Bayou Brief: Trendsetters look towards the Rodriguez Cup

[Reg]

Bayou Brief: Trendsetters look towards the Rodriguez Cup

By Scott Plack

10/24/2008- There was celebration in the club house but it was muted, tempered by the fact that the job was only half finished. Step one, come out on top of the battle royale that was the Imperial league playoffs, accomplished. Step two, take on the best of the best in the Sovereign league, looming large in the near future.

David Parks was beaming with pride retelling how McCullough and Davis had marched into his office before the sixth game of the series versus New Jersey and demanded to be the starters who got the call. A much more rested Coleman who had pitched a complete game in game 2 of the series was the standard logic, but McCullough was insistent. Unfortunately, despite Conan’s best pitching effort the team failed to put up any run support, a constant theme for McCullough this season. So game seven was dependent on the arm who had yet to lose a playoff game in the four that he pitched in three alone coming versus New Jersey. Including the pivotal one win the Trendsetters cobbled together at home and the final game of the series he went 3-0 with the Trendsetters winning his other decision.

After the victory Davis was seen pointing to his baseball cap where he had written in with a black marker the initials J. D. representing that the team had not forgotten how much Deschamps (who injured his back late in the season and won’t return until 2010) had been a part of the team. Other players had made similar additions to shoes, bats and gloves. Deschamps replacement Floyd Gates was called up for his defense and speed and definitely not his bat, but even he has been able to contribute in the playoffs scoring three runs and knocking in three more. Floyd has even developed a fan section that refers to themselves as the great gatesbies, making no sense to anyone but themselves. Gates play has been under scrutiny as he gets an extended try out for starting second basemen in 2009.

Other players were gushing about the opportunity to play for a championship team like New Orleans. Conard, Cline, Gagne, who languished in Fargo last year, Conneticut last year, and London recently were especially appreciative. Jorge Ruiz was a bench player for contenders Codgers, but was moved up into a starting role for the Trendsetters. Pinto, Olivas, and Antonio are pitchers who were added to a great staff and were able to contribute to the winning tradition.

The Trendsetters know that Crystal Lake is no slouch of a team, and they fully expect every game to be a fight to the finish. Then again judging from the two previous playoff series (5 games vs. Arlington, 7 vs. New Jersey), they wouldn’t want it any other way.