[DD Martin]

The 2054 World Series
Thunder Bay 90-54 vs Chicago 83-62
Best of 7 Game Series

So here we are, at the pinnacle of sports. Playing for the Ring! We had survived what was essentially an 8 game series with Toledo winning (4-2) and if you count the playoff game (4-3). The clubs were pretty evenly matched. What wasn't evenly matched was the disparity in the interleague games between the US and Canadian divisions for at least the last 2 seasons. This season the Architect's were 9-15 against the clubs from Canada and 1-3 vs Thunder Bay. Overall the the Canadian division held a 14 game edge over their American counterparts. Last season it was 34 games edge to Canada and the season before than 10. Obviously with a sub 6 games below 500 against Canada, we were a big part of that 14 deficit. But all that didn't matter now, this was the series for all the marbles against a 90 win club that smashed the league record for home runs in a season (274). It was the 2nd consecutive year that Thunder Bay thundered 274 home runs in a season and remember this is in only 144 games. We had our work cut out for us.

With the injury to Dan Floyd, he wouldn't be available until game 5 of the series. Hopefully we are still playing games by game 5. This club is a monster and has spared no expense to get there. Thunder Bay's payroll (note they have acquired some of these guys during the season) stood at $197 million for the season. It was projected to be well over $200 million which would be a league record and one projected that could be broken again in 2056.

World Series Game 1: Chicago @ Thunder Bay
José Cedeño vs. Kevin Simonin

We start off with our big money pitcher Jose Cedeno, who since coming over to Chicago from Windsor had been solid (9-5 4.43 ERA 103 ERA+) if unspectacular. If he was going to earn that big money in an Architect's uniform it had to start with this game.

Top 1. Matt Graves and Walker Dunse lead off the game with singles, but Osborn, Ashley, and Arnaud fail to convert those runners into runs.

Bot 3. Robinson González homers! Thunder Bay 1, Chicago 0.

Top 5. Samuel Amsden singles. António Méndez grounds to third, but the throw to first is in the dirt! The ball skips by the first baseman. The runners end up on second and third, no outs. Matt Graves singles in Amsden. Méndez comes home, but Robinson González throws him out at the plate! Matt Graves moves to second, then steals third. Walkerd Dunse grounds to short. The play is at home… out! Dunse steals second, then scores on a Reagan Osborn double. Chicago 2, Thunder Bay 1.
Weird inning! Two runners thrown out at home plate. Oh what could have been!!!!!!!

Bot 5. José Cedeño walks the bases loaded. Michael Jackson hits a sac fly. That could gone a lot worse for Chicago. Tie game, 2-2.

Top 8. Thomas Arnaud hits a solo home run! Chicago 3, Thunder Bay 2.

To the ninth!
Bot 9. The Caribou need one. Pat Wright in to close it out.

Robinson González……flies out.
Al Ratzlaff comes in to pinch-hit. Ratzlaff walks. Tying run on first.
John Calder flies out to DEEP center field. Ratzlaff is actually able to tag up and move to second.

Michael Jackson…….lines out to first.
CHICAGO WINS gane 1 of the World Series, 3-2!

Cedeno was again solid in this game going 5.1 giving up 4 hits, 2 runs with 7 K's but had 5 walks. Fortunatley the bullpen came through and Francisco Perez who has turned out to be very good in the top middle RP on the club shined. Perez fancies himself a SP but he has signed on late in the spring each of the last 2 years with us and has struggled as a SP but this year has excelled as a RP. We are looking at options to re-sign him for this role for next season, but right now when he was approached at the end of the regular season, he wanted 3 years and $34 million dollars. He made $1.7 million this year and was probably underpaid, but we won't find that type of contract for a middle RP.

Now if we could pull off a minor miracle and steal a 2nd game in Thunder Bay!

World Series Game 2: Chicago @ Thunder Bay
Bill Lutz vs. Terry Noble.

Bot 1. Robinson González singles. A wild pitch moves him to second. A groundball to second moves him to third. John Calder singles him in. Thunder Bay 1, Chicago 0.

Top 2. Thomas Arnaud. Kent Noseworthy homers! Chicago 2, Thunder Bay 1.

Bot 2. Ron Hinton and Robinson González walk. Jamal Amador doubles them both in. Thunder Bay 3, Chicago 2.

It’s the third inning, and the lead has already switched a few times
Top 3. Matt Graves grounds out, Walker Dunse walks, and everyone leaves the field because of a downpour. It was a 67 minute rain delay and it was a mistake to send back out Bill Lutz after such a long delay.

Bot 3. Michael Jackson and Gerald Powers single. Ron Hinton walks. Emerson Coleman walks. Jackson scores. A wild pitch scores Powers. Thunder Bay 5, Chicago 3.

Top 4. Kent Noseworthy doing his best to keep the Tects in the game. He hits his second home run of the game. Thunder Bay 5, Chicago 3.

Top 5. António Méndez homers! Thunder Bay 5, Chicago 4.

Thunder Bay really needs to find a way to keep Chicago from hitting so many home runs.

Bot 6. Emerson Coleman and Robinson González walk. Jamal Amador grounds out. Play is at second. John Calder triples in Coleman and Amador! Michael Jackson walks. Sean White grounds out, scoring Calder. Gerald Powers hits a two-run home run! The Caribou score five. Thunder Bay 10, Chicago 4.

All these walks are killing Chicago.

Top 9. Chicago needs six.
Thomas Arnaud grounds out.
Kent Noseworthy…walks.
Chi-Yong Lee singles.
Samuel Amsden flies out.
António Méndez, the Chicago legend……singles.
Bases loaded, two outs.

Matt Graves…works a full count……grounds out.
THUNDER BAY WINS, 10-4!
Thunder Bay has tied the Series at 1-1.

Can't blame the rain or a bad manager decision on this one. It was the walks that killed the Architects. Chicago walked 8 men in this game and that is just too many against the highest scoring and most powerful offensive team in the league. But we go home with the series tied 1-1 so we accomplished our mission in at least getting a split. Our Owner was extremely happy as the split meant we had 3 guaranteed games at home and he was loving the playoff money we were making. He has gone from Mad as hell, to anger, to worried to concerned in just several months. Depends on the day as he will flip his mood sim to sim.....but he is almost dare we say, not frowning. That's a big deal!!!!

Now if we can just find a way to win game 3. Normally I tend to put the big build up on game 5 of a series, but if we can win game 3 I start to like our chances!

World Series Game 3: Thunder Bay @ Chicago
Ralph Baxter vs. Yale Hulbert
Hulbert won both his starts against Toledo, including the decisive Game 6.

Both pitchers dominating in the early going.

Through five innings, and the teams have combined for four hits, one walk, and a hit batsman—all in separate innings.

The sixth inning brings another single.

Ralph Baxter (6.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K) gets pulled in the seventh. He will get a no-decision.

Top 8. Sean Lane homers! Thunder Bay 1, Chicago 0.

Just the second hit allowed by Yale Hulbert.

Top 9. Hulbert gets two outs, then allows a single. He gets pulled. Ken Shannon gets out number three.

The line on Hulbert: 8.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

Bot 9. Quincy Cooper, who has pitched 1.2 scoreless innings already, trying to save it.

Reagan Osborn strikes out.
Jim Ashley doubles!
Tying run on second, one out.
Thomas Arnaud, who is 2-for-3 today…
DOUBLES!
TIE GAME, 1-1!
Now Chicago has the winning run on second, one out.
Kent Noseworthy…strikes out.
Chi-Young Lee at the plate......Walks.
Samuel Amsden…grounds out.

EXTRA INNINGS!

Nothing doing in the 10th.

Top 11. Emerson Coleman singles. A balk moves him to second. Jamal Amador singles him in! Thunder Bay 2, Chicago 1.

Bot 11. Chicago once again up against it. Reagan Osborn and Jim Ashley lead off the inning with singles.
Thomas Arnaud flies out.
Kent Noseworthy singles. Bases loaded!
Chi-Yong Lee works a full count……and singles in Osborn! Tie game, 2-2!

Two outs. Bases loaded. António Méndez ata the plate. He singles!!!

CHICAGO WINS, 3-2!
Chicago takes a 2-1 lead in the 2054 World Series

After winning game 3 and getting a clear medical report, we decided to pitch our stud, Dan Floyd who had singlehandedly pitched us into the 1-game playoff game against Duluth last season. He won the Lake Michigan Pitcher of the Year award in 53. While the 54 season wasn't as good, he was still Dan Floyd. If we can manage to win this one, we definitely are in the drivers seat!

World Series Game 4: Thunder Bay @ Chicago
Cliff Simpson vs. Dan Floyd

Top 1. John Calder homers! Thunder Bay 1, Chicago 0.

Bot 1. Jim Ashley homers! Tie game, 1-1.

Top 3. Robinson González homers! Thunder Bay 2, Chicago 1.
Top 5. With one out, Robinson González and Jamal Amador single. John Calder walks. Michael Jackson flies out. Sean White hits a GRAND SLAM!!!! Thunder Bay 6, Chicago 1.

So much for the pitching duel.

Bot 5. With one out, Cris Luna, Jim Ashley, and Walker Dunse single, loading the bases. Reagan Osborn hits a sac fly. António Méndez flies out. Thunder Bay 6, Chicago 2.

Bot 6. Kent Noseworthy and Doug Deschamps single. With two outs, Cris Luna hits an infield single. Bases loaded. Jim Ashley grounds out.

That’s two innings in a row that the Tects have loaded the bases. Just one run from all that.

Top 9. Emerson Coleman homers! Thunder Bay 7, Chicago 2.

Bot 9. Cris Luna flies out.

Jim Ashley grouds out.
Walker Dunse singles.
Reagan Osborn doubles!
António Méndez……grounds out.

THUNDER BAY WINS, 7-2!!
World Series tied 2-2

Well we won game 3 and then got Thundered in game 4. Now its time for what generally is the pivotal game in this series....game 5. With Floyd pitching game 4, we went back to Jose Cedeno for game 5. Come on big money, earn that future contract right here and now!!!

World Series Game 5: Thunder Bay @ Chicago
Kevin Simonin vs. José Cedeño

The pattern so far has been for Chicago to win the first game of the sim, 3-2, then for Thunder Bay to win big in the second game.

Both pitchers doing their job through three. Cedeño has allowed two singles. Simonin has retired all nine batters he’s faced.

Bot 4. Reagan Osborn homers! Chicago 1, Thunder Bay 0.

Top 6. Emerson Coleman singles. Jamal Amador grounds to first, and the play is at first. John Calder singles in Coleman. Tie game, 1-1.

Bot 6. With two outs, António Méndez grounds to short—but the ball bounces through the shortstop’s legs. Reagan Osborn hits his second home run of the game! Chicago 3, Thunder Bay 1.

Top 7. Sean White singles. Gerald Powers walks. Sean Lane singles. Bases loaded, nobody out.

Ron Hinton doubles! White and Powers score. Greg Bow, pinch-hitting, doubles! Lane and Hinton score! Thunder Bay takes the lead, 5-3.

Bot 8. Matt Graves homers! Thunder Bay 5, Chicago 4.
Reagan Osborn… strikes out to end the inning.

To the ninth!

Thunder Bay is retired in order.

Bot 9. Ken Watson in to pitch.
Jim Ashley is first up.....He strikes out!

Thomas Arnaud…pops out.
Last chance for the Tects.

Kent Noseworthy…strikes out!

THUNDER BAY WINS, 5-4!!
Thunder leads the World Series 3-2

Well that was a tough loss....Things were looking so bright just a couple of days ago. Now we have the monumental task of going to Thunder Bay with no margin and having to beat the best offense in the league 2 straight games. Despite the loss, our owner was in his box doing the happy dance. Most likely because Ralph from accounting had come in and told him how much money we had made in the playoffs. Sometimes I just want to punch that guy......

World Series Game 6: Chicago @ Thunder Bay
Bill Lutz vs. Terry Noble

The Caribou will have two chances to win the World Series at home.

Bot 1. Robinson González grounds to short—but Walker Dunse flubs it. Lutz strikes out the next two batters, but Michael Jackson doubles. R-Gon scores. Thunder Bay 1, Chicago 0.

Bot 3. With two outs, Jamal Amador and John Calder single. Michael Jackson strikes out.

Terry Noble has faced 13 batters, retiring 12 and walking one.

Top 5. Thomas Arnaud homers! Tie game, 1-1.
Kent Noseworthy singles and, with two outs, Walker Dunse singles him in! Chicago 2, Thunder Bay 1.

CHI: Bill Lutz has struck out 9 through 5 innings.

Top 6. Jim Ashley homers! Chicago 3, Thunder Bay 1. (edited)

Noble: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K.
Lutz: 5 IP, 4, H, 2 R, 2 BB, 9 K.

Bot 6.

Lutz walks Michael Jackson, then gets pulled. Sean White singles. A wild pitch advances the runners. Ground ball to third… play at the plate… safe! A wild pitch lets Sean White score. Tie game, 3-3.
Sean Lane and Robinson González walk. With two outs, Jamal Amador hits a grand slam!!!! Thunder Bay 7, Chicago 3.

Top 9. Thunder Bay are three outs from a Championship. Chicago needs four runs to keep their season alive.

Jason Connel in to pitch.

Jim Ashley is first up....He works a full count……and walks!
Thomas Arnaud, who homered earlier, is next up.....He singles!

Architects aren’t going down without a fight!
Quincy Cooper in to pitch.

Kent Noseworthy steps in. He’s 1-for-2 with a single tonight.
A balk advances the runners.

Kent Noseworthy hits a fly ball to right. Ashley tags up and scores without a throw. Arnaud moves to third.

Thunder Bay 7, Chicago 4.

One out.

Doug Deschamps…pops out.
6:32
Chi-Yong Lee, who’s been a hero a couple of times this postseason, steps in.
Cooper strikes him out looking on a full count!

THUNDER BAY WINS, 7-4!
Thunder Bay wins the World Series 4 games to 2 and wins the GLBL Championship. For the Caribou its their 5th World Series title and first since 2037. Thunder Bay's SS John Calder won the World Series MVP award.

And there you have it. Our dream of winning our 1st World Series in Chicago is over, for this year. Chicago has been a dominate team in this league for its 40 year existence. It has previously been to the playoffs 25 times (26 this year) and has won the World Series on 9 previous occaisions. Most recently in 2050. We have our work cut out for us in what is sure to be a busy off-season.

Congrats to Thunder Bay!