1995 PLAYER / PITCHER OF THE WEEK #7

NAME	TEAM	AVG	SLG	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	K	W	IW	SB	CS	HBP
MCGRIFF,Fred	FWP AL	.391	.783	5	23	9	0	0	3	6	11	4	1	0	0	0	0

NAME	CLUB	G	W	L	S	ERA	IP	R	ER	H	K	BB	IBB	WP	BK	HB	HR
MADDUX,Greg	FFS AL	1	1	0	0	0.00	9	0	0	4	9	1	0	0	0	0	0

NAME	TEAM	AVG	SLG	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	K	W	IW	SB	CS	HBP
CORDERO,Wil	MGH NL	.588	1.000	5	17	10	1	0	2	2	7	2	3	1	1	0	2

NAME	CLUB	G	W	L	S	ERA	IP	R	ER	H	K	BB	IBB	WP	BK	HB	HR
SCHILLING,Curt	WGE NL	1	1	0	0	0.00	9	0	0	0	6	2	0	0	0	0	0

Corktown Bootleggers @ Montreal Dreamers
Series Preview:	The bottom teams of the division square off.
Series Summary:	Corktown takes 3 out of 5 Valentin got injured for 9 days Jordan bat got hot for the final three games of the series.

Fort Worth Panthers @ Mexico City Chihuahuas
Series Summary:	FWP take 4 of 5 at MEX.

Winnipeg Goldeyes @ Blarney Drive Bandits
Series Preview:	Goldeyes (19-11) take on Division leading Bandits (20-9).
Game #1:	Glavine vs. Johnson in paper should be a great pitching duel, and it was. Each team had no hits through 4 full. A couple of Bandit errors in the 5th allowed Winnipeg to head into the 9th up 2-0. McGwire adds on 1 with a solo shot and game 1 goes to the visitors. WG 3 BDB 0 W – Galvine (4-3) L – Johnson (5-1) S – None
Game #2:	Schilling vs. Wells sees both pitchers toss great games. In fact, Schilling would throw a 6 K no-hitter! Wells allows just 1 but Schilling was just better today. WG 1 BDB 0 W – Schilling (3) L – Wells (3) S – None
Game #3:	Blarney finally gets on the board after being shut out the first two contests. Two backups, Perry and Snopek, led the charge with 4 RBI. WG 3 BDB 5 W – Hampton (3) L – Abbott (1) S – Bottalico (9)
Game #4:	Down 4-2 heading into the bottom of 6 the Bandits roar back with a 5-spot. That would be enough as Caniotti was roughed up a bit. Kenny Lofton was lost for the rest of the series. Snopek delivers for the 2nd day in a row with a huge 3-run pinch hit bomb. WG 4 BDB 7 W – Vosberg (2) L – Candiotti (5) S – Bottalico (10)
Game #5:	Back and forth battle leads to extras. Tied 3-3 after 10 1/2 the Bandits get another huge 3-run pinch hit homer, this time from Brian Giles. WG 3 BDB 6 W – Bottalico (1) L – Reed (1) S – None
Series Summary:	A good series against two good teams but the home squad squeaks it out 3-2 with some late inning heroics.

Steel City Sluggers @ Sugar Land Skeeters
Series Preview:	An early marquis matchup between division leaders, who were as evenly matched on the field as they were on paper.
Game #1:	Daulton’s solo homer gives the Skeeters an early 1-0 lead but Daulton’s PB and Benitez error give Steel City two unearned runs and SCS gets stellar pitching from Harnisch and wins 3-1. Grace has three hits.
Game #2:	This time SCS gets the early lead and it’s Sugar Land that comes back to win 2-1 on a walk-off sac fly in the ninth by Biggio. Steel City keeps Saberhagen in trouble, getting six hits and three walks in five innings but only the one unearned run.
Game #3:	A scoreless game becomes a 2-0 SCS lead when Greg Vaughn hits a 2-run double. Final is 3-1 Steel City with the win.
Game #4:	Sugar Land gets an “easy” win by four runs. It’s close as usual and tied at 3 going into the bottom of the seventh, Merced gets a 2-run single. Plantier and PH Parent go back-to-back HR in the 8th to cap a 7-3 Sugar Land win.
Game #5:	Steel City takes a 3-2 lead in the 4th and pulls away for the 5-2 final win. 2-time Gold Glove C Daulton makes two errors on one play..
Series Summary:	Steel City literally wins the odd games and Sugar Land the even ones. 3-2 SCS.

Detroit Stars @ Castle Rock Hounds
Series Preview:	The Detroit Stars come into Castle Rock with a definite pitching advantage. Let’s see what happens.
Game #1:	The mighty Donne Wall gets the start vs. Pete Schourek in Game 1 (a 3 vs. 16 matchup). Detroit breaks through in the 4th with seven runs, including a solo shot by Carreon and a grand slam from Cordova. Aided by two Hounds errors, five of the runs are unearned. Vaughn tacks on a solo shot in the 6th. Schourek pitches 7 shutout innings. Blair and Johns complete the shutout, 8-0. WP: Schourek (6-1) LP: Wall (0-2)
Game #2:	Castle Rock likes their chances better with Kenny Rogers on the mound in Game 2. But, he’s facing Valdez, a 14. Stars get on the board first, as Pagnozzi drops a throw at home. Valdez escapes a bases-loaded jam in the 4th with a double play. Wallach ties up the game with a solo HR in the 6th and the Hounds add one more to take the 2-1 lead. But, big Mo Vaughn ties it up with a solo HR in the 8th. Snow leads off the bottom of the 9th with a double and Valdez remains out there. He walks Kelly but gets Tartabull to ground into a DP. Runner on 3rd and two outs. Royce Clayton delivers a bloop walk-off single and the Hounds win 3-2. WP: Henke (1-1) LP: Valdez (4-2)
Game #3:	Pettitte vs. Leiter in Game 3. Detroit strikes early with a 2-run shot from Mondesi in the 1st. Abbott doubles the lead with another HR in the 2nd. Stars continue to pile on, adding 3 in the 3rd for a 7-0 lead. The Hounds claw back a few runs to make it 7-3. Detroit adds two more to the cushion in the 9th to make it a 9-3 final. WP: Leiter (4-1) LP: Pettitte (3-2)
Game #4:	Eshelman vs. Bautista in Game 4, which could be a slugfest. Hounds get on the board first with a sac fly from Snow. Widger adds to the lead with a solo shot in the 5th. The Stars intentionally walk Bonds in the 7th to face Snow, who delivers again with an RBI single to make it 3-0. Meanwhile, Miguel Batista throws an absolute gem. 9 innings, 2 hits, 2 walks. 0 runs. WP: Bautista (4-2) LP: Eshelman (1-1)
Game #5:	The rubber match sees Chad Ogea vs. Bryan Rekar, a matchup that clearly favors the visiting Stars. Vaughn hits his second grand slam of the series to make it 5-0 in the 2nd. Snow gets one back with a HR in the 4th, and Castle Rock adds one more in the 6th. Stars pick up 3 insurance runs in the 9th for an 8-2 final. WP: Ogea (4-1) LP: Rekar (3-4)
Series Summary:	Detroit takes 3 out of 5 from Castle Rock. Real tough rotation from the Stars. They will be tough this year.

Flossmoor Flying Squirrels @ Chicago Demolition
Series Preview:	Windy City Series.
Game #1:	Chicago plays well, but the Flying Squirrels Greg Maddux is outstanding. 78 Pitches, 1 hour 48 minutes, 4 hit, Shutout for the Professor. Final Score: Flossmoor 2 – Chicago 0 Win: Greg Maddux 7-0 (1.21) Loss: Todd Stottlemyre 2-5 (3.70)
Game #2:	David Cone is the better of the two starters as Pedro Martinez takes the loss for the Mobsters. Final Score: Flossmoor 4 – Chicago 3 Win: David Cone 4-2 (4.33) Loss: Pedro Martinez 2-3 (4.13) Save: Norm Charlton #5
Game #3:	The wheels fell off the wagon for the Demolition. Walt Weiss, Jeff Bagwell, Terry Shumpert & Ron Karkovice have 2 RBI’s each & Ron Gant knocks in 3 RBI’s for the Flying Squirrels. Dan Wilson & Roberto Petagne have 3 RBI’s for Chicago. But Floosmoor tosses the Demolition around like rag dolls. Final Score: Flossmoor 14 – Chicago 6 Win: Andy Ashby 3-3 (3.75) Loss: Roger Clemens 2-4 (7.41)
Game #4:	Does it get much worse for Chicago. Why yes, yes it does. Harold Baines, Milt Thompson & Kirby Pucket all drive in 3 Runs each, but Geronmio Berroa had 5 hits, a Home Run & 5 RBI’s for Floosmoor. Final Score: Flossmoor 20 – Chicago 2 Win: Denny Neagle 3-1 (1.79) Loss: Bobby Witt 1-5 (5.85)
Game #5:	Ricky Bones gets his first Win of the season by going 8 shutout Innings, Travi Fryman & Bob Hamelin both drive in 3 RBI’s & the Flying Squirrels sweep the Demolition & are now the kings of Chicago. Final Score: Flossmoor 8 – Chicago 0 Win: Ricky Bones 1-5 (5.40) Loss: Jeff Suppan 0-4 (7.85)
Series Summary:	Chicago is now one of the laughing stocks of the Mid-West Winter League. Floosmoor is on the way to a playoff spot & could likely be the American League representative in the 1995 MWWL World Series.

Long Beach Titans @ Hampton Huskies
Series Preview:	Stuck in the middle of a horrible bout of the baseball blahs the Hampton Huskies try to get some sort of winning streak going at the expense of the Long Beach Titans in a battle of 3rd place NL teams.
Game #1:	Arthur Rhodes‘ head is on the menu and what the heck he was not using it much anyway as he allowed the Titans to run amok early in this one en route to a 6-1 win for the visitors. Rhodes had little help from the defence (i.e. shortstop Chris Gomez whose flubs in the 1st and 4th innings each materialized into some unearned runs for the Titans. Still … they did manage to get 12 hits on the day so it’d be nuts to suggest they didn’t deserve to beat the listless Huskies who managed only six hits against Dennis Martinez and Blas Minor. Long Beach catcher Joe Oliver had three hits including two doubles and scored once with Glenallen Hill chipping in with a single and a double and two RBIs. the damage by the Titans could have been much worse as they stranded 13 runners in the game. Dennis Martinez (3-3) stayed cool for eight innings and allowed just one run on five hits and three walks. He struck out 8. Rhodes (0-1) has pitched like crap for the past three weeks but seems to get a break in the box scores as an unearned run magnet that somehow has kept his ERA around 4.00. He struck out five and walked one but allowed 10 hits in just over five innings. On a side note, Rhodes’ replacement, Rick White, pitched two hitless innings but gave up just one run in the 6th … after he walked four consecutive batters.
Game #2:	You lose one, you win one. That’s been the story most of the season in Hampton so of course an 8-4 win over Long Beach was not much of a surprise. What was a bit surprising is that they smacked around Joey Hamilton (2-3) right good with four runs on nine hits in 5 innings including homers by BJ Surhoff (3) an Mike Stanley (3). Jim Eisenreich smacked his first home run of the season in the bottom of the 8th with the game already well out of reach against Danny Darwin. The Titans made a valiant comeback attempt late in the game, feasting on the hanging curves of lefty nitwit Tim Fortugno. The reliever managed just one out from the six batters he faced and allowed two runs on four hits and a walk and win the score 8-4 with one out and the bases loaded handed the ball to Doug Bochtler (a move which in Hampton has become baseball’s version of the flaming bag of poo on the doorstep). Bochtler was able to get Pedro Munoz to fly out behind 3rd base and then get David Justice to ground out to 1st base to end it and earn his first save. Jack McDowell (2-3) had a rare decent outing, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits in seven innings in which he walked two and fanned six. Joe Oliver (1) homered in the game for the Titans and drove in two runs.
Game #3:	The Hampton Huskies packed all of their offense into the 4th inning and managed to outlast the Titans 3-2 to take the lead in the series. The Huskies’ offense consisted of a solo homer by Brian McRae (3) and a two-run shot by Mike Stanley (4) off Long Beach starter Frank Castillo. Charlie O’Brien (4) homered for Long Beach off Orel Hershiser (5-1) in the 2nd inning for their first run with their last run coming in the 5th on a two-out single by Steve Scarsone that brought in David Justice. Paul Assenmacher entered the 9th with a runner on 1st and one out and made things exciting by walking a batter before getting the final two outs to nail down his 5th save of the year.
Game #4:	The Hampton Huskies squandered a chance to win three in a row for the first time this season when Pedro Munoz crushed a two-out homer off Jason Christiansen in the top of the 9th and then Joe Oliver launched one into the left field cheapies against Rich Delucia in the 10th to put the Titans ahead to stay 4-3. Jose Mesa (8) tossed a perfect 10th to earn the save. Long Beach starter Chris Hammond was the victim of blind justice in the 5th inning when after Hampton’s starter Bobby Jones plonked Munoz and David Justice, Hammond handed out a bit of payback by spanking one off Al Martin‘s ass and was tossed from the game. Jose Hernandez (7) homered for Hampton with Brian McRae getting a single and a double and a stolen base in the losing effort.
Game #5:	With the Titans up 8-4 heading into the 8th they scored seemingly meaningless single runs in the 8th and 9th that proved to be anything but as Hampton stormed back to score 5 runs of their own in the 8th and 9th but fell just short in a 10-9 crazy win for Long Beach. Tom Gordon (0-3) continued his season from hell by allowing all five batters he faced to come around and score as he got the gaff before getting a single out in what was a spectacular 8-run first inning for Long Beach. The coup de gras (i.e., kick in the ass) was a mammoth 3-run blast through the ionosphere by Cecil Fielder. The Titans then added another three runs on an RBI double by Wade Boggs and a 2-run single by Candy Maldonado off Arthur Rhodes . Rhodes (see commentary from Game 1) was hit with all three of those runs – ALL UNEARNED – thanks to a two-out dropped ball by Mickey Tettleton at 1st base that set the stage for Maldonado’s hot line drive into the left field corner. Unbelievable … we hereby dub Arthur Rhodes with the nickname of Teflon (no runs stick to me). Carlos Baerga had a nice 4/5 game with three runs scored and Wade Boggs was 2/4 with two doubles and two RBIs. Maldonado walked three times in the game to go with the single and drove in 3 runs in all. Chris Gomez was 3/5 for Hampton including his 2nd homer of the season and drove in 3 runs.
Series Summary:	The more things change … the more they stay the same. A fun series that goes to Long Beach 3-2 as Hampton continues to flop around and try and find themselves.

Cincinnati Outlaws @ Santa Rosa Beach Bums
Series Preview:	Cincinnati comes to visit Santa Rosa Beach for their season opener.
Series Summary:	Company this week so no time for write-ups. Santa Rosa Beach takes 4 of 5

Harper Woods Expos @ Portland Mavericks
Series Preview:	The 23-7 Harper Woods Expos (1st place in AL Central), head to Portland to take on the 14-21 Portland Mavs
Game #1:	HWE 3 POR 1
Game #2:	HWE 1 POR 4
Game #3:	HWE 8 POR 7
Game #4:	HWE 9 POR 13
Game #5:	HWE 2 POR 4
Series Summary:	Portland gets the surprise series win 3-2. Oquendo is injured for 12 more games for the expos.

Michigan Mauraders @ Valdosta Bombers
Series Preview:	Michigan visits rainy south Georgia as they take on Valdosta.
Series Summary:	The Bombers take 3 of 5 from Michigan in a very close series.

Stockton Wings @ Manhattan Gas Hornets
Series Preview:	Stockton at Manhattan – there are two NL teams who already at this point have just about as many wins as these two combined – and two teams in the AL who have MORE. So it should be a good series – futility, but good.
Game #1:	Game 1 didn’t disappoint – no one wanted to win it. Game goes 11 as both teams score 1 in the 5th and 2 in the 6th for 3-3 tie. Tim Spehr (1) and Tony Phillips (8) homer for the Wings. But finally in the 11th Rich Garces (L 1-1) comes in and gives up 3 hits and an unearned run (Spehr’s 2nd error) and Manhattan wins 4-3. Patterson the win (1-1).
Game #2:	Wil Cordero hits a 3 run homer (2) for 4-1 lead, then Wings scratch out 3 runs in the 6th to tie (2 unearned). But Matt Stairs cracks his 1st MWWL homer – a 3 run shot in the 7th off Dave Mlicki (L 2-3) and Gas Hornets take the 2nd, 7-4. Hipolito Pichards the W (1-0) and a BS (1) and Bob Patterson gets the save (4).
Game #3:	Major excitement as teams swap single runs in the 1st. Darryl Hamilton homer (2) in the 2nd for 2 – he goes 3 for 5 with 3 runs, 2 rbis, double and the homer. Tim Spehr cracks 2 doubles. But it was Jose Canseco hitting a 2 run homer (6) of Jay Powell in the 8th that ties the game 6-6. But Manhattan scores the go ahead (and winning run) in the 8th behind the offense of Garrett Anderson (5 for 5, 1 rbi and 3 runs). And Bob Patterson pitches the 9th for his 5th save. Carlos Reyes takes the loss (0-2) and Jay Powell, after the BS (1) gets the win (1-0). Worn-out Spehr catches.
Game #4:	This was the Allen Watson (W 4-2) show. He goes the distance tossing an 8 hit shutout – no walks – and get 2 hits, scores a run and runs his average up to .476 (near his real life .417 average for the season). Wil Cordero gets 3 hits and Ray Durham gets 2 hits and 3 rbis to pace to the offense. Jason Schmidt takes the loss (0-4). Worn-out Perez catches.
Game #5:	Wings avoid the sweep even though Darryl Hamilton was pressed into catching. Both Spehr and Perez were suffering AIM injuries as the Stockton catching core is UNDERMANNED (including the 1 other one on the farm). But Hamilton was able to call a great game with Jason Bere (W 2-0) on the hill. He goes 6.1, scatters 7 hits, gives up 7 hits, walks 1, fans 5 – he does give up a Wil Cordero homer (3) as the two teams trade 2 runs in the 1st. Tony Phillips hits a 2 run homer (9) for the Wings. And then the Wings goes on and score 4 more including a 3 run 7th as Lance Johnson cracks out 3 hits, 2 run, and a triple. Mark Wohlers pitches a perfect 9th for the save (6) as Stockton wins the finale 6-3 to avoid the brooms.
Series Summary:	Manhattan wins the futility series 4 games to 1. Biggest issue was the catching corps for Stockton. Two worn-out low PR backstops with an injured low PF catcher on the farm. Wilkens will be able to return for the next series – but he’ll technically be on his own as Spehr is not injured – but his RUTD is way up there so he’ll be worn-out all week. And Perez is injured and in worse shape.

DeWitt Tigers @ California Quakes
Series Summary:	California wins 3 of 5 against visiting DeWitt. A lot of terrible pitching in this series.