News:
October 4 – Batting titles are won by CIN OF Alex White (.354, 8 HR, 60 RBI) and ATL OF Engjell Vulaj (.331, 10 HR, 67 RBI).
October 4 – A 29-4 record, 1.64 ERA, and 201 K’s earn Juan Correa the pitching triple crown.
October 8 – The Thunder ink infielder Alfonso Aranda, 30, to a 7-yr, $4.9M contract. Aranda has 1,214 career hits, all with the Thunder.
The Falcons have the best record for the playoffs (101-61). The team with the best record has won the title four of five times so far. None of the teams in the playoffs has won the title so far, so the ABL will have their sixth different champion in six years. That must not be a bad thing. It makes lots of people happy (unless you’re in Portland).
LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Miners @ Pacifics … 5-3 … (Miners lead 1-0) … PIT Leland Lewis (19-8, 2.44 ERA) and LAP David Burke (19-9, 2.64 ERA) match up, but the duel never really materializes.
Canadiens @ Falcons … 7-4 (Canadiens lead 1-0) … VAN Jeff Lee 3-4, BB, 2B, 2 RBI; Juan Correa is shelled for six runs in three innings!
Miners @ Pacifics … 0-2 … (series tied 1-1) … PIT Craig Hansen loses on unearned runs after eight strong innings
Canadiens @ Falcons … 5-4 (10) … (Canadiens lead 2-0) … VAN Quincy Cox PH 2B to score Eddy Bailey in the top 10th
Pacifics @ Miners … 3-4 … (Miners lead 2-1) … PIT Dean Botts 8.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K; PIT Sam Murphy 2-2, BB, 2 3B, 2 RBI; L.A. rally falls just short
Falcons @ Canadiens … 1-2 … (Canadiens lead 3-0) … VAN Quincy Cox scores the winning run in the 7th
Pacifics @ Miners … 1-11 … (Miners lead 3-1) … Burke is trashed in the second game against Lewis, who goes the distance; PIT Sam Murphy 2-3, BB, 2B, 2 RBI; PIT Jerry Phelps 3-5, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI;
Falcons @ Canadiens … 3-4 … (Canadiens win 4-0) … Correa is ineffective again and the Canadiens score the winning run in the eighth.
Pacifics @ Miners … 6-9 … (Miners win 4-1) … PIT Davis Rigsby 3-3, 2 2B, RBI
Well, that’s a pair of major upsets! The Miners were dead last two years ago, and wobbled through an overall weak FL East. The Canadiens raced through the CL North, but nobody expected them to sweep the Falcons! This should be a very interesting, yet unexpected World Series matchup.
The Canadiens should have the advantage here, at least they walked over their division by 16 games. They have really strong pitching, while the Miners have some of everything, but have some holes when it comes to hitting.
1982 WORLD SERIES
Miners @ Canadiens … 2-4 … (Canadiens lead 1-0) … VAN Robbie Campbell 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K
Miners @ Canadiens … 0-2 … (Canadiens lead 2-0) … VAN Kisho Saito 8.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K; PIT Leland Lewis 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K; only ten hits between the teams, so far the Miners have not been able to hurt the Canadiens at all
Canadiens @ Miners … 12-10 … (Canadiens lead 3-0) … the Miners led 10-3 after six and then suffered a catastrophic collapse, which should kill them for good.
Canadiens @ Miners … 2-3 … (Canadiens lead 3-1) … PIT Dean Botts 8.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K; VAN Jeff Lee 2-4, HR, 2 RBI
Canadiens @ Miners … 4-5 … (Canadiens lead 3-2) … the Miners force the series back to Canada after they trailed 4-1 going into the bottom 7th. PIT Diego Rodriguez PH 2-RBI 2B; PIT Jerry Phelps 2-3, 2B, HR, RBI
Miners @ Canadiens … 1-3 … (Canadiens win 4-2) … VAN Kisho Saito 8.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
The Miners’ offense just was not enough for the Canadiens’ starters. They should get due credit for how far they made it. It would have been a huge upset if they had become World Champions with the 6th best record in the ABL.
But even the Canadiens were unlikely champions! They improved 13 games over their 1981 season, and have one of the best rotations in the league. They don’t have the one big monster hurler, but they have three or four #2 pitchers. Which was enough for the CL North, enough to beat the 101-wins Falcons, and enough to out-last the Miners.
Congratulations to the 1982 WORLD CHAMPIONS:
VANCOUVER CANADIENS