| The 2001 NYCBL season marked periods of ups and downs for the Cortland Apples. The team had high expectations coming into the season with the return of key position players. As the season started on Wallace Field things just did not seem right. Coach Brown would continue to comment on how "good teams make their own breaks" but things always seemed to go in the other direction. It almost became comical as the team would lose many games that they were winning in unfashionable ways. Although it seemed as though it wasn't going to be their summer, the team hung in there. None of the players would quit and pack their bags early. This led Coach Brown to beleive that his guys still had the desire to make the playoffs. Coming into the last week of the season with five games to go, the Apples had to win them all and also recieve help from division foes. The Apples would win three in a row and played extremely tough baseball and remained in the playoff hunt. All that Coach Brown wanted was for his team to have a chance on the last day of the season. They did just that and unfortunately fell a little short as they needed a sweep of the Mohawks. All in all it was a productive summer because some objectives were met. The players developed good relationships with each other, were able showcase their ability in front of Major League Scouts for many of their games, and most important they grew as individual baseball players and people. |
