17-Expos

BEACH BUMS FAIL TO MAKE PLAYOFFS DESPITE 3-2 RECORD AND WIN OVER EVENTUAL CHAMPION CARDINALS.

The Florida Cardinals held on to beat the Virginia Beach (VA) Snipers 5-4 to annex their second straight 18 Wood Division championship, and third overall, and the Southern Maryland Yankees erupted for six runs in the seventh inning to down the Southeast Astros (Broward County) 9-5 to win the 25 Wood Division crown. Both championship games were played at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, capping the four day NABA Florida World Championship Series on Sunday, November 6. Palm Beach League players were on the rosters of several of the tournament teams.

The Cardinals, led by pitcher Wilton Garcia's route-going performance, beat the Snipers in the title game for the second straight year. Garcia had a two hit shutout and nursed a 2-0 lead through the first seven innings before his teammates added three inb the top of the 8th for a 5-0 lead. The Snipers battled back with six hits and three runs in the 8th inning and added a runb on a double by first baseman Ernie Banks, and two fly outs to cut it to 5-4. Right fielder Juan Infante made a diving catch on the second fly ball to save the game, for which he was award NABA's Gold Glove award. Garcia was selected as Most Valuable Player award.

Palm Beach League player Marcos Rodriguez (Chamos) played with the Cardinals throughout the tournament, collecting a single, run scored and run batted in in the title game. He also made a diving catch when he started the game in right field. He later finished the game as the center fielder. Earlier in pool play, Rodriguez lofted a long home run.

The Palm Beach League's South Florida Beach Bums missed the four team playoffs in the 18 Wood Division, despite edging the Cardinals 4-3 in their final pool game and finishing 3-2. The Cardinals and Beach Bums and two other teams finished with identical pool records of 3-2, but the Beach Bums were eliminated on the basis of the tiebreaker, which is pegged to the number of runs allowed in pool play.

Southern Maryland finished a 7-0 week by coming from behind to beat the Southeast Astros, featuring a number of Palm Beach League players and managed by Jay Caddle, a former Palm Beach player who is President of the NABA's league in Broward County. The Astros finished with a 5-2 record for the tournament, the only two losses coming at the hands of the Marylanders.

After spotting the Yankees a 3-1 lead after an inning, the Astros posted three runs in the second for a 4-3 lead, which lasted behind left handed reliever Mike Whittaker until the Yankees erupted for six runs in the bottom of the 7th for a 9-4 lead. The Astros got a run in the 9th, but it was too little, too late. Second baseman Danny Lydon was the game's MVP, getting three hits and swatting a two run double that put his team ahead for good. The Gold Glove award went to the Astros' third basseman Malaika Murray.

Complete tournament results are available by logging on to the NABA national web site at www.dugout.org.