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Around the Bases: Playoff Semis
Race for the Cup
By Kyle Gaffer / Baseball Tri-Weekly
Listen DePleyohs pitched eight strong innings, but even Pedro needs his closer once in a while.
Bring in the righty.
The first week of the playoffs proved who belongs, and who doesn't. Or did it? If #5 Quebec City had played #3 Las Vegas last week, the score would have been 4-4-2, with Quebec winning the Batting Average tiebreaker. Instead, they ran into a powerful Bridgewater club who blew the Piglets' houses down...
.....
Anyway, onto the Semi-Finals:
#2 Weymouth vs. #3 Las Vegas
The Doggs have employed a new strategy: Make as many waiver moves as possible to confuse your opponent. It worked against the Green Monsters, but Weymouth is another story.
Both teams have great offenses, which, by process of elimination, means pitching will decide the winner. With Blanton, Zambrano, and Santana all playing like superstars, look for the 3-time champs to knock off Vegas.
Who to watch for: Huston Street & Joe Nathan. Can Weymouth's dynamic duo stand up to Vegas' 4-man reliever army?
#1 Rakeville vs. #4 Bridgewater
Rakeville also has a strategy: Score more points than the other team. So far, it's worked.
The Rockets finished the regular season 18-3-1. Their only second-half loss was a meaningless 5-4 loss in the final game of the year. Whether its 10-0 or 1-0, Rakeville gets the job done.
But if one team can take down the juggernauts, it's Bridgewater. With an offense that crushes the ball (Teixeira, A-Rod), starters that dominate hitters (Clemens, Carpenter), and closers that get the job done (Ryan, Hoffman), they have the best chance to knock off the regular-season champions.
Who to watch for: It's tough to accept that both semi-final games will come down to closers, but there it is. Rakeville is overloaded with 5 relievers, 3 of which are guaranteed to get the job done, while Bridgewater has 2 definites and 1 long-shot.
Other Games:
#5 Quebec City vs. #6 Winston-Salem
The season finale for both teams, and as meaningless as can be. This game comes down to which Piglets pitching staff shows up.
Who to watch for: Andruw Jones. MVP.
#7 Bizton vs. #10 Haverhill
Bizton started its playoff run one week too late, and found themselves on the outside of the playoffs looking in by just two games. Look for the Markies to ride their momentum over Haverhill and into next season.
Who to watch for: Andy Pettitte. The best 1-2 punch in the Central, even at a combined 76 years old.
#8 Golden vs. #9 Tijuana
The Kantor-Comtois Cup for best overall Fantasy Baseball record went to Tijuana this year, who finished 13 games ahead of the Gryphons. In this league, Golden has the weapons, and Tijuana does not. End of story.
Who to watch for: Pat Burrell. With Philly in the wild card hunt, look for him to step it up.
#11 Plymouth vs. #12 Tokyo
One of these teams will be around next season, and one will not. Look for Plymouth to go out with a bang (and a win).
Who to watch for: Johnny Damon. If he keeps missing games, he's useless.
Transaction Wire
Quebec City picked up 23 year old starter Anthony Reyes, who went 6 1/3 in his first career start, giving up 2 runs while striking out 5.
Seth McClung, Brett Tomko, David Bush, and Kyle Lohse all spent time in the Las Vegas rotation last week, but none of them were with the team as of this Monday. The Doggs' have had more spot starters this year than the Cubs and Yankees combined.
Rakeville finally dropped 28-year old Sydney Ponson, whose contract was terminated by the Orioles. The 250 pound right-hander has not pitched since August 7th.
Kyle Gaffer's Lock of the Week: Golden over Tijuana, 6-3
| 1. | Rakeville | ( - ) |
| 2. | Bridgewater | ( - ) |
| 3. | Weymouth | ( - ) |
| 4. | Las Vegas | (+1) |
| 5. | Quebec City | (-1) |
| 6. | Bizton | ( - ) |
| 7. | Winston-Salem | ( - ) |
| 8. | Tijuana | (+1) |
| 9. | Golden | (-1) |
| 10. | Haverhill | (+2) |
| 11. | Tokyo | (-1) |
| 12. | Plymouth | (-1) |
League Notes
-- The first-round bye couldn't have come at a better time for Weymouth. While Brotherhood Park sat unused, GM Yukon Cornelius donated the stadium's canoes and kayaks to help evacuate survivors of Hurricane Katrina. There is no word as to whether the boats will be returned before Shaddupu's semi-final matchup with Las Vegas.
-- In light of the recent natural disaster along the Gulf Coast, Commissioner Ellis Burks has expressed his desire for all league owners to make some kind of donation to the Red Cross. Teams such as Golden and Tijuana have been doing their part, donating beer and burritos to the area.
-- Rumors continue to surround the sale of the Bizton Markies, as numerous offers have been submitted to team owner Kris Brown. The top bid so far has come from country singer Garth Brooks, who plans to move the team to his home state of Oklahoma. "Over my dead body," said Brown.
Listen DePleyohs writes a column for Baseball Tri-Weekly, but not this one.
