Travs win Title!

With a full moon and deep in the heart of Texas the Arkansas Travelers pulled off the improbable Monday night, winning the '08 Texas League Championship. They crushed the Frisco RoughRiders with a huge seven run sixth, capped by a two run homer by Brian Stavisky. The Riders self-destructed in the inning, committing error after error and the Travs took advantage taking the final and deciding game 11-3.

A finish no one could have imagined during an eight game losing streak in August. Despite being mired in last place through out the second-half the Travelers eeked in to the playoffs by winning over Springfield in a thrilling come from behind extra inning victory on the final day of the first-half.

Not many, myself not included, gave the Travelers much of a chance in the initial round of the playoffs against Northwest Arkansas. I had mentioned in posts prior to the playoffs, I thought the Travs would have to be reckoned with, especially with the addition of their new young slugging prospects, Mark Trumbo and Hank Conger. It worked out that way, except no one including myslef ever dreamed the club would sweep the Naturals in three.

So going into tonight's fifth and deciding game of the Series, it would have seemed momentum would have swung to the Riders who won game four Sunday night. But it was the RoughRiders, who fell apart and the Travelers cruised to the Texas League Title for I'm sure the most improbable title in the Club's history.

A team that some how climbed out of one hole after another all season.  Would you call them over acheivers? I don't think so, not after winning every big game they had to win. And after taking it to the heavily favored Frisco RoughRiders and winning two of three on their turf, you just simply can call them.... CHAMPS!

September 15, 2008
	Final    1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9      R   H   E   Arkansas   0   0   4   0   0   7   0   0   0      11   11   0   Frisco   1   0   0   1   0   0   1   0   0      3   10   3  Recap | Box | W: B. Browning (2-0, 0.00); L: N. Feliz (2-1, 3.38) HR: ARK: B. Stavisky (2). FRI: J. Whittleman (1).

Post by Lonesome Traveler

Comments

[ME]

You have to give credit to Bobby Mags...he certainly did what I didn't think he could do. GO TRAVS!

[scareduck]

Woo, pig, Travs!

[Casimer Pulaski]

Well, you can call them the champs, but honesty and accuracy demand that we call them "the cheese champs." No club that loses more games than it wins deserves to be the league champions. This is what minor-league baseball has come to, with split seasons and doofus playoffs. I'm happy for the Travs, but this ain't grown-up baseball.

Nice way to celebrate dick head.

[Jim]

Wow....I tell you, I appreciate how this team came together after Trumbo and Conger came on board. Bobby did a great job. I congradulate him and the Travs !!!!!
Thanks for the memories
Jim

[Scotto]

When can I buy my box seats for next year..? Congratulations Travs..!!!

It ain't over 'till it's over. Guess that saying was never more true, eh..?

[LR Fan]

I thought it particularly classy of Mags giving Leahy one last at bat, pinch hitting for Ortiz in the ninth. Assuming his coaching career begins next year, he gets to tell his grandkids that he finished his professional career batting in the league championship game. Not many guys get to say that.

[joe]

Way to play under your expectaions Travs! The team had a 44% win percentage and they win the league? Geeze. Must be coaching because obviously they had the talent all year long. Damn it was a long year.

[gabe kapler]

we can all thank club wholesale

[VOR]

Let's not forget about TR's least favorite player. I don't think it's any coincidence that the Travs won 6 of 8 in the post season AFTER Hank Conger joined the lineup.

13 RBI in 8 games? Ridiculous for a kid of all of 20 years old. Pretty ridiculous for anybody in any playoff.

[Club Wholsale]

Thanks for the love! Mishael, Johnny, New Guy and New guys kid were unbelievable this year!

Congrats to the whole team! You guys were awesome in the post season. And thanks for another wonderful year of baseball.

"Thanks for the love! Mishael, Johnny, New Guy and New guys kid were unbelievable this year!" Without them DS wouldn't run!

Way to go Travs-Go by and check out the sign outside DS that celebrates this fantastic achievement

dogtown dodger

Many Texas League teams have won championships with sub .500 records, including the 2001 Travs. It's due to the nature of minor league baseball, with its split-season formats, small divisions (in the Texas League's case) and comings and goings of players all season long.

Where is TR? We haven't heard anything from him in about 2 weeks. Did he finally realize that not everybody shares his hatred for the Angels and the Travs? Not even a congratulations from him.

Is he in hiding? Is he Arkansas' Steve Bartman? Even though he never determined the outcome of the game, he is very much in the same boat as Bartman, as far as fans feelings toward him.

[bill valentine]

First off..thanks to the real fans who come out night after night...even when we have been bad...and we have had a hell of a lot of those weeks.....thanks to our office staff who put in a lot of hours and really never get the credit they deserve...thanks to Pete Laven, Greg Johnson, Reggie, David Kay and the ticket staff..Paul Allen who does more with the smallest staff than anyone in baseball with his picnic and group sales department, Phil Elson for a job well done not only on radio but for the entire PR and speaker department...Heather and the office manager postion...Jill and her gang in suites, Debra for a super souvenirs department...and a lot of others that I have certainly missed...a big thank you to Karen Okeefe and the restaurant crew...some of you really like to put the restaurant down...but with her guidance we have been named the best new resturant in Arkansas and whether you like it or not we are serving some of the better food in central arkansas.....
thanks to a veteran team that really put it all together when it really mattered...for many of them it will be the only championship ring they will ever have and they really earned it...we expected to get a wonderful exciting ring for all of them...
A lot of people like to knock me and the organization simply because I guess we have been around before many of them were born....but you can't do much better than winning a championship....
and by the way...for those of you who liked to knock the attendance at D/S during the playoffs...the actual attendance for the championship game was way less than a 1,000. This is no knock on the Frisco folks...its football season in both Texas and Arkansas..and except for just a few locations...baseball was over for most of the sports fans..from the parking crew, ushers, gate staff, valet parkers, interns, ground crews and everyone else involved...THANK YOU...
it takes over 250 employees to open D/S park and Pete and I do appreciate everyone of you....THANKS FANS...you are the reason we open the season every year....

Bill you forgot one thing...Hurry, FOUR empty tables at the resturant!

You forgot to thank Ben...

[dre301]

you are welcome and thanks travs for a great season

dre

[Mars]

yeah, that rollercoaster ride was better than anything at Six Flags. I'd ride it again any day. There aren't many times in a baseball season that you get to see the best game you've ever witnessed (capturing 1st half title) and win the title. At least we got the MLB playoffs coming up. With a little luck, we will get to see the former Travs kick some ass through the end if next month.

[VOR]

The headline on my new blog is the following:

"Travelerocity Reporter Gives Up Blog And Admits His Hatred For Anything Not Cardinal Red"

I can only dream can't I?

[NLRfan]

Before you know it the 2009 season will be here. In fact I believe just got my first statement for my season tickets payment.

[The stove]

Will my pal Ben be getting a ring?

[VOR]

OK, it's been a week and a half since the Travs won the TL title. We still haven't heard from the owner of this blog, who supposedly loves Travs baseball enough to "promote it more than anyone else".

I will not accept any excuses that he's been too busy to post anything. The truth is that he is hiding under a rock of shame and anger. Shame in that he's been wrong about the Angels' attitude towards the Travs and angry because the Travs won the championship.

HANK CONGER, HANK CONGER, HANK CONGER, HANK CONGER!

Let's go TR. Get out from under that criticism-for-the-sake-of-criticism rock you live underneath and let's see that tail go between your legs.

Is there nothing positive you can add to the topic of your supposedly favorite minor league team winning an championship? Or are you just letting us know that you really don't care?

[Mother Time]

Can someone else take over this blog?

Angels in the playoffs... former travs all over that bitch.

Don't make me show my pimp hand again.

[VOR]

The Cardinals aren't in the playoffs this year, so I wouldn't expect anything from the non-Travs fan that "runs" this blog.

[NationalOriole]

I count 21 former Travs out of 35 on the playoff roster. Oh, and Lackey and Santana are scheduled for Games 1 & 2 with Saunders probably starting game 3. If they leave the game late, you will probably see former Trav Arredondo go to the bump to set up the 9th for K-Rod, yet another former Trav. Oh, and TR, ALL of these games will be on national TV.

[ankmus]

who gives a damn if the cardinals aren't in it?

[Kitchen sink]

What about Chef Ben?

[Mars]

Jepsen, who closed for the Travs this year, made the playoff roster. Sean Rodriguez and Bobby Wilson are Trav-eling with the team in case they get the call in the ALCS.

[Karch]

Ankmus, no one gives a damn if the cards are not in it.....because no one gives a damn about the cards.

[Mars]

Succinct, accurate, and well-toned. I nominate Karch for the Pulitzer

[Pots and Pans]

Does anyone give a damn about Chef Ben?

[ankmus]

I nominate Mars for Jack@$$ of the year.

Karch..dont start crying when the baby bears are 3 and out...

[Mars]

oooh, ankmus, I love it when you talk dirty to me...
Did I mention, FTC?

[bret saberhagen]

welcome to manland!

[YellowTailSwine]

FTC works both ways actually.

That's not a very well thought out initialization.

[The Travelerocity reporter]

I could not help but find it to be poetic justice when Vladimir Guerrero was thrown out last night after being sent to third. That play may be remembered as what lost the series for the Angels, and it's the same philosophy that lost so many games for the Travs. The Angels played in the worst division in baseball. Don't kid yourself -- they are not the best team in MLB despite their record. Go J.D. Drew.

T.R you are delirious again.

[ranch wilder]

you can't fire me!!!!

[VOR]

First time the idiot posts on his own blog since his supposed favorite minor league team wins the TL title, and all he does is continue to bash the organization.

Truly an idiot. You're pitiful and hopeless.

HANK CONGER

[The Travelerocity reporter]

Idiot? Wow.

[hEnry]

TR, you truly are an idiot. That is Angels baseball. It has been that way since Scoscia took over and will be that way for awhile. The Angels do have the best record in baseball and they play other teams that aren't in their division. The AL West may be weak, but I'll put the Angels against any team in MLB. Your posts just go to show how ignorant you are and the lack of knowledge you have in baseball. The Cards arent exactly in the toughest division either yet you arent afraid to suck them off at the drop of a hat. I still have not heard a congratulations to the Travs for winning the TL Title and you are the self-proclaimed biggest Travs fan.

[Professional Fan]

TR, you truly are an IDIOT in all caps!!! What a dumb statement to make: "I could not help but find it to be poetic justice when Vladimir Guerrero was thrown out last night after being sent to third. That play may be remembered as what lost the series for the Angels, and it's the same philosophy that lost so many games for the Travs." Apparently you either overlooked or just decided to disregard the fact that Vlad missed a hold-up sign from the coach......He didn't try for third on instructions - he made a mistake on his own. You would do well to realize your own limitations, too. All too often you appear to be either an imbecilic moron or a moronic imbecile and it remains to be seen which. If you don't know what you are talking about, you should simply go back to the shadows and keep quiet. Thank you.

[Professional Fan]

And as for giving credit to Bobby Mags......as far as I could tell, he never got a single hit or made a single play himself. ALL the credit should go to the guys for gutting it out when they got to the lick log. Mags didn't do anything to win that championship and his managing ability leaves a hell of a lot to be desired, anyway. The fact remains that he didn't get a single strikeout, a single hit, snag a single screaming line drive, turn a difficult double play, or anything else other than stand around and attempt vainly to appear a leader. Hopefully he won't be back. It would be great to have Ty back, so long as he doesn't bring Dwayne Bacon, that junior Charlie Hustle....

[The Travelerocity reporter]

Nice home run by J.D. Drew. It's nice to see former Travelers doing so well in the postseason.

[NationalOriole]

I dislike Mags and his ineptness at managing as much as anyone and have since at least May of 07, so I have to agree with Professional Fan that credit should go to the players, not the guy who fills the 3rd base coaches' box.

On another note, I hope the Halos can take a lesson from this year's Travs and pull themselves out of the 2-1 hole and win the series, otherwise I have to root for the National League.

[Mr. Shucks]

So, after watching that series, can everyone finally agree that no matter who manages the Travs the foolish baserunning will continue?

If that isn't proof that it all comes from the top, I don't know what is...

[The Travelerocity reporter]

Looks like the Angels ran themselves out of the World Series, as predicted.