Most unexciting game of the series. 2 Hrs by Manny Machado and Bryce Harper backed the relief efforts of C.J. Edwards and Kenley Jansen for the relatively easy 7-2 victory for New Monmouth. However, it was a must win for NMO because Tanner Roark of Shiner is a head hunting psycho and knocked out Matt Wieters on his 3rd HBP for the next 15 games. Stupid rule. What that meant for NMO was that after game #5, NMO was out of catcher PA's as Tucker Barnhart was limited to 18. I feel a suspension to start next season is in order for Roark, just sayin'. If not, Strat needs a rare play brawl in which the offended team gets to beat on and knock the pitcher out of the game after 3 HBPs.
Game 6:
With their backs to the wall, SFE came out and with Rich Hill on the mound, promptly gave up a 3-run HR to Michael Saunders and another run to knock Hill out of the game. At that point, Tom did the most dastardly thing I have ever had a fellow manager do in a series. He congratulated me in the 4th inning for winning the series! Damnit, damnit, damnit. I told Tom that was the kiss of death for me and sure enough, as if on cue, SFE comes storming back on HRs by Andrew McCutchen and Mookie Betts to take the lead. NMO cut it close but SFE held on for the 6-5 dramatic come from behind voodoo-aided victory.
Game 7:
NMO was pretty doomed at this point, and sure enough, SFE jumped out to an early 4-1 lead on HRs by Freddie Freeman and Stephen Drew. NMO, as usual for the umpteenth time, was going to lose a series it was leading in the ARBA playoffs. The ghost of Keith Bernard was still lurking in the depths of NMO stadium. Just when it seemed like all was lost, as it usually is for NMO, finally, FINALLY, GOD decided to right the world and let Good triumph over evil(sorry Tom as 5x champions SFE are evil incarnate-You too SUR). As NMO was trying to come pitifully back, a ground ball to GG rated 2b Jean Segura was misplayed(2nd time in the series) to load the bases instead of ending the inning. Up to the plate strode The Natural (Bryce Harper-there is a resemblance, no?) and destroyed a baseball that the children of NMO will tell tales about in hushed tones in the coming years as they swear they saw the cover come off the ball as it sailed over the RF porch of the stadium for the Grand Slam. C.J. Edwards and Kenley Jansen closed it our for the New Monmouth Mosstroopers victory.
Seriously-congrats to Tom on an awesome year with a juggernaut of a team. It does not get better than this series. Almost every game could have gone the other way with ease. This is the best series I have been in in ARBA, going back to 1985. It was that intense and that includes series where the loser threw the winners dice across the conference room in the old Austin library and another in which one player was desperate enough to heat up his dice that he put them in the microwave. (Yeah-just melted them). As I told Tom, I am not sure the better team won, but I will take it!
Congratulations to Warren on finally winning the elusive ARBA championship after so many disappointing playoff defeats! You put together another great team and were obviously overdue for this reward. Perhaps the Dread Ghost of Keith Bernard found ending the recent streak of Brasher/Tomlinson dominance to be just a bit more satisfying than extending your streak of suffering. Good luck to Jean Segura as he enters the Witness Protection Program to escape the bloody wrath of demented Santa Fe fanatics.
Big congratulations to Warren on a great series and a great team! I definitely second his note that this was the most intense close playoff series I can recall - 5 one-run games! New Monmouth was a hughly deserving winner and, while stressful, the series was a lot of fun to play.
Eric, who is this Jean Segura you mention? The name doesn't sound familiar...
