A Tale of Four Teams

As we approach the two year anniversary of the creation of Sharkey's World, we've once again reached the Final Four. A few things stick out about this year's group, and we'll cover them in the following paragraphs.

Most notably, for the first time in SW history, the Kansas City Shuffle are not in the ALCS. The Shuffle, coming into this season, had a 5-2 record in the ALCS. Their 7 appearances are easily a SW record. With Chris Ramirez's game 5 victory over Rochester, Pawtucket now has 6 NLCS appearances, one short of KC's record. Of course, KC's 5 league pennants and 4 world series championships are marks that look to stand for a long time.

Nobody else has ever won a second world series. But, chances are somebody will get their second this year, as the three other world series winners in league history - Texas (season 2), Pawtucket (season 4), and Jacksonville (season 7) - are all still alive. Jacksonville looks to join the seasons 5 & 6 Shuffle as the only repeat champion in SW history. Texas looks to make its third straight World Series, an accomplishment that would give them four NL Pennants, one shy of KC's record 5. Pawtucket, once widely considered the clear-cut #2 team in SW probably joins Charlotte as the underdogs in this years final four.

Nobody is quite the underdog that Charlotte is, though. Through the first two seasons of SW, the knights franchise had won only 137 combined games, and quickly found themselves a new team president, dawgfan. He took over a very young organization, and quickly established a 5 year plan. In his first five years, the team won 68, 77, 81, 81 & 82 games. Thanks to a less than competitive AL East, the 82 wins in season 7 were enough to get the knights their first division championship, and a playoff berth in the process. The trip was shortlived, though, as Cheyenne easily eliminated them in 4 games in the first round. The experience was invaluable, though, and the knights would enter season 8 as a bonafide contender.

In winning 102 games in season 8, the knights definitively established themselves among the AL's elite. But, they still had trouble against the upper echelon of talent in the league, including a less than impressive 2-8 record against the Shuffle. No matter, the 3rd seed was theirs, and they were back in the playoffs. Still, the Jacksonville Juggernauts & the AL West was all anyone would talk about, until Charlotte avenged last years loss by defeating Cheyenne in 4 games and setting up a franchise defining series against the Shuffle. Kansas City had never contemplated losing in the ALDS, and was absolutely left speechless by a Charlotte sweep in the series. Now Charlotte, as hot as any team remaining but with a definite lack of respect, looks to dethrone another AL power en route to their first league pennant.

That power, the Jacksonville Juggernauts, has been Sharkey's Worlds "Team of the Future" since kalikgod took over in season 2. While stockpiling talent and hype the first few years, speculation began to also amount as to whether this was a team that was destined to always be a team of the future, or if that future would ever arrive. Arrive it did in season 6, as the Juggernauts won 91 games and their first of 3 consecutive division titles. Season 7 would be the year they put themselves on the map, though, as the team became the first AL team besides Kansas City to win a world series. Now in season 8, they led the league in wins during the regular season, and a second straight world series victory would create a new argument. Not "does this team belong in the conversation of the leagues elite?" because they've already proven they do, but rather "is this the new power franchise in the entire world, and will their current & upcoming run be better than that of Kansas City's before them?" Time shall tell.

Another noticable trait about this years Final Four is the fact that for only the second time in world history all four teams won 100+ games. The only other time that happened was in season 5. That year, both LCS's were relative disappointments, but nobody who was around will likely ever forget the Pawtucket-Kansas City 7 game world series, pitting future hall of famers Chris Ramirez & Dennys Shin against each other in possibly the most read box score in league history. With as much talent as there is remaining, might we achieve the next truly league defining series in the upcoming week? I'll bet yes, somewhere.

But of course, if there is one storyline to be talked about during the LCS, it's Texas vs Pawtucket. The Polythene vs the Tittyballs. The greatest rivalry in world history. For the third straight year, the rivals finished 1-2 in the National League standings. And for the fifth time in the last seven seasons, they meet in the playoffs. Two NLDS's. Two NLCS's. Two victories each. Two classic comebacks. Five combined NL Pennants, including the last four in a row. Two world series titles. Two original owners.

In season 2, the Polythene, having missed the playoffs in season 1, rode the arm of first year starter & Cy Young winner Chris Ramirez to 105 wins, the #1 seed, and a collision course world series meeting with Kansas City. Of course, that train was derailed early as another rookie, Billy Hernandez of Texas, led his upstart Tittyballs to a four game sweep of the Polythene in the NLCS. The Tittyballs went on to win their one & only world series.

In season 4, the Polythene were coming off back to back disappointing NLCS losses while they were heavily favored, and looking to make a name for themselves. Then they ran into the Tittyballs in the NLDS, and Texas quickly stormed out to a 2-1 series lead. Facing elimination, Chris Ramirez started game 4 on 3 days rest, and tied the series. In the decisive 5th game, Henry Mackowiak started game 5, also on 3 days rest, and the Polythene won. They then defeated the Nomads & Shuffle en route to their first World Series title.

The next season, the Tittyballs stormed back and entered the last day of the season with a 104-57 record, tied with the Polythene for 2nd in the NL. On that last day, Pawtucket won, and Texas lost, forcing the Tittyballs to face (and sweep) the Chicago Smooth Horses before setting up Texas-Pawtucket III in the NLDS. Once again, Texas stormed out to a 2-1 lead, and once again Chris Ramirez won game 4 on short rest. This time, though Mackowiak was on the DL for the rest of the year with an arm injury, so Stan Jenner took the mound for game 5. The pitcher who is much publicized for his playoff shortcomings got the victory for Pawtucket, who then beat Rochester in the NLCS before losing to KC in an epic 7 game world series.

In season 6, the Tittyballs signed a few big name free agents in hopes of finally closing the gap on the Polythene. Instead, the Polythene won 110 games, 5 more than the previous season, while the Tittyballs dropped to 102, 8 games back. The 102 wins were good enough for #2, though, and both teams won their NLDS series to set up Texas-Pawtucket IV in the NLCS. Pawtucket was looking to win it's 3rd straight NL Pennant, and establish themselves as the dominant force in NL history. Texas raced out to a 3-1 lead this time, and on short rest, Chris Ramirez won again to send the series back to Pawtucket down 3-2. But this time, Henry Mackowiak couldn't get the job done, and Texas won the series 4-2.

The next season, Pawtucket & Texas finished 1-2 again, and were expected to meet for the 4th straight season in the playoffs. Pawtucket stumbled in the NLDS, and Texas cakewalked to their second straight NL Pennant, and 3rd overall, one more than Pawtucket has.

Now, a year later, they finally meet for Texas-Pawtucket V. This time Texas is looking to get their 3rd straight pennant, and Pawtucket is firmly entrenched as the #2 franchise in NL history, and trying to reverse the current trend.

Four teams on four very different paths, but all are alive & kicking, which 28 other teams can't say about their own fortunes.

I offer no predictions as to what will happen, but I will say this - will anybody be surprised at all if we see three 7 game series in the next week?

It's going to be fun.