Baseball Tri-Weekly: ATB Week 21

Marco Sanchez carries a cardboard cutout of Johan Santana to the register at the Weymouth Shaddupu Team Store at Brotherhood Park. Weymouth responded to the fans outcry last week, but will it be enough to earn them a home playoff game?





Around The Bases: Week 21
By Listen Deplayohs, Baseball Tri-Weekly

They are hanging onto the playoffs by their fingertips. A team of veterans so used to winning that their current batch of losing has simply slipped under the radar.

"We take the regualr season for granted sometimes," said firstbaseman Carlos Delgado. "It is like an extended spring training in Weymouth. The fans come, the players play, but everyone seems to know that it is just a warm-up for the playoffs."

That has been the attitude in Weymouth for years. Shaddupu has never won a division championship, but has sold out every game since 2002 despite the lack of passion for regular season rivalries. They even go so far as selling "Got Playoff?" shirts in the team store next to cardboard cutouts of Johan Santana hoisting the EHCC Plaque. The team and city are focused on the playoffs from the start of spring training.

"Taking the ferry to Weymouth in June and taking it in September are two completely different experiences," said Bridgewater's Marcus Giles. "The fans recognize you, but they don't really say much. Some actually great you warmly. When we played Weymouth in the championships though, it was like getting food into Berlin.”

A week ago things changed on the island. As the playoffs inched closer and the team began a 3-week, season ending road trip, folks began to realize that if the Shaddupu remained near the bottom of the playoff hunt, they would not get a home playoff game. It would be the first time in EHCC history that Brotherhood wouldn’t host a life-or-death series.

“To think that there would be no baseball played in Weymouth in September really struck a nerve with a lot of fans,” said Yukon Cornelius. “This town lives for the excitement. We understand that we have to play on the road to win it all, but to have them all on the road is unbearable.”

Perhaps word spread, because a week after being on the fridge of the playoffs, Weymouth has vaulted themselves up into the fourth spot in the standings thanks to a 7-2 win over Tijuana. They now find themselves on top of four teams vying for three playoff spots. More importantly, they hold the coveted home field advantage in the first round.

“Yeah, it means we have to put on our playoff faces a little earlier if we want to stay ahead,” said Delgado.

A daunting stat for Shaddupu fans as we head into the final stretch. At least one bye team has made the EHCC championship game every year, and bye teams have always won it all. Despite all the upsets we've seen in the playoffs, there has yet to be one in the final.

Matchups

Both have pretty much locked in their byes, but a rare late season matchup between two elite teams has some serious implications. Both teams have sneaked up on Las Vegas for the Eastern Division title and now the winner of this week’s matchup is in line for a face off for the crown (Bridgewater would have to beat Weymouth in Week 22 to earn a playoff game). Beyond the division, the game could very well be a preview of the championship game a month from now.

Rakeville has won eight straight games while Bridgewater has gone 6-2-1 in the same span. Despite two season-ending injuries on their pitching staff, the Weasels have kept pace with the Rockets most of the season. And though Bridgewater sometimes falters on offense, they were able to pry three of the categories away in the first matchup.

The Rockets are playing so well right now, it is hard to bet against them, but Bridgewater is posed to give the top team a wakeup call this week with their bats leading the way.


The Warriors and Green Monsters were coasting to playoff appearances just a week ago, but now both teams are staring at .5 game buffer and wondering what happened. Arlington was the victim of a superb performance by the Piglets, drubbed by the resurgent team 10-0. Winston-Salem limped their way to a loss in Bridgewater. Neither showed any urgency and now one is facing absurdity.

Despite the tough loss, The Warriors offense was still effective. Surprising fill-in Ryan Theriot has earned his axe and team stud Magglio Ordonez countinue to put up good numbers. They will have to beat Paul Maholm, Shawn Hill and a interesting cast of hurlers who posted a .97 WHIP against Bridgewater’s offense.

They proved me wrong in their game against the Piglets, but I have to go with the Green Monsters track record once again. Not only do they need to win, but win big, as they will host Rakeville in the final game of the season while Arlington plays at home against Tokyo.

League Notes

-- A 10-0 win wasn’t enough to move Quebec City up in the playoff standings, but it was enough to earn them a new fan. Nick Lachey from the band 98 Degrees was seen waiting outside of the Piglets locker room after their game against Arlington, but wouldn’t say who he was waiting for.

-- Angered by the team’s recent woes, Gryphons fans had a Coors boycott Sunday. Unfortunately, the Drunken Nest only sells Coors beer at its concession stands, so everyone was very sober for their 2-6 loss to Tokyo.

-- Santo Domingo officials announced that the team plans to raise enough money to hold a night game next season, though a deal still needs to be worked out with the Island Electric Company for reduced rates.