Las Vegas League 1 - First Weekend
Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 6:50 am
I don't have many "real world" friends who can really appreciate the roller coaster of a night last night was, so let me tell my story here.
First off, Thanks to Greg/Tom for making all this possible. January was a dark month and nobody knew if there were ever going to be any more September stories like the one I am about to tell.
Let me set the stage. Las Vegas League 1 has been a battle since Opening Day, but at some point in the 2nd half KC Cha's Glendale team had asserted themselves as the cream of this crop. They spent more days in first place then any other team(Where have I heard that before?). But as the last few days drew near, their lead had all but evaporated and heading into the last day they had fallen to 2nd place at 105.5, a half point behind the hard changing Zefurs.1. One would think that KJ Duke would have bigger fish to fry but his 2nd place overall team was not his only money finishing team, that was just a start to his phenomenal season. Welcome to Stevieland and She Gave Gasoline stood at 104 and 102, respectively. So that is where we stood with Game 162 yet to be played.
As the night began, I knew what we needed. We had a batting average point that was attainable, and we need to maintain our strikeout position and our tenuous WHIP position with 2 starters pitching (Volstad, Lester) and 2 relievers who may enter the mix (Betancourt and Holland) So really 105 was our high water mark, with loads of potential to dip. I had identified a few spots where KJ and KC could lose points, but as Teixeira hit a few bombs catching KJ in homers those RBI's caught me as well. (I needed solo shots from She Gave Gasoline, not grand slams).
Anyhow as the night wore on my pitchers held their own building up 11 K's and a solid enough WHIP to hold off the Men W/O Helmets squad there. The kids needed to be enough as the team charging behind had some late starts. But as the night wore on my team was not hitting and I was running out of atbats. At one point late in the evening there was a Four-way tie for 1st place at 104 points, and that attainable batting average point was staring at a 3 for 30 night. Then Matt Kemp homers and KJ Duke is in 1st place (I thought to myself what does he need this Division title for when he may take home the overall). Through all this I am watching my Red Sox and all looks good for them during the rain delay. Then in his 3rd at bat Chase Utley gets a hit, 4 for 31, still not really close. Then Utley hits a sac fly pushing that game to extras and getting himself a much needed another atbat. Then James Loney hits a homer, 5 for 32, and my RBI lead looks ok, but my batting average still isn't where it needs to be. Then Utley singles in extras, 6 for 33, then Loney singles in his 4th atbat. 7 for 34, .206, and my hitters are done for the day. My strikeout lead is at 1, and I am begging for Gibson to take Joe Saunders out so that the Vipers remain 1 back, Gibson obliges. So as I sit there staring at my 7 for 34, the point I am chasing is 3 for 22, then Ortiz hits a dribbler and Wieters gets the force out at 2nd and Papi gets pinch run for, so he is now 3 for 23, still not enough for me to overtake him, but as the live scoring is going out ten digits or so I think we are out to the 6th digit, I realize that we are one at bat away from a batting average point and an outright lead in LV1. That team has just one batter still playing, Adam Kennedy. Kennedy is facing Gio Gonzalez in the most pivotal atbat for us, in the most insignificant of games. Gonzalez strikes out Kennedy and Welcome to Stevieland moves into first place for the first time all year. The only left is for Adam Kennedy not to bat again. Kennedy was left in the ondeck circle as Andrew Bailey struck out Mike Carp to end the game and the 2011 season. With the Sox loss and Rays win no playoff game is typically a somber night for Red Sox fans, but a part of me was glad to know that the season was over, as a 1 for 3 night from Ortiz would have changed everything again.
At the end of the night the standings were as follows:
Welcome to Stevieland 105
She Gave Me Gasoline 104
Zefurs.1 103.5
Glendale 102.5
Coldwater Coyotes 101.5
Gigglin Marlin 1 100
Welcome to Stevieland was finally able to achieve their elusive 2nd Division Title. As one of the Men W/O Helmets put it last night, "Look at this chaos up top." Wow, what a night! Thanks again Greg, for making nights like this possible. And thanks to all in LV1, what a year, what a grind, what a battle!
First off, Thanks to Greg/Tom for making all this possible. January was a dark month and nobody knew if there were ever going to be any more September stories like the one I am about to tell.
Let me set the stage. Las Vegas League 1 has been a battle since Opening Day, but at some point in the 2nd half KC Cha's Glendale team had asserted themselves as the cream of this crop. They spent more days in first place then any other team(Where have I heard that before?). But as the last few days drew near, their lead had all but evaporated and heading into the last day they had fallen to 2nd place at 105.5, a half point behind the hard changing Zefurs.1. One would think that KJ Duke would have bigger fish to fry but his 2nd place overall team was not his only money finishing team, that was just a start to his phenomenal season. Welcome to Stevieland and She Gave Gasoline stood at 104 and 102, respectively. So that is where we stood with Game 162 yet to be played.
As the night began, I knew what we needed. We had a batting average point that was attainable, and we need to maintain our strikeout position and our tenuous WHIP position with 2 starters pitching (Volstad, Lester) and 2 relievers who may enter the mix (Betancourt and Holland) So really 105 was our high water mark, with loads of potential to dip. I had identified a few spots where KJ and KC could lose points, but as Teixeira hit a few bombs catching KJ in homers those RBI's caught me as well. (I needed solo shots from She Gave Gasoline, not grand slams).
Anyhow as the night wore on my pitchers held their own building up 11 K's and a solid enough WHIP to hold off the Men W/O Helmets squad there. The kids needed to be enough as the team charging behind had some late starts. But as the night wore on my team was not hitting and I was running out of atbats. At one point late in the evening there was a Four-way tie for 1st place at 104 points, and that attainable batting average point was staring at a 3 for 30 night. Then Matt Kemp homers and KJ Duke is in 1st place (I thought to myself what does he need this Division title for when he may take home the overall). Through all this I am watching my Red Sox and all looks good for them during the rain delay. Then in his 3rd at bat Chase Utley gets a hit, 4 for 31, still not really close. Then Utley hits a sac fly pushing that game to extras and getting himself a much needed another atbat. Then James Loney hits a homer, 5 for 32, and my RBI lead looks ok, but my batting average still isn't where it needs to be. Then Utley singles in extras, 6 for 33, then Loney singles in his 4th atbat. 7 for 34, .206, and my hitters are done for the day. My strikeout lead is at 1, and I am begging for Gibson to take Joe Saunders out so that the Vipers remain 1 back, Gibson obliges. So as I sit there staring at my 7 for 34, the point I am chasing is 3 for 22, then Ortiz hits a dribbler and Wieters gets the force out at 2nd and Papi gets pinch run for, so he is now 3 for 23, still not enough for me to overtake him, but as the live scoring is going out ten digits or so I think we are out to the 6th digit, I realize that we are one at bat away from a batting average point and an outright lead in LV1. That team has just one batter still playing, Adam Kennedy. Kennedy is facing Gio Gonzalez in the most pivotal atbat for us, in the most insignificant of games. Gonzalez strikes out Kennedy and Welcome to Stevieland moves into first place for the first time all year. The only left is for Adam Kennedy not to bat again. Kennedy was left in the ondeck circle as Andrew Bailey struck out Mike Carp to end the game and the 2011 season. With the Sox loss and Rays win no playoff game is typically a somber night for Red Sox fans, but a part of me was glad to know that the season was over, as a 1 for 3 night from Ortiz would have changed everything again.
At the end of the night the standings were as follows:
Welcome to Stevieland 105
She Gave Me Gasoline 104
Zefurs.1 103.5
Glendale 102.5
Coldwater Coyotes 101.5
Gigglin Marlin 1 100
Welcome to Stevieland was finally able to achieve their elusive 2nd Division Title. As one of the Men W/O Helmets put it last night, "Look at this chaos up top." Wow, what a night! Thanks again Greg, for making nights like this possible. And thanks to all in LV1, what a year, what a grind, what a battle!