by Rafał Bednarczyk
Last weekend, Warsaw’s Centaury Baseball Club traveled to Wroclaw for the third and fourth games of the semifinals of Poland’s Ekstraliga division. Both games provided ample entertainment for fans, as Warsaw won both games convincingly and advanced to the finals for the third time in the club’s long history.
Mike Renery started game 3 for the visiting Centaurs, and cruised through the Wroclaw lineup as Warsaw’s bats came alive early and often. Meanwhile, Wroclaw’s starting pitcher, Spanish import Hector Velasquez, was tested by every batter he faced.
In the first inning, Pawel Komosa – utilityman extraordinaire for Centaury Warsaw – was ejected from the game for arguing balls and strikes (he also received a two game suspension). In the seventh, Warsaw’s Trevor Caughey replaced Mike Renery on the mound. Both players combined were called for over a dozen balks by the umpiring crew – something that neither player had ever witnessed before in their illustrious pro careers. Warsaw’s Piotr Mikolajczyk also let the umps have a piece of his mind, but only received a warning. Renery wasn’t as diplomatic, and as he returned to the catering tent that served as the visitor’s dugout, he took one swing at the tent, which folded like a cheap suit. Renery was ejected and given an eight game suspension for damaging the ballpark grounds.
Although many players lost their composure, Caughey remained in cool command of the game, closing the door on the Wroclaw lineup and nailing down a 6-3 victory for the visiting Centaurs. The final out was made on an interference call on baserunner from Wroclaw, ending the game in fitting fashion.
The umps must have studied the rulebook on Saturday night, because Sunday’s game didn’t feature a single balk. Caughey started the game for Warsaw, while Wroclaw sent Ray Wojtala up on the bump. Caughey cut through the Wroclaw lineup like a hot comb through a greasy afro, as Warsaw won the game with a 6-0 shutout of the home team. Piotr Paskudzki closed the game out for Warsaw, despite pitching on a broken foot.
Warsaw’s third trip to the finals since 1992 starts on Saturday. Since its inception in 1992, the club has played the last 14 seasons in the Ekstraliga – winning the title in 2013 by sweeping the Osielsko Oaks. In 2011 the Centaurs finished in 2nd place after losing to Kutno.
Game 1 of the final series is Saturday, September 26th at 2 PM. Game 2 is Sunday at noon. Catch all the action on Centaury TV – live stream here: http://ustre.am/1mGRC