Championship Game Summary

October 1, 2000

October 1, 2000

On a beautiful, summer-like day for baseball at LeLacheur Park, the Athletics beat the Braves 8-7 to become the 2000 OTB Champions. Bill McDonald got the win in relief and held off the persistent Braves who rallied late in the game. Jim Shaughnessy started and went 7^2/3 for the Athletics and was relieved by Joe Davis with 2 outs in the 8th inning, when the Braves rallied for 4 runs. McDonald came on to relieve Davis and shut down the Braves and finished the inning and pitched a scoreless 9th with the tying run on 3rd base, 90 feet away.

For the first half of the game, it looked as if the Athletics would run away with the game. Shaughnessy shut down the potent Braves lineup (a league-leading 60 runs in the 5 game playoff tournament coming into the game) their first time through with no runs and only 2 hits. The Athletics led, 4-0 after 5 innings and added a 5th run in the top of the 6th, however the Braves had plenty of fight still left in them, scoring 3 times and narrowing the lead to 5-3 after 6 innings.

Both teams went scoreless through the 7th inning, and the Braves starter, Warren Macneil appeared to be settling down after a rough start. The visiting Athletics put a single run up on the board in the top of the 8th, when catcher Drew Donahue hit a solo home run (his 2nd of the year, 1st in the playoffs) over the left field fence in front of the Spinners scoreboard to push the lead to 6-3. Time was running out for the Braves who had only 6 outs left to mount a comeback.

In the bottom of the 8th, Ron Jay walked, stole 2nd base and went to 3rd on a wild pitch. After George Dristiliaris looked at a called third strike, Pete Myerson walked on four pitches. Shaughnessy then struck out Mark Giampa, bringing up Bob Saggese, who walked on four pitches. The lefty Shaughnessy gave way to righthander Joe Davis to face Braves cleanup hitter Bob Wood with the bases loaded. Wood reached on an infield single to the right side of the infield when Davis, in an effort to cover first base, slipped coming off the mound, while Jay scored from 3rd to make the score 6-4. That mishap ended up costing the Athletics dearly, because Davis failed to get out of the inning and retire a single batter. Davis then threw a wild pitch, scoring Pete Myerson from 3rd, and then walked John Spadaro to reload the bases. Davis also walked the next batter, Greg Clinton to tie the score, and then hit Macneil to drive in the go-ahead run, Braves 7, Athletics 6. Bill McDonald came in relief of Davis and struck out Braves catcher Gerry Ward looking to stop the bleeding. The Braves scored 4 runs in the inning on 1 hit, 5 walks, 1 hit batsman, 1 wild pitch, no errors and 3 left on base.

In the top of the 9th inning, Braves closer Wood relieved Macneil and quickly got the Frank McLaughlin on a ground out to 3B and and Davis looking at a called 3rd strike on a 3-2 count. Gary Petzold on a 1 and 2 count hit a doubl to left field on a ball that got lost in a tough autumn sun. Game MVP Brian Burgess promptly singled up the middle, scoring Petzold and tying the score at 7-7. On the play, a relay throw was wide past the catcher, allowing Burgess to advance to second base. After a walk to Dean Cook, Marc Creamer creamed Wood's offering for a single to score Burgess with the go-ahead and eventual winning run. After a walk to Joe Sullivan, Ken Bailey bounced back to the pitcher for the 3rd out.

In the Braves half of the 9th, Patrick Ryan led off with a double, and then moved to 3B on a groundout to 2B by Fred Tenaglia. Todd Strawhecker then popped out to pitcher McDonald, who made a fine catch to save a run. With two outs and Ryan on third base, Dave Lunger walked, bringing up Hugh McNeil. With runners on the corners, McNeil battled McDonald in a tough at-bat before looking at a called third strike to end the game and bringing the Athletics their first championship as a mob of green and yellow jerseys mobbed the veteran McDonald on the mound.

Immediately following the game, official scorekeeper Gerry Jeromski named Brian Burgess as the Championship Game MVP for the Athletics. Brian went 2 for 4 with 3 RBI, including the game-tying hit to drive in Petzold as well as scoring the game-winning run on Creamer's hit. Presenting the Championship trophy to Jim Shaughnessy and the champion Athletics was league president and founder, John Gianino, and Giants manager, Frank Serafini, holder of the trophy for 365 days as the 1999 OTB Champion Giants.

In opening ceremonies before the start of the game, White Sox manager John E. Saunders threw out the first pitch. John used a league baseball with the autograph of the late Frank Meisel, field coach and veteran OTB Cardinals player. John pledged to use the same ball each year for the next 100 years as the official first ball thrown out at all OTB Championship games in memory of Frank.

Over Thirty Baseball would like to extend a special "Thank You" once again to Shawn Smith, General Manager of the Lowell Spinners for allowing OTB to play the 2000 Championship game at LeLacheur Park. We also extend our humble thanks to Lenny Wagner of the Marlins and his brother officers William Bailey, Greg Gaetano, Jay Dezan, and Michael Flurrie of the Dracut Police Honor Guard, who marched on the field for the national anthem, performed by the father of Braves third baseman Freddie Tenaglia, Fred Tenaglia Sr., otherwise known as "Tagg". Tagg, for those of you old enough to remember, performed at the legendary Boston Garden for the Celtics and Bruins.

Tony Coppola

Athletics at Braves @ LeLacheur Park

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Athletics	0	3	0	1	0	1	0	1	2	8	14	4
Braves	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	4	0	7	7	5

**Pitching**
Athletics	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HBP
Jim Shaughnessy	7^2/3	5	6	5	5	12	0
Joe Davis	0	1	1	1	2	0	1
Bill McDonald - W (1-1)	1^1/3	1	0	0	1	2	0
Braves	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HBP
Warren Macneil	8	11	6	5	6	3	0
Bob Wood - L (1-1)	1	3	2	1	2	1	0

Offense Highlights

Athletics
Brian Burgess - 2 for 4, 3 RBI, game-tying hit in top of 9th inning and game MVP
Drew Donahue - solo HR (1)
Gary Petzold - 2 hits, double, RBI, 2 runs
Frank McLaughlin - 3 hits, run
Roy Walters - 2 hits, RBI, run
Rich Domings - 2 hits, double, run
Marc Creamer - game-winning hit in 9th inning

Braves
Warren Macneil - 2 for 2, double, 2 RBI
Bob Wood - 2 for 3, triple, RBI, 2 runs
Greg Clinton - 2 RBI
John Spadaro - 1 for 1, 2 walks, reached base safely all 3 at-bats
Pat Ryan and Todd Strawhecker - 1 for 3 each

Defense Highlights

Athletics
Jim Shaughnessy - solid starting pitching for 7^2/3 IP, 12 K's

Braves
Warren Macneil - diving, over-the-shoulder catch off the mound to rob a hit

Umpires: Mike Hastings (Home), Roger McNulty (1B), Bob Murphy (2B), Mark Wood (3B).

Left On Base: Athletics 17, Braves 8.

Official scorer and announcer: Gerry Jeromski.

Scoreboard operator: Andrew Coppola

Photographer and reporter: Tony Coppola

League President: John Gianino

National anthem: Freddie "Tagg" Tenaglia

Color Guard: Dracut Police - William Bailey, Greg Gaitano, Jay Dezan, Michael Flurrie

Field coordinator: Chris Augeri

Attendance: probably the largest OTB crowd ever (we're still estimating the total).