1998 POSTSEASON
The 97-65 Scorpions enter the postseason as favorites despite missing SP Steve Rogers and INF Felipe Rivera with injuries. The team had the outright best pitching staff in the Federal League, ranking top 2 in all categories but walks and BABIP. Even without Rogers (16-5, 2.32 ERA), they have a formidable rotation and an almost fireproof bullpen. The offense is playing small ball with only 92 home runs, but high OBP and the second-most runs scored in the FL.
In many ways, the 89-73 Blue Sox were trying to be the same team, but couldn’t. Although they had strong starting pitching around Dennis Fried (19-9, 2.44 ERA) and Javier Cruz (24-5, 2.60 ERA), their bullpen is rather bleak before the eighth and ninth inning. Also, the offense has not been their strong suit. They were dead-last in the league in home runs (61), and can’t match the Scorpions in terms of OBP and getting runs home either. They only had the fifth-most runs in the Federal League. While they don’t have significant injuries, they look like a much weaker team.
The Titans, who finished 95-67, also played mostly small ball with only 83 home runs during the year, and also rode their pitching quite heavily, although they also have nice offensive qualities. They led the Continental League in runs scored, but scored almost 100 runs less than the Scorpions, who were second in the FL. This has happened with the same weapons the Scorpions employed: get on base, steal bases, don’t strike out. One problem for the Titans might be the injuries to C Luis Lopez and OF Tom Walls. Apart from C Julio Silva, they can not put up any starter with an average over .280, although walks will mitigate that at least partly for them.
How the 92-71 Condors made the playoffs, apart from beating the Thunder in a tie-breaker, is a mystery. They were 6th in runs scored, 6th in runs allowed, and didn’t particularly excel in any one field. Pointing out strengths is as difficult as pointing out weaknesses, but they struggled to a 10-16 record in September, so they can not considered to be any hot, either. They could just as likely be the dark horse stomping over the opposition as they could be eliminated swiftly in the CLCS.
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Blue Sox @ Scorpions … 0-1 … (Scorpions lead 1-0) … SAC David Castillo 8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K, W;
Condors @ Titans … 2-4 … (Titans lead 1-0) … BOS Jason O’Halloran 8.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, W; BOS Esteban Baldivía hits game-winning 3-run homer;
Blue Sox @ Scorpions … 5-4 … (series tied 1-1) … NAS Logan Lee 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI;
Condors @ Titans … 3-5 … (Titans lead 2-0) … BOS Dave Reid 2-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI;
Scorpions @ Blue Sox … 4-3 … (Scorpions lead 2-1) … Sacramento scores four in the first inning and rides that to the end
Titans @ Condors … 5-4 … (Titans lead 3-0)
Scorpions @ Blue Sox … 0-6 … (series tied 2-2) … NAS Dennis Fried 8.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, W;
Titans @ Condors … 4-0 … (Titans win 4-0) … BOS Glenn Ryan 8.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 6 K, W;
Scorpions @ Blue Sox … 2-5 … (Blue Sox lead 3-2) … NAS Javier Cruz 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W; NAS Karl Davidson 4-4, HR, 2 RBI;
Blue Sox @ Scorpions … 7-0 … (Blue Sox win 4-2) … NAS Roy Collier 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, W; NAS Karl Davidson 3-4, 3 2B, RBI;
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1998 WORLD SERIES
With the #1 seed Scorpions gone, the Titans will have home field advantage in the World Series. They do have to expect a different opponent than the swiftly swept Condors now, though. Both teams excelled pitching wise in the Championship Series round, with none of the ten games seeing more than nine runs scored. The Blue Sox, despite their worse record and homefield disadvantage, might have a slightly better team assembled, and they still don’t have any significant injuries.
Blue Sox @ Titans … 3-1 … (Blue Sox lead 1-0) … NAS Dennis Fried 8.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, W; NAS Jessie McGuire hits game-winning 3-run homer in the eighth
Blue Sox @ Titans … 0-1 … (series tied 1-1) … BOS Jason O’Halloran 7.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K;
Titans @ Blue Sox … 7-6 (10) … (Titans lead 2-1) … NAS Lorenzo Flores scores Julio Silva with a wild pitch in the 10th to lose the game
Titans @ Blue Sox … 4-1 … (Titans lead 3-1) … BOS Jesus Bautista 8.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, W; all runs score in the sixth inning
Titans @ Blue Sox … 6-5 … (Titans win 4-1) … BOS Luis Alonso 3-5, 2 RBI; BOS Esteban Baldivía 3-4, BB, 2B, RBI; NAS Freddie Jones 4-4, BB;
After the Blue Sox lost the third game on a wild pitch, they also lost the series on a wild pitch. In the top 7th of game 5, with the score tied 5-5, Carlos Gonzales was pitching to Julio Silva with Luis Alonso on second base and one out. Gonzales’ 0-2 pitch was wild, advancing Alonso to third base, and from there he scored when Silva hit a sac fly on the next pitch. Manuel Chavez then struck out. In the bottom 9th, Jose Valentín put the winning runs for the Blue Sox in scoring position with one out. After that, Jessie McGuire and Mauro Valdés popped out to short and the catcher, respectively. Julio Silva made the grab that won the World Series, then held up the ball in his bare hand, while pointing, mouth wide open, at his own bench, which rapidly emptied. Silva then ran out to Bennett to show the ball to him as well, before the dark blue team converged in a pile of huddles.
Although the Continental League managed to win only eight of the 22 championships so far, the CL North has only one team without a title, the Loggers. The Crusaders (1979), Indians (1981), Canadiens (1982, 1984), and Raccoons (1992-93) all have won titles before.
The Thunder are the only CL South team to win. The FL West has seen five of its teams triumphant too (everybody except the Pacifics), while in the FL East the Buffaloes and Miners have never won the championship.
1998 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS
BOSTON TITANS
(1st title)