You may look at that final score and think, "wow, another blowout loss for the Bears;" or "someone needs to break up the Indians because this is getting ridiculous..." But to have those opinions would do both teams a disservice. Consider that the Bears lost 35-2 the last time these two teams played and that was only 5 innings - this time we went six and the score was LITERALLY 100% better. The Bears played a lot better and were actually missing two key players who could've even made the game a bit closer. In fact, through 5 2/3 innings the Bears were playing good baseball. A couple of bad calls which would've ended the 6th inning with the game still well under the mercy-rule standard combined with a couple of critical errors in that same inning (after it should already have been over) gave an excellent Indians team the extra at-bats they needed to put the Bears away in 6 innings.
All year I have heard the calls to break up the Indians from the other managers and players in this league and I don't think that's something that needs to be considered. Even after suffering two losses of a combined 52-3 total, I don't see the need to split up a team just because they keep winning - and in most cases by healthy margins. This is clearly a group of guys who like playing together, they certainly have treated the Bears with respect every time they've kicked our asses, and they just happen to be a roster of really talented players.
Would I love to beat them? Sure. Who wouldn't want to? But that's my point. The league needs the Indians. We all need someone to shoot for and the Indians provide every other team in this league the opportunity at shooting the moon.
Consider this article from the most recent national news letter provided by the MSBL/MABL website: http://www.msblnational.com/Featured-Stories/Blog/Chesapeake-Braves-Riding-Mind-Blowing-48-Game-Winning-Streak.htm#.V6SbVvkrI-U
Some excerpts:
"The Chesapeake Braves play in, or should I say dominate, the 35-over National division of the Chesapeake MSBL... Through July 24th of this year the Braves have won 48 league and playoff games in a row, including a 29-0 campaign last year that concluded with a 17-0 championship game victory. Through injuries, illness, bad moods and sore arms these guys have been able to rise to the occasion for two solid years."
"The secret of the Braves success seems to be able to have fun. A show of dominance like this could easily drain a team if you get too wound up in your stats. 'We always seem to get every teams best effort along with their ace on the mound. That makes it fun. We are close knit and the pressure we face is the pressure of having fun, not winning.'"
"Duane Cordrey does a tremendous job in a thankless position as our league president and he also plays on the Braves. He is always ready to do whatever we ask of him. Without the great league format to play under and the quality of the teams and facilities this wouldnt be nearly as much fun. Thank you, Duane, for everything you do."
Sounds pretty similar to what we've got going on here. And instead of celebrating the Indians like the Chesapeake MSBL and the national organization does for the Braves, we have people trying to tear the Indians apart. Pretty sad.
There is a laundry list of items that need to be addressed to improve the 33+ Division for the 2017 season, but that list need not include "how to break up the Indians." In fact, I'd start that list with enacting strict penalties and actually enforcing them for other players/managers/teams who actively attempt to poach other teams' players mid-season in their attempt to take the Indians down. That's dirty, slimy and unbefitting of true on-field competition. And it's something I'd like to see addressed by the board of directors this off-season.
Hats off to Jim Bonaparte and the Indians on a big win last night. Here's to hoping you stay undefeated throughout the playoffs and the Bears are fortunate enough to advance all the way to the finals to take our shot at you again.
-- Edited by The_Hurricane on Friday 5th of August 2016 12:21:38 PM
-- Edited by The_Hurricane on Friday 5th of August 2016 12:22:25 PM
