American League Home Park (BP HR, R10, L10, BP Single R5, L3)

A quickly played game with little excitement. The Mad Hatters score twice in the 1st inning and never trail as they win 5 to 1. Kenny Rogers pitches 6.1 innings for the win. Jason Christiansen and Robb Nen hold the line as the Tigers strand 10 base runners for the game.

Line Score     R H E LOB GIDP
Mad Hatters    5 7 0  5   0
Tigers         1 6 1 10   2

American League Home Park

A close well played game by both managers. The Hatters score 1st scoring two runs in the 2nd inning. David Wells holds the Tigers without a run until the 5th inning when the Tigers strike for 3 as Dr. Long Ball is in the wind for the Tigers. Richard scores 2 more in the 6th to hold a 5 to 2 lead. The visitors score one run each in the 7th & 9th innings but come up one run short in the final tally losing the game 5 to 4. Wells goes the distance for the losers but allows three home runs which cost him the game.

Line Score     R H E LOB GIDP
Mad Hatters    4 9 0  6   0
Tigers         5 6 0  3   0

National League Home Park (BP HRs R7, L15, BP Singles R3, L8)

The Mad Hatters get on the board first scoring a run in the 3rd inning. The Tigers explode for 6 runs in the top of the 5th inning to put the game away for the visitors. Richard scores one in the 6th and three more in the 8th innings and roll to an easy 10 to 2 victory. Brian Anderson gets the win pitching six strong innings.

Line Score    R  H E LOB GIDP
Tigers       10 10 1  9   0
Mad Hatters   2  5 0  7   0

National League Home Park

The wildest game in the series was played as the Tigers score two in the 1st. The Hatters score 3 in the bottom of the second. 3-2 Hatters. Richard scores two in the 5th. 4-3 Tigers. I scored one in the bottom of the 5th. 4-4 tie. The Tigers score two in the 6th. 6-4 Tigers. The Mad Hatters put on their rally caps and score three in the bottom of the 6th. 7-6 Hatters. The Tigers rally again for a run in the 7th. 7-7 tie. The Hatters go scoreless the next three innings and the Tigers push home the winning run in the 8th. Tigers now lead the series three games to one. Steve Parris gets the win in relief. Matt Mantei takes the loss.

Line Score    R H  E LOB GIDP
Tigers        8 11 0  11  2
Mad Hatters   7 12 1   8  0

National League Home Park

With their backs to the wall the Mad Hatters vow not to rollover. Richard is feeeling frisky as he holds a three to one game advantage with his best starter on the mound. The Tigers strike for three runs in the top of the 1st sending the Hatters reeling back on their heels. The Madmen score one in the bottom of the second to get on the board. The score remains 3 to 1 entering the bottom of the 6th inning. Greg Colbrunn pinch hits for Tony Phillips and doubles off the wall to lead off bottom of the 6th. Olerud draws a walk, Bernie Williams singles home Colbrunn sending Olerud to 3rd. Bernie steals second, runners on second and third no outs. Bohanon lets go of a wild pitch scoring Olerud putting Bernie on third base. No outs. Chipper walks chasing Bohanon from the game. Alou strikes out, Posada walks to load the bases. Andy Sheets subbing for the injured Omar Vizquel comes through with a two run single for the final runs scored of the 6th. Hatters now lead 5 to 3. Whew! Tigers rally for a run in the 8th to close the gap to 5 to 4, but thats the way it ends. The Mad Hatters rally to win. Juan Acevedo gets the win in relief of Wells who pitched 5 good innings. Robb Nenn gets the save with two innings of work.

Line Score    R H E LOB GIDP
Tigers        4 9 0   5  0
Mad Hatters   5 7 0   6  1

American League Home Park

Knoblauch leads off the game with a home run off Anderson’s card. The second batter, Tony Phullips pops up, Olerud singles, Bernie walks, Chipper strikes out for the second out. Runners on first and second, two outs … Alou, hits SHORTSTOP-X … Weiss a two defensively lets the ball get past him for a one star single to load the bases (Rolled a 2) Bases are now loaded with two outs and Jorge Posada yanks Brian Anderson’s pitch for a GRAND SLAM! I am pumped! Richard has the wind knocked out of his sails, but valiantly continues putting runners on base failing more times than not to get the big hit. Hatters win the game 10 to 5. Jason Christiansen gets the win with help from Juan Acevedo and Robb Nenn. The story of the game though is the 14 runners Richard left on base.

Line Score    R  H E LOB GIDP
Mad Hatters  10 11 0   2  1
Tigers        5 12 0  14  0

American League Home Park

Well, mission accomplished, I got to game seven after trailing three games to one. The big MO has come over to my side of the table, but Richard still has McGwire, who is yet to make his presence felt in this series. My game plan all series was not to let McGwire beat me. I have intentional walked Big Mac on average twice a game so far with more success than failure as Richard continues to rotate power hitters behind him(G.Vaughn, Piazza, Strawberry, R.White & Hasselman) . Maybe sometimes its a curse having so much power that you switch and move players around instead of having a set lineup. Given the choice … Give me the power anytime.

On to the game highlights now. The first three innings have both managers dancing around the sweet spots on theirs and the pitchers card. One out in the top of the 4th inning Chipper Jones connects on a 1-10 ballpark home run to give the Mad Hatters the lead. The top of the 6th inning finds the Hatters still up 1 to 0. Chipper leads off the inning with another 1-10 ballpark home run chance and connects for a 2 to 0 lead. In the top of 8th and 9th innings the Mad Hatters get a runner to 3rd base with no outs, but fail to score. The bottom of the 9th finds Richard scoreless having been held to three hits by five different pitchers. But, now it is time … The bottom of the 9th.

Pitcher Jason Christiansen starts the 9th and gets the 1st out. Had Robb Nenn started the inning Richard’s first batter would have reached base. Now, I bring in Nenn, one out, this is pitcher #6 for the game for the Hatters. The next batter reaches base. The next hitter is out on a 1-5 single split. Two outs. McGwire is up. No walking him on purpose this time. He represents the tying run. He draws a walks on his card. WHEW! Runners on first and second base. Forgive me, I do not remember who was the next batter all I can remember is the sweetness of knowing he had missed a 1 to 5 split on a ballpark single.

The radio was playing a song from the Pointer Sisters, "We are fam- ily". I thought of the 1973 (I think) Pirates which rallied to beat Baltimore in the World Series that year with that song being "their" song. And I started to sing along, "We are fam-ily, I got my Chipper & Bernie with me". Sweet success. Richard was a gentleman in defeat as he is everyday. The Tigers who had scored over a 1000 runs for the season was shutout in game seven on a three hitter by six different pitchers. Juan Acevedo got the win. Robb Nenn got the save.

Line Score    R H E LOB GIDP
Mad Hatters   2 8 0  11  0
Tigers        0 3 0   3  1

The National League’s Mad Hatters won three of their four games on the road using the DH. DHs used by the Hatters: Dave Justice, Greg Colbrunn, Tony Phillips & Paul Molitor.

We began play at 10:30 P.M.
We finished play at 4:45 A.M.

Runs Scored: Mad Hatters 35 - Tigers 33
Hits: Mad Hatters 59 - Tigers 57
Home Runs: Mad Hatters 11 - Tigers 9
Hit For The Cycle: Mike Piazza, Game 4
Pitcher With Most Wins: Juan Acevedo, 2 - 0, Mad Hatters
Pitcher With Most Losses: Pete Harnisch, 0 - 2, Tigers
Of the six starters used by each team five of the six were LHed. A RSBL World Series first.

For the season & post-season the Mad Hatters used an all LHed rotation with a reagular/post season record of 114 & 63. Proof to all that LHed starters are as every bit as good as Rhed starters. Thank you all for a great year. We each look forward to the next season where we can again chase our dreams of a World Series championship.

Best regards to all … David Caddell - Richmond Mad Hatters, 1999 RSBL World Series Champions.