URS5 Dermatomes keg-standed by Anti-Frats - eliminated from playoffs
URS5 Dermatomes 12, Lawdogs 5
URS5 Dermatomes 5, Anti-Frats 7
By HAL BOCK, AP Sports writer
October 27, 2005
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The URS5 Dermatomes did all they could to prolong their season. Now they have months to ponder falling one game short.
After beating the Lawdogs to start off the Intramural Playoffs brought to you by Sears 12-7 on Thursday, the Dermatomes raced into the visitors' clubhouse and gathered in front of the big-screen TV -- right in time, to see the final out of the Anti-Frats victory of the Pharmacy Addicts that sealed the western division championship game.
“We knew what we had to do in that second game,” manager Joe Mortensen said. “I don’t know if it was the Neuro test the next day or the brownies that Carissa baked but we just came out flat in the second game. I think it was those brownies.”
The Dermatomes finished 4-3 in a season pregnant with triumph and failure. Needing a win in the 2nd game to go to the Intramural World Series brought to you by Sears URS5 lacked the heart and the focus to pull it off.
"That's the way it goes. Coming in here, we were in a tough situation, and we did what we had to do, the only the thing we could do, and won," manager Mori Speakman said. "We just lost the second game."
So while Troy Badger ended his public and bitter holdout, Nate Kofford stretched his hitting streak to 36 games, Mori Speakman continued his error-free play in centerfield, and Wyatt Rivas turned in a solid game, there wasn't even time to enjoy the first win before the searing pain of the second game’s loss descended on their hippocampi, or amygdalae, or insulae - whatever.
"Going from so high, to so low," Rivas said. "Everybody got quiet. Everything got quiet."
"You do your job, and you don't get in the World Series, it's hard," Bettis said, “Plus Speakman let all the air out my tires for making two errors.”
Plenty of Dermatome fans dotted the Pons and Fleischmann Stadium stands, some accessorizing their red Dermatome jerseys with black leotards - highlighted by Dermatome team photographer Aubrey Chan.
"We stayed in there right to the end," Franz Monroy said. "We had a lot of fun, we had a lot of fight, and we had a lot of exciting moments. It sucks that we lost. And those brownies were terrible."
The Anti-Frats, meanwhile, reached their franchise’s first World Series. A big improvement over their 8 loss season in 2004, certainly, but defeating the Dermatomes also means they’ll never be accepted to medical school, “That’s just our policy,” said Medical School Dean Larry Reimer, “if they don’t like it ... they can pick up my dry-cleaning and wash my Porsche ... and we’ll still reject them.”
"It would have been really fairy tale if we could have pulled this thing off," manager Mori Speakman said. "They wouldn't have even touched this in Hollywood."
It was the start of an off-season of "What ifs?" for the Dermatomes, who ended up in second place in the tough western division. Contract negotiations will still be handled by Dermatome President Farrant Sakaguchi. Utility infielder/outfielder Jody Quick demanded a trade citing lack recognition and respect. The "other" Troy, Finlayson, followed his namesake's path and threatened a holdout. "The season's over," said President Sakaguchi, "what leverage does have?"
Perennial All-Star and team cancer Troy Badger has yet to decide his future, “I came back because my teammates are like family and because I couldn’t sell my homes fast enough. I’m just not sure I want to play for (President) Sakaguchi next year. Oh, and Speakman doesn’t know his lineup card from his S3 dermatome.”
Sunday's crowd of 12 lifted the season total past 50, and most gave a standing ovation when the Dermatomes went out to play the field in the top of the first and kept on applauding all the way through pregame introductions.
They rose to clap as reliever Mortensen trudged to the dugout with head bowed in the fifth. Mortensen doffed his hat, and then put his hat over his heart. And when the game ended, Sakaguchi, his coaches and the players gathered in front of their dugout for hugs and handshakes while fans applauded. Sakaguchi joined his players in tossing hats and balls into the stands.
"It gave me goose bumps," Yaw Adjei-Poku said.
Game notes
Kofford’s hitting streak is the longest in the Intramurals since 1967, when David R. Renner out of University of Nebraska-Omaha hit in 39 consecutive games. Kofford can pursue Renner’s Intramural record next year -- sort of. The major league marks for longest hitting streak in one season and longest hitting streak spanning two seasons are separate records, according to the Elias Sports Bureau .... Managers Speakman and Mortensen were questioned about rumors that they will accept a two year/two-million dollar offer to coach the Pfizer Pharmacy Addicts in the spring, Mortensen said, "I can speak for both of us as I am the better billiard player. We will examine our options after Hematology block. We make no promises. As for the brownie incident, President Sakaguchi is personally doing a peripheral blood smear as I speak on Carissa's brownies. I don't know why."
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