Dallas and Detroit Against Everybody Else. Who Wins?
It seems like a simple enough proposition – take the two top teams, take the other 28 teams, and turn them into two separate teams. Seems like the team with the 28 teams should win, right?
Not so fast, my friend.
Remember, it was Dallas and Detroit at the top of the PL this season – and both finished with at least a 20 game lead over every other team. Maybe, just maybe we’ll be able to assemble the dream team, and find a way to beat those two.
We’ll take this as a two team matchup over a seven game series. Whoever wins 4 games wins the series – similar to the Tournament of Champions (oh by the way, congratulations Dallas.) Let’s set up the rosters (We’ll assume no injuries while setting it up):
| Dallas/Detroit | Position | The CBA Compact |
| Scott Golden | SP 1 | Jose Guzman |
| Chris House | SP 2 | Brad Limbach |
| Hector Tovar | SP 3 | Seth Paddock |
| Keith Bush | SP 4 | Tyler Shinkle |
| Toshihiro Yamauchi | SP 5 | Aaron Hannah |
| Jeremy Harbaugh | RP 1 | Jared Demartino |
| Chris Cote | RP 2 | Mac Woolfrey |
| Felipe Guttierez | RP 3 | Alberto Fernandez |
| Ethan Caldwell | RP 4 | Chris Allen |
| Mike Berndt | RP 5 | Shawn Martin |
| Nick Johnson | RP 6 | Jason Peterson |
| Tsukasa Toyama | RP 7 | Jesus Gaytan |
| Trevor Hamberlin | C | Jordan Olguin |
| Adam Borne | 1B | Matt Anderson |
| Andy Mobley | 2B | Jose Rodriguez |
| Franklin Trevino | 3B | Carlos Juarez |
| Edwin Nadal | SS | Nick Pankow |
| Angelo Underhill | LF | Abel Kennedy |
| Chris Cochran | CF | Alexander Martin |
| Danny Crews | RF | Abe Caputo |
| Bill Ryan | DH | Mario Cernas |
| Josh Lebas | BENCH 1 | Jose Sanchez |
| Alvaro Mejia | BENCH 2 | Miguel Gallegos |
| Juan Mendoza | BENCH 3 | Andy Popour |
| Luis Trevino | BENCH 4 | Brent Savage |
Game 1
In a studded pitching matchup, Scott Golden takes on Jose Guzman. Both are great, but the Double D team is down 2-0 against Guzman in the bottom of the seventh inning. Adam Borne comes up and hits a home run over the top of the fence in the Devil Dome, just out of the reach of Abel Kennedy. Jeremy Harbaugh seals the deal, and the Double D takes the first game by a final score of 3-2. Player of the game goes to Scott Golden, who held the CBA Compact lineup to only 5 hits while striking out 8 over 7 innings.
Game 2
Chris House takes on Brad Limbach, and Limbach suffers greatly. He gets jumped on for 7 stolen bases, with Cochran and Crews deciding to eat their Wheaties before the game, garnishing a nice six stolen bases between themselves. However, House is a human too, and Abel Kennedy draws a walk before Mario Cernas drives in both with a home run. The Compact put in Jason Peterson, but he gives up a home run to Angelo Underhill, extending the lead for the Double Ds up to 5-2. However, the weakness of the bullpen starts to show for the DD – Mike Berndt gives up a three run home run to Carlos Juarez, and game is tied 5-5. Jared Demartino gets the game into the top of the 11th, where Jose Sanchez hits a double, followed up by a sac bunt from Jose Rodriguez (who beats the throw), and a hit from Jordan Olguin. They score two that inning, and Mac Woolfrey slams the door on any attempt of a comeback.
Game 3
Game 3 is awarded to Miami, so they are playing in The Wendy’s Dome, where pitcher’s arms come to die. The matchup pits Hector Tovar against the hometown hero in Seth Paddock – a great move by the Compact’s manager, giving Paddock the home field advantage. In fact, Paddock goes 6 innings while giving up 4 runs – which, although not great, is still better than Hector Tovar’s 3 IP with 10 ER. Brent Savage starts the game for Abe Caputo, and Savage sets the walk record for a single game, drawing seven walks over the course of the afternoon. In the end, it’s a wash out for the Compact, 16-4.
Game 4
Game 4 is awarded to DC. In a matchup of the southpaws, Keith Bush takes on BL Paddock award winner Tyler Shinkle. Bush delivers a much needed performance for the DD team, delivering a DDT (hahaha… ha… ha… yeah, I’ll stop) to the Compact team, tossing a shutout behind a strong defensive performance from Cochran and Crews, both of whom snag 8 fly balls throughout the game. Shinkle is good, but by giving up 3 runs over 5 innings, doesn’t turn in the performance the team needs to win.
Game 5
Back to Detroit, and Toshihiro Yamauchi takes on Aaron Hannah. Hannah strikes out 13 batters over 7 innings, and, although he gets hit by a chicken and sustains minor bleeding after the game (which causes him to be out for 3 weeks), manages to toss a gem for the Compact. The depth of the starters for the DD team is shown, as Yamauchi gives up 5 runs over 4 innings and has to be relieved by Nick Johnson, who gives up another 3 runs over 3 innings. Alberto Fernandez gives up a few runs, causing it to be a surprisingly close game, but Chris Allen finishes the game, giving a 3 games to 2 edge for the Compact.
Game 6
Out in the Bay, an interesting choice is made by the manager of the Compact team – he decides to start Brad Limbach in game 6, saving Jose Guzman for a potential game 7. Golden gives up 6 runs over three innings, but the DD team settles down and only gives up one the rest of the game. Limbach, meanwhile, gives up 4 runs in the fourth, and gets pulled. Shawn Martin pitches two innings and gives up 2 runs, and Jesus Gaytan gives up another run. The Compact team is up one run in the bottom of the ninth, and with two outs, Mac Woolfrey serves up a nasty curveball to Franklin Trevino, who swings and misses – but the ball is ruled a foul tip. The next pitch, a hot shot is hit to Carlos Juarez, but it bounces off his glove and trickles into left field. Kennedy chases it down and fires it back into the infield, but Trevino is on second with one out. The next batter, Andy Mobley, hits a double in the gap and scores Trevino, making it a tie game. Chris Allen enters into the game to a roaring ovation, but quickly those cheers turn to stunned faces, as Trevor Hamberlin lifts a two run home run right over the outstretched glove of Alexander Martin. DD wins the game 10-8.
Game 7
We finish the series in the Devils Dome, where Jose Guzman takes on Keith Bush – the past taking on the future. Both pitch gems, with the game scoreless into the ninth inning. Jared Demartino pitches three clutch shutout innings, but is matched by Jeremy Harbaugh. Mac Woolfrey throws two more scoreless innings, but is matched by Chris Cote. Alberto Fernandez throws four shutout innings, but is matched by Felipe Gutierrez. As we head into the bottom of the 18th, with the game still tied 0-0, and Adam Borne comes up to the plate. There has been no bigger at bat for him than at this moment, at this time.
Adam Borne strikes out swinging to Chris Allen.
We head to the bottom of the 19th, and Chris Allen is still on the mound. Perhaps his mind isn’t ready for the big time, as the bases are loaded with one out. “Maybe that performance got to him,” people think, as Trevor Hamberlin gives Chris Allen the stare down from the dugout.
Allen says, “Not Today.”
Angelo Underhill hits a weak tapper straight to Allen. He fires home, gets Edwin Nadal, and Olguin fires to first – but hits Underhill in the back.
The winning run scores… Dallas and Detroit have won!
But the umpires go to the review tent, and see that Underhill was indeed out of the basepath. Underhill is out. The run doesn’t count.
The top of the 20th sees the bullpen depth of Dallas and Detroit get tested, and Ethan Caldwell tosses the inning that everybody knew was coming – he serves a two run home run to Miguel Gallegos, then Jose Sanchez turns in a home run as well. It’s 3-0, Compact – but DD has one more shot.
Jason Peterson is brought on for the save, and quickly gives up two walks and hit. With one run in and runners on second and third, Jesus Gaytan is brought out to close up the game.
Adam Borne is up again. He sees a center cut fastball, and swings as hard as he can – and it goes up, up and away, but only vertically.
Out of nowhere, a 15o mph gust of wind comes from the rafters of the Dome. The ball flies out of the roof, beyond the fence, and is ruled a home run.
Dallas and Detroit have won.