USBA 10th Anniversary Champion

LivnLegend · 10-01-2004, 02:23 AM

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<div align="center"><img src="http://www.usba.ootp-online.com/images/boston.gif" width="113" height="113" border="0" align="absmiddle"><b><font size="4" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">
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<div align="center"><font face="verdana" size="1" color="#000000">Boston
Pilgrims are looking for their second straight title and
3rd in 4 years!</font></div>
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<div align="center"><b><font size="6" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><font size="7">VS</font></font></b></div>
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<div align="center"><img src="http://www.usba.ootp-leagues.com/images/detroit.gif" width="113" height="113" border="0" align="absmiddle"></div>
<div align="center"><font face="verdana" size="1" color="#000000">Detroit
Sparkplugs advanced to their first Championship after making the playoffs each of the past four year.</font></div>
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The United States Baseball Association has been celebrating its 10th season as a fictional online league in the OOTP universe. The league was formed with 20 teams back in early 2002. The league expanded to 24 teams in its third season and we've never looked back! One way the league celebrated its heritage is by creating a 10th Anniversary All-Decade team.

Stability has been the key in the USBA. Of the 20 original owners, 15 were still involved with the USBA during the 10th season. Counting the four expansion owners who joined in year three, 19 of the 24 current owners have been with the league for the past 7+ seasons. It's an amazing feat of continuity and I have the greatest group of online owners to thank for it.

We recently crowned out 10th Anniversary Champion as well. You can read about it here...

<b>DEHAVEN & JOHNSON SPARK DETROIT TO GAME ONE VICTORY</b><br>

<p>Pitcher Maurice DeHaven pitched 6 innings of no-hit ball in the
opening game of the USBA Championship. He finished with 7 1/3 shutout
innings (2 hits allowed) while second baseman Bill Johnson drove
in two runs to help the Sparkplugs overcome a masterful pitching
performance by Boston's Sandy Pacifco for a 3-0 win in Detroit.
</p>

<p>Pacifico pitched 7 innings, allowed 5 hits and no walks while striking
out 9. The Pilgrims managed just two hits against three Detroit
pitchers.</p>
<p>The Sparkplugs scored in the second inning after Johnson reached
on an error by first baseman PJ Sparx. With two outs, second baseman
Richard Sealy's double brought Johnson home for the game's first
run. Detroit scored two more in the third inning. Jeremy Ellis doubled.
Pacifico hit Sal Granado with a pitch to put runners on first and
second. Johnson followed with his double, scoring both runners for
a 3-0 lead that would stand as the final score.</p>
<p>Pacifico is the USBA's winningest playoff pitcher with 12 career
wins in postseason play.

LivnLegend · 10-01-2004, 02:25 AM

GAME 2 -- ELLIS POWERS EXTRA INNING WIN

DETROIT MOVES TO 2-0 SERIES LEAD

Jeremy Ellis homered off of Boston's Elija Mohammad in the 11th inning of Game 2, giving the Sparkplugs a 2-1 win. For the second night in a row both starters were on top of their game and the hitters. Detroit's Alvin DeMasi scattered 3 hits, allowing just one run in 7 1/3 innings while Boston veteran Nick Rolston gave up just one run in 7 innings on 4 hits. The only run Rolston allowed was Sal Granado's 2nd inning home run.
Boston manager Tom Seaver decided before the series to utilize a three man rotation, pushing 15 game winner Mohammad to the pen. Mohammad pitched the 10th for Boston and allowed a harmless single to Scott Costa. However, Ellis led off the bottom of the 11th against Mohammad with 389-foot wallop to deep right field for the game winner.

GAME 3 -- FIRST INNING ALL DETROIT NEEDS IN 4-3 WIN

Detroit scored four runs in the first inning off of Boston starter Derek Lowenstien and held on to win 4-3 in the third game of the USBA Championship. Bill Johnson's three-run homer was the big blow. His blast came with Jeremy Ellis and Sal Granado aboard.
The win puts Detroit just one win away from their first USBA Championship and puts Boston in desperation mode.

After the first inning Lowenstein pitched well. He surrendered just two hits and did not allow a run through the next 6 innings. Meanwhile, the Pilgrims attempted to chip away at the lead, beginning in their half of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Toju Shino singled and stole second. Kelton Tucker followed with an RBI single. William Boudreau hit a fly ball to center, which was dropped by Granado, allowing Tucker to reach third. One out later, PJ Sparx hit a scoring fly ball to cut the Detroit lead to 4-2.

In the 7th inning, Barney Souza doubled and Tucker singled him home. This would be the last run of the game. Detroit starter James Cupps went 7 1/3 innings, allowing 6 hits with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts. Cupps earned his first postseason victory while Thomas Strand earned his first save in 31 career postseason appearances.

"We're in the driver's seat," said Detroit manager Bob Eucker. "Nothing is over but I'd rather be in this position than the opposite."

GAME 4 -- PILGRIMS STAVE OFF ELIMINATION, 4-1

The Pilgrims utilized timely hitting and masterful pitching from Sandy Pacifico to stay alive in the USBA Championship, beating Javier Garcia and the Detroit Sparkplugs 4-1.

Pacifico allowed just 4 hits and 1 run in 7 innings pitched. He did not walk a batter and struck out 9.

Second baseman Toju Shino, who set a USBA record with 254 hits this season, had three hits in the game, with one being an RBI double. He also scored two of the Pilgrims runs.

"This is one we had to have," said Shino after the game. "Our work is only beginning because now we have to go back and win in Detroit."

The Sparkplugs scored first in the game on Scott Costa's sacrifice fly in the third inning. However, Boston struck back in the 6th for one run and took the lead on Sam Krupps RBI single in the 7th. Shino followed with his double for an insurance run. Miguel Vitagliano followed with a single to score Shino to cap the scoring.

Elijah Mohammad, the loser in Game 1, came back to pitch a scoreless 9th for the save.

LivnLegend · 10-01-2004, 02:26 AM

GAME 5

The Detroit Sparkplugs won their first USBA Championship in on Tuesday, beating Boston 4 games to 1. They Sparkplugs beat the Pilgrims in convincing fashion, winning the final game 8-2. First baseman Donald Eidson led the attack with a home run and three RBI while third sacker Jeremy Ellis added three more RBI. Starting pitcher Maurice DeHaven helped his own cause with a 2-RBI double in the 4th off of loser Nick Rolston.
Series MVP DeHaven won his second game of the Championship, pitching 6 2/3 innings and allowing just 2 runs. For the series he was 2-0 with 14 IP, 2 runs allowed, surrendering just 1 walk while striking out 17 batters.

Boston was able to collect 10 hits off of the three Detroit pitchers but their only runs came in the 7th when Toju Shino doubled home two. At that point, it made the score 6-2 and Boston never came any closer.

The Detroit players swarmed the field after the final out. After William Boudreau lined out to Jeremy Ellis, the Sparkplugs players piled on the pitchers mound in celebration.

"This was amazing," said Ellis, who has played his entire career with the franchise, beginning in 1985, the first year of the USBA. "This was the culmination of a lot of hard work and a lot of years of getting close but not close enough! This makes it all worth it!"

Congratulations to Detroit and Herb DeSpain on winning the 1994 USBA Championship!!

dougaiton · 10-01-2004, 06:14 AM

Great read, LL, and I should hope so too, considering the quaility of that league. I hope to read the 20th Anniversary reports with similar gusto in the semi-near future!

treedom · 10-01-2004, 08:09 AM

Tough luck, Sean.

Congrats other guy who I don't know.

Delgadodawg · 10-01-2004, 12:45 PM

Yeah It was actually a very close series for 5 games.

Detriot deserved it, they have put together a great team and they have had some tough luck in past playoffs.

The USBA is a fantastic league with a great commish....I have spent way too many hours pouring over stats, stressing about my lineups and writing articles for over the past couple of years, but it definitely has been worth it.

Hopefully the next 10 seasons will be just as good!
Thanks Scott.

sporr · 10-01-2004, 12:53 PM

Congrats Detroit! Though not an original owner, I have been in the league for many seasons. It's a great group of owners, that's for sure.

Dagrims · 10-01-2004, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delgadodawg

Detriot deserved it,

This is one of the best typos ever in relation to sports.

Delgadodawg · 10-02-2004, 01:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dagrims

This is one of the best typos ever in relation to sports.

oops ... That or I am just bitter that I lost.

LivnLegend · 10-02-2004, 02:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dougaiton

Great read, LL, and I should hope so too, considering the quaility of that league. I hope to read the 20th Anniversary reports with similar gusto in the semi-near future!

Thanks Doug! I hope so as well!

DHS23 · 10-02-2004, 03:22 AM

Man, those Modesto A's players mugshots are all over the place now. One guy that's been with them the past three years, and one that was there a year ago.

HerbD · 10-02-2004, 10:55 AM

Another great USBA season in the books....can't wait to get started on 1995! Thanks for 10 fantastic seasons to Scott and the rest of teh USBA crew!

Cue Queen's Greatest hits:

We are the champions...

We are the champions...

We are the champions...of the world!

10-01-2004, 02:23 AM	#1 (permalink)
LivnLegend Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Hunters Ridge, CA Posts: 5,530 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1x in 1 post	USBA 10th Anniversary Champion <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" dwcopytype="CopyTableRow" height="113"> <br> <tr> <br> <td width="33%" height="115"> <div align="center"><img src="http://www.usba.ootp-online.com/images/boston.gif" width="113" height="113" border="0" align="absmiddle"><b><font size="4" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> </font></b></div> <div align="center"><font face="verdana" size="1" color="#000000">Boston Pilgrims are looking for their second straight title and 3rd in 4 years!</font></div> </td> <td width="20%" height="115"> <div align="center"><b><font size="6" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><font size="7">VS</font></font></b></div> </td> <td width="33%" height="113"> <div align="center"><img src="http://www.usba.ootp-leagues.com/images/detroit.gif" width="113" height="113" border="0" align="absmiddle"></div> <div align="center"><font face="verdana" size="1" color="#000000">Detroit Sparkplugs advanced to their first Championship after making the playoffs each of the past four year.</font></div> </td> </tr> </table> The United States Baseball Association has been celebrating its 10th season as a fictional online league in the OOTP universe. The league was formed with 20 teams back in early 2002. The league expanded to 24 teams in its third season and we've never looked back! One way the league celebrated its heritage is by creating a 10th Anniversary All-Decade team. Stability has been the key in the USBA. Of the 20 original owners, 15 were still involved with the USBA during the 10th season. Counting the four expansion owners who joined in year three, 19 of the 24 current owners have been with the league for the past 7+ seasons. It's an amazing feat of continuity and I have the greatest group of online owners to thank for it. We recently crowned out 10th Anniversary Champion as well. You can read about it here... <b>DEHAVEN & JOHNSON SPARK DETROIT TO GAME ONE VICTORY</b><br> <p>Pitcher Maurice DeHaven pitched 6 innings of no-hit ball in the opening game of the USBA Championship. He finished with 7 1/3 shutout innings (2 hits allowed) while second baseman Bill Johnson drove in two runs to help the Sparkplugs overcome a masterful pitching performance by Boston's Sandy Pacifco for a 3-0 win in Detroit. </p> <p>Pacifico pitched 7 innings, allowed 5 hits and no walks while striking out 9. The Pilgrims managed just two hits against three Detroit pitchers.</p> <p>The Sparkplugs scored in the second inning after Johnson reached on an error by first baseman PJ Sparx. With two outs, second baseman Richard Sealy's double brought Johnson home for the game's first run. Detroit scored two more in the third inning. Jeremy Ellis doubled. Pacifico hit Sal Granado with a pitch to put runners on first and second. Johnson followed with his double, scoring both runners for a 3-0 lead that would stand as the final score.</p> <p>Pacifico is the USBA's winningest playoff pitcher with 12 career wins in postseason play. __________________ 1977 Dodgers MLB Replay - A replay of the '77 Dodger season, managing each game individually Pastoral Baseball Union - An 1800's Dynasty I'm going back to where I started. I'm flashing back into my pan.

10-01-2004, 02:25 AM	#2 (permalink)
LivnLegend Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Hunters Ridge, CA Posts: 5,530 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1x in 1 post	GAME 2 -- ELLIS POWERS EXTRA INNING WIN DETROIT MOVES TO 2-0 SERIES LEAD Jeremy Ellis homered off of Boston's Elija Mohammad in the 11th inning of Game 2, giving the Sparkplugs a 2-1 win. For the second night in a row both starters were on top of their game and the hitters. Detroit's Alvin DeMasi scattered 3 hits, allowing just one run in 7 1/3 innings while Boston veteran Nick Rolston gave up just one run in 7 innings on 4 hits. The only run Rolston allowed was Sal Granado's 2nd inning home run. Boston manager Tom Seaver decided before the series to utilize a three man rotation, pushing 15 game winner Mohammad to the pen. Mohammad pitched the 10th for Boston and allowed a harmless single to Scott Costa. However, Ellis led off the bottom of the 11th against Mohammad with 389-foot wallop to deep right field for the game winner. GAME 3 -- FIRST INNING ALL DETROIT NEEDS IN 4-3 WIN Detroit scored four runs in the first inning off of Boston starter Derek Lowenstien and held on to win 4-3 in the third game of the USBA Championship. Bill Johnson's three-run homer was the big blow. His blast came with Jeremy Ellis and Sal Granado aboard. The win puts Detroit just one win away from their first USBA Championship and puts Boston in desperation mode. After the first inning Lowenstein pitched well. He surrendered just two hits and did not allow a run through the next 6 innings. Meanwhile, the Pilgrims attempted to chip away at the lead, beginning in their half of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Toju Shino singled and stole second. Kelton Tucker followed with an RBI single. William Boudreau hit a fly ball to center, which was dropped by Granado, allowing Tucker to reach third. One out later, PJ Sparx hit a scoring fly ball to cut the Detroit lead to 4-2. In the 7th inning, Barney Souza doubled and Tucker singled him home. This would be the last run of the game. Detroit starter James Cupps went 7 1/3 innings, allowing 6 hits with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts. Cupps earned his first postseason victory while Thomas Strand earned his first save in 31 career postseason appearances. "We're in the driver's seat," said Detroit manager Bob Eucker. "Nothing is over but I'd rather be in this position than the opposite." GAME 4 -- PILGRIMS STAVE OFF ELIMINATION, 4-1 The Pilgrims utilized timely hitting and masterful pitching from Sandy Pacifico to stay alive in the USBA Championship, beating Javier Garcia and the Detroit Sparkplugs 4-1. Pacifico allowed just 4 hits and 1 run in 7 innings pitched. He did not walk a batter and struck out 9. Second baseman Toju Shino, who set a USBA record with 254 hits this season, had three hits in the game, with one being an RBI double. He also scored two of the Pilgrims runs. "This is one we had to have," said Shino after the game. "Our work is only beginning because now we have to go back and win in Detroit." The Sparkplugs scored first in the game on Scott Costa's sacrifice fly in the third inning. However, Boston struck back in the 6th for one run and took the lead on Sam Krupps RBI single in the 7th. Shino followed with his double for an insurance run. Miguel Vitagliano followed with a single to score Shino to cap the scoring. Elijah Mohammad, the loser in Game 1, came back to pitch a scoreless 9th for the save. __________________ 1977 Dodgers MLB Replay - A replay of the '77 Dodger season, managing each game individually Pastoral Baseball Union - An 1800's Dynasty I'm going back to where I started. I'm flashing back into my pan.

10-01-2004, 02:26 AM	#3 (permalink)
LivnLegend Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Hunters Ridge, CA Posts: 5,530 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1x in 1 post	GAME 5 The Detroit Sparkplugs won their first USBA Championship in on Tuesday, beating Boston 4 games to 1. They Sparkplugs beat the Pilgrims in convincing fashion, winning the final game 8-2. First baseman Donald Eidson led the attack with a home run and three RBI while third sacker Jeremy Ellis added three more RBI. Starting pitcher Maurice DeHaven helped his own cause with a 2-RBI double in the 4th off of loser Nick Rolston. Series MVP DeHaven won his second game of the Championship, pitching 6 2/3 innings and allowing just 2 runs. For the series he was 2-0 with 14 IP, 2 runs allowed, surrendering just 1 walk while striking out 17 batters. Boston was able to collect 10 hits off of the three Detroit pitchers but their only runs came in the 7th when Toju Shino doubled home two. At that point, it made the score 6-2 and Boston never came any closer. The Detroit players swarmed the field after the final out. After William Boudreau lined out to Jeremy Ellis, the Sparkplugs players piled on the pitchers mound in celebration. "This was amazing," said Ellis, who has played his entire career with the franchise, beginning in 1985, the first year of the USBA. "This was the culmination of a lot of hard work and a lot of years of getting close but not close enough! This makes it all worth it!" Congratulations to Detroit and Herb DeSpain on winning the 1994 USBA Championship!! __________________ 1977 Dodgers MLB Replay - A replay of the '77 Dodger season, managing each game individually Pastoral Baseball Union - An 1800's Dynasty I'm going back to where I started. I'm flashing back into my pan.

10-01-2004, 06:14 AM	#4 (permalink)
dougaiton Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Location: Posts: 3,411 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 posts	Great read, LL, and I should hope so too, considering the quaility of that league. I hope to read the 20th Anniversary reports with similar gusto in the semi-near future! __________________ tThis shower of clowns My park-adjusted, historically split Born in '69 league file! (also at Joe's wonderful site +BBSC)

10-01-2004, 08:09 AM	#5 (permalink)
treedom Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Transylvania Posts: 2,892 Thanks: 5 Thanked 7x in 5 posts	Tough luck, Sean. Congrats other guy who I don't know. __________________ A rake and a roustabout.

10-01-2004, 12:45 PM	#6 (permalink)
Delgadodawg All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Vancouver Posts: 782 Thanks: 1 Thanked 3x in 3 posts	Yeah It was actually a very close series for 5 games. Detriot deserved it, they have put together a great team and they have had some tough luck in past playoffs. The USBA is a fantastic league with a great commish....I have spent way too many hours pouring over stats, stressing about my lineups and writing articles for over the past couple of years, but it definitely has been worth it. Hopefully the next 10 seasons will be just as good! Thanks Scott.

10-01-2004, 12:53 PM	#7 (permalink)
sporr Global Moderator Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Muscatine, IA Posts: 8,275 Thanks: 2 Thanked 35x in 2 posts	Congrats Detroit! Though not an original owner, I have been in the league for many seasons. It's a great group of owners, that's for sure. __________________ Baseball Maelstrom - Commish/ St Louis Cardinals USBA - Las Vegas Scorpions

10-02-2004, 03:22 AM	#11 (permalink)
DHS23 All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Modesto, CA Posts: 505 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 posts	Man, those Modesto A's players mugshots are all over the place now. One guy that's been with them the past three years, and one that was there a year ago.

10-02-2004, 10:55 AM	#12 (permalink)
HerbD Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Indiana Posts: 315 Thanks: 14 Thanked 19x in 15 posts	Another great USBA season in the books....can't wait to get started on 1995! Thanks for 10 fantastic seasons to Scott and the rest of teh USBA crew! Cue Queen's Greatest hits: We are the champions... We are the champions... We are the champions...of the world!

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