Austin Mariners cap off 20-4 season with...
Austin Mariners cap off 20-4 season with 1st 28+ CTBL Title with 8-3 victory over Zephyrs. The team was uplifted with one "magical" swing of the bat!
The news just got worse as John "28+ Division MVP Big Nasty if he had played enough games" (13) Guilmet said his recently removed cast and right fibula was just not going to be strong enough to play just 11 days after his cast was removed and 2 months and almost 3 weeks since his last swing was the check swing strike one batters box collaspe after taking a vicious ground ball off the right leg causing the break which was worsened on that check swing curve ball strike one pitch. Head Coach Rich Pidaniy as he helped John up out of that batters box on Sunday, June 25th, knew right at the moment that things in the division and the Mariners team just got more interesting and extremely difficult for the top seeded and regular season champion Mariners.
10 weeks later the Head Coach and team thought BIG NASTY would be ready and cleared to play if the Mariners could just find a way to get to the Dell Diamond and even better the title game. On game day HC Rich Pidaniy drove to the Dell trying to play out the game and line up and defensive rotation in his head as he knew the battle tested experience of the Zephyrs and their baseball knowledge and how all 3 regular season contests (swept by the Mariners) with all the same MO... Zephyrs early lead or game tied, then the last 2-3 innings of each game the depth of the batting order and pitching led to three hard fought closer then score indicated Mariner wins.
Some of that was thrown out the window as John #40 Guilmet told Rich that he wanted to give it a shot and play despite the weak leg and Gus Feal/Rich Pidaniy speed he could bring to the table this afternoon running out his at bats! :) It turned out to be the right move as John took a first pitch hanging changeup (previous batter Scotty Holcomb struck out on low change up previous pitch) and hit a bomb that he, his teammates and the CTBL will remember for a long time as his FIRST PITCH after his last PITCH turned out to be a 380-390 foot 2 run homer to straight away Left Field to give the Mariners not just a 2-0 lead but deeper inspiration and focus to accomplish their main goal of 2010, to win the first 28+ CTBL Championship.
Scott Holcomb throwing for the first time since 3 innings on August 15th and was bothered by a right shoulder strain was in control most of the game and pitched a complete game 7 hitter holding the Zephyrs at bay just enough allowing just 3 earned runs in his 8 inning complete game win. Scotty had good stuff but not overwhelming stuff like he did last year in the Texas Titans championship game victory over the A's but his 6 K's and strong outing improved himself to an impressive 2-0 record in title games at the Dell in 16 innings pitched.
Offensively, the team banged out 11 hits all singles despite the big Dell Diamond and John's never forget BOMB. Jeff "Batting Title" Lilly nursing a sore groin went 3-4 with an RBI, Abomb "lost batting title last at bat" Glatz went 2-4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI batting clean up, and John MVP Guilmet went 2-2 and a BB scoring two and driving in two. Leadoff hitter Mike Villione banged out 2 singles and scored the last run of the game for the victorious Mariners (20-4).
Danny Noonan drove in a run with a single, Gus Feal with a sac fly drove in the 4th run of the game and the other two runs scored on wild pitches in the 3 run 5th inning that turned a 4-1 game into a 7-1 cushion.
The team is so banged up and wish speedy recoveries to John Guilmet and Kris Kirbie with his went well ACL knee surgery on 9-15-10 and sorely missed Rob Lilly (Japan) and Lance Country Boy McKinney (Kansas) at the Dell and they were with us all in Spirit despite their physical absence.
Spring 2011 is just 5 1/2 months away from Opening Day. Will the Austin Mariners duplicate the Texas Titans and win back to back titles? Only time and history will tell. Hopefully, the team will come back healthy and a little fine tuned!
What a year what a team what a happy ending in these often trying times!! The Teal was the Real Deal even with Gus Feal! ha-ha! Let's do it again next year (2011)!!
PS Lance, the team and even the umpires felt your absence best of luck in your job search!
PSS Head Coach Rich Pidaniy says thank you for leading the way to his 4th team title in just 4 years of the CTBL!!!!
January 2010:
In a not very close vote the 7th team added to the Inaugural 28 + Season for the CTBL is the Austin Mariners. The name easily edged out the Tigers, and Mets finished 3rd in the team voting. The Austin Mariners represent besides the famous rivers and lakes around the Austin area but also because the team colors are similiar to two other CTBL 18 + teams joining forces to start the "old man" division of the CTBL.
| Past Teams | |||||||||
| Team | Record | Win % | GB | Home | Away | RF | RA | Last 10 | Streak |
 Georgetown BullDAWGS | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
 Yankees | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
 Chiefs | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
 Austin Mariners | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
| Yankees | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
| A's | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
 BANDIDOS | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
 Royals | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
| CTBL Phillies | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
| Austin Aces | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
 Tropics | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
| Colt .45's | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
| Austin Giants | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
| Bravos | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
| Austin Isotopes | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
| Texas Titans | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
 Los Gigantes | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
| River City Pirates | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
| Austin Cubs | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
| ArchAngels | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
 Diamondbacks | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
| ATX Rangers | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
| Austin Landsharks | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
| Cannons | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
| Capitals | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
 Peacemakers | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
 Marlins | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
| Cuyagua | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
| Austin Astros | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
 Outlaws | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
 Fire Eagles | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | ||
