61.32 Cinderella Blazers Win Cartwright Cup in Seven

[Bob Breum]

Entering August, Montreal was 54-56, with a Pythagorean record much worse than that. They were stuck in no-man's land: too good to garner a top draft pick and too bad to make the playoffs. Their pitching was solid, maybe even strong, but their hitting and fielding were abysmal. It looked like a lost season.

But first year manager Paul Scholes and team captain Dan Wilkinson kept the team focused on their goal: Winning a Wildcard berth. They reminded the team that it didn't matter how they got into the playoffs; once in, it's a whole new 'season.' In the dog days of August that saw the team travel south to Atlantic City, Charlotte, and Charm City, the team took this to heart. They started to right the ship, finishing the month 16-13, moving above .500. Then September happened. Montreal went 11-4 to start the month and found themselves in the thick of the wildcard hunt. When the smoke cleared, the Blazers had realized their goal; they were the last wildcard in the Johnson League, with the worst record of any team in the playoffs. But they were in the postseason tournament!

Given their record, no one took them seriously. But their bats came to life in October, propelling them to victory in the Geoghegan Round in four games, then success in the Doubleday Series in six games. Next up was their division rival, Charm City, the Johnson League juggernaut.

During the season, Charm City had a slight edge, winning 8 of the 14 games between the clubs. But Montreal had reasons to feel optimistic. Charm City has an organizational philosophy of stocking their rotation with southpaws, led by four-time Steve Nebraska Golden Arm award winner Hector Silva. It's a formidable staff. But Montreal thrived against left-handed pitching this season, going 36-26. The matchup seemed to favor the Blazers.

Montreal scored 32 runs in four games in the Geoghegan series and 38 runs in six games in the Doubleday round. Could they maintain this pace? Logically, one could expect the games in Charm City's Old Bay Park to be slugfests and the games in Montreal's Ubisoft Field to be low-scoring pitching duels. Could Montreal keep up with the Jimmies on the road? Could the Blazers' pitching hold court at home?

Again, few pundits picked the Blazers. Game one in Charm City was the slugfest that people anticipated, with Montreal emerging on top by a score of 10-7. The Blazers chased the Jimmies' starting pitcher in the fourth inning, taking a 6-1 lead. But a solid start by Montreal's Samuel Nebraska was squandered by his bullpen as the Jimmies pulled within one run in the sixth inning. Then the familiar Blazer bullpen duo of Adam Bristcoe and Augusto Ayala finished the game, allowing only a single baserunner over the last three innings to cement the win.

Game two saw the Jimmies doing almost all the slugging, as they evened the series at two with a 7-2 win behind ace Hector Silva. He set Charm City's record for strikeouts in the playoffs with 12.

The action moved to the pitcher's park that is Ubisoft Field, but the hitters were not ready to stop hitting just yet. The teams combined for 13 runs on 25 hits, with Montreal winning 8-5. Game four saw the bats go quiet, with the teams tied at two after nine innings of play. Charm City finally broke through in the twelfth inning against Montreal's former closer Gerald Rogers with a two-run shot by first baseman Jose Cardoza, then holding on to tie the series at two games apiece.

Game one starter Samuel Nebraska was back on the hill for game five, this time in the friendly confines of Ubisoft Field. He was brilliant, throwing a complete game shutout, allowing only two hits and a walk. Charm City's pitching was almost as sharp, but the Blazers' speedy centerfielder Ed Rooney singled with one out in the sixth and scored three pitches later on Herman de Jonge's double to left. That was all Nebraska needed, and the Blazers took a 3-2 series lead with the 1-0 victory.

Game six saw the teams return to Old Bay Park expecting another slugfest, but both pitchers threw well. Montreal southpaw Stephen Grant surrendered a pair of runs in the first inning on a walk and three singles but then settled down and pitched well. Neither team scored after the first inning, and Charm City won Hector Silva's second start, 2-0.

In the finale, the slugging/pitcher's duel dichotomy saw one team score ten runs on fifteen hits and the other only plate two runs on six hits. The magical postseason bats of the Blazers triumphed once again, with left fielder Clancy Lee named MVP for his 5-for-5 performance in the deciding contest. Four of his five hits were doubles. Four other Blazers also doubled and injury replacement Antonio Hernandez hit a solo home run. Montreal ace Lucio Juarez got the win, recording a quality start of six innings pitched, allowing only two runs.

The Blazers have one more dragon to slay before they can rest. Next up is the BBA behemoth, the Nashville Bluebirds. For Montreal, the playoffs have been like a video game, with each level featuring a more formidable monster than the one before. They have dispatched the 87-win Gamblers, then the 101-win Frontier Division champion Hustlers, and now the 104-win Atlantic Division champion Jimmies. The final boss is the 110-win Frick League champion Bluebirds. Can the Blazers' bats sustain their magic against this powerful opponent, or will the enchantment wear off?

[trmmilwwi]

What an amazing year, this is awesome!

[indiansfan]

Enjoying your run. Amazing for a team with a negative run differential and dead last in the JL in hitting during the season. They sure know how to score runs now!