FPL: 2043 Review (2044-04)
When you’ve sent the boys to Palm Bay in 2042, they’ve managed to go 27-1 and then have an embarrassing first round play-off exit, what do you do in 2043? YOU GO AGAIN.
We gathered up all the prospects rated likely to have a shot at a 2045 BBA debut and sent them right back to Palm Bay to try again. Things opened well, a five-match winning streak was ended by one-run walk-off loss at Graceville. Aviators recovered to go on six-game streak this time, ended by Coral Gables scoring four runs in the top of the tenth innings. Approaching the halfway stage of the FPL now, Palm Bay were a healthy 11-2 and leading the Southeast division by two games from Vero Beach.
The second half of November started well with a seven-game win streak but trailed off with Aviators losing three of the final six games in the month. With just two regular season games left at the start of December, things still weren’t quite settled. The Aviators at 21-5 were two games ahead of the 19-7 Miami Mounties and their penultimate game was at home to the Mounties. Palm Bay scored seven times in the first two innings of that game and they had secured their second straight Southeast division pennant. Going to Melbourne in the final game Aviators blanked the Storm 5-0 and finished with a 23-5 record, two games ahead of Vero Beach.
The FPL post season is a really difficult beast to win, two rounds of a one-game winner takes all format. Last year we lost in the Showdown of Four to Tallahassee, so we entered the Showdown of Four this year with some trepidation. Facing the Ybor City Spuds, FPL affiliate of Boise, it turned out to be a run filled game. In the top of the fourth Spuds used four hits & a walk to plate two runs with two outs before a Ybor triple cleared the loaded bases to break the game open. Aloisio Prudente hit a 2-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to reduce the deficit, Spuds were able though to make it 7-2 with a 2-run shot of their own in the fifth. The scoring was picking up now and Prudente picked up his second homer of the game in the bottom of the fifth, clearing the bases with a Grand Slam. The fans were really singing Prudente’s name in the bottom of the sixth when he hit his third homer of the game, a 3-run moon shot to send Aviators into their first lead of the game, 9-7. The wild offense died down until the ninth when Spuds used three hits and a walk again to plate the game tying runs. In the bottom of the ninth Prudente completed his Superhero day, having walked and stolen second base it was a simple singe from Luis Ayla that allowed Prudente to skip home from second with the walk-off run. Aviators season saved by a 3-4 with a walk performance by Aloisio Prudente who had three homers, four runs scored and NINE RBI. He set the FPL home run play-off record, the FPL play-off RBI total, and tied the FPL play-off Run record. The scouts will be packing the Wichita summer camp to look at this guy.
Finally, in the Elite Cup game the Aviators would face The Pensacola Jimmies, FPL affiliate of Charm City who were Panhandle division pennant winners with a 19-9 record. This was another cagey, tight game, but not as free scoring. Aviators had the lead after three and the Jimmies turned that around in the seventh. That looked to be it but there was one last sting in the tail as Palm Bay managed to tie the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth to send the final into extras. It didn’t last long though as Pensacola scored the winning run in the top of the 10th to clinch their first ever Elite Cup. So near and yet so far again for Palm Bay.
2043 Regular season Player Stats
