2053 Memorial Series Preview: Mad Popes vs Aztecs (Best of 7)

[neugey]

2053 will long be remembered as the year that Camacho got his mojo working in the Cartwright series, despite being put at a major disadvantage.

In the early morning of Tuesday October 23, residents of suburban Sacramento reported seeing a cylindrical object in the sky with blue and yellow lights. Before long, Sacramento star Joe King was ruthlessly snatched from his home, exactly on the day he was scheduled for his game 2 start.

"It's just terrible luck," remarked Sacramento sheriff Antonio Alvarado. "I'm a Popes fan like everyone else. We conducted a brief investigation and determined it was an alien abduction. These are becoming much more common now across the country these days, but in virtually all cases the victim is returned unharmed in about a week's time. There's not much I can do about it as these matters are fully handled by the Pentagon and the FBI. I'm sure they have their hands full with it."

Despite the setback, The Mad Popes took down the Bluebirds in 5 games, showing surprising mettle against an accomplished Nashville team. The series began with matching 3-2 victories for Sacramento at home to go up 2-0. The Mad Popes offense then got rolling in game 3, with RF Okyay Nisanci going 3 for 4 with a homer and 3 RBI's in a 8-5 win. Nashville responded in game 4 with a 10-2 clobbering of the Mad Popes, and some Sacramento die-hards began to worry that a Nashville comeback might be on the horizon. Game 5 turned into an extra-innings stalemate between the two clubs, until the Sacramento bats decides they'd enough and decided to end it with 3 runs in the top of the 12th. 22-year old lefty Clint Thomas then recorded his first save of the postseason in the bottom of the 12th, much to the dismay of a stunned Nashville crowd.

The emphasis on contact hitting has finally paid off for Doug Olmsted and the Mad Popes. The trio of DH Unem Ploid, Nisanci and LF Todd Rice have been raking and even including the occasional home run during this playoff ride. SS Badr Isam generated a hit in every game of the Nashville series and his defense has held other teams in check. The starting pitching had done enough to give the Popes a chance to win, even with King's abduction working against them. According to transmissions intercepted by TMZ, King reportedly will be returned unharmed and able to pitch in the championship series, which should give the Mad Popes a major lift.

Sacramento fans are probably hoping the aliens opt to abduct a key Mexico City player this time around. The defending champion Aztecs executed a sweep of the Phoenix Talons, with several players raising their level of play yet again in the postseason. SP Carlos Olivas is 2-0 in the postseason and has yet to give up an earned run. 3B Kenny Blackwell was named MVP of the series, hitting .357 with 3 homers and 4 RBI's against Phoenix. Superstar CF Felix Roman continues to terrorize pitchers in the playoffs, driving in an incredible 14 RBI's in 11 games, including 5 in game 3 versus Phoenix. At the rate Roman is going, he may be a first-ballot BBA Hall of Fame player. A second championship ring with the Aztecs would certainly help build his case. LF Fernando Moreno also continues to be an anchor for Mexico City whether hitting or fielding. Closer Richard Lawrence has notched 4 saves in the playoffs and has been nearly flawless.

There may be a few small signs of trouble for Mexico City though. SP Bill Constable got roughed up in game 3 for 7 hits, 4 walks and 8 earned runs in game 3 and the rest of the team had to play incredibly to eek out a 9-8 victory. 2B Ryan Geauxinue, who led the Johnson with a .359 average during the regular season, has been scuffling badly in the playoffs with a .184/.212/.204 line.

The Verdict: With Joe King's likely return and Nisanci's hot bat, there's enough here to build a case that Sacramento could do the unthinkable and win it all, giving the Mad Popes their first championship since 2035. But it's really hard to bet against Roman's ability to put the offense on his back on a consistent basis. It's a tough series to call, but I'll forecast that the Aztecs prevail in 6 games.

[lordtoffee]

Biggest question for me is how the Popes line up their pitching. Do you give King the ball in Game 1, or do you keep going with what got you there?

[CTBrewCrew]

Must watch tv!