<p>After a rain-soaked single inning Monday night, the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks and the Worcester Bravehearts are 2018 Futures League co-champions.</p>
The Martha’s Vineyard Sharks and the Worcester Bravehearts are 2018 Futures League Collegiate Baseball co-champions.
Leadoff hitter Matt Chamberlain cracked a home run in the bottom of the first. After that it was only more rain.
Leadoff hitter Matt Chamberlain cracked a home run in the bottom of the first. After that it was only more rain.
Tied 1-1 in the best-of-three series, the Sharks faced the Worcester team Monday at home for the deciding game.
But at the end of the first inning with the score tied 1-1, heavy downpours forced FCBL commissioner Christopher Hall to make a tough call.
“We did the best we could with the weather we had,” Mr. Hall said, “but for the first time in our league’s eight-year history, we have co-champions: I’d like to congratulate the Worcester Bravehearts and the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks on great seasons and the shared 2018 FCBL championship!”
On the mound for the Sharks was FCBL best pitching prospect award-winner Chance Huff, who will start at Vanderbilt in the fall. With a rowdy, heckling contingent of Worcester fans on the visitors’ side of the field, Huff yielded one run on a walk and two singles in the top of the inning. After the early base runners, he settled down with his mid-nineties fastball and got out of the inning with a strikeout of Tyler Becker from Adelphi.
The Sharks immediately responded. With the rain coming sideways, leadoff hitter and emotional core of the team Matt Chamberlain cracked a 3-1 pitch from Bravehearts starter Jared Freilich over the right field fence. Many in the exuberant crowd speculated as to the whereabouts of the ball as it sailed into the hazy sky as dusk fell. And with a leadoff home run, the game and the series were both tied.
It would stay that way for another rain-soaked hour and a half, as Sharks players covered, removed, covered, removed and covered the quickly-puddling field. Finally, the commissioner made the decision to award both teams the 2018 title.
No one seemed to mind and both teams were all smiles taking photos with the ornate FCBL trophy.
“After such a great season, that’s how it had to end!” exclaimed 13-year-old Sharks super-fan AJ O’Mara. “I mean, those 15 minutes of baseball they played were the most exhilarating fifteen minutes of baseball I’ve seen.”
Stalwart summer fans at the shark tank on the high school field.
Stalwart summer fans at the shark tank on the high school field.
AJ said he has been to every Sharks home game this season.
“No! You missed one,” corrected friend and fellow Sharks camper Ian Jims.
“It was my parents’ anniversary,” AJ retorted.
AJ stayed through the deluge and then worked his way onto the field to knuckle bump every Sharks player he could find, addressing them all by name.
The Sharks gave their fair share of knuckles too. Six-year-old Chad Cohen was one recipient.
“He’s the unofficial team mascot,” said Chad’s father Adam. “He’s done the dizzy-bat game between half-innings probably 10 times.”
Tyler Wincig told Chad to keep playing, and Matt Chamberlain followed suit. It was clear the Sharks hadn’t just made their presence felt on the Vineyard; the Vineyard had made its imprint on the Sharks too.
Russ Curran, the Sharks’ do-everything general manager, went around and thanked each player after the game. He had some choice words for Chance Huff.
“You gave up a run,” he said. “We should have won one-nothing.” The two embraced in a hug, knowing well it may be their last.
For some players, the final hug proved too much.
“So am I coming back next summer?” Collin Shapiro asked Mr. Curran as he came by.
“You bet,” Mr. Curran said. “Now go rescue the flag. Go get the trophy so we can take pictures!”
Nobody likes saying goodbye.
“Oh, it’s the hardest part,” Mr. Curran agreed. “But at least they are leaving on a good note.”
In a normal baseball season only one team gets to end the season as a winner. This year, two did.
“It’s been a special year,” Mr. Curran said.
Comments
Co-Champions???
Dave Warren HarwichCo-Champions???
Hmmm. Even the Cape Cod Baseball League, with a game they had to suspend Sunday night after 6 innings in Chatham because of extreme fog with Wareham winning 4 - 1, and ahead in the best of three series,1-0 to decide the Cape League Champioship, had the class to finish the game the next day. They could have easily called it, but being a championship game...co-champions huh?
I was told that a lot of the
SarahI was told that a lot of the players had to leave for college and that's why they didn't postpone. Not sure of accuracy, but makes sense.
You won't find a classier
Chris Scott EdgartownYou won't find a classier team than the Sharks. To see the entire team in their game uniforms, working in the rain for an hour and a half to make the soaked infield playable, was inspirational. It just kept raining harder. The playoff schedule had already been pushed back days due to previous rain-outs and these players had travel reservations to return to their colleges. They could not have called it - the co-championship was the decision of the league Commissioner, who was there. Proud to be a season ticket holder - go Sharks!
Dave...FYI the season had
John Vineyard HavenDave...FYI the season had already been extended a day because of a rain out at Worcester Saturday night. Players had to change plane tickets (costly), find new rides, and mmake other travel arrangements in order to stay and play Monday night. Asking them to do it again would have been unreasonable and in any event changing plans again would have been impossible. Both organizations wanted a single champion more than you can imaagine but with the options being co-champs or no-champs, after playing 60 or so games in about 10 weeks, while working jobs, peforming community service, and much more, not to recognize their success on the baseball field would have been - if I could borrow a form of your choice of word - classless.
The Cape League also had to
dave warren HarwichThe Cape League also had to extend the playoffs. And players from the Cape League also had to make travel adjustments.
Perhaps Mr. Warren would have
Mark Lucier EdgartownPerhaps Mr. Warren would have paid to put the boys up in a hotel, or funded the travel expense.
Dave Warren-are you comparing
Jonathan Chatinover EdgartownDave Warren-are you comparing travel arrangements from the Cape to travel arrangements from the Vineyard? When the Cape players are done, they leave. But many of the Vineyard players had car reservations. It's not easy (or sometimes possible) to change a car reservation in the summer. Oh by the way, the Sharks tied Wareham in a game early this summer.
Add new comment