MLB 2006 Opening Day SOM League

[the splinter]

Bring on the winner! 8)

[packleader]

C2 and Splinter:
Congratulations and good luck and let's do this again sometime soon!!! :D

[ArrylT]

For the first time in a long time, a team from Kansas City has made the World Series! The Monarchs were able to beat up upon a distracted Roger Clemens (moral of story: don't start pitcher who just signed contract with another team) and Carlos Silva pitched 7 shutout innings to help the Monarchs eliminate the Pennyrile Sounds 4-0.

You could tell Clemens was distracted when the first three hitters he faced all got hits off of him. In fact the damage could have been worse if Polanco's sharply hit ball up the middle had not been grabbed with an Ozzie like effort by Rollins and turned into a double play. Alas by that time the Monarchs had already scored two runs, and the Sounds, overtired from a pre-emptive celebratory party (c'mon they had Clemens on the mound so forgive them for looking ahead!), were never able to solve Carlos Silva.

[url=http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2006/playoffs/boxscore.html?group_id=422&g_id=981]Game V[/url]

[the splinter]

you are missing a great chance at write ups here. C2 and i are having the finals for the ages. Series tied 2-2. All 1 run games!

[ArrylT]

In what could be called a classic series, featuring the Braves & Royals ... err Monarchs & Hardballers, the Monarchs fought to the end, but were unable to come back from a 4-1 deficit.

J. Benoit pitched 7 & 2/3rd strong innings, only allowing 1 run while his opponent, J. Marquis, was hounded for 6 innings, and allowed 2 gopher balls. Marquis tried to make up for it with a HR of his own, and the bullpen pitched 3 scoreless innings to keep it close. Nonetheless, after a very exciting 9th, where the Monarchs were able to close within 1 off an A. Jones HR, Lidge settled down and closed out the game 4-3.

[url=http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2006/playoffs/boxscore.html?group_id=422&g_id=983]World Series Game I[/url]

[ArrylT]

In another tight affair, the Monarch came back strong, and were able to build upon the rally from the previous game, while relying on a strong outing from R. Halladay. It was a great pitchers duel between Halladay & D. Bautista, and the difference was 1 pitch that M. Sweeney was able to drive out of the park for a 2 run blast.

For the second straight game, the team that was behind, in this case the Georgia Hardballers, made a valiant attempt in the 9th. Cliff Floyd was able to knock one over the fence to ruin the shutout bid, but Baez recovered and struck Guillen out to tie the series at 1 each.

[url=http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2006/playoffs/boxscore.html?group_id=422&g_id=984]World Series Game II[/url]

[ArrylT]

In a third straight 1 run game, the Georgia Hardballers were able to regain the homefield advantage lost by losing Game II. As seems to be the norm for this series, the pitchers are digging deep, and it is only the rare mistake that turns into a solo home run that is occuring.

Both starters pitched 7 strong innings, allowing only 2 runs each. Unfortunately for the Monarchs, Lidge was able to survive a shaky 9th when Polanco was tagged out at home trying to score off of Redmonds single. Couldn't ask for a more exciting game than that, at least if you're a Hardballer fan I suppose!

[url=http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2006/playoffs/boxscore.html?group_id=422&g_id=985]World Series Game III[/url]

[ArrylT]

What a series! Four consecutive games decided by 1 run each! Each team fighting hard defensively to win the games with some of the best pitching seen in a World Series in years!

Game IV felt like it came out of the 60s or the deadball era, with both teams struggling to find ways to get on base, much less score. It seemed every time someone did get on, a double play occured. This was especially frustrating for the Hardballers, who twice hit into inning ending double plays.

In the end it came down to a couple of walks and a bloop single by M. Sweeney to get the only run of the game across the board, by the Monarchs. Baez pitched an almost perfect 9th, using only 10 pitches to retire the Hardballers and re-tie the series at 2 a piece.

[url=http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2006/playoffs/boxscore.html?group_id=422&g_id=986]World Series Game IV[/url]

[ArrylT]

It took until Game V, but finally a game was decided by more than one run. The Monarchs & Hardballers engaged in a mini-slugfest of sorts, with the Monarchs coming out on top. Kansas City was able to respond to every run put up by the Hardballers, and in fact scored their runs in the bottom half of every inning that the Hardballers scored, save the 9th, when it was no longer necessary.

However this win did come at a cost for the Monarchs, as Polanco was lost for the remainder of the Series. Neither pitcher pitched well, and both were gone by the 6th inning, which was a good move considering how hittable both starters had been. The series now reverts back to Georgia for Games VI, and VII if need be.

[url=http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2006/playoffs/boxscore.html?group_id=422&g_id=987]World Series Game V[/url]

[the splinter]

I lose. :cry:

Great,great,great series.