Guilford College Baseball Intrasquad World Series Preview
Greensboro, NC (10/10/01) -
Under Carolina Blue skies and a warm southwesterly wind, the Guilford College baseball team is set to begin its fourth annual Intrasquad World Series. The starting pitchers tabbed for today's opener are sophomore right-hander Ciahnan Miller for the home-standing Team Cardinal and top draft pick, junior righty Brad Franklin for the visiting Team Black squad. As the series has been labeled a toss up, neither club is concerned with the rash of first-game upsets in the big league playoffs."I'm just glad to be back in the big dance for a shot at 4-0," understated Team Cardinal quad-skipper Anthony Ramakis, who has yet to play for a losing team in three years of fall classic play.
Team Black's Tim Huie was the only co-manager of either club willing to go out on a limb with a prediction. "I think the Rams will fold down the stretch, Kurt Warner just isn't that good," he said.
Experience may be the key to victory, as only six players have any IWS experience other than the two management teams. Drafted players for Team Black sport an incredulous 0-3 series record having all played for last year's losing Black squad.
"It's a show of loyalty on the part of the GM to hold us together after last year's debacle," a thankful AJ McCauley noted. "But, our problems were obviously at the top and we have been able to unite under new field bosses."
Indeed, Huie, with an injury, and Joe Dooley, in Japan, sat out last year's razing of Team Black and third manager, Zach Whicker moved over from victorious Team Cardinal for a chance to be in charge.
"I've never felt I could truly measure my abilities as a player only," Whicker stated at his press conference. "The opportunity to have a hand in player development, the draft, and on-field decision-making is too good to pass up."
Team Cardinal held their pre-series coaches meeting at a local rehab facility in a gang hot tub, raising serious questions about more than their commitment to victory. An indignant Steve Danis quipped, "Hey, we got rid of Whicker and Mercer and that's all I have to say." With those allegations set aside, the health of Danis' respiratory system, Black's knee, Ramakis' elbow, and Francis' leg cloud the issue of just where Team Cardinal will look when it comes time to sink or swim. Their experienced veterans include Luke Kempton, a winner with Team Black a year ago, but also a loser with Team Cardinal as a freshman. Cardinal also includes Zach Morgan, a two-time loser, and Gabe Staub, who possesses a 2-0 record but has shown signs of instability in the bright sun of both Black and Cardinal stadiums. Today's starting pitcher, Miller is 1-0, but never left the bench, due to injury in 2000. In fact, he may have swayed the outcome of last year's series as an umpire, calling opposing moundsman Franklin out to end game one of the series.
"That was the worst call in the history of baseball, Miller should be glad we're using the DH rule or I might be inclined to plant one in his ear hole," reminisced Franklin. The commissioner's office is looking into the possibility of a stiff fine for berating umpires following Franklin's remarks.
Commissioner Baker has tabbed injured pitchers, freshman Dave "Big Dave" Wall and junior Mike "the Pittsburgh Kid" Goettler to umpire the most important series of the fall. "Dave looks mean and Mike is, so we have a nice trade off," noted Baker. "Neither is a very good umpire, but sometimes deer run across downhill courses. You just have to be able to adjust to the unexpected. I believe they will be fair, if average. We didn't want to use our best umps, that would take away the element of surprise in the series."
The teams tee it up at 3:00 pm today at Cardinal Stadium and again tomorrow at 3:00pm in Black Stadium for all the bragging rights. It should be a good one.
- Gene Baker
