Saturday, September 13, 2008

This is IT! It all gets decided here! (9/13a)

Howdy, folks! As much of the Ark-La-Tex fights, fears, and deals with what's left of IKE, we are going to put an end to this playoff series (or, I'm hoping that's what happens here!). It has been an intense battle for the top two spots, as none of the final three teams seems willing to give up the fight!

So, in order to narrow down the two finalists, the players will all choose from the same scratchcard. There will be a LOT of dust flying around here today! I held up a stack of scratchcards and had my wife "pick a card, any card." So, if you don't like the end results, you can blame her! LOL!!

Erin chimes in first, hoping to capitalize on having the entire board at her disposal. Let's see how her girls do here!

Number 23 - Holy cow! It's a lead-off HOME RUN! (1 run, 0 outs)
Number 4 - the batter flies out to short (1 run, 1 out)
Number 19 - the batter pops the ball up to first for an out (1 run, 2 outs)
Number 32 - the batter goes down on strikes (1 run, 3 outs)
Number 1 - the batter is sent to first on balls (1 run, 3 outs, 1 runner on)
Number 27 - it's a two-run jack outta the park! (3 runs, 3 outs)
Number 12 - the batter goes down swinging (3 runs, 4 outs)
Number 21 - a blooper to left for a single (3 runs, 4 outs, 1 runner on)
Number 5 - the batter flies out to right

There you have it, folks! Erin's at-bat nets her 3 runs and 4 outs! I think it'll be an uphill battle for the guys!

Joey is the second player to announce his picks for this all-out playoff game. Let's see how his Rangers perform here!

Number 15 - a lead-off double! (0 runs, 0 outs, 1 runner on)
Number 24 - a single! runners on the corners (0 runs, 0 outs, 2 runners on)
Number 2 - a shot to shallow center for a run-scoring single! (1 run, 0 outs, 2 on)
Number 30 - the batter pops the ball up to second (1 run, 1 out, 2 on)
Number 17 - the batter pops out to first (1 run, 2 outs, 2 on)
Number 22 - the batter drops down a bunt single (1 run, 2 outs, bases loaded!)
Number 7 - the batter grounds out to third (1 run, 3 outs, bases loaded!)
Number 11 - the batter grounds out to first (1 run, 4 outs, bases loaded!)
Number 6 - the batter whiffs, striking out (1 run, 5 outs, bases loaded!)

The Rangers score a run and leave the bases like my wife likes her baked potato: fully loaded! I have a feeling it's going to be hard for Joey to pull through this one. He ends up with 1 run, 5 outs, and bases loaded. But, we've seen ALL kinds of things happen in this tournament!

Dayf brings up the rear and outlines his plan of attack:

Leadoff: LF Otis "my man" Nixon - 31
2 spot: 1B The Crime Dog Fred McGriff - 28
3 hole: SS Chipper Jones (yes, shortstop) - 10
Clean up: RF Hammerin' Hank Aaron - 8
Protection for Hank: 3B Eddie Mathews - 13
More Protection: CF Dale Murphy - 3
Can't walk Murph: C Brian McCann - 16
8th but DEADLY: 2B "Mr Clutch" Mark Lemke - 20
THE PITCHER: Warren "35 home runs" Spahn - 25

Let's see if Dayf's Braves can put together a winning combination or if his batters will serve as the friends he's called in to help load the moving truck outta here...

Number 31 - Nixon gets nixed, striking out (0 runs, 1 out, 0 runners on)
Number 28 - The Crime Dog takes a walk to first (0 runs, 1 out, 1 on base)
Number 10 - Jones is not so chipper after striking out (0 runs, 2 outs, 1 on base)
Number 8 - Hank hammers one to the right fielder (0 runs, 3 outs, 1 on base)
Number 13 - Unluckily pops out to center (0 runs, 4 outs, 1 on base)
Number 3 - Murphy adds to the poppin...out that is (0 runs, 5 outs, 1 on base)
Number 16 - McCann...can't...he strikes out (0 runs, 6 outs, 1 on base)
Number 20 - Lemke pops the clutch and knocks it outta here! (2 runs, 6 outs, 0 on)
Number 25 - Spahn spawns a triple, a little late (2 runs, 6 outs, 1 on base)

The Braves' Lemke saves the day for Dayf! His team ends up with 2 runs, 6 outs, and a triple to end things.

So, let's take a look at the overall stats here for this ultimate championship playoff round:

Erin - 3 runs, 4 outs, 1 runner left on
Joey - 1 run, 5 outs, bases loaded up
Dayf - 2 runs, 6 outs, 1 runner on base

Erin and Dayf - YOU are going to Disney World!! Oh, wait, sorry, I got a little carried away there... You are going to the Scratchcard Championship!

Congratulations to ALL of you for hanging in there and making this one of the coolest (albeit longest) championship playoff rounds in scratchcard history*! Okay, Roddy, tell our contestants what they've won!

"Well, Tribecards, for starters, Erin and Dayf, you have reached the Pinnacle of the tournament! You two are Topps! Let's hope under the pressure of the upcoming championship, you don't Bow,man! Okay, okay, seriously folks, Erin wins 2002 Upper Deck Mid-Summer Stars Swatches Carlos Delgado game-used jersey (MS-CD) AND a 2008 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes Green Parallel Mark Mulder (serial #399/499 - card 160)! Dayf wins a 2005 Topps All-Star Sttches Dontrelle Willis game-used jersey (ASA-DW) AND 2001 Upper Deck Evolution E-Prospects Billy Sylvester (serial #0255/2250 - card 119)!! Joey, you won't go home empty-handed, as you have probably guessed! Joey receives a 2000 Royal Rookies Futures Jovanny Cedano autographed card (serial #3293/4950 - card 7)!"

These prizes were not randomly chosen, but rather, I went through my stacks of game-used and serially-numbered cards and hand picked the cards that I thought suited each of these folks' team likes as best I could. I hope y'all enjoy your prizes from this ultimate playoff game!


Okay, folks, it has come down to this: Erin and Dayf will face each other in the Tribecards Scratchoff Championship!! I flipped a coin and DAYF will lead things off in the Championship match. I know it has been a while since we've played by the "official rules," but the Championship match will be three innings long and the team with the most runs at the end of the game wins!

So, DAYF, you have a brand-new, unscratched card at your disposal! Select SIX SPOTS that will lead your team in the first inning of the championship! Keep your feed readers, web browsers, and bookmarks pointed right here, folks! When we come back, the championship will be underway, and the championship prizes WILL BE REVEALED! Plus, more chances for readers and former players to walk away with more prizes, too! You will not want to miss this!


*Disclaimer: I have not done any research to back up this claim, but I would venture to say it's a safe assumption.

2 comments:

  1. I get knocked out by Mark Lemke..... that one will hurt all winter.

    ReplyDelete
  2. LEMMER!!! I told you he was clutch!

    7, 19, 20, 2, 23, 28

    ReplyDelete