OOTWBB's First Season Ends in Dramatic Fashion!

ifspuds · 03-30-2004, 06:29 PM

We've just completed the championship series of the first season of Out of this World Baseball, and it went down in epic fashion. To catch everyone up to speed, we're a 16-team fictional league with 2 leagues of 8 teams each. The Morrisonville Muckrakers took the Dying Quail League title with a 100-50 record and the Slidell Sliders met them in the championship after going 77-73, the only team in the Swinging Bunt League with a winning record. Morrisonville was predictably heavily favored going in, but Slidell shocked them by winning the first 2 games of the 7-game set in Morrisonville. The Muckrakers came back to tie the series 2-2, but Slidell sent it back to Morrisonville with a game 5 win. Morrisonville took game 6, 6-2, and sent it to the deciding game 7.

William Kittelson, who had an incredible MVP season for Slidell with a .323 average, 63 HR, 130 RBI and 130 runs scored had struggled through the first 6 games, hitting just .250 with 1 solo homer and 4 walks, started off game 7 with a bang, hitting a 2-run first inning homer and adding a solo shot in the 4th, as part of an early 5-1 Slidell lead. It didn't help Morrisonville that Paul Steffen had committed a pair of errors at third, one leading to a run. Morrisonville chipped away against the Outstanding Pitcher Award-winner in the SBL, Walter Fairweather, who made his 3rd start of the series. The Muckrakers picked up a run in the 4th and 2 more in the 5th on James Scott's 2-run homer. Fairweather left with 1 down in the 6th after throwing 98 pitches, and Morrisonville promptly tied it up when series MVP Rigo Guerro singled home Ulysses McNutt. It would stay 5-5 going to the 8th.

Morrisonville starter James Bond, who had retired 9 straight, started the 8th but didn't last. He gave up a leadoff single and intentionally walked William Kittelson before allowing the go-ahead single to Jimmie Wasson. That sent Bond to the showers and, a walk and a sac fly later, Slidell ended the top of the 8th with a 7-5 lead. That's when it got really interesting.

Despite having two quality left-handed bats sitting on the bench, Morrisonville's (AI) manager let light-hitting center fielder Valeriano Leyva hit for himself. He'd had two hits earlier in the game, but was just 3-17 overall in the series. He grounded out. A double from Tim Gafford gave the home crowd some hope with 1 down, and John "Hondo" Hernandez, one of those quality left-handed bats on the bench, came up to pinch hit for Ulysses McNutt. Slidell closer Lonnie Prichard, who led the SBL in saves with 41, faced him. He gave Hernandez a fastball, and Hernandez sent it to left field for a game-tying pinch-hit two-run homer, and there was still just one out.

A rattled Prichard walked Rigo Guerro, and Paul Steffen, who had gone 0-4 in addition to his 2 errors, stepped to the plate. With the crowd roaring, he laced a double down the left-field line that brought Guerro all the way around from first to score the go-ahead run. We went to the 9th with Morrisonville clinging to an 8-7 lead and the top of the Slidell order due up.

An infield pop put 1 out on the board, but Warren Payne wasn't ready to go home just yet. He singled, and after a strikeout, William Kittelson stepped up to the plate with 2 down and a chance to give his team the lead with a long ball. He fell behind 0-2, when the pitch came way inside and plunked him. "I tried to get out of the way," said Kittelson later. "I wanted to hit the ball." That brought Kei Natsuo to the plate. Natsuo had hit .304 with 39 homers on the season, and a base hit would tie the game. He sent a liner into right field, but weak-fielding Jeremy Baine, in his first action of the series, came on to make a running catch and end the game and the series as the Muckrakers completed an amazing series and game 7 comeback to win the title!

(and for anyone considering doing live play-by-play, especially for playoff series, this wouldn't have been nearly the same if we had simmed it!)

Congratulations to the Morrisonville Muckrakers, and a thank you to all my owners for making the first OOTWBB season a great one.

rem · 03-31-2004, 01:27 AM

Cool. Glad your having fun.

kq76 · 03-31-2004, 04:30 AM

Congratulations OOTWBB on a successful first year and an entertaining championship!

03-30-2004, 06:29 PM	#1
ifspuds Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 2,117	OOTWBB's First Season Ends in Dramatic Fashion! We've just completed the championship series of the first season of Out of this World Baseball, and it went down in epic fashion. To catch everyone up to speed, we're a 16-team fictional league with 2 leagues of 8 teams each. The Morrisonville Muckrakers took the Dying Quail League title with a 100-50 record and the Slidell Sliders met them in the championship after going 77-73, the only team in the Swinging Bunt League with a winning record. Morrisonville was predictably heavily favored going in, but Slidell shocked them by winning the first 2 games of the 7-game set in Morrisonville. The Muckrakers came back to tie the series 2-2, but Slidell sent it back to Morrisonville with a game 5 win. Morrisonville took game 6, 6-2, and sent it to the deciding game 7. William Kittelson, who had an incredible MVP season for Slidell with a .323 average, 63 HR, 130 RBI and 130 runs scored had struggled through the first 6 games, hitting just .250 with 1 solo homer and 4 walks, started off game 7 with a bang, hitting a 2-run first inning homer and adding a solo shot in the 4th, as part of an early 5-1 Slidell lead. It didn't help Morrisonville that Paul Steffen had committed a pair of errors at third, one leading to a run. Morrisonville chipped away against the Outstanding Pitcher Award-winner in the SBL, Walter Fairweather, who made his 3rd start of the series. The Muckrakers picked up a run in the 4th and 2 more in the 5th on James Scott's 2-run homer. Fairweather left with 1 down in the 6th after throwing 98 pitches, and Morrisonville promptly tied it up when series MVP Rigo Guerro singled home Ulysses McNutt. It would stay 5-5 going to the 8th. Morrisonville starter James Bond, who had retired 9 straight, started the 8th but didn't last. He gave up a leadoff single and intentionally walked William Kittelson before allowing the go-ahead single to Jimmie Wasson. That sent Bond to the showers and, a walk and a sac fly later, Slidell ended the top of the 8th with a 7-5 lead. That's when it got really interesting. Despite having two quality left-handed bats sitting on the bench, Morrisonville's (AI) manager let light-hitting center fielder Valeriano Leyva hit for himself. He'd had two hits earlier in the game, but was just 3-17 overall in the series. He grounded out. A double from Tim Gafford gave the home crowd some hope with 1 down, and John "Hondo" Hernandez, one of those quality left-handed bats on the bench, came up to pinch hit for Ulysses McNutt. Slidell closer Lonnie Prichard, who led the SBL in saves with 41, faced him. He gave Hernandez a fastball, and Hernandez sent it to left field for a game-tying pinch-hit two-run homer, and there was still just one out. A rattled Prichard walked Rigo Guerro, and Paul Steffen, who had gone 0-4 in addition to his 2 errors, stepped to the plate. With the crowd roaring, he laced a double down the left-field line that brought Guerro all the way around from first to score the go-ahead run. We went to the 9th with Morrisonville clinging to an 8-7 lead and the top of the Slidell order due up. An infield pop put 1 out on the board, but Warren Payne wasn't ready to go home just yet. He singled, and after a strikeout, William Kittelson stepped up to the plate with 2 down and a chance to give his team the lead with a long ball. He fell behind 0-2, when the pitch came way inside and plunked him. "I tried to get out of the way," said Kittelson later. "I wanted to hit the ball." That brought Kei Natsuo to the plate. Natsuo had hit .304 with 39 homers on the season, and a base hit would tie the game. He sent a liner into right field, but weak-fielding Jeremy Baine, in his first action of the series, came on to make a running catch and end the game and the series as the Muckrakers completed an amazing series and game 7 comeback to win the title! (and for anyone considering doing live play-by-play, especially for playoff series, this wouldn't have been nearly the same if we had simmed it!) Congratulations to the Morrisonville Muckrakers, and a thank you to all my owners for making the first OOTWBB season a great one. __________________ Jeff Watson Former dynasty writer and online league player, now mostly retired

03-31-2004, 01:27 AM	#2
rem Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: College Park, Md. Posts: 5,024	Cool. Glad your having fun. __________________ OTBA: Washington Filibusters CLBR: Minnesota Twins 2005 Winner of LL's Pick the Loser Contest! - 15-0

03-31-2004, 04:30 AM	#3
kq76 Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 11,805	Congratulations OOTWBB on a successful first year and an entertaining championship! __________________ My OOTP Wishlist \| My FAQ List OOTP Wiki \| Your Recommended Team Nicknames, By City (A Crowdsourced Project)