1997 PLAYER / PITCHER OF THE WEEK #22
| NAME | TEAM | AVG | SLG | G | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | R | RBI | K | W | IW | SB | CS | HBP |
| VAUGHN,Mo | DET AL | .391 | .957 | 6 | 23 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| NAME | CLUB | G | W | L | S | ERA | IP | R | ER | H | K | BB | IBB | WP | BK | HB | HR |
| RUETER,Kirk | NEW AL | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.65 | 16.1 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| NAME | TEAM | AVG | SLG | G | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | R | RBI | K | W | IW | SB | CS | HBP |
| JUSTICE,Dave | LBT NL | .500 | 1.278 | 5 | 18 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NAME | CLUB | G | W | L | S | ERA | IP | R | ER | H | K | BB | IBB | WP | BK | HB | HR |
| FINLEY,Chuck | SCS NL | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3.46 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Blarney Drive Bandits @ Hampton Huskies |
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| Series Preview: | Two teams victimized by some bad beatings with the ugly stick square off for six games. |
| Game #1: | Two mediocre pitchers in David Wells (Blarney Drive) and Tim Belcher (Hampton) benefit from some limp offense from both sides and go the distance with Belcher coming through with the 4-hitter in a 1-0 game for the Huskies won on a throwing error in the bottom of the 9th. Belcher walked one and fanned eight in the game and continues to surprise as he improved his record to 10-11 while benefitting from Palmer’s bad throw from 3rd base that allowed Al Martin to score all the way from 2nd. Definitely, no offensive stars in this one as Hampton catcher Jeff Reed was the only player to get an extra-base hit – a double. |
| Game #2: | Randy Johnson fanned 10 while walking just one as the Hampton Huskies brought in their balsa wood bats for this game in a 3-0 win for the Bandits. Ryan Klesko was the offensive superstar in this game … yay … with a single in the 4th inning that drove in the first two runs of the ball game. I should note here that as bad as the Hampton hitting was the defense was worse. Both runners who scored (Brian Giles and Darrin Fletcher) reached base on errors thanks to Ricky Gutierrez and Derrek Lee screw-ups. The two unearned runs spoiled what was actually a pretty darned good game by Dennis Springer (who sucks) as he fell to 4-8 after allowing three runs and the same number of walks in six innings. He struck out two. The Big Unit (LOL) gave up just a pair of singles over 7 innings of work in improving to 16-8 with his understudy Greg Swindell firing a couple of shutout innings to preserve his 14th save. Paul Molitor had two hits for Blarney Drive. The feeble offense these two teams generated with one extra-base hit in game 1 was eclipsed by no extra-base hits in this one. The cruddy defense was also consistent where this game was Hampton’s turn with three booboos compared to two for Blarney Drive in the first game. |
| Game #3: | My God … some offense. The Bandits blew open a tight game with five runs against the feeble Hampton bullpen in the 8th inning as they snagged a deceptively lopsided 9-3 win. Brian Giles (14) and Dean Palmer (12) went deep for the Bandits with the first home runs of the series. Giles’s blast was a 3-run shot with two guys on in the 1st inning against Tom (Someone Get Me Outta Here) Gordon who lasted just three innings. Palmer had a 3-run shot of his own against Rich Loiselle in the 8th. Loiselle had to have his memory wiped after the series because he was so putrid every time he touched the ball. Blarney Drive starter Mike Oquist didn’t make it out of the 1st inning because his shoulder blew like a cheap rubber tire and sent him to the DL for over a month. He was not doing well anyway as he was charged for two runs with a walk and a hit allowed. Eric Plunk hung around for 3+ innings to get his first win of the season. Paul Molitor had two hits apiece for the winners while Al Martin had two hits for Hampton. |
| Game #4: | Human punching bag Don Wengert went 6-2/3 strong innings (words never said previously this season) and improved to a wicked 2-16 record as the Bandits took their third straight game 6-2. Wengert struck out five and walked just one in the epic start. He had help from Ryan Klesko and Paul Molitor who each bashed out three hits with Molitor falling a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. Molitor scored twice and drove in three while Klesko scored once and had a single RBI. Juan Guzman (5-5) was poopy for Hampton but that’s OK as we always despised him in real life anyway. |
| Game #5: | l Martin’s two-run shot in the 8th inning resurrected the Hampton offense for four runs in the 8th inning as they came from behind to win 8-5. Martin’s 8th of the season was bittersweet payback for the 7th inning beaning of Jeff Reed which nearly decapitated the Hampton backstop and reduced them to just Scott Hatteberg behind the plate for over two weeks. Should be fun. Oh yeah … forgot about Tim Spehr … as I was saying we are down to Hatteberg for over two weeks. Eric Young had three hits in the game with Greg Vaughn (10) also chipping in a two-run homer off Blarney Drive starter Mike Hampton in the 1st inning. Brent Mayne had two hits for the Bandits and Dean Palmer homered again to give him 13 on the season. Mike Fetters got his 2nd save of the season with TJ Mathews (2-2) picking up the stupid relief win. |
| Game #6: | Well, no split this series. The Bandits ripped Tim Belcher a new one with Ryan Klesko’s 4-hit performance leading the charge in a 9-4 Blarney Drive victory. Klesko had three singles and a bases-clearing triple in the 8th to blow the 5-2 game wide open. He wound up with four RBIs. Darrin Fletcher (14) smashed a homer and scored three times while driving in two. Mike Bordick and Quilvio Veras also had two hits each. BJ Surhoff and Scott Hatteberg each had three hits with Greg Vaughn chipping in with his 11th homer of the season. David Wells (7-14) got the W after holding the Huskies to two runs on seven hits and a walk over 7 innings. He struck out four. Belcher (10-12) allowed five runs on 10 hits in six innings. |
| Series Summary: | The predictable death spiral continues with Blarney Drive coming in and taking four of six. |
Stockton Wings @ Manhattan Gas Hornets |
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| Series Preview: | A fatigued Stockton Wings wing into the Big Apple fighting hard for lots of balls (lottery balls) and face a red hot Tino Martinez and the Manhattan Gas Hornets for a 6 game set that wasn’t pretty… |
| Game #1: | Stockton got off to a great start in the series with 2 runs in the 2nd, another in the 4th and the 5th, and had a 4-0 leadoff Sterling Hitchcock. A Freddy A. Garcia solo homer (20) RBIs from Todd Hollandsworth, C Eddie Perez contributed to the lead. Then the bottom of the 5th sees the Gas Hornets plate 6 runs including a 3 run Tino Martinez blast (28) and Manhattan never looked back. Hitchcock gets the gift win as he leaves in the 5th for a PHitter. STO 4-8-0 LP John Wasdin (2-7) MGH 7-10-0 WP Hitchcock (2-2) |
| Game #2: | Tino Martinez takes the day off but it was OK as Lenny Harris goes 4 for 5, drives in 5, hits double and homer (4), and then gets the rest of the team to whack 13 more hits. Manhattan finishes the day with 13 runs and Benito Santiago nails a big homer (7) as well. Starter Kevin Tapani goes 6, giving up 2 hits and no runs for the win. A 9th inning PH homer by Kevin L. Brown (1) was their biggest offensive moment. STO 3-6-1 LP Jeff Suppan (3-6) MGH 13-17-0 WP Tapani (7-0) |
| Game #3: | In the best game of the series, the Wings get things going quickly on a lead-off homer (4) by Quinton McCracken. A Garrett Anderson double ties it in the 2nd. Then the Gas Hornets grab the lead 3-1 in the 3rd when with 2 outs Dave Martinez singles and scores when McCracken misplays the ball. That is followed by a Tino Martinez homer (29) as both runs were unearned. But in the 6th, the Wings come back with 2 or their own on rbi singles from Reggie Jefferson and Willie Greene. Then the scoring stops – for awhile. We move to the bottom of the 9th when Lenny Harris comes into PH with runners on 1st and 2nd and he gets the walk-off single for a 4-3 Gas Hornets win! STO 3-8-2 LP Todd Jones (0-1) MGH 4-11-1 WP Russ Springer (1-0) BS Ricardo Rincon (1) |
| Game #4: | Manhattan didn’t score in the3rd and 4th – but they did in all the rest including 7 in the 7th and 6 in the 8th. Tino Martinez was 3 for 4, 2 RBIs and a homer (30) but Derek Jeter and Lenny Harris each had 3 RBIs in a 20-1 cakewalk. A Todd Hollandsworth rbi double in the4th broke up the shutout option. And 5 Wings errors didn’t help. Of the 20 runs, the Gas Hornets scored, 12 of them (TWELVE) were unearned! STO 1-6-5 LP William VanLandingham (1-15) MGH 20-21-0 WP Matt Morris (18-5) |
| Game #5: | Tim Wakefield is roughed up for 2 in the 1st – but that was it. His teammates retaliated with 4 in the bottom half and then added single runs in the 5th and 8th including a Tino Martinez homer (31). STO 2-5-0 LP Jeff D’Amico (3-14) MGH 6-9-3 WP Wakefield (11-10) |
| Game #6: | In the 2nd game of the series where Manhattan cracks 20 hits, it was over early. 1 in the 1st, 3 in the 2nd, 2 in the 3rd – then they did it again in the 6th, 7th, and 8th. If it weren’t for Freddy Garcia, it would have been a 12-0 shut-out. But Garcia hits a 2 run homer (21) in the 5th and a solo shot (22) in the 9th. Dave Martinez goes 4 for 4 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs and a homer (9) and Tino Martinez goes 3 for 5 with 2 runs/RBIs and his 32nd homer. And Garrett Anderson has a 4 for 4 day (triple and 3 singles). Sterling Hitchcock gets his 2nd win of the series – this one pitched a lot better. STO 3-7-2 LP John Burke (1-3) MGH12-20-0 WP Hitchcock (3-2) |
| Series Summary: | Manhattan gets the sweep to try to stay within striking distance of Steel City. Stockton is a very fatigued team ending the series with 5 guys Tired and 1 Worn-out on the active roster (non-pitchers) plus one on DL. 2 more worn-out on the farm.
Tino, maybe not POW this week, but he sure is giving it chance. In his 5 games, he goes 12 for 20 with a double, 5 homers (1 in each game), 7 runs, and 9 RBIs. OBP .636 and SLG of 1.250! And ends the week with an 18 game hitting streak. Next week we host Hampton while Stockton heads home to the hospital in preparation to host Blarney Drive. |
Winnipeg Goldeyes @ Sugar Land Skeeters |
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| Series Preview: | A matchup of division leaders and possible playoff preview. |
| Series Summary: | Sugar Land gets more timely hitting and wins four of the six. |
Fort Worth Panthers @ Chicago Demolition |
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| Series Preview: | The Panthers head into the Windy City for a 6 game series with the Demolition. |
| Game #1: | This was the classic pitcher’s duel as Hideo Nomo & Roger Clemens went at it. Nomo went 9 Innings without allowing a run. Clemens went 10 without allowing a run. It was turned over to the bullpens. IN the bottom of the 11th Tony Clark had an RBI single scoring Tony Phillips.
Final Score: Chicago 1 – Fort Worth 0 (11 Innings) Win: Scott Radinsky 4-1 (1.76) |
| Game #2: | Ivan Rodriguez had a 2 Run Home Run in the 1st Inning & the Panthers tacked on 1 more Run. Chicago’s offense scored 1 Run for the 2nd game in a row.
Final Score: Fort Worth 3 – Chicago 1 Win: Brian Anderson 3-6 (4.75) |
| Game #3: | Both teams opened the floodgates with the offense in this one. Jose Guillen leads the charge for the Panthers going 3 for 5 with a Triple, Run Scored & 4 RBI’s. Chicago got 2 RBI’s each from Tony Clark, Edgar Renteria & Jeff Cirillo. Both Starters gave up 7 Runs (Each) & all earned.
Final Score: Chicago 9 – Fort Worth 8 Win: Jose Cabrera 1-0 (1.59) |
| Game #4: | Another classic pitchers duel had former Demolition starter Bobby Witt face Pedro Martinez who was coming off some elbow soreness. No scoring in this one until Fort Worth chips 1 Run across in the 8th on an RBI Double off the bat of John Mabry. Chicago gets one in the 9th with two outs on a Pinch-Hit Double scoring Pinch Runner Eric Davis. Edgar Renteria drives in Tony Phillips in the bottom of the 10th for the home team win.
Final Score: Chicago 2 – Fort Worth 1 (10 Innings) Win: Arthur Rhodes 3-1 (2.10) |
| Game #5: | Kevin Brown was the ace in this one going 9 Innings in a Complete Game Shut Out for Fort Worth. Ivan Rodriguez hit a solo Home Run & Fred McGriff (The Crime Dog) pitched in with 2 RBI’s.
Final Score: Fort Worth 6 – Chicago 0 Win: Kevin Brown 17-7 (2.73) |
| Game #6: | Clemens & Nomo matched up again & this time the pendulum swung the other way for Fort Worth. Doug Glanville led off the game with a Home Run. Roger Clemens goes 9 Innings allowing only 2 Run. Hideo Nomo goes 8.2 & allows only 1 Run. Mike Jackson closed the door on the Demolition.
Final Score: Fort Worth 2 – Chicago 1 Win: Hideo Nomo 7-11 (3.85) |
| Series Summary: | The Panthers came into town and played not only well, but above their pay grade & earned a nice split for themselves. Chicago hopes to stay in the race for a Wild Card, but this series might have hurt their chances. |
Valdosta Bombers @ Santa Rosa Beach Bums |
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| Series Preview: | Santa Rosa Beach welcomes the Bomber from Valdosta to the panhandle for a six-game set. |
| Game #1: | First up is Thomson (3-4, 4.34) for the Bombers and Beech (4-11, 6.15) for the Bums. In the 1st Bombers, Lansing tripled and scored on a Karros grounder. Bombers filled the bases in the 3rd with 0-out. Two scored on a single by Randa. Another on a single by Servais. 4-0 Bombers. In the 4th the Bums make it a 2-run game on an RBI single by Strawberry and pitch hitter Myers. The Bums set the table with runners on second and third with 0-outs in the 5th. Loretta singled one home, but Thomas is gunned down at the plate to preserve the Bombers lead. Bums Alomar, Thomas, and Hernandez stroked back-to-back-to-back singles in the 7th to tie the game. Bombers filled the bases in the 9th with 1-out. And with 2-out Jarvis walked the potential winning run home. Bombers Quantrill and Franco put the Bums down 1-2-3 to end it. Valdosta 5 10 0 WP: Timlin 3b: Lansing; SH: Thomson; Sb: Brede; H: Quantrill; S: Franco. Santa Rosa Beach 4 10 0 LP: Jarvis HBP: Gagne. |
| Game #2: | Round two. Bombers Reynolds (5-7, 3.70) faced Bums Rosado (8-14, 4.18). Bombers Karros again started things off in the 1st with a 2-run shot. The Bombers plate a couple more in the 2nd on a Reynolds infield grounder and a Randa triple. Bombers filled the bases in the 5th and Karros sacrificed himself to bring in one. That had to hurt. Rosado then missed the catcher after fielding a grounder for the second run and the Bums manager had seen enough of him. Bombers 6-0. Valdosta 9 11 3 WP: Reynolds 3b: Randa; HR: Karros; HBP: Ramirez, Karros. Santa Rosa Beach 3 7 2 LP: Rosado SH: Miller. |
| Game #3: | The Bombers call on Moyer (9-9. 3.51) and the Bums look to Hammond (3-6, 6.38) to end an eight-game slide. Karros didn’t get the opportunity to start the scoring. He’d need to be higher in the batting order. Karros did start the scoring in the second when he was plated by a Randa infield grounder. Bombers Higginson made it 2-0 with a solo shot in the 3rd. Karros had to wait till the 3rd inning to get his RBI. A single that scored one. 3-0. Bomber scored three more in the 4 for a 0-1-2-3 scoreboard. Bums brought it back to a 4-run deficit on a Thomas 2-run homer. Valdosta 6 13 1 WP: Moyer 2b: Finley, Randa, Gruzielanek; HR: Higginson. Santa Rosa Beach 2 3 1 LP: Hammond HR: Thomas. |
| Game #4: | Bombers feeling confident with Tewksberry (1-5, 7.00) on to face Smoltz (13-6, 2.65). Again the Bums avoid Karros getting an at-bat in the first. Though Karros singled in the 2nd, he was not involved in a run in any way. After Higginson drew a walk in the 4th Bombers Ramirez went yard, depriving Karros of an RBI opportunity. In the 6th Bums Loretta banged a leadoff double, Alomar walked and Caminiti dropped in an RBI single followed by a Sander 2-run single. Bums 3-2. Bombers Ramirez hit his second bomb of the day tying it in the 9th. Bums Sanders leadoff the bottom half with a solo shot to save it for Smoltz. Something the bullpen has not been able to do this year. And the losing streak is broken. Valdosta 3 3 0 LP: McMichael HR: Ramirez 2; Sb: Higginson. Santa Rosa Beach 4 5 1 WP: Smoltz 2b: Loretta, Caminiti; HR: Sanders. |
| Game #5: | The Bombers go to Hentgen (13-5, 3.75) to stop the bleeding and the Bums counter with Clark (2-7, 6.96). Ramirez has taken over as the destroyer by banging a solo shot in the 1st. His third homer in 2 days. For the Bums in the bottom half, White and Perez stroked leadoff singles and advanced to third on a Higginson error. Thomas brought them home with a single. Bums 2-1. Bums lead was not for long as the first three batters in the 2nd for the Bombers singled. Tie game. 0-outs. Flaherty then singled in one. 3-2. 0-outs. After Hentgen advanced the runners with a bunt, Higginson brought one home on an infield grounder. 4-2. 2-outs. And in the 3rd Ramirez put another one out four in two days and counting. 5-2 Bombers. Bums Jarvis is called on. To no avail as Finley banged a homer two batters later. 6-2. Bombers filled the bases with 1-out in the 7th setting up the breakout. And two batters later Grudzielaanek ripped a bases-clearing double to all but seal the victory. 9-2. Bums Alomar brought it to within five with a 2-run pitch hit double in the 7th. Valdosta 9 13 1 WP: Hentgen 2b: Ramirez, Grudzielanek; HR: Rmirez 2, Finley; SH: Hentgen. Santa Rosa Beach 4 10 3 LP: Clark 2b: Myers, Alomar. |
| Game #6: | Bombers Thomson (3-4, 4.35) made his second appearance as did Bums Rosado (8-15, 4.48). Strawberry took one away from Ramirez for the third out in the 1st. Bums Sanders put his second in as many days over the fence for a 1-0 Bums lead in the 2nd. Later in the inning, MacFarlane singled and came all the way around on a VanderWal double. Bums 2-0. Goose eggs until the 7th when Bombers Finley and Flaherty blooped singles and Grudzielanek brought one home with an infield grounder. In the 8th, Loretta singled. He was replaced with pinch-runner White who was off to the races and Alomar stroked a double bringing him all the way around for an insurance run, Bums 3-1. Rosado can finish this game in three batters or hand it to the bullpen for the fourth. Can he make it! He does. Valdosta 1 6 1 LP: Thomson 2b: Grudzielanek; IBB: Ramirez; SH: Lansing. Santa Rosa Beach 3 8 0 WP: Rosado Alomar, VanderWal; HR: Sanders; IBB: Thomas. |
| Series Summary: | The Bums won the second half, but the Bombers win the series. |
Harper Woods Expos @ New Hampshire Nighthawks |
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| Series Summary: | New Hampshire gets a rare series win at home, Taking the series 4-2. In the 5th game, the Expos were up 7-3 in the bottom of the 9th. New Hampshire gets 5 runs capped by a walk-off HR for Lee Stevens. |
| Rain Make up: | Both Teams travel back to Harper Woods for the rain Makeup. Chili Davis goes 3for3 and hits his 25th HR of the year. Mike Mussina pitches 6 decent innings for his 17th win of the year. Expos win it 9-4 |
Portland Mavericks @ Corktown Bootleggers |
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| Series Summary: | Corktown wins the series 4 games to 2. |
Cincinnati Outlaws @ Steel City Sluggers |
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| Series Summary: | Sluggers take 5 of 6 from the Outlaws. |
Castle Rock Hounds @ DeWitt Tigers |
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| Series Preview: | Castle Rock travels to DeWitt looking to pick up key wins for a playoff chase. |
| Game #1: | DEW 4 CRH 1W Dejean 5-3 L Adams 0-1 |
| Game #2: | CRH 12 DEW 7 in 11W Rodriguez 2-0 L Eyre 1-3 |
| Game #3: | CRH 7 DEW 5W Rogers 4-3 L Robertson 0-1 |
| Game #4: | DEW 12 CR 2W Leiter 5-11 L Carpenter 1-4 S Levine (1) |
| Game #5: | DEW 7 CRH 1W Loaiza 6-14 L Clark 10-5 |
| Game #6: | CRH 4 Dew 3W Adams 1-1 L Miceli 2-7 S Benitez 27 |
| Series Summary: | Dewitt and Castle Rock battle to a split alternating wins. |
Michigan Mauraders @ Long Beach Titans |
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| Series Summary: | Long Beach takes 5 of 6 from Michigan. |
Hollywood Vampires @ Flossmoor Flying Squirrels |
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| Series Summary: | The Squirrels sweep the Vampires in a six-game set. They took the first three all on complete-game shutouts and then the final three were closer with the sweep coming on an extra-inning walk-off win in the finale. The magic number is at 8 pending the Corktown results. |
Detroit Stars @ California Quakes |
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| Series Summary: | California and Detroit split, and we’re lucky to get away with that. |