostbite Falls.

WORCESTER 8, CASSELTON 3

WP: Ryan Dempster (1-0, 3.68)
LP: Carlos Zambrano (0-1, 11.57)
SV: Moylan (1)

Nolan Reimold and Robinson Cano both homered early on, and Ryan Dempster took a shutout into the eighth before needing help from Peter Moylan as the Eastern champion Elims, down two games to none, forced a fourth game on the road in Casselton.

Reimold, who hit just .235 in the regular season, with 11 HR in 125 games, was the unlikeliest of saviors for the Eliminators, who can field a lineup with eight .300 hitters. But through the first three games of the series the rookie RF had two hits in every game and a .667 average. He and Cano both connected on 3-1 pitches from Carlos Zambrano, who would labor into the fifth unable to locate his sinker. Superstar C Joe Mauer ( .352 and a batting title) would knock out ‘Big Z’ for good with an RBI double, and after five innings Worcester led, 6-0.

Dempster, meanwhile, was on cruise control through seven frames, scattering four singles. The Worcester brain trust, having watched Heath Bell struggle in the first two games, were eager to get as much out of Dempster as possible, and sent him out having hurled 97 pitches. But SS J.J. Hardy and Justin Upton both hit 1-0 pitches out of the ballpark to plate three runs, and the Eliminators called upon setup man Peter Moylan with two down in the eighth rather than call early on Mariano Rivera…an interesting call!

As it happened, Moylan made the Worcester saucemakers look like master chefs, getting Torri Hunter and Casey McGeehee with the tying run in the on-deck circle. Worcester LF Carl Crawford helped engineer some insurance runs in the top of the ninth with a walk and a stolen base, and with an 8-3 lead Moylan was allowed to finish the game off rather than burn up Rivera’s arm. Pinch-hitter Jay Bruce hit a ground ball to Hanley Ramirez to double up Mike Napoli, and that was that. Worcester would survive to play another game on the road, getting a chance to perhaps extend the Series and force a fifth game.

TOADS SHOCK ELIMS, RING BELL TWICE

Worcester---With amazing offensive numbers and the league's top closer in the pen, the Eastern Division-winning Eliminators found themselves down by two games in the opening round of the 2010 BARB playoffs, as the Central champion Casselton Horned Toads used their deep bench to take a two-game lead!

The opening game was a matchup between Worcester ace Adam Wainwright (13-8, 4.13 ERA, team-leading 204 IP in the regular season) and Casselton youngster John Danks (12-6, 3.31 in 31 starts). Danks would not have been the expected pick for opening a post-season series, but the Toads had lost ace Johann Santana two-thirds of the way into the season and had seen veteran hurlers John Lackey (gopher balls) and Carlos Zambrano (anger management issues) decline in effectiveness.

Wainwright and Danks both delivered the goods, matching zero for zero in a classic pitcher's duel for seven innings. Wainwright twice got into jams, one with two singles in the fifth and the other in the seventh due to a fielding error by a very busy Derek Jeter, who had ten chances at the hot corner in this contest. In each case, Wainwright neutralized the threat by fanning C Mike Napoli in the eighth spot and forcing Danks to hit. For his part, Danks allowed a leadoff double to Jeter in the third and runners at the corner with one down in the sixth, but stranded runners.

So it was that in the top of the eighth, Casselton blinked with their young lefty having thrown 93 pitches. Pinch-hitter Reid Brignac sliced a double over a leaping Robinson Cano to lead off the frame. SS J.J. Hardy (.246 in 102 BARB games this year) moved Brignac to third with a ground ball, and then Jose Lopez got another clutch hit, singling sharply for the game's first run. With his pitch count over a hundred and trailing 1-0, Wainwright gave up a two-out single to Justin Upton and management had seen enough.


In came Heath Bell, who had fanned an amazing 104 opponents in the regular BARB season as Mariano Rivera's primary setup man. With two on, Bell was summoned to pitch to late-season sensation Carlos Gonzalez, who had hit a team-leading .354 with 17 HR in just 69 games after being promoted to the parent club. 'Car-Go' delivered big time, booming a big fly over the head of Carl Crawford. When the dust had cleared, Gonzalez had a two-run triple and Worcester trailed, 3-0!

Not a catastrophe for a team like Worcester, which could boast a lineup of eight .300hitters much of the year. Casselton's greatest weakness was its ragtag bullpen, as the Horned Toads had lost Bobby Jenks late in the year. Unheralded setup man Dennis O'Day (2.63 ERA in 102 appearances), however, worked two scoreless innings. When Hardy singled in Mike Napoli with a ninth-inning insurance run, the handwriting was on the wall. Joe Mauer fouled strike two into Napoli's mitt to end the game, and clinch the surprising opening result: Danks (1-0, 0.00) had outdueled Wainwright (0-1, 3.52).

CASSELTON 4, WORCESTER 0!

The Eliminators, ready to turn the page, jumped all over John Lackey (9-9, 4.33) to begin Game 2 of the series, collecting six singles in the second to take a 3-0 lead, the key blow coming off the bat of Elims starter Phil Hughes (8-4, 3.21 in 57 appearances, including 13 starts). Hughes would later double to start the fourth, and would take a 4-2 lead into the seventh.

But, things went south for the Elims in the most unlikely way. CF Torii Hunter (.314, 29 HR, 97 RBI in the regular season) hit a ground ball that Robinson Cano kicked. Casey McGeehee and Mike Napoli both flew out harmlessly, two out. On came the Casselton bench, with 1B Derek Lee pinch-hitting for reliever Brad Ziegler. Lee lined a double to score Hunter, narrowing Worcester's lead to 4-3. The Worcester bullpen got hot, but not fast enough. Both Jay Bruce and Jose Lopez attacked the first fastball they saw, lining singles to tie the game.

Heath Bell was again summoned to stop the bleeding, and again Bell failed to deliver. Garrett Jones singled and Justin Upton tripled over the head of rookie Nolan Reimold to plate three more runs. Brad Ziegler (1-0, 0.00) earned a cheap win by being the pitcher of record before the sixth, but the real hero was reliever Mike Adams, who worked three scoreless innings to nail down the save. Despite allowing only two earned runs and collecting a pair of hits himself, Hughes (0-1, 2.70) would go to take the loss, with Carlos Gonzalez adding an insurance run in the ninth on an RBI triple:

CASSELTON 8, WORCESTER 4!

Dramatic, but for veterans of the BARB postseason, in line with an unfortunate trend in which the home team often loses (regardless of who is doing the managing). The best-of-five series now shifts back to Casselton. The Eliminators will need to take two on the road from the upstart Toads to force a fifth game, and of course whoever wins the playoff will advance to the long-overdue BARB World Series!

AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR

In a tightly-played Game 153 for a playoff spot, the four-time world champion Frostbite Falls Flying Squirrels managed to hold off the Moabs in 3-2 victory that saw Squirrels ace Tim Lincecum edge fireballer Justin Verlander.

Brooklyn was at home, taking advantage of their superior divisional record in the East and winning record against Frostbite Falls. Verlander was superb early, as he and Lincecum had identical lines after three frames: just one hit allowed for each ace, with four K's apiece.

But, in the fifth, Verlander allowed a leadoff double to Michael Young, getting a start at 2B over Rickie Weeks. League RBI leader Albert Pujols then slashed an 0-1 pitch from Verlander past a diving Chase Utley, and Young (running on the play) scampered over to third to put runners at the corners. LF Adam Lind then lifted the first pitch he saw out to the warning track in left, a sac fly that easily scored Young.

That might've been the end of things, but with C Victor Martinez batting, normally sure-handed Moabs backstop Brian McCann allowed a 2-1 slider to get away from him, and Pujols trotted over to second. Perhaps losing concentration, Verlander hung the 3-1 pitch where 'V-Mart' could handle it, as Frostbite's receiver drove the ball DEEP over the wall in right, a two-run HR....and, more importantly, a 3-0 Frostbite lead!

Verlander settled down after that, and Tim Lincecum stayed effective until allowing back-to-back doubles to SS Troy Tulowitzki and McCann to start the seventh. McCann's frozen rope hit the wall on one hop, easily scoring 'Tulo' for Brooklyn's first run. 1B Ryan Howard walked on a 3-1 pitch, and with nobody out, the Frostbite pen began to churn. 2B Chase Utley rolled a ball very slowly to Young at second, who nearly threw the ball away but was saved by Pujols. Still, the out was productive, as both McCann and Howard moved into scoring position. RF Corey Hart then dinked a ball to Young, who recorded the out, but not before McCann could score.

The Moabs then pinch-hit for 3B Brandon Inge to bring the go-ahead run to the plate with two down, but Lincecum reached back and fanned Manny Ramirez on three pitches to end the threat: after seven innings, Frostbite was clinging to a 3-2 lead! That was key, because Jon Lester had come on in the sixth for Verlander and done a credible job, fanning four of the eight hitters he faced to keep the game close.

A defensive substitution in the seventh paid off big for the Squirrels in the eighth, with Brian Schneider coming in to don the tools of ignorance, and solid starter Felix Hernandez making a rare relief appearance on the mound. Victor Martinez, whose 16th HR had given Frostbite the big early lead, would watch from the dugout as Schneider gunned down Shane Victorine moving on a 1-2 pitch for that inning's final out, preserving the 3-2 lead!

Frostbite Falls attempted to add to their lead in the ninth, but impressive rookie Neftali Felix worked around a two-out walk to Carlos Beltran. That brought up Joakim Soria, the Squirrels' closer this season with Joe Nathan out for the year. Soria fanned Tulowitzki and got McCann to fly out for the second out. Howard then singled with two down to extend the game, and Soria's next pitch hit Utley leaning out over the plate!

The winning run was on base, and Corey Hart at the plate. Hart topped a sinker....

....right at Albert Pujols! Pujols tags the bag! Frostbite Falls wins Game #85....and a playoff spot!

With the win, Frostbite Falls will travel to play a best-of-five series with last year's champs, the Yuma Firebirds, who finished with a league-high 90 wins. With ace Tim Lincecum unavailable, the wild-card-winning Squirrels would have to decide between 'King' Felix on short rest, or either Cole Hamels or Matt Garza to being their season with Yuma.

Meanwhile, two well-rested squads (East champion Worcester and Central winner Casselton) will also meet in a best-of-five, with games being played this Saturday...at BHS, Room N-63!

TOUGH LOSS FOR MOABS

What a wild year Brooklyn has had! A pre-season favorite of many analysts, the Moabs seemed to have the depth that every system would envy, certainly more than their divisional rivals. Through June, Brooklyn had the upper-hand with rookie Neftali Feliz and closer Francisco Rodriguez seemingly unbeatable in the late innings.

But then the wheels fell off: Rodriguez suffered injury and disgrace. LHP Billy Wagner filled in capably, but starting IF Troy Tulowitzki, 2B Chase Utley and 1B Ryan Howard all missed significant time with injury. 3B Brandon Inge had to be recalled from a AAA contract to play the hot corner when other candidates failed miserably. RHP James Shields and Scott Baker regressed, and the club got little production from its outfield. Worcester, which had started slowly after losing CF Grady Sizemore, caught its rhythm and simply began bludgeoning foes with one of the league's best offenses. By August, it was the Eliminators, not the Moabs, leading the East.

Then, cashing in part of their depth, Brooklyn made the year's biggest splash. The Moabs acquired RHP Yovani Gallardo to fill a rotation spot and picked up OF Vernon Wells, OF Corey Hart and DH Manny Ramirez from Arizona GM Ronald Melkonian. The Moabs played winning ball again, but it was never able to catch the leaders, and it took a strong finish in the final two weeks of play for them to hold serve with Frostbite Falls, which had surged back into contention with the return of Evan Longoria. Brooklyn won two of their last three games with the Squirrels to force the one-game playoff....but despite beating Frostbite Falls 15 times in the regular season (major ownage), they came one run short in the season's extended finale.

"It doesn't get much closer than that," commented veteran Commissioner Scott Hatfield to no one in particular. "The only way it could've been more of a nail-biter would've been if the thing had gone scoreless in extra innings. My congratulations to GM Andrew Haynes, and a rueful shrug to GM Eric Caskey, who had a great season fall just short of post-season glory."

V

ONE GAME PLAY-IN TOMORROW

I guess later is better than never.

Brooklyn (Eric Caskey) and Frostbite Falls (Andrew Haynes) will meet in a one-game playoff for the remaining playoff spot. I will simulate this game at 1:30 on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 29th, on the Bullard campus, Room N-63, regardless.

Depending on what I hear from the other teams (Yuma, Casselton, Worcester) involved, I may also simulate the opening playoff game for both divisions, for a total of three games.

Game descriptions will be placed on the league blog on Sunday, Jan. 30th.

My wife is having surgery on Monday, Jan. 31st. I anticipate being largely unavailable for two days. This has been the busiest January of my life, and has made it nearly impossible for me to do things with the league the way I like.

Subsequent games will be played at my convenience on Wednesday afternoon / evening. I have a Site Council meeting that may take some precedence. I have every intention of finishing the best-of-three playoff series on that date, with game descriptions on league blog by the end of Thursday, Feb. 3rd.

The World Series (best of seven) will be played on Saturday, Feb. 5th. THERE IS NO HEAT IN MY ROOM, SO I WILL START NO EARLIER THAN 11:00 on that date.

Game descriptions, season wrapups, etc. will be placed on league blog on week of Feb. 7th. The 2010 season will be over before Valentine's Day.



AS FOR THE 2011 SEASON......well......it may be time for fresh blood. More on that later.