2000 WBC SPORTS ILLUSTRATED BASEBALL RESULTS
Twenty diamond gurus were divided into five divisions to play round-robin games in the preliminary round of this year's Superstar Baseball tournament. After 3.5 hours, the out-and-out league champions were: Darren Valez's Lothian Knights, Mike Destro's Da St. Louis Buds, Harry Flawd's Hairmen, and Devin Flawd's Thunderbolts. League One's champion had to be determined via tiebreaker (least runs allowed) amongst three 2-1 teams and Ken Samuel's Jaguars took that slot. Then three wildcards were chosen by weighted lottery (each win increased a team's chances). Joining Henry Richardson's Sliverhooves were League One's other two 2-1 teams.
The preliminaries had several exciting moments... Mike Destro's five-run bottom-of-the-ninth comeback defeated teammate/father Bob, who was competing for Team Tournament points. The loss cost Bob advancement to the quarter-finals. Other last-inning heroics (several in extra innings) ensued, but the prize late-inning heartbreaker went to Adam Gugliamini's Wildcats. With advancement on the line, the 1-1 Wildcats went ahead of Da Buds 3-1 in the top of the 12th inning. But to do so, Adam had to pinch hit for his last available pitcher, leaving him without a hurler going into the bottom of the inning. Hence, he had to use the special dugout coach card (a woeful performer) which is supplied to managers for just such situations. And the coach gave it his all by not offering any gifts, but Mike's stars surged for three runs to advance to the quarters. This wasn't the only time a coach card was used, as Da Buds found themselves without a centerfielder in a foregone 10-5 loss to Roger Cox's Inman Eels when Mickey Mantle pulled up lame in their second game, but that result wasn't nearly so devastating.
In the quarter-finals, the Jaguars thumped the Knights 5-0 in a battle of first-timers. Chris Palermo's N.Y. Ripper Kevin Brown was perfect through six innings in a 2-0 defeat of past-champion Harry Flawd's team. Meanwhile, another past champ, Henry Richardson III, kept Greg Maddux in for 13 innings without ever tiring, in his 4-1 victory over Da Buds. And a thwarted suicide squeeze attempt by Roger Clemens forced Cal Ripken to attempt an ill-advised steal of home in the Thunderbolts 4-3 loss to Carl Coscia's Minneapolis Monarchs.
Thus, the stage was set for a semi-final including all three of League One's 2-1 teams along with the Sliverhooves, meaning that, for the second year, all three Wild Cards advanced to the semis. In the first game, Carl's Monarchs stole five bases (including home once) to squeak by the Rippers 5-4; and in the other bracket, the Sliverhoove's weak-hitting pitcher, Kevin Brown, somehow kept the 7th inning alive with a single, only to be followed by Cesar Cedeno's three-run homer. This proved decisive in Henry's 5-4 triumph.
Just as Fred Merckle has become synonymous with bonehead plays, Tommy Glavine has become the kiss of death in our Superstar Baseball tournaments. Last year, to save a better pitcher for a potential championship game, Henry decided to go with Glavine early, leading to a 7-0 quarter-final loss. This year, Henry was down to Smoky Joe Wood or Glavine to face off against the Monarch's #3 man, Dwight Gooden. Again, the ball was given to Tom. And it was a typical Glavine outing, giving up several hits in a 3-run first inning which set the tone for the game. The Monarchs won in a walkover, 9-4.
Championship MVP honors went to Monarch catcher Buck Ewing, with a 3-for-4, 4 RBI performance. Of special note is the fact that our champion purchased a one-day admission and competed only in this event. That must be assuredness, confidence, or both.
League 1 W L R OR League 2 W L R OR
----------------------------------- - - -- -- ---------------------------------- - - -- --
Ken Samuel (Jaguars) 2 1 17 8 Mike Destro (Da St. Louis Buds) 2 1 16 19
Chris Palermo (NY Rippers) 2 1 12 10 Bob Destro (B. Bombers) 2 1 14 14
Carl Coscia (Minneapolis Monarchs) 2 1 11 16 Adam Gugliamini (Wildcats) 1 2 8 9
John Reiners (Wormy Apples) 0 3 2 8 Roger Cox (Inman Eels) 1 2 15 13
Jaguars 10, Monarchs 1; Rippers 1, Apples 0; Buds 7, Bombers 6; Wildcats 2, Eels 1;
Jaguars 5, Apples 1; Monarchs 8, Rippers 5; Bombers 4, Wildcats 3; Eels 10, Buds 5;
Rippers 6, Jaguars 2; Monarchs 2, Apples 1 Bombers 6, Eels 4; Buds 4, Wildcats 3
League 3 W L R OR League 4 W L R OR
----------------------------------- - - -- -- ---------------------------------- - - -- --
Harry Flawd (Hairmen) 2 1 13 10 Devin Flawd (Thunderbolts) 2 1 15 12
Brian Salvatore (O.H. Reds) 2 1 16 11 Henry Richardson III (Silverhooves)2 1 20 14
Mike Ellsworth (Morris Polecats) 1 2 12 18 Bob Jamelli (Hard Coal) 1 2 13 20
Jared Scarboro (Baggin's Offense) 1 2 8 10 Chris Nolan (All Stars) 1 2 11 19
Reds 5, Baggin's 3; Hairmen 7, Polecats 5; Silverhooves 10, All-Stars 8; T'bolts 7-Coal 6;
Baggin's 4, Hairmen 3; Reds 10, Polecats 5; Silverhooves 7, Coal 0; All-Stars 2, T'bolts 2;
Hairmen 3, Reds 1; Polecats 2, Baggin's 1 Coal 7, All-Stars 0; T'bolts 6, Silverhooves 3
League 5 W L R OR
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Darren Velez (Knights) 3 0 11 7
Terry Coleman (Lanterns) 2 1 8 6
Donald Webster (Riverdogs) 1 2 9 7
James McCarthy (Yaks) 0 3 4 12
Riverdogs 7, Yaks 2; Knights 5, Lanterns 4; Lanterns 1, Riverdogs 0;
Knights 2, Yaks 1; Lanterns 3, Yaks 1; Knights 4, Riverdogs 2