Instant Classic: World Series Game Goes Extra Innings!
Lower Field - In what certainly may go down as the most memorable World
Series of all time, the Mighty KC's and the Hip Durdens battled it out to a 25-25 tie as the ninth inning came to a close!
Today those present saw the first ever post season extra inning game and the first extra inning league game since back
in the summer of 2001.
Early on though, it wasn't even close. Thanks to rookie Jamie Russell (who like Timmy Davis the
year before) picked the right time to have a career day - his first ever World Series game. He shut down the pre-game
favorite Mighty KC's lineup - four times with shutout innings - before being pulled from the game in the 8th inning
with 23 strikeouts and an 18-11 lead to his credit. Amazing numbers for a spring training game, sure ... but in a World
Series?
Russell went head-to-head with Timmy Davis who had never lost in the post season, and he didn't
blink. He matched last year's World Series MVP strikeout for strikeout, and surprisingly out pitched him with
an IRA of 0.92 to Davis' 2.00. Hey ... those who saw Davis overcome a stunned Jimmy Moloney last
year certainly appreciated how Russell's overcame a stunned Davis this year. The sport is like that. On any given
day it's anyone's game. Russell was hoping to lead his team to victory and join players such as Steve Chapin, Chris Coddington
and Timmy Davis himself, as winners of the World Series and the Series' MVP award.
It could not be overlooked that the Hip Durdens (also known as the Smoking Guns and Hip
Cats in years past) have never lost a World Series. They were in fact going for a dynastic 4th straight championship,
even though for the 4th year in a row they sported the worst win-loss record in the league. Last year they took down the heavily-favored Beacon
Ballers 13-11. This year they again looked to be overmatched by the sometimes controversial pitching duo of Davis and Mercado.
But you have to hit too. Durden's captain Mike Bennett and his ace Jamie Russell were supplying
the Durdens with most of their offensive firepower early on as well. Both players knew that the arms of the KC's starting
duo could shut a team down on a moments notice, and DiCesare's home run bat is often unparalleled in the clutch.
Derek Mercado willingly took over for Timmy Davis, who pitched well, but not to his satisfaction, and
pitched almost flawlessly. Derek allowed just three runs in three innings with 9 strikeouts. On most days that would
be enough to help guarantee an easy victory. On this day, however, it cost them ground. Remarkably over those same three
inning, the southpaw Russell allowed just one single run!
That the combination of Timmy Davis and Derek Mercado pitched well ( a combined 24 KO's and 1.50
IRA) and still couldn't outperform Russell helps to illustrate the later's incredible effectiveness.
Jamie held slugger Chris DiCesare to just one hit and one RBI. Kevin Hayden was hitless
in his 5 innings. Kyle Davidson had just two hits to show for his efforts. Timmy Davis went yard in the first inning, then
he too was largely shut down, and Mercado (the KC's hottest hitter to that point) had just 4 hits. The big blue
machine - that had produced a record 324 homers and 1,191 runs during the regular season - was grinding quickly to a halt,
thanks to the left arm of one Jamie Russell.
With the KC's looking frustrated - almost defeated - the Durdens looked to be
cruising to yet another post season victory. Timmy Davis was kicking the fence, Kyle Davidson was throwing his bat, Kevin
Hayden went home, Derek Mercado was all too quiet and Chris DiCesare was pacing back and forth with an anguished look on his
face.
Then in a surprise, but highly sportsmanlike move, the Durdens went to their bullpen. It was
a risky move, but Russell's arm was aching and getting players like Caccomo and Bennett some post season mound experience
was an excellent long term investment.
Yet, any stockbroker worth his salt will also tell you (as he quickly takes your money)
that not all investments work out. There are bumps in the road.
In this case the bump became DiCesare, who decided to wake up. Chris went yard in three consecutive
at bats in the ninth inning (with two grand slams) to give the KC's what seemed like the first insurmountable lead
of the game. The 25-18 lead they took into the bottom of the ninth was the largest lead a World Series team had ever taken
into the 9th inning. Game over?
The KC's gave the ball to rookie Kyle Davidson with the seven run lead. It was a lead he
could not hold. The Durdens' offensive charge (led once again by the bats of Jamie and Mikey B) scored enough runs
(seven) to tie it, before Davidson recorded his 1st World Series KO to end the inning.
The KC's decided to continue their hitting barrage off of Mike Bennett; Mike Lewis etal. Kyle
Davidson and Timmy Davis each went yard' lifting both of their spirits. Mercado swatted his record 2nd triple of
the game. DiCesare went yard two more times (with another grand slam) to once again give the KC's what seemed like an
unsurpassable lead: 41-25. It looked as though the 'Durden Dynasty' was coming to a close. Now it was the Durdens' time to
toss their bats and grab their heads. Having won the last three years still doesn't make losing today an enjoyable outcome.
The Durdens came to bat in the bottom of the 10th inning, they were looking at a daunting 41-25
deficit. No team had ever been down by more runs in a World Series.If Davidson again pitched to his IRA (7.28) the game
is over.
They decided to play small ball. Mike Lewis and Kevin Caccomo did their part to keep the rallies
going, Lewis would walk 5 times in the last two innings, Caccomo 4 times. Once again, Davidson looking to seal a World Series
victory for his team, could not hold the lead. The Durdens scored 15 runs more runs off of him, and were trailing just
41-39 (with bases loaded) when he took himself out of the game.
DiCesare (who did not want to pitch due to a muscle tear in his abdomen) was forced to come in.
He pitched well, but walked two batters and then could not stop a single off the bat of Jamie Russell - that rolled
off of his fingers and then a foot beyond him. The last batter Davidson had put on base (a walk to Kevin Caccomo)
scored. The Durdens won it 42-41. What a game. These Mike Lewis-based teams have been simply amazing in thier ability
to win when it counts. They overcame the odds and outlasted a heroic Jimmy Moloney and his Beacon Ballers last weekend.
Today they took on a team that some had angrily whispered could not be stopped by anyone.
As a side note, the sportsmanship was amazing as well. No fights. No arguments. Just good clean
ball, with every pitch over the last hour seeming to mean everything. Where every at bats becomes the most important at bat
of a player's career. A fielding play here, a called strike there was all this final game of the season came down to. In the
end both teams gave it their all, and even though the Mike Lewis' team won once again (with Mike getting the win) the
rest of the league can take heart that each year their opponents get a little closer to dethroning them. Congratulations
to the Hip Durdens.
Once again as in year's past many spectators came to watch this year's season finale. The
Black Knights team was represented by Kerry Lyon. Ballers players Matt Friedenberg and Joe Keenan took in the action,
as well as Collin Budds who announced that he'd be playing next year. Mark Lyon; Mara Lyon; Matthew DiCesare and the
whole Friedenberg crew were on hand to cheer on these competitors as well. The weather, sunny and in the mid 60's was almost
perfect.
Also on hand was former MVP and Cy Young winner Steve Chapin. After the game,
Chapin became just the third member inducted into the league's Hall of Fame. He joins Bill Menendez
and Alan Lewis who were inducted last year. The owner of multiple Gold Glove awards in a career that began
back in 1990, Chapin also agreed to serve as honorary umpire and statistician. Afterwards, Steve also agreed that it
was one of the best games he had seen in quite some time.
Happily, after this game, as players began to pick up their supplies that were scattered across
the playing area, there were no real complaints. Every competitor knew that they left all they had on the field of play. Each
team had several chances to win, and usually took advantage of them. In the end - as they have in the past - the Durdens'
came through. In 2005 they will no doubt again be in the hunt for Number 5.
As Commissioner Lewis said: "What a great way to end a great year!" And in a show of
even more class, respect and unity ... for the first time, the players voted that the World Series MVP award should be shared
equally by two men - the Hip Durdens' Jamie Russell and the Mighty KC's Chris DiCesare. Pure class. Nobody
really lost today. Nobody.
