An exceptional pitching dual in game 2 of the 38 finals, between the Orioles John Pologna, and the Silver's Jon Martin, was overshadowed by a late inning incident, which resulted in the Orioles forfeiting the game, and the championship. Both pitchers threw well, and all runs had been unearned,as the Marlins took a 4-3 lead into the 6th.
The ejection of an Oriole player, and the ensuing arguments, led the home plate umpire to declare the forfeit. Both pitchers, as well as the players, fans, and the integrity of the league, deserved better. Both the President, and the commissioner, were in attendance and hopefully will shed more light on the incident.
WE ARE ALL HOPING FOR SOME KIND OF REPLY IN REGARDS TO HOW THE 38 PLAYOFFS ENDED. I WOULD HOPE THAT OUR COMMISIONER WILL DO SOMETHING IN REGARDS TO THE WAY IT ENDED. AS FAR AS THE PRESIDENT HE SEEMED OK W/THE ENDING...OF COURSE HE IS A MARLIN. I FEEL THE TROPHY SHOULD BE WON ON THE FIELD AND KNOWING MOST OF THE MARLINS THEY WOULD WANT IT THAT WAY. THIS MESSAGE IS IN NO WAY TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE MARLINS BUT HOW CAN WE PLAY MAY-SEPT AND NOT HAVE THE CHAMPS DECIDED ON THE FIELD???
Mario do you think you will even get a response? I figured it out. The best thing to do during the upcoming 2006 league championships should be the following:
1- Get all the teams together and have a block party. Towards the middle part of the get together have each manager arm wrestle for the championship.
I am truly disappointed at the lack of leadership that commands this league. Their inability to respond truly shows their true colors. The delay of league championship games to give teams a resting period for their upcoming championship games describes without a doubt on how the league caters and manipulates to a select few. Kevin J and John R you know who you are. Oops did I say that!!!!!!!!!!! slip of the tongue
The Marlins are a first class team. And I congragulate them for winning the league championship in game 2 with a tied score. Jimmy/Mash/Chuck/Mike/Tommy/ and Ralph you know and I know your thinking the same thing that I am which is: This is no way to win a league title.
Solution : Lets get together some day find a field ,and play this thing out. Who cares about league approval. At least we will know between ourselves who earned the title. After we all get together with the coolers and socialize. The way a true conclusion to a season ending series should be.
You two are right about one thing. This is no way to decide a league championship!!! After struggling through an early season where we struggled to get 9 players to the field, the Marlins hit full stride and played exceptional baseball. I am extremely proud of the way 15 guys game together, and were ready to go through whoever got it the way of our winning a championship. Just look at the players who were willing to put their egos aside, and sit on the bench, or play the field and not hit. I looked over at the bench while playing first, to see Chuck Sohl, Ted Poleto, David Mitchell, Phil Gadomski, and Jim Ansel. Are you kidding?! Guys like Kurt Coons, Skip Treece, and Paul Miles played defensively without hitting. This is what makes up a championship team! On the other hand, If you look accross the diamond, you find 4 or 5 WHINING CRY BABIES, who blame everything that doesn't go their way on the umpires or league officials. I won't name names on those whiners here, because you know who you are. Chuck Sohl (a Twilight League Hall of Famer) and myself (a confirmed hot head) both took called third strikes, and were both able to simply voice our objections and move on. Yet a veteran Oriole ball player loses his cool at a called strike 2. He even gets a chance at another pitch, and swings and misses. Now it is time to tell the umpire that it is his fault for the strikeout. The umpire takes some abuse before warning the player that he has heard enough. "One more word and you are gone." He clearly said. This "team player" then proceeds into the dugout so the umpire can't see him and continues the verbal abuse. The umpire throws the player out. Instead of leaving, this player still thinking only of his teammates, decides to engage in a ten minute debate with the umpire on the topic of "How can you throw me out when you didn't see me say anything." Following the lead of this meltdown, 3 or 4 more Oriole players ignore the threats of the umpire to forfeit the game and join their leader in berating the umpire, thepresident and the comissioner about the ejection. Again, none of this could possibly be their fault!!! Well, with the game tied at 4 and the go ahead run on third and their clean-up hitter coming to the plate in the bottom of the sixth, 4 or 5 Oriole players decided to F*** -up everything for the other 25 guys that were there to decide the league championship. WAY TO GO!! You guys ought to be real proud!!! Let me end by restating that this was 4 or 5 Orioles, not the whole team!!! That team is filled with class acts like Mark Dabney, Steve Lounello, Mike Kravitz, Jim Maloney and others.
We have a poll going among some veteran players and were wondering if anyone would like to enter the lottery of possible names for those players run off the field at hte championship game?
A. Mark Lennox B. #@%^ Stark C.Joe Carrieccia D. All of the above E. Who cares, and when does the suspension begin?
NOT TO MAKE EXCUSES FOR ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED BUT WE ALL HAVE VOICED DISPLEASURE AT TIMES ABOUT THE UMPIRING. IT IS NOT LIKE THE ORIOLES WERE THE ONLY ONES VOICING THEIR OPINION ABOUT THE CALLS. I RESPECT THE WAY THE MARLINS PLAY THE GAME BUT TO MAKE THE O'S SOUND LIKE THEY WERE @@#$ IS WRONG. MIKE YOU ARE A GREAT BALLPLAYER AND I THINK THE WORLD OF YOU AS A PERSON BUT MAYBE WE ARE BEING A LITTLE HARSH WHEN WEVE BEEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF BAD UMPIRING AND BAD LEADERSHIP DECISIONS.
You are right Mario. I may have been a little harsh. I am just seething that we didn't get to play this thing out. The celebration over being League Champions should have been a lot more fun. I have been the complainer about officiating, but when the man says get out or your team will forfeit, I have always shut up and got out. The guy was and is an awful umpire, but there is a line that you don't cross and you guys were way over it. I have all the respect in the world for you personally, and as a ball player, but the way some of those guys acted was beyond childish. You ought to weigh out your options for next year. I am sure that there are at least 4 or 5 quality ballplayers that won't be back with the O's next year, and I don't blame them. I would rather play on an 0-20 team. If you guys want to arrange a couple of games to see who the better team is, I am sure that the Marlins would love it. Most of us are on the team that is going to Florida in November, and once the 28's season is over, we will be looking for some scrimmages to keep us sharp. Maybe we can get together on that. Meanwhile, good luck in the 28 playoffs!!!
MIKE YOU ARE A GOOD MAN AND A GREAT COMPETITOR AND THE MARLINS TEAM IS FILLED W/CHAMPION PLAYERS AND PEOPLE. IN LIFE WE LIVE AND HOPEFULLY LEARN FROM ARE SHORTCOMINGS...SEE YA ON THE FIELD FOR THE 28'S
I ALSO WANTED TO COMMEND DICK STARK...HE IS THE BEST COACH I HAVE PLAYED FOR SINCE MY HIGH SCHOOL COACH WAY BACK IN THE 20'S (JUST KIDDING} I AM AN ORIOLE FOR LIFE AND WE WILL BOUNCE BACK BETTER THAN EVER AS A TEAM AND AS PEOPLE.... GO ORIOLES THANKS DICK FOR A GREAT SEASON
