2002 PLAYER / PITCHER OF THE WEEK #1

Wilkerson provides a 2-out RBI single in the 4th to extend the lead to 4-2 and Santana gets the hook. Snow adds a solo HR off of Tomko and it is 5-2. Castle Rock adds another off an RBI triple from Mark Ellis.

In the bottom of the 8th, Kaz Ishii intentionally walks Bonds to load the bases with nobody out. Bold strategy. He does get Wilkerson to strike out, but hits Polanco to force in a run and they add one more on a sac fly to make it 8-2 and that would be the final.

WP: Pineiro (1-0)
LP: Santana (0-1)

WP: Rogers (1-0)
LP: Lackey (0-1)

Dondero adds three more runs off of BJ Ryan in the 6th to take a 14-3 lead. Kearns continues his hot start to the season, with a 2-RBI double. The final is 16-3, Dondero.

WP: Ishii (1-0)
LP: Davis (0-1)

Frank Thomas continues his HR streak, hitting one in the 4th straight game for the Oaks. Ibanez ties it up with an RBI single scoring Roberts, who stole second. Reggie Sanders then goes deep and Dondero has the 6-4 lead. Castle Rock loads the bases with one out in the 5th, but can only score one run and it is 6-5 after 5 innings.

Brian Roberts delivers a clutch 2-out, 2-RBI single in the top of the 6th to give Dondero the 8-5 lead. Alex Gonzalez gets one back for Castle Rock with a solo HR and Bonds brings them all the way back to 8-8 with a 2-run shot after an error allowed Bellhorn on base.

Kearns scores Valentin from 2nd with two out to give Dondero the lead back, 9-8. We have quite the barnburner going here. Because, Jermaine Dye wastes no time tying it up with a lead-off HR off of Carrara.

Castle Rock loads the bases in the bottom of the 8th, but Carrara gets Dye to fly out and it is still 9-9. Benitez gets through the top of the 9th unscathed, despite a Kearns double (this guy is on fire). Rivera does the same for Dondero in the bottom half. Benitez stays out for the top of the 10th and gets Dondero in order. Julio Santana comes on for the bottom of the 10th. He walks Luis Gonzalez and Mark Bellhorn delivers a walk-off double to give Castle Rock the crazy 10-9 victory.

Kearns goes 2-4 for Dondero and is batting .563 on the short season. Thomas gets his 5th homer and is batting “just” .438. Bellhorn goes 4-5 for Castle Rock, and he is batting .538 and Bonds is 2-2 with two homers and three walks and is batting .556. This offense is going to be fun to play with.

WP: Benitez (1-0)
LP: Santana (0-1)

Gonzalez goes deep again in Jason Jennings and Kyle Lohse square off in this one, as Castle Rock is trying to forget about what happened in Game 3. Bonds gets Castle Rock on the board with his first HR of the year in the bottom of the 1st. Polanco doubles the lead to 4-0 with a 2-out double. Dondero fights to get 2-runs back on a Gibbons single.

Frank Thomas continues his HR streak, hitting one in the 4th straight game for the Oaks. Ibanez ties it up with an RBI single scoring Roberts, who stole second. Reggie Sanders then goes deep and Dondero has the 6-4 lead. Castle Rock loads the bases with one out in the 5th, but can only score one run and it is 6-5 after 5 innings.

Brian Roberts delivers a clutch 2-out, 2-RBI single in the top of the 6th to give Dondero the 8-5 lead. Alex Gonzalez gets one back for Castle Rock with a solo HR and Bonds brings them all the way back to 8-8 with a 2-run shot after an error allowed Bellhorn on base.

Kearns scores Valentin from 2nd with two out to give Dondero the lead back, 9-8. We have quite the barnburner going here. Because, Jermaine Dye wastes no time tying it up with a lead-off HR off of Carrara.

Castle Rock loads the bases in the bottom of the 8th, but Carrara gets Dye to fly out and it is still 9-9. Benitez gets through the top of the 9th unscathed, despite a Kearns double (this guy is on fire). Rivera does the same for Dondero in the bottom half. Benitez stays out for the top of the 10th and gets Dondero in order. Julio Santana comes on for the bottom of the 10th. He walks Luis Gonzalez and Mark Bellhorn delivers a walk-off double to give Castle Rock the crazy 10-9 victory.

Kearns goes 2-4 for Dondero and is batting .563 on the short season. Thomas gets his 5th homer and is batting “just” .438. Bellhorn goes 4-5 for Castle Rock, and he is batting .538 and Bonds is 2-2 with two homers and three walks and is batting .556. This offense is going to be fun to play with.

WP: Benitez (1-0)

LP: Santana (0-1)the 6th to make it 5-2. And, the floodgates open as Castle Rock adds three more to make it 8-2. And, that is the final score (for the 3rd time in the series!).

WP: Pettitte (1-0)
LP: Tomko (0-1)

0-0 heading into the bottom of the 6th we find Halladay in trouble. With two men on both Klesko and Lowell deliver to give Blarney a 2-0 lead. Johnson would allow just 4 hits over go 6.1. Embree and Groom on in relief would nail down the last 2.2 allowing just one base runner for the home squad.

Konerko 2-3 w/ a double led Vampire sticks.

HV 0 BDB 2

W: Johnson (1-0)
L: Halladay (0-1)
S: Groom (1)

Bandits launch 7 HRs on the day while Wells and Weathers team up for a no-hitter.

HV 0 BDB 14

W: Wells (1-0)
L: Mulder (0-1)
S: None

Hollywood scores 1 in the 1st to score their first run of the series. They would add 2 more in the 2nd – Floyd and Mohr homers plus a defensive blunder power the visitors scoring. Blarney would retaliate in the bottom half of the 2nd for 2 and then 1 in the 3rd to knot it at 3 after 3 full. No scoring for either team in innings 4-5-6. Perez was tiring in the 7th and Blarney took advantage. With two men on Giles stepped in to PH for Pratt and drills a 3 run bomb, 6-3 Bandits. There would be no more runs scored this day.

HV 3 BDB 6

W: Embree (1)
L: Perez (0-1)
S: Groom (2)

HV 7 BDB 2

W: Oswalk (1-0)
L: Perez (0-1)
S: None

HV 3 BDB 2

W: Miller (1-0)
L: Strange (0-1)
S: Acevedo (1)

Reynolds: Well, “You Ought to Know” Chris.

Berman: In what is already being called one of the greatest World Series ever, the Demolition came up short in game 7 losing to Randy Johnson and the Mullets. In a Surprise move the Demolition will start with Millwood on the mound instead of 2001 Cy Young winner Darryl Kile on the bump. Kile led the Demolition with a 19-8 record and a sub 3 ERA. He started the year pitching for Southlake and upsetting the Demolition in the season opener before getting traded to Chicago to help guide them to the World Series.

Reynolds: Kile will get the ball in the Series finale on Wednesday. Not that he needs any extra motivation in 2002. In the offseason he said it was the most HEART Breaking feeling he had when losing the World Series.

Skip Berman: This Kid has a big Heart. He has many years left to experience excitement on the field. I am excited to see the type of number he will put up in his career.
C. Berman: Southlake Owner, the self-appointed President and GM has spared no expense of activities to kick off 2002. There was a boat parade on the shores of beautiful Lake Huron this morning. Two boat captains drunkenly threw a replica of the Commissioner’s Trophy back and forth between themselves. One boat was carrying Tom Brady who will toss out the first pitch before the game. Tom is coming off the upset Superbowl victory over the Rams. He played college ball just down the road in Ann Arbor for the Wolverines.
He was accompanied by his fiancé Bridget Moynihan. Also on the boat was Supermodel Gisele Bundchen who will deliver the first pitch ball to the mound before the game.

Reynolds: I wonder how the three of them got along on the boat.

Skip Berman: It’s always awkward meeting people for the first time. But when you travel in celebrity circles like these stars, you often meet someone one time and then never again. I’m sure that’s how today was. I mean Tom is a baller. Supermodels just don’t travel down that path. Besides he is engaged to an up-and-coming actress. She has Future Oscar winner written all over her.

C. Berman: The National Anthem was performed by Jennifer Lopez and God Bless America was sung by Ja-Rule. The two of them currently have the number one song on the Charts.
Later today Southlake will play Thank God I’m A Country Boy during the 7th Inning Stretch for the last time. Their way to honor former Detroiter Herbie The Groundskeeper. Herbie was famous for doing a dance to that song as the crew prepped the field in the 7th. Second base will be renamed Herbie, with his name painted on the side of the bag from now on. Southlake will instead play Don’t Stop Believing by Journey whenever the team needs a big hit or defensive play late in the game. This will be like how the Pittsburgh Steelers play Renegade by Styx during a key moment in the 4th Quarter.

Reynolds: If you have never been inside Heinz Field when that is played you are truly missing something magical. The lights go dark, and the first 50 seconds of that song is like no hype song you have ever heard. But when that scream comes out and the music begins that mob turns into nothing short of a wave of energy that drowns the opponents in a sea of noise. Sarge and the Stealers are hoping to re-create that same home field advantage.

C. Berman: If that is the case this team is going to need to get stronger in a hurry.

S. Berman: Right, you are Chris. They are still a long way from challenging the Demolition for the Central crown, but they have some cornerstone pieces in place.

Reynolds: Outfielder Carlos Beltran has been named Team Captain, while recent draft pick Mark Prior from USC is being called a future Cy Young winner. Prior has connections with Southlake and the city. His private coach, Dr. Tom House, married a young lady from St Clair Shores. Prior is often seen with Dr. House around town where he worked-out at the local high school. In fact, before drafting Mark with the 6th pick this year, Sarge Stauffer caught a few of Prior’s bullpens at the high school.

C. Berman: Talk about hands on ownership. Let’s not waste any more time. It’s time for the chatter to end and for the Season to Begin. Today is April 6th, 2002, Play Ball!

The Rookie Prior had a great debut and is a Pitcher of the week candidate going 8 innings of 2 hit ball. One one earned run when his bullpen failed to do their job and 6 Ks.

Renteria came out of the gates hot hitting .444 with an OPS of 1.476, 3 homeruns and 8RBIs. With a contract bonus of $100K for every Player of the Week honor he will be checking the newspaper this week hoping to see his name.

Both teams stay in the division, with Chicago going back for their home opener against Harper Woods, while Southlake visits defending Central Division Champions Monroeville as they kick off a 17 game road trip.

Derek Lowe with a 17 grade was a touch matchup for Michigan. Matt Clement hangs in there but gives up 3 runs over 7 innings.

Both teams score in the 1st inning. Danbury knocks in 2 in the 2nd. Michigan scores 1 in the 8th. They rally in the ninth with a runner on 3rd base, but they can’t get him in. Cox goes 2 for 4 with 2 doubles.

Another 1 run game. Sheets goes 5.2 and gives up 3 before being lifted. Orlando Hernandez gets the win in relief. Lou Pote pitches 2 innings for the save. Nick Johnson with a homer and 2 RBI. Moises Alou with a homer for the Mad Hatters.

Brad Radke tosses a shutout for Michigan. Mike Lieberthal hits a homer and has 4 RBIs. Jim Thome is responsible for Danbury’s only run on a homer.

Livan Hernandez with a strong 8 innings to pick up the win. Jose Mesa earns the save. Jim Edmonds is the difference maker with a big 2 run homer in the 7th inning. Bret Boone hits a homer for Michigan as well. Biggio and Taylor each have 2 hits for Danbury.

Brad Penny exits early. Ricky Stone comes in and gets a win. Orlando Hernandez and the pen does their job. Shane Halter hits a 3 run homer and Rafael Palmeiro connects on a homer and Michigan wins their fourth in a row. Jeffrey Hammonds makes his first start and has 2 hits.

MULLETS 1 / 3 / 0
CRABS 9 / 10 / 1
WP – Hudson (1-0)
LP – Schilling (0-1)

MULLETS 6 / 6 / 1
CRABS 3 / 4 / 0 13 innings
WP – Davis (1-0)
LP – Beirne (0-1)
S – Sasaki (1)

MULLETS 3 / 11 / 2
CRABS 4 / 9 / 0 10 innings
WP – Looper (1-0)
LP – Hammond (0-1)

MULLETS 5 / 11 / 0
CRABS 3 / 8 / 1
WP – Davis (2-0)
LP – Finley (0-1)
S – Sasaki (2)

MULLETS 3 / 9 / 0
CRABS 5 / 7 / 1
WP – De Los Santos (1-0)
LP – Sasaki (0-1)
S – Worrell (1)