Here are my initial postgame thoughts after the Bears scored eight eighth-inning runs to beat the Patriots 13-7 to capture the Atlantic League Championship Series in four games...With more to come tomorrow...
1) The bullpen woes that plagued the Patriots all season was their undoing at the end. The bullpen blew a lead in Game 1, and could not hold tie scores and allowed the winning runs to score late in Games 3 and 4.
2) Bears manager Wayne Krenchicki and pitching coach Steve Focault have coached together at three different stops for 10 years in the Atlantic League and suffered three playoff series defeats. This title was a long time coming for these two.
3) Like closer R.D. Spiehs the night before, give Somerset starter Lincoln Mikkelsen credit for speaking after a rough Game 4 performance. Covering the Atlantic League is not like covering the majors. I'm the only reporter in the losing locker room and it would be easy to blow me off with no cameras watching. These guys were true pros.
4) It might seem silly, but this was a historic Atlantic League game. It reminded me of the New England Patriots collapse against the Indianapolis Colts in the 2007 AFC Championship Game. Dynasties simply do not melt down like this. The Patriots had not lost a playoff series since 2000 -- when I was high school senior -- and had won their last eight games when facing playoff elimination.
5) The Bears, a team that won just 42 games all of last season, became the first time other than the Patriots to win multiple Atlantic League titles. The Patriots still lead that race with three, but the Bears broke away from the Lancaster Barnstormers, Bridgeport Bluefish and Long Island Ducks. Maybe more teams should follow their lead and completely blow up their roster after a miserable season. (See: Lancaster).
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment