Sox 41.143: AA Beloit Wins First-Ever Cox League Title

[HoosierVic]

By Rick Mariotti
Minor Leagues Beat Writer
Chicago Sports Online

Beloit, Wis. – There IS joy in Mudville!

The Beloit Blue Sox won their first-ever AA Warren Cox League Championship last week, defeating the Bismarck Churchills (California) 3 games to 2 in the Final Judgment series.

Beloit won in thrilling fashion, too. After going down 2-0 in the best of 5 series, the Sox came storming back to win 3 consecutive games: a 2-1 squeaker on the road, a more comfortable 7-4 win at Bismarck, and a 4-3 clincher at home.

The Sox went into the 9th inning of the championship clincher leading 4-1, but Bismarck gave the home fans heart palpitations by hitting back-to-back solo homers off reliever Andrés Ortega, who was pressed into service as the closer after closer James Matarazzo went down with an elbow injury in game 2 of the series.

Ortega, who was acquired by the Sox in late June in a trade that sent RP Justin Archer to Long Beach, settled down after the homers and put himself and his team in the history books by retiring the next 3 batters to cinch the win and the title.

Series MVP Torres

LF Ricardo Torres, who hit two homers in the final game, was selected as series MVP. Torres had an excellent regular season, too, slashing .317/.383/.619 with 39 homers and 94 RBIs. He won the Donaldo Sub-League Batter of the Month award for August after hitting .337 with 8 home runs, 21 RBIs and 25 runs scored.

“This team has been remarkable all season – every time it seemed we were on the ropes, we managed to come back stronger than anyone thought possible,” said first-year manager Javier Montero.

Montero, 59, was hired to lead the team when his predecessor, Keith Russell, was fired for remarks picked up by a “hot mic” during a youth sports banquet in Beloit. Russell was heard to agree with disparaging remarks about Chicago Black Sox owner Vinnie Vitale made by a luncheon attendee.

Russell – who’d won the franchise’s minor league manager of the year award in 2040 - was let go as soon as the remarks went public, and the unknown Montero was hired a short time later.

All he did was lead the Blue Sox to an 82-58 record and the Donaldo Sub-League wildcard spot. The Sox then ousted 101-game winner Duluth in the first round of the playoffs, and Colonial Division winner Trenton in the 2nd round Series of Accountability to reach the championship round.

Manager Javier Montero

Beloit’s post-season appearance was just its third in the 47-year modern-day history of the club, and the 82 wins were the most ever recorded by the Blue Sox.

“It was a thrilling year for the Blue Sox,” said Chicago General Manager Vic Caleca. “We’re looking forward to great things from these young players in the future – and can’t wait to see what Montero has up his sleeve for an encore.”

For the sake of the franchise, we'll just hope that he stays away from the youth sports banquet circuit in the off-season.

[shoeless.db]

Boo.

[HoosierVic]

Boo.

I think you meant, “Yay!”

One of my favorite things about this was learning the names of the Cox league playoff rounds - The Series of Accountability and The Final Judgment? Genius.