World Series 2008  

The 17th annual Diamond Mind Baseball League World Series between the Newark Sugar Bears and Vancouver Iron Fist was a thrilling seven-game series that ended with a bang. It was truly a battle of opposites, not only the league's best offense against the league's best pitching staff, but also Newark had won four World Series in a row, while Vancouver hadn't won one in 14 years.

If the Hanover Division champion Sugar Bears could win, they would add to two league records they already hold -- it would be their fifth consecutive win and their eighth championship overall. After winning 114 games in the regular season, Newark was the No. 1 seed. But, oddly enough, history wasn't on their side: Of the four previous teams that won 112 or more games in a season, only one -- last year's Sugar Bears -- won the World Series.

This was the second World Series in three years for the Morris Division champion Iron Fist, but their 2006 appearance ended in defeat to these same Sugar Bears. In fact, the Iron Fist haven't won a World Series since 1994, even though this is their sixth appearance since their last championship. Would this finally be the year the World Series trophy returned to where it started, in Vancouver?

And In This Corner...

Craig "Butch" Garretson's Sugar Bears slugged their way to the World Series after posting the fourth-best record in league history (114-48), then putting away the fourth-ranked Philadelphia Endzone Animals in the second round. It's their eighth straight World Series appearance, eighth straight Hanover Division title and fourth straight Commissioner's Cup. The Sugar Bears led the league in offense (1,268 runs scored) while ranking 6th in runs allowed (795), for a league-best +473 run differential. They also set a new league record for best home winning percentage (.802) and had the third-best road record. The Sugar Bear offense was anchored by Kevin Mitchell Award contenders Matt Stairs (.344, 1.029 OPS, 72 2B, 34 HR, 161 RBI), Chipper Jones (.385, 1.152 OPS, 45 2B, 29 HR, 132 RBI), Nick Swisher (.320, 1.023 OPS, 52 2B, 38 HR, 148 RBI) and Jack Cust (.326, 1.075 OPS, 48 HR, 128 RBI). The rotation was topped by a nice one-two punch in James Shields (14-6, 3.99 ERA, 12.3 R/9) and Javier Vazquez (21-5, 4.19, 11.3). In fact, in a reversal of previous years, the rotation was much better than the bullpen; the top relievers were Manny Delcarmen (3.10, 12.0) and Jared Burton (2.71, 14.5).

Yaro Zajac's Iron Fist went 104-58 to win the Morris Division for the seventh time in league history and the third time in the last two years. They survived a battle in the second round, taking down the powerful Las Vegas Rat Pack (who actually posted the league's second-best record at 106-56) in a nailbiting seven-game series. The Iron Fist led the league in fewest runs allowed (696) and ranked third in runs scored (973) for a second-best +277 run differential; they also had the league's second-best road record and tied for the second-best home record. The rotation was led by Ben McDonald Award favorite Jake Peavy (24-4, 3.19 ERA, 9.8 R/9), backed up by Round 2 hero Ben Sheets (9-9, 4.75, 11.3). The bullpen is deep, with Manny Corpas (2-4, 24 SV, 2.41 ERA, 9.5 R/9) set up by Billy Wagner (4.53, 14.0), Hideki Okajima (2.10, 9.0) and Akinori Otsuka (1.42, 9.0). The offense is built around David Ortiz (.343, 1.198 OPS, 51 HR, 156 RBI), with help from Chase Utley (.299, .860 OPS, 54 2B, 19 HR, 120 R) and Curtis Granderson (.326, .986 OPS, 33 3B, 101 R, 10 SB).

Game 1: Role Reversal

The series got underway at the Cereal Bowl in Newark, with internationally renowned opera star Enrico Pallazzo singing the National Anthem. The first pitch was to be thrown out by former Sugar Bear Eric Davis, who helped lead Newark to a win over the Iron Fist in the 2001 series. But, in a moment that many would look back and see as a bad omen for the Sugar Bears, Davis tripped while walking up the dugout steps and injured his shoulder. (That's not a surprise -- Davis broke into the league in 1991 and retired in 2001, but played just five seasons in between due to his many injuries.) A last-minute replacement was quickly found in Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory, but the result wasn't pretty.

Finally, it was time for baseball with Vancouver's Jake Peavy (24-4, 3.19 ERA, 9.8 R/9) taking on James Shields (14-6, 3.99 ERA, 12.3 R/9). As soon often happens, the expected pitching duel failed to materialize as both pitchers quickly got into trouble in the  hitter's paradise that is the Cereal Bowl. The Iron Fist got out to the early lead as David Ortiz slammed a two-run home run in the first inning, but the Sugar Bears immediately came back in the bottom of the inning on a three-run shot from Chipper Jones. But the Iron Fist took the lead back and then some in a wild second inning. It started out when Mike Lowell reached on an error to lead off the inning. Shields would get the next batter to ground out, but then four consecutive hits would score three runs, putting the Iron Fist up 5-3. Newark manager Don Mattingly then showed an uncharacteristically fast hook, pulling Shields and calling on lefty Scott Downs to retire David Ortiz. "Usually Jamie will battle back from a rough start, but with Big Papi up there I felt like I had to make a move," Mattingly said after the game. Downs did his job, striking out Ortiz -- but couldn't get another out. Three singles and a HBP later, the game was 9-3. This is what the Sugar Bear lineup usually did to opposing teams; now they were getting a taste of their own medicine as they burned through five relievers over the rest of the game. Moises Alou and Curtis Granderson each went 4-for-5; Peavy lasted just five innings (giving up 5 ER on 10 H and 5 BB), but that was good enough to pick up the win. Rich Hill closed it out with four scoreless innings of relief to preserve the 13-5 victory for the Iron Fist in Game 1.

Game 2: Let's Get Wet

As if the Eric Davis injury in Game 1 wasn't a bad enough omen, Sugar Bear fans trudged into the Cereal Bowl for Game 2 as dark clouds rolled in overhead. In fact, as the ceremonial first pitch was about to delivered by former Newark reliever Keith Foulke, an ominous rumble of thunder sent fans ducking for cover. But at least the match-up appeared to be in their favor as future DMBL Hall of Famer Randy Johnson (13-5, 3.99 ERA, 12.8 R/9) would take on troubled genius Zach Greinke (15-5, 4.23 ERA, 12.2 R/9). The Fisters jumped out to the early lead on an RBI single by Jose Guillen, but the Big Unit avoided further damage. The Sugar Bears responded when Carlos Guillen tripled in a run, then scored on a ground-out to make it 2-1. But immediately after the final out of the 2nd, the skies opened up. There was a one hour, 23 minute rain delay. Finally, the tarp was rolled away, but Johnson couldn't get loose and once again the Sugar Bears were into their bullpen before the 3rd inning. Scott Downs took over but he made up for his rough outing in Game 1, retiring all six men he faced. In the 4th inning, the Sugar Bears struck again, with Jarod Saltalamacchia whacking an RBI double followed by an RBI ground-out by Mike Fontenot, then came another 35-minute rain delay. The Iron Fist would battle back with runs in the 6th and 7th to make the score 4-3, but Newark again responded, this time with a two-run home run from Nick Swisher to make it 6-3. Hideki Matsui added an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th with an RBI double, and it would prove to be an important one as the Iron Fist almost came back against the depleted Newark 'pen in the 9th. Brian Shouse, Newark's fith pitcher, had given up two singles in the top of the 8th but escaped without giving up a run; he came out in the top of the 9th and immediately got into trouble, walking the first batter and then giving up a single to put runners on the corners. Mike Lowell came through with a pinch-hit single to make it 7-4. Shouse then fell behind Chase Utley, 3 balls and no strikes, but eventually got him to pop up for the first out. Moises Alou followed him with an RBI single to make it 7-5 with the tying runners on first and second. But Shouse then struck out Andre Ethier for the second out, bringing up David Ortiz. Could Big Papi deliver a game-tying hit? He scorched a 1-1 pitch between first and second but, thanks to the overshift, Marco Scutaro was there in short right field to scoop it up and fire to first for the final out and give the Sugar Bears the 7-5 win in Game 2 to even the series.

Game 3: At Home in the Dome

There would be no rain in Vancouver as the Iron Dome's retractable roof was closed for Game 3. The Iron Fist turned to Ben Sheets (9-9, 4.75, 11.3 R/9), coming off a strong Round 2 performance against the Rat Pack (3.29 ERA); Newark responded with Javier Vazquez (21-5, 4.19, 11.3), who led the Sugar Bears in wins during the regular season and looked sharp in his one appearance in the second round (4 ER, 9 H, 2 BB, 6 K in 8.0 IP).

The ceremonies began with a rousing rendition of the Canadian National Anthem by Quebec's Celine Dion and a ceremonial first pitch delivered by 1994 World Series MVP Danny Darwin. The Iron Fist fans were rocking the Dome and the players responded by jumping out to an early lead they would never relinquish. Todd Helton delivered the first blow with an RBI double in the bottom of the first; he'd eventually come around to score on a sac fly to make it a 2-0 lead. Helton would add two more in the bottom of the 3rd on a two-run home run. Meanwhile, Sheets was on cruise control, allowing just 2 runs on 8 hits and 1 walk in 7.1 innings. Both of runs came on solo shots by Chipper Jones, one in the 4th and another in the 6th. But the Fisters kept pace thanks to an Andre Ethier homer to lead off the bottom of the 4th and a Moises Alou RBI single in the bottom of the 5th. Yadier Molina made things interesting in the 9th with a solo shot to make it a three-run game, but closer Manny Corpas got the final two outs to preserve the 6-3 Vancouver win and a 2 games to 1 lead in the series.

Game 4: A Good Start

The only good thing about your ace getting bombed in Game 1 is it's easy for him to come back on three days' rest for Game 4. Newark turned again to "Big Game" James Shields while Vancouver countered with 23-year-old Chad Billingsley (13-7, 4.51 ERA, 14.1 R/9). The right-hander had been bombed by the Rat Pack in Game 7 but the Iron Fist had come back to win the game anyway; maybe he had another miracle in store for Game 4. It certainly looked like that's what the Iron Fist would need as the Sugar Bears sent nine men to the plate in the first inning on two singles, two doubles, a home run and a walk. By the time the third out was finally recorded, the Sugar Bears had struck for five runs. But the Iron Fist bats love to come alive for Billingsley, and sure enough they started crawling back. The first blow was a  Victor Martinez solo shot in the 2nd inning, then in the 3rd, back-to-back-to-back solo shots from Curtis Granderson, Todd Helton and Chase Utley suddenly made it a one-run game. Meanwhile, Billingsley had quieted the Newark bats, holding them to just three singles and no runs through the 5th inning. Newark finally tacked on a run in the 6th inning on a solo shot by Nick Swisher; the Iron Fist would answer in the bottom of the inning with a homer from Mike Lowell. And that's how the game would end as the bullpens held the opposition scoreless over the final three innings. The Iron Fist got the winning run to the plate in the bottom of the 9th after Granderson walked, but Rafael Soriano retired the final three batters to end the game with a 6-5 Sugar Bear win to tie the series at 2 games apiece.

Game 5: Old School

The series returned to Newark in Game 5 with Randy Johnson again taking the hill -- this time with no rain in the forecast. He would be opposed by Vancouver ace Jake Peavy, fully rested after throwing 107 pitches in Game 1. After 1997 World Series hero Charles Johnson threw out the first pitch, we were ready for baseball.

The Big Unit looked like a vintage version of himself as he struck otut the first three Iron Fist batters; meanwhile, the Sugar Bears drew first blood with a two-RBI single from Carlos Guillen. With two and two out, it appeared the Sugar Bears were again poised for a first inning blowout as Hideki Matsui smashed a 2-0 pitch deep to right field, but Moises Alou made a spectacular leaping catch at the wall to rob him of a home run. Then the Iron Fist became the come back, with Todd Helton delivering an RBI single in the 2nd and Alou knocking in another with a double in the 3rd. But the Big Unit took another sip from the fountain of youth and shut down the Iron Fist attack the rest of the way, allowing just one walk and two singles the rest of the way before leaving in the 6th. Meawnwhile, the Sugar Bears got the lead back on a Bobby Abreu RBI double in the 4th, then a two-run shot from Guillen in the 5th to make it 5-2. Each team would score a run in the 8th to make it 6-3. In the top of 9th, Brian Shouse again made things interesting as he walked the first two batters to bring the tying run to the plate -- with the heart of the order coming up! But he retired Chase Utley, Moises Alou and Ryan Doumit, leaving a frustrated David Ortiz fuming in the on deck circle as the Sugar Bears hung on for a 6-3 win to give Newark a 3 games to 2 lead.

Game 6: Big Papi Delivers

Though their backs were against the wall, the Iron Fist didn't seem worried on the long flight back to Vancouver. After all, it would be a rematch of Game 3 starters Ben Sheets and Javier Vazquez, and that had worked out pretty well last time around. In fact, most of the talk on the flight was who would start Game 7 -- a tired Jake Peavy, or Zack Greinke or  Chad Billingsley? Manager Darren Daulton waved off the talk, saying they had to win Game 6 before they could worry about Game 7 -- but he had a plan just in case the series continued to a final game.

The Iron Fist pulled out all the stops in Game 6, with inaugural World Series MVP Bud Black throwing out the first pitch. Black apparently provided good mojo as the Iron Fist struck first, with David Ortiz coming through with an RBI double in the bottom of the 1st inning. Then the two pitchers settled into a rhythm, with neither giving up a run over the next three innings. Finally, in the bottom of the 5th, the floodgates opened as the Iron Fist scored 6 runs thanks to four hits, two errors and a wild pitch. Ortiz knocked in another run, while Todd Helton delivered two more on an RBI single. The inning ended with the Iron Fist holding onto a 7-0 lead, but once again, you can never count out the Sugar Bear offense. In the top of the 6th, the Sugar Bears scored their first run on back-to-back doubles by Chipper Jones and Matt Stairs, followed by a two-run home run by Manny Ramirez to cut the lead to 7-3. After a strikeout and a walk, Nick Swisher slammed a two-run shot of his own. An inning later, a pinch hit home run by Troy Glaus made it a one-run game. The Iron Fist got a huge insurance run in the bottom of the 7th after yet another Newark error allowed Ortiz to score all the way from second base. In the top of the 9th, the Sugar Bears got the tying run to the plate as Mike Fontenot delivered a pinch-hit two-out single, but Jones grounded out to end the inning and the game -- a 8-6 Game 6 win for Vancouver to even the series at three games each.

Game 7: It All Comes Down To This!

Now it was back to Newark for a winner-take-all Game 7. For the Sugar Bears, it was no mystery who the starter would be -- their ace, James Shields. While "Big Game" hadn't lived up to his nickname so far in this series -- he'd given up 12 R (9 ER) and 18 H in 7.1 IP  over his two previous starts -- the Sugar Bear brain trust was unanimous in its belief that he was their best chance to win a fifth straight World Series. Meanwhile, the Iron Fist were about to pull an ace out of their sleeve, or more precisely, out of their bullpen. Rich Hill, had been taken in the 2nd round (#27 overall) of the 2007 draft and protected, despite a disappointing year (5-9, 6.20 ERA, 15.6 R/9). He had struggled almost as much this season (3-3, 5.19, 15.2), and he hadn't even pitched in the series against Las Vegas. But he'd pitched great in three relief appearances in this series (1 R, 3 H, 5 BB, 9 K in 7.2 IP). The gutsy call came all the way from the top -- Owner/GM Yaro Zajac had told his manager to leave Hill in Newark to prepare for the Game 7 start.

Papi for President

The Iron Fist offense had quite a series, combining to hit a Sugar Bear-like .339/.398/.542. The top batter was JRCigars.com Smokin' Batter of the Week (and Bud Black World Series MVP Award) winner David Ortiz. Big Papi hit .440 (1.411 OPS) with 3 HR, 6 R and 10 RBI; overall in the playoffs he hit .320 (1.426 OPS) with 7 HR, 11 R and 17 RBI. Also contributing in the World Series were Moises Alou (.452, 1.017 OPS, 3 2B, 6 RBI), Curtis Granderson (.423, 1.214 OPS, 2 3B, 9 R, 7 RBI) and Todd Helton (.310, 1.032 OPS, 2 HR, 8 RBI). Chase Utley did a great job setting the table (.333, 10 R, 3 SB). The only Iron Fist regular who didn't contribute was Victor Martinez (.233, .691 OPS, 0 BB, 9 K), but even he delivered that key 3-R HR in Game 7.

The Sugar Bears overall hit .294 with a .900 OPS -- not bad numbers, but obviously not enough. The hottest hitters were Chipper Jones (.370, 1.252 OPS, 4 HR, 8 RBI), Carlos Guillen (.357, 1.201 OPS, 3 HR, 10 RBI) and Nick Swisher (.310, 1.065 OPS, 3 HR, 6 RBI). The Sugar Bears got almost nothing from Round 2 hero Matt Stairs (.222, .633 OPS), rookie slugger Jack Cust (.250, .725 OPS, 0 HR, 0 RBI) or from their catching platoon of Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Yadier Molina, who combined to go 5-for-27 (.185 BA) with 1 R and 3 RBI.

Hill Raiser

The Iron Fist got great relief work from co-closers Manny Corpas (0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 K in 1.1 IP) and Billy Wagner (0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 9 K in 5.2 IP); they also got two terrific starts from Ben Sheets (2-0, 4.15 ERA, 11.8 R/9, 3 BB, 10 K in 13.0 IP). Hm, reliever or starter -- who's more important? How about the guy who does both? Rich Hill had three great relief appearances and a solid start in Game 7; overall he picked up a win and a save while posting a 4.50 ERA and 10.9 R/9 in 14.0 IP. That's surely enough to win him the Nunchuck Baseball Pitcher of the Week Award! The Sugar Bears didn't have much of a problem with the other Iron Fist pitchers, with starters Jake Peavy, Chad Billingsley and Zack Greinke combining to give up 19 ER on 34 H and 12 BB in 18.1 IP.

The Newark pitchers gave up 54 runs, but 10 of them were unearned thanks to 8 errors in the series. Newark had been living dangerously without a closer all year and they paid for it in this series; the only reliable option appeared to be Jared Burton (0 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 4 K in 7.1 IP). Six other relievers combined to give up 18 ER on 39 H and 14 BB in 29.1 IP. Randy Johnson was great in Game 5 (1 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 9 K in 5.0 IP) but lasted just two innings in Game 2 thanks to the rain delay. After dueling for the title of ace all season long, Javier Vazquez (11.25 ERA, 22.5 R/9) and James Shields (13.50 ERA, 24.1 R/9) just imploded in the World Series.

Congrats to the Vancouver Iron Fist, the 2008 Diamond Mind Baseball League champions!

TWIB may have Ozzie Smith, but we have the better Smith -- Zane Smith, former pitcher for the San Antonio Slingers and Sacramento Seahawks. He writes this column exclusively for the Diamond Mind Baseball League. Click Here for past articles.