Groundhogs Sweep at Home/World Series Preview October 17, 1999
Punxatawney, PA (AP)
Once again, the Punxatawney Groundhogs have kept their fans happy with
playoff victories. The Hogs won both of their home first round games,
taking the series in the final game at Binghamton. After splitting the
first two games in Phoenix, the Groundhogs returned home and won the next
three games. The 4-1 series victory is a reversal of the Hogs 4-1 loss in
the 1997 DLCS.
It seemed to many Hogs backers that they were in trouble early in the first
game of the series when young star Rocky Coppinger went down with a serious
shoulder injury in the first game. But the team fought on and won the
opener, losing the second game in a close battle.
"We wanted to win two of three at home," said manager Dan Shapiro. "We
figured it would give us a good chance to win the pennant."
But the Hogs did not win just two--they took three straight from the Gila
Monsters to win the series. 8-3, 7-5, and 5-3 were the scores of the final
games.
Game 3 featured an impressive 6-run rally and an excellent start by Jon
Lieber. Postseason hero Jason Giambi hit a grand slam to cap the rally, and
Jose Valentin homered in the game as well. Each of the first 4 hitters
collected 2 hits.
Game 4 was a hard-fought battle. Phoenix took an early 3-0 lead, but
Punxatawney fought back to get a 5-3 lead heading into the 8th inning. Two
more Phoenix runs off reliever Tim Worrell tied the game at 5, but the hero
of the day was catcher Dan Wilson. He ended the game with a 2-run 9th
inning homer off Jeff Nelson to give the Hogs a 7-5 victory and a secure 3-1
series lead.
In the final game of the series, Sean Bergman and Pedro Astacio were both
out of the game relatively early, and the bullpens took over. Solid
pitching by both sides left the game tied at 3 heading into the final
inning. Unfortunately for Phoenix's Todd Jones, two unearned runs (I can't
figure out how they scored from the box at all) crossed the plate that
inning, ending the game and the Gila Monsters season.
"It was over so quick, we were almost surprised," said 3B Scott Rolen, who
homered and scored twice in the final game of the series. "We surprised
ourselves with how well we played this series."
The MVP of this series was slugger Ryan Klesko, who played a great series,
contributing in nearly every game. He went 8-19, a .421 average for the
series. Klesko drove in 6 runs, knocking out 3 doubles and two homers while
scoring three times. His slugging percentage for the series was an
impressive .895.
"I guess I won this for consistency," said Klesko. "Except for game two, I
didn't have an awesome game. But I was happy to win this--and even happier
to be in the series."
Meanwhile, the Deadwood Outlaws won a hard-fought 7 game series against the
Galena Hamsters, ruining the chance for an all-rodent series. Instead, the
Outlaws will have to defend the EL's distinction of winning the World Series
against the Hogs. So far, Hartford and Galena have won the PVBL series. In
fact, the DL teams have won just 1 game so far in the two World Series--Vero
Beach was swept by Hartford and Galena topped Washington 4-1.
The World Series will begin tomorrow, most likely, but Shapiro has not
settled on a starter for the opening game yet. Jon Lieber is tentatively
scheduled to pitch, having had a few days to rest while the ELCS finished
up, plus two scheduled off-days. Deadwood will most likely be able to go
with ace Greg Maddux in game 1 and lefty Jeff Fassero in the second game.
"Maddux has always been one of the best. Fassero is a solid veteran.
Deadwood is a little on the older side, but believe me, these guys are
quality players," said Lieber.
A number of ex-Hogs are on the Outlaws. Curt Leskanic was traded as a PTBNL
in a 1997 trade for Scott Aldred, and has had great success for Deadwood.
Randy Myers spent some time in Punxatawney a few seasons back as has Roberto
Alomar.
"I don't think we really have a lot of players that still hold a grudge,"
said Shapiro. "Phil and I have always gotten along, and he runs a great
organization. It'll be a good, classy series. We both have great fans who
love the game."
And while he isn't saying it publically, you know that Shapiro has only one
thing on his mind--breaking the DL curse of World Series incompetence. So
can the Hogs take the Outlaws? Here is a position by position comparison of
the two teams, listing the Hogs first:
First, an "editors note"--Deadwood seems to play in an offense friendly park
as their team average is a bit higher than most, as is their team ERA.
Lineups are based on the most recent posted lineups on the web page.
Catcher--Dan Wilson vs. Mike Stanley
Two solid catchers. Stanley hit .288 for the season with 27 homers and 78
RBI in 144 games. Solid numbers for a catcher. Wilson only played in 125
games, but hit .309 with 28 homers and 62 RBI, as well as better defense, a
higher OBP and SLG. The advantage here certainly goes to the Hogs.
First Base--Jason Giambi vs. Rafael Palmeiro
Giambi is having a great postseason, with numerous crucial homeruns, but hit
only .275 with 17 homers and 50 RBI in the regular season in 135 games.
Palmeiro had another all-star season at first, hitting .323 with 33 homers
and 101 RBI. A perennial all-star against Giambi? Advantage Deadwood.
Second Base--Tony Batista vs. Roberto Alomar
This is an interesting comparision. Alomar hit .316 with 52 doubles, 5
triples, 29 homers, 85 RBI, and a team-best 132 runs created with 12 steals.
He made 11 errors at second. On the other hand, Batista hit .314 with 52
doubles, 6 triples, 23 homers, 88 RBI, 126 runs created, and 28 steals, all
while playing flawless defense. Perhaps a slight advantage to the Hogs, but
its more or less a wash.
Shortstop--Jose Valentin vs. Travis Fryman
Well, it certainly looks like a Hogs advantage here. Valentin is perhaps
the 3rd or 4th best shortstop in the game, and hit .304 with 50 doubles and
37 homers this year, all while leading the team with 125 RBI and 131 runs cr
eated. He also stole 21 bases. Fryman isn't nearly as good--he hit .295
with 26 homers and 85 RBI, but did not steal a base. The Hogs have the
advantage here.
Third Base--Scott Rolen vs. Scott Brosius
Another interesting comparison. Brosius had a very solid year, batting .274
with 27 doubles, 6 triples, 24 homers, 66 RBI, and only made 1 error. Rolen
has better offensive numbers--.294 average, 47 doubles, 28 homers, 83 RBI,
and 7 steals. However, he made 11 errors. Perhaps a small advantage to the
Groundhogs.
Left Field--Ryan Klesko vs. Rich Amaral/Chris Gomez
Is there a comparison? Klesko had a great season, hitting .297 with 28
homers and 84 RBI in only 131 games, almost reaching 100 runs created even
while missing 31 games. Well, Amaral had a great year for himself, hitting
.273 with 22 doubles, 33 steals, and 38 runs created in 344 at bats while
Chris Gomez hit .287 with 5 homers and 39 runs created in 334 at bats.
Combine the numbers, and except for speed, the advantage goes to the Hogs.
Center Field--Dave Martinez vs. Steve Finley
Finley missed 30 games due to injury, Martinez missed 23. Their numbers are
somewhat similar as well. Finley batted .300 with 43 doubles and 18 homers
while stealing 17 bases and totalling 94 runs created. Not too shabby.
However, Martinez hit .297 with 48 doubles, 28 homers, 69 RBI, 38 steals,
and 108 runs created. Both are great players, but again, a small advantage
to the Hogs might be in order.
Right Field--Alex Ochoa vs. Tim Salmon
Salmon should be the better player right now. He had a poor season for the
Outlaws, however. He hit only .255 with 30 homers and 79 RBI, but only 85
runs created in 158 games. Ochoa's numbers look a little better--.289
average, 25 homers, 77 RBI, 31 steals, and 94 runs created in 155 games.
But Salmon is the better talent, simply waiting for his breakout. Perhaps
an even wash, considering Salmon is more talented and Ochoa had a better
year.
Designated Hitter--Geronimo Berroa vs. Brad Fullmer
The veteran and the youngster. Berroa hit .279 this season, knocking 30
homers and 95 RBI with 98 runs created. Fullmer had a better year, as the
youngster came into his own. He hit an impressive .325 with 55 doubles, 33
homers, 96 RBI, and 129 runs created. Advantage clearly to Deadwood.
I won't compare the entire rotations--Greg Maddux and Jeff Fassero are two
very solid starters, combining to go 33-11 between the two of them. Maddux
had an incredible second half of the season, ending up with an 18-5 record
and 3.13 ERA. Fassero was 15-6 with a 4.13 ERA. The other starters Raisor
could call on might be Todd Stottlemyre (11-13, 4.85), Rick Reed (8-10,
4.26), or Mark Leiter (7-6, 3.98).
Shapiro has five options for the series. Jon Lieber (11-10, 2.80) and Sean
Bergman (16-7, 2.67) both had great regular seasons. Bobby Thomas (14-6,
3.92) had a great second half of the year. Juan Guzman (7-9, 4.44) has had
a number of a great postseason outings after an injury-ridden regular
season. His other major choice is Masato Yoshii (9-15, 3.79).
The advantage in rotation depth probably goes to the Hogs. Their 3rd and
4th starters seem to be better. Maddux and Fassero match up very well
against Lieber and Bergman or Thomas or Guzman.
In the bullpens, the advantage may go either way. Shapiro has been able to
use his extra starters in the bullpen to bolster his pitching staff. This
has reduced the impact of inconsistent relievers like Curly Karkovice, Tim
Worrell, and Bobby Munoz--all of whom have had solid postseason
performances.
Deadwood has a number of quality relievers--Jose Rijo, Billy Taylor, Curt
Leskanic, and Rany Myers all had ERA's near or below 3.00 this year. Raisor
has also used extra starters in the bullpen to bolster his pitching staff.
Overall, the advantage leans a bit toward the Groundhogs, it seems--but that
means nothing unless they can prove themselves on the field. So far they
have, first coming back to topple Houston, then holding on to top the Mets
and rolling over the Gila Monsters. Now only the Outlaws stand in the way
of a World Series title. A few days from now, the final outcome will be
known and the 3rd season will be history. Is the EL done dominating, or
will the Outlaws ride past the Hogs into the record books? We'll all know
soon enough!
