MEN WIN SERIES!!!!!

The Minnesota Men won their first World Series in their three year franchise history. The Men disposed of the distracted and then disinterested 'Topes decisively in five games. Minnesota went undefeated in the Mennen Dome this playoff season (6-0). Logger and Fremont ownership were on hand to enjoy the series. Read the full article by Bob Wojknowski in today's edition of the Detroit News (I hope the story makes the cut).

The Men Down Thunder

It was a cold and snowy night, but BW3 Livonia was alive with championship fever as the Minnesota Men took on the Toronto Thunder in the Friendship League Championship Series. I was only told after the series was over that I would be in charge of the write-up. Some of this might be totally wrong due to multiple Miller Lite tall boys, but here it goes.

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Game 1 - Toronto Thunderdome The Men came out strong scoring three runs in the first two innings. The Thunder came back strong, methodically chipping away at the lead given to F. Hernandez. By the sixth inning, we had a tie game. It would stay that way through 9 innings....on to extras. Top of 10, T. Flowers leading off against J. McGee.....Boom...gone...Toronto left in shock. W. Davis comes on to dispose of the Thunder. Game one in the books. Final score - 4-3 Men.

Game 2 - Toronto Thunderdome Over before it started. Veteran M. Texiera turned back the clock and belted two HR's along with seven RBIs. Men manager Scott Mallon left D. Hutchison out to dry. After giving up nine runs in four innings, Hutchison was sent out to pitch four more innings. "We need to save our staff," said Mallon. "Hutchy took one for the team today." After the victory, BW3 asked manager Steve Tufte how he was doing. He responded, "fine, thank you...I'll have another." Final score - 11-0 Thunder.

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Game 3 - Minnesota Mennen Dome In an unusual move, Scott Mallon told starting pitcher C. Young that he had a very short leash. With that sparkling bit of motivation, Young proceeded to implode in inning one...giving up three. He made it only two innings and was relieved by H. Santiago. Santiago steadied the ship, and the Men plugged away at the Thunder lead - taking the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth after a V. Martinez HR. The Men bullpen didn't give up a run to close it out. Final score - 8-3 Men.

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Game 4 - Minnesota Mennen Dome Ace F. Hernandez took the mound for the Men to face off against R. Porcello. Tufte told reporters before the game, "I've already written off this game." He was correct. Porcello lasted just one inning, giving up a couple of runs. The Men took a 4-0 lead into the bottom of 7th....and then Thunder struck. Walks and hits piled on. F. Hernandez was pulled from the game. The Men bullpen was able to throw some water on the flame, giving up only two runs. Tufte's Thunder was unable to muster up anymore offense the rest of the way. Final score: Men 4 Thunder 2.

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Game 5 - Minnesota Mennen Dome The scene was wild in Minnesota. Minnesota legends Kent Hrbek and the corpse of Kirby Puckett were in attendance. The announced crowd of 15,881 were loaded for bear....wait....15,881? WTF Minnesota? This game might vault you to the World Series!!! I digress. With this being what might end up being the last game in Derek Jeter's storied career, Men ownership offered up paternity law consultations in concourse A to all women that may have birthed a Jeter baby. Now...on to the game. J. Ellsbury gets the Men going with a HR in the bottom of the 1st. J. Donaldson knocks in V. Martinez for another score. Inning one ends with the Men up 2-0....the few people in the dome go nuts!! The game settles down until M. Prado blasts a HR in the top of the fourth. The Thunder add another run in the top of the seventh. Tie game!! This is when the butt cheeks clenched up - it was a tight one. 8th inning, no runs....9th inning, no runs....10th inning, no runs....11th inning, no runs. We go to the 12th inning. Manager calls down to the bullpen to get the next man up....guess what, nobody answers!! The entire pitching staff for the Men are drinking Buds and playing video games. Mallon turns to infield Y. Solarte and says, "Can you pitch?" Solarte turns to Mallon and says, "vete al infierno!!!" Since Mallon's Spanish is a bit rusty, he takes this to mean, "I'll walk through fire for you coach!!" The true translation is "Go to hell!!" Solarte takes the mound.....and pitches a gem! No runs, no hits and one strikeout. Bottom of the 12th now...T. Flowers leads off....with a double!!! M. Saunders moves him to third with a base hit. Ellsbury is given the intentional walk. Kinsler comes up and delivers a single to win the game! The Men are going to the World Series!!! Derek Jeter exits the field for the last time in his career - netting a double, a HBP and 483 paternity suits

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Solemn celebration ensues..

Quick check for Brain and Nerve Tonic.......The Isotopes are in the World Series!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The real deal behind the Isotopes. 

The Springfield Isotopes have secured a spot this season in the World Series after a 4-1 series win over Wichita.

Glad I drafted this guy last year. 

Game 1 featured a hitting display by the home team Isotopes to lead eventual series MVP and all around nice guy Collin McHugh to his first (and the team's first) playoff win. This would be the only game that most of the Springfield Big Hitters Club would show up and enjoy some time at the plate as the rest of the series (with the exception of Game 3) would be a grind out battle for runs.

Knowing Wichita would be hungry for a win, Springfield put Brandon McCarthy out on the bump to see if he could secure a 2-0 series lead. 2 1/3 innings in and a ground ball to first (and some Hal logic) somehow led to McCarthy being injured. (Whaaaat?) To be fair using eye for an eye logic Kyle Calhoun was knocked from the game with a K + inj. soooooo. In from the bullpen stumbled (anything but) Big Game James Shields who felt the series lacked drama and decided to pitch like it was just a regular season game. This led to Todd Redmond who thinks you get paid by number of baseballs used. The Springfield offense sprang up briefly and limped along nursing a 2-1 lead hoping to wrap up a win. Springfield turned to Fernando Abad. Yes, he is bad. Game 2 turned into a 12 inning affair with the later innings featuring Miguel Cabrera hitting the HR 1-19, fly LFb 20 and what does he roll? 20. It was pretty funny for someone until Wichita loaded the bags with no outs and then promptly went: K, K, po. In the end it would be John Jaso who would step to the plate and uncork a walk off HR to send the salty fans into a mob like drunken frenzy 3-2. Dreams of a World Series berth only 2 wins away.

If Wichita was hungry in Game 2, then they would be famished in Game 3. Playing a Jim Leyland style hunch it was Iwakuma time and the insertion of Enrique Hernandez would begin.....in the lineup. Mistake 1 was having some guy named Enrique playing the field, if that's what you would call it. Mistake 2 was leaving Iwakuma in to pitch the 8th while "keeping an eye on him and pulling him if he looked shaky". Good plan in theory, but doesn't work after giving up a walk and HR does it? The floodgates opened and the Bandit faithful basked in the glow of a win and only trailing 2-1 in the series. This proved to be another game that the Big Hitters Club of Altuve, Mauer and Cabrera would again be held to scraps as Wichita pitching had them baffled.

Springfield turned to Roenis Elias to stop the bleeding and get a Game 4 win. Okay, okay stop laughing I really did put Elias in the rotation. Look he beat Wichita twice this year so there. And just to back up my confidence he delivered in a big way with 7 big innings leading to Danny Farquahar and Fernando Abad closing things out. Yeah I shouldn't have trusted Abad, but people do need second chances....ask Chris Brown. I was still trusting in the Altuve, Mauer, Cabrera monster even though they were nowhere to be found this game either.

Game 5 and the ball was back in Collin McHugh's hand. Stressful game? Check. Plenty of attempts at getting the lead by Wichita? Check. Jump out to an early lead and chase Kyle Gibson? Check. Watch Wichita claw its way back going into the bottom of the ninth down two? Check. Trust Abad again to close out a game? Check. Wait, what? Watch Abad give up a single and a walk? Check. I should have kept McHugh in for one more out...what was I thinking about with Abad? Bring in Todd Redmond who after resting for games 3-4 came out chipper, fresh and ready to close out a 4-3 game 5 win. Cabrera 0-5 this game......someone needs to get out of the funk or up on the funk if a Series title is to come through Springfield town.

Never appeared. Still smokes victory cigar. 

Thunder announce protection list

Pretty straight forward list. However we are protecting a non carded player for this first time in a long time. Sale,C* SP Richards,G SP Betances,D RP Britton,Z* RP McGee,J* RP Perkins,G* RP Porcello,R SP Cruz,N RF Gardner,B* LF Beltre,A 3B Teixeira,M+ 1B Miller,B* 2B Gonzalez,M+ 2B Young,C RF Zunino,M C Lind,A* No Card

Aoki,N* Aoki is the "Yu Darvish" for the team this year.

Awards are in! Two new team records set!

Miggy again edges out Mike Trout for MVP

 HAL has weighed in on our award winners, All Stars, Manager of the Year, etc..  You can see all of these at this link....

2014 Award Winners



The Thin Man, Chris Sale, your
Friendship League Cy Young Award winner

Feel free to praise, ridicule, or comment on these choices!

While no individuals cracked the All-Time records this year, two new team records were set.  The Toronto Thunder set new league marks for strikeouts (747) and ERA (2.99).  The Minnesota Men staff made the list as well, with the third highest strikeout total of all time (702).  Only 2012 Monterrey joins those two sets of hurlers in the vaunted '700 Club'!




Don't forget to check you your team's yearbooks,
located on the right side of the league's home page,
right after all of the stats!

Congratulations to our Division Champions!



Pennants will be flying soon in Springfield, Toronto, and Minnesota!  Also, a wild-card showdown between Boston and Wichita is on tap.  Guaranteed to be an exciting post-season, good luck to all teams in the playoffs!!!

I must also point out the scary accuracy of the pre-season simulation, found here...
 

 Pre-Season Simulation



It correctly picked Springfield, Toronto, and Minnesota as the division champs, with Boston and Wichita with the next best records.  HAL knows all!

P.S.  Do want to mention that Minnesota's Drew Hutchison threw a no-hitter during the Men's late season rally!




Jimmy's 'Topes top the Harrah's

Scott Mallon takes The 'D' Division

Tufte's Thunder take Caesar's!

 

 

Men Win The D!!!

The Minnesota Men win the D division!!! Only 8,900 fans came to the Metrodome to witness history.