by Peter Ferak, coverguy.wordpress.com
There’s only one question when it comes to the ABL-Playoffs. What phrases will the highly animated, as well as highly talented, Cuban third baseman for the MOSQUITO Athletics utter, yell, and embody. Will it be one of his favorites ‘Can’t throw me inside’, or a sentence he says with less passion but usually more temper, like ‘I got jammed!’ or ‘You got lucky!’.
The answer will involve three teams which are competing for the ABL-crown along with the Athletics: the Superfund Wanderers, Union Kufstein Vikings, and the Schwaz Tigers. Whatever the answer will be, there’s no way anyone at the field will miss it, because Arian Quirantes will let them know with body and soul, as he has all season long. And it’s been a good one for him and his Athletics. He was awarded the best-batter trophy for the outstanding hitter of the regular season and the Athletics gained the top-seed for the playoffs. They will face the fourth place Tigers while the Wanderers and Vikings square off.
It’s been a long wait for the A’s. After they first joined the league in 2000 they spent three years in the second division and the past four between fifth and third place in the ABL. Their brand new stadium will make for a great playoff experience and with any luck the club will get to enjoy some fruits for the hard labor they put into the facility. There are good reasons to believe they can do it, starting with Arian Quirantes, Martin Rabengruber, and recently acquired Michael Gehringer, the top three hitters (by batting average) from the regular season. Despite what has been said about the Athletics’ and Tigers’ pitching I expect this to be an offensive series because of the ballparks. Schwaz is especially short in Left Field and with any wind blowing, home plate turns into an US anti-missile system stationed in Schwaz, Austria. Just two weeks ago the Tigers and Metrostars combined for ten homeruns at this field. Attnang is similarly a hitter’s park: short left field, a fast infield, and hardly any foul-territory down the lines.
Either way the advantage is clearly on the Athletics side. With Walter Strasser and Carter Clements the Athletics have two of the top three pitchers in the league. They have the series in their hands, but it’s not like the Tigers are trying to do something that hasn’t been done before. Two teams in the history of the league managed to win the title the same year they came up from the second division and another two made the Finals their first year.
The often critiqued ABL playoff-format enables the lower-seeded team to play the first two games of the series at home. Last year the Vikings took full advantage as they swept the Wanderers in their home-doubleheader of the semi finals. Highly motivated and with a slightly different team the Wanderers will try to take revenge for last year’s fourth place Vikings spoiling their four-loss (regular) season. Unlike the series in Schwaz and Attnang this one will be decided by pitching and defense. Neither team has a dominating force on the mound, with the exception of the Australian Todd Fairbrother for the Vikings. But even he gave up more unearned than earned runs this season. The key for Kufstein will be to tighten up their defense. Their pitching has been a bit better than the Wanderers’ this year; however, they gave up more runs total because of significantly more unearned runs.
The Wanderers need to get their offense to where they were last year. Their Japanese import-player Hiro Sakanashi is a very solid and run-producing leadoff man, but the food on the table needs to be eaten not just served, some of their better hitters haven’t produced up their capabilities. If the Wanderers can’t handle the bat well they may end up facing a two-game deficit after the games in Kufstein. What makes me believe that they will split on the first weekend is their ability to play defense and put pressure on opposing teams.
Predictions: All the Athletics need on the road is a split and Carter Clements should provide that single-handedly. The Tigers lost their Venezuelan player Jose Ortiz who had to jump on a plane and head home for personal reasons. This leaves them with only two pitchers; one of them can’t find the strike zone consistently. Paul Astl (the one that can) will be a good match-up against Walter Strasser. But remember, this series won’t be decided on the mound. The Athletics will sweep the series.
The Wanderers should focus everything on one game. If they have a good first game going they should absolutely go for it, otherwise just save their bullets for the second one. A split in Kufstein is most likely, however, the Vikings have enjoyed such tremendous advantage at home (10-3 during the regular season) that their 7-7 record on the road still got them in third place and if they want a chance in the series they need to sweep at home. But I think a split in Kufstein will get the Wanderers an advantage and they will win the series in a decisive fifth game.
Schedule:
September 13 Games one and two:
13:00 Tigers – Athletics
13:00 Vikings – Wanderers
September 20 Games three and four*:
13:00 Athletics – Tigers
14:00 Wanderers – Vikings
September 21 Game five*:
13:00 Athletics – Tigers
12:00 Wanderers – Vikings
*if necessary