NALB - 2009 Regular Season Ends

K. Fields
2010-10-17T16:23:01-04:00
Baseball

For the first time in NALB history, four teams finished with 100 or more wins. Joining the Brooklyn Knights (121-41) and Stade Maples (104-58) were the St. Rock Mudcats (101-61) and Key West Corals (100-62). Surprisingly, the Cornfield Axemen had a very disappointing season. After three straight 100+ win seasons and four straight division titles, the Axemen had a 76-86 record. The defending champions, the Vancouver Wild, also turned in a disappointing year. After beating the Brooklyn Knights for the World Championship, the Wild went 71-91, only good enough for third place in their division.

The Brooklyn Knights clinched their division on 9/10 and the Nashville Firecats clinched on 9/19. In League 2, the Phoenix Rattlers clinched on 9/16, while the Stade Maples had to wait until 9/27 to wrap up their seventh consecutive division title.

The League Series match-ups:
Nashville Firecats (84-78) vs. Brooklyn Knights (121-41)
Phoenix Rattlers (85-77) vs. Stade Maples (104-58)

Despite finishing the season on the DL after an injury in early September, Oscar Barrientes won the League 1 batting title with a .368 average. The center fielder for the St. Rock Mudcats played in 126 games and finished the season with 183 hits, including 38 doubles, 5 triples, and 36 home runs. In League 2, Travis Araoz was the first ever NALB Triple Crown winner. In this historic season, Araoz won the batting title with a .373 batting average, topped League 2 in homers with 52, and took home the RBI crown with 134.

Playoff injury report:
The Firecats will be without Pete Chavez, their star second baseman, throughout the playoffs. Chavez sprained his thumb on 9/24. For the second year in a row, Brooklyn’s Dave Hambright will be unable to pitch in the playoffs. The Knights’ top two shortstops, Yale Burns and Carlos Cardenas, are also on the disabled list. The Phoenix Rattlers have a number of injured players: SP Joe Lehr, SP Markus Wright, C Terry Hankinson, LF Chuck Yeabsley, and CF Al Walsh. If the Rattlers make it to the World Championship Series, Yeabsley should be ready to play. SP Ted Kutina, LF Ariel Cadore, and 3B Ivan Cahill are on the DL for the Maples. Despite minor injuries, Stade put Max Brown and Travis Araoz on their playoff roster. Both are expected to miss a few games but still play in the League 2 Series.