While the 91-71 Titans (champions of ’98, ’01, ’02, and ’04) had avoided complete humiliation and had rescued themselves into the playoffs, they had lost home field advantage to the surprise 94-68 Falcons, who have never made the World Series, losing in the CLCS to the Crusaders in ’78, the Canadiens in ’82, and the Titans in ‘03.
The Titans’ vaunted rotation had struggled this year. Between veteran ace Jason O’Halloran (15-11, 3.62 ERA), 2004 POTY Jorge Chapa (15-13, 3.64 ERA), and the rest of the crew they had allowed the fifth-least amount of runs, and nobody had posted a better ERA than those two. They had slugged their way through, plating a CL-leading 808 runs, but had lost their top home run hitter and RBI leader Jim Brulhart (.292, 28 HR, 116 RBI), who had been acquired from San Francisco early in the season, on the final weekend of the season, although officially no injury has been named. SP Joe Mann is also on the DL. They still had Kurt Metting (.338, 22 HR, 97 RBI) to anchor their lineup around, though, and had three more double-digit home run hitters. If their lineup had a weakness, it was first base, where they played an offensively unimpressive glove man in Toby Frazier.
The Falcons enjoyed a well-balanced mix of pitching and hitting, ranking in the top 3 in most of the important categories, including 2nd in both runs scored and runs allowed. They had played sub-.500 from May through August, but had gone .714 or better in both April and September and thus were also red hot coming into the series. They had serious injuries to overcome, though. Third starting pitcher Tommy Wilson (11-9, 3.29 ERA) and C Fernando Chavez (.323, 13 HR, 57 RBI) would be sorely missed in the playoffs in addition to another starter in Alfredo Collazo and rookie 3B Javier Rodriguez. Lewis Donaldson and Dylan Jones, however, had combined for 33 wins and were a formidable 1-2 punch in their playoff rotation, which nevertheless thinned out rapidly after that. With Chavez, their most prolific home run hitter is out – nobody else on the team hit even 10, but half their lineup has been batting .294 or better.
Tough to say who should have an advantage in this series. The Falcons are hot, but the back end of their rotation could be slaughtered by the Titans’ huge offensive potential. However, the Titans’ rotation has not been razor sharp all year long and could become a factor, and if the Titans lose Brulhart for the series, they could run into real problems. This series is really impossible to call and must be considered wide open. Due to recent fortunes, the Falcons might have the tiniest of edges.
Over in the FL, the 91-71 Blue Sox are in their ABL-record 10th postseason and will face the 99-63 Stars, who lead all FL West teams with seven appearances.
The Blue Sox had the best rotation in the Federal League, with the bullpen not trailing by too far, which helped them to overcome a middling offense, which relies on the long ball to mitigate their weak results in drawing walks and stealing bases. Headed by Carlos Castro (20-8, 2.64 ERA), the rotation fears no one, and the middle of their lineup is anchored by two 20+ home run hitters in Cesar Gonzalez (.281, 23 HR, 80 RBI) and Juan Ortíz (.296, 27 HR, 96 RBI). Their lineup knows no weak spots, and they also have no injuries to complain about.
Meanwhile the Stars are worried about Cesar Morán (.272, 17 HR, 65 RBI), who is laboring on an abdominal strain and might miss the FLCS. While winning 99 games, the Stars did it mostly on hitting, setting a few top marks, including those for home runs (139) and stolen bases (99). Their lineup (assuming Morán can play) has a worst batting average of .257! They also have four other double-digit home run hitters, with C Rafael Garza leading the team with 20, and also four guys to hit over .300 in the regular season. Their pitching was good overall, but the bullpen proved to be porous at times. The rotation however produced two 20-game winners in Paul Miller (22-8, 2.55 ERA) and Elwood Spurrell (20-9, 3.22 ERA), but also includes Alfredo Rios (9-13, 5.13 ERA), who lost three starts against the Blue Sox over the course of the season. The Stars hope the starters will go deep enough to give the ball to Dane Sanders and Leonardo Sosa right away, because the rest of the bullpen is tagged with one big red danger sign.
Good pitching beats good hitting, but the Stars’ offense is REALLY impressive. They should have the advantage and should win this series in six.
It should be mentioned that this playoff field contains only those teams with the most playoff appearances in their division, except the Falcons. Had the Thunder outdueled them, they also would have made their 10th playoffs.
---
2005 CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
The day the FLCS started, with the CLCS due up a day later, the Titans got the news that Jim Brulhart was out, not only for the playoffs, but for an estimated nine months, with a torn posterior cruciate ligament.
Blue Sox @ Stars … 1-0 … (Blue Sox lead 1-0) … NAS Carlos Castro 8.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K, W; NAS Juan Ortíz 2-4, HR, RBI;
Blue Sox @ Stars … 7-2 … (Blue Sox lead 2-0) … NAS Javier Cruz 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, SV;
Titans @ Falcons … 3-6 … (Falcons lead 1-0) … CHA Eduardo Durango 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI;
Titans @ Falcons … 9-2 … (series tied 1-1) … BOS Jason O’Halloran 8.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W; BOS Rudy Garrison 2-4, BB, 3B, 2B, 2 RBI; BOS Mark Austin 2-5, 3B, 3 RBI;
Stars @ Blue Sox … 5-4 (10) … (Blue Sox lead 2-1) … NAS Juan Ortíz 3-5, RBI;
Stars @ Blue Sox … 2-9 … (Blue Sox lead 3-1) … NAS Alex Samuels 3-4, 3B, 4 RBI; NAS Filippo Fugosi 4-5;
Falcons @ Titans … 3-4 (10) … (Titans lead 2-1) … BOS Luis Lopez 1-3, BB, HR, 3 RBI; Luis Hernandez walks off the Titans with a wild pitch that plates Javier Encarnación
Stars @ Blue Sox … 4-2 … (Blue Sox lead 3-2) … DAL Rafael Garza 1-4, HR, 3 RBI; DAL Elwood Spurrell 8.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, W;
Falcons @ Titans … 8-1 … (series tied 2-2) … Boston’s Ray Conner is crushed in a 7-run second inning
Falcons @ Titans … 6-4 … (Falcons lead 3-2) … and now Jorge Chapa is socked for six runs in three innings!
Blue Sox @ Stars … 19-11 … (Blue Sox win 4-2) … NAS Filippo Fugosi 4-7, 2 2B, 3 RBI; NAS Juan Ortíz 3-6, BB, HR, 2B, 4 RBI; NAS Bob Townsley 4-6, BB, 2 2B, 3 RBI; NAS Felix Hernandez 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI; BOS Artie Barnes 3-5, 3B, 3 RBI; BOS Vitantonio Cavalleri (PH) 1-1, HR, 3 RBI; Utter madness! The game is tied at 11 before the Blue Sox plate eight in the top 9th! The Stars make EIGHT errors in this game, including FIVE by 1B Robinson Perez!
Titans @ Falcons … 0-4 … (Falcons win 4-2) … CHA Conceicao Guerin 3-3, BB; CHA Arturo Ramirez 7.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, W;
---
2005 WORLD SERIES
Since the Falcons made it to the World Series for the first time, these teams have never faced each other in the Fall Classic. The Blue Sox, who won the championship back in 1986 and 1987, but were denied the last two times they got here, being defeated by the Titans in 1998 and 2002. They have a chance to tie the Capitals for most championships by a Federal League team with three (the Titans having four), and restore the FL’s honor, after winning only one championship in the last seven years (by the 2003 Gold Sox). Overall, the FL still has the nose up due to its dominance in the 1980s, having claimed 15 titles to the CL’s 13.
The Falcons did not suffer additional injuries in their championship series, while the Blue Sox have to wait out Carlos Castro’s stiff back, and also lost long reliever Toshiro Uenohara.
While the teams scored and allowed almost identical runs during the season, it was about the little differences. The rotations were roughly equal, but the Falcons had a bit better bullpen, and also better defense. The Blue Sox had over 30 more home runs, but hadn’t stolen nearly as many bases, ranking almost last in the Federal League in that stat. This was very close, and the Falcons were still hot.
---
Blue Sox @ Falcons … 0-3 … (Falcons lead 1-0) … CHA Rodrigo Gomez 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 4 K, W;
Blue Sox @ Falcons … 6-3 … (series tied 1-1) … NAS Bob Townsley 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI;
Falcons @ Blue Sox … 3-4 … (Blue Sox lead 2-1) … NAS Dennis Fried 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, W; Falcons score in each of the last three innings, but can’t catch up from being down 4-0
Falcons @ Blue Sox … 6-0 … (series tied 2-2) … CHA Eduardo Durango 3-5, 2 RBI; Stanton Taylor is rocked for four runs in the top 1st
Falcons @ Blue Sox … 8-5 … (Falcons lead 3-2) … CHA Eduardo Durango 4-5, 2 2B, 3 RBI; CHA Matt Whaley 2-3, RBI; NAS Juan Ortíz 2-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI; NAS Filippo Fugosi 3-5;
Blue Sox @ Falcons … 2-3 … (Falcons win 4-2) … NAS Juan Cruz (PH) 1-1, RBI; CHA Jose Mendoza (PH) 1-1, HR, 2 RBI; Falcons took a 1-0 lead in the second, which got away from Dylan Jones in the top 7th, with Juan Cruz pinch-hitting for the tying run to score, before Jones’ own error hands the Blue Sox the lead. In the bottom 7th, Mendoza comes out to pinch-hit and cracks the series-winning 2-run homer!
2005 WORLD CHAMPIONS
CHARLOTTE FALCONS
1st title