Maybrook (Lower Field) - Sunday, October 15th
PRE GAME
The Cougars opted to refuse an easy forfeit World Series victory when Timmy Davis' Team
Filthy could not field a team. Instead, they put their title on the line against the Blueballers when Cougars' Captain Sean
Lewis offered them the opportunity to play for the title. When the Blueballers had only two players
at the 10:15 forfeit time this morning, Sean Lewis again - showing extraordinary decency - waived the forfeit victory.
Two chances for automatic victory both refused in order to give the league classic some credibility. It was a show of sportsmanship
that this writer will not soon forget.
GAME TIME
The game started out in explosive fashion. And Sean Lewis - the Cougars' starter who came in
with a league-high 6 wins on the year -was probably regretting giving up not one, but two, forfeit victories. Lewis -
who had given up more than 10 runs in an inning just 6 times in 131 innings - was battered savagely by the Blueballer
bats. The most durable pitcher in the league in 2006 could not finish the first inning. He had to pull himself out of the
game in the top of the first with just two outs and 33 runs already on the board. It was the worst inning of his 38-game career.
And sadly, it came not in a meaningless game in mid-August, but in the World Series ... the biggest game of his life.
It was a stunning blow that his team knew they were unlikely to overcome.
Relief specialist Chris DiCesare, who had planned to pitch innings eight and nine - found himself
in the game in the top of the first. He put the fire out quickly, but even the 17-time league MVP sensed the futility of his
effort.
Dan Petkanas, meanwhile, was hoping to keep the game close enough to allow his imported ace
Joe Cassitto to close it out. As it turned out, Dan himself would dominate Cougars hitters in a way that must have surprised
even himself. Petkanas would go a full 5 innings and hold the Cougars to less than five runs in three of them. He had his
greatest success against DiCesare who he sat down 7 times. No pitcher had been as effective against DiCesare
since Timmy Davis shut him down way back in the fall of 2003 ... 56 games ago.
DiCesare pitched well on the windy day, keeping his team within striking distance, and making
a World Series record 10 pitching fielding plays, but the Cougars were incapable of stringing together any rallies.
And when Joe Cassitto came in the game to pitch in the bottom of the 6th and shut the Cougars
out, desperation started to sink in. The Blueballers were cruising to an easy 83-31 lead as the game moved to the 7th. A true
blowout. And a shame for the World Series.
The Blueballers, meanwhile, were having a few hitting contests. Who would get the most homers?
The most RBI? The most hits? And their attack was supremely balanced. Joe Cassitto, Van Bentley and Dan Petanas all smashed
two doubles, all collected at least 7 homers and all drove in at least 30 runs. It was an invincible lineup that was helped
along by Dan Lewis who had the best game of his career, hitting .737 with a Series record 17 walks and three fielding plays.
Brian Killen was the biggest surprise of the game. He had not pitched in over three months,
but was surprisingly effective against the Blueballers. He held the Blueballers in virtual check in innings six and seven
posting an IRA of 3.33.
With Killeen doing his thing on the mound, Kerry Lyon led a resurgant Cougars lineup that scored
27 times in the seventh inning. Lyon would hit .870 in the game (his best game average since September of 2002) and match
DiCesare for the team lead in homers with 6. Killeen, Lewis and DiCesare played a supporting role to Lyon walking a combined
8 times in the inning.
But Killeen tired a bit in the later innings, and Cassitto once again found his form. The Blueballers
crossed into the magical 100-run mark in the top of the ninth on a Joe Casitto 3-run homer, and in spite of a Kerry Lyon one-pitch
one-out performance to end the top of the ninth, the Cougars found themselves 29 runs down with just three outs ot use. Cassitto
was not about to give up that kind of lead. And just 10 minutes later, he was shaking his new found teammates' hands. The
final score stood at 102-73, and represented the only non-competitive World Series in league history. In fact in
the last 6 World Series, no team has won by more than 15 runs, and two of them went into extra innings.
Dan Petkanas who got the 'W' and bashed a game-high 8 homers was named the 2006 World
Series MVP. Petkanas narrowly defeated Cassitto who posted a game-high 33 RBI and .880 average.
The Cougars - who won more games than any other team in 2006, and who turned down two
automatic Championship victories in two days - moved quietly to get their belongings. But all the players shook hands
afterwards. The game is still about decency and respect.
Post-Game
Number-crunching is usually interesting, but not always helpful. And the best players don't always
find the success they desire. Jimmy Moloney, who has the highest lifetime winning percentage at .889 in the regular season
was 0-2 in his World Series. Timmy Davis - who has won his last 12 decisions, has just a .500 Series history.
Mike Lewis on the other hand, has played for teams that have
compiled a 28-61 record (.315) during the regular season since 2000, yet his team has won a record five World Series. And
many players who appeared in just a handful of games like Adam Hurd - and now Van Bentley - win in their first try. DiCesare,
meanwhile, who has the records for most homers (13), most RBI (46) and most grand slams (6) in a Series game is now zero-for-four.
In his four losses, his team has lost by two or fewer runs three times.
DiCesare would later receive 3 awards in the ceremony
following the game, including his 17th MVP Award and 13th consecutive Silver Slugger Award. But ask him if he'd trade them
all in for just one single World Series win and he wouldn't hesitate. Timmy Davis and Sean Lewis also garnered
three awards today joining DiCesare as the big winners, but none of them were celebrating afterwards. Team Filthy did surprisingly
well in the voting. Acting as a 'block vote' they got Danny Dwyer the Most Improved Award and Andrew Dennis the Fireman Award to
bookend Davis' Cy Young, Gold Glove and MVP selections. Dan Petkanas and Joe Cassitto each earned two awards from their peers,
including Rookie of the Year, and Matt VanWagenen - who vanished after heading away to college - also earned an award: Gold
Glove Pitcher.
Dan Lewis won the 2nd Annual Commissioner's Award for "exhibiting good sportsmanship, generosity and
a positive attitude".
One interesting post-season trend continues, however: The Rookie Winner. In each of the last
four World Series, a rookie pitcher has gotten the victory! No non-rookie pitcher - including the best in the game -
has won the World Series since 2002.
It leaves the mind to wonder what the 2007 World Series winner is doing today. Perhaps watching
the MLB baseball playoffs, perhaps doing some homework. Perhaps not even knowing yet that Wombat Wiffleball exists.
Congratulations to the Orange Division Champs, the Cougars. And to the League Champs ... the
Blueballers!
NUMBERS
Most At Bats -
Dan Petkanas (27)
Most Hits
- Joe Cassitto (21)
Most Singles - Dan Lewis and
Kerry Lyon (13)
Most Doubles - Van Bentley, Joe Cassitto
and Dan Petkanas (2)
Most Homers - Joe Cassitto
and Dan Petkanas (8)
Most Grand Slams - Chris Dicesare, Van Bentley and Dan Petkanas (3)
Most RBI
- Joe Cassitto (33)
Most Walks -
Dan Lewis (17)
Win
- Dan Petkanas
Loss
- Sean Lewis
Save -
Joe Cassitto
KO's
- Brian Killeen, Dan Petkanas and Joe Cassitto (3)
Walks
- Sean Lewis (21)
IRA
- Dan Petkanas (4.13)
World Series MVP's
2001 - Steve Chapin
2002 - Chris Coddington
2003 - Timmy Davis (Rookie)
2004 - Chris DiCesare and Jamie Russell (Rookie)
2005 - Adam Hurd (Rookie)
2006 - Dan Petkanas (Rookie)
There will be a league organizational meeting in early February. If any of you wish to be considered for
a spot as team Captain for the 2007 season, please inform the Commissioner.
