FORT MYERS, Fla. - About a half hour before game time against the Classic Thunder on Thursday, the National Wind learned their fate.
"We've seen your team play twice,'' Roy Hobbs administrator Tom Giffen told Wind Manager Jim Konstantakis. "It doesn't matter what you do today. You're going 4A. You're as good as we've seen.''
Not only are we going 4A, the top rung in the 60+ Classics Division of the World Series, we are considered the 4th best team in the 36-team field. With that, the Wind will face the 5-seed Ohio Classics in the first round of the playoffs at 10 a.m. Friday morning at Lee County Stadium, a.k.a. Hammonds Stadium, home of the Minnesota Twins.
Jerry Solomon will take the hill in what he calls a "revenge match'' against the Classics. The Wind handily defeated the Classics two years ago in Round Robin play with Solomon getting the win in relief. The Classics got even in the playoffs and clobbered Solomon to eliminate the Wind.
The Wind did not face the Classics in 2012.
The Wind are one of four unbeaten teams in the tournament. The defending 5-0 NorCal Giants are seeded 1, the New England Red Sox are 2, the Kansas City Blues are 3.
The Wind earned their 4th seed by pounding out 23 hits en route to a 16-10 victory over the Classic Thunder. The Wind cruised to a 12-3 lead before the Thunder put up a 7-spot in the 8th inning. The Thunder had the bases loaded with two outs when Jim LaTorre came on to end the inning with a huge strikeout.
The Wind then put up a 4-spot in the bottom of the inning before Jim Konstantakis came on to pitch an uneventful 9th to end it.
Leading the attack were Tom Maney, Ralph Caputo, Paul Watson, Bill Smith, Terry Barton, Wayne Carney, Wayne Newcomb, Tim Brown, Bob Yakatan, Jerry Solomon, John LaTorre, Jim Reynolds and Brad Larson.
A victory against Ohio would send the Wind to the semifinals against the winner of the MBI 60s vs. NorCal Giants game with Jim LaTorre taking the mound. The Wind defeated MBI 8-7 in the first game of Round Robin play. A victory there would send the Wind to the title game Saturday morning with Jim K. on the mound.
fine reporting, jim. your journalist's skills haven't faded.
i like the stories, but i wonder if anybody at the games or in the hobbes' organization is taking pictures? i don't see any on the hobbes website. (at the msbl world series, lots of photos, but that league is awful at updating scores and standings; hobbes appears to be the opposite: updates, yes, photos no.)
i think we'd all like to see your great swings and pitches, along with your tans, or sunburns, and by now, i assume, the absence of pot bellies on streamlined, 60+ physiques. or at least, photos of guys able to pick up grounders.
if you're all too busy now, that's fine. maybe we'll see some pics when you get back.
good luck to the mighty wind!
-mike
-- Edited by mikehart on Friday 22nd of November 2013 02:27:07 PM
Well there u have it! Some of these teams that go down do play the system not showing all their hand in pool play..... 4A it is.. No let downs now.. At your best pitching and defense! A lot of baseball left. Hopefully u guys are not too dinged up? Best of luck, go have a day! Pete G
Show the big boys how we roll! You guys are loaded and should fly under the radar in the 4A division. We are all behind you, living vicariously through your posts! Have fun and bring home the bacon!!!
