BIFF BARNE'S BASEBALL BONANZA

(AP-Denver, Colorado)
TML American Highlight Reel

September 2007

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The Toxic Waste River Rats (20-8) not only had a great September, but did it by beating up second place Traffic, 12 games to 2, thereby clinching the Gehrig Division Crown. The fight for the Gehrig Wild Card will be between Traffic, Mordor and Oklahoma, with Rocky Mountain a long shot. It will be an exciting finish.
On the other side of the Atmospheric Conference, the Beverly Hillbillies (19-9) clinched the Gatto Division Crown, while Rensselaer (14-14) was able to clinch the Gatto Wild Card. The remaining four teams will battle for last place.
In the Oceanic Conference, the Valparaiso Drench (18-10) clinched the Steinmetz Crown, but the battle for the Steinmetz Wild Card will come down to 'Skayuna, Albany, Burleigh and perhaps, Crimea.
In the Ruth Division, the Arkansas Travelers (20-8) have opened up a 7-game lead over Walla Walla, who in turn, now have only a 5-game lead over Hialeah and Cheticamp. Walla Walla plays Danny Way *and* Chicago (both lottery bound) in October, so one would think they have a BIG scheduling advantage on their way to at least the Ruth Wild Card.
The TML batting lead has changed hands yet again, now with Traffic's Derek Jeter (.335) leading Ghostwood's Miguel Cabrera (.333) by 2 points. Carolina's Joe Mauer (.331), Rensselaer's Brian Roberts (.331) and Valparaiso's Omar Vizquel (.328) are within striking distance. Oklahoma's David Ortiz has taken over the HR lead over Rocky Mountain's Ryan Howard, 58 to 56. Oklahoma's Jermaine Dye's 157 RBI leads Howard by 22. Jeter leads Hialeah's Ichiro Suzuki in hits by one, 209 to 208. The stolen base title is between Rocky Mountain's Juan Pierre (48 SB, 26 CS) and Albany's Hanley Ramirez (47 SB). Toxin Jason Giambi still leads the TML in SLG at .723 and OBP at .500.
Beverly's Roy Halladay tossed the season's first NO-HITTER (see below) and is still putting up nice numbers, leading the TML with a 1.98 ERA and a 19-6 record, including a league-leading
12 complete games. Toxin Greg Maddux (20-5) became the first 20-game winner this season, his 10th 20-win season, 9 of them as a Toxin. Maddux has won 10 or more games in each of his 19 seasons in the TML! Maddux' only non-win in September came in a game at Brandon, when he lost his no-hit bid in the 7th, and then the win, when normally relaible J.J. Putz blew the save (and took the loss) in the bottom of the 9th. Arkansas' Chien-Ming Wang (18-6) is on his way to a 20-win season. Beverly's Jake Peavy has taken over the stikeout lead with 225. Toxin Johan Santana is second with 217, and Rocky Mountain's Jeremy Bonderman has slipped to third, with 211.
Toxin J.J. Putz (42 saves, 0.97 ERA) has finally overtaken Valpo's Bob Wickman (37) in the "Fireman of the Year" chase. Arkansas' B.J. Ryan has moved into second with 38 saves. Toxic Waste (83-1) blew their first lead of the season after 7 innings. Oklahoma still leads the TML in victories (12) when trailing after 7.
Rensselaer still only has the one come-from-behind late victory. Valparaiso, Traffic and Maine have now all played 50 or more 1-run games, and still have a winning record in those contests! In October, look for some exciting match-ups, as the season winds down to the playoffs!

Below are some awards and tid-bits from October 2007 in the TML American.
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** Player of the Month **
(CR) Lance Berkman
.407, 44-108, 8-0-10, 82 TB,
21 R, 26 BI, 16 W, 41 RC

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** Pitcher of the Month **
(GL) Carlos Zambrano
6-1, 2.07, 8 GS, 3 CG, 1 Sho, 61 IP,
25 H, 4 HR, 32 W, 64 K, .121

^^^
Note: Zambrano not only tossed a CG 1-hitter against Beverly, but also spun *two* CG 2-hitters (against Carolina & Ghostwood)
*and* combined with Pinto on yet another 1-hitter against Carolina! He managed to pitch around his 32 walks! What a month!
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** Best Pitching Performance of the Month **
Hillbilly Roy Halladay more or less secured his bid for "Pitcher of the Year" by tossing the TML's first NO-HITTER of the season! He blanked division rival and playoff bound Rennselaer. Halladay had retired the first 13 batters, before an error by secondbaseman Durham spoiled the "perfecto." Halladay walked a batter in the 8th, but he was retired on a GIDP.

9/23/2007, RS06-BV06, Yankee Stadium
............1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ..R H E
Strikers ...0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0 0
Hillbillies 2 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 x - 5 9 1
Hillbillies ...IP H R ER BB K ERA
Halladay W 18-5 9 0 0 0 1 .3 1.91
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** Best Offensive Performance of the Stretch **
Supercell Jermaine "Mr. Clutch" Dye struck like
lightning, driving in 7 runs in the first two
innings of the game, leading his team to a big
win over division rival Mordor. Dye is the
TML leader in RBIs, with an incredible 157
(22 more RBIs than the Chinook's Howard)!

9/14/2007, MM06-OS06, AT&T Park
...........1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ''R H E
Marauders' 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 - 4 5 0
Supercells 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 x - 9 7 1
Supercells AB R H BI AVG
Dye rf 4 1 2 7 .317
1st: Grand Slam; 2nd: 3 RBI-2B; 4th-K; 7th-K
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** The Dogfight Game of the Month **
This game was a battle, that saw the River
blow a 6-0 lead, as the Drench pulled into
a 7-7 tied after 4.5 innings. Crimea opened
up an 18-8 lead, but the Drench fought back,
but fell short. Raul Ibanez had 6 RBI for
Drench and Adrian Beltre had 5 RBI for the
River. The two teams used nearly a dozen
different pitchers.

9/10/2007, VD06-CR06, Wrigley Field
'''''''1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 '''R H 'E
Drench 0 1 0 0 6 1 5 0 0 - 13 18 1
River '6 1 0 0 2 9 0 0 x - 18 16 1
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** The Blowout Game of the Month **
The Chinooks pounded the 'Machine into
submission, with a 21-2 final. The 'Machine
only managed a "safety" ... ooops ... wrong
sport! Chinook Ryan Howard blasted three
HRs in the rout. Every spot in the Chinook
batting order scored at least one time.
C.C. Sabathia recorded a CG win.

9/12/2007, RM06-BZ06, Safeco Field
''''''''''''''1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 '''R H E
Chinooks '''''0 4 1 0 8 1 2 1 4 - 21 23 0
BigW'zMac'ine 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 - '2 '6 2
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** Overtime Game of the Month **
After battling for 13 innings, the Hillbillies
got a clutch 2-out, 2 RBI single by J.D. Drew
to take a 7-5 lead in the top of the 14th.
The Liners mounted a 2-out rally in their half
of the 14th. Sean Casey doubled off Joel
Zumaya to bring the score to 7-6, with runners
on 2nd & 3rd. Zumaya induced Bengie Molina to
ground out to second to end the marathon.

9/18/2007, BV06-ML06, Shea Stadium
''''''''''''123 456 789 012 34 ''R H E
Hillbillies 101 300 000 000 02 - 7 11 1
Liners '''''100 120 100 000 01 - 6 13 0
************** Top 14th, Hillbillies batting
5-5 0 --- 11 Zimmerman grounded out to second
(CBX)
5-5 1 --- 12 Winn struck out (CBCFS)
5-5 2 --- 12 Quinlan lined a single to shallow
center (CBFX)
5-5 2 1-- 32 Peralta walked, Quinlan to second
(BBCBC>B)
Torres now pitching
5-5 2 12- 31 Theriot walked, Quinlan to third,
Peralta to second (BBBCB)
5-5 2 123 02 Drew singled to left center, Quinlan
scored, Peralta scored, Theriot to
third (FSX)
7-5 2 1-3 12 Rodriguez struck out (FFBS)
************** Bottom 14th, Liners batting
7-5 0 --- 21 Jones grounded out to second (BBSX)
7-5 1 --- 10 Lopez grounded out to third (BX)
7-5 2 --- 02 Scutaro lined a single to left
(CFFFX)
7-5 2 1-- 32 Quentin walked, Scutaro to second
(BBFBF>B)
Zumaya now pitching
7-5 2 12- 22 Casey grounded a double down the first
base line, Scutaro scored, Quentin to
third (BCFBX)
7-6 2 -23 10 Molina grounded out to second (BX)
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Up next ... October ... the stretch drive!
Staff Columnist - Biff Barnes