Category: MSBL Holiday Classic

Cleveland Steve’s Sports 11, Boston Cardinals 7

‘Jackman and Tillman Take Charge’

By Mike Camunas, Special to MSBL

January 15, 2018, Kissimmee, FL — All Cleveland Steve’s Sports needed was 12 players. The eight-time 30+ National Champs added four more out of the player pool and that did the trick. So did the five-run seventh inning to break a 6-6 tie and defeat the Boston Cardinals11-7 on Monday afternoon at Osceola County Stadium.

“It’s tough when you have limited guys because then you have to pull your best outfielder to pitch, so you want the most innings you can out of your starter,” Cleveland manager and catcher John Ramsey said. “This year, (using the player pool) came through. Anytime you play five games in four days, it’s tough. We’re not 18 anymore — I’m 40 and I’m catching every game, but the guys have to, and did, overcome a lot. It was a tough, physical week.”

Rob Jackman was named the MVP after going 2-for-4 with a sac fly, a strikeout and two stolen bases. Jackman also pitched in the team’s second game during its championship run.  “Everyone plays a role, pitchers are doing multiple things, but everyone is doing their part and more to help the team win,” Jackman said. “We’re a scrappy team — it all falls behind John Ramsey. That guy finds a way to motivate everyone whether in your regular position or you’re filling in a position, he just finds a way to get you ready to play the game. Everyone follows the leader.”

Cleveland starting pitcher Jeff Tillman helped his own cause and drove in the two runs that tied the game in the fifth.  Boston jumped out to a 6-0 lead by the fourth that included a two-run homer in the first by third baseman Richie Burgos.  Cleveland scored its five runs in the seventh with one out, as Steve Ross drove in two RBI during the inning.

However, Ramsey knows that it Jackman that was Cleveland’s spark all week. “Rob started every big inning we had,” Ramsey added. “He sets the table as the leadoff guy and is always on base, so he’s been the engine that makes us go all week.”

Tampa Thunder 10, Coral Gables A’s 2

‘Rodriguez Holds A’s to Three Hits’

By Chris Errington, Special to MSBL

January 15, 2018, Kissimmee, FL – Not stolen equipment, an extra-inning semifinal or having to play a dominant opponent in the finals could keep the Tampa Thunder from fulfilling a promise a year in the making.  Geovanie Rodriguez, a late addition to the team, tossed a three-hitter and the Thunder parlayed a four-run first inning into an advantage they never relinquished in cruising to the 18+ championship.

The victory erased the bitter taste of losing in last year’s finals and gave the Thunder their first Holiday Classic title.

“[It was] very important to get back and win it this time,” said Tampa manager Pier Ballesteros. “We’ve been together a long time and talked about [winning a championship] right after we lost last year.”  Vic Pagan finished 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored, while Alex Novell added two hits, an RBI and run scored as Tampa finished with 13 hits. Those hits, plus uncharacteristic Coral Gables’ defensive miscues led to a trio of big innings that proved the difference. After the A’s trimmed a four-run deficit in half, Tampa broke the game open by scoring three runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh.

Rodriguez, who pitches for an Independent League team in Puerto Rico, proved he was more than capable of holding the lead. Relying on off-speed pitches, mixed with occasional fastballs, the right hander’s only start of the tournament was a memorable one. He retired the first seven batters he faced, then 10 straight from the fourth through seventh innings.  It was during that second juncture when his dominance was most important.

“I only joined the team two weeks ago,” said Rodriguez,who hadn’t pitched in a game in four months. “When we started the tournament, I was told I was getting the ball in the final. I just wanted to hit my locations. Sometimes I felt like I was in command.  When I go on the mound, I’m in a completely different mindset. It’s my world and I get locked in. I wanted the ball all the way.”

After run-scoring doubles from Pagan and Novell helped stake the Thunder to a 4-0 first-inning lead, Coral Gables mounted its only threat of the game. The A’s, who rolled to a 3-0 round robin record by outscoring their opponents 16-3, used a one-out walk and Nick Silva’s booming double to right-center to cut the deficit to 4-1. When Silva scored on an error one out later, the lead was cut in half and Coral Gables appeared to seize the momentum. But when a running miscue ended the threat, the Tampa lead remained and Rodriguez went to work.  The right hander didn’t allow another hit until Albert Santiago’s one-out double in the seventh. By then, the advantage had swelled to 10-2 and Tampa was nearly home free.

A ground out, Nolan Haymessingle and an infield error plated three Tampa runs in the sixth, before a Chris Gormley sacrifice fly and Martin’s double to left scored three more an inning later to put the game out of reach. “To get down 4-0 early was tough,” Coral Gables manager Miguel Garcia said, “but then we got two and were back in the game. Then, when they had those two big innings, it was over.  Our team is built on solid pitching and defense and today we had a few bad innings. Our pitching and defense let up a little and you can’t do that against a good team. This wasn’t the team we were all week.”

The loss kept Coral Gables from earning a third tournament championship in four years and fifth overall. The A’s captured titles in 2015 and 2016, before missing the playoffs last year.  For the Thunder, a week that began with anger, disorder and a whole lot of missing equipment and uniforms, ended in the sun. Even if it came following a marathon 10-inning, 9-4 semifinal victory over the same Dade City Brewers which defeated them in last year’s tournament championship game. The extended game pushed the start time for the championship back nearly two hours, but following what had occurred, the delay was negligible.

At the beginning of the week, Thunder players, all staying in the same hotel, were holding running races in the parking lot to determine the group’s fastest individual. They were approached by a few strangers who asked to participate in the races and, when the players agreed and were distracted with the proceedings, some of their equipment and uniforms were stolen out of the back of a player’s truck.  Fortunately, Ballesteros had brought additional uniforms and catcher’s equipment to the tournament, so, while sporting different numbers than usual, Tampa players at least were still able to play.  “Guys weren’t happy about it, but we didn’t let it bother us too much,” the manager said. “The funny thing is, our guys won the race.”

And in the end, they won a Holiday Classic tournament championship as well.

Thunder   4 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 – 10 13 2

A’s             0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 –  2   3  2

WP: Rodriguez. LP: Roque. 2B: Pagan, Novell, Cappuyo, Martin (T). Silva, Santiago (CG). Pitching: Roque, Jordon (7) and Pagan (T). Cappuyo and Mojica (CG).

Rhode Island Sea Dogs 16, Tainos 5

‘Sea Dogs Capture First Title’

Submitted by Kevin Curt, Sea Dogs manager

The Rhode Island Sea Dogs rode the outstanding performance of Brian Baker in their semi-final contest into the 2017 Holiday Classic 30+ American Division finals against the Tainos.

Andrew Smiley started the championship game on the bump and pitched a solid three innings before being relieved by Mike Squatrito.  Squatrito held the Tainos to one run over the next four innings and was then relieved by Jared Tinkham, who closed out the Sea Dogs victory.

Offensively Smiley and Josh Ferreira supplied the power, each hitting a home run in the contest. Ferreira led the Sea Dogs with two home runs in the playoffs. The win marked the Sea Dogs first championship in tournament play. Congratulations to player/manager Kevin Curt and the entire Sea Dogs team!

Boston Cardinals 20, East Coast Cardinals 11

‘Offense Takes Center Stage in Slugfest’

By: Chris Errington, special to MSBL National

January 16, 2017, Kissimmee, FL – Watching his team score 10 runs while sending 14 batters to the plate in the sixth inning, it would have been understandable if Boston Cardinals manager Rich Slamin relaxed, knowing his teams’ second Holiday Classic championship in three years was all but assured.  But not Slamin, not against the East Coast Cardinals, and not when you’re playing for the memory of a loved one.

Sure enough, the offensive explosion was matched in the bottom half of the inning when EC scored nine runs of its own. In the end, it was Slamin’s lack of complacency that kept Boston from relaxing and, as a result, helped finally put the game away over the final three innings.  When it was finished, Boston had earned an offensive-dominated 20-11 victory over the defending champions that spoke as much about resiliency as it did for love and comradery.

“Against a team like [East Coast] who has so much talent, we knew even 10 runs wasn’t going to be enough,” Slamin said. “We knew we’d need to keep scoring, so when they made it a game again, it wasn’t a big shock. I’m glad the guys responded.  We all knew, this one was for Ellis.”

In a tribute to Ellis Robles, the mother of a Boston player who died of cancer, and as a signal of the family bond this Cardinals team possessed above all others, each cap was initialed with the letters “ER.” Slamin said it was her memory that helped make this team – and this championship – so special.  “Two years ago, we had a great team and won it all, but the chemistry wasn’t good,” the manager said. “Last year, we went with a group of very talented players and couldn’t do anything. This time, we just wanted to come here with guys who respected each other and treated each other like family.  It really paid off in the end.”  Even if it wasn’t always pretty.

With a game time of three hours and 54 minutes, the teams combined for 31 hits, five errors, nine base on balls and six wild pitches. Still, when it was over, Boston players agreed that the championship victory – despite the flawed execution – was even better than the title won just two years ago.  “This one is special, because we all did it together,” Slamin said.

With Boston leading 2-1 following Luis Valdez’s first-inning RBI single and a third-inning Darwin Hernandez sacrifice fly, the game’s dynamic irrevocably changed in the sixth.  An infield error was the prelude to 11 Boston batters reaching base and a close game becoming a rout – even if for only a half inning. Tournament MVP Steven Rodriguez, who finished the week with 18 hits, had a run-scoring double down the left field line for a 3-1 lead, before Hernandez blasted a two-run homer to left to make it 5-1.  And Boston was just getting started.

A pair of bases on balls sandwiched a Victor Arroyo single. One run scored on a Ruben Rodriguez sac fly, another on a wild pitch and a third on Joel Torres’ single to left to push the lead to 8-1. After a Johan Hernandez single made it 9-1, Darwin Hernandez hit a bases-clearing double to left for a commanding 12-1 lead.  Still, if anyone was celebrating, it wasn’t Slamin. “I’d told them it wasn’t over,” he said “and I was right.”

Back came East Coast. Despite being held to just one hit and a single run through the first five innings, the Cardinals sent 13 men to the plate and scored nine times. Mick Myers led off with a walk and later added an RBI single. In between, eight consecutive East Coast batters reached and scored, four coming on Larry Hingle’s two-run single and Johnny Greer’s two-run triple to center.  When it was finally finished, the sixth inning had lasted more than an hour and produced 19 runs on 13 hits, while sending 27 batters to the plate. “I’ve been in games like this before,” veteran East Coast manager David Hash said. “We were pretty much out of pitching and sometimes that happens. [After trailing 12-1], the guys came back to the dugout and were quiet. They just kept digging in and knew they had a job to do. We almost got it done.”

While winning pitcher Alexis Fumero went about shutting down East Coast hitters the rest of the way, Boston immediately pushed the lead back to 15-10 in the top of the seventh. It then put the game away with five more in the ninth. Not surprisingly, Steven Rodriguez played a role in both, singling twice and driving in two.

“This was just a great week,” Rodriguez said. “I really felt good up there and kept fighting and battling. I just wanted to put pitches in play and luckily they turned into hits.”

Boston             101      00(10)  305 – 20 21 2

East Coast       000      109      010 – 11 10 3

WP: Delgado. LP: Molnar. 2B: S. Rodriguez (2), D. Hernandez (B). K. Blackwell (EC). 3B: Greer (EC). HR: D. Hernandez (B). Pitching: Delgado, Fumero (6) and D. Hernandez (B). Smith, Budds (6), Molnar (6), Hinkle (7) and Myers (EC)