Brandishing Broomsticks, Washington Sweeps DLCS October 19, 1998
(AP) WASHINGTON--The unthinkable has happened.
The Washington Sea Dogs, after finishing fourth in their own division last
year, are now in the Pepper Virtual Baseball League World Series.
Champagne and beer flew all around the Sea Dog clubhouse as Sea Dogs tried
to reveal what this series meant.
"This is an amazing achievement," Washington manager Aaron Weiner said.
"To just get here was incredible, but to come in and dominate the Vero
Beach team the way we did...it's hard to believe."
Second baseman Chuck Knoblauch, who had been with the team since its
inception, was almost electric, all over the clubhouse spraying everyone,
including several reporters.
"I don't know what to say, I'm so overwhelmed," Knoblauch said. "To
suffer through last year's dismantling and to be here at this point...it's
just completely unreal. This is the most amazing bunch of guys I ever
played with."
It wasn't an easy four-game series for the Sea Dogs. They had to win
three of the four games by one run, relying as much on Vero Beach mistakes
in two of them as their own prowess. And they were holding their breath
on starter Shawn Estes, as he tried to recover from an arm injury.
Estes, who won Game 4, was a given to start, but not a given to be
healthy. Estes looked rusty in the first inning, allowing three earned
runs, but settled down and allowed only one for the rest of the game.
"I think I was a little too pumped up for the first inning," Estes said.
"I tried to overthrow everything, and I just didn't put the ball where I
wanted it."
Estes allowed just six hits in seven innings, walking two and striking out
three. Ben Hamlin, who got his second save of the series, and three
relievers did the rest. Hamlin jumped into the arms of catcher Ben
Petrick as he was mobbed on the field.
"I was almost here with Springfield (the Panthers) last year," Hamlin
said. "And to get here and finish out a game like this...well, this just
beats everything I've done in the majors."
Washington will be watching and resting while Galena and Motor City butt
heads. Galena currently leads Motor City 3-2 in games and will return to
Galena for two more games.
"We're not going to concern ourselves too much with the other series,"
Weiner said. "We're just going to concentrate on keeping ourselves ready
with the layover."
* * *
Column: Dogs Have Their Day Because GM Earned His Pay
From Wire Services and the Washington Sea Dogs Front Office
Back in August, when GM Aaron Weiner acquired centerfielder Lance Johnson,
he said fateful words that had haunted him every single day up until
yesterday.
"I remember saying that Lance Johnson might be the final piece to the
puzzle to make the World Series," Weiner said. "I guess so."
It wasn't a simple series of events that brought the Sea Dogs to this
point. Washington started the year, if anyone still recalls, with Matt
Stairs at first base, Jason Kendall and Charles Johnson at catcher, Cal
Ripken at shortstop and Todd Stottlemyre and Chuck Finley in the rotation.
But with a GM that wasn't afraid to pull the string all season long, the
Sea Dogs underwent a complete facelift that began all the way back in
March and all the way up until the end of August.
"Well, I went into this season thinking we could do better than 78-84 (the
Sea Dogs' record last season)," Weiner said. "The toughest thing wasn't
figuring out deals to do - there were a lot of strong prospects on our
team and a lot of logical deals available - but convincing owner A. L.
Weiner that if he spent the money, we had the resources to contend."
The owner had almost no reservations about allowing the GM to pursue
deals.
"I was disappointed with the development of a lot of the prospects we
acquired," said the owner. "Most of them didn't hit worth their salt. So
it wasn't any great decision to allow Aaron to wheel and deal the way I
knew he was capable."
Two of Weiner's keystone moves were allowing Rookie of the Year
lock Mackenzee Leefenhaufenhauz to bypass AAA Wheeling and go right into
the majors, and dealing from the team's prospect base to get Barry Larkin.
"As soon as I was able to acquire Barry Larkin for Mike Lieberthal and
Eddie Guardado - not a steal, either - I knew we had a much better chance
than last year," Weiner said. "That was the keystone move for our
franchise."
Acquiring Larkin gave the Sea Dogs the best middle infield in the PVBL,
with fellow superstar Chuck Knoblauch playing second base. Acquiring
catcher Terry Steinbach seemed to be a big move for the Sea Dogs as well.
But Weiner hadn't yet pulled his final tricks out of the bag.
"Well...we still had quite a few drawing cards," Weiner said. "And we
took a gamble dealing away all our catchers."
Maybe not that big a gamble. STeinbach, after early-season struggles,
turned into July's Player of the Month Mariano Duncan. Jason Kendall and
Mark Whiten turned into Gary Sheffield. And Charles Johnson, along with
other players, turned into Harold Baines and John Burkett.
"I sensed a need for catchers around the league," Weiner said. "Including
us. But when we drafted Ben Petrick, we knew that we had our catcher for
the future."
Indeed, Petrick, just 19 years old and fresh out of college, stepped right
into the Washington lineup and hit .250 with seven homers and nine steals
in just over a half a season.
"Petrick is a megastud," Weiner said. "He's gonna be the starter here for
a long time."
With Washington's hitting still weak because of power troubles, Weiner
tried to mix up the team again. Swapping for Mike Stanley, a cheap power
source, and dealing Duncan away for closer Ben Hamlin were nice
augmentations to the team. But the coup de grace came when Weiner swapped
Sheffield and FP Santangelo for Lance Johnson at the trading deadline.
"We were just incredibly frustrated with Sheffield," Weiner said. "We
were hoping to get the cleanup hitter that we were longing for all season,
but instead we got what amounted to a dud."
Johnson, who looked like a legitimate candidate for EL MVP, was a Player
of the Month candidate for September, hitting .400 with over 20 steals,
and propelled what was a good team into greatness.
"Words cannot describe the ripple effect a leadoff man like Lance Johnson
had on our whole lineup," Weiner said. "We went from having a fast team
to being whirlwinds on the basepaths. We became the most unpredictable
offensive team in the league."
Johnson had high praise for his general manager too.
"Knowing all the things he's done this year, knowing all the moves he's
made - if they don't have a Executive of the Year award, they oughta make
one. He's built this team from the ground up."
Notes and Quotes:
"Looking at the other two teams, I think we'd have a better shot against
GAlena. They won 100 games also."
-Bill Mueller, Washington third baseman
"Brings a whole new meaning to rebuilding, doesn't it?"
-Manager Aaron Weiner, on WAshington's GM
"Does this mean we get to meet the President?"
-Fred Smith, Washington reliever
* * *
President Clinton, who has been following this series, did call the
clubhouse after the game.
"He said he was very proud of us, and that we would get to visit the White
House whether we won or lost the World Series," manager Aaron Weiner said.
"He said we reflected the city of Washington bravely and honorably all
season long."
Shortstop Barry Larkin had a different perspective on it.
"You better believe I'll never be late on my income taxes," Larkin said.
"Meeting the President will be the biggest honor I can think of."
* * *
Washington stole four bases in the clinching game, the second time this
series they have turned the trick.
"Well, this is our signature," Manager Aaron Weiner said. "We know that
we're most dangerous when we're off and running."
Washington didn't steal a base in the first two games of the series.
"And see, we just eaked those games out," Weiner said. "When we started
running, we blew them off the map in game 3."
