Rod Caborn writes in with a 2009 final season update for the Orlando APBA Association:
Platoon wins second straight OAPBA championship in 2009
Joe Passiatore earns seventh league title; Platoon beats Beefers in World Series in five
The 2009 OAPBA season featured one of the league’s greatest pennant races between two great teams and a surprise performer in the ’09 World Series. When the dust had cleared, however, Joe Passiatore’s Platoon (56-30) had won their second straight OAPBA championship. The series victory gave Passiatore his OAPBA seventh title, more than any other manager in league history.
Platoon, Taz Devils 56-30 records far surpassed the rest of OAPBA; Platoon captures Red Barber Division after fierce battle with Devils
Dominating the league in 2009 were the Platoon and Dave Larson’s Tazmanian Devils (56-30). Both teams dueled in razor-thin pennant races in both halves in the Red Barber Division. The Platoon and Devils wound up with identical records in both halves, necessitating a one-game playoff in each half. The Platoon won the first half playoff, topping the Devils 5-4, with an improbable late-game comeback that took the first half title out of the Devils hands. In the second half playoff, the Devils gained revenge with a 7-2 win.
In the Red Barber divisional playoff, the Platoon finally broke the deadlock, rolling over the Devils in five games, and advancing to the defense of their 2008 title in the ’09 World Series.
Beefers (42-42) surprise winner in Harry Caray Division
In the Harry Caray Division first half race, perennial powerhouse, Walt Taylor’s Whatevers (48-36) won a spirited battle with Dave Mitchell’s Titans (36-48). The Whats won nine of their final 11 games, including a three-game sweep of the Gashouse Gang to end the half, to give them a 24-18 record, two games better than the Titans. It was the fifth straight half-season title won by the Whatevers.
The Harry Caray second half saw Rod Caborn’s Beefers (42-42) rebound from a disappointing first half (16-26) tog 26-16 and capture only their second half-season title in the team’s 20-year. The Beefers then surprised the Whatevers in the Harry Caray playoffs, winning in six games as 2b Jose Lopez and longtime Beefer 3b Chipper Jones led the way.
Platoon dominates World Series; rolls over Beefers in five games
In the 2009 World Series, the Platoon’s combination of clutch hitting by Series MVP 1b Mark Texeira, two-game winning hits from 3b Alex Rodriguez, and four saves from ace closer Mariano Rivera were too much for the Beefers.
The Platoon won the opener 1-0 and Texeria and Rodriguez lifted the Platoon to a 6-4 Game Two win. After Texeria hit a devastating bases-loaded triple in the ninth inning to win Game Three, the Beefers were all but done. After the Beefs exploded for an 8-1 win in Game Four, the Platoon ran away in Game Five with a 5-2 win and their seventh league title and second OAPBA crown in a row. Series MVP was Texeira, whose key hits in Games Two and Three were critical to the Platoon’s Series win.
OAPBA’s 22nd season featured great races, new features
OAPBA’s 22nd season ran smoothly with no managerial or franchise changes in the league. Now one of the longest-running leagues in the U.S., OAPBA is regarded as one of the most stable leagues in the entire country.
The divisional setup for the league changed for 2009 with the Whatevers and Beefers moving to the Harry Caray Division and Steven Korb’s Turfbeaters and Joe Passiatore’s Platoon moving to the Red Barber Division. The divisional changes were determined at the league draft in February as part of the league’s decision to re-draw divisions on an every-other-year basis.
The Harry Caray Division consisted of Rod Caborn’s Beefers, Walt Taylor’s Whatevers, Marc Bostrom’s Road Warriors, and Dave Mitchell’s Titans. The Red Barber Division was comprised of Dave Larson’s Tazmanian Devils, Joe Passiatore’s Platoon, Kris Stenger’s Gashouse Gang, and Steven Korb’s Turfbeaters.
OAPBA maintained the 84 game format matching inter-Division opponents against each other 30 times and non-Division opponents nine times for 42 games in each of two halves. The playoffs continued as a best-of-seven format.
The fifth annual inter-division All-Star series matching the best players, based on season performance, from the Harry Caray Division vs. the Red Barber Division in a best-of-three series, provided an end-of-season incentive to managers of last place teams. The Red Barber Division, guided by Kris Stenger (Gashouse Gange) won the 2009 Series 2-1 with Ryan Braun, Devils, who hit .384 with a pair of home runs, named the Series MVP.
Details about the 2009 season, including 2009 leaders, can be found at: http://web.me.com/rcaborn/
Thanks for the update, Rod. Congrats to Joe and his Platoon!!
