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The 2014 TBBL World Series Recap

Both Scott and I climbed the steep slope, outlasting a wild-card round, and three tough clubs to meet in the TBBL fall classic! The games were great ones. 

Game 1, in Milwaukee: Longtime Gladiator Ervin Santana faced-off against the Pads 19 game-winning ace, Mad Max Scherzer, in game one. Adam Eaton broke open a 1-0 game in the bottom of 4^th, by ripping a double down the line to plate two Paddlers. A shell-shocked Santana followed by serving a fastball that Scherzer smacked out to rightfield. Just like that, 4-0 Pads! Mike Carp knocked in Ethier and Davis with a double in the 6^th to give my Glads a glimmer of hope but, the Pads pen closed it out and, Scherzer was the “Ruthian” star of a game one win for Mad City. 6-2 Paddlers.

Game 2, in Milwaukee: Glads ace Hisashi  Iwakuma and the great Madison Bumgarner locked up in game two in an awesome duel. Colorado’s Gaby Sanchez gapped a double to right-center to send Starling Marte gliding home in the first and, it held until the bottom of the 7^th inning, right there at 1-0. In the 7^th, Milwaukee’s Morneau lined a huge double, and was brought home by Evan Longoria’s sac Fly. In the 9^th, the Pad's hulking, flame throwing closer,Kenly Jansen, got two quick out before Colorado’s OWN Babe Ruth, Chris “Crush” Davis played World Series hero, blasting a mammoth blast for a 2-1 lead. Clippard closed it out, 2-1 Glads, and we headed to Coors tied 1-1.

Game 3, in Colorado: Lefty Perez vs lefty De la Rosa in game 3. Colorado scratched across 2 in the first, and I pulled De La Rosa after two innings, up 2-1, due to a lack of confidence in him. That score surprisingly held until the  firm of Pennington, Cervelli, and Marte found gaps in the 6^th to open the game up to 4-1. The never-die-easily Paddlers made magic in the 8^th when old man Helton blasted a shocking homer in his old park to make it 4-3. The Gladiators were not to be denied though, our “rabbit’s foot” Cervelli and our “Wild Horse” Puig flexing big, clutch, long ball muscle in the bottom of the frame to make it the final score of 6-3.Holland blew ‘em down in the 9^th. Glads win, and up 2-1

Game 4, in Colorado: Mr.Santana on 3 days rest vs Quintana in game 4 and it was another epic game, with the world’s best baseball player, Mike Trout,  blasting a 2 run shot in the first for Mad City, and Gaby Sanchez answering with one of his own in the bottom half. Bench reserve Abraham Almonte blasted what looked like a series changing homer to SILENCE the home crowd, and give Mad City a 4-3 lead in the 7^th. This year though,  the Gladiators always, always answered. Sterling Starling Marte smacking a beautiful, two run home run to snatch the lead back in the bottom half of the inning. Yasiel Puig stepped up, and followed with another mighty, insurance bomb. What an inning. What a series. Holland blew ‘em down in the 9^th, 6-4 Gladiators.

Game 5, in Colorado: For game 5, in addition to the normal drama, we had the extra drama of … connection issues! For me was like computer baseball in an electrical storm, not knowing if we would get the game in. Iwakuma and Scherzer must have somehow known or, else they are just great pitchers. Crush crushed a ball out to right in the 4th for only mistake either pitcher made all night, and a 1-0 Colorado lead that we would not let out of our title-hungry paws. The game flew by in a blur, in a Coors classic, as both manager’s, and both pitchers, furiously accumulated out after out. I briefly thought of bringing in a taxed Holland for the 9^th but, this was Iwakuma’s game. He struck out Lucroy, Morneau tapped to first, and Trout grounded to Pennington… to Sanchez … Gladiators win it all. J

Thanks to Mr.Scott Lewis being a great guy to play with, and for a very tense, and very well played series. It was an awesome run.  I vote Starling Marte and Hisashi Iwakuma for Co-MVP’s of the series but, Davis, Puig, Sanchez, and Holland were all awesome as well. This is truly a team that would have not one if we were missing any of our players.  Thanks for an awesome league Rob, and a season that was as fun as this kind of thing gets.

 - Casey