2056.03 - The Long Beach Independent - LB Falls to DM in GR

[Lane]

INJURIES HAUNT LONG BEACH IN GR

October 8, 2056
Des Moines, IA

Steveland Morris was the final out of the Game 5 loss to the Des Moines Kernels, but perhaps no Surfer felt the loss more acutely than Felipe Vega. The thirty-seven year old lefty could do nothing from his New Jersey home, where he is currently recovering from a torn ACL, suffered in the final week of the season.

It was a long road back to Long Beach for the veteran slugger, a 2038 draftee, traded away that same year to Brooklyn where he became a superstar. Fans and teammates were impressed with his contributions to the most successful season in LB since 2045. His 69 walks and 33 doubles led the team that finished fifth in the Frick League in runs scored (750), and that without him in the lineup, looked lost for much of the Geoghegan Round.

A one-run win in the first game was followed up by a game two loss that saw just 9 scattered hits resulting in just one run. After splitting games three and four, the team returned to Edward Murphy Memorial Stadium for a decisive game five. The Kernels wore down starter Jay Hodge for four runs in 4.1 innings, but it turned out to be inconsequential as the lineup was listless without Vega.

Steveland Morris and 2056 FL Batting Champion Ryan Geauxinue were 1/8 in the final game of the series, while rookies Moidu, Atticus, and Reyes at the bottom of the lineup were 5/10.

Also absent from the lineup was 1B/DH Terry Cole, 24 year old slugger who hit .305/.356/.519 in 50 games for the Surfers. Unconfirmed reports say that Cole was pushing to be included on the roster despite dealing with blurred vision over final weeks of the regular season.