BML, Tri-Co have their own little twists to playoffs

By Ted Meixell
Of The Morning Call

 

Giving division champions byes and/or advantageous seeds is the norm for sports leagues approaching postseason playoffs. Locally, the Blue Mountain and Tri-County adult amateur leagues are no exception - - although each has its own little twist.

The 11-team BML grants playoff berths to its first six regular season finishers -- and gives the top two byes. Nos. 3-6 then square off in a pair of best of three first rounders, with the two survivors challenging the top two in the semis.

The 15-team TCL is split into three five-team divisions. Seven clubs enter the Tri-Co postseason, so the league awards the division titlists the top three seeds and extends wild card berths to the four remaining teams with the best won-lost records.

Only one team gets a bye, though: the division champ with the best record. The other six meet in three first-round series to chip the field down to four.

As per the norm, head-to-head competition is the first tiebreaker used to separate ties.

Obviously, every team's first goal is to clinch a playoff berth. The next goal is to earn the highest possible seed (or win one's division) to earn a bye.

Perennial Tri-Co contender Gabelsville is no exception. And the Owls, who currently set the pace in the West-South Division, have followed that script every year recently.

Given their bottom line the last two years (they were upset before the finals), though, Owls' manager Mike "Doc" Moyer is beginning to wonder if that's the formula to follow.

"Yeah," Moyer said following a 22-5 romp over Stahley's Monday night, "a division title is a good thing, and it's our goal -- and we've won ours the last few years. But the last couple, we didn't finish it off, so I'm not so sure it's such a great idea."

Naturally, Moyer was only joking. A guy had to wonder if he was still joking when he said of his team, "We're trying to improve a little bit each time we play. But we haven't been hitting well at all as a team. We've been struggling."

Say what?

Counting Monday night's 22-run, 20-hit outpouring, the Owls had won six straight games. Their spurt began with a 4-2 win over the Northern Yankees June 21. Sandwiched between that one and Stahley's were wins by 7-5 over Jordan Creek, 23-3 over Silver Creek, 16-0 over Milford and 8-3 over defending champion South Whitehall.

Hey, Doc! That's 80 runs in six games -- an average of 13.3 per game!

Not hitting?

"Well, that didn't show up tonight," Moyer said. "And a day like today helps a lot. So the slump may not be over, but maybe it's on its way to being over."

OK.

Here's a glance at the playoff skinny in both leagues as of Monday night:

If the BML playoffs had begun Tuesday, two-time defending champion Catty and Northampton would have drawn first-round byes. Hellertown and Bethlehem Township would have visited Banko's and Martins Creek, respectively, to kick off best-of-three series.

If the TCL's playoffs had begun Tuesday night, Gabelsville, Jordan Creek and ICC would have been in as regular season divisional champions -- and Mike Brosious' Pirates, owners of the best record to date, would have earned the lone first-round bye. Gabelsville would have been the No. 2 seed, Jordan Creek No. 3.

Tri-City, Limeport, Cetronia and Lehigh Township would have been dealt the wild cards. First-round playoff series (all best of three) would have seen Lehigh Township at Gabelsville, Cetronia at Jordan Creek and Limeport at Tri-City.

Interestingly, 1998 champ South Whitehall would not have made the field.
 

Blue Mountain League
 

Who's Hot -- Catty (3-0, 10 wins in row); Northampton (3-0, five wins in row).

Who's Not -- Bethleon (0-3, four losses in row); Banko's (1-3); Bethlehem Township (1-3).

Who's Been Busy -- Banko's, Bethlehem Township, Hellertown (2-2), Limeport (2-2) were all in action four times last week.

This Week's Biggies -- Assuming the rain we need so badly held off again, two important contests were played Tuesday night: slumping, fifth-place Bethlehem Township at white hot Catty and second place Northampton, which is merely red hot, at Martins Creek.

Banko's, which has slumped to third, will visit Catty Thursday night.
 

Tri-County League
 

Who's Hot -- Gabelsville (5-0, six wins in row); Lehigh Township (4-0, six wins in row); ICC (3-0, four wins in row); Tri-City (2-0); Jordan Creek (3-1).

Who's Not -- Allentown (0-5, six losses in row); Upper Perk (0-3); Northern (0-3, four losses in row); Silver Creek (0-2, nine losses in row); Cetronia (1-3); Milford (1-3).

Who's Been Busy -- Gabelsville and Allentown each played five times last week, with diametrically opposite results. Hot Lehigh Township, Cetronia, Milford, Jordan Creek and Sports Page page each went to the post four times.

This Week's Biggies -- Barring rain or a darkness-induced tie game, one of the league's two hottest teams tasted defeat Tuesday night, when Tri-City visited Bryfogle Field in Lehigh Township. Other important games coming up include Limeport at Jordan Creek Thursday, Tri-City at Limeport Friday and Lehigh Township at Stahley's Monday.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Note -- No notebook next week (vacation). BML stats will next appear July 14, TCL stats July 21.

Keep Us Posted -- Report missing games or corrections, as well as any interesting tidbits or story ideas to Ted Meixell (E-mail ted.meixell@mcall.com; voice mail 610-559-2152; fax 610-258-1749).



ted.meixell@mcall.com

From The Morning Call -- June 30, 1999

Copyright © 1999, The Morning Call