[Westheim]

Raccoons (51-73) vs. Indians (59-65) – August 21-23, 2001

There had been a time, a while ago, when the Raccoons had actually been close to the third place Indians. That time had long passed us by, and now we were very close to the fifth place Canadiens. We were 5-7 against the offensively lackluster Indians outfit, with their league-worst .234 batting average. Their average rotation would give the Raccoons issues regardless.

Projected matchups:
Ralph Ford (7-12, 4.07 ERA) vs. Junior Diaz (5-11, 5.10 ERA)
Randy Farley (5-9, 4.65 ERA) vs. Chang-se Park (13-8, 2.85 ERA)
Cipriano Miranda (6-12, 3.77 ERA) vs. Manuel Alba (10-14, 3.89 ERA)

Team voodoo priests were confident that Miranda could start on Thursday. They had sacrificed a chicken to accelerate healing.

Game 1
IND: 1B J. Ramirez – CF Maguey – 3B D. Lopez – RF Alston – SS J. Garcia – C Abrams – LF Montray – 2B Matthews – P J. Diaz
POR: SS Guerin – 2B Palacios – CF Reece – 1B Martin – 3B Sharp – LF Cavazos – C Thomas – RF Taramillo – P Ford

Said lackluster offense branded Ralph Ford with three runs in the second inning, including a 2-piece by Brian Abrams, while all the Raccoons managed to chalk up in the box score early on was Palacios leaving in the first with an injury, and Guerin, from first, getting thrown out at home on a Reece double. Just when Cavazos tied the score with his 15th homer of the season, a 2-job in the bottom 4th, Ford cocked up another 2-run home run to Ron Alston, which dropped him and the rest of the horrible menagerie to 5-3. Although the pitching coach whacked Ford with a wet towel once the top 5th was over and he went for the showers, Ralphie still managed to wind up with the lead when Guerin was plated by Reece’s 2-out single in the bottom 5th, and Albert Martin then homered on an 0-2 pitch. An actual W however was unlikely as we gave a 6-5 lead to the pen to protect for four innings. Top 6th, Jose Ramirez singled, stole second, Miller walked Maguey, BOTH stole a base, and when Miller whiffed David Lopez, we got out Miguel Lopez to face the left-handed Alston, whom he drilled. Jesus Garcia fouled out, which was all that prevented a 9-run escalation. Lopez had to stay in the game now because our bullpen was shorter than a spent match. The Raccoons got the bags packed with one out in the sixth. Astonishingly, McLaughlin (in Palacios’ spot) singled home a pair while Reece hit into a 6-4-3 inning-ender. Those runs came off Lorenzo Martinez, and the next reliever, Pedro Quezada, also was charged with a pair in the seventh, one run driven in by Miguel Lopez, who managed to finish the game without any more destruction happening to the home team. 10-5 Raccoons. Guerin 3-5; Palacios 1-1; McLaughlin 2-4, 2 RBI; Reece 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI; Martin 2-5, HR, 2 RBI; Sharp 2-5, 2 2B; Cavazos 2-5, HR, 2 RBI; Flores 2-3, RBI; Lopez 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K, SV (1) and 1-1, BB, RBI;

After ten years in the big leagues, Miguel Lopez has notched his first career save. It was his 224th appearance, and only the eighth in relief.

Palacios had tweaked his back and was DTD once again …

Game 2
IND: 2B Montray – SS M. Jones – C Paraz – LF D. Lopez – RF Alston – 1B J. Garcia – CF Lugo – 3B Matthews – P Park
POR: SS Guerin – 3B Sharp – CF Reece – 1B Martin – LF Cavazos – C Thomas – RF Kent – 2B Heart – P Farley

Another day, another starter swiftly partitioned in half, as Farley got off with five straight balls, soon ran into a 2-run double off David Lopez’ bat, and I was hammering on my desk angrily, watching the mess from above. The Coons then battered Park for five hits in the bottom 1st, but plated only two runs and left the bases loaded when Kent popped out and Heart was obliterated by fire. Farley continued to seek defeat, loading the bags with three walks in the top 3rd and it was Kent’s flying grab on Jose Lugo’s liner to the gap that kept the game tied. Strangely, while Chang-se Park was electric and struck out the Critters in droves, and Farley was walking batters left and right, it was Farley who was ahead 3-2 one he was done after six innings and five walks. Park had struck out eight but also allowed nine hits to fall behind over five innings. In the bottom 6th he got socked for four more hits, including a pinch-hit RBI double by Palacios and a 2-run triple by Concie in succession, and was replaced, 13 hits and six runs against him. Diaz and Miller pitched two scoreless innings between themselves, and with a 6-2 lead, Marcos Bruno was unleashed on the ninth. He quickly put two men on, so Nordahl appeared with one out, because we just don’t learn. The first batter he faced, Jose Paraz, homered, cutting the score to 6-5. Guerin played Lopez’ sharp grounder heroically before Nordahl was finally able to defeat a batter, Ron Alston, who looked at strike three. 6-5 Coons. Reece 2-4; Martin 2-4, RBI; Cavazos 2-4, 2B, RBI; Thomas 4-4, 2B, RBI; Palacios (PH) 1-1, 2B, RBI; Flores (PH) 1-1, 2B; Diaz 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K;

Although Martin hit his 21st home run yesterday, by now Avery Johnson has built a lead in the CL home run race. Today he hit a pair in the Crusaders’ 6-5 win over Milwaukee, first off Marc Padgett, then the walkoff shot in extra innings off Bubba Cannon. He is now at 25. All individual achievements left for the Raccoons to quibble over is the stolen base title in the CL, where Concie is one ahead of Bartolo Hernandez and two ahead of Daniel Silva.

On Thursday, the medical report as given by the broadcasters before the game read as follows: Miranda could go, Palacios was hurting, and Chris Roberson was aching to come back.

Game 3
IND: 2B Montray – SS M. Jones – C Paraz – LF D. Lopez – RF Alston – 1B J. Garcia – CF Lugo – 3B J. Ramirez – P Alba
POR: SS Guerin – 3B Sharp – CF Reece – 1B Martin – LF Cavazos – RF Kent – 2B Heart – C Defrese – P Miranda

The final game of the set started slow, with the Raccoons not getting a hit the first time through the lineup. When they did get a hit, it was a big one, a 2-out, 3-run home run by Neil Reece in the bottom 3rd, which was the first scoring on the day. Miranda drove in a run in the next inning before Sharp left the bases loaded with a groundout to Ramirez, and in the fifth Albert Martin launched #22 in a 3-run frame that ran the score to 7-0. The Indians weren’t getting much screen time at all against Miranda and went down largely silent. They even hit into a 6-3 double play in the seventh, when Alston had singled to lead off the inning, but ran took off on Jesus Garcia’s liner that Guerin caught, and Alston was out by a mile as he shifted into reverse. Miranda went into the eighth but was removed after walking Tomas Maguey with one out and an elevated pitch count. Scott Wade entered, couldn’t throw strikes, and all three batters he faced reached base safely. Manuel Martinez made sure to walk in a couple of runs to get the score closer and to create excitement as the Indians zoomed back within slam range. The Coons hit into double plays in the sixth, seventh, AND eighth. Again it was Bruno who was assigned the 4-run lead in the ninth, and again he failed, and again he put two on, now with two out, and again we went to Nordahl, and again he faced JOSE PARAZ. You couldn’t be begging for trouble any harder, and sure enough Paraz doubled the runners home. Lopez grounded out after that. 7-5 Raccoons. Guerin 2-5; Reece 2-4, HR, 3 RBI; Kent 2-3, BB; Palacios (PH) 1-1; Miranda 7.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, W (7-12) and 1-2, RBI;

This bullpen. This bullpen!

Regardless, our first series sweep in a month (then sweeping the Thunder out of the blue) came on offense rather than defense (as against the Thunder), with 15 runs allowed over three games. Most of those runs were on the pen.

Also, with the sweep we can win our 2,000th regular season game at home if we can take two of three from the Aces. We will spend the next week on the east coast (including four in Boston, of which we will arguably win none).

Raccoons (54-73) vs. Aces (55-72) – August 24-26, 2001

Two horrible rotations were going head-to-head, but the Aces owned the third-best bullpen in the league, something the Raccoons couldn’t even dream of. We had scored a few more runs than them, but overall they were 4-2 against us this season.

Projected matchups:
Nick Brown (1-2, 7.59 ERA) vs. Alfredo Rios (7-14, 4.21 ERA)
Carl Bean (9-10, 4.45 ERA) vs. Patrick Clark (8-10, 4.40 ERA)
Ralph Ford (8-12, 4.23 ERA) vs. Dan Moriarty (12-8, 3.76 ERA)

Moriarty would be the only southpaw we’d face this week.

While the Coons’ field hospital was emptying with only Roberson and Brady on the shelf, the Aces were missing almost a complete lineup with John Bradley (elbow), Lou Jenkins (elbow), Javier Vargas (foot), Ricco Ghiberti (thumb), Bernard Combes (ankle), Victor Cerdeira (oblique), Oliver Torres (concussion). That’s four casts, one brace, one limp, and Torres seeing it all doubled.

Game 1
LVA: RF C. Guzmán – 3B Warrain – C De La Parra – LF McCormick – 1B M. Henry – 2B J. Martinez – CF Bell – SS Pinto – P A. Rios
POR: SS Guerin – 2B Palacios – CF Reece – 1B Martin – 3B Sharp – LF Cavazos – C Thomas – RF Kent – P Brown

The Aces’ infield combined for 38 RBI on the year, with 30 on Jaime Martinez alone. The rest of their starting infield was on the DL, and the remains of that team whiffed six times against our 11th round blue chip the first time through the lineup. The Aces saw no land against him – but the Raccoons failed to take a bat to Rios either. Top 5th, things went south in a hurry. McCormick hit a leadoff triple and by now Brown had been figured out by the Aces, it seemed, as Mike Henry slapped a single to left to break the scoreless tie. Martinez walked and Bell hit an infield single to Sharp. Enrico Pinto hitting into the Aces’ third double play of the day was the main reason the damage was limited to two runs. Thomas and Kent got on with no outs in the bottom 5th, but Brown bunted into a force at third, and nobody scored in the inning. Brown struck out ten batters, remained on the hook, yet the Aces removed Rios after seven. Oh wait, that’s the third-best bullpen in the league. Ian Johnson allowed nothing in the eighth, but when Al Martin singled off Charlie Deacon to lead off the bottom 9th, the tying run stepped in at the plate, and singled, as Sharp got on. Cavazos grounded out to advance the runners into scoring position. Here, Gil Flores hit for Thomas, righty for a righty against a righty, but somehow Thomas was slumping and Flores had knocked one in his last pinch-hit appearance. And he hit a deep fly here, McCormick wouldn’t get it and Gil hit a game-tying 2-run double!! Kent walked, and Defrese struck out for Wade. Concie walked, leaving things to Palacios, who was 0-4 on the day, but a left-hander, and I had the lowest of opinions of Charlie Deacon. He fell behind Palacios as well and Palacios then snipped a 2-1 pitch into play. It whizzed past Deacon, and whizzed past Martinez and into centerfield. 3-2 Coons!!! Sharp 2-3; Flores (PH) 1-1, 2B, 2 RBI; Brown 7.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 K;

We should trade for Charlie Deacon. He’d fit in well here.

The next one will be it! The next win will be #2,000! (in the regular season)

Game 2
LVA: 3B Bell – 1B G. Silva – LF McCormick – 2B J. Martinez – CF Moreno – C L. Paredes – RF Covington – SS Pinto – P P. Clark
POR: SS Guerin – 2B Palacios – CF Reece – 1B Martin – 3B Sharp – LF Cavazos – RF Flores – C Thomas – P Bean

The Raccoons failed to cash in on a 2-base error by Paredes in the bottom 1st, leaving Palacios where they put him, at second base, the same thing that happened to Sharp after his leadoff double in the next inning. The horrible Carl Bean was poked to death with three singles for two runs in the third, and barely stalled two men in scoring position the next inning. This particular lineup for the Aces totaled 19 home runs on the season, all in the 2-3-4 slots, but everybody could have their way with Carl Bean. Meanwhile the Raccoons had no patience with Patrick Clark, who had walked 115 batters in 153 innings, but they weren’t even letting him miss! After being held to one hit and a lot of long faces in the first four innings, they at least managed three singles and a run in the bottom 5th. Reece then led off with a single in the sixth, representing the tying run, and HE was never moved! Bean went eight, striking out nine, but the Issuecoons couldn’t draw a single walk or get a friggin’ clue against the messiest pitcher in the league! Diaz put two in scoring position in the top 9th, but Miller bailed him out with two outs in two attempts, putting a golden sombrero on Enrico Pinto in the process. Deacon in the ninth, down by one, that sounded manageable. The first pitch he made was taken to right for a single by Albert Martin, who was run for by Taramillo. The runner made it to second on Sharp’s bunt, but Cavazos – still struggling trying too hard – whiffed, and Flores popped out. 2-1 Aces. Bean 8.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, L (9-11);

Patrick Clark’s game score was 72, his second-highest of the season, and the second time he went without walking anybody in a game. The other game, rain chased him early…

This most shameful display of ineptitude ruins all of the nice batting they did the four days before. They are disgusting!

We activated Chris Roberson at the expense of Jesus Taramillo and his crusty .000 average.

Game 3
LVA: RF C. Guzmán – 3B Warrain – C De La Parra – LF McCormick – 1B M. Henry – 2B J. Martinez – CF Bell – SS Pinto – P Moriarty
POR: SS Guerin – 3B Sharp – CF Reece – LF Roberson – RF Cavazos – C Thomas – 1B Heart – 2B McLaughlin – P Ford

Last chance to get #2,000 at home (unless we get swept 0-7 next week…) against a decent southpaw in Dan Moriarty, and it started off horrendously with a Cisco Guzmán double and the first career RBI of Inaki-Luki Warrain (no ****, Sherlock) on a single to left. Guerin and McLaughlin twice failed to turn a double play after De La Parra had walked, and Warrain scored, 2-0 Aces. The Raccoons came along as paralyzed as in the first two games, with Roberson’s leadoff double in the bottom 2nd not leading to anybody stepping onto third base in the near future. In the fifth (yeah, LOTS of action!), Moriarty walked Thomas and McLaughlin before Ford(!) singled to right to load them up with one out. Guzmán caught Concie’s deep fly, holding the Coons to a run on the sacrifice, and Sharp dutifully grounded out. But Professor Moriarty was letting go slowly, but surely. Reece drew his second leadoff walk of the game in the sixth, and this time something happened, with Roberson connecting for a score-flipping homer, the fourth of his career! Up 3-2, Ford, who had whacked out eight in six innings, gave up a single to left to Martinez, and Roberson misfielded the ball for an extra base. Uh-oh. Dick Bell made an out, and that brought up Pinto with two down. Pinto had been humiliated the whole series, so this was easy for an electri- … dumbtard like Ford, who surrendered a game-tying triple to Pinto. The bottom 7th became mired in controversy. McLaughlin hit a single to get it going. Next, Ford was banished and hit for by Flores, wo grounded out to Pinto, putting McLaughlin at second base. Concie ran a full count before chopping a single to center with McLaughlin in motion. Or was it a single? Bell, who had made a launching grab to glove the ball, triumphantly presented it, then played to second to force McLaughlin, who was past third base. The second base umpire however, had extended his arms, palms down, and called it a trapped ball as McLaughlin scored. The Aces were all over him in seconds, but the umpire was steadfast and none of his colleagues had had a good view of the play: the Coons were up, 4-3, but Concie was left on. Bruno appeared in the top 8th, couldn’t do it, but Miguel Lopez struck out McCormick with the tying run on to escape the inning. After a 1-2-3 bottom 8th, and although we should know better, it was Nordahl time. He promptly issued a 1-out walk to Martinez. The left-hander Gabriel Silva then hit for Bell, but grounded to first, where Heart played alertly to second for the force. That brought up Pinto, in his 100th career AB, batting .222 from the right side. C’mon Danny, do it for the franchise! 1-0, Pinto grounded to the left side, Concie, Heart, it’s over! 4-3 Coons! Roberson 2-4, HR, 2B, 2 RBI; Ford 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, W (9-12) and 1-2;

In other news

August 21 – Veteran LF/RF Will Jackson (.236, 6 HR, 33 RBI) is out with torn ankle ligaments and the 36-year old will not return to the Bayhawks this season.
August 22 – A broken elbow ends the season of LVA INF John Bradley (.223, 9 HR, 33 RBI).
August 22 – In Cincy, SP Ryobe Kumagai (5-5, 3.76 ERA) is out with a torn rotator cuff.
August 24 – Boston’s SP Steven Snyder (12-10, 2.72 ERA) is out for the year with radial nerve compression.
August 25 – The Crusaders beat the Falcons, 6-0, with Anibal Sandoval (10-14, 3.80 ERA) escaping perfection ever so slightly allowing one hit and two walks. Joe Morton breaks up the no-hitter with a single.
August 26 – PIT INF/RF Lorenzo Sepúlveda (.261, 5 HR, 48 RBI) enters the record books with a 6-hit performance in an 18-12 win of the Miners over the Scorpions. In total he collects three singles and three doubles before missing the chance to become the first player with a 7-hit game in ABL history when he strikes out in the ninth. He drives in six runs in the game. The 36th 6-hit game in ABL history is the third one for the Miners franchise, following the big days of Rich Johnson in 1977 (the first 6-hitter in the ABL) and Alfonso Rojas in 1995. The Scorpions had a 6-hitter of their own just six weeks ago, authored by Aaron Jenkins.

Complaints and stuff

I really wouldn’t have dared to believe we could win five this week to get to 2,000 regular season wins while still at home, but it happened – despite horrendous pitching and a half-dead offense against the Aces, who ironically had an inferior pitching staff when compared to the Indians.

Wooooott!!!

Also great, Neil Reece is on FIRE since coming off the DL last week, batting over .400! Player of the Week went to Jose Paraz however, because reasons. Oh yeah, he played against he Fuzzballs.

I didn’t announce it back then because I was crying furiously, but our 4,000th regular season game was on August 4, that horrible 10-0 blowout we were handed by the Titans. Them 13 hits, us three. Jason Kent being on base as often as the rest of the team combined with a hit and three walks. JASON KENT!!

I find it amazing how scrubs like Jason Kent rack up AB’s in the 100s the last few years. Luke Newton (who was not signed by anybody this year) comes to mind. He made it to 1,350 AB with the Coons between 1995 and 2000, hitting .221/.309/.316. That’s poor, even for us.

All no-hitters, cycles, 6-hitters, and 3-homers combined, the ABL has now seen 100 such occurrences in total:
23 no-hitters
30 cycles
36 6-hitters
11 3-homers
The Coons are very well off with four no-nos (first!), one cycle (t-13th), three 6-hitters (t-3rd), and one 3-homer game (t-3rd).

The only franchise without ANY such achievements?

The Capitals.

They witnessed only three such games, either, being no-hit twice in 1984 by LAP Bob Haines and RIC Roger Weaver, and being cycled against by ex-Coon Pat Parker in 1997.

There are three more “Padres” teams however, with no no-hitters AND no cycles. These are the Buffaloes, Scorpions, and Canadiens.

The Canadiens don’t need any of those, in my honest opinion.