[Westheim]

Raccoons (73-79) @ Loggers (62-91)

Kisho Saito started the series for the Raccoons, and was closely watched after his 6-walk game last time out, in which he appeared very much fatigued. He fell behind 1-0 in the second on a Jesus Jimenez moonshot, but then hit himself an RBI single in the top 3rd, which was part of a 4-run inning that was crowned by a 2-shot by Sam Dadswell. It was Saito’s 10th RBI this season. Loggers starter John Fowler was well on his way to loss #18 and allowed the first five Raccoons in the top 4th to reach base (including walking Saito). Dadswell then hit a grand slam off reliever Michael Brown to make it 10-1. The bottom 6th started with an error by Jackson at third, but it was obvious that Saito was out of steam as well while still well below even 90 pitches. The Loggers scored three in the inning, two were earned, and added solo runs in each of the next two innings. That bullpen, always making games interesting. But the Coons held on and won, 10-6. Walker 2-5, RBI; Dadswell 2-5, 2 HR, 6 RBI; Osanai 2-4, BB; Jackson 3-4, 2 2B, RBI;

Either way, unless Scott Wade somehow wins a few games in relief in addition to his last two starts, Kisho Saito will be the Portland wins king this year with 14. Unless absolutely necessary, we won’t send him out again, since he really seems to be sucked dry by now. He tossed 209 innings this year, as opposed to 220+ in each of the last six seasons. Longtime overuse?

Also, St. Petersburg was eliminated in the playoffs today and we will call up a few youngsters for the final week of the season.

Much the same story in game 2 to start it off. Wade fell behind to a second inning solo homer, the Coons turned the table in the second, this time with two runs. The similarities ended there, though, no big offense this time. Manny Rodriguez, who had homered earlier, hit a double to lead off the bottom 7th, still in a 2-1 game. His mistake was trying to go to third, where he was nailed by a great throw by Johnston from right. Wade completed seven innings in line for the W. Osanai and Dawson both popped out poorly with the bases loaded in the eighth, before Kelly Weber scored an insurance run with a pinch-hit sac fly in the ninth. The pen held up and West saved a 3-1 game. Dadswell 2-4, RBI; Dumont (PH) 1-1; Weber (PH) 0-0, RBI; Wade 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, W (12-6);

Game 3, Ackerman. ‘nuff said. The Loggers went ahead 2-0 in the first, before both sides left the bags full in the second without scoring. Scoring would be difficult for the rest of the game. And while the Raccoons out-hit their opposition, 10-6, they just couldn’t get their runners in, leaving two on three times in the game, including the final two innings. They never scored and lost, 2-0. Walker 2-5, 2B; Johnston 1-1; Osanai 2-4, 2B; Vinson (PH) 1-1; Ramirez 2-4; Ishizaki (PH) 1-1;

More callups

We called up 1B Billy Mitchell again, who homered 42 times in just 122 games in AAA this year, but can’t get even a single in the Bigs.

We also added outfielder Gustavo Quintanilla, relievers Jake Pitts and Ken Burnett, and infielder Ben O’Morrissey. The former two were already here this season. The latter two were acquired in the middle of the season from the Cyclones. Burnett is a left-hander with only marginal big league experience, while O’Morrissey is a corner infielder trying to learn the middle infield jobs, who will make his major league debut.

Matt Higgins is still nursing an oblique strain and missed the playoffs in AAA, but will be called up in a few days. Neil Reece suffered a hamstring strain in the playoffs and is out for the year, but I wouldn’t have called him up most likely anyway. In case we don’t pitch Saito anymore and/or something else bad happens, we have more pitchers available at AAA.

Raccoons (75-80) vs. Crusaders (57-98)

Venegas opened the series in his – barring special circumstances – penultimate start of the year. His first three innings were great and Sam Dadswell with a 2-run homer and some small ball gave him an early 3-0 lead, before running into a bit of a jam in the fourth with two Crusaders reaching scoring position with nobody out. He worked out of there with only one run scoring. The Raccoons added long balls. Dadswell homered again in the fifth, 4-1, and in the sixth Dawson followed up Osanai’s leadoff walk with a giant shot to left center. Venegas held on to pitch seven and collect an easy W, as the Coons clobbered the New York bullpen senseless with a 3-run seventh and then a 6-run eighth! The final score suggests the game to be much closer than it really was, as the Raccoons POUNDED on the Crusaders, 15-1. Dadswell 2-3, 3 BB, 2 HR, 4 RBI; Dawson 2-4, BB, HR, 4 RBI; Ramirez 1-1; Walker 3-3, 2 BB, 3 RBI; Ishizaki (PH) 1-2, 2B, 3 RBI; Venegas 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W (9-12);

Mark Dawson now has 30 homers on the season, the first time for him to reach the mark, and breaking a tie with Daniel Hall for 2nd with 29 in a single season. Tetsu’s mark, remember, is 31. Six games left. Dawson would play in right for game 2, with Ben O’Morrissey making his major league debut at third base.

Carlos Gonzalez fell behind 1-0 in the top 1st, but a 3-run homer by Daniel Hall in the bottom 1st looked much better on the scoreboard (and did the balls fly here in late September?). Unfortunately, things got scary in the top 3rd. Pitcher Francisco Vidrio singled to start the inning. On the next play, O’Morrissey got his first chance – and messed it up with a 2-base error. An infield single followed, but the runners had to hold as Vinson fielded the ball on the left foul line, blocking home. Still, bases loaded, nobody out, Carlos Gonzalez on the mound and Pedro Villa, the most similar thing to a slugger the Crusaders had, coming up. Villa and Raúl Castillo both singled up the middle, Gonzalez walked in another run, and eventually they scored four. That nightmare seemed like enough to sink the Raccoons – they didn’t threaten for four innings. Daniel Hall hit a 2-out solo home run in the bottom 8th to shorten the gap to one run. But there was no comeback and Bentley was socked in the ninth. 7-4 Crusaders. Hall 2-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI; Miranda 2-3, 2B;

Yasushi Suto made another start in game 3. The Crusaders sent Luis Andrade, 21, who had collected a 31.50 ERA in two starts, lasting a combined two innings. Of course the Coons didn’t do anything in their first two innings, then put two on to start the bottom 3rd. Suto came to bat, failed to bunt twice, then swung away at the 0-2 pitch and singled to load the bags with nobody out. Kelly Weber grounded to the mound next, and Andrade couldn’t come up with any play despite plenty sub-average speed runners around, and everybody was safe, 1-0 Coons. Andrade walked in two, before Dawson hit into an inning-ending double play. Suto was dominant in the start and 1-hit the Crusaders into the sixth. With two out, a flyer bounced off Daniel Hall’s glove in left, and Suto went on to surrender a single for an unearned run. Suto was then hit by a pitch from Andrade in the bottom 6th, and Castillo, first up in the seventh, homered to left center. Problems? Suto wanted to stay in and finished the inning still 3-2 ahead. Ken Burnett came in to pitch the eighth, his Raccoons debut. He put two on among three batters faced and Dirk Campbell came in to save the unsaveable. Diego Rodriguez doubled in both runners in an instant. Bottom 8th, counterattack time. Two on, one out, Johnston pinch hit for Weber and hit a triple to swap the lead again. They scored two unearned runs on top of that after an error and a passed ball. West did his job, 7-4 Coons. Johnston (PH) 1-1, 3B, 2 RBI; Hall 2-5, 2B; Osanai 3-4, BB, RBI; Dumont 3-4, 2B; Miranda 2-3, BB; Ramirez 1-1; Suto 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K;

I think this is the first time the Raccoons have ever dealt another team their 100th loss of the season.

Quite a bit was talked about Kisho Saito and his apparent struggles in late September and after a thorough evaluation of every available data and a report from the head trainer, it was decided to shut down Saito for the season, giving his start to Pedro Vazquez.

Ben O’Morrissey had his first major league hit in his first AB of the day, homering off Carlos Guillen. That was all the support Vazquez got in his spot start, but he 2-hit the Crusaders through five. Guillen reached base on an error by Ramirez to start the top 6th and with lefties up, Vazquez was taken out. Brown was ineffective in relief, and the Crusaders turned the game around on two infield singles and a Villa double against him and Campbell. Bentley surrendered ANOTHER infield hit for ANOTHER run. Three infield hits, three runs scored before a double play ended the pain. The bullpen was about to fall completely now in the seventh, but Burnett managed to get out of a jam by starting a double play, home and first. It didn’t help any in the end, as the Raccoons were playing dead at the plate, and lost 4-2. Dawson 2-3, BB; O’Morrissey 3-4, HR, 2 RBI; Vazquez 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K;

This assures the Raccoons their first losing season in four years, but we have been seing it coming for some time now.

Raccoons (77-82) vs. Indians (98-61)

I don’t want the pesky Indians to win a hundred. Tough task ahead. Their staff has surrendered 499 runs so far, that’s just over 3.1 per game! If you thought the Indians of the early 80s had bad ass pitching, what do you call that assortment of awesomeness?

Mark Dawson and Tetsu Osanai were tied in the RBI race in the CL, with 109 ribbies each. There was a good chance for things to stay that way… Meanwhile, Dawson leads the home run race by two dingers, and Osanai leads the batting title race by five points over Hjalmar Flygt.

Scott Wade was unlucky guy number one to go out in this series, basically knowing he had to deliver shutout ball for a win. Well, Daniel Hall hit a 2-piece in the first inning for some early support. But things came apart too soon in the third. Dumont made an error to put pitcher Bob Harris on second base and two searing line drives later the game was tied with a runner on third and nobody out and while Wade scrambled, the go-ahead run scored. The Raccoons couldn’t get things going. Bottom 6th: two on, two out, Kelly Weber pinch hit for Miranda and singled to right, but Osanai had to hold at third. That knocked out both starters, as Bob Harris was relieved and Wade was being pinch hit for by Ishizaki, who struck out. Not all was lost for Wade however, as Dawson came through in the seventh with a massively great 2-out, 2-run double that was just mere inches to the good side of the left field line. Then, Travis Brown faced two batters in the top 8th, surrendering a 2-run homer by Raúl Vazquez, that turned the game right away again. Didn’t matter, Pitts and Burnett were shelled for four more runs in the ninth. 9-4 Indians. Weber (PH) 1-1;

Ishizaki. What a useless piece of ****. Matt Higgins joined the club late.

Two to go, including another start for Jerry Ackerman, which was no reason to get excited. We played O’Morrissey at second, not one of his positions, to give him some AB’s. Higgins played short since I considered it unlikely that we would re-sign Steve Walker. Both youngsters made awesome plays in the top 1st of the game, while in the bottom 1st Hall, Osanai and Dawson evokes Singles Magic to score a run. Hall could have been out at the plate, but with Osanai scampering to third on Dawson’s single, the Indians got the out there where it was more likely. O’Morrissey then quickly made an error in the second that went on to tie the game. Bottom 3rd, and Mark Dawson still had goals to achieve. With a massive 3-run rocket to left he hit his 31st homer of the season, tying the Raccoons record held by Tetsu Osanai. We had Higgins on third in the bottom 4th with Ackerman up and tried a suicide squeeze – which didn’t work, Higgins was thrown out. The Coons left droves on in the fourth and fifth. Ackerman pitched a neat game, not surrendering an earned run, but stalled with two out in the seventh. With runners on the corners, Martinez came in, but didn’t figure too much into the equation when Dadswell picked a snoozing Enrico Lopez off first. Martinez proved ineffective in the eighth, but Vazquez came in and struck out two strong lefties(!) to hold a 4-2 lead. O’Morrissey made *another* error in the ninth, getting a concerned look from Grant West, who then hit a batter. Eventually, he pitched out of it to save the 4-2 win. Osanai 3-4; Dawson 3-4, HR, 4 RBI; O’Morrissey 2-4; Mitchell (PH) 1-1; Ackerman 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, W (4-6);

Going into the final day, Dawson clinching the home run and RBI titles for the CL was certain, unless Michael Root or Raúl Vazquez came up with the ABL’s first 4-homer game. Osanai led Flygt by seven points for the batting title.

Final day. O’Morrissey played second and batted leadoff. (Is he my new darling?) Venegas went out trying to get to double-digit wins at the last minute. But the Indians stomped all over him, putting the game away by the third, 5-0, and he was removed in the fourth. By then, the Coons didn’t even have a hit, which only came with an Osanai single in the bottom 4th. After five, down by five, the replacements were brought in, f.e. for Osanai. Dawson remained in, as he was still on a quest. Bottom 6th, Hall walked with one out. Kelly Weber pinch-walked in the #4 spot, Dawson grounded out to force Weber at second. Now with two down, the Coons started a phenomenal rally. Vinson walked on a full count to load the bags. Johnston singled to score two. Mitchell singled. Quintanilla singled to score two more. O’Morrissey singled to tie the game before Higgins grounded out. Ken Burnett in the ninth put a runner on, and while Grant West came in, the runner scored to put the Coons down 6-5 into the bottom 9th. They stayed there. 6-5 Indians. Mitchell (PH) 2-2;

In other news

September 23 – The Blue Sox and Stars both shut out their opponents (6-0 in Topeka and 7-0 in Sioux Falls, respectively) to hit 100 wins on the same day.
September 24 – Way to go: NAS Luis Guzman (18-6, 3.24 ERA) hurls back-to-back-to-back shutouts, 2-hitting the Buffaloes in a 3-0 win. Guzman has gone the distance in each of his last nine starts, including four shutouts, and a 7-1 record and a 1.51 ERA.
September 27 – The Indians are visiting the Canadiens and after taking the opener the day before, they also win the second match, coming back from a 4-2 deficit after seven to win 6-4. The Indians clinch the division with that win for their fourth playoff appearance overall and second in a row.
September 29 – Richmond’s Tony Simpson, a bullpen workhorse with a 3.24 ERA in 63 games this year, will miss all of next season trying to recover from a torn flexor tendon.
September 29 – The Scorpions lose game 3 against Dallas at home, 6-4, for their 109th loss of the season, tying the all time losses record set by the Loggers in the inaugural season in 1977. The Scorpions still have to play three against the fellow triple-digit losses Warriors.
September 30 – The Condors win 4-0 in Las Vegas to clinch the CL South with two to play. The Knights lose 10-2 in Charlotte and either result would have been enough to decide the division and set the playoff field.
September 30 – Fans in Milwaukee sigh in relief. Their team will narrowly avoid 100 losses this year, and have the worst all time record (842-1,100), but the Scorpions are shut out at home by the Warriors, 3-0, and take their 110th loss, setting a new single season losses record.
October 2 – Bastyao Caixinha (15-14, 2.72 ERA) ends the season with a 3-hitter as the Falcons dump the Knights, 3-0.

Complaints and stuff

Much potential, but much to work on. Can Higgins and O’Morrissey become cornerstones of a strong infield? I think yes. Can Mitchell replace Osanai? I think no.

Tetsu Osanai won the batting title with a .350 mark, while Mark Dawson took the home run and RBI crowns. Dawson’s 31 dingers were the most for all of the ABL. The .350 batting average is the best ever for the Raccoons and improves a mile over the rather pedestrian .299 that Osanai hit last year.

On the boards below are quite a few names we will never see again.