[Westheim]

Raccoons (73-82) vs. Crusaders (81-74) – September 28-October 1, 1998

There was little to no reason to hope that the Raccoons would stop to fail against the Crusaders, who so far had drummed them to a 10-4 record this season. Although, we cut the Loggers back to a more reasonable (and devourable) 7-11 with the last series of the year, maybe we could manage that against the Crusaders as well? Also, there’s honor in play to beat out the Elks for fourth place, and so far we were tied.

Projected matchups:
Manuel Movonda (11-11, 2.82 ERA) vs. Anibal Sandoval (15-10, 2.87 ERA)
Randy Farley (12-6, 3.10 ERA) vs. Cipriano Miranda (8-10, 5.19 ERA)
Miguel Lopez (9-13, 4.01 ERA) vs. Hector Lara (14-9, 3.43 ERA)
Jose Rivera (14-8, 2.43 ERA) vs. Francisco Garza (19-12, 3.27 ERA)

Unusually, we were looking at a 4-game set with all right-handed opposing starters. For better or worse, or what it was worth… grab fourth place, boys.

Game 1
NYC: 3B Rigg – SS Nielsen – LF A. Johnson – 1B Berry – RF Latham – C Clemente – CF P. Jenkins – 2B Wilson – P Sandoval
POR: 2B Ingall – RF Brady – CF Reece – 1B Michel – LF Parker – 3B Caddock – SS Guerin – C Castillo – P Movonda

Single, wild pitch, single, and the Raccoons trailed in this one. If Movonda was actually trying to get to a winning record, he was not showing it. Neither was the rest of the team. Sandoval retired them in order the first time through the lineup before nicking Marvin Ingall to lead off the bottom 4th. The Coons loaded the bags with a Brady single and a Jeffrey Nielsen error, but didn’t score. That Brady single was the lone brown-shirted hit for a long, long time. While Movonda was pitching his arm off, going eight innings of 2-run ball (conceding a Brian Latham homer in the fourth), while whiffing nine, the Raccoons did precious little. Then, in the bottom 8th, Concie led off the inning with a triple off the wall in left center, bringing the tying run up. Excitement! Castillo grounded out to Larry Wilson, but the run scored. Yet, they were still a full run behind… Movonda was now hit for with Mike Crowe, who squeezed a single into center. Ingall hit a Texas Leaguer to right, and the go-ahead runs were on, as Sandoval’s strong outing was a-crumbling. Enter Brady, the Crusaders left Sandoval in, and Brady remembered them why that was a mistake with a shot to deep center. Pat Jenkins after it, is he gonna - … is it gonna - … OUTTA HERE!! Scott Wade saved this stunning turnaround although Latham reached on an infield single with one out. Alejandro Ramirez was eventually struck out to end the game. 4-2 Raccoons. Brady 2-4, HR, 3 RBI; Crowe (PH) 1-1; Movonda 8.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 9 K, W (12-11);

Boy, that one came unexpected! Sandoval says the same thing, I think.

Movonda reached 183 K’s with this performance. It looks like he will pitch the season finale against Indy, so he has one more shot at beating Kisho Saito’s single season strikeout mark for the franchise, which is 13 years old now and has a “193” stamp on it. Movonda’s 183 right now rank third all time for the franchise, behind Antonio Donis’ 187 from two years ago.

Yes, there was a time when Donis was not all crap.

Game 2
NYC: 3B Rigg – SS Nielsen – LF A. Johnson – 1B Berry – C Clemente – CF Olvera – RF A. Ramirez – 2B Wilson – P Miranda
POR: 2B Ingall – RF Brady – CF Reece – C Turner – LF Parker – 1B Wedemeyer – SS Guerin – 3B Kowalchuk – P Farley

Farley was shoddy in the second game, a wild pitch here, a hit batter there, and this is how the Crusaders got runs, as they were up 3-2 on just two hits after four innings. They then loaded the bags with three singles in the sixth, no outs. Ramirez grounded back to Farley, who leapt off the mound and started a 1-2-3 double play. After reloading the bags by putting Wilson on, Guerin reeled in Miranda’s first pitch grounder to get the team out of the jam. Flip to the bottom 6th, Turner lobbed a single to right and Ramirez made an error throwing behind Turner, who ended up on second, and then casually scored on Chris Parker’s double to left. But not scoring Parker led to the top 7th, where Farley put on the leadoff man Ed Rigg, and Donis and Miller failed to relieve him. The Crusaders took a 4-3 lead. Ingall then reached on a 2-base throwing error by Jorge Vega in the bottom 7th. Tying run in scoring position, no outs, the team failed again and left Ingall on third base. The Crusaders loaded them up against Iván Costa in the eighth, failed to score either against the hurriedly thrown in Tamburrino, and then Parker hit a leadoff double in the bottom 8th. He was on third with one out, as the Crusaders brought a right-hander to face Guerin. Fine, Caddock came out to hit, and he did a sufficient job with a sac fly. With the bullpen depleted a bit, Bob Joly was brought in as reliever in the ninth, which he ended scoreless. Ingall drew a 1-out walk in the bottom 9th. I was very tempted to have Brady bunt him over and have Neil Reece try to hit John Hatt hard, but at the moment Brady was hitting things hard as well and he was a left-hander. Turned out it didn’t matter, since Brady grounded out and Ingall was on second base either way. Neil Reece stepped in. “REECE!! REECE!! REECE!!” When Hatt fell 1-0 behind, someone also yelled “HAAAATT CAN’T-DO-IT!!!” Reece clanked into Hatt’s second pitch, shooting a grounder to left. Rigg didn’t get it, Ingall turned third, Johnson rocketed the ball back in, Ingall sliding, Clemente with the taaaaag - …….. SAFE!!!!! WALKOFF SINGLE NEIL REECE!!! 5-4 Reececoons!! Reece 2-5, 2B, RBI; Turner 2-5, 2B; Parker 3-4, 2 2B, RBI;

Game 3
NYC: SS J. Vega – LF J. Cruz – 1B T. Mullins – 3B J. Ramirez – 2B Nielsen – RF Wilson – C Riley – CF Pimentel – P H. Lara
POR: 2B Ingall – RF Brady – CF Reece – C Turner – LF Parker – 3B Crowe – SS Guerin – 1B Michel – P M. Lopez

The Coons scored two runs in the first three innings, but also left four men in scoring position… While Lopez was rock solid early on, Brady’s 1-out triple in the fifth prompted the Crusaders to walk Reece intentionally, putting an 11-game hitting streak for him, at 0-1 on the day, in danger. Well, yeah, but that business only works if your battery doesn’t let the next ball come away. Brady scored on the wild pitch, and then Werner Turner hit a triple! Parker sacrificed him in, and the Coons were up 5-0. Yeah, about Reece. The Coons were up 6-0 in the bottom 8th, with Lopez, who had led off with a double, on third, and Ingall on first, and no outs. Ramirez misfielded Brady’s grounder for a 2-base error, putting Lopez in the dugout and two runners in scoring position. This time, the Crusaders didn’t use the open base for Reece, who was still 0-1 with three walks. Enrique Hernandez got him to 2-2, before Reece connected and hit a bloop into shallow right for an RBI single! THAT’S HOW CHAMPIONS DO IT!! Hernandez would try to pick off Reece and throw it away, plating another run, and eventually scored Reece with a wild pitch. A comedy of failure put the Coons up 10-0, as Lopez came back out to reach for a season-ending shutout for his ledger. Ed Rigg’s pinch-hit, first-pitch leadoff jack kinda put a dent into that… 10-1 Raccoons. Brady 2-4, BB, 3B, RBI; Reece 1-2, 3 BB, RBI; Turner 3-5, 3B, RBI; Guerin 2-4, 2B; Lopez 9.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, W (10-13) and 1-3, 2B;

Werner Turner, while not massively agile, tied a career-high four triples on the season. In 656 career games, he has 13 triples compared to 25 homers.

Miguel Lopez has not pitched a shutout since 1995 (4 for his career), but pitched his 10th overall complete game in 160 starts, and the only one this season. He also used his last chance to maintain a record of winning double-digit games in every season where he doesn’t hit the disabled list. Remember he lost most of the 1994 and 1996 seasons to injuries.

Game 4
NYC: 3B Rigg – SS Nielsen – LF A. Johnson – 1B Berry – RF Latham – C Clemente – CF A. Ramirez – 2B Wilson – P F. Garza
POR: 2B Ingall – RF Brady – CF Reece – C Turner – LF Parker – 3B Crowe – 1B Wedemeyer – SS Guerin – P Rivera

Jose Rivera came into this game with the CL-best ERA (2.43; five points ahead of Jorge Chapa), but the Crusaders soon assaulted his bid for the ERA title. Avery Johnson’s 2-run home run in the third inning put him over Chapa’s 2.48 at that point. Now it was about rallying, not surrendering any more, and also hoping the team would come back. The Coons got a run back in the third inning, but Reece and Turner both struck out with two men on to end that inning. Reece came through in the fifth with a single that allowed Brady to go first-to-third with one out. Turner’s sac fly tied the game, but that was all we got. The Coons again left two in scoring position in the sixth, and Rivera was done after seven innings and 105 pitches, without further damage against him. The bullpen bobbled the next two innings together, while Werner Turner had a career day behind the plate, throwing out three base stealers, including dedicated pinch-runner Ira Heseltine in the eighth. John Hatt drilled Guerin to lead off the bottom 9th then. Miller was conveniently batting behind him and was used to bunt, and he put Guerin on second. Ingall came up. An Ingall single, maybe? Ingall lined a hard shot into right, Heseltine hustled – BUT IT WENT PAST HIM!! WALKOFF INGALL!! 3-2 Coons!!! Ingall 2-5, 2B, RBI; Brady 2-4, RBI; Reece 2-4, 2B; Crowe 2-4; Guerin 2-2, BB; Rivera 7.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K;

The Canadiens split their 4-game set with the Indians, so we are now up by two in the battle for fourth place. As we face the weak Indians on the final weekend of the year, we may have the advantage here.

Also, we have not lost in a FULL week, but up next is Saito…

Raccoons (77-82) vs. Indians (64-95) – October 2-4, 1998

We have owned the Indians this year, 11-4, but we also haven’t lost in a week, so we’re due.

Projected matchups:
Kisho Saito (6-14, 3.12 ERA) vs. Steve Holcomb (1-3, 2.52 ERA)
Bob Joly (3-1, 2.40 ERA) vs. Chang-se Park (2-5, 4.04 ERA)
Manuel Movonda (12-11, 2.80 ERA) vs. Nick Jacobson (8-12, 4.70 ERA)

Left-hander in the finale, but two more right-handed arms (northpaws?) before that.

Game 1
IND: LF G. Flores – 2B M. Carter – C Cicalina – 1B D. Lopez – CF Alarcon – RF Spinelli – SS J. Martinez – 3B Whaley – P Holcomb
POR: 2B Ingall – RF Brady – CF Reece – C Turner – LF Parker – 3B Crowe – 1B Wedemeyer – SS Guerin – P Saito

Saito faced an all-right-handed lineup. The Indians put their first three men in the second inning all on base with singles. While Saito came out with only one run allowed, this didn’t bode well. The Raccoons had already left Ingall on third in the first inning, and did the same with Crowe in the second, when Saito popped out. But Saito soon got support with a 3-run home run by Chris Parker that just made it over the wall in right. But the singles kept falling for the Indians, and they led off the fifth with two more singles through the infield. A A Martin Carter double tied the game, and the Indians took a 4-3 lead in the inning. Saito was hit for after six, with Guerin on first and one out. Guerin was caught stealing, and Saito remained on the hook, but he would be spared 15-losses humiliation eventually, when Clyde Brady hit his 10th home run of the year, tying the game in the bottom 7th. We again entered the bottom 9th tied, and Caddock led off, hitting for Tamburrino. He singled up the middle. ‘nother walkoff, anyone? 160 games into the year, Ingall laid down his first sac bunt to put Caddock on second base. Brady walked. “REECE!! REECE!! REECE!!” Not this time. He got Brady forced at second base, but Ingall was on third for Turner, but he didn’t get it done and grounded out. Extra innings. Top 10th, Costa came in, and walked two. Miller replaced him, and walked Sam Fisher to fill the bags with no outs. Oh noes. Miller then struck out Jose Martinez. Struck out Jamal Chevalier. And Carlos Paredes grounded back to Miller for a piece of cake. PHEW!! The Indians offered Cesar Salcido then, bordering on forfeiting the contest. Parker led off with an infield single. As he stole second base, Urbano Cicalina threw wildly past his infielders, and Parker was on third with no outs. Crowe was walked intentionally, and Castillo hit for Wedemeyer. His fly to left center was sufficiently deep to plate Parker. IT’S ANOTHER WALKOFF!!! 5-4 Furballs!! Parker 2-4, BB, HR, 3 RBI; Caddock (PH) 1-1; Fairchild 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K;

Vancouver’s Jose Dominguez pitched an 8-hit shutout over the Loggers, 4-0, but we are now assured of at least a share of fourth place.

Game 2
IND: SS J. Martinez – C Cicalina – 1B M. Brown – LF D. Lopez – CF J. Thompson – 3B Whaley – RF Alarcon – 2B Chevalier – P Park
POR: 2B Ingall – RF Brady – CF Reece – LF Parker – 3B Crowe – C Castillo – 1B Michel – SS Caddock – P Joly

Indy scored a run in the top 1st, but they could have done more, hadn’t David Lopez’ grounder hit Matt Brown into the foot as he was hustling from first base. Runners interference cost them, and the Coons instantly brought out the spiked bats. Ingall reached on an error and Parker and Crowe drove in three in total in the bottom 1st. Neither team did much more through five, before the Indians had their first two men on in the sixth inning, but a good play by Chris Parker then retired David Lopez and Joly managed to get through the sixth. The Coons also left two on in the bottom 6th. An Ingall error put Alarcon on base to lead off the top 7th (ironically, Ingall had reached on an Alarcon error in the first), and the runner was on second base with two down. When Jose Martinez singled to left, the Indians sent Alarcon, but Chris Parker lasered him out at home plate. Joly retired Cicalina in the eighth before Donis was broken out to fight Matt Brown. He actually retired him! Top 9th, still up 3-1 from the first, Tamburrino was left in to perhaps finish it after getting the last out in the eighth, but put Jim Thompson on base. Now Wade came in with the tying run at the plate, but he didn’t falter and retired the next three batters. 3-1 Furballs! Ingall 2-4; Joly 7.1 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, W (4-1);

Clinched fourth place! Can we finish with a 10-game winning streak!? Either way, Neil Reece’s hitting streak ended at 14.

Game 3
IND: 3B Whaley – C Cicalina – 1B M. Brown – LF D. Lopez – RF A. Roldán – CF J. Thompson – SS M. Carter – 2B Chevalier – P Jacobson
POR: 2B Ingall – SS Guerin – CF Reece – C Turner – RF Brady – 3B McLaughlin – LF Utting – 1B Kowalchuk – P Movonda

Cicalina got the Indians up 1-0 with a solo jack in the first, but Guerin(!) homered the Coons back into a tie and they got another run in the first for an early 2-1 lead. While the Colombian Beauty scattered a few hits early on, he also was quite electric. Through five, he had struck out eight batters, and was then only two shy of Kisho Saito’s franchise single season mark. Things began to go wrong in the sixth. A Kowalchuk error put leadoff man Jim Thompson on base, and Thompson stole second and was on third after Carter’s groundout. But then Jamal Chevalier popped out, yet when Movonda had Jacobson at 2-2, the pitcher made contact and flew out to Utting. No K for the Beauty. Top 7th, entering with 95 pitches, Movonda struck out Matt Whaley, one short of the franchise mark now. Cicalina was down 1-2, but then singled. That brought up Brown, but Donis had pitched almost every day this week and I wasn’t trusting him. Lopez was in theory available, but I was hanging in with Movonda. Brown flew to deep right, but Brady got there leisurely. David Lopez would be Movonda’s last batter – and Lopez homered. Vanity killed the Beauty, and the Raccoons were not picking him up. They were still trailing 3-2 in the bottom 9th, with Turner starting the inning against Jorge Escobar. He grounded out, Brady flew out, and the last swing of the year had Chris Parker ground out to short. 3-2 Indians. Guerin 2-4, HR, 2B, RBI;

Only four hits in this game. There was the offense again … absent.

In other news

September 28 – NAS SP Dennis Fried (18-9, 2.48 ERA) 3-hits the Rebels in a 5-0 Blue Sox win, which also drops the Sox’ magic number to two.
September 29 – Glenn Douglas plates Daniel Silva with two out in the top 9th to break a 5-5 tie in Milwaukee. Bill Corkum saves the 6-5 win, and the Titans clinch the CL North on Loggers’ soil. For the Titans it is the second postseason appearance, and the second consecutive.
September 30 – A 15-5 blowout of the Rebels clinches the FL East for the Blue Sox. The Blue Sox will make their seventh playoff appearance, which ties them with the Raccoons for most by a franchise, and their first in nine years. They made the playoffs six out of seven years from 1983 to 1989, and won two rings in that span.
October 3 – MIL RF/LF Cristo Ramirez (.353, 6 HR, 68 RBI) knocks his 2,000th career base hit – at age 28! Ramirez goes 2-5 in a 4-3 loss to the Canadiens, the big hit being a seventh inning RBI single off pitcher Joe Hollow. The still-young Venzuelan, the sixth overall pick in the 1988 amateur draft, has spent all his career with the Loggers. At his pace, it’s no question whether he will get to 3,000 hits, but just when it will happen. Among his accolades are 6 All Star nominations, 2 Gold Gloves, and the 1993 CL Hitter of the Year award.
October 4 – The Thunder and Condors enter the final day of the regular season tied. The Thunder lose 6-4 at the Bay, while the Condors are CRUSHED in Las Vegas, 17-2. Tie-breaker comin’ up.
October 5 – Through seven, the Thunder lead the tie-breaker at home, 5-3. The Condors then rally with key hits, and big hits, tie the score 6-6 in the eighth, and crush the Thunder relief corps in the ninth and come away with a 10-6 win. Dale Wales, David Vinson, and David Brewer all have multi-hit games with multiple huge AB’s for the Condors. They will make their seventh postseason appearance, also tying the Raccoons and Blue Sox for most in ABL history.

Complaints and stuff

Rain chased Jorge Chapa in his final start of the season, and he was limited to only 5.2 innings of 1-run ball. This awards the CL ERA title to Jose Rivera by .01 ER! Phew!

I was glancing over some other pitching marks from Coons history, and found this one interesting: Who is the pitcher with the highest K/9 mark in franchise history? The answer is not all that obvious. Well, obviously it’s a reliever, because we never had a 200 K power guy. However the answer is still a little surprising. First of all, it is not Grant West, our ancient closer, and Grant West ain’t even in the top 3. The top 5 go like this:

Richard Cunningham – 8.7
Wally Gaston – 8.4
Juan Martinez – 7.4
Grant West – 6.8
Miguel Lopez – 6.4

Saito, Carlos Gonzalez, “Pooky” Beato, and Jason Turner all come up bunched together behind that. And 10th is … hold onto something … Carlos Morán.

Carlos WHO?? He was a swingman and then a mop-up guy for the Raccoons from 1980 to 1986 and never pitched for any other team. 293 G (43 GS), 23-34, 8 SV, 3.60 ERA, 320 BB, 395 K in 615.1 IP.

Movonda obviously doesn’t feature on the career list since he does not have 500 IP for the Coons.