Sitting with 78 wins entering the final game of the season, Portland fans had little interest in the results of the season finale. While the game meant everything to San Fernando who was trying to fight their way into the post-season, Portland had little to play for. Sure there was the catch-22 of trying to win the game (which would and eventually did help their nemesis in Vancouver), but that's not what this team news is about. No, it's about what really mattered for the Lumberjacks fans and that was waiting to see if Mynorli Gaajlimitz could claim his 3rd consecutive batting title and his 3rd overall at the age of just 22. The best part of the game, at least from a Lumberjacks fan perspective, is the guy he was trying to catch was in the other dugout in Yuu Suzuki.
Suzuki had led in the Frick League, and all of the BBA, in the batting chase for most of the 2063 season and he entered the season finale with a slight .002 point lead. Many knew it would take a bad finish on Suzuki's part and a multi-hit game from Mynorli to make the batting chase a possibility.
San Fernando did out hit the Lumberjacks 12 to 11 in a game the Lumberjacks won. Unfortunately that aided Vancouver, but whatever. But of those 12 hits from the Bears, none came off the bat of Suzuki. Yuu finished the game 0-5 which opened the door for a Gaajlimitz comeback and claim the batting crown. Gaajlimitz finished 0-3 unfortunately and his .366 average fell .001 shy of the Suzuki .367 mark. But that didn't mean there wasn't some controversy.
In the top of the 8th, and Gaajlimitz sitting at .3658 for the season and Suzuki at .3678, San Fernando pitching opted to intentionally walk Mynorli with first base open. The decision led to a heated exchange between Portland manager Mons Raider and Bears manager Gonzalo Escobar. "I felt it was bush league" said Raider after the game. Play it straight up and see what happens. Don't walk a guy to claim it like that. I mean for real. We could have benched Mynorli a few years back if you remember to help him hit .400 but chose to let him play to get 162 games in. It cost him .400. But this was bush league if you ask me."
"Bush league!?" shouted a dejected Escobar after the game. "We were fighting for our fucking playoff lives here. The game was tied at the moment. Call it whatever you want, but we were trying to win the damn game. I won't apologize for it costing your guy a shot at a batting title."
Once it appeared mathematically impossible for Gaajlimitz to get the title, Raider inserted a pinch runner for Gaajlimitz which ultimately cost him another plate appearance later in the game. Portland scored 5 runs in that 8th inning and won the game 11-6.
Had Mynorli gotten a hit in the 8th and stayed in the game for an at-bat in the 9th, assuming he got hits in both, he'd have finished the season with a .36778 batting average. Suzuki finished at .36728 for the season after his 0-5 day. So yeah, Mynorli could have claimed the batting crown had the Bears not intentionally walked Mynorli in the 8th.
For a consolation prize, Mynorli did claim the Charles Puckett Golden Bat honor for the top hitting DH in the Frick League. It was his 3rd straight Golden Bat Honor.
