Montreal will face the Chicago Bootleggers in the NLCS. Montreal took seven of the 12 matchups in the regular season. Historically, the Spectres have struggled at Wrigley Field.

Game 1, at Chicago

Omar Daal vs. Woody Williams

Edgardo Alfonzo gets things started with a solo homer in the first, and Montreal adds two more in the second as Carlos Delgado homers and Brady Anderson singles home another run.

Ken Griffey Jr.'s fifth-inning error leads to the Bootleggers' first run, but Edgardo Alfonzo gets it back with another homer in the seventh. It is Alfonzo, however, that commits an error later that inning which helps Chicago score their second run.

Rick Aguilera comes in to pitch the ninth with a 4-2 lead, and fails. John Olerud hits a two-run homer to tie the score; when the next batter singles, Eddie Guardado enters and gets out of the inning to force extras.

New Bootlegger pitcher Ramiro Mendoza allows a leadoff homer to Edgardo Alfonzo, his third of the game, and is promptly replaced. Bret Boone and Geoff Jenkins drive in runs as well, and the Spectres lead 7-4. Guardado and Bob Wickman combine to pitch a scoreless 10th and the Spectres win the opener 7-4.



Game 2, at Chicago

Chuck Finley vs. Todd Ritchie

Chicago wastes no time getting on the board in this one, getting RBI singles from Steve Finley and Paul O' Neill in the first. Todd Ritchie singles in the second and scores on John Olerud's single later in the inning.

Ritchie cruises through the Spectre lineup, and Tony Phillips' error helps Chicago add a run in the fourth. Orlando Cabrera triples home a run in the next frame and things seem to be out of hand.

Montreal can't score off Ritchie and fare no better against the Bootlegger bullpen; Chicago evens the series with a 7-0 shutout win.



Game 3, at Montreal

Jose Jimenez vs. Dave Burba

Chipper Jones smacks a two-run homer in the third off Burba to open the scoring; Jose Cruz Jr. and Dave Olerud hit consecutive longballs to open the fifth.

Tony Phillips finally puts the Spectres on the board with a solo home run, but that's as much as the Montreal bats can do on this day. The crowning blow comes in the ninth, when Lou Collier doubles home the last run in a 6-1 decision.



Game 4, at Montreal

Kevin Tapani vs. Chuck Finley

This one is also scoreless through two innings before Chicago breaks out in the third. Steve Finley hits a bases-loaded triple and scores on a hit by Paul O'Neill to open a 4-0 lead.

The Bootleggers add another run in the fourth but the Spectres mount a more effective comeback.. Brady Anderson doubles home a run in the fifth and Bret Boone crushes a two-run homer in the sixth, narrowing the lead to 5-3.

Bob Wickman, however, works his usual magic, allowing runs in the seventh and eighth; Chicago wins their third straight, 7-3.



Game 5, at Montreal

Woody Williams vs. Omar Daal

Things get started early in this one; Chicago scores on a sacrifice fly in the first and leaves the bases loaded; Tony Phillips doubles in the bottom half and scores on Edgardo Alfonzo's hit.

Brady Anderson puts his legs to work in the third, stealing second after reaching on a single and then scoring the lead run on Ken Griffey Jr.'s single. Geoff Jenkins adds to the lead with an RBI double in the fourth. Omar Daal helps his own cause with an RBI single in the sixth.

Chicago's Brian Jordan touches Daal with a homer in the seventh but the score remains 4-2 in favor of Montreal after the eighth. Closer Rick Aguilera comes in to nail down the Spectres' second win of the series.

Except... things don't quite go as planned. Two groundball singles are followed by a game-tying double by Orlando Cabrera. Eddie Guardado relieves and is greeted by an RBI single by pinch hitter Bill Haselman.

Montreal gets out of the inning with no further damage but trails 5-4 going into the bottom of the ninth. Eddie Taubensee leads off with a single off Derek Lowe and pinch hitter Jay Buhner follows with a double. Second and third, no out, and the top of the order coming up.

Brady Anderson: strikeout

Tony Phillips : strikeout

Edgardo Alfonzo: strikeout

Lowe strikes out the 1-2-3 hitters and the Bootleggers claim the 1999 National League pennant.

Age is starting to take its toll on the Spectre roster, and the team says goodbye to four players as they prepare for the 2000 draft: pitchers Rick Aguilera, Scott Erickson, and Bret Saberhagen, and infielder Tony Phillips.

Picking 18th in the first round, the Spectres replace Phillips with Melvin Mora, who can play shortstop, third, outfield, and possibly elsewhere if pressed into action.

Young Japanese pitcher Tomo Ohka is the second round selection; the club thinks he can develop into a middle-rotation starter someday.

In the third round, reliever Jim Brower is the choice. Brower has a rubber arm and can pitch consecutive days if needed.

Finally, in the fourth round, the Spectres take a chance on veteran Ruben Sierra, returning to baseball after missing a full season due to injury.

1999 awards:

Ken Griffey Jr. finishes in the Top 5 in the NL MVP voting again, finishing third. He also wins the Silver Slugger award at CF.

Rick Aguilera finishes second in the Fireman of the Year voting.

Steve Gerano, a catcher prospect, finishes second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting, and is the top position player.

and what is Aguilera's reward? he gets cut. you should be ashamed. ashamed, i say!

He should not have tried to parlay his recognition into a multi-year extension.

Homey don't play that.

1999 in review:

BATTING

C - Eddie Taubensee (.317/.365/.529) had a breakout season, hitting 25 home runs and driving home 94. Catcher-of-the-future Ramon Hernandez played sparingly before giving way to prospect Steve Gerano (.240/.374/.413), who started fast and finished second in the RoY voting.

1B - Carlos Delgado (.265/.389/.546) crushed 44 home runs and added 40 doubles, driving home 142 and scoring 117. He also drew 113 walks, second on the team. Could be devastating if he hit .285 or so.

2B - Bret Boone (.290/.341/.462) played little until interleague play began and Edgardo Alfonzo was given a few days off.. Boone got red hot and put together a remarkable season, though he cooled off late. He hit 39 doubles, two triples, and 20 homers, scoring 101 and driving in 115 to rank third and fourth on the team, respectively.

SS - Tony Phillips (.293/.409/.454) made his final season a productive one, scoring 92 runs in 120 games, collecting 25 doubles, three triples, and 11 home runs. Ricky Gutierrez (.253/.377/.305) showed an ability to get on base but nowhere near the power the Spectres are accustomed to.

3B - Ken Caminiti (.286/.391/.449) played in only 92 games and had fewer than 200 at bats, hobbled by minor injuries and losing playing time to Edgardo Alfonzo (.318/.418/.502) who needed a place to play after Boone got so hot. Alfonzo scored 95 and drove in 98, hitting 29 doubles and 18 homers. He played only 115 games, a mistake that should be rectified next season.

OF - Ken Griffey Jr. (.323/.413/.603) continued to dominate NL pitching, hammering 49 homers to go with 29 doubles and two triples. He led the team with 208 hits, 157 runs, and 166 RBI. He also stole 29 bases in 40 attempts, narrowly missing the 30-30 standard.

Geoff Jenkins (.290/.346/.530) had a fine campaign, leading the club with 46 doubles and adding 23 homers. He scored and drove in 85 runs and his 13-game hitting streak was second longest on the team.

Brady Anderson (.300/.431/.486) bounced back from a few disappointing seasons to score 146 runs and drive in 93, mostly from the leadoff spot. He led the team with 126 walks and 49 steals (in 64 attempts). Extra base hits included 30 doubles, four triples, and 25 homers.

Jay Buhner (.246/.427/.373) was a walking machine (72 vs. 228 at bats) despite losing nearly all his power (five doubles, eight home runs). He's nearing the end of the line.

Bench : Only Olmedo Saenz (.260 in 88 AB) had more times at the plate than a typical starting pitcher; Lenny Harris hit .426 in 47 ABs.

PITCHING

Chuck Finley (10-11, 1.45 WHIP, 4.86 ERA, .259/.337/.430) led the team with 32 starts, 211.0 innings, 182 strikeouts, and three complete games. And, unfortunately, with 11 losses and 30 homers allowed. His defense often failed him as he also led the team with a whopping 22 unearned runs allowed.

Dave Burba (14-8, 1.55, 5.24, .277/.351/.462) was much less effective than Finley but won 14 games; he did rank second on the team with 158 strikeouts. He pitched the team's only complete game shutout.

Scott Erickson (15-5, 1.60, 5.07, .284/.358/.429) did a better job of keeping the ball in the park than either Finley or Burba (28), allowing only 19 longballs, which allowed him to survive some shaky outings. He allowed only eight unearned runs, lowest in the rotation.

Omar Daal (16-7, 1.46, 4.48, .266/.337/.405) led the team in wins and allowed only 14 home runs; a brilliant season for a promising youngster.

Kelvim Escobar (8-10, 1.68, 5.54, .289/.368/.434) was erratic, walking nearly one batter every two innings. Tough to overcome. He was the only regular starter to fail to reach 10 wins.

Prospect Julio Gambetta (2-1, 1.32, 4.17, .290/.316/.398) walked only six batters in 45.1 innings (11 starts) and allowed three home runs. Promising but unready for a major workload.

In the pen, Rick Aguilera (0-3, 36/39, 0.88, 2.15, .201/.233/.252) was brilliant and really the only bright spot at the back end of the bullpen.

Bret Saberhagen (4-0, 2/2, 1.24, 3.68, .277/.299/.403) likewise made his last season one to remember, tossing 110 innings in 70 appearances.

Mike Remlinger (5-5, 1/5, 1.56, 5.38, .246/.353/.377) kept the ball in play but walked 52 batters in 87 innings.

Bob Wickman (4-7, 1/9, 2.22, 6.89, .345/.442/.482) was a complete disaster, walking 43 in 62.2 innings and choking up nearly every lead he was given.

Robb Nen (8-10, 0/3, 1.59, 4.94, .311/.351/.447) lost his closer job to Rick Aguilera early and never really recovered. Involved in a ridiculous number of decisions.

Eddie Guardado (4-2, 0/4, 1.29, 4.44, .202/.306/.369) showed some promise and struck out 54 in 52.2 innings.

2000 preview:

The offense should approach 1000 runs again, but the pitching staff might be an utter disaster. Erickson is gone, Finley is getting old, and Daal/Escobar haven't established themselves as reliable starters yet. The bullpen should be better than the rotation but it remains to be seen if they will have any leads to protect.

All in all it will be a struggle for the Spectres to return to the playoffs.

2000 BEGINS!!!

Montreal opens the season at Dodger Stadium to face the LA Looters.

Game 1: Chuck Finley gets the start in the opener to face LA's Randy Johnson. Brady Anderson leads off the season with a double and later scores on Geoff Jenkins' two-run double as the Spectres take an early lead. They tack on two more in the second and lead 4-3 when Finley exits in the fifth. Carlos Delgado's home run in the seventh makes it a 6-3 game, but Eddie Guardado's first outing of the season is a disaster; he faces four batters and allows all to reach base. Bob Wickman eventually gets out of the inning but the score is tied at six. It doesn't take long for Montreal to regain the lead as rookie Melvin Mora and veteran Bret Boone hit doubles in the eighth. Montreal adds two more runs in the ninth and Robb Nen, reclaiming his closer role after the retirement of Rick Aguilera, pitches a scoreless ninth for the save.

Game 2: Prospect Ray Wergers tosses six innings, allowing only four hits and one run, and the Spectres defeat LA 10-4. Carlos Delgado has two hits, three walks, and scores five runs. Andy Tracy and Geoff Jenkins drive in four runs each. Kelvim Escobar pitches the final 2.2 innings to rest the bullpen and earns a save.

Game 3: The Montreal offense takes the series finale off, collecting only six hits, all singles, and the Spectres drop a 4-2 decision to LA. Omar Daal produces a quality start but needs more support from the bats.

The home opener is tomorrow against Milwaukee: Dave Burba vs. Jamie Moyer.

Game 4: Felix Rodriguez chokes up a 6-3 lead in the eighth but Edgardo Alfonzo reclaims the advantage with a two-run single in the bottom half and Robb Nen works around a one-out double for his second save as the Spectres win 9-6. Ramon Hernandez hits his first home run of the season.

Game 5: Willie Blair surrenders two home runs to Eric Chavez, including a grand slam in the fifth, and the Krauts crush Montreal 10-3. The Spectres' only runs come on Geoff Jenkins' inside-the-park home run.

Game 6: Milwaukee's Brian Rose throws 5.1 no-hit innings at the Spectres before departing after reaching his limit of 75 pitches; Montreal ends up with only two hits on the day and drop the series finale, 4-1.

Back to .500 at 3-3, the Spectres head west for their first meeting with the hated San Francisco 69ers.

Game 7: Chuck Finley strikes out nine in six innings and the Spectres get just enough hits with men on base to squeak out a 5-3 win over Frisco. It's the first time this season the Spectres have won with fewer than eight runs scored.

Game 8: Ken Griffey Jr. hits his first home run of the season, but it's Glenallen Hill's two-run shot off Mike Remlinger in the seventh that lifts the Niners to a 5-4 win over Montreal.

Game 9: The Spectre bats are more productive, but the early struggles of the bullpen continue; Mike Remlinger and Eddie Guardado each allow two runs and the Niners take the series with a 9-7 win. Guardado's ERA is now 16.62.

The Spectres return home to face Cincinnati (2-7).

Quote: Originally Posted By kermit on 5/17/2009
It's the first time this season the Spectres have won with fewer than eight runs scored

that's not a good stat

Indeed.

Game 10: Montreal gets solo home runs in each of the first three innings to chase Cincy's David Cone and Willie Blair pitches seven strong innings as the Spectres beat the Stingers 11-5 in the series opener. Carlos Delgado hits two homers to give him five for the season.

Game 11: The Spectre bullpen continues to have problems, choking up a 3-1 lead in the eighth, but JT Snow's error in the ninth allows the tying run to score and Carlos Delgado follows up with a game-winning single. Spectres 5, Stingers 4.

Game 12: Chuck Finley strikes out nine and throws a complete game 6-hit shutout as the Spectres sweep Cincy with a 5-0 win. Ricky Gutierrez hits his first home run of the season and drives in three.

The Spectres will start divisional play with a home series against Philadelphia.

Game 13: Omar Daal starts a three-run inning with an RBI single in the second, and the Spectre bullpen throws 4.1 scoreless innings to hold on for a 4-2 win in the series opener.

Game 14: Though outhit 10-6, Montreal smashes three home runs and takes advantage of three Seaphil errors to score a 7-4 win. Dave Burba goes seven to even his record at 1-1 while Robb Nen picks up his fifth save.

Game 15: The Spectre bullpen comes through again, throwing five shutout frames as the Spectres eke out a 3-2 win. Tomo Ohka gets his second win of the series, and Robb Nen earns another save.

Game 16: Kelvim Escobar and two relievers combine on a 1-hitter of the Seaphils as the Spectres sweep Philly with a 4-1 victory; Ken Caminiti hits his first home run of the season.

Divisional play continues with a trip to New York to face the Cosmos.