OAPBA halfway through 2014 season

Rod Caborn updates us on first half play of the Orlando APBA Association. –Tom

The Orlando APBA Association aka OAPBA has wrapped up first half play. The seven-team league (FTF, MG, 78-game schedule) is now in its 26th season of play.

Steven Korb’s Turfbeaters, with outstanding pitching, lead OAPBA at the halfway point, followed by Dave Larson’s perenially tough Taz Devils (22-17) and Walt Taylor’s offensive-minded Whatevers (21-18).

The league-leading Turfbeaters (12-4) narrowly edged Whatevers (14-8) for the league’s best home record. Away from home, Dave Larson’s Taz Devils (10-7) were only slightly better than Marc Bostrom’s Road Warriors and Korb’s Turfies (both 12-10).

The Turfbeaters had the longest win streak in the league during the first half (seven games, all v. the Road Warriors). After a 3-5 start, the Turfies had a brilliant 17-4 run to lift them into first place. Road Caborn’s Beefers (20-19) and Jonathan Stillwell’s Otters (14-20) both suffered five game losing streaks, the longest losing streaks in the league in the first half.

The biggest offensive explosion in the first half was a 14-5 win by the Whatevers against the Taz Devils, led by three-run homers by the Whats’ Shane Victorino and Joe Mauer

The Turfbeaters were on the losing end of two the league’s three biggest offensive explosions in one game in the first half. The Beefers won two of the lopsided wins, 13-4 vs. the Turfbeaters and 13-2 v. the Turfbeaters. The Turfies were were winners in a 13-1 rout of the Whatevers in their final series of the first half.

The Turfbeaters pitching was outstanding in the first half. During their 17-4 run, Turfbeaters pitching only allowed 33 runs. In their final series, in five games vs. the Whatevers, Turfie pitching took a holiday, giving up 32 runs in the five-game series.

The Road Warriors were losers in four extra inning marathons. The longest game of the first half was a 19-inning 6-5 win by the Beefers over the Road Warriors. The Piranhas edged the Roadies in 17-inning marathon 4-3, followed by a 13-inning 3-2 Piranha win v. the Road Warriors. The Roadies also were on the losing end of a 15-inning 1-0 loss to the Piranhas to end the first half. The Turfbeaters nosed out the Piranhas 2-1 in a 16-inning game.

Offensive-minded fans enjoyed an 11-10 Whatever win over the Piranhas. The combined 21 runs were the most in a single game in the first half. Whatever Shane Victorino also figured prominently in this one, with a pair of home runs and five RBIs.

-by Rod Caborn

thanks for the update, Rod!!