Sticking Points 2038.19: Rockville Wraps Up Bye

[aaronweiner]

As NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye" rained down from the rafters on Sunday, the Rockville Pikemen defeated the New Orleans Crawdads 11-2 to secure their fourth consecutive first round bye and fourth consecutive Johnson League Atlantic Division title.

"This is what we were shooting for from Day 1, and we did it again," said Rockville manager Chet Rouse. "That's the kind of stuff we need to make sure we've got a chance to win it all again."

At 103-53, Rockville tied their record for the most wins in the four-year run and with one more win will post the third best record in franchise history. The Pikemen have averaged almost 100 wins over the past four seasons, sent nine players to the All-Star Game, and may sweep the major awards this year.

"We're thrilled to be back here again," said Rockville ace Arthur Dempster. "We work so hard every day, you don't see it all the time, but we're working our butts off to get here. People say it's easy because we're so good, well, that doesn't come easy."

Vegas has officially set the Pikemen as the favorites to win the BBA title this year, giving them 5:2 odds to win the title this season. Other teams: Jacksonville at 7:2, Yellow Springs and California at 6:1, and teams like Vegas, Edmonton, and Mexico City lagging behind around 12:1.

"It's hard to stay motivated winning two straight titles until you consider nobody's ever won three, and then you get the odds," said one Vegas oddsmaker. "Jacksonville's a potentially big problem for them because the Hurricanes right now have home field, and while the Pikemen are completely unbeatable at home they're just really good on the road, but they'd have home field over everyone in the Frick."

The guy has a point, too: Rockville is an absurd, absurd 60-21 at home but have a 43-32 record on the road, just a 93 win pace. The Pikemen are built for Owen's Ordinary, as any team should be, but the split is notable just because of its scope.

"Seriously, though, if it were a little closer nobody would notice at all," said Lorenzo Palacios, who has hit .341 at home but just .285 on the road this season. "93 wins is almost a first round bye all by itself."

It's easy to nitpick this kind of team, but the bottom line is that the Pikemen have to have some weakness.

"You can't win them all," said Rockville lefty Dave Martin, who is a sparkling 44-18 since joining the Pikemen in 2036. "Sometimes in baseball you lose. Sometimes you play well and lose. It's a tough sport."

One thing that we do know, however, is that the Pikemen won't have to win a first round series for the fourth straight season, and with no injuries likely to linger into the Doubleday at this point should go in completely healthy and rested against whoever their second round opponent is.

"It's just a matter of keeping focus," said Rockville catcher Francisco Flores, who all but clinched his first batting title this sim. "We have to be focused and stay strong."

[RonCo]

Peak Pikemen.