1999 N.L. DIVISION SERIES #1

Winnipeg Goldeyes @ Blarney Drive Bandits
PREVIEW – The Blarney Drive Bandits outclassed four time Champion Winnipeg(91,92,96,97) during the season winning the division and 108 games, while Winnipeg was ten games back with 98 wins. Team statistics give the Bandits the edge the second highest average in MWWL, and third in runs per game at 6.4, Pitching 4th at 4.08 but 16th in team fielding. Winnipeg was just behind in hitting with 6.3 runs per game ahead in homers, way behind in pitching at 4.83 era but third best fielding. Its seemed highly unlikely for a Winnipeg series win as Blarney Drive Bandits had a rotation of Randy Johnson 18xyz, Hampton 17 and Yoshi 12. While Winnipeg only had Schilling 15xyz, Anderson 7Z and Reynoso 8. Plus the pen wasn’t even close as the Bandits had 13* that would be star on Winnipeg who don’t play an important role. Vegas said Blarney in 5! Patrick and I played over zoom.

Winnipeg Goldeyes

@

Blarney Drive Bandits

PREVIEW – The Blarney Drive Bandits outclassed four time Champion Winnipeg(91,92,96,97) during the season winning the division and 108 games, while Winnipeg was ten games back with 98 wins. Team statistics give the Bandits the edge the second highest average in MWWL, and third in runs per game at 6.4, Pitching 4th at 4.08 but 16th in team fielding. Winnipeg was just behind in hitting with 6.3 runs per game ahead in homers, way behind in pitching at 4.83 era but third best fielding.
Its seemed highly unlikely for a Winnipeg series win as Blarney Drive Bandits had a rotation of Randy Johnson 18xyz, Hampton 17 and Yoshi 12. While Winnipeg only had Schilling 15xyz, Anderson 7Z and Reynoso 8. Plus the pen wasn’t even close as the Bandits had 13* that would be star on Winnipeg who don’t play an important role. Vegas said Blarney in 5!
Patrick and I played over zoom.

GAME #1 – Brian Anderson 10-5 (4.30) vs. Randy Johnson 20-5 (2.69)

Randy Johnson for the Bandits, Anderson for Winnipeg. Johnson was solid 8 K’s no walks in 6 plus allowing a Mark McGwire homer and 3 runs. Bandit bats led by Rickey Henderson scored 6 runs as Darrin Fletcher and Rickey homered.

Final Score: BDB 6 – WGE 3
Series 1-0 BDB

Win: Randy Johnson 1-0 (4.05)
Loss: Brian Anderson 0-1 (8.10)
Save: Bobby Howry #1

GAME #2 – Curt Schilling 13-11 (4.73) vs. Mike Hampton 19-8 (3.42)

Schilling was not good as Magglio Ordonez and Dean Palmer homered and he was down 4-1 in the 6th. Up 4-1 in the 8th Swindell the 16YZ and Mark Thompson fell apart allowing 4 runs as Greg Vaughn homered. With two in the 9th down 1 Ordonez homered again and tied the game 5-5. This one went to the 15th as Bandits stopped hitting even against Nitkowski the W who walked a batter then hit Ryan Klesko. When Bobby Howery did the same Winnipeg drove the two in for the 7-5 win. Worse Shawn Green the star Bandit got hurt and would miss the next 3 in Winnipeg. series tied 1-1

Final Score: WGE 7 – BDB 5 (14 Innings)
Series Tied 1-1

Win: Byung-Hyun 1-0 (0.00)
Loss: Bobby Howry 0-1 (10.80)

GAME #3 – Armando Reynoso 10-6 (5.60) vs. Masato Yoshii 16-9 (3.88)

Blarney crushed the ball 4 homers Brian S. Giles, Dean Palmer, Magglio Ordonez, & Mike Lowell Reynoso out after 5.Winnipeg got RBIs from Omar Vizquel and Carl Everett to make it a 5-2 Bandit game. But in the eight Geg Swindell did the unthinkable & let up a Mark McGwire Grand Slam!!

Final Score: WGE 6 – BDB 5
Series 2-1 WGE

Win: John Frascatore 1-0 (10.13)
Loss: Greg Swindell 0-1 (19.29)
Save: Jeff Shaw #1

GAME #4 – Randy Johnson 20-5 (2.69) vs. Brian Anderson 10-5 (4.30)

Randy Johnson was great again 11 K’s 1 walk allowed 2 runs on a Carl Everett Double. Brian Anderson et al for Winnipeg crushed as Dean Palmer hits 3 Homers and drives in 6!

Final Score: BDB 9 – WGE 3
Series Tied 2-2

Win: Randy Johnson 1-0 (3.55)
Loss: Brian Anderson 0-1 (9.53)

GAME #5 – Mike Hampton 19-8 (3.42) vs. Curt Schilling 13-11 (4.73)

Ryan Klesko hit two homers Bandits up 4-1 in the 8th. Greg Swindell in to get the lefties this timw its Paul O’Neill a 3 run homer Swindell’s 3rd blown save! game tied. Goes extras when the 12th when Blarney’s 9 point Bordick makes and error and then Quilvio Veras the 2B made another to score Omar Vizquel. Underdog Winnipeg up 3 to 2 heading for 2 at Blarney Drive.

Final Score: WGE 5 – BDB 4 (12 Innings)
Series 3-2 WGE

Win: Jeff Shaw (2.08)
Loss: Mark Thompson 0-1 (1.80)

GAME #6 – Armando Reynoso 10-6 (5.60) vs. Masato Yoshii 16-9 (3.88)

Ryan Klesko hit a 2 run Homer in the second to make it 2-1 Bandits but Winnipeg bats woke up after Robin Ventura who did nothing hit a 2 run Homer to Make it 3-2 Winnipeg. Winnipeg added 5 more as Paul O’Neil homered.

Final Score: WGE 8 – BDB 2
Series 4-2 WGE

Win: Armando Reynoso 1-0 (5.25)
Loss: Masato Yoshii0-1 (5.59)

SUMMARY – In the end Pat deserved better, if it was the veteran been their before Goldeyes but the Blarney pen on paper was a nightmare for Winnipeg. Their pen went 1 out of 4 in save chances took three losses and gave up 18 runs in 26 innings clearly a Blarney nightmare! The Bandit defense wasn’t bad but did allow 5 errors and they lost the critical game 5. The offense hit only .220 but did hit 16 homers and score 32 runs!

Winnipeg was flawless on defence as Omar Vizquel, Robin Ventura, et al were amazing. Despite on paper being poor the Selkirk pen was very good a 3.00 era, 30 innings pitched 3-0 with 1 of 2 in save opps.
The insane part is how did Selkirk win as they only homered 6 times, but did score 32 runs like Blarney did.

Blarney’s Dean Palmer wins series MVP with 6 homers and 10 RBIs.
Winnipeg moves on winning 4-2 as they seems to come through in the clutch, and multi-homerun. Clearly Patrick and Bandits got robbed in this crazy series played Head to Head on Zoom.