The Zane Gray's Juan Gonzalez wore his superman underwear producing 3 championship homers, 8 runs and 10 RBI's.
Game One – Shea Stadium (GSB Tudor v. ZG Caruthers)
The Zane Grays headed into Shea Stadium surging. The Grays won their division during the last week finishing off the season at an 81-81 mark. They then upset the Rockville Rubble and New York Knights to move to the Championship Series.
The Gahanna Small Ball took off like a rocket just after dumping Barry Bonds for Willie McCovey. Sporting a 93 win mark, which was the Municipal Leagues best regular season record, the Gahanna Squad dispatched the Pequot Lakers to return to the Championship Round.
Although the pundits had the Small Ball as heavily favorites, they did split the inter-league series with the Grays at three games apiece.
The duel shutout was broken up in the third inning when Ricky Henderson reached first on an error, stole second, moved to third on a Jeter flyout to left and scored on an Eddie Collins single. The Zane’s added a run in the 6th inning and a third run in the 7th. Caruthers earned a win for the Zane’s giving up just two hits. The 3-1 victory stole the home field advantage from the GSB.
Game Two – Shea Stadium (GSB Gooden v. ZG Roe)
Gahanna made a quick statement that they were the team to be the 2009 Municipal League Champs jumping out to a four run first inning. Six singles and a walk in the first game Doc Gooden enough cushion to carry the win for Gahanna and not the series at one. The 9-4 win has given the GSB momentum heading to Forbes.
Game Three – Forbes Field ( ZG K. Brown v. GSB Fernandez)
Scoreless through six innings, GSB struck for 3 runs on 5 singles, knocking Kevin Brown out and securing a 3-1 win. Sid Fernandez earned the win to thrust the Gahanna Ball Club up two games to one.
Game Four – Forbes Field (ZG Carlton v. GSB Tudor)
GSB’s John Tudor was hoping to redeem himself and move the Small Ball to the brink of the series win. Unfortunately the Zane Grays started hammering right away. Tudor walked the bases loaded before recording an out in the first inning. Juan Gonzales homered to clear the bases and the Grays were up four after one. They added one more in the second and four more in the third. The route was on as the Grays tied the series at two win each with this 11-5 victory.
Game Five – Forbes Field (ZG Caruthers v. GSB Gooden)
The Grays bats didn’t take a night off after the game five pounding. They jumped out for a two run lead in the first inning, put two more up in the second and added a run in both the third and fourth staking an insurmountable lead. The surprising Zane’s bats have moved them within on win of their first championship.
Game Six – Shea Stadium (GSB Fernandez v. ZG Roe)
Sid Fernandez has been the real ace for the Gahanna Small Ball this season. It is a must that he silences the bats of the Grays. Like games one through five, the team who put up the first run claimed victory. Game six followed suit as the GSB jumped out for 5 runs in the bottom of the first. A Piazza double, Mays homer and 4 singles will score a lot of runs. These first innings runs held up for a 5-3 Gahanna win, forcing a game seven.
Game Seven – Shea Stadium (GSB Tudor v. ZG Brown)
The Zane Grays struck in the first with a familiar occurrence; Ricky Henderson walked, stole second, moved to third on a ground out and scored on a Doby single. GSB struck back in the second as a Minnie Minoso triple drove home Piazza to tie the score at one.
Juan Gonzalez scored in the fourth for the Grays and then homered in the 6th to put the Zane Baseball Club up 3-1 after six innings. In the bottom of the 8th a Minoso single brought home Willie McCovey to bring the game within one, however Minoso got picked off first base killing the GSB rally by Grays Armando Benitez who was just brought in to tamp down the uprising.
The GSB down 3-2 heading into the bottom of the 9th received a much needed gift as Rusty Greer was walked to start the half inning. Boggs flew out to center. Johnny Pesky pinched hit for Willie Randolph and immediately walked pushing the tying run to second and the winning run on first with one out. Johnny Mize battled with Benitez following off three 3-2 pitches before swing through for a strikeout. Willie Mays followed. The GSB’s team leader took two balls, and then watched three strikes go by without a swing. The K earned the Zane Grays their first Municipal League Championship.
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