For the third straight playoff series, the Brooklyn Knights played at home in a deciding game 7. Tracy Corkhill (10-4, 2.35 ERA) vs. Fielder Scarce (2-2, 4.95 ERA) was the pitching matchup. On paper, this was a major mismatch in favor of the Knights. The Wild were out of their element, a team playing for its first World Championship in a hostile park.

In the top of the second inning, Brooklyn was shaken when Corkhill tweaked his back and had to leave the game. The Knights turned to regular season starter Fred Millard, pitching out of the bullpen in the playoffs. Millard promptly gave up two runs. The Wild scored again in the fourth and it was a 3-0 game. The Knights finally got their first hit in the bottom of the fourth but they were unable to score. Hits off of Scarce were as rare as his last name. Even with three walks in the fifth, Scarce did not allow a run. Another Vancouver run in the sixth made it 4-0 and quieted the Brooklyn crowd. In the Brooklyn threatened in the eighth when Scarce walked the first two batters. Vancouver went to the bullpen and once again snuffed Brooklyn’s rally. In the bottom of the ninth, it looked like a classic Brooklyn Knights comeback in the making. Duhon and Burns both drew walks to get on base. Closer Mick Vanzandt came on to preserve the lead for the Wild.

Final score: Vancouver 4, Brooklyn 2

As in the 2008 League 1 Series, the Knights found themselves heading home for game 6, down three games to two. Pete Adams (13-13, 3.80) had the start for Vancouver, potentially a start that would decide the Series. Brooklyn once again turned to 26-year old Omar Cambra (3-4, 5.09 ERA). Cambra was added to the rotation when Dave Hambright was injured in mid-September.

Cambra brought his best stuff for game 6. He pitched seven scoreless innings and gave up only three hits. Known for struggling with his control, he walked only one and struck out six. Erik Boyle and Carl Hatton finished the last two innings to complete the Brooklyn shutout.

With pitching that outstanding, the Knights didn’t need much offense. Nevertheless, up 3-0 in the eighth inning, veteran slugger Jeff Castino helped put the game away with a two run home run.

Final score: Brooklyn 5, Vancouver 0

Game 5 is usually a pivotal game in any series. That was certainly the case here with the World Championship Series tied at two games apiece. Bernard Gastelu (11-5, 3.55 ERA) started for the Brooklyn Knights. Mike Conigliaro (13-10, 3.67 ERA) looked great in his game 2 start against the Knights and was back to start game 5.

The Wild wasted no time with their bats in this one. Jack Wills and Marty Hunter started the bottom of the first inning with singles. Wills scored on a balk by Gastelu. Batting Champ Pat Greene followed with a two run homer over the wall in left-center field. The Knights came back in the second inning and scored off of a wild pitch. Gastelu continued to struggle in the second. He gave up another two run home run, this time to Jack Wills. Three singles from the Brooklyn hitters added to the scoring in the third. A slugfest was underway. The Knights were chipping away while the Wild kept scoring with the long ball. Feared slugger Jason Walton hammered a Gastelu fastball deep over the centerfield wall to put Vancouver up 6-3. Brooklyn kept the pressure on by scoring in the fifth and sixth innings. Mccreery’s solo homer in the sixth brought the Knights to within one run, 6-5. The Wild added one more in the bottom half of the inning to keep their lead at two runs.

The deciding blow for Vancouver came in the seventh, again by the home run. Jason Walton went deep for the second time in the game, scoring another two runs.

Final score: Vancouver 9, Brooklyn 5

Unwilling to admit it publicly, the Vancouver Wild knew game 4 was a must win game. They liked their chances at home with playoff phenom Tony Martell (19-9, 3.39 ERA) on the mound. Brooklyn had confidence in their starter, Bob Wiesner (17-7, 3.65 ERA), as well.

After pitching 18 scoreless innings in the playoffs, Martell suddenly looked fallible in game 4. He opened the game with a base on balls. With one out, the Knights tagged him with three straight singles. The Wild were behind 3-0 and their confidence was clearly shaken. Steve Naktenis scored Vancouver’s first run in the second inning after drawing a walk from Wiesner. Naktenis struck again in the fourth with a solo home run. Down only 3-2, the Vancouver crowd was back into the game. A Dan Kelley single in the fifth extended the Knights’ lead to two runs. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Wild tied the game on a two run, 430 foot blast by Norberto Salguero.

With the score tied 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth, the Knights sent in veteran closer Jeff Ramirez to hopefully force the game into extra innings. Leading off the inning was former Brooklyn left fielder Tim Aase. He tripled off of Ramirez. Spud Naktenis came through yet again with a deep fly ball that scored Aase on a sacrifice fly. Vancouver won the game and tied the Series.

Final score: Vancouver 5, Brooklyn 4

The Series moved to Vancouver for game 3. The Knights had their ace, Tracy Corkhill (10-4, 2.35 ERA), ready to go. Walter Sheehan (6-9, 3.50 ERA) was named the Wild’s game 3 starter.

With Corkhill on the mound, the Knights looked like a team playing with a lot of confidence. Brooklyn’s offense got on the board early. A Dick Moran home run punctuated the first inning that also features four walks by Sheehan. Brooklyn’s lead was 3-0 in the first. The Knights added a run in the second and the Wild countered in the sixth. Going into the seventh inning, it was a 4-1 game. Vancouver’s pitchers continued to struggle to find the strike zone. Rafael Maria came on in relief and gave up a couple of bases on balls and a wild pitch. Brooklyn took advantage and padded their lead to 7-1. The Knights added one more run in the eighth off of a Dan Kelley double to make certain the win.

Final score: Brooklyn 8, Vancouver 1

The Vancouver Wild looked completely overmatched in game 1. They looked to Mike Conigliaro (13-10, 3.67 ERA) to deliver a win in game 2. Conigliaro was a veteran relief pitcher converted to a starter this season. The Brooklyn Knights hoped Omar Cambra (3-4, 5.09) would deliver another solid performance as he did in the League 1 Series.

Both starters pitched well early on. After four innings, neither team had scored a run. Cambra’s control had been a problem all season long. In the fifth inning, he issued three walks and a double. Lonnie Bennett came on in relief and allowed two more runs to score. The Wild were up 3-0. Brooklyn’s relievers were ineffective in the sixth inning as well. Vancouver scored six more runs off of Erik Boyle and Rip Sukeforth. The biggest blow came from Jason Walton’s 3-run homer.

Both teams scored in every inning after the fifth. The Knights’ hopes were dashed again and again as the Wild kept scoring runs. Down 13-5 in the ninth, Brooklyn staged a furious comeback. Dick Moran capped a six run inning with a grand slam but the Knights were unable to pull out the win.

Final score: Vancouver 13, Brooklyn 11

The NALB 2008 World Championship Series features a first ever meeting between the Brooklyn Knights and the Vancouver Wild. The Knights won 113 games in the regular season. With only 80 regular season wins, the Wild have the worst record of any team to play for the title except for the 2005 Richmond Slam (78-85).

Vancouver had its ace, Tony Martell (19-9, 3.39 ERA), ready for game 1 in Brooklyn. Martell pitched 15 scoreless innings in the League 2 Series. The Knights once again decided to start struggling Bernard Gastelu (11-5, 3.55 ERA) in a playoff series opener.

Spud Naktenis put the first run on the scoreboard with a solo home run to left-center field. Heavy rain was in the forecast. The forecast was right on the money as a downpour occurred in the third inning. After a 60 minute rain delay, the starting pitchers gave way to the bullpens. After three scoreless innings from Martell, Brooklyn’s hitters found success against the Vancouver relievers. The Knights scored three runs in the fourth inning, three runs in the fifth inning, and four more runs in the sixth inning. Extra base hits were plentiful. Mccreery doubled and Detherage tripled. Home runs came from Burns, Goetz, and Detherage. Fred Millard came on in relief of Gastelu and he was in total command of the game. Only a Jason Walton home run in the ninth marred his otherwise terrific 5.2 shutout innings.

Final score: Brooklyn 11, Vancouver 2

On October 11, 2008, the Brooklyn Knights and the St. Rock Mudcats completed a trade involving seven players. As part of the deal, the Knights swapped 36-year-old reliever John Coleman, 36-year-old reliever Greg Young, 22-year-old minor league starting pitcher Siu-chung Chow, 24-year-old minor league starting pitcher Jose Battista and 23-year-old minor league first baseman Donzel Deida to the Mudcats getting 21-year-old starting pitcher José Arisa and 29-year-old minor league reliever Ron Deluna in return.

In 2008, Arisa had a 7-8 mark and 4.09 ERA in 112.1 innings. Opposing clubs batted .259 against him and he logged 96 strikeouts.

2008 League 2 Series - Vancouver Wild vs. Stade Maples

Game 1: Vancouver 2, Stade 0
Game 2: Vancouver 9, Stade 5
Game 3: Stade 6, Vancouver 1
Game 4: Vancouver 9, Stade 0
Game 5: Stade 8, Vancouver 7
Game 6: Vancouver 17, Stade 13

The 2008 League 2 Series was a rematch of David versus Goliath. Seven games back with a month to play, the Vancouver Wild (80-82) managed to scrape out their second consecutive division title. The Stade Maples (107-55), on the other hand, cruised to their sixth straight division title.

The opening game featured two tremendous pitchers, Vancouver’s Tony Martell (19-9, 3.39 ERA) and Stade’s Max Brown (18-10, 2.74 ERA). Both pitched outstanding games, but Martell was a bit sharper. Brown gave up two runs in seven innings while Martell pitched eight innings of shutout baseball.

Game 2 was a chance for the Maples to even up the series. The starting pitchers were Mike Conigliaro (13-10, 3.67 ERA) for the Wild and John Hamilton (16-7, 4.68 ERA) for the Maples. The starters were largely ineffective. Conigliaro lasted only three innings and Hamilton was pulled in the sixth. The game was tied 5-5 and went into extra innings. Stade’s closer, Rob Muncy, failed to get the job done. He gave up four runs and the Maples lost 9-5.

The Wild were clearly in charge of this series as it moved to Vancouver for game 3. They sent Walter Sheehan (6-9, 3.50 ERA) to the mound against Stade’s Luis Hesterfer (17-6, 3.83). With their backs against the wall, the Maples responded. Hesterfer pitched a complete game and only surrendered one run. Stade’s hitters delivered plenty of offense and they won the game 6-1.

Vancouver decided to use a three-man rotation in this series. Therefore, it was Tony Martell back on the mound for game 4. Stade countered with rookie starter Martin Clauch (4-3, 5.05 ERA). The 23 year old Clauch was not up to the challenge. He was pounded early and left after two innings. The Maples’ bullpen faired no better while Martell was once again masterful. Martell pitched seven shutout innings and the Wild delivered a 9-0 win.

For game 5, the Maples pinned their hopes on ace Max Brown. This time, Brown was up against Mike Conigliaro. Brown pitched well but he pulled an abdominal muscle while running the bases in the fourth inning. The outlook for Stade still good with a 6-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth. However, Jason Walton’s grand slam sliced the lead to 6-5. Stade added a couple of runs and so did Vancouver. In the end, the Maples prevailed by a score of 8-7.

In game 6, the Maples returned to Stade down three games to two in the series. Vancouver’s Pete Adams (13-13, 3.80) got his first series start while Stade relied on starter John Hamilton once again. The game was an old-fashioned slugfest. Fourteen pitchers were used in the game and most of them gave up some runs. The two teams combined for 39 hits and 30 runs. Perhaps the best performance of the day was by Ariel Cadore. The Maples’ center fielder went 4 for 6 with a home run and 7 RBI. Cadore’s effort was in a losing cause, however, as the Wild prevailed 17-13.

The Vancouver Wild won the League 2 Series and will make their first World Championship Series appearance against the Brooklyn Knights. Tony Martell was the League 2 Series MVP.

2008 League 1 Series - Cornfield Axemen vs. Brooklyn Knights

Game 1: Cornfield 11, Brooklyn 7
Game 2: Cornfield 6, Brooklyn 3
Game 3: Brooklyn 19, Cornfield 5
Game 4: Brooklyn 7, Cornfield 3
Game 5: Cornfield 10, Brooklyn 9
Game 6: Brooklyn 5, Cornfield 4
Game 7: Brooklyn 4, Cornfield 3

For the fourth straight year, the Cornfield Axemen (108-54) faced the Brooklyn Knights (113-49) in the League 1 Series. Cornfield was swept by Brooklyn in the last two League 1 Series. This year, however, they had ace Hap Bedford available. In 2007, he was unable to pitch in the playoffs due to an injury.

Hap Bedford (21-9, 3.48 ERA) took the mound for the Axemen against Bernard Gastelu (11-5, 3.55 ERA) for the Knights. Brooklyn’s young starter did not pitch well. Gastelu gave up five runs early and Lonnie Bennett struggled in relief. After five innings, the Axemen had a 9-0 blowout underway. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Knights did some scoring late but Cornfield held on for an 11-7 win.

The Axemen started hard throwing lefty Billy Martinez (17-7, 3.64 ERA) against the Knights’ crafty veteran Tracy Corkhill (10-4, 2.35 ERA). John Edwards and Dee Fletcher hit home runs to give Cornfield an early 6-1 lead. The Knights scored in the third and fourth but that was all they could muster. Martinez pitched eight innings and Pendarvis closed things out in the ninth for a 6-3 win.

Game 3 moved to Cornfield. The Knights started Bob Wiesner (17-7, 3.65 ERA) and the Axemen chose steady veteran John Watkins (14-9, 3.46 ERA) as their starter. The Axemen jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead. The Knights took a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning. That was their first lead of the series. Cornfield managed a run here and there while the Brooklyn bats caught fire. The Knights scored five runs in the sixth, two runs in the seventh, and an amazing eight runs in the ninth. Brooklyn’s Ted Pollet and Kid Detherage were perfect, going 4-4 and 5-5, respectively. Pollet alone accounted for 7 RBI.

The Knights desperately wanted to even the series with a game 4 win. Brooklyn made a somewhat controversial decision by starting Omar Cambra (3-4, 5.09 ERA). Cambra struggled in 2008 and spent much of the second half of the season down at AAA. Cornfield liked their chances at home with Bob Palmer (16-7, 3.38 ERA) on the mound. The Axemen struck first by scoring two runs in the bottom of the third. In the fourth, the Knights answered with a 3-run home run by Jeromy Bezanson. The big blow came in the top of the seventh when Michael Duhon hit a grand slam off of Hughie Grover. A late run by Cornfield did not change the outcome. Brooklyn won 7-3 and tied the series.

Game 5 was the final game in Cornfield. It featured a rematch of the Game 1 starters, Gastelu vs. Bedford. Gary Mccreery opened the game with a leadoff home run. Hooks Goetz blasted a 3-run homer in the top of the third to expand Brooklyn’s lead to 4-0. The Axemen came right back and tied the score, 4-4. In the sixth inning, Michael Duhon hit a 2-run home run, giving the lead back to Brooklyn. Cornfield struck again with a Fletcher home run and several more hits. After six innings, Cornfield led 8-6. Brooklyn scored three runs in the eighth and had the lead once again. The Knights sent closer Jeff Ramirez in for two inning save. He worked the Knights out of a jam by getting a strike out and a double play. Ramirez blew the save in the ninth when he gave up a solo home run to John Edwards. In extra innings, the game was decided in the 11th inning when John Edwards singled off of Fred Millard. The Axemen pulled out a 10-9 win.

Billy Martinez and Tracy Corkhill met again in Brooklyn for game 6. Shortstop Yale Burns opened the scoring with a 2-run homer for the Knights in the second inning. Cornfield scored one run in the fourth and two more in the sixth thanks to a double by Lou Larose. Tad Burridge hit a solo home run in the seventh and the Axemen had a 4-2 lead. Cornfield was only two innings from wrapping up the series when Brooklyn didn’t score in the seventh. The Knights worked their comeback magic in the eighth inning, however. After a series of hits, Brooklyn had retaken the lead by a score of 5-4. Ramirez closed out the ninth and 5-4 was the final score.

It seemed appropriate that this epic struggle between two tremendous baseballs teams should be determined by a game 7. Once again it was John Watkins vs. Bob Wiesner. The Axemen needed a much better start from Watkins than they got from him in game 3 if they had any hope of winning. Dick Moran hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning to put the Knights out in front, 1-0. In the top of the second, Edwards, Fletcher, and Larose all produced hits. Cornfield had the lead, 3-1. Singles from Moran, Kelley, and Goetz narrowed Cornfield’s lead to 3-2 in the third inning. The Brooklyn crowd was quite nervous as the Knights trailed 3-2 going into the bottom of the eighth. However, Dan Kelley brought the fans to their feet with a solo home run, tying the score 3-3. The game went into extra innings and both bullpens pitched well. In the bottom of the 12th inning with Lou Welch on the mound, Michael Duhon gave Brooklyn some hope with line drive double to right field. Hooks Goetz singled home the winning run with a walk-off single. The Knights won 4-3.

For the ninth consecutive year, the Brooklyn Knights are the 2008 League 1 champions and will play in the World Championship Series. Ted Pollet was 13 for 29 (.448) with a grand slam and drove in 9 runs. He was the League 1 Series MVP.

The 2008 regular season has ended.

Cornfield’s Roque Cordero won the League 1 batting title with a .337 average. Vancouver’s veteran right fielder, Pat Greene, won the League 2 title with a batting average of .340.

All four division winners from last season defended their titles and are headed to the playoffs. The Phoenix Rattlers were unable to hold onto a seven game lead over the last month. Phoenix went 6-20 in September and was overtaken by the Vancouver Wild. The Wild went 15-11 over the same period and won their second consecutive division title.

The League Series match-ups are set:
Cornfield Axemen (108-54) vs. Brooklyn Knights (113-49)
Vancouver Wild (80-82) vs. Stade Maples (107-55)

Playoff injury report:
The Cornfield Axemen were quite healthy all season long. They are ready and eager for the playoffs to begin. The Brooklyn Knights suffered a number of key injuries throughout the season. The Knights will be without two key starting pitchers, Angel Fleming and Dave Hambright. The Vancouver Wild are without the services of relief pitcher Mike Hodgin. Other than that, they are in excellent shape. The Stade Maples had a tremendous season despite a series of crippling injuries down the stretch. They will not have any of the following players on their playoff roster: SP Wally Pemberton, SP Brian Hanson, MR Pat Williams, MR Tom Wallace, MR Elbert Sullivan, CF Mark Huff, RF Roberto Rentería, and RF Steve Jurewicz.

With one month to go in the regular season, three divisions appear to be pretty much decided already. The magic numbers are as follows: Brooklyn Knights (1), Cornfield Axemen (6), Stade Maples (10), and Phoenix Rattlers (20). The Rattlers are fighting the Vancouver Wild, who are but 7 games back. Perhaps the best race of all is between Brooklyn and Cornfield for the top record in the league. This will be important for home field advantage in the playoffs.

Injuries continued to plague the Brooklyn Knights. Michael Duhon, Rip Sukeforth, Jeromy Bezanson, and Gary Mccreery all suffered injuries in August.

August 2008 awards:

League 1
Batter of the Month: Dick Moran (Brooklyn Knights)
Pitcher of the Month: Hap Bedford (Cornfield Axemen)
Rookie of the Month: Roque Cordero (Cornfield Axemen)

League 2
Batter of the Month: Gary Cooper (Richmond Slam)
Pitcher of the Month: John Hamilton (Stade Maples)
Rookie of the Month: Larry Arceniaga (St. James Crusaders)

The first-place teams widened their leads with but one exception. The Quebeck Sky Chiefs went into a free fall and dropped to third place after posting a 6-21 record in July. The League 2 champion Stade Maples vaulted over the Sky Chiefs and assumed first place in the division.

With a trade deadline of July 31, July is usually a very active month. The Brooklyn Knights completed the following trades in July:

1. On July 22, the Knights traded 27-year-old minor league catcher I. Sweeny, 25-year-old minor league left fielder R. Guaraerd, 27-year-old minor league right fielder L. Rovelo, 24-year-old minor league reliever B. McCain and 25-year-old minor league shortstop Y. Udo to the Quebeck Sky Chiefs, getting 20-year-old minor league left fielder Á. Santago and 19-year-old minor league starting pitcher R. Reyes in return.
2. On July 22, the Knights traded 19-year-old minor league center fielder C. McQuisham to the Dayton Grizzlies, getting 18-year-old minor league third baseman A. Pescador, 18-year-old minor league center fielder R. Bentley and 22-year-old minor league first baseman D. von Hallberg in return.
3. On July 28, the Knights traded 23-year-old minor league reliever T. Harris to the Washington Allies, getting 22-year-old minor league reliever M. Acosta-Ortíz and 21-year-old minor league starting pitcher L. Gauardo in return.

July 2008 awards:

League 1
Batter of the Month: Hooks Goetz (Brooklyn Knights)
Pitcher of the Month: Hap Bedford (Cornfield Axemen)
Rookie of the Month: Roque Cordero (Cornfield Axemen)

League 2
Batter of the Month: Travis Araoz (Quebeck Sky Chiefs)
Pitcher of the Month: Buddy Lake (St. James Crusaders)
Rookie of the Month: Dan Conley (Phoenix Rattlers)