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Amazing Mets Dynasty Wins Fourth Championship In Six Years!

2014 Nicewonger Champion Mets Team Photo!
(Front Row) Tim Baldwin, Justin Monigold, Micah Cervantes, Brian Feduk, Eddie Newman, Django Whittington (Back Row) Brad Shannon, Steven Monigold, Jeremy Hernandez, Stephen McLean, Juan Cervantes, Randyn Trybom, Travis Bearden, Casey Ramback, Michael Barnes (Not Pictured) Carl Bacon, Ryan Genovese, Brian Trybom, Travis Talbott, Drew Pleasant, Paul Croghan, Russell Laubach (Photo submitted by Ed Newman)

In the longest game in league history, and quite possibly the greatest, the Mets beat the Twins 6-3 in 19 long innings to capture their best of three series 2 games to 1 and claim their second straight Nicewonger division championship.

The epic battle featured just about everything that could possibly happen in a baseball game, great pitching, defensive gems, escapes from bases loaded no out jams, runners thrown out at the plate.

With the score tied 3-3 after six innings the Mets and Twins pitchers combined for 12 consecutive innings of scoreless baseball although each team had several opportunities to win the game with great scoring chances erased by fantastic defense.

In the 19th inning, after five and a half hours of two heavyweight champions going toe to toe in the center of the diamond, the Mets finally broke through with three runs to secure the championship.

For the Twins it was a heartbreaking end to a dream season in which manager Kyle Madej's team went a perfect 20-0 in the regular season.

2014 Mets Veteran Roster Proves That Experience Makes a Difference

What makes this championship so remarkable is the Mets were the only team in the division to keep their roster intact from the previous season while all of their competitors loaded up with younger quality players.

For the first half of the season the Mets played catch up to the division's big three teams, the Twins, Colt .45s and Reds. And while the Twins ran away with the division by completing an undefeated regular season, the Mets played consistent baseball to finish in second place ahead of the Colt .45s.

More amazing is that the Mets managed 13 wins with a pitching staff that started the season with injuries to key starters Travis Bearden and Casey Ramback who have been nothing short of outstanding in past seasons. Another blow to the staff came in the form of work, as Ryan Genovese and Travis Talbott's jobs required them to miss most of the season.

Enter newly acquired arm Tim Baldwin, last's year closer Paul Croghan, and an injured, tough as nails Bearden, and you have the heart of the 2014 Mets pitching staff.

Amongst all of the fresh young arms in the league stood a group of guys ready to battle, and what a battle it was. The undefeated Twins swept the Mets on the year, as well as every other team, behind incredible pitching. The Colt .45s split the season series with the Mets at 2-2 and struck out 30 Mets in their two wins. The fourth and final playoff team were the Reds who slipped in the standings but still managed to give the Mets a battle in all four games. Mets took three of four from the Reds but two wins came in one run games and one was an improbable come from behind victory with an eight run ninth inning walk off win! Amazing!

Statiscal leaders for the 2014 Mets included Brad Shannon .429 batting average, Django Whittington 27 hits and 20 runs scored, Jeremy Hernandez 18 runs batted in and an OBP of .458. Randy Trybom led the team in total bases with 27. Tim Baldwin led the Mets with 7 wins, an ERA of 1.43 and 55 strikeouts.

Paul Croghan was the stopper out of the bullpen with 3 saves on the season and a WHIP of 0.93.

Semi-Final Series Game One: Mets 5 Colt .45s 2

Mets gave the ball to their ace Tim Baldwin, while the .45s looked to their other lefty Jon Rand. Both pitchers threw well but the Mets used timely hitting and a couple of Colt .45s fielding miscues to garner the win. Baldwin pitched 7 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run. Carl Bacon was the big bat going 3 for 4 with 3 rbi?s.

Semi-Final Series Game Two: Mets 7 Colt .45s 1

Mets long time veteran Travis Bearden matched up against Colt .45s ace Pierce Precht who had struck out 15 Mets in a complete game shutout of the Mets in the last game of the regular season. The Mets were ready for the challenge and laced 14 hits against the young lefty while Bearden held the Colt .45s to a mere run in the Mets 7-1 series clinching victory. The Mets were on to the division championship series for the fifth time in seven years.

Championship Series Game One: Mets 13 Twins 3

In the championship series opener it was Mets ace Tim Baldwin who turned in another solid post season performance holding the mighty Twins to just one earned run in eight innings of work. The Mets offense stunned the regular season unbeaten #1 seeded Twins scoring 13 times in the rout. The Mets offense was led by Shannon (3-5, 3 rbi), Newman (3-5, 2 rbi), Hernandez (2-4, 3 rbis), and McLean (2-4, 2 rbis).

Championship Series Game Two: Twins 10 Mets 6

The Twins took an early 3-0 lead only to see the Mets battle back and score the next six runs. Trailing 6-3 the Twins mounted a heroic late game comeback scoring seven runs over the last three innings to post a crucial 10-6 win and even the series at one game apiece.

Championship Series Game Three: Mets 6 Twins 3 (19 innings)

The longest, and quite possibly the greatest game in San José MSBL history decided the Nicewonger Division Championship. The Mets started ace Tim Baldwin and the Twins countered with their ace Michael Monelo.

Baldwin went 6 2/3 innings before giving way to Travis Bearden who kept the Twins at three runs through nine innings. Paul Croghan came on in the 10th inning and tossed nine shutout innings, striking out 11 Twins to earn the win. Steve McLean pitched a spotless 19th inning, striking out two hitters to earn the save.

For the Twins, starter Monelo went 7 innings and was relieved by Joey Kies who threw an incredible 9 innings of scoreless relief before giving way to Jason Ethridge in the 17th inning. Kies pitched out of jams with runners in scoring position in the 8th and 14th innings.

Mets pitching escaped three impossible situations during the game, Baldwin and Bearden escaped a bases loaded no out situation in the 7th allowing only one run. Then with the championship on the line in extra innings, Mets winning pitcher Paul Croghan escaped a bases loaded one out jam in the 12th and a first and second no out threat in the bottom of the 18th without allowing the Twins to score a walk off victory. Croghan also held the Twins hitless for five innings from the bottom of the 13th through the 17th inning.

Finally in the 19th inning the Mets used two singles and a walk to load the bases and with one out Django Whittington?s soft liner to center drove in the game winner. Andrew Newman drew a bases loaded walk and Jeremy Hernandez hit a sacrifice fly to complete the three run game winning rally.