2009 EHCC Champions

The Bridgewater Weasels are the 2009 EHCC Champions! Championship series MVP Ryan Howard and GM Nastra Diggus celebrate the Weasels first championship in the teams history.

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Tale of Two Seasons

Bridge H2O Today
By: Stevie Miller

Fifth time a charm? Bridgewater finds themselves in there fifth, yes fifth, championship series in the EHCC. It was a long and strange road to get to this point, much different than the prior year.


In the 2008 season, the Weasels dominated out of the gate, not losing a series until week 19 against Peoria. They ended up 16-3-3 that season and clinched a number one seed, first round bye in the playoffs. In the playoffs, the Weasels took down their Rakeville rivals and found themselves in the championship where they would go on and get demolished by the unstoppable Doggs. Another year, another loss in the championships.

Bridgewater’s supremacy in 2008 was long forgotten when the 09 season started. The Weasels looked like an old weak team from the get go. In the first half of the season, they went 4-6-1 getting blown out in the losses and barley sliding by in the wins. Injuries were a big part of it, but it just didn’t seem like the team had their pizzazz anymore. It seemed that the Weasels were going to miss out on the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. “It was embarrassing how we were playing, I was about to fake an injury just so I wouldn’t have to deal with this crap anymore” said Jimmy Rollins.

Owner Nastra Diggus didn’t think so highly of the team as well. Coming upon the approaching trade deadline, Diggus had some ideas and was thinking of blowing up the team. “I was thinking for the future, I didn’t think we were going to go anywhere this year and we were getting old, so I was thinking young” Diggus said. Bridgewater, which most of the core players have been together for awhile now, thought about cleaning house much like Rakeville did.

When the second half of the season started Bridgewater started looking at some younger players to trade for. That wasn’t the only thing they were doing though, they were also winning. In the first 3 games of the second half, Bridgewater won 7-3, 7-3, 9-0. There was hope again and the trade talks turned to whispers. The next week though QC came through and knocked the Weasels back down (lost 3-7) and brought the blowing up the team conversation back in. In week 16, the Weasels were on the outside looking in at the playoffs and had the trade deadline looming. “I really thought I was going to dismantle this team and start fresh, something we’re not accustomed to here” said Diggus.

By the end of the week the decision had to be made, and the team made if for Diggus. By the deadline the Weasels were crushing Weymouth and had a great shot at making the playoffs. Diggus decided he would make a run at the playoffs instead. And they did, not losing a single series from there on out and ended up going 8-1-2 in the second half of the season, scoring 7 points or more in those 8 wins. Not only did they get into the playoffs, they got the 5^th seed and almost snagged a bye for the eastern conference. “This team is filled with professionals who never give up, especially if you back is against the wall. I was just glad the rest of my team finally stepped up like I’ve been doing all year” said Weasels pitcher Chris Carpenter.

Last year the Weasels cruised into the playoffs without lifting a finger, in 2009 they had to claw and scratch their way in, with both stories ending the same way….championship series. The Weasels hope this years story turns out a little bit better than last years.

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BridgeH2O: All-Star Pitch-Off

Usually Mike Mussina and Joe Saunders are combating against other EHCC opponents, but in their upcoming starts, they will be battling each other. Why you may ask? They will fight each other for a spot on the all-star roster.

All-Star Pitch-Off
By Stevie Miller, BridgeH20 Today

Weasels manager Kenny Beltram has a tough decision to make. Which pitcher should Bridgewater send to the all-star game? “It was a pretty easy decision to send Tim (Hudson) to the game because he has been our number one pitcher all year long.” Beltram said. “But with only one spot left to work with and a lot of quality guys that I could send, I narrowed it down to two. With both Mike (Mussina) and Joe (Saunders) pitching great for us, the only fair thing I could think of is a good old fashion pitch-off.”

And that is what they are going to do. In their next scheduled starts, (Mussina on Saturday and Saunders on Sunday) the two will pitch for the last pitching spot for Bridgewater. GM Nastra Diggus loves this idea. “This is great, young vs old, lefty vs righty, teammate vs teammate, winner takes all, doesn’t get better than this” said Diggus.

Mike “I use to be the Moose, then I lost it for awhile, but am now the Moose again” Mussina has been pitching great as of late for the Weasels, who is 8-1 with a 3.11 ERA in his last 10 outings. The seasoned vet got off to a rocky start this year going 1-3 with an ERA of 5.75 in his first four starts. So what was it that turned it around for Mussina? “Well I decided that it was time for something new, so I decided to stop sucking since I’ve doing that for awhile now” said Mussina. “It was tough to become good again given that I really got comfortable with sucking but I found a way to turn it around.”

Joe “I’ve been a pleasant surprise” Saunders has been the opposite of Mussina. He started off hot and has scuffled a bit as of late. Saunders has lost two of his last three starts, going 1-2 with a 7.56 ERA in that span. The left-hander has given up six home runs in those three outings - one more than he allowed over his previous 10 starts this season combined. But Saunders has put together an all-star type of season for the most part at 9-3 with 43 K’s and an ERA of 3.32. “I’ve been struggling recently, but I feel that this little friendly competition is just what I needed to get myself kick started again.”

The first place Weasels will announce the offensive all-star choices on Saturday which will be another tough decision for Beltram with so many all-star performances occurring this year. Sources have said that Lance Berkman will be one of those choices, as if that was a hard choice for anyone to make.


Steve Miller is a beat writer for the bi-monthly Bridge H20 Today. He has a lot of time off after this article and plans on visiting Quebec City next week to scalp his EHCC All-Star tickets to make some extra cash.

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BridgeH20: Road Warriors

Despite repeatedly insisting that he was Chinese and not Japanese, the Bridgewater Weasels still sent Chien-Ming Wang out onto the mound in Tokyo believing that he could excel in his home country. They were right... about the excelling. Wang pitched nine strong innings in front of his Japanese brethren.


Road Warriors
Stevie Miller, BridgeH2O Today

Starting off the season on a two week road trip around the world, Bridgewater comes home with the best record in the EHCC.

First, it was a trip across the country to Golden where the Weasels battled all week but pulled out the big win behind the bats of Derek Lee and Nate McLouth, along with the pitching of Chien-Ming Wang and Tim Hudson. Then, the team took the long flight to the other side of the world to face the Omyoujis in Tokyo. There, Ryan Howard and Lance Berkman’s bats came alive and a couple of pitching gems by Wandy Rodriguez and Joe Saunders sealed the deal.

Manager Kenny Beltram said “I like what I’m seeing out of this team thus far, we’re getting production out of all our guys, both young and old.”

Some of the old agree.

“We’re clicking together real well right now,” said Berkman, “well beside Placido who is just awful right now, but it’s okay because he’s Dominican.”

The Weasels are going to need Polanco’s bat for next week’s match against the Piglets. Alex Rodriguez did not get off to the hot start like he had a year ago, but he’s still putting up decent numbers.

A-rod had a few off the field issues before the season, like being fined by Weasels General Manager Nastra Diggus for his cover of the EHCC 2008 the video game where A-rod was donning a baby blue and white Santo Domingo uniform, which is far from the Weasels crimson red and black colors.

When asked why he was wearing the wrong uniform, A-rod responded, "Well I was running late to the photo shoot because I came straight from the strip club and didn't have time to stop at home and grab my uniform. You know how it is, eight lap dances are never enough and I had to make it rain at least one time before I left. So when I got to the photo shoot the only uniform they had there was a Santo Domingo outfit."

When asked if this would be a distraction on the season, he replied “no I should be fine. The fine is just going to cost the guys down at the strip club a days pay from me.”

With the Weasels now coming back to Bridgewater for their home opener, they have a tough week ahead of them. Facing a very good Quebec City they will have their work cut out for them.

“They are a great team and this will be a great test for us,” said Beltram. “Hopefully we can show people we deserve to be in first.”

Although the Weasels did get another boost going into this week with the signing of Brandon Lyon and the return of B.J. Ryan from injury, they have the possibility of four closers in their bullpen for the first time in team history.

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