by Constantine Davlos
The draw for the Greek Championship of 2007 is completed. Yes you read
correctly: The Championship of 2007.
Due to administrational inefficiencies, the Greek Federation of Baseball
for more than a year now was unable to organize properly a Championship. In
the previous weeks though, sudden private funding gave a chance for the
organization of a delayed Championship really at the last minute.
So, yesterday a draw was organized and the schedule for the games of the
first round of the Championship was announced:
Athenian Group
Spartacus vs. Milon
Lions vs. Evriali
Marousi vs. Olympiade
Partas’ Group
Sirius vs. Pelopas
Thiseus vs. Dias
Aigio vs. Ainus
Salonika’s Group
Aris vs. Zeus
The games were supposed to start on Saturday 15th of December, but due to
an expected sharp drop of the temperature they were postponed for the 12th
of January 2008.
The first two of the Athenian Group advance to the next round and the
first from the Patra’s Group and the Salonika Group qualifies too. Those
four will play in the playoffs.
The 2nd phase of the Athenian Group games have been completed with the following results:
Spartakos 22 vs. Evriali 3
Marousi 9 vs. Evriali 6
Spartakos 29 vs. Marousi 0
Spartakos easily dominated its opponents due to the fact that it has the best pitching staff in Greece. The game against Evriali ended after 4 complete innings and the game against Marousi was called after 3 1/2 innings both due to the mercy rule.
Although Marousi did beat Evriali on the field, the game was awarded to Evriali after they appealed Marousi’s use of two punished athletes. These athletes were punished by the Greek Baseball Federation after their inexcusable conduct during an invitational international tournament held in Athens in November 2005 where the national teams of Turkey, Bulgaria, and Greece competed.
Consequently, the final standings of the Athenian Group are as follows:
1. Spartakos
2. Evriali
3. Marousi