2022 Giants Complete 19-0 Undefeated Season; Cop 50+ Championship in Bay Area MSBL
Bay Area MSBL, 50+ Division
Giants 6, Seals 5 (Game two in best of three series sweep)
The BAMSBL 50+ Giants went undefeated on the season, compiling a 19-0 record through the playoffs on the way to a repeat championship and their fifth in the last eight seasons. The Giants defeated a talented Seals squad in two straight games to win the title once again, but it wasn’t easy.
The championship series was a battle with the Giants winning Game 1, 9-7 and Game 2, 6-5. In each game, the Seals got out to an early lead only to see the Giants come from behind to win. The Seals outhit the Giants, but just couldn’t get the big hit with runners in scoring position like the Giants did, especially with two outs. In the final game, Player/Co-Manager Michael Black got the game winning RBI, a single through the five and half hole, to score Conor Sheridan who had stolen second base after an E3, before Black singled him home, in what would turn out to be the winning run.
Black and fellow Co-Manager/Player/BAMSBL Hall of Famer Pat Carroll elected to start Mike Wilgus in game one and John Hughes in game two and opted to go to ace Fernando “Nando” Naranjo once the Giants had the lead in each game. The strategy worked. As Black said “ALL of our pitchers are tremendous competitors and I trust them in any situation. They were just great! In the first game, Wilgus gave us three great innings and Nando came in to throw six. A week later John Hughes gives us a gutsy performance, going six strong, leaving the game tied, and giving us a chance to win.
I was so happy when we scored the run in the top of the seventh because in between innings, Nando told me he would close it out if we got a lead. And we got it so in the bottom of the seventh with a one run lead, I handed the ball to Nando and knew we were going to win. He closed it out with three scoreless innings to get the save, Hughes the win, a repeat title and an undefeated season for the Giants.
This is my first at any level. Just wow, what a team. Really great guys, tremendous baseball players, unselfish, team focused. This is really special. As it turned out, a perfect season is old hat for Pat Carroll. The Hall of Famer’s 1999 BAMSBL Beavers went 20-0 that year, however he was sure to note “19-0 is definitely a rare and special feat!” 😉