With bolstered rosters from the recent Hunlock re-draft, the Red Rooster and the Black Widows were looking to settle the Series stalemate once and for all. Early predictions favoured the Widows, who beat the Roosters in each of their qualifying matches… but counter-rumours ran rampant as former Blue Dogs donned Black or Red and joined their respective new teams.

The Championship Game was postponed from the week before.  But on Saturday – in a complete reversal of fortunes – Mother Nature smiled down upon Grovehill with unrelenting sunshine.  Players and their families arrived early to set up the field and get the Rooster-Widow showdown underway.  Following a few words in memory of Kyle and a brief moment of silence, the Roosters took the field and the umpire called “Play.”

The first four innings showed everyone that this Final was going to be close. Rooster starting pitcher Darrin Ward kept the Widows at bay, and although he surrendered three hits in the top of the first, a ground out, pick-off and strikeout quickly sent the Widows back to their bench.  The Roosters struck first in the bottom of the inning as Dave Hamilton walked against Widow starter Aspi Dimitrov, and then advanced all the way to home plate on a series of wild pitches and passed balls.

Complicated pitching restrictions in the Hunlock Series allowed only three innings of work per pitcher, and so it was quickly time for Ward and Dimitrov to relinquish the mound to their successors.  Ward allowed five hits over three innings with two strikeouts and no runs allowed.  Dimitrov settled down in the 2nd and 3rd, delivering 4 walks and 3 strikeouts overall.

The game's later pitchers fared less well.  Rooster Mark Hoffman pitched only two innings – giving up 5 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks – before manager Hunter Devine yanked him in favour of veteran Humberto Goncalves.  Goncalves surrendered a further two runs, but soon settled down and prevented any further bloodletting by the Widows.

Rookie pitcher Marty Cullen took the mound for the Black team, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits with 4 walks.  By the 6th inning Cullen was dealing breaking balls for strike after strike, and leading his team toward the victory line with a commanding 7-3 lead.  But when starter Arnie Longboy hyper-extended his hamstring attempting to steal second base, things started to slip away for the Widows.

Reliever Luis Goncalves took the mound and, over the next 2.33 innings, watched the game slip away from his team.  A series of infield errors, wild pitches and passed balls allowed 4 Roosters' runs on only 2 hits… and the game was tied at 7-7.

With Andy Cornish standing on third base and only one out, veteran slugger Darrin Ward came to the plate.  Widows' manager Marty Cullen instructed his hard-throwing, 14-year old ace to intentionally walk Ward (for the second time that day!), but the strategy did not go according to plan.  After three balls had been thrown, Goncalves allowed the fourth and final pitch to sit out over the plate and Ward – to everyone's amazement – reached high and 'tomahawked' the ball into left field to score the winning run.

Some pundits have said an intentional walk in the Hunlock Series is a cowardly move.  Others blame Ward for taking advantage of a young pitcher by refusing to accept a base on balls with grace.

But one thing is for certain: the 2008 Hunlock Series ended in epic style.  The entire experience – from the thrilling live draft to the deadlocked qualifying matches to the delayed, one-run Championship finale – has capped an already historic year in the history of Herts Baseball.  After the Falcons AAA Championship Title and the birth of the Herts third team, the Raptors, no typical post-season series would do.

Sadly, now, the diamond is vacant… the bats and balls are stowed-away until spring.  So hopefully everyone savoured that last breath of crisp autumn air… that final trip round the bases… that Championship Game in which everyone (Raptors, Hawks and Falcons alike) got to 'walk off' in victory.

After much ado, the 2008 Kyle Hunlock Series awaits its dramatic conclusion on Saturday, as the Black Widows look to three-peat with another win over their co-finalist Red Roosters.

Last Sunday's showdown was postponed due to inclement weather, but the Hunlock Commissioner has given the green light to Saturday's Final come rain or shine.  Manager Marty Cullen hopes to lead his Black Widows onto the field of battle and clinch the 2008 Hunlock trophy.  The Widows have twice beaten the Red Roosters and fellow-Manager Hunter Devine.  Will Saturday yield more roast-chicken, or will Devine herd his henhouse to greatness and steal the title from the over-confident Widows?

The Hunlock Final has twice seen a shift in format this year.  Following last Sunday's postponement, fickle Commissioner Jason Greenberg pushed for a three-team round-robin style climax to this year's dramatic three team tie.  However, limited player availability for Saturday's rescheduled match has forced a recourse to the original gameplan: the bested Blue Dogs have been carved up and redrafted by Cullen and Devine, and will join their new teammates on the diamond for a two-team-only knockout round.

The redraft – conducted Thursday night in a closed-door session in the Commissioner's Office – lasted only 7 minutes and proved easy-pickings for the finalist managers.  The result is a 31 player extravaganza.  Devine and Cullen will have nearly the entire Herts Baseball Club to draw on over nine dramatic innings.

Blue Dogs Manager Tim Elkins was unavailable for comment following Thursday's redraft.  However, sources confide that Elkins was chagrined to learn that his team was – after all – destined for the carving board following last week's strange developments.  The Blue Dogs, of course, have suffered a roller-coaster ride in this Series… the last loopty-loops coming as Commissioner Greenberg first rewarded all three teams for their nearly identical play in the Hunlock qualifying matches by reformatting the Championship Game, but then reversing course and reverting to a two-team face-off… and the abolition of the 2008 Blue Dogs.

Saturday's game begins sharply at 10am.  All players are reporting at 9am, allowing only a quick warm-up before play gets underway.  A coin will be tossed for home field advantage.

Following the Hunlock finale is the 2008 Herts Little League Home Run Derby and Awards Ceremony… and a Herts Family and Friends Softball Game and Picnic.  Local residents are welcomed to the field and – with a little luck – the sunshine will reign over Grovehill for one final day in 2008.

THE 2008 HUNLOCK SERIES FINALISTS

In a flurry of Friday afternoon action, several players exchanged hands midway through the 2008 Kyle Hunlock Series.

Rookies Jack Moon (Red Roosters), Reagan Wood (Blue Dogs) and Ebow Halm-Quashie (Black Widows) were picked up on waivers.  They will join their benches for the first time on Sunday.

Widows Manager Marty Cullen kept up the pace, today, trading RBI-machine Jamie Munn to the Blue Dogs for a waiver option.  Cullen still looks to spend his waiver before Sunday – time is not on his side as this weekend's sudden-death qualifiers approach.

The unofficial rumour mill reports some hefty trade proposals have been quashed at the last moment, including a straight up swap of Widow Aspi Dimitrov for either Rooster Andy Cornish or Jason Greenberg.  No trades have been announced, but such negotiations are prone to delays due to a disputed contract clause or a shaky player physical.