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Westheim · 05-28-2015, 07:14 PM

2003 PLAYOFFS

The 2003 FLCS will see two teams who made the playoffs both once in the past two years, and will make their fourth appearance in total. The 94-68 Buffaloes are going to host the 93-69 Gold Sox, with the latter making the playoffs for back-to-back seasons. The Gold Sox were the 1985 champions, the Buffaloes have never won a title.

In the CLCS, the 85-77 Falcons, who made the playoffs for only the third time and the first since 1982, and have never won a title, face a steep uphill battle against the 107-55 Titans, a powerhouse that has won 100+ games in each of the last three years, will make its sixth playoff appearance, all of those within the last seven years, and won the title in 1998, 2002, and 2003.

The Falcons don’t quite know even how they were washed up in this lucky spot. The CL South was thoroughly mediocre overall, but the Falcons’ 85 wins is not even the least any playoff team has ever had. The 1994 Loggers won the CL North with 85 wins, but a year before that, the Stars won only 83 games and made the October show! The Falcons are playing successful small ball offense, with high OBP and few strikeouts and homers. Unfortunately their pitching is thoroughly mediocre. Their best starter was Dylan Jones at 18-11 and a 3.82 ERA. The back end of the bullpen is strong with setup Cory Maupin and closer Luis Hernandez being among the best in the game, but the middle relief is as squishy as the rotation. Offensively, they can’t offer much punch, with Hubert Green, who took over the franchise hits mark this year, hitting .285 with 16 homers and 99 driven in and standing out by far. Then they lose young outfield hotshot .307 batter Ralph Wilson two days before the playoffs because he tried to tear a phonebook in half, and their normal primary catcher Miguel Castillo is also out after appearing in only 21 games this year due a torn labrum.

The Titans also suffered a bad blow when 21-game winner Jason O’Halloran went down with a torn back muscle in the final week of the regular season. Unlike the Falcons, they have more where that 2.63 ERA came from. Even though they will have to replace O’Halloran with Ben Carlson, their remaining three starters are well enough to not be stricken by fear. Jorge Chapa (19-8, 3.20 ERA), Bryce Hildred (16-11, 2.84 ERA), and Joe Mann (15-7, 3.13 ERA) should be more than enough to handle the Falcons. They top this with a strong bullpen, a closer John Bennett who saved 50 games on a 1.62 ERA, and a tough-as-nails lineup, featuring – among others! – C Luis Lopez (.266, 17 HR, 77 RBI), and outfielders Gonzalo Munoz (.281, 23 HR, 93 RBI), Rudy Garrison (.274, 9 HR, 79 RBI), and Christian Greenman (.228, 13 HR, 38 RBI). It is tough to come up with a scenario in which the Titans, who led the CL in almost all pitching categories, and were top 3 in almost all batting categories, will not just stomp over the Falcons and annihilate them swiftly.

In the Federal League, both teams in the FLCS know how to hit, although they do it a bit differently, but only one can pitch. That team is the Buffaloes. They rank top 2 in almost all pitching categories, except home runs allowed, while pairing that with a normally very dense lineup. Their rotation is anchored by 21-5 Tony Hamlyn, who pitched to a stellar-as-usual 2.51 ERA this year, and while the rest of the rotation is not quite as shiny, the bullpen is quite capable at extinguishing fires. They have two 20+ HR hitters in outfielders Javier Gusmán and Lionnel Perri, with support from 1B Matt Brown and 2B Georg Spinu, but Spinu also reached base at an outrageous .449 pace! Jon Merritt had a .427 OBP, both of those two drawing over 100 walks, Spinu even 136! They are in trouble, though: injuries. The back end of the pen lacks Arthur Joplin (0.55 ERA! And not even closing full time!), who is out with elbow inflammation, and 1B Jose Valenzuela and RF Paul Theobald from their lineup. Theobald missed 118 games after a severe concussion suffered on May 30, and was not activated for the FLCS.

The Gold Sox also enjoy playing small ball, not hitting many home runs, in fact the least in the Federal League, but managed to get on base a lot as a team, although they lack any Spinu-like beasts, except for Zak Davidson, who OPS’ed .828 mainly on singles and 102 walks drawn. Nobody hit more than 15 homers, or drove in even close to 100 runs for them, but that’s another sign of a balanced lineup: they have five players with 70+ RBI, and NINE with 50+ RBI! They mostly key on outfielders Pedro Pujols (.325, 15 HR, 92 RBI) and Dale Wales (.318, 10 HR, 80 RBI) to get things done. Their undoing might be pitching. The bullpen was the best in the Federal League, with an especially strong back end, with Lawrence Bentley (2.14 ERA), Antonio Donis (2.51 ERA), and Scott Hood (2.60 ERA, 39 SV). But the rotation was *ravaged* by injuries, with three starters unavailable for the playoffs, although Chang-se Park *could* potentially be ready in time for the World Series – if the Gold Sox can reach it. As things stand now, their top pitcher for the playoffs is a rather unexciting Andres Gamez (13-9, 3.73 ERA). This should give the Buffaloes a clear edge.

2003 CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Gold Sox @ Buffaloes … 13-3 … (Gold Sox lead 1-0) … DEN David Estrada 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, W; DEN Dale Wales 3-5, BB, HR, 2B, 5 RBI;
Falcons @ Titans … 5-6 (10) … (Titans lead 1-0) … BOS Howard Bryant (PH) 1-1, 2B, 3 RBI; CHA Luis Hernandez walks three in the bottom 10th to lose

Gold Sox @ Buffaloes … 3-1 (11) … (Gold Sox lead 2-0) … TOP Tony Hamlyn 10.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K; Jesus Rivera homers off Roberto Delgado for the win
Falcons @ Titans … 6-5 … (series tied 1-1) … BOS Rudy Garrison 3-4, BB, 3 RBI; CHA Hubert Green 3-4, 3B, 2 RBI;

Buffaloes @ Gold Sox … 6-3 … (Gold Sox lead 2-1) … TOP Javier Gusmán 4-5, 2 RBI;
Titans @ Falcons … 2-3 (11) … (Falcons lead 2-1) … BOS Fernando Diéguez 3-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI; this time, the Titan’s Xavier Herrera walks three en route to a walkoff

Buffaloes @ Gold Sox … 4-1 … (series tied 2-2) … TOP Dan George 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, W;
Titans @ Falcons … 10-4 … (series tied 2-2) … BOS Fernando Diéguez (PH) 1-1, 2B, 3 RBI; Titans plate six in the sixth

Buffaloes @ Gold Sox … 4-5 … (Gold Sox lead 3-2) … TOP Georg Spinu 1-2, 2 BB, HR, 2 RBI; Gold Sox do all the damage in the fifth against Tony Hamlyn
Titans @ Falcons … 1-3 … (Falcons lead 3-2) … CHA Terry Wilson 8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 K, W;

Gold Sox @ Buffaloes … 8-1 … (Gold Sox win 4-2) … DEN Andres Gamez 8.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, W; DEN Johnny Johnson 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI; DEN Samy Michel 2-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI;
Falcons @ Titans … 6-9 … (series tied 3-3) … CHA Jose Ramirez 4-4, BB; BOS Masaaki Matsumoto 1-2, 2 BB, 3B, 2 RBI; Titans plate six in the fifth

Falcons @ Titans … 2-3 … (Titans win 4-3) … BOS Joe Mann 8.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, W; Matsumoto scores Daniel Silva with a single in the eighth for the winning run

---

That was a gigantic bullet the Titans dodged. Nobody quite expected that they would have so much trouble with the pesky Falcons. The question is, are they the favorites? Well, the Gold Sox still have no pitching.

These two teams have never faced each other in a World Series. It is only the second Big Show for the Gold Sox other than their 1985 championship, long before the Titans ever made the playoffs at all.

The Titans are only the second team that re-appears in the World Series as twice-defending champions. The other team were the 1992 Capitals, who had won the title in 1990 and 1991, but lost the middle of three straight Capitals-Raccoons series to the Oregonians (as they would in 1993). The Titans are the 2001 and 2002 champions. Thus, no team has ever won three straight titles, and only those 1990-91 Capitals, 1992-93 Raccoons, 2001-02 Titans, plus the 1986-87 Blue Sox have won back-to-back championships. What’s more, only the Capitals (1991-92, 1996) and Titans (1998, 2001-02) have won three titles, so the Titans could become the first team to win FOUR!

The Gold Sox add Chang-se Park, who hasn’t pitched in six and a half months, to the roster, but they lost 40-year old Dale Wales to back spasms in the FLCS. The Titans lost infielder Victor Flores to a thumb sprain. It doesn’t really change the key issue here, a wonky Gold Sox rotation and a monstrous offense for the Titans, that nevertheless failed to sledgehammer their way through the Falcons. The Titans still are the favorites.

---

2003 WORLD SERIES

Gold Sox @ Titans … 5-4 … (Gold Sox lead 1-0) … DEN Jesus Rivera (PH) 1-1, HR, 3 RBI; BOS Christian Greenman 3-3, BB, HR, 2 RBI; Rivera’s homer comes with two out in the ninth off John Bennett

Gold Sox @ Titans … 4-2 … (Gold Sox lead 2-0) … BOS Ben Carlson 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K; Titans lose in the ninth again!

Titans @ Gold Sox … 1-3 … (Gold Sox lead 3-0) … DEN Paco Martinez 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, W; BOS Masaaki Matsumoto 2-4, HR, 2B, RBI;

Titans @ Gold Sox … 8-5 … (Gold Sox lead 3-1) … DEN Pedro Pujols 3-5, 3B, 2 2B, 3 RBI; BOS Gonzalo Munoz 1-3, 2 BB, HR, 3 RBI; BOS Mark Austin 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI;

The Titans announced after game 4 that CL John Bennett was out with shoulder inflammation.

Titans @ Gold Sox … 7-6 (13) … (Gold Sox lead 3-2) … BOS Rudy Garrison 2-3, 3 BB, 2 2B, 3 RBI; BOS Luis Lopez 2-5, 2 BB, 3 RBI; BOS Risto Mäkelä 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, W; both teams went to extras at 4-4, scored single runs in BOTH the 10th and the 11th, before the Titans made it through

Gold Sox @ Titans … 3-1 … (Gold Sox win 4-2) … DEN Juan Rodriguez 8.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, W; Scott Hood saves the game

2003 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS
DENVER GOLD SOX
(2nd title)

05-28-2015, 07:14 PM	#1321
Westheim Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Germany Posts: 14,227	2003 PLAYOFFS The 2003 FLCS will see two teams who made the playoffs both once in the past two years, and will make their fourth appearance in total. The 94-68 Buffaloes are going to host the 93-69 Gold Sox, with the latter making the playoffs for back-to-back seasons. The Gold Sox were the 1985 champions, the Buffaloes have never won a title. In the CLCS, the 85-77 Falcons, who made the playoffs for only the third time and the first since 1982, and have never won a title, face a steep uphill battle against the 107-55 Titans, a powerhouse that has won 100+ games in each of the last three years, will make its sixth playoff appearance, all of those within the last seven years, and won the title in 1998, 2002, and 2003. The Falcons don’t quite know even how they were washed up in this lucky spot. The CL South was thoroughly mediocre overall, but the Falcons’ 85 wins is not even the least any playoff team has ever had. The 1994 Loggers won the CL North with 85 wins, but a year before that, the Stars won only 83 games and made the October show! The Falcons are playing successful small ball offense, with high OBP and few strikeouts and homers. Unfortunately their pitching is thoroughly mediocre. Their best starter was Dylan Jones at 18-11 and a 3.82 ERA. The back end of the bullpen is strong with setup Cory Maupin and closer Luis Hernandez being among the best in the game, but the middle relief is as squishy as the rotation. Offensively, they can’t offer much punch, with Hubert Green, who took over the franchise hits mark this year, hitting .285 with 16 homers and 99 driven in and standing out by far. Then they lose young outfield hotshot .307 batter Ralph Wilson two days before the playoffs because he tried to tear a phonebook in half, and their normal primary catcher Miguel Castillo is also out after appearing in only 21 games this year due a torn labrum. The Titans also suffered a bad blow when 21-game winner Jason O’Halloran went down with a torn back muscle in the final week of the regular season. Unlike the Falcons, they have more where that 2.63 ERA came from. Even though they will have to replace O’Halloran with Ben Carlson, their remaining three starters are well enough to not be stricken by fear. Jorge Chapa (19-8, 3.20 ERA), Bryce Hildred (16-11, 2.84 ERA), and Joe Mann (15-7, 3.13 ERA) should be more than enough to handle the Falcons. They top this with a strong bullpen, a closer John Bennett who saved 50 games on a 1.62 ERA, and a tough-as-nails lineup, featuring – among others! – C Luis Lopez (.266, 17 HR, 77 RBI), and outfielders Gonzalo Munoz (.281, 23 HR, 93 RBI), Rudy Garrison (.274, 9 HR, 79 RBI), and Christian Greenman (.228, 13 HR, 38 RBI). It is tough to come up with a scenario in which the Titans, who led the CL in almost all pitching categories, and were top 3 in almost all batting categories, will not just stomp over the Falcons and annihilate them swiftly. In the Federal League, both teams in the FLCS know how to hit, although they do it a bit differently, but only one can pitch. That team is the Buffaloes. They rank top 2 in almost all pitching categories, except home runs allowed, while pairing that with a normally very dense lineup. Their rotation is anchored by 21-5 Tony Hamlyn, who pitched to a stellar-as-usual 2.51 ERA this year, and while the rest of the rotation is not quite as shiny, the bullpen is quite capable at extinguishing fires. They have two 20+ HR hitters in outfielders Javier Gusmán and Lionnel Perri, with support from 1B Matt Brown and 2B Georg Spinu, but Spinu also reached base at an outrageous .449 pace! Jon Merritt had a .427 OBP, both of those two drawing over 100 walks, Spinu even 136! They are in trouble, though: injuries. The back end of the pen lacks Arthur Joplin (0.55 ERA! And not even closing full time!), who is out with elbow inflammation, and 1B Jose Valenzuela and RF Paul Theobald from their lineup. Theobald missed 118 games after a severe concussion suffered on May 30, and was not activated for the FLCS. The Gold Sox also enjoy playing small ball, not hitting many home runs, in fact the least in the Federal League, but managed to get on base a lot as a team, although they lack any Spinu-like beasts, except for Zak Davidson, who OPS’ed .828 mainly on singles and 102 walks drawn. Nobody hit more than 15 homers, or drove in even close to 100 runs for them, but that’s another sign of a balanced lineup: they have five players with 70+ RBI, and NINE with 50+ RBI! They mostly key on outfielders Pedro Pujols (.325, 15 HR, 92 RBI) and Dale Wales (.318, 10 HR, 80 RBI) to get things done. Their undoing might be pitching. The bullpen was the best in the Federal League, with an especially strong back end, with Lawrence Bentley (2.14 ERA), Antonio Donis (2.51 ERA), and Scott Hood (2.60 ERA, 39 SV). But the rotation was ravaged by injuries, with three starters unavailable for the playoffs, although Chang-se Park could potentially be ready in time for the World Series – if the Gold Sox can reach it. As things stand now, their top pitcher for the playoffs is a rather unexciting Andres Gamez (13-9, 3.73 ERA). This should give the Buffaloes a clear edge. 2003 CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES Gold Sox @ Buffaloes … 13-3 … (Gold Sox lead 1-0) … DEN David Estrada 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, W; DEN Dale Wales 3-5, BB, HR, 2B, 5 RBI; Falcons @ Titans … 5-6 (10) … (Titans lead 1-0) … BOS Howard Bryant (PH) 1-1, 2B, 3 RBI; CHA Luis Hernandez walks three in the bottom 10th to lose Gold Sox @ Buffaloes … 3-1 (11) … (Gold Sox lead 2-0) … TOP Tony Hamlyn 10.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K; Jesus Rivera homers off Roberto Delgado for the win Falcons @ Titans … 6-5 … (series tied 1-1) … BOS Rudy Garrison 3-4, BB, 3 RBI; CHA Hubert Green 3-4, 3B, 2 RBI; Buffaloes @ Gold Sox … 6-3 … (Gold Sox lead 2-1) … TOP Javier Gusmán 4-5, 2 RBI; Titans @ Falcons … 2-3 (11) … (Falcons lead 2-1) … BOS Fernando Diéguez 3-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI; this time, the Titan’s Xavier Herrera walks three en route to a walkoff Buffaloes @ Gold Sox … 4-1 … (series tied 2-2) … TOP Dan George 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, W; Titans @ Falcons … 10-4 … (series tied 2-2) … BOS Fernando Diéguez (PH) 1-1, 2B, 3 RBI; Titans plate six in the sixth Buffaloes @ Gold Sox … 4-5 … (Gold Sox lead 3-2) … TOP Georg Spinu 1-2, 2 BB, HR, 2 RBI; Gold Sox do all the damage in the fifth against Tony Hamlyn Titans @ Falcons … 1-3 … (Falcons lead 3-2) … CHA Terry Wilson 8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 K, W; Gold Sox @ Buffaloes … 8-1 … (Gold Sox win 4-2) … DEN Andres Gamez 8.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, W; DEN Johnny Johnson 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI; DEN Samy Michel 2-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI; Falcons @ Titans … 6-9 … (series tied 3-3) … CHA Jose Ramirez 4-4, BB; BOS Masaaki Matsumoto 1-2, 2 BB, 3B, 2 RBI; Titans plate six in the fifth Falcons @ Titans … 2-3 … (Titans win 4-3) … BOS Joe Mann 8.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, W; Matsumoto scores Daniel Silva with a single in the eighth for the winning run --- That was a gigantic bullet the Titans dodged. Nobody quite expected that they would have so much trouble with the pesky Falcons. The question is, are they the favorites? Well, the Gold Sox still have no pitching. These two teams have never faced each other in a World Series. It is only the second Big Show for the Gold Sox other than their 1985 championship, long before the Titans ever made the playoffs at all. The Titans are only the second team that re-appears in the World Series as twice-defending champions. The other team were the 1992 Capitals, who had won the title in 1990 and 1991, but lost the middle of three straight Capitals-Raccoons series to the Oregonians (as they would in 1993). The Titans are the 2001 and 2002 champions. Thus, no team has ever won three straight titles, and only those 1990-91 Capitals, 1992-93 Raccoons, 2001-02 Titans, plus the 1986-87 Blue Sox have won back-to-back championships. What’s more, only the Capitals (1991-92, 1996) and Titans (1998, 2001-02) have won three titles, so the Titans could become the first team to win FOUR! The Gold Sox add Chang-se Park, who hasn’t pitched in six and a half months, to the roster, but they lost 40-year old Dale Wales to back spasms in the FLCS. The Titans lost infielder Victor Flores to a thumb sprain. It doesn’t really change the key issue here, a wonky Gold Sox rotation and a monstrous offense for the Titans, that nevertheless failed to sledgehammer their way through the Falcons. The Titans still are the favorites. --- 2003 WORLD SERIES Gold Sox @ Titans … 5-4 … (Gold Sox lead 1-0) … DEN Jesus Rivera (PH) 1-1, HR, 3 RBI; BOS Christian Greenman 3-3, BB, HR, 2 RBI; Rivera’s homer comes with two out in the ninth off John Bennett Gold Sox @ Titans … 4-2 … (Gold Sox lead 2-0) … BOS Ben Carlson 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K; Titans lose in the ninth again! Titans @ Gold Sox … 1-3 … (Gold Sox lead 3-0) … DEN Paco Martinez 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, W; BOS Masaaki Matsumoto 2-4, HR, 2B, RBI; Titans @ Gold Sox … 8-5 … (Gold Sox lead 3-1) … DEN Pedro Pujols 3-5, 3B, 2 2B, 3 RBI; BOS Gonzalo Munoz 1-3, 2 BB, HR, 3 RBI; BOS Mark Austin 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI; The Titans announced after game 4 that CL John Bennett was out with shoulder inflammation. Titans @ Gold Sox … 7-6 (13) … (Gold Sox lead 3-2) … BOS Rudy Garrison 2-3, 3 BB, 2 2B, 3 RBI; BOS Luis Lopez 2-5, 2 BB, 3 RBI; BOS Risto Mäkelä 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, W; both teams went to extras at 4-4, scored single runs in BOTH the 10th and the 11th, before the Titans made it through Gold Sox @ Titans … 3-1 … (Gold Sox win 4-2) … DEN Juan Rodriguez 8.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, W; Scott Hood saves the game 2003 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS DENVER GOLD SOX (2nd title) Attached Images __________________ Portland Raccoons, 97 years of excell-.... of baseball: Furballs here! 1983 * 1989 * 1991 * 1992 * 1993 * 1995 * 1996 * 2010 * 2017 * 2018 * 2019 * 2026 * 2028 * 2035 * 2037 * 2044 * 2045 * 2046 * 2047 * 2048 * 2051 * 2054 * 2055 * 2061 * 2071 * 2073 1 OSANAI : 2 POWELL : 7 NOMURA \| RAMOS : 8 REECE : 10 BROWN : 15 HALL : 27 FERNANDEZ : 28 CASAS : 31 CARMONA : 32 WEST : 39 TONER : 46 SAITO Resident Mets Cynic - The Mets from 1962 onwards, here.