BIFF BARNES BASEBALL BONANZA

(AP-Boston, Massachusetts)
TML American Highlight Reel - October 2007 =================================================

gggIn perhaps the most exciting finish to any TML season, there ended up being a three-way tie for the Gehrig Wild Card, between Oklahoma, Traffic and Mordor! The first tie-breaker playoff was won by Traffic, 7-6, over Mordor. Eric Bruntlett made a game-saving catch in the top of the 9th, leaving the game tied at 6-6. Vlad Guerrero led off the home 9th with a walk-off HR. Chad Cordero picked up the win in relief. Oklahoma then beat Traffic, 8-5, to take the Gehrig Wild Card. Traffic held Oklahoma's David Ortiz and Jermaine Dye (a combined 117 HR & 315 RBI during the regular season) to 0-8, but it was the bottom of the order that did the damage. Magglio Ordonez, Matt Holiday and Matt Grudzielanek went 4-11, with 6 RBI (2 each).
Curt Schilling picked up the win and Bobby Jenks the save.
gggIn the Steinmetz, Albany (6-8) backed into the Wild Card, as Burleigh finished only 1 game back of Albany, with Crimea and 'Skayuna just another 2 games behind. Albany now has the honor of being the first team ever in TML history to make the playoffs with a losing record (78-82)!

nnnThe first round of the playoffs are now set. In the Oceanic Conference, Arkansas will host Albany (who has swept the Travs the past two seasons). The Travs won 9 of the 10 meetings this season. Valparaiso takes on Walla Walla. Those two teams split 5-5 during the season.
In the Atmospheric Conference, Toxic Waste will begin the defense of their TML Title against Rensselaer (all ten of their meetings this season were saved by J.J. Putz[6] or Mariano Rivera[4]). Beverly will host Oklahoma. The Hillbilliles won the regular season series, also 6-4.

mmmTraffic's Derek Jeter was leading the TML in batting, prior to the tie-breaker playoffs and went 2-9, losing the batting crown to Ghostwood's Miguel Cabrera, .3350 to .3348. Oklahoma's David Ortiz was the HR champ with 64 blasts. Teammate Jermaine Dye easily led the league in RBI with 166. Hialeah's Ichiro Suzuki led the TML with 230 hits. Rocky Mountain's Juan Pierre took the SB crown (55 SB), three more than Albany's Hanley Ramirez. Toxin Jason Giambi, as he had done all year, led the TML in both SLG (.689) and OBP (.489).

nnnBeverly's Roy Halladay (21-6) was one of three 20-game winners and led the TML in ERA at 2.01. Arkansas' Chien-Ming Wang (20-6) and Toxin Greg Maddux (22-7) completed the trio. Maddux tossed a 4-hit shutout in his final start and earned his TML leading 350th career victory in style! Toxin Johan Santana took the strikeout crown away from Beverly's Jake Peavy, 237-225. Toxin J.J. Putz (45 saves, 0.91 ERA) earned "Fireman of the Year" honors. Jonathan Papelbon, splitting his season between Brandon and Walla Walla, was 27 out of 28 in save opportunities and posted a combined 0.60 ERA in 45 GR.

mmmBelow are some awards and tid-bits from October
2007 in the TML American.
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** Player of the Month **
(CR) Lance Berkman
.474, 37-57, 8-1-5, 52 TB,
13 R, 15 BI, 9 W, 28 RC
Note: Repeat winner Berkman tallied 69 RCs in the final two months, which is more than 20 more RCs than any other player!
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** Pitcher of the Month **
(BV) Brad Penny
3-0, 1.67, 4 GS, 27 IP, 27 H, 1 HR,
6 W, 14 K, .260 OAVG
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** Best Pitching Performance of the Month **
Glenmont's Carlos Zambrano hurled another gem, this time a complete game 1-hitter on the road at the Maine Liners. He fanned 10 and only walked 2.

10/4/2007, GL06-ML06, Shea Stadium
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
2006 Haymakers 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 - 4 10 0
2006 Liners mmm0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 m1 1
Haymakers nnnnnnIP H R ER BB K PCH ERA
Zambrano W 15-12 9 1 0 0n 2 10 116 3.58
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** Best Offensive Performance of the Stretch **
Oklahoma's Magglio Ordonez blasted two HRs, good for 5 RBIs and then added an RBI-single in the 8th, to lead his team to a 10-6 win over the 'Machine.

10/18/2007, BZ06-OS06, AT&T Park
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
2006 BigW'zMa'ne 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 2 0 - 6 11 2
2006 Supercells m2 0 0 0 4 1 1 2 x - 10 13 1
Supercells AB R H BI AVG
Ordonez dh 5 2 3 m6 .294
1st: 2-run HR; 3rd: F7; 5th: 3-run HR;
6th: P1; 8th: RBI-1B
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** The Dogfight Game of the Month **
In a battle for the Steinmetz Wild Card, the River and Avalanche hooked up in a battle royale! The lead changed hands a number of times. Each team scored in the 10th, before the River blew the game open in the 12th, scoring 4 times.

10/17/2007, CR06-AV06, Fenway Park
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm123 456 789 012 R H E
2006 River mmmm002 100 001 104 - 9 21 0
2006 Avalanche 100 011 010 100 - 5 10 1
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** The Blowout Game of the Month **
The Chinooks are highlighted in this spot once
again, this time blowing out the defending TML
Champs, 20-4. The 7-run 2nd inning was topped
by a 10-run 5th! The top four batters in the
Chinooks' lineup went 15-24, with 12 RBIs.
22-game winner Greg Maddux was chased in the
2nd. The Chinooks had 26 hits, but no HRs!

10/17/2007, TX06-RM06, Yankee Stadium
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
2006 River Rats 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 - 4 8 2
2006 Chinooks mm0 7 1 010 0 1 1 x - 20 26 0

Chinooks AB R H BI AVG
Pierre cf 7 3 4 4 .298
Iguchi 2b 5 2 4 2 .294
Patterson dh 6 2 4 2 .305
Howard 1b 6 1 3 4 .311
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** Overtime Game of the Month **
The T-Bred and Travelers matched up in what
began as a pitching duel between Roy Oswalt
and Ervin Santana, and ended as the season's
longest extra-inning game. The T-Breds won
the game in 18 innings, 4-3, but the Travs
had runners on 1st & 3rd when the game ended!

10/6/2007, HT06-AR06, Busch Stadium
mmmmmmmmm123 456 789 012 345 678 R H E
T-Breds m010 000 010 000 000 002 - 4 8 1
Travl'rs 000 010 001 000 000 001 - 3 14 3

************** Top 18th inning, T-Breds batting
2-2 0 --- 00 Hunter lined a single to
shallow right (X)
2-2 0 1-- 00 Garciaparra tripled deep to right
center, Hunter scored (>X)
Rincon now pitching
3-2 0 --3 10 Barrett grounded out to second,
Garciaparra scored (BX)
4-2 1 --- 20 Ichiro to first on an error by the
second baseman Izturis (BBX)
4-2 1 1-- 02 Uggla grounded out to the mound,
Ichiro to second (1CCX)
4-2 2 -2- 22 Tatis struck out (SBSBS)
************** Bottom 18th inning, Travelers batting
4-2 0 --- 01 Carroll lined a double to right
center (CX)
Mora pinch hitting for Cruz
4-2 0 -2- 22 Mora grounded out to second,
Carroll to third (CBBFFX)
4-2 1 --3 02 Rowand struck out (FFS)
4-2 2 --3 10 Barrett allowed a passed ball,
Carroll scored (BB)
4-3 2 --- 21 Rodriguez lined a single down the
left field line (BB.CX)
4-3 2 1-- 12 Amezaga singled to left center,
Rodriguez to third (CBSX)
4-3 2 1-3 22 Izturis struck out (CSBBFS)
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Up next ... the first round of the playoffs!
Staff Columnist - Biff Barnes