[Jazzmosis]

After an extended absence, I'm trying something a little different here...

So, we all love the playoffs, right? Well, I've decided to take that idea and play the manager in that situation only. In my newly created Great Lakes League, a 20 team baseball league that is centred around the Great Lakes area, I will run each team as a CPU-controlled for the regular season - and when the playoff picture is formed, I will pick a team and try and win the series with them. After all, they all say the real manager comes out in the playoffs. The league is broken down into two Leagues... a Southeast league and a Northwest league.

Each of these leagues have two divisions, with 5 teams in each. The breakdown follows as such:

Southeast League
Ontario Division
Hamilton
Kingston
Kitchener
London
Toronto

Erie Division
Buffalo
Cleveland
Erie
Rochester
Toledo

Northwest League
Huron Division
Battle Creek
Detroit
Grand Rapids
Saginaw
Windsor

Superior & Michigan Division
Chicago
Duluth
Green Bay
Milwaukee
Winnipeg

The league has a 110 game schedule, with a two-round playoff structure of 7 games each. There's a full minor leagues and salaries and rosters are all enabled - a salary cap of 60 million is in place, in an attempt to make it as close to realistic as the size of the cities the teams are located in.

Although I'll be focusing on the playoffs, I'm hoping that the writing will give a good general impression of the entire league. With any luck, a dynasty will emerge and make for interesting stories.

Hope you read and enjoy - this is an idea I've been considering for a long while and thought it would be a good way to get back into the forums after Mark Jazzington's career story ended (cause my computer was formatted unknowingly and I lost a full season of the league).

[Jazzmosis]

Well, after the initial season completed, each division saw the playoff picture go down to the final two games, which the exception of one division - the Ontario.

After stumbling out of the gate, London made a late season surge and tied Kitchener for the division on the final day, forcing a one game playoff - a fantastic beginning for a new league that was looking to attract new fans. The strong road warriors from Kitchener matched well against London, who marched out the number 1 overall pick in the league draft, Cedric Cedeno - a fireballer that lead the league in K's. After jumping out to an early 5-1 lead, London looked to cruise into the playoffs - but Kitchener came alive in the late innings and made it a one-run game before the setup man Esteban Guzman managed to get the final out and send London into a first round matchup against Erie's winner, Toledo.

In the Northwest league, Grand Rapids played solid ball all year and took the Huron division by two games, lead in large part by strong pitching by two innings-eaters, George Ivie and Jame Lampe, the top two IP guys in the league - and with Lampe's devastating changeup, his 247 K's lead both leagues. The Superior and Michigan division had Minnesota's only team, the underdog Duluth overcome a horrible first two months that saw them in last and 8 games out and finish tied with Grand Rapids for the best record of the GLL at 62-48. They match well against any opponent, with the best pitching in the league and a very balanced offense.

Round 1 (Lake Series) breakdown:
Duluth vs Grand Rapids

Duluth: 62-48

Batting AVG: .242 (17th)
Homeruns: 123 (6th)
Walks: 331 (4th)
Stolen Bases: 85 (5th)
Runs Scored: 502 (4th)

Pitching ERA: 3.55 (2nd)
Opponents AVG: .234 (3rd)
HRs Allowed: 108 (4th)
Walks Allowed: 282 (2nd)
Runs Allowed: 449 (5th)

Difference Maker: SP Manuel Depaz, 14-5 record, 2.16 ERA, 166 IP, 147 K, 1.01 WHIP and undisputed ace of the team.

Grand Rapids: 62-48

Batting AVG: .245 (15th)
Homeruns: 112 (13th)
Walks: 267 (20th)
Stolen Bases: 86 (3rd)
Runs Scored: 460 (16th)

Pitching ERA: 3.63 (4th)
Opponents AVG: .230 (1st)
HRs Allowed: 98 (2nd)
Walks Allowed: 293 (T-6th)
Runs Allowed: 417 (1st)

Difference maker: SP James Lampe, 14-9 record, 2.80 ERA, 170.1 IP, 247Ks, 0.95 ERA

London vs. Toledo

London: 60-51 (1 game playoff)

Batting AVG: .249 (11th)
Homeruns: 123 (T-6th)
Walks: 268 (19th)
Stolen Bases: 84 (7th)
Runs Scored: 500 (T-6th)

Pitching ERA: 4.02 (11th)
Opponents AVG: .240 (4th)
HRs Allowed: 120 (T-13th)
Walks Allowed: 375 (20th)
Runs Allowed: 488 (10th)

Difference maker: RF Don Carroll, .275 average, .343 OBP, 41 SBs, 91% success rate in SBs.

Toledo: 58-52

Batting AVG: .253 (7th)
Homeruns: 102 (18th)
Walks: 352 (3rd)
Stolen Bases: 104 (2nd)
Runs Scored: 501 (5th)

Pitching ERA: 4.09 (14th)
Opponents AVG: .254 (14th)
HRs Allowed: 106 (3rd)
Walks Allowed: 304 (9th)
Runs Allowed: 499 (14th)

Difference maker: SS Brian Jimerson, .326 average, .435 OBP, .971 OPS. 64BBs in 328 ABs.

For this playoffs I'll be running Duluth. They were the very last team I added to the league and I was secretly hoping they'd make it - primarily because before I created this league I didn't even know Duluth existed. I was very tempted to take control of London since that's my home town, but I'd feel too much like a homer. So in the Lake series, a best of 7 playoff, we'll see if I've got the playoff clutch.

[Jazzmosis]

It was a hot evening in Grand Rapids, and the sun was still blazing in the August sky. I wiped the sweat from my brow and grabbed some more chewing tobacco, sticking a large piece behind my lip. I nervously paced up and down the dugout, looking at the assembled team of young men that made up the Duluth Express. It was a collection of aspiring, talented players that were hoping to make a living playing baseball, and in this new league, they'd certainly found their groove at the right time, storming back to take the division and thrilling the fans in the city that had no professional team to cheer for within a three hour drive. The owner had poured a lot of money into these guys, and the objective was obvious: start this league off by taking the Great Lakes Trophy home to Duluth.

The team was pretty loose - at least the hitters were. They'd been consistent most of the year, and had performed near the top of the league.

However, Grand Rapids was the early favourite. They'd been on top for nearly the whole year, and were the quickest to get the fans behind them - not to mention the fact they had an awesome 1-2 pitching punch that looked to take them deep into the playoffs. It was this fact that was making me twitch nervously - if Manny Depaz didn't knock off Lampe in this game one matchup, we could be playing from a 2-0 hole heading back home. I wanted a split - the boys wanted a 2-0 lead.

The game began with the flash of bulbs as Lampe delivered the first playoff pitch in GLL's history - a strike to RF Freddie Lehmann. And much like clockwork, Lampe threw three brilliant strikes to collect the first K as well. As Freddy came back to the dugout, he muttered.

"That changeup is hot tonight, boys."

And how it was. Although Stewart doubled, Lampe got both of our heavy guns - the league batting champ Clarence Warden and power slugger Harry Zeman - on his deadly changeup. Grand Rapids fans loved it - and I saw Lampe smiling as he walked off the mound.

I walked over to Depaz as he readied himself for the mound. "Right Manny," I started, "gotta be just as sharp tonight." He nodded to me and jogged out to the mound.

And much to my relief, he made a quick 1-2-3 inning out of Grand Rapids' hitters.

That relief was short lived. After Lampe cruised through his half, Depaz gave up back to back hits with one out in the second - one a double. And as Stewart fielded the Matt Lehman ball in the corner, he turned and threw a bullet to try and nab Gayhart at the plate.... but instead threw it to the backstop. Grand Rapids had their lead. And the bleeding didn't stop there. A single plated their second run, and with two outs, Lampe himself dropped a single of his own in. Then Raines belted a double that plated them both.

Then, a grounder bounced to Zeman at third - he fielded it and threw a perfect strike to first to end the torturous inning - but immediately went to the trainer, holding his shoulder tightly. He wouldn't be playing the rest of the game. My best power hitter, gone. And after we gave up 4 runs.

The game then went into cruise mode... Depaz steadied the ship, but in the 5th inning I lost Saurez to a pulled bicep, losing my short stop and third baseman in the same game. I was already giving up on this game and setting my mind to game 2.

As the top of the 6th rolled in, I called Depaz over and told him his night was done. He'd only thrown 71 pitches and he didn't want to come out, but I explained to him that I wanted to keep him fresh in case I needed him on short rest. Ben Casablanca came out to replace him.

The night continued to go downhill, as Corkery, my replacement shortstop, threw away another easy out that resulted in Grand Rapids plating another run and extending their lead to a commanding 5-0. Meanwhile, Lampe was throwing a 2 hitter, and nobody had got past second.

Casablanca and Ed Sieber then proceeded to shut down Grand Rapids, but it really didn't matter in the end - the game was all about James Lampe. He cruised through innings and cut up our hitters like cheap meat, completing a masterful 3 hit shutout with 11 strikeouts that saw us get dealt a very demoralizing first blow in the series. Of course, we also saw why Grand Rapids was the favourite, and had even sold out a couple games. James Lampe had walked all over us, and without a quick response in game 2, Grand Rapids already looked poised to crush Duluth with little effort.

[Pirates Fan]

Originally Posted by Jazzmosis

After an extended absence, I'm trying something a little different here...

So, we all love the playoffs, right? Well, I've decided to take that idea and play the manager in that situation only. In my newly created Great Lakes League, a 20 team baseball league that is centred around the Great Lakes area, I will run each team as a CPU-controlled for the regular season - and when the playoff picture is formed, I will pick a team and try and win the series with them. After all, they all say the real manager comes out in the playoffs.

Although I'll be focusing on the playoffs, I'm hoping that the writing will give a good general impression of the entire league. With any luck, a dynasty will emerge and make for interesting stories.

Hope you read and enjoy

Jazzmosis,

As an inveterate lurker on this forum, I enjoy most of what I read, but this idea is right in my wheelhouse. When I take the OOTP plunge again someday, this is precisely how I'll handle my universe.

Because I hear so many people complain that their teams kick butt all year and lose to the worst team in the universe far more often than it happens in real life (1906 White Sox and 1973 Mets being the poster children for such occurrences), this approach would take the sting out of it for me. And preparing for the playoffs rather than following along during a long regular season would allow me to focus on the league's stars, making the total experience more enjoyable. Like many people, I can't do a Dynasty with real players -- if Roberto Clemente fails, I lose interest. But I do recognize that Esteban Guzman from my few abortive attempts at starting a league. Glad he did well in your inaugural season.

Anyway, I for one am looking forward to following your Dynasty. Your writeups are great fun.

Geoff

[Jazzmosis]

Thanks Geoff! It's always nice to hear that. I have a feeling that this will evolve beyond it's current writing, but it all depends on the feel.

Game 2

I marched into the Eagles' stadium early the next day to re-think my strategy. The humiliating loss we received at Grand Rapids hands really exposed the team's free-swinging mentality - and while that worked nicely to mash us back on top in regular season, we weren't playing doormat teams anymore - in fact, we were playing the best.

In the clubhouse, the guys seemed surprisingly loose. I was also informed that London had steamrolled Toledo 8-2 in their game - so it seemed that two teams came out flat on the first night of the playoffs - and not surprisingly, it was the two visiting teams. I longed to return to Duluth where the fans would be on our side - the GR fans were rowdy and seemed to have an infectious way of getting into the heads of opposing teams. In some ways, they were like fans from the Bronx. The only difference was that this league could barely fit 22000 fans in any stadium, and only GR was able to sell out thus far.

I chose Cipri Carrasco to start for us - a young Dominican kid that had a fantastic road ERA of 2.54 and a low WHIP of 0.96 on the season. He would be matching up against George Ivie - the other beast of the Eagles' staff. Ivie's stuff wasn't all that great, but he always battled and went deep into games. Carrasco rarely got to the 6th inning... so I was hoping to have a sharp bullpen again.

Fortunately, the injuries to Zeman and Saurez weren't bad enough to keep them out of the second game - and god knew I'd need both their bats to wake up for this game. If there was ever a must-win situation in a game 2, this one was it. If Ivie won this one, it wouldn't be much of a stretch to see Lampe winning 2 more - assuming he could even be needed twice more.

The anthem was played and the game begun in another hot August evening, with Grand Rapids rowdy crowd already chanting and hollering. But this time, Lehmann led off the inning by greeting Ivie with a standup double that quickly quieted the crowd and got our bench shuffling with some excitement. We'd barely got that far all game last night. However, Ivie proved resilient and got two easy flyouts before stranding him right where he stood. And just like that, the crowd was back on our heels.

Carrasco retired the first two batters he faced on grounders - although Zeman flashed a bit of leather on one play - before running into Pedros Arias speed. Arias racked a ball on the chalk down the first base line and sprinted all the way to third with a two-out triple. Ron Buhr, Grand Rapids' home run leader, then worked a favourable count and turned on a pitch, putting it into the 3rd row of stands in left field. The fans erupted into a frenzied cheer, and Grand Rapids had staked themselves to an early 2-0 lead. We'd be working from a hole, once again.

The inning ended one batter later. The second went without incident, but in the bottom of the third the Eagles once again put pressure on us, as Ivie himself wrapped a single and hauled himself to third when Raines singled. Runners were on the corner and nobody was out. I picked up the phone to the bullpen and got Greg Lowry to start throwing. No way was I letting this game get out of reach so early.

Carassco K'd the next hitter, but Raines negated that progress by swiping second. And naturally, Arias was at the plate, with Buhr on deck. And predictably, Arias plated the two runners with a single, and then took second on the throw home. 4-0 Grand Rapids. After another out and a walk, I made the walk out to the mound and called for Lowry. The fans jeered Carassco as he walked back to the dugout with his head down. Lowry then proceeded to induce a simple popout to end the inning.

"Now's the time we respond with the bats, guys! Just chip away." I blurted, while secretly wondering if we would score at all in this park. We got close in the 4th, putting a runner on 1st and 3rd with two outs, but a harmless flyout extended our scoreless innings streak to 13.

After Lowry mowed down the bottom of the Eagles' order, it was Raymond Berns chance to play hero - and with the first pitch of the 5th, he belted a solo shot that finally put us on the board. That would be all we got in that inning, but at last the drought was over. 4-1.

Cesar Ortiz proceeded to come in and continue the impressive trend of solid relief pitching with two scoreless innings, which included working around the hot bats of Arias and Buhr and leaving them stranded on base.

Berns continued to provide consistent offense with a leadoff single to start the 7th against Ivie. And with Ortiz set to bat, I called him back to the dugout and told 22 year old rookie Brian Morrison to put on a helmet.

"Here's your chance to play hero," I told him. He'd served as a backup outfielder all year and had only hit .220, but was a quality bunter. I immediately called for a hit and run, hoping that Berns would be able to hustle to third.

But something even better happened. Morrison hacked hard at the first pitch he saw - a fastball down the middle from Ivie, who was, like everyone else, expecting a bunt - and sent it soaring to opposite field, a line drive bullet that had Buhrs sprinting for the fence. We all jumped to the top step as the ball flew, and Berns immediately started to haul himself around the basepaths. But the ball just continued rising, and cleared an outstretched, leaping Buhrs at the wall to make it into the stands - and just like that, Morrison had put us within one run. 4-3. The fans were starting to get nervous.

George Alvarez and Sieber combined to shut down Grand Rapid's 1-2-3 hitters in order, including finally stopping Arias from getting on base. The momentum was still in our favour.

Ivie came out for the top of the 8th, and 2B Corey Watson greeted him with a single. However, a botched bunt attempt and a double play killed any rally attempt. And the momentum shifted back to GR.

Sieber gave up a leadoff single before the Eagles sent pinch hitter David Colome to the plate. He two-hopped an easy ball to Zeman at third - a perfect double play seemed in order - but Zeman dropped the ball out of his glove. The fans rejoiced and we sank down into the dugout. The pressure was on. Sieber took the ball and wiped the sweat off his brow. I crossed my fingers.

Shallow flyout - one number one.
Three pitch strikeout - out number two.
Five pitch strikeout - out number three.

And Sieber jogged off the mound to a a collection of high fives and sighs of relief, none bigger than the one by Zeman. But we were entering the top of the 9th, and it was now or never to plate a run.

Berns started the inning with a groundout. Then, fireball closer Herbert Springer was called in - I called upon pinch hitter Sergio Elizalde, who delivered a single. I then replaced him with speedster Leo West, who promptly stole second. Runner on second, one out, top of the order up.

Lehmann fell behind in the count, 1-2. My knee twitched nervously, and the fans started to rise in encouragement of their closer. Springer held a curveball grip in his hand and delivered a ball into the dirt, which bounced to the backstop and in an instant, Leo West dashed to third. The crowd sputtered to a near silence. The infield came in, and the count went full.

Springer stared down the catcher and threw a 93 mph fastball - one that Lehmann ripped with a liner to shallow right field. The whole stadium held their breath as Arias bolted in, catching the sinking liner in a slide, and then popping up and delivering a strike to the catcher. Meanwhile, West faked going home but wisely remained at third. Two out.

It was all up to Ron Stewart. The fans' excitement returned to eardrum-shattering levels and Springer took the ball and once again stared down the plate.

Fastball - 92mph - strike.
Changeup - 80mph - swinging strike.

We were down to our final strike. The fans were rattling the stadium with their excitement while everyone in our dugout silently looked at the plate. Springer reared back and hurled another changeup - one that Stewart floated into the stands by first base, just out of reach of Grand Rapids' 1B, Salsbury. Springer collected himself and took the ball again. Stewart breathed heavily and stepped back into the box. The pitch came. A 94 mph fastball.

Stewart took a hard, desperate swing and connected - the ball bounced off the infield grass and through the hole between third and a diving shortstop. Leo West bolted home, and the stadium went dead silent - the only sound coming out of it was the loud cheers from our dugout. Down to our final strike, we'd tied the game at 4-4.

Orval Thomas, our reliable closer, hustled out to pitch the bottom of the 9th. Grand Rapids, clearly demoralized and with their fans out of it, were victimized by Thomas' devastating splitter, and didn't even make contact with the ball in their 1-2-3, all-strikeout inning. The game was going to extras.

We accomplished nothing in our half, and Thomas marched out for the bottom half with another strikeout and two harmless groundouts to quickly put us back at the plate. However, the GR bullpen looked like it had regained its form and dominated.

Ben Casablanca came out for the 11th. The Eagles' Lehman singled and then stole second, prompting a bunt that put him on third with only one out. The fans quickly started screaming again and I called the infield and outfield in.

Ball one.
Foul - strike one.
Strike two.

Casablanca reared back and delivered a slider, one that Tan punched back up the box and past a diving Watson. Lehman was mobbed at the plate as the fans damn near rioted, and we were heading back to Duluth down 2-0 after Grand Rapids walked off in the bottom of the 11th, winning 5-4. It was the most quiet bus trip to the airport I could ever remember.

We'd battled back, but lost in the end. The loss hurt, but didn't bother me as much as one other question.... when were my two best hitters, Clarence Warden and Harry Zeman, going to start hitting? In two games, they were a combined 1-for-14.

If we were going to win, it would have to be with their bats producing. If they didn't wake up... this could be a short series.

I couldn't wait to get back to the Duluth confines.

[Jazzmosis]

Game 3

Let me tell you, there's nothing more comforting than coming home. After the tough losses in Grand Rapids, seeing the stream of fans coming into the newly-constructed Duluth Stadium was a comforting sight. I was only hoping that they would be as rowdy for us and would propel us to a great victory.

The stadium didn't sell out - that much I expected - but there was 20,000 fans that packed themselves in, waving the Express flags that were handed out.

I was tossing Matt Natali, our second lefty starter, against another one of the Eagles' sharp starters, Herbert Bower - who'd staked himself to an 8-2 record with a tidy 2.83 ERA. I was wondering if there was any end to the stream of difficult starters that Grand Rapids seemed to march out. Natali, on the other hand, went 7-8 with a 3.71 ERA. We had our work cut out for us.... again.

I tweaked the lineup, taking out 9th inning hero Stewart, who was downright awful vs. LHP, for young gun Pedro Sanchez - a solid LHP hitter but certainly less than stellar vs righties. I left Warden and Zeman in the 3-4 slots - and prayed they'd wake up.

Natali gave the Duluth fans a bright beginning by being the first starter to get through the first inning unscathed, giving up only a harmless walk to Arias. In our half, we put runners on 1st and 2nd with only one out, but couldn't execute, as a series of ground balls ended any potential threat we mounted.

And the momentum certainly favoured Grand Rapids. After Natali gave up a leadoff walk to 1B Paul Gayhart, their version of Lehman wrapped a ball around the first base bag and into the outfield corner, stretching a double into a close triple that also gave Grand Rapids first blood again. And if history was any indication... well, we hadn't led at any point in this series.

Natali looked a bit rattled, as he threw his next pitch right down the middle. Ramirez turned on it and put it back up the box on the ground - it had single all over it - until Corey Watson made a sparkling diving stop and delivered a strike to first. The run scored, but the bases were clear. Natali seemed to calm down from there, getting the next two batters and hustling off the diamond as quickly as possible. 2-0 Grand Rapids. It was going to be a fight, but our defense wasn't going to let us down this game. Already, they'd made three highlight reel plays - two by Watson. Coupled with his stellar .375 average as leadoff, he was the clear MVP of the team thus far.

Sergio Elizade led off the bottom half of the inning. Up to this point in the series, he'd only made a pinch hit appearance (and mind you, made the most of it with a single). He took a first pitch ball, then unloaded on the next ball, and put us right back in the thick of things with a leadoff homerun. The fans cheered loudly and exuberantly as Sergio rounded the bases.

I was the first to greet him at the top step of the dugout. "That's the response I like to see. Right away!" I shouted and slapped him on the back.

After a quick out, backup C Warren Mandell worked a walk - bringing up Natali, who fouled out on three bunt attempts. Watson then strode to the plate and ripped the first pitch he saw to deep left field. We all rose to the top to watch the ball soar majestically through the air. Buhr raced back to the wall and leaped. The fans roared.

Buhr fell to the ground, ball firmly entrenched in his glove. The Grand Rapids bench erupted in cheers, and I saw Bower pump his fist in jubilation. We'd been denied our first lead of the series by Buhr's steal of Watson's home run. However, we had scored. 2-1.

After Natali got two outs in the top of the third (one thanks to Mandell gunning down Raines trying to swipe second), the terrible two struck again, with Arias taking a free pass and Buhr himself playing hero, knocking a triple that was nearly identical to Lehman's. Grand Rapids had quickly got back that run. 3-1.

Sanchez struck out on a nasty splitter to start the bottom of the third. Warden then stepped up, and at long last, his bat looked to be waking up. On a 1-1 pitch from Bower, he gave a powerful hack to dead centre that had Arias running back to the wall, but not bothering a leap - we'd responded right away - again - and this game looked like the winner was going to emerge from whichever team could outslug the other.

Zeman walked and went to third on a two-out single by Elizade, but that was as close as we came to tying the game when SS Corkery grounded out. 3-2.

Natali finally had a quick inning, giving up only a single but getting through the 4th unscathed. However, Bower returned the favour.

The 5th inning was much like the 4th for Matt, as he looked to be finding his groove. Naturally, Bower had also settled down.

The 6th proved to be a tough inning for Natali, as Lehman continued to punish him with a double that he scored on a two-out bloop single. Natali finished out the inning, but Grand Rapids had got themselves an insurance run and now lead 4-2. When Natali came in, I told him his night was finished. His line was respectable, with 6 innings and only 6 hits given up - but the problem was the 5 walks - 3 of which had scored. Take those away, and we'd be leading.

After an uneventful bottom 6, I called upon Cesar Ortiz to take over mound duties. After two outs, Arias proved his annoyance by working a 6-pitch walk. But we had a silent rejoicing as Grand Rapids lifted Buhr for a pitch hitter named Dave Colome. Ortiz went into the stretch and stared him down. And with a quick flip, he turned towards first and rifled the ball to Salazar, who applied the tag on Arias for a beautiful pickoff that got the dormant fans a little excited. Inning over, and Buhrs had been removed.

Watson rewarded us with a leadoff single, raising his postseason average to .364. Pedro Sanchez then battled back from an 0-2 count to work a walk, and very suddenly we were posing a very real threat. And with Warden stepping up and Zeman on deck, if they were going to wake up, now was the time. Grand Rapids' manager went out and removed Bower from the game - and he'd really battled, so I had to tip my hat. But I was more happy than anything else to have him out - and a fresh reliever named Aaron Rasch that hadn't seen game time in nearly a week.

Warden took two pitches - one a ball, one a strike - before turning on a fastball and punching it just by Gayhart at first. Watson peeled around third and slid into home without a throw, much to the delight of the fans, who were coming alive at a rapid pace. Warden had delivered; now it was Zeman's turn. Rasch, seemingly aware of Zeman's hunger despite his 0-7 postseason, walked him on 5 pitches. Bases loaded, nobody out.

Salazar came up to the plate. He'd been nearly as useless as Zeman, going 1-11 thus far. After two balls, he lifted a harmless fly to centre field. Sanchez wasted no time on the ball, dashing for the plate as soon as Arias had gloved it. Arias thought about trying to gun it home, but instead tossed to third, holding Warden at second. However, the fans and our bench were more than happy with that trade off, as we had once again tied the game at 4 - but this time, in the bottom of the 7th. And with Elizade coming to the dish, we had a chance to take the lead. I called a hit-and-run. Elizade hit a weak grounder to second, but it was more than enough to move the runners along. With Corkery coming up, I pinch hit him for Ron Stewart. He didn't deliver, grounding out to end the inning. No matter. 4-4.

Ed Sieber came out for the 8th inning. After a quick out, he walked Gayhart. That brought up Lehman, who continued to punish us with a single up the middle. Two on, one out. I called the bullpen and told Casablanca to start warming up, and fast.

But it was too late. One pitch later, Kevin Ramirez made Sieber pay. With one swing, he erased all the progress we'd made, and put us down by three runs. The fans went dead silent. All that we could hear was Grand Rapid's dugout cheering. 7-4 Grand Rapids.

Sieber regained his form and got two strikeouts to end the inning, but the damage was certainly done. Everyone slunk into their seats, and the usually calm Sieber lost it. He punched the cooler as hard as he could and threw his glove down the clubhouse stairways before disappearing down the steps. However, we could hear the echo of his frustrated screams during the Eagles' Richard Shade's entire warmup pitches. Sieber frustration was simply an outburst of what we were all feeling but not saying. How the f*ck were we supposed to beat this team?

Shade got Mandel and Leo West on two deadly strikeouts before Watson came up and proved that it didn't matter who was on the mound, he would deliver. Sanchez followed suit with a single of his own, but Grand Rapids called in their closer Springer to face Warden - and struck him out on three pitches. Warden threw no temper tantrum - his face just had the looked of someone defeated instead. That look was much worse for a manager to see.

Casablanca came in for the top of the 9th. With the help of Salazar's diving stop against Arias, he gave us a three-up-three-down inning - the very first of the game.

It made no difference. Springer looked much more like the ace closer he was, shutting down Zeman, Salazar, and Elizade in order to pick up his first save of the series, and give Grand Rapids a commanding 3-0 series lead.

We were up against what seemed like an insurmountable challenge. We had to win the next four games in a row.

And we hadn't even led for an inning yet.

[Jazzmosis]

Huge delay on this cliffhanger... real life got in the way (changed jobs, created my own company, etc). Didn't even have a chance to open up OOTP until just now. So naturally, here it is.. game 4!

---------
Game 4

We were in a hole, and Grand Rapids wanted to close out the series and move on to the finals with ease. While London and Toledo were locked in a tight series that Toledo lead 2-1, Duluth and it's fans were simply hoping to keep our chances alive... or hell, just lead a single game at this point. But our backs were against the wall, and we needed to play our best baseball right away. And everyone knew it.

This game was going to be a re-match of game 1: Lampe vs Depaz. We needed Depaz just to survive, and Grand Rapids was looking to nail our coffin shut and rest up for the next series.

It didn't take long for Grand Rapids to put the pressure on. After Depaz rolled the first two outs, Arias racked up a double, and Raines followed it up with an RBI single. Gayhart then took a ball off the wall in right field that scored Raines from first. Depaz then finally got another groundout to end another torturous inning. 2-0 Grand Rapids, and we hadn't even stepped up to the plate yet.

The boys didn't lay down though. After Lampe got two outs, Warden kept the inning alive by beating out a double play ball. Then Stewart, who had been mashing all series, delivered a clutch, 1-2 pitch double that plated our first run. Duluth's crowd cheered rowdily, happy just to see their team respond right away.

Things got worse though. Determined to bury us early, Grand Rapids got their first two batters on before Marihito delivered another two runs with a single. I immediately called the bullpen and got Lino Alemany warming up. Depaz didn't have it, and if something wasn't done quickly, this game was going to be a lost cause. 4-1. The crowd went deathly silent.

Berns knocked a leadoff single in the bottom half. Leo West bunted him to second. Salazar then struck out on three pitches. With Depaz due up, I pinched him for Pedro Sanchez, my backup leftfielder. After working a 3-1 count, he batted us back in the game with an RBI single. The crowd picked up again with ferocious cheers - we were not going to go down easy. Lehmann then put runners on the corners with a single of his own. But that would be as close as we would get. 4-2.

Alemany came in for the third, and Gayhart got back the run with a massive bomb that just managed to stay fair. 5-2.

Lampe and Alemany traded zeroes from that point until the bottom of the 6th. After Warden worked a leadoff walk, he bolted for second on the first pitch - Marihito was caught off guard, and launched the throw into centre field, putting Warden on third with nobody out. Stewart grounded out to third, holding Warden at third. Zeman, mired in an 0-the-series slump, finally got on base - by getting plunked. Berns then stepped up to the dish, fans on their edge in anticipation, and worked himself into a 8-pitch at bat. On the 8th pitch - the 6th strike for Lampe - Berns finally roped a ball in fair territory, over second base. Warden trotted home, and Zeman made the most of his opportunity by hustling to third base. Runners back on the corner, 1 run in, 1 out. Leo West, our bunting hero, dug into the box. Lampe sighed heavily, and reared back with a slider. West stung it on the ground towards Gayhart, who made a stumbling grab and fired to second. Ramirez, Grand Rapids' shortstop, received the ball and pulled his arm to fire to first. However, his body was lurched forward as his legs came out from underneath him as Berns slid into him. The two crashed to the ground, the ball never leaving Ramirez's hand. Zeman trotted across the plate, and the Duluth faithful went insane. We'd battled back with two runs. 5-4. One run was all we needed.

Alemany continued his mastery of Grand Rapids, skirting out of another inning with an inning-ending double play. In the meantime, Lampe had been lifted for a pinch hitter. That in itself was a victory.

With Alemany leading off the bottom of the 7th, I made the tough decision to pinch hit him. Morrison, who'd had two pinch ABs this series, one of which was a homerun, was my obvious choice. With Sanchez delivering in my other pinch hit, I was hoping for a little pinch luck. And Morrison wasted no time. With Aaron Rasch replacing Lampe on the hill, Morrison took the first pitch he was and turned it the other way into the gap, pouring a leadoff double. The Duluth fans erupted into cheers, and the sell-out crowd rised to its feet in anticipation. Meanwhile, our dugout was all standing on the top step, watching and clapping as Lehmann - 2 for 3 on the day - stepped up.

Rasch wiped the growing sweat off his brow and looked in for the sign. He reached back and fired a fastball at the knees that Lehmann bit at - and grounded through Rasch's legs. Ramirez sprinted behind second and laid out to make the stop, but the ball bounced into centre. The crowd went into a frenzy as Morrison rounded third and dashed for the plate as CF Lehman (our Lehmann's cousin) fired to home. Morrison slid into the plate, just beating the throw. Our bench exploded with the fans, as after things had looked so bleak for so long, we finally had Grand Rapids on it's heels. 5-5.

Cesar Ortiz came in to relieve Alemany in the 8th, facing a task of the heart of Grand Rapids' order: Lehman (.400 in the series), Arias (.308), and Raines (.313). Lehman grounded out on an 2-0 count. Arias on a 1-1. And Raines worked into a full count before he too grounded out.

Berns lead off the bottom of the 8th to great cheers. After all, he was 3-3 today, and hitting .545 this series. And with Rasch still on the hill, Berns continued the hot hitting with a leadoff single that sent Rasch to the showers. West then did what he does best - bunted Berns to second. I started to chew my nails in nervous anticipation before calling the 'pen to get closer Orval Thomas warm. Then my attention returned to the game. Salazar was up, taking his brutal .067 average with him. He flew out to deep centre, but it moved Berns to just 90 feet from the lead. With Ortiz due up, I looked to my bench for a little more pinch magic. I made the call to Saurez, who with a bandage wrapped around his ailing bicep, took a bat and jogged to the plate. Shade, the reliever that had replaced Rasch and sported absolutely electric stuff, quickly got ahead 1-2 in the count.

Shade pulled the string on a slider, one that cut down towards Saurez' knees. He swung on it, and roped it past a diving Gayhart. The bench erupted and Berns sprinted home for the 6th run. It took 35 innings, but we finally had our first lead of the game. The crowd couldn't contain their excitement, and frankly, neither could we. The stadium, holding a meager 7500 fans, had the volume of 75000. You couldn't help but get swept up in the moment. 6-5. 6-5 Duluth.

The top of the 9th came up, and Thomas stepped up to the hill. I made a series of defensive changes, moving the bunting sensation from short to 2nd, utilizing bench player Corkery's superior defense at short, and then bumped Lehmann out of right for Elizade.

And it got off to a terrible start. Gayhart dropped a soft single in on Thomas' third pitch, and Thomas walked off the mound. His shoulder hurt. As it would turn out, he'd strained his rotator cuff and would miss the rest of the playoffs. Sieber, my always-reliable setup man, would be thrust into the highest pressure situation of his Duluth's young career. Ramirez greeted him with a seeing-eye single back up the box. Runners on 1st and 2nd with nobody out.

Buhr dug in, and worked a 10 pitch at-bat into a full count. He then drilled a line drive - right over West. West, however, jumped the highest anyone had ever seen - a moment that became legend later on in Duluth Express lore - and snagged the ball in a snowcone. But before he could even land, the ball was in his hand and heading to second base to complete a line-drive double play that put two outs on the board and left only a runner on first.

Salsbury came in to pinch hit - Grand Rapids was trying to steal some of our pinch magic - but Sieber would have none of it, and shut the door with a filthy slider that Salsbury couldn't connect with. The Express poured onto the field like they had just won the championship in 7 games, celebrating our heart-filled comeback win that kept us alive in this playoffs.

We had clawed ourselves back into the series. It had took everything we had, but Grand Rapids knew that we weren't going to lay down and die. We still had a mountain to climb, but the point was we were alive. And as I celebrated with my team, that's all I wanted to think about.

We were alive. The fans knew it too.