| Redwoods Stage Miracle Comebacks in Two Series to Win First Crown The California Redwoods overcame 3 game to 1 deficits TWICE to become the unlikely champions of the 2001 American Association. The Redwoods trailed the Austin Sentinel in the Western Championship Series, but took the last three games, 3-1, 5-3, and 10-5 to prevail. Jermaine Dye was named MVP as he went 10-28 with 4 HR, 5 runs, and 10 RBI. In game 5, Austin trailed 3-1 when it loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the 9th, but pinch-hitter Jose Cruz Jr and J.D. Drew could not get it done. "I knew we shouln't let a chance like that pass us by" commented a reflective Larry Krebbers, Sentinel manager. Back in Sacramento for game 6, the Sentinel jumped to an early 3-0 lead but could not hold it, as Jermaine Dye jacked a two-out homer in the bottom of the 8th to propel California to game 7. Austin again took an early lead in game 7, 4-0 in the first. However, Jon Lieber could not hold it, as the Redwoods exploded for 7 runs in the 4th and cruised to a 10-5 win to face the Vermont Maples in American Classic 9. The Maples, winners of 105 regular-season games, cruised to a 4-0 series win over North Carolina and was a heavy favorite against the Redwoods. Matt Clement was spectacular as the Maples in a 2-1 opening win. Larry Walker and Charles Johnson supplied RBIs in the first inning that held up. When Vermont took a 3-1 win in game two behind the surprisingly good pitching of Brian Moehler, it looked like another sweep could be in order. The Redwoods had other plans as the series headed back to California. Chuck Person was solid in game 3, and a four-run 6th propelled California to a 4-2 win as the Maples bats were suprisingly silent to date. That silence ended in game 4 with a 7-3 Maples win, to put them within one game of their third AA championship, which would be a league record. Game 5 was a wild one. The Redwoods built a 6-0 lead off Clement and relievers through five innings, but the Maples exploded for six runs in the 6th behind the two-out pinch-hit grand slam of Bubba Trammell. In the bottom half the Redwoods countered with a run to make it 7-6. Jason Varitek's two-out pinch-hit single in the 8th tied it again at 7-7, continuing a tradition of key pinch hits and great performances by backups (backup SS Craig Grebeck having been named MVP of the ECS against North Carolina). Would the Maple Magic prevail? No. Niefi Perez homered off Gabe White in the 8th, and John Franco closed the deal to keep the Redwoods alive and send the series back to Vermont. Games 6 and 7 were classic. Tied 1-1 in the 8th inning of game 6, Miguel Cairo singled with none out. Two groundouts advanced Caiiro to third, and when Paul Wilson began his wind-up, Cairo broke for home! The pitch was in the dirt, and Charles Johnson could not dig it out in time! Cairo STOLE HOME BASE and the run held up for a 2-1 Redwoods win, forcing game 7!!!!! Game 7 was all you could hope for. Manny Ramirez homered in the first, but Grebeck doubled in a run in the second to tie it at 1. And tied at 1 it would stay...until the 12th! Bruce Chen walked the first two Redwood batters in the 12th, and Chris Widger rolled one off Grebeck's glove into center field as Dye scampered home for the tie-breaking run. Mike Fetters made it stand up as he set down Giles, Bonds, and pinch-hitter Yoshii. The Cardiac California Kids pulled off a major upset to become the 2001 AA Champs! John Franco was series MVP for his 8 innings in 5 games in which he allowed 2 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts, 0 runs, and 2 saves. |