The real Egan winner just stood up
There recently has been a crowd sourced effort coming from the west coast to elect Félix Vidaca of the Sacramento Mad Popes as the 2055 Frick League Egan: Reliever of the Year award winner.
Vidaca started the season with the Atlantic City Gamblers going 4-2 with a 4.54 ERA. For many pitchers that is a down year. Sadly for Vidaca, it fell inline with his career averages. Statisticians seemed to feel sorry for the lad and gave him 1.6 WAR out of pity.
After a few months the rebuilding Atlantic City Gamblers couldn't deal with his ineptitude anymore, found better options and shipped the AAAA starter to Sacramento for a trio of 29 year old "prospects".
Upon his arrival in Sacramento, Vidaca was moved to the pen. Proving that even a blind squirrel can find a nut, Vidaca put together a couple of good outings. I guess that kind of thing happens when you play in in the largest ballpark in the league against second division opponents like the Pacific. Vidaca continued his hot streak into the playoffs, where he recorded a 9 out save in a 7-3 game.
Then game one of the Cartwright Cups happened.Vidica entered the game versus the Twin Cities River Monsters in the 7th inning, down by one. The goal was to keep the game close for 3 innings so the Mopes could walk it off and give him a victory in grandiose style.
Well, Andy Elmer has different ideas. The career .327 slugging percentage hitter, who had recently lost his job to a hitter on a steep decline, stepped up to the plate and did his best "fat head era Barry Bonds impersonation and hit a 3 run bomb to blow the game open.
The very next night Twin Cities broke a one all tie in the top of the 7th. The River Monsters analytic game plan called for Eric Buckson to pitch the 7th and 8th, allowing the extreme groundballer to bridge the gap until Twin Cities can sub out their sub par outfield defense for a much superior one in preparation for the extreme flyball hurler Peter Fuller.
Fuller, the current leader on the Egan ballot, had taken exception toward the lobbying to vote against him. He had demanded the ball in the 7th. Shortly after, Fuller entered the game and mowed down the Popes for 3 innings to secure the save and essentially ending Sacramento's season. He also pretty much locked up the Egan award proving that he is without a shadow of doubt, the premiere closer in the BBA, intimidated by no one.
After the series, Peter Fuller was optioned off the post season roster fearing he'd give up too many homers to the powerful Charm City Jimmies.
