Full Count

With all that's been going on, I know I planned on writing in-depth articles about my current baseball projects, but to get things done for my Boys of Summer APBA Baseball League, and other responsibilities to other leagues that I participate in. I will have to give brief updates on all, right here & right now. Eventually, I will finish my 2014 BoS World Series coverage -- since I need to update the league sit as well.

I literally feel like Dave Bergman at the plate in 1984 during a key at-bat in the season, against Roy Lee Jackson & the Toronto Blue Jays who were starting to gnaw away at the division lead for the Tigers. His epic 13 pitch at-bat, resulted in a walk-off three-run HR in the bottom of the 10th --- I'm currently still fouling off pitches with a full count, still looking to hit it out of the park, like he did.

Once I get the new 2015 BoS Season rolling, than I will feel like I can round the bases.

So first things, first....

The 2014 BoS World Series

We left off with the Fairgrove Tigers leading the series, 2-0 after the first two games. The Portland Microbrewers are in their second consecutive World Series; both teams trying to win their first championship.

In Game 3, with Portland now traveling to Fairgrove -- Portland's Anibal Sanchez did his best to try and keep the Brewers in the game; He went 7.1 innings, allowing only 2 hits, 1 ER, 1 BB with 10 strikeouts. The Tigers' pinch-hitter, rookie Khris Davis would hit a pinch-hit HR in the bottom of the 8th off of reliever Tony Watson. Joe Nathan would come in for his 2nd save of the series, winning the game 2-1.

With a commanding 3-0 series lead, the Microbrewers find their backs to the wall. Portland sends Cliff Lee to face the Tigers' Mat Latos in Game 4; Both starting pitchers got rocked -- Portland would pull away with 5 runs in the last three innings to win, 11-6. Juan Uribe was the hero for Portland, going 4-for-5, with 4 RBI & 2 runs, with a double -- Only two Brewers in the lineup didn't collect a hit, as Portland put 12 hits on the board.


Portland selected Bartolo Colon to start Game 5 against Madison Bumgarner, who has been unstoppable during these playoffs -- one of the best playoff performances for a pitcher in this league's young history, possible best ever to this point (Art imitating real life). But tonight, "Mad Bum" just didn't have it, got rocked allowing 7 ER, 6 hits & 4 walks in only 5.2 innings. Bartolo got touched up early, allowing 3 runs in the first 4 innings, and then settled down -- he would go the distance, as the Brew Crew's offense went off for a second consecutive game, with 5 runs in the top of the 6th & 7 runs in the top of the 8th. Portland wins again, 14-3, and have outscored Fairgrove 25-9, the last two games for a combined 27 hits in those two games.

Freeman continues to make Post-Season history in the BoS.

Talking about playoff history in the BoS, Freddie Freeman seems to live for this time of season as well, he had a historic post-season in the 2013 BoS Postseason, with 8 HR's! He ended up smacking two homers in this one (including a Grand Slam), going 3-for-5, with 6 RBI & 3 runs. I can definitely say he is our all-time leader in HR's for the post-season, in two years of existence.

Portland down 3-0, has now won two straight & forced a Game 6, playing in front of their home crowd again, the city of Portland was abuzz. But it wasn't mean't to be, Paul Goldschmidt would hit his 3rd HR of the series for Fairgrove, a two-run HR, that gave the Tigers, a 3-0 lead. Jarred Cosart was excellent, allowing only 2 hits, on no runs through 8 innings (although he allowed 4 walks). Joe Nathan would seal down the hatch, as the Tigers win their first BoS World Title on enemy territory. Hisashi Iwakuma got the loss for the Brewers, as Portland will try and get back here a third consecutive season, next year.

The 2014 BoS World Champions patch for the Fairgrove Tigers.

The 2007 DETROIT TIGERS Replay

Things have not been great of late for the 2007 Detroit Tigers in my replay, we were coming off a huge high in the first half of the season. The Tigers were 53-33, 5 games ahead of the Cleveland Indians in the standings for the A.L. Central -- We were only one game ahead of the real season pace, but we have played better against Cleveland than in real life, up to this point; We are also coming off a 19-7 month of June, after a so-so May.

We were 49-30 entering July, 3 games ahead of pace. We kicked off July by losing our finale to the Minnesota Twins, 2-1, we blew the first game of that series, so we should have not lost that series, 2-1. The Twins are now at that point, 6-3 against us. We would win our Cleveland series, 2-1 & Boston Red Sox series, 2-1 -- So plenty of reasons to be excited at the All-Star Break at 53-33. 

Magglio Ordonez (.400 ALERT) was batting .397, 23 HR & 71 RBI with a 1.182 OPS! While Gary Sheffield is on pace to make the 40/40 club at age 38. 

Then came the start of the second half for the Tigers. We had the first game get away from us on the road in Seattle, losing 4-3 -- We would win the next two, but lose the series closer; a series 2-2 split with the Seattle Mariners, who were 2.5 games behind the Los Angeles Angels in the A.L. West at the break. 

Bonderman has been lights out for the 2007 Tigers.

We would go on to lose a heart-breaker of a series against the Minnesota Twinkies once again, who now have a 8-4 record against us. Game 1 of that series, we lost in extras. We have now gone to extras against the Twins, 4 times in our 12 contests, with the Twins winning three of those. 

So we've been on the road for 7 games, and get to host the Kansas City Royals for a three-game showdown -- it's good to be home, right? Nope. I don't know if we were rusty from the road, we didn't show up in Game 1, we would win Game 2, and then Mark Grudzielanek once again destroyed us in Game 3; He has single-handily destroyed me this season.

Now we go on the road for 11 consecutive games, after being on the road, 7 of our previous 10 games, making that 18 road games in our first 21 post All-Star Break games. Our next opponents are the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels & Oakland Athletics. 

By the way, Ordonez has cooled off to .387, 25 HR & 78 RBI & 1.159 OPS through 96 games. Jeremy Bonderman has over-achieved, and is 12-2, with a 3.34 ERA & 78 K's in 118.2 innings -- He is coming off back-to-back shutouts against the Mariners & Twins. He is up against the White Sox in Game 2 of this up-coming series.

So that was just the latest on two of my projects, more to come...