The 1988 season was one of AWA's best as the guys rolled to a combined 17-3 league record. But the team, favorites in each of the spring and summer playoffs, suffered first round upsets each time, turning what should have been a truly special year into a major disappointment.
Playing with essentially the same roster in 1989, the team's fortune in league play was also a major disappointment. AWA nearly failed to make the playoffs at all. The spring season was particularly difficult as the team struggled to a 4-6 record. While the team fared a little better in the summer, racking up a 6-3 record with one game to go, the guys were still facing exclusion from the playoffs unless we could win that last regular season game.
With the last spot in the playoffs at stake, AWA trailed 10-8 heading into the bottom of the seventh. Sparked by Coach Applegate's fiery rant in the dugout, the team rallied for three runs to pull out the rousing 11-10 win. We were the fourth seed in a four-team playoff, but at least we were in!This chilly evening in late September was one that had more than just softball going on. The baseball Giants and A's were each one game from clinching playoff spots of their own, and while those teams were on the air, portable televisions all over the park were tuned on to the games. Sherman Applegate had his TV in the AWA dugout, and while his primary duty was to be ready to play, he spent much of the game giving score updates as the night wore on.
AWA drew the Flyin' Squirrels in the playoff opener. The Squirrels came in with the league's best record, but AWA jumped out to an early 7-1 lead. In the top of the fourth inning a Squirrel rally was snuffed when a runner was tagged out at home plate trying to score on a short fly to left. It was a close play, and a heated argument ensued, resulting in the ejection of one Squirrel player. Unfortunately for the Squirrels, they had no substitutes for the ejected player, and so under the rules the win automatically went to AWA by forfeit.
Meanwhile, Just Say No was having a wild time in its own preliminary match against Metalics, knocking the ball all over the park enroute to a most impressive 16-0 victory. The championship game was not set, and no doubt about it, Just Say No was wired and ready to play for all the marbles. We were optimistic of our chances, but this game had a little extra spice coming in.
AWA and Just Say No faced each other twice during the regular season. While AWA won the first meeting 17-11, Just Say No rebounded late in the season to hand AWA our worst licking of the year -- a 21-2 beating in which we did not get our first hit of the game until the fifth inning! It was an embarrassment punctuated by Just Say No's bad-mouthing throughout the game. These guys were young, arrogant, and definitely not old school. They could trash talk with the best of them, and having to endure a 21-2 licking with the disrespectful noise that went with it was about as galling an experience that the guys of AWA had ever been forced to play through.
Gary Matsushita opened the game with a single and, one out later, back-to-back triples by Brian Christie and Greg Brown got the dugout buzzing. A following sacrifice fly to center by Al Brown gave AWA a 3-spot for the inning.
AWA needed to play mistake-free ball if the team was going to prevail, but Steve Barrett's throwing error from right field gave back one of those runs in the bottom of the first. Steve atoned for his miscue, however, by delivering an RBI double to right an inning later, scoring Joe Sammut all the way from first for a 4-1 lead.
In the top of the third, after two were out, Brian singled to left and scored moments later on Greg's drive to the fence in right center for a double. Al followed that with a single through the middle, and Greg scored with a slide as the team increased its lead to 6-1.
Joe, meanwhile, was pitching a gem. The AWA defense was brilliant, particularly by Bruce Christie at short and Brian in right center. Joe kept the explosive Just Say No offense off the scoreboard, helping himself by starting a double play in the fourth.
Bruce doubled to open the fifth and scored on Brian's third hit of the game, a bounding hit perfectly placed between first and second. Greg then lifted a high twisting pop fly into short right field. The outfielder raced in, staggered a bit, and then dropped the ball. As Brian raced to third, the outfielder compounded his mistake by making a wild toss to third. The ball sailed past the third sacker and Brian easily trotted home. Greg hustled all the way around to third, but he got himself picked off rounding the base too far. It was no matter to the guys in the AWA dugout, whose dream of another league title was close to realization. AWA now led 8-1.
In the sixth, Sherman abandoned his duties as television monitor to come up as a pinch hitter, reaching safely on an error. Two outs later Neil Christie delivered a single to left. Gary punched a hit to center to score one run and Bruce bounced a single through the middle to score another. AWA now led 10-1 and it was easy work to finish off Just Say No from there. Joe, who would scatter five hits while giving up only the one unearned run, retired the last twelve hitters in succession. The Just Say No hitters, who had belted the ball all over the park in their previous match with AWA, and who had looked so overpowering in blasting poor Metalics, had nothing left for this one. As the contest wound down, their usual loutish demeanor had all but vanished.
The guys put together all aspects of their game to pull off a decisive victory on this night of champions. While the baseball Giants and A's were dousing themselves with champagne, the Boys of AWA had to be content with rounds of beer in the clubhouse. And the beer tasted just fine.
