Editor Remarks

It is incredible that we have 32 games left and only know the playoff ‘destiny’ of one team in this 2021 TSSL Fall edition, showing how competitive and balance our league is! Wondering where the future of your team stands? Allow me to do some quick math work, where possible, to present some of the postseason roadmaps ahead of us…(Spoiler alert – not all teams are included)

At the Baum Division

1. Padres – Secured a playoff berth (max possible # wins by Tiburones/Corny Dogs is 8)

2.  Storm Chasers – Need 1 win or 1 lose from Tiburones and Corny Dogs to secure a playoff berth

3.  Cannon Ballers – Need 1 win or 1 lose from Tiburones and Corny Dogs to secure a playoff berth

4.   66’ers – Need to win all 4 games left and Ducks to not win more than 2 games to stay alive

At the Lynn Division

1.   Tin Caps – Defeat Aguilas next week and Leones to lose 1 more game will secure a playoff berth

2.   Dragons – Defeat the Pandas next week will secure a playoff berth

3.   Legends – Need to win all 4 games left and Pandas and Aguilas to lose all games left to stay alive

Can only wish y’all the best of luck in the next 4 games ahead, but in full disclosure must say that I’ll be rooting for the results that benefit the most to the Leones. I Will reserve those to myself in the spirit of preserving my friendships in this league

Speaking of friendships, this past Sunday had the opportunity to spend a lot of time speaking with one of the greatest teammates and defensive second baseman you’ll ever have in this league, no other than Mr. November – Kevin Knox. I’d the pleasure to play with Kevin during my 4th year in this league when we both represented the gray colors of the now retired and future TSSL HOF Andrew “The Kid” Williams Diamondbacks, a season in which we secured the best league record of the year and were in a clear path to the championship, but the gods had another destiny for us.

Regardless of that outcome, that season is stored in my memory vault as one of the greatest and funniest ones I’ve ever played in this league, as we coined many ‘rituals’ including a snake hiss greeting every time something awesome was done (credit to current captains Barr and Garza as the co-creators of this move!), to the extent that even today, 2 years after that season, we still use it among ourselves.

Another proof of what this league is all about ultimately, give everything between the lines and make friends outside of those lines. Cheers for many more teams like the 2019 William’s Dbacks (excluding that sleepover weekend!) and for a potential return from retirement of the best player I’ve the chance to play within this league, Andrew!

 At the diamond

Throughout the past weeks, I’ve used a few words to describe the Leones performance, but I believe this Sunday gave me a new way to define this squad and is no other than resilience.

What a way to stay in the games and never lose our focus even during the most difficult times, that’s why the last 2 wins of the Leones had come via a walk-off in extras! Curious about what happened during this Leones split? Bear with me as I reconstruct the facts:

At 10ish am in Field 4, Leones faced the solid Trash Pandas led by skipper Alexander to fight over one of the 4 playoff berths at the Lynn Division and it was an epic battle indeed. A quiet first inning on both sides, gave the Leones the opportunity to take an early 2 runs lead at the top of the first thanks to a 2-rbi blast by Mort who drove Shwarts.M who was standing at second after a lead-off double. But Pandas stroke right back with 4 runs at the bottom part of that inning to take a 4-2 lead after 2.

As all epic battles, there is no rest, and the Leones kept pushing by scoring 4 runs at the top of the 3rd thanks 5 consecutive singles from Mabry, Leonard, Manz, Cova, and Shwarts.M (last 3 including a rbi) to be topped by a single rbi from Barth, putting the Leones with a 6-4 lead. A lead that will not last long, as Pandas will put 3 more runs in the bottom of that frame to grab a 7-6 lead after 3 innings.

From there, the battle will shift into a defensive one, as gems across both sides left almost scoreless both squads if it wasn’t by the 2 runs scored by the Pandas in the 5th. Leones tried to attack over and over again, having the tying run at the plate a couple of times but failed to capitalize and ended up losing 9-6 in 7 innings against a very solid squad. Kudos to Captain Alexander and his boys for a great game!

Heading into Field 1, Leones knew that the game against the hard-luck Legends was a must-win if they wanted to stay alive in the playoff hunt and they did it alright but not without a lot of drama embedded.

The game started with a somewhat quiet attack from the Legends scoring 1-run at the top of the first, giving the Leones a great opportunity to take an early lead and so they did thanks to Mabry’s leadoff hit, Manz rbi-single, Cova’s 3-run blast, and POW/ROW Ovalle’s rbi single.

A silent 2nd inning on both sides, gave chance to the highest-scoring inning of the match, the 3rd one, as Legends scored 5 runs grabbing their first lead of the game, which was quickly shut down by a 4-run comeback on the Leones side thanks to Manz solo bomb, Holtmann’s rbi single and a big 2-out 2-rbi double by Ovalle, giving the Leones a 9-6 lead after 3 innings.

Fast forward to the 5th inning, the Legend fought as they do in the WWE ring scoring 3-runs against the Leones to tie the game, and the Leones couldn’t answer back creating another dramatic ending for the feline squad.

Heading into the top of the 7th, the Legends grabbed their second lead of the game by scoring one 1-run, putting all the pressure on the Leones and the top of their line-up to grab the win. And they partially did, thanks to Mabry’s lead-off single and Leonard’s rbi-single but after that the Leones couldn’t score any more runs, pushing for another extra’s definition.

After holding the Legends scoreless in the top of the 8th, Holtmann led off with a single followed by Barth’s walk gave POW/ROW Ovalle the ‘golden opportunity’ to finish the affairs with one pitch (literally) and so he did with a game-ending rbi-single to give the Leones their 6th win of the season!

Outstanding Leones

· POW/ROW Omar Ovalle – 5/6, 2B, BB, 4RBI’s including the winning run at game 2!

· Spencer Manz – 6/8, 3R’s, 2 2B’s, HR, 3RBI’s and a defensive gem stealing an HR!

· Michael Barth – 5/6, BB, RBI, and another outstanding pitching performance

·  Andy Mabry – 6/8, 3R’s, 2B and smart baserunning all day long!

Fun Fact

Did you know that Jesus “Chivita” (“Beard”) Lezama is the oldest alive Leones del Caracas fan and had been following, supporting, and attending all of the Leones games since 1942? Currently, he is 102 years old and still can be seen at the Leones games and he wears a Leones jersey displaying his current age Amazing huh?

Jesus “Chivita” Lezama wearing the #100 when he turned 100 years old!