[JasonC23]

Hickory's Ed Walsh took the mound again for the bottom of the 7th inning. His Crawdads had managed to plate 5 runs off Huntley's Walsh, giving Hickory a 5-3 lead as he threw to Red Raider Luke Appling leading off the inning. Appling grounded out, and Norm Cash flew out, leaving the Red Raiders 7 outs away from defeat.

But on a 2-2 count, Yogi Berra doubled. Walsh, momentarily rattled, hit Mickey Mantle with a pitch. Ken Griffey Jr singled, loading the bases. Barry Bonds, the game 6 walk-off hero, strode to the plate, and on a 1-1 count, drove Walsh's offering to the wall! Berra scored...Mantle scored to tie the game...and Griffey raced home, beating Joe DiMaggio's throw and giving Huntley an improbable 6-5 lead! Rollie Fingers came on and induced a groundout by Christian Yelich for the third out, but the damage had been done.

On for his third inning of relief work in the top of the 8th, Huntley's Harry Brecheen struck out Barry Bonds looking. But on the eighth pitch to Norm Cash, Brecheen missed, Cash walked, and Hickory had life. Lee Smith, who put up a fantastic 1.27 ERA and 339 ERA+ for the Red Raiders during the regular season, came on to preserve the lead. Elmer Flick greeted him with a single, moving pinch runner King Kelly to second. Smith hunkered down and struck out Joe DiMaggio looking, and Huntley was 4 outs away from a sixth title. But on a 2-2 pitch, George Brett singled and Kelly raced home to tie the score at 6. Then, with Flick at second and Brett at first, Nap Lajoie knocked a 1-1 pitch deep into the outfield. Griffey couldn't corral it, and Flick and Brett scored. The Crawdads had retaken the lead, 8-6. Hughie Jennings grounded out, but the Crawdads were only 6 outs away from victory.

Rollie Fingers worked a 1-2-3 8th inning, while Huntley's Vida Blue worked around a 1-out Josh Gibson double in the top of the 9th to keep Huntley within 2.

Hickory's Lee Smith came on to do what Huntley's Lee Smith could not. Four pitches later--a first-pitch groundout by Norm Cash, a 1-0 groundout by Yogi Berra, and a first-pitch flyout by Mickey Mantle--the Hickory Crawdads rushed the Red Raiders Ballpark field, celebrating their 2054 Perfect League championship.

Now with more Perfect Series losses (6) than wins (5), Huntley consoles itself tonight knowing that 11 trips to the Perfect League Series is an incredible achievement, no matter the outcomes.

Postseason awards for the 131-win Red Raiders were all of the Platinum Stick variety--C Yogi Berra (.312/.395/.586, 27 HR, 166 wRC+, 6.1 WAR), SS Luke Appling (.281/.385/.401, 121 wRC+, 4.6 WAR), CF Ken Griffey Jr (.294/.384/.545, 30 HR, 151 wRC+, 6.6 WAR), and DH Barry Bonds (.256/.368/.487, 34 HR, 126 wRC+, 3.4 WAR). In a result that eerily mirrors its seasonal results, Huntley claimed 5 of the 6 spots in the NC Pitcher of the Year voting--every spot except first; the Stockholm Swedes' Cy Young took home the award, with Huntley's entire rotation (Waddell, Marquard, Walsh, Schilling, and Clemens) rounding out the voting. Similarly, in the MVP race, the Tokyo Sparrows' John Olerud took home the prize, but Huntley players finished second (Griffey), third (Yogi), fifth (Marquard), sixth (Waddell), seventh (Yelich), and eighth (Bonds).

So close, and yet...

On to 2055, which will see some changes to the Huntley lineup...come on down, SE Ozzie Smith!