Ravens step up to bat for Eastern Conference title

FILE PHOTO Ravens catcher Blake Barton drove in two of the team's five runs in their victory over the Phillies on Wednesday.

While the Seattle Mariners fight furiously to hold on to their slim lead in the American League West, one of their minor-league affiliates, the double-A New Haven Ravens, is poised to take the Eastern League championship for the first time in the organization's history. After splitting the first two games of the best-of-five championship series, the Ravens and their only remaining roadblock, the Reading Phillies, returned to New Haven and historic Yale Field on Thurs., Sept. 14, where the Ravens defeated the Phils 3-0 to pull within a game of the title. Ravens ace Greg Wooten (17-3, 2.15 ERA) was flawless yet again, going the distance for the win. The Ravens scored all three runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning. They will try to close the series out Friday night at Yale Field with game Five set for Saturday if necessary.

A league title would just be icing on the cake for an organization that has already had a tremendous season. Under the leadership of manager Dan Rohn, the Ravens compiled an impeccable 82-60 record to finish just a half-game behind the Binghamton Mets. But the Ravens one-upped the Mets when it counted, easily cruising past Binghampton in the first round of the playoffs, three games to one. Thursday night, after losing the first game of the championship series and hoping to avoid a sweep on the road, the Ravens relied on consistent, unspectacular run support, piecing together a 5-3 victory on RBI hits by Jermaine Clark and Blaike Barthol. With the game on the line in the bottom of the ninth, closer Justin Kaye slammed the door shut, getting Reading slugger Andy Dominique to ground out to preserve the win. After the game, even Phillies manager Gary Varsho admitted that the Ravens were now in a strong position. Asked how he'd feel if he were the Ravens, he told the New Haven Register "I'd feel like I was in the driver's seat. I've got a split on the road and got my ace going (Thursday night) and the rest of the series at home."

In a way, it is no surprise that Seattle's minor league clubs are strong; the Mariners are winning not only because of seasoned veterans like Edgar Martinez and Jamie Moyer, but also because of a corps of highly skilled young players. Alex Rodriguez heads up this talented group, and is followed closely by even younger players like Gil Meche and John Halama. Meche and Halama may not be household names, but they've contributed greatly to Seattle's playoff drive. As a minor league affiliate, the Ravens' job is primarily to develop these budding talents into serviceable major leaguers.

While the Ravens have taken after their parent club, the Reading Phillies are another story. Despite a promising preseason outlook and a core of young talent perhaps even better than that of the Mariners, the Philadelphia Phillies have stumbled their way to the worst record in the major leagues. Yet their minor league affiliates have posted the second-best collective winning percentage this year, and Reading's .599 clip has been one of the big reasons.

Ironically, the Reading Phillies, under the tutelage of former major-league Phillie Gary Varsho, have everything that their parent club does not: excellent team chemistry, a deep and reliable bullpen, and a penchant for clutch performances. Facing the Harrisburg Senators in the first round, a team to which the Phillies had dropped their last three meetings, Reading rallied for a stunning victory in Game One. Down 9-4 in the ninth inning, the team scored six runs to win the game, ending it on a walk-off pinch-hit grand slam by Carmine Cappuccio. Thus inspired, the Phillies took the series three ga-mes to one, and Reading's GPU Stadium was readied for the first two games of the championship series, primed to welcome the Rav-ens to town.

The Ravens will now have two shots to take the title at their home field, Friday and Saturday eve-nings at 7 at Yale Field. Even so, Rohn remained guarded. "It's going to be tooth-and-nail the rest of the way," the skipper told the Register after Wednesday's narrow win. "These guys don't give up either."

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