The NALB 2006 season is behind us and the votes have been tallied. Here are the winners of North American League Baseball's prestigious awards.

League 1
Outstanding Batter Award: Hooks Goetz (Brooklyn Knights)
Outstanding Pitcher Award: Hap Bedford (Cornfield Axemen)
Newcomer of the Year: Roy Mosqueda (Nashville Firecats)

Slick Fielder Award Winners
Pitcher: John Watson (Luisville Beasts)
Catcher: Ted Pollet (Brooklyn Knights)
First Baseman: Chet Corwin (Dayton Grizzlies)
Second Baseman: Dustin Fernandez (Dayton Grizzlies)
Third Baseman: Jeff Page (Dayton Grizzlies)
Shortstop: Jack Wills (Dayton Grizzlies)
Left Fielder: Chick Radatz (Dunedin Otters)
Center Fielder: Douglas Reyes (Las Vegas Luck)
Right Fielder: Bert Scott (St. Rock Mudcats)

League 2
Outstanding Batter Award: Allan Mcmullin (Stade Maples)
Outstanding Pitcher Award: Max Brown (Stade Maples)
Newcomer of the Year: Tony Martell (Vancouver Wild)

Slick Fielder Award Winners
Pitcher: Phil Carter (Quebeck Sky Chiefs)
Catcher: Ray Fallon (Washington Allies)
First Baseman: Paul Lyons (Stade Maples)
Second Baseman: Chris Walton (Quebeck Sky Chiefs)
Third Baseman: Ivan Cahill (St. James Crusaders)
Shortstop: Dave Adams (Quebeck Sky Chiefs)
Left Fielder: Ariel Cadore (Stade Maples)
Center Fielder: Bobby Vandyke (Phoenix Rattlers)
Right Fielder: Mac Keener (Key West Corals)

The Maples earned their first World Championship title and now get to spend all winter basking in glory, while the beaten Knights will have many sleepless nights wondering what went wrong. The Brooklyn Knights ended their incredible six year reign. The Stade Maples are the North American League Baseball champions for 2006. They did it with a 6-4 triumph to capture the series 4-1.

"Both teams are talented. We just made fewer mistakes than they did," Stade skipper Sakutaro Yoda said to the press corps at the post-game press conference. "We made the crucial plays and got the crucial hits."

On the way to the World Championship, Stade compiled a 91-71 record during the regular season.

The Stade Maples went into Game 5 one win away from a World Championship. They wanted to win it at home and avoid going back to Brooklyn for a sixth or seventh game. For the Brooklyn Knights, it was do or die. They faced the prospect of elimination for the first time in their club's history. The game was a rematch between the Game 1 starters, Dave Hambright and Wally Pemberton. Hambright lost to Pemberton in the opener but looked to atone for the loss and force a Game 6. The Knights tweaked their sputtering lineup a bit. Facing a left-handed starter, they would normally start Jeromy Bezanson in center field. However, Bezanson was hitting an anemic 1 for 11 (.091) in the playoffs so Gary Mccreery was named the center fielder.

The Knights knew they had to score early to quiet the raucous Maples' fans. They did just that. Second-baseman Dick Moran led off the game with a solo home run. Gary Mccreery followed that with a triple. Yale Burns singled to score Mccreery and Brooklyn had an early 2-0 lead. The Maples got things going in the second with a triple of their own, courtesy of Allen Mcmullin. Topper Blefary hit an RBI single and the score was 2-1. In the third inning, Ariel Cadore doubled to tie the game for the Maples.

The walks started to pile up for Pemberton as he had trouble finding the strike zone at times. Both starting pitchers kept working their way into and out of jams. In the top of the fifth, Dan Kelley tagged up and tried to score from third on a fly ball to right field. The ball wasn't hit quite deep enough, however, and he was thrown out at the plate. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Hambright was in trouble with men on second and third and nobody out. The Knights brought the infield in and got two ground balls that kept the runners from scoring. Hambright followed that up with a strikeout to get out of the inning.

Stade sent Bert Smith to the mound for the seventh inning. He had control problems and walked Dan Kelley on four straight pitches. After a wild pitch, the Maples decided to intentionally walk Hooks Goetz. A single by Ted Pollet and a sacrifice fly by Kid Detherage put the Knights ahead 3-2. Dave Hambright completed seven solid innings of work and was pulled for a pinch hitter. John Coleman came on to pitch for Brooklyn in the eighth inning. He promptly gave up a game-tying 447 foot solo homer to Travis Araoz, the first batter he faced. Rob Muncy pitched the ninth inning for the Maples and looked overpowering as he struck out the first two batters. As thoughts started to turn to possible extra innings, Yale Burns blasted the first pitch deep into the left-field stands. The Knights had a 4-3 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth and sent the NALB's all-time saves leader, Jeff Ramirez, to close out the game. Behind Ramirez were the best fielders that the Knights had to offer with Sterling Little and Markus Branson going into the game as defensive substitutions. Power-hitting Paul Lyons pinch hit to lead off the ninth and grounded out. Maples' fans were on their feet as Gene Anson kept their hopes alive with a line-drive double. Ramirez tried to be too fine with his pitches and ended up walking Jimmy Gomez. He came back strong to strike out Shane Buckley. It was two men on, two men out, as Ted Rambo came to the plate. He was 0 for 4 on the day and fell behind in the count as he took a first pitch strike. Rambo was sitting on the fastball and got what he wanted on the next pitch. He lifted the ball deep to left. Kid Detherage raced after it but it was over the wall.

Stade won the game and the World Championship Series!

Final score: Stade 6, Brooklyn 4

Game 4 had a lot riding on it. The Knights needed a win to even the Series while the Maples hoped to extend their lead to a commanding 3-1 margin. Brooklyn had Fred Millard (19-4) on the mound. Millard is a seasoned veteran and the winningest pitcher in NALB history. Opposing Millard was Stade's Luis Hesterfer (9-12). Hesterfer was acquired earlier in the season from the St. James Crusaders. He struggled for the Maples with a 3-7 record after the trade.

Topper Blefary got the Maples on the board first with a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning. The Knights came right back in the third with a few hits and took the lead, 2-1. Yale Burns added to Brooklyn's lead in the fourth with a solo homer of his own. In the sixth inning, Jeromy Bezanson hit a sacrifice fly to score Burns from third. The Knights extended to a 4-1 lead. Brooklyn neglected to pinch hit for Millard in the sixth, a decision it would later regret. Millard started the bottom half of the inning by walking the first two batters. After Travis Araoz doubled and two more runs had scored, Sam Faust came on in relief. Faust was unable to get Blefary out and gave up a game-tying double over the center-fielder's head. With Erik Boyle on to pitch the eighth inning, the Maples scored the go ahead run of the game. Jimmy Gomez hit a leadoff single and Ted Rambo singled home the run after a wild pitch. In the ninth inning, closer Floyd Minoso retired the side in order to lock down Stade's third win of the Series.

Final score: Stade 5, Brooklyn 4

The World Championship Series moved to Stade for Game 3. After two games, it was all tied up at one win apiece. For the Maples, there was no question as to who would get the start. Ace Max Brown (19-7) was rested and ready to go. The Knights waited until close to game time to announce their starter, Angel Fleming (20-8). Fleming had pitched very well in the second half of the season and got the nod over Fred Millard.

In the bottom of the first inning, "The Beast," Travis Araoz hit a ball into the right-field corner. It looked like a triple but he didn't stop at third. Araoz sprinted home for a rare inside the park home run. In the second inning, catcher Topper Blefary tripled to right-center and Max Brown helped his own cause with an RBI double. The Maples added another run in the fourth inning to make it a 4-0 game. Meanwhile, Max Brown kept cruising along, retiring batter after batter. Three straight singles in the top of the eighth scored the first run of the game for the Knights. That made the score 4-1. However, Stade came right back in the bottom half of the inning when second-baseman Leslie Hubbard hit a solo home run. Brown retired the side in order in the ninth and finished an impressive complete game.

Final score: Stade 5, Brooklyn 1

The Brooklyn Knights were down 1-0 in the World Championship, the same position they were in a year ago. They decided to go with starter Tracy Corkhill (16-4) to try and even the Series. The Stade Maples struggled a bit this season whenever Max Brown or Wally Pemberton were not on the mound. Brown wasn't ready to pitch yet given the fact that he started three games in the League Series. The Maples gave the Game 2 start to Brian Hanson (11-13).

A couple of singles and a Ted Pollet throwing error led to a first inning run for the Maples. Ted Rambo added a deep home run to straightaway center field in the third inning to make it a 2-0 lead for Stade. Three consecutive hits by Brooklyn's Mccreery, Kelley, and Castino tied the game in the bottom of the third. The Knights busted the game open in the fourth. They scored seven runs on four hits, including a grand slam by Hooks Goetz. Tracy Corkhill was settled in and looking strong with Brooklyn up 9-2. The Maples found themselves in more trouble as the Knights added another run in the bottom of the fifth. The best Stade could manage was one run in the eighth inning. Unlike Game 1, the Knights' relievers pitched well down the stretch. Keller, Boyle, Faust, and Ramirez came on to pitch one inning each and nail down the win.

Final score: Brooklyn 10, Stade 3.

The North American League Baseball 2006 World Championship Series opened in Brooklyn as it has for the past six seasons. The Brooklyn Knights hosted the Stade Maples for Game 1. Back in 2004, these two teams faced each other for the championship and the Knights swept the Maples in four games.

The Maples had confidence with lefty starter Wally Pemberton (18-6) on the mound. Brooklyn's Dave Hambright (12-9) got the Game 1 start despite a sub-par year by his standards. The Knights wasted no time getting on the board in the first inning. After a Dan Kelley walk and a Jeff Castino double, Hooks Goetz singled in the first run of the game. The pitching duel continued into the fourth inning when the Maples tied the score at 1-1. Travis Araoz tripled to deep center field and later scored Stade's first run. Hambright and Pemberton had their stuff working as the score was unchanged heading into the sixth inning. Paul Lyons, Stade's powerful first baseman, was the team's designated hitter for Game 1. He hit a 2-run homer into the right field stands to put his team ahead 3-1 in the top of the sixth. In the eighth inning, Stade exploded with an 8-run inning, powered by another Lyons home run and a grand slam by Gene Anson. Brooklyn would not recover. They scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth but the deficit was too large to overcome.

Final score: Stade 11, Brooklyn 3

League 2 Series - Stade Maples vs. Phoenix Rattlers

Game 1: Phoenix 5, Stade 4
Game 2: Stade 8, Phoenix 6
Game 3: Stade 10, Phoenix 7
Game 4: Phoenix 10, Stade 7
Game 5: Phoenix 9, Stade 6
Game 6: Stade 6, Phoenix 1
Game 7: Stade 8, Phoenix 3

The Stade Maples won their fourth consecutive division title. They wanted to avoid a repeat of last season's disappointing loss in the League 2 Series. Their opponent this season was the Phoenix Rattlers, a team with a very potent offense. The Maples went into Phoenix for Game 1 with their ace starter, Max Brown. Phoenix opened with starter Joe Lehr. The Rattlers fell behind 4-2 but ended up scraping out a 5-4 victory. Stade had superstar Wally Pemberton start game 2 against Parson Page. The game was tied 4-4 after six innings. The bats came alive against the relief pitchers and the Maples outscored the Rattlers down the stretch on route to an 8-6 win. With the Series tied one game apiece, it was on to Stade for games 3, 4, and 5. Phoenix's Gary Gorski and Stade's Brian Hanson started Game 3. Both pitchers struggled and it turned into another slugfest. The Maple's superior pitching depth helped them hold on for the win, 10-7. Game 4 was a rematch of Brown vs. Lehr. The score was the same as Game 3. This time however, it was Phoenix on top by the score of 10-7. Rattlers' right fielder Bobby Duckworth was the hero of the game. He drove in five runs. In Game 5, the Maples depended on Wally Pemberton to make his second start of the Series. Phoenix countered with 25-year old pitcher Buddy Lake (12-4). Unfortunately for the Rattlers, Lake gave up six runs (five earned) in 5.2 innings. Things looked bleak for Phoenix until they pounded relief pitcher Floyd Minoso for four runs. The rode their explosive offense to a 9-6 win. The Series moved to Phoenix for Game 6. The Rattlers needed just one win at home to advance to the World Championship Series. They gave the ball to Gary Gorski to try and provide a series-deciding win. Stade had left-hander Luis Hesterfer (9-12) on the mound. He hadn't won a game since August 22. Hesterfer shocked everyone by delivering a true post-season gem. He pitched eight innings and gave up only five hits and one run. The Maples cruised to a 6-1 victory. Game 7 was the third match-up of Brown vs. Lehr in a winner-take-all contest. Max Brown lost Game 1 and lost Game 4 while Joe Lehr registered two no-decisions. Brown was determined to pitch a better game and lead his team to a League Series win. He did just that. Brown gave up only two runs as he pitched six strong innings. Joe Lehr was even better as he pitched six innings of shutout ball. It all came crashing down on the Rattlers in the seventh inning, however. The Maples pounded Lehr for seven runs in the seventh. Phoenix was unable to recover. Stade finished the game with an 8-3 score.

The Stade Maples beat the Phoenix Rattlers four games to three. They are headed to the World Championship Series for the second time. Their last appearance was in 2004.

League 1 Series - Cornfield Axemen vs. Brooklyn Knights

Game 1: Brooklyn 10, Cornfield 3
Game 2: Brooklyn 11, Cornfield 7
Game 3: Brooklyn 5, Cornfield 4
Game 4: Brooklyn 2, Cornfield 0

The Brooklyn Knights faced a very difficult test in the Cornfield Axemen. The Axemen won 102 games in the regular season and played the Knights tough all season long. Game 1 of the League 1 Series featured Hap Bedford and Dave Hambright on the mound. Brooklyn jumped on top early, scoring three runs in the first inning. Cornfield scored a run in the second to cut into the lead. The Knights did some more damage in the fourth inning. They scored four runs and knocked Bedford out of the game. Several more runs were scored off of the bullpens of both teams and the Knights had their first win by a score of 10-3. Game 2 had a pair of lefty hurlers, John Watkins and Fred Millard. Neither starter pitched well and the game quickly turned into a slugfest. The Brooklyn bats were hot and managed four home runs on way to an 11-7 win. The Axemen looked forward to home field advantage as the Series shifted to Cornfield for game 3. Hughie Grover pitched for Cornfield against Brooklyn's Angel Fleming. The Axemen scored in each of the first three innings and built a 4-0 lead. However, the Knights chipped away and tied the game at 4-4 in the ninth. The game was decided in the 13th inning as Ted Pollet singled home the go-ahead run. The Knights held on to win 5-4. Game 4 was do or die for Cornfield. The Axemen once again sent their ace Hap Bedford to the mound. Bedford was faced with a similar situation last season when he pitched his team to a 1-0 shutout over the Knights. Brooklyn started left-hander Tracy Corkhill for game 4. As expected, both starters were dominant. The game was a pitcher's duel and it was scoreless heading into the ninth inning. Castino got a hit to lead off the ninth and Kid Detherage blasted a Walt Bouton fastball into the right field seats. Jeff Ramirez came on to close out the ninth and save a 2-0 victory for the Knights.

The Brooklyn Knights prevailed in a surprising sweep of the Cornfield Axemen to win the League 1 Series.

The NALB 2006 regular season came to a close in September. There were no surprises as the division leaders held on down the stretch. Brooklyn, Cornfield, Stade, and Phoenix all maintained their leads and won their respective divisions. They clinched on the following dates:

Brooklyn, 9/2
Cornfield, 9/12
Phoenix, 9/16
Stade, 9/20

The playoffs begin on October 2 with the Cornfield Axemen (102-60) versus the Brooklyn Knights (114-48) and the Stade Maples (91-71) versus the Phoenix Rattlers (94-68).

With August completed, there is only one month left in the 2006 NALB regular season. All division leaders kept their hold on first place. The Brooklyn Knights (95-41) slugged it out with the Cornfield Axemen for much of August. The two teams faced each other 14 times. The Knights managed to win 9 out of the 14 games. The Cornfield Axemen (86-50) padded their lead over the Luisville Beasts, bumping the lead to 15 games. The Stade Maples (81-55) got hot again and went 20-8 in August. For the Washington Allies, playoff hopes faded in August. They were within three games of Stade on August 1 but plummeted to 13 games back by the end of the month. The Phoenix Rattlers (79-57) cooled off considerably. However, Phoenix easily stayed in first thanks to some poor play by the Vancouver Wild. The Wild did not make up any ground in August and actually fell to 10 games behind the Rattlers.

August awards:

League 1
Batter of the Month: Gid Richter (Louisville Beasts)
Pitcher of the Month: George Rodriguez (Las Vegas Luck)
Rookie of the Month: Roy Mosqueda (Nashville Firecats)

League 2
Batter of the Month: Gary Cooper (Richmond Slam)
Pitcher of the Month: Max Brown (Stade Maples)
Rookie of the Month: Michael Duhon (Quebeck Sky Chiefs)

There are four months down and two months to go in the 2006 NALB regular season. For the Brooklyn Knights (77-31), July was a rough month. Brooklyn lost four out of their first five and eight out of their first thirteen games. They were 15-12 in July but still managed to keep a large 22-game lead over the Las Vegas Luck. The Cornfield Axemen (70-38) extended their lead over the Luisville Beasts to 14 games. League 2 leaders continued to stay atop their respective divisions. The Stade Maples (61-47) played better than they did in June. However, the Washington Allies stayed within three games of first place. The Phoenix Rattlers (66-42) continued to play excellent baseball. Despite finishing strong in July, the Vancouver Wild ended the month eight games behind the Rattlers.

July awards:

League 1
Batter of the Month: Lou Larose (Cornfield Axemen)
Pitcher of the Month: Hap Bedford (Cornfield Axemen)
Rookie of the Month: Buddy Akins (Dunedin Otters)

League 2
Batter of the Month: Allen Mcmullin (Stade Maples)
Pitcher of the Month: Walter Sheehan (Vancouver Wild)
Rookie of the Month: Ben Nicosia (Washington Allies)