Past Season Review Part 3 of 4

2006- Major Red Sox- Oh So very close.

The 2006 season began in a very good way, this was probably the most talented team that I had ever coached. Of the 11 players on the roster4 played rep that season and 4 more could have played on a rep team or got to the final cut of a rep team. That Red Sox team was awesome. Throughout the season we never lost more than 2 games in a row, and we only did that twice. We were never below tied for 4th (and that was after an Opening Day loss), and we were in 1st place for 3 weeks throughout the year.

The Major season is divided into 3 parts: Before the District Houseleague Playoffs, The stretch to the Playoffs and the Playoffs.

In the first part of the year we finished in 2nd place to the Cardinals, in an amazing couple of games that we played against them. The main game was a tie, 4-4 after 6 innings- the game took 1 hour 10 minutes to play, incredible baseball on that night in June.

The Cardinals would win the Ancaster bid to the District Houseleague Championships in High Park and they would win the Championship over the host squad 2-1 in a tremendous victory.

In the 2nd part of the year the Phillies would get on a tear and would win the league after starting the year 1-3, the Phillies had 2 losses the rest of the way. We finished in 2nd place in the league and earned a first round bye.

In the playoffs we met up with the #3 Cardinals, and with only 8 players and 4 of those players were call ups, we shocked the Cardinals with a convincing victory. 2 nights later we would take on the #1 Phillies.

Heading into the game against the Phillies we were 1-1-2 and +1 on run difference against them, folks, it does not get much closer than that. In that semi-final we got up early and kept pounding on them, now leading 5-3 in the 5th inning with their top hitter coming to the plate, something very special was about to happen.

Darren had played soccer the past couple of seasons, but returned to baseball this year, and all season long we had worked with him, on his hitting, and fielding. Now in the bottom of the 5th with 2 outs and go-ahead run at the plate, this situation unfolded. Johnny for the Phillies was on a tear, almost every time he stepped to the plate he could put it out of the park, now Johnny stepped up and whacked a sharp ground ball right to Darren, he stuck his glove out, the force of the ball spun him around and he threw Johnny out at first. That play got us out of the inning and 3 outs later we were going to the Championship series.

The 6 seeded Pirates had come out of the 4 losing 1st and 2nd round teams to face the Phillies for the right to face us. The Pirates even had a shot to win and go to the Finals, but their top hitter Todd struck out with the go-ahead run on 2nd, to end their Championship run, it set up the #2 Red Sox vs. #1 Phillies, the way that it should be.

In the finals, we needed to win 1 game, the Phillies needed to win 2 games to take home the title. In the first game the Phillies would get every break in the book, I mean with a chance to tie the game, one of our players whacked a line drive to left field, their fielder threw his arm up and blindly caught the ball to kill the rally. The Phillies won 5-3, and forced a Sunday game.

Heading into the Sunday finish, our season series with the Phillies was tied at 2-2-2 and a +1 for us run differential. Talk about high quality baseball. In the finals the Phillies jumped out 2-0, we would then take a 3-2 lead heading into the 3rd. We would give up 4 runs and the Phillies would win going away 9-6 in a tremendous final.

Tomorrow we finishe up the past season review with the 2007 season. Until then happy Baseball.