NABL a History

[JayW UK]

2043 Playoffs

World Series

The 2043 World Series between Indianapolis and Las Vegas was repeat of the 2031 edition in which the Racers prevailed in seven games, and just as in that series Indianapolis held home advantage. The key to winning the series lay in the battle between the Racers potent offense and the Gamblers lockdown pitching and whichever team “won” that matchup would be favourites to go on and win the Championship.
Game one was a see-saw struggle, a late flurry of runs sparked by LF Vaughan Snyder’s eighth inning homerun, allowed Las Vegas to emerge victorious and stun their hosts to take a 1-0 series lead. The following night was a similar back and forth game but this time roles were reversed, Indianapolis LF Allen Hood was the home hero, smashing a game winning 2-RBI double in the eighth as the Racers tied the series with a 4-2 victory. Continuing the theme, game three was another defensive battle with Indianapolis edging ahead in the top of the seventh on a Mitch Higgins homerun, with the Gamblers throwing everything they had at them over the final two frames the Racers held firm to sneak ahead in the series. After three closely contested matchups, game four saw the Las Vegas bats wake up, Indianapolis starter Elmer Chambers struggled (4.2 IP, 8H, 7ER, 4BB, 1K) before exiting the game in the fifth inning with Las Vegas comfortably ahead 7-2. Indianapolis 1B Mitch Higgins drilled a two-run homer in the seventh inning to give the Racers hope of a comeback but LV 3B Joseph Floores answered with a homerun of his own (his second of the night) next inning to wrap up proceedings in favour of the home side. The following night Gil Wallace’s dominant pitching performance (7.1 IP, 4H, 1ER, 8K) paved the way for a 5-2 Gamblers victory in game five, edging Las Vegas one step closer to winning their third World Championship. With the series returning to Indianapolis, the hometown Racers knew they would have no second chances to force a winner-takes-all game seven and in their best overall game of the playoffs that is exactly what they did, chasing Las Vegas starter Jose Vazquez from the game early and cruising to a 9-2 victory. Game seven played in front of a packed Raceway Stadium was decided in a single inning… the seventh. With one out and men on the corners in the top of the inning and Las Vegas ahead 2-1, Catcher Manny Mendoza entered the batters box and proceeded to hit a screaming line drive up the middle that for all the world looked to be extending the Las Vegas lead. Star shortstop Pancho Sousa then made possibly the best defensive play in NABL World Series history, making a sprawling full stretch catch, robbing Mendoza of a likely extra base hit, and then from his knees firing the ball to first baseman Mitch Higgins to complete the inning-ending double-play by retiring Jorge Morroquin who had set off for second and had no chance of getting back. Indianapolis then completed the turnaround on Nicholas Tate’s pinch-hit 2-RBI double which put the Racers ahead 3-2, and shutdown innings from pitchers Lance Harris and Sam Johnson Jr which finally shut the door on Las Vegas. When CF Rafael Cedeno caught Vaughan Snyder’s flyball to end the game it signaled wild celebrations in the stands and closed the book on Indianapolis’ fifth World Championship, tying them with Boston for most in NABL history, it also gave Las Vegas the unwanted distinction of becoming the first team to suffer back-to-back World Series defeats.

2043 Playoff Recap

Divisional Series
EL: Indianapolis 3-1 Tampa Bay, St. Louis 3-0 Philadelphia
WL: Las Vegas 3-0 Denver, Omaha 3-1 Sanfrancisco
Championship Series
EL: Indianapolis 4-1 St. Louis
WL: Las Vegas 4-2 Omaha
World Series
Indianapolis 4-3 Las Vegas

[JayW UK]

2043 Season Leaders and Awards

EL Batting
Hits
210 David Evans (CHI)
208 Pancho Sousa (IND)
206 Allen Hood (IND)
Batting Avg
.358 John Salazar (BAL)
.356 Claudio Laquenas (CHI)
.351 Robbie Crespo (STL)
Homeruns
49 Jim Hopkins (NO)
41 Jerry Wright (NY)
40 Roberto Saldana (NY)
RBI
130 David Browne (CLE)
130 Jim Hopkins (NO)
122 Allen Hood (IND)
Stolen Bases
34 Rafael Cedeno (IND)
25 Desmond Starks (PHI)
20 Jorge Luna (CHI)

EL Pitching
Wins
19 Mariano Rojo (PHI)
18 Juan Cuesta (IND)
17 Mike Bradley (TB)
ERA
2.49 Steve Gream (CHA)
2.68 Les Scott (STL)
2.80 Mariano Rojo (PHI)
Strikeouts
326 Les Scott (STL)
285 Heinrich Kronburger (NY)
251 Cristobal Chapa (TB)
Saves
42 Pablo Hernandez (STL)
41 Jeremiah O’Hearne (PHI)
39 Enrico Rodriguez (CHI)

WL Batting
Hits
227 Domingo Vargas (PHO)
208 Liam Ayliffe (MIN)
204 Vaughan Snyder (LV)
Batting Avg
.351 Liam Ayliffe (MIN)
.337 Domingo Vargas (PHO)
.335 Jose Aguilar (OMH)
Homeruns
41 Pancho Delgado (SJ)
40 Julian Morin (OKC)
34 Joseph Floores (LV)
RBI
125 Vaughan Snyder (LV)
112 Julian Morin (OKC)
106 Pancho Delgado (SJ)
Stolen Bases
51 Jaime Perez (SD)
38 Liam Ayliffe (MIN)
35 Tom Carter (SF)

WL Pitching
Wins
21 Jacobie Harksdale (OMH)
17 Bartolo Garcia (DEN)
17 Francisco Sierra (SD)
ERA
2.67 Patrick Casey (MIN)
2.74 Gil Wallace (LV)
2.89 Jacobie Harksdale (OMH)
Strikeouts
252 Shane Olson (OKC)
244 Jesus Delgado (LV)
235 Carlos Flores (AUS)
Saves
45 Barry Hayden (OMH)
39 Philip Redmond (LV)
38 Josh Renshaw (OKC)

Batting Champion – Baltimore CF John Salazar (.358) edged out Chicago’s Claudio Laquenas (.356) to win the EL batting title. The WL title was won by Minneapolis LF Liam Ayliffe (.351) ahead of Phoenix 1B Domingo Vargas (.337).
Homerun Champion – New Orleans LF Jim Hopkins (49) finished well ahead of New York teammates 1B Jerry Wright (41) and C Roberto Saldana (40) in the EL race whilst San Jose RF Pancho Delgado (41) edged OKC LF Julian Morin (40) to take the WL title.
Outstanding Hitter – New Orleans star LF Jim Hopkins (.345, 49 HR, 130 RBI) topped the EL voting ahead of Cleveland 3B Blake Hanson (.324, 36 HR, 117 RBI). In the west Omaha’s star RF Felipe Peralta (.319, 30 HR, 101 RBI) picked up his second award pipping Las Vegas LF Vaughan Snyder (.331, 28 HR, 125 RBI) in the voting.
Outstanding Pitcher – Mariano Rojo (19-4, 2.80 ERA) capped off a superb debut season in Philadelphia by taking home the EL award while Omaha ace Jacobie Harksdale (21-10, 2.89 ERA) picked up his second award in three years in the west.
Rookie of the Year – St. Louis SS Antonio Flores (.281, 28 HR, 104 RBI) was the standout youngster in the EL. Over in the west, Seattle’s mid-season trade acquisition 3B Morihiro Makino (.254, 26 HR, 81 RBI) took the award ahead of 21-year-old San Jose pitcher Steve Beaubien (11-3, 1.92 ERA in 86 games).
Manager of the Year – in the east St. Louis manager Jesus Velasquez picked up his second award for leading the Reds to a franchise best 98-wins. In the west there could only ever be one winner, after leading Omaha to a team record 109-wins and a WLCS appearance, Pat Acosta capped off his phenomenal first season as manager with a well-deserved MOY award.
Glove Wizards EL – P – Robert Woodruff (TB) C -Gabriel Lopez (IND) 1B – Mitch Higgins (IND) 2B – Percy Sterrenburg (IND) 3B – David Evans (CHI) SS – George Shreeve (BOS) LF – Francisco Valencia (MIA) CF – Tom Perkins (DET) RF – Mike Robinson (ATL)
Glove Wizards WL – P – George Buchanan (SF) C – Manny Mendoza (LV) 1B – Jorge Reyna (MIN) 2B – Curt Carver (SJ) 3B – Jotaro Shimizu (DEN) SS – Joe Parker (OKC) LF – Juan Rodriguez (DAL) CF – Carl Crawford (SF) RF – Guillermo Altagracia (KC)

Interesting Facts – OKC 3B Xavier Cisneros (.218, 30 HR, 84 RBI, 123 BB, 226K) joined Nelson Vasquez as only the second player in NABL history with multiple 200+ strikeout and 100+ walk seasons. Los Angeles 3B Pancho Fernandez set the NABL record for strikeouts in a single season when he struck out a whopping 242 times, topping Wayne Radke’s previous record. New York slugger, 1B Jerry Wright’s 41 homeruns gave him five 40+ campaigns in his career, putting him second all-time behind Dixon Bodean’s eight. New Orleans pitcher Carlos Rodriguez endured a disappointing follow-up to his 2042 Outstanding Pitcher campaign, struggling to an 8-18, 4.39 ERA record.

[JayW UK]

Interlude – Manager Profiles

At the conclusion of the 2043 season, two of the NABL’s premier managers announced their retirements, Cleveland skipper Pat Bennett and San Jose’s Gary Hatcher, so I thought we’d take a look at their careers.

Pat Bennett
Current Team – None (Retired)
Previous Teams – SF (2014-2019), LV (2022-2034), CHI (2036-2038), CLE (2039-2043)

Bennett (whose brother Keith also managed in the NABL) began his career in 2014 as Sanfrancisco’s inaugural skipper, his six-year run in the Bay area included a manager-of-the-year nod and leading the Gold to the2017 World Series championship. After the 2019 campaign Bennett moved on signing with Las Vegas as bench coach but stepped up to the top job prior to the 2022 campaign, the Gamblers struggled to a 64-98 finish with a talent deficient roster, the first losing season of Bennett’s career, a second losing campaign followed before Las Vegas broke .500 in 2024 with an 82-80 record. A playoff appearance in 2025 was followed by a magical run to the clubs first (and Bennett’s second) World Championship in 2026, being named WL Manager-of-the-Year for his performance. Over the next eight years Bennett led the Gamblers to six further playoff trips and another World Series appearance (in which they fell to Indianapolis), earning two further Manager-of-the-Year nods along the way. At the conclusion of the 2034 season Bennett and his bench coach Billy Jackson were unceremoniously dismissed by Las Vegas, an unsatisfactory end to a very successful 13-year run in Nevada. After spending a year away from the game Bennett took up the reigns in Chicago, a 273-213 record over the next three years disappointingly resulted in only a single playoff appearance before Bennett was once again on the move, landing in Cleveland as part of owner Edwin Colon’s overhaul of his moribund franchise. His five-year stay in Ohio netted three winning seasons and one playoff appearance (the Corsairs first in fifteen years), at the conclusion of the 2043 season the now 68-year-old Bennett announced his retirement from baseball after a 30-year career, his 2358 career wins and 21 winning seasons against only four losing campaigns make him the most successful manager in NABL history.

Career Record
Regular Season
2358 wins – 2016 Losses
Post Season
47 Wins – 40 Losses

Career Achievements
2x World Series wins (2017, 2026)
4x Manager-of-the-Year (2017, 2026, 2028, 2031)


Gary Hatcher
Current Team – None (Retired)
Previous Teams – BOS (2024-2030), SJ (2031-2043)

After leading Anaheim Titans to the AAA championship Hatcher landed his first big league managerial role with Boston inheriting a struggling 70-win team. Few could have foreseen the impact Hatcher would have, leading the Pilgrims to a 17-game turnaround and a division title in his first season, 2025 saw Boston once again win the Atlantic division before embarking on a run to the World Series, sweeping WL champs Seattle aside to win the title earning Hatcher the EL Manager-of-the-Year. The following season he led Boston to a franchise best 104-wins and his second manager-of-the-Year award, but that was scant consolation as the Pilgrims fell to Chicago in the playoffs. 2026 proved to be the high-water mark of his time in Boston as the team failed to reach the playoffs in any of the next four seasons, after the 2030 season Hatcher called time on his stay in Boston returning to California to take the reins at San Jose. Once again his man-management was on full display as he turned around the fortunes of the Spartans leading the team to their first ever playoff appearance in 2033, a remarkable postseason run resulted in a World Series berth where the Spartans fell victim to Dixon Bodean and the Tampa Bay Hurricanes. The following season Hatcher led San Jose back to the fall classic where this time the Spartans carried the day sweeping Chicago in an entertaining series. A third World Series appearance followed two years later where Hatcher’s former team Boston proved too much for San Jose, taking the series 4-2, two further playoff appearances followed including a 100-62 franchise best campaign in 2038. As the core of the championship squad began to age and with no reinforcements of a similar quality on the horizon, fortunes for the Spartans began to change with the club missing the playoffs in each of the next five years (recording a single winning season during that span). At the conclusion of the 2043 season Hatcher announced his retirement, joining Pat Bennett in leaving the game as the most successful managers in NABL history.

Career Record
Regular Season
1702 wins – 1538 losses
Post Season
51 wins – 38 losses

Career Achievements
2x World Series wins (2025, 2034)
4x Manager-of-the-Year (2025, 2026, 2033, 2034)

[JayW UK]

2044 Off-Season

After several months of speculation surrounding the deteriorating relationship between Austin GM Jerry Phillips and his assistant (owner’s son) Alberto Collazo Jr, the situation reached breaking point when, unbeknownst to Phillips, several pending free agents had their contract offers withdrawn by Collazo Jr (evidently, with the full support of team owner and father Edwin). The next day Phillips announced he was resigning with immediate effect and told the gathered press he was unable to carry out his role to the best of his abilities due to being “undermined at every turn”. Clearly frustrated with the situation team owner Edwin Colon called into question his former GM’s abilities and professionalism and in a move meant as a final slap in the face, named his son Albert Collazo Jr as the Franchise’s new GM. Another team making changes at the top was Seattle, who had sent both Manager Brian Walter and GM Luis Almiron packing after yet another disappointing campaign in 2043, but possibly more significant, was the fact team owner Frank Hartmann announced he was stepping down from the day-to-day running of the club, naming his son Sam as his successor. Sam’s initial tasks were to find a new GM and Manager, his first call was to Jerry Phillips, and after productive talks the two men came to an agreement. The next day Phillips was unveiled as Seattle’s new GM charged with making Seattle “winners again”, his choice of manager was somewhat surprising, as he chose promote bench coach Juan Campos to the top job, maintaining some continuity for the players. A number of other teams were also in the market for new managers, Cleveland and San Jose, after the retirements of Pat Bennett and Gary Hatcher respectively, Chicago, who lost manager Jeffrey Orr to the college ranks and Minneapolis and Washington whose incumbent skippers both walked at the end of their contracts. First to land their new skipper were Chicago who tabbed Jorge Castro as their man for 2044 while Cleveland named former Minneapolis skipper Jose Diaz, as replacement for Pat Bennett. Washington raided divisional rivals New York for Jorge Castro’s replacement, giving Senators bench coach Malcolm Usama his first managerial gig. Minneapolis chose to give Brian Walter another chance at managing, hoping for better results than what he achieved with Seattle, while in a surprising move San Jose chose to replace Gary Hatcher with the unproven UCLA coach Vaughan Laursen. A former big-league pitcher, Laursen had played for seven different teams (including LA, SD and SEA so was familiar with the Pacific division) and appeared in almost 500 games during his 14-year career, however following in the footsteps of Gary Hatcher would be a huge challenge and many observers were expecting Laursen to struggle.
Free agency opened with a bang, Tampa Bay handed out two mammoth contracts, first defending EL batting champion John Salazar was signed for $144M over seven years and then former Phoenix star and 2042 WL Outstanding Hitter, Brandon Buck put pen to paper on a seven year $140M deal. Defending World Champions Indianapolis joined in the fun, landing former Chicago star infielder David Evans on a six-year $120M contract and also luring former TB pitcher Cristobal Chapa on board for $34.5M over two-years. Two-time Western League champions Las Vegas lost several key players, veteran RF and franchise stalwart Danny Wheeler, signed with OKC on a 1-year $12M deal, whilst All-Star Catcher Manny Mendoza landed in Boston on a four-year $70M pact. The Pilgrims also added former Indianapolis SS Pancho Sousa for two years and veteran slugger 1B Rick Flynn (2-yrs $25M) while saying goodbye to one of their own, LF Rob Penney, who swapped leagues to join OKC on a lucrative 4-year $77M deal. Three-time Pacific division winners Sanfrancisco, bolstered their already loaded roster by raiding division rivals San Jose and Seattle, adding C Jorge Garcia (6yrs, $110M) from the Spartans and up-and-coming pitcher Bryan Marburg (4yrs, $84M) from the Pioneers. The last big deal consummated before the teams switched their focus onto the upcoming draft involved New York adding former Los Angeles RF Michael Miller for 7-years and $131.5M after protracted contract talks.
A pair of college players and no-less than six high school stars dominated the top of the 2044 Draft board, the clear-cut favourite to be taken #1 overall was St. Johns power hitting catcher Dennis McComish, but after him it was anyone’s guess as to who would come off the board next. UCLA outfielder Dale Everhart (who was one of new San Jose manager Vaughan Laursen’s star pupils) was the next best college player, while All-American high schoolers (Pitchers Michael Fearon, Jon Hoover and Marc Walker along with outfielders Kent Johnson, Scott Lewis and Ryan Nattingly) made up the rest of the top prospects.
On Draft night Washington surprised no-one when they named McComish as the #1 pick, Dallas picking second, chose high ceiling pitcher Marc Walker who possessed a developing arsenal of four quality pitches but needed to work on his control to reach his full potential. Seattle, owners of both picks #3 and #4 doubled down on outfielders, taking Scott Lewis with the third pick and UCLA star Dale Everhart at four before Houston named pitcher Michael Fearon as the fifth pick. Detroit picked up possibly the best power hitter in the draft Kent Johnson sixth, while San Jose added a pair of quality prospects, CF Ryan Nattingly (#8) and pitcher Jon Hoover (#11).
BNN’s prediction model listed Philadelphia as the odds-on favourite to win the Atlantic division ahead of Boston (aiming for a bounce-back season after their poor 2043), New York and Baltimore who were all expected to be in the hunt for the EL wildcard spot whilst division doormat Washington, with first time manager Malcolm Usama in charge, would in-all-likelihood be yet again in the mix for the #1 draft pick. In the Central, Indianapolis were the overwhelming favourite to defend their title with 2043 runners-up St. Louis, Chicago and Cleveland all anticipated to be in the frame for the EL wildcard, and while improvement was expected from Detroit, it would take a monumental job from second-year manager Ramon Acosta for the Giants to even reach .500 on the season. Tampa Bay, after their free agency spending spree, were tipped to win their fourth Southeast title in five years, while Miami were expected to improve but not by enough to push for anything but the wildcard spot.
In the Midwest division, Omaha were once again looked upon as the cream of the crop, none of the other four teams were in a position to challenge the Braves and only OKC could be reasonably expected to be in the mix for the WL wildcard spot. In the Southwest, Las Vegas were predicted to come under pressure from Austin and Phoenix for the division crown with whipping boys Dallas anticipated to continue their decade long dalliance with the top of the draft. The Pacific division was Sanfrancisco’s to lose with only San Diego in a position to challenge them for supremacy, the Mariners however were the tipsters favourite for the WL wildcard spot if they couldn’t unseat Sanfrancisco.

[JayW UK]

2044 Regular Season

Eastern League Review

Relying on the EL’s #1 pitching staff, headlined by ace Mariano Rojo (17-2, 2.07 ERA) and 22-year-old first-year starter Orlando Fernandez (15-7, 3.08 ERA), Philadelphia won their second consecutive Atlantic division crown finishing with a 93-69 record. New York (86-76) hung with Philly for most of the campaign, but several late-season injuries scuppered their chances of challenging for the playoffs while Baltimore (84-78) finished third with 23-year-old 3B Justin Shelby (.347, 45 HR, 130 RBI) staking his claim for the EL Outstanding Hitter Award. Boston finished a disappointing fourth with a 69-93 record, performing below par for much of the campaign before their season descended into Chaos and scandal. Bringing up the rear for the fifth year in a row were Washington (64-98), with the team fielding the worst pitching in the league (5.08 team ERA) an underpowered offense stood no chance of carrying the load.
Defending champions Indianapolis (93-69) edged surprise package Detroit (92-70) to the title by a single game, both the Racers and Giants possessed middling offenses and strong pitching, especially their bullpens (which were the top two in the NABL). Despite LF Ferry Vogalsang (29 HR) and 1B Dave Jones (29 HR) producing fireworks, Chicago (85-77) struggled to score enough runs to compensate for their underwhelming pitching with Glenn Owens (12-9, 3.66 ERA) the best of a disappointing bunch. After winning a franchise record 98-games in 2043 St. Louis fell all the way back to just 71-wins, with the league’s most anaemic offense (567 runs scored @ 3.5 per game) even a top three pitching staff couldn’t perform miracles. Although 1B Blake Hanson (.262, 29 HR, 85 RBI), SS David Browne (.253, 23 HR, 88 RBI) and pitcher Todd Morgan (12-7, 3.83 ERA) performed admirably, they alone couldn’t make up for the lack of team depth as the Corsairs slumped to a 69-93 finish, dropping into the division basement for the first time in six years.
In the Southeast, Tampa Bay won their fourth division crown in the last five years, despite losing star LF Joe Scott (.302, 23 HR, 76 RBI) for the season in July, the Hurricanes still produced the EL’s top scoring offense and with starter Robert Woodruff (18-7, 3.62 ERA) headlining a reliable pitching staff (unlike in 2043) the Hurricanes finished 94-68. Ten games back were Miami (84-78), strong offensive performances from RF Stephen Butler (.323, 35 HR, 105 RBI) and LF Francisco Valencia (29 HR) and solid pitching from the likes of Jonathan Furze (15-6, 2.94 ERA) helped the Everglades deliver their best season in a decade. Star RF Jim Hopkins (.305, 32 HR, 104 RBI) produced another award worthy season for New Orleans but with a mixture of injuries and poor pitching, the Blues never got going in the second half of the season and slumped to a disappointing 75-87 record. Atlanta finished tied with New Orleans having ended the season strong (17-11 record in September) with several young players getting valuable playing time in a lost season, whilst Charlotte dropped to the foot of the standings for the first time in a decade finishing a disheartening 74-88, one by-product of the disappointing season was the team got an extended look at several young players, tops among them was 22-year-old 1B Pete Daniels (.232, 22 HR, 65 RBI).

2044 Final Standings

Atlantic Division
Philadelphia 93-69 *
New York 86-76
Baltimore 84-78
Boston 69-93
Washington 64-98

Central Division
Indianapolis 93-69 *
Detroit 92-70 *
Chicago 85-77
St. Louis 71-91
Cleveland 69-93

Southeast Division
Tampa Bay 94-68 *
Miami 84-78
New Orleans 75-87
Atlanta 75-87
Charlotte 74-88

[JayW UK]

2044 Regular Season

Western League Review

Omaha cruised to the Midwest division title winning 99-games, the achievement was truly a team effort for the Braves with Catcher Luis Guerra (.277, 25 HR, 99 ERA) topping their offense (2B Tom Lockhart was the only other player to hit more than 20 HR’s but eight others hit 10+) while Kanko Ota (16-7 2.89 ERA) and Mike Mayfield (14-8, 2.73 ERA) paced the WL’s #2 pitching staff. Minneapolis (82-80) were similar offensively to Omaha in that not one player stood out statistically, but as a team the Bears produced the WL’s #4 scoring offense, however unlike the Braves their pitching was lacklustre, with only Sueng-Jae Park (12-10, 5.11 ERA) reaching double figures in the win column. Denver finished level with Minneapolis on 82-wins, the Wildcats offense clubbed 184 homeruns (4th most in the NABL) with 2B Solomon Slaughter (26) 3B Jotaro Shimizu (25) OF Patrick Richardson (22) and OF Fernando Diaz (20 in just 77 games before injury) all hitting 20+ homers but their pitching, much like Minneapolis, was below average and was the main reason why the Wildcats failed to build on a strong first half of the season (52-39 at the All-Star break). Continuing the theme of strong offense and below-par pitching was Oklahoma City, with LF Rob Penney (30 HR) and 3B Xavier Cisneros (29 HR) providing the scoring punch, OKC could live with anyone offensively but as with the Bears and Wildcats it was their sketchy pitching that held them back as they finished the season with a 78-84 record, while bringing up the rear were Kansas City, winning only 64-games and matching Washington for the worst record in the NABL.
Phoenix blasted their way to the Southwest division crown, led by 1B Domingo Vargas (.351, 41 HR, 138 RBI) and a supporting cast featuring RF Brandon Spence (.347, 36 HR, 119 RBI) and LF Adrian Ramirez (.325, 30 HR, 102 RBI) the Eagles slugged 210 round-trippers and a scored a league high 913 runs. On the down side their pitching staff struggled keeping the ball in the park, surrendering a WL high 199 homeruns and was a big reason why the Eagles won only 86-games instead of being closer to 100. Austin finished the season 81-81, with LF Clarence Davis (31 HR) and 2B Jackie Young (28 HR) providing some pop on offense it was a lack of pitching depth that cost the team a run at the division crown. Las Vegas suffered a World Series hangover, after losing back-to-back fall classics the Gamblers fell back to finish a disappointing 75-87, their first losing season in twenty-one years. Dallas ended their campaign one game further back, the Mustangs problems stemmed from their league worst starting rotation, no starter won more than 7-games and their best pitcher was reliver Jesus Tobias (9-2, 33 SV, 1.67 ERA in 66 games), whilst Houston (73-89) improved their performance over 2043, they still ended the season with their sixth trip to the division basement despite somehow producing the WL’s #3 offense.
Sanfrancisco collected their fourth consecutive Pacific division title, the Gold rode their excellent pitching (with off-season acquisition Bryan Marburg (18-4, 1.94 ERA) particularly impressive) to a 98-64 record. San Diego followed the same formula to finish second with 92-wins, however the Mariners were forced to use their top-rated bullpen, anchored by Rob Kearton and Lucious Sandford far more than they would have liked due to their listless offense (they scored a league low 606 runs and clubbed just 100 homeruns during the season). Seattle, with new manager Juan Campos pulling the strings, surprised everyone by finishing third with an 86-76 record (their first winning campaign in 14-seasons) whilst in Los Angeles, strong seasons from RF Stu Leach (33 HR, 97 RBI) and P Joe Taylor (14-10, 3.06 ERA) could not prevent the Lynx (78-84) from limping home fourth. Vaughan Laursen’s first season in San Jose wasn’t a success but it was also not the abject failure many had predicted, to their credit the Spartans remained competitive throughout the season and players such as C Jorge Garcia (32 HR), LF Mike Carson (31 HR) and pitcher Javier Valencia (13-5, 1.67 ERA in 27 games) all staked claims to be part of Laursen’s plans moving forward.

Final Standings

Midwest Division
Omaha 99-63 *
Minneapolis 82-80
Denver 82-80
Oklahoma City 78-84
Kansas City 64-98

Southwest Division
Phoenix 86-76 *
Austin 81-81
Las Vegas 75-87
Dallas 74-88
Houston 73-89

Pacific Division
Sanfrancisco 98-64 *
San Diego 92-70 *
Seattle 86-76
Los Angeles 78-84
San Jose 74-88

[JayW UK]

2044 Season Notes

Pre-Season – Atlanta and Dallas consummated a trade of young talented players, Dallas sent BNN #21 prospect, 22-year-old pitcher Derrick Schmitt and 24-year-old RF Danny Reese to Atlanta for 24-year-old pitcher Carlos Santos (25-16, 3.09 ERA in 75 career games).
April 3rd – Las Vegas catcher Dylan Martin welcomed the new season by blasting three homeruns in the Gamblers 12-6 win over Oklahoma City.
April 7th – Indianapolis starter Cristobal Chapa pitched six innings and struck out 10 New Orleans batters, finishing the day on 3503 career strikeouts and joining Larry de Meza as the second member of the 3500K club.
April 8th – Las Vegas held Omaha 3B Jose Aguilar hitless in three at-bats ending his hitting streak at 37-games, one shy of the NABL record held by Jared Cross.
April 14th – Austin RF Freddie Sherman hit for the CYCLE (4-for-4, 6-RBI) as the Kings scraped home 9-8 against San Jose.
April 17th – Charlotte pitcher Steve Gream reached the 2500 career strikeout plateau, with five K’s in a losing effort as the Express fell to Indianapolis.
April 19th – Charlotte 3B Luis Garza had his 27-game hitting streak ended by Indianapolis.
April 20th – Boston SS Pancho Sousa’s 2-RBI a walk-off single in the 14th inning lifted the Pilgrims to an 8-7 victory over Detroit and gave Sousa 1500 career RBI’s.
April 22nd – Sanfrancisco ace Bryan Marburg struck out fifteen opponents in Sanfrancisco’s comfortable 7-1 victory over LA.
May 1st – Detroit’s star CF Tom Perkins pulled up lame in the Giants loss to Cleveland, the following day he was placed on the DL for the next six weeks with a quad strain.
May 5th – Philadelphia ace Mariano Rojo suffered a torn Abdominal muscle ruling him out for up to six weeks.
May 9th – Tampa Bay 1B Jorge Otero blasted a pair of homeruns (one of them a Grand-Slam) and accounted for eight of the Hurricanes twelve runs as Tampa Bay blew Denver away.
May 14th- New York pitcher Heinrich Kronburger took 106-pitches to NO-HIT New Orleans, surrendering a single walk and striking out 12, as the Senators rolled over the Blues 11-0.
May 23rd – San Diego LF Yves Tessier helped San Diego down Houston, sending the ball into the seats three times and driving in five runs in the Mariners 8-6 victory.
May 26th – Omaha pitcher McKenzie Ransford took a trip to the DL with shoulder tendonitis, the ailment would force him to sit for the next three weeks.
June 1st – San Jose LF Mike Carson almost singlehandedly carried the Spartans to victory over Dallas, collecting five hits, two of them homeruns including a 3-run walk-off blast in the 11th inning to give the Spartans a 10-7 victory.
June 5th – OKC CF Herminio Azurara collected the 1000th RBI of his career as the Outlaws beat Dallas 8-3.
June 6th – Charlotte pulled the plug on any playoff ambitions they may have harbored by trading star catcher Tom Walsh, sending him to Denver for a trio of prospects (BNN #84 LF Gabriel Franklin, 1B Chris Justice and 3B Jimmy Pearce).
June 7th – Washington sent star pitcher David Elder to Las Vegas for a package of 5 prospects (RF Danny Mitchell, SS Roberto Castellon, SS Aaron Joseph and pitchers Norm Pace and Rick Johnston) signaling the start of yet another rebuild for the Generals.
June 11th – St. Louis closer Pablo Hernandez collected the 300th save of his career in the Reds 2-1 victory over division rival Detroit.
June 17th – SS Pancho Sousa managed to collect the only hit for Boston in defeat to Charlotte, but for Sousa that hit was the 3000th of his career, making him just the second player to reach the milestone.
June 18th – a sprained ankle forced New Orleans LF Liam Hawkins out of action, sidelining him for six weeks.
June 29th – OKC pitcher Rafer MacNeil took his career strikeout total to 3002 with four against Las Vegas, as OKC held off a late charge from the Gamblers.
July 1st – Denver CF Fernando Diaz punched the dugout wall in frustration after striking out four times in the Wildcats defeat against Minneapolis, unfortunately for Diaz he did more damage to himself than the wall as the next day a red-faced Diaz hit the DL with a broken hand.
July 3rd- LF Francisco Valencia hit for the CYCLE in a losing effort, as Miami fell in extras to Minneapolis.
July 4th – Phoenix strengthened their weak pitching by trading for Cleveland hurler Harry Donahue, sending 2B Mike Brown to Ohio for Donahue and CF Joe Holland. On the same day Charlotte’s Steve Gream reached a personal milestone, picking up his 200th career win, hurling six shutout innings in Charlotte’s 4-0 victory over New York.
July 7th – Las Vegas 3B Joseph Floores scored the 1000th run of his career as the Gamblers slipped to a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Seattle.
July 8th – Chicago CF Josh Deric reached 2000 career hits with a 3-for-4 performance in the Zephyr’s defeat at the hands of Cleveland.
July 10th – Omaha lost 1B Alfredo Bloom to a season ending broken elbow, the irony was that Bloom was injured playing in the All-Star game.
July 12th – Phoenix lost their only reliable pitcher to injury when John Gates (10-1, 4.26 ERA) suffered a ruptured disc ending his season.
July 14th – Tampa Bay LF Joe Scott suffered a torn back muscle putting an end to his season and denting the Hurricanes playoff ambitions.
July 15th – St. Louis ace Les Scott became the quickest player to reach 2500 career strikeouts with eight more in the Reds 8-4 victory over Indianapolis.
July 26th – in a move clearly designed to send a message to several of his disgruntled players, Austin GM Alberto Collazo Jr let them know who was in charge by trading 2043 first round pick LF Coy Benton to Kansas City for pitcher Jorge Cisneros.
July 27th – Phoenix’s star 1B Domingo Vargas struggled at the plate against Sanfrancisco going 0-for-4 and ending his 32-game hitting streak.
July 28th – Sanfrancisco packaged underperforming outfielder Dennis Brookes with relief pitcher Michael Hawkins and sent the pair to New York, receiving RF Jim Mailes and $2.2M in return.
July 29th – two more players fell victim to Alberto Collazo Jr’s point making exercise, LF Carlos Gonzalez and CF Paul Johnson, who found themselves traded to OKC for pitcher Peter Thomson.
August 6th – Indianapolis LF Allen Hood hit for the CYCLE, including the winning runs on a 3-RBI homerun, as the Racers edged past Charlotte 7-6.
August 12th – Philadelphia Catcher Sancho Guerra reached 1000 career RBI’s by collecting a pair in Philly’s 5-3 defeat to Washington.
August 20th – San Jose pitcher Javier Valencia was forced to the DL with shoulder tendonitis, with doctors recommending a four-week layoff it was likely the Spartans would shut him down for the year.
August 21st – Denver LF Daron Murphy blasted the 300th homerun of his career as the Wildcats dropped a close game against Dallas.
August 22nd – OKC RF Danny Wheeler carried the Outlaws to victory against New Orleans, he went 3-for-4 at the plate going deep three times and collecting 7-RBI’s as OKC edged the Blues 9-7.
August 24th – Baltimore RF Nick Brady’s season ended with an oblique strain serios enough to send him to the DL for the remainder of the campaign.
August 29th – Philadelphia 3B Ryan Pittman suffered a strained hamstring ruling him out for upto six weeks, making him a major doubt for the start of the playoffs.
September 1st – San Diego Catcher Nathan Hathaway blasted a 2-run walk-off homerun to lift the Mariners to a 3-1 victory over Sanfrancisco.
September 2nd – Hathaway was at it again, this time hitting a walk-off RBI single in the 13th to lift the Mariners over Sanfrancisco 2-1.
September 6th – Alexandre Cotovia hurled a PERFECT GAME striking out ten, as San Jose cruised past San Diego 8-0.
September 12th – Las Vegas 3B Joseph Floores suffered a hamstring injury forcing the Gamblers star to the DL and ending his frustrating campaign (his .238, 18 HR, 51 RBI’s were all career lows) and with Floores ticketed to be a free agent at the conclusion of the season, his return to Vegas was far from certain.
September 14th – Minneapolis RF Cisco Villegas (4-for-4, 2HR, 1 Grand-Slam, 8-RBI’s) carried the Bears to victory over Denver.
September 19th – Omaha pitcher McKenzie Ransford (10-11, 4.43 ERA) suffered a partially torn labrum bringing to an end the most disappointing season of his career.
September 22nd – Washington 3B Levi Bute scored the 1000th run of his career as the Generals held off Philadelphia 2-1.
September 23rd – San Jose Catcher Jorge Garcia blasted a trio of homeruns including a Grand-Slam as the Spartans won a shootout against Phoenix 13-10.
September 28th – Indianapolis star outfielder Allen Hood suffered a concussion when he collided with the outfield wall making a defensive play, despite claiming he was good-to-go Hood was placed on the DL whilst he cleared the league’s concussion protocol, if everything went to plan, he would return in time for the World Series (assuming the Racers could reach the fall classic).
September 29th – Indianapolis pitcher Cristobal Chapa earned the 200th win of his career, pitching just five innings as the Racers crushed Cleveland 16-3.

[JayW UK]

2044 Playoffs

Divisional Round

In the east, Indianapolis would face off against Philadelphia in what was expected to be an intriguing matchup while Detroit, making the first playoff appearance since 2030, had the unenviable task of facing heavily favoured Tampa Bay. Over in the west, Omaha (many peoples favourite for the World Series) would take on wildcard entry San Diego, whilst free scoring Phoenix drew Sanfrancisco with the Gold looking to avenge their 2041 WL pennant series defeat to the Eagles.

Philadelphia entered the series with Indianapolis with their powerful offense, excellent pitching and home advantage giving them the edge in most people’s eyes, whilst the Racers possessed only a middling offense, they did own an equally strong pitching staff anchored by their superb bullpen, and with plenty of recent big game experience they would be no pushovers. Game one went the way of the home team, in a tight pitching duel between Philadelphia’s J.R McDowell and Indy’s Jose Montoya the game was decided by solo homeruns from 2B Manuel Torres and LF Alfonso Sosa (against his former team) as the Independence edged past the Racers 2-0. The following night it was the turn of pitchers Mariano Rojo (PHI) and Cristobal Chapa (IND) to lock horns, both pitched well through six innings, but the wheels fell off for Rojo in the seventh, as he retired only single batter but surrendered five runs including 2-run blast by RF Doug Matthews which sparked the collapse. Cristobal Chapa and relievers Juan Cuesta and Ron Ready had no such drama, the trio kept Philly’s bats quiet as Indianapolis tied the series with a 6-1 victory. Game three in Indianapolis saw both offenses go ice cold, through the first thirteen innings of play the two teams combined for a total of ten baserunners but not one of them advanced beyond second base and the game remained tied at 0-0. Philadelphia put two men aboard to open the 14th but a double play and a fantastic diving catch from CF Rafael Cedeno kept them from scoring, Cedeno then lead off the bottom half of the inning with a single before stealing second, putting him in prime scoring position. A pair of weak groundouts threatened to send the game into a fifteenth inning but catcher Gabriel Lopez had other ideas, drilling a wayward Jorge Soto pitch over the head of Philly RF Julian Morin for a walk-off RBI single, sending the Racer fans wild with joy as Indianapolis edged into the series lead in dramatic style. Game four was another closely-fought battle, RF Julian Morin’s RBI-single put Philadelphia ahead early but Indianapolis answered courtesy of C Gabriel Lopez’s solo homerun. The game remained tied at one apiece until 1B Mitch Higgins blasted a solo homerun in the bottom of the eighth to edge the Racers into the lead, closer Lance Harris worked a flawless ninth to preserve the save and send Indianapolis onwards to their thirteenth ELCS appearance.

In the other eastern league divisional series, Tampa Bay with the EL’s top offense and #2 pitching staff were expected to comfortably see off a Detroit team that had surprised everybody by reaching the playoffs. Detroit’s first playoff game in fifteen years did not go as planned, starter Nate Maddox struggled early allowing four runs in his one inning of work, his replacement Luis Aleman fared little better allowing five more runs and leaving the Giants in a 9-0 hole after just three innings. Although Tampa Bay failed to add to the score for the rest of the game the damage had been done, four late runs gave the final 9-4 scoreline a measure of respectability but Detroit had been thoroughly outplayed in the series opener. The following evening the teams re-convened for game two, in a much closer contest the teams swapped early solo homeruns (1B Jorge Otero for TB and 3B Michael Boucher for Detroit) but on a night largely dominated by pitching and stellar defensive play neither team could take control and as a result the game drifted into extra innings. Despite a triple from lead-off man CF Tom Perkins to open the 10th, Detroit’s batters failed miserably leaving him stranded just 90 feet from home, Tampa Bay immediately made them pay when 3B Miguel Rosas lifted a Jimmy Arthur pitch over the left field wall to hand the hometown Hurricanes a narrow 2-1 walk-off victory. Game three was another tight pitching battle with both starters Saikaku Yoshida (TB) and Felipe Morales (DET) in sparkling form, Tampa Bay eventually edged past Detroit with an 8th inning homerun from C John Gibbs proving to be the difference in their hard-fought 2-1 series clinching win.

In the west the Sanfrancisco versus Phoenix series promised to be in interesting matchup, Sanfrancisco’s shutdown pitching staff would need to find a way to keep Phoenix’s powerhouse offense in check, while the Eagles league worst pitching was tasked with keeping Sanfrancisco’s below average offense quiet. The series would likely be won by the team who could find a way to prevail in these key matchups. Sanfrancisco starter Bryan Marburg dominated in game one, holding Phoenix to just three hits in seven shutout innings, a C Kent Blanton 2-run HR and 2B Jose Villalobos 2-RBI single provided the offense as Sanfrancisco built a four-run lead. In the eighth inning Phoenix proved just how dangerous they could be, plating three runs off reliever Alex Stevens to cut the lead to a single run but Remi Moreau closed the door, pitching a four-out save to give Sanfrancisco a narrow 4-3 win. Game two proved to be a pitching duel with both offenses surprisingly stymied for most of the night, two RBI-singles from RF Francisco Perez proved to enough for Sanfrancisco to emerge victorious as the Gold slipped past the Eagles 2-1. The Eagles Nest Stadium in Phoenix was the setting for game three and the two teams certainly enjoyed the change of scenery, combining for eighteen runs on twenty-six hits. Although C Oliver McKenzie and OF Bubba Meyer clubbed homeruns for Phoenix, it was Sanfrancisco LF Maximo Macias who had the last laugh, his eighth inning 3-run homerun gave the visitors the lead for good as the Gold clinched the series sweep with an 11-7 victory.

In the second WL division series, Omaha, the best all-round team in the west and World Series favourites were expected to comfortably handle a San Diego team making their first playoff appearance in twelve years (their last appearance ended with the Mariners swept aside by Las Vegas without scoring a single run in the series). With both teams boasting two of the best pitching staffs around the series would come down to who could take advantage of the few chances they would get, which gave Omaha (WL #2 offense) a significant advantage over San Diego and their league worst unit. Game one was as expected a pitching duel between Omaha’s Jacobie Harksdale and San Diego’s Francisco Sierra, entering the ninth inning San Diego held a slim 2-1 advantage and sent reliable closer Rob Kearton to the mound. After two quick outs Omaha 2B Tom Lockhart came to the plate and battled Kearton to a full count before, launching the ninth pitch of the at-bat deep into the stands to tie the game and send proceedings into extra innings, neither team could break through until PH Gonzalo Madrigal led off the bottom of the thirteenth with a solo homerun, to give Omaha a walk-off series opening victory. Game two followed a similar pattern with Kanko Ota (OMH) going toe-to-toe with Francisco Martinez (SD) in another tight pitching duel, once again San Diego sent Rob Kearton to the mound in the ninth this time with the scores tied, and just as the previous night he ran into trouble, this time surrendering a walk-off RBI single to C Luis Guerra to hand Omaha a dramatic 3-2 victory and 2-0 series lead. Game three back in San Diego saw both offenses wake up, hitting five homeruns between them (2B Tom Lockhart, C Luis Guerra and OF Alex Broberg for Omaha and C Nathan Hathaway and LF Jonah Covington for San Diego). But whereas all three of Omaha’s long balls were solo shots, both of the Mariners HR’s were 3-run blasts as San Diego stayed alive in the series with an 8-3 victory. Omaha’s bats failed to turn up again the following night, with Francisco Sierra going the distance in an impressive five-hit shutout as San Diego tied the series and set up a winner-takes all deciding game five. With all the momentum San Diego stormed into an early 3-0 lead in game five, Omaha though, were not about to roll over and dug deep to claw their way back into the game, cutting the lead to one entering the ninth inning. San Diego once again turned to Rob Kearton and just as he had in games one and two, he was found wanting in the biggest moment, surrendering a two-out 3-run walk-off homerun to 1B Carl Stokes to the break the hearts of San Diego fans everywhere and set up a WLCS clash with Sanfrancsico. Rob Kearton, San Diego’s usually reliable closer had a series to forget, playing in three games he blew two saves, was responsible for two losses and also walked away with an ERA of 15.00!!

[JayW UK]

2044 Playoffs

Championship Round

The 2044 EL Pennant series between Indianapolis and Tampa Bay was a repeat of the 2032 ELCS in which the Racers had overcome the Hurricanes in seven hard fought games, the 2044 series however was not expected to go the distance, with firm favourites Tampa Bay universally tipped to see off Indianapolis comfortably. Tampa Bay starter Mike Bradley was far from his best in game one, struggling through 4.1 innings of five run ball, Racers starter Cristobal Chapa had no such trouble, pitching six innings and surrendering only a solo homerun to LF Luis Flores as Indianapolis built a 7-1 lead, a late rally from Tampa against the league’s best relief corps gave the final 7-4 scoreline some respectability. After the disappointment of game one the hometown fans had something to cheer the following night as a strong pitching performance from Saikaku Yoshida (7.1 IP, 6H, 1ER, 8K) and an offensive explosion from catcher John Gibbs (3-for-3, 1HR, 4-RBI) lifted the Hurricanes to a series tying 5-2 victory. Game three back in Indianapolis proved to be an exciting one, both starters, Robert Woodruff (TB) and Jose Montoya (IND), pitched well keeping things tight through the opening six innings, Tampa Bay broke through in the seventh, back-to-back RBI-singles from CF Michael Sleigh and LF Johan Rademaker seeing the Hurricanes into a 2-0 lead. Indianapolis, not to be outdone tied the game in the home half before the visitors once again took the lead on 2B Guy Gilmore’s RBI-double in the eighth. But just as in the previous inning the Racers hit back, this time taking the lead on a SS David Evans 2-RBI double, Indianapolis sent star closer Lance Harris to the mound for the ninth looking to finish the job but with one out RF John Salazar drilled a 100mph fastball deep into the stands to tie the game and instantly quiet the Racer fans. Brandon Buck edged Tampa Bay ahead in the top of the tenth but once again Indianapolis tied the game with 3B Claudio DeLange providing the all-important hit, neither team found a way to score in the eleventh but with one out in the bottom of the twelfth Diego Torres (on pinch hit duties) squeezed a single through the infield bringing home CF Rafael Cedeno to give Indianapolis a dramatic 6-5 walk-off win. After the rollercoaster game the previous night game four was much less dramatic as a costly error by Tampa Bay starter Keith Kimball and homeruns from 1B Mitch Higgins and RF Doug Matthews helped carry Indianapolis to a comfortable 8-4 victory and leave the Racers on the verge of winning the series. The following night in front of a capacity crowd, Indianapolis CF Rafael Cedeno (5-for-5, 2B, HR, 3-RBI) proved to be the game-winner, his seventh inning 3-run homerun put the Racers on top for good, closer Lance Harris struckout 3B Jose Mendoza in emphatic style (with a pitch that clocked 102mph) to end the game and send the Racers on to a record eighth World Series appearance.

The WLCS saw Omaha take on Sanfrancisco in the first ever playoff meeting between the two clubs, both teams possessed strong pitching but Omaha had the edge on offense, and this coupled with the homefield advantage made the Braves favourites to win the series. Game one saw both aces take the mound (Jacobie Harksdale for Omaha and Bryan Marburg for Sanfrancisco) with the two men put on a pitching masterclass. One mistake from Harksdale (Kent Blanton’s 7th inning 2-RBI HR) cost Omaha the game as Marburg and Remi Moreau combined on a six-hit shutout to give Sanfrancisco the series opener. Omaha starter Russell Harris struggled early in game two, gifting Sanfrancisco a 4-0 lead after the opening frame and when he surrendered a 2-run homerun to RF Jim Mailes in the fourth his night was over. Sanfrancisco starter George Buchanan in contrast pitched serenely through seven innings of one-run ball before handing over to the bullpen, Anthony Wilson wobbled his way through the eighth giving up two more and Alex Stevens began the ninth by surrendering a monster 2-run homerun to Luis Guerra cutting the Gold’s lead to a single run, but with Remi Moreau taking the mound that gap proved too much to bridge as Sanfrancisco held on to take the game 6-5. With Sanfrancisco in a strong position in the series (2-0 ahead with the next three games at home), Omaha needed a reaction to save their season, and a reaction they certainly got. Game three was over almost as soon as it began, SF starter Robert Williams got ambushed early, giving up homers to Sergio Romo, Alex Broberg and Michael Hoover in a disastrous 7-run first inning, the Gold batting lineup never got much of a comeback going, only managing a couple of late runs as Omaha cruised to an 8-2 victory. The following night it was Sanfrancisco’s turn to get hot, taking Octavio Diaz deep three times as they built a 7-1 lead after six innings, although Omaha did plate score two runs in the eighth, they could not mount a serious rally and succumbed to a 7-3 defeat leaving Sanfrancisco one win away from the World Series. Game five saw Jacobie Harksdale and Bryan Marburg back on the mound and in a typically tight encounter neither man gave an inch, with the score tied at two in the seventh and with Harksdale’s pitch count rising, Kees Van Heijbeeck entered the game. The move proved to be the undoing of the Braves, RF Francisco Perez, 1B Jesus Diaz and CF Carl Crawford all hit homeruns for Sanfrancisco as the Gold pulled away to win the game 6-2 and take the series 4-1.

[JayW UK]

2044 Playoffs

World Series

The World Series saw Indianapolis, making a record eighth appearance, take on Sanfrancisco whose only other appearance was way back in 2017. Both teams possessed top-notch pitching but just middle of the road offenses meaning runs would be at a premium. On the eve of the series Indianapolis received a boost welcoming star LF Allen Hood back from injury. Against all expectations, game one was a shootout from start to finish, from the moment C Kent Blanton clubbed a first inning homerun Sanfrancisco never trailed, although Indianapolis tied the game on several occasions, they could not find a way to get ahead, eventually falling to a narrow 8-7 defeat. Game two started in much the same way as the series opener, with Sanfrancisco hitting the front in the second inning courtesy of 2B Tom Carter’s 2-RBI double and just as the previous evening Indianapolis could not find a way to take the lead. Star LF Allen Hood made his first big contribution of the series for Indianapolis in the seventh inning, belting a massive 3-run HR to tie the game, but next inning Sanfrancisco edged ahead once again on RF Francisco Perez’s RBI-single. Indianapolis looked to be in prime position to tie the series in the ninth, loading the bases with star LF Allen hood at the plate, but Sanfrancisco closer Remi Moreau had other ideas enticing Hood to hit into a game-ending double play to preserve the Sanfrancisco win and collect his second save of the series. Two nights later in Sanfrancisco the teams resumed battle, both starters, Sanfrancisco’s Bryan Marburg (8.0, 3H, 1ER, 0BB 12K) and Racers ace Cristobal Chapa (7.0IP, 2H, 1ER, 2BB, 11K) were superb, but a sloppy outing from Indianapolis reliever Juan Cuesta allowed Sanfrancisco to forge ahead. An equally messy performance from Sanfrancisco’s Alex Stevens allowed Indianapolis to cut the lead to 4-3 before closer Remi Moreau was called upon to save the day, again Moreau proved equal to the task taking just seven pitches to collect his third save of the series as Sanfrancisco took a commanding 3-0 lead. The teams took the field the following evening with Indianapolis needing to win to keep their season alive, knowing there were no second chances veteran catcher Eduardo Moreno, playing in his seventh World Series (1x for Chicago and 5x for Boston) got the Racers off to a dream start, clubbing a loose Sean O’Lannigan pitch deep into the stands to give Indianapolis an early 2-0 lead. Not to be outdone Sanfrancisco RF Francisco Perez launched a 2-run shot of his own to tie the scores after two innings of play, Indianapolis edged ahead scoring runs in the fifth and sixth innings to lead 4-2 before Jesus Sutton took the mound for the Racers in the seventh. Sutton ran into trouble immediately, surrendering a homerun to Francisco Perez (his second of the night) and three batters later, a 2-RBI double to LF Maximo Macias to turn the game on its head. Leading 5-4 Sanfrancisco turned the game over to closer Remi Moreau and despite putting a man aboard to open the ninth, Moreau came through to claim his fourth save of the series as Sanfrancisco were named World Champions for the second time in their history. With the series sweep Sanfrancisco became the fifth team to win a World Series by blanking their opponents (the first since 2034 when San Jose had blown Chicago away), ironically it was the third sweep that Indianapolis had been involved in, winning against Dallas in 2030 but losing to the same opponents two years later.

2044 Playoff Recap

Divisional Series
EL: Indianapolis 3-1 Philadelphia, Tampa Bay 3-0 Detroit
WL: Omaha 3-2 San Diego, Sanfrancisco 3-0 Phoenix
Championship Series
EL: Indianapolis 4-1 Tampa Bay
WL: Sanfrancisco 4-1 Omaha
World Series
Sanfrancisco 4-0 Indianapolis