(AP) WASHINGTON--How do you erase a 11-game lead with a month to go?
Simple. Turn back time.
The once-commanding Washington wild-card lead is down from 11 games to 3.5
games, the biggest such change in the PVBL.
"Well, we said we'd allow it," Owner Aaron Weiner said. "And as little as
we wanted to erase the best month in Sea Dog history, it's now clear that
we're going to have to run this race over again."
The Sea Dogs were in clear command at the end of August. With a 74-52
record, they had an 11-game lead over the Duluth Bjork. Now, with two
months to play, Washington is at 56-45, meaning the Bjork are within four
games, and the Springfield Atoms - who were 12 games back - are now 3.5
back.
"We're just going to have to play as well as we were playing before,"
starting pitcher Ben McDonald said. McDonald, who had four wins erased
by the reset, said that it was frustrating to have to do this again.
"To potentially risk an injury, to maybe get key players hurt that weren't
hurt before...that would be a tremendous loss," McDonald said.
Winners for the Sea Dogs? Perhaps only John Burkett, who had suffered a
season-ending injury just a few days before the reset.
"Wow...I never knew the healing powers of time reversal," Burkett said.
"I'll have to warp more often."
Chuck Knoblauch, once again, went on the disabled list, and Mickey Kelly
should be off by the end of the second game today.
"Man, did I wake up with a major bruised heel," Knoblauch said before
checking his calendar. "I thought that went away."
Weiner also wished to commend Mr. Dan Shapiro for his grace in accepting
the reset.
"Mr. Shapiro acted in the best interests of the PVBL," Weiner said. "We
owe him an immense debt, as he conducted himself like a league official
and not an owner. We didn't expect him to be happy, but there were no
major complaints."
Weiner also expressed their regret to Motor City, who had reeled off the
longest winning streak in PVBL history. Even the machine was unable to
keep up with it.
"Motor City definitely lost the most here," Weiner said. "To go from six
games up to a game behind...that's a major fall. I'd hate to see him lose
his division crown on something like that. We are pleased, however, that
he still leads the EL wild-card race."
